| The Attitude That Accesses
the Kingdom Theme: Thanksgiving There is a group of people that the Scripture tells us God will do things for that He cannot do for other people. It is a certain group that possesses a particular attitude. In this message, we’re going to find out what that attitude is. You’re not born with it over someone else. It is a choice and everyone can choose it, but many do not. The earth is crying for answers. What they don’t know is that theyare crying out for a Kingdom. No human government has ever been able to give humanity all they need. Even democracy, arguable the best among humanity, falls short. Republicans and Democrats have had shots and no one has answers. No human government can truly be sustained without God at its core. This nation has flirted with concepts of a godless society – a humanistic government where man is the center of the universe. It has taken prayer out of the schools, outlawed the 10 commandments in its court house, taken the Bible off city properties, legalized abortion, made it taboo to say Merry Christmas in the work place and entertained those who would remove “In God We Trust” from our currency. As with every other nation who has followed suit, when America is done with God, we are done as a great nation. But the scriptures teach us that God always has a remnant. I want to be a part of that remnant!Luke 17:11-19 (The Message)
10 lepers were healed by Jesus and charged to go show themselves to the priest/physicians for a clean bill of health. As they went, they were healed. They got their healing, but only one came back to give Jesus thanks. To him, Jesus also wholeness/salvation. Jesus was holding a supernatural blessing that only a few elite heroes of faith were receiving, and even that was reserved for the Jews. When this man came back to say thanks and acknowledge his trust and belief in Christ, He unlocked the door to a blessing that a heathen was not to receive. Jesus reached around the Cross and gave salvation to a Gentile before the time of the Gentiles. All good things come from God and a big majority of humanity is looking only for surface healing.
And God may allow human government to succeed in some of those things. But there is a remnant, a fraction of civilization, looking for deeper healing. They realize that solving these issues won’t solve our nation’s problem. Those are only surface symptoms. Human government cannot fix what America and the world needs. They are looking for a King, a Kingdom. They are coming back, so to speak, to say thanks and to acknowledge Christ as the King, the ruler we need! They are thanking Him, by faith, that everything is going to be alright regardless of what comes around the bend. And that attitude of gratitude is creating an atmosphere where Jesus is more than just the Healer; He is God. He is the King who makes salvation happen where there was disease and godless sin. Even Thanksgiving is a forgotten holiday because saying thanks for life, health, provision and protection means acknowledging the lordship of one greater than humanity. Paul Tillich, in “The Eternal Now,” said, “The abundance of a grateful heart gives honor to God even if it does not burn to Him in words. An unbeliever who is filled with thanks for his very being has ceased to be an unbeliever.” So, I encourage you to be a part of a great, miracle producing, salvation-seeing, Kingdom-realizing minority that acknowledges Christ’s sovereignty and comes back to live a lifestyle of thanks regardless of situation or culture around you. Some things for which I am thankful:
Thank you, Fellowship family, for bringing the Word of God into your homes during this Thanksgiving week. I encourage you to make a list of things for which you are thankful. Do this in two parts:
Say, or sing, the words to this song out loud together. Lord, I thank You
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