Episode 34: Thanksgiving

In the name of the Glorious Trinity.

Father and Son and Holy Spirit forever.

Amen. Glory be to the Everlasting

mercies which sent you to us. Oh, Christ the light of the

world and the life of all give us wisdom by a law and Enlighten

our impulses, by your knowledge, sanctify, ourselves by your

truth, and Grant that we may be obedient to your words and may

fulfill your Commandments at every hour.

Oh, you who enlightens the rationale with the knowledge of

your greatness do in light or my Lord are thoughts that we made?

Meditate upon your holy and divine scriptures at all times

O, Lord of all Father and Son and Holy Spirit forever.

The Christian Thanksgiving should be reserved set apart or

allocated in particular, for times of suffering and pain.

When we are experiencing Joy comfort and happiness, we must

always praise God. But during suffering, we must

Rejoice, because we have been counted worthy of suffering,

disgrace for the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our dear listeners, wherever you may

be listening. And I pray that you were

spending your real time with your family and friends on this,

on his holiday Thanksgiving. All their most importantly,

giving, thanks to the Lord. And I'd like to do that.

I'd like to begin by giving. Thanks to the Lord for a special

friend. I thought, I Collide, who is

with me today on this program Deacon or shall Marcia, David

Daniel, who's joining me? It's a great pleasure to be with

him and I'm going to introducing a letting actually I'm going to

let him introduce himself to you or Chacha well.

What Shana good to have you. Thank you, Robert I shot.

It is a honor. With pleasure to be joining you

on this podcast today. So I should tell me a little bit

about me so far when we ordained and where are you residing?

Now, what are you doing here? So, of course, I'll topic for

today is Thanksgiving. So I'm here spending

Thanksgiving not holiday in my homeland London, England.

But of course, something that we try to partake in my new home.

Maybe him take it with you and So thank you very much.

I was ordained in London, England, in the UK, leave ten

years ago, although November mark, my 10-year anniversary to

the jacket, so that of course, will see Mary's Church or any

church in London by his grace model, he shot all wrong.

I served in that church back in 1987 as a deacon myself, I'm uh,

very Cozy Church very ambient. I think they say I'm very okay,

nice and cozy. Jay I don't want to show you

something. There's been some touch-ups but

it remains so cozy and very special and where are you

residing in London. Now so I'm actually a couple

years ago in June. I moved to Chicago Chicago and I

visit often so now I know what you're doing here.

If you escape the snow blizzards and the cold, right?

That's right. And I believe that God willing

next you'll be you'll be marrying the love of your life

and I arrived yesterday as you know, if he's one of your own,

you took her away. Yes.

We met several years back at youth conference and from

maintaining a long-distance relationship.

Some years, of course, the move was motivated and to be close

together. That's all well, good,

excellent. Well, I'm glad that you're not

an American citizen and also resigned yet not yet but Um,

let's talk about Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving, Thursday, or

holiday. I was researching, I'm not too

familiar with it, but it had something to do with some

colonies. And, and, and we were asking, I

was asking your friend. Why turkeys apparently it says,

because there was so many, there was plenty of turkeys around

that time. And it's like our Bahama, our

commemoration meals, we provide meat.

So there's plenty of turkeys and everyone on their Farms, have

turkeys and they were cooked Turkey and celebrate the holiday

but we have for us Christians, that and we do celebrate

Thanksgiving. We thank God for everything.

Obviously, we thank God for this amazing country that we live in

in any country. But we know that the first and

foremost, we need to get give thanks to the Lord God.

And you had some information, you have pulled up some some

information and you're sharing it with me before we began the

the program, please do share that.

Why is it that we must first and foremost.

Give thanks to the Lord God. Of course, our advisor.

Thank you. So when were you mentioned to me

that this podcast to be around Thanksgiving?

I do some prep work and you know what key themes do can we take

away from from the Bible and a few things that I was able to

say, summarize a narrow it down to was, of course, because we

know that Jesus gave thanks. So we take that as an example,

of course, because we are instructed to do so by by

saying, All that leap. See Paul's life models gratitude

and and in fact, I read that, he fainted mention approximately 50

times and st. Paul's Epistles.

And of course was you know, from James particular, James 1:17,

James 1:17

that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above comes

down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation

or shadow of turning. You know, we could, we could Not

by saying, why do we need to give?

