Happy Thanksgiving - In All Things Give Thanks

0:00 And now the 12th commandment is here in verse 16. And I think that you have three commandments that really go together. I've always felt that these go together here in verse 16, rejoice evermore or rejoice always. And it doesn't mean be happy. This is not the happy hour we're talking about. This is to rejoice. And Paul says in Philippians, and that he wrote at the end of his ministry, Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say, Rejoice.

0:46 My, that's a commandment. You don't find that in the Ten Commandments. You have no right, my friend, as a child of God, to go around as a sourpuss. You've got no right. To go around as a cantankerous individual, you are to rejoice evermore as a child of God. And how wonderful it is to be able to rejoice. And by the way, it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, love, joy, peace. And if you can't rejoice right now, then Begin reading the word of God and calling on God to put joy in your heart. He'll do it. Rejoice always. And then verse 17, pray without ceasing, pray without ceasing.

1:30 Now this has to do with an attitude of prayer. That doesn't mean you to stay on your knees all the time, but I think that it means to pray regularly and to be Constantly, I think in the attitude of prayer and then he goes on and says in verse 18 in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Now that's to give thanks in all circumstances, not once a year, but all the time. And he says, this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Now, if you would come to me and say today, what is the will of God?

2:10 for me. Well, I couldn't really tell you, but I can tell you three things here. That's the will of God for you. Rejoice, always pray without ceasing and in everything, give thanks. That's the will of God for us. And demand three 60 starts in three, two, one. You've tuned in to Man to Man 360. The show for men by men, dealing with all subjects. The twist here is we come from a Biblical worldview to encourage and empower men to make it in life through the power of Jesus Christ.

2:57 Alright, real talk. Chopping it up. Men, talking about everything you're talking about. Sometimes it's cool, it's cool, it's cool. Sometimes it's here, this is Man to Man 360. Hey, welcome to a brand new episode of Man to Man 360. And of course I'm your host, Darrell Anderson. And listen, this is a special episode. Actually somewhat of a short episode because it's a holiday and we're going to call this from the Thanksgiving episode.

3:37 We're going to be coming out of this the verse 1st Thessalonians 5 and 18 and everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. That's the new King James version. And that's where we are today. Giving thanks. It's Thanksgiving, and it's not the turkey day. And sometimes I think, you know, we jokingly, or maybe on purpose, we forget or neglect to say that it is a day of giving thanks. It's not for giving thanks. It's for giving thanks unto God for blessing us throughout the year make it into a new year.

4:19 As we're getting ready to close, Close the chapter on the current year going into a new year. So there's so much to be thankful for. But before we go any further, just want to remind you guys to go to man, demand three 60. com. That's man, the number two, man, three 60. com. And there's where you can subscribe to the show, follow the show, and even tell us what you think about each show or episode that you listen to, but I want to jump right in and just really get into this Thanksgiving spirit. Actually, by the time this is airing, we'll be away. We'll be in Florida. We'll be visiting our son down in Fort Myers. And so we'll be doing Thanksgiving down there. And therefore probably not, not probably we'll be there for a week. So it'd be a great time.

4:59 Just seeing him and also seeing the the area that he just moved into down in Fort Myers. I'm also hoping to see some alligators and flamingos and, and maybe even some manatees. Those, those three things would be on my. 10 lists of things to see while in Fort Myers, cause it's going to be so close to the Everglades. Supposed to be riding those little air boats and that kind of thing. So, so it should be a lot of fun. One of the things to be thankful for is my mother, mother in law and my wife had already traveled and they're there now. And I'll be traveling on tomorrow to get there before the holiday. So so thankful that they're already there. Also want to be thankful for something that just earlier this week, my mother had called last week and was concerned about something that she had gotten from a doctor said that she needed to come in to see them about or kidneys or whatever, and that kind of thing.

