The contented heart has a continuous banquet

I invite you to open your Bibles to Proverbs 15:15. It says: "All the days of the afflicted are difficult" have you experienced this? when you're feeling down wow, every day is hard right? 15:15: "But the contented heart has a continuous feast."

Father: we thank you Lord that you invite us to a banquet. Thank you Lord that Your banquet is not far away, we do not have to pay, Father we do not have to look for a restaurant elsewhere, thank you that the banquet that You offer us is here, it is within our reach every day continuously. I ask you to open our hearts, I ask you, Good Shepherd, to speak to me today and to my people, Lord, that we listen to Your Voice and Father, that what we speak of today, Lord, come true not only in happy moments but more than anything else. In the hard times that those of us who are talking about today can live, I ask you in the Name of Jesus, amen and amen.

My son Noa is 6 years old, right? Poor thing, I confess all your sins here in the Congregation from the pulpit, so I have a 4-year-old daughter and she asked me one night: Daddy, am I going to have a happy day tomorrow? Is tomorrow going to be a happy day? And I told him: this depends on you, you are the one who is going to decide if tomorrow is going to be a happy day or a miserable day, it is your decision. It's that I can't predict what will happen tomorrow, if the teacher is going to scold you, if you are going to do badly in an exam, the children may not want to play with you in the playground; I can't control all that but there is one thing that is under your control, that is your heart.

The Word of God says that all the days of the afflicted, of the oppressed are difficult, but the happy or grateful heart has a continuous banquet. Everything is: there is more to eat, more donuts, all day every day the happy heart is enjoying the fragrances that we have today, these little cakes that are here reminding us of His existence, right? every day this is available to us in the Spirit.

I don't know if you've seen a movie called Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, right? There are two versions: an old version that's good and a new version that's bad, so here's my recommendation, Johnny Depp is I don't know, I can't even watch it, it's weird, but Gene Wilder's 60 and I don't know how good a movie it was.

It has to do with an owner of a chocolate factory, right? and he made all kinds of chocolates and he made all kinds of special chocolates. And he had a chocolate that he called the Everlasting Gum Stopper, the gum stopper that lasts forever, it's a gum that you can chew and different flavors come out, right? you're eating at the beginning it starts as rice with beans and then comes a mango and then an arepa and then corn on the corn of I don't know what and then a tortilla and then for dessert forget it a flancito and a dessert, and the flavors come out with this gum and it never gets old.

Later, when you are happy with all the flavors and the food has entered you, you take it out, keep it well hidden and chew again and it lasts forever, but you know what? our God has offered us an everlasting gum stopper that we can enjoy a continuous feast but most of us go emotionally and spiritually hungry instead of eating from this feast. The everlasting gum stopper of the Lord, the magical gum that I am talking about today can be summed up in a word or two in Spanish, or three: thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving, a happy heart right? The Word says in Psalm 23: "You prepare a table before me" when things are beautiful and good? not "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." It's in the fight, it's when there's a war outside and I don't know where my help comes from but inside there is a spiritual refuge and a table set and I can eat from this table.

It is that we do not have to be victims of those who anguish us because there is a table set before us, a grateful happy heart has a continuous banquet, meals that are always available. We are not victims, my son told Noa: tomorrow your happiness depends on you, it does not depend on me or your friends or teachers, it depends on you, what are you going to decide?

Do you know what he answered me? says: Daddy I'm not sure which one I'm going to choose. He is very honest with his poor heart. The Lord's commandment in First Thessalonians 5:18: "In everything give thanks for this is God's Will for you in Christ Jesus."

Now I want to clarify something before I talk more. I don't think this verse means we have to thank God for everything, okay? I want to be clear on that. Not everything that happens in the world, God is not giving thanks for things, the sin that is committed. The definition of sin is something that is far from the Will of God, God does not want, there is evil in the world, there is sin in the world, there is injustice. We should not thank God for injustice, for the bad, for the suffering of the people.

We pray: that Your Kingdom come, that Your Will be done here on Earth as it is in heaven, that this world change to be more like You want. We don't have to give thanks for every circumstance but in every circumstance. Knowing that despite everything you dress a table in front of me in the presence of my distressers.

