Joy of Praise and Thanksgiving

Our Senior Teacher spoke on the joys of a grateful heart during our Thanksgiving Celebration. Her scripture focus was:

Luke 17:12-17 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance  13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?

When we were accepted into the family of God we became spiritual brothers and sisters of Christ Himself; but how many of us behave like spoiled children who are ever demanding and seldom taking time to give a sincere “thank You”? Our Heavenly Father, Yahweh Jireh, Our God Who Provides, gave us in His Son a perfect example to follow.

Matthew 14:19-20 New International Version (NIV) 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.  20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Matthew 15:36 New International Version (NIV) 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.

Mark 14:22-23 New International Version (NIV) 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

Two of the greatest of the many gifts given to us by the father are His Word and the Holy Spirit, the comforter. We need look no further for examples and help in offering to God our gifts of praise and thanksgiving. The Psalms provide exceptional examples of the joys of praise and thanksgiving and today's scripture is one wonderful illustration! May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Philippians 4:4-8; Looking before the THEN

Philippians 4:4-8 Contemporary English Version (CEV) 4 Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. 8 Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.

I found a wonderful posting from Biblical Foundations For Freedom which I wish to share because it so touched my heart. I don't think there can be too many ways possible for believers to stumble onto these words. The posting included a picture of steps leading to the promise of God's peace and encouragement to read Philippians 4:1-7 which leads to the promise.

Looking before the THEN So many of the promises of God start with words like THEN or THEREFORE. This implies that there are some steps before the promise. It is always a good practice, when studying the Word, to look a few verses or sometimes a few chapters ahead to make sure we are studying in context. This is especially true when our study includes words like THEN! Today's study includes an awesome promise....A promise of peace beyond understanding! We must not neglect to study what comes before this THEN!

Step 1: Living in Harmony 2 Euodia and Syntyche, you belong to the Lord, so I beg you to stop arguing with each other. Step 2: Helping Co-workers 3 And, my true partner, I ask you to help them. These women have worked together with me and with Clement and with the others in spreading the good news. Their names are now written in the book of life. Step 3: Rejoicing in The Lord Always 4 Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. Step 4: Living Graciously 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. Step 5: Praying Out Our Anxieties 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. THEN 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

"Where is the Anchor?”

Acts 27:14-24 New King James Version (NKJV) 14 But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon. 15 So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.  16 And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty. 17 When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.  18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.  19 On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.  20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. 21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.  22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.  23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,  24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

Euroclydon [jʊˈrɒklɪˌdɒn] (Free Online Dictionary) n 1. (Christian Religious Writings / Bible) a stormy wind from the north or northeast that occurs in the Levant, which caused the ship in which St Paul was traveling to be wrecked (Acts 27:14) 2. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) any stormy wind Before we set out on any phase of this journey called life we need to know where our anchor lies. No captain would dare start out on a trip without checking the entire ship for safety. All of the sails need to be repaired; caulking must be done; ships store must be secured and that all important anchor must be in place. How many times do we set out on a life journey without consulting our anchor, God himself! Paul knew that this was a dangerous trip. This trip was taken after the Great Day of Forgiveness, a time when all seafaring folks knew the seas were dangerous. Paul had traveled enough to know that this was not a good time to be on the sea. Perhaps the captain needed the income from just one more trip to meet his needs for the year. Perhaps he just wanted to spend the winter in a more promising place. Whatever his motive, he didn't honor Paul's suggestion and perhaps his own better judgment. What do we do when we are not in control of a situation yet know that the best course is not being followed? During the worst of the storm Paul received counsel from an Angel of the Lord. Jesus left us a Comforter, a guide, a shelter in times of storm in the person of the Holy Spirit. Do we avail ourselves of this critical anchor on all of our journeys of life? Dear Jesus, I ask that you give us the wisdom to search your Word and our hearts and to always seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit at every juncture of this journey called life. May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!