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THE POWER OF THANKSGIVING
Part Eighteen - An Expectation of Victory

  Thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ - 2 Corinthians 2:14

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 By: Dr. Bill Miller                                                   Volume XV Number 13                                                     April 15, 2012

 

Greetings in the Name of Jesus and welcome to the PLN Sunday Night Bible Fellowship!

 

All of us are faced with trials and tribulations and persecutions and problems and circumstances just like the Bible says we should expect. No matter how strong our FAITH is, we encounter life's difficulties that come against us from the Adversary, from the world system he manages (2 Corinthians 4:4), from other people and from our own poor decisions and choices. Strong FAITH is not about creating an environment that's free from all difficulty; it's about how we face those difficulties and deal with them. Do we face them with fear and dread or by trusting that the Lord will ALWAYS cause us to get the VICTORY? Do we face them in apathy and ignorance or by actively RESISTING the devil in FAITH, speaking the Word the way Jesus did (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10) to make him flee (James 4:7)? The TRUTH is the issues of life are always present but we DECIDE how we're going to deal with them and those decisions produce either VICTORY or defeat.

 

The Apostle Paul was a man of very strong FAITH who experienced a lot of tribulations but was always looking and believing for victories. In the fourth chapter of the Book of Philippians we can find some of his best-known statements that particularly illustrate this quality:

 

Verses 6-7 = "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. And the PEACE of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

 

Verses 11-12 = "...I have learned to be content (self sufficient in the sufficiency of Christ) in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in PROSPERITY (NAS); in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need."

 

Verse 13 ="I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me."

 

Verse 19 = "...my God will supply ALL your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

 

These are some of the most powerful, faith-filled statements in the entire New Testament but what many Bible readers haven't fully studied out is that when the Apostle Paul wrote those words back to the church he'd previously founded in Philippi, he was a prisoner in Rome waiting for an opportunity to speak to the Roman authorities about charges that had originally been brought against him in Jerusalem for preaching the Gospel. That same thing had happened to him before back in Philippi when he had been thrown in jail for the same offense and on that occasion an earthquake broke Paul and Silas out of the jail there as they were singing and praising God. The results were freedom for Paul and Silas and salvation for the chief jailer and his entire household. They together with a recent convert named Lydia and all of her household as well, formed the nucleus of the Philippian church that Paul was writing back to from his incarceration in Rome (Acts 16:12-40).

 

Remembering Past Blessings

 

If God has ever come to your rescue in the past, which of course He certainly has, it's a good idea when you're faced with new and current circumstances to remember and be THANKFUL for those special past times. And if He's done it before, why won't He rescue you again? Do you think Paul might've been remembering that spectacular earthquake back in Philippi while he was writing his letter to the church there? How was he able to write such powerful faith-filled words to them unless he had made a DECISION to trust God despite the circumstances he was facing? He had to have DECIDED to live life in VICTORY no matter his surroundings; and oh by the way, while he was waiting there under house arrest many of the praetorian guards who were watching over him got saved and were themselves going out to preach the Gospel (Philippians 1:12-14). Is it reasonable to say that one of the reasons the Apostle Paul always had an EXPECTATION he would get the VICTORY over his circumstance was because he REMEMBERED that God had already shown up to rescue him on numerous occasions?

 

When we're faced with new problems the Flesh part of us wants to focus on them and worry about how to escape. If we allow it to happen the worry will eventually consume all our attention and keep us awake nights, and we'll "forget" about all the times God has already shown up and rescued us from something. Friend, the way of escape Is not our concern because the Bible says it's God who'll provide the way of escape out of any ADVERSITY (also translated TEMPTATION) that we encounter (1 Corinthians 10:13). Rather than worrying about developing a way out of our troubles in our own strength, the better way out is to remember what God has already done, be sincerely THANKFUL for those times and wait in FAITH for the Lord to SHOW you the way out to VICTORY from your current difficulty. If you know the Word and you're standing on its promises as you offer up your THANKSGIVING, you'll find the way out of your problems much sooner than if you're trying to worry your way out with your own solutions the way the World does things.

 

Remembering the Word

 

Now FAITH requires that we have a basis for what we're believing. FAITH comes and grows stronger and matures by hearing (with understanding) the Word of God (Romans 10:17). I need to be able to pinpoint the specific promises in the Word so that I can release my FAITH by THANKING God that those specific promises will soon be showing up in my life to deliver me from my adversity. I THANK God by FAITH for each promise and for the deliverance it will soon provide.