We take it as if it were medicine, giving thanks to God because many times we don't want to give thanks. What do we want to do? we want to complain What do you do at work, right? when you sit with others how do you pass the time? with: oh I'm so grateful for this job, there are so many people in the world who don't have a job; You talk like that at coffee breaks. Oh how nice that we all have this job, thank God for a boss who has given us this opportunity and that there is a little money.

Thank you for your co-workers: oh how good we are all here together and I know you have your tricks but it's okay I thank you, time is filled giving thanks to God at work. In traffic, what do you do in Boston traffic?: oh Lord thank you that I have this car, that I can ride a bus that takes me to oh Lord You are so good. The rule of humanity is to complain.

You can be at Disneyland and you're going to complain about something, right? have you seen that? You take the children to an amusement park, it has candy, the games are all good, so what? He's complaining because he doesn't have I don't know what someone else's candy, oh what a long line; you are at disneyland You can be buying ice cream in summer and complaining to the young man, that's the rule of life to complain.

We have to exercise gratitude as if it were an exercise. Muscles huh! it hurts, I don't want to do it, I force myself to do it because doing it becomes a habit of life and the muscles of gratitude are strengthened and I learn to eat from the continuous banquet that is in front of me.

It's like what doctors call nowadays those who are very interested in nutrition, have you heard of super foods? super foods I am not an expert in that but others are, you look for super foods on the Internet, right? super healthy foods and it will give you a whole list of foods that have combinations of vitamins and proteins and I don't know what, super foods that are foods that if you eat a lot your body feels very clear with rice and beans and everything also isn't there Not to go crazy with those super foods either, right?

Knows? My 4-year-old daughter grew up in a Banilejo daycare, right? in Matapán and when she eats downstairs at meals she eats like never before, like: oh finally real food, my mommy and daddy make me starve but finally that Japanese food, no gringo, they have damaged me forever (laughs). and she's on it right?

But gratitude is a super food with so many vitamins. Knows? I like books in bookstores that deal with life advice on how to improve your life, right? I like them, they are good books on strategies for living, the 7 habits of success and this and that, right? but you know what? the best self help book you will read is the bible and one of the best self help tips is gratitude, thanksgiving. It is not complicated and heals a multitude of ailments.

Do you know that I am going to make promises that if I were to make these promises of a medicine you would take it in a moment, right? thanksgiving that can cure anxiety do you know this? worry? There are some who worry too much, worried, worried: oh, what will happen? you imagine the worst right? and you're thinking the worst and if it doesn't happen: well thank goodness I was worried maybe I avoided it because of that and you always live with a load of worry and anxiety and it becomes a habit of life.

The Word says: "Be anxious for nothing but make your requests known before God in all prayer and supplication" with what? with thanksgiving. There is a song that children sing: don't worry just pray, don't worry just pray but it's not just a prayer, because one can pray complaining there's nothing wrong with that, the Psalms are full of prayers of complaint, it's called Laments Lord where are you? because? even when? There is nothing wrong with venting your ailments to God, you can, okay? but let's not stay there please. Prayer mixed with thanksgiving.

Lord, until when? I don't understand help me! I know that You are my helper, thank you because in the midst of this struggle You are with me, Your rod and Your staff give me breath. And after the prayer perhaps you return to the complaint: oh Lord but I don't want this, the other but Lord: thank you.

The Psalms are full of that, there is complaint and then thanksgiving, adoration, complaint, thanksgiving and almost always ends with victory, so thanksgiving in everything, not for everything but in everything can cure anxiety and worry . Many of us are addicted to worry, right? super addicted right?

I am Italian, Italians know how to worry, especially moms and grandmothers, but I love my mom who doesn't understand Spanish so I'm fine (laughs) but worry. Did you know? Thanksgiving is beauty medicine, it's beauty medicine. I don't know if some here spend money on creams. I am convinced that hairdressers, those who work in salons, are the most anointed missionaries in our society, right? because they confess to you and not to me, ah amen there it is God uses hairdressers and hairdressers.

