Key Ingredient

The week is upon us. Just a couple more days and the time set aside by our nation to celebrate the blessings we've received will be here. We call it Thanksgiving.

At first thought, what does the term Thanksgiving bring to mind? Do you go straight to the menu? Or do you think about travel plans? Family gathering? Or do you skip ahead and go straight to the gift list to fulfill in the hours following the celebration? The deals to be had on that kick-start to Christmas shopping.

So, what's on the menu? Who's bringing what? Which aunt or grandma or uncle makes the best stuffing, green bean casserole, or pecan pie? It's important, right? Planning a good Thanksgiving feast. After all that was part of the original Pilgrim and Native American gathering, right? For many of us it's the backdrop or focal point of our celebration - the food on the table. 

Personally, I know that my siblings, their spouses and I have been on a several week long email loop working out the details of the menu for our family celebration. It's fun, necessary, and good to plan for a nice family meal together. There are key components or ingredients that are essential or the celebration just wouldn't be right.

So what are the key ingredients to our Thanksgiving? Turkey? Pumpkin Pie? Or is it really a grateful heart?

Putting a feast on the table is a millennial old tradition of celebration for blessings received. The simple fact of having enough resources to do so proves we are blessed. We are blessed. Blessed. Ahh.. considering that brings the warmth in our hearts and our mind resonates with gratitude. To whom? Where is our gratitude focused?

The Apostle Paul directs our minds aright in his message to the Romans in this verse of thanks:

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world." Romans 1:8

It was common for Paul to begin his correspondences with thanksgiving to God, through Christ. Paul is constantly aware of the source of all blessing. All blessing. God. God is the source, and our only access to God is through Jesus Christ's shed blood on the cross.

In this passage Paul is expressing his gratitude for the Roman Church and the believers, the people putting their faith in God through Christ, and their sharing that faith enough so that it is "reported all over the world." This (all over the world), of course, is not literal, but certainly noteworthy. A considerable number of people that had converted in such an important a place as Rome would quite likely become well-known in Christian circles and even outsiders may have begun to take notice.

I like how Paul is showing his love for his friends by thanking God for them. And the key ingredient in his thanksgiving is "through Jesus Christ." Paul's point was to bring glory to God and to show that everything they have comes from the grace of God. The object of thanksgiving is God not only as a creator and sustainer, but as a Father, the Father of Jesus, and our Father in Jesus. One God, our God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The person through whom we give thanks is Jesus Christ. We have no access to God but through Jesus. Our prayers and praises are unacceptable before God without Him. We need God, but His holiness is unapproachable since by nature we are sinful and unholy. The good news is, Jesus is holy. He paid the price, made the sin offering for us on the cross with His blood. His blood covers our unholy sins and makes us clean before a holy God. We need Jesus Christ. Through Him we can offer our sacrifices of praise or thanks and be received by God and bring glory to His Name.

Oswald Chambers explains redemption (deliverance from sin, Christ's blood payment): "The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ."

The key ingredient is Jesus' blood. Blood. We receive God's grace through Christ. Only through Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ is a grace of great blessing. God has put such great honor on faith in His only Son, Jesus, that He promises us blessings abundant.

"From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another." John 1:16

I'll bet your first thought of thanksgiving was not blood of all things. But the truth of it is, blood is what purchased for us our greatest blessing. Our deepest well of gratitude ought to be for the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. By His sacrifice we receive all other graces of blessing from God. Along with Paul, give thanks to God through Jesus Christ for His spilled blood and for all of the blessings you have received because of it.

Happy Thanksgiving and God's abundant blessings to you and yours through Jesus Christ!

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Angel by Your Side

Ever have those moments, hours, seasons where you feel all alone? Where you could really use a shoulder to lean on, or better yet, a devoted friend that supports you no matter what.

I call them angels. Not the celestial created ones that we can't see - though I believe they truly exist and are at all times helping us here on earth. That's a whole different subject that I'm not going to get into right now. I'm talking about those amazing people in your life that appear for a reason, a season, or, if you're extra blessed, for a lifetime that you share love and support with.

We all need support and encouragement, and when we get it we need to recognize what a gift it is from our Father in Heaven. Paul recognized this gift of encouragement once his long journey got him to Rome. He was met by a group of believers that traveled from towns 43 and 33 miles away.

"The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged." Acts 28:15

Let's get a few words worked out from this passage. "Brothers" is a term used in this day to refer to those united in Christ or Christians or believers. "Forum of Appius" is a small town 43 miles from Rome, noted for its wickedness. "Three Taverns" is a town 33 miles from Rome and tavern means any kind of shop. So if your mind wandered into a dimly lit proprietary of strong drink, well, no, not this time... just, by the sounds of it, a very small town (with, perhaps, 3 shops).

So at the sight of them, Paul was encouraged and thanked God for them. That's how it works, isn't it? We are road worn or emotionally drained or beat up physically or emotionally, we see our "angels" and we a blessed by the sight of them.

I am blessed by some angels in my life that get me through the tough times. The times when I feel like God forgot about me, when I lost my hope, my faith.

Listen to this awesome song by Francesca Battistelli, Angel By Your Side:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV9Uqwjl46A (paste it into your browser, I don't know why it won't just place a link here)

We learned in an awesome women's conference this past weekend that God filters painful times into our lives, through His loving hands, so we can be blessings to others that experience similar trials. In His sovereignty, He places those precious ones in our lives to help us and then also places the hurting in our paths later to help them because "we've been there."

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

These "brothers" traveled many miles (by foot) to support and connect with Paul as a leader in the early church of Christ. If the Lord puts a brother or sister in your path that needs some encouragement, be obedient and do your part. Listen to them. Pray with them or for them. Encourage them.

If you don't have the blessing of an encouraging supporter in your life, look at getting into a Bible Study Group in your church. Or look into Bible Study Fellowship. It's an international group with Bible study classes for all ages all over the world. https://www.bsfinternational.org/ Prayer, encouragement and support are out there but it takes courage and a leap of faith to take the step to find them.

I thank God for the merciful blessings of encouragers in my life. These precious angels lift me up when I am weak and bring me back into the love light of Jesus. Let's be like Paul, and at the sight of them, thank God and be encouraged.

 "And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b