Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG002948
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00:09 >> IT'S BEEN 2,000 YEARS SINCE THE GLORIOUS LIGHT OF THE CROSS
00:12 ILLUMINATED A WORLD VEILED IN DARKNESS AND CONFUSION 00:15 ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF GOD. 00:17 AND STILL TODAY, THE GREATEST NEED OF MANKIND IS A REVELATION 00:20 OF GOD'S LOVE AS REVEALED IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 00:23 AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS "THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL" 00:26 WITH PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR, COMING TO YOU EACH WEEK 00:29 FROM SACRAMENTO CENTRAL CHURCH IN SUNNY CALIFORNIA. 00:32 DISCOVER HIDDEN TREASURES IN GOD'S WORD TODAY. 00:39 >> THE MORNING'S MESSAGE IS TALKING ABOUT 00:43 MORE PRAISE IN YOUR DAYS. 00:46 AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN'T HAVE GENUINE PRAISE APART FROM 00:49 THANKSGIVING BIBLICALLY, THEY'RE REALLY ONE IN THE SAME. 00:53 THIS IS A HOLIDAY THAT I THINK AS CHRISTIANS WE CAN REALLY 00:58 GET EXCITED ABOUT. 01:00 WE ARE A PEOPLE OF THANKSGIVING. 01:02 I REMEMBER A STORY YOU MAY HAVE HEARD BEFORE ABOUT 01:05 A CIRCUIT-RIDING PREACHER. 01:08 IT GOT OLD AND IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO RETIRE. 01:10 THIS WAS BACK IN THE DAYS WHERE THESE PREACHERS WOULD RIDE THEIR 01:13 HORSE FROM TOWN TO TOWN, THEY'D DO A LITTLE REVIVAL, 01:15 THEY'D GO ON TO THE NEXT TOWN. 01:16 AND HE WAS A LITTLE OLDER THAN HIS HORSE, SO HE THOUGHT 01:20 HE'D SELL HIS HORSE. 01:21 WELL, HE FOUND A PERSPECTIVE BUYER WHO CAME BY AND HE SAID, 01:25 "I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE HORSE FOR A TEST DRIVE." 01:27 HE SAID, "FAIR ENOUGH." 01:28 HE SAID, "BUT I NEED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER ALL, 01:31 I AM A PREACHER AND THIS HORSE IS NOT LIKE TYPICAL WESTERN 01:35 HORSES. 01:36 IF YOU WANT TO GO, YOU DON'T SAY, "GIDDY UP," 01:39 YOU SAY, "PRAISE THE LORD." 01:40 IF YOU WANT TO STOP, YOU DON'T SAY, "WHOA," YOU SAY, "AMEN." 01:43 HE SAYS, "HE'S USED TO THESE BIBLICAL TERMS AND THAT'S 01:46 ALL HE'S GONNA RESPOND TO." 01:48 HE SAID, "FAIR ENOUGH, I THINK I CAN HANDLE THAT." 01:51 HE SAID, "LIKE TO TRY HIM OUT." 01:52 HE SAID, "HELP YOURSELF." 01:53 AND SO HE HOPS ON THE HORSE AND THEY LIVED THERE ON THE EDGE 01:57 OF TOWN, HE SAID, "GIDDY UP," AND THE HORSE DIDN'T MOVE. 02:01 HE SAID, "OH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH." 02:02 HE SAID, "PRAISE THE LORD." 02:03 AND SO THE HORSE TOOK OFF, AND HE STARTED WALKING. 02:07 HE GOT OUT OF TOWN A LITTLE BIT AND HE SAID, "AH, THIS SEEMS 02:09 LIKE A GOOD HORSE." 02:10 HE SAID, "I WONDER IF I KICK IT UP A NOTCH, "PRAISE THE LORD!" 02:14 THE HORSE STARTED INTO A FASTER TROT. 02:17 THEN HE SAID, "PRAISE THE LORD!" 02:19 THE HORSE WENT INTO A FULL GALLOP. 02:21 AND THEN HE THOUGHT, "WHOA, THIS IS PRETTY GOOD, 02:24 THE HORSE IS PRETTY FAST." 02:25 BUT ALL OF THE SUDDEN HE LOOKED DOWN THE TRAIL AND HE COULD SEE 02:27 THAT THE HORSE WAS GALLOPING TOWARDS A CLIFF. 02:29 HE SAID, "WHOA! 02:32 STOP! 02:33 HALT!" 02:34 AND THE HORSE IS JUST CHARGING UP TO THE EDGE OF THIS CLIFF. 02:37 AND HE'S TRYING TO THINK, "WHAT WAS THAT WORD AGAIN?" 02:39 HE SAID, "AMEN!" 02:40 AND THE HORSE LOCKED HIS LEGS AND STOPPED, AND WENT 02:43 SCREECHING, RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF, AND ALL THE DUST 02:45 BILLOWED PAST AND TUMBLED OFF THE CLIFF. 02:49 AND THE MAN TOOK A BREATH AND HE WIPED HIS BROW, AND HE SAID, 02:52 "PRAISE THE LORD!" 02:59 WELL, YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW WHEN TO SAY, "PRAISE THE LORD," 03:04 IN A CHURCH, AND WHEN NOT TO SAY IT, AND WHAT IT MEANS. 03:07 WE TALK A LOT ABOUT PRAISING GOD, AND I'VE FOUND IN 03:11 THE CHURCH THAT REAL PRAISE IS SOMETHING THAT IS MISUNDERSTOOD, 03:15 BOTH TIME AND PLACE. 03:17 IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT AND STUDY THE SUBJECT OF 03:20 MORE PRAISE IN OUR DAYS, BECAUSE IT IS A BIBLICAL THEME. 03:24 OVER 290 TIMES IN THE BIBLE YOU'LL FIND THE WORD "PRAISE." 03:30 IT'S INTERESTING, IT GOES ALL THE WAY FROM GENESIS 03:33 TO REVELATION. 03:34 THE FIRST MENTION OF PRAISE IN THE BIBLE YOU FIND IN 03:38 GENESIS 29:35, WHEN LEAH GIVES BIRTH TO THE BOY, JUDAH. 03:51 AND SHE CONCEIVED AGAIN AND BEAR A SON, AND SHE SAID, "NOW I WILL 03:55 PRAISE THE LORD," THEREFORE SHE CALLED HIS NAME JUDAH. 04:01 IT'S VERY INTERESTING THAT THE WORD "PRAISE" IN HEBREW IS 04:04 "YUADAH," WHICH MEANS "JUDAH." 04:07 AND IT SIMPLY MEANS "PRAISE." 04:09 IN GREEK THE WORD IS "AINOS." 04:13 "AINOS" IS HOW YOU WOULD SAY "PRAISE." 04:15 BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT VERSE THERE IN GENESIS 35-- 04:18 OR 29:35. 04:20 FIRST TIME YOU FIND THE WORD "PRAISE" IS WITH THE SON OF 04:25 THE TRIBE JUDAH, THROUGH WHICH THE MESSIAH WOULD COME--HE WAS 04:31 THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF PRAISE. 04:35 AND IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN BE A MEMBER OF 04:39 THE PRIZE--OF THE TRIBE, RATHER--OF PRAISE. 04:43 PRAISE SHOULD BE PART OF WHO WE ARE. 04:44 MAYBE I SHOULD START WITH A DEFINITION. 04:48 PRAISE COMES FROM THE LATIN, "PRAETERIA," OR "TO PRIZE." 04:53 IT'S DRAWN EITHER FROM THE WORD "TO PRIZE," OR 04:57 "TO PRICE" SOMETHING. 04:59 AND MATTER OF FACT, THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE WORD "AN APPRAISER." 05:04 AND SO THE WORD "PRAISE" MEANS "EXPRESSION OF WARM APPROBATION, 05:12 APPROVAL, COMMENDATION OR ADMIRATION. 05:17 TO EXTOL, LAUD, WORSHIP, TO EXALT A DEITY, RULER OR HERO. 05:24 TO PRAISE." 05:26 NOW, NOT ONLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT PRAISING THE LORD, 05:30 BUT JUST IF WE WERE TO TALK IN A MORE GENERAL SENSE OF THE WORD 05:34 "PRAISE," EVERYBODY APPRECIATES PRAISE. 05:39 I THINK EVERYBODY LIKES BEING TOLD, "YOU DID A GOOD JOB, 05:43 WE LIKE WHO YOU ARE." 05:45 TO EXTOL SOMETHING GOOD THAT YOU'VE DONE OR TALENTS YOU MIGHT 05:49 POSSESS. 05:51 AND JOHN RUSKIN ONCE SAID, "WHEN WE FAIL TO PRAISE SOMEBODY 05:56 THAT DESERVES IT, TWO SAD THINGS HAPPEN. 05:58 FIRST OF ALL, WE RUN A CHANCE OF DRIVING HIM FROM THE RIGHT ROAD 06:01 FOR LACK OF ENCOURAGEMENT. 06:03 AND WE DEPRIVE OURSELVES, SECONDLY, OF THE HIGHEST 06:06 PRIVILEGE OF BEING A REWARDER OF HIM WHO DESERVES REWARD." 06:11 YOU ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF DISPENSING REWARD WHEN YOU OFFER 06:15 PRAISE. 06:16 SOMEONE ELSE SAID, ROGER ASHKIN, "THERE IS NO SUCH WHETSTONE TO 06:21 SHARPEN GOOD WIT AND ENCOURAGE EVERYONE IN LIFE AS PRAISE. 06:27 IT'S NOT JUST IN THE SCHOOLROOM, IT'S TRUE EVERYWHERE--PRAISE 06:30 WILL SHARPEN AND IMPROVE ANY SITUATION, RELATIONSHIP, ANY 06:34 PERSON, PROVIDED THAT IT'S TRULY DESERVED AND SINCERELY GIVEN. 06:38 YOU'VE PROBABLY ALSO KNOWN PEOPLE THAT ARE ALSO THANKING 06:41 AND PRAISING PEOPLE FOR EVERYTHING. 06:43 AND THAT'S GOOD AND WE ALL WANT TO BE AROUND PEOPLE LIKE THAT, 06:46 BUT SOMEBODY ONCE SAID, "HE WHO PRAISES EVERYONE, 06:50 REALLY PRAISES NO ONE." 06:52 IF YOU HAVE NO RATIONING AT ALL OF YOUR PRAISE, THEN PRETTY SOON 06:55 PEOPLE BEGIN TO WONDER HOW SINCERE YOU ARE. 06:58 AND SO THE PRAISE OUGHT TO BE GENUINE, AND IT OUGHT 07:02 TO BE TIMELY IN THE WAY THAT IT'S GIVEN. 07:05 EVERYBODY APPRECIATES BEING APPRECIATED. 07:07 A PAT ON THE BACK ACCOMPLISHES A LOT MORE THAN A SLAP 07:10 IN THE FACE. 07:11 MATTER OF FACT, THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF YOU HERE WHO MAYBE HAVE 07:16 HAD FATHERS THAT USED TO RATION THEIR PRAISE A LITTLE 07:20 TOO SPARSELY. 07:22 MY DAD WAS THAT--HE ALWAYS WANTED TO GET BETTER 07:25 PERFORMANCE, AND SO YOU'D OFTEN HEAR THE CRITICISM AND SELDOM 07:29 WOULD YOU HEAR THE PRAISE. 07:31 I THINK IT WAS THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, THE ONE WHO 07:35 CONQUERED NAPOLEON AT WATERLOO, WHO WAS A VERY BRILLIANT 07:39 GENERAL, BUT HE WAS ALSO A VERY EXACTING OFFICER AND GAVE 07:43 OUT VERY SCANT RECOMMENDATION TO PEOPLE. 07:48 VERY RARELY EXPRESSED APPRECIATION OR PRAISE FOR A JOB 07:51 WELL DONE. 07:52 AND HE RECOGNIZED THAT WAS A FLAW, 07:55 BECAUSE AT THE END OF HIS LIFE SOMEONE ASKED HIM, "IF YOU 07:57 COULD LIVE YOUR SUCCESSFUL LIFE OVER AGAIN, IS THERE ANYTHING 08:00 YOU'D DO DIFFERENTLY?" 