Thanks Living: Thundering Noise

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works. Psalm 26:7

Proclaim: to hear, understand intelligently, make proclamation to

Voice: call aloud, thundering, noise, yell

Thanksgiving: in songs of liturgical worship, adoration; specifically, a choir of worshippers — sacrifice of praise

Tell: to score with a mark as a tally or record, to enumerate; intensively, to recount

Wondrous works: wonderful acts of— in judgment and redemption; to be surpassing or extraordinary

Thundering noise. 

We shout loud for our Teams and even louder in the last few moments of a close game. They even have "thunder sticks" so that we can make even MORE noise. Those around us KNOW who we are cheering for by the sounds we make. And those teams don't even do anything really great—they just play a game. 

Since we are willing to make a thundering noise for a group of people (who we really don't even know), shouldn't we be willing to make that much noise about our great God? 

Thundering noise.

A noise of thanksgiving. Think for a moment of some of the extraordinary things God does. The sunrise—spectacular colors intermingled with different cloud formations. The way He keeps the Earth tilted at just the precise angle so that everything works in harmony; the tides, the weather, sunrise, sunset, the moon. And keeping a record of the extraordinary things God does creates an intelligent understanding that produces a proclamation—loud and proud—of worship to God! 

Thundering noise. 

A life of Thanks Living is to produce a desire to YELL, make a thundering noise of thanksgiving to God! The thanksgiving is to be accompanied with a tally of the extraordinary things God does—and that should make the thundering noise even louder! 

Thanks Living: PR Business

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15

Offer: of presentation as a priestly act

Praise: a thank-offering, presented to God for some benefit received

Fruit: that which originates or comes from something; an effect, result

Giving thanks: to praise, celebrate

To His name: promoting his cause; therefore equivalent to his divinity, the divine majesty and perfections

Comes from something. 

When you think about it, our attitudes and outlook on life, all are the result of something. If we want to live a positive life, we must start with praising God. Praising God puts us in our place, so to speak. We realize that it's not all about us, or what we want. Rather, it's about who God is and accomplishing His will to bring glory and honor to Him. 

Giving God the praise and worship because of who He is and the salvation He give us, will result in our celebration of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving will then in turn let others know of God as we promote Him and all He does. Yes, we are to be in the PR business for God! 

What is Public Relations (PR)? Public relations focuses on promoting the image of a company or individual. The aim of public relations is to inform the others and ultimately persuade them to maintain a certain view about an organization or individual. 

And to be in the Thanks Living PR business, it begins with praise to God as the result will be a celebration of thanksgiving to God! 

Are you in the Thanks Living PR business? I sure want to be! 

Thanks Living: Which State Are You In?

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

Continue: give constant attention to a thing

Vigilant: to be watchful in, employ the most punctilious care in a thing

In, With: of the state or condition in which anything is done or anyone exists, acts

Thanksgiving: gratitude; actively, grateful language to God, as an act of worship

The state in which anything is done, or anyone exists or acts.

We all are in some State.

No, I don't mean one of the United States, I mean the STATE—

State: the condition of a person or thing, as with respect to circumstances or attributes; particular condition of mind or feeling

We all are in some State—how we respond to what is happening to us and around us, our thoughts and actions/reactions to life. 

We are to be giving constant attention to prayer—our need and desire to communicate with God—and be most punctilious in actively thanking God. 

We are to be in a constant state of thanking God! When Thanks Living is where we take up residence, our perspective on life changes. We see how God is working in aspects of our lives. We see God's blessings where before we only saw questions or disappointments. And when we are in the state of Thanks Living, joy begins to overwhelm us as we trust God. 

Which State are you in? Are you in the state of Thanks Living? 

Thanks Living: Instead Choose the BEST

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. Ephesians 5:2-4

Walk: to regulate one's life, to conduct oneself

Love: which centers in moral preference, typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers)

Sweet-smelling aroma: fragrance, perfume

Fornication: from the Greek "porneuo"; harlotry (including adultery and incest)

Uncleanness: impurity (the quality), physically or morally

Covetousness: greedy desire to have more

Not even: not once, so much as

Be named: of things which are called by their own name because they are present or exist

Fitting: to be suitable or proper

Filthiness: dishonor, shamefulness, obscenity

Foolish talking: silly talk, buffoonery

Course jesting: grossly or obscenely abusive, vulgar or indecent in speech, abusive

Not fitting: unbecoming, discreditable

But: a strong adversative conjunction – but instead

Rather: comparative adverb so it refers to what is better as compared to what is merely "good." This involves prioritizing or ranking to elevate the better over the good, i.e. the higher priority (the more important)

Giving of thanks: gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship)

Nicknames are often given based on what we do, or some characteristic we have. What name is associated with you? Is it proper and suitable—for a Christian to have? Does the nickname represent Christ in a good way? 

