Scripture Text: Luke 1:10-19

The sin of ingratitude one of the signs of the end time mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:1-15

The Bible tells us that in the last days there will be:
- Terrible/difficult times
-Lovers of self and money
- Boastful and proud
- Scoffing at God
- Disobedience to parents
- Abusive
- Ungrateful (Unthankful, Ingrate)
- Unholy/Unsacred
- Unloving
- Unforgiving
- Slanderous
- Lack of self-control
- Brutal/Cruel
- Hatred towards goodness
- Treacherous/Betrayals of friends
- Reckless/rash
- Conceited/Puffed-up
- Worldly pleasures
- Knowing but denying the Power of godliness...

However, we will be delving into the sin of ingratitude.

We can see the way God values our gratitude towards Him through the examples of the tem lepers in our Scripture Text today. The only leper that came back to thank Jesus Christ after he received healing was not even a Jew. He was a Samaritan. This shows that it is not only the Jews that could please the heart of God but also the Samaritans. Jesus' questions were: "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? (Luke 17:17). It was evident that Jesus was very displeased and disappointed at the ingratitude of the nine lepers that were healed by Him. The Lord notices and appreciates those who thank Him, regardless of their social ,political, spiritual, financial, race, ethnic, tribe status.

It is noteworthy that only the leper that came back to thank the Lord was made WHOLE. That is, he received his permanent healing. There is the possibility that the other nine lepers could become leprous again but this one grateful man was cleansed for a life time by Jesus Christ.

Those who appreciate do not suffer depreciation. Ingrates do not have glory. Most Christians today do not appreciate God's grace upon their lives. They have hardened their hearts to the point that they no longer see God as the source of their gifts. They have become a law unto themselves. The reason the Bible takes such a strong stance against un-thankfulness and ingratitude may be that God knows that the end result of such arrogance is a reprobate mind (Romans 1:24). When we remind ourselves often that all we are and all we have is a gift from God (James 1:17), we are guarding ourselves against idolatry and pride.

Types of Ingrates
1. Divine ingrates: These are Christians who are ungrateful to God and His grace and Power.
2. Parasites: They loach on people as if it's their right without an iota of appreciation towards the giver.
3. The Blank Ingrates: They don't remember anyone who has helped them.
4. Vampire ingrates: They bite the fingers that fed them.
5. Evil ingrates: They return evil with kindness.
6. Strategic forgetters: They deliberately forget the act of kindness towards them.
7. Sugar ingrates: They are friendly when they can get something from you but unfriendly when they can't get anything from you.
8. Envious ingrates: No matter the act of kindness you show towards them, they still envy you and may harm you.
9. Lavicious ingrates: They will help you lavish your wealth or become "Mario" or "Oliver Twist" on someone else's possessions at any slight opportunity given to them.
10. Complainants ingrates: No matter what you do to help them, they will always complain- like the Israelites in the wilderness.
11. Pride ingrates: They are the set of people who still "carry shoulder" or show arrogance towards their helpers.

Possible Effect of Ingratitude
- You shut off your destiny from those who can or will help you.
- You may shorten your progress in life
- You may attract divine curses
- You attract bad things or bad energy towards yourself
- You invite evil angels or demons into your life.
- You may shut down the door of your mercy
- You lose may things
- Your children may suffer from unhelp
- You will surely face the law of karma or face nemesis by being paid back in your own coin.
- It will weaken your spiritual life.
- It may affect your generation negatively.
- It may cut of your healing or making of whole.
- You may be assisting in handing over your glory to the enemy.
- You glory may be turn to shame.
- You may provoke God's anger and invite divine curses.

What Do You Need To Do?
1. Repent! Repent!! Repent!!!
2. Learn to praise and appreciate God in thanksgiving over everything (1 Thessalonian 5:18).
3. Appreciate everyone who assists you in one way or the other.
4. Honour those who appreciate you genuinely because they are very rare.
5. Count your blessings rather than what you don't have.

If you would like to you give Your life to Christ just say this short prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I come before You today, come into my life, take control of my life and change my world. I say bye-bye to the devil, I enter in the Kingdom of Light, in Your name I pray, amen".

Congratulations!!!

God bless you!

Peace!