thanksgiving a worthy celebration for believers no it s not pagan

(208) thanksgiving a worthy celebration for believers no it s not pagan - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSlCLySTm5s Transcript: (00:02) In the United States of America, where I live, there is a unique celebration that is strictly Americana called Thanksgiving. At the time of this recording, we are mere days away from this American celebration. And I want to talk to you about Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday of every November here in the United States. (00:34) At First Harvest Ministries, we choose to celebrate Thanksgiving even while rejecting so many other holidays of the world. And we owe you an answer as to why we do that. First and foremost, let me say from the start of this lesson today that even though there are some YouTube videos out there that try to convince you that Thanksgiving is pagan, I assure you it is not. (01:10) If it were, I would want nothing to do with it because we've made a decision here at First Harvest Ministries to only celebrate that which is good. And so we're going to find out today if Thanksgiving is pagan by going to its roots. First, one should notice that the pagan holidays are celebrated worldwide. Why? Because paganism is a worldwide religion. (01:44) However, Thanksgiving is uniquely American. On this holiday, families will gather. They will cook. They will celebrate with food, turkey, all of the trimmings. Families will gather together, watch their favorite football game. Some will dress up as Indians. Some will dress up as uh pilgrims and other colonial figures. (02:15) But mostly and primarily, it is our hope that there will be thanks truly given just like there was over 400 years ago. In August of 1620, the Mayflower, a 180 ton ship, set sail from Southampton, England. August 1620, 1720, 1820, 1920, 2020, 2024 puts us 404 years ago that this journey happened. (02:58) However, as soon as they left the harbor, there was trouble with their ship and they had to return to port. Finally, after some repair work, the voyage began. It began with a unique number of passengers on board. 102 to be exact. Now, zero is not a number. So if you take the zero out of that number, you'll find the number 12. Well, those passengers were to become the very first and founding citizens and pilgrims of the United States of America. (03:44) And they, these people would initiate from themselves the nation's one of the nation's most popular holidays, Thanksgiving. After many arduous weeks on the Atlantic, through the tumultuous waters, battling strong wind, pounding waves, and many problems with the Mayflower. Finally, these pilgrims, our forefathers, spotted Cape Cod right off the coast of Massachusetts. (04:27) However, this was an accident. They were not trying to go to Massachusetts. They were originally trying to go to Virginia, where some other pilgrims had already landed before they anchored at the famous Plymouth Rock, which is still there today. And after they disembarked from the ship to explore this new territory that they had landed in, they created something called the Mayflower Compact. (04:58) It's actually the first governing document of these United States of America. This was to serve as the basis for governing their new colony where all would be free from any religious bondage because they had just left a place driven out because of their unique religious beliefs. I'd like to read to you from the Mayflower Compact. (05:32) It's an interesting read and I quote, "We whose names are underwritten the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord King James having undertaken for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith." Did you hear that? The only reason they were creating America, no matter what your school teachers have told you, it was for the advancement of the Christian faith specifically and primarily while being tolerant of all other faiths. (06:26) They were there to advance the Christian faith. And how would they do that? I continue to quote by honoring our king and our country which was Great Britain. continuing to quote, "A voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one another covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic for our better ordering and preservation. (07:10) and furtherance of the ends of formentioned. What ends of formentioned are they talking about? advancing the Christian faith and for the glory of God and to honor their king and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinance, acts, constitutions, and offices from time to time as shall be thought to most meat and convenient. (07:48) it for the general good of the colony unto which we promise all due submission they're promising to submit to this Mayflower compact and to obey in witness whereof we have herein surrendered our names on the 11th of November now the next few months After creating this beautiful document, it would prove to be very difficult. (08:24) It would be life and death because they landed on that east coast that we all know how cold it gets over there. Well, that's when they landed about the time of year when winter is setting in. Dreadful winter. And it was a dreadful winter that they had. As a matter of fact, two or three people would die at one time from sickness and disease to where they lost nearly half of the 102 during that first winter that had crossed the ocean blue. (09:07) But true to form, spring came