The Difference between “A” and “The” changed my Life! A personal testimony, Kelly Durant

The Difference between “A” and “The” changed my Life!   

 

   Back in 1975, I was thoroughly steeped in the belief that every faith of the world is equal and all take you to God. I was young and misinformed, however, I wanted to find the truth so I began a very intensive search for it as if nothing else mattered. The world view that I held, sadly enough, still heavily influences a majority of young and old in our society. I have since that time questioned myself to determine what influences had affected me to the point to cause me to take that position. At that time when a Christian would express their faith to me, I would be offended if they were so affirming in stating that their “way” was the only one. What caused me to adopt this worldview?        

  

  In the University of Oklahoma in 1975, the main obsession I had was to connect with God. Most all of my daily conversations with friends were about Him. I ate brown rice most of the time (to purify my body), meditated Hindu style an hour daily, and read dozens upon dozens of books about the world’s religion. My obsession was driven in part by my love for music and in being a part of the trend in those days, (the Beatles and others were on the same search), my lack of inner peace, and my fascination with other cultures and what motivated their bazar displays of faith. I considered myself one of the most open minded individuals around but I soon met a dilemma.

 

   One day a Christian “witnessed” to me about their conversion. I respected his convictions but he insisted that Jesus was the only way to heaven despite my lack of agreeing with him on that. He said that Jesus was “the” way, “the” truth’ and “the “life” and that no man could go to God except by Him. I had grown to look upon Jesus as “a” way, “a” truth, and “a” life and as one of the great teachers. Sparks of short circuits went off in my head for weeks. Finally, however, after prayer and research, I decided to shift my paradigm, to accept Jesus as unique, as “the” only Son of God. I gave Him first place, made Him my sole focus, and I have never been sorry since! I later became better informed of all the cruelty, repression, war, and abuse prevalent throughout most all other world religions. Without a doubt I did choose “the” right Person and way to serve!

 

   The influences that clouded my mind the most to be so called “open minded” and accept every belief as equal, were the pop musicians, the news media, college professors, library books, and friends influenced by the same. Basically, it is the entire culture here that draws you away with that self righteous “I-am-more-enlightened-than-you-because-I-am-open-minded” attitude. Today I am a vocal enemy against anti-Christian propaganda (which is subtly being placed more and more in all means of communications) because of how it negatively influenced my life and caused me to reject “the” truth in Jesus for a time who is “the” only one who has the keys to eternal life. I believe any Christian with any love and conviction for their faith at all will not only share their faith in love to others, but will also expose the suffering provoked by this post modernistic pantheistic worldview.

 

 

Kelly Durant

We Are Family! Or We Should Be!

We Are Family!                                  Kelly Durant   1-16-17 Re: 12-29-24

 

Ps 68:4-6

4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land

 

   2. Back in the 70s there was a picture of a young child carrying another child on his back. It looked like the one carrying the child was having a hard time since the other one was so big. Someone asked, “Isn’t he too heavy for you to carry?” And the child responded, “He aint heavy, he is my brother.” (A hit song too, remember?)

 

   Those that are family are never a burden, we do not get rid of them, they eat with us, they laugh with us, they share the deepest things of their heart with us, and they are in a special class that others do not have. We are a part of the family of God and His name is above all family names and we must live with the utmost respect, nobility, and honor.

 

  All true Christians and those who know God promote families and the protection of women and children, today we will reflect on this. Part of the reason for my choice of this subject is because families are under assault! Adult and child trafficking, bad immigration, drugs, awkward adulterous lifestyles,, politics, and many factors are destroying families, all by Satan’s prolific design.

 

   3. It was recognized in the past decades that Latinos and many immigrants had strong family ties and values.  I recall in the 70s people would comment that the Latino immigrants always brought with them a strong family value, and that this was good for the country. Today however, the disease of sin, the filth from Hollywood values, has divided many families and immigrants have almost the same statistics as everyone else in the area of divorce, single motherhood, and criminality when compared to the rest of the population.

