The LifeStyle Of PRAISE

[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Reverend Dr. David Entry. We know you will be blessed as you seek and serve God. We believe that this message will stir up a desire for more of God even as you listen.

[0:14] Be blessed. Father, we thank you for tonight. Thank we have the opportunity to hear your word. I submit myself to you. Speak through me, Holy Spirit. What your people need, Father, I pray that you speak that to your people and you speak that to me.

[0:27] And I thank you that your word will come in power, will come with ease and transform our lives in Jesus' name. Amen. The lifestyle of praise. Amen. Psalm 34.

[0:39] It says that I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

[0:50] Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exhort his name together. Amen. My emphasis is on I will bless the Lord at all times and his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

[1:04] Amen. We want to see how best to make sure that we are not just doing only warfare or we are not just doing Thanksgiving, but it actually becomes a lifestyle. Because what I realize is life is in ups and downs.

[1:17] I'm sure if you have gone above at least by 15, you would have realized that in life there are a few ups and a few downs. And then there are a lot of normal. Isn't it? Day to day is like the grind.

[1:29] You wake up, go to work, do your stuff, come back home. No, life is going on. It's ticking on, isn't it? And then you have, you know, believe God. God comes through for you. You have a few ups, exciting times, praising God, thanking him, giving testimonies of all the things he's done.

[1:45] And then a few rough times. Sometimes the waters must be shaking a bit, you know, just to see how murky he is. You have to, you know, roughing it a bit, stare it up a bit just to see what is underneath, what is lying there.

[1:56] So life, every now and then there'll be a bit of staring. It is necessary. Most Christians don't like that. You think, I was like, why? God, where are you? What are you doing? You know, you're sitting up there.

[2:07] You're not looking at me. What's going on? All of that. Pastor spoke about murmuring. It's just no good. It's just, God doesn't like that. But anyway, we still have some downs. Those downs are there to prepare us for the next level, to strengthen us, to deepen our faith in God.

[2:23] It's actually an opportunity to express your faith and work your faith. And also to learn a bit of patience in working with God. Very necessary. So when you're having your apps, you are just so excited and seeing God's hand at work.

[2:38] And the natural thing as a Christian is to praise God. You hear the testimony. You hear the news. You see the letter come through. You see a report and you are just excited.

[2:50] God, I thank you. So praise as a Christian when we've received some testimony. So God has done something great. It's just spontaneous. It's just your automatic reaction. It would be very strange for a Christian because even non-believers do that.

[3:04] Sometimes they don't even realize that. They say, oh, wow, thank God. They just say that. And, you know, maybe they were brought up in church at a young age or just part of their language. People they associate with and all that. It's just part of their language.

[3:15] But they express some excitement and some joy and some thanksgiving to God. We all do when some great things happen. And we've been taught that when you're going through some rough times, just engage the warfare praise.

[3:26] You know, so you're praising God, but you have something in sight that you're praising God about. Even though the situation looks gloom, you are still blessing God, thanking him, dancing, doing some strange things, excited.

[3:38] And you think, she all right. She knows what she's doing. He knows what he's doing. He's praising God in a time of difficulty. And those are the praise warfare that we've been taught recently. I hope some of us are engaging it.

[3:49] It would be a shame. It would be wrong. And it would be wrong. You would have done your destiny great injustice if you don't take this and use it as a weapon at any given time.

[4:00] Because it is sure. It delivers. It delivers more than some other things that we've been engaging in the past. Because how can you be down and still go, God, and say, God, I just thank you.

[4:12] I just love you. Even if you're a child, you, because sometimes, you know, sorry, but it happens. But straight away, even if you still want to be staying just to, you know, discipline the child or teach the lesson.

[4:24] So you have moved from a state of being upset with a child. But if you, if you, you have the opportunity to analyze, calm down a bit and just communicate the discipline you're trying to come, you're trying to give, but you won't be upset.

[4:40] You won't be horrible. You won't be that harsh with the child just because they said, but I love you. Even we human beings with faults and flaws. When somebody tells us that they love you, you, you get a bit broken no matter how hard you are.

[4:52] There's an adage that even if you're hard, you're not harder than a stone, you know? So when you receive some love, you, it breaks you down in a certain way. How much more God? How much more God?

[5:02] So it's, it's, it's, it's just the right thing to do in, even in when things are not so good. But today our emphasis is about the 70%, 75% of life.

