TELECAST SERMON FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 (THANKSGIVING) "THANK YOU LORD" HEAD PASTOR BILLY HAN, JR.

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1 Thank you Melvin! TELECAST SERMON FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 (THANKSGIVING) "THANK YOU LORD" HEAD PASTOR BILLY HAN, JR. What a joy it is for me, to stand before this wonderful TV audience, as I get ready to share another Spirit-inspired sermon with you! Before I do, however, I want to inform those of you, who continue to send in your personal notes in praise of the Choir, Band, Orchestra, Instrumentalists, and Vocalists, that your special correspondences are always relayed to our telecast participants, as well as to our entire congregation. It truly pleases us to know, that the Kingdom of God Crusade Telecasts, of the Apostolic Faith Church, which originates in Honolulu, Hawaii, is appreciated and enjoyed by so many of you. Now, won't you join me in the reading of God's Word and the message, I have entitled, "THANK YOU LORD." When I wake up in the morning, I thank the Lord that He has given me another day to live. And every morning thereafter upon awakening, I can say, "Thank you Lord that I can hear; thank you Lord that I can see; thank you Lord for my wonderful family; thank you Lord for the daily food." We read in I Tim. 4:4-5, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer." Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out; naked we came into this world, naked we will exit it. And finally, thank you Lord for salvation of our souls, the greatest gift that God has given us. We read in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." When we are born into this world we have physical life which lasts until we die. When we are "born again," we receive eternal life thru the new birth. It never ends, for when our bodies die at the end of our physical life, we, who have been truly born of water and of the Spirit and walking in the light and enduring unto the end, will go to heaven to be with God and go on living that eternal life, which we start here upon earth. Eternal life is more than quantity, it is quality also; it is the life of Christ in the believer. What is thanksgiving anyway? Is it just falling down upon our knees, saying "thank you Lord" and other words of appreciation and praises to Him for a job well done? Thanksgiving is an act of giving thanks: an expression of gratitude, especially to God. Thanksgiving Day is a National Holiday, set apart for giving thanks to God, and it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Is our giving thanks only a yearly ritual? It seems that thanksgiving should be a daily ritual, rather than a designated day. 1

2 Listen to I Theso. 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Therefore, the fourth Thursday of November should not be the only day set aside to give thanks. We should be thankful just for the breath of life. Just imagine if God woke up and filled our food cabinets only once a year. God breathed life into us, as we read in Gen. 2:7, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Yes, our God will supply all our needs through Christ Jesus, according to His riches in glory. There are many today who don't even give thanks to God for the material things that have been provided for them. We must give God the glory for the homes we have and the automobiles we drive. Giving thanks in everything is a command of God. Thanksgiving has always been a day of special significance in America and many parts of the world. When the pilgrims observed the first thanksgiving, they did so in the Spirit of God. We read Psalm 92:1-2, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night." These men, who were devout and prompted by the Word of God, paused to thank Almighty God, something that is lacking today in our homes, schools, businesses, etc. As we look back into history, we find there were many years when no thanksgiving day was observed. The Pilgrims celebrated the first thanksgiving day in October, From that time on it was a regular custom to have one day a year set aside for a day of thanksgiving. However, many prefer to use thanksgiving as a day of gluttony and revelry--"eating, drinking and being merry;" rather than a day for humbling themselves before God and thanking Him for many material and Spiritual blessings that they know and enjoy. This thanksgiving will find most of us in warm fellowship with friends and loved ones, gathered around a table filled with delectable dishes. With so much to eat, everyone will most likely end up much more stuffed than the turkey ever was, vowing never to eat again. Yes, people have forgotten what Thanksgiving really means. Many think in terms of material blessings. For what value would material blessings be, without the love of God, the love of family and of friends, or without the freedom to enjoy them. Many are saying to God, "Thank you Lord, but we no longer need you! We have everything!" To the born again believers who believe and know the truth, Thanksgiving is everyday, not only one day out of a year. 2

