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[Music] the only way that breaks the curse is [Music] is [Music] full of faith I will say [Music] [Music] the only way [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] and Jesus is power in the name of Jesus singing [Music] of Jesus [Music] [Applause] of Jesus [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus [Music] [Music] my [Music] is it good to be in the house of the Lord today? How about we stand together? Look up a joyful noise and let's rejoice together for this is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let it magnify His great name. Tell Him is if you know He's been good to you. Come on, lift up a shower, lift up a break. Tell Him how good He is. Tell Him how thankful you are. Rejoice today. [Music] Always. Can I say rejoice? Oh [Music] is [Applause] retry [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] is is [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] again [Applause] [Music] Oh, come on somebody, lift up your voice this morning. [Music] Oh [Music] His name. Praise His name to the ends of the [Music] His earth. Brings His name to the end of the year. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] birthday of His praise. Amen. He's a good God this morning. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Anybody got a fresh praise on their lips? Just want to tell God thank you. Hallelujah. Just want to tell God I love you. Hallelujah. He's worthy. He's worthy. He's worthy. Before we do announcements, to take up offer, I just wanted to share this week. I was uh, I was thinking about an old song. I'm not gonna sing it, don't get nervous. Uh, but it was an old song. It talks about Ezekiel seeing that wheel in the middle of the wheel. And the song said that Ezekiel looked up in the air and seen that that wheel. And it says, the song says, the Bible doesn't say it, but the song says, the small will turn by faith, but the big will turned by grace. Amen. Don't you know when you mix your faith with the word of God, hallelujah, it profits much? Out of all this preaching and singing that you're going to hear today, if you don't mix it with faith, it will have none effect. Amen. Amen. So when we go to prayer, I want to let you know that there is healing in this house. There is peace in this house. There is love in this house. And that's the word that's going forth. But I need you to mix it with your faith. The receiver this morning. Amen. Amen. If we can go to the Lord, if you have a need in your body, if you want to see a loved one saved, I just need you to mix it with your faith this morning. Amen. Touch and agree with me right now. Lord God, in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. God, you do all things well. Lord, we look unto You. Lord God, the author and the finisher of our faith. Lord, we come boldly before Your throne, God, in the time of need. We are Your children, Lord God. Some of us need to touch God of Your hand, Lord God, to strengthen us. Lord, strengthen our bodies right now in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Healed from our manner of diseases in the name of Jesus. Lord God, some of us need our needs met. Lord God, meet the obligation right now, Lord God, in the name of Jesus. I rebuke cancer right now. I rebuke COVID right now in the name of Jesus. Lord God, react your blood cover, God, and let Your blood prevail right now in the name of Jesus. If you believe God heard you, put your hands together. Hallelujah. Your worship will magnify Him. Hallelujah. Thank you. Thank you, Lord. We serve a prayer answering God. Amen. Uh, we do have midweek service, a Bible study in the annex on Tuesday. Uh, Tree of Life and also, uh, Grace Point. We have our annual business meeting here Wednesday at this location, starting at 7:30. Amen. And all is welcome. Amen. Look at your neighbor, saying, all is welcome. Amen. Uh, and if we can, uh, if our, if our ushers are coming, get ready for our morning offering. Hallelujah. How many've been blessed? Together. How many know that you can't beat God giving? Amen. He just, He won't let you beat Him giving. Amen. If we can give liberty to give as God has purposed you in your heart, and we can pray over this offering, and we can continue to magnify the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Lord God, we thank You for Your substance, God. Thank You for being a provider, Lord God. Thank You for meeting the needs right now in the name of Jesus. God, bless those who have to give. It's those who don't have to give, let them be able to give on the next time. God, thank You for being the God of Your word. Lord God, I pray right now that God should open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, Lord God, that we can't, we won't have room, nothing to receive. Lord God, we thank You in the name of Jesus right now. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. Amen. [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] um [Music] me [Music] wonderful in all Your ways. [Music] glory in [Music] the power. Me [Music] You are [Music] You are holy. [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] glory [Music] are you [Music] is [Music] Oh [Music] praise our hands together. This is Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, and the angels crying, Holy, Holy, Holy. How about we tell Him this morning? You're holy. You are holy. You're a holy scenario. Me [Music] [Music] You are [Music] a [Music] Oh [Music] through [Music] glory [Music] is [Music] up the name of Jesus. [Music] [Music] One more time. [Music] We are [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] Hallelujah. One oh and we give praise unto the one God. Bless Your name, Jesus. Oh, there's nobody like You, Jesus. Oh, I've seen You do it time and time again. When I'm on my Facebook, You have lifted me up. When I failed, when I didn't see an answer, You were provided an answer. Oh, You never failed. [Music] Jesus. It's You, Jesus. [Music] Now [Music] not believe you're too [Music] good today. [Music] glory [Music] Jesus [Music] Oh [Music] is [Music] all the miracles. [Music] He's too good. [Music] Broken bodies, don't you tell me He can't do it. Don't you tell me He can't do it. And I've seen real life resurrection. I see mental health restored. Don't you tell me He can't do it. And don't you tell me He can't do it. I see [Music] fairies return. Don't you tell me He can't do it. Don't you tell me He can't do it. [Music] disappeared. [Music] Don't you, don't you tell me. [Music] foreign [Music] foundation. [Music] [Music] See [Music] me [Music] me [Music] is [Music] for me. [Music] resurrection. Foreign [Music] Yes [Music] [Music] me [Music] [Music] is [Music] me [Music] me [Music] [Music] me [Music] Lift up your hands unto the Lord and receive it right now. He's a wonder working God. He's a wonder working God. Don't you tell me He can't do it. [Music] Don't you tell me you can't do it. [Music] Somebody that's seen Him do it, why don't you give Him a praise like He can do it again? [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] Yes [Music] I see [Music] Listen to me. [Music] I want everybody that needs a miracle in this house to praise the Lord. [Music] Hallelujah. If you need God to perform a miracle in your life, go ahead and praise Him right now. Come on, lift up that praise unto His holy name. Why don't you go ahead and praise Him for it is done in the name of Jesus? Let's give Him a prophetic praise right now. Hallelujah. Like it's done in the name of Jesus. I feel like we ought to praise Him like we don't have a care in the world. I think we ought to praise Him like we're casting our cares upon Him because He's a wonder working God. Yes, He's a wonder working God. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Hallelujah. The Lord is in His holy temple. The Lord is in His holy temple. You know when the Bible says the Lord is in His holy temple, it's talking about us. [Music] It's talking about the church. How many know we are the temple and the Lord is in His holy temple? Let all God's people praise His name. Let all God's people praise His. Thank You, Jesus. [Music] Thank You, Jesus. The Lord is so good to us. We're so thankful that He is in this place and we're so thankful that you are in this place. Can we give all of our guests a great big hand clap of appreciation for being here today? God bless each and every one of you in the name of the Lord. [Music] We're so thankful that you are here today. We're so glad to see your representation from Urshan College here today. Can we give them a great big hand? We love Urshan College. These are spectacular young ministers of the gospel and we're so thankful for each of them that are here and we're so grateful that you're here. I mentioned last week that I was going to be, um, preaching our Super Bowl sermon on today, but there has been a schedule change as many already know, and that will not take place until next Sunday on the actual day of the Super Bowl. And so we're going to have a good time in the house of the Lord and, uh, Super Bowl Sunday, we're going to come in rejoicing, giving God the praise. Hallelujah. Because I'm going to tell you what, regardless of what happens a week from tonight, we still are more than conquerors. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. I thank God for each and every person that is here and I'm going to turn your attention this morning to the word of the Lord. I'm going to invite you to look with me to the book of Habakkuk. Some people say Habakkuk, I say Habakkuk. Tomato, tomato, potato, potato, but we're going to say Habakkuk. And I want to read just a few verses of scripture in your hearing tonight, today, and I want to read to you from the third verse of Habakkuk chapter three. It simply says this: God came from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. Everybody say Selah. His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise. Verse number nine: Thy bow was made quite naked according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Everybody say Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. Verse number 13: Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed. Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. Everybody say Selah. And I want to speak to you a message this morning entitled, We Always Have a Reason to Sing. How many thankful for the song of God that He puts within the heart of His people? Praise His holy name. Can we lift up our voices one more time and ask God to bless the preaching of His word? Lord, I thank You for every person that's here, for they are chosen by You to be in Your presence. And I pray that You will minister according to Your faithfulness. The great anointing of Your word, let it rest upon Your messenger and let it rest upon Your people today. Lord, we only can make it through You. We trust in You. We rely on You. We ask for Your blessing, for Your blessing maketh rich and addeth no sorrow. And we give You all of the praise and the glory for it today in the precious and the mighty and the matchless name of Jesus, we pray. And the church said, In Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated in the name of the Lord. Singing is one of the most natural actions to a human being. And it's such a unique thing. I mean, it kind of comes second nature to us because we are so familiar with it. But, but really, it is a, it is a unique concept, the concept of singing. The fact that we are able to use our voice to, to sing and to actually, it's, it's talking, but it's sustained talking. And, and it's with a particular key. We call it a key. The reason we call it a key is because we're likening it to sounds instruments can make. But instruments only make their sounds because of our voices. Instruments have compared themselves to the voices, the noises that our voices make. And so when you get onto a keyboard or a piano and you start going up and down the scale trying to find a certain key, those sounds that are, that are made, those are, those are reflective of sounds that voices make. And, and voices and, and then musical notes work together to bring about some of the most magnificent sounds and songs. And it's, it's truly a remarkable thing. Now, that I say concerning the people who can, in fact, sing. And there are so many of us that just don't feel like that's our gifting. Not all of us know whether or not that's our gifting. But we, uh, we all have a desire to sing. Some people, uh, some of us cannot carry a tune. Some of us cannot carry a tune in a bucket. And some of us don't even have a bucket. The struggle can get real, and it can get real, real fast. But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you can or can't sing. We