Thanksgiving to God should be our Ultimate Sacrifice
“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20 NKJV)
Brief Testimony:
Last night (16/05/2021) has just been extremely traumatic. Our beloved daughter Claudia who also started receiving messages from the Lord recently died but came back to life in JESUS POWERFUL NAME! We did report in the past that she has not been well healthwise. Now since Wednesday last week (12/05/2021), she has not been feeling well with her heartbeat being abnormal. While my wife and other children were in the room talking, and I being in another room, I just heard them screaming in panic 'Claudia', Claudia, daddy please come help!'
Knowing her condition, the first thing that came to my mind was my beloved daughter is leaving us. I rushed to the room and there she was convulsing violently turning pale and purple around her mouth and hands with no pulse and life while laying there on the bed lifeless. While Charis and Cailin were screaming in panic, My wife and I wasted no time and we only know JESUS CHRIST, we rebuked death and Satan in JESUS NAME, praying in tongues until she came back, HALLELUJAH! This is NO LIE BUT GOD's TRUTH! As parents and God-fearing people, we encourage you to hold on to the LORD. Had we not known Him and serving Him we would have both lost Cailin (this is a testimony we shared in our book 1 and on this site) and Claudia.
The LORD is FOREVER GOOD and He GRACIOUSLY SAVED US MULTIPLE PAINS! We humbly urge you to continue praying for her (Claudia) and as a precaution, we rushed her to the hospital last night. After Claudia returned, she said she felt so peaceful and the next moment she saw that she was standing before beautiful gates and when she was just about to enter she heard me praying and saying in JESUS NAME LIFE RETURN and she just felt a warmth feeling enter her throat and she got back. GLORY TO GOD ALMIGHTY!!!
Furthermore, the LORD also revealed something through Claudia this past Friday (14/05/2021), before we will announce that as a family we are still praying about this and we will share it with you soon. Since that Word from the Lord, I have learned to value and appreciate each day and regard it as precious for all purposes. We, therefore, urge you dear faithful children of God to continue praying for us and the work of God Almighty.
Through several messages to Charis, the Lord gave warnings to many brethren. Those who obeyed and changed their attitudes were blessed, while those who disregarded the Lord’s warnings had to face the consequences of their ungrateful attitudes. We, therefore, encourage you not to be greedy and keep yearning for more earthly things; that is being ungrateful. When you have a little, be content and show appreciation; you will always have enough even to share (Hebrews 13:5). God is well pleased with a person who has a thankful heart and such is a humble spirit!
I encourage you never to doubt an urgent, convicting message, especially when it pertains to the will of God. We must discern the voice of the Holy Spirit, act by faith, and be obedient. My wife once had a strong urge to preach a certain message to our home church members, but I discouraged her and instead urged her to "allow the Lord to give us a message," thinking that it may be different. To my surprise, the Lord confirmed through Charis the same message that my wife had in her heart. From this experience, I learned never to doubt and undermined a message coming by faith. If the message is about Christ, it is from the Holy Spirit and should be spoken from the conviction coming from faith (1 Corinthians 12:3; Romans 14:22-23).
Because giving thanks is an everyday practice, we often overlook the value of thanksgiving to God. Biblically, giving thanks to God is basically an expression of our deepest appreciation for something we never could do for our own good and convenience (Colossians 1:12-14; Matthew 5:45). Sadly though, today's culture has produced a lot of ungrateful people, where many simply don't even appreciate the way they look. The political correctness of our day has produced countless rebels who fight against the will of God and His order in human society (Romans 1:24-27). As it is, people have developed an attitude of entitlement, largely fueled by our legal rules, instead of having a humble heart of appreciation.
The Bible says that God has freely and unconditionally given the human race all things for our continued existence (Genesis 1:26-30), and we are still beneficiaries of this command today (2 Corinthians 9:11; Isaiah 55:10; Romans 8:32). It is an irrefutable fact: we cannot equal the Lord in giving nor can we give anything in exchange for something He did for us (Romans 11:35; Matthew 16:26). Therefore, our giving to the Lord is through thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). That is why it is such a humbling and God-pleasing gesture when people pray before meals and say thank the Lord for the food they have, the good health they enjoy, and the life God has given them. It further blesses the Lord when we show our appreciation to others when they have done or given us something. In this sense, both are giving thanks to God -- the receiver for the gift, and the giver for being able to give as a sacrifice to God (Psalm 50:23; Hebrews 13:16).
I must also emphasize that being ungrateful and demanding is displeasing and sinful to the Lord. Having such an attitude will result in God withholding good from us (Proverbs 11:24-25).
Additionally, it is to our benefit to receive godly correction; it is priceless when we receive a rebuke from God or a brother in the Lord with good intent (Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 3:12). We had a brother in our ministry who could not accept rebuke from the Lord and this greatly displeased the Lord. For his rejection of the Lord’s rebuke, the Lord told the brother that he did not appreciate the Lord’s messages, and He commanded the brother to repent and go on a 3-day fast. He subsequently humbled himself and obeyed the Lord, and soon after the Lord blessed him and answered most of his prayers. There were also some other brethren amongst us who did not appreciate the Lord’s rebukes and provisions, subsequently their ungrateful attitudes drove them from the Lord. As a result, many of these brethren descended into self-inflicted hardships.
