Don't Lose Your Joy

I've noticed a lot of people have no joy, no worship, no praise on their lips. They're just plain dead!  Christians need to keep their joy. You can't think a praise. You've got to open your mouth and speak a praise or you'll dry up on the vine.

Christians who never openly praise have lost their joy, and with it have lost their victory.  It's like putting a frog in hot water. He would just leap out.  In cold water he will sit there till he dies.  There's power in a praise with a shout.  If the devil never takes your joy you will walk in victory. There's going to come a time when you'll have to open your mouth and give a praise. The devil isn't going to take my joy. He didn't give it to me and he can't take it.

David was man that had joy as we see in Psalm 43:4 "Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God."  King David got excited to go to the House of the Lord, and this verse got into my spirit. We should have excitement to come into the Lord's House. David wanted to go to church and he wanted to worship.

Some of you are like the frog and need to leap to the altar.  Don't be a spectator, get up and praise Him. You can get joy everyday with praising Him. David said, "Upon the heart I will praise thee O Lord."  He was a man that knew how to get G-d's attention.  He understood that praise is the gateway to G-d's presence.  Not only was he a man of praise but he sought G-d through prayer.

David's been cut off to the temple. He's in battle and yet he says, I was glad when they said lets go up into the Lord's house. I got wrapped up and tangled up in G-d and I made a decision that I was going to give Him some praise.

David cries out, Oh G-d judge me, let me plead my cause.  Do you so boldly ask G-d to judge you? Have you paid your tithe, have you not put any idols before Him? Have you been good to your spouse?  And David said, and by the way Lord, guard me from the enemy. He reminds G-d that He is his strength. He says, I got the army and I got the strong men, but O G-d you are my stronghold.

David had an elite army. They could take a stone and with their left hand put your eye out and you would never even see it coming. But they were just a hill of beans compared to G-d. But the enemy saw and said, Oh it is the army with the Jehovah Shanoma! We are in big trouble!

David knew it was better to trust G-d than in his own strength. His strength was not in his fighting but in His G-d. He knew his victory came from his faith, prayer and praise. Those three things are hard to beat. Your mouth saying glory can get into someone's spirit. David had a more excellent sacrifice.  Let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually. That is the fruit of our lips when we give thanks and praise.

David had come to the House of the Lord and he knew what G-d had done for him. Look at Psalm 43:3 and 4 again, G-d, my exceeding joy.  Joy does not mean absent circumstances, but a healthy relationship with the Lord.  David knows this!  He said, I need some word in me today. I got to get to the temple. I need someone to preach to me.  And after I've got some word, then will I go into the altar of my G-d and upon the harp I will praise thee.

Joy begins with prayer and knowledge at the altar.  If you know Jesus you're supposed to be full of joy.  It's Christ that causes you to triumph. He died for us on the cross for us to have this.  So, no matter how big the battle shout for joy in the midst of it.  Go to a ball game, or a concert and see the people shouting. Then they come into the church and sit like a knot on a log.

Christ brought me out of darkness, I got something to shout about and to praise for.  Its the tension that builds and builds for the pure love of Him that erupts in me. In His presence is the fullness of joy.  I've stood in adversity and praised my way through it cause He's my rock, my peace, my joy, my comforter. That's the foundation I stand on in the midnight hour.  When everyone else misunderstands you, He's your best friend and sticks by you closer than a brother.  He judges me through the blood and not by man's scales.  He fights my battles for me. He's my Jehovah Shanoma!

The devil wants to keep you from the House of the Lord. He hates the anointed word cause it will give you victory.  The only way the Holy Ghost will fall on you is with a praise in your mouth. He will show up in the middle of your mess and you'll have joy.  If the devil can't get your joy, he can't defeat you.  He will attack your spouse, and your children but he can't get you in your joy. You want to break the devil's back get up and give him a dance and praise to your G-d and see him leave as quick as he came.

You can get joy just reading the word. Some of you never open the bible. It will choke the devil. Look at Jeremiah 15:16, "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord G-d of hosts.

Isaiah called the word a spiritual bucket. Isaiah 12:3, "Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation and you will say praise the Lord." The word is full of life, and Jesus said I came to give you life more abundantly. Take your bucket and draw some things up in Him. Psalm 16:11.

Do I have to get some electric shockers out for some people to get you out of the pews and up and praising Him?  When I think of His love for me and what He did for me, I can't stay in the pew. Look at 1 Thess 5:18 says, "In all things give thanks, for this is the will of G-d in Christ Jesus for you."

In everything you're going through praise Him. That's why He tells us to cast all your cares on Him. You'll spring back when you give it all to Him. Go ahead and get the pressure off with a praise and put the devil under your feet. Job 5:22. Don't get afraid when your heart don't beat right, or your wife walks out. Get up on your feet and start praising and things will smooth out. Don't lose your joy by looking at the troubles in the world today. I didn't say this, G-d did.

Job knew what problems are and G-d said, Just laugh!  G-d didn't want Job to lose his joy.  The devil said, You've got a hedge around him but if you'll let the hedge down he'll curse you. I like what Job said, though you slay me I will still trust you. But you got to keep praising him too. Job 3:25 shows Job let fear get the best of him. Job cooperated with the devil. We are all guilty of that.

Let us think on good things and speak them. When Job prayed he got a revelation. Job 6:24-25. He also learned a secret in Job 5:22 and he says, "You shall laugh at destruction and famine."

There is no Holy Ghost speaking demons!  You can bypass the whole crowd with the Holy Spirit.  We Pentecostals have life and we've got fire. So, there ought to be some joy and some hallelujahs in worshipping Him.  Laugh at the devil and his demons. They're trying to get you to give up on G-d.  Isaiah told Hezekiah, "you're gonna die."  Isaiah was the man that telescoped through time and saw Christ. But Hezekiah said, no I'm not going to die. G-d told Isaiah to go back and tell him, "I've added 15 years to your life." So when the doctor tells you you're gonna die, rejoice in your G-d.