all like to sing. And, uh, if, if you were to, uh, hear somebody in their private time when they don't know that anybody's listening, you might hear a little hum from somewhere down deep inside. And, and it's because all human beings enjoy melody. And maybe you don't particularly enjoy singing, certainly maybe, maybe not in front of people. But, but if, even if you don't enjoy singing in front of people, you like hearing other people sing in front of people. There's just something that resonates with the idea of a song. Have you ever pulled up to a stoplight and, and stopped at the stoplight, looked over to your right or to your left, and saw a precious person who has their eyes closed listening to their favorite radio station? They don't know you pulled up next to them, and they are on stage in concert, air guitar, air drums, I mean, they are having a good time. And if they're apostolic, then they're having a praise break as well, right in the midst of this, this experience in the car. And so it's because of the fact that people enjoy singing, they enjoy making that melody unto the Lord. And it's, it's just because God put it in side of our hearts. And when we're in our private moments, we will sing. We will sing forth. Now, when I was growing up, it was not just singing, but I would, when I was a kid, I would preach when I had some time alone. And, uh, and I had to make sure nobody was there because I had to, I had to practice. They say, practice what you preach. I was practicing what I was preaching. And I was just a kid. But, but I remember preaching up a storm one day and singing and preaching and having church all by myself. Where one is gathered together, there He is in the midst of him. And, and I mean, I was having a Holy Ghost time. There was nobody else but me and Jesus. And I was preaching, I was going in, and I was singing and worshiping God and preaching. And all of a sudden, the phone rang. And I picked it up and said, Hallelujah. I mean, hello. And it's a true story. The voice on the other end said, well, praise God, brother. You don't know what's in the heart of a person until they have some time alone, and then they begin to sing out. Maybe they wouldn't want to be caught singing in public, but, but something about having that alone time, and they sing out. Sometimes they'll sing to pass the time, whether it is washing the dishes, taking a shower, mowing the lawn, running the vacuum, they'll sing. And if they, again, don't want to sing or be heard singing, they'll, they'll put earbuds in and, and AirPods, and they will listen to someone else think. Singing does something. And in fact, it really, it really entertains the emotions of an individual. And the emotions, I know we, we really downplay all that's just emotion or that's just emotional, but emotions are things God gave us. And, and we got them from God. If you look carefully at the scriptures, you see that God has emotions. So we have emotions because we are made in the image of God. And music or songs come along and, and gently nudge those emotions. And emotions are motivators. These are motivators that, that help us to do a thing. So this is, this is why when, when corporations are trying to get you to buy their product, they put jingles in there. Back in the day, they were jingles. Now they have background music, and you don't even know how you're being pulled in, but you're just kind of mesmerized by, by the little nudging of your emotions. And, and that's not a manipulation, that's just simply communicating with people in a way that they will receive it. And even when we come to the house of God, we come to the house of God with the expectation, just as we did here moments ago, that we will sing together and give God praise. As a matter of fact, we are commanded by the Lord to sing unto the Lord throughout the scriptures. We are commanded to sing. In Psalm 9, verse 11, it says, "Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion; declare among the people His doings." Psalm 13 and 6: "I will sing unto the Lord, because He hath dealt bountifully with me." Psalm 30 and verse 4: "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness." Psalm 33 and verse 3: "Sing unto Him a new song; listen to this: play skillfully with a loud noise." How many thankful for noise that God said to those of us who can't? We don't have that bucket. God didn't give us that bucket. So He said, "Y'all just make a joyful noise unto the Lord." But it doesn't matter who you are or what your talent is or what your gift is, every one of us needs to sing unto the Lord. Make a joyful noise. Play skillfully. He said, with a loud noise. Psalm 68 and verse 32: "Sing unto God ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord. Selah." That's an interesting word. Selah. It means careful reflection. It means that the music stops, and, and, and what you just heard, you're supposed to ponder that for a little while before we move on to the next stanza of music. Momentarily, the music will pick back up. We do it even now. Sometimes we'll cut the music and stomp our feet, clap our hands, because we want people to hear the words. Somehow, with the music and the words together, there's a powerful message. And then when you just stop the music, but the words keep going, and then the music picks back up, there's a unique impression that, that makes upon our spirit. It's a Selah moment. It's when the music stops and the words begin to, to take effect in a unique way. Psalm 67 and verse 4: "Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah." Break the music. Hold the music, and let's think about what we just heard for a moment. It's a, it is a musical pause. This word Selah. And, and, and the, the songs that are written, you, you really do have to be careful what songs you listen to. There's a reason we call it music, you know, that that comes from an old word that has to do with muse, M-U-S-E, and, and it's a, the concept of inspiration. And not everybody's inspiration is from the Lord. Some people receive their inspiration from an unclean spirit. And so when you entertain a particular music, you're entertaining whatever muse inspired that music. This is why some songs can get you sad, and sometimes you like to cry, and you're crying your bottle, a bible crying your bible, and you start listening to these old songs, and these songs were inspired by