In all things give Thanks!

Question: "What should be the focus of Christians on Thanksgiving?"

Answer: The original thanksgiving celebration was held by the Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts during their second winter in America in December, 1621. The first winter had killed 44 of the original 102 colonists. At one point their daily food ration was down to five kernels of corn apiece, but then an unexpected trading vessel arrived, swapping them beaver pelts for corn, providing for their severe need. The next summer’s crop brought hope, and Governor William Bradford decreed that December 13, 1621, be set aside as a day of feasting and prayer to show the gratitude of the colonists that they were still alive.These Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom and opportunity in America, gave thanks to God for His provision for them in helping them find 20 acres of cleared land, for the fact that there were no hostile Indians in that area, for their newfound religious freedom, and for God’s provision of an interpreter to the Indians in Squanto. Along with the feasting and games involving the colonists and more than 80 friendly Indians (who added to the feast by bringing wild turkeys and venison), prayers, sermons, and songs of praise were important in the celebration. Three days were spent in feasting and prayer.From that time forward, Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a day to give thanks to God for His gracious and sufficient provision. President Abraham Lincoln officially set aside the last Thursday of November, in 1863, “as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” In 1941, Congress ruled that after 1941, the fourth Thursday of November be observed as Thanksgiving Day and be a legal holiday.Scripturally, we find things related to the issue of thanksgiving nearly from cover to cover. Individuals offered up sacrifices out of gratitude in the book of Genesis. The Israelites sang a song of thanksgiving as they were delivered from Pharaoh's army after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15). Later, the Mosaic Law set aside three times each year when the Israelites were to gather together. All three of these times [Unleavened Bread (also called the Feast of the Passover) (Exodus 12:15-20), Harvest or Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21), and the Feast of Ingathering or Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36)] involved remembering God’s provision and grace. Harvest and Tabernacles took place specifically in relation to God’s provision in the harvest of various fruit trees and crops. The book of Psalms is packed full of songs of thanksgiving, both for God’s grace to the Israelite people as a whole through His mighty deeds, as well as for His individual graces to each of us.In the New Testament, there are repeated admonitions to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving is to always be a part of our prayers. Some of the most remembered passages on the giving of thanks are the following:"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)."Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6)."Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men" (1 Timothy 2:1).Of all of God’s gifts, the greatest one He has given is the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus paid our sin debt, so a holy and just Judge could forgive us our sins and give us eternal life as a free gift. This gift is available to those who will call on Christ to save them from their sin in simple but sincere faith (John 3:16; Romans 3:19-26; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:13; Ephesians 2:8-10). For this gift of His Son, the gift which meets our greatest need, the Apostle Paul says, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).We, like the Pilgrims, have a choice. In life there will always be those things that we can complain about (the Pilgrims had lost many loved ones), but there will also be much to be thankful for. As our society becomes increasingly secular, the actual “giving of thanks to God” during our annual Thanksgiving holiday is being overlooked, leaving only the feasting. May God grant that He may find us grateful every day for all of His gifts, spiritual and material. God is good, and every good gift comes from Him (James 1:17). For those who know Christ, God also works everything together for good, even events we would not necessarily consider good (Romans 8:28-30). May He find us to be His grateful children.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season and have an attitude of gratitude!

Speak it and Live it!

"Today, Start seeing your situation as completed. To God it is not just a promise, but a fact. Here is a prophetic word, believe it, speak it, and accept it. When you do, you will be able to say, like Paul, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" 2 Corinthians 4:8,9. You are willing and able to declare, "Having the same spirit of faith....I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak" 2 Corinthians 4:13. Today your words are the "release valve" of faith. Your hope and expectation can not and will not rise above your level of confession, so confess your hopes and expectations more so that your faith grows to levels where there is true belief. What you are speaking "right now" is what you are believing. Jesus, talking about those things which are deep within a man said, "Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh" Luke 6:45. Jesus knew something that is so important to you and I, IT MUST BE AN INNER WORKING BEFORE THERE IS AN OUTER MANIFESTATION OF YOUR BELIEF!

Attack Fear with Faith

And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will favor you with blessings and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham. Genesis 26:24
Fear is a weapon that Satan uses to destroy people's lives, their destinies and God's plan for their lives. When fear comes in, there is no faith and where faith is, there is no fear. God wants us to be men and women of faith because the Bible says that the just shall live by faith. God does not want you to be bound by fear because it draws every negative thing to you. When you operate in faith, you move God on your behalf and Satan wants to rob your ability to be a witness for God.Fear comes to steal, kill and destroy, to render you helpless and to stop you in your tracks. It is time for the body of Christ to stop being bed partners with fear. It is not a part of our nature. We need to make up our minds that nothing is going to stop us from being and receiving all that God has for us. Make up your mind to deal with the spirit of fear today.

You cannot serve God in fear.That he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear. Luke 1:74 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 When you start walking by faith and not by sight, you are moving ahead. You have a greater advantage to accomplish more in your life because you have God on your side. Since God is for you, who can be against you? The Lord has spoken peace into your life for this year. Walk in the peace of God. Know that God has your back in every situation.

