What Are You Thankful For

Is his name worthy today to you. Should be writing for all that he's done. You know, that commercial on television. What's in your wallet? Baby? Ever seen that commercial? After a while you start to get tired of it, I do. I don't about you. Well, I'm going to use that commercial a little bit this morning to say, what do you think for four in the same kind of voice that the guy on the commercial, what's in your wallet? What do you think for 4? So I'm going to take a moment this morning as we enter into the month of December or December? Yeah. I'm still working on lack of sleep from Friday night. So bear with me the month of November as we work into that and going to share Thanksgiving this week. So every week, I'm going to ask you what you're thankful for, so going to start to help him out. So we didn't have to run over to book going to start out. In this section. We're going to go to half of this section, then the other half the net section. All right, so y'all are you ready? So anybody else here got something. They're thankful for they like to share.

Elmer. I'm thankful for a lot of the things that God has kept me from doing that. I would have done and I'm very thankful there. Been any men you would have been in trouble with the wife Whitney Elmer poly.

please for salvation and then my children grandchildren and great-grandchildren move on to the sexual

be nice. This is and I'm just here because she's getting baptized today.

Anybody else. How about half of this section? From here, back to run anybody on the way back Josh. I'm still waking up from Reverb as well, but all the kids May decision for Christ, something, something for that. It was

Leslie, I saw hand.

As the cancer decides to eat my body, I am so thankful for each and every day that I have.

Anybody else? And this action got to go back.

I'm thankful for my family.

Anyone else? Okay, we're going to this side Norm. Right. Then you guys are the last group, so hey, make it good.

Both were expecting our first great-grandchild and we went to a shower yesterday.

Where's your birthday gift? Anybody else in this group for me? Going once going twice, we didn't get to that group yet, Michelle, we're over here.

If I lose it that way, so that cancer is not eating my body.

Anyone else? And I'm very thankful for a loving and gracious. God, who does blesses us everyday with big blessings and small blessings and in the small plus, if we don't see you till later. And I'm just so grateful and thankful for him than anybody else in this group.

I'm thankful for good neighbors. First of all, to the left, to the left of your something, also thankful for nature, direct, direct side of of God's hand on our world and men think you've Tony doing

I'm thankful for my wife. Lori were going to be celebrating. All right. Overstreet, this coming Tuesday and praise God, that keep us together and regular and Ron were gaining on you. Married. A great thing, So, five years. 8 years time flies. I just remember it was on opening day of hunting season.

So Lori got a block in. Dwayne got to go.

Anybody else last call what do you think before? Thanks Norm. This morning, if you have your Bibles turn with me, if you will do the book of Psalms, that's where we're going to spend, most of our time, looking at what to be thankful for. I have taken the points from the Puritan Thomas Manton, and going to share those with you along with some scripture verses that we have thrown together for this topic this morning. We have a lot to be thankful for if we know Christ is our Lord and savior. Do we not? He is good. He is merciful, he's a god of love. He's a god of truth, but he's also a god of wrath and we need to understand that aspect of him as well.

But the Puritan Thomas Merton, our Mansion gave a sermon and his sermon was entitled entitle, the Christian special duty of giving thanks and then that he reflects upon Psalm 119 verse 62, where he says at midnight, I will rise to give. Thanks unto thee because of a righteous judgement. Have you ever tried that? Have you ever tried to set a time where you say I'm going to get up in the middle of the night and just pray to God. Sometimes were awake in the middle of night. I understand that in and I had somebody get mad at me one time when I said there's times when I'm laying in bed and I just pray to God. And I fall asleep, never-ending that prayer. But then I wake up in the morning and that's the first thing on my mind is I never ended that prayer. So you begin bringing. I think that's a good thing. The fall asleep with God, on your mind, and wake up with got on your mind right there. So many other things in this world that can take over in our minds. And unless we let them take over in and run our lives that we just need to put our faith and our trust in God and trust him through it all. And whether we wake up at midnight on purpose to give thanks to God her or whether we take that moment, those moments that we can and we probably need to strive to take more moments to pray to him but rise up. Give thanks unto thee because of the righteous judge was not one of the things this morning that I want to give. Thanks for that we haven't done in this early. We didn't your early service is for all of our men and women who have served in the military are veterans. We had registered a on Friday, so I would love you if you would to stand. So we can give you some honors and praise this morning are men and women who have served in the military. Would you please stand?