somebody whose heart was broken, and they wrote this, this song because of the fact that their, their spirit was wounded, and their heart was shattered, and their relationship was broken. And, and as they begin to, to muse and to think about it, there's a song that develops. And these songs will go to the tops of the charts. These songs will fill the world with, with their lyrics. And the lyrics were penned by people who were under a certain influence at the time that they wrote it. And, and it's very interesting, and it will so captivate the whole world. They literally have games called "Name That Tune," and these games are so confident that they can just come out with a few little notes, and when they come out with these few little notes, that the people hearing it, the, the broader audience will be able to name that tune. They're that familiar with it. This human experience resonated so deeply with others who have heard the song. So you have to be careful what you listen to. Be careful what pumps you up. Be careful what gets you going. Be careful what where you let your mind dwell and where you let your mind to think about, because it's a very spiritual experience to hear music. The Apostle Paul said to use that spiritual reality for the goodness of God. He said, "This speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to the Lord." And, and so He wants you to utilize this ability to sing for the goodness and for the grace and for the glory of Almighty God. When you're going through a tough time, sing unto the Lord. When you're going through a difficult set of circumstances, listen to music that magnifies the God of heaven. Listen to the heart of somebody who, yes, they may have had a broken heart, but they've got the victory in Jesus. Praise the Lord. Listen to the music of someone who, in a prayer closet, tucked away, shut in with God in a secret place, beholding His power, gaining new power to run in this race. Hallelujah. How I long to be shut in with God. Just to walk with Him means everything to me. I can't even walk without You holding my hand. These are songs that people wrote under the influence of the Holy Ghost because they didn't stay in a place of brokenheartedness. They didn't stay in a place of spirit woundedness. They didn't stay in a place of being crippled by their emotions, but they found victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. He sought me and He bought me. Hallelujah. He plunged me beneath the cleansing flood. Hallelujah. Sing those songs of Zion. This is what the, the Psalmist was telling us to do, to sing the songs of Zion. And, and when the songwriters of old, when they wrote those songs, they wrote them coming out of prayer meetings where their eyes were, were covered with tears, and tears streamed down their face, and they came out with joy in their soul. A heartbroken, yes, but joy that began to heal them and give them deliverance. And when you sing their songs, that same joy will come upon you and will heal your wounded heart and give you peace. I love some of these, these old songs. They had a word in there, and we have them in the new songs too, uh, and but it sounds a little different, but it's still the same concept. They had the word "O" in a lot of their songs. "O, H, I, O." No, just "O-H," oh, oh, and, and, and they, they would just exclaim. And we have it in some of our songs. When you hear it, it's, they'll say, "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh," and what they're, what they're doing, they're exclaiming. They're expressing a sound that doesn't have a, a real big word associated. It's just coming from the soul. And they used to do this in the old songs. They'd say, "Oh, I want to see Him look upon His face, there to sing forever of His saving grace." Well, they would say, "Oh, the blood of Jesus. Oh, the blood of Jesus that washes white as snow. Oh, precious is the blood. Hallelujah. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Hallelujah. There's just something down deep on the inside, and you don't even have a word to express what this emotion is, but you just sometimes it comes out with, "Oh, oh, I want to see Him look upon His face." And this is such a beautiful thing when a song of God gets down deep on the inside, and don't just sing songs you've heard. Sing unto the Lord a new song. Sing it to the Lord. Something that, that nobody else will ever sing. Sing your prayer to God. Try that sometime. Some of the greatest songs ever, ever spoken, sung, uttered, were uttered in prayer closets. They never made it to the printing press. They were never published. They just came from the heart of a worshiper. Hallelujah. Who sang their supplication, who sang their intercession, who sang their, their pur, their travail, who sang unto the Lord a new song. Hallelujah. I want you to know that anything that comes from the heart of man can reach the throne of God. Praise God. Praise God. Don't ever let anything take your song from you. We have a song that the angels cannot sing. It's a song that the angels desire to look into. They, they look in on what the Lord has done for us, and they hear the fact that we have turned from our sins. Brother Copeland, we turn from our sins and we've stepped back into a relationship that Adam gave away in the garden. And they desire to look into what the Lord has done for us. Hallelujah. They, they see how we were baptized into the name that is above every name, and at that name every knee shall bow. And they desire to look into what, just exactly, we are experiencing in that name. They desire to look into the fact that we've been filled to overflowing with the Spirit of the living God. It doesn't make a lot of sense to them, in a way of personal experience, but they desire to look into what we have experienced in God. You know, there is no recorded song in heaven after Lucifer was cast out of heaven. There's no song in the scriptures concerning heaven after Lucifer is cast out. Lucifer was sung in motion when he moved. Instruments played as he walked. There were tabrets and harps and all sorts of instruments that, that moved windpipes as he walked. There was music. And when he was cast out of heaven, we have no record of there being music in heaven after Lucifer was cast out. And so, so the Bible says that the morning stars sang together in the beginning, but, but, but it doesn't indicate