1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
1 Timothy 4:4 "For every creation is beautiful to God, and there is nothing to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,"
Thanksgiving means 'the giving of thanks for God's grace'. Also, 'actively grateful worship to God'. To imply any other meaning upon it is to take away from God what is rightfully His. The Greek word base is 'eucharistia', meaning: thankfulness, gratitude; giving of thanks, thanksgiving. Eucharistio personalizes this: I give thanks, I thank. I give thanks to God for His blessings. Acknowledging that God's grace works well, for our eternal gain and His glory. (ref. Strong's Exh. Conc.).
If there is any sin in the heart, that must be repented of immediately. Not later, not tomorrow, not next month or year. Now is the time to repent of any sin. And you know what I am talking about. Sin prevents a person from being in God's presence. How can we enter into God's presence with thanksgiving if there is sin in our hearts and on our tongues? We can't; that would make us unrepentant liars and thieves, ensuring wrath on God's part toward us.
So why hasn't He destroyed those who enter sanctuaries, synagogues, churches, temples, prayer houses and meeting places? Grace. It is the grace of God which prevents Him from bringing His wrath upon the unrepentant soul. It is the grace of God which saves the soul from certain death. It is the grace of God which was sent to this world more than 2000 years ago.
Leaving behind His glory, and wrapping Himself with flesh, the grace of God, Jesus Christ, allowed Himself to be carried in the womb of a woman whom God was pleased in. He was born in a stable filled with animals, straw, sweat and dirt. Lovingly cleaned off by His adopted father and wrapped in swaddling cloths, Christ was laid in a manger, a feeding trough basically. Here the shepherds came to worship Him. Here the star shone overhead. Here, perhaps, the inn's patrons and innkeeper may have come to see what all the fuss was about.
(How appropriate that The Bread of Heaven and The Living Water should be in a feeding trough. God does all things well, doesn't He? I sure do love Him so.)
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 1:1, 14 "In The Beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. And The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of The Father,) full of grace and truth."
This Man, this Prophet, this Teacher, this Rabbi is the only begotten Son of God. He surrendered His will to His Father's will. He was not murdered: He laid down His life for His sheep. He even tells us this in John 10:11 "I Am The Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep." This is God's grace.
But to put God's grace in action is to have the blood of The Lamb of God applied to the sins of the heart. When should this take place? Now. Don't wait for tomorrow for tomorrow is not promised.
Isaiah 49:5-9
(5)And now, saith The Lord that formed Me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, 'Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of The Lord, and My God shall be My Strength. (6)And He said, It is a light thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob; and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give You for a Light to the Gentiles, that You may be My Salvation unto the end of the earth. (7)Thus saith The Lord, The Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, to Him Whom man despises, to Him Whom the nations abhor, to a Servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of The Lord that is faithful, and The Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose You. (8)Thus saith The Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard You, and in a day of salvation have I helped You: and I will preserve You, and give You for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; (9)That You may say to the prisoners, 'Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
Is not this passage of Scripture beautiful? A conversation between God The Father and God The Son. You know this is Truth, for in Isaiah 61:1,2 it is written and then confirmed in Luke 4:18-21, that The Spirit of The Lord is upon Jesus Christ. He is anointed to preach the gospel (the good news of salvation) to the poor; He is sent to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to they who are captive, and recover sight to the blind; to set at liberty they that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of The Lord.
Today is your day of salvation. Today is the day to give thanks to God for His Mighty and Wonderful Grace.