[5:13] When things are just normal, when things are just normal, how do we continually, I will bless the Lord at all times, up times, down times, and normal times.

[5:25] Because if you testify with me, when things are just rolling normally, most of us will wake up, I think, just gauging the spiritual atmosphere. So we want to develop a lifestyle of praise where it's not just about the ups.

[5:38] It's not just about the downs, which will just account for about 25 to 30% of our lives. How do we make sure that the 70 to 75% of the time of our lives, we are engaging praise?

[5:51] We are making sure that God is getting his due because I will bless the Lord at all times. And his praise will continually, not sporadically, will continually be in my mouth.

[6:03] So it is necessary that it's not just this month of praise, that we are geared up in praising God, we've learned something new, and maybe the following month it begins to wind down gradually, and then three months down the line, we are in a new revelation.

[6:19] Maybe the revelation of something else has come, and we are busily engaging it. No. But the things God teaches, they are supposed to be kept. The fathers of all, that's what they did.

[6:30] They kept the revelations God gave them, and they passed it on. That is why we are, these things, the Bible says that, entrust unto faithful men who are able to teach others, passing on.

[6:42] But if it's not your reality, you soon forget, you soon forget, and leave it aside, and look for the next new thing that would work wonders for you. It shouldn't be like that. It should be adding on, line upon line, precepts upon precepts.

[6:56] Not take one block, put it aside, this block delivered, this A, put it there. Find the next block to build on, and put it aside. No. If you build like that, you will never finish building. Because if you pick one block and put it down, and say the next block, okay, the next block, I'll take this one off, and put the new block there.

[7:12] You will never finish your building. Never. But it should be built on. We should build on. From one revelation to another, we should build on. So praise should always be in our mouths.

[7:23] I should bless the Lord at all times, and his praise should continually be in my mouth. Say to yourself, I will bless the Lord at all times, and his praise will continually be in my mouth.

[7:39] Amen. Let's look at Psalm 69, verse 30. Psalm 69, verse 30. It says that I will praise the name of the Lord with a song. I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

[7:50] There are many I wills. I will bless. I will praise. I will magnify. I will extol. If you go through the Psalms, many of them, this is one example. I will. The Psalmist said, I will bless.

[8:01] I will praise. So it is a decision. It is a decision. To praise God is a decision. So when I spoke about in my introduction that in the ups and in the downs, those are reactions.

[8:13] Reactions. But how many of us know that in life, when you're waiting for reactions, many things will happen. Many, many, many things will happen. A lot of us are relaxed, believing God for some major breakthroughs. But many, many of those breakthroughs will never happen.

[8:25] And it's not God's fault. He always planned it for you. The same way in praise. If you're waiting for something to happen before you can praise God, your praise will be very, very low. Very low.

[8:36] And when you get to heaven, you realize that the tank was supposed to be here and it's somewhere here. Because you were waiting to be either up or to be down before you can engage praise. But it should be a normal part of our lives. I will, I will, I will is a decision.

[8:50] I will, I will. I'm not waiting on my emotions to feel happy, to feel excited before I praise God. It's a normal thing when you're excited to praise God as a Christian. But I will bless the Lord.

[9:02] I will praise God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So it has to be your own personal decision. Your own personal commitment to God. That as a Christian, at any given opportunity, it was interesting.

[9:13] I will bless the Lord at all times. I will bless the Lord at seven times. I will bless the Lord more than seven times. Any given opportunity will remind us that we must bless the Lord.

[9:26] Hallelujah. It is a decision. A Christian cannot afford not to praise God. You can't afford not to praise God. Even when your prayer life is low, your praise life must never be low.

[9:39] It must never be low. When you don't know, you don't have anything to say to God. How can you stop blessing him? Sometimes, some of us, we think we don't have anything to pray about.

[9:50] And it can be normal, especially when you are of a certain age. And mom and dad take care of you. And you come for three-hour prayers. And you see these old men with gray hair. Doing the fight, the karate.

[10:04] And you think, what is it that we have to pray for three hours? Four hours? You think, I've said everything. Especially if you don't speak in tongues. Most people say, I've said everything. Five minutes. Done. God, I need A.

[10:14] I need B. I need C. I need D. What is it that they're asking from God? You will grow and you will see. Or you will encounter a few things and you will see.

[10:25] But even when God has blessed you and has brought you to your wealthy place. And you think, God, I don't even want to ask anything. You've done more than enough. There's always an opportunity to praise God. There's always a reason to praise him.

