The Heaton File

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well-pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)

The Great Appearing

There has never been a gathering like the one at the judgment seat of Christ. Moses spoke the law to the children of Israel who numbered more than a million souls but his audience was small. Jesus fed more than five thousand people at one time and that crowd was infinitely smaller than those who will gather before Him at judgment. If technology could connect with every soul on earth (estimated at nearly eight billion) at one time, the number would pale compared to the day that is coming. There is a day coming that will gather every human from Adam to the final baby born to stand before the great and terrible day of the Lord.

The great appearing is when all will come before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. Noble kings and queens will have no special place to stand. They will assemble with the peasants and common folk. Rich men will feel the same dread as poor men. Tyrants, despots, and bullies will have no courage but tremble in fear. The wisest men on earth will bow in the presence of the all-knowing. There will be no arguments, questions, or appeals. All will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive whatever is deserved for the good or evil done in the earthly body. It will be the most amazing assembly of people ever brought together.

When the book of life is opened, everything a person has done will be revealed. The 969 years of Methuselah will be detailed in the book with great care. Adam lived 930 years and it will all be there. The righteousness of Noah will be known, the faith of Abraham declared, and the heart of David confirmed. Ahab and Jezebel will not find joy in that day as they stand next to Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Cyrus, Herod, and Pilate, knowing the fate that awaits them. Rahab will hear the faithful words of eternal life, as will Samson and Saul of Tarsus.

The amazing realization of those who stand before a righteous God is that not everyone will go to heaven. All of humanity standing before the Lord will be judged according to what they have done. If it is the righteousness of obedience, they will be saved, but most people did not live that way in life. Their lives were not doing the will of the Father. The goodness of a person often measures salvation but good people will not be saved on the judgment day of the Lord. The judgment of God will come from a book that shows willing obedience to the will of the Father. To be well-pleasing to God is to submit to His will. Religious people will not be saved. Obedient people will hear the words of eternal life. Everything about the great appearing will come from the righteous character of God, not the wisdom of men.

Everyone will be at the great appearing. No one will be left out and no one lost in the mass of humanity. Everyone will be judged and this should bring a sense of awe and fear. There is such a thing as the terror of the Lord. It is real, it is powerful, and it will bring judgment to the billions of souls who have lived. There will be no partiality. Obedience will be rewarded and disobedience punished. Considering the great assembly, everyone must make it their aim to be well-pleasing to God. Eternity depends on it. Are you ready? See you there.

Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls— yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Habakkuk’s Pandemic

Habakkuk did not understand how a just and merciful God could allow a nation like Babylon to afflict Israel. Babylon was a cruel and barbaric nation bent on the annihilation of any who stood in their way. God calls the Babylonians a bitter and hasty nation that is terrible and dreadful. Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk as the charioteers charge ahead. Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey and their army is bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind, sweeping captives ahead of them like sand. This terrible army stands ready to destroy the people of God and Habakkuk is seeking answers.

God answers Habakkuk by reminding the prophet that Babylon is an instrument of divine wrath upon the sinful nation of Israel. The nation of Israel was to be an example of the glory of God but they had become like the nations around them. Judgment had to come upon the disobedient and that judgment came first from the Assyrians. They took the northern tribes away into oblivion and now the Babylonians stood poised to punish the remnant. God knew what He was doing. Habakkuk did not understand the mind of God but everything was following a divine pattern of the goodness and severity of a loving God.

Habakkuk struggled with a wicked nation like Babylon being used to punish the holy people of God. He failed to appreciate that Israel deserved such a severe punishment from an evil nation like Babylon. However, it was never God’s intention to allow Babylon to go unpunished. There is always an appointed time and judgment against any nation that forgets God and judgment would come against the Babylonians. Sin bears its own seed of self-destruction. Israel may be carried away to captivity by the Babylonians but they will return a remnant to preserve the seed. When the Medes and Persians destroyed Babylon, there was nothing left. The wicked nation of Babylon had its Waterloo as all nations will face the judgment of a wrathful God.