3 Many have been taught that Thanksgiving originated with the Pilgrims of New England in The Bible tells us that the first annual national Thanksgiving Day on the record, celebrated by any nation, was in all probability that, which was instituted in about 1491 B.C. by Moses, for the children of Israel and observed by them 40 years later. Israel's national thanksgiving day was like ours, in that it was observed at the close of harvest, and its aim was to give thanks for the bounteous harvest. It was a time for feasting and offering gifts to God, and it included giving alms to the poor. It was called Pentecost because it came just fifty days after the beginning of harvest. The word Pentecost means fifty. It was also called the "Feast of Weeks." We read in Lev. 23:15-16, "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave- offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete! Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat-offering unto the Lord." Thus, we have a Biblical picture of a Thanksgiving day, the kind that is pleasing in the sight of God because it signified both an expression of gratitude by acknowledging and confessing with gladness and praise, the benefits and mercies which God bestowed upon the people and a giving of alms and offerings, as a thanks-offering for blessings received. God wanted the children of Israel to have a time of praise and thanksgiving at every special occasion. We read Psalm 118:1, "O give thanks unto the lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever." Jesus taught the people to return thanks, when He thanked God and broke the loaves and divided the fish to feed the multitude. He thanked God again when He instituted the Lord's Supper. The Apostle Paul emphasized the importance of giving thanks, when he wrote in Phil 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Many Christians bow their heads in restaurants and public places and give thanks for the food that has been placed before them. However, many are forgetting this custom. Everything we receive from God is good, for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. Even at Thanksgiving, only a few will pause to give thanks to God. We go on living from day to day, eating and drinking and making merry without any thoughts of gratitude. Let us hope and pray that as a nation, we will go on praising the Lord, remembering what King Solomon said in Prov. 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." We should all pause, despite our problems and burdens or blessings to give thanks, remembering that it is God, Who gives us wealth and not we ourselves. 3

4 We read in Duet. 8:10; 17-18, "When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may established his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day." The great economic and material prosperity we are enjoying today is a gift of God. We are the richest nation in the world. The material blessings are good, but the Spiritual blessings are more rewarding. Did not Jesus say in Matt. 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."? Yes, seek the Spiritual things first and the material things will follow. There are many today who come during the night to seek Spiritual blessings, and witness the wonderful works of God during our Divine Healing Services. They see devils cast out. At the mere mention of the name; "Jesus," asthmatics have been healed; lumps in the breast have disappeared, and a host of other wonder-working miracles have occurred, while the applicants were being prayed over upon being anointed with oil in the name of Jesus. Many, after seeing the wonderful work of the Lord, marvel at the power of God and acknowledge that Jesus is the Healer and the Mighty Physician Who has never lost a case. And truly, God has always been manifest in the very Person, Jesus Christ. After seeing these miracles, many, who only came for healing, realized that they had to be born again, repent of their sins and take on His Name in water baptism. In The Apostolic Faith Church, we give them some very explicit instructions, regarding being born again. Listen to John 3:5, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." To be born of water is to be baptized in water by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ, according to Acts 2:38, "Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." To be born of the Spirit is to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in an unknown tongue, the only sign according to the Bible, which confirms one has been filled with the Holy Ghost. Outside the name of Jesus, none can be saved. Acts 4:12 states, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." 4

5 Did you know the Holy Ghost was given on a day of Thanksgiving? What a great and wonderful Thanksgiving Day gift it was! Don't you agree? No wonder Paul tells us in II Cor. 9:15, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." Because Thanksgiving Day is associated with harvest, it is a reminder to us of God's great and blessed promises. Gen. 8:22, states, "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Thus, that first Thanksgiving Day after the resurrection of our Lord, or the Day of Pentecost, which was the first Thanksgiving Day of the New Testament Church, was the actual fulfillment of that great promise, which had been given to Abraham. We read Gen. 15:1, "After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Here God had promised Himself to Abraham, and the fulfillment of it would be in Abraham's children, both according to flesh and according to faith. Gal 3:7 tells us, "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." And those who believe and have been born again are also of Abraham's Spiritual seed. Therefore, they are SPIRITUAL ISRAELITES. David, in his psalms of thanksgiving, uttered these words in I Chron. 16:8 & 29, "Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 68:19 tells us, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." He not only loads us with benefits, but reminds us daily not to forget those benefits. What are some of the benefits we have received from the Lord? They are the salvation of our souls, the promise of eternal life, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the healing of our bodies and souls; and other benefits, too numerous to count. As the lyrics of a certain song go: "Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your many blessings, See what God hath done; count your many blessings; and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done." Psalm 100 is known as the "joyful psalm." We read verses:1-3, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture." 5