5:53 And as we've been prayerful about that she later. shared with me just on a couple of days ago, early in the week that God was good and that they actually said that as they looked over everything, everything was fine. And that there was really nothing for her to have to come in for. But that as they examined things, everything was well, the reason there was that, that check there was because just two years ago, I think it was my mother actually had a kidney cancer in one of her kidneys and it had to be removed. And so obviously, you know, you're always concerned and I shouldn't say always concerned, but you know, you want to make sure that the other kidneys is strong and healthy.

6:34 And so when they had that red flag of concern, you know, that was something to be prayerful about, but The answer came back that the kidney was very, very well, and it was good, and there was no concerns there at this time we're moving forward. So that's what we're also thankful for. And of course, you know, we're always thankful for our parents that are alive, you know, my father and mother who are alive and well. And and even my mother in law in this case as well, too, who, like I said, will be traveling with her, she's well, and these are people, you know, my father is 81, my mother is 79, my mother in law I believe is 87, I believe I got that, that year right so, you know, we're not talking about young, young people, but they're doing very well, they move around and get around and everything else, and so Yeah, so I'm very thankful for that.

7:21 Those aren't things I take for granted. My son, as we go down, he was actually, he moved to Fort Myers because of a promotion this year. Well, I shouldn't say a promotion. It was a it was a new job. That's what it was. It was a new job. From Tampa down to Fort Myers. So move down there. So that's, that's cool too. So that's something to be thankful for. I have brothers and they're doing very well. I have nephews and nieces, nephews and a niece, which all, all that I hear they're doing well having her for my goddaughter this year, but we saw on Facebook, so she seemed to be doing well and aunts and uncles and everyone else. So we have people doing well, I say all that to say that the things we should be thinking about.

8:01 His family and our friends, our brothers and sisters in the Lord, those people close to us that we speak to on a regular basis, are they doing well? And if they're not, you know, being prayerful for them trusting God that he will bring them through and also trying to see how we can be a blessing to them. Those are the things that's super important. Those are the things that's really important. Now I'm saying this because we're also in an election year. And as you know, we did some episodes on the election and, you know, some people voted one way and some people voted for another way. Some people voted for Kamala, some people voted for Trump, some people vote Republican, some people vote Democrat or liberal or conservative or wherever.

8:45 And so there's always going to be a winner and a loser and in previous years and in previous elections where the Democrat won, then, you know, the Democrat people who vote for that person rejoice, whereas the people who didn't vote for him you know, are either sad or upset or angry. And then when the Republican wins, then those who are Democrats are, are angry or sad or whatever, and then the Republicans rejoice. Yeah. But see, it doesn't matter who wins it does to some degree, but as far as you, we can't let external things that's external, who wins in the white house, who wins in the state house of your governorships, wherever you are in the country, who wins in the city hall of whatever city you live in.

9:39 We cannot let those things disturb our peace. We cannot let those things. Mess up our year, and we cannot let those things take away the thanksgiving that we should be giving unto God. That's, that's, that's, you, you cannot say, well, because my candidate didn't win, I'm not going to give God thanks this year. You can't do that because then, then, then you have the other people, the, the previous years that would have been thinking the same thing. In other words, it doesn't matter on the external because God is still good. And God is always good because if your candidate one, let's say in this case, if, if Trump was your candidate, but you have a loved one who is very, very sick, deathly sick, and perhaps on the, on the point of death, does it matter who the president is?

10:38 It doesn't do it because you want your loved one to live and enjoy life and you want to enjoy time with them, either close or distant or far, wherever they are, you see, but if you're a candidate loss, wouldn't you still want the things? in your life and close to you, for you to be able to praise God for those people and those things. Let's, let's suppose you were really hurt by a loss in a candidacy or whatever, someone you was voting for. I mean, let's make, if we're going to make politics that big of a deal in our life. So let's suppose that person lost. Wouldn't you want the people around you to be healthy and, and, and, and, and to be good so that you can at least have something to rejoice God and praise God for.