08:02 HE SAID, "YES. 08:03 I WOULD PRAISE MORE." 08:06 NOW, THAT COULD PROBABLY BE SAID NOT ONLY OF THOSE IN POSITIONS 08:09 OF LEADERSHIP FOR PEOPLE YOU'RE WORKING WITH OR PARENTS, BUT I 08:13 THINK THAT COME ETERNITY EVERY CHRISTIAN IS GOING TO SAY, 08:16 "YOU KNOW, I WISH DURING THIS LIFE I HAD PRAISED MORE." 08:21 BECAUSE REALLY THAT'S WHY WE EXIST--WE EXIST TO GIVE WORSHIP 08:29 TO GOD. 08:30 YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY DON'T ENJOY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU SHARE IT 08:34 WITH SOMEBODY ELSE. 08:38 AND IF YOU SEE A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET AND YOU'RE BUY YOURSELF, 08:42 UNLESS YOU CAN EXPRESS PRAISE TO GOD FOR IT OR TELL SOMEONE ELSE 08:47 THAT YOU ELBOW, "ISN'T THAT BEAUTIFUL," YOU REALLY HAVEN'T 08:50 FULLY DELIGHTED IN IT. 08:52 PRAISE IS THE EPITOME OF YOUR EXISTENCE. 08:56 AND SO--AND THE BIBLE IS FULL OF IT. 08:58 MATTER OF FACT, I THOUGHT OF THIS WHILE I WAS JUST UP THERE 09:01 LISTENING TO THE SPECIAL MUSIC. 09:02 YOU LOOK IN LUKE 24, TYPICALLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE GOSPELS 09:07 OF MATTHEW AND MARK, THEY END WITH THE GREAT COMMISSION. 09:11 AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, IT ENDS TALKING ABOUT 09:14 JESUS AND HIS COUNSEL TO JOHN AND TO PETER. 09:19 BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE END OF LUKE, IT SAYS IN VERSE 50, 09:24 "HE LED," AND THIS IS LUKE 24:50, 09:27 "HE LED THEM OUT AS FAR AS BETHANY, HE LIFTED UP HIS HANDS 09:31 AND HE BLESSED THEM. 09:32 NOW, IT CAME TO PASS AS HE BLESSED THEM, HE WAS PARTED FROM 09:35 THEM AND CARRIED INTO HEAVEN." 09:38 NOTICE, "AND THEY WORSHIPPED HIM AND THEY RETURNED TO JERUSALEM 09:43 WITH GREAT JOY, AND THEY WERE CONTINUALLY IN THE TEMPLE 09:49 PRAISING AND BLESSING GOD." 09:52 THEY WENT FROM WORSHIPPING GOD INTO THE TEMPLE WHERE 09:56 THEY WERE--OCCASIONALLY OR CONTINUALLY--CONTINUALLY 10:01 PRAISING AND BLESSING GOD. 10:03 CHRISTIANS, IF KNOWN FOR ANYTHING, WE OUGHT TO BE KNOWN 10:05 FOR PEOPLE THAT PRAISE GOD. 10:08 NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT 10:10 WHAT IT MEANS TO PRAISE GOD. 10:12 AND SOME OF THIS CAME FROM RECENT GENERATIONS WHERE SOME OF 10:16 THE TELEVANGELISTS WOULD HAVE PROGRAMS--THEY HAD ONE PROGRAM 10:19 CALLED "PRAISE THE LORD." 10:21 AND YOU MIGHT HEAR SOMEONE SAY THE WORDS, "PRAISE THE LORD," 10:25 90 TIMES DURING ONE SHOW, AND SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES 10:29 IN SEQUENCE. 10:31 IT WAS JUST LIKE VAIN REPETITION, "PRAISE THE LORD! 10:33 PRAISE THE LORD! 10:34 LET'S ALL PRAISE THE LORD." 10:35 THAT WOULD MEAN EVERYBODY STARTS RAISING THEIR HANDS AND WAVING 10:37 THEM, AND SAYING, "PRAISE THE LORD! 10:38 PRAISE THE LORD!" 10:39 THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT PRAISE IS, 'CAUSE PRAISE IS WHERE YOU 10:42 EXTOL, YOU IDENTIFY, YOU SPECIFY SOMEONE'S GOODNESS, 10:48 YOU SPECIFICALLY THANK THEM FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC. 10:54 IF YOU WALK UP TO A STRANGER ON THE STREET AND SAY, "THANK YOU, 10:57 THANK YOU; THANK YOU," THEY THINK YOU'RE MAD. 11:00 "FOR WHAT?" 11:01 THEY'D SAY. 11:02 YOU'D HAVE TO GIVE 'EM A SPECIFIC. 11:04 AND SO A LOT OF CHRISTIANS HAVE KIND OF--AND I'VE DONE IT, 11:07 TOO--WILL JUST SAY, "PRAISE THE LORD," AND THAT'S OUR WAY 11:12 OF SAYING, WE'RE GIVING CREDIT TO GOD, BUT IT'S 11:14 USUALLY FOR SOMETHING. 11:16 YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? 11:17 YOU'RE NOT PRAISING THE LORD WHEN YOU JUST REPEAT IN VAIN 11:19 REPETITION, "PRAISE THE LORD." 11:21 'CAUSE JESUS TOLD US ABOUT PRAYING IN VAIN REPETITION. 11:24 DID THAT MAKE SENSE? 11:26 I WANT TO MAKE SURE SOMETIMES, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ME 11:29 OR YOUR EXPRESSION, BUT I WONDER IF I'M GETTING THROUGH. 11:31 SO JUST CHECKING WITH YOU. 11:33 AND IT'S OKAY TO GIVE EACH OTHER ENCOURAGEMENT; 11:36 EVERYBODY NEEDS IT. 11:39 DOES GOD EVER ENCOURAGE AND PRAISE PEOPLE? 11:42 IS PRAISE ONLY FOR GOD? 11:44 NO? 11:45 YOU CAN READ IN THE BIBLE ABOUT CORNELIUS. 11:47 DOES GOD PRAISE PEOPLE? 11:49 YES. 11:50 ACTS 10:4, AN ANGEL COMES TO THIS ROMAN CENTURION, SAYING, 11:54 "GOD HAS LOOKED AT YOUR GENEROSITY, HE'S LOOKED AT 11:56 YOUR ALMS AND YOUR KINDNESS." 11:59 HE SAYS, "YOUR PRAYERS AND YOUR ALMS ARE COME UP 12:03 AS A MEMORIAL BEFORE GOD." 12:04 GOD HAD BEEN TAKING NOTE OF THAT AND GOD SENT AN ANGEL 12:07 TO TELL HIM THAT HE NOTICED. 12:09 IN THE BOOK OF JOB, DOES THE LORD TALK ABOUT HIS SERVANT, 12:14 JOB, AND SPEAK OF HIM IN A PRAISEWORTHY NAME OR WAY? 12:18 HE EVEN SAID TO THE DEVIL, "HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT, 12:22 JOB, THAT THERE'S NONE LIKE HIM IN THE EARTH?" 12:24 IT'S LIKE HE'S BRAGGING ON HIM. 12:25 "A BLAMELESS AND AN UPRIGHT MAN WHO FEARS GOD AND TURNS AWAY 12:28 FROM EVIL." 12:29 NOTICE, HE GIVES THE SPECIFICS. 12:31 BY THE WAY, JESUS SAID THAT IF WE SPEAK UP FOR HIM, IF WE'RE 12:34 NOT ASHAMED OF HIM, GOD WILL NOT BE ASHAMED OF US, AND HE WILL 12:38 CONFESS OUR NAME BEFORE THE FATHER AND THE ANGELS. 12:42 THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WHERE HERE GOD WAS CONFESSING 12:45 THE NAME OF JOB BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD AND BEFORE 12:50 THE ANGELS. 12:51 WOULDN'T THAT BE SOMETHING TO HAVE GOD PRAISE US? 12:54 WILL JESUS SAY TO THOSE THAT ARE SAVED, MATTHEW 25:21, "WELL 12:59 DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. 13:01 ENTER INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD. 13:03 YOU'VE BEEN FAITHFUL OVER FEW THINGS, I'LL MAKE YOU RULER 13:05 OVER MANY THINGS?" 13:06 GOD IS PRAISING THOSE WHO HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB, "WELL DONE." 13:10 HOW MANY OF YOU WISH THAT MAYBE YOUR PARENTS HAD SAID THAT MORE 13:12 TO YOU, "WELL DONE, GOOD JOB?" 13:15 TO BE ENCOURAGED, TO BE COMPLIMENTED--OUR HEAVENLY 13:17 FATHER DOES. 13:19 YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY GETS ME? 13:21 HE EVEN DOES IT AMONG THOSE WHO WEREN'T PERFECT. 13:24 WAS ABRAHAM PERFECT? 13:27 DID ABRAHAM KIND OF TELL A HALF-TRUTH WHEN HE SAID SARAH 13:31 WAS HIS SISTER? 13:34 AND A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS, TAKING AN EXTRA WIFE, THAT 13:37 SURELY WASN'T THE RIGHT THING TO DO. 13:39 BUT WHEN GOD THEN REFERS BACK TO ABRAHAM, BECAUSE ABRAHAM 13:42 ACCEPTED THE BLOOD AND SACRIFICE OF THE LORD, GOD LOOKED UPON HIM 13:45 AND HE SAID, "ABRAHAM IS ONE WHO KEPT MY COMMANDMENTS AND HE'S 13:48 DONE THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN MY EYES." 13:50 WHAT ABOUT DAVID? 13:52 DID DAVID LIVE A LIFE THAT WAS WORTHY OF PRAISE? 13:54 WELL, FOR THE MOST PART HE MADE SOME BIG BLUNDERS. 13:58 AND YET, LISTEN TO WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT DAVID, 1 KINGS 14:8, 14:03 "AND YET, YOU HAVE NOT BEEN AS MY SERVANT DAVID, WHO KEPT 14:06 MY COMMANDMENTS, WHO FOLLOWED ME WITH ALL OF MY HEART, 14:09 TO DO ONLY THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN MY EYES." 14:12 WELL, DOES GOD HAVE A BAD MEMORY OR HAD GOD FORGIVEN HIM? 14:16 LOOKED UPON DAVID AND HE PRAISED HIM. 14:19 HE ALSO LOOKED AT THE BIG PICTURE. 14:21 NOW, SO MANY PEOPLE WHEN THEY LOOK BACK ON A LIFE WHERE 14:24 THERE'S BEEN A MAJOR MISTAKE, THAT'S ALL THEY THINK ABOUT; 14:26 THEY WON'T THINK ABOUT THE GOOD THINGS THEY MAY HAVE DONE. 14:28 SOMETIMES HISTORY IS UNFAIR IN THE WAY THAT IT JUDGES, 14:31 BUT GOD PRAISES PEOPLE. 14:33 JOHN 1:47, JESUS SAW NATHANIEL COMING TO HIM AND HE SAID, 14:37 "BEHOLD AN ISRAELITE IN WHOM THERE IS NO GUILE." 14:40 HE DIDN'T SAY HE WAS SINLESS, BUT THIS WAS A VERY HONEST MAN, 14:43 NATHANIEL. 14:44 AND JESUS BROUGHT THAT OUT AND HE WAS ENCOURAGED BY IT. 14:49 OF COURSE, IN THE WORLD, WE SOMETIMES ARE MORE PREOCCUPIED 14:52 WITH THE PRAISE OF MEN THAN THE PRAISE OF GOD. 14:55 IF YOU'RE GOING TO SEEK PRAISE--AND DON'T LIVE TO TRY 14:58 AND GET PRAISED BY MEN, BE MORE CONCERNED WITH THE PRAISE 15:01 THAT COMES FROM GOD. 15:03 JOHN 12:43, "FOR THEY LOVED THE PRAISE OF MEN MORE THAN 15:06 THE PRAISE OF GOD." 15:08 I WANT GOD TO BE PLEASED WITH ME. 15:11 NOW, I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS THAT OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE IN LIFE IS 15:16 WE LIVE TO WORSHIP AND PRAISE GOD. 15:19 THE BIBLE BEGINS WITH WORSHIP AND ENDS WITH WORSHIP; THE FINAL 15:22 BATTLE IS OVER WORSHIP. 