 

Notice in the Psalm verses of today, that as always we are prompted to praise God, and to be happy in his presence. And why is that? Because He is… A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, God in his holy habitation cares and is aware of all situations. This means that God is there for you and I who do not have a family nearby. God is especially near to those with circumstances that make it hard for them to survive. My emotions went ecstatic when I read this verse for the first time, and I suddenly felt and knew that God had replaced my earthly father and family in a way far beyond my expectations! The Word of my Father God, the wisdom, the comfort, the salvation, has impacted me beyond what any human can offer! The Bible is transformative!

 

  And one of my favorite verses is this: “God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land”.  Lets’ examine how God does this. This is another verse I absolutely love!

 

   4. Throughout the world, in almost all churches, if you are a brother in Christ, then there is the idea that you have received a new spirit, and new way of life. Therefore, you become a person of trust, and brothers in the faith open their doors to you and you can stay with them as if they were family. If you are a lonely person and solitary, then you could be close to a larger family and this is how we all become one big family in God!

 

Throughout the years Regina and I have stayed with dozens and dozens of Christians while traveling, or arriving in a new country, and most all of them treated us as family, some even lent us their own beds to sleep in! What a great thing to have the same Father God and Jesus Christ, to have a unity of purpose and faith. We too have had dozens upon dozens of people stay in our homes over the years too because this is just how Christian families work. God intended for his created humanity to live in love and harmony, that we would be One under His awesome presence. 

 

Matt 19:29

29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

With this verse you and I are impressed that the followers of Jesus had to give up their families in the flesh to do a greater work for God traveling and evangelizing, but by doing so they gained a hundred more families in the process!

 

    5. Do you as a Christian right now have a half dozen friends that will take you into their home if you need it? Will you take into your home brothers of the faith? Families are not produced by indifference towards others; they are established by love, patience, and a good heart keeping them together! This is freedom, freedom from the chains of the materialistic world that puts money above relationships and compassion. 

 

Let’s look at the second half of verse 6 in the verses of today in Psalm 68:6 

“but the rebellious dwell in a dry land”. Some people do not have anywhere to stay because of their rebellion against God! No one wants complicated sinful people nearby!

 

What does this imply? Let’s look at family situations. What happens when sin gets in the middle of the fellowship, when one of the brothers or sisters starts living unholy, or speaking ugly things, or hurts another? When one is rebellious and does not support the home, when anger or drugs divide, what happens? Conflicts, fights, animosity, bitterness and worse things happen right? 

 

  Someone usually leaves because they do not wish to tolerate all the problems and abuse. And what happens in the end to those that are rebellious, who do wrong against God and their own kind? They suffer the judgments of God and end up alone and are cursed to live a life as one who lives lost in the desert with no friendship, joy, or happiness. I know many people that no one wants to talk to because they have an angry ungodly character.

 

   6. I have seen people leave families and even the church family due to the abuses they have suffered, because of the sins of another which hurt them. This is sad. Look up Prov 18:19 ‘A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle’.  But like it or not Jesus commands us to forgive all! But not everyone knows how to ask God to help them get through what they consider offensive.

 

  Not just in our church family, but I am sure in your flesh family you have seen abuses and divisions, excommunications, and even divorces. Sin is rebelliousness and it has its effects, it destroys family households and Christian fellowships!

 

  In today’s world we see the disintegration of families so severe that only one in three people actually live in a family in the U.S.! Jesus and His love and forgiveness are the only answer to restore and heal and put people back together!

 

  7. Today Satan is at war against families! Satan wants to destroy people cursing them to live in a dry desert land which is a hell, and then when they die the hell continues in the solitude and despair! Notice how has Satan has unprecedentedly destroyed families in the past millennia? We notice how wars between nations and tribes provokes death! The soldiers, families, and dozens of millions are forced to move yearly and immigrate somewhere due to the harsh conditions of suffering of their own land. Divisions, in-fighting, and hate, and war separates everyone on massive scales.

 

   And what about those that would have experienced the joys of having a family had it not been for abortion? What about those who would have fallen in love and made a family had it not been for someone convincing them that they were not cool and that to be accepted by the Hollywood crowd that they needed to have a relationship that goes against nature? Feminism and many other recent movements exist for the sole purpose of contaminating others with bitterness and hate so that people learn to reject the love of God and separate themselves from those that would love and support them. Political correctness is self-sabotaging!

