Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home1/heartof6/public_html/blog/wp-content/themes/responsive-mobile/includes/functions-extentions.php on line 35
Home › Posts tagged Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

An Attitude of Gratitude

Posted on by

Luke 17:11-19

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

  1. God’s mercy should always yield thanksgiving. (an attitude of gratitude)
  • ok now that everything’s good I can go back to how I was (repeating failure)
  • preacher I praised him last week, I’m good. (neglecting thankfulness takes us further from humbleness and closer to pride)

Psalm 107:1-3

1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

  1. God works through Jesus (v. 15).

– We must exercise our faith through Christ, the door to God, the voice to God’s ear, the intercessor by the sacrifice.

John 10:9

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

  1. Getting close to God is a matter of trusting him. One who seems far away can really be near.
  1. The outsider, the foreigner (allogenes), is the most sensitive to Jesus. Those who respond to God may not be the ones we expect to respond.
  1. God’s blessing can be appreciated or underappreciated.

Victory Begins With Thankfulness

Posted on by
Click To Play     

 

Click To Play     

Luke 18:9-14

[9] And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
[10] Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
[11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
[12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
[13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
[14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The Pharisee was unaware of his greatest need. He started with thanks but it was the wrong kind. He was not thanking God for what grace had done for him, but for what he had done. This is the wrong attitude to possess! It was a “prayerless” prayer: he had said a prayer but did not pray any. Prayers centered on our efforts will be about what we have done and not done. You see, he needed something human effort could not get. The Pharisee was unconcerned about the publican. The difference filled him with pride and not compassion. True thanksgiving produces thankful living.

Ask ourselves, are we thankful for?

  • Love
  • Mercy
  • Compassion
  • Peace
  • Faithfulness
  • Patience
  • Kindness
  • Benevolence
  • Blessings
  • Longsuffering
  • Joy
  • Perseverance
  • Persistence
  • Boldness
  • Gladness
  • Willingness
  • Eagerness
  • Leadership
  • Salvation
  • Blood of Jesus
  • Baptism
  • Forgiveness
  • New Home In Heaven and Gone From hell
  • Life Eternal
  • Our soul will never die!

True thanksgiving changes us. Even though the Pharisee was at a good place (temple) and went with good intentions (to pray) he went out unchanged and not justified by faith. Millions of people go out unchanged from church. Strive to not make the same mistake!

Let us learn to walk as this publican. He went home forgiven and could then be truly thankful!

He Is A Good God

Posted on by
Click To Play     

Psalm 95:1-8

[1] O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
[2] Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
[3] For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
[4] In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
[5] The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
[6] O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
[7] For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
[8] Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

“I just praise the Lord that He is so great. He’s greater than what our eyes can see. He’s greater than what our minds can comprehend. You know, He knows all. He’s created all things. He knows the inside and outside. He sees us and who we are. He knows the bad things about us. He knows the intentions of our mind and our heart, and I praise His name that He still loves us. He still loves us. I don’t care what situation you’re in; He is worthy of our praise. If you are alive and you are breathing and you are here, He deserves to hear from you. I praise Him for all that He’s done in my life. He’s a very good God.”

A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste

Posted on by
Click To Play     

Philippians 4:4-9

[4] Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
[5] Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
[6] Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
[7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
[8] Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
[9] Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

For this part I would like to break down key verses into points:

Verse 4

This verse is directing towards having thankfulness for anything. Another good way to say that is to be thankful and satisfied with all of the good things that come in our lives.

Verse 6

The verse here calls for us to be the devoted Christians that we know we can be and to have prayerfulness for anything!

Verse 7

This has two important key pieces to note:

1)    A sense of carefulness for anything

and

2)    Knowing in great depth the peace of God

The good way to think about this would be to have a mindset that is less worrisome over everything. This will allow the peace of God to do its wonderful work.

Verse 9

Reading this should let us know that as we are ready to give ourselves to God that His presence pours out upon ours! How do we know? By the experiences and lessons that we learn over the course of our lives!

Singing At West Robbins Missionary Baptist Church

Posted on by

What an experience for Heart of Grace at West Robbins! It was quite the haul to find it, but luckily we did safely and with no detours (inside joke).

We always love to go to homecomings, for it is a wonderful opportunity to see a church making a good attempt at coming together to try and reach out in as many ways as a church can. It was great to be able to come in and to be of help to those who were there. Each and every time that we go forth now, we go with a little more excitement. I realize that it might seem a little overwhelming to some, with questions that may linger about where the excitement comes from. I guess you could say there is a continual motivation as we all (as a ministry) constantly keep each other spiritually encouraged and leave no room for any downtime.

If I could say any encouraging words today (and as I did to that church on that day), it would be to never let too much downtime happen in your joy of the Lord Jesus Christ. Continually stir up the joy in your life. Think yourself happy! Enter into the gates with thanksgiving! Surprise somebody with that overwhelming joy that the love of God in you encourage them! I picture the church as a body that is as God, with open arms and ready to receive all that would come in need. Let’s never forget that love is refreshed by how we keep it each and every day! Don’t forget the things God does for you!

We hope to be back in the future, and love each and every one that we came into contact and fellowship with. God bless you and your church!

Just In The Nick Of Time, Always On Time!

Posted on by

When it comes to our prayers and what we have before God, I can say on my (and perhaps anyone’s) behalf that it may not always be when we think it should occur. In fact, I have found many times that rather than being thankful for what I do have that my focus is what I do not. Our human nature is very keen nowadays on picking up on the lack thereof!

