Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Day is around the corner. "[It was] first
celebrated in early colonial times in New England. After the
first harvest was completed by the Plymouth colonists in 1621,
Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and
prayer, shared by all the colonists and neighboring Native
Americans. In 1623 a day of fasting and prayer during a period
of drought was changed to one of thanksgiving because the rain
came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed in New
England of annually celebrating thanksgiving after the harvest."
(Encarta)
"The Pilgrims had come ashore from the Mayflower on Dec. 21,
1620. The winter had been heartbreaking. Only about half of the
original group had survived. Fortunately the harvest was good.
There were 20 acres (8 hectares) of strange Indian corn, for
which the the Indians had furnished seeds. There were also
barley and plenty of meat. Governor William Bradford sent four
men to hunt fowl. They returned with enough waterfowl and wild
turkeys to last a week. Fisherman brought in cod and bass.
Indian hunters contributed five deer. Ninety Indians, with their
chief, Massasoit, feasted with the colonists for three days."
(Compton's Concise Encyclopedia)
Let's back up to when they set out on their journey.
"November 11, 1620 The Mayflower Compact: Pilgrims aboard the
Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor covenant "In the name of God, Amen.
We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread
soveraigne Lord, King James, by ye grace of God, of Great
Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of ye faith, &.,
haveing undertaken for ye glorie of God and ye advancement of ye
Christian faith... do by these presents solemnly & mutually in
the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our
selves togeathger into a civill body politick..."(Letter From
Plymouth Rock, A publication of The Plymouth Rock Foundation,
Marlborough, NH 03455.)
It said, "advancement of ye Christian faith..." So this
country was founded for the advancement of the Christian faith.
My mind goes to Washington D.C. and how so many of the federal
buildings have the ten commandments, and other scriptures all
over the walls of the buildings. This country was founded on
God, submitted to God at one time but not anymore. We are just
another heathenistic society that will fall as all nations that
have turned their backs on God have fallen before us.
It seems as though many people just take days for granted.
The bible says, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we
will rejoice and be glad in it." God is talking to his people
here and those who know him personally can rejoice because he is
Lord and he is God. All things are under his feet, he is ruler
of all yet he gives us a choice to accept him or reject him. God
tells us in his holy word that we are to choose whom we will
serve. It is God or the devil. Jesus tells us that we are
either for him or against him. There are no in betweens.
When a person receives the Lord of glory he has something to
be thankful for. As God's word, the KJV says, "But as it is
written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (I Cor.
2:9,10) God has shown us some future things in the book of
Revelation that he has prepared for his people. The Lord
shows us other things as we walk with him. Just to know him, to
fellowship with him is totally awesome. He gives us victory over
sin as we submit to him, joy as we look to him, peace, strength,
or whatever else we need when we need it. So let this be the
greatest thanksgiving day that you have ever had, turn to Jesus
Christ in faith, ask him to come into your life as Lord and
Saviour. Just confess that you are a sinner in need of the Lord
Jesus Christ's cleansing blood. He will make you a new creature,
and empower you to live for him as you should.
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