[10:37] It's not just about the things he's done. But also for who he is. For just who he is. There's more than enough things to praise God about. Just for who he is. Just for the fact that we are called.

[10:49] That can get you praise for the rest of your life. Just for the fact that you, me, I am called. Is enough. To praise God. So we always have a reason to praise God.

[10:59] A Christian cannot afford not to praise God. Because what you're doing is repelling him. You're murmuring. You're indifference. You know, sometimes you're not murmuring. But you're indifference. You are disengaged.

[11:10] You don't have a heart connection. Life, you are just taking the Christian life. Come, go, do this, do that, do that. You are just taking the box. And there's no heart connection. It's not safe for you.

[11:21] It's not safe. It's not safe. You're actually disengaged. His mercy covers you. His protection covers you. But you don't get the best of God. You don't get the best of God. Most parents will tell you they don't love one child more than the other.

[11:31] But one is more endeared to the child than many others. One is more endeared to the parent. Because of the way they do their things. Because of the way they can sneak in. And start rubbing your head.

[11:42] And making, braiding your hair. And talking about things that interest you. They just get you going. All of a sudden you are talking. Pouring your heart. Da, da, da, da, da. Why? Because they have found a way of expressing love to you.

[11:55] And that is how we have to be towards God. If you are not praising God, you are disengaged. You could be praying, but you are still disengaged. Because your heart connection is gone. If you love somebody, it will show you how you talk to him.

[12:06] How you express yourself towards that person. Him or her. If you love. The same way is with God. The same way. So in a home. A couple could be there. And they will be doing. Have you done this?

[12:17] Yes. No. Did you go here? Did you do that? Did you pick the thing? Life is going on normal. But you know that. Love has gone down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down. It is beginning to dwindle. It is beginning to.

[12:27] Because you are not being endeared towards each other. So it is. The communication is relegated to. The necessary things they have to talk about. And married people, they know. That when it is like.

[12:38] That they just know. Trouble de como. And the thing is. Not as it should be. But we are enduring. And most of us are enduring our relationship with God.

[12:48] You are just enduring. You know you have nowhere else to go. This Christian life you have come into. You can't go out. Because it is worse out there. So you have to stay. The devil will go bite you. Most of us.

[12:58] And then what God will do for you. Because of that. We have kept quiet. And we are staying. Because you can't get it anyway. So you have decided to stay. But that is wrong. You are wasting your time.

[13:09] You are wasting your time. Rather engage. A heartfelt relationship with God. And that would be the beginning of great things. It will turn things around. Amen. So how do we make sure that we have continuous praise?

[13:23] How do we ensure that our praise is continual? The first thing. The necessary part of it is to develop and guard our joy. Develop and guard your joy. Develop and guard your joy.

[13:34] You think how do I develop joy? Joy is supposed to just come. No. Joy doesn't just come. That is happiness. When you hear glad tidings. You are happy. That is happiness. Joy is something more than that.

[13:45] Joy can be generated. And it can be guarded. Happiness is left for the happenings of life. Happiness is based on the happenings. So most of us are looking for happiness.

[13:56] Rather than generate, develop and guard your joy. Because for your joy. Your joy is not about what is happening. It's not about what is happening. Let's look at Psalm 43 verse 3.

[14:08] Verse 4. Psalm 43 verse 4. Some of us. What we are going to read will not be enough for you. But that is what God is saying. Psalm 43 verse 4 says. Then I will go to the altar of God.

[14:19] To God my exceeding joy. And on the harp I will praise you. Oh God my God. The emphasis is. To God my exceeding joy. So as a Christian, God is your joy.

[14:31] Not all the things that are happening. What he has done and what he hasn't done. Or what he has yet to do. God himself is your joy. So the fact that you are a Christian. Joy exists. You have joy.

[14:42] Because you have God. That's why I said some of you. This won't be enough. You were thinking that it should be something more. Maybe this and that. And all the promises that would come to pass. By force. By crook.

[14:53] By means. Whatever. You thought that would be your joy. No. God himself. The psalmist said. He is my exceeding joy. Joy overflow.

[15:04] Abundant joy. Just because I have God. That's it. That's it. So there is. Even if there is nothing happening. You should be joyful. You should.

[15:14] You should be joyful. Because you have God. That's it. God is my exceeding joy. Isaiah 61 verse 10. It says. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. He is rejoicing in God.

