Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

In Everything Give Thanks Pt.2

Glory to God. Amen. Let's turn back to the 100th Psalm, verse 4, where we were this morning. "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Amen? How many of you were a little more aware of your need to be thankful this afternoon? Were you? Don't you have a lot to be thankful for? As you see the great blessings that have been poured out upon you, blessings of a fellowship like this, brothers and sisters that truly love you and care for you, kids that are serving God, spouses that love the Lord? Beloved, those are the treasures of life. That's what really counts, and all of the other is just gravy, praise God. The things that are of real value, most of us in this room possess. Of course, we saw the most important thing was that unspeakable gift of redemption, the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit in every one of us. We need to be thankful for that! Amen? Don't take it for granted. Even more than just being a Christian, being Spirit-filled is a blessing, praise God. Something to be thankful for, the baptism in the Holy Ghost.

It was great. When we were in church yesterday, down in Bristol, and we were walking into the service about 8:00, 8:30 in the morning and going into chapel service. They were having service yesterday because the whole event was getting in on Saturday, so they had church on Saturday, praise God. Isn't that neat that they didn't just say, "Well, there's no Sunday event, so there's no church?" The chaplain down there in Florida in Division two is a great brother, loves God, just doing a real work for the Kingdom. I don't know how many people were there at chapel, a couple hundred at least, just a good time that we had. They were just getting ready to start, and we walked up the bleachers, and he said, "Well, here comes the Pentecostals." Praise God. Aren't you glad it's known, amen? He started talking about the fact, he said, "Now, we know they're Pentecostals. Look, they're sitting on the front row." He said, "You never find a Baptist up there." Praise God. He was talking about that fact, "You know some of us Baptists"--he's a Baptist, he said--"some of us Baptists that are getting bold, you know, we can get one hand up there [in praise and worship]." He said, "Some of us are working on it." He said, "I've even seen some Baptists in a real great worship service almost get the other one up." He said, "Thank God for the liberty that the Pentecostals have." Can you say "amen" to that?

It's not an emotional thing. It's an awareness. It's a gratitude. It's the awareness of the worth of God. The fact that you are being enabled by the indwelling Holy Spirit to give thanks, to worship. It doesn't come natural. It's a gift of God. Your ability to worship, your ability to be thankful, is the gift of God. You need to be thankful for thankfulness, praise God, and the goodness of God.

As we saw this morning, then, that we're to enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name. We've been able to share numerous times to both of the chaplains in Divisions one and two, and each of them have sought counsel from us on different areas of their ministry. Father's enabled us to speak into their lives, and it's exciting. These men are the only pastors that some of these people have that are just seeking God. They don't even know the Lord yet. Some may be just very, very nominal. These are the only pastors that they have and good men. It's exciting to be able to be a part, to speak into their lives and hopefully some ministry be carried on into the lives of these others.

Some good things that are happening in that area--we were surprised the other day to--people know who we are. You don't always know that. It's not a real big community. You're just talking about a few thousand people around. The testimony's getting out. People are watching us, and the testimony of our commitment to God. They've watched us pack up and leave on Saturdays to get back for church and knowing that it would be to our advantage in the natural to stay around. They see that we're trying to be led by the Holy Spirit, that we're just seeking God and seeking first the Kingdom of God. It's an exciting thing, and people are watching.

We saw something in one of the magazines the other day. Let me just real quickly--we weren't aware of this. Someone brought this, bought it actually, and came up and said, "Did you see this?" We said, "No." So here's a picture of the car in this particular magazine, and here's the caption, "While Star Scott's supergas Corvette reflects Bible verse 2 Timothy 4:7 in it's name, "Finish the Race," getting from one end of the track to the other is what's paramount. Shifting by either RPMs or a timer can factor in helping you to quote, "Finish the Race." This photographer later came up to us and said, "I want to do a full feature on your ministry and what it is that God's doing in your lives and in this ministry of reaching out, and what the goal is." So here's an opportunity where we're going to have probably three or four pages that are read by thousands of people, telling them what we're doing with the gospel and to be able to share the reality of the gospel of Jesus; and how all of these things that are idols to them, they're just going to burn up. They are all going to go away, all of that chrome and all of that polished aluminum and all of that carbon fiber and all of that fiberglass. It's all going to burn up, all of their little toys and trinkets. What's going to burn that you possess, and how much is going to remain? Only that that remains, the refining judgment of God, is what's worth anything, and that's what you need to be thankful for, praise God, the things that you possess that are going to be able to weather the judgment of God's righteousness. We're rich people, praise God.

