Thanksgiving And Thankfulness

I have given this sermon quite a few times at this time of year. I enjoy giving it because it emphasizes an important duty all people have; the duty of giving thanks. I hope all of you enjoy this sermon as much as I enjoy giving it. When God thinks something's important He repeats it. I am claiming the same license.

In a few days the United States will observe Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day in the United States is intended to be an annual day of thanks for the blessings of the past year, observed on the fourth Thursday in November in each of the states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It is a historical, national, and religious holiday that began with the Pilgrims.

Governor Bradford of Massachusetts made this first Thanksgiving Proclamation three years after the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth in 1620. His proclamation read:

"Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages [notice he didn't call them `Native Americans'; political correctness didn't exist then], has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.
Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings."
(signed) William Bradford

This first Thanksgiving lasted three days, during which the Pilgrims feasted on wild turkey and venison with their Indian guests.

Days of thanksgiving were celebrated sporadically until, on Nov. 26, 1789, President Washington issued a proclamation of a nation-wide day of thanksgiving. He made it clear that the day should be one of prayer and giving thanks to God. It was to be celebrated by all religious denominations, a circumstance that helped to promote a spirit of common heritage. His proclamation stated:

[New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be--That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
George Washington

Credit for establishing this day as a national holiday is usually given to Sarah J. Hale, editor and founder of the Ladies' Magazine (from 1828) in Boston.

When it was first inaugurated by President Washington, only a few eastern states participated. However, through the effort of Sarah Hale a change was effected. She was fired with the determination of having the whole nation join together in setting apart a national day for giving thanks "unto Him from whom all blessings flow." To this end, she resolutely engaged the press with an endless flow of letters and articles to the various newspapers and journals of her time. In addition, she pleaded long and earnestly with three Presidents: Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan during the period of 1852, when her campaign succeeded in uniting 29 states in marking the last Thursday of November as "Thanksgiving Day."

Then came the dark days of the War between the States. Who would listen to a lone woman with her persistent plea for "just one day of peace amidst the blood and the strife?" One man did; her entreaty won the ear of a great American, and in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a day set apart for the national giving of thanks unto Almighty God. Lincoln lived to see only two such occasions, but Sarah Hale lived well on into her late 90's, content that her long-cherished hope had at last become a reality. She would probably turn over in her grave if she knew that this national day of thanksgiving to God was to be referred to in our day as "turkey day."

Let me read to you President Lincoln's Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer which he announced April 30, 1863.

"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 other 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. [How many times have we heard that, brethren?]
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."

Succeeding presidents annually followed Lincoln's example, except for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1939 proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a week earlier -- on the fourth but not the last Thursday -- to encourage holiday shopping. In 1941, Congress adopted a joint resolution setting the date on the fourth Thursday.

Notice that this day proclaimed by Presidents Washington and Lincoln was to be a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. In true human tradition, that has been turned upside down and it is now a day of feasting, not fasting. I guess fasting, humiliation, and prayer are too difficult for people who hate to accept and demonstrate their dependence upon God. Not that feasting is wrong, but perhaps we should have fasting, humiliation, and prayer one day, followed by a feast the next. - Sort of in line with the three day feast of the Pilgrims. The secularization of Thanksgiving steadily grows year by year.

A traditional Thanksgiving dinner takes place yearly at the White House and in almost every American home. Roast turkey and pumpkin pie are among the symbols of this festival. An ancient harvest symbol, the cornucopia, or "horn of plenty," has also been attached to Thanksgiving. Schools and businesses close for this day of family reunion and national, rather than individual, giving of thanks.

Canada has observed a legal Thanksgiving Day since 1879, usually on the second Monday in October.

In this Thanksgiving season, many of us want to give to God a really effective and all-encompassing prayer of thanksgiving. Perhaps you are the one who will ask the prayer at your Thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps, in your daily prayers, at this season, you have wanted to send prayers to God covering every conceivable thing you are thankful for. Of course, you will mention the meal, people's health, people in need, your prosperity, your country. But what else?

