HARVEST OF THANKSGIVING: LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT THANKSGIVING SERVICE 2025 – PASTOR JOHNSON TOMISIN KALEJAIYE
LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT THANKSGIVING SERVICE 2025
THEME: HARVEST OF THANKSGIVING
MINISTERING: PASTOR JOHNSON TOMISIN KALEJAIYE (INTERCONTINENTAL OVERSEER OF EVANGELISM, RCCG)
DATE: 5TH JANUARY 2025
BIBLE TEXT: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:18
Glory be to God Almighty!
Shall we Pray Please?
SONG
We are Grateful Oh Lord
We are Grateful Oh Lord
For all that You have done for us
Hallelujah
We are Grateful Oh Lord.
OPENING PRAYER
Our Heavenly Father we say Thank You Sir.
We Thank You for Year 2024 and we Thank You for Year 2025 – Father, we are Grateful!
Please accept our Thanks in Jesus Name.
Lord, I like to register my Weakness before Your Children: That the Man of God can do Nothing without the God of Man.
You are the God of Man – Please Sir, use me this Evening and bless every Souls.
For saying Amen, your tomorrow will be “Better” and not “Bitter”.
For saying another Amen, you will never have another “Better Yesterday”.
For everything that concerns you this Year (2025); the Lord will Perfect in Jesus Name.
Father, we Thank You Sir.
In Jesus Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen!
God Bless You!
Please be seated.
I want to Thank the Almighty God for the Gift of Life and for the opportunity to Stand before the High, the Mighty and the Almighty God.
I appreciate and celebrate the Grace of God on our “Action Governor” of the Centre of Excellence of Lagos State – Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu; and our Wonderful Mummy – Her Excellency, Dr (Mrs) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.
I also wish to observe existing Protocols.
And I want to say: God bless you all.
Our Daddies and Mummies, you will live long and you will live well in the Name of Jesus – Amen.
I am asked to speak on the Topic: “Harvest of Thanksgiving”.
Gratitude is the Best Attitude. Therefore, let Gratitude be your Attitude.
Sam Lefkowitz said said that when he was asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty. He said that my only response is that: “I am Thankful that I have a cup”.
DMC NOTES: Sam Lefkowitz is credited with saying, “When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty, my only response is that I am Thankful I have a cup”. The Phrase “The Glass is half-empty” is often used to describe a Pessimistic Attitude, where someone focuses on the Negative aspects of a situation. In contrast, an Optimist might say that the Glass is half-full.
Bruce Wilkinson said that: “A moment of Gratitude makes a difference in your Attitude.”
Many People love to Pray – Let me tell you that it is Good to Pray.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says: Pray without ceasing.
You cannot defeat a Full-Time Demon with a Part-Time Prayer Life.
Many People love to Praise God – It is Good to give God Quality Praise.
Psalms 50:43 says: Whosoever offers Praise, Glorifieth me.
So many People love to Pray and so many People love to Praise God. But it is unfortunate that only very few People knows how to give Thanks!
George Herbert says: Thou hast given so much to me. And he says, give me one more Thing: A Grateful Heart.
DMC NOTES: The first two lines of George Herbert’s Poem “Gratefulness,” a Petitionary Prayer to God, are often quoted at this time of Year: “Thou that hast given so much to me, give one more thing: a Grateful Heart.” It’s a sweet quote, and it does capture the Poem’s main thrust.
Epictetus says that: He is a Wise Man who does not grieve for the things he has not, but rejoices for those things which he has.
DMC NOTES: Epictetus, who lived from around 50–120 AD, said, “He is a Wise Man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has”.
Whenever we Pray, we get God “Informed”. But when we Praise Him or give Thanks to Him, we get Him “Involved”.
May God be involved in your matters this Year 2025 in Jesus Name – Amen!
So, for everything that God has done for us and done through us; He deserves our Gratitude!
Ephesians 5:20 says: Giving Thanks always for all Things unto God our Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalms 95:2 says: Let us come before His Presence with Thanksgiving.
Psalms 100:4 says: Enter into His Gates with Thanksgiving and into His Courts with Praise.
It says: Be Thankful unto Him and bless His Holy Name.
