Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT)

Approximately 2700 years ago the prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of Jesus.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14 ESV)

About 700 years later this prophesy took place

She (Mary) will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:21-23 ESV)

Before the world was created, God knew that we all would need a Savior. God used Isaiah, and other prophets, to foretell the coming of Jesus.  A little more than 2000 years ago this prophecy was fulfilled.

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)

Thanksgiving (giving thanks) should never end for anyone who is a Christian.   Christians have something to be thankful for every day of the year.  His name is Jesus.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16:34 (NLT)

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+2

How does God speak to us?

God speaks to us:

• Through His Word

 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.  God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.              (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

•  Through His Son, Jesus Christ

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. ² And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. (Hebrews 1:1-2 NLT)

• Through the Holy Spirit

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. (John 14:26 NLT)

• Through prayer

“Be still, and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:10 NLT)

• Through nature and God’s creation

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known. (Psalm 19:1-2)

•  Through other people

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT)

• Through music

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
                            …
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.  (Psalm 40:1-3 NLT)

• Through circumstances

 Example: The plagues in Egypt
So this is what the Lord says: “I will show you that I am the Lord.” Look! I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff in my hand, and the river will turn to blood.  (Exodus 7:17 NLT)

• Through dreams and visions

‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams. (Acts 2:17 NLT)

• Through miracles

 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles … (Hebrews 2:4 NLT)

• Through the Sacraments

 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. (1 Corinthians 11:26 NLT)

God speaks to us:

Through His Word

Through His Son, Jesus Christ

Through the Holy Spirit

Through prayer

Through nature and God’s creation

Through other people

Through music

Through circumstances

Through dreams and visions

Through miracles

Through the Sacraments

God is speaking.  Are you listening?

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!  (Matthew 11:15 NLT)

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+2

Thanksgiving                                              November 26, 2015

Let us worship and bow down.

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand. (Psalm 95:1-7 ESV)

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving.

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+2

The Lord is good.

Psalm 100 is a great Psalm for us to use when we want ideas of how to give thanks to the LORD.  This post will focus on Psalm 100 verse 5.

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:5 ESV)

• Give thanks to the LORD for He is good and His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.  Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.  Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; (Psalm 136:1-3 ESV)

• Give thanks to the Lord for He is faithful.

… the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.   (2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 ESV)

• Give thanks to God for His faithfulness endures to all generations.

Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. (Psalm 119:90 ESV)

• Give thanks to God always and for everything.

… giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 5:20 ESV)

Remember to:

• Give thanks to the LORD for He is good and His steadfast love endures forever.
• Give thanks to the Lord for He is faithful.
• Give thanks to God for His faithfulness endures to all generations.
• Give thanks to God always and for everything.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+3

Coming into His presence.

Psalm 100 is a great Psalm for us to use when we want ideas of how to give thanks to the LORD.  This post will focus on Psalm 100 verse 4.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:4 ESV)

We read, in the Old Testament, about people going to the temple to worship and give thanks to God.  The crowds would gather in the courts that surrounded the temple for a time of worship and giving thanks to the LORD.

Things are different for us today.  As New Testament believers, Jesus is our great high priest.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV)

We are able to come before the throne of grace with confidence knowing that God hears our prayers and praises.  We are able to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” every time we pray, regardless of our location and regardless of the time of day.

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5-7 ESV)

We can personally praise God and thank God for everything He has done for us or we can gather with other believers and we can praise God and give thanks to God corporately.

 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16 ESV)

********************

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:4 ESV)

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

We will look at Psalm 100 verse 5 in a future post.

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+2

For us to be truly thankful, we need to be growing in our knowledge of God.

We need to “Know that the LORD, He is God!”

Psalm 100 is a great Psalm for us to use when we want ideas of how to give thanks to the LORD.  This post will focus on Psalm 100 verse 3.

Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3 NLT)

Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100:3 ESV)

We learn to know God better by studying Scripture. Listed below are a few of the facts that scripture teaches us about God.

• There is only one true God.

There is … one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6 ESV)

For there is one God, …(1 Timothy 2:5 ESV)

• God created and sustains the universe and everything in it.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. …(Genesis chapters 1 & 2 ESV)

• God created us.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  And God blessed them. (Genesis 1:27-28 ESV)

• God has a plan and a purpose for our lives.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)

• God sent a Savior into the world.

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17 ESV)

• God loves his children with an immeasurable love.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1 ESV)

• God is our shepherd.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  (Psalm 23:1-6)

Know that the LORD, He is God!

• There is only one true God.
• God created and sustains the universe and everything in it.
• God created us.
• God has a plan and a purpose for our lives.
• God sent a Savior into the world.
• God loves his children with an immeasurable love.
• God is our shepherd.

