So Much To Be Thankful For…

Wayne Rodgers

1 Thes. 5:18 –

Thanksgiving week reminds us of many things for which we should be thankful.  Let us consider the following:

 

TIME:

-         Eccl. 3:1-8  - There is a time for everything.

-         We should be thankful for the time we have to enjoy the beauties of His creation and the fruit of our labors.

-         Eph. 5:16 “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

 

HOME:

-         Make it what God intended.

-         3 Homes – the 1^st – Home, Church, Heaven (physical, spiritual, eternal)

-         Gen. 1:27-28 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ²⁸And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

-         The path is the WAY! – John 14:6 “I am the way…”

 

ABUNDANCE:

-         In spite of shortages, we still live in a land of plenty.

-         John 10:10-11 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. ¹¹I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

-         Phil. 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

-         God provides plenty for His children; through Christ, He provided a sacrifice!

 

NATURE:

-         A world of natural beauty shows God’s greatness and goodness.

-         Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork.”

-         Not “mother nature”, but Father Nature.  Again give thanks for His creation.  Even He said, “It is good.”

 

KNOWLEDGE:

-         How fortunate is the one who has a knowledge of God’s Word!

-         2 Tim. 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

-         Eph. 6:13-19 “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: ¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; ¹⁹And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,”

-         I count myself fortunate to have learned the truth and to have a knowledge of God’s Word – I AM THANKFUL for that!

 

SALVATION:

-         There is none who feel more gratitude than the one who has been saved from sin.

-         The ONE to thank is God who made it possible to be saved from sin

-         Eph. 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

-         Salvation is the greatest gift of all!

GOD:

-         The Giver of “every good and perfect gift…” (James 1:17)

-         John 3:16; Rom. 5:8

-         We have been given a gift that we don’t deserve! Yet, it is available to all mankind with no regret. (B/c of His love for us!)

 

INCARNATION:

-         Give thanks that Christ became flesh and dwelt among man. (John 1:14)

-         Therefore, we now have an example before us – 1 Peter 2:21 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”

-         Heb. 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

 

VICTORY:

-         1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

-         Rev. 15:2 “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.”

-         The faithful will overcome and be victorious! – Rev. 2:10b

 

IMMORTALITY:

-         After death, we still live on!

-         Victory over death! READ 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

-         Death is swallowed up in victory!  Our victory is eternal life!

-         V. 58 “…always abounding in the work of the Lord…”

-         That work is saving souls – evangelizing!

 

NEIGHBORS:

-         To have good neighbors, we must be a good neighbor.

-         Everyone worries about their neighborhood.  Whose moving in and out…what about their morals? Etc.

-         We have a debt of gratitude to repay (thanksgiving) – someone taught us the Gospel, we too need to teach it to others.

-         Romans 1:14-18 “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. ¹⁵So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. ¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ¹⁷For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. ¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteous”

 

GOSPEL:

-         This is that saving message for all mankind!

-         It is literally “Good News” or “Glad Tidings”

-         1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ²By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. ³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

 

Being thankful for these and so many other blessing of life in Christ Jesus, we invite you to respond to the invitation if there is a need of repentance or one needing to obey the Gospel.

The Gospel Plan of Salvation includes: hearing God’s Word (Rom. 10:17); Believing in Jesus Christ (John 8:24); Repenting of sin (Luke 13:3,5); Confessing faith in Christ (Matt. 10:32-33); & Being Baptized to be saved (Mark 16:15-16).