15:24 AND SO PRAISE IS CENTRAL TO THAT AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT. 15:27 WE NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME PRAISING GOD. 15:30 WE WORSHIP GOD FOR WHO HE IS, WE PRAISE HIM MORE SPECIFICALLY 15:34 FOR WHAT HE'S DONE. 15:36 WE THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE'S DONE. 15:38 BUT SO OFTEN--AND IT HAPPENS IN RELATIONSHIPS, IT HAPPENS IN 15:42 MARRIAGES, IN FAMILIES, WITH WORKERS--WHEN SOMEONE'S DOING 15:47 A GOOD JOB, WE SORT OF TAKE IT FOR GRANTED AND WE FORGET TO 15:50 EXPRESS APPRECIATION. 15:53 I WAS THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS I HAD TO DO TO PREPARE 15:56 FOR THIS TRIP, JUST CAME BACK FROM A TRIP, GETTING READY TO GO 16:00 ON ANOTHER TRIP. 16:01 I UNPACK, GET USED TO THE TIME ZONE, NOW I GOTTA GO AND GET 16:03 USED TO ANOTHER TIME ZONE. 16:04 AND I GET REAL BUSY. 16:06 AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT POPPED INTO MY MIND HOW HARD EVERYBODY 16:11 AT THE "AMAZING FACTS" OFFICE WORKS, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS 16:14 TIME OF YEAR. 16:16 AND I THOUGHT, A LITTLE VOICE SAID, "DOUG, WHEN WAS THE LAST 16:19 TIME YOU TOLD 'EM THAT?" 16:21 I'M A LITTLE LIKE MY FATHER, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST TAKE 16:24 EVERYBODY FOR GRANTED. 16:25 AND SO I SENT A LITTLE E-MAIL TO THE OFFICE--AND I DON'T, I'M NOT 16:27 VERY ELOQUENT THAT WAY AND--BUT I SAID, "YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT 16:29 TO TELL EVERYBODY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK AND ALL 16:33 THE SACRIFICE THAT YOU INVEST." 16:34 AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN I GOT ALL THESE E-MAIL BACK FROM 16:37 THE PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE, THEY JUST WERE SO THANKFUL 16:39 TO GET THAT LITTLE BIT, IT WAS JUST A SENTENCE OR TWO, 16:42 OF ENCOURAGEMENT. 16:44 BUT SOMETIMES WE FORGET TO EXPRESS IT. 16:47 AND SOMETIMES YOU THINK, "WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE IT BEFORE," 16:52 AND WE FORGET HOW LONG IT'S BEEN. 16:54 IT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO DO FREQUENTLY, KIND OF LIKE 16:56 PAINTING THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, YOU'RE NEVER DONE. 17:00 SOON AS YOU'RE DONE GETTING TO ONE END, YOU'RE STARTING AT 17:02 THE OTHER. 17:04 AND YOU SHOULD NEVER REALLY BE DONE EXPRESSING APPRECIATION. 17:08 LIKE THE HUSBAND, HIS WIFE SAID, "YOU NEVER TELL ME YOU LOVE ME 17:11 ANYMORE." 17:13 AND HE SAID, "WELL, I TOLD YOU WHEN I MARRIED YOU. 17:15 IF I CHANGE MY MIND, I'LL LET YOU KNOW." 17:18 AND LET'S FACE IT, WE'RE ALL THAT WAY SOMETIMES. 17:21 I REMEMBER AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IT USUALLY HAPPENS ABOUT 17:24 THIS TIME OF YEAR, KAREN AND I, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE GIVE 17:27 MONTHLY TO DIFFERENT MINISTRIES, AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR 17:30 WE THINK ABOUT SUPPORTING, WE SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, A SPECTRUM 17:33 OF DIFFERENT MINISTRIES. 17:34 AND I THOUGHT, "WELL, YEAH, WE JUST GAVE TO THEM." 17:38 AND KAREN WILL GET OUT THE CHECKBOOK, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU 17:40 THINK IT WAS JUST LAST WEEK, AND SHE'LL SAY, "DOUG, IT'S ACTUALLY 17:43 BEEN TWO YEARS." 17:45 ANY OF YOU EVER FOUND THAT BEFORE? 17:48 AND I WENT TO THE DOCTOR AND HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, IT'S TIME 17:52 FOR YOUR CHECKUP." 17:53 I SAID, "I JUST SAW YOU A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO." 17:56 AND THE RECEPTIONIST I WAS ACTUALLY TALKING TO, AND SHE 17:57 SAID, "MOST PEOPLE, YOU BETTER DOUBLE WHATEVER YOU THINK. 18:01 YOU THINK IT WAS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY 18:03 A YEAR AGO." 18:04 I SAID, "NO. 18:06 I JUST HAD MY TEETH CLEANED LAST MONTH." 18:08 "NO, IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS." 18:10 AND SOMETIMES YOU LOSE PERSPECTIVE OF HOW LONG 18:14 IT'S BEEN. 18:16 WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO SHOWING APPRECIATION AND THANKS, TRUST 18:19 ME--IT'S BEEN LONGER THAN YOU PROBABLY THINK SINCE YOU TOLD 18:23 SOMEBODY THAT YOU APPRECIATE THEM. 18:26 AND SO, JUST TO BE SURE, DO IT MORE FREQUENTLY THAN YOU MIGHT 18:31 ANTICIPATE. 18:33 ERWIN LUTZER SAID, "PRAISE IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP, AND IF WE 18:37 HAVEN'T LEARNED TO WORSHIP, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER HOW WELL 18:39 WE DO ANYTHING ELSE." 18:42 IF WE'RE NOT LEARNING TO PRAISE, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER HOW 18:46 WELL YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE. 18:48 THERE WILL BE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN THAT MAYBE WENT TO CHURCH ON 18:51 THE WRONG DAY, BUT THERE WON'T BE ANYONE IN HEAVEN 18:54 THAT DOESN'T PRAISE GOD. 18:56 SO IF WE DON'T GET THAT RIGHT, WE GOT IT ALL WRONG. 19:01 HEAVEN IS FILLED WITH BEINGS THAT PRAISE GOD. 19:05 GOD IS PRAISED IN HEAVEN. 19:07 REVELATION 7:10--AND THERE ARE SEVERAL VERSES I COULD READ, 19:11 "THESE ANGELS AROUND THE THRONE OF GOD, THEY CRY WITH A LOUD 19:14 VOICE, SAYING, SALVATION TO OUR GOD THAT SITS UPON THE THRONE, 19:19 AND UNTO THE LAMB. 19:20 AND ALL THE ANGELS STOOD 'ROUND ABOUT THE THRONE AND ABOUT 19:23 THE ELDERS AND THE FOUR BEASTS. 19:25 AND THEY FELL BEFORE THE THRONE ON THEIR FACES AND THEY 19:28 WORSHIPPED GOD, SAYING, "AMEN, BLESSING AND GLORY AND WISDOM, 19:32 AND THANKSGIVING AND HONOR, AND POWER AND MIGHT BE UNTO OUR GOD, 19:36 FOREVER AND EVER." 19:37 THEY'RE THANKING AND PRAISING HIM IN HEAVEN. 19:40 IF WE HOPE TO BE THERE, WE NEED TO PROBABLY START LEARNING 19:42 TO DO THAT MORE HERE. 19:46 AGAIN, REVELATION 19:5, LAST PLACE IN THE BIBLE YOU FOUND 19:49 THE WORD "PRAISE." 19:52 "AND A VOICE CAME OUT OF THE THRONE SAYING, PRAISE OUR GOD, 19:55 ALL HIS SERVANTS, AND ALL YE THAT FEAR HIM, BOTH SMALL 19:58 AND GREAT." 20:00 IF WE'RE SERVANTS, WE PRAISE GOD. 20:03 ISAIAH 6:3, HE HAD THIS VISION OF HEAVEN AND THESE ANGELS, BY 20:09 THE THRONE OF GOD, ARE SAYING CONTINUALLY, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY 20:13 IS THE LORD OF HOSTS. 20:14 THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY." 20:17 THESE ARE COVERING ANGELS BY THE THRONE OF GOD. 20:19 WHAT WAS THEIR JOB? 20:21 THEY WERE TO PRAISE GOD. 20:23 HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED THAT THE TRANSITION POINT FOR 20:27 LUCIFER, WHEN HE STOPPED BEING A CHERUB AND STARTED BEING THE 20:31 DEVIL AND SATAN, AND A REBEL? 20:33 WHEN HE CEASED TO PRAISE GOD, WHEN HE BEGAN TO FROWN IN 20:38 THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND WANT THE PRAISE FOR HIMSELF, INSTEAD OF 20:41 BEING WILLING TO OFFER IT FREELY TO GOD, HE THEN CEASED BEING 20:46 THAT ANGEL AND HE TRANSITIONED INTO BEING A REBEL. 20:51 AND WHAT DO YOU THINK DISTINGUISHED THE FALLEN ANGELS 20:55 FROM THE GOOD ANGELS? 20:58 I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THE FALLEN ANGELS STOPPED PRAISING GOD. 21:02 AND I THINK THAT SOME PEOPLE FALL, THEY BACKSLIDE IN THEIR 21:05 EXPERIENCE, WHEN WE FORGET TO THANK AND TO PRAISE GOD FOR ALL 21:08 THE BLESSINGS THAT HE'S, AGAIN, GIVEN US. 21:12 ALL OF CREATION PRAISES GOD, NOT ONLY IN HEAVEN, 21:15 BUT EVEN HERE ON EARTH. 21:17 LUKE 19:40, "FOR WHEN JESUS WAS COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND ALL 21:22 THE CHILDREN WERE CRYING OUT, SAYING, PRAISE THE LORD 21:27 AND HOSANNA, HOSANNA. 21:29 AND THEY TOLD JESUS, TELL THEM TO BE QUIET. 21:32 AND HE SAID, IF THESE SHOULD BE QUIET, EVEN THE STONES WOULD 21:36 IMMEDIATELY CRY OUT." 21:39 VERY NATURE WOULD PRAISE GOD. 21:41 PSALM 148:5, YOU'LL FIND A LOT OF PRAISE IN THE PSALMS. 21:45 IT SAYS, "PRAISE THE LORD. 21:47 PRAISE THE LORD FROM THE HEAVENS, PRAISE HIM FROM 21:49 THE HEIGHTS. 21:50 PRAISE HIM ALL YOU ANGELS. 21:52 PRAISE HIM ALL THIS HOST. 21:53 PRAISE HIM SUN AND MOON. 21:55 PRAISE HIM ALL--" YOU KNOW, IT'S STRANGE THAT SOME PEOPLE 21:59 WORSHIP THE SUN AND THE MOON. 22:00 THE BIBLE SAYS THE SUN AND THE MOON WORSHIP GOD. 22:04 "PRAISE HIM ALL YE STARS OF LIGHT. 22:08 PRAISE HIM YOU HEAVENS OF HEAVENS, AND YOU WATERS THAT 22:12 BE ABOVE THE HEAVENS, LET THEM PRAISE THE NAME OF 22:14 THE LORD, FOR HE COMMANDS AND THEY WERE CREATED." 22:17 YOU GO TO PSALM 96:11-12, "LET THE HEAVENS REJOICE, 22:22 LET THE EARTH BE GLAD. 22:23 LET THE SEA ROAR AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF. 22:26 LET THE FIELD BE JOYFUL IN ALL THAT IS THEREIN, AND ALL 22:29 THE TREES OF THE WOOD REJOICE." 22:31 AND YOU'VE HEARD THAT SONG, "ALL THE TREES OF THE FIELD 22:33 WILL CLAP THEIR HANDS." 22:34 IT TALKS ABOUT NATURE PRAISING THE LORD. 22:37 SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD A DOG BARKING AT NIGHT. 22:41 HEAR YOU THOUGHT IT WAS PLAIN OLD NOISE. 22:42 MAYBE HE'S PRAISING GOD. 22:45 JUST SOUNDS LIKE NOISE. 22:47 AND LET'S FACE IT, WHEN CHRISTIANS ARE OUT IN THE WORLD 22:50 PRAISING THE LORD, SOMETIMES THE WORLD THINKS WE'RE 22:52 JUST MAKING NOISE. 22:54 BUT GOD KNOWS WHAT IT'S COMING FROM. 22:56 PSALM 150, THIS IS THE LAST PSALM. 23:00 MATTER OF FACT, YOU COULD READ THAT--MATTER OF FACT, 23:02 I'M GONNA DO THAT REAL QUICK. 23:02 IF YOU GO TO PSALM 50-- PSALM 150:1-6. 23:09 "PRAISE THE LORD." 23:10 THIS IS THE LAST OF THE PSALMS. 23:13 I THINK THERE'S A REASON THAT YOU FIND THIS WORD SO FREQUENTLY 23:15 HERE. 23:16 "PRAISE GOD IN HIS SANCTUARY. 23:19 PRAISE HIM IN THE FIRMAMENT OF HIS POWER. 23:23 PRAISE HIM FOR HIS MIGHTY ACTS. 23:25 PRAISE HIM ACCORDING TO HIS EXCELLENT GREATNESS. 23:28 PRAISE HIM WITH THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET, 23:30 WITH THE PSALTERY AND HARP. 23:31 PRAISE HIM WITH TIMBREL AND DANCE. 23:33 PRAISE HIM WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS AND ORGANS. 23:36 PRAISE HIM WITH THE LOUD CYMBALS, PRAISE HIM ON 23:38 THE HIGH SOUNDING CYMBALS. 23:40 LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH," THAT'S NOT JUST TALKING 23:44 ABOUT PEOPLE. 23:45 "EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD." 23:48 AND THEN IT ENDS, THE LAST WORDS IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS ARE, 23:51 "PRAISE YE THE LORD." 23:53 THAT'S A COMMAND THAT GOD IS INVITING US TO PRAISE HIM. 23:58 SO EVEN THE VERY CREATION PRAISES GOD. 24:01 AND YOU WANT TO PRAISE HIM WHILE YOU'RE ALIVE. 24:04 YOU KNOW, IN THE EGYPTIAN TOMBS, THEY WOULD TAKE SOME OF THEIR 24:08 SACRED WRITINGS AND THEY'D PRAISE HORUS, AND THEY INSCRIBED 24:14 IT IN THE WALLS OF THEIR TOMBS. 24:16 BUT IT DOESN'T DO YOU ANY GOOD TO PUT IT THERE, 24:19 THE DEAD AREN'T READING THOSE; THEY'RE NOT PRAISING THEIR GOD. 24:23 MATTER OF FACT, THE BIBLE'S PRETTY CLEAR, PSALM 115:17-18, 24:28 "THE DEAD DO NOT PRAISE THE LORD, NEITHER ANY 24:31 THAT GO DOWN INTO SILENCE. 24:33 BUT WE WILL BLESS THE LORD FROM THIS TIME FORTH, 24:35 EVEN FOREVER MORE." 24:37 SO THE BEST TIME TO LEARN TO PRAISE GOD IS WHEN YOU'RE ALIVE. 24:42 WE SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE PRAISING HIM IN PUBLIC. 24:46 AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE DEVIL HAS TRIED TO INTIMIDATE GOD'S 24:51 PEOPLE WITH THE SCORN OF THE WORLD IF YOU PRAISE 24:55 THE LORD IN PUBLIC. 24:56 YES, THERE WILL BE SOME PEOPLE THAT LOOK AT YOU NARROWLY 24:59 OR THINK THAT YOU'RE MAKING A SPECTACLE. 25:01 AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING YOU MAKE A SPECTACLE, BUT DON'T BE 25:04 ASHAMED THAT YOU BELIEVE IN GOD. 25:07 ARE THE ANGELS EVER ASHAMED TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD? 25:11 DO THEY EVER HIDE IT? 25:13 WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY OF THE CREATURES IN THE UNIVERSE 25:16 BELIEVE IN GOD, IS IT THE MAJORITY OR THE MINORITY? 25:22 THE VAST MAJORITY. 25:23 IT'S ONLY IN A MINISCULE FRAGMENT OF HIS CREATION ON 25:28 THIS PLANET THAT DON'T BELIEVE THAT HE EXISTS, 25:31 THAT DON'T PRAISE HIM. 25:32 ARE YOU GOING TO COW DOWN TO THAT SMALL GROUP THAT'S GOING TO 25:35 LOSE IN THE END, AND HIDE YOUR PRAISE, BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID 25:39 OF WHAT THEY THINK OF YOU? 25:41 THEY'RE ON THE LOSING TEAM. 25:42 OR ARE YOU GONNA REMEMBER THAT ANGELS ARE WATCHING? 25:44 AND DON'T BE ASHAMED TO GIVE GOD THE GLORY. 25:47 FOR, YOU KNOW, OUR FOUNDING FATHERS, YOU JUST LOOK IN THE 25:50 EARLY WRITINGS AND EVERYTHING, ALL OUR ANTHEMS ALL TALKED 25:53 ABOUT PRAISING GOD. 25:55 SOMEONE TOLD ME, I'VE NOT BEEN UP THERE TO SEE, BUT I'VE BEEN 25:58 ON THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, BUT I'VE NOT BEEN ON THE CAP. 26:01 BUT THE CAP OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, THERE IS OSTENSIBLY A 26:03 BRASS--BRONZE OR A BRASS PLAQUE, AND IT SAYS IN LATIN, 26:08 "PRAISE THE LORD." 26:10 THE WHOLE IDEA WAS THAT THEY HAD THIS, TECHNICALLY IT WAS 26:15 SUPPOSED TO BE A BIG SUNDIAL. 26:18 IT LOOKS LIKE AN EGYPTIAN OBELISK. 26:20 BUT THE TOP OF IT WAS SUPPOSED TO POINT TO GOD AND SAY, "PRAISE 26:23 THE LORD," WHEN THEY MADE THIS. 26:25 SO, I MEAN THAT WAS ALL INTRINSIC, BUT NOW, YOU SAY IT 26:30 IN PUBLIC AND--I FORGET WHERE I--I WAS IN A TICKET LINE, 26:34 I THINK, IN AUSTRALIA JUST LAST, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. 26:37 AND SOMETHING WENT WRONG ON MY FLIGHT HOME. 26:40 AND I HAD RESERVED THE TICKET AND IT LOOKED LIKE 26:45 I HAD LOST IT. 26:46 AND I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I WAS BACK BY THE 26:50 RESTROOMS, WHICH ISN'T SO BAD; I'M NOT ABOVE THAT. 26:54 BUT WHEN YOU'RE ON A, YOU KNOW, 14-HOUR FLIGHT AND YOU TRY AND 26:58 SLEEP, AND YOU'RE RIGHT--YOUR SEAT IS RIGHT NEXT TO FOUR 27:00 BATHROOM DOORS, AND ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT, THE DOORS ARE OPENING 27:05 AND CLOSING, YOU, YOU KNOW, HEAR ALL THAT FLUSHING AND THOSE 27:07 STRANGE SMELLS COMING OUT. 27:09 IT'S NOT--IT'S NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO SIT 27:13 IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO. 27:15 AND I KNOW MY PLANES PRETTY WELL. 27:16 I LOOKED AT MY SEAT AND I WAS WAY BACK IN THE BACK. 27:19 I'M GOING, "OH, NO. 27:19 YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I HAD MY-- I CALLED BONNIE AND SAID, 27:21 'I THOUGHT I HAD A SEAT FURTHER UP.'" 27:22 AND I GOT TO THE AIRPORT THREE HOURS EARLY. 27:25 I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THAT LONG TRIP HOME. 27:28 AND I WENT UP TO THE TICKET COUNTER AND SAID, "I THOUGHT 27:29 I HAD THIS OTHER SHEET." 27:31 AND SHE DID A LITTLE TYPING AND SHE CAME OVER, AND SHE SAYS, 27:32 "YEAH, YOU'RE BACK WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE." 27:34 AND I SAID, "PRAISE THE LORD!" 27:35 HERE I WAS IN AUSTRALIA, ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WAITING 27:37 FOR THEIR FLIGHT. 27:38 AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT, "OH," I FORGOT HOW SECULAR 27:41 THEY ARE HERE. 27:41 AND I THOUGHT, "WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?" 27:43 "WELL, I AM HAPPY! 27:44 PRAISE THE LORD!" 27:46 AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID 27:49 TO EXPRESS YOUR PRAISE. 27:51 DO YOU NOTICE THAT KIDS ARE NOT? 27:54 LITTLE KIDS, YOU KNOW, WE TEACH THEM THEIR INHIBITIONS. 27:58 WHEN THEY'RE LITTLE, THEY'RE VERY HONEST. 28:01 THEY'LL STAND THERE RIGHT IN LINE NEXT TO YOU AND THEY'LL 28:03 SAY, "WOW, DAD, LOOK AT HOW BIG THAT LADY IS!" 28:05 AND YOU GO, "SHH! 28:06 YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO--" THEY'RE, THEY JUST, 28:09 THEY HAVE NO INHIBITIONS. 28:11 I REMEMBER, I FORGET WHO IT WAS, ONE OF OUR KIDS WHEN THEY WERE 28:14 LITTLE, THERE WAS SOME PREGNANT LADY IN LINE, THAT'S WHY I SAID 28:16 THAT, AND HE LOOKED RIGHT AT HER, HE SAID, 28:18 "HOW COME YOU'RE SO BIG!" 28:22 AND, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD THOSE THINGS WITH YOUR 28:24 KIDS WHERE YOU SAY, "SHH!" 28:27 WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE LITTLE LIKE THAT, THEY'LL BE 28:29 SINGING "JESUS LOVES ME" IN THE SHOPPING CART, 28:31 GOING UP AND DOWN THE AISLE. 