Recounting God’s Unspeakable Gifts

28/12/2017-

          Recounting God’s Unspeakable Gifts

2 Corinthians 9.15

God’s gifts to mankind are uncountable and unspeakable. They are too numerous to be counted, for, since the creation, God has always been providing for man His gracious gifts in every area of life. His greatest gift to man is Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, whom He gave for our redemption. That is why every thoughtful individual in all ages have always come to conclude that God is very good to all.

Though the circumstances around us, like the economic, political challenges and family expectations may indicate the contrary, yet the deeds of the Lord speaks volume of His manifold blessings towards mankind. Particularly to believers, we cannot fully quantify God’s supernatural gifts to our lives. No wonder somebody said, “He that is thoughtful will always be thankful”. To be thoughtful is to recount the gracious works of God to our lives, families, businesses, church, and ministry. Recounting God’s unspeakable gifts to us must move us to respond positively towards him in gratitude and towards the fellow man in reaching forth to help others know this faithful father. Saints of old who tread the path of gratitude for God’s unspeakable gifts always rejoice and receive much more abundance from Him but the ingrates and unthankful end up in rejection and unworthiness. Tonight, we must all think through to see all God’s blessings in our lives and appreciate Him for all He has done.

Recounting God’s Supernatural blessings Psalm 103.1-3, Ex. 15.26, Ps. 50.15, 91.15, Ps. 35.9-10, Ps 107. 1-9, 43, 1 Chronicles 16.23-29, Ps 46. 8-9, Ps 145, 1-5, 8-10

King David was a thoughtful leader who knew that he could not  have achieved anything in life without the help of the Almighty. He began to enumerate the benefits and the goodness he received from the Lord. He opened the catalogue with the blessing of pardon from sin (V.3). Sin, which  was the stumbling block against God’s blessings, was removed and all other mercies began to flow into the believer’s life such as (i) Healing from sicknesses and diseases (Ex. 15.26), (ii)Rescue from danger and destruction (Ps. 50.15, 91.15) (iii) Happiness and fulfillment in the midst of worldly worries and woes, (iv) Pleasures and satisfaction when others are in severe needs and troubles, (v) divine promises and assurance when others are in fears of hopelessness and helplessness` (Deut. 31.6,8; Ps. 3.2), (vi) Wisdom and wealth in times of famine and scarcity, (vii) Defense and deliverance in critical moments of fear and troubles (Ps. 34.4, Jonah 2.2). Believers then and now need to be thoughtful of God’s supernatural blessings – to themselves as individuals, to their families, to their churches and to their communities and nations in general. For his peace in the time of wars and commotions all around the world, and for many countless benefits, God is worthy of our praise. Praise the Lord

Our Response towards God’s blessings Ps. 116. 10-14, 16-19, Ps 63. 1-8, Exodus 15. 1-19, Ps 22.25-28

Realizing God’s great blessings to us must make us respond positively towards Him. Particularly, those who had received God’s grace at salvation will always express their appreciation to God through their love, loyalty, lives, and obedience to God. We must yield and submit our hearts and lives to Him totally as people who knew that He owes us, keeps us and sustains us. We must, therefore, be committed to the Almighty God in our thoughts and our actions day by day in response to all He had done for us. Here the inspired writer expressed the appropriative response we must have in our gratitude to God. God’s goodness to us must make us to (i) uphold holiness of life and character, (ii) speak of God’s goodness to everyone by preaching Christ to all people, (iii) pay our vows, tithes, offerings and all financial commitments to God, (iv) be engaged in the building up of the body of Christ, positively contribute to the growth of God’s kingdom, (v) evangelize others to come into God’s goodness as well, and lastly by showing reciprocal goodness to everyone. Our expressions must not just be in the mouth only. It must not be only on Sunday services; neither should it be only when we want to pray, but every time and everywhere. In our utterances, conduct, and character, and in our attitude to other believers and unbelievers alike

Rendering Praises and Thanksgiving for God’s blessings Psalms 103:1-5; 107:1,2,14-15; Acts 16:25-26; Hebrews 13:15; Philippians 4:6, Joshua 6.20, I Sam 2.1-8, Ps 46.1, 8-9

