Great Questions Group @ MarkDeMatteo.com

(I shared the following message with the GQG back in 2016)

Several years ago now, around this same time of year–right before our Thanksgiving Day holiday here in the USA–I thought I would take some time to really reflect on just a portion of all I had to be grateful for.

As I did, I thought it might be good to write it all down as a prayer of Thanksgiving to our Wonderful God.

Then, I thought it might be worth sharing it with those of you in our GQG.

After doing so, I received quite a bit of grateful feedback and also a number of requests to  record an audio copy of it.

The last time I shared this was in 2014, as I had a different message last year, but since many of you are new, I thought I would share it again.

It has gone through several minor modifications–actually additions–since my original version I shared in 2012, but the essence remains the same.

Furthermore, for those of us which have heard it before–myself included–it is always good to pause, reflect, remember, and then sincerely thank our Great God with heart-felt gratitude for all He continues to provide for us!

A Thanksgiving Prayer 2016

Our Father, which art in Heaven, we thank You:

For this vast Cosmos of space and time, matter and energy, which You created and now sustain through Your wisdom and power.

For this amazing reality called life, in which we now exist, moment by moment, day by day…which only You have given us.

For this marvelous planet called Earth through which You sustain, protect and provide for us.

For sunshine and rain, windy and snowy days, air to breathe, and water to drink, spring flowers, autumn colors, blue skies, white clouds, rainbows, sunsets, moon light and starry nights.

For majestic mountains and painted prairies, lakes and rivers, canyons and forests–from sea to shining sea.

For the living miracle of our physical bodies:

For the more than 100 trillion cells which make up our bones, nerves, muscles, organs, skin, eyes, hair, hands and feet.

For our breath, our heartbeat, for taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight.

For our brains, our minds, and consciousness, for our thoughts, feelings, memories and emotions…

And for the astounding reality that, as complex as they are, our bodies essentially run themselves.

Yet most of all, for the Immortal Soul You have placed inside each one of us Father, which in Your eyes is worth more than all the world.

For our families and friends and all those dear to us…even our pets.

For the amazing gift of love and our ability to experience it–to give it, receive it and share it.

For the privilege of living in what is still, probably the greatest country that has ever existed.

For food, clothing, shelter, and transportation–perhaps all in abundance

For freedom of speech, information, travel, occupation, and worship.

For justice and liberty–in greater abundance than anywhere else on earth.

For every man or woman who has ever served, and perhaps bled and even died on a battlefield to provide us that liberty.

For love and trust, virtue and valor, truth and faithfulness, strength and honor, devotion and sacrifice, and all that is noblest in the human realm.

For the amazing, though oft neglected privilege of talking to You in prayer and thanking You for Your constant, continuous care.

But also, for a day in which we are reminded to pause in thanksgiving and reflect upon how blessed we truly are, all year long.

 Most of all Father, we thank You for the priceless gift of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

For You have granted Eternal Life to each of us who have placed our trust in Him, as our personal Savior.

For Your Word tells us the sober, yet thrilling truth that Jesus is almighty God and that He will indeed, one day soon, return again to this earth.

And this time, He will do so as the Sovereign King and Supreme Judge of the Cosmos.

For Jesus was first the Creator, before He became Savior, for the Scriptures declare that “all things were made by Him” and He is therefore, absolute Lord of all.

And when He does return, He will richly reward those of us who have loved and obeyed Him, but will also be forced to judge and banish into perdition, all who have persisted in rejecting His unprecedented offer of love and forgiveness.

For He will then renew and transform this Cosmos, which is presently wounded by the curse of sin and iniquity, into one so glorious that Bible tells us that “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those that love him”!

And we will inherit a new and everlasting kingdom which has been prepared for us from the foundation of the world, and will live and reign with Him there for ever and ever.   Amen!

Even so, Come, Lord Jesus! 

And until that great day arrives,

May the Lord bless you and keep you;

May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you;

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

🙂

Well, I have a new video I am about to record entitled “Counterfeits”…

But with Election Day almost upon us once again here in the US, I thought it would be worthwhile to instead share just a portion of some significant quotes I came across during my studies of American History on my Great Questions Quest.

They are certainly enlightening and worth reflecting upon…

“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian…
This is a religious people. This is historically true. From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation… We find everywhere the clear recognition of the same truth… These and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation.”

Supreme Court Decision, 1892

Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States.

“God who gave us life, gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secured when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that his justice cannot sleep forever.”

Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

“A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.”

Samuel Adams, signer of the Declaration.

“No nation in history which lost its moral and cultural core was ever able to recover from the ensuing decline. Our Founding Fathers passed on to us the spiritual torch of freedom. May we never let that light go out.”

General Douglas Mac Arthur

“Of all the habits and dispositions which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are our indispensable supports.”

President George Washington
Farewell Address, 1792

“The Magistrate is the servant not…of the people, but of his God.”

John Quincy Adams
6th President of the United States

John Jay (1745-1829), was the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, having been appointed by President George Washington. He was a Founding Father, a member of the First and Second Continental Congresses and served as the President of the Continental Congress. He was very instrumental in causing the Constitution to be ratified, by writing the Federalist Papers, along with James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. In 1777, John Jay helped to write the Constitution of New York State, and from 1795-1801 was Governor of the same. On October 12, 1816, John Jay admonished:

“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”

–America’s God & Country –William J. Federer

And here are some Scriptural references stating the proper way God intended Human Government and Societies to operate.

Furthermore, He is the only one who has the wisdom and authority to establish guidelines for what is truly right and wrong, because He is the Creator!

(If you haven’t already, check out my Great Questions Quest Video Series where I present objective evidence of a Creator God!)

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

–Romans 13: 1-4

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

–1 Peter 2: 13-14

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

–Isaiah 5:20

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

–2 Chronicles 7:14

Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

–Proverbs 14:34