[15:27] My soul shall be joyful in my God. My soul is joyful. Not anywhere else. But in God. I rejoice. Not for any other reason. But I rejoice greatly in the Lord.

[15:39] And my soul is joyful in my God. So you realize that in the earth. That is why the saints of old. And many of us in our day to day.

[15:50] We can go through tough times and still be smiling. It's not because of anything. But it's because God is more than enough. Just him alone is more than enough.

[16:02] He is our joy. Let him be your joy. No situations. Make a determination. That God. As long as I have you. Contentment.

[16:13] I am content. My life is sorted. Not will be sorted. My life is sorted. Because I have God. I am alright. I am good. It is well with me.

[16:24] Because I have God. I have exceeding joy. Abounding joy. I am leaping and dancing. I am jumping and singing. Not for any other reason. But because I have God.

[16:37] That's it. Because at the end of the day. All the things we are working hard for. We will believe in them. And spend time with this God. Spend eternity with him. If he is not sufficient for you.

[16:50] I don't know what else will be. Honestly. I don't know what else will be. If God is not sufficient. Then nothing else will satisfy you. That is why a lot of us today. Because we have not settled with this issue. God you are my exceeding joy.

[17:01] Because we are not settled with that. Nothing else settles us. Nothing else settles us. If it is not. I am looking for a good uni. To a particular cause.

[17:12] You are so restless. You get it. Okay. I go into uni. Doing well. Doing well. Doing well. Okay. I want a first. I am so restless. I have to. I have to. Okay. God gives you a first.

[17:23] But that is not enough. So we have to get a job. So you are looking for a job. It has to be this particular job. With this particular salary. I am not saying of us should be content. At any level. No. I don't believe in that. Personally. I am not even like that.

[17:33] It is like. Why? Why is it on one level? For how? It is just a waste of destiny. For you to remain at one level. For you. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Don't. It is evil. It is not a blessing. It is not a blessing. That is not what God has for you.

[17:44] So that is not what I am advocating. But if you can rest in God. And God himself be your exceeding joy. Every level. Once you get there. You realize that that is not enough. That is not enough.

[17:55] Most of us. When you didn't have 100 pounds. You said. Okay. I will start saving once I get it. You get it. Look at your account. Oh. I am going overdrawn. I am not overdrawn anymore. So today. Now I stay in black alone. Then you start thinking.

[18:05] I need to save. You go into your account. And say. Wow. It is like a window. It would be nice. If it was like some gold bars. You open your gold bars. You smile. And say. Oh. Thank you. Jesus. But the next time. You hear.

[18:16] Oh. You had two gold bars. You thought you had broken through. Hey. Me. I have two gold bars. God has blessed me. Then you hear your neighbor. Actually has ten gold bars. Aye. Then your worry starts.

[18:28] You are not happy anymore. At all. Because now you have to get eleven. Or ten and a half. Gold bars. Because your neighbor has got ten now. All of a sudden. All the joy.

[18:39] Gone. Because you are busily in competition with somebody else. If God is not enough for you. You settle this. And settle it now. If God is not enough for me. Nothing else. That is why the world out there.

[18:49] They are pursuing everything by any means possible. Because they don't have God. But if Christians will revert to that. Then it's very sad. We've lost the main thing. We've lost sight of what is important.

[19:01] God is our exceeding joy. Hallelujah. Amen. An interesting thing I came across. Is when. When the men. Men from the east. They are normally called three wise men.

[19:12] But the Bible doesn't say three. So. It just says men from the east. It's just because it's gold, mer, and frankincense. It's assumed that they were three. So one will come with gold. Another will come with mer.

[19:24] Another will come. No, no, no. It just said men from the east. So that's just something on the side. But. Matthew chapter 2 verse 10 said. When they saw the star. It was with great. We even sing it.

[19:35] With exceeding joy. When they saw the star. And when they saw the star. They rejoiced. With exceeding great joy. When they saw the star. The sign that the Savior has been born.

[19:46] A baby in a manger. Men traveled from the east. Far. When they came. They traveled far. As they saw the star. They rejoiced. I can imagine.

[19:57] All they are. You know. They are seen in turbans. And all of that. Exceeding great. No formula. Joy. You wonder. Grown men.

[20:08] Who have studied. To realize. A Savior will be born at this time. When just the star. Just the star was enough. Just the promise was enough. Just the word was enough.

[20:19] For them to rejoice. With exceeding great joy. We have the Savior with us. He is no more a baby. He is no more working here on earth. He is no more on the cross.

