“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:18)

The story of Thanksgiving

(Suggestion: Read this to your family. Sadly, most kids haven’t been taught this in school)

Modernists have tried to rewrite our history to make this simply a secular harvest festival. But since the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving in 1621 to the day Abraham Lincoln made it an official holiday in 1864, Thanksgiving has totally been a day to thank and praise Almighty God for His blessings.

The colonists, throughout America’s early history, observed Thanksgiving at different times, remembering the godly example of the Pilgrims. In 1789, Congressman Elias Boudinot proposed a resolution requesting that President George Washington recommend a day of public thanksgiving and prayer for the entire country. Washington approved the request, declaring November 26, 1789, as the day of national thanksgiving.

Seventy-four years later, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of every November as a national day of thanksgiving. Read his proclamation of the first official Thanksgiving, and see if this was intended to be just a harvest celebration. As you read, remember that this took place during the height of the Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him, for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

Not a secular holiday

This is not the writing of someone who is prescribing a secular holiday. This is an all-out proclamation that everything good came as the result of God’s favor. America was founded as a Christian nation, and we need to remember from whence we have fallen (Rev. 2:5). Forgetting where we have come from will keep us from getting to where we need to go.

I’m thankful for what God has done in this nation. We all should be. We need to remember what exalted us in the first place.

Give thanks with all your heart! 

“I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1)

“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Tim. 1:12 KJV)

This is a great assurance passage

Many Christians don’t know for sure that they are saved! They only hope they are. That’s unfortunate because the Bible says, “These things I have written to you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13 NKJV) We must never be in doubt about our salvation! The price Jesus paid for us was more than sufficient!

There is a lot to learn from today’s Scripture passage at top

I have taken each part of the verse and laid it out word-by-word and defined each part using the Word of God. Read through each part carefully to understand what it means to be fully assured of where you stand with God. There is absolutely no need to doubt!

2 Tim. 1:12 defined

“I know” – aware through observation, inquiry, or information. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16 NKJV)

“whom” – which is Jesus: “Son of God” (John 3:16),”the Name above all Names” (Phil 2:19), the one who “Holds all things together and by Him all things exist” (Col. 1:17).

“I believed” – personally accepted as true, genuine, and real. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9 KJV)

“and am persuaded” – totally convinced with no doubt. “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Rom. 4:21 KJV)

“that He is able” – He has the authority and power to do it! “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’.” (Matt. 28:18 NIV) And, “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:24 KJV)

“to keep“ – nobody, or absolutely anything else, for that matter, can take it away from Him! “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:29 NIV)

“that” – your spirit, soul and body. “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thes. 5:23 ESV)

“which I’ve committed” –  entrusted for safekeeping. “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed.”  (Rom. 6:17 NASB)

“unto Him” – to Jesus. “the author and finisher of our faith.” (Heb. 12:2 NKJV)

“against that day” – when you die and go to be with the Lord. “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thes. 4:17 NIV)

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalms 16:8 NIV)

When I was first saved many years ago, I struggled with many doubts. Some of it was due to my own personal struggles and failures and some of it was because I was looking around at others, both friends and church leaders, who were imperfect or worse. Some had failed very seriously and publicly. A pastor friend who I had greatly respected was caught in an affair and dramatically removed from his church.

I was an emotional wreck and it showed

Then one evening I went to a church meeting featuring a woman evangelist. I didn’t know the speaker was a woman until I was seated in the middle of the audience. I have to admit that back then I was very prejudiced against women preachers and I would not have gone to the meeting if I had known. But there I was, and so I just sat and listened to her.

She was delivering her message in a normal speaking voice. Nothing seemed strange or unusual. Then suddenly, without warning, she raised her voice greatly, pointed her finger directly at me and said, “Young man, stand up and listen to me!!!”

I was startled and embarrassed, but I rose slowly to my feet and looked at her.

Then she said loudly and passionately, “Get your eyes off of man and back onto God!” Then she lowered her voice and went instantly back to her message as though there hadn’t been an interruption.

I was greatly moved!

How did she know what I was going through at the moment and the exact words to say to me? It had to be from God! What she said was exactly what I needed to hear! And I took it very seriously and did exactly what she said to do as though it had come from God Himself.

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalms 118:8 NKJV)

“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” (Prov.  28:1 NIV)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as a practical joke, sent an anonymous telegram to several of his friends: “All is discovered. Flee at once!” All of them immediately left the country!

Supposedly, these friends were upstanding and honorable people by all outward appearances, yet something was obviously going on inside their minds, that was so frightening to them that it caused them to flee!

The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9 NKJV).

Yes, all hearts are wicked!

It’s because of the sin problem we have all inherited. The Bible says, “there is none righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10 NKJV). And, the heart is a place for fear to exist. Fear is a very powerful and damaging force if anyone allows it to have control. It can cause people to totally withdraw and shut down, or even to act strange or irrational. “The wicked flee though no one pursues.” (Prov. 28:1a NIV)

The good news is that the heart can be changed by Jesus! (John 8:36)

“The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6 NIV)

 You can control fear!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27b NIV)

And, understand that “the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

And yes, that means you!

