Date: 11/21/2022

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory and to the Holy Ghost. This month’s keyword is Thankfulness: The three Directions of being Thankful.

This week I want to examine one specific thing, one profoundly important thing that God tells us we ought to be, Colossians 3:15: “…be ye thankful.”  Saints and friends not to be thankful will causes us to miss life’s best; whereas to be properly thankful honors God; helps us to reach our highest potential and enables us to be a blessing to others. Notice that this is a command from God, not a mere suggestion. A command is primarily an appeal to the will which means that being thankful is a matter of decision, not a matter of circumstances. We ought to be thankful to other people, and to God. Our thankfulness ought to take these three (3) directions.

1. BE THANKFUL FOR PAST BLESSINGS. Some aspects of the past should be put behind us and forgotten, so far as our dwelling on them. We ought not, to dwell on past failures. Once we’ve confessed those failures through Christ, we need to move on. Neither should we dwell on wrongs done to us in the past. Those should be forgiven. But we should remember the blessings of the past and thank God for them. Psalm 103:2 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
2. THANK GOD FOR PRESENT BLESSINGS. Psalm 46:1 speaks of God as “a very present help in trouble”. We have so much to be thankful for, even during life’s storms. When we’re hurting, we can thank God for such promises as Psalm 147:3: “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” When life’s pressures seem unbearable, we can thank God for such promises as 1 Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” We can thank him for his promise in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “…my grace is sufficient for thee”.
3. THANK GOD FOR FUTURE BLESSINGS. Psalm 27:1, 13-14 reminds us, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.  Verses 13-14: “I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Revelation 21:4-5 tells us, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new….”

In closing, we must make up our mind that, with the help of God, we’re going to look on life’s positive side, and instead of being absorbed with burdens, we’re going to concentrate on God’s blessings. The greatest of all blessings is God’s great gift to mankind, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Like Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” Until next week, remember, “…with God all things are possible”.

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop

Date: 10/24/2022

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory and to the Holy Ghost that abides within me. God has laid on my spirit to write a weekly message to the saints and friends of The Church of the Living God, The Pillar, and Ground of the Truth, Which He Purchased with His Own Blood, Inc.– Jewell Dominion. This week’s key word is Mindset Change (Part Three).

Saints and friends, all behavior is based on belief; behind every sin is a lie of unbelieving. Therefore, to change behavior, you must first change belief; all change starts in the mind. Only God’s Word can change your mind. Furthermore, the only way we are going to improve our relationships and bring them to a point where we consistently honoring God, is to allow him to control our attitudes and thoughts. Saints and friends, we must allow Christ to be the center of our relationships. I can’t change your mind. This requires a change on your part. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us to “be anxious for nothing, but with everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.

There are three movements we must do when changing our mindset. First, thought “meditate (think) on these things. Philippians 4:9 reads, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are not true (not made up or false or even could be), whatever things are noble (right things to do), whatever things are just (defense of the defenseless), whatever things are pure (holy, separated for God), whatever things are lovely (compassion, kindness, love), whatever things are of good report (give more attention to what is right), if there is any virtue (purity) and if there is anything praiseworthy (giving God honor)-meditate on these things. Second, Action “these do (put into practice)”. Philippians 4:5-7 tells us, “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Third, Experience “the God of peace will be with you” Experience God.

In closing, we need to change the way we see ourselves. We are a child of God. We need to change the way we think God sees us. Not as a failure but as His children. Growing and learning in the faith. We don’t have it all together, but we are working on the pieces. We need to change the way we think about faith. We are not trying to reason things, but we are trusting God to do what only He can do. This battle is not ours. We need to change the way we see this world. Not as an enemy but as an opportunity for redemption. Saints and friends, “…with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Next week we will conclude with Part 4 on “Mindset Change”.

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop