THANKSGIVING: More Powerful Than You Might Think

No sense in beating around the bush.  If you aren't giving thanks to God on a regular basis, you need to start.  Many Christians, when they think of thanksgiving, only see it as far as the word implies--"Giving thanks to God."  But do you know what it really does?  Do you know the purpose of it?  By the end of this blog, I hope I can stir you up to be a thanksgiving, God glorifying, rock 'em sock 'em praising machine! Whew, can I get an Amen?!

The first verse I want us to look at is Romans 4:19-20 (KJV), which reads, And being not weak in faith, he (Abraham) considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. 

Take a moment for personal reflection here.  Abraham is called the father of our faith.  BUT, are you following his example?  If not, you need to be.  Ok, personal reflection time is over.  Before we go further into this verse, let's back up and let me tell you what thanksgiving is not. Thanksgiving--it's NOT just something you do when you avoid tragedy.  Thanksgiving--it's NOT something you do off the cuff.  Thanksgiving--it's NOT just for the dinner table.  What IS thanksgiving?  Stay with me and you'll find out.  Like the title says, it's more powerful than you might think.

Back to Romans 4:19-20.  As we all know, Abraham has a son born to him through his wife, Sara when he was 100 years old and she was 90.  Here's my question:  "How? How did a man and woman that old have a child?"  Certainly, God is all powerful and able to do all things.  Nothing is impossible for God.  But to stop there in response to my question would be a mistake.  There is a great lesson here and most of us read right over it and never think twice about it. Read those verses again. ......go ahead, do it right now........

In order to work in a man or woman's life, God needs fundamental ingredients or whatever He is trying to do won't work!  If you don't understand that, dear brother and sister, you need to.  God cannot do much of anything in your life apart from faith.  I did not say God chooses not to, I said He cannot. If you don't believe me, read Mark 6:5-6.  It is absolute and complete foolishness to believe that God can or will do something in the life of a believer regardless of whether or not he or she is praying in faith when every bit of lesson in the Bible concerning faith teaches otherwise. If you believe these verses in Mark, you can't believe that! 

Now, the end of Romans 4:6 says that Abraham gave glory to God.  That is just a fancy way of saying that Abraham gave thanksgiving to God. Why did Abraham do this?  Whether knowingly or unknowingly, he was demonstrating to God that he believed the promise God gave him.  He believed God would give him a child through Sara.  One thing is certain, he was thankful.  In Abraham's mind, God's promise of a child was as good as him having the child.  And that produced in him a gusher of thanksgiving.  Abraham gave thanks for what He didn't yet have! That's wonderful, you might be thinking, but I still don't see why thanksgiving is important. Here's why:  I can't prove this through the Bible, but in my mind I am satisfied that if Abraham had not given thanks to God concerning His promise, Abraham would never have had Isaac.  I base that on these two verses in James: 

1. Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself (James 2:17).  
2. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead (James 2:26).

 See, God tells us not just once, but twice in the same chapter that faith, if it has no works, is dead.  Do you think that He might be trying to tell us something?  Anytime God repeats Himself your ears oughta perk up and your mind oughta focus in like a laser beam because brother, it's important.  Especially when He repeats Himself in such close proximity.

Abraham's thanksgiving was his "work."  It was his corresponding action to what he believed.  It demonstrated that he was fully convinced that what God promised, He would perform. If Abraham did not add a "work" to his faith, if he had not added a corresponding action, his faith would have been dead.  The reason being is that if Abraham truly believed God, his actions would have demonstrated it. If Abraham believed God's promise he would have acted like it was so. Let me say this again because I believe it is so powerful, In Abraham's mind, God's promise of a child was as good as him having the child.  I want you to really, really think about that.  Because even now that I'm writing it, I'm seeing it in a whole new light and boy it is POWERFUL!

We can do the same thing as Abraham, you know.  God says that He is alert and active, watching over His word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12 AMP).  We can be just like faithful Abraham and grab hold of any one of God's promises, claim it as our own and give God thanks for it.  We can let our faith grab that promise and say, "The promise of having it is just as good as having it.  I have it because God says I have it!"  Then, let thanksgiving become your corresponding action.  Thanksgiving, when done deliberately and in faith, will actually build up your faith so that your can receive God's promise by faith. Why do you think that Philippians 4:6 says, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God?  Is it for your health!?  Is it so God can feel good about Himself!?  Brothers and sisters, when you realize that everything God has said and everything He has done has been for yours and my benefit in order to get us back to the place where we were supposed to have been before the fall, you will instantly stop complaining about ANYTHING He has said through His word.  He has done not one thing that was not intended completely for our benefit.  Not one!  Get a hold of that and then turn loose with it, Praise God!

