THANKS FOR THE KINGDOM

Psalm 100:1ff
In this psalm we see how it is God who has made us, we belong to him, and as such we need to give thanks and praise to his name. Apart from creating us and giving us all we have and own, God has called us into his kingdom. He has washed away all our sins through the blood of his one and only Son Jesus Christ whom he sent to die for us on the cross. Let us be thankful for the kingdom of God.

John 18:36
Christ's kingdom is not of this world. Its origins go beyond the beginning of this world and as such no worldly powers can bring it down. Moreover it is not a kingdom that God thought about just the other day.

Matthew 25:34
When we stand firm to the end, we will experience forever this kingdom that God has prepared for us since the creation of the world. For this to happen we must remain humble at all times so as to please God in every way.

Hebrews 12:22-29
The writer is telling us here that we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We have not just been called into the kingdom, but we get to own it! We thus get to be a part of building up this awesome kingdom. Wow! Who are we to receive such mighty kingdom? We need to be eternally grateful.

No matter what the church is going through, it will not be shaken. After all has been shaken out, the church will remain standing for all time. Isn't it encouraging to know that we have an unshakeable church? Many times, though, we take God's church for granted instead of really showing our gratitude to God.

How can we say "thanks" for this?

WORSHIP GOD ACCEPTABLY

When we come to church we must realize that our names are written in heaven where we are coming to stand in the presence of God, Jesus and the heavenly host (v. 22-24).

• We need to be on time, ready for service in the kingdom of God. What has been making you get to church late or miss services?
• Clear your heart if there is anyone against whom you may have a grudge or any unresolved issues. If you have anything against anyone or you know that someone has something against you, gather your courage and go spend time with the individual and resolve issues.
• Confess any hidden sin that may be in your life.

DECIDE TO WORSHIP GOD WITH REVERENCE AND AWE What God has done around us and for us needs to fill us with awe. Then we will have the fear of God in us to enable us to worship him acceptably. Our God is a consuming fire and yet with all of our shortcomings he has not destroyed us. Let us be truly amazed and thankful.

Isaiah 66:1,2
God is amazingly great. Let us be humble before him. Let us tremble at his word by obeying it completely.

• Examine the Scriptures daily and make them practical in your life. By doing so we will be growing in our strength in order to build the church that we have been given.
• Matthew 13:44,45 The kingdom of God is worth everything we can give. Q. Have we sold everything we have so as to own this treasure? Does your heart get drawn back to the world? The world has nothing to offer but a lack of peace. Let us joyfully share with others the existence of this wonderful treasure.
• Our financial contributions also show how much we fear God. Hebrews 13:5,6 Q. Do you love "your" money more than God? Let us be reverent towards God and give him what we have pledged in weekly and special contributions.

By living this out we will be showing how thankful we are for God's kingdom.

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