Quick question:
What has God promised you? Do you know them? What has he revealed unto you, do you remember them?
Consider how hard it could be to express thanksgiving for nothing or randomly.
“I just want to thank you.” Even the person you are talking to would ask, for what?
Communication is an integral part of any relationship, and God is constantly talking to each and every one of us.
The things He says to you form the basis for your expectation and thanksgiving.
Do you take notes?
Show me a Christian without a journal, and I'll show you a Christian that finds it hard to thank God (for what is yet to do).
Habakkuk 2:2
“write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.”
God knows the importance of you remembering His promises which are in His words to you (Rhema & Logos), that's why He looked into new 'technology' to work it.
God Said
"…..I will take away a heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh…..” "….I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts….” (Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:33)
If you don't know the story of Jehoshaphat, please read the account in 2 chronicles 20.
He was an example of someone that was well taught and who took notes...
When the kings came to attack Judah, Jehoshaphat went to God and explained what he knew about the situation ----- from his notes:
2 Chronicles 20: 5 -17
Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said:
"O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.
O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'
"But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.
God was moved at such an informed conversation and God answered
'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.
Jehoshaphat was confident enough to put singers as his lead army because he knew what God has said.
Henceforth, make an effort; start keeping a journal of God's promises for you. It will dramatically enhance your disposition towards thanking him.
If you have forgotten some of them, then pray to God again to reveal them to you afresh.
Remember:
"Show me a Christian without a journal, and I'll show you a Christian that finds it hard to thank God (for what is yet to do)."
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
HOTN - ORACLES
ORACLES
In talking about oracles, I am talking about the unchangeable Word of God.
The Psalmist said (Psalm 138:2) "For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." and Isaiah reiterated the efficacy of this word, saying (Isaiah 55:11) – “it will not return void, without fulfilling the purpose for which it was sent”.
Without messing about with your intellectual head, this simple fact of ‘accomplishment’ assured me that Jesus would not have squandered His mission on earth, because He is the Word of God – the same word that must not return without fulfilling its mission.
Now, trying to live a life of ‘Thanksgiving’ requires that you know what the unchangeable Word says about thanksgiving.
There are many references to ‘Thanksgiving’ in the bible and I would implore you to be aware and responsive to these anytime you are studying the word of God, because only a few can be mentioned here.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will expound these words in your heart and grant you the grace to embrace a life immersed in ‘Thanksgiving’.
Through the whole of the bible, God’s children are advised, admonished, enjoined, beseeched etc to know, follow and do the will of God.
Jesus said
“For whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)
However, the will of God varies from situation to situation, person to person, and in this age of the Holy Spirit, is very personal (but never contradictory to God’s Word).
God, through His word has revealed different parts of His will to us; nonetheless, we just tend to be ignorant of these.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
Other similar ‘Will of God’ include – sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), doing good (1 Peter 2:15) etc.
The word of God (oracle) says, ‘give thanks’.
In obeying the word of God:
“…….You shall make your way prosperous and have good success” (Joshua 1:8)
That brings to mind one of the famous lines of Jesus “Father I thank you”.
John 15:7
“If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” - So don’t be surprised when thanksgivers thank their way into their Heritage Of The Nations.
The last hint on this post is this – there is a time factor too…. How long do you want to be in your heritage for?
1 John 2:17 “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Follow the ORACLES
“Thanksgiving is an act of obedience.” – DO IT
In talking about oracles, I am talking about the unchangeable Word of God.
The Psalmist said (Psalm 138:2) "For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." and Isaiah reiterated the efficacy of this word, saying (Isaiah 55:11) – “it will not return void, without fulfilling the purpose for which it was sent”.
Without messing about with your intellectual head, this simple fact of ‘accomplishment’ assured me that Jesus would not have squandered His mission on earth, because He is the Word of God – the same word that must not return without fulfilling its mission.
Now, trying to live a life of ‘Thanksgiving’ requires that you know what the unchangeable Word says about thanksgiving.
There are many references to ‘Thanksgiving’ in the bible and I would implore you to be aware and responsive to these anytime you are studying the word of God, because only a few can be mentioned here.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will expound these words in your heart and grant you the grace to embrace a life immersed in ‘Thanksgiving’.
Through the whole of the bible, God’s children are advised, admonished, enjoined, beseeched etc to know, follow and do the will of God.
Jesus said
“For whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)
However, the will of God varies from situation to situation, person to person, and in this age of the Holy Spirit, is very personal (but never contradictory to God’s Word).
God, through His word has revealed different parts of His will to us; nonetheless, we just tend to be ignorant of these.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
Other similar ‘Will of God’ include – sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), doing good (1 Peter 2:15) etc.
The word of God (oracle) says, ‘give thanks’.
In obeying the word of God:
“…….You shall make your way prosperous and have good success” (Joshua 1:8)
That brings to mind one of the famous lines of Jesus “Father I thank you”.
John 15:7
“If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” - So don’t be surprised when thanksgivers thank their way into their Heritage Of The Nations.
The last hint on this post is this – there is a time factor too…. How long do you want to be in your heritage for?
1 John 2:17 “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Follow the ORACLES
“Thanksgiving is an act of obedience.” – DO IT
Sunday, December 14, 2008
HOTN - HOSPITALITY
Thanking God for what He has done is an obligation (don’t you think?). If you do something for someone, courtesy demands that the person appreciates you. If they don’t, as humans, you know what you’ll be thinking - I will not do things for the person again. If we don’t thank God for what He has done for us, it is just sheer lack of cognisance and respect. Therefore in the whole of this series, ‘Thanksgiving’ is used regarding appreciating God for who He is and for the things he is yet to do for you, not for the things He has done.
HOSTPITALITY
While I am trying to keep this series short and concise, I want to take my time to explain why this is one of the foundations of Christian living.
