Are you looking for an exciting
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ready for a breath of new life.
00:00:01.80\00:00:06.53
Today Dr. Byrd speaks on the
topic Give Thanks Unto the Lord
And now, here he is,
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speaker/director of Breath
of Life Ministries, Dr. Carlton
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Byrd. Psalm 105, verses 1, 2 and
3. The Word of God says "O give
thanks unto the" whom,
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everybody? " LORD. Call upon his
name: make known his deeds among
the people. Sing unto him, sing
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psalms unto him: talk ye of all
his wondrous works. Glory ye in
his holy name: let the heart of
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them rejoice that seek the
LORD." "O give thanks unto the
Lord, call upon his name: make
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known his deeds among the
people." Father in heaven, Lord,
today as we talk about giving
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thanks to You, we need Your
Spirit, we need Your power, we
need Your strength in this
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place. I'm praying that God, You
would break loose in this
sanctuary, break loose over the
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airways, that men, women, boys
and girls would not see me but
see Thee living through me. Say
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a word to Your people. Prick
their hearts, their minds.
Forgive us of our sins, and when
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the appeal is made, Lord do Your
work, we pray. In Jesus' name,
amen. Give thanks unto the Lord.
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There's a popular Thanksgiving
story that I like. It's about a
middle-aged man in Los Angeles,
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California, who calls his son in
New York City and says to his
son, "Son, I hate to ruin your
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day but I had to call to tell
you that your mother and I are
divorcing. Forty-five years of
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misery is enough." "Dad, what
are you talking about," the son
asks. He says, "Well, we can't
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stand the sight of each other
anymore. We're sick of each
other, I'm sick of talking about
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it. Call your sister in Chicago
and tell her." The father hangs
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up the phone. Frantically the
son calls his sister in Chicago,
who explodes on the phone. She
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says, "There is no way Mom and
Dad are splitting up. They are
not getting divorced.
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After 45 years it's not going to
happen," she shouts, and so she
says, "I'll take care of this."
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She hangs up with her brother,
she calls her parents
immediately. Her dad answers the
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phone. She shouts at her father,
"Dad, you are not getting
divorced. Don't do a single
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thing until I get there. I'm
calling my brother back, and
we'll both be there tomorrow.
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Until then, don't do a thing. Do
you hear what I'm telling you?"
The man hangs up the phone,
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turns to his wife and says,
"Baby, both kids are coming home
for Thanksgiving, and they are
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now going to pay their own way."
Do I have a witness in this
place? [Aud. reaction]
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Thanksgiving. Somebody's going
to try that. Come on, say amen.
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[Aud. reaction] Thanksgiving is
a family day. It's when the
family gets together, it's when
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friends get together. But not
only, Thanksgiving is a
distinctive holiday. It doesn't
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commemorate anyone's birthday,
it does not commemorate anyone's
anniversary, it doesn't
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commemorate a battle or a
defeat. It's simply a day set
aside to express our thanks to
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God. That's how Thanksgiving got
started. You remember the story
of the pilgrims, and you
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remember the pilgrims who came
to America. You even remember,
before that in 1607 the
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Jamestown settlers arrived. In
1620, the pilgrims arrived on
Plymouth Rock. They came here,
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they settled here, they
established a colony. You will
remember the story of Governor
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William Bradford and all of the
hardships he and his company
endured in coming to America. In
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fact, you may not know it,
history says in 1623 Governor
Bradford issued a proclamation
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establishing that there should
be a day of Thanksgiving to God.
He said, "Inasmuch as the great
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Father has given us this year of
an abundant harvest of corn,
wheat, peas, beans, squash,
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garden vegetables, and has made
the forest to abound with game,
the sea with fish, and in so
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much as he as protected us from
the ravages of the savages, has
spared us from pestilence and
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disease, and has granted freedom
to worship God according the
Almighty God for all of His
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blessings." That's how this
nation got started. Don't let
anybody tell you that America
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was not a nation founded and
believing in God. That's how it
began. That's how it all got
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started. But 400 years later,
we've got atheism, agnosticism,
Buddhism, Hinduism,
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individualism, fundamentalism,
and all kinds of isms. But this
nation was founded on God. The
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pilgrims were thankful to God
for bringing them through
dangers seen and unseen. and the
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forest and they had to get it
for themselves. There was no
Walmart. There was no Target.