We were invited and had dinner with a guy Friday night. Greg had a great opportunity to minister the gospel to this fellow. He was parked next to us. He owns the portaTree company, not Porta-Potty. portaTree, is a business that has--he sells the practice Christmas tree. If you don't know what a Christmas tree is, if you've ever seen drag racing, there's this little thing that stands between the two lanes and has all these lights that come down; and that's what starts the race. He started the business in his garage, and it's an extremely successful business at this time. He had a lavish motor home, trailer and lots and lots of dough. Greg was able to witness to him, so he invited us over for dinner. He wanted to serve us. He said, "You've never eaten pork loins as good as the ones I make." We said, "Oh, yeah? Try us." Anyway, we went over to eat, and he cooked up some pork loins, baked potatoes and Caesar salad and it was good, praise God. Telling him that my verdict's still out. I need one more "sampling." I haven't made up my mind if they're the best I've ever had yet. He invited us at Indy to come and see him, so we're going to take him up on his second invitation. We're eating pork loins at Indy, praise God, one of the nights there possibly. Anyway, an individual, as Greg had a lot of opportunity to share with this man the gospel. He said, "I believe in Jesus. I just don't believe He's the Son of God." You can't do that. I'm looking for the opportunity next time we get with him to have a little more time to just share with him and say, "No, you can't do that. It's against the rule. Now, make a decision." Now, you can believe in the man, the historical man, and reject Him as the Son of God, but you cannot, not accept Him. You have to accept what He said about Himself or reject it. There is no neutral position that you can take on the deity of Christ. When we realize the great opportunities that we have to share the gospel, it's something to be thankful for.

I think of all of the things that to me are the most meaningful are really found in 1 Timothy. Just turn over there. I wasn't going to start here, but that's where we are, so... As my mind goes back to the privilege that we have, wherever we are, of sharing the gospel, each one of us called to be ambassadors for Christ. Outside of my salvation the thing that I'm next most thankful for is what Paul speaks of here in 1 Timothy, Chapter 1. As he's sharing with Timothy the purpose of the law in revealing the hearts of men, the vileness of self-will and selfishness, the depravity of man, and this is what the purpose of the law is. The law doesn't save us; it reveals our wickedness, our weakness, our position of depravity and helplessness. It's the schoolmaster, Galatians says, that points us to Christ. Paul says, "I'm just wanting you to understand the need to make this law come forth without any compromise in its purity." Don't allow anything that's contrary, verse 10, to sound doctrine to be found in your life; and don't tolerate it in your presence. Realize the worth, the value, the treasure, of the Word of God.

He says, then, that we're to move in relationship to that glorious gospel, verse 11, of the blessed God, that Paul says, that was committed to my trust. He was so thankful for that message that had been put into his heart. "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, [look at Paul's thankfulness here] who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."

What a humbling thing it is, as we saw this morning, to be partakers of that great inheritance of the saints. When masses around us are lost and going to a devil's hell, we've been called; the inheritance of Christ. We are sons of God, heirs and joint heirs, blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. We have the privilege of calling him "Abba, Daddy." Are you thankful for that tonight? Then, some individuals like myself--do you know how humbling it is out of the midst of the elite, the chosen, to have God put His hand on you and say, "I want to use you for my purposes?" You respond like Jeremiah, and say, "I'm a child; I can't speak." You respond like Moses and say, "You got the wrong guy, Man."

