FIRST THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION

By George Washington, 1789

“WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection, aid and favors…

Now, THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country, and for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.”

(Americans observe Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November every year.)

- (moreillustrations.com)

1 Thess 5:18 (CEB): “Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

“Pride slays thanksgiving, but an humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow.” -  Henry Ward Beecher.

MISTAKES

There are about 3 things a person can do when he makes a mistake:
 
A.He can resolve that he will never make another, which is fine, but impracticable.
 
B.He may let that mistake make a coward of him, which is foolish.
 
C.He can make up his mind that he will let it be his teacher, and so profit by the experience, that if the situation comes his way again, he will know just how to meet it.
 
- Sunshine Magazine (moreillustrations.com)
 
Js 3:2 (ISV): “For all of us make many mistakes. If someone does not make any mistakes when he speaks, he is perfect and able to control his whole body.
 
“To err is human, but when you wear out the eraser before the pencil, you're overdoing it.” - Rotary Club News.

TRIUMPH REQUIRES SACRIFICE

During World War II a young soldier named David Webster of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne wrote to his mother:

"Stop worrying about me. I joined the parachutists to fight. I intend to fight. If necessary, I shall die fighting, but don’t worry about this because no war can be won without young men dying. Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice."

Scripture often refers to the Christian life as a war - a spiritual battlefield. To answer the question of hymn writer Isaac Watts:

Must I be carried to the skies

On flowery beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize

 And sailed through bloody seas?

There is no victory apart from sacrifice. Just as our salvation was purchased at great cost, overcoming the enemy & walking in the Spirit require that we be willing to give up some things in order to triumph.

- ‘Band of Brothers’, Stephen E. Ambros. (ministry127.com)

“And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy - the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?” – Paul (Rom 12:1 TLB).

TOMORROW!

They were having a great banquet one night at Thebes in Greece. The chief ruler, Archias & the other magnates of the city had taken their seats at the banqueting table; and the dancers & singers had commenced their entertainment.

There were enemies plotting against the life of Archias & his companions. In the midst of the banquet a friend brought to him a sealed letter, warning him that he was in peril of assassination.

Archias glanced at it & then, laying it aside, said:

"Pleasure tonight. Business tomorrow."

In a short time the assassins, who were diguised as female entertainers, drew their daggers and slew Archias & his companions.

For the great business of eternal life there is only one time & that it today.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Hear what God says: “When the time came for me to show you favor, I heard you; when the day arrived for me to save you, I helped you.” Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved! (2 Cor 6:2 GNT).

“Tomorrow is the devil's day, but today is God's. Satan does not care how spiritual your intentions are, or how holy your resolutions, if only they are determined to be done tomorrow.” -  J.C. Ryle.

RELATIONSHIPS

One Saturday evening a visitor appeared at Pastor Rutherford's door. Being welcomed as a guest, he took his place with the rest of the family at family worship that evening & was asked in his turn.

Rutherford asked him, "How many Commandments are there?" His reply was, "Eleven."

Rutherford corrected him, but his guest maintained his position, quoting for authority the words of Christ:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.” (Jn 13:34 RGT)

- (moreillustrations.com)

“Four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to God while the other six deal with our relationships with people. But all ten are about relationships.” -  Rick Warren.

“God is more interested in your future and your relationships than you are.” -  Billy Graham.

TRUST ILLUSTRATED

A bridge builder named Scott a few years ago superintended the erection of a railway bridge in Crawford, Ind. When that bridge was finished, he knew every joint in it & what it would stand.
 
When the time came to put it into use the engineer asked Mr. Scott, before venturing to drive his train across: "Is the bridge all safe?"
 
By way of reply the bridge builder laid his own body under the new bridge & signaled the train to come on.
 
- New Century Leader (moreillustrations.com)
 
1 Cor 1:9 (NABRE): “God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
 
“Because God is Faithful, He can be trusted fully to completely carry out His commitments to us in Christ.” -  Jimmy Swaggart.

INTRODUCING THE PREACHER

When Dr. Pierce Harris of First Methodist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, spoke recently at a prison work camp, the prisoner introducing him recalled earlier days of association with the preacher.

"Many years ago," he said, "two boys lived in the same community in north Georgia & attended the same school, played with the same bunch of fellows, and went to the same Sunday School.

One of them dropped out of Sunday School because he felt he had outgrown it. The other boy kept on going because he felt that it really meant something in his life.

The boy who dropped out is the one who is making this introduction today. The boy who kept going to Sunday School is the famous preacher who will preach to us this morning."

- Wesleyan Methodist  (moreillustrations.com)

Heb 10:25 (TLB): “Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.”

“All over this nation, all over this world there are people going to church today and they say they are believers, but until you can take what you've been taught and bring it to the place you gave up - you will never be the radical believer that you need to be for the times in which we live.” -  T.D. Jakes.

MISTAKEN

The meek-looking gentleman arose hastily & offered his seat in the car to the self-assertive woman who had entered & glared at him.

She gave him no thanks as she seated herself, but she spoke in a heavy voice that filled the whole car:

"What are you standing up there for? Come here & sit on my lap."

The modest man turned scarlet as he huskily faltered:

"I fear, madam, that I am not worthy of such an honor."

"How dare you!" the woman boomed. "You know perfectly well I was speaking to my niece behind you."

- (moreillustrations.com)

"One thing that I have learned over time is that when you make a mistake, recognize it, admit to it and figure out why the mistake was made. Then do everything in your power to avoid making the same mistake again." -  Dr. Marshall Hennington.

“So stop evaluating Christians by what the world thinks about them or by what they seem to be like on the outside. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, merely as a human being like myself. How differently I feel now!” – Paul (2 Cor 5:16 TLB).