Our vision is the unified spiritual Bride of Christ, living and representing the gospel of God’s plan of salvation for humanity. Our mission is to nurture the church family as a spiritual organism, feeding the flock and sharing the gospel.
What does it mean to give thanks? Is it simply to express gratitude or show appreciation? Kind or grateful thoughts? What if we reverse the words? We have thanks and giving. If we put them together we have Thanksgiving. Now we have an expression of thanks, especially to God.
At this time of year in America we celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a federally recognized holiday. And thus it is more of a secular holiday that a religious one. It is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of the month of November. Most Americans may give some gratitude to God or say a prayer at their meal on this day. But they do not go to church on Thanksgiving day. It is more about getting together, eating food, hanging out, and various traditions.
What about you? What do you do on Thanksgiving? What does it mean to you? Do you know that there is a Thanksgiving Offering in the Bible? There is. It the book of Leviticus chapters 1-7 cover the 5 sacrifices God had Israel do. And you may think that we no longer do the sacrificial offerings listed in the Old Testament. And you are correct. That Christ did away with them by fulfilling them. Which is true on the physical plane. The Apostle Paul tells us that in the book of Hebrews 9:11-14. However just like we are to keep the 10 commandments in the spirit and not just the letter, the same holds true about offerings.
This message explains one aspect of the Peace Offering called the Thanksgiving Offering. And by understanding the spiritual aspect of the Thanksgiving offering we see our instruction to be a living sacrifice to God.
