November 25, 2024

Verbal Sacrifice

November 26, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.
Hebrews 13:15 ESV

How often do we refer to the praises coming from our mouths as sacrifices? Praising the Lord’s name and giving Him praise is like a walk in the park—under the right circumstances.

What about when customers at work are being difficult, your co-workers aren’t any better, and your bosses seem to have drawn your number? What about when a friend stands you up? What about when things just won’t go right and everyone seems to be against you?   Or things couldn’t possibly get any worse?  What about those days that are just off?

This reminds me of when I was little and did something wrong.  Even though I was wrong, I didn’t want to say sorry.  I just didn’t want to…even though it was right thing to do.  It literally physically pained me to utter the words.

Those days when you don’t feel like giving praise are the days when praise is a sacrifice.  When we praise God even in our less-than-favorable moments we are saying to Him…and those around us —

  • God is our God
  • we trust Him with our lives
  • we trust in Someone bigger than us
  • we have the Almighty on our side to fight for us

Exodus 14:14 is one of my favorite verses. It says,

The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.

Praising God takes our eyes off our circumstances and places them on Him.  If our eyes are on God—regardless of the situation—how could we not feel like praising Him?

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Thank You, Lord for being a trustworthy God.  Thank You for taking care of me, even when the odds seem against me.  Amen.

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Praise At All Times

November 24, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Through Jesus, therefore
let us continually offer to God
a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess His name.
Hebrews 13:15

A believer who is in fellowship with God has to be full of praise…for that’s the calling we have.  Believers who cannot praise and worship the Lord are not true disciples of Jesus.  When you are in good fellowship with Christ, you are always mesmerized with the Lord’s deeds and naturally a spirit of praising comes from your heart and your mouth lets it out.

Why do we praise God?

For what He has done:   In everything we have to praise the Lord and the Lord is always pleased with our praises.

Sing praises to the Lord enthroned in Zion,
proclaim among the nations what He has done.
Psalm 9:11

The Lord does a lot in our lives—His protection, providing, shepherding, etc.  We need to thank God for all of those!  Whether we face adversity—or even challenges that make us wonder whether God is seeing us—we have to praise God for we are commanded to praise the Lord at all times.

Fourfold Reason:

But you are a chosen people, a loyal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people belonging to God that you may declare the praises of Him
Who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9

And we need to celebrate this fact that He took us out of darkness, what a wonderful God that He is so mindful of man. He is indeed good and compassionate. We have to praise God for all this.

As a commandment:   Perpetually we are to praise the Lord and universally do so (as Psalm 63:7 stipulates),

May the peoples praise You, O God, may all peoples praise You.

Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim His praise in the islands.
Isaiah 42:12

So we are all to praise God; let us make a choice of doing so in the morning…in the afternoon…and in the evening time!  As children at Sunday School we used to sing this song (many times, repeatedly, we would sing this).

Praise Him
Praise Him
Praise Him in the morning
Praise Him in the noon time
Praise Him
Praise Him
Praise Him when the sun goes down
Halleluia!!!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Lord, we thank You for who You are, what You have done and what You are yet to do in our lives.  We praise You for this unfailing love and the good deeds we testify about day in and out.  May Your name be praised at all times.  Help us, Lord, to praise You more and more as this pleases You the most.  Let the praises come from deep within our heart.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen!

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The Fruit of Lips

November 23, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times
offer up to God a sacrifice of praise,
which is the fruit of lips
that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.
Hebrews 13:15 AMP

I am like a child.  I am constantly asking questions— “What does that mean?” “Why do I need to do that?”  Especially when it comes to Scripture.  It wasn’t any different as I read this passage.  To find answers to my questions, I searched the Scriptures.

‘The fruit of lips’…well, what does that mean? In this verse alone it tells us that the fruit of our lips is

  • praise
  • a thankful acknowledgment
  • a sacrifice to God

Although animal sacrifices are no longer required, we are repeatedly urged to offer another kind of sacrifice.

Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving.…
Psalm 50:14 AMP

Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and announce His works with shouts of joy.
Psalm 107:22 HCSB

To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord.
Psalm 116:17 NASB

Ok, so the fruit of our lips is 1) praise, 2) a sacrifice, 3) a way of giving thanks to the Lord.  But why are we compelled (Hebrews 13:15) to do it ‘constantly and at all times’?  Here are just a few of the reasons I found.

It glorifies God and pleases Him

He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me;
Psalm 50:23 AMP

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.
This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.
Psalms 69:30-31 HCSB

(Because of) His enduring love and goodness

Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
Psalm 107:21 NLT

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1

Because Jesus did

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth…”.
Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21-22 HCSB

Our shared inheritance

Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share
the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.
Colossians 1:12 AMP

But, I think my favorite reason for giving thanks is to tell others and remind myself of all He has done in my life.

O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples!
1 Chronicles 16:8 AMP

O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name,
make known His doings among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on
and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them.
Psalms 105:1-2 AMP

Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!
Psalm 150:2

Praise causes me to focus on the times I have seen God’s hand at work.  It keeps the memories fresh in my mind so I can reflect on His blessings in times of struggle.  It reminds me how thankful I am to be a child of The King of Kings.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Oh Lord, Oh Lord!  How majestic is Your name in all the earth.  I am blessed beyond measure by Your faithful love and graciousness.  May I constantly and at all times offer a sacrifice of praise to You, for You are more than worthy.  In Your Holy name I pray, Amen – it is so!

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Be Joyful Always

November 22, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Be joyful always
Pray continually
Give thanks in all circumstances
For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

be joyful always
pray continually
give thanks in all circumstances

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus

Composed and performed by Seeds Family Worship

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This Week…1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

November 21, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Rejoice always
Pray without ceasing
In everything give thanks
For this is God’s Will for you in Christ Jesus
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I have simply loved meditating on this passage this week…how about you?  These truly are simple actions to take…let alone that they are ‘God’s Will for you in Christ Jesus!’  And the perspectives shared by Ahmee, Ann, and Cynda have absolutely broadened the scope of my understanding…and my obedience to God’s Will. (Thank you, dear sisters!)

Cynda graciously shared the revelation that God gave to her in Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks, Repeat.

” Prayer changes our perspective and helps us find joy. ⇨
⇨ Joy causes us to rejoice. ⇨
⇨ Rejoicing makes us thankful. ⇨
⇨ When we are thankful we offer up prayer and praise. ⇨
⇨ Praying reveals and restores our joy…and round and round we go!
It is cycle…a circle of behavior…that never ends. “

~   ♥   ~

In Thanks Giving, Ann encouraged us with some strong, vital words…

“My dear sisters, anything that is God’s Will…I will do it! For it means I have no choice but to obey. Acts of disobedience will lead to destruction. And, in fact in this case, thanks giving is an act of love. Already it is His Will for us to do so.

Let us “…be doers of the Word, and not hearers only…” James 1:22 ESV

~   ♥   ~

Ahmee reminded us of the Truth regarding being thankful in Thankful to a Good God.
“…Thankful in all circumstances.  I think sometimes we get this mixed up with thankful for all circumstances.  This also corresponds with being content in all circumstances—not content for all circumstances.  We are going to go through some things in our lives that we should not be thankful for, but we can be thankful during the process.”

~   ♥   ~

Lord, we do give You thanks in all things, in all circumstances, for ALL that You have blessed us with!  We give voice to our deepest gratitude acknowledging Your provision and perfect supply for each need that we have.  You are such a good and gracious and kind and compassionate and loving Father!  We love You and adore You…and we praise and thank You!  In Jesus’ name, amen.  HalleluJAH!   ♥  

 

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Giving Thanks In EVERYthing

November 20, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Rejoice always
Pray without ceasing
In everything give thanks
For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

As our sisters have already reminded us this week—IN everything give thanks (not FOR everything)!

