"We have been the recipients of the
choicest bounties of heaven. We
have been preserved, the many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no o
ther
nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God.
We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and
multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in
the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some
superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self- sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness." -- April 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer
I heard about a little fourth-grader who stood up to give a report concerning the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. Here's how he began:
"The pilgrims came here seeking freedom of you know what.
When they landed, they gave thanks to you know who.
Because of them, we can worship each Sunday, you know where.” Bible Illustrator.
Scripture
Text:
Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed
through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain
village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And
they lifted up [their] voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14
And when he saw [them], he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the
priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And
one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud
voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on [his] face at his feet, giving him
thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And
Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where [are] the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
A. Ten were healed. Ten lepers cried out for help and healing. They went by faith and received physical healing from the Lord. Do you have the faith to believe that God has had his hand on your life? He has touched you. He brought you here today to give you another opportunity to thank Him for His touch on your life. Call to Him for healing in your life. Go by faith to receive his free gift of salvation. Come back to thank Him.
B. Where are the Nine? Were there not ten lepers healed? Why didn't they come back? They must have forgotten. Or, did other things distract them?
1. One went home to see his family.
2. One went to Wal-mart.
3. One stayed in the temple to worship God and he missed the master.
4. One went to see his friends.
5. One went to court sue some people who had treated him badly.
6. One went to find his girl friend.
7. One went to see the WVU-Pitt football game.
8. One went deer huntin’.
9. One went to the store with his wife.
Could
the way we spend our time show us who we really are? Since we live in the land of
liberty we do what we want to do. Then
wouldn’t an evaluation of the time we keep reveal what we are devoted to.
What would your evaluation reveal?
Where
are we today?
Typical time spent - 70 years: sleep - 23 yrs or 32.9%; work - 16 yrs.
or 22.8% TV - 8 yrs. or 11.4%; eating - 6 yrs. or 8.6%; Travel - 6 yrs. or
8.6%; Leisure - 4.5 yrs. or 6.5%;
Illness - 4 yrs. or 5.7%; Dressing
- 2 yrs. or 2.8%; Religion - 0.5 yrs. or 0.7%
Who are we coming back too?
C.
Only One Came Back to Thank Jesus.
Who was the one who came back?
He was a Samaritan. He was the only Samaritan. He was an outcast and a leper. Leprosy is a type of sin. He was the only one who would not have been invited into the temple. When others say go; Jesus says, no I want you to come back to me…!
I
believe that the United States is like the ten lepers. We have been set free
from the bondage of those who would enslave us.
We have received a special touch from the Lord.
We have been given the opportunity to be free to decide how we will
live our lives along with many physical blessings.
But how many will come back. We
all need to come back to the Lord. Those
who come back are given eternal life. God touches many, but how many will touch God?
During this Thanksgiving will you touch God? Many
believe that they deserve all that they have because they have worked for it.
But, we recognize that the strength, health, life, and opportunity we
have are all gifts from the Lord. I
was taught that when someone gave you something you are supposed to say
“Thank You.” Have you?
Will you? Then you will
receive so much more.
D.
Why did he come back?
1. He was cleansed and healed. He was given a new life through Jesus who had healed him. Have you been cleansed and healed. Have you received your new life in Christ? He received something more than the others. This second touch from the Lord is what we need today, but it is something that only those who come back to him will receive.
2. He came back because he could . It wasn’t too late. You are free to come back.
3. He was the only one who recognized Jesus' power and work in his life.
4. He was the only one who wanted to thank Him.
5. He was the only one who was humble enough to bow before the King. Thanksgiving is an attitude. It is a lifestyle.
E.
Will you come back? He
was the only one who was willing to give Jesus the sacrifice of his self in
thanksgiving. Will you come back?
During a Thanksgiving message, I preached on the need for Christians to be thankful in everything. I reiterated how that God has our best interest at heart and that all things do work together for the good. I had just been blessed with free body work on my old car and it was looking brand new. Two days after the Thanksgiving message I hit a deer on a back road to my home. My car was dented and I was heart broke. I was pounded with my own words just a few days before to be thankful in all things. I wrote these words and testified in church on the next Sunday of God's goodness. Let me be thankful: first, because I have never hit a deer before, second, because although it (the deer) dented my car it did not dent my head, third, because although my car had just been fixed, it is an old car and not a new one-fourth, because although I killed a deer, I did not kill my "dear" (my wife was riding with me), and last, because someone is eating good today.
--Submitted by Pastor Shelton Cole
Thanksgiving is the noblest expression of
the noblest sentiment of the heart. It
is gratitude flowing through the lips. It
is gratitude looking up with all its generous and swelling emotions and giving
out those fragrant sacrifices to God, the author of all good, by fitting acts,
and by a fitting service. -
E.M. Bounds
Thanksgiving from A to Z.
Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of "Camp Complaining"
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To "thank" is a command
Until we see Him coming
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
Xalting God most high
Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!
"I AM Too blessed to be stressed!" The shortest distance between a problem
and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.
The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything. Love and peace be
with you forever, Amen.
PS: GOD LOVES YOU...PASS THE WORD ON TO MORE From an Unknown forward.