Good day to everyone. Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. This is a day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
I want to thank the Lord for a good week in writing. I also want to thank the Lord that the problem with payment that I was having has been resolved. Thank you for your prayers in this matter. I am still waiting to hear back regarding the part-time job I interviewed for. I am going to put out more applications. Please pray that writing will continue to be good, and pray that I will get the job that will be right for me. I am certain that the Lord will provide.
Let us all continue to pray for the people in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. There are many people with great need in these areas. Please continue to pray that these folks will get the aid that they need.
Outbreaks of disease continue to be a problem in both Yemen and South Sudan. Pray for peace in these countries, and pray that they will receive the aid and help that they need.
Many nations around the world are experiencing war and fighting. Continue to pray for peace in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. Also, let us pray for refugees who are struggling around the world.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for Egypt and Albania. Pray that many will hear the message of Jesus' love and mercy.
For the past couple of weeks, we have been studying the book of Malachi. I had intended to continue with that today, but I realized that this is the last Weekend Sermon before the Thanksgiving holiday in my country. I wanted to bring a message about that topic before the holiday. Next week, we will pick back up with Malachi. Because of the holiday, the Weekend Sermon will not be posted until Saturday next week.
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It is a holiday that brings back many happy memories. I think that the best Thanksgivings were when my friend Toby was still with me. The two of us loved to eat a lot. He enjoyed getting to eat some turkey, green beans and roast potatoes. I've never known a dog that loved green beans like he did. We would eat until about ready to burst, and then we would watch the football games and take naps.
For the past few years now, I've spent Thanksgiving with my brother and his family, but I don't think I will be doing that this year. Still, I will have a good time remembering the great Thanksgiving Days of the past. I will also be able to have a time to thank the Lord for all the good things that the Lord has brought into my life.
On Thanksgiving, it is a great time to truly thank the Lord for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon us throughout the year. This is something that the Lord wants us to do.
In the Gospel of Luke we read of Jesus' encounter with ten lepers. Jesus was traveling down the road when a group of ten lepers called to Jesus from a distance asking to be healed. Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests. As they were going, they were totally cleansed of leprosy. Nine of the men carried on down the road, but one man came back to Jesus and thanked Jesus for what He had done. Jesus said that there were ten healed. He wondered where the other nine were. Why had they not come back to give thanks.
We also read about thanksgiving many times in Paul's epistles. We are told in one passage to give thanks in all things.
Many times throughout the year, we ask the Lord for certain things. Sometimes we ask on several occasions. Often, the Lord graciously hears and answers our prayers. We should always make sure to say thank you to the Lord for answers to prayer just as the man did who had been healed of leprosy.
All of us who have come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord, should thank Him every day for coming and dying on the cross to save us from our sin. We should thank Him for being with us and showing His great love for us.
There are so many things that we have to be thankful to the Lord for. In Psalm 136, there is a litany of many things to be thankful for. I hope that you will take the time to read this Psalm this week. The one refrain that keeps recurring in the Psalm is that the Lord's love endures forever. The love of the Lord is the greatest thing in the universe. He shows His love to us everyday, and we should thank Him everyday for it.
I have many things that I am thankful for. I am sure that you have many things that you are thankful for as well. I hope that if your country doesn't have a designated day of thanksgiving that you will still take one special day to thank the Lord for His goodness to you.
I am thankful always that the Lord gave me my best friend Toby. I wouldn't be here today without him.
I am thankful for the food, clothing, transportation and shelter that the Lord has provided me with this year.
I am thankful that the Lord has allowed me to work as a writer.
I am thankful for my family both those still on earth and those in Heaven with Jesus.
I am thankful for the opportunity each week to post messages on the blog. I love being able to do this.
I am thankful for all of you who take the time each week to read the blog, and I pray that each of you will be abundantly blessed in your lives.
Tell the Lord this week what you are thankful for. Don't take anything for granted. Every good thing that we have is from the Lord.
Next week, we will continue with our series in Malachi, and the sermon will be posted on Saturday. I will post the verses on Monday, and there will be a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all, Amen.
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