Date: 11/20/2023

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory, Power, and Dominion forever and ever and to the Holy Ghost that is yet abiding in the body. This month’s key phrase is: Grateful. This week I ask the question, “Is there a Difference Between Being Grateful and Being Thankful”?

Psalm 95:2 tells us, “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms”. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:5-7. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Thanksgiving and thankful both mean to be actively gracious and grateful as an act of worship to Go. God implores us constantly to be THANKFUL.

Gratefulness is pleasing to God when we are thankful and show it through worship and praise, not just through song, but in everything we do. Thankfulness positively affect us and those around us, as it permeates everything we think, do, or say. Therefore, let us be GRATEFUL for “…receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and let us offer to God  acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29). The word grateful means the act of giving thanks to God with deep gratitude. It means joy, to rejoice, and be glad. God wants us to be grateful as a way of life. Gratitude and thankfulness are synonymous with faith and love. They are a natural response to God’s goodness and gifts of grace. God is glorified through the thanksgiving of His people. As Believers, everything we do should be infused with gratitude and thanksgiving. It becomes an act of worship. Colossians 3:17 tells us, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him”.

In closing, the only viable choice we have to make to live and prosper in health is to turn away from self and turn to Jesus, remembering that He is ever-present, continually loving, caring, and providing all that is needed. When we entirely rely on the Lord to handle any situation, He will make our crooked “paths” straight, and remove any obstacles, as we journey through life. He doesn’t promise that life will be easy and without problems. When we learn to trust Him completely: This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Proverbs 3:8 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”. Until next week, Let us always remember, “…with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop