New Year 2026 Have faith in the decay!

The New Year 2026 Have Faith within the Decay! 1-4-26 

By Kelly Durant 

Mark 11:20-22, 20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

2. We are all creatures of habit. Studies show that if you can make something a habit for 2 weeks then probably you will be able to keep on with the good habit for the rest of the year. So what new habits do you & I need? Are our priorities really in order?

Often for the New Year we hear of people starting a new diet, or getting into an exercise program while others create a strict budget. These things are good but they are only personal and benefit the body. These things are just things of the flesh, and in general as humans we get bored with the flesh easily. John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. Try making a goal centered around spiritual growth and getting closer to God: that goal will last you as it is invigorating! 

The truth is we all must review the bad news of the past as this can be a motivator to get you and me to react! Like when a king gets news of losing a battle, the news makes him and everyone disturbed and upset so they unite, work hard, get fired up, prepare tools and supplies, and then go on the attack so they can win the next battle! God wins battles through people and he needs you to be in action for Him in benefit of yourself and others in this New Year of 2026!

3. Every year many of us make new goals but to our own frustration! A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that,”88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study's participants were confident of success at the beginning. 

Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being set; such as, a pound a week, instead of saying "lose weight"), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.” In other words any one of us will succeed better if we plan on how to make our goals and then make our goals public, and then get support one from another to be accountable!

But Imagine how different the world would be for you and for me if people’s goals (yours and mine) were to be centered around growing spiritually having more faith, to respond more maturely to life’s difficult events, to pray more, to study the Bible more, to get involved and become more useful to God and more active in the Corps and community!  I wish each one of us could say as John the Baptist said, (John 3:30) “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease”.

4. Don’t get discouraged as setting New Year goals seems to be for the most part in vain because they usually are left unaccomplished! Man proposes but God disposes! The factor is people have pride and a lazy sinful flesh that gets in the way so most people put forth very little interest in their own physical or spiritual development: but this we must change. People in general are undisciplined and do not pay attention to their inner voice of conscious of right and wrong, and then take the conviction to do what is right for God no matter the cost & sacrifice! 

To please God you and I must produce fruit for God’s kingdom and that requires seriousness, dedication, work, sacrifice, discipline, humility, and a resilience to the resistance, mockery, and persecution that others will lay on you for doing what’s Godly. These attributes mentioned do not appear to be attractive qualities at first since you must put forth so much effort but in the end, these are values that will invoke respect from others (of high caliber people anyway) and this will produce respect for one’s self, not to mention God’s respect!

5. One simple doctrine of the Salvation Army is to live a Holy life. Today, because so many people have lost their holiness and failed to live as a real Christian should, there exists an increasing overpowering subliminal Satanical passiveness to just let things go in everyone’s mixed up world.  Every year more indifference dominates. The promoted politically correct posture that no one should ever have feelings of guilt or remorse over any sin, scandal, or damaging failure is destroying us!  People are not being punished with appropriate consequences and they have no shame. They have no fear of God nor of authorities! 

A true Christian, however, does not live as a brute animal that falls into any simple trap repeatedly but instead will have the Holy Spirit as an inner voice to correct them to do what is not right in their lives and not be as the cursed decaying world but instead will progress in holiness from year to year sincerely evaluating what was done right and what was done wrong.

Due to an increase in the amount of people who rationalize, legitimatize and endorse sin in the world, the world is decaying beyond repair, like a losing battle with a deadly disease! Only a rise in reactionary moral movements could swing the pendulum back to the right side, but these types of movements always get heavy ridicule and persecution by the media and the powers that be. Individuals in collective groups in society have in general lost their desire and legal ability to fight-for-the-right to uphold Godly standards in leadership; however, the church should be the exception to this trend and be a light in the darkness! We must live by what we pray when we repeat as Christians’ “thy kingdom come!” 

The trend will be ‘more of the same’ for this year and it is not good! Unless Christians wake up, pray and do their part to bring God’s holiness back into all areas of establishments, which includes within the home, the workplace, the colleges, the government, and in the churches, the world’s systems will continue on with their rapid decay, dystopia, and hellish terrorism.

6. Do you remember when Jesus was walking with his disciples and he was hungry and they came upon a fig tree that had no fruit and Jesus condemned the tree and it withered up that same day? Mark 11:20-22 The message of eliminating the useless is affirmed by this act. This we should do at the end of a year to begin a New Year: eliminate the fruitless things quickly!

The way God assesses the useful and non-useful is collectively and individually as He takes into account that you and the group are either going up or going down in your walk with Him.  The Christian life is kind of like a roller coaster ride, you are getting higher, lower, going back up again, or slowing to a stop! Where are you on the growth track? Was the past an up, or down experience in your walk with God? And your spiritual fruit?  So where are you headed in 2026, up or down? Your free will is in control and you must make serious commitments to see fruit.

The entire chapter of Mark 11 teaches us a lesson on having more faith in our prayers, and the final line of verse 22 is of great importance, “Have faith in God”. The disturbing part is that the tree without any fruit was considered by Jesus worthy of quick judgment, of rapid decay and destruction, since its function of producing good fruit was not being exercised. 

 7. The past for many was very discouraging and you read can read about it in the news from reports! You and I must increase our faith to bring about more good into being! Never underestimate yourself, you as a Christian living a holy life, offer the world much more hope than anyone else can! If you are doing good and producing you don’t have to worry about Jesus drying you up! The decayed dry ones of the world have the warning of what’s coming for them!