28:33 AND THEY'RE, THEY THINK, "LOOK, IF HE LOVES ME IN CHURCH, 28:36 DOES HE STOP LOVING ME HERE AT THE STORE?" 28:38 AND THEY'RE NOT AFRAID. 28:40 BUT WE ARE NOT SO INCLINED TO SING HYMNS OUT IN PUBLIC, 28:46 BECAUSE AH, THAT'S FOR CHURCH. 28:47 WELL, THE BIBLE TELLS US WE SHOULD BE HAPPY TO 28:51 PRAISE HIM PUBLICLY. 28:53 PSALMS 109:30, "I WILL PRAISE THE LORD WITH MY MOUTH, YES, 28:59 I WILL PRAISE HIM AMONG THE MULTITUDE." 29:02 ISAIAH 24:4, "PRAISE THE LORD, CALL UPON HIS NAME, DECLARE 29:07 HIS DEEDS AMONG THE PEOPLE." 29:10 PUBLICLY IN CHURCH AND OUT OF CHURCH. 29:12 MATTER OF FACT, YOU FIND AN INTERESTING STORY IF YOU'LL 29:14 LOOK IN YOUR BIBLES, ACTS 3. 29:16 THIS IS A GREAT STORY; AGAIN, WRITTEN BY LUKE. 29:21 PETER COMES TO THE BEAUTIFUL GATE AND THERE'S THIS MAN WHO 29:24 HAS NEVER WALKED IN HIS LIFE. 29:26 HE WAS LAME FROM BIRTH. 29:29 LEGS ARE GNARLED AND CRIPPLED, SO HE COULDN'T WALK AND SOMEONE 29:32 WAS KIND ENOUGH, THEY'D CARRY HIM EACH DAY AND THEY'D SET HIM 29:35 DOWN AT THE DOORS OF THE TEMPLE. 29:36 AND HE'D HEARD ABOUT JESUS, BUT HE HAD MISSED 29:38 GETTING HEALED BY CHRIST. 29:40 HE JUST WAS ALWAYS IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME, AND SO 29:44 HE HAD NEVER BEEN HEALED DURING ALL THE MINISTRY OF JESUS. 29:48 AND HE STOOD AT THE GATE THERE AND BEGGED. 29:51 HE COULD NOT GO IN 'CAUSE HE WAS LAME. 29:53 DO YOU REALIZE THAT THE CRIPPLES WERE NOT ALLOWED IN, 29:55 ACCORDING TO THE LEVITICAL LAW. 29:57 AND PETER AND JOHN COME AND THEY SEE THIS MAN, AND THEY COULD 30:00 TELL THAT HE HAD FAITH, THAT HE WANTED TO BE HEALED BY JESUS, 30:04 BUT NOW JESUS HAD BEEN CRUCIFIED AND ASCENDED TO HEAVEN-- 30:07 HE'S GONE. 30:08 AND THAT'S WHEN PETER REACHED OUT, HE TOOK HIS HAND AND HE 30:11 SAID, "SILVER AND GOLD I DO NOT HAVE, BUT SUCH AS I HAVE, 30:13 I GIVE UNTO THEE. 30:14 IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, RISE UP AND WALK." 30:17 THIS IS A GREAT STORY. 30:19 THE BIBLE SAYS "HE TOOK HIM BY THE RIGHT HAND AND HE LIFTED 30:21 HIM UP," I'M IN ACTS 3:7, "AND IMMEDIATELY HIS FEET 30:26 AND HIS ANKLE BONES RECEIVED STRENGTH, AND HE LEAPING UP, 30:31 HE STOOD AND HE WALKED, AND HE ENTERED WITH THEM 30:36 INTO THE TEMPLE." 30:37 NOTICE HERE, "WALKING AND LEAPING," HE'D NEVER WALKED 30:41 BEFORE, BUT HE'S LEAPING, "AND PRAISING GOD. 30:45 AND ALL THE PEOPLE SAW HIM WALKING AND PRAISING GOD. 30:50 NOW, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SAID ONE TIME, "A BODY 30:55 IS NOT REALLY CRIPPLED 'TIL IT CEASES TO PRAISE." 31:00 AND IF A PERSON DOES NOT PRAISE, THEN THEY ARE TRULY CRIPPLED. 31:05 YOU MIGHT HAVE A PERFECT BILL OF HEALTH FROM THE DOCTOR, BUT IF 31:09 YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO PRAISE THE LORD, YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY 31:11 CRIPPLED. 31:14 AND YET, YOU COULD BE PARALYZED FROM THE NECK DOWN 31:17 LIKE JONI EARECKSON WAS, BUT IF YOU PRAISE GOD, 31:21 YOU'RE LIBERATED. 31:24 AND SO ALL OF US SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING FOR WHICH WE CAN BE 31:29 THANKFUL, AND PRAISE HIM, AND PRAISE HIM PUBLICLY AS WELL. 31:37 AGAIN, LUKE 24--OH, I READ THAT TO YOU ALREADY, 31:41 "BLESSING HIM IN THE TEMPLE." 31:42 PRAISE IS SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT NEED PRACTICE AT. 31:46 HOW DO YOU PRACTICE PRAISE? 31:48 ISN'T THAT SUPPOSED TO BE SPONTANEOUS? 31:49 WELL, THAT'S THE BEST THING. 31:50 BUT IF YOU PRACTICE, THEN IT BECOMES SPONTANEOUS. 31:55 YOU KNOW, I TELL THE BOYS THIS, THEY BOTH PRACTICE DIFFERENT 31:57 INSTRUMENTS; STEVEN THE PIANO, NATHAN THE GUITAR. 32:00 AND THE MORE YOU PRACTICE AN INSTRUMENT, THE EASIER IT IS 32:06 TO PLAY BY EAR. 32:09 YOU GOT THAT? 32:10 THE MORE YOU PRACTICE SOMETHING, THE EASIER IT IS TO DO IT 32:13 SPONTANEOUSLY. 32:15 THAT MEANS IT'S OKAY TO BE DISCIPLINED ABOUT YOUR PRAISE, 32:18 'CAUSE THEN IT'S EASIER TO BE SPONTANEOUS ABOUT YOUR PRAISE. 32:23 SO THAT MEANS SCHEDULE TIMES OF PRAISE BESIDES CHURCH ONCE 32:28 A WEEK, WHERE WE COME TOGETHER TO WORSHIP GOD. 32:31 MAKE A LIST WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR MORNING PRAYER--I'M ASSUMING 32:34 YOU HAVE IT--OF THINGS FOR WHICH YOU'RE THANKFUL. 32:37 PRAISE GOD FOR THOSE THINGS. 32:40 IF YOU PRACTICE THIS PRAISING GOD, DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO 32:46 PRAISE THE LORD IN THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO BE GRATEFUL FOR, IT 32:48 BECOMES A LOT MORE SPONTANEOUS WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING NEW 32:52 FOR THE LIST. 32:53 SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? 32:55 SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN PRACTICE DOING. 32:58 "YOU DON'T LEARN PRAISE IN A DAY," SO QUOTING ERWIN LUTZER 33:02 HERE, "ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU MAY HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING FOR YEARS. 33:07 NEW HABITS TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP. 33:09 YOU CAN BEGIN TODAY AND PRACTICE TOMORROW AND THE NEXT DAY, 33:12 UNTIL IT BECOMES PART OF YOU. 33:15 GOD GIVES US BLESSINGS SO WE CAN GIVE GLORY TO HIM. 33:18 MOST OF THE VERSES WRITTEN ABOUT PRAISE IN GOD'S WORD WERE PENNED 33:22 BY MEN AND WOMEN WHO FACED CRUSHING HEARTACHE, INJUSTICE, 33:26 TREACHERY, SLANDER AND SCORES OF OTHER INTOLERABLE SITUATIONS, 33:30 AND IN THE MIDST OF ALL THAT THEY LEARNED TO PRAISE GOD. 33:33 THEY HAD DISCIPLINED THEMSELVES TO PRAISE GOD DURING THEIR 33:36 BLESSINGS, SO THEY COULD KEEP PRAISING GOD THROUGH THEIR 33:38 TRIALS." 33:39 BY THE WAY, THAT WAS WRITTEN BY JONI EARECKSON TADA HERSELF. 33:45 YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN RADIO COMMUNICATIONS, BUT I KNOW 33:49 THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT FREQUENCIES THAT GO DIFFERENT 33:52 DISTANCES. 33:54 AND I THINK THE FREQUENCY THAT TRAVELS THE FARTHEST 33:57 IN PRAYER IS PRAISE. 34:00 AND IF YOU WANT TO GET YOUR SIGNAL THROUGH, MAKE SURE 34:05 AND INCORPORATE PRAISE IN PART OF ALL YOUR PRAYERS. 34:08 THINK ABOUT DANIEL 6, I THINK IT'S VERSE 10, WHEN DANIEL KNEW 34:14 THAT THE WRITING WAS SIGNED AND HE WAS GOING TO BE SENT TO 34:16 THE LION'S DEN--WHAT DID HE DO? 34:18 HE WENT TO HIS UPPER ROOM AS HE'D ALWAYS DONE WITH HIS 34:20 WINDOWS OPEN TOWARDS JERUSALEM, AND HE KNELT UPON HIS KNEES AND 34:24 HE PRAYED, AND HE GAVE THANKS THREE TIMES THAT DAY. 34:31 COULD GOD WORK A MIRACLE FOR HIM OF DELIVERANCE? 34:35 'CAUSE PRAISE AND THANKS WAS PART OF HIS REGULAR 34:38 ROUTINE EVERY DAY. 34:40 HE WAS ABLE TO DO IT DURING TRIAL, 'CAUSE HE HAD LEARNED 34:42 TO DO IT DURING THE TIMES OF BLESSING. 34:45 SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PRACTICE IN OUR LIVES. 34:49 "THE HEAVENS REJOICE," OH WAIT, I'VE GOT SO MANY NOTES HERE 34:54 AND I'M MISSING, MISSING SOME OF MY POINTS. 34:56 PRAISE IS NOT FLATTERY. 35:00 SOME OF YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF "SNOW WHITE." 35:05 AND THAT WICKED QUEEN--I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO SHE WAS. 35:08 AND DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. 35:11 AND SHE'D GO TO THE MIRROR ON THE WALL, THE MAGIC MIRROR. 35:15 I STILL REMEMBER AS A KID WATCHING "THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF 35:17 DISNEY" WITH MY MOM. 35:19 AND SHE'D SAY SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, "MIRROR, MIRROR ON 35:24 THE WALL, WHO IS THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?" 35:28 I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 35:30 HUH? 35:33 THAT'S IT? 35:34 YEAH, SO YOU KNOW, TOO. 35:36 AND THE MIRROR WOULD COME BACK AND SAY, "OH, YOU'RE THE MOST 35:40 BEAUTIFUL." 35:41 UNTIL, OF COURSE, TOLD HER ABOUT SNOW WHITE. 35:44 BUT SOME OF US THINK MAYBE GOD'S UP THERE IN THE SKY LIKE THAT 35:48 WICKED QUEEN, WHO SAID, "PRAISE ME, I AM--PRAISE ME, I AM THE 35:53 ONE THAT GETS ALL THE PRAISE." 35:54 AND GOD IS ASKING US ALL TO FLATTER HIM. 35:57 IS GOD SHALLOW LIKE THAT? 35:59 WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRAISE, REAL PRAISE, 36:01 AND FLATTERY? 