Thanks to God is because in the beginning, God, you know, the

first, the first verse of the Holy scriptures and the Old

Testament Genesis chapter 1 is in the beginning, God and out.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

Beginning doesn't mean that the beginning of God, no God is

pre-existent in the beginning of the game, when the world was

created God. And if it wasn't for God, we

wouldn't be here today. We won't have countries, we will

have turkeys, right? So So as you said every good

gift is given to us from God who is above and yes Jesus many

times. You know the work Thanksgiving

is actually translated as pricing as well.

You know I praise you, I'll give you thanks shocked out of time

and Jesus himself, the Son of God.

God incarnate the sun was giving, thanks to God for all

that he was doing well. He was on himself on Earth and

there are many instances asses in the Bible that we see that

when Jesus touched and in some way healing or encouraging or

giving, hope they return back and they gave thanks to the

Lord. Jesus Christ.

And Jesus demanded this while he was out, he was attending

physician So one of the one of the parts of praying the

Hashanah is when we pray, it's an act and one of the one of the

segments of our prayers of you may say, is to give, thanks to

God because what he did for Humanity, we must remember that.

To offer up his child, or his son for sacrifice for all.

You know, I'm sure, I think what happens correctly from my own

savings here as well. And Stephanie is in the

background, I think the president gets to choose the

best turkey. They parted.

Do they part of the turkey so that turkey does is not slaved?

Well I'm glad I asked that because, you know, we read in

the scriptures that God did not powdered his son and still

Sacrificing for you on. And and Christ did not have any

single was greatly. So giving thanks to the Lord is

Christian. Obligation a necessity officer,

John chrysostom mentions vehicles on giving things, you

had the option option. Correct Harvey's I can quote see

drunk lost in here and saying that faith is a portion of the

Grateful and it goes on to say the mark of a soul that loves

wisdom. Always gives thanks to God.

If you have suffered evil, give, thanks and it's changed.

A good give, thanks even in disease back possessions or

false accusations. Yeah.

That's that's that's very deep. I mean, you may have people now

saying or out my defense a little bit on suffering.

You know actually we do the opposite.

When we are suffering we cry out.

Why many people ask this question?

If there is a God, why is there so much data?

And what have you? But you're absolutely right,

because let us not forget that giving.

Thanks to the Lord is not only for what we have on Earth and

what we experienced on Earth. We know that this thought this

world is temporary, This is sample.

So if you are suffering in Jesus name, as you know, those who are

Weeping now will rejoice and laugh in the Kingdom of Heaven,

those who are hurting, their will be healed.

And so during our suffering, well we give thanks to the Lord.

We we basically are understanding number one and you

know, we found that my suffering.

Now will grant me the Eternal peace in the kingdom of heaven

and I think you got for that. A man robbing and you touched

upon it earlier but we read against equal 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

5:18 in everything. Give thanks for.

This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

And I believe the key there is in everything and we know that

st. Paul wasn't speaking.

Theoretically we know from verses like acts 16 24, 25 and

acts 27 35, that's it. Falls like wasn't trouble-free

Orbeez. They're trying to Second

Corinthians he states that he suffered shipwreck three times

and faced drowning adrift in the sea for a night and a day he was

I think a bitten by a scorpion. He was insulted, they

experienced weakness, Archie persecutions and calamities and

yet Saint Paul is still living things to the Lord, simply

because our suffering cannot be measured against Christ suffered

for you. And I and maybe when reading

second Corinthians, we see that well, Jesus wasn't drowning of

for a drip and he wasn't Shipwrecked obviously not, but

the suffering that Jesus received for you and I and still

gave. Thanks as you quoted.

Shasha was for you online. Not for himself because he had

never seen and he suffered and endured everything for you.

Are he took on flesh? Who you are.

He walked into the Jordan River for you and I, he took on Satan

in the wilderness for you and I, he died for you.

And, and that is the difference between the suffering of Jesus

Christ and how something. So when we do suffer in life and

you know what, we need to go back and say well, where did

this suffering came from? Because it was man's doing Adam,

broke the commandment and by disability the sylvain.

God sin entered the world and through Steam games offering.

But Jesus Christ took that on Lacrosse has given us hope and

he's given us the comfort that we have again through him.