around. Hope began to flourish among these great American pioneers. And who was left? Some 60 odd people began to build their homes. They begin to plant crops. They made friendship with the local Indian population. They began to trade with them. And the passing of winter and the coming of spring allowed the colony to flourish. (09:44) And then came the fall. The harvest at this time a great crop from that spring planting was plentiful. It came in in 1621. And when that bounty came, they gathered together, the pilgrims, to dedicate a day for thanking the God for which the Mayflower Compact says they have come to advance his son Yesua, Jesus Christ. (10:27) Now, they're dedicating a day to thank that God. No other god, no false god, no pagan god, no uh tamuz, no Ishtar, but the god of the Bible, Yahweh specifically. They had endured the hardship that came with pioneering this new land. They toiled through building an entire colony from what was a wilderness. They were at peace with their neighbors. (10:59) And they were especially grateful to have a harvest. And they knew their Bibles. They knew that the gold and the silver is mine, sayeth the Lord. They knew who had given them their bounty. And this allowed them to store up food for the long, brutal winter. And they wouldn't have to die that winter, but they would have enough food to survive. (11:26) As a result, their governor, that's right, a governor of the United States, well, at that time it was the colonies that would give way to the United States, but a governor nonetheless, William Bradford, made a proclamation that today, the fourth Thursday of November, is a day of thanksgiving toward God or Yahweh. (11:58) They prepared a great feast of food to enjoy with family and friends and the Indians both from within the colony and all the surrounding Indian tribes. And I going I want to quote to you from Governor Bradford. Being arrived in a good harbor and brought safely to land, they fell on their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all their perils and miseries thereof again to set their feet on the firm, stable earth, their proper element. (12:44) He continues to write, "Thus out of small beginnings, greater things have been produced by his hand that made all things out of nothing and gives beings or gives life to all things that exist. And as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled has shown to many. Yay, in some sort to our whole nation. (13:20) Let the glorious name of God have all the praise. Clearly, these god-fearing, Christ loving pilgrims are the root from which this holiday comes. Anytime I'm trying to decide what holidays to celebrate and which ones to forsake, I go to the root. I go because as the root, so is the fruit. So when you look at the root, you find God-fearing believers in Christ that created this very sacred day in America for thanksgiving. (14:04) We know from history that these pilgrims were firmly entrenched in the realization of God's presence, his intervention in their everyday lives. And Thanksgiving Day began because of that belief in the God of the Bible. Not the God of the Hindus or the God of the pagans, but the exclusive God of the Bible. (14:35) It is a day dedicated to giving thanks to that one true God for the many things that he has provided for us. Now over the years many colonies began to keep this day of thanksgiving. And during the American Revolution in the late 1700s, right around 1776, the Continental Congress suggested that this yearly observance of Thanksgiving, which was now a custom among all the colonies, to in fact be an official day of Thanksgiving. (15:17) In 1817, the state of New York adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual holiday. By the mid 1800s, many other states had adopted this practice. And then in 1863, President Lincoln appointed it officially as a national holiday and gave a proclamation of thanks unto the God of the Bible. And every American president since then has done the same. (15:53) Now, let's move on. That's the history of Thanksgiving. But now I want to ask the question, is Thanksgiving Day biblical or is it rooted in paganism as some have claimed? Even though Thanksgiving is not mentioned in the Bible, it is different from most other national holidays. As a matter of fact, most nations of the world do celebrate some type of harvest festival. (16:31) And we know that Satan has deceived the whole world. And therefore, many of these harvest festivals are indeed associated with some pagan deity, maybe the god of the harvest or whomever and whatever. But we know that those celebrations are not connected with giving thanks to the God of the Bible, the one true God. And many times these harvest celebrations become tainted with pagan deities. (17:06) However, history has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that Thanksgiving Day is strictly separate. It is a total separate celebration from anything like it in the known world. That center of thanksgiving is giving thanks to the creator. Not some other God, but the creator God. And we know there's only one creator God. (17:38) And that is what separates Thanksgiving Day from all other holidays with pagan origin uh such as uh Easter, Valentine's Day, Christmas, Halloween, all pagan in their origin and once again all celebrated not just in the world. So now let's answer the next question. All right, it's not pagan. But does God Yahweh allow us Israelites, those redeemed by the blood