The answer God wants Habakkuk to understand is that in the face of the tragedy of the Babylonians, there remains hope and the promise of God. Babylon would bring great harm to Israel and many of God’s people would die but at the end of the day, the just will live by faith. What happens in the affairs of nations is God’s will, not the business of men. God will do what He must do without consulting men. Habakkuk needed to see that regardless of the chaos in the world, God still ruled and the faithful would be justified by trusting in the love and mercy of God. It is at the end of his short book that Habakkuk comes to realize the awesome power of trusting in God. No matter how bad things become, no matter how much harm Babylon will bring to the nation, and no matter what may happen to his life – Habakkuk will remain steadfast to the Lord.

Pandemics come in different forms. For Habakkuk, his pandemic was Babylon. It seemed insurmountable, impossible and full of dread. A lot of bad things were going to take place before it was all over. For many of God’s people, their faith is destroyed. Seeing the Babylonians march on Jerusalem took their spiritual life away and they turned against the Lord. Men like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and Ezekiel faced their captivity with faith, courage, and steadfast love for the Lord. They did not allow the Babylonians to destroy their relationship with God. The story does not reveal what happened to Habakkuk. Was he killed by the surging forces of the Babylonian army or did he suffer captivity with so many others? The Holy Spirit does not reveal what happened to the prophet of God and we are left to wonder.

Habakkuk had a clear view of his pandemic. He trembled inside and his lips quivered with fear and he shook in terror. But he decided to wait quietly for the will of the Lord. The prophet of God determined that even though the fig trees would not blossom or the grapes died and the olive crops failed and the fields lie empty and barren, he would rejoice in the Lord. He knew that God was his salvation and the Sovereign Lord was all the strength he needed. Habakkuk would not stop doing the will of the Lord just because he faced the pandemic of the Babylonians.

The pandemic of a virus has rocked the world. Like Babylon, it has come with fear and dread. It is beyond the scope of human wisdom to know how the providential will of the Lord has worked in this pandemic. Regardless, the pandemic has changed the face of the world and, sadly, has rocked the foundations of the church. There have been people of God who have succumbed to the fear of the pandemic and given up their trust and hope in the will of God. They have allowed the fear mongers to destroy their trust in the Almighty Lord God. The prayer of Habakkuk is the only answer to face the pandemic. If the virus destroys half the population of the earth, where will the just be found? The just will live by faith and will continue to follow the New Testament pattern of worship, praise, communion and obedience. This means no matter what happens and what the virus will do in the next one hundred years, the people of God will walk by faith and live in the promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ. Babylon never defeated the people of God; it only emboldened them. No pandemic will destroy the faithful of God; it can only embolden them to trust in the Lord more.

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:42-43)

Seeking The Praise Of God

There are two kinds of praise: the honor given by men and the acceptance of the Creator. The praise of men is a strong temptation driving men to spend their lives to be remembered in history in one form or another. Ambitious men and women craft everything in their lives to be known throughout the world for economic, scientific, political, or athletic accomplishments. Monuments are raised in their honor, cities named after them, discoveries attributed to their genius, and endless volumes dedicated to their life work. The irony of men who seek fame and fortune for the praise of men is how short the memory of history defines their lives.

One of the great men of the nineteenth century was Henry Bradley Plant (1819-1899) but few people recognize his accomplishments. Along with Henry Flagler, he was a businessman and entrepreneur who changed the face of Florida, considered to be giants of their day. Their fame or “praise of men” was short-lived, with only remnants of their memories on the minds of people today. Alexander Fleming discovered one of the most important breakthroughs in medical science and few know what he did. Does anyone remember who won the 1956 World Series? The praise of men is only a brief footnote in the history of humanity.

Among the rulers of the Jewish Council, some men believed that Jesus was the Son of God. Because of their fear of the Pharisees, they did not confess the Lord. Anyone who acknowledged the legitimacy of the man from Nazareth would be expelled from the synagogue. The praise of men was more important to them than the praise of God. Their hearts were seeking worldly honor, fame, fortune, and power. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. If they never changed their hearts, they died loving the praise of men. No doubt, the funeral procession would have been an elaborate declaration of who they were and how important they were in the synagogue. Two thousand years later, does anyone know their names or what they accomplished?