Y’know…there is a certain man whose dedication and commitment to God IN every situation and circumstance is recorded in the Old Testament.  I’ll give you a hint or two, ok?

  1. His friends tried to DISsuade him from giving thanks IN everything….
  2. His wife clearly told him the situation was so bad that he should just ‘curse God and die’….

Oh, I am SURE you recognize this man; yes?  Of course, it was righteous Job.  If ever there were someone who perceivably had nothing left for which to give thanks, it was Job.

Job was abundantly blessed by God: he had houses, and flocks, and herds of animals, and servants, and a great big family. One dreadful day, his 10 children were killed in a house collapse, his sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys were stolen away, and all his servants (save the three who escaped and brought him the terrible news) were captured.  He could have complained to God bitterly. But he said,

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.
Job 1:21

In all that Job went through, his attitude never wavered.  He knew that God is sovereign, that all that he had (or didn’t have) was in God’s hand.  And, like righteous Job, we too, should have this unwavering attitude of giving thanks to Almighty God IN all situations and circumstances.  Paul also reminded the 1st century Christians ( and us!) to do the same.

At all times and for everything giving thanks
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
Ephesians 5:20

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:17

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father,
Who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
James 1:17

Truly, we should rejoice always  ♥  pray without ceasing  ♥  give thanks in everything!

Every day, throughout each day, let’s speak and sing out our gratitude and thankfulness to our heavenly Father!  May our prayer be as David’s…

To the end that my tongue and my heart
and everything glorious within me
may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
Psalm 30:12

 

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In Everything Give Thanks

November 19, 2014 by

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 Rejoice always
Pray without ceasing
In everything give thanks
For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

In everything give thanks, with all your heart give praise
For the Lord we serve will never let you down
In everything give thanks, with all your heart believe
That the Lord can take a circumstance
And turn it all around

When you want sunshine to brighten up your day
But you find the clouds rain on your parade
Don’t forget somewhere someone you may not know
Is thanking God for a rain to make the crops grow

When troubles trouble you and you think life’s not fair
When you need someone and there’s no one there
Remember all the times that you feel alone are the
Times He’ll use to make you strong

Charlotte Ritchie  ~ written by Jeff & Sheri Easter

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

 

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Thankful To a Good God

November 18, 2014 by

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Always be joyful.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will
for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

“…Thankful in all circumstances“.  I think sometimes we get this mixed up with thankful for all circumstances.  This also corresponds with being content in all circumstances—not content for all circumstances.  We are going to go through some things in our lives that we should not be thankful for, but we can be thankful during the process. God does not want us to be thankful for cancer, but we can be thankful to Him while we have cancer.

God is a good God.  He will not bring anything into our lives that is not good.  God can do no wrong.  God does not make mistakes.  This being said…God is not the only being that brings things in and out of our lives.  Satan puts things in our lives.  Deception is something that Satan is very good at.  He was able to deceive Adam and Eve in the Garden, and to this day he still works to deceive mankind.  Not only this, but the consequences of our own actions brings unfavorable things into our lives.

What I’m saying is that the Bible clearly says,

Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
Who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17

The Bible also clearly says,

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10

Very simply put: Good God — bad devil.

Thank God for ALL the good He has done in your life. You can thank God for bringing you through the bad in your life. You can thank God for turning a bad situation into a good situation. God can bring good out of bad. God can show you the error of your way(s) in bad situations and use His word to teach you the correct way…but God does not do bad. Do not thank God for the bad you have in your life, but be thankful to God during these times—because God is good.

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Thanks Giving

November 17, 2014 by

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Be joyful always,
pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances
for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My dear sisters, anything that is God’s Will…I will do it!  For it means I have no choice but to obey.  Acts of disobedience will lead to destruction.  And, in fact in this case, thanks giving is an act of love.  As a child, you do thank your parents for buying you shoes (even when you don’t love the shoe).  You always thank them for the nice shoes as a token of your appreciation.

