BEING THANKFUL & BLESSED

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; 

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 118:1

Blessings always flow from The Spirit of Gratitude! So let us pursue a steadfast heart full of thanks. What are some of the benefits of being thankful:

    * Gratitude keeps us continually aware that the Lord is good -  "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." (Psalm 136:1)

    * It motivates us to look for His purpose in our circumstances -  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

    * Thanksgiving helps bring our wills into submission to God -  "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)

    * It reminds us of our continual dependence upon the Lord -  "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ. " (Colossains 4:2-3)

    * Thankfulness is an essential ingredient for joy - You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

    * A grateful attitude strengthens our witness to pre-believers -  "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." (Ephesians 5:1-4)

    * Thanks focuses our attention on Him rather than our circumstances - "He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psalm 107:29-31)

    * Gratitude gives us eternal perspective - “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned."(Revelation 11:17)

    * When we're wearied by our circumstances, thanksgiving energizes us - "For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." (1 Timothy 4:4-5)

    * The Spirit of Thanksgiving with prayer and supplication squash anxiety into peace, which passes all understanding. - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:6-7)  

    * Thanksgiving is the key to unlock His presence - Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Psalm 100:4)

    * The Joy of the LORD is your strength in all circumstances.  “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

    * You begin the day right when you give thanks to the Lord for it - "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

HOW TO COUNT IT ALL JOY?

    The first thought upon reading these verses is that steadfastness  had better be worth it. Be joyful in the midst of your pain, trial 

                 and crisis, because it will give way to steadfastness?                    Really? If it is true, how do you count it all joy?

In order to understand what James is saying, let’s put three definitions underneath all of this: 

                              1) JOY 

“Joy” is not a feeling of happiness. The Bible refers to joy as contentment in Christ. (John 16:33; Hebrews 12:2).  It is "The Joy of The Lord" - your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). That's why Paul is able to encourage us to "Rejoice in the Lord, always! (Philippians 4:4)... Rejoice in the Lord - not in your circumstances. 

2) FAITH 

“Faith” is believing that the promises of God that we cannot yet see or feel as reality will  come true, because He said so. (Hebrew 11:1,6).  James said, "Knowing that the testing of your faith, produces patience (steadfastness) - that means our faith is tested through trails, not produced by trials. Trials reveal what faith we do have or not have. So if trials does not produce faith, what does? Romans 10:17 tells us that our "faith comes bt hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Supernaturally, faith is built in us as we hear, understand, trust and obey in God's Word.                                                                    

3) STEADFASTNESS/PATIENCE 

When trials are received with faith. It produces steadfastness/patience. On the contary if difficulties are received in unbelief and compliants, then trials can produce bitterness and discouragement. That is why James exhorted us to count it all joy. Counting it all joy is faith's response to a time of trial.                                                        .       

Now, we can rephrase what James is telling us, and ask how it is possible to live out these words. He is saying, “Seek to be joyful in Christ above anything else, and you will find that, even in trials, He will prove Himself and make His promises real to you again.”

Therefore, the idea that “joy is a choice” is possible when faith and steadfastness come in. If God does the miracle of changing our hearts, and if He gives us the gift of faith, we will have the eyes to see where all of our pain is going. To know that whatever suffering we endure really is working for our good (Romans 8:28). To see that Jesus shows Himself to us more profoundly in our trials, and that this changes everything. To place our confidence in Him; really believing it doesn’t matter even if everything is imperfect here, because this world is not our home. Our hope is not in the things of this world. James goes on to write that the one without faith will be “like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” Only if our hearts remain steadfast will we be able to rest joyfully even when our world is caving in. Only in eyes of faith in our God Who is in control can we “choose joy” in our suffering and pain. 

PRAYER: Lord in "Your Light, we see light." (Psalm 36:9b). When Your Light comes, darkness leave. We may not understand the darkness of our trials and testing, but we know can stand on the solid ground of Your unfailing and eternal Word that You are God Almighty and You are in control. Therefore, with our faith anchoring upon Your Word we choose to count it all joy in our trials and out of this testing, it will produce steadfastness to knowing You deeper. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

COUNT IT ALL JOY

Question: "What does it mean to count it all joy (James 1:2)?"

Answer: In some English translations of the Bible, James 1:2 contains the clause count it all joy. It is the first command James gives in his epistle; to understand what he means by it, we must look at the full passage and surrounding verses: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4, ESV).