Jesus had many followers who were not tempted by the praise of men. They sought the praise of God. In most cases, what men knew about those who sought after the praise of God was very little. The early Christians were honest men and women who followed the teachings of Jesus Christ with humility and devotion. History would not inscribe their names on plaques, raise monuments in their honor, or name cities after them. Instead, the Holy Spirit would remember a few of them so the world could read about them thousands of years later. Men like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Peter, James and John, Paul, Barnabas, Timothy and Epaphroditus. Women like Sarah, Abigail, Hannah, Ruth, Rahab, Mary, Martha, Phoebe, and Dorcas are still talked about today. Their lives were in simple faith seeking the praise of God. They died with little recognition of the glory of men.

The praise of men and the praise of God have one distinct difference: the praise of men always fades away and the praise of God never diminishes. Death begins to erode the fame, removes the riches, and slowly takes away the remnants of a life wasted seeking the praise of men. The praise of God gives hope to the spirit in life and the promise of eternal life in death. Seeking the praise of men never brings peace in death, only fear. When the soul is facing eternity and the presence of the Almighty God, the praise of men has no power. No man on his death bed wishes for more money and more fame. All he can see is a vast chasm of blackness engulfing his life as the cold tentacles of death begins to surround him. He knows too late the value of the praise of men. Only the child of God feels warmth as the sleep of death covers his soul with tender caresses of joy as the angels prepare to transport the soul to the bosom of Abraham. The praise of God is eternal. It never ends.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

And Be Thankful

Paul describes the character of the Christian as being a changed person. Everything in the life of those who profess to serve Jesus Christ focuses on things from the Father’s viewpoint, not the earthly. There is an active work of removing those hindrances that challenge the heart of righteousness like fornication, impurity, lust, anger, slander, and ungodly language (and many more). The sinful nature of the old man is stripped away to renew the spirit with the godly character of Jesus Christ. As the elect of God, the Christian clothes his life with tender mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and all the attributes that help him dwell in favor of God. There is a significant change that takes place for the Christian.

In the midst of all the character traits changing the heart for the glory of God is the simple admonition to be thankful. Many changes must take place that will challenge the courage of the faithful to be like Christ, but nothing is more essential than remembering to be thankful. If there was a trait that was easier to implement in life, being thankful should be at the top of the list. It does not require deep intellectual insight to find a reason to be thankful. Three words sum up the spirit of a soul saved from the wrath of God and the promise of eternal life. A thankful spirit knows the value of salvation, the glory of divine mercy, and the joy of saving grace. Being thankful constantly tells God how grateful it is to know He loves and cares for His children.

“And be thankful” is not a hard concept to accept. It strips away the pride of boasting, removes the shadow of human wisdom and acknowledges every blessing comes from above without variation or respect of persons. God does not love one person over another. He gave His Son to the world so that all men could come to salvation. The blood of Jesus Christ will take away the sins of anyone who comes to Him with an obedient heart. There is no distinction of grace for one nationality above another. God’s love is for all men if they would but accept His will. Out of the billions of souls that dwell upon the earth, Jesus died for the individual who obeys the word of His Father as if there were no other souls on earth. To be thankful is to know the blessings of God come unmeasured upon His children. How can a soul not be grateful?

The spirit of thanksgiving dwells in the heart of the Christian each day. When a thankful heart only remembers the Lord once a year when the turkey appears, the soul dies with ingratitude. A happy heart awakens each day, seeing the hand of God ready to guide the soul with the eternal grace of His presence. Through the word of God, thanksgiving is learned from the stories of old where God never lies and every promise made was kept – without exception. Thanksgiving rises from knowing that God will keep His word because He is a righteous God. At the end of the day, the soul feels the peace of God ruling their hearts because they have been called in one body – and they are thankful. Thank you, thank you – thank you!

