Looking Up When Life's Got You Down (Part 4)

Many of you have heard me say and I'll always keep saying it that the greatest inheritance that you can leave your children or your grandchildren is not a trust fund is not cash not stocks and bonds, not real estate. The greatest inheritance that you can leave your children and grandchildren is modeling to them.

Godliness and explain what I mean by this.

I consider myself to be among the most blessed in that regard, leaving my home country, at a very early age. It is by my own voluntary volition. My own action I forfeited any right for any material inheritance, but I have inherited something far greater than all the money in the world can afford. I inherited my mother's role modeling of intercession and persistence in prayer.

It was not unusual for her on a daily basis to spend an hour or two in prayer. She was modeling how father in his life of prayer and praise his godliness. My grandfather was a building contractor by trade and he was an elder in the leader in his own church was truly a man of prayer and praise. As a youngster.

Whenever I would go and spend the night with my cousins where my grandfather's apartment was adjacent to their house I would wake up to a three times during the night, hearing him audibly speaking praises to the Lord and singing praises to the Lord in prayer the Lord. I remember very distinctly the time when my aunt told me that there was a cold winter.

A particular severe cold winter and she offered to him extra blankets or to she said this is going to be a cold winter. The season you need some extra blankets.

He said absolutely not. It will make you warm and I want wake up in the middle of them not to praise the Lord was interesting that my cousins got use to it than this slept through the night, but I've always been a light sleeper. Even as a teenager. Believe it or not, and I could not help but think of the age of 89 and 1011 whenever I have the chance to be there and hearing this man waking up 345 times during the night literally praising the Lord in blessing the name of the Lord and thanking the Lord while you Masella will in mind might be just a spiritually disciplined man or you maybe just a man who really had a great deal to bless God for well let me tell you couple things.

He lost two of his sons when they were in the 30s.

His partner stalled him blind. His wife died when he was relatively young, and then when he was in his 80s, he lost his eldest daughter. My mother in her 50s.

And yet, until the day he died at the age of 92. He got never ceased getting up to 345 times in the middle of the night to bless the Lord for salvation. Now I want to tell you something I hope you'll never forget this. Somebody told me years ago the way you perceive God has a good time to impact on your attitude toward your circumstances. I have never forgotten that how you see God work directly affect whether you praising person or a complaining person. If you see God as the all powerful.

The old sovereign who loves you dearly and nothing is going to get you down. If you view God as being in total control of all circumstances. For those who love him. Then nothing is going to hassle you in this life. If you view God as the one who has a perfect plan for your life, then nothing will intimidate you, no one will frighten you if you see God as the one who cares for the minutest details of every area of your life, then nothing and no one is able to rob you of the joy if you see God as the one who saved you cold.

Do you you by name before the foundation of the earth that an order that you might live with him forever in heaven. And nobody can take that away from you. You will be over, it all depends on how you view God, but you see, if you view God as a benevolent dictator that you go to when you want something really big than the slightest change in your circumstances are going to discourage you and going to disappoint you is going intimidate you.

If you view God as a big center in the sky who is ready to give your presence. If you been good and I want to tell you right now the slightest change in your circumstances is going to rob you of your joy all depends on how you view God. How do you perceive God. Now Paul and Silas, their perception of God caused them to rejoice not on the Mediterranean, sipping iced tea is believing Paul and Silas perception of God caused them to sing praises in the middle of the night not been a lecturer sweet in this confinement. Paul and Silas perception of God caused them to sing praises to the Lord, even when their body is what really wasn't paying Paul and Silas perception of God caused him to behave like the all world even though they were made in a dungeon.

Silas was singing praises to the Lord even though the accused and maliciously treated and Silas were singing praises even though they were in the midst of this of injustice and unfairness.

Look at verse 25 of acts 16. If you haven't heard back. 16 already turned to look at verse 25. Dr. Luke inspired by the Holy Spirit tells us that about midnight. There were praising God. About midnight, so what's so special about midnight why the Holy Spirit in Luke see it important to record. It was about midnight that began to praise God not remember, people went to bed right after sundown and then they got up sunrise did not like. Just remember that. Keep that in mind, but you see the reason.

Midnight is mentioned here because at midnight. Everything is accentuated at midnight is when loneliness is accentuated at midnight is when willingness is accentuated at midnight is when fear is accentuated at midnight is when your imagination runs while at midnight is when the smallest problem becomes a giant problem at midnight is when you're feeling sorry for yourself is multiplied 100 times. But Paul and Silas. Instead of throwing a pity party. They threw a party to Jesus instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they began to be filled with thanksgiving instead of griping about their lot in life that will glorify the greatness and the glories of God. Instead, all constantly protesting the blatant injustice and make no mistake about it was a blatant injustice. They praise God for the insulation. Instead of licking their wounds and saying all me will blessing God for giving them the suffering for the name of Jesus.