There is another verse that sends a severe warning to the decaying, to those who do not progress in their walk with God from year to year, to those who have no good fruit and little desire of His ways of correction but they instead continue in their sin. Revelation 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

8. This year of 2026 will for some will bring more growth in the things of God, more good fruit, more faith, more blessings and happiness. However, for others that are only concerned for their selves and the flesh, this year may be just as bad, if not worse, than the one that just passed!

The 2026 year, which for numerically interested people (but please restrain from superstations) adds up to number10, and that looks good! But how you react to all the challenges that will come, whether you have faith and choose the “good and eschew the evil” in your decisions, will determine how the year’s events will turn out for you. For some the future will sadly bring more frustration, more dryness of spirit, and more bad news. But for us who are sincere Christians it will bring new opportunities to grow in faith, to get a new start to get closer to God, a new chance to climb higher with more fruit produced before the final day of the eternal solidifying of a being permanently good or evil. 

Stay positive and optimistic by keeping your spirit wet with the water of God’s word so you produce fruit! The past year has brought billions of people disappointments, insecurities, frustrations, shock from scandals, feelings of personal violations, and more decay with AI robotics taking over but never under estimate the power of one person with God! A righteous Christian person accomplishes much! James 5:16

May the Lord this year help you and me to make a real difference in our home, church, workplace, school, and community!  May the Lord help us to be busy this year “doing His good” by getting closer to Him, growing more in faith, serving others more, saving souls for Jesus, and doing the most we can according to our gifts, calling, and potential! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Christmas: The Kings Honor a Baby         Kelly Durant    Re: 12-14-25

Matthew 2:9-11    ⁹ When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.¹¹ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

2. All of us are people surrounded by individuals who are creatures of habit. It is evident that no nation, race, or people will never drastically change past traditions, most are here to stay (Not good in many regards). As Christians we will always celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth while the people of the world will emphasize celebrating gift-giving materialism. Consumerism has morphed itself into a magical man who gives out endless gifts. Santa Claus is a famous fictional character and is used as a tool to market all kinds of merchandise, right?  

It is true that some Christians do not find that Santa Claus so offensive depending on the context and status in which you interpret him. He is just a fantasy and many children know that by age 5. The actual historical basis of the story of St. Nicolas giving out gifts to the poor children is a wonderful example of how we all should be! But Santa from the North pole dominates over the St. Nicolas story!

All of us here, as multi-millions of people, do gift giving as a tradition! Giving and sharing gifts with one another is rewarding, and especially giving to those in hard times; no one doubts that God blesses those who help the needy! (Matthew 25)

3. Here’s my personal take, what if we really did abide by the list of who is ‘naughty’ and who is ‘nice’ in order to qualify who will get a gift and who will not? I think commerce would come to screeching halt if we abided by that rule! Today some children are terrible and no one, not parents, nor teachers are correcting them appropriately. Only when these ego inflated bullies grow up and end up in jail for disrespecting the wrong person and the law do they start to see the light of right and wrong. (if they ever do!)

I wish we could grade adults on how naughty or nice they were as well. Some of you I have observed (but what I observe does not matter really, it is God that sees everything!) have been very good at loving, helping, and of humbly serving and caring for those in need. We should reward goodness, but the world rewards those following the evil trends Satan’s demons inspires others to do. 

Also, we all have seen others with bad behavior, that when they get their pride just a bit little offended, they start saying all kinds of rude things. Like when you scratch a veneer surface, the cheap wood underneath shows through!

4. But let’s contemplate on making our traditions better: God was the first gift giver! He gave Jesus Christ to the world to be the savior so everyone would repent and radically change and by becoming as He was, humble, loving, and serving, we are granted the heavenly gift of eternal life. Our job is to preach the gospel and thereby share the gift of eternal life to everyone we meet. Jesus=the best gift!

Let’s now jump to the part of the story about the other ones in the record that gave material gifts to Jesus. These are kings honoring Jesus as the King of Kings. There usually are the 3 kings in the manger scenes, but these are the ones giving 3 types of gifts. We conclude there were at least 3 but there actually could have several been more. Who knows, but with all their servants they all may have been totaling in the hundreds. 

I find it fascinating that they were kings in their very distant distinct lands, yet they came to recognize the authority of a baby who would grow up to be a king. Think how much faith, humility, and supernatural confidence this requires to travel 6 months to a year there and back! Trusting in a heavenly sign!

5. Also, consider that if they saw the star stopped over a house, why didn’t other people see it and come as well? Were others just not in tune with the heavenly bodies in space? Or were these men special in their spiritual ability to perceive? 

Here is a real Christmas mystery: How did these KINGS from very different cultures and lands very distant from each other all interpret the same reading of the stars and prophesies of their ancient writings or religions that a KING would be found under the spectacular appearing of strange bright star? 

Kings, as we know from history, never bow to anyone. Everyone in their lands is expected to bow to them and give them gifts and taxes; never was it heard of that the kings would give gifts and that they would bow to another authority, especially kneeling in front of a baby!? They not only kneeled, they worshipped Him! That is honor! They were elated filled with “exceeding joy"! Unprecedented!

6. Showing respect and honor will always imply sharing something of value to prove honor. All religions ask for something; some 10%, or you can give 100%, it all depends on how much you will give up for God! God is fair and blesses back.

What I hate about governments is they ask for a usual 20-30% and if you’re rich they might take up to 90% in taxes! (in socialist Europe & elsewhere) Why do you think the English, as well as others, keep immigrating to the U.S.? They are escaping the heavy burden of their taxes. The burden gets heavier day by day everywhere! Here, sadly, it has gotten very burdensome! You’re taxed for working, spending, saving, & when you die whoever gets you stuff will get taxed on that as well!