All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 7:11-12)

Thanksgiving In Heaven

People often wonder what Heaven is going to be like. The scriptures hint at the glories that await but in human terms, it isn’t easy to put into tangible realities how the saved will dwell in eternity. Human wisdom clouds the images of the eternal when earthly ties are bound in the imagination of a world much like the one on earth. God uses pictures of a heavenly city with streets of gold, but these are only illustrative images to describe the incredible beauty of Heaven. There will be no literal streets of gold or mansions for families to dwell in and take long strolls through a garden of paradise. Heaven will not be a place to recount past histories with family. Jesus told the Sadducees there would be no marriages. Eternal life is not about the frivolities of earthly life. Heaven will be a place where the glory of God is magnified.

The revelation of the apostle John gives the clearest pictures of eternal glory found in scripture. There are many questions about standing before the presence of the Almighty, but the heavenly beings give one clear image. There will be worshipping and praising the glory of the Lord God with thanksgiving, honor, power and might to the heavenly Father. Thanksgiving will be a central theme in the ages to come. There is much to be thankful for in this life. The immeasurable blessings of God that provide life on earth cannot be measured with the joy of heaven. Thanksgiving is a way we seek to tell God how much we depend on Him and how thankful we are for His blessings. In Heaven, thanksgiving will be taken to an eternal level of praise, joy, and honor for the righteousness of His glory.

Men do not always appreciate thanksgiving. They can go all their lives and never find a thankful word for the Lord. Those who deny the blessings of God will not be singing praises of thanksgiving to God as they will not be in Heaven. The saved are those who spent their lives giving thanks to the Father for the blessings in Christ Jesus and, in their obedience to His word, followed His word. For those gathered around the throne of God, they will join the angels, elders and living creatures and sing joyfully with thankful hearts the glories of the great Savior and Redeemer. Thanksgiving will be an immediate response. Heaven will be the eternal thanksgiving.

The heart will not wonder what to say when standing before God. It will be an immediate and continual thanksgiving. The wonder of eternal life is cloaked in the garments of a thankful heart for the mercy, grace, and love of a benevolent Father. Thanksgiving is a natural response. Blessing and glory and wisdom will be the hymns for eternal ages. Everyone in Heaven will be thankful. If you think thanksgiving is awesome here on earth, just wait until the eternal experience is shared by the saved. Then, and only then, will the true meaning of thanksgiving be realized. Thank you, Father.

For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:4-5)

Thanksgiving And Prayer

The greatest act of thanksgiving is the gesture of thanks. To be thankful without expressing thanksgiving is not a complete appreciation for what has been given. The irony of human wisdom is everything man has is given to him by God. There is nothing that a man can do that does not proceed from the throne of God. A man can plant a seed, but the Creator makes the increase and bounty of the crop. Technology has changed the face of food production, but God provides the abundance at the end of the day.

There is nothing in the world that is not governed by the will of the Father. Pundits declare the warning of global warming and yet the Lord God has said there will always be regular seasons. Human achievement will never change the divine plan of God. The nature of thanksgiving is realizing that life comes from the hand of the Lord and without God, life does not exist. Seasons come and go by the will of God. The sun and moon rule the sky because God said so. Clothing, food, stuff, health and life derive their existence from the hand of the One who made the heavens and the earth. Thanksgiving is not complete until man realizes from whence his blessings come and then tells God, “Thank you.”

Prayer is thanksgiving because the heart tells the Lord, “Thank you.” God wants to hear the voice of His creation tell Him he knows where his blessings come. Food is sanctified by prayer because the heart knows that there would be nothing to enjoy in life without the mercy of God. Thanksgiving is a holiday named for thanksgiving but to do so without the word of God and prayer is to lose the eternal meaning of life. God created man and breathed into him the breath of life. The bounty of food and worldly possessions comes from the hand of God. Man would have nothing if the Lord were not the provider of all things. Thanksgiving recognizes that everything comes from the hand of God and through prayer, the soul tells God, “Thank you.”

