Friday, November 27, 2020

About That Being Grateful

About that being grateful: Ephesians 3:12-16 NKJV Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

It is evident who lives by their past ways. But in Christ, we are born again to live anew and that also includes relationships. In that born again man, we put off the ungodly indeed. And we put on the new that is the image of Christ Jesus. From the above passage, we find it lists love but also includes that being patient, there is that being humble, merciful and the forgiving. And it will be that peace of Christ that will control our thoughts and our emotions. In Him and by that description, you and I are to be thankful.

A beginning with a grateful heart to God: Psalm 100 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Have we gone before the LORD to worship Him? Have we gone before HIM and say “Thank you for loving me?” Have we thought on His goodness to us in the past week? We are told that we are the sheep of His pasture. Do you know how smelly sheep are? Do you know what they can lie down in? And yet, He is our Shepherd. He is to lead us. And in His court, we give praise, we bless His name for we understand that His truth endures to all generations.

There are today many spinning their false narratives, they wave their magic wands of fairy dust, and expect you to believe their false tales. They are known as false prophets, and they continue in their ways that is certainly to a place many should want to avoid. We are to remember that we are dust, but we also remember we have been saved for His glory and to His praise. Without Him, we were doomed forever! But with Him we walk into glory. Thank you Jesus for Your willing heart to step in for us even before we knew about what You had decided to do for us in this great thing!

 

Honoring God, Honoring Others.  They profess their God before men, give instruction in the way of Life that is in God. Luke 2: 13-14 & suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God & saying:14 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” Luke 2:17-18 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning the Child. 18 and all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

We cannot give goodwill to another if we have no goodwill towards God. That is, we each must have peace with God. Many proclaim Christianity but are far from Him, know nothing about Him and yet speak of a place with Him. But their mouths speak of decay, death , lack, they speak despair, and of loneliness.

Goodwill for others is cooperating with God in other people’s welfare. It is having the same kind of benevolence God has toward us as believer’s.  We are here to encourage others in His Word and by prayer. When meeting with someone either from the workplace, from church or maybe a neighbor, we are to remember that “iron sharpens iron.” And it is for that which is purposed for their life. In giving someone the word of God is for that purpose for which God has placed in them and to help them grow!

IN being grateful, we speak: for what God has done: He gave us life, He gave us parents ( a father and a mother), He gave us good health, a home, He has given us teachers to teach the word of God, he has given us opportunities to work in earning a paycheck and become responsible citizens.

We had opportunity to rise this day: not only out of bed, but to rise off the floor when kneeling to pick a hairpin off the floor! We have opportunity to rise and give voice for Him when others appear downcast and lost! We give thanks for mentors who have mentored us to be responsible adults, but also responsible to give voice to the life in God. To give voice of His majesty when others speak of sickness and death.

I am certain many of us have remember last Thanksgiving Day or what ever holiday you may have in the month of November, and much has changed dramatically in the last twelve months. But I can also say for certain that I am not where I was 20+ years ago, BY SEEKING GOD AND IN PRAYER I HAVE CHANGED….AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE CHANGED FOR HIS GLORY.  YOU will find that in being grateful to God that we have hope!

GRATEFULNESS looks back. We look back at the Cross. And we move through life now as the born-again believer, being grateful to God for all He has given to us through His Son. In that we have hope as we look forward with a desire, we look forward with a confidence that God is on the scene and the expectation that God is not done with us yet. We are to be ever encouraging ourselves in HIM with the thankful heart  looking toward the future. But if we fail to give that to another person or persons, then we would tend toward or be bent toward being without grateful hearts and without hope. In Iron ….sharpening….. Iron,…… our words spoken is of creative ability from God where rage & wrath do not exist. We are not to be the green-eyed monster.  The words we speak are of comfort, joy and much happiness. They are bold words representing a powerful God who is able.   

When the shepherds heard the angels of heaven speak, they made haste to go…Luke 2:8-20 NKJV  8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you; You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger.” 13 And there was suddenly with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “ Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

17 Now when they had seen Him they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

 

Grateful were these shepherds who kept their watch over their flock by night. They were diligent doing the work they did as the responsible adult. They kept watch and were the first to know God’s plan for redemption. The “smelly lot” received the word given them. They moved quickly to see this which was made known to them. “And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.” And when they spoke what was given them concerning this Child, all marveled. And Mary kept these things of an announcement made to those who kept the flocks of sheep far from the city of pomp and circumstance, of castles and kings. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Oh we give thanks of all that was spoken in 2020, but God’s word rings truth. It is not over to those of faith. For the faithful look toward to 2021. Our heads are raised, and our body’s submit to the strength of God…to rise at His command. To go into all the world with not the suggested command, but the Great Command and give the Gospel to those who require a Savior Who is Christ the Lord!

 

WE Trust in the LORD with all our heart, And lean not on our own understanding; In all our ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct our paths. ….concerning my life, our spouse, our children, work and home in 2021.

We are not the wise in our own eyes………………WE …Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to  our flesh, And strength to our bones. We Honor the LORD with our possessions, And with the first-fruits of all your increase; So our barns will be filled with plenty, And our vats will overflow with new wine.

We are…..the Happy man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;  For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things we may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.  She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.

WE seek Her ways of pleasantness and her paths of peace……….we take hold of her today and will not let go! When we lie down, we will not be afraid; Yes, we will lie down and our sleep will be sweet. WE are not afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the LORD will be our confidence, And will keep our foot from being caught.

We are that force on earth. We are His beloved and we please Him by our obedience. WE embrace His beauty through His word of truth.  We rest in the night and He gives us dreams to know more about Him. We live by faith and not by sight. His presence goes with us and the earth shakes. We give His truth and it thunders. We speak as the shepherds spoke and give a grateful heart of thanks and much praise! For He let us know His plan and it is a good plan for good and not evil to give us hope in the final outcome. We run with joy each day, we rise out of complacency and foolishness to give voice that the morning STAR has risen. He has risen and we rise as well….to let others know we have heard and seen this marvelous thing and to go tell others! 


 New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

Emphasizing the Identification

Visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer for more teaching 

New teaching at: Life Giving Wells
REVEALING GOD TO WHOM HE CHOOSES

Visit Life Giving Wells You Tube Channel for more teaching

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