It never ceases to amaze me about Moses. "I can't speak," he says. God says, "I'll tell you what. I'll give you Aaron, and he can come along; and he can be your mouthpiece." Aaron never got to say a word when that anointing came on Moses, praise God.

I know when God called me, and you've heard the testimony--someone who just absolutely hates to be in a position that I'm in. I don't like being in front of people; I'm not comfortable with that--never have been. Didn't like being up in front of folks, didn't like speaking publicly, refused to do it as I shared in my testimony. When God puts His hand on you, it's like, "Lord, You know, there's so many people out there that have these gifts that enjoy this; hams!" We got a whole bunch here in this fellowship. Most of them are on our drama team. We realize that, "Lord, there's people out there. Why in the world would You choose me? There's so many people that have the talent and the desire." Paul says, How is it that God would count me faithful putting me into the ministry? Did you notice he didn't say "worthy," "able," "gifted"? Paul was a man that came to the understanding of what he was without Jesus Christ: learned, powerful, but all of those weapons were in the kingdom of darkness; they were natural weapons.

When Paul was undone on that Damascus road, he got a glimpse of how evil he was, how vile his course was, how natural his weapons were, and he was given a new heart. Through the process of spiritual growth, he was purified as messengers of Satan were sent to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure. The trials of life, the pressures that God will put on you to keep you humble. In the midst of all of that purification, can you thank God for the privilege of serving in His kingdom? When many of the things that are blessings of God are asked to be given back, such as Abraham had to do on Mount Moriah, can you give glory to God? When all the blessings that follow your life of integrity are put on the table, and the spiritual warfare between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, and you're caught between these powers, such as Job was--that's what it was all about; it was a warfare. It was the demolishing of the men of antiquity. It was the demolishing of Satan's ability to show himself mighty in humanity, as God allowed Satan to do his worst to Job, and God prospered him beyond anything that he ever had to start with. The victory was in Job's ability to be thankful before the restoration.

How thankful are you even when you're caught in the middle of that warfare? Even in the times of proving and purging and chastening that's taking place in each of our lives? How thankful are you for the privilege of representing the Kingdom of God, having been put into the ministry? You're not in five-fold ministry or in full-time ministry, but you are in the ministry. You are ordained to bring forth fruit, John tells us.

Go to Deuteronomy, and let's look at it there, and the same spirit that I'm talking about is found in Chapter 8 of Deuteronomy that we've referred to so many times. Look at it again in light of this subject tonight, and see if you can catch the spirit of what the Lord's trying to communicate to us. Chapter 8, verse 1, "All the commandments which I command thee this day, shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers." The Lord's speaking, He said, "Look, if you'll be a doer of the Word, if you'll keep My commandments, I'm going to bless you. There's privilege to knowing Me, to serving Me."

Now, don't make the mistake of trying to parallel the privilege of the Kingdom of God with the privilege of the world system. They may appear to bring the same privilege at times, but they're not the same. Anything that children of light have of the natural realm, the true servant of God realizes, "I don't possess that, it's not mine. I'm only a steward. I'm only the unprofitable servant that we spoke of this morning. This is not mine. It's lent to me. The things are not mine. The children are not mine. I have nothing. For me to live is Christ." When you see these things, don't think that there's a direct parallel. In fact, you're going to see the real root that separates these two includes possessiveness, pride, fear in the world system, ingratitude, always wanting more, always wondering why somebody has what you don't have paralleled with the unprofitable servant who says, "How can it be that God would bless me and my house, that we would be so privileged to offer back everything that we have to God? Who am I and my house that we would be so privileged to pour out our lives to bring glory to God?"

How do you see yourself tonight as we asked this morning? Do you see yourself as someone who deserves? "I deserve better!" Even if you're not of the mindset of "I deserve better," do you think you deserve what you have? That's what is being addressed right here. Listen to what he says, "...go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers [but remember, it's a land that I've given you]. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [verse 2] and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart..." "It took forty years for Me to reveal the pride that was in your hearts. I had to get rid of that before I could give you the possession, before you could go into this land, the land that flows with milk and honey, the land that is the fruit of humility, of thanksgiving, of dependence rather than independence. To prove what was in your heart, whether you would keep My Word or not."