Have you ever wondered how each king knew how many provisions they would need to travel 6 months to a year to reach Jesus to give Him a gift? Many people here will give to the Lord a few days of their time, but would you do what they did and spend a big part of your fortune on a trip that would mean camping in extreme heat and extreme cold, crossing deserts, facing thieves, and hiring dozens of crews to help you care for your camels and equipment? The honor of these kings required great sacrifice of goods and time!

We know the kings came from the Orient, but from where precisely is still undefined by historians. Many agreed that amongst these kings were one or more of the Zoroastrian kings, which were in power in Persia at the time of Jesus’ birth. 

The King Vishtapa, was Ciro's father, and he had been convinced of the existence of a 3^rd and final savior that would come in the world who would battle in the end of the world and defeat evil. Zoroaster said that a great savior would arise in the world, and his name would be Soasyant, which means one who will fulfill righteousness! Amazingly this goes with same description of Christ in the bible!

7. Contained within the writings and prophesies of these kings was the word that the savior would be born of virgin, and he would live and then be killed but on the third day he would be resurrected. All of this ancient knowledge the wise kings would have shared and known amongst themselves. What irony that the kings of the world honored him while those of Jewish dissent missed what was happening. 

Notice as well in Matthew Chapter 2 that king Herod asked the Jews, what the prophecy said and where would the king be born and they replied in Bethlehem. The Jews had the book of Isaiah and all ancient prophecies that co-incited to confirm the birth of the righteous Messiah, the Christ, or baby Jesus.

These were legendary writings and they confirmed that Jesus would be born the Messiah, not just for the Jews, but for everyone in the orient and for the rest of the world! What makes me upset is how the people of the world reject truth fulfilled in prophecies which is awe-strikingly supernatural, a sign that God is revealing His power to transcend our understanding! 

8. These kings obviously returned home to honor Jesus by telling everyone about Him! They told of all their adventures, of escaping getting killed by Herod over his jealousy, and of finding Jesus below the star. They were evangelistic prophets but how long did their people keep on believing? 20 years, 100, 300, we don’t know!

The news of baby Jesus fulfilling ancient extrabiblical prophecies did not last very long because pagan worship continued in the orient and centuries later the religion of Moh was crafted and new laws were imposed without the influence of Jesus recognized by these ancient kings. A ‘submissive’ oppression spread not by gaining the awe of people as the fulfillment of prophecies, but by fear! Those in that whole region (about 50 countries) who did not bow to ‘their prophet’ were deposed and genocides took place with several hundred million deaths. 

9. So, from today’s study we conclude that honor to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ must be done in a similar manner as it was done by the kings.  How was that honor shown?

By sacrifice: they traveled far, and they gave gifts to prove their revering honor. 

By worship: they kneeled in front of Jesus and recognized his divine authority.

By being ‘in tune’ with the divine: they acted upon seeing the star as a supernatural sign which confirmed that the king they had expected in ancient writings would appear. They honored him as the righteous savior of the world with great joy! Poor shepherds, wealthy kings, and even angels honored Jesus!

If kings honored Jesus, how much more we should honor him! None of us here today are a king or a queen. One day when we join the heavenly host to honor Jesus, God will know who honored Jesus the most! Heavenly rewards will be for those who honor Him now. Every knee will bow to Him, and the sooner we do that the better as all authority is His over souls in Heaven, and in this world.

“May you be filled with the wonder of Mary,

the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels,

the eagerness of the shepherds,

the determination of the magi,

and the peace of the Christ child,

And may the Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.”

Christmas Is About Bringing Unusual People Together!

Christmas Is About Bringing Unusual People Together! By Kelly Durant 

 

Psalm 68:6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

 

2. Sometimes I feel very sad for many people! You and I can all observe that there are a lot of people out there that have very few friends! They often don’t have any family nearby either! At times my wife and I get a call from someone, can you take me to the hospital, can you take me to work? Can you help me move because I’m getting evicted!? Too many people are very alone in this world! We have helped dozens of people move, but I’m getting too old to do that anymore!

 

We are here to serve one another in love and not let our right hand know what our left had is doing, but I am shocked and saddened over the poverty of many people! It is a poverty not so much of a lack of food or money, but a poverty of having no friends or family! It’s sad when no one is willing to do anything for another, right? But God makes us meet people we normally wouldn’t meet!

 

Thank God Christmas can change this! Christmas is all about giving and receiving, and in supporting each other, in supporting strangers you may never even meet either! This happens when people buy gifts to donate to children. The kings gave gifts to Jesus but the gift of Maria and Joseph getting to make friends and meet new strangers such as the kings and the shepherds was what made it all special! 

 

3. The first strange encounter that Mary had was with the angel that told her she would bear a child by the Holy Spirit. Of course, messengers, such as angels, do not stick around for you to make friendships with, but Christmas would not be what it is without the sudden appearance of the host of angels. Christmas connected us humans with God’s angels, and that is a rare thing we must value!

 

The shepherds got to see all of the angels in heaven as well.  13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:  Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”  

 

So, the first ones on the first Christmas got to meet angels! Have you ever wondered how many people have been ‘angels’ doing good to people they didn’t know at all? This happens at Christmas time. Christmas has inspired many people to act as angels, to be messengers of the good news of the arrival of Jesus, and be generous to help people with gifts, and often they are helping people they do not even know. All, even non-believers, see lights, manager scenes, exchange gifts, and hear about Jesus.