Today I want to give to you a list of things we as Christians should be thankful for and, additionally, give you an outline of situations in which we should offer God prayers of thanksgiving, not just at Thanksgiving, but always.

Let's look at some examples and mechanics of giving thanks:

Question 1. Why do we thank God?

A. The first reason is because Jesus set us the example of thanking our Father.

Mat 11:25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

We should be thankful that God reveals His Truth to us.

Mat 15:36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when He had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave to the multitude.

Here, Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) gives us the example of giving thanks for our food.

John 11:41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

Jesus is showing us an example of giving thanks for answered prayer.

B. The second reason we thank God is because giving thanks is commanded.

Psa 50:14 (NKJV) Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the MostHigh.
Col 3:17 (NKJV) And <whatever> you do in word or deed, <do> all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
1 Tim 2:1-2 (NKJV) Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, <and> giving of thanks be made for all men, {2} for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Heb 13:15 (NKJV) Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of <our> lips, giving thanks to His name.

C. The third reason that we thank God is because we feel an obligation through the motivation of the Holy Spirit to thank God for what he does for us.

Question 2. To whom should our prayers of thanksgiving be offered?

A. God the Father is the recipient but we should publicly give Jesus Christ credit for all He has done for us.

We just read several scriptures which specify God the Father as the recipient of our prayers but Paul gives Jesus Christ credit in:

1 Tim 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. [Christ is the head of the Church, i.e. the assembly of Saints.]

B. But all our prayers should be sent through Christ. Let's look again at:

Col 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Eph 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So basically we pray to God our Father through Christ, that is, in the name of Yeshua.

Question 3. When should we give thanks to God?

A. First, we should thank God not only in both private prayer and public worship, but in all situations. Let's look at a few examples:

Dan 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

And from David we see that we should not hesitate to lead a group in prayer:

Psa 35:18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.

We do this in services as we open and close services, as well as when we ask God to intervene in specific circumstances.

1 Th 5:16-17 (NKJV) Rejoice always, {17} pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances

B. Second, we should publicly thank God upon the completion of great undertakings, such as the completion of some major project, such as a public building, or a major project around the home or at work. This used to be commonly done but nowadays you seldom see it. I guess it's not in fashion anymore. Perhaps it's just too embarrassing to admit that God exists and intervenes in human lives as people strive to construct some edifice or project.

Neh 12:31 (upon the dedication of the wall) I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks.....
verse 40 The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials,

C. Third, we should give thanks before taking food.

John 6:11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
Acts 27:35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.

Notice in these two examples that we should give thanks for the food, not bless it. Food is a blessing from God. How can we bless a blessing? There are scriptures which state that we bless God, but here the word "bless" means "adore or honor."

D. In actuality, we should always be thanking God.

Eph 1:16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Eph 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's read 1 Thes 5:16-18 again.

1 Th 5:16-18 Be joyful always; {17} pray continually; {18} give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

E. Thanksgiving should always accompany prayer and praise.

Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (We should be watchful of what is going on in this world and thankful that God has separated us from the ways of this world).

Question 4. OK, we have described when we should offer thanks to God, but what should we give thanks for? Let me give you about eighteen examples for a start.

A. First, for the goodness and mercy of God

Psa 106:1 Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psa 107:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psa 136:1-3 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. {2} Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. {3} Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

Giving thanks for the Lord's goodness and love must be an important principle. It's commanded two times in Psa 106 and 107 and three times more in Psa 136.

B. Second, thank God for the gift of Christ's sacrifice.

2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! [God gave his only begotten son to pay the death penalty resulting from our sins. We must thank God for the gift of Christ.]