You see, what God's looking for here is the desire to be able to bless us and we still be able to keep His Word, to not be distracted by the idols of the world, by the abundance of things. How was it that it's spoken by the Spirit in John? The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the lust of other things that enter in and choke out the Word of God. The children of Israel here were being admonished. "And he humbled thee [Look!], and suffered thee to hunger..." (verse 3). Have you ever been hungry? "Oh yeah, I was starving this morning in service, man, I hadn't eaten since my midnight snack." No, we're not talking about that.

Some of you that are getting ready to go to Africa, you're going to see people that are hungry. You're going to see people that are hurting with hunger. Now, most of the people that you're going to see, eat. They do have something to eat; they're not totally without like during the Ethiopian famine that had been experienced there years before, but there are still people that are hungering. There are people that all they have is a little bit of maize that they can eat from, just small amounts of ugali. You don't drive into a drive-in there and say, "Give me the super size of ugali." They don't super size. We have so much here, man, it's amazing. People pull in, "Yeah, give me super size fries, super size double-quadruple mega cheese soaked in grease, and a diet Coke." Why do fat people order diet Coke? That's one of the mysteries of the universe. You know, when the wise man was talking about the things that are mysteries, a man with a maid and all these things, it should be why do people that don't eat get fat, and people that eat all they want are skinny? It's against the law. Anyway, that's something else; I won't get into that. "I can eat all I want and don't put on any weight." After eating two bites, "That's all I want. Oh, thank you." I know there are metabolism differences and there are glandular problems; we all know what that major one is it's called the mouth. "...and suffered thee to hunger, [I'll get off that subject.] and fed thee with manna..."

The problem was, and this is that thing of thankfulness, the problem was they despised angel's food. We're talking about thanksgiving. They despised angel's food, heavenly bread. Now, it was different. Manna, the word "manna" means "What is it?" "Why don't you come over and eat tonight." "What are you having?" "What is it?" "You tell me." "It's what we had last night, still trying to figure it out." Can you imagine? Now see, I'm not a person of great variety. When I find something I like, I like it. "Why don't you try something new?" "I might not like it." "But you might." "But then I'll have to make a decision because then there will be two things I like, and then I have to decide; and I don't have time for that."

We get home from church this afternoon--Greer's in the closet. We're getting in there, and we're changing. We were so hungry, we didn't get out of the closet before we were ordering food. We're in the closet, and we're changing and Greer calls to place an order for food. The guy says, "Oh, thank you. I've been here an hour and a half with nothing to do." This is the delivery guy. "I knew you were going to call. Chicken parmesan with extra chicken and no salad. Right? I'll be right there!" See, that's Sunday's order. Tomorrow afternoon will be "Chicken parmesan sub, extra sauce. Right? Okay, we'll be right there." "Why don't you try something different?" I might not like it; I like that. "What is it about it that you like?" I don't know. I like the taste. It's simple.

You see, most people need variety. "I have to, I need something different. I need to try this." See, I would have done good with manna. Not because I was spiritual, just because, "Yeah, what would you like?" "Manna and diet Coke." See, I don't eat for recreation. It's fuel. If I'm going to eat for recreation, I'm eating ice cream for recreation, man. Chocolate chip cookie dough. Don't you like that? Mmmmm. I don't need variety. There seems to be something here about the despising of this because it was the same thing, and it didn't have all of the exotic flavors that they had in Egypt or whatever their culture was. The flesh wanting more than it took to sustain them. I've wasted enough time; let's get back on this. More than it took to sustain them. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

We're talking about contentment. You cannot be thankful if you're discontent, if you always have to have variety, if you always have to have more. If you have to have more than what is necessary, having food and raiment let us therewith be content. Now, the variety, the spice, all of those things are not bad. If they're offered to you, and they're provided, and they don't cost you too much (I'm not talking about monetarily), then enjoy them. If they're going to cost you your obedience, if they're going to cost you your time to serve, if they're going to cost you your life of discipline, then you're going to need to reevaluate how much it's really worth.

