TITLE OF MESSAGE: GRATITUDE
BIBLE READING: Luke 17:11-19
“ Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem and He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. The He entered a certain village; there met Him ten men who were lepers who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said Jesus , Master, have mercy on us. So when He saw them, He said to them, “ Go show yourselves to the priest.” And so it was that as they went , they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Where there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner.? And He said to him, Arise, go your way, your faith has made you well.”
God will give you a heart of gratitude. God has done so much for you that you have to give Him praise. God wants you to develop a heart of gratitude Some people think that their achievements in life are as a result of their intelligency , power or by their might. Zechariah 4:6 says “ So he answered and said to me: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel; Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts.” Zerubbabel was building the temple of God but could not finish it. God sent Zechariah to tell l him that building the temple of God is not by his power and might but His Spirit. I want you to understand that God has done great things for you. When you wake up in the morning, say thank you Jesus. Some people sleep and never wake up; some people walk on the way and slump to death; some people are hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit ( ICU); some people are between life and death; some people are in a pool of blood through accident; some people fall victims of suicide bombers ; some people are in the hand of kidnappers; some people are in the mortuary; some people are victims of bombing and blood shed etc but you are not involved. The Lord has been protecting you. Psalm 91:5 says “ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night nor of the arrow that flies by day.” You have to set aside a day in every week to thank God in your house. Psalm 115:1 says “ Not unto us O Lord, not unto u. But to your name give glory, because of your mercy , because of your truth.” You have to develop a heart of thanksgiving to God. It has pleased . God to keep you alive and triumph over your enemies. Some people do not want to see you anymore: some people do not want you to wear good clothes but rags but you are not wiped out and rejected. It is the glory of God because you are not dead, you are not crushed , you are alive, you are not rejected. You should teach your household how to praise God. God has kept and preserved you. It is not over for you when the enemies say it is over. You don’t have to thank God only when you have money in abundance or building a mighty house. Psalm 40:1 says “ I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” Some horrible pits has destroyed many lives but you survived it. This year; you will sing a new song; your story has changed; this is your morning of gratitude; this is your morning of appreciation, this is your new song of victory; this is your new song of glory; through you, people will trust the Lord; you shall be a reference point of blessing; people will hear your testimony and they will jump up for Christ. Psalm 30:5 says “ For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life, weeping may endure for night but joy comes in the morning.” The joy of the Lord will come into your life. Psalm 34:5 says “ They looked to Him and were radiant and their faces were not ashamed.” You will not be put to shame by your enemies . Proverbs 18:10 says “ The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Praise Him; appreciate Him; His name is a strong tower. Praise the Lord. Psalm 67: 5-6 says “ Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us.” Praise releases blessing. You should develop a heart of gratitude. When there is life, there is hope. Your hope will not be cut off in Jesus Name. Amen. Psalm 65:1 says “ PRAISE is awaiting You, O God in Zion; and to You the vow shall be performed.” In Zion, they praise God and we are the Zionists that will praise the Lord. Let our heart praise the Lord. Psalm 9:1 says ‘ I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.” Again Psalm 138:1 says “ I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods, I will sing praises to You.” You should register your gratitude to God and there is hope in your future.
WHY DO WE PRAISE GOD?
- GOD IS GOOD:
God is good because He created you. Psalm 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, 136:1 says ‘ OH, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” God is a good God. That is why all the attacks of the enemies are frustrated. James 1:17 says “ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.’ God is so good and have made you good. He is not a wicked God. Evil things does not come from God. People may reject and condemn you but God will always accommodate you. Inspite of the fact that we offend God, He is still considerate. Matthew 7:17-18 says “ Even so every good tree bears good fruit but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” God is a good tree and we are good fruits from God. Bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
- HIS BENEFITS OVER US:
In the United Kingdom, people enjoy a lot of benefits i.e. child benefits, unemployment benefits, job termination benefits etc. The loaded benefits from the Government entails things you are not qualified for but will make a right for you so that you will not be devastated, weary, or die until you are gainfully employed. Psalm 103:5 says “ Who satisfies your mouth with good things. so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.” Some of these benefits are;
(A) – Forgiveness of sins- Romans 3:23 says “ For all have sinned fall short of the glory of God. Again, Romans 6:23 says “ For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 5:8 says “ But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The benefit of God here is that He forgives our iniquities. You should turn your house to a house of praise. Where praise is, that is where God is and where God is, there is liberty, Holy Spirit, peace, joy, fulfillment etc. God heals our diseases
(B) – God refuses your life from destruction: God has made you a king and a queen over your enemies Psalm 118: 10-11 says “ All nations surrounded me but in the name of the Lord, I will destroy them. They surrounded me ; Yes they surrounded me but in the name of the Lord, I will destroy them.” Your enemies will bow down before your feet in Jesus Name. Amen. Psalm 63:9 says “ But those who seek my life to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the earth.” Every enemy that rises against you in judgment, the Lord will destroy them.
