Just Say, “Thanks”

After receiving all these messages, I hope you have grown wiser and love your Lord more. The purpose of these message is to inspire such longing and desires. This morning the Spirit of our Father has moved me to repeat a message I spent several days on. Now, I can think of two reasons the Lord will repeat something: First, because it is high on His list of important issues, and two, because we haven’t learned the lesson. So, this morning to want to remind you how important it is for you to thank the Lord for all the love and blessings he pours into us. It is so important to show our appreciation—not only so He knows about our gratefulness—but we are to remind ourselves of how much He has done. This is important even in the middle of our times of testing.

A Grateful Heart! (pt 9 of 9)

All of us have heard that we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), but we tend to simply dismiss what this can mean. It is actually a very profound principle that applies to many things. As we have been talking about in this series, we, as Yahweh’s created people, like to be thanked and praised for things we do, because this is how were made. Yahweh made us in His image. He wants to be thanked and praised, and He made us to want praise and gratitude if for no other reason, to send us a hint that He wants the same thing, too.

A Grateful Heart! (pt 8 of 9)

I’m not through with this issue of Gratitude. It is an area we believers take for granted. We will say things like, “Hey, He knows that I’m grateful. I don’t have to tell Him every day.” That was my attitude, but I began to think about that (or maybe it was my Father who began to show me), that when I do things for others, like when I take my daughter to our favorite restaurant, or buy my wife some flowers, or buy groceries for a family in need, I don’t do those things for any credit I might get out of it, nor do I expect to be thanked. However, when the person does display their gratitude, it is wonderful to hear.

A Grateful Heart! (pt 7 of 9)

Yesterday I said that Sanctification could be seen as the doctrine of Gratitude. But Sanctification had to be taught in the early Church, which is why we have all those letters in the New Testament to meditate on. If that was true, if conversion automatically made every Christian holy and obedient, there would be no need for the letters. They are there to teach us how to live. What I am trying to say is that Sanctification must be taught.

A Grateful Heart! (pt 6 of 9)

We have been on this “Gratitude” kick for several days now, and you might be saying, “Hey, he  knows I am thankful. I don’t have to  tell him every day, do I?” Well, I think so. Don’t you appreciate it when people acknowledge things you have done for them, and actually thank you for it? Even though our Father can see your heart (and people can’t), you do need to tell him. Many times I have reminded you the He knows what things we need before we even ask, but He still wants you to tell Him, and when you pray that is what you should do.

A Grateful Heart (pt 4 of 6)

Yesterday I shared a small sample of the multitudes of things I am grateful for, and I realize some of you may not be able to sit down and draw up a list of things you are grateful for. I admit it was difficult for me to do so. But we need to move beyond our past failures and begin to acknowledge the things the Lord has done.

We have been in Ann Arbor for the past 23 or 24 years, and they have been the most difficult and challenging years of my walk of faith. But that’s okay. The reality is that the difficulties (and my failures) have made me who I am.

A Grateful Heart! (pt 3 of 9)

I am learning to express my gratitude to my Father. Each morning, while I am preparing  my Morning Messages, I am amazed at how wonderful His love is. Each message I send out seems to “hit the spot,” for so many believers, and that is so cool!

I began sending these messages to about six people during Advent of 2009. Now it has grown to over 80 people, that I know of, and I say that because I have learned that many are forwarding the messages on, so it could be reaching up to 100 people, I’m not sure. People I don’t even know about have sent me messages thanking me for the messages–that is amazing to me, and I am truly grateful to the Lord for that.

A Grateful Heart! (pt 2 of 9)

Yesterday I described how the Lord was bringing his message from several directions and through various sources. One of those sources was the International Pastor from the church I attend. It had been quite some time since she had returned to our church and her message was further confirmation of the Lord’s message.

A Grateful Heart! (pt 1 of 9)

Several days ago, I told you how the Lord was working on my heart regarding the issue of showing my gratitude to Him. I also told you how whenever the Lord is beginning to work a particular message in you heart He will press that message from several different directions and from many different sources.

I was seeing over and over through the books I was reading or books that were suggested by others . . . even interviews with authors of books regarding gratitude. One such author is R.T. Kendall and a new book he just published simply called, “Just Say Thanks!“

Thank Goodness (pt 3 of 4)

Yesterday I was talking about how I was praying for a meal and the Lord interrupted me and told me to start investigating the whole concept of praying and also of gratitude–of saying, “Thank you,” to the Lord. Well, as I began to study this I discovered something I had never thought of.