By Brother Tobi Thompson
5th September 2022
Good evening everyone, you are welcome to Bible Study this evening.
Hope today has been a very great day so far.
Okay, so this evening we’ll be looking at something very interesting, THANKSGIVING.
Father, in the name of Jesus I ask that the spirit of wisdom and revelation be made manifest in our hearts tonight and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we come into a lifestyle of gratitude. Amen.
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I would like to shift our knowledge a bit and say, there are no nine fruits of the Spirit. There is only ONE fruit of the Spirit and this fruit finds expression in various ways. Let me show you;
But the FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
[Galatians 5:22 -23]
The Spirit has only one fruit which is love, and it is revealed in various expressions. Okay?
Thanksgiving is closely tied to one of the expressions of the Holy Spirit, and that expression is JOY!
My God!! Have you ever felt the joy of the Lord???? Oh my God!!!
If you have, you will testify that it comes with this overwhelming sense to show gratitude to God.
Thanksgiving basically means, to give thanks, lol.
Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica and ultimately to the whole church that,
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
[1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV]
One of the undeniable truths about life is that we ALWAYS have a reason to give thanks and I’m not talking about when we use people’s circumstances as a yardstick for showing gratitude e.g. thank you, Lord, for I’m not like those in the hospital or in the grave… What is the meaning of that? 😒
There is always this urge to do that but I beseech you by the mercies of God… resist it in Jesus’ name!
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
[Psalms 100:1 – 5 NKJV]
David’s thanksgiving to God wasn’t dependent on his circumstances or that of others, but was dependent on the majesty and sovereignty of God!
That’s a very major principle in giving thanks. It’s never about the receiver, it’s always about the giver!
For example, when you receive a gift from someone especially if it came as a surprise, you would notice that you just want to be talking about the person and what the person did for you. That’s how thanksgiving works.
I dare say, that every man on earth has received and still receives of the mercies of God. That’s enough reason to be grateful!
As in, God, the Creator of the Universe looked at you and chose you to be a testament of His mercies and goodness… ah! Thank You, Lord! Thank You!
The man who wants to constantly experience the power of God must learn how to be grateful! It’s easier to lambano that which we desire when we are grateful. That’s why Paul says,
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
[Philippians 4:6 NKJV]
The Holy Spirit is a very Grateful Person o!
In fact, everything God instructs us to do, He practices them. Please, know that today… God will never give an instruction He doesn’t practice. For example:
- When God says to pray, it is because Jesus prayed and still intercedes as our High Priest.
- When God says to love, it’s because He loves.
- When God says to be holy, it’s because He is holy.
- When God says to be full of Thanksgiving, it is because He is full of Thanksgiving.
How many of us know that God actually tells us Thank you for our love towards Him??? Watch this:
For God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
[Hebrews 6:10 NKJV]
It is an ungrateful person that always forgets the good done to him but we see that God never forgets our labour of love!
In fact, beyond that, God never forgets you! He said through the Prophet Isaiah:
But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely, they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
[Isaiah 49:14 – 16 NKJV]
Zion was complaining,
“My God My God you have forsaken and forgotten me”
and God said,
“No! In fact, I have a tattoo of you on My palms”
Ah!! So, God can never forget me!!! I should be grateful!!
It is more than enough reason for you and I… so even with our “God when” or “God abeg“.
He says I have not forgotten you!!! Surely man might forget you but I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU!
Jesus gave thanks…remember the breaking of bread?? The raising of Lazarus from the dead?? Matthew 13,14 and John 11.
The Holy Spirit even gave thanks 😂, when the disciples first received the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon them, it was recorded that the men around them heard them praising God!!! Wow!!!
C’mon, He is the Spirit of Joy now!!!
When we go to Revelations? What are the hosts of heaven doing?
They did not even say, thank God I’m not like man…
Let me even shock you… angels want to be like man 😂
Do you know what it means to be the object of God’s love??!!!! C’mon now, be grateful!
God looked at you and said, You are my son, You are my daughter… something angels have never heard!!!
Be grateful!!
Anytime you seem to be in sorrow or distress, as a believer, you just speak forth the truth of God’s Word, it’s only a matter of time before that mood will be lifted.
Remember I said, thanksgiving is closely tied to Joy.
What did Isaiah say about Joy?
Therefore, with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
[Isaiah 12:3 NKJV]
I use joy and Thanksgiving to continue drawing until I see the manifestation of God’s Word to me!!!
You’ll hardly see me downcast.
The moment I sense it, I don’t waste time o! I enter thanksgiving mode and oh my God!!! I feel light and joyful again!
To show you how powerful thanksgiving is, Paul said the way to be full of the Spirit is by being full of Thanksgiving!
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
[Ephesians 5:18 – 20 NKJV]
Do you see it!!!! It is through thanksgiving the early church pulled through persecutions!
So, they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
[Acts 5:41 NKJV]
Thanksgiving is a very powerful weapon of the Spirit o!
We see that true thanksgiving is not dependent on our circumstances at all but is always dependent on the Sovereignty of God!! The moment you shift your gaze, you’ll just be complaining and murmuring…
I always feel sorry for folks who choose not to get into the flow of the Spirit…
How can you have joy living inside of you and you are complaining??!!! How now??!!
Finally, brethren, Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!
[Philippians 4:4 NKJV]
Make it your lifestyle! Don’t wait until you see a sign or wonder!!! The Spirit living inside of you is more than enough reason!
Normal normal sef, we should be shouting out and jumping up in the Holy Spirit at all times!!!
Maybe when you are cooking, you just shout “eiiiiiiiiyyyyyyyyyy!!!” Abi “kayyeeeeeeeeeee” and when they ask you what happened, you’ll say it’s the Holy Ghost!
Please o, the moment you agreed to be a believer, you agreed to be a MAD man!!
😂😂Who praises God in the middle of a storm?!! It is us now!!
The kingdom of God is for expressive people!!! We shout in the Holy Ghost here!!
We scream in the Holy Ghost!!! We jump in the Holy Ghost!!!
Ooooooh my God!!!!! Thank You, Lord, for the release of joy right now!!!
Lord, we are grateful!!!!
Tonight, take time out and intentionally thank Him, express yourself before Him!
This is your season of overflowing joy in the name of Jesus!!!!
Thank You, Lord! Amen!!
God bless you everyone, and remain thankful always!
Peace ✌️