Most of us Christians when face of adversity. We get ourselves in such a model we don't know how to get out of it is like getting on a treadmill list. I don't know how to get out of it. I'll never forget that I cannot delayed it to a dear friend of mine in Texas sent me a treadmill as a gift was great the first day, but being a nonmechanical that I am a stud in the same sorts is long-sought on the en banc and I, started walking. This is great.

They kept on speeding speeding speeding speeding and finally I kept looking for the off button I can find off, but what about nightmare having finally had to jump out of the thing and I just let it run until I found the of never using the doctor that without checking with the off button is what I have seen it in the lives of so many believers I'm not talking about people who don't know God and only become religious when they want something from God. I'm talking about people who love God and talk about people who trust in the Lord's plan for the life I'm talking about people who know both intellectually and in the heart that God works all things together for good for those who love God and they know that I'm talking about those people. But when they faced difficult circumstances, but don't know where the off button is listen to me very carefully.

Please because Isaiah learned the hard way, where the off button is only shared with you the off button is in praising the name of the Lord, your pain, not afterward. The off button is listing up the name of Jesus in the middle of no trouble. The off button isn't thanksgiving and gratitude to the Lord in the middle of your dilemma. The off button is in exalting the name of the Lord Jesus in the middle of your frustration and in the middle of your difficulty. The off button is taking your eyes off the problem, but the only way you can take your eyes off the problem is when you begin to focus it on Jesus on the praise the name of Jesus.

I love it when people say we just take your eyes off the problem. How I think my problem when I am knee-deep in the Lord taught me several years ago. The only way to take your eyes off the problem and problem people is by focusing on blessing his name and glory in his name and magnifying his name and I believe Paul and Silas would have spent their time commiserating with each other. Had they not understood this all important lesson I knew I would lend would you blame them. Paul and Silas would have spent their time patting each other on the back. Paul and Silas spend their time going over what they could have done differently in order to avoid being in prison. Paul and Silas have spent the time wondering if they really are in the will of God by coming to Philippi. You know people like that in a sanctimonious Christians drive me nuts. They really do love Hardy Christians. Unlike sanctimonious Christians the moment you start doing something in you face a problem this old brother used to maybe out of the will of God.

Do you think God is in this crazy idea comes from you face a problem on you out of the will of God, who said so this is a case anywhere. Why, because everywhere he went he face problems he faced difficulties he faced persecution in the face threat is why everybody ministered, please hear me right from this one.

Paul and stylist knew that the secret of victory is not going around the problem. Paul and Silas knew that the secret of victory is not a quick fix. Paul and Silas knew that the secret of victory is not pretending that there is no problem. Silas knew that the secret of victory was to look at the devil in the eye and spit praises to the Lord knew that the secret of victory was to appropriate the power that God has for them in praising him in the middle of trouble. They knew that the secret of victory is to brag on Jesus. They knew that the secret of victory is to rejoice and again I say rejoice in you know, the apostle Paul knew that affliction works well patients, and therefore, he said, I rejoice in afflictions, Paul knew that afflictions produces far more exceeding internal weight of glory. Therefore, he said I will rejoice in affliction is not anywhere documented here that therefore Paul and Silas prayed to be released.

They may have, but it was reported here. They didn't ask to be taken care of that they didn't really reason. At the end when the try to get them out. You know what Paul would not go after the other. The public apology because he was concerned for the welfare of the little church in Philippi, not for himself, and he wanted to make sure that we know they had set a precedence for injustice and at least he suffered, he did not want to suffer but he never asked for anything. He never even asked for last quick. Sometimes I think think happy Gnostic God's an earthquake that shakes the place up.

He doesn't listen to me, but the earthquake came to praise God didn't know really what causes the devil, either.

Joy unspeakable or pain. Unbelievable. You want to know level with you. You and the devil cannot be both happy. If you are happy, the devil was miserable. If you are miserable. The devil is happy right down.

Don't ever forget it.

It works like a charm and rooted us. I know from my own life alone experience it works. It really does. How do you make the devil miserable doing how to make the devil miserable is how you like the devil miserable is the way you handle your circumstances if you got references all God do this by suffering so all please everybody feel sorry for me.

Why is this happening Satan and all the demons having a party. They really are. I mean they are absolutely having a ball going around in the pit, high-fiving each other as if they regarding we got but if you say this is possibly this is confusing. This is painful. This does not make any sense.

From my point of view all what I know he promised that he incorporate all things work together for my good, because I love him and then you begin to bless the name of Jesus brazen name of Jesus is my rock is my deliverer is my fortress.

