Wonderful Jesus!

Category: Thanksgiving

• Lord, I Thank You!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 1, 2021

  Ephesians 6:18 – praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—NKJV

  

  lord_-i-thank-you_.mp3

  This week I am turning my focus to prayer. I’ve blogged before on the subject of praying always, but I don’t recall addressing the many types of ways we can pray. I look at the picture of the young girl and her posture, and I think, I know that posture. Do we have to have a certain type of posture? No! But sometimes a posture say more than our words ever could!

  Paul encourages us in this verse to pray with all prayer. That word “all” causes me to infer that there is more than one way to pray. Of course, I know it to be true, but for the sake of beginnings, I want to make that point. There are all kinds of prayers, and therefore there are all kinds of way to pray.

  One of my favorite ways to pray, is the prayer of thanksgiving! This time of conversing with the Lord can be short and to the point: Thank you Lord for not allowing that car to hit me! Or it can be longer, where we give Him thanks for any number of reasons!

  Something I see in the Old Testament, is that people were chosen to give thanks to God:

  And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 31:2 – NKJV

  Can you imagine living life without the privilege of thanking God for who He is in your life, and for all He has done? Can you imagine being in a time and place when someone else was designated to be in His presence thanking Him, and you weren’t that someone?

  And with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever; 1 Chronicles 16:41 -NKJV

  Or maybe it wasn’t like that all! Maybe, they were chosen to set the atmosphere of worship in the house of the Lord! For that is exactly, what the prayer of thanksgiving leads to. Worship!

  What are some of the things we should find ourselves giving Him thanks for?

  • We should thank Him because He is good! 1 Corinthians 16:34
  • We should thank Him for His great name! Psalm 35:18
  • We should give Him thanks because we are His people Psalm 79:13
  • We should thank Him because it’s the right thing to do! Psalm 92:1
  • We should thank Him for His wonderful works to other people! Psalm 107:8
  • We should thank Him for His word! Psalm 119:62
  • We should thank Him for His mercy that endures forever! Psalm 136:26
  • We should give thanks for His Blood that was shed for us! Mark 14:23
  • We should give thanks for His Body that was given for us! Luke 22:19
  • We should give thanks for what He does for us! Luke 17:16
  • We should give thanks for Him giving us the victory through our Lord! 1 Corinthians 15:57
  • We should thank Him for those who are a part of the Body of Christ! Ephesians 1:16
  • We should thank Him for grace! 2 Corinthians 9:15

  And if that is not enough to take you to the place of worship, thanks should be given for Jesus! And thanks for this beautiful land that we live in, and for life, and for health, and for strength! And for family, and jobs, and friends, and vehicles, and homes…and I think you get the picture!

  This is my favorite type of prayer, as I said, because it leads to worship. It leads to us remembering who God is and all He has done and can do for us! It has a way of refreshing me and causing me to get my mind off of the negative issues in life, or the stress of the day. As a matter of fact, it gets me in the right frame of mind to blog.

  Anyone can be become an expert at talking to God with the prayer of thanksgiving! The leper who was cleansed, immediately knew exactly what words to say and what posture to take after he was healed. You don’t need an example, or further explanation. No need for the Greek or the Hebrew words to break it down! Just know that it’s an excellent way to talk to the Everlasting God and that you will most certainly get His attention!! Then when you finish giving Him thanks, you can just bask in His presence! Wonderful Jesus!

  prayer-for-salvation.mp3

  Posted in God, Prayer, Thanksgiving | 2 Comments | Tagged Christian, Prayer, miraculous, victory, God, David, Paul, worship, psalm, Thanksgiving, giving of thanks, leper

• Happy Thanksgiving!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on November 26, 2020

  

  I want to say that I give thanks to our Heavenly Father for this blog He has entrusted me with. I also want to thank Him for each and everyone of you who faithfully or even occasionally log on to read my blog. You encourage me daily as you do so!

  Enjoy your day! Fellowship safely! And take some time to thank God for all the wonderful things He has done! He has been so good to us this year, even with this awful pandemic underfoot! Thank you Father! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Holiday Celebrations, Thanksgiving | 2 Comments | Tagged blessings, gratefulness, Happy Thanksgiving

• His Indescribable Gift!

  Posted at 4:44 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on November 25, 2020

  2 Corinthians 9:15 -Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! NKJV

  

  his-indescribable-gift_.mp3

  It’s the holiday season! Thanksgiving Day kicks the season off! Traditionally speaking, Thanksgiving Day commemorates the support that the Native Americans provided to the first English settlers, that literally saved their lives. However, it has evolved into so much more, as most people take this time to be thankful for their friends, family, and the wonderful things that have happened in their lives. For the believers, it’s another day that we have an opportunity to give Him thanks!