I write today such a blessed person. I have came so far in my life, and I have came so far in my own family (and extended family). When I truly consider all the blessings that have came thus far, it is exceptionally hard for me to even have the nerve to ask “why” or “when” from God. In fact, it begins to bring out the spirit of thanksgiving and praise within, as it should within all of us. It should remind us that God never leaves us or forsakes us in our time of need. We should remember each day where we were in the prior days and how far that we have come. If we were to not forget the manner of person we are, we would remember the person we use to be as well.

I know how far I have came personally, and I know (just in the people I have come into contact with) how far so many have came through God. We are all so blessed and have so much to give God praise for this day. Let’s be excited about the blessings of God! Let’s shoot out some thanksgiving praise, and then that faith praise and the faith prayers in the future will be with assurance and confidence!

Be lifted up to know that what God performs is done on God’s time, and when it is done it is for your good! It is to strengthen you and to mold you into that true man and woman of God that was always intended from the very beginning! So take a few minutes today to simply reflect on the good things God has done. Trust me, you will surprise yourself. You might even have a few tears and praises come out of you (and that’s okay)!

Why Worship Counts

Posted on by

With each and every passing day, it seems to be a fading trend to have active praise and worship in the house of God. It seems as though we are getting down to a presentation and reaction sort of venue. I know that wherever that we go as a ministry, that it is becoming less and less of something that is occurring on a regular basis.

I do realize that many have a lot of misconceptions about worship, but let’s talk about some important parts about it to clear it up a bit!

First off, worship should be something you do ALWAYS. If you are waiting for some kind of special moment to move you, you might be waiting for a long time. I do understand we must wait for God’s voice, but the word of God speaks on entering into his courts with praise! It talks about praising him on the stringed instruments and on the loud sounding cymbals! Thanksgiving should be in your heart before you ever come to church! If you are waiting to get it when you get to church, or are waiting for something, then the process is backwards; God has given you more than enough to step out and worship!

Secondly, we are to be ready IN and OUT of Season. Whether we feel like it or not, or think it is required of us or not, God will always move on us when push comes to shove and there are people in the midst of you that need you to show them who God really is. It’s not about worshiping anyone BUT God. It’s not about giving glory to anyone BUT God. It also means we have to step out whether we are on the mountain in victory or in the valley in the midst of trials. We couldn’t have a good enough of an excuse to sit back and say “I don’t have to”!

Lastly, it’s YOUR CHOICE. No one can make you, but only encourage you to. People get upset at me all the time because they feel as though I am trying to tell them how or when to worship the Lord, but I am merely encouraging them to! I’m not going back there and lifting up your hands for you, for that has to be you! God will never put anything on you more than you can bear, but I cannot imagine that he would ever put you in a place that you could not draw from the well of praise. Praise is what builds faith. Praise is what builds your zeal. Praise is what breaks ground for the word of God.

Thanksgiving And Praise

Posted on by
Click To Play     

In honor of this Thanksgiving weekend, I have some words on Thanksgiving and praise to share with you today. Someone once said, “If you can’t be satisfied with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped.” Or you may want to look at it like this. “Compare what you want with what you have and you’ll be unhappy. Compare what you deserve with what you have and you’ll be happy.”

Every day should be Thanksgiving Day, so why has one day in the year been designated specifically as “Thanksgiving Day”? Well, the pilgrims came to America to make a home in the wilderness. They came to this country looking for freedom to worship God according to the desires of their own conscience. They had their first harvest in 1621. So, at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the fall of 1621, a little handful of devoted people, in the midst of many perils and great hardships, set apart a day for thanksgiving to God. And on that day, they feasted and gave thanks. President Lincoln appointed the last Thursday of November, 1864, as Thanksgiving Day. Now the Thanksgiving Day tradition is firmly established in America.

Every person who has a grateful heart should devoutly thank God, take stock, and count his blessings. Actually, Thanksgiving Day should simply get us in the mood and in the spirit to be thankful throughout the entire year. In fact, David the psalmist wrote in Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Again in Psalm 35:28 he said “And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.”

We spend a huge amount of our time wishing for things that don’t really matter; hoping for things that aren’t important, and frustrated about stuff we don’t have yet. Folks, let’s make a choice instead to spend our energy reflecting on the things that God has done and is doing in our lives.

See, when we live in such a bountiful land like we do, even the poorest among us are richer than 90% of the world. And when we live life so rushed, we tend to not reflect on the ordinary everyday blessings from God:

-A hug from your kids going out the door to school
-A car that starts most of the time
-A bed to sleep in every night
-A furnace to warm us up this time of the year
-A cup of water any time we want it

So often we take this stuff for granted, don’t we? Take a minute today and move beyond the daily grind of life. Make a choice to reflect on what God is doing, and when you do, be thankful!

How important is praising the Lord? The word praise appears 248 times in 216 verses in the Bible. God has given you many ways to praise Him. Don’t let the rocks do your praising but be willing and glad to give praise unto the name of Jesus.

Here’s some scripture about praising the Lord:

Who shall praise?

“Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.”

Where?

“I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.”

Why?

“The Lord in my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with song will I praise Him. I will praise thee: for thou has heard me, and art become my salvation.”

When?

“Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor all the day.”

How?

“My mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud voice. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.”

Does God want your praise? Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

I hope that you’ve had a blessed Thanksgiving weekend. Remember to always reflect on God’s many blessings in your life and give Him the praise he is due.