Know that the LORD,
He is God!
It is He who made us,
and we are His;
we are His people,
and the sheep of His pasture.
(Psalm 100:3 ESV)

Happy Thanksgiving

We will look at Psalm 100 verse 4 in a future post.

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+3

Psalm 100 is a great Psalm for us to use when we want ideas of how to give thanks to the LORD.  This post will focus on Psalm 100 verse 2.

Worship is a significant part of Thanksgiving.

• We can worship the Lord with singing.

Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come before him, singing with joy.  (Psalm 100:2 NLT)

Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! (Psalm 100:2 ESV)

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. (Psalm 100:2 NIV)

When we worship we should do it:

Cheerfully

Willingly

Happily

Gladly

• We can worship the Lord by serving others.

Serve the LORD with gladness!

In many Scripture passages, the original words for “worship” and “serve” are used interchangeably.  We can also worship the LORD by serving others.  We should look for ways to willingly, cheerfully, happily, and joyfully serve others during this holiday season, and throughout the year.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,   I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’   “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?   When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?    When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’   “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’  (Matthew 25:35-40)

 Serve the Lord with gladness!

Worship the Lord with gladness. 

Come into his presence with singing!

Happy Thanksgiving

We will look at Psalm 100 verse 3 in a future post.

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+2

Psalm 100 is a great Psalm for us to use when we want ideas of how to give thanks to the LORD.

This post will focus on Psalm 100 verse 1.

• Thanksgiving should be directed “to the Lord”. He is the focus of our praise.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! (Psalm 100:1 NLT)

 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! (Psalm 100:1 ESV)

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. (Psalm 100:1 NIV)

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. (Psalm 100:1 NASB)

• Thanksgiving should be done with energy and enthusiasm.

Psalm 95:1-2 reinforces the idea of enthusiastically and joyfully praising and thanking God for all He has done for us.

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! (Psalm 95:1-2 ESV)

Psalm 150:3-6 also encourages us to “Make a joyful noise to the LORD”.

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD! (Psalm 150:3-6 ESV)

• Thanksgiving should be directed to the Lord with energy and enthusiasm.

 “Shout with joy to the Lord.”

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord.”

“Shout for joy to the Lord.”

“Shout joyfully to the Lord.”

“Make a joyful noise to Him.”

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! 

Happy Thanksgiving

We will look at Psalm 100 verse 2 in a future post.

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+2

• It is good to give thanks to the Lord.

 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to the Most High.  (Psalm 92:1 NLT)

• Give thanks to God because He is good.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.  (1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT)

• Be thankful in all circumstances.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)

• Thank God for sending Jesus into the world.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17 NLT)

• Thank God for the gift of salvation.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT)

• If you have received this gift of salvation, thank God for giving purpose and meaning to your life.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

As you celebrate this Thanksgiving season remember:

• It is good to give thanks to the Lord.
• Give thanks to God because He is good.
• Be thankful in all circumstances.
• Thank God for sending Jesus into the world.
• Thank God for the gift of salvation.
• If you have received this gift of salvation, thank God for giving purpose and meaning to your life.

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20 NLT)

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+3

Sometimes Christians, people who love the Lord with all their heart, go through some really tough times.  They feel like God has abandoned them; they feel like God is not hearing their prayers; or they may even feel that God has broken some of His promises.

These feelings are real.

The pain is intense.

Christians need to be reminded that an individual’s relationship with the Lord should not be based on feelings.  Rather an individual’s relationship with God should be based on the promises of Scripture.

God is a holy God.  He is perfect. God does not lie.  He will keep all of His promises.  God does not change His mind.

 God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?  (Numbers 23:19 NLT)

And he who is the Glory of Israel (God) will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”  (1 Samuel 15:29 NLT)

God does not abandon His people.  A Christian’s relationship with God is a relationship that will last for eternity.

 … God has said, “I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.”  (Hebrews 13:5 NLT)

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, (John 10:28 NLT)

God will keep every single promise that He has given to us in His Word.

The very essence of your words is truth;
    all your just regulations will stand forever.  (Psalm 119:160 NLT)

 …  teach them your word, which is truth.  (John 17:17 NLT)

 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.  (Hebrews 6:18 NLT)

 Satan, the deceiver, is eager to plant doubt in the minds of a believer.   Unlike God, Satan is a liar.

 … Satan, the one deceiving the whole world … (Revelation 12:9 NLT)

He (Satan) has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 NLY)

Don’t be deceived.  Don’t allow yourself to be lied to.  Don’t let your feelings mislead you.  Trust God and believe His promises.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”  (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT)

 Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

+1