6 We make a joyful noise by clapping our hands during choruses when the congregation sings, because we are a Spirited and lively church, singing praises unto Him and shouting unto God with a voice of triumph! Therefore, let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. The Lord wants to breathe upon every soul, so that everyone can receive the Holy Ghost, which only He can give, and it is given to them that obey Him. We read acts 2:39, "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." And God is calling a people out of a people to form His true church of which He is still the head. God is longsuffering and not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Immorality and corruption are still the rule of many today. These are perilous times, and though many have the form of godliness, they deny the power thereof. In other words, many believe in God, but serve the gods of this world, such as money, lust, worldly amusement, etc., making them "lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God." In these days of uncertainty and confusion, to all who have received the gift of His Son, He also gives the gifts of peace and joy, power, courage, and hope. How can we understand and fully appreciate the abundance we enjoy? Is there some way to measure the gifts that God has given us? The initial things that come to mind are usually those that we can see, taste, and touch, that is, the material things. These are easy to measure because we can assign a dollar value to each of them. But if our thanks stopped there, how shallow they'd be, indeed. The greater gifts are endowments and benefits, which are difficult to measure because they are intangible. God gave us a gift, a blessing beyond our measure. In our behalf, He offered His Son, Who paid for our sins at Calvary. Thanksgiving includes recognition of this very special debt that cannot be repaid. The "Word of God" tells us that the very goodness of God should lead us to repentance. We should fall upon our knees and call upon His name. Thus, we read in Phil. 2:10-11, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Bowing of the knee has not come to pass yet, but it shall come to pass, when Jesus Christ comes back to this earth to rule and reign. When we speak of thanksgiving, we come to the word "generosity," one of the marks of a true "born again" Christian. 6

7 Some people think only of money, especially when the preacher speaks of generosity, and they tend to shy away from anything that is even remotely connected to this subject. But generosity includes more than making a liberal gift. What is generosity? It is the act of doing more than is expected of someone. When one does more, he has been very generous. Thus, to my viewers I say, "When you tithe, you do that which is expected of you. When you go beyond that you may be called generous." Let us recollect some examples of generosity. Paul was a strict Pharisee, who adhered to the Law of Moses and cared for no one, but himself and his narrow beliefs. After Jesus transformed Paul on the dusty road to Damascus, his life and heart were opened to all men. He ministered to all classes of people. In one city they stoned him and left him for dead. Later he returned to minister to those very same people. That was, indeed, and act of generosity, Paul was so generoushearted that he would do anything necessary to win souls to Jesus. Like his Master and Saviour, Jesus, he generously gave of himself to others. And how about the "Good Samaritan?" Do you remember the man, who went to Jericho, then fell among thieves, was wounded and robbed? The Levite and the Priest passed upon the road on the opposite side of the victim, but the "good Samaritan" went straight to him, saved the life of the man, and took care of him. The Samaritan was supposed to be a man who despised the Jews, but he showed his generosity by his loving attitude towards this man. He put aside all hatred and prejudices and generously gave of himself to a man who hated him. The Samaritan had the right spirit. Isn't that just like Jesus? calling for help, and no one will respond. Today, a person can be Jesus posed a question to a lawyer, as we read in Luke 10:36-37, "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him, Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." I say "amen" to that! And speaking about prejudice, there was no narrowness in Jesus. He looked with love upon Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, bond and free. He saw their needs and responded to them. He gave himself generously to everyone. Jesus would stop to help any man who might have been in need, no matter what his country or creed. Let a sinful woman cry out. While others may stone her; Jesus would lift her up and help her to lead a better life by instructing her, "Go and sin no more." 7

8 Thus, viewers, if you want to follow Him, you must bear the marks of generosity. Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Here is an important question for each of you "To whom are we to be generous?" Sometimes we are tremendously ungenerous to the ones we love the most. Remember, charity begins at home. Why ought we to be generous? The answer is because God has been generous to us. He has opened the windows of heaven, and have poured out His blessings upon us and our loved ones. Thus, TV viewers, why not make your Thanksgiving complete by accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour, Master and Lord? We should make this Thanksgiving Day, a day, to remember by kneeling and giving humble and sincere thanks from the heart to God, for all the bountiful blessings He has poured upon us. If you would like to learn more about God s Word and the Church, and view these telecast presentations in their entirety, please visit our website at Until our next telecast, this is your host, Head Pastor Billy Han, Jr. expressing my sincerest appreciation to each of you, who have allowed us to come into your homes. May the good Lord bless and keep you all in the hollow of His hands. Entire contents of this text copyright 2018 by The Apostolic Faith Church (Jesus Coming Soon), Honolulu, Hawaii. All rights reserved. 8