1st Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks: for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
The Word
of God has much to say about being thankful to God. Gratitude is a subject that
we don't hear much about these days. In fact, we hear a lot of people speaking
evil of God instead, expressing their contempt for Him. We have so much to be
thankful to God for, no matter how much suffering we may endure, or how much
earthly possessions and health we may lose along the way.
Being thankful is so important. In fact, a lack
of gratitude toward God is the first step downhill in a life of rebellion, sin
and ruin. Romans 1:21, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him
not as God, NEITHER WERE THANKFUL; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened.” Behind every wicked heart is a spirit of
ingratitude.
God is kind to unthankful and evil people
according to Luke 6:35, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend,
hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the
children of the Highest: for HE IS KIND UNTO THE UNTHANKFUL AND TO THE EVIL.”
Wow, God is truly good. While singers, actors, actresses spews blasphemies and
hatred out against their Creator, God is still kind unto them. That is how
great God's heart of compassion is, tolerating the wicked and feeding those who
blaspheme His holy name. Even the most wicked people are fed, clothed, and
taken care of by God's bountiful eye. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness
thereof (1st Corinthians 10:26). People eats the best of God's crops, wears the
best of God's cotton and silk, enjoys the wondrous beauty of God's creation,
and lives in the best of homes made with God's trees and materials from the
ground; yet such ingrates curse God.
But don't be fooled friend, God's kindness will
end the moment you pass into eternity in your sins without Jesus Christ. You
will go straight to Hell to be tormented in flames.
Don't mistake God's kindness for compromise or
approval of one's wickedness, because God's goodness is heaping coals of fire
upon one's head for Judgment Day. The kinder God is, the hotter and more severe
will be one's punishment in the Lake of Fire.
God will be vindicated on Judgment Day, when
the wicked are reminded of all the goodness bestowed upon them on earth by God;
while they ran from God, blasphemed His holy name, rejected His precious Son,
and spit upon the Word of God.
God is giving mankind enough rope to hang
themselves. People live in gross immorality and rebellion against God, and
suppose that God approves of such wickedness because judgment does not come
immediately. But read the warning in Eccelsiastes 8:12, “Though a sinner do
evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it
shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.”
Ingrates like Jim Cameron and Steven Spielberg
have actors boldly and repeatedly curse God's name in every movie they produce,
especially in so-called “family movies.” The Devil's family they mean. Grateful
people don't make movies that take God's name in vain. Taking God's name in
vain has become the hallmark of American society; but the Ten Commandments
still says in Exodus 20:7, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in
vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
Mentioning “God” or “Jesus” or “Christ” in a meaningless, disrespectful, or
empty manner is as much a horrible sin as murder and adultery (and God will
hold such wicked ingrates accountable). I've noticed that many people curse in
God's name deliberately to identify whose side they're on, Satan's.
When Peter cursed the name of Jesus while
warming his hands at the fire, those around him were convinced that he was not
with Christ.
The Bible instructs Christian believers in
Philippians 4:6 not to be anxious over anything; but rather, to cast our cares
and burdens upon the Lord in a spirit of thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6, “Be
careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH
THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known unto God.” Here we learn that
thanksgiving is an important part of our prayer life, and of getting our
prayers answered. James 4:6 says that God resists the proud, but giveth grace
to the humble. James 4:6, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” Thanksgiving, humility,
and prayer go hand-in-hand.
Carefully notice the first thing that God tells
His people to do to save the nation in 2nd Chronicles 7:14... HUMBLE
THEMSELVES. 2nd Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name,
shall HUMBLE THEMSELVES, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land.” Americans are arrogant, stiff-necked, and sinfully proud. Very few
people are humble and thankful to God these days. This is why sin is so
prevalent in our nation. This is why animal cruelty, adultery, fornication and pornography
are our new way of life in the U.S., abortion is legal, and Planned Parenthood
has crept into our public schools. Few people truly appreciate what God has
done for them. God is so good to all of us.
If we were thankful to God as a nation, then we
would shut down SIN CITY Las Vegas. If we were truly appreciative to God, then
we would shut down Hollywood and all the filth that oozes out of that cesspool
of iniquity. The first step to God healing our nation is to humble ourselves
and pray, seeking God's face, and turning from our wicked ways. Seeking God's
face means seeking God's Favor. God turns His face from those whom He is
displeased with. It is very interesting that the Bible doesn't tell His people
to first seek God, nor to turn from our wicked ways, nor to pray; but rather...
to HUMBLE OURSELVES.
Jesus healed 10 lepers, but only one returned
to thank the Lord. Listen to what the Lord said in Luke 17:17, “Were there not
ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give
glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy
faith hath made thee whole.” This Samaritan found salvation that day, by faith
in the Lord, because he had gratitude for what Christ had done for Him. Most
people who won't come to Christ to be saved are ingrates, like the 9 lepers. It
was the Samaritan's thankful heart that caused him to come to the Lord for
salvation.
An unthankful spirit hinders many people from
coming to Jesus Christ for salvation. This is exactly what Romans 1:21 tells
us, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, NEITHER
WERE THANKFUL; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart
was darkened.” Everyone at some point in life KNOWS that there is a God. This
is what Romans 1:21 teaches... WHEN THEY KNEW GOD. But many people refuse to
acknowledge God in their life, and so their foolish heart becomes darkened with
empty thoughts and worldly shallow pursuits. Most people have absolutely no
idea of how important it is to be thankful toward God for all He is and does
for us. God is a good God, and a righteous God, and He is justified in
everything He does.
A lack of thankfulness toward God is the first
step toward eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire, for ingratitude is the root
cause of rebellion against God. Those who appreciate and love God for all His
goodness will glorify (i.e., acknowledge) Him as Romans 1:21 teaches. I'm not
saying that you have to be thankful to be saved, God forbid. I'm saying that
being unthankful prevents many people from coming to Christ to be saved. This
is what Romans 1:21 teaches. If you refuse to acknowledge God's presence in
your life and are unthankful toward God, then you have chosen a wrong path to
go down. Your final destination will be the Lake of Fire if you stay on that
false path until you die.
Our text Verse is 1st Thessalonians 5:18, which
says, “In everything give thanks...” The Bible does not say to give thanks FOR
everything; but rather, IN everything. No matter what comes our way, we ought
to always be thankful toward God IN every circumstance. The Bible tells us to
let our requests be made known unto God WITH THANKSGIVING.
The Bible says to GIVE THANKS IN EVERY THING.
The Bible tells us to glorify God in our life, being THANKFUL. This Biblical
doctrine is critically important. The 9 lepers weren't made spiritually whole,
although they were physically healed of leprosy. Sadly, the leprosy of their
soul remained, because they were not thankful and didn't glorify God. Romans
1:21 plainly teaches that being ungrateful causes men to become vain in their
thoughts and darkened in their hearts.
We are living in a world of ingrates. Most
people don't appreciate what God has done for them. So many people today party
to the sick and disgusting degenerate music of the world, drink booze by the
case, stuff their face, and then go to church on Sunday to pray to statues
instead of worshipping Jesus Christ. God is truly kind to the unthankful and
the evil; but judgment day is coming the moment people breathe their last
breath and enter into eternity (Hebrews 9:27). All of the fools today who live
as though this earthly life will last forever are going to be sorry. Just as
the flood came upon the wicked without warning, so shall judgment come upon the
wicked (Matthew 24:37-38).
Are you thankful to God?
Romans 12:14, “Bless them
which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”
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