Be Thankful Always
Be Thankful Always
Freedom is one the most beautiful and cherished words in any
language. It is especially treasured by Americans. We are the heritage
of those whose blood has furbished our lives with the priceless freedoms
we enjoy. The sacrifices offered by our forefathers should be highly
respected. Are they? This nation was founded by freedom seekers whose
faith in God and repulsion to human restrictions moved them to
accomplish extraordinary feats and overcome seemingly insurmountable
obstacles. They autographed our monetary system with, "In God We
Trust."
We are on the eve of a celebration in our nation that was founded
as a day of thanksgiving to God. Over the years, the significance of
this holiday has changed rather dramatically. This is a season of the
year when all Americans need to do some serious soul searching. It is a
time when we should recapture the true intent of Thanksgiving. To that
end, we will consider this on today's broadcast. Please stay tuned.
The West End church of Christ presents this program each Lord's
Day. Our purpose is to help you come to know your Bible better and also
to become acquainted with us, who we are and what we stand for. We urge
you to examine what we say by the infallible standard of God's word. If
you find us in error on anything, please call it to our attention. We do
not intend to be wrong on anything. Please accept this invitation to
meet with us. Every Sunday we meet at 9 a.m. for Bible classes, 10 a.m.
and 6 p.m. for worship and every Wednesday at 7 p.m. we meet for more
Bible classes. You and your family are cordially invited to meet with
us. Our meeting house is located at 1609 Parkside Drive, just across
from Lampkin Park and Tapp’s drive-in restaurant.
We also publish a free paper twice a month. It is called "The Voice
of West End," and has no subscription price. In fact, we neither ask
for, nor accept donations or gifts for any of our work. If you want this
paper, absolutely free of any obligation at all, write a letter or card
to West End church of Christ, 1609 Parkside Drive, Bowling Green,
Kentucky. Our zip code is 41202-2757. If you did not have time to make a
note of that I will repeat it at the end of our broadcast today.
Remember those pictures of people dressed in those uncomfortable
looking clothes, all black and white, with knee stockings, big buckled
shoes, and stove pipe hats with wide brims? They were the pilgrims who
came to this continent in search of freedom from religious oppression.
They felt that restriction on their freedom of religion was too much.
Their trust in God Almighty led them to a settlement in Plymouth,
Massachusetts in 1620. They were a party of British Protestants who had
attempted a sweeping reform of the Church of England. Finding that
impossible, they separated themselves and formed their own
congregations. For a while they were simply called "Separatists."
Later, they found a way to the new world of America. Their exodus from
Europe set in motion for us a day of thanksgiving to our Creator.
In the autumn of 1621, governor William Bradford invited native
Americans to enjoy a feast with the settlers of Plymouth. The harvest
had been extremely bountiful. For three days the settlers and their
guests celebrated by giving thanks to God for His bountiful blessings.
George Washington issued a proclamation that a day of thanks would be
observed on November 26, 1789. The Protestant Episcopal Church set aside
the first Thursday in the month of November as a "regular yearly day for
giving thanks, unless another day be appointed by the civil
authorities." It became a national holiday by the proclamation of
Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Lincoln proclaimed it "a day of thanksgiving
and praise to our beneficent Father."
In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving Day up one week
to lengthen the shopping days before Christmas. Thanksgiving is now
observed as a legal federal holiday on the fourth Thursday of this
month. One might expect a reverent attitude toward the Almighty to fade
as Thanksgiving Day was set to accommodate financial concerns. By now,
God has practically no place at all in governmental affairs, and is
rapidly losing any influence He may have had on Americans in general.
Thanksgiving Day, for the most part, has lost its original
significance to the majority of Americans, but to a few devoted souls
called Christians, every day of earthly existence is a day of
thanksgiving to God. As you sit around the family table this year, give
thanks to God for your food, for your family, for your friends, for your
faith in Him who provides us with every good and perfect gift. As you
enjoy your family and a host of good things to eat, be so very thankful.
Thanksgiving time is an excellent time to reflect on what this season of
the year means to modern Americans. It is a time to ponder what the
future holds for our small children, and for the unborn, who will be the
heritage we are now forging for them.