 

4. One unusual uniting of people was that of the shepherds meeting Joseph and Mary. This divine holy couple was chosen by God to raise the Savior of the world, but they were nothing more than small town folks whose friendships probably did not extend any further than with their neighbors and family nearby.

 

So now they are making new friendships with the shepherds who live outside the city. Imagine a bunch of strangers arriving after your baby is born saying we have come here to this barn, no hospital back then, to meet you 3 and to worship the newborn child! What? It must have surprised them for sure!

 

Mary and Joseph made new friends that night! The humble shepherd folks, met up with humble servants of the Lord. What they had in common was they both experienced something heavenly and supernatural, and they both were aware that a chosen special child was born, Jesus, the Christ.       

 

5. The next characters to appear on the scene were the kings of the Orient, the wise men. Think about this, these men were strangers and did not know each other until they met each other in Bethlehem after their long journey. They probably did not speak the same language, but they did have the same purpose in common, to meet Jesus! Here we see it again, Jesus is uniting people together.

 

They then went on to meet Mary, Joseph, and Jesus by following the unexplained phenomena of the star over Jesus’ temporary residence. These kings would never have left home and travelled for months had they not been on a spiritual mission to see the mystery at the end of their journey. They wanted friendship with the King of kings whose presence was foretold, even foretold in the stars! All of their entourage witnessed seeing Jesus as well.

These wise men knew to bring gifts, but how? They knew the star was leading them somewhere special, they knew they would meet someone special, but I suspect they really did not expect to find some common folks with a baby so small! What we observe here is that when you have Jesus with you, you can expect kings to come, pay respect, and be generous to support the mission of God’s work! Common people make friendships with the rich to do Jesus’ work!

 

6. I love the verse of study today with God’s promise of “God sets the solitary in families”. This is what Jesus was all about, to bring together you and me and all kinds of groups of people together that never would meet under ordinary daily circumstances. With Jesus we become family! Your flesh, or blood family, may often let you down, but Jesus gives you a real family in God!

 

I observe most everyone, either rich or poor, live quite isolated from each other. But Jesus wants to bring us all together over Himself! Jesus is the supernatural uniting force that causes you and me to meet and to be friends with each other!

 

The people of the Christian faith travel to do mission work and make friendships that last a lifetime. Christians make deep friendships with unusual characters far and wide because it is all about Jesus! Jesus was the first one to get poor shepherds and rich kings to come together and be in awe at the work of God. With Jesus, and your Christian family, you should never be alone!

 

7. Here is something to ponder, Jesus not only united odd people together, He was the first to unite everyone on all levels, a socio-economical-racial-&-religious one! He united the uneducated with the educated, which was Mary & Joseph with the shepherds, Jesus was with the kings and wise men, and He is with you and me! 

 

Jesus united the rich and powerful with the common folks, Mary and Joseph with the Orient Kings. And here is another factor, the kings were of different races too, Jesus unites us all from different races!

 

And what about religion? Jesus unites those of other faiths to Him! The kings had a religion that included astrology and who knows what else, they were not Christian before meeting Jesus. God loved them anyway and revealed Himself to them. Jesus and God brings us all together when often our own people will not be close to us. Spiritual brothers and sisters are formed over our common faith in Jesus, and we should value each other as family.  When Jesus called His disciples, they too were from very diverse backgrounds; Jesus was iconoclastic to the established set of societal customs. He was counter-culture!

 

8. Psalm 68:6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. So, we see now how God unites us, an odd family, over Jesus but what about the rebellious, the faithless, the haters and the ones who refuse to honor Jesus?

 

The rest of this verse makes it clear, if you have God with you, and His Son Jesus as your focus, you can expect prosperity and the blessings of God. It is an observable truth that many of the children of poor immigrants, or people in poverty, have risen above their level because they received the support of their family of friends, those from the Christian church community.

 

“But the rebellious dwell in a dry land”! In all families, and throughout the world, there are so many that seem to go from bad situations to worse ones and why? Often because they are just brute beasts, living selfishly to survive, never thinking of helping others, never considering making friends with people unlike their own selves. If a person doesn’t have Jesus, either by ignorance or flat-out rejection, then this person will not learn the beauty of being made rich with friends and family that are near them everywhere   

 

9. Christmas is about family and new friends, and the sharing of good experiences together, even with people very different from you. Giving gifts and getting gifts can reveal to you that there are good people out there! Who knows, you might even make new friends this Christmas.

 

Take advantage to tell others about Jesus this Christmas, that is the best gift you could ever give anyone! Giving Jesus to another means you are opening up the door for them to learn a new way of life, one where God is in control, one where God forgives, and one in knowing you are loved so that you will go to heaven in the end! 

 

Because of Jesus, life is worth living! Because of Christmas we can all meet new people! I have made friendships with a few thousand people in my lifetime, and this never would have happened if it were not for Jesus telling me to go into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature. Some people are creatures too! I have been to more than a hundred cities in my life preaching Jesus and Jesus has blessed and protected me beyond my wildest dreams!

 

I thank God I have met you, you who are here today, and I met you because we share in the same faith, that of having Jesus! And I thank God you are in the Salvation Army serving God as well! What a great organization, a type of end-time church, that includes rich and poor, and all races, and all countries (Up to 134 now!) so everyone can know the power of Jesus’ name!

