The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding that Thanksgiving is the Essence of Their Faith!

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 October 2026   Psalm 100:4.

Psalm 100:4.         Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!

Yes friends, it’s Monday, and a big Monday in our wonderful land, for today we’re celebrating our Thanksgiving Holiday, with gatherings of families and friends, giving thanks to Almighty God for all the goodness and mercy He’s bestowed on our beautiful country over the past year. And although the rain spoiled some of our plans yesterday, it looks like the weather will cooperate today, because the day’s turned into a beautiful, bright and sunshiny one.

Now let’s remember two things; first, that the food and merriment we’re sharing did not just appear by a miracle, but someone earned through hard work and the good graces of God. So, in all the celebrations, it’s imperative that we give Him the number one place of honour, because He’s our Sovereign Lord.   And secondly, that we most definitely exercise a modicum of circumspection in all our celebrations, because we know what happens when we don’t; serious accidents occur, even life ending tragedy, and we certainly don’t want any of that stuff marring our Thanksgiving celebrations. For all the ‘if I had knowns,’ will not be able to rectify the situation. So, let’s celebrate, but be careful!

And since this is Thanksgiving Day, it seemed rather appropriate for us to just run through some scriptures that deal with the subject of giving thanks. But because  there are so many in the Bible, especially from the Psalms, we can only select a few for our short space and time. And we’ll begin with these well-known verses from Psalm 95.‘O come let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (spiritual songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods…. O come let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the sheep of his pasture, and sheep of his hand (under his care).’ (Ps. 95: 1-3; 6-7)

Meanwhile to the Thessalonians, Bruh Paul puts it very simply. ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) It could not get any clearer; rejoice, pray and give thanks, those are the three basic things the Lord requires of us.

And to the Ephesians, Bruh Paul gives them a very good piece of advice that’s ever so relevant for today. (smile) ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:18-21) Oh, if only most of us would just do that today, there would be much thanksgiving, little conflict and no dissipation. (smile)

Now, let’s go back to some wonderful verses from Psalm 100. The psalmist declares: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5) Gospel truth my people! Only wish we could take those wonderful words of advice more to heart than we’re currently doing. 

And here’s a word from Bruh Paul to the Colossians that we don’t often hear. ‘As ye have therefore received Christ, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.’ (Col. 2-6-7) Then there’s this wonderful verse from Bruh David in Psalm 34: ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’ (Ps. 34: 3) And from Psalm 50, Asaph lets us know that God requires a thankful heart. ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps. 50:14-15)

Oh friends, that’s the exact opposite of what so many of us do. We don’t have a thankful heart towards God, yet we cry out to Him in times of trouble and expect Him to help us, and when He doesn’t, we get all annoyed and blaspheme His holy Name. That’s certainly not the way to do it. Now that’s enough scripture for us to ponder on today, don’t want to give us too much so it cuts into the celebration time. (smile) And since not all of us have the day off, because our modern-day society machine needs constant twenty-four-hour attention to keep it humming along smoothly, let’s approach the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to help those who are at work secure divine aid.

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!

And though we don’t have the full contingent going out to battle in the working world today, the Lord still expects those going out to put up a good showing. So please don’t disappoint Him! Much LOVE!

…thanksgiving is the essence of a Christian’s faith…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien    

Man’s Basic Duty is to Fear (Reverence) Almighty God, and to Obey His Commandments!

Ecclesiastes 2:24a.        There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour.

And then it was Tuesday…and all the thanksgiving celebrations finish…and we back to the same old daily grind and common task. (smile) But that’s what life is all about, doing the same routine and ofttimes boring and frustrating tasks every day. And that’s good for us, because it teaches us patience and not to expect life to be one jolly party all the time, and learn that work and play are essential, but work takes first place, for if you don’t work, you cannot afford to play. (smile) And some wise words from Cousin Sol, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, might help us better understand what life is all about. 

He says: ‘One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever… All things are full of labour (wearisome); man cannot utter (express) it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.’ (Eccl. 1:4; 8-9) And that’s basically true; life is a roller coaster ride, and most of what happens now, has happened before, and will most likely happen again, although it might take a different form and shape or intensity.

Yes friends, Cousin Sol with his wealth and wisdom took to studying life, and in Chapter 2, according to the scholars ‘he pursued fulfillment through pleasure, wine, great artistic works, wealth, aesthetic and artistic pleasures and fame. However, all of these failed to bring lasting satisfaction to the wisest man of all time, yet people three thousand years later are still trying them in search of enduring fulfillment.’ And we see it all around the world where we’re trying every avenue possible to find some sense of lasting fulfillment. 

But after discovering that wisdom exceeds folly, as far as light excelleth darkness (Eccl. 2:13) and that man’s day are filled with sorrow, (Eccl. 2:18-23) Cousin Sol comes to the conclusion: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto (have enjoyment), more than I? For God giveth to a man that (who) is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up (the task of gathering and collecting), that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind).’ (Eccl. 2:24-26) 

Ah mih people, although Cousin Sol found that a lot of life was futile because we try to find fulfillment in material accomplishment, but then have to leave the fruit of our labour behind for someone else to enjoy or waste, he still maintained that the best way to live this life is to enjoy it and work as though it is all a gift from God. As the scholars explain: ‘When a man toils in his own strength, he is bound to suffer pain and grief. The answer then is for him to enjoy his work by receiving it as a gift of God. Elsewhere work is said to be part of God’s curse on man (Gen. 3:17-19), but it can become the sphere of God’s blessing.’ 