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There was no Publix. It was you
find it and you get it. They had
no money and no place to spend
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it if they had any. They had no
cell phones, there was no
e-mail, no Twitter, no Facebook,
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no Instagram, no means of
communication with their
relatives in England. Call upon
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his name. Make known his deeds
among the people. And friends,
that's what Thanksgiving is all
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about. It's about being
thankful. It's about being what,
everybody? [Aud. reaction]
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Coming together and remembering
to give thanks. But somewhere,
somehow, we have forgotten that.
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Now, when I was a child, I was
taught--some of you all know my
parents. I was taught as a child
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to say thank-you. When somebody
gets something for you, you say
thank-you. Are you hearing what
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I'm saying? And if you didn't
say thank-you, it was a
reflection on your upbringing
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and your home training, And if
you didn't, he said, "A hard
head makes a soft bottom." Do I
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have a witness in this place?
[Aud. reaction] He said it. And
I said in school the other day,
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"You may not have money, but you
can have manners. You may not be
rich, but you don't have to be
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rude. You may be poor, but you
can be polite." I mean, I'm
living in the 21st century, and
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I'm asking myself what ever
happened to the word please?
[Aud. reaction] What ever
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happened to the words thank-you?
What ever happened to you're
welcome? Or, may I. Not can I,
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use proper English. I wish I had
a witness in this place. May I.
And yes, you may. Whatever
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happened to a strong, warm,
friendly handshake and a
friendly hello, how are you? You
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see, years ago we were taught--I
don't know about you, but we
were taught--when you enter a
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room, you speak. You don't just
walk into a room, but when you
walk into a room, you speak to
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everybody. Years ago I was
taught, men, when you walk into
a room, you take your hat off.
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Do I have a witness in this
place? [Aud. reaction] Everybody
can give thanks. But I, seeing
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so many people sit at dinner
tables at restaurants, and
they're invited to go out and
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people will pay the entire bill,
and folks will never say
thank-you. But you know what? I
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keep a record of it. [Aud.
reaction] I'm not going to lie.
Because that determines who I
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let go out with me again. Do I
have a witness in this place?
Employees complain about the
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company they work for. Students
complain about teachers and
schools. Preschoolers complain,
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Dads complain, "I work all day,
and when I come home all you're
doing is just watching TV. Give
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me the remote." [Aud. reaction]
Church members complain. "Church
is too long." [Aud. reaction]
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PB: Church is too loud. Church
is too hot. Church is too cold.
Preach, Pastor Byrd. I'm doing
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the best I can. You've got to
encourage yourself in the Lord.
Church is too dead. Church is
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too alive. Church is too
conservative. Church is too
liberal. I hear it all. [Aud.
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reaction] Because complaining is
a part of our culture. It's one
of those things that keeps us
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from being grateful. You see,
complaining is the opposite of
thankfulness. You see, just like
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light, you've got darkness. Just
like love, you have hate. Just
like happiness, you have
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sadness. Just like thankfulness,
you have complaining. And there
seems to be very little
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thankfulness or gratitude today,
even among God's people, but a
whole lot of complaining. is in
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control of their lives, if they
really believe that God is
working things out and that all
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things work together for good to
them who love the Lord and are
called according to His purpose,
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the Christian will stop
complaining and start thanking
God for the plan He is working
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for us. I was reading Ellen
White. You know I still read
her. Let me tell you something.
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As a Christian, there should
never be a moment in your life
where you don't thank God for
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what God has done in your life.