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas: “O morning stars, together, Proclaim the holy birth!” Quite a few scholars conclude that there were a cluster of stars that created the brightness of ‘the star’ the Wise Men (astrologers) followed to discover Jesus birthplace. So Jesus is the culmination of the stars and the ‘morning star’ (Job 38:7) in a once and forever gathering of the constellations in one point to proclaim Him very unique under the astrological signs. Venus was referred to as the ‘morning star’ in the constellation of ‘the Lion’ and Jesus is that, ‘the Lion of the Tribe of Judah’ usurping Satan who also tried to claim the same astrological body as his own.  KD

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is It Acceptable to Participate in The Festivals of Man?

Is It Acceptable to Participate in The Festivals of Man?  Kelly Durant

 

Luke 7:33-35 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

Note: A large populous classifies ‘Christmas’ festivals as pagan, Thanksgiving is controversial for some as well

 

2. I recall when I was a child, being raised in the church, that there were always adult characters that were always somber and serious, and it seems that for them to worship God they had to put on that stiff face of ‘see me here suffering’ for Christ! The subliminal doctrinal communication of many churches for the longest time is church is not a place for worship, pleasure, and enjoyment, the church is a holy place and you are here for your catharsis, for your purging and painful redemption that must be repeated weekly. So, is this really being holy?

 

As a child it is scary to think that religion is some type of bitter medicine that if you don’t take it you are going to get sick and die and go to hell! If there are any children listening to me now, listen to this, when you are a bit older you must go back and re-read all of God’s word to understand many things you missed as a kid only getting the kids version of the gospel! God is love and he wants us happy!

 

The truth of the Word is powerful and only later in life, as a teenager, or as a past 21-year-old adult do you get a full understanding and eye opening after you decide to obey it and live it.  God’s Word does transform you but that is after you get a touch from the Holy Spirit by seeking Him with all your heart, mind, and soul. It begins when you decide to intensely love God! He loved you first, so the closer you are to Him the more you will experience what holiness and love is.

 

3. Where did this concept of having to be sad, somber, and lifeless in worship originate in order to please the Holy God? Or the idea we must never be festive on the holidays? It began with the dawn of the pagan religions! With the sons of Cain who rejected worshiping God as their loving creator and they formed false gods, animalistic and cruel oppressive gods to be worshipped. Ever since the redemption of Jesus on the cross the Gnostics, the hypocrites, the rebellious and stubborn, the Satanic followers and the ‘spiritually lazy ignorant folks’ have been perverting the gospel to be a bitter pill…so undesirable that no one dare try it. Forget those fridge faces! Pray and discern, not everyone in the Christian church is a true believer and follower of Jesus who said we would be happy if we knew what He taught. John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

 

Most people think that others will believe what they tell them about their selves; they may be miserable but they lie and say they are happy. Words are only a part of who you are; people are discerning all things about you by the looks on your face be they happy or sad, by the attitudes you express in conversations, and by the feelings they get when they hear your tone when you speak about God and others. Do people feel you love God and others? What do you make people feel anyway, happiness, indifference, or sadness? Do they see you as holy? In church in particular, when you are supposed to be happy and praising God, are you by your somberness figuratively throwing water on the fire of those who are shining for Jesus? Pray for God’s holy fire to purge you so the final result is all the dross will get burnt away and only happiness and joy in the Lord remain! Holiness is happiness! 

 

Churches, or Corps as we call them, are our safe spaces where we can meet and pray and communicate with God. They are places of fellowship where we learn the Word of God, and they serve to have a place to unite us, make us feel love, the love of God and the love of each other. So, these holy and sacred places are supposed to have the function of filling you up with love, and if not then they are not serving their holy reason to exist! If church becomes a ritual, a pain, a bitter pill, then that could be the fault of the theology, pastors, or the people in the congregation for entertaining that unloving and unholy attitude. But the mission is not just behind these 4 walls! It is out where the people are, even in festivals! 

 

4. One of my favorite phrases from the Holy Scriptures is the “Joy of the Lord is your strength”. It is from Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” There was going to be a festival, a holy day, and God was commanding the people to enjoy it! And to share it with all!

 

The Hebrews have several “holy” days a year, and they serve different purposes, some to remember their pain and years of slavery, while others are to be happy occasions. There is a time for everything, but in general when we meet to worship the Lord, we should be doing it with happy thankful hearts. In particular, when we do our praising with music, we all should join in and sing and be happy. If nothing makes you happy about praising God, hearing His Word, and being in fellowship with others, then you had better check your heart and ask God for a repentance and forgiveness for not desiring Him and His people. Pray and get a victory!

 

Conclusively, if God wants the hearts of people happy, which only can happen after there has been a purging of the heart and a full acceptance of forgiveness through Jesus, how is it so many people have a hard time with that? I think it is from guilt! Many people feel unworthy to be happy, so they take on the attitude in church, and in festivals, that they must always be sorrowful to please God. Well, if you are doing something that makes you sorrowful, some sin you will not let go of, then let it go! Repent, and go and sin no more! Don’t be a bad testimony for Jesus by making it look like you are sad and never forgiven and week after week you have to punish yourself with a long face. This is totally the wrong way to practice our faith. A religion that wants to hang a ‘Damocles sword’ (look it up) over your head should be considered a pagan one, a controlling one, and sadly a majority of Christian churches (along with all the false religions of the world) practice this very thing. Please, turn your eyes upon Jesus, it is Him that saves!