that they sing together now. In fact, when the angels appeared to the shepherds, the Bible doesn't say that they sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." It says that they said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." The song that heaven is going to sing is the song of the saints. The song of heaven is the song of the redeemed. The song of heaven is the song of a sinner saved by the grace of God. The song of heaven is the song of a broken person who has been healed and restored by the blood of Jesus Christ. The song of heaven is the song of someone whose heart was shattered, but God picked up those pieces and put that heart back together. That's the song of heaven. And don't you let any lying devil come along and take that song away from you. Regardless of what you go through, regardless of what you experience, regardless of what pain, we always have a reason to sing. The Psalmist said, "How can we sing when we are in a strange land? How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" We have hung our harps upon the willows, the willow, that weeping willow, that that sad tree. They just, they just succumbed to the sadness of their surroundings and they hung their harps. I say, pick it up again and play it again. I say, sing. Sing in the strange land where you're walking right now. This strange twilight zone, if you please. This land where everything is murky and questionable. This land where nothing seems certain and nothing seems solid. Where nothing seems the same. I'm telling you, even in that land, you've got a reason to sing. Even in that land, you've got a reason to come on, square your shoulders, throw your head back, and sing unto the Lord a new song. Hallelujah. When you're in a strange land, that's the best place of all to sing. I know that you can't, maybe resonate or, or reflect or relate to the, the notes being played. Maybe it's a different way of singing there. Maybe they sing about different things. The three Hebrew children, they had that option of bowing as the music played. They had that option of bending their knee to the statue Nebuchadnezzar erected for all people to worship. But they said, "That's not the song we sing." I'm going to tell you, the devil will put idolatry to your favorite rhythm. He'll put idolatry to their favorite beat. He'll put idolatry to your favorite singer. He'll put idolatry to your favorite celebrity. But don't bow your knee to what this world offers. We have a real life song to sing. It's the song of the redeemed. Hallelujah. It is the song of the soul that has found God. And the, and the Psalmist said, "Sing it. Sing it loud. Play skillfully." Ladies and gentlemen, get a hold of an instrument and learn to play it. Young people, get a hold of an instrument and learn to play that instrument skillfully before the Lord. Learn it. Apply time. I'm thankful for musicians. I'm thankful for singers. I'm thankful for those who take the time to continue to perfect their craft, not so people can, can glorify them, because that's not what, what the church of the living God is about. And our musicians and singers aren't about that either. They're in it for the real purpose, to bring glory to the Lord. That's why we're here. That's why we're in this place, to bring glory to the Lord. Everything we do, in word or deed, we do it all in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. These, these songs of these admonitions to sing came from the Psalmist. The Psalmist said it over and over, "Sing. Sing because of His righteousness. Sing because He brought us out. Sing because He governs the nations. Sing because He is the Lord. Sing because He is good." And occasionally, He would come along to a moment and say, "Selah." Just stop for a moment. Think about what I just said. And get it. And then we'll move forward. And that word Selah appears over and over and over and over through the book of Psalms. We read two of them just now, and there are more where, where the Psalmist will describe the greatness of God and then say, "Stop the music and think about that." He'll talk about how God is, is a healer, and how God is the redeemer of His people, and then he'll say, "Stop the music. Now, everybody stop. Think about what we just said." Over and over through the book of Psalms. The only other place in the scripture outside the book of Psalms where that word Selah is used is in the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk chapter 3 is a psalm. I didn't even know Habakkuk could sing. This time we got him shoved over in the minor prophets, in the minor keys. I don't know if that means he's saying in the minor key. I'm going to stop. I'm just going to keep on. Selah. No, we need to keep moving. He was a minor prophet, and minor prophet just means he had a shorter book than, than everybody else. And, and, and so he had three chapters. And Habakkuk does not, I mean, you meet Habakkuk in, in the literature of the scriptures, and you don't just think, "Wow, you can tell that guy's got a great singing voice." You ever been surprised by somebody? I mean, they just, you just, you know, you've known them for years, and, and you think you know them, and they just kind of, they just kind of talk to you a certain way, and you talk to them, and you've got this kind of, uh, relationship where you shake hands and you greet one another, and you had dinner a few times, went to lunch a couple of times, and then one day they'd get up and blow your mind. They can sing. Didn't even know they could sing like that. That's Habakkuk. Habakkuk, I didn't even know Habakkuk could sing. And the first two chapters are not a song. The first two chapters is Habakkuk lamenting. He's having trouble. He's trying to understand some things, and a lot of this stuff does not make sense to him. And he is lamenting the fact. A lot of what he's lamenting is, he's, some of it is, he's wondering where God is. In fact, he opens his book. Anybody ever been there where you're wondering, "Where is the Lord in all of this?" Anybody ever said, "All right, God, I need to know where You are." Hey, I'm going to tell you something. Don't you feel bad. Hear me now. Don't you feel bad when you're wrestling against doubt. Okay? Don't feel bad about that. Just keep on wrestling till you win the wrestling match. Because this Bible is filled with people who had the same question Habakkuk had. "Lord, where are You? I've heard about You, but I need to know where You are." Habakkuk opens his book, and it says, "The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save? Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? Why is it that everywhere I look, I see iniquity? I see sin. I see grievous things. Spoiling and violence are before me. I see people literally wounding other people. My life has been a life that has been ravaged and spoiled and pillaged. Spoiling and violence are before me, and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth, for the wicked doth compass about the righteous, therefore wrong judgment proceedeth." Just trying to be honest. Habakkuk is saying, "This is what I'm looking at because I look out over everything I see. I see grievous violence. I see spoiling. I see ravaging. I see pillaging. I see problems. And, and I see wrong judgment. I, I see injustice." He's saying, he said, "Wrong judgment is proceeding. God, where are You? How long will I cry and You will not hear? How long will I cry unto You and ask for salvation?" But, but, but I'm, I'm waiting and waiting. Verse number five of Habakkuk chapter two: "Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people." He said, "I'm looking around at proud men who are, who are drunkards. They're literally intoxicated, and they are, and they are gathering unto themselves people. People are following the wrong folks. I look around and it's proud, arrogant, horrible people who have some of the largest followings, and that doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever." Habakkuk chapter 2, verse 12: "Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity." "I'm tired of seeing corruption and civil government. I'm tired of seeing cruelty at the hands of public leaders. I'm tired of looking around and knowing that certain things are going awry, and certain things just aren't as they should be." That's, that's kind of my world right now, Lord. I look at verse 13: "Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity." He said, "The people are engaged in vain pursuits." Verse 15: "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness." He's looking around and he's seeing alcoholism, and he's seeing perversion, and he's seeing, he's seeing the debauchery of society. Verse number 17: "The violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts which made them afraid, because of man's blood and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein." "I see violence in the land." Verse number 18: "What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof have graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein to make dumb idols." "I see idolatry. I see adultery. I see alcoholism. I see violence in the land. I see civil corruption. I see government cruelty. I see people at each other's stores." Anybody? This isn't 2022. It's, it's Habakkuk. Habakkuk 2, not 2022. I mean, I know it sounds a little similar to what we're looking at in our world, but, but, but that's the first two chapters of Habakkuk. Habakkuk moves on into the third chapter and said, "You know, I could go all day long about what's going wrong in our society, but I've still got a reason to sing. I've still got a reason to open up my mouth and magnify the Lord." Hallelujah. Yeah, I've got a prayer to pray. Yes, I've got supplication to make. Yes, I've got some requests. And yes, there are some things I don't understand. I do have some frustrations, but don't kid yourself if you think that the lamentation of my heart is going to overwhelm the song of my soul. Don't kid yourself. I will magnify the Lord. Hey, I'm going to tell you something. We have a book called Lamentations. It's about four or five chapters long. And we've got a book called Psalms. It's 150 psalms long. But the book of Psalms has almost as much lamentation as it does psalms. But thank God, Psalms won out over the lamentation. Listen, you might have some things you can, you can genuinely lament, but never lament more than you worship. Never lament more than you praise. It's okay to acknowledge, yeah, I've got some things I need to address, and there are some things I need God to move on in my life, but I'm not gonna let it steal my song. No, sir. No, ma'am. I've got a song to sing. I've always got a reason to sing. It's the singers that get God's attention. Out on that shepherd's field, all alone with those sheep there, David stood, sultry in hand. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: Whoa! He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul." My God, have mercy. I'm sure there were some days that were bad, pesticides more, but he said, "He restoreth my soul." Hallelujah. He didn't go into detail of how his soul was languishing. He just simply said, "He restored my soul." He said, "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness." Even when he got down into the valley of the shadow of death, he said, "I still got a reason to sing because His rod and staff they comfort me." Even in the presence of mine enemies, I've got a reason to sing. "Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. They shall prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." Hallelujah. Habakkuk starts singing the song of God. I love this. He said, "O Lord, I have heard thy speech." Something about hearing the voice of God will put a song in your soul. Hallelujah. "I have heard thy speech, I was afraid. O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." And this is what he said. He said, "God came from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah." Just think about that for a little while. God came from way over there, so far you can't even see Him, so far you wonder where He is, so far you can't even locate it on the map. But God's coming. God's coming. God's coming. When you know, hallelujah, and I know that I know that I know, when you know that God is coming, you've always got a reason to sing. When you know, hallelujah, hear what I'm preaching to you. If you're sitting in that hospital waiting room, you better know God is coming. Hallelujah. When you're sitting in the midst of that fiery trial, you better know God is coming. Where is He coming from? He's coming from Teman. He's coming from Mount Paran. He's coming from places I've never been. I don't even know how to get to them. They're way far east, somewhere out of the blue. God will show up. God will come out of nowhere. He'll show up in the fiery furnace with you. That's why we don't bow to Babylonian music because God is with us. It may take the fire to reveal Him, but He is here. God's coming. God's coming. God's coming. God's coming. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be lifted up, ye everlasting lord. The King of glory shall come in. The King of glory shall come in. The King of glory shall come. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He'll ride upon the wings of the wind. He's coming. He's coming. God, God is coming. I've got a reason to sing. Hallelujah. I'll limp to this pulpit if I have to, but I've always got a reason to sing because I know the Lord is coming. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Sing with pain in your body. Sing with pain in your body. Sing with pain in your spirit. God is coming. [Applause] He is a very present help. That's a song in the word of God. He is a very present help in trouble. Glory. He is with me. He is with me. Habakkuk was looking at the Messiah who was coming, and we're looking for that same Messiah to come again. Whoo! Hallelujah. God is coming. He'll come to your hospital room. He'll come to your bedroom. He'll come to your living room. Wherever you find yourself broken, He will come to you in the midst of your chaos, in the midst of your confusion, He'll come to you in the midst of your depression, He will come to you in the midst of your fear. He's not afraid of your fear. Hallelujah. He knoweth your frame. He remembered that you are dust. It's no surprise to Him that you are struggling. Lift up your heads, O ye gates. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Be free from condemnation right now in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord thy God is with thee. God came from Teman. He came from Mount Paran. Yes, He did. Selah. Just just think about that for a moment. Not only did He not only do He understand that God is coming, and that gave Him a reason to sing, He said, "Thy bow was made quite naked according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy words." Selah. Stop the music. Did you hear what I just said? Habakkuk singing this song, and he said, "Everybody stop. I want them to understand." It's the only other place in the Bible that the writer does this. He, David, and Asaph, and Moses, who wrote actual psalms, and then Habakkuk, who's like, "I've got a song you need to think about." Oh, hallelujah. I know I'm not David. I know I'm not Asaph, but I've got a song to sing. Hallelujah. I don't know how many instruments you play. Doesn't matter how many instruments you play. You've got a song to say. I don't know whether you've got a bucket, a tune that you can carry in the what, but you've got a song to sing. I don't know how many albums you've sold. Doesn't matter. You've got a song. The same. Do you hear what I'm telling you? Habakkuk had a song to sing, and he said, "Here's what I want you to think about."
I have seen his bow. It is made quite naked, which means he has revealed the weapon that he's coming with. Do you hear what I'm telling you? Not only is God coming, but he's coming with weapons. He said, "Even thy word, he's coming with a sharp two-edged sword out of his mouth."
I want you to know, I'm gonna just go ahead and preach it to you. We've got weapons. I said, we've got weapons. Oh, I wish I could preach on each one of them, but I'll just list a few: faith, grace, prayer, worship, the blood, the word, the name. [Applause] Fasting. Oh, I like that one. I'm talking about the anointing that destroys the yoke. We've got weapons. I've got a song to sing. I've got a reason to sing. I know that the enemy may be compassed about. Whoa! But God is coming, and he's bringing the artillery with him. He's bringing the artillery with him. God is coming. Hallelujah! The joy of the Lord is your strength. Perfect love casts out fear. Peace passes all understanding. You've got weapons. God is coming, and he's bringing the artillery with him. And he's putting the sword of the Spirit in our hand, which is the word of God. And he's giving us the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Yeah, you better believe I've got a song to sing because God is coming. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I feel the Holy Ghost here. Let me just remind somebody that his compassion fails not. His compassions fail not, and his mercies are new every morning. Every morning. Oh, I get a fresh supply. I grew up on Nintendo. I grew up on Nintendo, and you, you, you get up through certain levels, and you get a new supply of strength and lives. You get lives added to you. I want you to know his mercy is new every morning. If you're running a little depleted at night, don't call it quits. Just call it a night. Go to bed, get some rest. Wake up in the morning and say, "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice." That's the song in the Bible. "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Glory, glory! God, no devil, you won't steal my soul. I've got a reason to sing. I've always got a reason to sing. I've always got a reason to sing. Hallelujah!
Verse 13 of Habakkuk chapter 3: "Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundest the head and the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation unto the neck." Sheila, stop the music. That was good. They need to think about that for a little while. You wounded the head of the serpent. You destroyed the house of our adversary. You discovered the foundation under the neck. Hallelujah! Not only is he coming, and not only is he bringing weapons, but he wins. I've got a reason to sing. Yeah, I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus that loved us. I feel the Holy Ghost in this house. Sometimes you've just got to be reminded. No matter what the weapon is, I want you to know we win. I want somebody that knows it and believes it to praise God right now like it's true. "No weapon formed against you can prosper." Whoa! My God! I, I, you know what? I really, I want a very specific praise. I want to admonish just to do a very specific praise right now. I want to know if there's anybody in here who ever went through a trial in life where you didn't think, or and you wondered if you would ever come out of it with your sanity intact? Anybody ever been there where you wonder, "Am I going to get out of this and still have my right mind? Am I going to, am I going to get out of this and not just have an emotional breakdown and a stroke from the stress? Am I gonna live to see my way through this?" Hey, you're here today. I know what the devil told you back then, but you're here today. [Applause] You've got a reason to sing. You've got a reason to dance. You've got a reason to shout unto the Lord. And I've got a word for you in your present circumstance: God is coming, and he's bringing the artillery, and he wins. He wins. He wins. He wins. He's already won. It's already done. It is finished. It is finished. Rejoice in the God of your salvation. Glory! Somebody lift your hands with me right now. All across this house, come on, all across this house, lift your hands with me. The Holy Ghost is in this place. The Holy Ghost is in this place. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Yes, he is. He's here to do a work. He's here to do a miracle. [Music] I said he's here to do a work. He's here to do a miracle. Our musicians can come. Thank the Lord. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Go ahead and remain standing. I'm done. I'm done. I'm done. I'm done. Except this: they made the fatal mistake of throwing Paul and Silas into a jail. They didn't have the benefit we have of being able to read Acts 16 and know that if you want to stop Paul and Silas, the last place you put them is in a jail. I wish you could have the benefit of reading the story of your life in hindsight, because if you could, you'd know you're about to bust up out of this prison you're in right now. All Paul and Silas wanted to do, brother Desmond, was to preach the gospel. They had heeded the call of God to Macedonia. They just wanted to preach the gospel. They were winning people to the Lord. They cast the devil out of a woman who had the spirit of divination, and the merchantmen that she was making money for, they didn't like it. So they stirred up the people, and they stirred up the government, and it was the, it was the businessmen and the government officials that turned on Paul and Silas and threw them into that jail cell. Their hands are shackled, their feet are shackled, their dignity is gone. Hallelujah! Their purpose has taken a hit. Their vision has taken a hit. The call of God is now in question. Did we hear from the Lord? Are we on the right track? How is this happening? All of this is surrounding them, and Paul said, "You know, I don't know how. I don't have all the answers to all these questions. I'll tell you what I do know: God, I've always got a reason to sing because God is coming, and he is bringing his weapons, and he is going to win." So I think we ought to just sing a little song for Jesus. Oh, hallelujah! I think we ought to just sing a little song for Jesus. Yes, Lord. Hallelujah!
I know it was the blood. I know it was the blood. I know it was the blood that saved me. One day when I was lost, He died upon the cross, and I know it was the blood that saved me. Silas said, "I like that one. I got one for you. Would you be free from your burden of sin? There is power in the blood. There is power in the blood. And would you or evil of victory? When there is wonderful power in the blood. Oh yes, there's power, power, wonder-working power in the blood." [Music] Blood. [Music] [Music] Oh yes, there's [Music] I know [Music] Come on [Music] I said this [Music] Oh [Music] And when they started singing [Music] Chains on their hands, chains on their feet. You might be able to restrict their movement, but you can't take their song. You might be able to throw them in prison, but they'll sing their way out. They'll praise their way out. Somebody in this house today is in a jail cell of sorrow, but God has come with his weapons to say, "I'm here to bust you out of jail. I'm here to deliver you." My God! Come on, somebody, put your hands together now. Here's what you do with your feet. You just pick them up and pull them down. That's how you do it. Go ahead. Pick them up and pull them down. Pick them up and put them down. Pick them up and put them down. Just pick them up and put them down. Just pick and put them. [Music] I said there's power, power, wonder-working power. [Music] How would you be free from your burden of sin? There is power in the blood. [Music] [Music] Is [Music] I want somebody to come down right now who needs a touch of God. You need a touch of I'm going to God. You. What's going to do it? Go ahead, sister America. God bless you. He double shot. Come on down and bring your praise with you. I said, come on down and bring your praise with you. You've got a reason to sing. You've got a reason to rejoice. You've got a reason to dance. Come on, that's it. Bring your dance with you. Bring your hand clap with you. [Music] Oh, glory, glory, hallelujah. Or since [Music] Hallelujah. [Music] [Music] So much better. [Music] Is [Music] Oh, glory, glory, hallelujah. [Music] Oh [Music] Oh [Music] This burdens down. [Music] Glory, glory. [Music] Name of Jesus. [Music] Jesus. [Music] Is [Music] [Music] Of Jesus. Jesus. [Music] Oh [Music] God's doing the work right now. If you have a need in your life, a need in your body, a need in your mind, lift up your hands right now in the name of Jesus. We're gonna keep on praising the Lord. Hallelujah! But we're getting ready to turn that lamentation into praise. Hallelujah! Whatever you've been lamenting, I want you to give it over to God. Say, "Lord, I can't control it, and I don't understand it, but I'm giving it over to you right now. God, remind me of my reason to sing. Put that song back in my soul today. A song of His praise. A song of His praise. A song that is praise." Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Come on, all across this house, lift up that praise unto the Lord. Lift up that praise unto the [Music] Come on, Lord, up that praise unto His name. Come on, and lift up that praise unto His name. God's getting ready to do something right now. God's getting ready to do something right. [Music] Is [Music] [Music] [Music] God's breaking through right now. God is coming. God is coming. God is coming. Whoa! God is moving in here. God [Music] Is [Music] Thank you. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Please. [Music] Is Jesus is [Music] Oh [Music] New York. [Music] Hallelujah!