He said, I proved you these forty years. I took away all of the abundance. I took away all of the fluff. I took away all of the non-necessities of life, and I brought you to the basics to prove your heart whether you'd be thankful or not, whether I was sufficient. "We need to go back to Egypt, man. We ate better than this in Egypt."

Is it about your stomach? Is life about your stomach, about your apparel, about your dwelling, about your reputation, about your comfort and ease, about your abundance? Is that what life is about, or is it about communion and fellowship with God? Is He sufficient? Are you thankful for the transition from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, from death to life, from enemy to friend and son? "These forty years I proved you. I humbled you. I suffered you to hunger, so that you might" look at verse 3 "make known" "...that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." Can you be thankful without all of the temporal things as long as you have the Bible?

I thank God that's how I started my Christian life. I've shared that with you so many times in my testimony. I walked away from everything that a natural man would want, that I wanted. I walked away from all of it: the fame, wealth, natural relationships, and financial security. I had 20 bucks left to my name, and I purchased one thing with it. I wanted to know more about God, this God that had just saved my soul, redirected my treasures, delivered me from lust, fear and hate, and brought peace and contentment into my life. I wanted to know Him more. So, with my 20 bucks, I bought a Bible, I sat down and I begin to live from this Word.

From 220 pounds of solid muscle, I went down to 168 pounds; had nothing to eat. I was being proven that man could live by the Word of God alone. Every once in a while, as I shared with you, I'd get to eat. Somebody would invite me over. In a period of about 20 days, I got two invitations. Sister Hyatt invited me over, I ate there once; and Janet invited me over. Ate two meals in 20 days. I was on an involuntary fast, but I was devouring the Word of life. I was so happy. I was so content. I was getting to know God. I was pouring over these pages, and I got to know Him. In the process, I got to learn what was important in life from the natural perspective, and it wasn't the cheers of the crowd. It wasn't the big house that we'd walked away from. It was the knowledge that I was being obedient, and that you live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; and with that contentment, there is great gain. I was so thankful. Everything that was a treasure in my life was gone. All my life's goals were gone. All the things that I possessed were gone. My family was gone, and I was so thankful.

Where are you today? Maybe you're not in the wilderness experience at this time in your life. Have you been there? Have you forgot why you were there? The things that you learned in the wilderness, have you been so long out that the things of the world are now beginning to take another stronghold. If they are, you know what's coming don't you? If you don't do something about it right now, you know what's coming don't you? God loves you too much to let you be strangled to death by the cares, by the abundance, by the deceitfulness of riches, by the lust of things. God loves you too much to let that kill you. I'd encourage you to bring it into order, to discipline your own flesh, or God will love it out of you. As we read here, and we begin to see that He'll have no other gods before Him. The fact that His worth through our worship is why we exist, it will help put things into priority.

Now, let's finish up with this because I want to take a little time and pray for those that are going to Africa, so we can send them on their way and speak God's speed upon them. He says, "Didn't I supernaturally sustain you?" "Thy raiment waxed not old, [neither] did thy foot swell, [for] these forty years" (Deuteronomy 8:4). Some of you women, that would be the biggest ordeal in your life to have to wear the same clothes for forty years. Some of us guys, that would be the biggest blessing that ever came down the pike, man. Let me put my favorite stuff on and never take it off. Was that you, Steve? Hallelujah! Praise God! All you have to do is clean them, man, put them back on. This thing just keeps getting more comfortable!

As he goes through here, and he speaks of these things, and he says they didn't wear out. Your feet didn't swell. God sustained you. He says, " ... consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God [has] chasteneth thee..." So that you would keep His commandments, walk in His ways, verse 6, and learn to fear Him. Now, God's wanting to bring you into a land of maturity. He's wanting to bring you into a land of maturation, not independence, mature dependence, which is the life of humility. Not, "Me do it myself,!" You know, the little ones.