[20:31] But seated at the right hand of the Father Almighty. And we can have joy. You are doing yourself great injustice. Because the battle is done. They at that time. Jesus was just a baby.

[20:42] He hadn't performed one miracle. No one. He hadn't. He was a baby. But when they saw just the star. They rejoiced. Because they knew. That the Savior has been born.

[20:53] The change has finally come. Transformation is finally here. Redemption is now here. The justification is now here. From justification. We will be going to glorification. It is happening now.

[21:04] Live and colored. They rejoiced. Some of them may not even have grown. To see the Savior come into maturity. And do all that he would do. But they rejoice knowing. They rejoice knowing that the change has come.

[21:15] You are experiencing the change now. And you are sad. You've got issues. Deal with it. No I mean it. Too many Christians are too sad. Too many Christians are too sad. And too down.

[21:25] Because of material things. Because of things that A has not gone well. Or B hasn't gone well. And we can be sad for days and weeks. Upset with God. Deny ourselves of joy.

[21:37] True joy. Working with God. Having a relationship with him. We deny ourselves. Working with the head. With our head bowed down. Thou oh Lord at my shield. My glory. And the lifter up of my head.

[21:47] What else do you want? What else would he give you? God's all has been giving. His very best has been giving. That's not enough for some of us.

[21:58] Nothing else will be enough. You go through your 80 years. Your 90 years. Your 110. Whatever you believe in God for. Sad. Sad. Your head bowed. Grumpy.

[22:09] Down. Why? Develop joy. Let your joy be in God. And for who he is. And the fact that he's called you. And guard it. Guard it. Guard it. Guard it.

[22:19] Because issues will come. And they come all the time. They come when you least expect. They will come. They will just hit you. Boom. What are you going to do? You don't have. You can't say don't come.

[22:30] Because he doesn't even give you an appointment. It's that rude. The issues of life. They are that rude. They don't care. They just come. I have arrived. Move. They take a seat. So you have to make a. You have to set yourself.

[22:42] That God is my exceeding joy. Just settle that. Settle that. Because. Or else. Life. The taste of life won't be sweet in your mouth. But that's it. That's it.

[22:53] That's how God made it. And that's how it's going to be. Exactly. So how do we generate joy? Ephesians chapter 5 verse 19. Think my. Ephesians 5 verse 19.

[23:04] First I quote to the scripture. We go just to read it. So that we remind ourselves. When you don't feel like it. You know what to do. What to do to ensure that. Speaking to one another.

[23:16] In psalms and hymns. And spiritual songs. Singing and making melody in your heart. To the Lord. You can speak to yourself too in psalms. So when you wake up. You don't feel like it.

[23:26] I will bless the Lord at all times. The spirit shall continue in my mouth. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. In spite of what I'm going through. Oh it's a privilege for God to be my shepherd. Lord you are my shepherd.

[23:38] Hey great God. You are my shepherd. It is an honor. I bow before you. Because as a shepherd. You are called a good shepherd. Oh I give. For me to lay beside the still waters. Still waters.

[23:49] Lord I thank you. That my waters are still. In spite of what I'm seeing. My waters. They are still. In the name of Jesus. You set a table before me. Oh thank you Lord. Who am I for you to set a table before me.

[23:59] What is man that you are mindful of. I will bless you at all times. I will bless you at all. Just begin to speak some psalms to yourself. Don't wait to come to church. Before your praise and worship leader.

[24:10] Will have to do some things. Before you can express 10 minutes joy. You are losing out. You are losing out. Speak to yourself some psalms. Some hymns. Spiritual songs.

[24:20] Didier Tanpa taught us. How to make some spiritual songs. Continue with it.

[24:34] You won't know where the joy came from. All of a sudden. You have lifted yourself out of sadness. You have lifted yourself out of mourning. And you are just in a celebratory mood. Because you spoke to yourself some psalms.

[24:46] Some hymns. You have been doing. You have been engaging some spiritual songs. Sing some good praise and worship songs. You might not feel it to start off. But you will know when you start kicking it. You start dancing.

[24:57] Making some moves. Just being happy with yourself. Just saying God. God do I love you. Yeah. Oh. Smiles will begin.

[25:08] Some of us. We won't do it. That's the problem. It's not because it won't happen. Just engage it and see. Try it. All of a sudden. You see smile. The attitude is more important than the features.