C. Give thanks for Christ's power and coming reign

Rev 11:17 saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. [We look forward to and appreciate Christ's great power in His coming reign.]
D. Thank God for the reception and effectual working of the word of God in others
1 Th 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. [We must thank God that people are hearing and putting into practice the God-inspired principles that are being given to them by God's teachers.]

E. Thank God for deliverance from indwelling sin.

Rom 7:23-25 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
{24} What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? {25} Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. [We must thank God for deliverance from sins which we all have.]

F. Thank God for wisdom and might.

Dan 2:23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."

G. Thank God for our own and others' conversion.

Rom 6:17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

H. Give thanks for faith and love.

2 Th 1:3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. [We must thank God for the increase in faith and love of others.]

I. Thank God for His grace (unmerited pardon) bestowed on others and ourselves.

1 Cor 1:4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
Phil 1:3-5 I thank my God every time I remember you. {4} In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy {5} because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
Col 1:3-6 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, {4} because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- {5} the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel {6} that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. [We must thank God for faith in Christ and His love for His saints.]

J. Thank God for zeal.

2 Cor 8:16 I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. [We must thank God for the zeal he gives to His people.]

K. Give thanks for the nearness of God's presence. This is so important in our daily lives.

Psa 75:1 We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.

L. Thank God for the willingness of others in giving offerings for God's service.

1 Chr 29:6-14 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly. {7) They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. {8} Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. {9} The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. {10} David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, "Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. {11} Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. {12} Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. {13} Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. {14} "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. [God's people must remember that everything comes from God and that He expects only a little in return.]

M. Give thanks for supplying our bodily wants and needs.

Rom 14:6-7 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. {7} For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
1 Tim 4:3-4 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. {4} For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, (obviously this does not include poisonous berries or poisonous leaves or anything God commands us not to eat).
Always thank God for supplying our needs and wants.

N. Thank God for all His saints.

1 Tim 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--

O. Give thanks for all the things He gives us, both physical and spiritual.

2 Cor 9:11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

P. Our thanksgiving should be accompanied by intercession for others.

2 Tim 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
Philemon 1:4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,

Q. We should thank God for our Country. And what would this include?

(1) Our freedom - the Bill of Rights - Our Constitution.

The Constitution and its Bill of Rights were ingeniously conceived. It is because of our founding father's love and respect of God that God inspired them to design this great document. John Adams said, "Democracy can only work in a Christian nation" but democratic non-Christian nations such as Japan probably prove these principles can work anywhere. While recent laws and court decisions have been successful in whittling down the provisions of the Constitution and our Bill of Rights, we must remain thankful that God inspired it and that so much remains intact for us today, even if it is disappearing fast. We are living in the end times and therefore must expect what is good to disappear.

(2) We should be thankful for the blessings our nation has received.

We have been blessed with the most bountiful land on earth: A temperate climate, rich soil, abundant minerals and natural resources, and a Christian people who once tried to obey the principles of Christianity. Many still do today. The distinction between the life-styles of the religious and non-religious is becoming more stark every day. Our recent elections indicate that as well.

(3) We should thank God for the religious foundation of America - the Pilgrims.

We must always remember the sacrifices of these people who came to America for religious freedom and were willing to endure hardships, and even sacrifice personal property and their lives for religious freedom. We today do not even understand the feelings, attitudes, and zeal of the Pilgrims as they sought this freedom.

(4) We must thank God for our military victories and the sacrifices of those who have given their lives and limbs for us.

Except for Vietnam, the United States has never been defeated and we would not have been defeated in Viet Nam except for the "hate America" riots by thousands of spoiled young people and the very leftist news media of the 1960s and 70s and which is boiling up again today.

(1 Sam 15:23 NASB) "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry....."

These same people are now in extremely influential positions in our governments and universities. The liberal policy of placing political party goals ahead of national benefits and security indicates these near treasonous attitudes are still alive today as the US fights Islamic terrorism and succumbs to greed.