He's peace. And so again being realistic is

at times pain and suffering are unbearable but you need to

always look at the Crossing the Lord and take example from

Christ and st. Paul, and other apostles were

you read in the scriptures that were giving thanks to the Lord?

For, in any circumstances? And any circumstances means any

circumstance, you know, in the, in the rights of the holy

matrimony, we say to the husband and wife in any circumstances,

sickness illness any calamities, will you stand by him or and we

apply obviously he hasn't you're going to do that you know.

So at all times we are to give thanks for the world because

what he has done For us is unspeakable, is

incomprehensible. And probably following on from

that in Ephesians 5:20, we read giving.

Ephesians 5:20

Thanks always for all things to God, the father in the name of

our Lord Jesus Christ. So it's definitely important for

this institute, know how to give Thanksgiving through prayer at

all. Times through all things in

suffering and the good times, I feel like this is a blessing for

us. And obviously, we'll be building

a name in the name of Jesus Christ.

Why? Because God, the father was only

a piece of fleas by his son twice.

God speaks and his voice was heard in the scriptures.

This is my beloved Son in whom I am.

Well pleased. So when we when we approach God

being Dreadful and being so so miserable at times, you know,

reeking of sin when we approach God to even give thanks to the

heart. We always mention Lord in your

son's name in Jesus name because you're a piece within be a

peaceful that says, well, I think you're laughing.

You got something that's safe. Amen.

Robbie and you know, I go back to St.

John Crossings writing here and you're looking into the

importance of Thanksgiving and they don't cause some rights.

Have you fallen seriously ill? This brings you the crown of

martyrdom referring to through Thanksgiving, nothing is holier

than that tongue, which gives thanks to God and Evil

circumstances. Surely in no respect as a fall

short of our Martyrs both alike. Are crowned, both the former and

the latter, you know, you mentioned lots of them, you

know, this this concept of markets and matted and we see in

the in the Old Testament in particular look Of Maccabees,

you know, those who suffered a suffering that was so Dreadful,

but they weren't deserve it of that were then label as Martyrs.

So sometimes we say that, okay, I'm a Christian, I believe in

God, I praise the Lord, I go to church, I read my scriptures.

I pray, I fast. I, you know, I'd give my tie and

I do my charitable Deeds. I am not worthy of receiving

this. Suffering.

It's not me, but you're all doing no according to Saint,

John. Chrysostom that when we do

suffer, even if we are, we have those amazing characteristics

characteristics you want to call them.

That's when you are suffering. Something that is not.

Will you call for you and that becomes martyrdom and we know

from the scriptures in Acts chapter 6, that when Saint

Acts 6 · chapter mention

Stephen was being martyred Christ, received him standing

up, So, it s claims of, I saw the son of man standing because

he was being martyred and killed for Christ's sake.

So, yes and and when we give thanks to the Lord in our

suffering, that truly becomes the mark of a, mobster that you

receive it, and you willfully and, and graciously, and

gratefully receive it for Jesus Christ.

That's when we cause and I'm happy to say this.

But I will say with her Christ to stand up of his furniture

receivers. He needs his eternal team.

That's a good point. We're trying to avoid it, right,

but that's a good point. That's a good.

We don't want to get too deep. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, you know, sometimes you

stop and think, okay, I need to give thanks to God.

Some people say, well, what am I thinking for like you do I have

to, you know, go back in my life and see where you got it.

What point guard has helped me but you know, you should say

just give thanks to God. For nothing.

If thanks to God because he is God, give thanks to God because

he's a gracious. God sometimes we don't need to.

Thank God because we have received something or are going

through some circumstances. Sometimes we just say, thanks

for nothing world because you are God. hey man, Robbie and the

embassies is Where we read from seeking opportunity.

John chrysostom that and nothing is holier than that tongue,

which gives thanks to God in equal circumstances.

So we should truly rejoice when we are suffering and while

giving thanks that brings to mind 1 Peter chapter 2, verse

1 Peter 2:20

20, he goes on to say what but what honor isn't to those who

endure suffering because of their foolishness.

Basically it's your fault, right?

But when you do, what is good. And they afflict you and you

endure then it magnifies your honor with God.

And that's why it's in John, chrysostom his glory them.