 

5. So, there exists the strict somber holy ones but what about the Christian who wants to have too much fun? Not here, but in other places you hear the rumors, “Did you know so and so was seen at the Club last night”. Hum, well, how did you know?! We have the perception that living a holy life should be one of depravity, one where all sins are prohibited except for over eating. Again, this Is not holiness, but night clubs are a bad environment.  We must avoid festivals or carnal gatherings that give the appearance of wrongdoing, or partake in things that would stumble someone of the faith. We no longer have a love for the world!

 

Actually, if you are living a holy life, you will feel complete and so good and happy and blessed and full of the Spirit all the time that you will feel little desire to want to be entertained by the world and be around the people of the world. These are folks that are obviously trying to make their selves feel good by being around others with artificial stimulations (excessive, dance and drink, etc.). These people may laugh with friends but you and I can often see in their eyes sadness, worry and confusion. But more often than not many of the local festivals, national ‘holidays’, Thanksgivings, and Spring & Christmas Parades, are inspirational enough and we should be there in them. Some are harmless compared to other things. We should be representing Jesus and the Salvation Army in local kiosks, my wife and I have represented Jesus and TSA in many dozens of festivals, including 5 de Mayo (s), International Fairs, parades, etc. All festivals need Jesus! 

 

Here is a thought, if Jesus attended parties and banquets even with publicans and sinners, why are we not celebrating with others as well?  Marriages, parties, quincianeros (15-year birthdays), new babies, all are motives to get together with others, even those who are worldly. Luke 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. Jesus is saying, go, be friends with those of the world (of course, don’t partake of sins) and by winning them to the Lord, they may have your back one day when you need it! We cannot disqualify ourselves from being with others on holidays and special occasions just because they may not be entirely Christian enough, but by being with them, we have opportunity to tell them about Jesus and our faith.  

 

6. Jesus attended parties. As a matter of fact, the first miracle Jesus did was turning water into wine! The people had already drunk up all the big cisterns of wine and Jesus is making more? Wouldn’t they get tipsy? What does that tell you? He was not against people enjoying life! And these were ordinary folks at this party, not a bunch of holy rabbis debating doctrine. Observe that Jesus attended all kinds of events and mixed with all kinds of sinners so he could share with them all about the Kingdom of God. Are you motivated as He was in this way?

 

Well, in the Salvation Army we can be around people of the world but we do not drink alcohol because Satan messed it up for us. With some of our brothers in our facilities getting over addictions, we just abstain to prevent any temptation. If all the people of the world drank in moderation all could be well, but because quite a few, about 1 in 10 actually, have abused alcohol and changed their DNA into dependency, we no longer drink so we are not tempting these weak ones by them knowing we get to have it and they don’t. For their sake we do without. As God’s people we may do some things in moderation, or even give them up, but not so with the people of the world who are weak without faith, they get out of control!

   Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. We must also recall also that Jesus even said he would not drink wine again until all was finished and then He would drink it again with us, the saints of God, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. (Which is after His return).

 

7. I contend, we should enjoy the local festivals, parades, and parties and as Christians, we should use them as a means to give our testimonies and win souls to Jesus! Isn’t that what the Salvation Army and true Christians have always done? Aren’t we in the Rose Bowl Parades, and in the football half-times with our marching bands? Did you ever go to Blossom type Festivals? We go in uniform to these often so the people can be reminded we are here doing God’s work, and do you want to pray? I love to be with people having fun and some of you do too, but even if you hate crowds, you should do all things to glorify God and be a witness for Jesus. We are the salt and light and we must make our faces to shine!

 

Listen to this, I met a man before who told me of something he remembered as a U.S. Army soldier from the Korean war, that the young Salvationist girls would give out ‘War Crys’ and tell them about Jesus in the bars! Girls, who is brave enough here to go into the bars and do that?! Well, I wish we could do this again, but laws, and dangerous people make it difficult. But that was beautiful, right?

 

My wife and I have gone door-to door and to businesses hundreds of times in our lives inviting people to receive Jesus by doing the sinners prayer and inviting them to a Corps or Church.  So don’t condemn brave ones on the front lines, festivals are good excuses for us to get involved with the people, and it is your and my job to preach the gospel! By the example of Jesus in parties with sinners, we see this implies by all means possible and ways! When people celebrate something in the world, we should show up and offer them God’s love, Jesus, and our happy filled with the Holy Spirit enthusiasm, which really is worth celebrating! Set yourself on fire for God and the world will come out to watch you burn!

 

8. What is the conclusion? We do all things with the intention of glorifying God! The people of the world with their guilty unrepentant hearts always want to throw stones at those (us) who stand up for Christ or just causes, but just shake it off! Great is your reward in heaven! Whether you are sober seeking God sacrificing in the extreme, or whether you are happy serving God even going to parties, some will love you and others will hate you. Those that reject Jesus will despise you seeing you happy and they will despise you if you are preaching to them convicting them to repent as well! But those who want Jesus will think you are just a friendly person who has happiness to share with them. 

 

Luke 7:33-35 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

The Salvation Army is a holiness movement and we do it Jesus’ way! Our history of taking marching bands and preaching to the lost ones in the East London bars proves we are not afraid to go anywhere, do anything for God and souls, and take care of those suffering. It’s because of Jesus’ blood and the fire of the Holy Spirit! Holiness includes a wholeness of all people included, one of not discriminating against the sinful, addictive, worldly lost sheep who may come to Jesus, that is if someone like you and me are present there to tell them.    