 

What most folks do when they're faced with an adversity is worry about it and then in their anguish cry out to God for deliverance as they plead and beg Him for a way out, eventually resentful when the relief doesn't show up right away. A lot of Believers blame God for their problems anyway but He's not the source and blaming Him only delays what we want to accomplish which is to be set free from the adversity. No, there's a better way which is THANKSGIVING BY FAITH.

 

The Bible says it's impossible to please God except by FAITH (Hebrews 11:6). The Greek word behind the English word please conveys the concept of "coming into agreement." In other words we please God by coming into agreement with Him by FAITH. How can we know what to agree with? We learn what to agree with by studying His Word and finding all the promises that we can connect our FAITH to. Then when we're faced with adversity we face it in FAITH agreeing with all the promises we've found that render us fully able and entitled to overcome what we're facing. We THANK God for each promise and for the GRACE that connects us to the EMPOWERMENT to get the VICTORY. And after a while of standing on and agreeing with the Word, we WILL come to a time when we EXPECT the VICTORY to happen any moment. We know that we know that the VICTORY is on the way.

 

There're a several promises I always start my Word-remembering with and I want to end today's article by sharing them with you in the event you're facing a storm you've had trouble overcoming:

 

Mark 9:23 = "...All things are possible to him who believes."

 

Mark 11:23-24 = "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."

 

1 Corinthians 15:57 = "...thanks be to God, who gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

2 Corinthians 2:14 = "...thanks be to God, who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ..."

 

Friend, God loves you and doesn't want to withhold any good thing. The biggest impediments to escape for most Believers are: 1) they don't believe that God really loves them and really wants to see them escape their tribulations as soon as possible, and 2) they don't know the Word. The TRUTH is the Holy Spirit is working 24/7/365 to get us out of them and in doing so to get the most benefit from them for the Kingdom of God. But contrary to popular belief He does NOT initiate tribulations to teach us things because He already sent the Holy Spirit to teach us ALL things (John 14:26). Also contrary to popular belief God doesn't purposefully use the devil to teach us things either; no, He sent Jesus to DESTROY the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), not to use them.

 

In sum, if we'll just do our part by FAITH, we're SURE to escape and get the VICTORY every single time. No exceptions: we'll get the VICTORY every time. Do you believe the Word tonight? If you do, THANK God for all His past rescues and for all His promises in Christ!

 

A Final Thought

 

In their GRATITUDE for what God had done through the Apostle Paul that night in Philippi, it turned out that those folks over the years were his most faithful financial supporters. They were GRATEFUL to God and they were GRATEFUL to Paul. History says that the chief jailer became the Pastor of that church and they never forgot what had happened that night or how it happened. The point is: people who remember what God has done for them are generous and their giving helps them REMEMBER and give honor to God's special blessings.

 

Thanks for dropping by tonight. We'll be looking for you again next Sunday evening, April 22 and we hope you'll join us each week as we continue to study the subject of THANKSGIVING. Until then may God bless you and your family with every spiritual blessing in the Name of Jesus (Ephesians 1:3).

 

Sinners' Prayer

 

If you've never invited Jesus to be the Lord of your life, you need to and you can do it today just by saying out loud the following simple prayer:

 

Jesus I declare today with all my heart that I believe in you and that God raised you from the dead. I acknowledge that my sins have been forgiven and I ask you to come into my life today and be my Lord and Savior. Thank you for salvation and eternal life.

 

If you were sincere as you prayed this prayer, God has already come into your life and you are a new creation, a totally new species recreated in His image. Now ask the Lord to lead you to a good faith-based, bible-teaching church where you can be equipped to fulfill your potential in the Kingdom of God.

 

And, when you get a chance have someone help you look up the following scriptures because they confirm what you've done by saying this prayer today and believing what you said:

 

Romans 10:9

2 Corinthians 5:17

Ephesians 2:8

 

Prayer Requests

 

If you have a Prayer Request, please connect to the Link below and follow the promptings. The PLN staff members pray over Prayer Requests every Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM eastern time. Agree with us for God to answer your petition.

 

http://www.creditcounseling.net/prayer-request.aspx

 

Donations

 

If you've been edified by Prosperous Life Newsletter, you may want to consider making a SEED FAITH offering to support the Ministry (Galatians 6:6-7). God has instructed us to simply provide folks with an opportunity to sow seed into good ground so in due season you'll be eligible to reap a harvest and the rest is up to you as the Spirit leads. For your information PLN is a nonprofit gift to the Body of Christ so your financial offerings will usually be tax deductible (consult your tax advisor). Just go to the secure Shopping Cart on the Cornerstone web site by connecting through the following link. We appreciate your support and generosity.

 

http://www.creditcounseling.net/shop/item.aspx?itemid=1

 

 

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