A Portrait of Gratitude: A Study of the Old Testament Fellowship Thank Offering

By Carole Telman

A Portrait of Gratitude will guide you through the art gallery of life, explaining the exhibits of an artis-tic God. In these pages, you will be given an opportunity to reflect upon and study the biblical thank offering, a reflection about what it means for a believer to live out a life of gratitude for God’s mercy and goodness in his or her life.
The book is broken down into four easy to read sections to guide you through the galleries of the Bible and see the many inspiring examples God gives us through biblical characters. It is designed for Chris-tians, to strengthen their walk with God, help them learn about the historical use of the thank offering, and grasp how its example can be applied to life in today’s modern world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Word Alive Press
• Release date: Oct 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781486607181

Book preview

Endorsements

I am happy to strongly recommend the book, A Portrait Of Gratitude, based on the Fellowship Thank Offering of the Old Testament by Carole Telman. It is a book that will both encourage and challenge at the same time.

It will encourage Christians to be thankful for everything God provides through Jesus Christ, and at the same time will challenge each of us to be our best for God; to understand that everything we receive is by God’s grace and not works, yet see that God requires obedience.

This book will certainly help you to rest in God: His promises and His presence, while challenging and encouraging you to manifest the Fruit of The Spirit both inwardly and outwardly, and make you aware of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit within to both rest in the Lord, to be content in Him, and at the same time understand the need to demonstrate His Character within your life to other Christians and those who do not know Jesus Christ.

This book will be of great benefit to new and older Christians alike.

—George W. Westlake Jr.

Pastor Emeritus

Sheffield Family Life Center

Kansas City, Missouri

A Portrait of Gratitude is an in-depth explanation about being grateful to the one and only God. A must-read for all who are seeking for more of God and looking for a fulfilled life.

—Anne Sua

Worship Musician and Teacher

Singapore

Carole makes it clear that we are created for thanksgiving—to be thankful, to offer to God the sacrifice of praise for all things and in all things. She challenges all of us to look inward and ask, Am I truly thankful? I recommend this book, as it will bring clarity to the need for and the benefit of thanksgiving.

—Colleen Guskjolen

PAOC Missionary

Latin America & Caribbean

Do you want to have some fresh insight into God’s master plan? Do you want to grow in your thankfulness to God? Carole takes us through a great study of God’s plan in the Old and New Testaments. She gives us an interesting look at how the sacrifices and commandments in the Old Testament translate to New Testament Christianity. Take some time and learn as Carole takes us on a journey of discovery of God’s heart for His people. A heart of rest, peace, and thankfulness.

—Mark Cole

Worship leader, writer, pastor, and

founding arranger for www.praisecharts.com

Calgary, Alberta

A PORTRAIT OF GRATITUDE

Copyright © 2020 by Carole Telman

All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, which is in the public domain. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.

eBook ISBN: 978-1-4866-0718-1

Word Alive Press

119 De Baets Street, Winnipeg, MB R2J 3R9

www.wordalivepress.ca

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Telman, Carole, 1963-, author

          A portrait of gratitude : a study of the Old Testament fellowship thank

offering / Carole Telman, M.A.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-4866-0715-0 (paperback).--ISBN 978-1-4866-0716-7 (pdf).--

ISBN 978-1-4866-0717-4 (html).--ISBN 978-1-4866-0718-1 (epub)

          1. Gratitude--Religious aspects--Christianity.  2. Sacrifice--Biblical

teaching.  I. Title.

BS1199.S2T44 2015                              221.6’7                         C2015-903128-1

                                                                                                     C2015-903129-X

To my husband, John

My best friend and biggest fan

Contents

Preface

Part One: The Basics of Thanksgiving

1. The Gift

2. Appreciation for Christ's Sacrifice

Part Two: The Elements of Thanksgiving

3. Grain

4. Choose to Rest

5. Oil

6. A Spirited Life

7. Choose to Hope

8. Salt

9. Salt According to David

10. Choose to Be Peculiar

11. Yeast Free

12. Choose to Let Go

Summary: No Leftovers Allowed

My Fellowship Thank Offering: Steps to Beginning a New or Stronger Lifestyle of Thanks

Preface

In Christian thought, thanksgiving is a confession of the wonder of God’s grace and forgiveness. Thanksgiving to God can never be reduced to an expression of gratitude. It is much too trite to suggest that we can simply express gratitude as if God’s gift of grace was somehow the equivalent of the sorts of things we do for each other.

The psalmists use two expressions in response to the wonders of God’s grace and forgiveness. The first is that of praise, which has itself become an English word: hallělûyāh. Unfortunately, the English use of this word has also become trivialized so it no longer conveys the depths of praise expressed in the psalms. The second expression is that of a confession, to make God’s wonders known: hôdû. Translations since the time of the reformers have expressed this as give thanks, but the psalms themselves are much more than a mere giving of thanks.

As expressed by the apostle Paul, to know God is to live with an attitude of gratitude, both words and actions showing our acknowledgment of the divine gift of life at all times. The tragedy of those that deny God is that they become vain in their thinking and are not thankful (Romans 1:21). Such hubris makes thanksgiving impossible; even expressions of gratitude become inconsequential exchanges. They have no more significance than how are you expresses any real desire to know anything about