 

   And now, what about families that were united and happy until politics obsessed the minds of a few to the point they preferred to part ways with their brothers and sisters? Satan’s pride and bitterness is alive today through politics and religion and very few want to just ‘let things go’ when they have a different idea or a misinformed view of other people and events. I am tired of the demonization of others with fake news, no one is perfect except Jesus, and only God will judge guilty souls. But you and I should refuse to take part in throwing more gasoline on the fire. Even Paul rebuked others for identifying with men, not men who were political leaders, but spiritual leaders.  1 Corinthians 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

 

  8. The message of Jesus, and of this church is; we are family! The message of Jesus to all who receive Him is… I am family with you and I lay down my life for you! Despite our sins, despite the sins of others, God’s word promises us that we can still have a spiritual family, even if your own reject you!   John 1:11

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

So, if you have kin who love to fight, divide, attack, and impose what they believe on you and others, just let them be. The rebellious live in a dry land and you should not follow them out to their dry places of misery! We are heaven bound!

 

  You as a Christian have the job to forgive, heal and restore all who you can into God’s family! But not all will! A horse can be brought to the water but that does not mean he will drink! And it’s so strange when you think about how we as Christians can be close to those who are very different from ourselves in race and customs and it is all because we have the same faith in Jesus. What more does the word say about families? How should you behave?  1 Tim 5:8

8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 

 

Keeping a family alive requires maintaining support, love, and care. In families there exists a required sense of responsibility, but if we are unfaithful to others in our own family of the faith, how can God bless us? 

 

  9. In heaven we will all be one big happy family, and there… there will no longer be any more economic, race, and sin issues! No more need to remember a Dr. Martin Luther King Day so we get reminded to respect those different from us more than what we currently do. We will be dancing in the streets as one big family! Let’s live now on earth full of love for all as it is in heaven!

 

Do feel like you are in dry land spiritually? Do you know someone who is in a dry land in your family or church? Maybe it is because you have not opened the door of your heart and home to make them feel at home! But if you have and they have not wanted it, you did your part. Just pray for them, that’s what we do! Just live holy, loving, inclusive, and heavenly minded!

 

God never blesses selfishness; no one can expect others to take them in as family if they are not willing to take in others themselves! To make families and to be a church which is one family, we must seek to love with God’s love and receive all! Pray to have a spirit of family today! The family of God is our real family, amen? 

Christmas: Without It Earth Would Be More Of A Hell (Than What It Already Is!)

Christmas: Without It Earth Would Be More Of A Hell

(Than What It Already Is!)      By Kelly Durant 

Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

 

2. How many of you have seen a movie called, “Back to the Future”? It was about a young man that went back into time and then goes back into the future. There is one part where something didn’t happen the way it was supposed to in the past, and if he didn’t get things the way they were supposed to be, in his case it was the getting together of his parents to marry, then the world was going to become a different, horrible place, a living hell full of crime and no love! Thank God Michael J. Fox was able to fix it and make it right!

 

This imaginative scenario provoked me to reflect and ask myself this question, what would the world be like today if it had not been for the birth of the Son of God on Christmas over 2024 years ago? (More or less, Gregorian calendar has flaws) Imagine a world today without a deep concept of love, without Christ followers who are salt and light, those who are wonderful examples of Jesus’ love, compassion, and salvation? And without those helping others in need?

 

But because there are people who listen to the spirit to God, much peace has been brought into our world. In my youth we use to sing, “All we are sayin’, Is give peace a chance”! Well, there is peace in Jesus and He said in John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

3. Imagine a world totally hell bent on destruction without any leadings from God’s gentle Holy Spirit? Imagine a world without churches & social work helping the desperate, without missionaries bringing a better standard of life to the poor, imagine living without the wise teachings of Jesus Christ and most of all the fact that His message of the forgiveness for sins through repentance offers ‘whosoever will’ the opportunity to have eternal life? Eternal life was God’s Christmas gift to us! And this life is something money cannot buy, nor does anyone earn it by points with God! Jesus’ message changes lives totally!