We teach our children, we give them the ability to make decisions and do different things. Around the house, we would always let Kimberly pick out whatever she wanted to wear; not to church, but just for the day. We have pictures of her playing in the yard that today just horrifies her, not me. I already saw her like that. They thought they were cool. In a kid's eyes, that was cool, man. This was what she liked, and there were some real garbs. You let them do that. Now, you don't go out in public that way; you don't want people thinking your kids are retarded. But, you let them learn, and let them express themselves in the things where it doesn't matter. God does the same thing with us, but in things that are important in life, He demands that we subordinate, that we look to Him, that we're dependent upon Him. We can never be independent as believers.

He says, "Now, I want you to go in, and I'm going to give you the opportunity to represent me. I'm going to send you forth as ambassadors, and I'm going to anoint you. He sets up the parameters that we can move in and express through our free will and through our maturity, decisions, and He said I'm going to bless you there. He said it's going to be a land that flows with milk and honey, verse 10, "When thou hast eaten and art full, then [here should be your natural response] thou shalt bless the Lord thy God..." Now, let me ask you a question. How many of you ate this afternoon and are full or you got full? Some of you teenagers about 20 minutes later you're not, but you ate and you were full. Were you thankful?

"Well, we never get to go out after church like some other people. They go to a restaurant; and we just have to go home and eat our peanut butter and jelly." Did you eat? Are you full? Are you thankful? "Well, no, I'm not thankful. I didn't get to go to a restaurant. I don't have what they have. I don't have an abundance. I don't have my heart's desires. My dream has not come true." Godliness with contentment is great gain; it brings thanksgiving. Only discontentment, only pride, only self-will, cause us to be in the bondage of ingratitude. There's a whole bunch of people on this planet that would have loved to have had your peanut butter, man.

Can I ask you a question tonight? What makes you better than eating peanut butter? Who told you you were better than peanut butter? Did Mom and Dad tell you that? They lied to you; they did. You don't deserve peanut butter; you deserve a devil's hell, and the peanut butter you had, you ought to thank God for it, because it's a gift of the mercy and grace of God unto you. If you haven't learned it yet, He'll give you another forty years of peanut butter to find out what you're worth. That's how much He loves you. When you've eaten and are full, bless the Lord; don't look for more. Don't wonder why other people have more than you.

When you've eaten and are full, bless the Lord for what He's given you. But, "Beware [verse 11] that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments..." Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Keep His commandments, His judgments, His statutes. "Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied ..."

It's all relative. It doesn't matter to what degree. We're not talking about the fact that one man may have $100 million, another $1 million, another $100,000 and another $10,000. We're talking relative. We are a blessed people in this nation. Our affluence, the poorest person in this room is wealthy, filthy stinking rich, compared to the rest of the world. How thankful are you? How grateful are you? Or do you deserve more? "I should have more. I'm better than this. Why do they have that, and I have this [The Bible]?" Should the vessel say to the potter, "Why hast thou made me thus?" It's all coming back to pride, isn't it? It's all coming back to you judging God unfaithful, unworthy. God made a mistake. Ingratitude, the expression of pride, of selfishness, is the fruit of deception.

As the Apostle, or as the Spirit of God speaks here, He says, "Now be careful, lest when you begin to prosper and," verse 14, "Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God..." Now, the forgetting of God, it could be so much abundance that we trust in those uncertain riches, or your heart can be lifted up. You begin to experience some blessing, and you think, "You know, I deserve more. I should have more of this. I want more of this. I'm going to pursue more of this. I'll become my own source." You see, only when God's the source can you have riches, and they bring no sorrow.

I want to tell you something. Listen to me! You may not believe it, but if you'll read this book, the Bible, if you'll pray, if you'll walk in the Spirit, you'll know this as a fact. You cannot have prosperity, abundance, that is self-induced and be content, be at peace, live fearless, and have a life without sorrow. Only the blessings of the Lord alone can make you rich and add no sorrow with them. When God's the source, when what you have is spiritually induced, it's for the glory of God, it's for the purpose of God, it's at the disposal of God. Then it won't kill you, but at any other time, it will destroy you. Read 1 Timothy 6. You'll see that the love of money is the root of all evil. "Flee it, O man of God. It will pierce you through and destroy you and leave you totally desolate," the Scripture says; but godliness with contentment is great gain.

