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Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Amongst far too many liberals
Posts: 919
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From a sermon by someone I know.....
Thankgiving---------Psalm 100:1-5
Thanksgiving is the day when we pause to reflect, remember,
and respect all the blessings that God has given to us.
Still, it is a sad truth that millions will use this special day, which has been appointed as Thanksgiving Day, as a day of indulgence, drunken-ness, and ingratitude,….. not respecting their Creator, their conscience, or their country.
For Christians, Thanksgiving is the act of giving God praise and thanks.
It may take the form of private prayer or public proclamation as we stop to appreciate the blessings we enjoy.
But Thanksgiving is more than a day… it should be an attitude which characterizes those who are disciplined and devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are some things that we as Christians can be thankful for.
1. We Can Thank God for His Goodness.
Jeremiah 33:11 contains these words…..
"Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
for the Lord is good;
his love endures forever."
Psalm 26:6-7
I wash my hands in innocence,
and go about your altar, O Lord,
proclaiming aloud your praise
and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
God has been so good to us.
Day after day…..week after week,,,,,blessing after blessing.
We can truly say to him,……….. Thanks a million!
We’ve so much to thank Him for!
Psalm 100:
Verse 5 says…." For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;!"
Think how much your good God has done for you!
We are often guilty of the sin of grumbling and ungratefulness…
**Not appreciating the blessings God has given us.
**Complaining…. Not satisfied with what we have….when the Bible says…“Be
content”.
**We lack faith in the goodness of God.
**We lack trust in the Lord concerning what is best for us.
Gratitude is such good medicine.
John Henry Jowett, ….an old-time British preacher said: "Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic."
Like a vaccine, gratitude can prevent the invasion of a disgruntled, discouraged spirit. Like an antitoxin, gratitude can prevent the affects of the poison of cynicism, criticalness, and grumbling.
Like an antiseptic, a spirit of gratitude can soothe and heal the most troubled spirit.
We couldn’t begin to list all the many blessings we have received from the Lord.
Even the trials He sends us do us good.
He knows what He is doing, even though at times we may not understand.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
You see, It is God's goodness….God’s kindness….which leads men to repentance.
Romans 2:4
…. do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Thankfulness for God's goodness is always an appropriate response.
The Bible is just full of references to God's goodness.
2. We Can Thank God for His Greatness.
The Psalmist declared God's greatness when he said,………
Psalm 48:1
Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
Psalm 145:3
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
Psalm 147:5
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
But sometimes we begin to doubt God’s greatness and His power.
Sometimes we question Him.
We must learn to…. “Let gratitude be our attitude.”
We can learn to develop an attitude of thanksgiving….even in the midst of trials.
Corrie ten Boom told about an incident that taught her the principle of giving thanks in all things as she learned to appreciate God’s greatness.
It was during World War II.
Corrie and her sister, Betsy, had been harboring Jewish people in their home, so they were arrested and imprisoned at Ravensbruck Camp.
The barracks were extremely crowded and infested with fleas.
One morning they read in their tattered Bible from 1 Thessalonians 5the reminder to “Be joyful always”….and to “give thanks in all circumstances”.
Betsy said, "Corrie, we've got to give thanks for this barracks and even for these fleas."
Corrie replied, "No way am I going to thank God for fleas."
But Betsy was persuasive, and they did thank God even for the fleas.
During the months that followed, they found that their barracks was left relatively free, and they could do Bible study, ….talk openly,… and even pray in the barracks.
It was their only place of refuge.
Several months later they learned that the reason the guards never entered their barracks was because of those horrible fleas.
We must learn to never doubt God’s gratness….His wisdom and purpose.
The realization of who God is….how powerful He is…and all that He provides…
should bring praise and thanksgiving from the heart and lips of every Christian.
Are you thankful this morning?....even for the bad things?
You know, if you break your leg,… you can still be thankful it wasn’t your neck!
3. We Can Thank God for His Grace .
Paul wrote in1 Cor. 1:4
I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
Grace is defined as unmerited favor.
Grace is getting what we don’t deserve…and not getting what we do deserve.
When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court.
The judge asked, "Guilty, or not guilty?" When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge replied, "That'll be ten dollars -- a dollar for every mile you went over the limit."
Suddenly the judge recognized the famous minister. "You have violated the law," he said. "The fine must be paid--but I am going to pay it for you." He took a ten dollar bill from his own wallet, attached it to the ticket, and then took Graham out and bought him a steak dinner! "That," said Billy Graham, "is how God treats repentant sinners!"
Grace can’t be earned. ….It must be simply accepted, experienced, and enjoyed.
As Christians, we live by God's grace,….we learn by God's grace,…we labor by God's grace,….we look for His coming by grace,….. and we show our loyalty by God's grace.
We are saved, schooled, sanctified, secured, and satisfied by the grace of almighty God! Certainly, the truth of God's grace should cause praise and thanksgiving to spring from our hearts.