36:03 FLATTERY IS WHEN YOU TELL SOMEONE SOMETHING NICE, 'CAUSE 36:06 YOU ULTIMATELY WANT SOMETHING FROM THEM. 36:09 YOU WANT TO USE THIS PERSON SOMEHOW, SO YOU'RE TELLING THEM 36:12 WHAT THEY THINK--OR YOU THINK THEY WANT TO HEAR, BECAUSE YOU 36:15 NEED THEM OR YOU WANT USE THEM, OR GET SOMETHING FROM THEM. 36:20 GOD IS NOT ASKING US TO PRAISE HIM BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE 36:23 GONNA GET SOMETHING OUT OF HIM. 36:25 IT'S TRUE THAT THERE ARE BENEFITS THAT FOLLOW, BUT THE 36:30 REASON TO PRAISE HIM IS BECAUSE IT'S MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN 36:33 TO RECEIVE. 36:34 YOU ARE BLESSED. 36:35 YOU ARE TRANSFORMED INTO HIS IMAGE. 36:37 WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIM AND HIS GOODNESS, YOU FIND OUT ABOUT 36:40 HIS CHARACTER, YOUR LOVE FOR HIM GROWS; YOU SERVE HIM BETTER. 36:44 AND IT'S THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH WE'RE EXISTING. 36:47 HE'S NOT FORCING IT FROM US; IT MUST BE GIVEN WILLINGLY 36:50 FROM LOVE. 36:52 HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO FISH FOR A COMPLIMENT? 36:55 DO YOU ENJOY IT AS MUCH WHEN YOU GOTTA FISH FOR IT? 36:58 SOMEONE SAID TO OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES, 37:00 THE FAMOUS WRITER AND PHYSICIAN--UNLIKE HIS BROTHER, 37:06 JOHN, WHO WAS VERY HUMBLE. 37:09 MATTER OF FACT, JOHN SAID THE ONLY COMPLIMENT HE EVER GOT WAS 37:12 WHEN THEIR NANNY WAS COMBING HIS HAIR AND SHE COMMENTED 37:15 TO THE MOTHER, "HIS EYES AREN'T THAT CROSSED." 37:19 HE SAID THAT WAS THE ONLY COMPLIMENT HE REMEMBERED 37:21 EVER GETTING. 37:22 OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES' BROTHER, ON THE OTHER HAND, MUCH MORE 37:25 FAMOUS, HE KEPT EVERY COMPLIMENT ANYONE EVER WROTE HIM, 37:28 HE KEPT THEM IN A JOURNAL. 37:29 AND HE LIKED TO OPEN IT AND FLIP THROUGH IT, AND LOOK AT ALL 37:32 THE PRAISES AND NICE THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAD WRITTEN TO HIM 37:34 OR SAID ABOUT HIM. 37:36 AND AS HE GOT OLDER, WHEN SOMEONE WOULD SAY SOMETHING NICE 37:38 ABOUT HIM, HE WOULD ALWAYS PRETEND HE COULDN'T HEAR 'EM. 37:41 HE'D SAY, "COULD YOU PLEASE SAY THAT A LITTLE LOUDER?" 37:44 SO THEY'D REPEAT IT. 37:47 SOMEONE SAID, "NOTHING WILL IMPROVE A PERSON'S HEARING 37:48 LIKE PRAISE." 37:52 PEOPLE ARE TYPICALLY BORED LISTENING TO SOMEONE PAY 37:55 THEM--UNLESS THEY'RE PAYING THEM A COMPLIMENT. 37:59 SO FLATTERY IS NOT PRAISE-- IT'S DIFFERENT. 38:03 IT SHOULD BE GIVEN--PRAISE IS NOT FLATTERY, RATHER, IT SHOULD 38:06 BE GIVEN FROM THE HEART, BECAUSE GOD IS WORTHY, 38:09 AND WE'RE BLESSED BY DOING IT. 38:11 AND THEN I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE ALSO COVERED 38:15 THE IDEA OF PRAISE IN SONG. 38:19 GOD WANTS US ALL TO SING HIS PRAISES. 38:24 NOW, SOME OFF US JUST FEEL LIKE WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T DO THAT, 38:27 AND LEAVE THAT TO OTHERS. 38:29 IT'S LIKE THE MOTHER THAT BOUGHT THE BABY GRAND PIANO 38:31 FOR HER DAUGHTER. 38:33 TOLD A FRIEND ABOUT IT, A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER A FRIEND SAID, 38:36 "WELL, HOW ARE HER PIANO LESSONS GOING?" 38:38 SHE SAID, "WELL, WE SOLD THE PIANO, WE BOUGHT HER 38:40 A CLARINET." 38:42 SAID, "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" 38:43 SHE SAID, "SHE CAN'T SING WITH A CLARINET." 38:48 BUT THAT SHOULDN'T BE YOUR ATTITUDE IN CHURCH. 38:51 IS ALL OF US TOGETHER KIND OF BALANCE EACH OTHER OUT. 38:56 AND EVEN FOR SOME IT MIGHT BEING MAKING A JOYFUL NOISE, 39:00 WE SHOULD ALL SING. 39:02 WHEN THAT GROUP WAS SINGING UP FRONT JUST A MINUTE AGO, I DON'T 39:05 KNOW IF THEY CAUGHT IT, BUT I WAS HUMMING BEHIND THEM, 'CAUSE 39:07 I KNEW--DO YOU KNOW I CAN HUM IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES, ACTUALLY? 39:12 EVERYBODY SHOULD SING. 39:14 SOME CHURCHGOERS SEEM TO HAVE PICKED UP THE IDEA THAT SINGING 39:17 IN CHURCH IS FOR SINGERS. 39:20 NO, THE TRUTH IS THAT SINGING IS FOR BELIEVERS. 39:23 THE BIG QUESTION IS NOT DO YOU HAVE A VOICE--THE QUESTION IS 39:27 DO YOU HAVE A SONG? 39:29 SO EVERYBODY SHOULD BE ABLE TO SING TO THE LORD. 39:32 LET ME GIVE THE SCRIPTURES. 39:33 EPHESIANS 5:19-20, "SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER IN PSALMS AND HYMNS 39:38 AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SEEKING--SINGING AND MAKING 39:43 MELODY WITH YOUR HEART TO THE LORD ALWAYS. 39:46 GIVING THANKS FOR ALL THINGS IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD 39:49 JESUS CHRIST, TO EVEN GOD THE FATHER." 39:52 WE ALL HAVE A SONG THAT WE CAN SING FOR THE LORD. 39:57 NOW, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SINGING IN VAIN REPETITION 40:00 ANY MORE THAN WE TALK ABOUT PRAYING IN VAIN REPETITION. 40:02 AND I LIKE--WE SHOULD ALL SING NEW SONGS. 40:05 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DEBATE IN THE CHURCH ABOUT WHAT 40:08 THEY CALL MAYBE CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP OR TRADITIONAL WORSHIP, 40:12 LIBERAL WORSHIP, CONSERVATIVE WORSHIP. 40:14 YOU ALL KNOW THAT I FALL ON A MORE CONSERVATIVE SIDE OF THAT 40:19 QUESTION, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULDN'T SING A NEW SONG. 40:22 AND I LOVE SOME OF THE NEW PRAISE SONGS, AS LONG 40:25 AS THEY'RE SCRIPTURALLY SOUND. 40:27 SOME OF THEM HAVE BEAUTIFUL MELODIES. 40:28 WHAT I'M NOT REAL EXCITED ABOUT IS THE REPETITION. 40:32 AND YOU HEARD ME TALK TO YOU ONCE ABOUT "THE 7/11 SONGS" 40:35 IS WHAT I CALL THEM. 40:36 YOU KNOW, EVERY NOW AND THEN I STOP AT 7/11. 40:40 BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO YOUR GROCERY SHOPPING--IT'S 40:42 A CONVENIENCE STORE, IT'S SOMETHING YOU DO OCCASIONALLY, 40:45 'CAUSE YOU NEED ONE ITEM. 40:46 THIS WEEK I HAD STOPPED AT A CONVENIENT STORE AND I JUST 40:50 GOT LIKE A GRANOLA BAR, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR DINNER. 40:53 I KNEW I WAS GONNA GET HUNGRY BEFORE THIS BOARD MEETING 40:54 WAS OVER. 40:56 AND SO, BUT YOU PAY MUCH MORE THAN YOU'D NORMALLY PAY. 41:01 GROCERY STORES ARE WHERE YOU GO FOR THE NUTRITIOUS FOOD. 41:05 AND THOSE HYMNS THAT ARE IN YOUR HYMNAL, AND YOU MIGHT THINK 41:08 THEY'RE OLD AND STODGY--BOY, THEY GOT GOOD DEEP THEOLOGY, AND 41:12 SOME OF 'EM BEAUTIFUL LYRICS. 41:14 BUT YOU KNOW IT'S OKAY EVERY NOW AND THEN, I LIKE SOME OF THOSE 41:16 PRAISE SONGS. 41:17 WHAT GETS ME IS THE ONES THAT SAY THE SAME THINGS OVER 41:19 AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 41:21 THAT'S WHY WE CALL THEM "7/11 SONGS," BECAUSE THEY 41:23 SING THE SAME SEVEN WORDS, ELEVEN TIMES, ELEVEN VERSES. 41:28 THERE'S THIS ONE SONG, "WE EXALT THEE, WE EXALT THEE." 41:32 AND THERE'S THIS ONE CHURCH WHERE THE PEOPLE WERE SINGING 41:35 IT, AND THEY SING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 41:38 AND SOMEONE FINALLY LISTENED CAREFULLY AND THEY HEARD 41:40 A LITTLE GIRL BEHIND THEM THAT DIDN'T KNOW THE WORDS, AND SHE 41:42 WAS SINGING, "WE EXHAUST THEE, OH LORD, WE EXHAUST THEE, 41:45 OH LORD." 41:48 AND YOU WONDER SOMETIMES, I MEAN DOES THE LORD, 41:51 DOES THAT REALLY PRAISE? 41:54 I MEAN IF VAIN REPETITION IS WRONG, THEN THE VAIN REPETITION 41:57 IN SINGING CAN BE WRONG ALSO. 42:00 IT SAYS, "SING," PSALMS 47:7, "FOR GOD IS KING OF ALL 42:04 THE EARTH, SING PRAISES WITH UNDERSTANDING." 42:07 THE SONGS WE SING OUGHT TO HAVE SOME INTELLIGENCE AND REASON 42:09 BEHIND THEM. 42:11 PSALM 146:2, "WHILE I LIVE, I WILL PRAISE THE LORD. 42:14 I WILL SING PRAISES TO MY GOD WHILE I HAVE MY BEING." 42:19 PSALM 147:1, "PRAISE THE LORD, FOR IT IS GOOD TO SING PRAISES 42:23 TO OUR GOD. 42:25 IT'S PLEASANT AND PRAISE IS BEAUTIFUL." 42:30 SO DO YOU HAVE A SONG? 42:35 I HEARD ABOUT A MAN THAT DEVELOPED LUNG CANCER. 42:41 AND THIS WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN SOME OF THE TECHNIQUES 42:44 FOR THE SURGERY WERE A LITTLE MORE RADICAL. 42:47 AND THE DOCTOR HAD EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT THEY WERE GONNA HAVE TO 42:50 REMOVE A LARGE SECTION OF HIS TONGUE, AND IT WAS GONNA MAKE IT 42:53 VERY DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO SPEAK. 42:56 AND THE MAN WAS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED, BECAUSE UP TO THAT 42:59 POINT HE HAD A BEAUTIFUL VOICE. 43:01 SO IN THE SURGERY ROOM EVERYTHING WAS PREPPED AND THEY 43:04 WERE ABOUT TO PUT HIM UNDER, HE SAID, "DOCTOR, IS IT TRUE 43:06 THAT I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SING AGAIN?" 