Are you thankful for who you are, the privilege of being placed into the ministry? Are you thankful for the abundance that God has given you? Are you thankful for the privilege of serving Him, the ability to worship Him, to know Him, to commune with Him, or has your heart been lifted up? You've tasted this abundance, and you think, "Man, if this is good, how much better will more be!" Then you come to the final place of the rich man that was asked, "How much is enough?" His response was, "Just a little more."

How much will make you thankful? How much is it going to take to make you thankful? When is that discontentment, that ingratitude--how much is going to make the ingratitude go away? We know the answer; don't we? There can never be enough to satisfy lust and ingratitude.

The question we need to end with this evening is this: Are you thankful in everything? In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. In everything, in all of life's circumstances, give thanks. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer, supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God that passes understanding will come and keep your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.

Do you pray with thanksgiving? Do you enter His courts with thanksgiving? Not an ingratitude, not a seeking of things. Do you come and just--are your prayers lifted on the wings of praise and thanks. Not "I need more," but rather, "Lord, I am so thankful for what I have. I am so thankful for Your working in my life. I am so thankful for Your wisdom and Your ordering of my steps. I am so thankful that You have me in this place this day."

Some of you are battling back and forth. Your kids are going to Africa. You ought to be thankful for their opportunity to go. I know there can be ... "Well, I'm concerned that maybe something will happen." That's natural, but don't dwell on that. Rejoice that they have a heart for God. Rejoice in their privilege in going and serving. Those of you that will miss your spouses, be thankful. Don't begrudge the fact that they will be gone. Thank God that they have a heart to go, and enjoy the fruit of thankfulness which is the joy of the Lord, and the peace of God that passes understanding. In everything give thanks.

Father, we thank You tonight for Your Word. We're just so thankful for the privilege of serving in the Kingdom, that You've chosen us and placed us as servants, children, heirs, ministers, called to, ordained to bear fruit. I'm so thankful that You counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

See, God chose me not based upon any kind of a talent, but if God's methods are consistent, and they are, He chose Paul because He foreknew his faithfulness. He must have chosen me because He foreknew my faithfulness. I'm thankful that God is going to make me faithful that that I've committed to Him, He's going to keep against that day. I'm so thankful that He will never leave me or forsake me. I'm so thankful that He'll never allow me to be tempted past that that I'm able to stand, and with every temptation He makes the way of escape. I'm not focusing on the trial; I'm focusing on the escape through my thanksgiving. God will not allow me to be confounded in this, or destroyed.

It's my wilderness that is for the purpose of causing me to say when I take that manna in my hands for the umpteen time, "Thank You for sustaining me." "Where's the gravy? Where's the All-Season? Where's the dip?" Are you thankful for what God's put into your hands? Everything that pertains to life and godliness is already been given to you. Are you thankful for what you've received of the Lord? You don't need anything else to be Christlike. It's all indwelling you.

Are you thankful? Are you looking for something else? Do you need to run here, run there, hear this Word from the Lord from somebody, or this? Or are you thankful that everything that is necessary already abides in you? "With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God that passes understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ." What the world would give for peace, and we're indwelt by the Prince of Peace. What the world would give to finally find something that would satisfy, and we're content. I'm satisfied.

"Wouldn't you like more," the devil says, "Come on over here; would you like ...?" "No, I'm satisfied." "Wouldn't you like this?" "No, I'm satisfied." "Wouldn't you like this experience, Kobe?" "No, I'm satisfied." "Wouldn't you like this new revelation the Gnostics are spinning over here?" "No, I'm satisfied; I'm content in the Word of God." "I am so thankful for what I have." "Don't you want to eat of this fruit, so that your eyes would be opened, and you'll be as god?" "No, I'm just thankful for everything else that God has given me; I don't need that. I'm satisfied." Where would we be today if Eve had been thankful, if Adam had been thankful? Eve says, "I've eaten the fruit. I'm separated from God. Come and be with me." "No way. I thank God for the time I had with you. You're on your own. You've defected."

