Thanksgiving

Feb 9, 2003

Excerpts from Pastor Tom's teaching on Thanksgiving from Sunday 18th of August.

• The Ultimate evidence of divine occupation is gratitude. Someone said "If you are not constantly thankful to God, its questionable if you are saved.This is true because it is impossible for the God who inhabits the universe to inhabit a life and for that life not to know it and be thankful for it.

Thanksgiving moves you forward.

• The Church is the most dynamic, powerful and well planned institution that exists on the earth. There is no business company that compares to it because it's CEO is God who is bringing it to a state of perfection. God is not waiting for a plan. He already has one that's in motion and is constantly moving toward the fulfillment of a definate purpose.This purpose is for the church to be glorious. The glorious church is the manifestation of the life of God through those who are obedient to follow His instructions.Thanksgiving is associated with this outpouring.
• God raised up the prophet Moses to lead his people to the 'Promised Land'.
  Psalm 106:24-26
• The people complained and grumbled, never satisfied even though they experienced miracles every day.Instead of moving forward they kept wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.Their mumering prevented their forward movement.
• Thanksgiving is the opposite of complaining. Thanksgiving moves us forward and ultimately effects your destiny.

Thanksgiving opens up doors.

• God lives within the gates of thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4. Only access is with thanksgiving.
• Keep thanking and the gates to His presence will constantly be open to you.
• When you have the key to Gods presence, you have the answer to every problem that has been locked closed to you.
• Every door closed to you answers to thanksgiving.
• If thanksgiving opens up the door to God, it opens up the door to life.

Thanksgiving and healing

• Luke 17:13-19

• The 10 lepers cried out to Jesus for mercy and were told by Jesus to go show themselves to the High Priest, who would verify their healing and give them the ok to return to normal society. As they went they were healed which shows us that they were not healed in the presence of Jesus, but only as they obediently went on their way. They therefore all had faith, but on their way to the High Priest one of them noticed a change in his condition. He realised that he was healed and returned to give thanks to Jesus.

• Nine were healed by faith, but one returned to give thanks which indicates in this instance that thanksgiving was rarer than faith. When the one leper returned Jesus was waiting for all 10 to return, and was surprised that they did'nt. The one who did received more than the others when Jesus told him his faith had made him well. Some say this was a spiritual healing he received and others say it was a physical healing he received. It could of been both, but the more important point is that he received something more than the others received.

• Faith combined with thanksgiving is the key to get us maximum results when we are trusting God for answers.A lot of people operating in faith still don't get answers and wonder why. It might be that the missing element of thanksgiving is missing.

  Some keys to divine health:

• Know the healing scriptures. Knowledge of the truth sets you free. (John 8:32)

• Expect the benefits when you are thankful. (Psalm 103:1-3)

• Thanking God for the results before you see them manifest in the natural.

A Great man of God said this:- "If we are negligent in thanking God, it disqualifies us from future blessings".
Jesus is keeping a record of our blessings and is waiting for us to acknowledge our gratitude for them. Let's not keep him waiting.