Saint Thomas Aquinas says that: “Ingratitude is a Special sin”.
DMC NOTES: Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Bible both say that Ingratitude is a sin: As such, Aquinas explains, “every Ingratitude is a sin.” While Aquinas argues that most sins of Ingratitude are venial, he writes that some can be mortal. He explains that “a man may be Ungrateful, because he not only omits to pay the debt of Gratitude, but does the contrary.
So, I took time to Study 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 – In every thing give Thanks: for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
- “In Everything” means: In every Conditions.
Whether it is Good or Bad, you are expected to give Thanks,
- “In Everything” means: In every Situations.
Whether it is Beautiful or Ugly, you must give Thanks.
- “In Everything” means: In every Circumstances.
Whether it is Pleasant or Unpleasant, you must give Thanks.
Giving God Thanks is a Divine Expectation – God desires and deserves it.
It is Mandatory as we all know that it is a task that must be done.
I am going to tell you two (2) Stories – One from the Bible and the other one outside the Bible.
STORY NO 1:
The first Story is recorded in Luke 17: 12-19 – And it is a Story that we all knows very well.
The Bible tells us about ten Men who had a Common Problem – They had an Incurable Disease called Leprosy.
They were regarded as Unclean and so Untouchable – In those days, Leprosy was regarded as highly Contagious and so Lepers were not Permitted to stay with other People.
Those ten Lepers suffered Stagnation, Social Distancing and Isolation – Leviticus Chapter 13 is my Witness.
There was no Provisions for any Palliatives for them and there was no Vaccines for their Healings.
Fortunately for these ten Lepers, one day; they encountered Jesus Christ – They cried for Mercy and all of them were Cleansed.
But only one of them went back to Jesus Christ to give Thanks!
And then Jesus Christ asked a Question – And tonight or as you are reading now on the Label of DMC; He is asking you the same Question.
He said that: “Were it not ten that were Healed? Where are the other nine?
Brethren, whosoever you come across in Life; if that Person is not a Blessing to you then he must be a Lesson to you!
WHAT LESSONS CAN WE TAKE HOME FROM THE ACTIVITIES OF THESE TEN LEPERS?
LESSON NO 1:
There are two Categories of People in Life – The Grateful and the Ungrateful.
The Grateful Ones are the People who shows Appreciations to God irrespective of their Conditions.
Unfortunately, very few People belongs to this Class.
The Ungrateful Ones are the Unthankful, or the Thankless, or the Ingrates.
They are easily known.
How do you know them?
They always complain – Their Complaints reveals their Ungrateful Heart.
They always grumble, they always murmur and they always blame God for their Actions.
Brethren: “A Grateful dog has more worth than an Ungrateful Man” – It is an Arabian Proverb.
LESSON NO 2:
Those ten Lepers cried out with a “Loud Voice” when they needed Help.
When they got their Miracles, only one of them cried out with a “Loud Voice” to give Thanks.
The remaining nine Lepers were Silent.
Many People “Cried Out” when they desire something or needed Help. But when God Help them or solves their Problems; they won’t give Testimony or Testify!
Brethren, this is a Bad Attitude!
LESSON NO 3:
Jesus Christ Commended the Grateful but He Complained about the Attitude of the Ungrateful.
If God is not Commending you, it simply means that He has something against you.
Please make amends and the Lord will help us in Jesus Mighty Name – Amen!
LESSON NO 4:
The Ungrateful forms the Majority while the Grateful ones are in the Minority Class.
As we heard in the Story am telling you (DMC NOTES: In Luke 17: 12-19); nine out of the ten Lepers were Ungrateful and only one Leper shows Gratitude.
That means that the fact that many People are doing certain things doesn’t means that they are right.
LESSON NO 5:
Being Grateful opens the Gate for other Blessings to come in.
I Pray and I know that this Year (2025); will be a “Better Year” for us all in Jesus Name – Amen!
Whether you believed it or not, Nobody will Pay you and your family a Condolence Visit this Year (2025) – Amen!
Any Arrow sent to any of you or to your family this Year (2025); will go back to the Sender in Jesus Name – Amen!
