John Hagee - A Time For Thanksgiving
A time for thanksgiving is a direct command from God to every believer. "Be thankful unto him and bless his name". Say that with me. "Be thankful unto him and bless his name". That's good. Who is "Him"? That would be God the Father. What is his name? There are 12 names that God has in the Bible. Do you know that, for centuries, God did not allow men to know his name? And then he started telling them who he was. He's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Exodus 3:15. There are many gods in this world. Satan is a god to many people. There are many gods in this world. But as soon as you start to pray, we come before the throne of grace in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You've just gone to the front of the line. You are talking about the God that we serve. Hallelujah.
He is Jehovah Jireh. He supplies all of our needs according to his riches in glory. He is Jehovah Nissi, our banner that's going before us into combat. I want to tell you something. It's God's will for you and for the church of Jesus Christ to be triumphant against the world, the flesh, and the devil. He is Jehovah Shammah, God with us. We are never alone. Whatever you're going through right now, Jehovah Shammah is right in the middle. He is El Shaddai, the all powerful.
This is introduced in Ruth 1:20. Ruth, a gentile, married Boaz, a Jewish man of great wealth. They had a son, Obed, and that became the forefather of Jesus Christ. You talk about demonstrating your power to control generationally what's going to happen thousands of years in advance: that's the awesome power of God. He is our father, which art in heaven. He is also called in the Bible, "The Most High God". Why is that, "The Most High God"? Because there are three heavens. There's the heavens you see with your natural eyes, the sun, the moon, and the stars. There's the second heaven where Satan has his throne, and he rules over the fallen angels that came with him when he was kicked out of heaven. And he rules the earth and the demons that are present here. And believe me: they are present here. The highest heaven is where God the Father sits on his throne. That's where he is: therefore, when you pray to the Most High God, your prayer goes right through the devil's bedroom and reaches the throne of grace. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God.
His name is also "The holy one of Israel," in Isaiah 1:4. Until you understand God's love for Israel, you will not understand the Bible and you will never understand Bible prophecy. I want to talk to some of you pastors, who are watching this. Get off the fence about Israel! The Bible supports Israel and so should you. He is "Jehovah Nissi," in Exodus 17. He is "The Lord of hosts" in 1 Samuel 1. He is Jehovah Shalom, the God who brings peace. He brings peace in the midst of the storm. He brings peace in the valley. He gives peace that surpasses understanding. He's Jehovah Rohi, the Lord my shepherd. I shall not want. He leads me beside still waters. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, because I have the Lord, who is my shepherd.
When you say, "Father God," there are supernatural powers that are released power to help you, power to defend you, power to heal you, power to guide you, power to encourage you, power to provide for you, power to fight for you. What an awesome God we serve! Turn that loose, brother, and your life will become a celebration! A time of thanksgiving is a decision. Have you ever noticed that negative, mean-spirited people, whiners, complainers, the Bible calls them "Murmurers"? "Bellyachers" is a word we use for them in Texas. They're never thankful, never thankful. But I'm going to talk to you in just a few minutes about that.
Let me give you a portrait of thanksgiving. Recently, a man was released from prison at the age of 65. Why was he released? Because the DNA and investigators found him innocent of all charges against him. In prison for something he didn't do: think about that. Sixteen thousand days in jail. What were the first words he spoke when he stepped outside the prison walls? He lifted his hands and he said, "God is so good. God is so good. God is so good". Do you think you would have said that? Hum. Lie not even to yourself. The spirit of thanksgiving is the spirit of gratitude. Thank God for the gift of life by living it triumphantly. When you have all of the spiritual weapons you have, there's no reason for the world, the flesh, or the devil to be able to control you.
There comes a time in every life when quitting looks good, so we quit marriages, we quit jobs, we quit school, we quit church. When God has given you a pass that seems to be grievous, when the cross becomes apparently unbearable, and when giants seem absolutely invincible, there comes a time in every adventure of life that quit looks good! Your dead marriage can live again. Brother, I have seen a boat load of them revived and become vibrant and enjoyable. Your struggling business can have a financial breakthrough. Your sick body can be well again. Your shattered dreams can live again. Walk right out of your valley, lift your hands, and praise God, saying, "Faith is the victory that overcomes the world". That's the spirit of thanksgiving! Do it every day and your life will be a great life! Give the Lord praise in the house!
This is the greatest day of your life. You say, "How can you say that"? Because it's the only day you've got. Yesterday's gone forever. You can't guarantee you're going to be here tomorrow. Every day the sun comes up, you need to try to find something good about that day, because your life is lived one 24-hour-span at a time. The spirit of thanksgiving reflects the presence of the Holy Spirit in you. It's right to say, "God, I don't know what you're doing. I don't understand what you're doing. But I trust you're too wise to make a mistake. You're too loving to be unkind. And by faith, I'm going to walk with you until we get the answer".