Thank you.

We wouldn't have the freedoms. We have had not these men and women in our church and around the country and across our world. Had they not giving up their time to help the guy to direct in that aspect. God is The Giver of all things. We understand that. But he uses men and women today to accomplish his tasks and sometimes a task that God has before us or are not always a task, we want to do, that makes sense. I mean I've done a lot of things that I didn't individual humanely want to do, it's not what I want to do but God calls you to it and you go through it with him. So this morning as we give thanks to those around us, whether it's in the middle of the night, Weathers in the middle of the day, whatever time that is, make sure that you set a time aside to give, thanks to God for all the things that he has done for his righteous judgments. There are those who made me a little disappointed because of what has taken place this past week in the election. Maybe it didn't work out the way you wanted. Okay, who's in charge? Got no, I was asking, I won't share with you. Who told me, they were asked me this. I was asking this morning, somebody came into church is at so, so when you leaving the state,

I said, no way Jose. This is a mission field field. So I'm not planning on leaving, unless God takes me out. And I said that, I plan on leaving, then I ended up here here later. It's funny that way. But my plan is always in God, your will be done, right? And that was my, that was my plan Tuesday morning. When I voted sit, here it is, not your will be done. I did my part, your will be done, got set up, can you come so whether or not it goes away. You want still trust. God still follow his guidance. Follow his directions. Why? Because that the main point of emphasis of this is Herman today is that Christians are too often be busy. In the business of Thanksgiving, it's easy, it's easy to look at the negatives and tear people down. Right. But it's a little harder, sometimes to be thankful, even for those we want to tear down. I'm thankful for what God has brought me through. I'm thankful for where I am today. I'm thankful for every aspect of it as Elmer said, if it wasn't for God, keeping me out of trouble, I would be in a lot of trouble, right? This past week Friday night, we had the Reverb and we took 55 kids to Glens Falls on a bus spend all night in Glens Falls at the Arco Arena is cool. Insuring Arena. I'll get that used to be the Civic Center and they always change names, but hey, it's a cool insuring Arena. 55 kids at a hockey game, had a rally afterwards, a lot of Pizza, 21 boxes of pizza. Our group had to delve into, then we went to The Domes, they participate and different games at the Dome and then we ended up tonight at the Sky Zone. Write a rainy night. We weren't in Georgia, Some of you will get that.

That's the Rainy damp nights but we're all indoors and the kids are having a blast doing things that they just want to do hanging out with her friends. If nothing else, but a hockey game held the door and then the Sky Zone as we're there. When were ministering with those kids, the adults that participated in that, with me, I'm very thankful for them Barber. Driving us all night long. She Did a great job, we thank you for that right? Barb Hazel give her a round of applause if you would because

Jeep T volunteered for the job and I said the match soccer. No, but we took our bus and we took a, a van. We had a total of 61. So God you all with adults and everybody is good for provision. For the things that we need, right. I'm thankful for those who have helped us along the way in the church to, to get to where we are today here at hoosac, Valley Community Church. 30 years of me being here, be the 13, 15 years, prior to that of the pastor's. Before me, that we're here keeping things together, but God gives us things to be thankful for. And we need to look at those say, we need a search for those thankful things because I don't know about you. I like being around thankful people. As opposed to the, I'm thankful people, Beyonce for people only see the negative write thankful. People are looking at the positive. And yes, sometimes maybe some of those people we got to bring him down to reality. It's okay? Well, yeah. But here's where we use where God has us, right? God is in charge. God is in control. I read the book from cover to cover and we still win. He's the alpha. He's the olmeca. He's the beginning in the end. He's the same yesterday. He's the same today. He's the same tomorrow. He does not change. His words are Everlasting and we need to be thankful. So when's the last time you Rose up at midnight and gave praise and thanks to God because of his righteous and judgments. Things may not work out the way that I want, but here's what I know if I give it to God, and that should be our prayer all the time. Every time we pray, the end of our prayers should be. Okay. Here's my desire. The Lord not my will. What is it? 9 be done. And if we have trust in God, that's the way it'll work. God's will be done. God, gave both daily mercies and has given the mercy of Christ that's Point. Number one, God gave both daily Mercies in his given the mercies of Christ. Look at Psalm 68 verse 19. Psalms 68 verse 19, says, blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the god of our salvation. If God is the god of your salvation, if you have trusted in his gift of Jesus Christ, if you believe in him, we have plenty to be thankful for a man. If you believe that he's in charge of all things, we have plenty to be thankful for blessed, be the Lord, who daily loads us.