(C)- He covers you with loving kindness: God made you a king. Anyone that rises against you, you shall condemn. You should develop a grateful heart to God.
- FREEDOM HE HAS GIVEN US
Some people are free physically but Spiritually not free. Psalm 107: 15-16 says “ Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men.” For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron into two.” Enemies makes a gate of brass and bar. God broke it into pieces. Every Satanic imprisonment , divine earthquake in your life shall be pulled down in Jesus Name. Amen. You are free, no more bondage, no more shackles, no more chains, no more barriers, no more barricade, you are loosed from sickness, death, Satanic imprisonment, you are a free man and woman, you are liberated, you are a full blessing.
- INDESCRIBABLE GIFT:
What the Lord is doing for us has gone beyond our imaginations. Some things cannot be described beyond our expectations. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says “ Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” The Lord has protected you from pestilence, air pollutions we breathe in, road accidents, gunshots, fire incidents, journey mercy, sleep and wake up safely, children’s accident and sick free vacation , armed robbery incidents. As a child of God, when the Lord sees His blood on your door posts, He will pass over and therefore death, sickness, destruction will pass over you in Jesus Name. Amen. The General Overseer narrated an incident in Western Nigeria where the house of a child of God was not attacked in an armed robbery raid on a street. He narrated further how a man of God was saved from a road block mounted by armed robbers during a robbery operation in Mid-Western part of Nigeria. The robbers actually cleared the way for the man of God. Evil will not come near you; evil will pass over you; You are covered by the blood of Jesus.
- SPECIAL GIFT HE HAS RESERVED FOR US.
1 Corinthians 2:9 says ” But as it is written; eye has not seen; nor ear heard; nor have entered into the heart of man; the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” There are things God has prepared for you that you have not seen. What you see is not what God has released to you. You have not seen thousands of gifts for you. God sees beyond us. Prophet Elijah thought he was the only prophet at his time but God told him that there are seven thousand prophets reserved for Him. God sees beyond. Elijah has not seen it.
- PRAISE GOD BECAUSE OF SALVATION.
We would have been victims of witchcraft powers that will be dictating to us; telling us what to do and where to go if not God. John 19:30 says ” So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said “ It is finished” and bowing down His head, He gave up His spirit.” Operation of the devil was finished 2,000 years ago. Jesus overcame the devil. Isaiah 53: 4-5 says “ Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed.” We need to thank Jesus ; nothing can stand against Him. When He shows up, Satan disappears. John 1: 4-5 says “ In Him was life and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.” At the name of Jesus, every knee must bow. You are alive today because of Jesus. Philippians 4:18 says “ Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the thing sent from you, a sweet – smelling aroma an acceptable sacrifice well pleasing to God.” What makes things happen is Jesus; For you to be favored is Jesus; For you to be alive today is Jesus; For you to be in church today is Jesus; Your enemies are scattered; You are not trampled; is because of Jesus. From today, your cup runs over; you are singing a new song; great things are happening over your lives. He is the Lily of Valleys; He is the Alpha & Omega; He is our justification; He is our glorification; He is our Father; Our redeemer; Our salvation; Wall of salvation. John 15:13 says “ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Because He lives and died for us, all the witches and wizards , powers of darkness are powerless. No one can battle with the Lord. John 14:18 says “ I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.” Our Lord is surrounding us, He is going before us, He is taking us to the promised land, He is destabilizing your enemies, Where they are gathering and conspiring against you, the Lord will fight for you. Psalm 121:1 says “ I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence comes my help.” Your enemies will not prevail over you. Receive joy, Receive divine favor, Receive victory, Receive peace, Receive Abrahamic blessings, Receive freedom, Receive your blessing, you are moving forward, Receive power, Receive the Spirit of God, Receive new vision, Receive power to catapult you to the next level, Receive your new harvest, Receive power to progress, Receive power to excel, Receive power to destabilize the kingdom of darkness, Your weeping is over, God will make it happen for you, God will lift you up, Your desires will be met. Give Him praise, glory, honor, adoration, worship Him, Jesus you are our Lord, Father, We give you praise.
Everybody must know how to give praise to the Lord.