That tank is that these giving, thanks to God for any

circumstance. So especially during Archie, is

that tongue that is honored by God and with God.

So if we wanted to be honored by God, and again we want God to be

pleased with us during any circumstances, especially that

of hardship. We still give thanks to the

world. It's like saying O Lord, you

know, I don't deserve this again.

Going back to our exciting about that martyrdom.

I really don't deserve this but I'll I gratefully receive it for

your honor For Your Glory and to be honored, God, that's a good

quote, which we were trying to avoid again.

So now it's getting better. Now getting thanks is you know

many ways of I mean we can lip service card and say oh thank

you Lord. But I always say that each time

we praise with glorified with. Thank God we need to back it up

with a Deeds as well to show that I am grateful to you when

you do something for me, Shasha and to show that I am grateful

to, I may send you a thank-you card.

And if I'm more gracious than maybe a Starbucks $50 gift card

to very generous, they've but that's to show how grateful I am

for what you've done for me. How thankful.

And I think we need to back up our faithfulness will have

Thanksgiving with our Deeds as well.

Hence, many people I know of this day, perform their

charitable Deeds. They feed the Homeless, they go

to the shelters and they feed the the homeless will hungry.

A needle, they just, you know, drive around and see people that

are homeless and feed them for that day, Neal.

And I think we need to do the same to show God.

That we think it is, is one of the most, again, pleasing to the

Lord. Is that we are obedient to God.

I mean I can thank God for any circumstance but if I'm not

obedient to his word then it's only a lip service.

What do you think about that units?

Yes, I agree hobby. We see in Colossians 3:15 17.

Colossians 3:15

I read from verse 17 and whatever you do in word or deed.

Do all in the name of Lord. Jesus giving thanks to God the

Father through him. That's really important.

So many people down playing defense.

You know, some people even say there is no credibility for

details whatsoever, but st. Paul and he writes again, I

think it's in Ephesians. He says that that you heard and

saw from me how I conducted My Life as a Christian and I when

you conduct a survey to things to Deeds.

So, yes, that's absolutely right.

And and one of the ways we give thanks to God is crucial in.

This is a, the Pinnacle of a Christian.

But he's, when we attend church, attend a church, Especially the

Eucharistic service that is a deed, an act of Thanksgiving for

gold. We offer the Holy Eucharist, we

come to the Lord and we offer our Praises out, Thanksgiving to

God for what he did, three son on the cross, and we partake in

that act through the Holy Eucharist.

So that, you know, I spoke it, you confirmed it with a

scripture that Thanksgiving should not only be not only the

Be an act of the lips or tongue, but actually itself.

Absolutely. Your, I'll be the practicality

of Thanksgiving is very important.

I know especially myself. How does one remember or

practice? The act of giving.

Thanks, we spoke about the good times, but how does one give

that things when suffering? During during times of, during

times of trials, that touched up a very brief, I think, first and

foremost, we need to see why there are sufferings was a God

when he created the heavens and the Earth.

And he created, man, was there suffering in his mind?

I mean, he's knowledge. There was obviously, God is is

all knowing his mission, he knew that Adam would basically

dropped the ball as they say and that he would have to come down

and you know, they're here it is God I knew that Adam would

disobey God knew that Adam would eat from the fruit of the

forbidden fruit and yet he still created Adam.

You know, so much of there is a there is a verse in one of the

doctrinal teams. The Mother Russia, we seem very

hold over 90 degree holder, my youth.

Him blessed is he who made us mortal when I when I sang that

one. So I stopped, I thought, what

Wallah our fathers trying to teach us Blessed, is he who made

us mortal? He made out of water.

You know, and I consulted with his Holiness today.

Then his grace and he said, yeah, God knew that Adam would

do this and yet and then I my mind was even boggled blowing

that I thought but yet he still made Adam, there is love that.

I know I'm going to make you and then I'm going.

I know you're going to cause me to take on your flesh and come

down and be spat out. And The ridicule and to die.

So before we talk about, why am I suffering, and then it will be

easier for us to ask, why is this suffering?

He caused this suffering. You know, when there's a major

disaster, there is a an independent independent

commission at the independent inquiry commission.

And I need to know why it happened.

Why did the Train derailed, why? Why is there suffering?

Well, the figure is part of it. At us at me.

