Psalm 100:1
The Foundations of Thanksgiving

This Thursday is Thanksgiving.  Since most history books and classes have re-
written the history of this holiday, let me take a few moments to remind you
of its origins.

    I. The History of Thanksgiving
        A. The first thanksgiving

In the Spring, after their survival of that first difficult winter, the Pilgrim
settlers of Plymouth Colony began planting their first crops. That Fall, with
help from their Indian neighbors, they gathered in their first harvest. With a
spirit of excitement, the Pilgrims invited the Indians who had helped to join
with them in a three-day feast to celebrate God’s faithfulness. The meal
consisted of wild turkey, venison and vegetables. This first thanksgiving feast
in the new colonies took place in 1621, one year after the Pilgrims had landed
on Plymouth Rock. In 1623, Governor William Bradford of the Plymouth Colonies
made this proclamation…

"Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of
Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made
the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch
as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from
pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the
dictates of our own conscience. Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all
you Pilgrims, with your wives and your little ones, do gather at the meeting
house, on the hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday,
November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty
three and the third year since you Pilgrims landed on Pilgrim Rock, there to
listen to your pastor and render thanksgiving to Almighty God for all His
blessings."

        B. George Washington

On November 26, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation for a
nation-wide day of thanksgiving. He made it clear that this day should be one
of prayer and giving thanks to God. It was celebrated by people of all
religious denominations throughout this new country.

        C. Abraham Lincoln

Later, President Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation in 1863, designating the
last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day, a day for the nation to give
thanks to Almighty God. The date was later changed to the fourth Thursday of
November, by President Franklin Roosevelt, in order to encourage holiday
shopping.

        D. Changing times

But things in the United States of America, started to change in 1962. That was
the year the Supreme Court banned state-directed prayers in the public schools.
Then in 1963, the Supreme Court banned Bible reading for religious purposes in
the public school. Seventeen years later, in 1980, the Supreme Court said
schools could no longer post the Ten Commandments. The High Court classified
them as "plainly religious." Their ruling said that the existence of the Ten
Commandments in a classroom might prompt children…"to read, ponder, revere,
or obey these commandments."

And that’s how our national religious heritage began to be eliminated from
public life.  That was when the history of Thanksgiving was changed to eliminate
any reference to God or His goodness and guidance.  Students graduating from
public schools for the last 20 years have not been taught the true history of
America’s founding.

        E. William Bennett

William Bennett who served as Secretary of Education under President Reagan
wrote this about these anti-religious court decisions…

"In too many places in American public education, religion has been ignored,
banned or shunned in ways that serve neither knowledge, nor the Constitution,
nor sound public policy. There is no good curricular or constitutional reason
for textbooks to ignore, as many do, the role of religion in the founding of
this country or its prominent place in the lives of many of its citizens. We
should acknowledge that religion-from the Pilgrims to the civil rights
struggle-is an important part of our history, civics, literature, art, music,
poetry, and politics, and we should insist that our schools tell the truth
about it."

        F. Illustration

A fourth grader was assigned to write the history of Thanksgiving for a school
report but the class was also cautioned about making their report a religious
speech.  So the child summarized his report as follows:

"The pilgrims came here seeking freedom of, you know what.
When they landed, they gave thanks, to you know who.
Because of them, we can worship each Sunday, you know where."

        G. Illustration

Each year, thousands of cards and letter are returned because if inadequate or
incorrect addressing.  This year alone, more than 2 million documents will be
returned.  Some of those documents will contain sincere and heartfelt wishes for
those to whom it was directed, but all the love and sincerity in that letter
will not get it to the right destination without the correct address.  

So it is with many thanksgiving wishes this holiday season.  We celebrate a
"thanksgiving" holiday, but we have removed all references to the One we should
be thanking.  I suppose that leaves us in the awkward position of merely 
thanking ourselves.

   II. What does the Bible have to say?
        A. The Bible says all good things come from God.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh
down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning.

        B. We must understand the basics:
            1. There are only two sources of power in creation.
            2. You can call it good versus evil, yin versus yang, light versus
                dark; but what it is, is God versus Satan.
            3. If it is bad, it is of sin and Satan.
            4. If it is good, it is of mercy and God.
        C. Have you received anything good in the last twelve months?
            1. Were you blessed in family?  Do your parents still live?  Is your
                marriage good?
            2. Did you receive a paycheck?  food?  clothing?  Did you have a job?
            3. Are you alive?  Did you have good health?  Did your family?
                Did anyone sick get well?  Were there any births this year?
            4. Are you saved?  Have you grown in the last year?  Have you served
                the Lord?  Did you learn anything?  Did you remain faithful
                to Jesus?  Did you have any prayers answered?  Did anyone you
                know get saved this year?
            5. Did you laugh this year?  Was there a new friend who made you
                happy?  an old acquaintance?  a family member?
            6. In summary, would you say that life has been good?
            7. If the answer to ANY of these questions is "yes," God gave it to
                you and you should thank Him.
        D. But what if you have had a terrible year this year?
            1. Troubles come, and they come with a ferociousness.
            2. Ask Job.
            3. If things have been extremely bad, does that mean we have nothing
                for which to thank God?
            4. NO!
            5. Even in our worst days, God has been good to us! 

  III. Psalm 100:5 gives us three things for which we can always be thankful.
        A. The Lord is good.
            1. Even if this is by far the worst year of your life, God is good.
            2. He gave you life which gives you opportunity.
            3. He gave you Jesus which gives you forgiveness and kinship.
            4. He gave you His Word which gives you hope and power.
        B. God’s mercy is everlasting.
            1. What God has offered has no expiration date.
            2. What God has offered, you desperately need.
                a. Even if your physical life has been and will continue to be
                     bad, you have a spiritual life that still needs God’s care.
                b. Turn to Jesus and enjoy what He has for you. 
        C. God’s truth will endure to all.
            1. All generations means all people.
            2. Not only will it last forever, but it also works for everyone!

Chuck Colson, a former politician who served time for his part in Watergate,
but who was saved and has worked hard for the Lord since, wrote an article in
1998 about a conversation he had with his grandson, Charlie, about Thanksgiving.

After a wonderful mean of turkey and dressing, he was enjoying a few hours of
time with his children and grandchildren and decided to quiz the eight-year old
about the history of Thanksgiving.

He leaned over and said, "Charlie, why did the Pilgrims celebrate the first
Thanksgiving?" Charlie resorted to the obvious answer, as grandchildren often
do on such occasions. 

He said, "They wanted to give thanks." 

"And who did the Pilgrims give thanks to?" 

The boy’s face clouded and he squirmed a little. "I don’t know--I guess they
were thanking the Indians," he said. "That’s what we learned at school."

Chuck Colson was astonished that such wrong information had been given to his
grandson.  No, the pilgrims did not thank the Indians at that Thanksgiving.
They thanked God.

But the truth is that this holiday as been secularized as much as Christmas
and unless we who are Christians stop to remember and proclaim the truth of
Thanksgiving, the One this holiday was created to honor will receive no thanks
for all His goodness to us.

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