Have you been forgetting to thank the Lord and others, thereby manifesting an ungrateful spirit? If so, please repent and return to the presence of the Lord (Psalm 100:4). Give thanks to Him because of His righteousness (Psalm 7:17) and because He is good; His love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV ). Let us give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love, His righteous laws which lead us to live, and for the great things He has done and will do for us (Psalm 107:21; Psalm 119:62; Psalm 119:105). He has answered our prayers and He is our salvation (Psalm 118:21; Romans 5:8).
Brothers and sisters, remember to always “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT).
To receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please start by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.
Blessedness to the Lord in thankfulness to you our dear brethren,
Brother Glenn and Preparing for the Kingdom Ministry Team.
Through several messages to Charis, the Lord gave warnings to many brethren. Those who obeyed and changed their attitudes were blessed, while those who disregarded the Lord’s warnings had to face the consequences of their ungrateful attitudes. We, therefore, encourage you not to be greedy and keep yearning for more earthly things; that is being ungrateful. When you have a little, be content and show appreciation; you will always have enough even to share (Hebrews 13:5). God is well pleased with a person who has a thankful heart and such is a humble spirit!
I encourage you never to doubt an urgent, convicting message, especially when it pertains to the will of God. We must discern the voice of the Holy Spirit, act by faith, and be obedient. My wife once had a strong urge to preach a certain message to our home church members, but I discouraged her and instead urged her to "allow the Lord to give us a message," thinking that it may be different. To my surprise, the Lord confirmed through Charis the same message that my wife had in her heart. From this experience, I learned never to doubt and undermined a message coming by faith. If the message is about Christ, it is from the Holy Spirit and should be spoken from the conviction coming from faith (1 Corinthians 12:3; Romans 14:22-23).
Why Should We Appreciate God and Give Thanks to Him?
Because giving thanks is an everyday practice, we often overlook the value of thanksgiving to God. Biblically, giving thanks to God is basically an expression of our deepest appreciation for something we never could do for our own good and convenience (Colossians 1:12-14; Matthew 5:45). Sadly though, today's culture has produced a lot of ungrateful people, where many simply don't even appreciate the way they look. The political correctness of our day has produced countless rebels who fight against the will of God and His order in human society (Romans 1:24-27). As it is, people have developed an attitude of entitlement, largely fueled by our legal rules, instead of having a humble heart of appreciation.
The Bible says that God has freely and unconditionally given the human race all things for our continued existence (Genesis 1:26-30), and we are still beneficiaries of this command today (2 Corinthians 9:11; Isaiah 55:10; Romans 8:32). It is an irrefutable fact: we cannot equal the Lord in giving nor can we give anything in exchange for something He did for us (Romans 11:35; Matthew 16:26). Therefore, our giving to the Lord is through thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). That is why it is such a humbling and God-pleasing gesture when people pray before meals and say thank the Lord for the food they have, the good health they enjoy, and the life God has given them. It further blesses the Lord when we show our appreciation to others when they have done or given us something. In this sense, both are giving thanks to God -- the receiver for the gift, and the giver for being able to give as a sacrifice to God (Psalm 50:23; Hebrews 13:16).
I must also emphasize that being ungrateful and demanding is displeasing and sinful to the Lord. Having such an attitude will result in God withholding good from us (Proverbs 11:24-25).
Additionally, it is to our benefit to receive godly correction; it is priceless when we receive a rebuke from God or a brother in the Lord with good intent (Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 3:12). We had a brother in our ministry who could not accept rebuke from the Lord and this greatly displeased the Lord. For his rejection of the Lord’s rebuke, the Lord told the brother that he did not appreciate the Lord’s messages, and He commanded the brother to repent and go on a 3-day fast. He subsequently humbled himself and obeyed the Lord, and soon after the Lord blessed him and answered most of his prayers. There were also some other brethren amongst us who did not appreciate the Lord’s rebukes and provisions, subsequently their ungrateful attitudes drove them from the Lord. As a result, many of these brethren descended into self-inflicted hardships.
Have you been forgetting to thank the Lord and others, thereby manifesting an ungrateful spirit? If so, please repent and return to the presence of the Lord (Psalm 100:4). Give thanks to Him because of His righteousness (Psalm 7:17) and because He is good; His love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV ). Let us give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love, His righteous laws which lead us to live, and for the great things He has done and will do for us (Psalm 107:21; Psalm 119:62; Psalm 119:105). He has answered our prayers and He is our salvation (Psalm 118:21; Romans 5:8).
Brothers and sisters, remember to always “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT).
To receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please start by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.
Brother Glenn and Preparing for the Kingdom Ministry Team.
