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.

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Thanksgiving

• 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)

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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ….Then God said, “…. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.”  So God created …. every sort of bird…. . And God saw that it was good.  (Genesis 1:1, 20-21 NLT)

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.  (Romans 1:20

Do you see the invisible qualities of God when you look at the world around you?  Maybe not.

Some people “just don’t get it” when it comes to the truths of God and the truths of the Bible.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.  (2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT)

Do you want a right relationship with God, but “just don’t get it”?  Are you confused about the truths of the scriptures?  Ask God to open your eyes and reveal His truths to you.

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.   (Psalm 119:18 NLT)

God will hear and answer your prayer.

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.  And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.  (1 John 5:14-15 NLT) 

Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
(Psalm 34:8 NLT)

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What Kind of People Does God Use?

God used a man who ate bugs.

God uses all kinds of people.

God used:

A drunk.

A man who had speech problems or at least the lack of confidence to speak publicly.

A prostitute.

A doubter.

An old man.

An adulterer and a murderer.

A man who ran from Him.

A tax collector.

A little Boy.

A daydreamer.

A cheater.

A physically unattractive lady.

A man who had long hair and was a womanizer.

Someone “too young”.

A gossip.

A man who preached naked.

A man who went bankrupt.

A man who was suicidal.

A man who was abused.

A man who was afraid.

A lady who was divorced (multiple times).

A widow.

A man who denied Christ three times.

A lady who worried about everything.

A man who was small and money hungry.

Men who fell asleep while praying.

A Pharisee who persecuted Christians.

God uses people who are less than perfect.  That’s a good thing because no one is perfect.  No one is without sin.

As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—
not even one.
No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT)

We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind.  (Isaiah 64:6 NLT)

Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.  (Ecclesiastes 7:20 NLT)

God can use anyone He chooses to use.

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)

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT)

Do you want God to use your life? Are you willing to surrender your life to God?

 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2  NLT)

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. (Romans 3:23-25 NLT)

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What do You See When You Look at Your Selfie?

What should you be seeing if you are a Christian?  Is your true identity being revealed?

What does God see when He looks at you?

What does God see when He looks at any Christian?

What is true about all Christians?  (Part 4 of 4)

A Christian is a person who is: (from Have You Taken Any Selfies Lately? 1-3)

Loved by God.

Chosen by God.

Adopted into God’s family.

Filled with the Holy Spirit.

Called by God.

Given faith to believe.

Favored by God.

Eternally saved.

Created by God to do good works.

A light in this world.

An ambassador.

Now that you know all these things about yourself, and this is only a partial list, how should you (if you are a Christian) respond?

You need to know that you did not, and cannot, earn or deserve any of the qualities listed above.

What is a good response for something unearned and undeserved?

Your response should include the following.  Again, this is just a partial list of responses.

Respond by:

• Loving God and loving people.

…. “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. ³⁰ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’  ³¹ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31 NLT)

• Walking humbly with God

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.  (Micah 6:8 NLT)

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.  (1 Peter 5:6 NLT)

But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:12 NLT)

• Worshiping the Lord continually.

Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker…  (Psalm 95:6 NLT)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Romans 12:1 NLT)

Then I will praise God’s name with singing,
    and I will honor him with thanksgiving.  (Psalm 69:30 NLT)

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

• Treating others appropriately.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  (Colossians 3:12 NLT)

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.  (Ephesians 4:2 NLT)

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  (Philippians 2:3 NLT)

Conclusion:

A Christian is a person who is:  (from Have You Taken Any Selfies Lately? 1-3)

Loved by God.

Chosen by God.

Adopted into God’s family.

Filled with the Holy Spirit.

Called by God.

Given faith to believe.

Favored by God.

Eternally saved.

Created by God to do good works.

A light in this world.

An ambassador.

A Christian should respond by:

Loving God and loving people.

Walking humbly with God

Worshiping the Lord continually.

Treating others appropriately.

^…. anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.

The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

(2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

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Francis Scott Key describes America as “the land of the free and the home of the brave”. 

July 4^th is a day set aside each year to celebrate our nation’s birth. July 4^th is a time to celebrate America’s independence.  July 4^th is a time to be reminded of the fact that freedom came with a price.  Many people fought and died for the freedoms we now experience.

July 4^th is also a good time to be reminded that genuine freedom comes from God, not from government.

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.       (2 Corinthians 3:17 NLT)

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence

“It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor”               -President George Washington

“I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. We need God’s help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can’t expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living.”   -Ronald Reagan

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.  (John 8:36 NLT)

³¹ Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:31-32 NLT)

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD … (Psalm 33:12 ESV)

Enjoy your Independence Day Holiday.

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What do You See When You Look at Your Selfie?

What should you be seeing if you are a Christian?  Is your true identity being revealed?

What does God see when He looks at you?

What does God see when He looks at any Christian?

What is true about all Christians?  Part three.

A Christian is a person who is: (from previous posts)

Loved by God.

Chosen by God.

Adopted into God’s family.

Filled with the Holy Spirit.

Called by God.

Given faith to believe.

Favored by God.

Eternally saved.

What else is true about Christians?  What else is true about you, if you are a Christian?

A Christian is a person who was created by God to do good works.

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)

A Christian’s life has purpose and meaning.  God has given Christians important responsibilities to carry out.

A Christian is a person who is called to be a light in this world.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT)

 A Christian is an ambassador.

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT)

A Christian is a person who is:

Created by God to do good works.

A light in this world.

An ambassador.

^…. anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.

The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

(2 Corinthians 5:17NLT)

“Have You Taken Any Selfies Lately?” will be continued in future posts.

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Our Father in heaven,
   may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
   as it is in heaven.

Give us today the food we need,
   and forgive us our sins,
   as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
   but rescue us from the evil one.  (Matthew 6:9-13 NLT)

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!                                                                                                                   (1 John 3:1 NLT)

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What do you see when you look at your selfie?

Is your true identity being revealed?

More importantly, what does God see when He looks at you?  What does God see when He looks at any Christian?

What is the true identity of all Christians?  Part two.

A Christian is:

Called by God.

A Christian is a person called by God.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9  NLT)

Given faith to believe.

A Christian is a person who has received the gift of faith from God.

Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.  (Romans 12:3 NLT)

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.  (Romans 10:17 NLT)

For the word of God is alive and powerful. (Hebrews 4:12 NLT)

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ 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)

Favored by God.

A Christian is a person who is favored by God.

Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. (Ephesians 1:11NLT)

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)

 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.  (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)

Eternally saved.

A Christian is a person who will never lose his/her salvation.

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

 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.  (Philippians 1:6 NLT)

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39 NLT)

A Christian is a person who is: (from previous post)

Loved by God.

Chosen by God.

Adopted into God’s family.

Filled with the Holy Spirit.

A Christian is a person who is: (from today’s post)

Called by God.

Given faith to believe.

Favored by God.

Eternally saved.

Is this what you see when you look at your “selfie”? 

^…. anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
(2 Corinthians 5:17NLT)

“Have You Taken Any Selfies Lately?” will be continued in future posts.

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

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