Even the god of our salvation. when is the last time you really sit down and think God for the benefits that he is loaded you with Right. I mean, even if things are going totally wrong around you, I hope you don't mind. I take my jacket off air conditioners on the Heats working and it's warm. Air conditioners on because it was 70-plus degrees was probably 75 and her. No, not too bad yet. My wife here. No one embarrass her but it's hot up here cuz I want to pass out and scare you guys. Although, we do get quite a few few views when that happens.

God loves us with benefits. But many of those benefits we take for granted, do we not? When the last time you thanks God for the very breath. You took this morning? Did you thank him for waking you up this morning? I did. I woke up late and I said, thank you, God, for letting me wake up early enough to get the church and get things done. I was about an hour late, by the time I got here. But I think I was making up some sleep from Friday night. I'm thankful for that too. I'm thankful that last night when I fell asleep in the recliner probably around 8. My wife goes up to bed and then when I woke up from the recliner, I said, well, I better go up to bed and I went up to bed in about 30 minutes later and my wife watching a few dogs.

Once I got upstairs. It started.

I might come on. I thought I just fall asleep. She was sleeping. I'll just fall asleep when I won't notice.

So I got up went back downstairs.

Laid on the couch told the dogs to go over there. Be quiet. And guess what they did. That one went over there and it's couch and that we went on. It's a little bed thing they had there and they were quiet for the most part. They would hear one another middle night, we got a couple dogs downstairs, couple upstairs. How many dogs do you have a few? Anyway, it's all good. When is there to Lenny's fine Lenny? He doesn't bother anybody, right? You don't know what you just, follow my wife's, Facebook page. You'll find out who these dogs are.

So, I'm trying to get some sleep after a long day.

Dogs barking. I got a lot to be thankful for. You know why? Because I had a house with a roof, over my head food in my belly, I could hear the dogs barking. So I had hearing, open my eyes, I can see them, they were there. Had a blessing. Friday morning, I'm sitting in my office. 7 in the morning. Lisa is already here. She's cleaning up the church, Lisa strong swimmer. And this lady walks in the front door of the church Friday, morning carrying a bag timed right in my office and set your bag down, sits down on the chair and Gauls I'm tired. I have no idea who the lady was. I said, can I help you? So yes, I I need a place to stay. Okay, where you coming from? Well, my brother lives in Washington State. And then say it out loud to sort of I don't think I said out loud just out of myself. I don't think you walked from Washington State.

