THANKSGIVING IS A COUSIN TO HOPE
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Perhaps we often say: God is good... all the time...
And all the time God is good...
I. TODAY IS THE ONLY DAY WE HAVE,
TODAY IS GONE,
TOMORROW MAY NEVER BE,
SO WE HAVE TODAY...
WHAT WE WE DO WITH THIS DAY?
A. Often we make human plans without acknowledging the GOD PLAN.
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou
and thy seed may live:
B. TODAY HAS BEEN DESIGN WITH A PLAN AND PURPOSE...
THANKSGIVING, HOPE, AND JOY...
Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be
glad in it.
C. TO USE THIS DAY FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE IS TO ABUSE THE WILL
OF GOD.
D. WE WALK IN PERILS TIMES...
While we walk in hard, dangerous days, these are THE DAYS THAT THE LORD
HAS GIVEN US...
MAY WE EVER RECALL THE DESIGN OF TODAY IS THANKSGIVING AND HOPE...
HOPE IS A GREAT VIRTURE.
GLOOM, DESPAIR, AGONY, DESPRESSION AND DESPAIR COULD BE A FAILURE
TO EXERCISE THANKSGIVING AND HOPE.
II. MOVE A COMMA AND CHANGE THE WHOLE LESSON?
WE TEACH THAT GOD'S WORD IS PERFECT TO OUR HEARTS BUT WE KNOW THE
CHAPTER AND VERSES ARE MAN PLACED... WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT
THE PUNTUATION MARKS ARE MAN PLACE... WHERE THE PERIODS OR A COMMAS
ARE PLACE ARE THE WORKS OF MEN...
A. Many sad and hurtful things are flooding our world...
LIFE IS ABOUT FOCUS...
Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the
rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, (COMMA) the Spirit of the LORD
shall lift up a standard against him.
B. By moving the comma we change the whole meaning...
Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the
rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in, (COMMA) like a flood the Spirit of the LORD
shall lift up a standard against him.
C. I choose to believe: WHEN THE ENEMY COMES IN ----
LIKE A FLOOD THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD WILL COME IN AND RAISE THE STANDARD...
III. THERE CAN GROW HOPE AGAINST HOPE...
WHERE THERE IS HOPE THERE IS THANKSGIVING...
WHERE THERE GROWS THANKSGIVING THERE GROWS HOPE...
A. 44 YEARS AGO WHEN I MARRIED MY WIFE, I AUTOMATICALLY HAD A
MOTHER-IN-LAW, FATHER-IN-LAW, NEW SISTERS AND A BROTHER...'
HER COUSINS--- THEY ARE CAME IN A PACKAGE DEAL...
Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations,
according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Romans 4:18 (NLT) Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—
believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him,
“That’s how many descendants you will have!”
Romans 4:18 (MSG) When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding
to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do.
And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him,
"You're going to have a big family, Abraham!"
B. GOD'S PLAN IS ABOUT US MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES---
IV. WE HEAR ABOUT KISSING COUSINS ---
I GUESS THAT MEANS THERE SOME ARE CLOSER THAN OTHERS...
MY OPINION IS SURE, IF YOU ARE GIVING THANKS THERE FOLLOWS HOPE
RIGHT ON THE HEELS...
V. WE SEEM TO LOVE TROPHIES AND APPLAUSE...
BUT AT DEAD I DOUBT IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNITY THAT THE ANGELS
SELDOM ASK WHAT KIND OF CAR DID YOU DRIVE?
HOW MANY SQUARE FEET WAS YOUR HOUSE?
A. TELL ME WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE?
B. Does what you say ALIGN WITH WHAT YOU DO?
Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life
consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
C. SHOW ME WHAT YOU SPEND YOUR TIME DOING,
I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU...
Luke 12:15 (MSG) Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against
the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."
VI. HOW SAD IS IT WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU HAVE INVESTED IN ALL THE WRONG
ISSUES? CARNAL VS ETERNAL?
A. So every one has seen you TEAR DOWN YOUR BARNS...
Luke 12:20 (KJV) But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:
then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
B. BIGGER BARNS TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS HOW SUCCESSFUL YOU ARE,
BUT YOU HAVE MISSED THE WEIGHTER MATTERS.
C. MAY YOUR WIFE'S NEW HUSBAND WILL ENJOY YOUR BIG BARNS?
Luke 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:
then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
VII. WHERE THERE GROWS LITTLE THANKSGIVING THERE MAY ALSO BE LITTLE
HOPE...
Jeremiah 18:12 And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices,
and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.
A. SOME OF MY COUSINS VISITED ME, THEY WERE CAMPING OUT...
THEY CROSS A SMALL STREAM AND FOUND A GRAVEYARD:
THE NAME OVER THE TOMBSTONES SAID:
"LITTLE HOPE CEMETERY"
B. LITTLE HOPE CEMETERY SURROUNND AN OLD, VACANT CHURCH ---
THE CHURCH'S NAME COULD STILL BE READ:
LITTLE HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH...
C. We were so thankful we were still alive and not buried in a graveyard,
where there IS LITTLE HOPE.
VIII. SELF- FOCUSED? ME? US FOUR?
WHY IS THERE LITTLE HOPE TODAY?
IT WAS PREDICTED LONG AGO?
THE LAST DAYS WILL RECORD A PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT THANKFUL ---
AND BELIEVE WE WALK IN A DAY OF ENTITLEMENT.
2 Timothy 3:2 (KJV) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2 Timothy 3:2 (NLT) For people will love only themselves and their money.
They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful.
They will consider nothing sacred.
IX. IS THE SPIRIT OF THE DAY, THE ATTITUDE WE ARE SO BUSY WE FORGET
ABOUT GOD AND ARE NOT GRATEFUL THUS HOPE ELUDES US...
A. I was talking to a family and they told me: WE ARE JUST TO BUSY TO ATTEND CHURCH.
They explained they never had time to read their Bibles.
I wanted to ask: HOW MANY MOVIES HAVE YOU WATCHED THIS MONTH?
Ecclesiastes 12:1 (KJV) Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days
come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
B. You may be young and beautiful today, but TIME WILL ERODE wrinkles
in your face.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 (NLT) Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator.
Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”
C. YOU MAY BECOME A FORGETFUL HEARER AND NOT A DOER...
THEN WHERE WILL YOU HOPE AND THANKSGIVING BE?
James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being
not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
X. ARE WE CONTENT? DO WE WANT TO BE LIKE THE JONES?
I HAVE TO HAVE MORE?
A. In the 1970's I fell in love with the CB Radio, I had one in my car, one in my home.
I loved my RADIO-SHACK MINI 23, until I saw Jerry's rig, he had a ROYCE with a Screaming
Eagle microphone. He even had 3 gages on his radio? I had zero?
You know the rest of the story?
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33 (NLT) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously,
and he will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:33 (MSG) Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.
Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
B. We thing the man with the most toys will be more thankful and have more hope.
This is probably not the truth.
CONCLUSION: THANKSGIVING AND HOPE ARE COUSINS...
HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS IS JUST AS DEAD AS HE THAT HAD NO TOYS.
Keep focused and stay the course, come to Jesus for hope and appreciate
live as never before.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Pass it on?