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:34 NKJV)

At Jesus’ most painful and darkest hour, and from the very cross where He was being crucified, He looked beyond what was happening to Himself and focused instead on the needs of others. He asked for forgiveness for them and said something very interesting and powerful, “forgive them for they know not what they do!”

Jesus knew that if they had truly understood who He was, God’s very son, (1 John 4:15 & John 3:16), they would never have attacked Him! He had all the information. He knew why He was there, and what He was there for; “the Lamb of God, willingly laying down His life for the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) This information helped Him to do what was right in spite of how He felt!

Having the right information will help you treat others with kindness and forgiveness

In the same way, knowing that you are a redeemed person (1 Peter 1:18), and knowing that you have been forgiven and bought at the price of Jesus’ death on the cross, (1 Cor. 6:20), and knowing that you are a member of God’s family, (Eph. 2:19), and knowing that you are God’s Ambassador, (2 Cor. 5:20), then you too, can do the right thing as needed, even in difficult or extreme circumstances!

“We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Cor. 5:1 NIV)

“Remember the Alamo!”

While visiting San Antonio, Texas, for a conference I was speaking at, Susan and I visited the Alamo. It was a stark reminder of what had happened there during the Texas Revolution, February 23 to March 6, 1836, where so many had died. According to eye witness accounts it was a slaughter with perhaps as many as ten-to-one against those who were garrisoned within the walls of the Alamo. They didn’t have a chance and were brutally and mercilessly destroyed. Santa Anna’s cruelty during the battle outraged and emblazoned great numbers of Texans to rise up with the now famous battle cry, “remember the Alamo!” and they defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, ending the revolution.

The Alamo is now called the “Alamo Shrine” and as you walk through it, you see many displays depicting what had happened during that battle, including lists of names of those who had died there, including Davie Crocket.

All are only temporary here

In the promise scripture passage above, we are reminded of several important things.

“If the earthly tent we live in (our body) is destroyed.” – All will die someday, some even tragically (destroyed).

As terrible as the Alamo battle was, it is now history! It is an undeniable fact that every single person involved in every aspect of the Texas Revolution is now dead! And it is a stark reminder to us that all people will die. Some tragically, as in the Alamo, some by natural causes, and some for many other reasons. There are no exceptions. The Bible says that everybody will eventually die. (Heb. 9:27)

“we have a building (body) from God” –  When we die we will get a new body to live in. There will come a day at the appearing of Jesus that our bodies, too, will be transformed and we will then have brand new transformed ones. (2 Cor. 5:3)

“an eternal house (body) in heaven” –  We will have a new body that will last forever. The body we have now is only temporary, but our resurrected body will be made perfect and will last indefinitely. (1 Corinthians 15:35-58)

“in heaven” –  It will be in Heaven. And, Jesus has prepared a wonderful place in Heaven for you to live.  (John 14:2-4)

“not built by human hands.” – It’s made by God.  Everything God creates is perfect and made with absolute excellence! (Psalm 86:8-10)

To recap:

Someday, we too will be a part of history, because all die and we will too. But, no matter how we die, if we have received Christ (John 1:12), we will receive a brand-new body made by God that will last forever in Heaven! It’s a promise!

“Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6a NKJV)

I have a friend who says, “I have two angels following me and I will tell you their names. One’s name is ‘Goodness’ and the other’s name is “Mercy.”

Even though my friend says it In a humorous way, it is still very much true! God is all about “goodness and mercy” and he provides loads of it to you!

Goodness – “God’s goodness and love last forever. “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1 NIV).

Mercy – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matt. 6:26 NASB)

God wants you to look at the birds of the air and notice something important about them. They are constantly being fed and taken care of by Him, and you are more important to Him than the birds! Which means, “God will supply to you what you need, just as he faithfully does for His birds!”

So, don’t worry about your “needs!”

Instead, expect God to do what he says He will do, and He will! That is how faith works! “And my God shall supply all your need!”  (Phil. 4:19a NKJV)

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4 NASB)

A few years ago, when I was going through a particularly rough time, a friend said to me, “How are you doing?”

I answered, “Okay, I guess, under the circumstances!”

He then said, “What are you doing under there!?”

I laughed, at the time. But as the years have passed I have come to realize that there was a great truth in that simple statement made by my friend so long ago. I don’t have to remain “under any circumstance” because of Christ living in me and also because of the many Bible promises that cover every possible thing!

One scripture passage says, “they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Rev. 12:11 NKJV).

Notice that they overcame their adversary two ways:.

1. By the Blood of the Lamb (what Jesus did for them on the cross)

2. By what they professed with their mouth (they testified)

So, no matter what negative “circumstance” comes your way, you can victoriously rise above it by standing firmly on God’s Word and by saying boldly and confidently, “I am an overcomer because of what Jesus has done for me! And greater is He (Jesus) who is in me, than he (the devil) who is in the world! Therefore, I am an overcomer!”