43:08 THE DOC DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE HEART TO ANSWER THE GUY, HE 43:10 JUST LOWERED HIS HEAD AND SHOOK, SHOOK HIS HEAD. 43:13 HE SAID, "WELL, BEFORE YOU PUT ME UNDER," HE SAID, 43:15 "CAN I SIT UP HERE? 43:16 I JUST WANT TO SING ONE MORE TIME." 43:19 AND SO THERE IN THE HOSPITAL ROOM HE SANG AN ISAAC WATTS SONG 43:22 THAT SAID, "WHILE I HAVE BREATH, I WILL SING YOUR PRAISES." 43:26 HE SAID, "THIS IS THE LAST I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO SING." 43:28 HE SAID, "THE LAST THING I SING, I WANT TO SING PRAISES TO GOD." 43:32 DO YOU HAVE A SONG THAT YOU WANT TO SING TO THE LORD? 43:37 PRAISE AND WORSHIP IS THE MOST PROFOUND WAY OF EXPRESSING 43:41 OUR LOVE TO THE FATHER. 43:42 GOD LOVES US; HE LOVES TO BE SINCERELY PRAISED 43:47 AND WORSHIPPED. 43:49 HE DOESN'T WANT US TO PRAISE HIM JUST THROUGH VAIN REPETITION; 43:53 IT NEEDS TO BE FROM THE HEART. 43:55 SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S BEAUTIFUL ABOUT SINGING PRAISES TO GOD, 43:58 IT BRINGS DELIVERANCE. 44:01 I THINK WE ALL REMEMBER THE STORY ABOUT JEHOSHAPHAT WHEN 44:04 HE WAS SURROUNDED BY THREE ENEMY NEIGHBORS THAT WERE ALL COMING 44:08 AT ONE TIME IN THE CONFEDERACY, THE EDOMITES, THE MOABITES 44:10 AND AMMONITES WERE ALL GOING TO ATTACK JEHOSHAPHAT. 44:13 THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL TO THE NORTH HAD ALREADY BEEN CONQUERED 44:16 BY THE ASSYRIANS, HIS ARMY WASN'T BIG ENOUGH AND THEY 44:18 PRAYED AND SAID, "LORD, WHAT DO WE DO?" 44:21 AND THEY WENT INTO THE TEMPLE AND THEY WERE SINGING PRAISES 44:22 TO GOD. 44:24 AND FINALLY THE PROPHET TOLD THEM TO GO OUT TO BATTLE. 44:27 AND THEY WENT OUT TO BATTLE AND THEY STATIONED THE SINGERS 44:30 OUT AHEAD OF THE SOLDIERS. 44:33 AND WHILE THEY WERE SINGING AND PRAISING GOD, MARCHING OFF TO 44:36 MEET THE ENEMY, SOMETHING WENT SIDEWAYS WITH THE ENEMY 44:41 COMMUNICATIONS AND THEY ALL TURNED ON EACH OTHER. 44:44 AND THEY ALL FOUGHT WITH EACH OTHER RIGHT DOWN 44:45 TO THE LAST MAN. 44:46 AND BY THE TIME JEHOSEPHAT AND HIS SOLDIERS GOT THERE, THEY HAD 44:49 ANNIHILATED EACH OTHER, FOR THE CHILDREN OF EDOM AND MOAB TURNED 44:52 ON EACH OTHER, AND THEN THEY TURNED ON THE PEOPLE OF 44:57 MOUNT SEIR. 44:58 AND FINALLY THEY GOT THERE AND ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS CARRY 45:03 AWAY THE SPOIL. 45:05 IT TOOK THEM THREE DAYS TO COLLECT IT ALL. 45:07 AND THEY WERE SINGING WITH JOY IN THEIR HEARTS ON THE WAY HOME. 45:09 THEY NEVER SHOT AN ARROW OR FIRED--I WAS GONNA SAY A GUN, 45:15 THEY DIDN'T HAVE 'EM--NEVER SHOT AN ARROW OR PULLED THEIR SWORD 45:17 OUT OF THEIR SHEATH BACK THEN. 45:20 THE WAY THEY FOUGHT WAS THROUGH PRAISE. 45:22 I WONDER HOW MANY BATTLES WE'VE LOST BECAUSE WE TRY AND FIND 45:24 SOME EARTHLY MEANS AND MAY NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. 45:27 JUST PRAISE GOD. 45:28 ANOTHER STORY, NEW TESTAMENT, ACTS 16:25, PAUL AND SILAS ARE 45:35 IN JAIL IN THE STOCKS, NO WAY OF ESCAPE. 45:38 THEN FALSELY ACCUSED AND BEATEN, THEY'RE IN PAIN; MISERABLE. 45:43 AND IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, IN THE DARKEST HOUR-- 45:48 WHAT TIME IS JESUS COMING? 45:50 REMEMBER I TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK? 45:52 DARKEST HOUR, MIDNIGHT. 45:54 BUT AT MIDNIGHT PAUL AND SILAS WERE PRAYING AND SINGING HYMNS 45:57 TO GOD. 45:58 THEY'RE SINGING IN THEIR DARKEST HOUR. 46:01 SHOULD WE BE PRAISING GOD IN THE DARKEST HOUR OF 46:02 THE CHURCH'S HISTORY? 46:04 THEN WE NEED TO START NOW. 46:05 THEY WERE SINGING HYMNS TO GOD AND THE PRISONERS WERE LISTENING 46:08 TO THEM. 46:09 SUDDENLY, THERE WAS A GREAT EARTHQUAKE, SO THE FOUNDATIONS 46:12 OF THE PRISON WERE SHAKEN AND IMMEDIATELY ALL THE DOORS WERE 46:15 OPEN, EVERYONE'S CHAINS WERE LOOSED. 46:19 WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING AND TO PRAISE GOD, THEY GO THE VICTORY, 46:21 A MIRACLE HAPPENED. 46:23 YEARS AGO, BACK TO NAPOLEON, WHEN HIS SOLDIERS WERE ABOUT TO 46:28 INVADE AUSTRIA, THEY WERE CAMPED OUTSIDE A LITTLE TOWN CALLED 46:30 "FELDKIRCH." 46:32 AND THE PEOPLE IN THIS LITTLE TOWN, THEY DIDN'T HAVE VERY BIG 46:35 WALLS OR DEFENSES, AND THEY FIGURED, "WHAT DO WE DO? 46:38 DO WE FIGHT? 46:39 WE'LL PROBABLY BE ANNIHILATED." 46:41 THE FRENCH SOLDIERS WERE MUCH MORE EXPERIENCED AND BETTER 46:45 EQUIPPED, MUCH BIGGER ARMY. 46:47 THEY SAID, "DO WE RAISE THE FLAG AND SURRENDER?" 46:49 AND THEY ALL GATHERED IN THE CHURCH TO MEET AND SAY, 46:53 "WHAT DO WE DO AS A TOWN?" 46:55 AND IT SO HAPPENS THIS WAS EASTER SUNDAY, 47:00 WHEN THIS WAS HAPPENING. 47:01 AND THE PASTOR SAID, "YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. 47:05 GOD KNOWS WHAT TO DO. 47:06 WHY DON'T WE PUT IT IN HIS HANDS? 47:07 LET'S NOT SURRENDER, LET'S NOT FIGHT, BUT LET'S RING THE BELLS 47:10 LIKE WE ALWAYS DO ON THIS DAY." 47:13 AND SO THEY BEGAN TO JUST RING THE BELLS IN THE CHURCH. 47:17 AND THE FRENCH HEARD THAT AND THEY THOUGHT, "OH, NO," 47:20 THEY WERE REJOICING BECAUSE THE AUSTRIAN ARMY IS PROBABLY 47:22 ON THE OTHER RIDGE, AND THEY WEREN'T REALLY PREPARED TO TAKE 47:25 ON THE WHOLE AUSTRIAN ARMY. 47:27 AND SO THEY PANICKED AND THEY FLED, JUST LIKE IN THE BIBLE. 47:30 THEY JUST DECIDED TO PRAISE GOD AND RING THE BELLS, 47:34 AND LET GOD TAKE CARE OF IT. 47:35 AND NAPOLEON'S ARMY WITHDREW. 47:37 ISN'T THAT SOMETHING? 47:38 YOU GET THE VICTORY WHEN YOU TURN IT OVER TO GOD 47:41 AND PRAISE HIM FOR HIS POWER. 47:43 WELL, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF REASONS TO PRAISE THE LORD. 47:47 AND, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, "DOUG, THIS SERVICE 47:50 REALLY WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE IF I JUST STAND UP HERE AND 47:53 PONTIFICATE ON PRAISE." 47:55 AND SO I SPOKE TO A COUPLE OF OUR FAMILIES, I JUST GRABBED 'EM 47:57 WITHOUT HARDLY ANY WARNING, AND I ASKED IF THEY'D COME UP 48:00 FOR A MOMENT. 48:01 SO WHY DON'T YOU COME ON UP. 48:02 I THINK THE RENJIFO'S, AND RICH AND DIANE. 48:07 AND WHO ELSE? 48:09 ERIC AND DEBBIE. 48:10 WHY DON'T YOU COME UP HERE FOR A MINUTE? 48:12 I SAID, "JUST THINK ABOUT SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE 48:14 IN A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO THANK THE LORD FOR." 48:19 AND I THINK WE SHOULD HEAR FROM AT LEAST PART OF THE CHURCH 48:21 FAMILY. 48:22 I THOUGHT, "WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF I JUST SORT OF TOSSED 48:25 THE MICROPHONE OUT INTO THE AUDIENCE?" 48:27 BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT THEN, SO I JUST KIND 48:29 OF TAPPED SOME PEOPLE. 48:32 YOU'VE GOT A MIKE, RICH, WHY DON'T YOU START? 48:36 >> YEAH, I WANT TO THANK THE LORD AND PRAISE HIS NAME 48:38 FOR THIS THANKSGIVING TIME SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE WE WERE 48:42 ABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME TO HAVE ALL OUR FAMILY TOGETHER OVER 48:46 THANKSGIVING, WHICH IS OF COURSE ALWAYS A BLESSING. 48:50 IT'S BEEN ABOUT SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS SINCE THAT'S HAPPENED. 48:53 I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE LORD FOR THIS PAST YEAR IN THAT HE'S 48:56 GRANTED US ANOTHER GRANDCHILD, AND THE NAME IS SAVANNAH. 49:00 AND THAT'S THE SECOND ONE, WITH THE THIRD ONE ON ITS WAY 49:04 WITH KIMBERLY. 49:06 I WANT TO THANK THE LORD ALSO THAT I HAVE DAUGHTERS AND 49:11 SON-IN-LAWS THAT WANT TO SERVE THE LORD WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS, 49:14 AND THAT THEY WANT TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN TO ALSO SERVE 49:18 THE LORD. 49:19 IT'S VERY PRECIOUS WHEN YOU SEE TROY FOLDING HIS HANDS AND 49:22 GIVING THANKS TO THE LORD FOR WHAT THE LORD HAS PROVIDED HIM. 49:26 SO I THANK THE LORD FOR ALL THAT. 49:31 >> MOVE OVER HERE. 49:32 MAY YOUR TRIBE INCREASE. 49:36 YOU'VE GOT THAT FATHER OF-- HERE, HUH? 49:40 >> WELL, DEBBIE AND I, WE'VE ALSO STARTED THE CHURCH 49:44 GROWTH MOVEMENT, KIND OF LIKE THE MCSHERRY'S HERE. 49:48 AND WE'VE BEEN SO BLESSED; 13 MONTHS AGO WE HAD A WONDERFUL 49:51 LITTLE BOY AND THE LORD HAS DECIDED TO BLESS US AGAIN 49:54 WITH ANOTHER CHILD. 