Well, you know what? the Word says that: "A happy heart beautifies the face." Add a little thanksgiving and you'll see, there's a beauty that shines, right? It says that: "A peaceful heart" because of thanksgiving "is life for the flesh, envy eats away at the bones" envy is a lack of gratitude, right? I am not grateful for what I have, I want what he has or she has, envy. Woodworm in the bones, it makes you, it rocks your bones as it is said in English but there is something that beautifies the face.

I know people and surely you too who have suffered a lot and maybe they are not movie stars but there is a beauty that shines from them and you, it could be an old woman. Have you seen 90 year old old men and women? and there is a majesty that shines from their face because they have learned to eat the magical foods that is thanksgiving and trust in the Lord.

Healthy Relationships Who doesn't want healthy relationships? But it's not easy to please an ungrateful person, right? I don't know, maybe you are one of these people, "nothing's good enough" and sisters, I'm not one to give advice but sister: if you want to make your husband feel like a million be thankful for him. Maybe not emphasizing what he didn't do, emphasizing how well he did.

Thank you, my love, you took the dead insects out of the window, thank you, my love, you are my hero, thank you, and he feels: oh, I want to do this again, I'm going to clean up more insects, right? because man needs to feel that what he does is worth it. Please be grateful.

Men: be grateful to the woman that God has given you, not like Adam who after his sin wanted to complain: "It is the woman that You gave me that made me sin" it is the woman that you gave me, thank you Lord for me it is My princess is my everything. Thank God for them. healthy relationships.

The Apostle Paul models this in the Book of Philippians, right? I don't know if you've read at the beginning of the Book of Philippians writing from the prison he says: "I give thanks to my God whenever I remember you" everytime I think of you I thank God, in all my prayers begging with joy for all of you. He always said: Lord, thank you for these people that You have given me.

He was not a lone ranger who says: oh no I am the apostle Paul I do not need anyone, grateful for the partners in the work. I encourage you every day to think about the people around you, be grateful for them and verbalize it to them; Children need to hear that, coworkers, leaders of course, but everyone needs to hear from you that you value them. Healthy relationships are filled with thanksgiving. Pleasure.

Do you want to enjoy life, do you want to savor and enjoy the moments of life? Thanksgiving. I share with you the best food I ate in my life, except for all the food I ate at home with my wife, but everything else, that food that was the best food at the time.

I was in Lake Atitlán in the country of Guatemala, some chapines? oh amen amen, chapín, amen ok, Lake Atitlán; a beautiful lake with volcanoes around it, I stayed for a while with a young indigenous man, they spoke Zutuhil there, right? and they had the chickens and everything and I lived with them for a few days, it was very strange for them. I got home with my friend and her sister, a 30-year-old girl, ran out thinking: what does this gringo want here with us? We don't know the FBI or something, but I went in, they welcomed me, they gave me a pitaya one day and I was eating this pitaya, which is a purple fruit with many seeds. lady speaking to me in zutuhil spoke to me with translation: I only gave you a young pitaya, what's up, what's your problem? oh but best fruit in the world.

It was a time in my life that I was traveling, very grateful to God for everything he gave me, taking time to enjoy the moments, the sun, the air, new countries, the smells of a new country, I knew many countries and it was a time in my life to be very grateful to God for every detail.

And I remember one morning this lady who got up at 5 in the morning to grind to make the tortillas, the dough from 5 in the morning grinding, grinding, grinding and we arrived from church with my friend, her mother had a stack, a mountain of omelettes and scrambled eggs and coffee from a pot that I had and that was breakfast, it was the best breakfast of my life; i ate, i can still taste those tortillas there is nothing like that my goodness and these unprocessed eggs right? from the house, right? and eating, best omelets and scrambled eggs of my life. Grateful heart, brothers, right?

One can go to 5-star restaurants and be miserable because the days of the afflicted are all miserable, if you have an afflicted heart but a grateful and happy heart, you can be eating the simplest thing and say: oh thank you Lord, it is a banquet for you how rich, how rich Joy, enjoy, savor, like life.