But, you see, Adam wasn't thankful. He'd tasted that natural companionship, and he had to have that. His sufficiency could no longer be in his God, and we've reaped the fruit of that; but Jesus has infused us now, the last Adam, with a spirit of thankfulness. That power of Adam no longer dominates our members. We do not have to be seduced by our flesh, by the lusts of natural man, by the deceitfulness of sin, but there is the fruit of the thanksgiving of God in our hearts, and the fruit of our lips, the expression of our satisfaction that makes us free. Oh, we are so blessed. Don't let any man steal your crown.

Let's stand before the Lord tonight. As Gary plays for us, I'd like to have the team that's getting ready to go to Africa come forward. We're just going to place our hands on you. We're going to pray God's peace and His speed upon you. This way everyone will be able to take note of who's going and hold you up in prayer. Let the Holy Spirit maybe put one of these folks on your heart that you'll pray for over these next weeks. Come a little closer to the platform, and, actually just turn around. This is our family. Their lives are going to be changed. They are going into harm's way; we need to hold them up in prayer. "Aren't you afraid that they're going in harm's way?" "No, I'm thankful for the opportunity, thankful for their willingness, thankful for the God that never leaves us nor forsakes us, thankful for the God that says, 'No weapon formed against us can prosper;' thankful for the God who's not given us the spirit of fear but of love, power, and of a sound mind." What a blessing.

As God puts one of them on your heart, just hold them up in prayer over these next weeks. What an exciting time as they come home with a testimony of the goodness of God. If the pastors and the deacons will come, we're going to lay hands on these, pray Godspeed upon them, and the blessings of the Lord to abide with them. As each of the men lay hands on these, just extend your hands toward them and prayerfully begin to speak God's peace and the blessing of the Lord on each of these lives. Brethren, let's lay hands on them and pray for them and minister God's grace.

Father, these are Your children. Lord, we speak Your anointing upon them, and the peace of God to go before them, Lord, that Your Spirit would go before them and anoint them, Father, and Your glory as their rear guard. For each one, Father, we just thank You for the anointing of God to rise in them, and for Your Spirit to sustain them, to keep them, Father. It's committed to You against that day. In the name of Jesus, we joy in Your presence, Lord. We go boldly, for You've given us weapons that are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. You've said, Lord, that if You're for us, nobody can be against us. We rest in that, and we joy in that, Father; and our hope is in You alone. Father, we pray Your wisdom upon these, that You give oversight, Father, the anointing of God. We rest in Your sufficiency. Oh, Jesus, we thank You for the heart of flesh. We thank You for the privilege of serving, the choosing of us for this hour. Father, that we would bring forth fruit that would remain, that there would be the awareness, Lord, of the hour, the confidence, Father, that nothing but Your Spirit and Your presence, the awareness of our ambassadorship; and that all things that pertain to life and godliness have been entrusted. Father, I pray peace upon each heart here. I pray that You would return them, Father, victoriously, and that they might be agents, vessels, to bring forth glory to Your name. For that we give You all the praise, Father, we give You all the glory, in Jesus' name.

Hallelujah! As we sing this together, just lift your hearts. Those of you that are going on this missions trip, just rejoice in the privilege of being sent, that He's counting you faithful, putting you into the ministry. Let's sing it together, and just sing it with all of your heart to Him. "I just want to praise You, lift my hands and say, You are everything to me and I exalt Your holy name on high..." Oh, hallelujah!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! You're our joy, Lord. What a privilege to serve. What a humbling experience to go forth in Your name. Cause us, Father, to bring forth Your glory, we ask in Jesus; and we will give You all the praise. As You enable us, we will show forth Your glory with thanksgiving in Jesus' name. Amen. Praise God!

Before you go, turn to someone next to you, say, "In everything give thanks!" Amen. Go in peace; God's love go with you.

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