And if we hope to get through these tough and perilous times, then that’s exactly how we ought to consider work; as a gift from God. Remember, there are lots of folks out there who don’t have a job, and although they do their best to get one, just cannot do so, which obviously causes them all sorts of struggles and suffering. Therefore, for those of us who are blessed to have a job, we ought to stop complaining about it, and instead enjoy it as the gift of God, by which we are able to eat, clothe and cover ourselves and our families. And yes, the job might not be the greatest, but it’s a job, and there are many out there who would be glad to have it. 

However, we need to take Cousin Sol’s wise advice very seriously, for if the wisest and richest man ever tried to find fulfillment in life and material things and personal pleasures, and found it all futile and wasteful, why are we still running down those things trying to find fulfillment in them eh? Remember, the ONLY place that one can find true fulfillment is in God. Bruh Paul wrote it thus to the Colossians. ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.’ (Col. 3:1-4) 

Yes friends, to find true fulfillment down here, we have to give up all the earthly vices and lusts and instead concentrate on the good things that are above. And as Bruh Paul later says, ‘put off the old man with all his deeds …and put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.’ (Col. 3:9-10) That means in the image of Jesus, the plan that God has for all of His human creation. Meanwhile, Jesus also advised us on the finding of fulfillment, when in the Sermon on the Mount, He instructed us to stop worrying about clothes, food and shelter: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

So, enjoying the good things of life is not wrong, but the real duty of man is like Cousin Sol says at the end of Ecclesiastes. ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every evil work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl. 12:13-14) And that’s exactly what the Bible tells us from Genesis right back to Revelation: God is Supreme, and He will manifest the works of mankind in His own time. 

Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Wail, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having made that declaration, (awright!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

the best advice…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… (Dr. Charles Stanley).

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 November 2016 Daniel 9:9.

Daniel 9:9.   To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.  

Oh friends, oh friends, good news! We have good… no most excellent news this Monday morning! Our bubba Scotty is back home! Our prayers have been answered!  Praise the Lord! 

Scotty actually came out of the hospital on Thursday, but I didn’t know that until I went to church yesterday. All the tests came back negative, and I spoke to him on the phone in the evening. He is indeed alive, but not kicking too hard yet. (smile) However the next few weeks should see him get back to his normal bright and kicking self. 

So let’s keep on praying, keep on sending up those fervent prayers to heaven, that the Lord returns him quickly to full health, because we need him, he is an integral part of our family. Hang in there Scotty mih friend! 

And since we have such good news we should be in fine shape to begin this Monday morning… well except for those party animals down in the U.S. who must be suffering from the Thanksgiving celebrations and the hassles of Black Friday over the weekend. 

Oh, I forgot, it’s Cyber Monday today, another day of extreme and extravagant shopping , this time though online. Steups! It’s a good thing I’m not involved in the nonsense nuh. Anyway, let’s belt out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with sincerity and strong passion. Let’s see if we can’t bring tears of joy to our choirmaster Jesus’ eyes.  (smile) 

In unison now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’  

Yes mih breddren, yes! We’ve done it: we’ve brought tears of joy to Jesus’ eyes! Wow! Even the Father had to get up from His throne and do a li’l two step, the music was so sweet! (smile) 

Now with all of that excitement, passion and good news, we have no excuses for not getting a serious move on to the battlefield to fight diligently and passionately for Jesus’ cause.  But let’s also keep our Bit of God’s wonderful attributes in mind, so that we don’t condemn ourselves if perchance we fall short of God’s Word. ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ 

Ah friends, our God is so wonderful that there are no words to truly describe Him! Is there any other supposed god who is merciful and forgiving even when their subjects rebel against them? Obviously not! Our God created the universe and rules it as He sees fit. 

As He so nicely tells us in Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9) Now that’s telling us what is what and who is who! (smile) He’s just on a higher plane than us! 

So let’s continue looking at some scriptures which corroborate the words of our Bit. And we’ll begin with the words of Bruh David from Psalm 145 – The Lord is gracious. Halfway through the psalm, Bruh David confidently declares: ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ (Ps.145:8-9) 

And all followers of Jesus Christ know that to be the absolute truth, which we have learned from personal experience as well as those of other believers. That brings us to an interesting scripture from Nehemiah, re the confessions of the priests and Levites. 

He confesses: ‘But they and our fathers dealt proudly (acted presumptuously or insolently), and hardened their necks (became stubborn), and hearkened not to (did not heed) thy commandments. And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them: but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.’ (Neh. 9:16-17) 

Can you imagine that friends? Even when the Israelites made a molten calf of gold and worshipped it, especially after all the wonders that He had recently done for them, the Lord did not destroy them! 

Hn! He is indeed a merciful and forgiving God! And we should be offering up much more reverence and praise and thanks to Him in appreciation and gratitude for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us in the future. 

So today, let’s take a few minutes and ponder our personal response and attitude towards Almighty God nuh, and make sure it’s not anything like that of the old time Israelites. Much LOVE!

…when one experiences God’s mercy and forgiveness…it’s unthinkable …sure sacrilege…to turn away from Him thereafter…