If the Lord allows the universe to continue after Thanksgiving, the need to see the hand of God in life remains. He is the One who holds the world together by His voice. The word of God created the world and the word of God sustains all life. Prayer is telling God thank you for His infinite mercy, kindness, grace, and love for allowing everything in life to continue. The day comes from the will of God and every morsel of food consumed on Thanksgiving is possible because of the blessings of the Lord God Almighty. There should be a spirit of thanksgiving but the reality is that Thanksgiving feasts will end and life continues. The greatest lesson to learn about thanksgiving is not about the food that perishes but the manna from heaven that will never perish. A more excellent feast of sacrifice was given two thousand years ago when the Son of God died for the sins of humanity so the redeemed can dine at the table of the Lord in eternity. The greatest thanksgiving can only be found in Jesus Christ. Now that is something to pray about. Thank you, Father. Thank you.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

The Doctrine Of Thanksgiving

Paul’s letter to the saints at Philippi is filled with strong appeal to live full lives of joy, peace, and confidence in their eternal hope. Philippians is an encouraging book written when the people of God were undergoing grave challenges to their faith. Paul was imprisoned for his faith in Jesus Christ, as were many others in the Roman world. Materialism encroached on the lives of the Christians with the temptation of the carnal flesh. The city of Philippi was known as a miniature Rome, a proud Roman colony enjoying the favor of the Roman government that exempted the city from paying taxes. Writing to the saints in Philippi, Paul exhorted them to rejoice in Christ and not allow the world’s temptations to move their faith.

Thanksgiving is seldom viewed as a matter of doctrine but the spirit of a thankful heart derives its character from knowing and understanding where all blessings come. It is easy to look at Thanksgiving purely from an emotional standpoint. Paul writes to the saints not to worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. He wants to remind the Christians that all blessings come from God and they should tell God what they need and thank Him for all he has done. This is the doctrine of thanksgiving when the heart of a man looks at the kind mercies of God throughout time and sees that God never lies and He always cares for His children. The Bible is a revelation of the mercies of the Lord to care for all those who call on His name. Thanksgiving is about doctrine.

Knowledge comes from an examination of truth. The Bible begins with a story of thanksgiving when salvation is promised to man. Noah had much to be thankful for as the Lord delivered his family from destruction. Abraham was a man of great faith as he built his altars to the Lord everywhere he went as a gesture of thanksgiving. Israel became a symbol of the mercies of God from their deliverance, God’s benevolence in the wilderness, conquering Canaan and becoming a nation of the Lord God. The people of Israel had so much to be thankful for. Sadly, the fall of Israel came when they were no longer thankful. Thanksgiving turned to selfishness, arrogance and pride. When the doctrine of thanksgiving was no longer taught to the children to be grateful to God for all blessings, the nation of Israel died.

Thanksgiving is a doctrine that teaches the heart of God’s faithful to trust only in the word of God. The benevolence of the Lord has been demonstrated from time beginning and must remain central to the lives of His saints. Thanksgiving is a time of family, friendship, and probably lots of food. In the midst of the celebration, the doctrine of thanksgiving must be taught that reliance is only on God and Him alone. There is nothing to be anxious about when the heart trusts in the Lord. A thankful heart speaks to the Father seeking His will with prayer and supplication. When the doctrine of thanksgiving finds its way into the soul of a man – peace follows. Thanksgiving rises from the tomb on the third day and His name is Christ Jesus.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises on the harp to our God, who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the mountains. (Psalm 147:7-8)

Thanksgiving In Song

Music has been in the fabric of society since the beginning of time. A few generations removed from Adam and Eve, Moses tells of Jubal, the father of all those who play the harp and the flute. Laban rebukes Jacob for stealing away secretly before he could send him away with joy and songs, timbrel and harp. God created man to be filled with music and singing is the most natural part of that emotional, creative plan. Babies are attracted to music mimicking the tones in their infant dialect. Music is the staple of every culture, defined by its unique measure of melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. It is no wonder God infused the use of music in worship.

