Thanksgiving 2023 is now over. We celebrated with family and friends and were reminded how thankful we should be.I will never forget what Holy Spirit whispered to me, “A thankful heart God will never never turn away.”According to Strong’s definitions, the Hebrew word thanksgiving is tôwdâh (to-daw’) and it means confession, praise, and offering. The Webster dictionary defines thanksgiving as, “the act of giving thanks. A public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.I am reminded of Psalms 69:30 “I will praise the name of God with song, and shall magnify Him with thanksgiving.” when we magnify God with a thankful heart he is lifted above our present circumstances..Thanksgiving and praise always go together. Psalms 100:4 “Enter his gates (his presence) with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! WHY? v.5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”I like the word rejoice. This word gives an open door to have joy! “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”1 Thessalonians 5:16-18“Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” Gal. 3:3Were you born into the Kingdom of God or did you get in some other way? Jesus told Nicodemus, “you must be born again”. If you weren’t born into the Kingdom you are not in the Kingdom.The only way into the Kingdom of God is to believe that Jesus took away your sins when He nailed them to the cross. To be in the Kinkdom you must believe Jesus took your sins and set you free.“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteous of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:21) You do not achieve righteousness by doing any “good works” after you are saved to be applied to your record. Believing God’s “Word” makes us righteous just like it did Abraham.When Jesus said, as He was on the cross, “it is finished” what did He mean? He meant man’s salvation was bought and paid for. We don’t add “a thing” to the work that is already finished!GOD’S GRACE SAVED US, OUR FAITH ACCEPTS IT, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS US TO WALK IN IT!!We don’t need to add anything to it. We just need to walk in it and let it change us into what we already are in the heart and eyes of The Lord God.How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people – free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free – signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. Ephesians 1:3-10Trouble is no respecter of people. The people who lived in Bible times were no strangers to times of trouble. In our lives, we will experience times of trouble. Trouble comes to disturb the peace of God in our lives. Disturb means to interrupt the quiet, rest, peace-to interfere with; interrupt; or hinder.I have heard the Holy Spirit say, “These are the days of refreshing in my presence. Don’t allow the troubles of this present time to envelop you as fog would cover the earth. For I will renew hope in my people so they will see beyond their present troubles. Take rest in me. The peace that I have given you will transcend over you and bring an assurance of good things I have already given you. So look up for surely you will overcome.God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1-3Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27“Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed”. Isaiah 53:5“As it is written, “This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases”. Matthew 8:17The words “we are healed” are in past tense and meaning that our healing Has been fully secured on the cross by Christ. Jesus bore our sicknesses in His own body on the cross, and by His stripes you are healed. If Jesus paid the bill then we do not have to pay in any way for our healing. The good news is that Jesus did pay the price! Sickness and disease were covered in Christ’s atonement. We do not have to be afraid of any reports of sickness or disease. We have a greater report. Christ He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.Healing has been made available to you by the death of Jesus on the Cross.He is the Lord that has healed you! Receive your healing now in Jesus Name!“And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” Gen. 15:6(NKJV)Here we are told that Abraham believed the Lord and it was accounted to him for righteousness. This verse is referenced at least four times in the New Testament to confirm that Abraham was righteous because he had faith in God. They are Romans 4:9, 22; Gal. 3:6, and James 2:23.Galatians 3 gives us a good reference to understand that it is the faith of Abraham, not the Law, that makes us right with God. Good works come as a result of our faith in God and the presence of The Spirit living in our hearts.Our job is to develop our faith in God. When Jesus came down from the Mount after being transfigured and met a man with a demon possessed son who asked Jesus for help. Jesus told him that all things are possible to him who believes. The father said to Jesus, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.”We are taught through-out the Scriptures that our life must be based on our faith in God. The more we attend to our believing in God the more of God’s life is infused in us. Therefore faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word. As the man mentioned above, b we at times must call out to God, “Lord I believe, please help my unbelief.”“And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” Gen. 15:6(NKJV)Here we are told that Abraham believed the Lord and it was accounted to him for righteousness. This verse is referenced at least four times in the New Testament to confirm that Abraham was righteous because he had faith in God. They are Romans 4:9, 22; Gal. 3:6, and James 2:23.Galatians 3 gives us a good reference to understand that it is the faith of Abraham, not the Law, that makes us right with God. Good works come as a result of our faith in God and the presence of The Spirit living in our hearts.Our job is to develop our faith in God. When Jesus came down from the Mount after being transfigured and met a man with a demon possessed son who asked Jesus for help. Jesus told him that all things are possible to him who believes. The father said to Jesus, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.”We are taught through-out the Scriptures that our life must be based on our faith in God. The more we attend to our believing in God the more of God’s life is infused in us. Therefore faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word. As the man mentioned above, b we at times must call out to God, “Lord I believe, please help my unbelief.”So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he will unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding- this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God! Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ—and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen Ephesians 3:14-21Luke 17:20-21 “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”Jesus told his followers that the kingdom of God was “in [their] midst,” meaning that it was present because Jesus himself was there among them.Today, because Jesus is present in us through the Holy Spirit, we can bring the presence of God’s kingdom wherever we are. We are carriers of the Kingdom. Wherever we go we the kingdom of God goes with us.If you have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior you have the Kingdom of God in. When you take ownership of it you will begin to walk in authority of the King of the Kingdom. As you embrace the calling you have as a believer-to share the Good News- you will begin to walk with confidence. Wherever we go is an opportunity for the Kingdom to shine forth.I declare over you all Heaven is applauding you and the gates of hell fears you! Step forth into your new day!Luke 17:20-21 “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”Jesus told his followers that the kingdom of God was “in [their] midst,” meaning that it was present because Jesus himself was there among them. Today, because Jesus is present in us through the Holy Spirit, we can bring the presence of God’s kingdom wherever we are. We are carriers of the Kingdom. Wherever we go we the kingdom of God goes with us.If you have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior you have the Kingdom of God in. When you take ownership of it you will begin to walk in authority of the King of the Kingdom. As you embrace the calling you have as a believer-to share the Good News- you will begin to walk with confidence. Wherever we go is an opportunity for the Kingdom to shine forth.I declare over you all Heaven is applauding you and the gates of hell fears you! Step forth into your new day!Paul was at the end of his third missionary journey when a man by the name of Agabus approached him. He had traveled from Jerusalem to Caesarea to give Paul a word from God.Acts 21:10-11 “After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.” Paul’s friends begged him not to return to Jerusalem upon hearing this. But, Paul replied that he was willing and ready to be arrested and to die for the Lord. He returns to Jerusalem and is later arrested, put on trial and then sent to Rome as a prisoner. Paul had answered and was committed to the call of spreading the good news of the gospel. He knew God had called him so he knew God would see him through it.Not all are called to be an apostle-evangelist as Paul. That was his mantle of ministry. But we all have been given a mantle to be a witness for the Lord. How committed are we to that calling – witness? Being a witness is not just something that you do but who you are. In Matt. 5:13 Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth” and in Matt. 5:14 He says, “You are the light of the world.” Since God has called us to it at our salvation He will provide the opportunities to be light to be salt in our everyday life. I pray we all have the determination, the boldness that Paul had.Let who you are be a light shining-let who you are be salt sprinkles as a witness to the goodness of your God.Paul was at the end of his third missionary journey when a man by the name of Agabus approached him. He had traveled from Jerusalem to Caesarea to give Paul a word from God.
Acts 21:10-11 “After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.” Paul’s friends begged him not to return to Jerusalem upon hearing this. But, Paul replied that he was willing and ready to be arrested and to die for the Lord. He returns to Jerusalem and is later arrested, put on trial and then sent to Rome as a prisoner. Paul had answered and was committed to the call of spreading the good news of the gospel. He knew God had called him so he knew God would see him through it.
Not all are called to be an apostle-evangelist as Paul. That was his mantle of ministry. But we all have been given a mantle to be a witness for the Lord. How committed are we to that calling – witness? Being a witness is not just something that you do but who you are. In Matt. 5:13 Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth” and in Matt. 5:14 He says, “You are the light of the world.” Since God has called us to it at our salvation He will provide the opportunities to be light to be salt in our everyday life. I pray we all have the determination, the boldness that Paul had.
Let who you are be a light shining-let who you are be salt sprinkles as a witness to the goodness of your God. In Genesis chapter one we read that God spoke this vast universe into existence. But God does differently with man. “God formed Man out of the dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life”. The Man became a living begin. Genesis 2:7 God forms man with his hand from dirt. Formed comes from the Hebrew root word meaning, form, fashioned, mold. This is the word used for a potter making a vessel.I am reminded of the Scripture in Isaiah 49:16 “See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands and your walls are ever before me”. Engrave means to shape in such as likeness.For you created my innermost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalms 139: 13-16 THE EAGLE AND THE CROW
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