A Heart Of Thanksgiving

12, October 2003

Dakota Community Church

A Heart of Thanksgiving

Introduction:

The following proclamation was made by Governor Bradford in 1623, 3 years after the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth;

To all ye Pilgrims,

Inasmuch as the great father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, 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 raids of the savages, 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 ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty three, and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Plymouth rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving t ye Almighty God for all His blessings.

So that is how it all began as a specific annual, and my personal favorite holiday.

Sometimes we need a little help to stay grateful to God.

One young lady wrote home from college,

"Dear Mom: Sorry I haven’t written sooner. To answer your question, my arm really has been broken. I broke it, and my left leg, when I jumped from the second floor of my dormitory...when we had the fire. We were lucky though because a young service station attendant saw the blaze and called the Fire Department. They were there in minutes. I was only in the hospital for a few days. Paul, the service station attendant, came to see me every day. And because it was taking so long to get our dormitory livable again, I moved in with him. He has been treating me so nice, especially since we got the news that I am pregnant. Paul and I plan to get married just as soon as his divorce is final. I hope things are fine at home. I’m doing fine, and will write more when I get the chance. Love,

Your daughter, Susie

P.S. None of the above is true. But I did get a "C" in Sociology and flunked Chemistry. I just wanted you to receive this news in its "Proper Perspective!"

- Sometimes our view of things can be altered with a shift in perspective.

- Have you had a wrong perspective that has resulted in complaining instead of thanking?

1Thes.5: 16-24

16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.

23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

Ephesians 5: 15-20

15Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

- Thank God in all circumstances.

- Thank God for everything.

This should not have to be said however; two verses earlier it says do not be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Do not thank God for things that are not his will.

- Sickness is not His will. In the circumstance thank Him for healing.

- Sin is not his will. Don’t thank Him for Internet porn sites or good heroin.

What do we thank Him for?

James 1:13-18

13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.