If you want to be rich prosperity right? the Word says: "God loves a cheerful giver" sowing generously, reaping generously, right? It generates good vibes, hehe forgive me that it results in a blessing, you become a magnet for the blessing. Success, success not magical success but success because thanksgiving gives you a persevering heart; you don't give up because you are grateful to the God who is with you and you know that He is ahead too, right?

Jesus Himself, how is it that He could endure the cross and win the victory? The Word says: "For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, despising the reproach and then He went through it and sat down at the right hand of the Father." For the joy ahead of us, a thankful heart gives you strength to keep going because you know there is joy ahead. "I know the plans I have, the thoughts I have for you, says Jehovah. Thoughts of good and not of evil, thoughts to give you the future you hope for."

If we know that I thank you because God You have good thoughts for me I can fight today because I know that it is not in vain, there is a God who is with me, thanksgiving and success, God's anointing is unleashed when there is action of thank you.

Before breaking the loaves and fish and multiplying them among the crowd, what did Jesus do? he gave thanks. Before raising Lazarus from the grave, what did Jesus do? I thank you God that you always listen to me, thank you and the blessing is unleashed because I thank you God that you are good and powerful and you are the same yesterday, today and forever. Thanksgiving strengthens faith and releases blessing in life.

This is a continuous banquet of truth. On the contrary, a lack of gratitude is a lever for Satan in your life. It's an input, it's a button, right? that Satan can touch to open up the sin in your life. I heard something very wise from a sister who preached in the English service one day: "If you look behind any sin you will find some element of lack of gratitude." If there is sin, lack of gratitude is there at some point.

If you look at the prodigal son, right? Do you know the story of the prodigal son? what does he say to dad? he is in a nice house with his father and he says: give me what is mine and spend everything, why? ungrateful, ungrateful with what he had, he wanted something different. But do you know that he is not the only one? his older brother do you remember him in the story? He who is there who gets angry when there is a party for his brother, what does he say to his father? "I have always served you, I have never disobeyed your commandments, and you never give me a party?"

And the father says: "My son: everything I have is yours and you are always with me. We had to celebrate because this brother of yours was killed and is alive again." The lack of gratitude made one leave the house but also made one stay in the miserable house. Lack of gratitude can motivate you to leave God's house and look for something better, but it can also make you miserable inside God's house because: oh, I don't know, I don't like it. The afflicted are constantly miserable, it is serious.

The ten commandments right? they dedicate one and sometimes it is divided into two: not to covet, not to covet what? Your neighbor's wife, or your neighbor's ox, or your neighbor's cart, or I don't know what, anything that belongs to your neighbor should not be coveted. Why? because greed, the lack of gratitude for what I have and the desire for what the other has motivates me to rebel against God, it is a lever of Satan in life.

I want you to think about this: the first sin of humanity, what was it? Adam and Eve living in the Garden of Eden, Satan the best propagandist there is made them feel dissatisfied with the Garden of Eden. Dissatisfaction with the Garden of Eden, he made them feel like something was missing, right? oh but if you eat the fruit you will be like God.

Knows? the propaganda we see on TV and radio what is it trying to do? make you feel dissatisfied with what you have so that you can buy what they are selling, right? Satan is a salesman.

I was talking about it in a discipleship class and I have an executive from an advertising company in the class (laughs) she liked it a lot and said: you're right I don't want to be like that, it was very funny, but advertising is making you feel dissatisfied . The propaganda doesn't want you to be grateful for what you have because if you're happy with what you have they're not going to make money on Black Friday (laughs) and if you buy something on Black Friday that's fine, maybe I'll buy something like that. It's not a sin to buy something on Black Friday, but there is a problem if I let myself be fooled by Satan's lies and feel incomplete if I don't have more.

The people of Israel, do you remember what happened? They came out of slavery, they came out of slavery. They were wandering in the desert and did they thank God for having freed them? Oh Lord thank you you took me out of captivity and now I'm going to great things, no. what did they do? they complained in the desert; They were hungry, you can understand they were in the desert, the desert is not easy, it is not the Garden of Eden but they were hungry and they complained, they murmured so that God gave them miraculous food, do you remember?