Finally, what is true thanksgiving?  Thanksgiving IS a means by which we add works to our faith. Thanksgiving IS a way in which we can build up our faith so that we might receive what we are believing for.  Thanksgiving IS a demonstration of our conviction that He who promised is able also to perform.  Thanksgiving IS a way to receive more from God.

Like God told Creflo Dollar, "Thanksgiving is the ignition."  It gets things going.   I dare you to try it!  Just start praising and thanking God for something that you are believing Him for.  Don't just give thanks for what you do have, give thanks like Abraham--for what you don't yet have in manifestation.  And the louder the devil gets trying to tell you that you aren't receiving anything, the louder you get!  I'm telling you from experience.  It doesn't take long, I've done it on car rides and by the time you get to where you are going, you are so unmovable in your stance on God's promise that no devil could shake you.  Try it today.  Try it NOW!

Tapping In

Have you ever had something that looked like such a blessing deteriorate before you ever got a chance to lay hold of it?  I had that happen just recently.  Someone offered to buy all the maple syrup I could produce at a good price.  Now, I love tapping trees for maple syrup so that sounded like a good deal to me.  And what a blessing!

Well, it didn't take long for just about everything to go from sweet to sour. One mountain after another arose and threatened to put an end to all of it.  Talk about disheartening.  God, I thought, what is going on here?  It looked so good...  I'm telling you, the mountains that stood in the way just seemed too big and it was difficult for me to find the faith to move them.  Jesus never spoke of a mountain too big, though.  No, He said to Him who has faith, nothing shall be impossible (Matthew 17:20).

As I thought about how to make this work, I started looking everywhere but my Source.  I looked everywhere for answers, supplies and help.  But that doesn't make much sense.  I can no more expect to receive the miracle I was looking for under my own strength than I can expect those sap buckets to fill up if I don't first tap into the maple trees (the source).  "Thus says the LORD, 'Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD."

Did I pray about what to do?  Of course.  But I fell into the trap of looking to my own strength to make this come together.  Not only is that next to worthless, but I also had one who was working against me all that time, the Devil, trying to convince me that it was all up to me to make this come together.  You may as well give up, He'd say, God's not going to do a thing for you.  Look at you, you can't gather even a little bit of faith concerning this.  What do you do in a situation like that?  TAP IN!  Tap into God--tap into your Source.  Don't let your blessing be stolen from you!  Jesus said there is one who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).  If something is being stolen from you, guess what?  It's not God.  No, the rest of that verse in John 10:10, Jesus says, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."  So TAP IN! Tap into those promises by seeking them out in God's word.  Seek out the promises that pertain to your situation and doing all to stand, STAND therefore! Build your house of faith on the Rock of God's promises and nothing is strong enough to bring it down (Matt 7:25).


Finally, after about a week of nothing but struggle and disappointment this verse came to me:  "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:6-7).  On the heals of that verse came these verses: "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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). So I prayed, Lord, I cast this care upon you.  I'm not even going to touch it again in thought life.  I thank You for supplying my needs in this situation and now I'm expecting the peace of God which surpasses comprehension to come on me.  And wouldn't you know that within minutes a peace that I have never experienced in my life came on me.  It's literally an indescribable peace. It is not just peace in the sense of not worrying about something.  No, it's an indescribable rest deep within your very spirit.  It's too deep to be described simply as "peace."  It's indescribable peace.  When that  came, I knew the answer had as well.  Within a half hour, I received a telephone call that changed everything.  The mountains were removed, making it possible to go through with the deal.  But it didn't happen until I tapped into my Source.  

Whatever mountain you are facing today.  Tap into your Source and stop trusting in your own strength.
"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19)

Welcome to Full Gospel Life!

Hello, friends, my name is Andy Bodfish. (Pronounced "Bod" as in "Body" and "Fish" as in "Fish"). :) I am starting this blog under the recommendation of a truly great friend. The purpose of this blog is to share with you the truth of the Word of God in such a way as to leave you with your faith encouraged, strengthened and built up in the Lord.

You know, there is no circumstance, no problem too big; there is no sickness or disease too strong or incurable; no mountain, no valley, no river too wide or too deep; there is nothing in this world or out of this world too powerful, too insurmountable, too difficult or impossible or overwhelming that God, through His word can't handle.

Faith always finds a way. Faith is always victorious. "And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4

I welcome any and all questions about the Bible. Whether it be a question about a particular passage, or just a general question about a post I may make. In fact, I believe that the direction this blog goes depends completely upon people writing in, commenting on, and questioning what I have said in a blog. So please, feel free to write and comment on anything you wish and let's see what the Lord reveals to us.