 

My friends, we are to be like Jesus! We need to be out there meeting the publicans and sinners where they are, in their activities and festivals. Jesus did not say, be like John the Baptist, make yourself suffer and eat only wild locust and honey preaching repentance only. We are to go to the parties of our heathen sinful neighbors and be a testimony to them so that they can be happy in Jesus if they would only give Him a try. We are their opportunity to see a whole new perspective: God’s Spirit coming alive in their lives! Go for souls and go for the worst!

 

9. In a final conclusion, some Christians define Christmas as a pagan holiday and we are grave sinners if we participate in it?! What? We know the history, the ancient church placed Jesus’ birth on December the 25^th the same day as Horus, Krishna, Mithra, Buddha, Tammuz, Adonis, Dionysus, Hercules, and Herme’s birthday, so purposely choosing that date was to override the worship of these other so-called gods with Jesus as the focus! God sees the intentions of the heart for holidays. Those that celebrate Jesus are worshipping Him only. We give no glory to the story of the big guy in the red suit…we seek to teach others the real story of Jesus. Jesus, as historians conclude, was born in the spring at the time of the zodiac ram (lamb), marking Him the beginning initiator of celestial time, the creator and head of all things. But isn’t it nice to get family and friends together mid-winter when the weather is ugly? Celebrate Jesus with others! Sing songs about Him! And be joyful! Jesus is the reason for the season!

Thanksgiving Days & The Sacrifice of Praise: God’s Idea

Thanksgiving Days & The Sacrifice of Praise: God’s Idea  

By Major Kelly Durant  11-23-25

 

Ps 107:22

22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

Ps 50:14   

14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

Jonah 2:9

9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

 

2. It’s our Thanksgiving Day Sunday! It is obvious from the verses of today that giving thanks to God by sacrificing was God’s idea a few thousand years ago, long before the forming of this country! The verses of Psalm and Jonah today are almost 3,000 years old so we conclude that God wants His people to take special days of sacrificing reverencing Him doing it together with others.

 

Do you know how the U.S. Thanksgiving Day began? It began with a group of Christian Immigrants, immigrants just like you and me! Plymouth, Mass. More than 400 years ago was inhabited by Native Indians, and then one day a ship of Englishmen landed to set up a colony. This happened in 1620 as they were escaping religious persecution in Europe. Under the tyranny of King Henry VIII just a few decades earlier and even afterwards an estimated 70,000 Christians (non-Anglican or Catholic) lost their heads for not submitting to the abusive dominating monarchy that imposed their church hierarchy system on them. Are you not thankful you have not lost your head due to an abusive authority? In history, and even currently today, millions have lost their heads over evil religious and governmental persecution!

 

The problem is these desperate immigrants arrived too late in the year to have a harvest of food that would keep them alive throughout the cold winter. But thank God the Natives, or Indians, had compassion on them and gave them some food in a festival. One of the most common foods then was turkey, along with corn, and other vegetables, it was a fall harvest festival. Historically most cultures celebrate the beginning of spring and this coincides with Easter and Passover; and celebrations in the fall follows the tradition of the Jews as they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. We, as Christians in this new world of America, celebrate Thanksgiving Day. 

 

Thus, the tradition of eating turkey! Many more of those immigrants would have died if they had not been helped! Half the colony later sadly did die of hunger! It was Sqanto, a native slave of the English who taught the new settlers how to raise corn and how to fish. He; recognize it was the Wampanoag tribe that sacrificed their time and food to help these Pilgrim immigrants who were ignorant of living from nature as they had grown up in European cities. God bless the natives!

 

3. But we may deduct that many people have immigrated to many different lands throughout history so what makes thanksgiving festivals so special? Conclusion…

These Christian immigrants took the time to rejoice, and have a party and celebrate, and praise the Lord and thank Him for freedom, life, and new friends, that’s what is special! It is a sacrifice to create a big celebration, many of you here have sacrificed to make lunch specials, and sacrificing your self is what pleases the LORD! Psalm 54:6 I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.

 

Historically it was common that the government authorities, and all the townspeople, would get together to celebrate expressing their faith and thanks to God in the public square. Never succumb to secularists that in this country insist you must keep your faith private and secret! To the contrary, celebrate as is traditional, show God your thankfulness and be public about it anywhere, and everywhere! Be generous and share with others! How ironic that in this country today some people even get arrested for sharing food publicly with the needy! Christians traditionally have fed the needy in shelters and on the streets for many decades and we should not allow bad apples in high places make our traditions un-compassionately illegal.

 

Over 200 years ago congress recognized the importance of the Thanksgiving Day observance, and President George Washington issued a national Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789. He wrote, "Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country”...

He understood the basics of being Christian and he recognized the need to set aside a day to show God that we as Americans are thankful for this land under God!

Ps 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

 

4. Thanksgiving Day in conclusion is about thanking God for maintaining our lives and serves to get us together sharing with others our thankfulness! 

 

In the verses of today we observe that David and Jonah, and all men of God, have always made a special event out of praising God for victories, protection, and supply! The problem in the world today is there is not much of an ‘attitude of gratitude’ anymore! For the past few decades unthankful Godless people have been rudely drowning out the thankful polite God praising people! There are many sins in this nation and many people in power and in the media are like rotten apples that incite bitterness over the past, and they promote hate between races, and insult the goodness of God’s people. But on the first Thanksgiving Day the natives and the Pilgrims were both good people being good to each other! 