 

The world today I speculate would be a thousand times more full of violent atrocities; it would be even worse dominated by many Satanic cults as were historically in Europe and the Americas with human sacrifices devastating innocent life with abuse, violence, and war. More wars would have prevented our technological progresses of electricity, transportation and more. Ignorance, oppression, and misery would be the norm as it was for thousands of years and is today in places where the gospel is suppressed and not allowed due to atheism and false oppressive religions. 

 

This picture of anarchy, chaos and violence is the way the world recently was in many places before European missionaries went to immigrate into the world on ships about 500 years ago. On the islands and in most continents, people had never heard the gospel of Jesus. It was the Christians who helped the world progress out of the dark ages of murderous false religions, cannibalism, demon worship, and slavery. 

 

Christians were the ones who founded all of the prestigious colleges of high learning in Europe and in the Americas. It was the Christians who developed the world scientifically, through great Christians like Galileo, Da Vinci, Pascal, and others. Christians also were the ones who fought for the freedom of slaves. Conservative Christians have been influential in and putting the brakes on rampant debauchery, alcoholism, prostitution, and vices which have destroyed the lives of spouses and children. 

 

4. Jesus has been the best gift this world has ever received! But let’s look at what attributes were involved in order for his birth to happen. First, there had to be a willingness to give. God, our Father, was willing to give His only Son from the Kingdom of heaven for us on earth. Jesus himself had to give of his own self to be willing to be born in humble circumstances and then to be horribly treated by those of this world, even those of his own flesh and blood. Take note of the mystical part, God prepared his coming by dozens of prophesies even a thousand years prior so that when Jesus came, all who are studious and wise would make no mistake in recognizing Him as the chosen Messiah, the savior of the world, worthy of our honor, worship, and service.

 

Jesus renounced heaven, his home which is a place of pure perfection, and love and peace, in order to come here to be on this hell of an earth to give Himself, and his life’s body as a human sacrifice in frail flesh on the cross, to die a horrible death so whosoever believes can be saved!  Only Jesus is the Prince of Peace!  

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

The first thing that Christmas, (Jesus coming), should do to you is convict you (and me) to give everything of ourselves to serve Him, because he really is the only King of kings of all ages! No other being so loving powerful and peaceful is going to be born! You and I must give our lives to Jesus in gratitude, and this includes teaching our families to obey to Him, loving Him with all our hearts and minds, and souls because no other gift in return to Him is acceptable! 

 

5. Jesus gave the ultimate example of humility, he was born in a humble little manger from a poor family, and came not to be rich, nor powerful as the kings of earth are, but he came to serve and to give his healing power and life for all of us! 

 

There are many people in the world still that are ignorant of His love and they live by the total opposite of His example. They believe that Christmas is a time to be extravagant and party, and to ask, receive, and to get. I know as a child I got picky and demanding about what I wanted my mother to give me for Christmas and that was being spoiled and wrong. Being gift focused is a mistake and the opposite of what Christmas should be all about!

 

Since I had no father in the home, my mother, always tried to make it up to me by giving me many extra toys at Christmas time. But the toys were fun only for a few days before the reality of the world’s brokenness would come back. All that I had received did not bring me a lasting happiness. The newness disappears within days! 

 

6. It was later in my life that I learned the joy of giving after I dedicated my life to the Savior, the one who started the Christmas celebrations. If you want happiness then give Jesus to others! 

 

Acts 20:35 

I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. It is more blessed to give than to receive! One more time… Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive! 

 

We need to teach ourselves and our children to give to others so that neither we nor they just think about their own fun and own selves at Christmas time.  Give your time in service to God, give your food, your money, your will, everything to serve Jesus; and if you do, then you will be following the words and example of Jesus and you will be celebrating what Christmas is really about! 