  In this blog, I want to stop and give my personal thanks for His indescribable gift, Jesus! Thank you, Father for Jesus!

  When Paul wrote this particular part of his letter to the Corinthians, he felt a need to remind them of the benefits of being generous supporters to those in need. He had boasted to other churches, according to his writing, about their plans to give this offering, to those in Jerusalem who were struggling. Since he was writing them anyway, he wanted to let them know that he was fully expecting them to do what they said they would do, otherwise, they would all be embarrassed throughout the Church.

  Paul continues to write that when we give of our substance, it causes people to give thanks to God, for the giver, for the gift, and for His blessings in their lives. While at the same time, it’s the giver’s opportunity to demonstrate how blessed he has been by God, causing the giver to give expressions of gratitude. So let’s talk plain!

  Every believer should be a giver. Not just in tithes and offerings to the church, but as a lifestyle. When we are givers, meaning no one has to beg us to give, we are an expression of the abundance of blessings that have come to us. Not only that, with our giving, we say thanks to the Father for giving so much to us, that we have to give to others. This is what being blessed truly looks like! We bless others because He has blessed us!

  I learned the blessing of giving as a young person. I was attending Bible school and was struggling financially, but I had made up my mind that I was going to trust God to provide. One weekend a group of leaders in our church went to visit another church in Georgia and I went with them. As we were leaving Georgia, someone slipped some money in my hand. I really needed that money and I was so thankful to God for providing it. As we traveled back to Tennessee, we saw a young lady on the bank of the highway. We pulled over to offer her help, and I was chosen to go and speak with her. Long story short, she didn’t want us to take her anywhere but she was in a tight spot in life. Worst off than me. I slipped that money in her hand and got back in the car. It was an amazing feeling to help someone who needed it more than I did. I thanked the Lord for Him setting things up so I could be a blessing to someone with a greater need. Whatever my need was, it was supplied. And He hasn’t stopped supplying! Thank you, Lord!

  Paul gets so excited about this circle of blessings and thanksgivings that he ends this section of the letter by saying, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” If we read this too fast, we may think that Paul is thankful for the money, and be that as it may, it isn’t what he is talking about. He is thankful for Jesus!

  Paul uses the word, “anekdiegetos” (an-ek-dee-ay’-gay-tos) which means indescribable or unspeakable. This word is found only in this verse. It is, as if while he was writing about the blessings of being a blessing, he came to a personal place of thanksgiving, and had to stop and give Him thanks! And since in his mind he couldn’t think of an appropriate word at the time, the Spirit of God gave him one! Anekdiegetos! A word that began to be used after the Spirit gave it to Paul!

  I remember a time when I was talking to the Lord in prayer and he taught me a new word. I got to the point when I realized I had said so much that I was speechless, and didn’t know how to proceed. And this word came to my spirit: encapsulate! For some odd reason I not only heard the word, but sensed its meaning. For those of you who already know this word and its meaning, you may not be impressed, but I was. Encapsulate means to express the essential features of (something) succinctly, or to give a good wrap up. So I can identify with how Paul was writing about the power of giving and a new word came to him, anekdiegetos!

  Jesus truly is indescribable. I am in a bible study with a young lady, and as we were talking about Jesus this week, she said that she didn’t realize that Jesus had done so much in so little time on the earth, or that He was so young when He died. In her mind He had lived forever and ever! Precious to hear some of the things people say when they are first learning of our Savior!

  I love Thanksgiving Day! The food, the fellowship with friends and family, the sense of gratefulness that permeates the atmosphere. Although we can’t celebrate it in our usual manner, we will still celebrate! My heart is filled with gratitude for all that He has done since the last celebration: new babies in the family, new jobs, loved ones who recovered from the coronavirus, and His amazing protection over us all. But more important than that, I am thankful for Jesus!

  His amazing love, His sacrifice on the cross, the wonderful miracles He performed and are still performing, the souls that He saved from hell who now know the Father and have access to His amazing love! His abundance of grace and mercy, His patience, His steadfastness, His glory, His comfort…There is so much to be thankful for when we think of Him. Because of all that He has done, and does for us, it should be easy to be people filled with gratitude and people who willingly give.

