IF VICTORY OVER THE BATTLES OF LIFE IS OUR DESIRE, THANKSGIVING IS THE GUARANTEE.
THANKSGIVING WILL ALWAYS SHIFT OUR FOCUS FROM THE SITUATIONS OF LIFE TO THE SOLUTIONS IN GOD.
YOUR THANKSGIVING SHOULD BE STRONGEST WHEN THE BATTLE IS FIERCEST.
WHEN OUR THANKSGIVING GOES TO GOD WITH A GENUINE HEART, NOT JUST LIP SERVICE, WE SECURE THE HAND OF GOD CONTINUOUSLY.
WE MUST ALL BEGIN TO DEVELOP CAPACITY TO MAINTAIN OUR GRATITUDE IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY.
-Pastor Steve Ogah at CHoP
Father, thank You for another day. We give You all the praise, blessed be Your holy name, in Jesus mighty name we have given thanks.
This morning, it is my privilege as given by God and of His Servant to bring the Word of exhortation and I believe strongly that every blessing packaged for each and everyone of us this morning shall be fully delivered.
Since the week began, we have been looking at this subject:
THANKSGIVING, GATEWAY TO OUR NEXT LEVELS OF BLESSING
It is important for us to understand that by redemption every child of God is ordained for next level order of experience in life; every single child of God, both the young and the old, we are all ordained for next level order of experience in life.
Proverbs 4:18 – In other words, the pathway of the justified of God is likened to a shining light, it keeps shining more and more to the very end. So life is not designed by God to be stagnant. As believers, we are not ordained of God to remain at the same spot.
-The good news is this, somebody is moving forward today.
Our God is eternally committed to doing new things continuously – Isaiah 43:18-19
God is simply saying, “I will spring up new possibilities in the midst of impossibilities.”
God is simply saying to each and everyone of us that in the midst of adversity, He will be springing forth new realities.
-There is somebody here, in the midst of every opposition, God will give you a testimony.
But we must also understand for every Kingdom provision, there are scriptural conditions; this is very crucial. Every believer must understand that every Kingdom provision is always tied with scriptural conditions. So there is what man must do for God to move. God is ever ready to move, but He is always waiting for man to do something.
We understand since the week began that thanksgiving is a vital key if we must access next level experiences in life
2 Corinthians 3:18 – “…from glory to glory”; from level to level
So thanksgiving is that vital key for any child of God who desires to continuously move from glory to glory, from higher level of testimonies to greater order of visitation. Church Gist. Thanksgiving is the vital key.
In this morning session, what order of next level are we looking at? It is next level order of victories.
Hear this, this morning: If victory over the battles of life is our desire, thanksgiving is the guarantee.
If victory over life’s battle is your desire, thanksgiving is the guarantee.
Why is this? This is because divine presence will always put the enemy to flight and that is the greatest description of whom more than a conqueror is.
Psalm 114:5-7
“Tremble, thou earth”: tremble down every opposition; tremble down every Jordan, every sea, every mountain, every hill at the presence of the Lord
Divine presence puts the enemy to flight. Our Mother gave a classical definition of who a more than conqueror is at Shiloh 2021. She said, “more than a conqueror is one who puts the enemy to flight without a fight.” In other words, he is one who wins war without fighting. The person takes charge without struggling.
We see a classical picture in 2 Chronicles chapter 20: 3 powerful Nations came against a tiny Nation of Judah. The appearance of one of those Nations equals the extinction of Judah, yet 3 of those Nations came together. They formed forces together to completely alienate Judah
2 Chronicles 20:1,12
Thanksgiving will always shift our focus from the situations of life to the solutions in God. In thanksgiving, our focus shifts. Church Gist. We are not looking at what is happening but what is written. So what is happening is of no consequence. What rules our hearts is what is written.
Psalm 56:4 – That means, I am not intimidated, I am not confused, I am not bewildered by the happening, my confidence is what is written and therefore will I give thanks.
We see an experience in the same 2 Chronicles chapter 20 verses 22 to 24, as a result of the thanksgiving.
2 Chronicles 20:22-24
While they were singing, God was fighting. While they were thanking, God was terminating the adversity.
Hear this, this morning, no matter the situation confronting you, in the place of thanksgiving God takes over the battle
-There is somebody here, God will fight for you as you begin to give thanks, as you begin to celebrate,
-In the midst of your praise, God will be fighting the battle.
-In the midst of your thanksgiving, God will be terminating the adversity.
Deuteronomy 20:4 – that is good news for somebody here this morning.
God is saying, “I will take you be the hand and will go with you. I will fight your adversity for you and I will deliver the victory into your hand.”
Please hear this: But when our thanksgiving goes to God with a genuine heart, not just lip service. When your gratitude, your appreciation, your thanksgiving is going to God from a genuine heart, we secure the hand of God continuously.
2 Chronicles 16:9
God is always eager to show up for anyone who is genuinely giving Him thanks.
-So for anyone fighting any form of battle here this morning, I have got good news for you, God is taking over that battle for you.
As a I begin to close this morning, we must all begin to develop capacity to maintain our gratitude in the midst of adversity. We must begin to develop capacity that no matter the confrontation, no matter the battles, we must maintain our capacity of gratitude.
In fact, hear this, the greater the strength of the adversity, the stronger the intensity of your thanksgiving. When the battle is fiercest, that is when your thanksgiving should be strongest. Jehoshaphat looked at the entire army that came against them, by no human standard was Judah able to confront anyone of them. Church Gist. But God simply said, “when the battle is too big, hand it over to Me.”
How do you do that? In praise and in thanksgiving; As they began to sing and to praise, God stepped in and as a result when they looked at the entire battle line, every of their adversities were all dead men.
Prayers: Lift up your voice in thanksgiving; You are thanking God for the victory He has granted. You are thanking God for the victory in store.
Begin to give Him thanks for the victory guaranteed for everyone of us over every battle of life. Ensure your thanksgiving is emanating from the depth of your heart, remember, that is what secures the hand of God. Give Him thanks genuinely, give Him thanks profusely this morning, appreciate the father, magnify His name.
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