The word count is a financial term, and it means “to evaluate.” When James says to “count it all joy,” he encourages his readers to evaluate the way they look at trials. He calls believers to develop a new and improved attitude that considers trials from God’s perspective. James wants believers to know to expect “trials of various kinds” (James 1:2) in the Christian life. We should be prepared and not caught off guard when a sudden trial comes upon us. Trials are part of the Christian experience. Jesus told His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).

Typically, a trial is not an occasion for joy. James isn’t suggesting that we pursue trials or court hardship; neither are we to pretend that trials are enjoyable to endure. Trials are difficult and painful. But they exist for a purpose. Trials have the potential of producing something good in us, and, for this reason, they are an opportunity for expressing joy. Knowing there is a bigger picture, we can consider trials as things to rejoice in. Even though joy is contrary to our normal reaction, James urges us to work on changing our attitude toward troubles from dread to positive expectation, faith, trust, and even joy.

James does not merely say “count it joy,” but he says “count it all joy”; that is, we can consider trials and testings as pure, unalloyed, total joy. Too often, we see trials in a negative light, or we assume that joy cannot exist in hardship; worse, we consider the hard times as God’s curse upon us or His punishment for our sin, rather than what they really are—opportunities to joyfully mature into Christlikeness.

James 1:3 explains that God intends trials to test our faith and produce spiritual perseverance. Trials are like training challenges for an athlete. They build physical endurance and stamina. The athlete looks forward to physical and mental challenges because of the benefits that follow. If we were to walk through life on easy street and never face hardship, our Christian character would remain untested and underdeveloped. Trials develop our spiritual muscles, giving us the stamina and endurance to stay the course (Romans 5:2–5). We can count it all joy in trials because in them we learn to depend on God and trust Him. Faith that is tested becomes genuine faith, rugged faith, uncompromising faith: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6–7).

God also uses trials to discipline us: “God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). Trials help to purge our spiritual shortcomings and mature our faith. They promote joy because they produce holiness in the life of steadfast believers.

James encourages Christians to embrace trials not for what they presently are, but for the outcome God will accomplish through them. James 1:12 promises, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37:1–38), he could not see the beautiful, life-saving outcome that God would accomplish through his years of suffering and perseverance in Egypt. After his ordeal with Potiphar’s wife, Joseph spent long years forgotten in prison. Eventually, God’s plan came to fruition, and Joseph was raised up to the second most powerful position over Egypt. Through many trials and tests, Joseph learned to trust God. Not only did Joseph rescue his family and the nation of Israel from starvation, but he saved all of Egypt, too.

Joseph’s faith had been tested through trials, and perseverance finished its work. After coming through the trials victoriously, Joseph understood God’s good purpose in all he had endured. Joseph was able to see God’s sovereign hand in it all. Mature and complete, Joseph spoke these words of forgiveness to his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:19–20).

James 1:4 says a believer who perseveres through trials is made “perfect.” This does not mean he or she becomes sinless or without moral failings. Perfect speaks of maturity or spiritual development. Christians who face trials with a joyful outlook—trusting God to accomplish His good purpose—will develop into full spiritual maturity. They will be equipped with everything they need to overcome every trial they encounter. That’s certainly a good reason to rejoice.

To count it all joy when we face trials, we must evaluate the difficulties in life with eyes of faith and see them in light of God’s good purpose. The translation of James 1:2–4 by J.B. Phillips aids our understanding: “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realise that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence.”

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/count-it-all-joy.html

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD!

Psalm 136 Theme: The never-ending story of God's Love. God deserves all our praise because His endless love never fails.

Author: Unknown

We know not by whom this psalm was written, but we do know that it was sung in Solomon's temple (2 Chronicles 7:3,6), and by the armies of King Jehoshaphat when they sang themselves into victory in the wilderness of Tekoa (2 Chronilcles 20:21-22).

Repeated throughout this psalm is the phrase: His Love Endures Forever." This psalm may have been a responsive reading, with the congregation saying these words in unison after after each sentence. This repetition made this important lesson sink in. God's love include aspects of love, kindness, mercy and faithfulness. We never have to worry that God will run out of love because it flows from a well that will never run dry.

