(Part one of a four part series on Thanksgiving)

This is the time of year when much attention is brought to those things for which we should all be thankful. Family, health, and hope of heaven are among the things we cherish most. In part one of my four part series on Thanksgiving, I will be writing about the Lord's church.

When you attend a worship service, it is impossible to grasp the amount of strength, power and might it has taken for the Lord to establish and maintain his church that would prove indestructible throughout the ages. We should all be thankful and mindful of this magnificent gift.

Acts 2:38-47 tells us about the gathering of the first church, saying that those who accepted Peter's message were baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and then added to the church.

So, just how big of a deal is this? It's a huge deal because we have the opportunity to be part of something that Christ felt was important enough to die for, the church, the saved, God's family. Daniel (2:44-45) prophesied the coming of Christ's indestructible kingdom (the church) 600 years before Jesus arrived on the scene. It is still in existence today all around the world despite the fact that many earthly kingdoms have risen and fallen.

The New Testament (NT) confirms the establishment of the church, the Lord's eternal kingdom. Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

The writer is referencing the Old Testament (OT) account of the power of God demonstrated at Mount Sinai. That's when God came down in a thick cloud with thunder and lightning to speak with Moses, and to give him the Ten Commandments, as the rest of the people were warned to not even touch the mountain lest they die. “The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently…” (Exodus 19:16-18)

In the NT, Hebrews 12:22-26 compares the superior nature of God's dealing with Christ's church versus the quaking and shaking of the earth when God spoke in the OT. In verse 25, we are reminded that if people in the OT couldn't escape God's face to face warnings, how can we even pretend to hide from the same God who rules from heaven today?

The church is the bride of Christ (Rev. 19:7). The only question is whether you are a part of his church. If not, why are you waiting? The devil can huff and puff, but those who are in the Lord's church can know for sure their foundation is secure forever. God bless you and have a great week!

Reach Barrett Vanlandingham at Fort Gibson Church of Christ, 478-2222 or ftgcoc_barrett@sbcglobal.net.