This is the same way we are to treat God.  Already it is His Will for us to do so.  Let us “…be doers of the Word, and not hearers only…” (James 1:22 ESV).

Thanks giving should be our lifestyle not an option.  See the following and meditate on these Scriptures.

When you have eaten and you are satisfied
praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.
Deuteronomy 8:10

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise
Give thanks to Him and praise His Name.
Psalm 100:4

Let them sacrifice thanks offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.
Psalm 107:22

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share
in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of light…
Colossians 1:2

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
Since as members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

So being thankful is a calling; do not despise it.  Let us do it diligently always for we are called to do this.  Let us please the Heavenly Father in this, dear sisters and friends. Since it is His will we will be measured according to that.  How have we faired in this area?  Where you are and how are you doing it?  All of these matter.  Meditate on the Scriptures shared and make a choice to give thanks always…as per the calling.

 
Father, I thank You for calling me/us to this noble duty!  Father, sometimes we have not done Your Will…forgive us.  And I pray for Your grace to abide in us and cause us to do those that which You require us to do.  The grace should instill in us the spirit of thanks giving through our works, words, deeds, clothing, personality (and even those areas that I have missed).  May You do it, Lord, for You know us very well.  Thank You for what You did for us over 2000 years ago—sending Christ to die for us a shameful death and providing a rewarding life to the lost.  We give You praise and honor always!   In Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN!

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Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks, Repeat

November 16, 2014 by

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Rejoice always!
Pray constantly.
Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 HCSB

You know that feeling you get when you look at a Scripture passage and think “I already know this stuff!” and then God gives you a head slap and says ”Oh, yeah? Check this out!”…?

Yep, just happened to me.

This passage is one of the staples of Christian life.  We learn it at a young age.  It gets used in the hard times.  We offer it to others in times of distress.  It becomes a platitude and we cease to think about what it really means.

I have always looked at this passage as three separate verses— three different directives.  But today God showed me these are a cycle…meant be used together as stepping-stones.

Rejoice always

How on earth are we supposed to always have joy?  There are so many things to worry about or deal with.  Philippians 4:6 (NLT) gives us a clue:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

Only through prayer are we able to rejoice always. As Charles Spurgeon puts it “The more praying, the more rejoicing.”  Joy is not based on our circumstances or emotions.  Circumstances and emotions change as quickly as the weather.  But God doesn’t!

Pray constantly

And just how are we supposed to do that?  Praying doesn’t mean we have to use our voice, be on our knees, or bow our heads.  Anytime is the right time for prayer.  Think of prayer as having an ongoing conversation with your best friend.  Prayer can change our perspective.  Things we see as trials or struggles may actually be bigger blessings in disguise.  Prayer gives God the opportunity to help us see life from His perspective. Colossians 4:2 (NASB) tells us:

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

Prayer helps us to have an ‘attitude of gratitude.‘

 Give thanks in everything

Notice it doesn’t say FOR everything or in SOME things.  We don’t get to pick and choose what suits us.  We are to be thankful in everything.  I love this quote by Charles Spurgeon: “When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude.”

You may be thinking, “Well, this just takes the cake! How am I supposed to do all this?” Hebrews 13:15 (AMP) holds the key:

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times
offer up to God a sacrifice of praise,
which is the fruit of lips
that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.

Through Jesus we are able to do this. It is not we MUST do it because it is God’s will for us; it is we CAN do it because it is God’s will for us. That one little shift in perspective changes everything. It is cycle…a circle of behavior…that never ends.

Prayer changes our perspective and helps us find joy.  ➛
➛ Joy causes us to rejoice . ➛
➛ Rejoicing makes us thankful. ➛
➛ When we are thankful we offer up prayer and praise.  ➛
➛ Praying reveals and restores our joy…and round and round we go!

Now that is one endless circle I don’t mind being a part of!

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for revealing this passage to me in a new light.  Thank You helping me to see each part is a stepping-stone pointing the way to the next step.  I rejoice in You, for You have made me glad.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen – it is so!

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