4. We Can Thank God for His Gospel
Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Bob Woods tells the story of a couple who took their son, 11, and daughter, 7, to Carlsbad Caverns. As always, when the tour reached the deepest point in the cavern, the guide turned off all the lights to dramatize how completely dark and silent it is below the earth's surface. The little girl, suddenly enveloped in utter darkness, was frightened and began to cry. Immediately she heard the voice of her brother: "Don't cry. Somebody here knows how to turn on the lights." In a real sense, that is the message of the gospel: light is available, even when darkness seems overwhelming.
The gospel is God's Good News regarding the salvation provided for sinful people. The Gospel contains the power of God to change the lives of all who believe. The gospel, which brings the news of salvation for fallen mankind, should provoke thankfulness and praise from the hearts of Christians everywhere.
5. We Can Thank God for Gospel Preachers & Teachers
2 Cor. 9:13 speaks about those who preach and teach the gospel…..
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
Throughout the course of history, God has called people to declare His message.
God has always had people who responded to His call to proclaim His way… Noah, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Joseph, Peter, Paul, and countless others.
Perhaps He is even calling someone here right now.
Our hearts should be filled with thanksgiving and praises for those who have faithfully answered God's call to speak and share God's Word.
6. We Can Thank God for His Guidance
Psalm 67:4
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth……
The Lord is sovereign.
He cares for all that He has created.
We need not worry when God Himself is in control.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
[6] in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
King David declared in Psalm 37:23 ……..
If the Lord delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;
We can be sure of…and we can be thankful for…. the personal, practical, positive, and providential guidance of our loving Lord!
7. We Can Thank God for His Government
Isaiah 9:6 …..
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Who was Isaiah talking about?.....it was Jesus.
In Luke 10……..Mary and her sister Martha were fretting over some work that needed doing.
Jesus said to Martha in V. 41…. "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,”
How often do those same words describe us?
You see, Jesus wanted Martha to learn that trusting was better than toiling.
Likewise, we should trust more ….rather than worrying about toiling so much.
The verse I just read in Isaiah 9 prophesied about Jesus,…. that the government would rest on His shoulders
The providence and sovereignty of God in the affairs of men should be comforting truths to all of us.
Again, Paul wrote in Romans 8:28 …….
…. we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
God’s hand and God’s power are the pillars of God's providence.
His strength supports, sustains, and protects the universe.
Man’s government may come and go…but God’s government is eternal!
Such truths should provoke our thanksgiving and praise.
8. We Can Thank God for His Gifts
Paul wrote inRomans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul was expressing thanks to God for a gift so incredible, that only God could be the true author of it…..The Lord has given us the gift of salvation…. eternal life through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
A man was on trial.
He was trembling with fear.
The judge said, "Now look, fella, don't be so nervous; you're gonna get justice."
The prisoner said, "I don't need justice…..I need mercy!"
Mercy is what we need. It’s what I need…what you need….what everybody needs.
Luke 18:9-14 …familiar account….
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: [10] "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
[13] "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
[14] "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
That Pharisee was “thankful”.
But…..He wasn’t leaning on God’s Mercy.
The sinner pleaded with God for Mercy and received it.
Jesus gave his life to pay our sin debt.
When we trust in Jesus for our salvation, we receive God’s mercy.
Mercy in Jesus….what a precious gift!
He gives us His Holy Spirit.
He gives us the gifts of the Spirit.
When we stop to consider all the gifts that God bestows upon His children…..we certainly have cause to thank and praise Him.
We ought to practice for heaven and praise the Lord a little bit.
Look again at those words in Psalm 100….Vs. 4-5…
“Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.”
Go home …. eat a good dinner….and shout the praises of God.
“Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.”
Reach up and touch your eyes. …..If you can see……
“Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.”
If you can hear the sound of beautiful music and birds as they sing in the trees,….
“Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.”
If you can walk around without being rolled in a wheel chair…
“Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.”
Even if you have to roll around in a wheel chair…. or walk out deaf or blind, ….or if you don't have enough food to eat a good dinner ….just jump up and down anyway…
“Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.”
"His love endures forever."
Forever is a very long time.
When kingdoms have crumbled for the last time,
"His love endures forever."
When politicians and dictators have waged wars for the last time,
"His love endures forever."
When the sun refuses to shine and the moon has turned black,
"His love endures forever."
When shoulders don’t stoop anymore,….when brows don’t wrinkle any more,… when cancer and heart disease don’t kill anymore ….
"His love endures forever."
When people no longer die and cemeteries are no longer needed,
"His love endures forever."
When we ourselves come to the valley of the shadow death,
"His love endures forever."
When all of us awaken in His likeness to live forever and ever around His throne, praising His holy name….
"His love endures forever."!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanksgiving truths commence with God, …they continue with God,…
and they are consummated in God.
Blessed be God! …."His love endures forever."
__________________
Rich
"It takes a Carter to get a Reagan."
Last edited by Mr. Conservatism; 11-21-2010 at 08:11 AM.
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like the recent rainfall