 

In our community you would assume people would love to come to worship and thank God for their blessings but instead often they offer only negative comments (the opposite of praise) about personal frustrations. This makes God very sad and angry! God allowed a whole generation of Jews who escaped Egypt with Moses to die in the desert because they were unthankful to Him! 1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 

 

Thankful people are happy people who recognize God as their provider and they are blessed by God and they make others feel good nearby them! Unthankful people disturb the peace and bring others down with their agendas to divide and sin as they please. They are on a path to their own destruction being unthankful!

 

5. Just think, this country now has about 50 million Hispanics, and about 30 million have arrived within the past 30 years. I personally am disappointed that most all of them are not going to the church of their choice giving thanks to God?! I have read that about 15% do start going to a church of some kind but that is too few! In their countries about 70% go to church! You and I need to awaken more thankfulness in these new immigrants! We already have too many arrogant, Godless, unthankful people in all sectors of society! Let’s encourage new ones to thank God our Savior! 

 

Most immigrants, like the first European ones, recognize that they are strangers in a strange land and they could literally die if they were not having God on their side providing, protecting, and guiding! I know when I moved around in South America I literally cried out to God every time to provide and protect my family because arriving somewhere not knowing how the system functions, not having friends, not speaking the language, and arriving with almost no resources is a situation that will make one desperate and thankful for every place to stay and every plate of food!

 

You who are here today to thank God are special to God!  I am thankful to God for you, and always we must be thankful for our Christian brothers and sisters, because everyone is special to God! Getting together to thank God is comparable to being like that one leper that was healed that came back to give thanks. Ten were healed but only one returned and expressed thanks! Eternally we must praise God and Jesus in recognition of thanks! Sadly, in infamy, there were the unthankful nine others. Never be like one of them!

 

6. In order for one to show one is thankful, one must sacrifice something for God’s work at certain times. You must make a commitment and then keep it.

If you are thankful in life in general, you are always praising, giving blessings, and happy, and you are willing to do anything and willing to give up anything to show God your love and appreciation, and thankfulness to Him!   As David the Psalmist words it, Ps 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High

 

We should all be dedicated to God’s work and to God’s people to have a proof of our thankfulness! Some people serve in shelters and some give food to their hurting neighbors during these holidays, but the reality is you can show thanks anytime!

Serve others with a need! Invite them to eat and tell them about your love for Jesus!

 

It is the tradition of many countries, even here, that when someone has been nice to you and done something special, you invite them to eat with you. Everyone likes to eat, right? What a great way to get to know someone and learn to love and like them!

 

7. Jesus commanded his disciples to travel and basically immigrate or integrate as they preached. No one can understand the full extent of being thankful for a bed and food unless they have had to be at the mercy of others for it! My wife and I have been in this situation many dozens of times in my life! Matt 10:9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. 11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it.  In other words, bless those that bless you! Thank God He never failed us!

 

Back to our U.S. lesson in history, imagine these defenseless Pilgrims in a new land with no homes except the ones they could build before winter, and with no food stored for the winter either! Just think if right now I were to tell you, you are condemned to die in two months! In two months, your life will be over, you will die a slow death of starvation! It would make you desperate! But then if suddenly there appeared a group of strange people of another race unexpectedly put food on your table, just think how happy you would be! The reality is some of them survived in that Plymouth colony throughout the winter yet quite a few of them did die!

 

We praise and thank God this time of year (but we should every day!) and celebrations are good for all of us! And let’s also recall we must thank the Native people for supporting the immigrants because your great-great grandparents were able to arrive here and work and have a life! All of us should thank all immigrants here including Latinos, Blacks, Irish, and Asians all of which immigrated and helped build America’s major cities, railroads and farmlands. The ones before us suffered painfully through extreme hard work and hard times, and their great grandparents suffered as well! People use to die at age 40 something, remember?  We have a super nation full of prosperity with wealthy cities, super highways and mega factories all due to the labor of the many races that make up the population of The United States! 

 

8. Thankfulness to God involves being thankful to those different from you, by accepting and loving them, and respecting them. God’s glory invokes praise for His creation of the entire diverse human race, and the maximum thankfulness we can show Him is to love Him and love one another as Jesus commanded!

 

Because of the lives of those few hundred immigrants that were saved around 400 years ago, we now have a great nation today with many millions of immigrants who are Christian! This is still the most generous nation on earth because many thankful people still have faith in God and want to give back to their communities.

 

Did you know Jesus said He would celebrate a meal with us sort of like Thanksgiving? Let’s look up, Rev 3:20-21

 20'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Even Jesus offers to eat, fellowship, and celebrate with us! But the food Jesus is offering is not just physical food, it is spiritual which is more important! 

 

It is sad to see people with hungry bodies but we must also see that many people are dying of starvation spiritually! Many of your friends and family are weak and dying inside due to not understanding the roots of why we give thanks to God! Tell them the story of Jesus and take this opportunity to emphasize the story of the Pilgrims. It is your and my job to tell everyone about God’s food, this bread of life, that He offers so ‘whosoever will’ (accept it) can live forever! It is our job as Christians to teach others to be thankful to God for even a cup of water! We must be a light to others in this work of feeding the sick and the suffering! Physical food is just a temporary aspect of life but spiritual feeding is what will keep us motivated to be alive!

 

Now, let us conclude that as we are thankful today, that we will recognize that it is by God and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit through which comes our Salvation. Any of us can die at any moment so being alive today let us, as in the book of Jonah, do our part to be fair with God and honor Him for his goodness and be sacrificial; Jonah2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

 

Ask yourself, have I shown thankfulness and sacrifice to God lately as I really should by being loving and doing something kind for someone else in need as happened on the first Thanksgiving Day?