It is thing to me and I will trust him on till you are going to you, the devil is miserable. You've made in miserable demons are squirming and running around in confusion and very unhappy. Why, because the devil knows this and to replace the devil knows that there is power that you can only experience when you are able to bless the name of God and praise the name of God in the midst of the storms of life, but is a problem most Christians are brainwashed with television.

They are brainwashed, was pop psychology. They have brainwashed the world system membrane with the sec. they brainwash with all principles that come from godless people. Please listen carefully. There is power in praising the name of the Lord. If you recement that's not all that's only half the story because I believe in the Scripture teaches there is even greater power in being able to praise the name of Jesus in the midst of your pain far greater power than you thought possible. There is far greater power available to you and available to me when we are able to bless the name of the Lord in the midst of confusing circumstances.

As far greater power that is ready for you to appropriate when you glory in the Lord when everything is growing up in your face and the special power, but not promises analogy.

Look at verse 26 1626 of the book of acts as Paul and Silas. Praise God, an earthquake hits the town of Philippi. Now I don't know that's a part of the world that is prone to earthquakes momentary basically use if understanding of this.

They probably never had an earthquake until this day. You know back then prisons were built mostly and I don't know that this is a case in Philippi or not, but normally, the Romans built prisons and mountains and rocks in caves because it's natural fortification for prisoners to be able to escape and if this is the same case here.

The Bible said that it shook the foundation of the prison was built on a rock in the mountain is built and rocks built in caves. I want to tell you the whole place was shaking up so much so that the prison warden who lived obviously on the compound as it normally did was ready to kill himself. Why the Roman law was very stringent and it says that any soldier who allows prisoners to escape.

No matter the cause might be the cause might be have nothing to do with the will pay with their life in the prison warden in Philippi probably said to himself.

There's no way that any of the prisoners still around when the doors are open and the earth shook him and the mountain was shaking and and he preferred to put the sword in his heart than to let the Romans do it for him. But the apostle Paul cried out to him.

Don't hurt yourself, for we all hear. I don't want you to miss this one. Please don't miss this one is a table turned to the other table turned Jayla falls on his knees before the prisoners. The table turned the power of praising the Lord in the midst of difficult circumstances. This is the power of God working turns the world upside down. The table around the prison warden said what can I do to be saved. How do you think you knew about salvation.

If you know about salvation want to know about salvation earlier in acts chapter 16, there was a demon possessed woman who was running around. Listen, this is a small town. This is a tiny town and the word gets spread very fast in small towns. Believe me, and here's this demon possessed woman running all of her was her message. Please man, are messengers the most high God.

They are here to bring you the message of salvation and the flipping Jim few days will be in the Holy Spirit was working in his life, salvation. Now I have guilt that all the gods of the Romans cannot erase salvation.

I wake up in the morning. I look to the sky and I wonder if there is a God is pleased with me all these things. The Holy Spirit was preparing him when he heard the message of salvation from this demon possessed woman heart is being prepared.

God is working in him. And so it took a crisis for them to say what could be saved. What happened Paul said to him very simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why just that. Why just believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because this man had nothing between him and salvation other than belief you remember when Jesus looked at the rich young ruler, and he said to him, all sell all that you have and then come and follow me.

Paul didn't do that, you know why because he knew for this man. That is, nothing is in the way of the believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and by the way, with Paulson believe in the Lord Jesus, that doesn't mean just believe that he existed believe that he was a good man believe none and enough word means total surrender to him that he become the Lord of your life. Some of loving friends only and when I begin. If you want to have a legacy to the next generation. If you want to leave a legacy to your children model to them. The praise of God in tough times.

If you want to leave something of value to your offspring model to examine how to appropriate the power of God in your life. The power that can only come from learning to praise God in the midst of difficulties if you want to make an impact on the next generation.

Then let them know what you know that earthly power is fleeting that worldly power is a mirage that political power is temporary material power can take Wayne's but the power of praise is real, the power of praise is lasting.

The power of praise is ever lost when Mme. deal was imprisoned in the Castle of Vincennes. She did not only seen.

She wrote songs of praise to the Lord when Catherine Evans, a Quaker, was imprisoned in the gloomy walls of inquisition on the island of Malta Friar Malachi said to her that I court cases, unless you abandon your religion. You will never go of the prison alive.

She frivolously said to him, the Lord is sufficient to deliver me, but whether he will or not. I will not forsake the living fountain and drink at the broken system. What is it that got you down. What is is rob you of your joy. What is the got you in its progress. What is it that had put you on this treadmill, you don't know how to get off get off and begin regular systematically unashamedly to praise the name of Jesus. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that's LTW.Ward