  As we officially enter the holiday season with this great day of Thanksgiving, let us remember to give not just to those who can return it, but especially to those who can’t! This pandemic has caused many to be without their jobs and some to be without their home. When He presents an opportunity to you to be a blessing, don’t let it pass you by! It truly is more of a blessing to give then it is to receive. And if the opportunity presents, give them Jesus! They will be eternally grateful for this Indescribable Gift! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Giving, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus, Thanksgiving | 0 Comments | Tagged blessing to others, coronavirus, encouragemnt, Giving, hard times, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus, pandemic, Paul, thankfulness, Thanksgiving

• In Everything Give Thanks!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 15, 2020

  1 Thessalonians 5:18 -“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” NKJV

  

  in-everything-give-thanks_.mp3

  This has been a challenging week. Getting back into the swing of teaching, add to that all of the challenges of virtual teaching, and the sum total is that I can truly say, blogging isn’t at the top of my list. Just as I was about to turn in, without a blog that I was pleased with, I remembered this post from 2018, so I am revising and reposting!

  I think it is interesting to note that Paul didn’t say that we are to give thanks for everything that happens to us. Religion has taught people to give thanks for being in all kinds of devastating situations, believing that it is God’s will for them to do so. But even common sense would say to us that when a loved one dies, only an insensitive individual will tell the grieving family that it was the will of God. When a child is born blind, or an accident leaves you maimed, or you lose your home, or your spouse walks out on you, is not anything to give anyone thanks for. And Paul understood better than most that things could be really tough.

  That’s why I believe Paul didn’t say, “For all things give thanks,” but in all things. And that’s a huge different!

  To give thanks to God the Father in all things, means to say, “Father, I don’t know why this is happening, but I do know that I can trust you! And I’m so thankful that I can.” The word of God is filled with scriptures on the blessings and the need to give thanks.

  Psalm 107:8- “Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”

  The psalmist understood that God’s goodness is reason enough to give thanks. As a matter of fact, he went on to say that He satisfies the longing soul and fill the hungry soul with goodness. Even in a dark place, a troubled place, a place of despair, when you give Him thanks, He will satisfy the longing of your soul!

  Religious people believe, that because God is sovereign, He either does these bad things or He allow these bad things to happen. I cannot get in agreement with this line of teaching. I remember when my mother died and I was a little girl. Someone approached me and told that God needed my mother more than I did. Seriously??? How can anyone form their lips to tell a little girl something like that? All that kind of talk will do is make a person hate God. Let me just assure you, those are not encouraging words!

  If we will learn to trust God, then we will be able to say like David, when grief is trying to overwhelm us:

  You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalm 30:11-12 -NKJV

  Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) I like to think of it like this: If the thing going on is stealing from me, killing something in my life, or bringing destruction, then Satan is directly or indirectly involved in it. Also, we do still live in this earth realm and since Satan is the prince of this world, bad things do happen. And lastly, this one is tough but I have to mention it, some things happen because of the bad choices that we make. But, having said that, we have got to stop blaming God for all the bad things that happen in our lives. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!”

  Paul wrote, “in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus, concerning you”. That’s it in a nutshell. God’s will for my life, for all of us, is that we learn to be a people with a grateful heart. I get that there are some things going on right now that are heartbreaking. I get that the challenges of life are difficult, that’s why they are called challenges. But God’s will for those in Christ Jesus is that we give thanks in everything!

  In the midst of this pandemic, instead of whining about our limitations, we are to give thanks to God for being with us during this pandemic. It’s bad, but it could be so much worst. We give thanks because there are more people recovering than there who are dying. We give thanks because He said for us to give thanks. He desires His people to be a people with a heart of gratitude. It’s His will for us!

  So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations. Psalm 79:13 -NKJV

  In the midst of this civil unrest, we are to be thankful! Despite the few who are looting, and the occasional violence, I’m thankful that the overall process is peaceful. I’m thankful that people of every nationality have joined together which demonstrates there is hope for us being united. In this, I can give thanks!

  In everything, I endeavor to give Him thanks! Not for what is going on, but because of His never failing love towards me. I want to encourage you to try giving Him thanks if you are in a difficult place right now. Not for the situation, but because you have access to an amazing God! He still heals, He still delivers, and His ear is still bent towards the righteous! He is still good! He is still amazing! He is still the Resurrection and the Life! He is still the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world! He is still God! Good times, bad times, challenging times, any time, is the right time to give thanks to God. It’s His will for you if you are in Christ Jesus! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, Thanksgiving, will of God | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Deliverance, difficult times, encouragement, give thanks, gratitude, hard times, Healing, pandemic, social issues, trust in God, will of God

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