Psalm 136 commences with a threefold praise to the Triune Lord (Psalm 136:1-3), then it gives us six notes of praise to the Creator (Psalm 136:4-9), six more upon deliverance from Egypt (Psalm 136:10-15), and seven upon the journey through the wilderness and the entrance into Canaan (Psalm 136:16-22). Then we have two happy verses of personal gratitude for present mercy (Psalm 136:23-24), one (Psalm 136:25) to tell of the Lord's universal providence, and a closing verse (Psalm 136:26) to excite to never ending praise.

Source: Blue Letter Bible Text Commentaries by C.H. Spurgeon

THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING QUOTABLE

THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). 

“Gratitude changes who we are inside and enables the Lord to shine His love through us as we touch the lives of those around us.” 

Living a life of gratitude is a choice. Life doesn’t have to be perfect in order for us to give thanks—we can choose to be grateful, regardless of our circumstances.

As a family of Believers, the presence of Jesus in our hearts should cause us to interact with one another with peace and thankfulness:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:15-16). 

Make A Choice To Give Thanks For LIFE!!!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever" (1 Chronicles 16:34). The Scriptures tell us to "give thanks in all circumstances," but some days that's hard to do! But we know that the Spirit of Thanksgiving releases the power of God into our lives and circumstances because the "Joy of the Lord" (Nehemiah 8:10) is the inner strength to enable us to stay cool in His will as we trust His goodness and love to work all things out for His glory (Romans 8:28). Therefore, we can make a choice to give thanks always!

A Heart ❤️ of GRATITUDE Leaves No Room for COMPLAINING.

A thankful person is thankful under all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). But a complaining soul complains even in The Promised Land (1 Corinthians 10:10-11) "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). "And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come" (1 Corinthians 10:10-11)

CONSIDER IT PURE JOY - The Divine Gift That Sings In Our Heart ❤️ Even When Things Go Wrong 

- R.T. Kendall -

PURE JOY is an inward thing! While a smile is a great witness, it frequently camouflages what is really going on inside. God cares, and He wants us to experience "The JOY of The Lord - Our Strength" especially in time of trials and tribulations. \0/\0/\0/ "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,fn whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).

If You Lack Joy, Your Christianity Must Be Leaking Somewhere

- Billy Sunday - 

"The joy of the Lord is my strength" (Nehemiah 8:10) "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24) - Jesus

THANKSGIVING, PRAISE & WORSHIP REVOLUTION: DAILY

Every Day I Will Praise You

And Extol Your Name

For Ever And Ever

Psalm 145:2

As we conclude year 2019 and step into the New Year 2020, what would be our thanksgiving, praise and worship to our King be like? Is it a Sunday ritual or a frenzied emotion that we can put on and take off? Is it limited to one style of music or a particular church?

God seeks those whose worship emantes from deep within. He desires legitimate praise and integrity between heart and mouth. He wants to be the One we treasure most. Most of all, He wants you. Yes all of you! If you don't have a daily time of thanksgiving, praise and worship, make one.

Let us establish genuine praise of the Father, the Son and the Spirit as a daily experience. Psalm 145 is a good place to start. It mentions the urge to praise and worship our King daily. And it is glorious in it's sweeping praise of the Lord, so there's no shortage of material in it by which our mouth can honor Him, if for some reason praise is hard to come by. Read it daily - slowly, thoughtfully, worshipfully. Don't let it become a stale routine, only a treasured habit. The exaltation of the King is always to be treasured.

Again and again in the Bible we find people thanking and praising the Lord and instructing others to do the same:

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving ... Praise the Lord! ... Praise Him, O servants of the Lord ... You who revere the Lord, Bless the Lord ... In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus ... Through Him letus continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God!

God places great importance on thanksgiving, praise and worship. Withholding thanksgiving, praise and worship is an injustice toward God. we owe Him everything, and it is only right that we give thanks to Him and ascribe to Him "the glory due to His Name." (Psalm 29:2). For these reasons and many others, thanksgiving, praise and worship is not a mere obligation. It is our greatest privilges a schildren of the living God. It should rank high in our priorities!

