Title: A feast of Thanksgiving
3 elements of believers are Faith, Hope and Love (1 Corinthians 13:13). But founding pastor taught us that if we add thanksgiving to these, it becomes even more beautiful. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says that to give thanks in every situation is God’s will. It means it needs no discussion, no reasoning, and no questioning but just obeying. Thanksgiving is as important as Faith, Hope and Love.
However, there are two types of thanksgiving :-
A low level of thanksgiving and a high level of thanksgiving.
A low level of thanksgiving is to give thanks to God in comparison. It is difficult to measure how much thanksgiving we are giving to God as it is a spiritual thing. However, Matthew 6:21 says that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. If we compare with the people who have more than us, we feel uncomfortable and grumble in our hearts. But if we compare with the ones who have lesser than us, we will feel worthwhile. How can our thanksgiving be determined by the situation and the people we are comparing with? That is not right. We should not look at others when giving thanks to God.
The full name of Thanksgiving Day is Thanksgiving of harvest, thus it is related to farming and harvest. In today’s term, it is the thanksgiving we bring to God for how much we earn in our business this year. However, if we look at it with a spiritual perspective, Thanksgiving Day is an autumn season and harvest season of one’s life.
In early part of John 4, Jesus met a Samaritan prostitute woman and planted the seed of gospel in her heart. The woman said that there will be one day the Messiah will come and perhaps restore everything. Jesus said “I am He” in John 4:26. So, she believed in Him and went back to the town to cry out “Come and see the Messiah” and many repented and believed in Jesus.
What kind of season is autumn?
- Autumn is a season of joy
The people of Israel lived as slaves after Babylonian Captivity. After 70 years when they could not worship God, they returned to Israel and gave God worship. Psalmist foresaw this moment and prophesied in Psalm 126.
The time of harvest is the time of worship service. As the time of harvest should be joyful, the time of worship service should also be joyful. As the worship service should be given to God joyfully, offerings should be given to God out of joyfulness. If we are stingy to God, then God will also be stingy in His blessing. When you bring your offering, do it according to your faith and bring your faith with the offering. Outwardly, it may be the same money and offering but God will recognize the offering with faith and the offering coming out of your pocket.
- Autumn is a season of despair and gloom for unbelievers
The Bible describes the end time as a harvest time.
No matter how much one has, as one grows old, he or she becomes weak and fragile. There is no satisfaction for unbelievers in the time of harvest (Mat 13:39). On the other hand, Apostle Paul confessed that he has fought a good fight and finished the race (2 Timothy 4:7) and also said that his name is written in the book of life (Philippians 4:1-3), and he also said that our outer man is decaying but our inner man is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).
When Jesus comes again, he will hold a winnowing fork in his hand and gather wheat and grains into the barn but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12). So, the time of harvest is the time of judgment for unbelievers but is the time to gain eternal life for believers.
- Autumn is a season for a change
Jesus said that the time of harvest has come. It means, you think it is still the time of grow but the time of
harvest has come already. Likewise, in the spiritual season of Autumn, we also have the complete growing and be ready to give God fruits and grains *John 4:35).
When we are young spiritually, we pray ‘give me, give me’. However, if we grow then we should pray like Psalm 116:12
Psalm 116:12 What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me?
Rather than focusing on what we need today, the spiritually grown up will start considering and take care of what God needs from me today. If we take care of God’s wish, then God will take care of our wishes.
Conclusion: God will take out the wicked from among the righteous
Matthew 13:49-50 So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Before the judgment, by spreading the good news of salvation, God separates the righteous from the wicked. However, in the last judgment, God will separate the wicked from the righteous.
God’s selection process will be happening among His believers and His congregations. That’s why we have to strive even today to fix together with the faith in Jesus Christ, to live according to the Word of God.
If you are looking for church near you, especially a Presbyterian church that is fully focused in the Word of God, do visit us on our Lord’s Day Service, at Phileo Damansara 1, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Full details of our contact can be found at The Lord’s Covenant Church’s website.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 