A true story of a father, who repaired washing machines for a living. He was bitterly complaining to his wife that he did not have the funds to buy new shoes for his six-year-old daughter for Easter this year. She would have to wear the old shoes. That afternoon, he was called to one of the finest homes in the city. Some of the richest people in the state lived there. He complained to the lady of the house that his daughter would have no new shoes for Easter. The lady dashed out of the house, out of the room, sobbing. Her husband walked into the room. He said to the repairman, "We have a six-year-old daughter that will never walk. I would give my fortune and live by a shack at the end of a dirt road if I could hear the footsteps of my daughter walking in those old shoes".
Are you thankful? Spirit-filled people, they enter into his gates with thanksgiving. They shout until the walls of Jericho fall down. They are as meek as they can be, but they are as bold as a lion. They are victorious and they are the victorious bride of Christ. Be thankful unto him and bless his name: for the Lord is good and the victory is yours! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
The spirit of thanksgiving releases the miracle-working power of God. Do you need a miracle? Then do it, but enter into it with a spirit of thanksgiving. "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise". Start your prayer time with the spirit of thanksgiving, not a series of "What have you done for me lately"? You're the servant: he is the master. You are the sheep: he's the shepherd. You are following him: he's not consulting you. The Bible says, "You are the clay. He's the potter". Jesus goes onto say, "The clay does not tell the potter what he wants to look like. It's pleasing to the potter to make you what he wants you to be".
You are the created: he's the Creator. Think about that. He's the alpha and the omega, the first and the last. He's the author and the finisher of your faith. He is the bright in the morning star. He is the fairest of 10.000. He's the Rose of Sharon. He's the Lily of the Valley. He's the hope of glory. He's the bread of life. He is living water. He is the rock of ages. He is my fortress and your fortress in the time of storm. He is high tower in the day of battle. He is wonderful. He is counselor. Hey, he is the mighty God! He is the Everlasting Father. He's the Prince of Peace. Be thankful unto him and bless his name! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
The spirit of thanksgiving is the key to releasing the supernatural power of God in your life. Jesus fed 5.000 people with the power of thanksgiving. John 6:11 says, "And Jesus took the loaves. And when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the people". There was no long, bellicose prayer, chest-pounding prayer, no King James version prayer. "If thou wouldest, if thou couldest, and if thou shouldest". They don't pray like that in heaven. They don't speak King James in heaven. They speak Hebrew. That's in the book of Acts. Some of your best prayers are going sound like this: "Lord Jesus, help me"! And he'll hear that prayer. You know how I know that. That's one of my very best prayers. Sometimes trouble is on you before you know it's coming. And you don't have time to send God a 60-page telegram about what you need. He knew it was on the way when you saw it! Therefore, thank him for the victory as soon as you know it's there! Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. His greatness no one can fathom.
Jesus raised Lazarus from Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead with the supernatural power of thanksgiving. John 11:41 says: and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you've heard me". He hasn't prayed the prayer yet. "But I thank you that you heard me". And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth". And with a three-word prayer, raised a dead man. Lazarus walked out of the tomb. He started unwrapping his grave clothes. Mary and Martha were hugging him. Members from the first church of the frozen chosen were saying, "This is not possible". Let me tell you: with God, the God of this Bible, nothing is impossible! Nothing is impossible! Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. You have not because you ask not. Ask big, because we serve a big God. Believe in the God that believes in you! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
Say, "Lord, I thank you that the trial I'm going through, I don't understand it". When you weep in some personal Gethsemane, when your tears run down your cheeks and soak into your pillow at night, say, "Lord, I am in the darkest valley I have ever known, but I know you're right beside me. I don't know what you're trying to show me. I'm not going to become bitter. I'm not going to become angry. I'm not going to become resentful. Yet, will I praise you, the glory and the lifter of my head, knowing that you're leading me to the greatest victory I've ever seen in all of my life". And suddenly, God turns things around, and it starts falling in place, because the spirit of thanksgiving has shattered your enemies by the invisible hand of God. And everything works out! Give the Lord a shout of praise in the house of God!
Are you saved? Have you confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life? You may be a wonderful, wonderful, solid-civic citizen. But you must be born again before you can get to heaven. Church membership will not save you. Club membership will not save you. Society saying good things about you will not save you. You can only be saved when the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses you and makes you whiter than snow. In that manner, reach out to the nail-pierced hand of the Son of God. Confess your sins and become a born-again creature destined to live forever in the mansions of splendor that God has for you. Give the Lord praise in the house.