11:27 And, and I shouldn't say praise God, but to be thankful unto God for, because in all things, we should give thanks. Not in everything do we give thanks. So for those who may be the person you chose or elected, or maybe the job that you was going for, you didn't get it. So we don't thank God that I didn't get the job. Unless, of course, you found out something that was bad that, you know, you are thankful that you didn't get the job. But suppose it was a really nice job, it was a really good job, a really good paying job, and you didn't get it. We should still be thankful unto God. Why? Because we still have opportunity, we still have breath in our lungs. We still have an opportunity to praise Him and for Him to open up other opportunities for us.

12:09 And we're just thankful that at the end of this life, when we breathe our last breath out or in or whatever, that as we're snatched up, we're going to be with him because that's where we're most thankful. Did you eat today? Did you eat today? Because if you ate today, that's something to be thankful for. I know we take it for granted in America, but in a lot of places around the world, whoa, whoa, what am I saying? There's a lot of places in America where people don't eat. There are people who used to be very successful in their careers and in life, but something happened.

12:49 Maybe it was a military person who, who's a strong soldier and fought wars, recent wars, or long ago wars for the United States, but they got hurt sometime. You see these guys out on the streets. Now, I know we got illegal aliens coming into the country and giving 90, 000 and flights around the country and all that with that's, that's despicable, but you have soldiers in some cases, which have been hurt and in some cases suffering and maybe out in those streets. So we should be looking for ways to help them. Thank God that you have the wherewithal to be a provider or should I say a blessing?

13:32 That's what I meant to say to be a blessing to them or to anyone for that matter, but that's why we give thanks we give thanks because If we are eating That's nothing to take for granted. That's nothing to take for granted. We thank God for our food. We thank God for our small apartment, our large apartment, our small house, our big house, our nice house, our clean house, the people who live in our home. We thank God for our kids, for grandparents, for, for our grandkids. We thank God if we're married for our spouse, but you say, yeah, but they're not the greatest, but you have one.

14:14 So you have an opportunity for God to make some changes in, in her heart or your heart or his heart. Matter of fact, it should always start with us first, Lord, change my heart to be more loving so that I can accept the people or give kind words or words of wisdom to help my loved one with the issues that they're dealing with so that our marriage can work. In all things, give thanks for it is the will of God. Do we even thank God for our friends and our brothers and sisters in the Lord that we're good with?

14:55 In all things, give thanks. The car that we have in the, in the, in the lot or the parking lot or in the garage and all things give thanks and the ability to just sit, breathe, breathe out on your own, without a machine in all things, give thanks having the activity of my limbs to lift up both of my hands right now, my arms to be able to stand. Now, and for some, someone listening, you might not be able to sing, you might be in a, you might be wheelchair bound, but you still thank God for your breath. You know what it is you need to thank God for.

15:35 Amen. See that, that part is really, that part is really key. That part is really key. It's important that we know that piece. That God has done so much for us and God has been, has been so good to us and all things give thanks. Listen, at this point, I don't really have anything else to say. I really just want to say happy Thanksgiving and I hope that you don't use divisive arguments of politics and things like that at your Thanksgiving meal.

16:22 If you want to talk politics, that's fine, because sometimes it's going to be fun debates, but don't, don't, don't create the, the, the rough conversations that get really divisive. Instead, enjoy the time you have, enjoy the holiday, enjoy the people around you. And, but, but give God thanks. Don't sit around the table and thank each other for things that they've done. And no, the thanks is not for people. The thanks is unto God. And that's the most important part. The thanks is unto God because people can be here today and gone tomorrow. And I don't mean life and death. I mean, like in a relationship with you or out of a relationship with you and cut you off forever.

17:03 But you didn't give God thanks. And all things give God thanks for it is the will of God. This is man, demand three 60. I am your host, Darrell Anderson. Happy Thanksgiving, and we are out. This episode of Man to Man 360 is a wrap. But you can check us out next week wherever you get your podcast and listen on demand to earlier or exclusive content. Visit us at man to man 360. com. That's man, the number two. Man 360. com. This is an ambassador media production.