49:55 AND SO I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR HIM, FOR TAKING CARE OF ALL OF 49:58 OUR NEEDS AND FOR PROVIDING JACK A SIBLING. 50:03 >> AMEN. 50:04 SO IN CASE YOU DIDN'T GET THAT, DEBBIE'S EXPECTING. 50:06 AMEN? 50:10 >> ME? 50:12 I'VE ALWAYS PRAISED THE LORD WITH EVERY PRAYER FOR THE LOVELY 50:16 WIFE THAT HE HAS GIVEN ME AND FOR MY FAMILY. 50:19 I HAVE TRULY BEEN BLESSED WITH MY WIFE, ELIZABETH, 50:23 AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. 50:24 BUT ANOTHER THING THAT I AM THANKFUL FOR IS FOR THIS CHURCH 50:27 AND FOR THE WONDERFUL CHURCH FAMILY THAT WE COME TO TALK 50:31 TO EVERY SABBATH. 50:32 IT HAS TRULY BEEN A BLESSING, EVERY SABBATH, IT NEVER FAILS, 50:36 WE ARE ALWAYS SPIRITUALLY FED. 50:38 I HAVE NEVER LEFT HERE HUNGRY, THIRSTY FOR MORE. 50:41 AND I THANK THE LORD FOR THE WONDERFUL PASTORS, AND 50:44 PASTOR DOUG AND HIS MINISTRY, AND ALL THE OTHER ELDERS 50:48 AND DEACONS HERE. 50:49 THIS IS A WONDERFUL TRUE CHURCH AND I'M SURE THAT EVERY SABBATH 50:52 IF YOU MAKE IT A HABIT OF COMING HERE, YOU TOO WILL BE 50:55 SPIRITUALLY FED, AND YOUR LOVE TOWARDS CHRIST WILL GET CLOSER 50:59 AND STRONGER. 51:01 AND I PRAISE THE LORD FOR THAT, PASTOR. 51:03 >> ELIZABETH, WERE YOU GONNA SAY ANYTHING? 51:05 >> YOU KNOW, I NEED TO SAY SOMETHING. 51:08 OUR KITCHEN CREW WORKS SO HARD EVERY WEEK, AND WE FORGET 51:12 TO SAY THANK YOU. 51:14 I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK THAT THEY DO EVERY 51:18 WEEK, YOU KNOW, PREPARING THOSE MEALS FOR US AND FOR ALL OF US, 51:22 OUR GUESTS. 51:23 AND I WANT TO PRAISE THE LORD FOR OUR PASTORS. 51:25 YOU KNOW, WE'RE SO BLESSED IN THIS CHURCH. 51:27 WE HAVE FOUR PASTORS THAT WE LOVE SO MUCH AND THEIR FAMILIES. 51:30 AND WE PRAISE THE LORD FOR ALL OF YOU, FOR, YOU KNOW? 51:35 >> AMEN. 51:37 THANK YOU, VERY MUCH. 51:38 GOD BLESS YOU. 51:39 YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO, I WANT TO ADD MY APPRECIATION FOR 51:44 MY FAMILY, VERY, VERY THANKFUL FOR KAREN AND THE BOYS, 51:49 AND SUCH A SUPPORT. 51:50 IT'S DIFFICULT BEING MARRIED TO ME, DID YOU KNOW THAT? 51:52 AND HAVING A DAD THAT'S TRAVELING. 51:54 AND BUT I--AND I ALSO NOT ONLY AM VERY THANKFUL FOR THE FAMILY, 51:58 IT'S WONDERFUL HAVING OUR PARENTS, BONNIE AND ED, 52:00 HERE TO BE SO CLOSE BY. 52:02 I WANTED TO ADD EXACTLY WHAT ELIZABETH SAID, I AM 52:06 SO THANKFUL NOT ONLY FOR OUR CONGREGATION HERE-- 52:09 YOU ARE A WONDERFUL CHURCH. 52:11 BELIEVE ME, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHURCHES 52:12 AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING IT. 52:14 AND I AM SO THANKFUL FOR OUR STAFF HERE, PASTOR STEVE AND 52:17 MIKE, AND HAROLD, AND MELISSA IN THE OFFICE AND EVERYBODY THAT 52:21 HELPS, WE'RE JUST SO GRATEFUL. 52:23 WE'VE GOT A WONDERFUL TEAM HERE AND GOD IS TRULY BLESSED. 52:26 AND I PRAY THAT HE'LL BLESS YOU IN THE SEASON AHEAD. 52:30 YOU KNOW, I HEARD A STORY THAT THEY HAD A GATHERING 52:35 AT A CONVENTION IN OMAHA A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. 52:40 BUT THEY GAVE EVERYBODY THAT CAME IN TO THE CONFERENCE 52:43 A HELIUM FILLED BALLOON AT THE BEGINNING, 52:47 AND IT WAS AN OUTDOOR MEETING. 52:49 AND THEY SAID, "IF AT SOME POINT DURING THE SERVICE TODAY, 52:54 WHEN YOU FEEL THAT YOU WANT TO EXPRESS PRAISE TO GOD BECAUSE 52:57 YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR HEART, JUST LET YOUR BALLOON GO." 53:02 AND SO AS THEY WERE GOING ON WITH THE SERVICE, YOU KNOW, 53:05 EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU'D SEE THESE BALLOONS GO UP, AND 53:08 THE PASTOR WOULD SAY SOMETHING INSPIRATIONAL, A FLURRY OF 53:10 LITTLE BALLOONS WOULD FLY UP. 53:12 BUT WHAT THEY OBSERVED IS AT THE END OF THE SERVICE, 53:15 ONE-THIRD OF THE PEOPLE STILL HAD THEIR BALLOONS. 53:19 THEY HAD NEVER REALLY LET THEIR PRAISE GO. 53:24 AND HOW SAD TO BRING IT HOME AND WATCH IT SLOWLY LOSE ITS LIFT 53:30 AND TURN INTO A PILE OF SAGGING RUBBER IN THE CORNER SOMEWHERE. 53:37 YOU WANT TO LET IT GO WHILE IT FLIES. 53:41 THE LIVING PRAISE THE LORD. 53:43 HAS GOD GIVEN YOU SOMETHING TO PRAISE HIM FOR? 53:46 HAS HE GIVEN YOU SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR? 53:50 THANK HIM. 53:51 YOU KNOW, THE MORE YOU THANK HIM, YOU PAVE THE WAY 53:54 FOR FUTURE BENEFITS. 53:56 FATHER IN HEAVEN, LORD, IT IS OUR DESIRE THAT THE WORDS OF OUR 54:02 MOUTH, MEDITATION OF OUR HEARTS, THE PRAISE IN OUR VOICES, WILL 54:07 BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT. 54:09 LORD, I PRAY THAT YOU'LL HELP US TO ADD MORE PRAISE TO OUR DAYS. 54:14 I PRAY THAT WE WILL PRACTICE PRAISE, SO IT WILL COME MORE 54:17 SPONTANEOUSLY AT THE APPROPRIATE TIMES. 54:21 HELP US NOT ONLY TO PRAISE YOU IN THIS HOUSE OF WORSHIP, 54:23 BUT HELP US TO PRAISE YOU BEFORE THE MULTITUDE, 54:26 THE WORLD THAT IS LOST. 54:28 AND WE KNOW THAT SOON A MIDNIGHT HOUR IS COMING, AND I PRAY THAT 54:32 WE CAN BE PRAISING YOU NOW, SO WE'RE PREPARED 54:35 TO PRAISE YOU THEN. 54:36 BLESS YOUR PEOPLE, LORD, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO THANK YOU FOR, 54:39 INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON OUR MISFORTUNE AND OUR TRIALS, HELP 54:44 US TO FOCUS ON YOUR GOODNESS AND OUR BLESSINGS. 54:46 BE WITH US AS WE GO FROM THIS PLACE, THAT WE MIGHT BE A PEOPLE 54:50 FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, A PEOPLE OF PRAISE. 54:53 WE ASK IN CHRIST'S NAME, AMEN. 54:57 >> HELLO FRIENDS, I'M DOUG BATCHELOR. 54:59 FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN 55:03 A MINISTRY OF EVANGELISM, REACHING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, 55:07 CHANGING LIVES WITH THE POWERFUL MESSAGE OF HOPE 55:11 AND PURPOSE FOUND IN THE BIBLE. 55:13 AS DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, WE HERE AT AMAZING FACTS HAVE ACCEPTED 55:17 THE GREAT COMMISSION CHALLENGE, TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS 55:20 THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. 55:22 WHAT BEGAN AS A 15-MINUTE RADIO PROGRAM HAS BEEN BLESSED BY GOD 55:26 TO GROW INTO A MULTIFACETED INTERNATIONAL MEDIA MINISTRY. 55:31 THESE ARE TRULY EXCITING TIMES, YET WE CANNOT DO ANY OF THIS 55:35 WITHOUT YOUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP. 55:38 >> THE AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN A HUGE CORNERSTONE IN 55:41 MY WHOLE CONVERSION EXPERIENCE AND MY WALK WITH CHRIST. 55:45 >> INVESTING IN AMAZING FACTS IS A NO-BRAINER. 55:48 IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN ETERNITY. 55:50 >> I'M SO THANKFUL FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING AT AMAZING FACTS. 55:51 IT'S CHANGING PEOPLE'S LIVES. 55:53 >> AMAZING FACTS HAS TOUCHED MY LIFE IN WAYS THAT 55:56 I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN. 55:58 >> WE ARE A PART OF GOD'S GREATER, GREATER PLAN. 56:01 >> INVESTMENT IN AMAZING FACTS IS ACTUALLY AN INVESTMENT 56:04 IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 56:06 >> I'M A PRODUCT OF THE GIFTS THAT SOMEONE HAS GIVEN. 56:10 >> I'M ONE CHANGED LIFE. 56:12 >> I'LL NEVER BE THE SAME. 56:13 >> THOUSANDS OF LOST SOULS ARE COMING TO KNOW JESUS, 56:16 AND ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO HIS LIKENESS. 56:19 THOUSANDS MORE ARE EXPERIENCING NEW DEPTH IN 56:22 THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. 56:25 WE BELIEVE THAT THROUGH CONTINUED PRAYER, TRUST IN GOD, 56:28 AND OUR SACRIFICIAL GIVING, THAT WE CAN TAKE THIS MESSAGE 56:31 OF HOPE AROUND THE WORLD TO ONE AND TO ALL. 56:45 >> HOW MUCH MORE EXCITING CAN IT BE THAN THAT? 57:02 >> JOURNEY BACK THROUGH TIME TO THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, 57:07 DISCOVER HOW A PERFECT ANGEL TRANSFORMED INTO SATAN, 57:11 THE ARCH VILLAIN, THE BIRTH OF EVIL, 57:15 A REBELLION IN HEAVEN, A MUTINY THAT MOVED TO EARTH. 57:21 BEHOLD THE CREATION OF A BEAUTIFUL, NEW PLANET 57:25 AND THE FIRST HUMANS. 57:27 WITNESS THE TEMPTATION IN EDEN. 57:30 DISCOVER GOD'S AMAZING PLAN TO SAVE HIS CHILDREN. 57:34 THIS IS A STORY THAT INVOLVES EVERY LIFE ON EARTH, EVERY LIFE. 57:41 "THE COSMIC CONFLICT," IF GOD IS GOOD, IF GOD IS ALL POWERFUL, 57:47 IF GOD IS LOVE, THEN WHAT WENT WRONG? 57:51 AVAILABLE NOW ON DVD. |
Revised 2015-02-06