[25:19] Make melody in your heart to the Lord. Make some sweet songs to the Lord. Make melody in your heart. Oh. Make melody. Let your heart sweeten you.

[25:31] Look. You can engage it. It will happen so quickly. It will surprise you. It's not just for some kind of people. Anybody can engage this. And you see joy being generated in your heart.

[25:41] You can go your day. And you be like you are deluded. I better be deluded in God. Than face the harsh realities of life. I prefer being deluded in God. I'm not saying I don't see the issues.

[25:52] But oh. I see the issues. And I dance at it. At all times. I will bless the Lord. At all times. I will bless the Lord. At all times. I will bless the Lord. At all times. I will bless the Lord.

[26:03] Hallelujah. That is how you generate joy. You do it. You make it a point. You commit to it. I will. I will. Is a will. And examine your focus. In keeping your joy.

[26:14] Guarding your joy. Examine your focus. Most of us. Because of wrong focus. We can't keep our joy. Either generate it or keep it. When we have generated it. Because we have wrong focus.

[26:26] Because we are looking at the wrong thing. Instead of God being my exceeding joy. You are looking at other things. The things that have not been done. The things that have taken your attention. The things that have taken priority over God.

[26:36] Recently. About two months ago. Just before we. Before we started the fast. I was just praying one day. And I just had this spirit. I just had in my spirit that. Make me your constant priority.

[26:49] And I just started praying about through the fast. I was praying. God you will be my. Grace for you to be my constant priority. Grace that you will be my constant priority. So in spite of all things.

[27:00] In spite of everything that's happening. It doesn't matter what. God is still my constant priority. So there are shifting. There are movements. Going on. But still my focus is on God. That all the storms are raging on the side.

[27:11] Everywhere. But my focus is on God. He's my constant priority. And I bet he's taking me through things. He's taking me through issues. And I've come out. Because he's my constant priority.

[27:22] He's my focus. Examine your focus. Sometimes we are looking at the storms. Sometimes we are looking at issues. Sometimes even the good things. The blessing that we are enjoying. We are looking at the blessing. Focus on the blesser.

[27:34] Focus on the blesser. Let him be your constant priority. At any given time. He is your priority. Make God your priority. That way you can guard your joy. Doesn't matter what's going on.

[27:44] You guard your joy. The other thing that we do. To ensure that we have continuous praises. You encourage yourself. You encourage yourself. Encourage yourself.

[27:57] In 1 Samuel chapter 30 verse 3 to 6. It says we've read the scripture many times in church. That David and his men went to battle. When they came back. Their enemies had come to pick their wives and their kids.

[28:09] And it's a shock. Women are always with their kids most of the time. But the kids give their men stability. Keep them going. I find it strange. But I realize that the men don't express it all the time.

[28:21] But if you take a man's kids away. You've really messed him up. Really. Really. Really. The kids keep their men going. In the scripture of 1 Samuel chapter 30 verse 3 to 6.

[28:31] It talks about great men had gone to war. They've done valiantly. They'd come back. Their enemies had taken their wife and their children. And they said men of war. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Imagine Arnold.

[28:43] And then Van Damme. And which other one? Jackie Chan doesn't have their stature though. Isn't it? So. We want the whole. The whole shebang. So there's stature and everything.

[28:55] Rumble. Rumble. How could I? How could I forget? You have all of them. In these modern days. They are not. Even. They say. Whoever is going to be. A war commander. No. No. The old ones.

[29:06] These ones. They had everything. Stature and all. Slim, slim guys say they are commandos. They are not. But imagine all these. Imagine. So. Imagine all these people.

[29:16] Come from war with victory. Excited. They come home. Their wife and kids are taken away. And they are. Just distraught. They are beside themselves. They said. You David. We're going to stone you.

[29:27] David would begin to think. Did I not hear from God? What did I do wrong? Look. We've won the victory. Yeah. We've come back to issues. That doesn't mean all of a sudden. You held me. That you've led us to a great battle.

[29:39] And you've led us into victory. All of a sudden. All that is gone. That's the difficulty of leadership. But when you've been given it. You've given the grace to go with it. So. David said.

[29:49] Look. You are being blamed. For somebody's wife and kids being taken away. And these are strong men crying with arms on. Sitting down. They are just beside themselves. And David goes back and thinks.

[30:01] What am I going to do? Some of us will be thinking. Having sleepless nights. Wondering. What is God? Why did you do this? Why didn't you just keep them? Why didn't you bring us slightly early?