One of the elements of music common in all men is the need to sing. The most original form of music comes when the voice fills the air with song. When Moses and the people saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt, they sang a song of deliverance for what God had done. Miriam the prophetess and sister of Moses, took the timbrel in her hand and answered with her own song. The Law of Moses admonished the people to sing praises to God. Music fills the pages of Holy writ. The book of Psalms is a volume of songs of thanksgiving, praise, and honor to God. Throughout the book, the joy of singing to the Lord is extolled over and over again.

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. There are many ways to be grateful and show a heart of thanksgiving. The psalmist exhorts his readers to sing to the Lord with thanksgiving and to sing praises to God. Music is a vital part of daily thanksgiving. The Lord created the world, covered the heavens with clouds, and brought rain on the earth. Earth is filled with the glory of God as He covers it with grass, trees, oceans, rivers, and mountains. All the animals of the world find food provided by the hand of God. The sun rises each morning and the moon rules the night. Each star and heavenly body remains in its place according to the word of the Lord. Everything that makes a day is established by the will of God and man, the highest of creation, should sing thanksgiving to the Lord.

Singing is part of the spirit of Thanksgiving. There can be no greater joy than to gather with the people of God and enjoy the fellowship of song. The calendars of men have established the third Thursday of November as Thanksgiving and what a joyous day that can be. Singing thanksgiving can take place each day but the greatest thanksgiving song is found when the saints of God unite their voices together each first day of the week with glory to Jesus Christ, who brought salvation to a dying world. Thanksgiving becomes a lifetime of joy and thankfulness. Taking the songs of worship into the everyday activities of life changes the heart and lifts the spirit. Real thanksgiving springs from hearts filled with the music of the Divine. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving. Amen.

Offer to God thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. (Psalm 50:14-15)

Thanksgiving Is To God

The psalmist Asaph declares the Lord, the Mighty One, is God and has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets to hear His words. There is nothing in the world that does not belong to the Lord as the heavens declare the righteousness of God who Himself is Judge. His power created all that is in the world. There is nothing done on earth that God is not aware of and who does not see and hear and know. Nothing is hidden from the presence of the Lord. For the wicked, this knowledge is too awesome for them to consider. The saints of the Lord will find joy in the care of the Lord.

A spirit of thanksgiving comes from those who acknowledge the omnipotence of the Lord God as a blessing. God demands sacrifice but not that He should eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats. He desires the offerings of thanksgiving from hearts that submit to His will. Obedience is the evidence of man’s dependence on the blessings of the Divine. The sun and moon rise and set by the will of the Creator. Rain nourishes the earth according to the divine pattern of creation. Life is a blessing from God. The food that is prepared comes from the hand of a benevolent God. There is nothing man possesses that does not come from the hand of the Lord, the Mighty One.

Thanksgiving is a time of family, food, and fellowship. There are many things to be thankful for in the abundance of what God has provided. While men established the holiday of Thanksgiving, the spirit of thanksgiving has been the desire of the Lord since the beginning of time. God wants to have a relationship with His creation. Sin separated God from man and sadly, most men continue to stay away from the only true thanksgiving in this life. True thanksgiving is when the heart of submission offers to God thanksgiving. The blessings of life are not to be received because of the wisdom of men, the frugal financial prowess of self-centered hearts, or the unthankful spirits of men who deny God. Everything in this world is established through the will of God and every purpose of this expansive universe serves to the glory of God. If there is anything to be thankful for: it is God.

Glory belongs to the one who gives the blessings. Thanksgiving can become a time of remembering all that God has done. There is nothing man can brag about that is original with him. Everything comes from the creative blessing of God. Life is a gift from God. The food consumed in significant quantities at Thanksgiving comes from the bountiful hand of the Great Provider. Homes, possessions, wealth, health, and every essential part of life pour from the throne of the benevolent God who gives to all men the same hours of the day. If there is one thing that must be central to the spirit of the holiday Thanksgiving, it is the need to offer to God thanksgiving and keep the vows made to the Most High. Then, when trouble comes, and the heart calls upon the Lord, He will hear and He will answer. Be thankful. Rejoice. Enjoy. Pray. Fellowship. Offer to God true thanksgiving for all the abundant blessings from above. And above all things, thank God for Jesus Christ.