In the morning there was something white like a Dew, like the little water that is there in the morning as dew you could collect and it was supernatural, you eat it and you can live on it. Now it didn't have much flavor, it was like he spoke like gringo food, right? and they began to complain. Oh, there's no garlic, there's no onion, there's no so-fried, they mentioned this, look, they mentioned garlic and onions.

They said: oh, I want meat, that's rabbit food, I want meat, and the Word says: "Everyone was at the doors of their houses crying" like 3-year-olds: oh, I want meat! and desperate Moses says: "What am I, your mom?" he said this and he says: Lord, who am I their mother? If that's the case, kill me right now, Moses said it, look, thank God. He didn't listen to him, he didn't pay attention to him. He said: Moisés you are throwing a tantrum, I forgive you but not them, not them.

Look what God says in Numbers 11, Numbers 11 to see if I can find that, in Numbers 11 God says, "You want meat?" ok "but you will say to the people: sanctify yourselves for tomorrow and you will eat meat" and I am going to give it to you "because you have cried in the ears of Jehovah saying: who would give us meat to eat? certainly we were doing better in Egypt. Jehovah then will give you meat and you shall eat" you shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils, "you shall hate it, because you have despised the Lord who is in your midst, and have wept before Him, saying: Why did we come here from Egypt?"

Being ungrateful with what God has given you is belittling the giver of what you have, right? I gave you the manna. You've cooked for people and they complain about your food, right? please forgive him, forgive him but man: don't complain, but please forgive him. My children, you know, children do not mince words: dah! This is bad, I don't want to, I don't like it, how do they make you feel, right? we teach our children, if you do that the one who cooked the food for you will feel bad.

So now his heart comes out "oh how ugly!" but later my son says: I love you daddy, I love you mommy, this doesn't fix the thank you, this doesn't fix it. They were complaining and saying, God provides for us. It's not always going to be seasoned with garlic and onion, sometimes it's going to be manna, sometimes it's going to be whole grain bread, it's not going to be as tasty as you want it to be, but it's what God has given you in life, why? look elsewhere?

There is a saying in English: "The grass on the other side of the fence is always greener" right? the other car always better, the other life always better than yours. This gossip led them to sin, it is something serious, it can lead you to adultery, right? David was not satisfied with one excellent wife that God gave him, he had to add several and after having everything; At that time, God tolerated that, now nothing else, right? and after having all of him there looking at the wife of one of his best friends, of one of his warriors: I want this one, but you have all of David, look! I'm not satisfied, I want this one.

This of not being satisfied with what you have is behind the greed, the murderer and the violence. The apostle James says: "Why are there lawsuits among you? Don't they arise from the lusts and desires and passions that you have?" they want and they don't have, so that's why they enter into a fight because I want to and it leads to rivalries and it can lead to violence, this is serious, it's a lever.

I want you to think of Lucifer himself endowed with all the beauty of an angel in heaven but it wasn't enough. It was pride, but coming out of pride, disagreement with what God had given him and that is why ambition is healthy, but when it comes from God, right? I hope that we have a desire to move forward, to improve life, to move on, it's fine if we do it by faith, but if we do it with a nonconformity that I can't be happy until I have such a thing, what are you going to learn? when you have such a thing what? there will be something else you have to need, I can't be happy. "For the afflicted of heart, every day is miserable, even the day of success, but for the content of heart, life is a continuous party."

I want to close although I have more to say so don't go away, the Apostle Paul in the Book of Philippians teaches us how to live with the power of gratitude. We know your situation right? the apostle Paul is in prison, not for doing anything wrong; he is in jail for serving God. I don't know if you have ever thought when you are going through suffering: why God? I served you, I honored you, how is this happening to me? he can complain, he is in prison.

When Paul is in prison there are brothers who are preaching in the streets not to spread the Kingdom of God but what are they doing? They are preaching in the street so that Pablo will be punished worse, but what evil? Who are these, what kind of people? preach in the street so that they go to beat up an apostle in jail, right? bad people right?