 

7. Today there is a serious problem of people trying to take Jesus & God out of Christmas. They say, “Happy Holidays”, and across the nation not everyone say “Merry Christmas” anymore. This nation is losing it’s peace and power! From the office of people in power, from the people in huge business corporations, even from your own families people are minimizing God & Jesus and the “reason for the season”!  People have become so materialistic and worried about gifts and the details of parties that the people of this nation, and of most others as well, have forgotten who the party is for and how He wants those at His party to be! Which is to be in Christian love celebrating His birth. There is no logic, and it is a huge insult, if Jesus is being left out of His own party! 

 

What should come to my mind about Christmas is that it brings a message of hope and salvation to a corrupted dying world! What did God have all the angels announce to the humble poor shepherds when Jesus was born? They all declared, “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good will towards men”! 

 

God showed his love and favor to all of us in such a miraculous strange way with a virgin, with angles, with shepherds, with kings from the orient, with animals in a manger. Jesus has brought you and me a new hope, a new life, a life of peace, an internal peace that gives us strength. 

 

8. God gave us His good will and peace. God gave us His goodness and without Jesus there is no goodness and peace! You and I have a deep obligation to honor Jesus as the angels did, and know that the way we honor him is by sharing and obeying His words, and giving as He gave. Without Jesus people are beasts, full of jealousies, violence, adulteries, & selfishness. If we forget God at Christmas and every day then we will end up as  described in Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

 

I have travelled a lot like many of you and seen this, that the communities that are authentically Christian with a variety of Christian churches have much less violence and crime and more peace than the rich corrupted materialistic dying mega-metropolis Gotham city hell holes in our world today.

 

When we pause to remember the birth of Jesus, we are giving ourselves and the world a fresh hope that there is someone much better and more beautiful than ourselves that can solve all problems by bringing peace, saving our souls, and giving us a hew hope and perspective on how to live.  Christmas unequivocally indicates that by accepting Jesus we accept love and peace and the fact that you and I must change everything about our lives in order to model this love, humility, peace, and giving of one’s self! 

“Know Jesus, Know peace!” But “No Jesus, no peace!”

Christmas Is About Bringing Unusual People Together!

Christmas Is About Bringing Unusual People Together! By Kelly Durant Re12-15-24

 

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: The Kings Honor a Baby

Christmas: The Kings Honor a Baby         Kelly Durant 12-2-12 Re: 12-8-24

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.  

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 stop over the manager, 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 are 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! Your taxed working, spending, saving, & when you die whoever gets you stuff will get taxes 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 crew to help you care for your camels and equipment? The honor of these kings required great sacrifice or 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 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, 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 Is___m 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 even 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.

Jesus: Like Him I’ll Be!

Jesus: Like Him I’ll Be!                              9-25-22 Re: 12-1-24     Kelly Durant

 

1 Corinthians 2:16  For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

 

2. Back in the hippie times, if a man had long hair and a beard and was somewhat handsome, friends would usually gaze a moment and then comment, “Look, he looks like Jesus!” Some people with a beard and long hair may remind us of the paintings we have seen of Jesus, but exactly how this olive skinned Jewish man actually looked physically, we will never know, artists can only speculate. 

 

But we can know Him spiritually! Jesus left us with so many teachings that it takes a lifetime to discover all the depths implicated by Him. 1 Corinthians 2:16 

For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

 

You or I can ‘know’ Jesus, but how? Only by His teachings! Are there not in the world too many doctrines and churches, too many books and personal opinions, and too many immoral bad examples to the point that most of us just want to give up? Never give up! Each of us is special and loved by Him and He will show you what your mission is, what your calling in life is, and where you need to go.

 

3. Also, learn this: You learn best when you teach a subject! Jesus’ teachings should be spread and never be limited! Never did Jesus say only have my teachings confined to people going to church! It was the contrary, he sent His disciples out to preach the gospel to every creature! Mark 16:15 

 

Many people form the idea that Jesus is someone only the preacher should mention, and that is occasionally, that He was a good and holy man that we should ‘try’ to be like Him. Jesus told you and me to… Luke 14:23

Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. That implies everyone!