Ephesians 5:3, 4 give a list of areas to avoid for they are discreditable in view of Christianity. Partaking in those things tarnishes your reputation and creates a pungent odor to God. 

BUT rather—Don't even begin to think about those pungent things, instead choose the BEST! And what is that BETTER thing to choose? Actively giving thanks to God! When we are actively involved in Thanks Living, our desire will be to choose the BEST! 

Thanks Living: For You

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. 1 Thessalonians 1:2

Give thanks: to be grateful, actively to express gratitude

Always: at all times, always, ever

Making: to do

Mention: be mindful of, remind oneself actively (purposefully); actively bring to mind

Prayers: earnest prayer

For you. 

People impact our lives on a daily bases. Some frustrate us. Some encourage us. And some bless us beyond measure. And EACH one can be used by God to teach us something about Him and living a life pleasing to Him. 

For you.

First, we see from Paul's example, that we are to Give Thanks for others. Say Thank you to God for introducing us to others. Introducing us to those that encourage us and those that teach us. 

Lastly, Paul gives us the example of how we express our thanks to God, through prayer. And not just a "thank you God." and then forget it. Rather this is an EARNEST prayer. 

Earnest: serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely

Praying with intention and purpose. Making a point to thank God for each person that God introduces us to. 

For you.

Thanks Living is praying intentionally for each person God brings into our lives. Give thanks to God for each one, and pray intentionally for each person. That is not only the right thing to do, it's a blessing to uphold others before our great God! 

For you. 

Give thanks and pray intentionally for others—that is the right thing to do when living a life of Thanks Living! 

Thanks Living: Companionship

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. Philippians 4:6, 7

Be anxious: to be troubled with cares, distracted, take thought

Nothing: not even one, absolutely not one

Everything: every condition or in every matter, anything whatsoever

Prayer: earnest prayer addressed to God

Supplication: feel pressing need because of lack; hence, to make urgent appeal; to have deep personal need causing one to beseech (make earnest, specific request)

With: association and companionship; the same relations of participation

Thanksgiving: gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship)

Requests: a thing asked

Make known: be brought to the knowledge of

To: respect, which is the destination of the relation

God: the Creator and owner of all things

And: moreover, even, indeed

Peace: quietness, rest

God: the Creator and owner of all things

Surpasses: superior, superiority, excellency, higher, supreme

All: part(s) of a totality

Understanding: the intellective faculty, the understanding

Will guard: to mount guard as a sentinel; to hem in, protect—keep (with a garrison)

Hearts: the center and seat of spiritual life, "the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors"

Mind: thoughts and purposes; the intellect

Through: as in the condition (state) in which something operates from the inside (within)

Christ Jesus: the Anointed One; His human name, as the incarnate, eternal Son of God

Association and Companionship.

With the same earnest compassion as when I make an urgent appeal to God—I am to give thanks to God. The earnest prayer expressing my need is to always be in the companionship of thanksgiving. 

Where the is a pressing need, anxiety becomes overwhelming, for we become consumed with the pressing need. However, when that need is shared with God along with thanksgiving to God, then God's peace becomes supreme diminishing the anxiety. 

Requests should always be in the companionship of thanksgiving. For when thoughts are directed from the urgent pressing need to thanking God for who He is, then things are put back into their proper perspective. And when one can see the situation from God's perspective, then peace overwhelms the anxiety. 

Companionship. 

God wants to hear our urgent pressing needs! But we must always make sure that we keep the companionship intact—request/thanksgiving. Thanks Living is truly understanding (and practicing) the companionship of crying out and thanksgiving. 

Thanks Living: Actively grateful!

For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.  2 Corinthians 4:15

Grace:  "the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues"

Thanksgiving: gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship)

Abound: to make abundant or excellent, to cause one to excel

Glory: good opinion concerning one, and as resulting from that, praise, honor

Actively grateful language to God! Thanksgiving isn't just a simple word, it's to become an ACTION!   And what produces the true action of thanksgiving? Realizing the grace of God and sharing His grace to others. The more God's grace is made known and the more people accept God's grace then the ultimate reaction is thanksgiving and worship to God giving God the honor and glory! 

Actively grateful! Thanks Living is not something that is hidden or just saying "thanks" now and then. It's to be an ongoing ACTION of worship and praise to God!