Where did you stay last night? I slept in the clothing bin on the church parking lot. I do really. It's unlocked. Okay, the night before she slept in the Methodist Church, somewhere found an Open Door. When in the slept in that church, do you remember the day when churches were unlocked and people could come in any moment anytime and pray. I mean, we can do that anywhere. We want to just something about coming to House of God and spending time with God, alone in the house of God, right? And praying seeking Garden in the situations going on around us. I am thankful that as I took this lady down to Stewart's to get her something to eat and hot coffee and said, I'll be right back, don't go away. I'm going to see if I can find you a place to stay and then came back to the church tonight. I called the sheriff said, hey are, are you missing a 70-year old lady who goes by the name of Louise and doesn't seem to really have it all together. They didn't know of anything of her or any missing people. So did that part, that's okay. What do I do with her? You don't do I say okay. Stay in the clothing bin. That's a good spot and I couldn't do that cuz I so I made some phone calls to Doreen hate through the capital city. Rescue mission have spots available. She made some phone calls. They had a spot available. So we got her to the capital city rescue mission. She can stay the night. If you couldn't prove, she had no ID on her. She couldn't prove who she was or 30 days. If she could prove who she was. They were trying to get a hold of her family if however. So I don't not sure how that ended up but she was able to stay the night at least Friday night. I'm looking at all that. That's why I'm thankful. I'm thankful that I got family and friends. I'm thankful that there's people around me that that up I decided to just take a walk I think they be looking for me. Right, right? I think they'll be tracking me down. I'm thankful that I got people that would bring me into their home and be able to share something that God has given me the opportunity to be able to buy food for people and to be able to share what God has blessed me with well, sometimes we need to realize there's more that God has for us, but we are not thinking him for those benefits that he loads us with daily, Husband and wives. Are you thankful for your spouse? You Oughta be everyday. Parents, are you thankful for your kids? Kids are you thankful for your parents? You ought to be everyday thankful that they have given you a place to live in close to where and food to eat. And the blessings that God pours upon you. Daily. God gives us both daily Mercies in the mercies of Christ. Could you imagine God when he sent his son into the world? That baby born of a Virgin Mary we celebrate Christmas because of that that birth baby came into this world and from his very day of birth, people were seeking to kill him, and put him to death.

Still today, people try to remove Jesus Christ. Try to get rid of them. We don't want to hear about him, get rid of any aspect of him. And yet he still lives on in the hearts in the lives of those who put their faith and trust in him, but look what God allowed to happen to his son. The sins of the world yours in my sins were put upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ. He took that he bore the sins of us upon his body to the point that has a father looked upon him. He had to look away cuz he couldn't bear it anymore to see the sins of the world. Placed upon his son. And yet he allowed his son to go to the cross for you. And for me, he allowed his son to be sacrificed to shed his. What's that whosoever believeth in him? Should not perish but have everlasting life because of that. She had for that. I'm thankful that the age of 7 I was able to make a decision to trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Did I totally understand today? No, I did not. I'm 63 today. I don't totally understand it today but I believe it. I don't know why, God would love me enough to do that. I don't know why he would care about you or me or any of us in the world who treat him the way that we do many times. But he loads us daily. With benefits. And Daly. I forget to thank him and praise him. Or your pastor Clyde. You're not my new phrase and I do thank him. but there are many times that I don't, when I should, Can I get a witness or is it just me? We all do it, right? We expect God to take care of, as we expected to provide first in a certain way. And when he doesn't provide Forest, we got upset and mad.

We think that other things in the world will help us up. If we could just get this, I'd be all set. Lord God if I could just win that Megabucks thing. And how many lives have been ruined because they got all that money and didn't know what to do. So I can figure out something. I'm sure you could just like everybody else, right? That's not saying the money is not. A problem if it's right with God, if we're seeing it the way God wants, we can use it to help people. We can use its take care of things. We we can use it in the right way. But the love of money is the root of all evil. Nothing wrong with the dollar bill or quarter. You and there's nothing. We like to have that stuff but what do we do to gain? If that's the problem, we expect more of that than we do from God and God loves us daily. With his benefits. Have you thanked them for that? Have you given him? Praise look what he says. In Psalm 111 verse for he has made his wonderful Works to be remembered.

Do you remember all that he's done for you? I'll be the first one to stand before you say, I do. I take a lot of what God has done for me. Forget I grew up in the church, I've heard this all my life, I've seen God do these things and I know he can and I know he will and I still take it for granted. I don't always stop and say, God, thank you. Thank you for that moments. That I had and in which you caused me to stop and remember who's in charge and who's in control. We have a lot of people in our congregation today, going through some help, needs some of them at talked about that this morning and their Thanksgiving. Leslie Sanders and Diane Lazaro Chris Aldi who is here in the early service. Danny Bailey who is here in the early service having disease and their body cancer in their bodies that they have to deal with on a daily basis. They recognize it

And they're thankful for God for another day for his provision. Michelle, who has gone through that and thankful that God got her through that. God doesn't always work that way in people's lies. We know that right? But he still The God, Who is in charge of God, who cares about us all things work together for good to them, that love God, to them, that are called according to his purpose. It doesn't say all things are good because all things are not good. Stubbing your toe in the middle of night is not good, right? But maybe it kept you from tripping and breaking your leg. Okay, I'll take a stubbed toe over broken leg any day. I just know he does when we put our faith and our trust in him. What do you think for 4 today? Are you thankful for God's Provisions? God's Direction. Are you think he's messed up? See if you think God is messed up? Then he's not really. In your life is easy because God is perfect cording to his words and I believe it God is right here is just he's a god of mercy of God of love. and we should trust him through it all 2nd Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 15 says this. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift There is no way I could fully explain to you all that God has done in my life. Hey, and give it the right Clarity, that it needs. Who is like explaining what a rose looks like to a blind person who's never seen a rose in the red petals. Are the white, whatever color pencils that Rose has when they've never seen color.

They can feel it, they they can touch the thorns on his mind but explaining it to them. Just doesn't do it right for them. You can tell them, it's beautiful but what is beauty to a blind person?

It's understanding words. And sometimes in this world and each and every day you and I look through a glass dimly, right? So we're a little bit blind to all the things Our God. But one day, Face to face. One day the blind is going to see one day the lame is going to walk. One day, the death is going to hear. The Dom is going to speak. and we're going to stand in the Hall of God, whether or not we believe Are we don't believe everyone, everyone will stand in all of God and say, truly. He was The Son of God or truly he is. The Son of God depending on where we end up with side of the, I want you to sign end up on the side of truly. He is the Son of God, not truly, he was because if he was, it means it's over for us. But if he is the Son of God, it continues on.

Thank him for his unspeakable gift of Salvation, sending his son to that cross for you and for me giving us hope giving us joy giving us peace there. Early today thanking God is a delightful Duty. Have you met that Christian? Who tells you all about Christ and everything and how wonderful crisis? But then all of a sudden their actions about others around them, just bring that down. What they say and what they do does not bode well for who Christ. Truly is Like I said earlier, I want to be with a thankful person. And I'm thankful person because I thankful person has joy, and I'm thankful person is just looking at the negatives. All around. Be a thankful person. Be a thankful believer. Even if it's all that Christ has for you and all that you have is the pillow to lay your head down, because Christ didn't even have that. His pillow was the rocks that he laid his head up on the foxes. Have holes birds have nests with the son of man has no place to lay his head. That's Jesus Christ. And yet and all of that. he laid down his life for you, and for me,

Thanksgiving is a delightful Duty. Psalm 147 verse 1. Says praise ye the Lord for he is good to sing praises unto our God for his Pleasant and praise is comely.

Praise is good. Do you praise him? Are you a question? God? What are you doing? Oh, I've questioned God. Lord, what's going on? I don't understand what are you doing God? Why didn't you do it my way? This way was good while it lot. Lord. And then when we get through the process and you look back on your thankful that God didn't do it your way. Have you ever been there? I have got. Thank you for putting me through the hardships in the trials and tribulation because we went, you went my way.

Maybe my friend would not have believed in Jesus Christ. I wouldn't have the opportunity to share with them. Maybe the path that you took me down when it taking me to this place that God has for me and Ministry that he's put before me. Is he in my life being raised in church, going out to Bible College at 18 years of age? thinking okay I'm doing this to please my dad really didn't have a whole lot to do with God I knew God wouldn't be upset with me going to Bible college but I really want to please And I got my what college did, okay? My first year, when do second year and slept through all my classes per semester second year, thank God. I was paying the bill, not dead because I heard the Wrath, not only have got the rapper dad. And at that point, I think I was more concerned about the wrath of dad than the wrath of God. Right.

Go home for Christmas with my brother and his family myself, my brother, his wife and three kids from Springfield, Missouri to Killeen Texas. How many is that six of us in a Volkswagen bug? You couldn't get their clothes. I fast enough right? I had my C, I was a pilot. My brother had his seat and of course the wife and three kids and that big back seat, you got back there.