If you don't have a daily time of thanksgiving, praise and worship, make one. Put them even higher on your list of priorities than making prayer request to God. Let them be the springboard into your request and your study of the Word. Stop now, if you can, and give thanks, praise and worship Him for at least one of His benefits. It you have ever needed a dramatic change, daily, heartfelt thanskgiving, praise and worship will bring it about.
(an extract from Worship The King by Chris Tiegreen)

A SONG IN THE NIGHT

Behold, bless the LORD, All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD.
The LORD who made heaven and earth Bless you from Zion!
Psalm 134:1-3 (NKJV)

It is a strange time for adoration to stand in God's house by night, to worship in the depth of sorrow. It is indeed an arduous thing. Yes, and therein lies the blessing; it is the test of perfect faith. In the Bible, night often represents times of trials, testings, tribulations, persecutions ... In our modern days we would easily identify some of these"nights" as times of disappointments when friends fail us, unanswered prayers, sicknesses, lost of jobs, depressions or even bereavements ...

The Psalmist in Psalm 77:6 said

 "I Call To Remembrance My Song In The Night." 

A song in the night is always a song of faith. That is why the Bible stresses that God is a God who gives songs in the night. Songs are therapy and are like vitamins that lift the soul and give it courage to make it through the night. In Psalm 42 where there is a struggle with depression the Psalmist says in verse 8, "By day the Lord directs His love; at night His song is with me." In Job 35:1 we read of God as One "Who gives songs in the night."

Did you know that the only record that Jesus ever sing is in Matthew 26:30 and it was at night in a very stressful situation. Jesus is about to earn His title as the Man of sorrows acquainted with grief. He was heading for the worst and the last night of His life before the cross. The agony of Gethsemane, the anguish of His betrayal, arrest, and illegal condemnation was His agenda for the night, and He knew it. Yet He joins His disciples in a song. A heart filled with song is better prepared to face sorrow. The thing we need to see here is that Jesus lived as a real life on our level. Real life is like that, and Jesus is singing with His disciples now, and in a matter of minutes he will be facing the cross! The other record about people singing in the New Testament is Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25. We read, "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God." They were in the Philippian's jail and fastened in stocks. Not the best position for singing, nor the best atmosphere, but there they were praising God in song!

As Lifestyle Worshipers there are times we will walk through the "desert places" or "valley of the shadow of death". These are times God will give us a song in the night but we must make a choice to sing - to offer Sacrifice of Praise. A song in the night is always a song of faith that night is sure to give way to the light.
Personally the Lord has given me songs in the night like "As A Deer"- Martin Nystrom, "Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord" - Matt Redman ... and many more ... these songs are now more than my favourite songs, nice lyrics or good feels but they are songs that have become personally mine given by the Holy Spirit that have come out of the fiery trials!

Are you in the "fiery furnace" or in the "Lions' den" or in "the valley of the shadow of death"? Let's join the Levites (worshipers) in Psalm 134:1-3 to sing:

Behold, bless the LORD, All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD.
The LORD who made heaven and earth Bless you from Zion!

Have A Blessed & Victorious Week! - TPWC

GREAT IS THE LORD & MOST WORTHY OF PRAISE

GREAT IS THE LORD

AND MOST WORTHY OF PRAISE
1 Chronicles 16:25

 

God is not just WORTHY of praise, He is MOST WORTHY of praise. In other words, whatever praise we can give Him, He deserves it. We cannot overestimate His worth because He is worth more than anything.

Think of how that applies to our lives. We might wonder if it's worth giving up possession or a habit for Him, but if He's worth more than anything, the answer is clear. We might consider giving up our career or our ambitions for Him, and we wonder if it will be a worthwhile gift. But if He's worth more than we can imagine, it is. We may wonder if our praise, worship, and sacrifice will be worth the payoff to us, but we're asking the wrong question. Whether it's worth it to us is not the point; He's worthy of it. That's all that matters.

There is no greater investment than God. Whatever we can give to Him, pour out of our hearts to Him, lay down before Him, and do for Him, it's a profoundly worthwhile offering because it is directed toward a profoundly WORTHY GOD. No gift is lost on Him. No sacrifice for Him is ever considered unimportant in His eyes.

Consider what you have to offer Him. Your obedience? It is never about earning His favour; it's about offering your best. Your purity? It isn't because He's a Joy-Giver but because He wants you for Himself - and He deserves you. Your possessions? They are meaningless trinkets in His eyes, and He wishes you could loose your grip on them. Your time? You have an eternity before you; there's no need to spend time on yourself. Your talents? He gave them to you so that you could worship Him in ways no one else can. Your relationships? The God of relationships wants to demonstrate His peace and His love in them.

What are you holding on to? Lay it down. Give it to Him. It's right to do so. He's worthy of whatever you have.
(Extract from - Worship The King by Chris Tiegreen)

 "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" - Revelation 5:12