[30:11] So that we'll meet these men. And conquer them as well. And take our wife and kids. Why didn't you make sure that these men. As they were approaching. Something happened to them. Like you've done in other times.

[30:22] In other times. We didn't even have to fight. You threw hailstones on the ground. And you killed more people than we could ever do. In the battle. So God why did you allow? We were not even there.

[30:33] Could you not just protect? We are fighting for your cause. Lifting your name up. Saying the God of Israel is Jehovah indeed. Why could you not just take care of our wives and kids? Because you knew we couldn't help it.

[30:45] Somebody could have reverted to that. But David encouraged himself. Not in any other thing. Not in the fact that he has a strategy. He didn't encourage himself. Like okay I know. This is what I'm going to do.

[30:56] Let me call my key guys. We'll do A. We'll do B. We'll do C. He didn't do any of that. He didn't go online. To check what other people have said in different forums. He didn't. He didn't call a friend.

[31:08] Phone a friend. 50-50. He didn't do that. But the Bible says he encouraged himself in the Lord. Let God be your constant priority. Let him be your exceeding joy.

[31:19] Revert to God at any given time. He is sure. He is faithful. He encouraged himself in the Lord. Speak to yourself. There are many times that no other person can speak to you.

[31:30] You must speak to yourself. If you choose not to speak, you'll be going down and down and down waiting for somebody else to speak to you. But the word is in your mouth.

[31:42] The word is in your mouth. Speak to yourself. Speak to your situation. Speak to your condition. But more importantly, speak to yourself. Pick yourself up with the word of God.

[31:54] Speak to yourself. Sit down and analyze and say, God's word says this. Why can't I believe it? Believe it. Call your name out. Believe that God said this.

[32:05] Believe that God said this. Take this word and make it your firm foundation. Speak to yourself. A lot of times you're waiting for somebody to speak to you. But many times God has put the word in your mouth.

[32:18] Speak to yourself. Encourage yourself in the Lord. Encourage yourself. Most of us are down for months on end because you're waiting for somebody to tell you you are okay.

[32:31] You're waiting for somebody to tell you that it will be well. It has its place. But those are trickles. If you can wake up every day and speak to yourself. As you're going, you speak the word to yourself.

[32:43] As you're coming back in, you're speaking the word to yourself. As you're going to bed, lay your head down, you're speaking to yourself. You wake up as you're praising, you're speaking to yourself. You will see the change in your life.

[32:54] You don't have to be down. It's a choice. And most of us are choosing to be down. Most of us are busy doing that. You virtually have to work yourself. At that point where you have to work yourself to be sad, God has already given you the victory.

[33:08] He has relieved you of that burden. He has relieved you of that burden already. But you choose to be sad one more time. Some of us, it's kind of a justification for us that we are in this state and we have to be sad.

[33:25] It is your right to be sad because things have not gone well. You think it's your right. You have to show God that you are very upset. And the thing that he is doing, because you don't want to say that, God, I'm upset, now you are sad.

[33:40] You've chosen to be very sad. You can't even open your mouth to sing praises. God, I'm sad. The whole world must know, are you okay? Are you okay?

[33:50] Your is more than enough. You don't have to say anything. The sigh, it speaks it all. But no, this was a lesson I learned. The second time, I said, what am I doing?

[34:02] I heard in my spirit, you can choose not to be sad anymore. You can choose not to mourn anymore. I realized I was actually making a conscious choice to mourn. And after days of meditation, wandering, going on, trying to explore that, I realized that God will give you.

[34:17] He will relieve you of it. But you can choose to go back and take it on. After that, not much grace is available. Because it's your choice now. It's your choice now. He's giving it to you.

[34:28] But you can choose whether to use it or not. You know, and the battle becomes more and more difficult. As you push into it, as you push into sorrow, push into sadness, it becomes more and more difficult to pick yourself up from it.

[34:40] So some of us must make a decision that we no more choose to be sad. News may come and all of a sudden you are broken down. But God has a way of bringing relief. When the relief comes, take it.

[34:51] Take it. Take it. There's no justification for you to be sad. There's no justification. Deal with your sin. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation. Deal with sin. Deal with it quickly.

[35:04] Deal with sin because it will take your joy. It will steal your joy. So if you want to guard your joy, stay away from sin. If it so happens, deal with it quickly. So that you can move on.