Now this is going to be sensitive, but listen. The opposite of thanksgiving is murmuring. The street word for "Murmuring" is "Bellyaching," "Griping," "Complaining". Murmuring always brings the wrath of God, not once in a while. It's number one on God's hit parade. "Do all things without murmuring". Listen to that. Say it with me. "Do all things without murmuring". Ooh, you won't put that verse on your refrigerator door: I can tell you that. "Behold the Lord comes with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all who are ungodly of all of their ungodly deeds". And what's the number one in line? "These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their own wants". You would think adultery and gambling and bad things would be there. Murmurers, complainers are on God's judgment list.
Does that describe you? You spend your leisure remembering the bitter past. Dear God, it happened 30 years ago: forget it. In the theatre of your mind, you replay scenes of rejection between you and a dear friend, or someone rejected you. Okay. It's over already. "But I've been hurt". So has every other living human being on the earth been hurt. Get over it! Don't reject the spirit of thanksgiving. Don't allow murmuring and complaining to become a way of life. Listen to Paul, who was beaten three times with 39 stripes, who was stoned with rocks and left for dead. You have to say that now days. "You were stoned: whew". He was stoned with rocks in the streets of Jerusalem.
Some of you are... Come on: this is a live television show. He was stoned and left for dead. He was falsely imprisoned. He was bitten by a deadly viper. He was shipwrecked. A day and a night, he swam in the sea. He lifts his pen to parchment and says, quote, "These light afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits the servants of God". "These light afflictions". How many of you have been beaten with a Roman cat-o-nine-tails just once? None. We murmur about our homes. The carpets don't match the drapes. Oh, woe is me. Tonight, many people in America will sleep in a cardboard box. And that will happen all over the world. We complain about what we don't have. Why? The Chicago tribune carried the story of a child in the ghetto, who was taken to the hospital with pneumonia. Her home had no heat and had no blankets. The nurse brought her a glass of milk. And the ten-year-old looked at the nurse, and said, "How deeply may I drink"? And the nurse said, "What do you mean, honey"? She said, "In my house, no one can have a whole glass of milk. And father draws a line on the glass and you can drink to that line. And that's all you can have. How deeply may I drink"?
I wonder sometimes if we're so blessed: we've forgotten how to be thankful. Are we so pampered and privileged: we can't grasp the simple things of life that God provides every day? I say this in closing. It's a true story of thanksgiving that comes from one of our television partners. The mother and her daughter, the daughter was an outstanding skier. They went on a skiing holiday for the Christmas break. The daughter had a skiing accident. She was paralyzed from the neck down. At first, she fought to live for every breath. To stay alive was a battle. The mother would send us, week after week, letters telling us her progress. "Thank you for praying for my daughter. Today, she moved her finger. We know her nerve system is starting to work again. She has moved her toe". Weeks later, "She has moved her toe". "She is able to swallow food," weeks later. "She's still totally bedfast". The mother wrote almost one year later, "She's in the hospital, but she's able to breathe and drink on her own. We're so thankful to God. We're so thankful to God". Now what's your problem?
What is it that you think is such a major crisis? Have you rejected the spirit of thanksgiving? In closing, when you lift your hands and offer the Lord the spirit of thanksgiving, God hears that. Did you know God hears everything that comes out of your mouth? You know it's recorded? Did you know you're going to give an account for every word you speak when you get to heaven? Ooh, that's a frightening verse to me.
When God hears you giving a spirit of thanksgiving, he says to the angels, "Listen. Listen to what's going on down there in San Antonio at Cornerstone Church. Listen to that praise and that sacrifice of thanksgiving. Angels, I want you to get down there and I want you to pour out a double portion to every person in that place. I want you to heal the sick. I want you to break the shackles of misery and habit. I want you to heal the broken hearted. I want relationships to be restored. I want you to release miracle power in that place. I want you to scatter the powers and principalities of darkness".
Hear that. I want you to stand right now. And I want to end this service by you lifting your hands and giving to God a sacrifice of praise and thank him for every good thing he has done for you. Do it now. Do it now. Bless his name. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord! Thank you, God! Bless the Lord! Come on, church! Give him praise and glory! Bless and glorify his name! Thank you, Lord, for my health. Thank you, Lord, for healing me. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me. Thank you for going before me. Thank you for the angels that precede me. Thank you for the angels that are behind me. Thank you for all you have done, for all you are doing, for what you're going to do! I bless your name! Holy, holy, holy is the name of the Lord Almighty! Glory, honor, and power to the lamb that's on the throne! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! We praise you, Lord! We praise you, Lord! Amen. In all things, be thankful. If you forget everything I've said today, remember that for the rest of your life and you'll have a blessed life.