We survived. We got there, we drove back. I told my brother were having a conversation on the way there. So yeah, I'm not going to go to school next semester. I just ordered messed up first semester and I need to take a break. hey, my brother says we will just tell Dad, I'm not yet but I will, I will when we get home and I'll have that moment with him so I'm working myself up to tell my dad that I'm not going to go back to school and Saturday morning I'm there. I'm on the couch in the living room, sitting there waiting for him to come out of the kitchen and it comes around the corner. I said this was that I'm going to tell her, I'm going to tell him my brother sitting over here and he asked me already.

I'm going to tell him. That comes out of the kitchen and comes around into the living room. She has me sitting on the couch, my brother in the chair over there and he says I want you boys to know into the other way. I'm proud of both of tears, coming down his face and I'm like, haha.

Okay, Dad. Okay. We left that following Monday. On the way back. My brother says, we'll just tell Dad. Nope. Why not? I couldn't I couldn't tell him after the piers and there's no way. I'll call him on the phone and tell them on the phone. I haven't chickened out and doing that. He calls me one day cuz I hadn't heard from you. There's a reason I didn't call Dad or like the same reason sometimes we don't talk to God. There's something there. You know I'm saying? We know, we need to clear this up before I can have a right relationship with God so I am Had to clear this up before I could have a right conversation with my dad. So, he calls me is amazing. How God can do that. Sometimes call us, and we don't really know what time, calling, dad calls. So I'm how you doing. I'm doing doing great. Dad thought I could have that conversation with the new thing about school. How's it going going gone? Things are good. How's school school was good? What classes are you taking this semester?

Take a note to self help classes dad. What do you mean? I am not going to school and started and literally it's I held the phone over here while Dad. Told me, whatever you told me about the piece of his mind that I needed to hear. Right? I know what he's going to say. I was relieved when I didn't listen because I didn't want. That's what I'm sorry that I let you down. so end of the conversation, I got a letter that week from my dad so I'm sorry, I'm sorry for

Letting you have it basically, what you said. You do what God wants you to do. We don't like the moment. He said that is like, that's really what I want to do, but I didn't know what God wanted me to do, even then because I'm fighting this thing, I'm fighting this ministry thing, I'm not thankful for what God I'm really I'm not I'm not thankful for God has put me, I'm not thankful for what I'm come through and I was having a relationship problem with God. Putting him in the right place. But, let me tell you a few months later when I finally said to God, God, whatever you want me to do, I'll do it wherever you want me to go. I'll go. I didn't realize it's going to be in New York state. 40 years ago. But here's what I know. I know, I'm where I'm supposed to be. I know I'm doing what I supposed, but I'm supposed to be doing. You know how much comforter is in that? Here's a blessing part about it. My wife knows, we are where we need to. Be my wife knows we're doing what we need to do. We're together on that. You know how much comfort there is in that, let me add to that. I even believe my children know where where we need to be and my children know that we are doing what we need to do. Thank you, God, for your blessings on me.

Are you thankful? What do you think before? Look what he says in Psalm 153 i-135, verse 3, praise the Lord for the Lord is good, sing praises to his name. For it is Pleasant. Are you praising him? Are you singing praises to his name? it's Pleasant and Let Me Tell You Folks when you where God wants you to be Physically speaking. Or spiritually speaking. There's peace. If you're not at peace spiritually. It's really going to be hard to be at peace physically. Because when things all around you fall apart, who do you trust? But if you, where you need to be spiritually and things around, you fall apart physically. My trust is still in God. The one who sent his son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you. And for me, that whosoever believeth in him more than the head knowledge, it's a relationship when we believe in him. We have eternal life. Do you believe today? If not, why not? Why not today to put your faith and trust in him? Say, thank you God, for giving me eternal life.

Are some of his bigger centers and others will in the world. Speaking, maybe if I guess what, Jesus died for the least, and the most Sin is Sin to God. He's not say, well, you just told a lie. So I was a little boy. The same price was paid for both. Send send. And whosoever will. May come for that. I'm thankful. Or that I praise him and for that I will continue continually serve him to the best of my ability. What do you think before? Father, we thank you. We thank you for all that you have provided for us. The provisions of life that you give to us on a daily basis to follow you to do, your will to trust you in all things, even through the tough times, if the rough times that you are still there, guide us and direct us and help us to clean to you stronger, each and every day. We thank you. We Praise You. In Jesus Name.