You remembered what happened in Mark Chapter 8 – Jesus Christ gave Thanks over few loaves of bread and there was a Divine Multiplication.
The Bible tells me that there was about four thousand (4,000) People who ate and there were leftovers of seven (7) baskets.
DMC NOTES: You can get to read this Story in Mark 8: 1-9.
This Year (2025), God will Multiply “Your Little” even as you Thank Him in Jesus Name – Amen!
Thanksgiving or Giving Thanks can Provoke Divine Restoration!
In John Chapter 11, Jesus Christ gave Thanks at the Tomb of Lazarus.
After that, He called Lazarus by name – The Grave heard His Voice and it released Lazarus immediately.
DMC NOTES: You can get to read this Story in John 11: 1-44.
I want to say today that: Anything that is still holding you Captive will hear the Voice of the Lord and you will be Releaeed in the Name of Jesus – Amen!
STORY NO 2:
The Second Story is Shorter:
There were these two (2) Wealthy Mummies – They always send Cheques to their Children.
One of them complained bitterly about the attitude of her children – She said they never visited or shows Appreciations.
The Second one said her own children always visited her and they always show Appreciations.
The Second one said that can I show you the Secret why my own children are doing that?
She said that whenever you send Cheques to your children, you Sign them – That is the reason they don’t come back.
She said that when I send Cheques to my own children, I don’t Sign the Cheques. So automatically, when they get the Cheques, they must come back to me to have the Cheques Signed and also to show Appreciations.
We are in Year 2025, how many of you want God to give you a Signed Cheques!
Then always show Appreciations, otherwise He may decide to give you Cheques that are not Signed.
Brethren, I Thank God for the Pamphlet of the Programs for this Event with us.
When you look at Page 27 of the Pamphlet, you find reasons for our Harvest of Thanksgiving!
Now at the bottom there is a beautiful Point there – It is written boldly: “Please Cut Out and Frame”.
Whenever you look back at all these things that God has done for you and I; you will never grumble, you will never complain and you will never murmur.
I Pray that in this Year 2025, our “Little Efforts” will Produce “Great Accomplishments” in the Name of Jesus – Amen!
I also want you to know Ladies and Gentlemen; Brothers and Sisters that everyday that Passes takes us nearer home.
For each of us, one day there will be no Tomorrow.
And many of us are already at the Departure Hall.
Please Serve God and let your name be written in the Book of Life.
It doesn’t Profit you if you gain the whole world and at the end of the Day you loss your Soul.
Remember that everyday that Passes takes us nearer home.
If Jesus Christ did not come now, we are going one day.
I Pray that all of us that are listening to me today wherever you are or reading now on the Label of DMC – You will live long and you will live well (Amem).
In Jesus Name, you will finish Strong and you will finish well in Jesus Name – Amen!
Make sure that you break the gap between you and Jesus Christ.
It is not “Too Late’ for you to serve well but remember that tomorrow may be “Too Late”.
Shall we Please bow our Heads?
PERSONAL PRAYER
Thank God for your Life, and appreciate God for the Great and Mighty Things that He has done for you.
You may have many Class-Mates, you may have many Course-Mates, and you may have many Age-Mates but may I tell you the Truth: You don’t have many Grace-Mates.
Appreciate God for that Grace – The Grace that you don’t deserve, and Blessings that you don’t deserve but God has given them to you Free of Charge.
Please, don’t abuse the Grace of God upon your Life – Appreciate it.
CLOSING PRAYER
Thank You Father for the Grace we enjoy; Thank You for Mercy that we enjoy and Thank You for Your Investments in our lives.
Thank You for what You are doing in Nigeria – Great and Mighty Things.
Thank You for what You are doing in Lagos State and in other States of the Federation of Nigeria.
My Lord and my God, we Pray that the Tomorrow of Nigeria will be Better, Nigeria will bounce back and the Lost Glory of our Nation shall be restored.
It shall be well with Nigeria in the Mighty Name of Jesus.
Father, we say Thank You.
For in Jesus Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen!
I want to say: God Bless You in the Name of Jesus Christ – Amen!!!
Thank you so much for staying all through to read.
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