The constitution of the United States of America established a
democratic form of our government that establishes the basic rights and
liberties of each citizen. Those rights include the right of free
speech, a free press, freedom of religion, and the right of lawful
assembly. There is almost unlimited tolerance of religious beliefs in
this great nation. The first clause of the first amendment to the
constitution reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
America was originally a nation that respected religion. As the late
Justice William O. Douglas wrote, "We are a religious people whose
institutions presuppose a Supreme Being. We guarantee the freedom of
one to worship as he chooses." Freedom of religion never was intended
to restrict any legitimate religious expression of faith in Almighty
God.
Times change and men change with the times. Today one of the most
popular expressions is, "Don't tell me what I have to believe, or how I
have to live my life. This is a free country." This means that no one
has a right to force his or her views on another, whether it be
religious, moral, or social values. That is acceptable only to a point.
Laws that govern our social and moral behavior have been enacted to tell
us what we must believe and how we must conduct our individual lives if
we wish to continue being a free citizen. The unlawful taking of that
which belongs to another is condemned by law. Such a principle applies
to personal property or well being. As law abiding citizens we must
believe these moral and social values.
Among the founders of this nation there was a basic assumption that
there is a Supreme Being, a God who created the heavens and earth, and
all that exists. Thanksgiving day began as a religious expression of
faith in God. Based on the premise of the existence of an all wise, all
powerful Supreme Being every citizen under the protection of the
constitution must respect His law. Yes, God's laws are inviolate. Laws
enacted for us by our chosen representatives are for our own comfort and
protection. Man-made laws are changeable, often either modified or
stricken from the books of Juris Prudence. God's laws remain the same.
His law is His word, and His word is the Bible.
We live in the land widely known as the home of the brave and the
land of the free. Freedom, however, is not unlimited or unrestricted.
It is regulated by law, but the most important is our respect for God's
law for our individual lives. Does anyone really have the right to say,
"Don't tell me what to believe, or how to conduct my life?" Does anyone
really have the unrestricted right to believe what he wants to believe
and live as he pleases? Neither the constitution, nor God's word grants
that to anyone. No one has the right to force others to conform to a
personal creed, nor should anyone expect others to live by their own
personal rules of life. However, the revelation of the Supreme God
Almighty is not in the category of personal rules for life. It is God's
divine way book. Those who profess to believe the Bible and the God who
revealed it regard it as the highest of all law. It is no infringement
on anyone's freedom to press conformity to God and His will.
God's word is the source of true faith. Paul wrote: "So then faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). None of
us has the liberty to believe what we want to believe; we must believe
God and His word. Again from Paul: "I believe God that it will be just
as it was told me" (Acts 27:25).
God's word is the only guide that never needs modification or
updating. It is a perfect law. "The law of the LORD is perfect,
converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the
simple" (Psa 19:7). The Psalmist spoke of it as "a lamp to my feet And
a light to my path" (Psa 119:105). My dear friends, how can anyone
argue for a freedom from belief in God based on the Bible? The Bible is
the one and only revealed message from heaven. It sets forth the way of
life that is always best. It promises those who believe and obey it the
happiest life filled with the most freedom. "Great peace have those who
love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble" (Psa 119:165).
This season of Thanksgiving, you and your friends and family pause
to truly be thankful to the Almighty for what He has so bountifully
bestowed upon us, individually and collectively. Renew your
relationship to your creator by turning to Him through His Son, Jesus
Christ. Come to Him with a thankful heart that His goodness has been
showered upon us. Paul, to the church in ancient Ephesus wrote, "For he
chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and
blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his
sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will --
to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the
One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that
he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding" (Eph. 1:4-8).
That selection by the Almighty came through His Son Jesus Christ
who came to this world to die for the sins of the entire human family
(Rom. 6:6-9). After His resurrection He sent His chosen ambassadors
into the world with this message, "He that believes and is baptized
shall be saved, but He that disbelieves shall be condemned" (Mark
16:16). Those who truly appreciate what God has done will never balk at
obedience to the Master. What better way can any of you think of to
prove just how thankful we are to God for what He has done for us?
If you have a question to ask, or a comment to make, about anything
you hear on this program, please let us know. If you would like to have
our free paper twice a month, please write to West End church of Christ,
1609 Parkside Drive, Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101-2757. Remember, we do
not ask for nor accept donations for this. Thank you for listening to us
today. We'll be back here next Sunday at 8 a.m. and hope you will join
us then. May God bless you and yours, good bye.
Radio Sermon No. 139, Page 1
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Lyrics, Chords Tabs Rated
Children's NT Studies