What exactly is hospitality?
Simply defined, Hospitality is the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly and generous way.
In relation to thanksgiving, being hospitable is saying “God, this is what you have given me, I am expecting more, but in my expectation, I am sharing and giving what I have.
If you are thanking God for what He is yet to do, then there is no better way to express your lack of faith (unbelief) than when your expectation is not followed through by a lifestyle of hospitality.
You are simply saying:
“God I am thanking you because I know you will do it, but I can’t let go of some of what you have given me because ......., well, you may not do it.
Folks, “If thanksgiving is an act of faith, Hospitality is the works behind it.”
Hospitality has nothing to do with whether you are rich or poor. Some may argue that being rich makes it easier to be hospitable, but hospitality is a mindset that shines through every ounce of our lives, irrespective of whether we have or have not.
Jesus said Mathew 25 31:44
“......for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.......”
The bible never mentioned whether or not they had more than enough to give – think about it.
In fact, when the widow of zarephath told Elijah “This meal is for me and my son to eat and then die”, Elijah said (paraphrased) If you want more, then show hospitality out of the little/lack that you have, cook for me first.
The widow obeyed – showed hospitality in the midst of lack, and abundance was given unto her. (1 kings 17: 8 - 16)
Abraham was praying to God for a child. One day, angels in the form of men were passing by on a mission to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
I would like to think they were equipped with spiritual weapons of mass destruction.
Abraham showed hospitality to them, and the angels took time out from the message of death and destruction to pronounce a blessing of life and multiplication to Abraham.
You may ask; does this really work?
Just a few hours later, Abraham’s nephew Lot, replicated the act of hospitality, and the angels ensured He was safe before they destroyed the city. We were never told whether or not Lot was asking anything from God, but through Hospitality, He was able to survive the destruction that he never knew was imminent. (Genesis 18 & 19)
I could talk about, Melchizedek the King of Salem, Rahab the harlot and David the king, who all made Hospitality their lifestyles.
If you want to live a life of thanksgiving, start showing hospitality. Again always remember:
“If thanksgiving is an act of faith, Hospitality is the works behind it.”
HOSTPITALITY
While I am trying to keep this series short and concise, I want to take my time to explain why this is one of the foundations of Christian living.
What exactly is hospitality?
Simply defined, Hospitality is the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly and generous way.
In relation to thanksgiving, being hospitable is saying “God, this is what you have given me, I am expecting more, but in my expectation, I am sharing and giving what I have.
If you are thanking God for what He is yet to do, then there is no better way to express your lack of faith (unbelief) than when your expectation is not followed through by a lifestyle of hospitality.
You are simply saying:
“God I am thanking you because I know you will do it, but I can’t let go of some of what you have given me because ......., well, you may not do it.
Folks, “If thanksgiving is an act of faith, Hospitality is the works behind it.”
Hospitality has nothing to do with whether you are rich or poor. Some may argue that being rich makes it easier to be hospitable, but hospitality is a mindset that shines through every ounce of our lives, irrespective of whether we have or have not.
Jesus said Mathew 25 31:44
“......for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.......”
The bible never mentioned whether or not they had more than enough to give – think about it.
In fact, when the widow of zarephath told Elijah “This meal is for me and my son to eat and then die”, Elijah said (paraphrased) If you want more, then show hospitality out of the little/lack that you have, cook for me first.
The widow obeyed – showed hospitality in the midst of lack, and abundance was given unto her. (1 kings 17: 8 - 16)
Abraham was praying to God for a child. One day, angels in the form of men were passing by on a mission to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
I would like to think they were equipped with spiritual weapons of mass destruction.
Abraham showed hospitality to them, and the angels took time out from the message of death and destruction to pronounce a blessing of life and multiplication to Abraham.
You may ask; does this really work?
Just a few hours later, Abraham’s nephew Lot, replicated the act of hospitality, and the angels ensured He was safe before they destroyed the city. We were never told whether or not Lot was asking anything from God, but through Hospitality, He was able to survive the destruction that he never knew was imminent. (Genesis 18 & 19)
I could talk about, Melchizedek the King of Salem, Rahab the harlot and David the king, who all made Hospitality their lifestyles.
If you want to live a life of thanksgiving, start showing hospitality. Again always remember:
“If thanksgiving is an act of faith, Hospitality is the works behind it.”
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
HOTN - Heritage Of The Nations (1)
Hello to you all and welcome to this new series on Thanksgiving.. I pray that as you take this journey, God will gracefully endow you with a heart of gratitude.
Doing God's will is our ultimate aim on earth, and brethren, this is God's will - Thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians 5 vs. 18)
HOSPITALITY
Hospitality should not be a ‘last card’ option, but rather, should be a daily living practice. When hospitality becomes a lifestyle, it shows a heart that is constantly thanking God. When we are warm, caring, accommodating and engage in sharing, it means we are thanking God for the things He has given us in expectation that He will do more. Hospitality was a lifestyle to Abraham’s family, and when his nephew Lot showed hospitality to the angels, God gave him more to thank Him for – surviving the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18 & 19)
to be continued...... (on monday)
Doing God's will is our ultimate aim on earth, and brethren, this is God's will - Thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians 5 vs. 18)
HOSPITALITY
Hospitality should not be a ‘last card’ option, but rather, should be a daily living practice. When hospitality becomes a lifestyle, it shows a heart that is constantly thanking God. When we are warm, caring, accommodating and engage in sharing, it means we are thanking God for the things He has given us in expectation that He will do more. Hospitality was a lifestyle to Abraham’s family, and when his nephew Lot showed hospitality to the angels, God gave him more to thank Him for – surviving the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18 & 19)
to be continued...... (on monday)
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