Praises and Thanksgiving is the only celebration we can offer to the Almighty God. We have many reasons for our thanksgiving to Him. The following are some of the reasons for which we must praise the Lord. God’s creation and redemption, Salvation – Psalm 103:3, Healing and deliverances - Psalm 103:3, Divine provision - Psalm 103:5; 36:25, Divine protection and preservation – Psalms 91:1-16, Power to lead the Christian live - 2 Corinthians 2:14, The hope of living eternally with our Savior – John 3:16, Answers to prayer – Psalms 65:1-2, Divine guidance - Psalms 73:24. Our praises could be rendered in many ways and many manners. By Singing praises to God, we are showing Him that we submit and surrender to His Majesty and that  He should continue to rule and reign in our lives and affairs. This always moves God to do more for us and to bring enlargements and supernatural miracles to us in return. All through the scriptures, we discovered that everyone who appreciates God always increases with breakthroughs and divine multiplications. Hannah praised God and paid her vows, then God added more children to her in return. Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises in the prison, God opened the prison doors through an earthquake, Israel praised God with a shout and trumpets and the thick Jericho walls fell down flat. Hezekiah and the people of Judah simply praised God with thanksgiving and they received abundance of victory and the supernatural defeat of their enemies. This night shall be a night of Victory through our praises and overwhelming thanksgiving to our Awesome God who keeps us, supports us and sustains us.

Asking, Seeking and Knocking for Great Outpouring

TRETS 14/12/2017  - Asking, Seeking and Knocking for Great Outpouring

Matt. 7. 7-11, Acts 1. 4-5, Luke 24.49,

The great outpouring of God’s blessings is always preceded by great expectations, preparations and prayers. This always brings mighty and sustainable revival of soul, spirit and body upon God’s people. Before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Our Lord and Saviour emphasized the need for a sincere expectation and (tarrying) waiting for this unprecedented experience that will eventually change the entire world through its ensued revival. In the same way, He require that believers then and now must realize and employ the importance of sincere and passionate prayer and preparation so as to receive their needed life changing miracles in their lives. God promised a change in life and Character to Israel through prophet Ezekiel, yet He demanded that they Ask passionately and enquire of Him before they will receive the revival. Today, God had given us great and precious life transforming promises, yet He expects us to pray fervently to receive them through tthis December retreat, an it shall be the beginning of a new dawn to everyone who keys into this great God’s plan for humanity.

The promise of the great Outpouring Joel 2. 28-32, Acts 1.8, Isaiah 43. 16-18, Ezekiel 37.1-12

The Great outpouring of God’s supernatural blessing had been promised to His people from the time of old. God’s seasons and periods of revival always come after his undeniable promise had been given to His people, He said, He will do a new thing and he did it. To The children of Israel in the time of Ezekiel, it was a time great despondency, famine and despair. Yet God gave the promise to Ezekiel and a great outpouring of revical came upon the land. What brings revival to people vary from person to person. To Hannah, she needs a Samuel, to Jabez a turn-around breakthrough, to Elisha, he needs a double portion of Elijah’s power and to Jacob a complete victory over a long standing ark enemy and rival. Whatever your desire and challenges may be, God has promised great outpouring of His blessings upon us in this retreat and it promises tpo be a dawn of new beginning of great things in our lives.

PII. Preparation for the Great Outpouring Isaiah 58.6-11, Mark 6.31, John 11.39,

There is need for adequate preparation before we can receive great things from God. Our passion for the great outpouring will show through our preparations. The Lord told the disciples that they need to tarry in the city of Jerusalem. This is to prepare them in holiness and oneness in prayer before the Lord for the Spirit’s baptism. We need Spiritual and physical preparations before this unprecetendent outpouring can come. Spiritual requires checking up our lives and making sure we do not allow any sinful interest to be in us. Taking away every stone of unbelief and doubt is another preparation for us. Moreover, we need to be physically separated from all the distractions of the business so as to fully concentrate in the presence of the Lord. Also Everything needed for full concentration must be provided.

Praying for the great Outpouring Hosea 10.12, Luke 22.44, Acts 1.14, Genesis 32. 24-26, Matthew 7.7-11

Prayer is very critical before any remarkable change in life and spirit can be obtained. The Disciples waited in the upper room to pray before the Spirits baptism came, Hannah waited upon the Lord at Shiloh before she received the needed Samuel, Jabez and Jacob needed to set time apart to pray effectively before their lives and characters were transformed. We do not have any shortcut to God’s supernatural blessings except through fervently prayer.

There is an assurance that everyone who prays receives. Therefore we can be assured that as we pray over our problems and challenges at this year’s retreat, God is going to pour out His blessings upon us in Jesus name