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord” ), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:21-24)

Jesus Had Faithful Parents

The Son of God dwelt in glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit before time began. Through Jesus, God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth, both seen and unseen. The universe was created for Him. Jesus would come to earth in the form of a man and possess the power to raise the dead, heal all diseases, control nature to His will, and exercise authority over the world of Satan. When He rose from the dead, He was given all authority both in heaven and on earth. Jesus would be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, preeminent above all. There is salvation in no other name but Jesus Christ.

There was a time in the life of Jesus that He was not in control of His surroundings. Conceived in the womb by the Holy Spirit, the Son of God would enter the world like every other human since Eve gave birth to Cain. The pregnancy of Mary would be the characteristic nine months with the child growing daily in her womb. Arriving in Bethlehem for the census required by the Roman government, Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid Him in a manger as Joseph looked on with wonderment. Eight days later, in accordance with the Law of Moses, Jesus was circumcised and officially called Jesus as directed by the angel before the Son of God was conceived in the womb. Forty days after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary made the short trip to Jerusalem to present their son to the Lord as directed by the Law of Moses. The law required every male to be dedicated to the Lord, offering either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Joseph and Mary did exactly what the law required.

Luke records in the genealogy of Jesus that Joseph was the supposed father of Jesus. This is in accordance with the fact that Joseph was not the father of Jesus but he took on the role of the earthly father for the Son of God. Joseph was responsible for caring for Mary and Jesus and he exemplified himself to that task. After the birth of Jesus, Joseph found a house to live in for the next few years. When Joseph was warned by an angel of the Lord of Herod’s murderous plot, he took Mary and the young child Jesus to Egypt. It was on the shoulders of Joseph to care for the family. Jesus crawled on all fours and then learned how to walk. The Son of God began to form sentences and go from baby babble to words. His hair began to grow and His body changed from an infant to a young boy. The family left Egypt and took up residence in Nazareth, where Jesus would be known as the son of a carpenter. At the age of twelve, He astonished the teachers at the Temple with His wisdom. Luke again notes the relationship of Jesus with Joseph and Mary when he writes the Son of God was subject to them as He increased in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and men.

The parents of Jesus were faithful to the word of the Lord. Gabriel came to Mary to tell her of the blessing bestowed upon her by the grace of God and she believed his word. When the angel of the Lord told Joseph not to put Mary away because she was pregnant, he humbly obeyed. Giving birth to the Son of God did not change the requirements of the Law. On the eighth day, Jesus had to be circumcised and presented at the Temple on the 40^th day. Joseph and Mary obeyed the word of the Lord. They went each year to the Temple to fulfill the law, a journey of seventy miles. Joseph and Mary taught Jesus the word of the Lord and talked of the law in their home when they walked by the way and lay down and arose in the morning. The word of the Lord was placed before Jesus to know and understand the will of the Father. Jesus was taught to love the Lord God with all His heart, soul, and strength.

When Jesus hung on the cross, knowing His life was quickly fading, He turned to His mother and told her He loved her. Joseph had died before Jesus began His ministry and Mary had been a constant companion during His short ministry. Jesus knew He would be raised from the dead but then return to the Heavenly Father. He looked upon the tear-stained face of the beloved woman who bore Him into the world and said, “Behold your son.” It is clear how much Jesus loved His mother. He knew the burdens she carried and the sword that pierced her heart as she cared for Jesus. The amazing picture of Mary at the cross is that she knew without any doubt that Jesus was the Son of God and said nothing. That was the will of God and she obeyed. Mary was faithful even as her beloved little boy suffered greatly on a Roman cross.

The faithfulness of Mary did not end at the death of Jesus. Luke records the final chapter in the story of Mary when he opens the book of the apostles with her being part of the disciples meeting in an upper room. She witnessed Pentecost and the Holy Spirit coming upon the twelve. Mary saw the three thousand baptized and the infant church growing in spirit and number. Nothing is said of her involvement in the early church, but one thing is certain: she was faithful.