During that suffering once we know that, well, God didn't make

me to suffer but suffering enter through the wall because of my

Free Will, and here I am. Now, what am I going to go to do

with it? Then we got the Jesus Christ and

he's suffering that he had no sin.

As simple says noticing whatsoever yet.

He suffered the suffering that you and I that be fitted you and

I we one of the prayers in in the baptismal, right?

We say, but You O, Lord, did not leave us in that prediction that

we were worthier. You didn't leave us in that

Fallen state if you took on flesh and you came down for us.

Okay? Now I'm not saying as soon as

you remember this that We say, bring our suffering, bring it

on. No, we don't.

We don't ask these things to come upon us.

That's why Jesus taught us to pray that we, you know, God will

will Deliver Us from these. But when we do enter, these

trials and temptations and sufferings remember that, it

wasn't God, it started all from you.

And I and that God took on flesh.

Jesus Christ, incarnate God to take on that suffering.

So that through the he's suffering, we have these and and

comfort and then remember that saying, the Saint Paul writes to

Timothy in his Second Epistle if we suffer We shall also reign

with him, you know, the in st. Paul writes in Philippians, I

think it is that our suffering. Now, cannot be measured to the

goodness, that is awaiting us our suffering right now should

not allow us to undermined or to neglect that.

There is eternal Bliss, Eternal, Comfort awaiting.

All those who suffer, let me read that verse again. 2nd,

Timothy 2:12 if we suffer we Also reign with him, if we deny

him, he also will deny us. So the three points is, where

did suffering come from, when did it begin?

And how Jesus suffered for you and I, and what will you receive

from that? And while we're suffering, what

is going to be? The end result of our suffering?

I mean, it could be death. You know, many people say that

when we pray, we must. If you don't have, if you have

faith that each time, you're pregnant shoot.

Be healed. Well then say Paul didn't have

faith because he beseeched him or three times and he wasn't

healed and Jesus said that you're my my strength is evident

in your in your weakness. So when we suffer, if the end

result is there but we have eternal life with Jesus.

Amen. Robbie and A verse from Romans,

8:18 for I consider that the sufferings of, this present time

are not worthy to be compared with the glory, which shall be

revealed in us, only to them. Amen.

And this is the glory, which shall be revealed in Us in Jesus

Christ. All the Saints or the Angels.

There will be a good. There is a glory awaiting you

and I through suffering and that Gloria obviously is eternal

eternal. Jesus Christ in the presence of

God, praise and glory of his name and thanks be to his name

always and okay. And this is, this is just as I

always say we haven't even scratched the surface, you're

not sure we could go on and on, but I know that the point that

we are trying to make is that God has done so much for us

through his creation. Through his son.

And after his church, the gift of the holy spirit that I'm part

of, of general of the church, every Sunday, every every time

the church comes together to worship to celebrate in the

fifties. These are all the gifts that God

has given us. These are the provision of the

Holy Spirit and give thanks to him at all times.

Great to have you Shasha, like Robbie was an absolute pleasure?

So just some takeaways for our lessons today, who may be

suffering and we're asking them to give.

Thanks in all things. We know that many of us do give,

thanks and good times. How what are the key takeaways

that we can or just recap of what we can remind of remember

that Jesus suffered for you, and he's suffering, wasn't just to

prove himself, he suffering, was it through to show that through.

He suffered, we can attend comfort, and the constant may be

sleeping, which means, resting, which means dying, which means

it's going to going home when he calls us, and we need to always

be realistic again, Christians, at the The call to suffering it

to Market them, you know when you're baptized shall not sure

it was a red ribbon given a placed on your head as a crown

and it was hanging before your eyes and actually in the

Liturgy. It's of the treaty ending for

the Arts while because that is a symbol that every person who is

baptized in, Jesus Christ has been booked to their being cry

slogans and I've been as being resurrected must always have

marked them before he's his eyes before.

He's you know always a monster and be Appeared to be martyred

and to suffer for Jesus cross. Because as you read in, Romans

the suffering that we have today, cannot compare to what

God has prepared for those. And that, that is a process of

faith and perseverance, it takes faith, and to remain in that

mindset that I must. I must be my sufferings and

place them all activated of Christ.

The video conference And on that note we give thanks to our

Heavenly Father, 3 son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Holy

Spirit in our all types of for a while.