 

After Jesus did healings, He would say, go and show yourself in the temple so others could see the miracle; after Jesus would forgive people of their sins like the Samaritan woman at the well, He would inspire to the point that all that person could do was talk about Him to everyone! If Jesus has touched you, you will not be able to shut up about it! Acts 4:13 It will overflow, and people will know you experienced something very real and life changing! We must tell it! It is your story and mine that is authentic, and people see the love of God in us and want it.

 

4. And speaking of telling your story, there are so many people today that have experienced miracles! How many times have you heard, “The doctor gave me 3 months to live but Jesus healed me!”? The miracles have not stopped!

 

I have seen a person get healed from weak knees and get x-rays to prove they no longer needed an operation to stop the swelling after a prayer! I have seen the miracle of Jesus stopping a car from crashing into us! I have seen people stop using addictive drugs after a prayer and stay on the right path healed afterwards. Miracles do happen and we need to recognize it is Jesus doing them... today!

 

And they happen for all to glorify God! Luke 18:42 Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. When God does something for you, share the good news, please!

 

5. We can know Jesus’ love by observing the contrast of those who despise Him. Matthew 11:6 “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” It is a given, there is a vast majority of people out there that are evil and get offended by Jesus because they do not want to be reminded of their unrepentant ugly, destructive sins! 

 

The fact that Jesus exposed(s) hypocrites, the fact that His presence brings awareness, the fact that He and His teachings are absolute truth is too much for some people!  Liars, lazy ones, and deceivers hate Him for exposing their schemes and this is what makes Jesus so repulsive to them along with the average carnal corrupt individual that conforms to the perverted ways of the world. 

 

I have been attacked many times over telling others about Jesus and do you know why ‘those people’ never won me over to their side? Because I could feel, see, and hear the hate they had for me just because I talked about Jesus! My logical reasoning mind kicks in these situations and asks, why would I leave the teachings of Jesus who inspires me to do good for others, to love God and others, in exchange for the cognitive dissident non-reasoning and uninspiring rhetoric they defend? I prefer the beautiful spirit world over their ugly flesh world any day!

 

6. How do we know the name of Jesus is powerful? Because in society He is rarely mentioned except when used as a curse word in some Hollywood movies! The most loving amazing Son of God is still rejected by the evil ones in power. Before they accused that Jesus had a demon when it was themselves having the demons!

 

The subject of Jesus has been quarantined by our evil societies to not be discussed in the public arena. Jesus cannot be brought up in the classrooms, in the community city halls, and not in the bar-b-ques of our local civic clubs as it is a topic deemed ‘uncomfortable’ or ‘offensive’ by some. Matthew 18:7

Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

 

Who, and I ask unrhetorically who, is defining our freedom of speech?! We have freedom of religion and speech, at least we do have by Constitutional law! I am offended by the politically correct demons trying to silence you and me when the spirit moves on us to talk about Jesus. If a few elites controlling our society, the education, the tech world and the media, who sooner or later are revealed to be extortioners, pedophiles, and filthy corrupters wanting to shut you up, why would you let them have the final say? Are we not offended by them!?

 

7. To know Jesus we must be born again and become as a child! John 3:3-8, 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” When you or I were a child going to Sunday School classes we ‘got it’, we saw with a fresh mind that Jesus is real, you could hear his loving words and feel in your spirit that He was (is) the powerful Son of God. 

 

Jesus told us to have the faith of a little child! Matthew 18:3 And said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. To know Him means to become simple, simple in just believing because logic and science cannot explain everything!

 

We can reason and understand a lot but always at some point we will hit a wall of doubt. It is then when we must just simply trust that God knows best that He, like a good Father will protect and guide us through obstacles that are bigger than what we are able to handle. Patience, faith, & trust, will we ever learn them? 

 

8. Your average Christian without the Holy Spirit is unprepared to battle with demonic people who hate Jesus. Jesus must be in you, in your mind, in your deepest convictions, to be real to you in order to give you power. You only can be strong in Him if you are daily reading His word, praying, and seeking to put into practice the example He left us.  1 Corinthians 2:16  For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

 

The people of the world have no excuse, God can be seen in all the details of His creation. (see Romans 1) Around 300 Old Testament prophecies describe the events in the life of Jesus! There is no doubt that factual evidence abounds to prove Jesus lived, died, and started a revolution to the point that the underground church became above ground 300 years after his resurrection.

