Honor God with continually Praise and Thanksgiving
11-23-2017
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Being thankful isn't just for the Thanksgiving holiday. Scripture tells us "in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18). When we find ourselves overwhelmed with burdens and worried about tomorrow, we can praise God for who He is and His promise to never leave us or forsake us. We have been blessed with the free gift of salvation and eternal life!
"For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God" Ephesians 2:8
Read through these Bible verses to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. Find some quiet time to pray and thank God, read Scripture out-loud, and find a renewed heart that is filled with peace and joy!
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness endures forever.
Oh let Israel say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”
Oh let the house of Aaron say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”
Oh let those who [reverently] fear the Lord, say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”
Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
The Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can [mere] man do to me?
The Lord is on my side, He is among those who help me;
Therefore I will look [in triumph] on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in princes.
All nations encompassed me;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
They encompassed me, yes, they surrounded me [on every side];
In the name of the Lord I will cut them off.
They swarmed around me like bees;
They flare up and are extinguished like a fire of thorns;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
You [my enemy] pushed me violently so that I was falling,
But the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous:
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
I will not die, but live,
And declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.
Open to me the [temple] gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
The righteous will enter through it.
I will give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me;
And You have become my salvation [my Rescuer, my Savior].
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.
This is from the Lord and is His doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
O Lord, save now, we beseech You;
O Lord, we beseech You, send now prosperity and give us success!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship].
The Lord is God, and He has given us light [illuminating us with His grace and freedom and joy]. Bind the festival sacrifices with cords to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I give thanks to You;
[You are] my God, I extol You.
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness endures forever.
Psalm 118
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34
In every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:18
Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. Colossians 3:15
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— Ephesians 2:8
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4
Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 107:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. Psalm 95:2-3
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29
For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:4-5
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:15-16
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11-12
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I pray that today and everyday God will give each of us the peace He promises in Philippians 4:7; "And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]." Philippians 4:7.
Today and everyday let us continually give God praise and thanksgiving for we no longer have to give animal sacrifices for our sins because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us. All Praise and Thanksgiving to HIM forever and always. AMEN
So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not
trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus.
This “insider world” is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City
about to come. Let’s take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out
the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our
lips to God in Jesus’ name.
I pray that you will find time everyday to give God Praise and Thanksgiving for all He does for you on a daily basis. From this day forward remember that GOD loves it when we ACKNOWLEDGE HIM through our PRAISE and THANKSGIVING.
Blessings and Peace to ALL {including LGBTQ} God's Children,
Rainbow Pastor David
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