of Christ, to celebrate any holiday that's not a holy day? Great question. (18:22) For those of you that don't know, in our particular faith, we celebrate the annual holy days commanded to be kept in the Bible. Passover, Shàuote, Pentecost, trumpets, atonement, tabernacles, the last great day, unleavened bread. All of those that are specifically commanded in the scripture, those stand alone. (18:51) Those are for the house of Israel as one nation to be kept no matter where we live in the world. Those holidays, holy days, specifically tell us Yahweh's plan for the ages. As we rehearse those every year, we are in fact rehearsing his great plan for all of mankind. Those are commanded and those are kept strictly for religious purposes. (19:26) However, what about other celebrations? July the 4th, Memorial Day, those can they be kept according to the scripture? Why don't we find out? The book of John chapter 10 verse 22 records a story for us of Jesus Christ Yeshua the Messiah in fact celebrating a holiday that was not one of the annual Sabbath hols. (20:06) He was there for something called the feast of celebration. He was there to celebrate a good day with good roots that told a good story about the goodness of his father Yahweh. It was an annual anniversary of the purification of the temple, setting it free from paganism about 165 BC. You can see all of my teachings on Hanukkah that that's what he was there that day to celebrate. (20:50) He didn't shun that day. He didn't not show up, but in fact, he was there. Why? Well, number one, the roots were were pure. Number two, that was not a day of rioting. It was not a day of flesh. It was not a day of parties and fleshly celebration. In fact, it was a national holiday commemorating a solemn event in which Yahweh got all of the glory. (21:26) Now, let's continue. In the book of Esther, we read that through the inspiration of Yahweh, Morayi and Esther established a holiday that was not a holy day. It was a celebration of a great thing that gave Yahweh all the glory. It was called the feast of Purum. It was a yearly commemoration of the Jews overcoming the persecution from Hmon, the prime minister of King Ahasserus. (22:07) I want you to notice the words that Morcia and Esther proclaimed and I quote, "And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city. and that these days of Purum should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed. (22:42) Then Queen Esther the daughter of Abbeel and Morayi the Jew wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purum. Esther 9:28- 29. These days were not to be celebrated with the same honor as the annual holy days, but rather they were national events celebrating the miracle working power of Almighty God. (23:20) And in fact, that's what thanksgiving is. A miracle from God that these pilgrims survived the storm, come to a land that they knew not, survive the winter, and was able to establish this great land of end time Israel. So we have two examples from Christ Moray and Esther commemorating national events that gave Yahweh all of the glory. (23:50) And so it is with Memorial Day and Veterans Day, July the 4th. all providential miracles from God to establish this great land of end time Israel. Now, if you're asking me why I'm referring to America as end time Israel, well, I if you don't know why, I strongly encourage you to watch my 30 minute teaching called the scattered seed. (24:26) And then for those that truly desire to know, watch my seven-part series entitled Tracking the Tribes. It will change your life forever. So, even though Thanksgiving Day is not specifically mentioned in the scriptures, neither is it forbidden. What is forbidden? We're taught not to learn the way of the heathen and not to worship our god in the way that they worship their gods. (25:00) Well, thanksgiving is indeed uniquely American. It is not us learning the worship of any false god. David told us to come before his presence with thanksgiving. Enter his gates with thanksgiving. Oh, give thanks unto Yahweh for he is good. The Apostle Paul said, "Be careful for nothing, but in everything give thanks. (25:30) " The pilgrims could never have imagined what America would become, but you and I have been the beneficiaries of the great sacrifice that these pilgrims made. We have enjoyed the freedom of speech, the freedom of worship, the freedom of religion that come from these pilgrims that started this annual day of celebration. (25:59) Therefore, I want to encourage you as you prepare for Thanksgiving. Make sure that you're not just eating the bounty of their blessings, but that indeed you are thanking their God for those blessings. America, you're the most blessed nation on the face of the earth. Indeed, none of the Israelite nations have ever known poverty like the rest of the world. (26:35) None of the Israelite nations, the lost tribes, Scotland, Ireland, America, Great Britain, all of these lost have never known what many have known around the world as far as struggle. We have been blessed. So very blessed. I believe it's fitting on the fourth Thursday of November when you gather around that full table, that bounty of blessings, for you to take a moment and give glory to the God of the pilgrims, the ones that came to advance the cause. (27:18) And if you're not sure who their God was, they made it plain in the Mayflower Compact to advance the cause of Christ. The God of Christ was the God of the pilgrims. Happy Thanksgiving.