 

Despite having 1,700 years of the Catholic Church, and 500 years of the Protestant Church, atheism, materialism, and Satanic religions thrive because the average Christian is not shining their light and fighting for good as they were commanded to by Jesus! Darkness cannot stand the light! Just bring Jesus into the conversation and see what happens! There will be praise and inspiration, or there will be attacks! 

 

 9. All of us can know Jesus in a profound way and there is no excuse. Let’s review:

We can know how to be like Jesus by knowing His teachings.

We can know Jesus by how he has touched and changed our own life.

We know that Jesus’ name is powerful, or He would not be prohibited publicly.

We can know Jesus’ love by contrasting how others that hate Him treat us.

We can know Jesus having the mind and faith of a child.

 

And finally, I will end with the verse we started with, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” The ultimate followers of Jesus have done what He says here. It requires giving your all to Him, materially and spiritually for all your life! I did that to be a missionary, I did that to serve Jesus as a Salvation Army Officer, and millions have done it to serve Jesus throughout history! Millions have even been martyrs! What have you really given to Jesus? To gain the full joy He offers, He must be in control of your life! Those that give Him all never regret it!

 

God supplies our needs and gives us the desires of our hearts! But too few are willing to just give it all up for Him! I cannot imagine living life without Jesus being everything! The question is how much of Him do you want? All the way, or just a little bit? Jesus wanted all of you, mind, body & soul, service, worship & love!

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

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

By Kelly Durant  11-23-14 Re 11-24-24

 

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 around 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. 404 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 lost their heads for not submitting to the abusive dominating monarchy that imposed their church hierarchy system on them. Are you thankful you have not lost your head due to an abusive authority? In history and even today millions have lost their heads, or lives, over 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 food in a special fall 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 to celebrate in the fall as well as did the Jews celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and the Torah, Rosh Hashanah, while Christians have traditionally come to 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 did die of hunger anyway! It was Sqanto, a native slave of the English who taught them how to raise corn and fish eel. He sacrificed his time and food to help these immigrants who were ignorant of living from nature since they came from large European cities. God bless the natives!

 

3. But many people have immigrated to many different lands throughout history so what makes this thanksgiving festival so special? 

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 sacrificed to make our food together special, 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.

 

Before 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 that 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 and we should not allow lawmakers 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!

 

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

Thanksgiving Day in reality is all about thanking God for maintaining your life and for sharing with others your thankfulness! (repeat)

 

In the verses of today we observe that David and Jonah, and we know well that 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 people! There are many sins in this nation and many people 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 acting as good people being good to each other! 

 

In our community you would assume people would come to worship and thank God for their blessings but instead often they offer only negative comments (the opposite of praise) about personal frustrations or unhappy situations, and this makes God very sad and angry! God allowed a whole generation of Hebrews 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 and they are on the path to their own destruction!

 

5. Just think, this country now has 65 million Hispanics, and about 40 plus million have arrived within the past 30 years. I personally have a hard time understanding why most all of them are not going to the church of their choice giving thanks to God?! I read 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, worship God, and be good neighbors involved in the community! 

 

Most immigrants, like the first European ones, recognize that they are strangers in a strange land, and that 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 you are the special ones of God! Being here to thank God today is comparable to being with the one leper that was healed that came back to give thanks. Ten were healed but only one returned and expressed thanks! Eternally we praise God and Jesus in recognition of thanks. Sadly, in infamy, there are the unthankful nine others. Never be one of them!

 

6. In order to show you are thankful, you must sacrifice something for God’s work from time to time. You must make a commitment and then keep it.

If you are thankful in life in general, you are always praising and happy, 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

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 really 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! 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!

 

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 the woods! In two months, your life will be over, you will die a slow death of starvation in the cold!

But then if suddenly there appeared a group of strange people of another race unexpectedly putting 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 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, superhighways 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 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 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 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’ can live forever! It is our job as Christians to teach others to always 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 and to live eternally!

 

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; Jonah 2:9 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 right now, 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?