[Aud. reaction] Has God done
anything for anybody? Has God
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blessed anybody? I mean, in
Oakwood today, I know we've got
our suits on and our bow ties
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and our hats on, but are there
just 50 people in this place who
do not mind giving God thanks
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for what God has done. In the
good times, praise His name. In
the bad times, do the same. Paul
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said in 1 Thessalonians 5, "In
everything give him thanks." So
then, when your world turns
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upside down, thank God. When
your boss comes on your job with
a pink slip, thank God, because
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God must have something better
for you. When you can't pay your
bills, be thankful. At least
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you're not one of your bill
collectors. When you're seated
in church, sitting next to
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somebody who can't sing. [Aud.
reaction] Be thankful. At least
you have ears that can hear, and
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you're not deaf. Are you hearing
what I'm saying? [Aud. reaction]
When you look in the mirror and
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you see gray hair, be thankful.
At least you're not a long
distance from your car to the
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church, be thankful. What if you
couldn't walk? When somebody
works and gets on your nerves
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because of their ignorance,
their bitterness, their apathy
or their negativity, be
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thankful. Things could be worse,
because you could be one of
them. The text says, "O give
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thanks unto the Lord. Call upon
his name. Make his deeds known
to the people." Christians who
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complain about their
circumstances should remember
Israel of old. Look at the
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chosen of Israel. Exhibit A.
Psalm 105 reminds us that God
abundantly blessed the children
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of Israel, in the name of Jesus,
don't you forget where your
blessings come from. Don't you
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forgot where God has brought
you. You may not be where you
want to be, but praise God
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you're not where you used to be.
[Aud. reaction] Don't get
nearsighted in life. Don't
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merely look at the irritations
and frustrations in front of you
and then by that you lose your
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perspective, blowing today's
problems way out of proportion,
forgetting the bigger picture of
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the great things that God has
done in your life. Quickly, let
me tell you what complaining
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does. Complaining disrupts
Christian unity. Let me go back
to Exhibit A. When the 10
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Israelite spies went to spy out
the land, they came back with
their report. Their report
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affected the entire Israelite
nation. Numbers 14:36, read it.
It teaches that the spies
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started complaining and then the
entire congregation started
complaining. Complaining is so
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contagious that it spreads like
wildfire. When one dog begins to
bark, other dogs begin to bark.
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When one frog begins to croak in
a pond, other frogs begin to
croak, too. Get one disgruntled
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complainer, and it won't be long
before it spreads to many. I
used to think, friends of mine,
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I used to think people
complained because they had a
lot of problems. But I've come
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to realize that they have a lot
of problems because they
complain. Complaining never
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changes anything. The only thing
it does is it amplifies
frustration, spreads discontent
00:20:10.83\00:20:18.63
and multiplies discord.
Complaining disrupts Christian
unity. But not only that,
00:20:18.63\00:20:26.23
complaining discredits Christian
testimony. Every day, someone's
asking the same question: Is God
00:20:26.23\00:20:36.06
hiding His face from our
problems? Why do bad things
happen to good people? Does God
00:20:36.06\00:20:41.20
really hold my destiny in His
hands? The Breath of Life
Ministry has the perfect answer
00:20:41.20\00:20:49.70
in a beautiful new book called
"How Can I Understand the
Bible?" It's your gift free,
00:20:49.70\00:20:55.63
with your donation of any
amount. Contact us at
www.BreathofLife.tv, or call us
00:20:55.63\00:21:02.66
at 1 (877) 265-6333. Now, back
to Dr. Byrd with a message
already in progress. Now, we
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talk about how much we love God,
how good God is, how awesome God
is, how much we love God, and
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how good He is, but we often
live like atheists. Not
believing in God, not believing
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in the power of God. His power
to save, His power to heal, His
power to deliver. But we live
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like atheists, not believing in
the power of God, murmuring and
complaining all the time. Let me
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tell you, friends of mine, I say
it all the time. If you don't
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prayer-answering God, don't come
to the altar at prayer time. But
if you believe that God can heal
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your body, then act like it. If
you believe that God can save
your marriage, then act like it.
00:22:24.66\00:22:31.73
If you believe that God can give
you a job, then act like it. If
you believe that God can bring
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your children back to Him, then
act like it. God is not a God
that he should lie, or the Son
00:22:37.36\00:22:42.16
of Man that he should repent. If
God said it, you can count on
it. He will do just what he
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says. Stop belly-aching. Stop
complaining, and stand still and
see the salvation of the Lord. A
00:22:51.30\00:23:02.73
Christian who's always
complaining, it's harmful to the
cause of Christ. In the name of
00:23:02.73\00:23:11.60
Christianity, you're a bad
advertisement for the King.