Then there were Roman soldiers who had Paul under threat of death. How did Paul react? How would you react if you were in such a situation? He says: "I want you to know brothers that the things that have happened to me have redounded rather for the progress of the Gospel." It has become clear to all those Roman soldiers who have me tied up, they are forced to listen to the Gospel because there are chains, they cannot run from me.

I say: look, Roman soldier, do you know that Jesus loves you? and it can't run because there is a chain on both sides. The apostle Paul says: being in jail is not my preferred option, I don't want to be in prison but in the midst of these circumstances I thank God that His Kingdom is spreading and there is joy afterwards, the brothers who were preaching to get him into trouble, what would you do what bad people

Glory to God, the Gospel is preached, I rejoice in this. Then they say: "But they are going to kill you Pablo" he says: "If they kill me my spirit is separated from my body present with God, if they don't kill me I continue to serve God, I win-win. For me living is Christ, dying is And they think: but what do we do? Satan thinking: what do we do to make that miserable man, we put him in jail, we have people doing evil things to him, we have him under threat of death and he is happy because the apostle Paul had learned a secret.

He tells us in Philippians 4 how many here know Philippians 4:13 verse, can you tell me? Thank you for giving me a break there to drink water, I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me. Do you know what this is about? we use this verse when we have a challenge ahead that we have to do. If I am a student I have to take an exam "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", a hard job "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" is fine but do you know the context of that?

The context is how to be grateful, that's the context. Look at verse 10 I believe, Philippians 4:10 which says: "I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you have revived your care for me, of which you were also solicitous but you lacked the opportunity. I am not saying this because I have scarcity" he is in prison brothers "I am not saying this because I have scarcity because I have learned to be content whatever my situation may be. To have plenty to suffer need I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He is not a victim.

Paul says: I am not going to be a victim I am very sorry, I am not going to be a victim, I have learned the secret of being content in Christ, of giving thanks to God because He is with me; I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.

Brothers: we know that thanksgiving is approaching us, a national holiday thank God many countries have comparable holidays, I don't know if anyone here knows how the date of Thanksgiving was set on the last Thursday of November does anyone know ? You don't have to tell him but does anyone know? Many of us are going to think that the pilgrims and the natives had their festival perhaps on the last Thursday of November but what's that all about? That's before winter, not after, right? They had their celebration party after a winter of suffering not before winter how did it get in November?

It was in the year 1863 you ready for some history lesson? President Abraham Lincoln during the civil war of the United States about the freedom of the slaves and the separation of the country and everything, terrible terrible hundreds of thousands of young people died, there was an unthinkable slaughter; people dying or losing arms and legs, it was hell for the country at that time and at that time, this year it was not clear that they were going to win as we now call the good guys, it was not clear those from the South who wanted to keep the slaves were winning, they were winning so it was a dark time in the history of the country.

And Abraham Lincoln, who was a man who did not start out as a Christian but I think he came to know Christ, he began to recognize the sovereignty of God at that time and he says: let's set the date now to give thanks to God. But Abraham the war is not over! it's ok, we thank God because He was faithful before, we believe that He will be faithful with us and although we are living this hell He is the same today, yesterday and forever and we thank him by faith prophetically in everything.

The apostle Paul knew the secret and he said: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I do not know what is happening in your life, each heart knows its own suffering, there is no deception to say that what you are suffering is not so bad, nor am I going to say that what you are suffering is the Will of God because perhaps It is the result of something bad that has happened or that someone has done, so how can we give thanks? why give thanks if there is nothing good happening around me?

I cannot thank God for the evil in the world, I cannot thank God for certain suffering, but in everything there is one thing that I can be thankful for, there is one thing. The Bible has the answer and it repeats it in First Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 106:1, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 118:1, Psalm 136:1 the first verse of five Psalms says the following: "Praise the Lord for He is good, because His mercy endures forever." So we can thank God, that is something that does not change.

Maybe you've messed up and you think: but I got into my problems, it doesn't matter, praise Jehovah because He is good to you and His mercy is forever. Maybe you don't see the solution; He is still good, forever is His mercy with you.