This is my confession in agreement with you: Father, I receive your anointing, the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God upon my life so that I can be the person you have called me to be. I want to walk worthy unto You and glorify You all the days of my life. I am the redeemed of the Lord. I am blessed coming in and blessed going out. I resist the spirit of fear. I humble myself under the hand of Almighty God. I resist every foul and demonic spirit that will attack my faith. I am not given to fear. I am given to faith. I walk by faith and not by sight. I receive the promises of Almighty God in my life, in Jesus' name. I am going to the other side. I am crossing into the Promised Land, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Take ownership of your life by meditating and speaking the Word of God over your life, over your family, over your finances, over your health, over your job. Let prayer and confession become your lifestyle. I want to encourage you to stand in your God given authority, stand strong, be of good courage, dismiss any negative thought and know that you are victorious!

The Power of Praise

There is a spiritual principle that is very powerful and it works in conjunction with Faith Filled Words, that principle is the Power of Praise. In Luke 13, the author shares a story that speaks of the power of praise. Verses 11-13 read: "And behold, there was woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God."

Do you need a sudden blessing from the Lord?

The infirmed woman was bowed over and couldn't straighten herself, yet she was desperate to receive a Word from the Lord. She made her way to church to hear a young, relatively unknown rhabi deliver the Word. His name was Jesus. Immediately, quickly and straightway is how the infirmed woman received her blessing. Note the correlation. Although her suffering had lasted 18 years, she attended service that day, sought the Lord and received immediate healing. Remember Job? His test was long and painful, but God restored him as well.

When you seek the Word and instill it in your heart, God is pleased. He considers it a form of praise and it is that praise that positions us for a sudden blessing. This is why every time we hear the scriptures, "by His stripes you are healed" and "you are more than a conqueror," your spirit should be lifted and your faith fortified.

Today, don't let your situation interfere with your praise. Despite your situation, speak Faith Filled Words and Praise him for what he is doing! Remember 1 Corinthians 2:9, "...Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

Change your thoughts, Change your life!

Faith filled Words for Living!

It is great to be in his Kingdom!

Prayer: “Father, help me to keep my mouth shut and stay in an atmosphere of peace and productivity. Do not let me wander down the path of quarreling and confusion. Keep me focused on the task at hand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

“Everyday each you have a designed plan that is already been set by God. Your daily life is not the product of oops or accident, but the product of a Divine purpose that is set by the Father. Many of you struggle each day with trying to figure out how to be successful while the answers are usually closer than you could ever imagine. The recognition that the Bible is your master success handbook is the key to unlocking whatever your heart desires. There are some very powerful rewards to those who recognize this:

The Word Unleashes Life within You. “ It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life,” John 6:63. Life is energy. The Word of God Creates Unexplainable Energy “…quicken me according to thy judgments,” Psalm 119:156

The Word Solves every battle. “ Thou through thy commandments has made me wiser than mine enemies,” Psalm 119:98

The Word Births Uncommon Joy. “These things have I spoken unto you, that joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full,” John 15:11

The Word is where answers wait for those who will seek him!

Prayer: “Father, give me the guidance and the patience to seek you through your Word. You left this Word and the comfort of the Holy Spirit to guide me each day. It is my prayer that I be quick to study thy Word so my divine purpose will be revealed. In the name of Jesus I pray, AMEN!

Keeping your Power!

Good Morning!

Remember this very important point as you go on your daily journey! No one is capable of making you upset without your consent, so if you begin practicing the intention to be authentic and peaceful with everyone, you connect to peace itself—and gain the power to change the energy of your relationships with family and friends.

Prayer Power

There are six principles of prayer; Praise, Priority, Provision, Pardon, Protection, and Praise. Notice,prayer truly begins and ends, with Praise! To effectively use the principles it will take discipline. Jesus rose early and so should you. “And in the morning rising up a great while before day, He went out departed into a solitary place, and there he prayed” Mark 1:35, remember when dealing with the Word you must say to yourself; What did this mean then? What does this mean now? And What does this mean to me? You think clearly in the morning. You can focus. Your day is uncluttered. As you accumulate the emotions and stress of others throughout the day the quality of your work often deteriorates. When your mind is uncluttered with the demands of others, you can pray and hear from God. Right now someone is saying to themselves that they just don’t get up early, God has a proven track record of those who rose early to pray and the success they had. Joshua rose early. “And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priest took up the ark of the Lord” Joshua 6:12. Moses, the great deliver of the Israelites rose early Exodus 8:20. Abraham, the great Patriarch of the Jewish nation, rose early (Genesis 19:27). Now you may not wish to follow these example but I guarantee each of you want the results of the promise that God has made for you. So remember if you truly want something from God, try to do it God’s way!

You are Blessed and Highly Favored!

Renew Your Mind!

"As a man thinketh in is heart so is he." This is a statement that we have heard over time but may have never taken in real time. Romans 12:2 tells us..Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind by the Word God. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Challenge yourself today to influence and redefine your life with the infusion of God's Word. If any man or woman desires wisdom let him ask. The question may be "who do I ask?", James 1:5 tells us...If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Wisdom is the biggest part of you becoming a "better you", through the seeking of wisdom you gain stability, peace of mind, and a new found spirit freedom, and "He whom the Son has set free is free indeed". You access this freedom when you accept the Word of God as the Guiding force in your life!

Min. Kelvin A. Carter, Proper Thought Ministries, Inc.

Proper Thought Management

Greetings!


I know that all who are reading and receiving this powerful information, are as we speak, receiving life changing revelation. This year, we pray to help you to uncover limitless possibilities through everyday application of the Word of God(Roman 12:2). Simply put, you are invited into a spiritual community where you will be with like minded believers and seekers of God! You are blessed by the Best!
Min. Kelvin A. Carter, Proper Thought Management