Nobody likes to be around people
00:23:11.60\00:23:21.26
who are always grumbling and
complaining. Complaining is like
bad breath. You notice it when
00:23:21.26\00:23:29.60
it comes out of somebody's
else's mouth but not your mouth.
Complainers are missionaries of
00:23:29.60\00:23:34.46
misery. Complaining always hurts
those around us. It takes no
special skill, talent or IQ.
00:23:34.46\00:23:52.56
Anybody can complain, but
Christians should not be
complainers. Thanksgiving is the
00:23:52.56\00:24:00.23
time to remind ourselves of how
serious the sin of complaining
is. Most of us tend to look at
00:24:00.23\00:24:29.26
complaining as a small thing,
because we categorize sin. Sleep
with somebody that's not your
00:24:29.26\00:24:37.70
spouse, sin. Get drunk or have a
filthy mouth, sin. Take or sell
illicit drugs, sin. Somehow,
00:24:37.70\00:24:44.40
when it comes to the spirit of
complaining, we excuse it. The
story is told of two young boys
00:24:44.40\00:25:01.30
who were eating some grapes. One
of them remarked, "Aren't they
sweet?" believe we serve a "Look
00:25:01.30\00:25:09.26
at those beautiful red roses."
The other boy commented, "Yeah,
but they're full of thorns." "My
00:25:09.26\00:25:18.43
bottle's half empty already,"
but the first boy responded,
"But mine is still half full."
00:25:18.43\00:25:26.66
Many believers are like the
negative-thinking boy in this
story, they always look at life
00:25:26.66\00:25:37.93
through dark glasses. Exhibit A.
Like the children of Israel, who
complained and grumbled when
00:25:37.93\00:25:47.56
they should be praising the Lord
for His gracious provision.
Praise is the best deterrent I
00:25:47.56\00:26:03.60
know for complaining. I said,
praise is the best deterrent
that I know for complaining.
00:26:03.60\00:26:09.83
Because people who keep praising
the Lord usually achieve victory
over complaining. That's why the
00:26:09.83\00:26:15.50
psalmist said, "O give thanks
unto the Lord. Call upon his
name. Make known his deeds among
00:26:15.50\00:26:22.96
the people." He said, "Sing unto
him, sing songs of him, talk ye
of his wondrous works. Glory ye
00:26:22.96\00:26:40.90
in his name. Let the heart of
them rejoice that seek the
Lord." You can't stand in a
00:26:40.90\00:26:52.16
group of people where somebody's
complaining then you start
praising God, because praise is
00:26:52.16\00:27:07.50
a deterrent to all that
complaining. God loves it when
we thank Him. God loves it when
00:27:07.50\00:27:21.10
we praise Him. When we praise
God, demons tremble. When we
praise God, enemies stumble.
00:27:21.10\00:27:28.40
When we praise God the devil
grumbles. That's why I will
bless the Lord at all times and
00:27:28.40\00:27:36.43
His praise shall continually be
in my mouth. Bless the Lord,
Just to have a sound mind, we
00:27:36.43\00:27:43.93
ought to be thankful. When we
think how far God has brought us
from the last Thanksgiving, to
00:27:43.93\00:27:51.43
this Thanksgiving, somebody
should say thank You, Jesus!
[Aud. reaction] Last
00:27:51.43\00:27:59.96
Thanksgiving, somebody didn't
have a car. They were walking,
but you're driving now. Thank
00:27:59.96\00:28:07.03
you, Jesus. But now you have a
job. In the fields you want, in
the place you want, thank you
00:28:07.03\00:28:11.83
Jesus. Last Thanksgiving, cancer
was all over somebody's body,
but look at your now. God
00:28:11.83\00:28:17.40
touched somebody. God healed
somebody. God rescued somebody.
God delivered somebody. Praise
00:28:17.40\00:28:18.40