Except for Korea, the United States has never fought to a stalemate. We would not have fought the Korean war to a stalemate if our military leaders had been permitted to fight that war without the intervention of a fearful administration. We now have North Korea exporting missiles and nuclear technology to the Middle East and potentially a nuclear threat to Japan, Guam and others in the western Pacific. This as we also fight a seemingly endless world-wide war against Islamic terrorism, the war in the Middle East and Afghanistan only the first battle of this war.

During the several major wars the fighting men of this country have always had an attitude of pride for what they were doing for their country. Death and disability for their country was accepted as their donation for the peace and freedom of the United States. God directs the outcomes of war just like all other major events. God determines the victor. We must never neglect to thank God for our military victories and for those who paid and are paying the sacrifices of life and limb for them.

(5) We should thank God for our leaders, especially the great ones of old, but also the stable ones of today.

We have talked about the Pilgrims, but what about the signers of our Constitution and the great Presidents, Justices and lawmakers since and before the Constitution was signed? Whether we talk about Lincoln and his leadership during the Civil War or Washington or Jefferson or Madison or whomever, we must recognize that we were endowed with extremely capable leaders. And you know what? They were all strong Christians, giving credit for our blessings to the Creator. Even today, considering the degeneration of the public's Christian ethics, we still seem to have a few stable leaders. We must remember to thank God for our leaders and to pray that He will provide us with good leaders now and in the future and inspire them with wisdom and justice.

(6) We should thank God for our ancestors and their spiritual values.

I have talked about this subject already but let me add one more thing. Our nation's founders were willing to risk everything for this country. It is not just a catchy expression when we read that they dedicated "their lives, their fortunes (i.e. their property) and their sacred honor." Truth and Honor are scoffed at today, property is routinely taken by the government, and the preservation of life is paramount unless it is someone else's, in which case it often seems to be useless. What a change.

(7) Our love of country.

We must thank God for giving this country the blessings we enjoy. Although we do not like the direction some people are moving or the violence or disrespect of others we see today, we could be much worse off if it weren't for the principles on which this country was founded. We should all thank God that we are allowed to live in a country which advocates human rights and other freedoms, though without the knowledge of and respect for God's Word, some of our leaders no longer seem to know how to apply them.

But love of country also demands that we resist the negative pulls that can destroy our country. What can we learn from the demise of previous great civilizations? There were five basic causes for the decline and fall of a previous world power, the Roman Empire. Let me list them for your consideration:

a. The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis for human society.

b. Higher and higher taxes; the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace. Today we might call them social programs, social programs which appear to help the public but which really are intended to assure the re-election of the sponsor.

c. The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting, more brutal, more immoral; public morality becoming a cesspool.

d. The building of great armaments when the real enemy was within — the decay of individual responsibility.

e. The decay of religion; faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life, losing power to guide the people. The ignorance of the Judeo-Christian Bible by the average American is the prime reason for the spiraling growth of Islam in this country and other countries as well.

(2 Tim 3:1-5 NKJV) But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: {2} For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, {3} unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, {4} traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, {5} having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

The oft-heard warning that "history repeats itself" has an ominous meaning in the light of these causes of national demise. As we thank God for the national blessings we enjoy, we must also ask God to give us the wisdom and backbone to resist those negative pressures which can not only remove these national blessings but which also can destroy the very country to which those blessings are given.

R. But most importantly, we should thank God for qualifying us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of God.

Col 1:10-12 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, {11} being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully {12} giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

In conclusion:

William Law, in his Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, describes the Greatest Saint as follows:

"Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms, or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice, but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God willeth, who received everything as an instance of God's goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it."

We live in a wicked world, brethren. It is essential that we learn and practice the art of thanksgiving.

Rom 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

The wicked are adverse to thankfulness. Brethren, don't lose the habit of continual thanksgiving.

Have a thankful Thanksgiving.

Sermon given by Wayne Bedwell
23 November 2013
Copyright 2013, Wayne Bedwell