[35:14] Or the devil will hold you down because of unconfessed sin. So deal with it. And one thing I've realized over years is sin, the root of sin is your thought life.

[35:26] Deal with your thought life. If you don't deal with your thought life, you may be thinking in secret, thinking in secret, thinking in secret. One day it will pop out. And you will like it.

[35:37] Once it pops out, you will like it. So in the thought life, even though, as for God, by the time it's in the thought life, it's already happened. Men, okay, they can't see. You continue.

[35:48] Continue, continue, continue, continue in your thought life. Don't deal with it. By the time you realize, you wouldn't know when it will sneak out. It's out. Big trouble. Big trouble.

[36:00] Unpleasant trouble. Just because you don't deal with it in your thought life. So cut it at the root. When it becomes a thought. Yeah, passing thoughts will pass. Passing thoughts will pass, you know.

[36:12] Passing thoughts, but don't dwell on it. As soon as they pass it through, I refuse. Out, out, out, out, out, out, out. I don't want you in my life. Out. Deal with it.

[36:24] Deal with it. Rather than think, okay, I'm in secret. So nobody knows. God knows. He'll give you a rope. If you don't deal with it, he'll find you out. Amen.

[36:34] So deal with it. That will guide you. Your joy will make sure that you are working in continuous praise. Because when you have sin, when you can't live in dedication to the things of God, dedication to God, it will take away your praise.

[36:48] And develop a heart after God's heart. What matters to God is what matters to you. What matters to God is what matters to you. And the things that cause joy for the Lord is what causes joy for you.

[37:02] Once you have your heart set like that, it's impossible for you to be out of joy. Working closely with God. Developing a heart. I can just imagine David when his brothers were at home, sometimes going to battle, do all kinds of things.

[37:16] He was in the backside, just tending the sheep. And from there, he learned how to play. And there, he worshipped God. Most of us are in that state in life at the moment.

[37:29] Take it as an opportunity to develop your praise and worship attitude towards God. Because it was, the praise that he exhibited outside was stemming from his continuous worship he had in the back desert.

[37:42] It wasn't just all of a sudden he's seen the ark and he's going mad. Others saw the ark. The ark had been there since Moses. We haven't heard anybody dancing and throwing their clothing off themselves because of the ark.

[37:54] Some would have walked reverently, thinking, okay, the ark is coming. The ark is coming. The ark is coming. So we have to be very holy in a very particular way. No. It was because of who he was back then.

[38:08] When he saw, oh, this is the presence I've always known. This is the presence that any time I play the ark and sing with a sheep, this is the presence I know. He couldn't help himself.

[38:19] He couldn't be keenly. He couldn't be all majestic. He just recognized the presence because he knew that presence. In the times when your life feels like not much is happening, develop your praise life.

[38:33] Develop your worship life. Develop it. Develop it. Develop it. Without that, when you haven't learned that, when it comes to the point of when you can express it, that the eye of God will fall upon you.

[38:46] You won't have it. You won't have it. You will fall in the category of you are supposed to be ceremonial rather than at a time where you're supposed to be expressing praise, which is going to take your name into the times to come, into the line of destiny.

[39:03] You missed it. So develop it. Develop it. Develop it. By God's grace, none of us has made it yet. None of us. By God's grace, we are on our way to our wealthy place.

[39:14] So this is the time to develop it. Develop your heart. Have a heart towards the things of God. Develop your warm relationship with God. Develop it. Learn it.

[39:26] Learn it. Learn it. When you are too busy in the future that God is preparing you, you will not be void of praise. You will not be voice of worship. Because praise pulls down his presence.

[39:38] Many go to the very top and realize that the presence is no more with them. Because they don't know how to generate it in him. So we are striving, striving, striving. And forgetting the key things we need to take along.

[39:49] You can't forget your praise. You can't forget your praise. You can't let anything hinder you from developing it. So tonight, not in a somber mood, but in the most exciting mood.

[39:59] Oh, if you are doing that to God, then do it better. Ah, ha. Ah, ha. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. We will bless the Lord at all times.

[40:12] His praise will continually be in our mouths. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. It will be okay if you can do it. Upstanding. Give God some praise.

[40:23] We bless him. We bless him. We glorify him. We honor you, Lord. We adore you. We thank God for using the servant Reverend Dr. David Entry to share this awesome word.

[40:35] If this message has blessed you in any way, please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at caris.org. Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Caris Ministries.

[40:52] Stay blessed. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.