Praise Is Power | Pr Kenneth Chin

You're listening to a message to go from acts church. We hope this message

will light up your day. I want to speak about praise this morning,

praise, and I want to speak it from a perspective or angle that if

you really wanted to grow, and if you really wanted to see breakthroughs in

your life healing, if you wanted your heart to be healed, your mind

to be healed, your finances to be healed. God has given us at

least one secret, and it's found in praise. Which I'm so glad that

John led This Morning the first song, because the lyric says, whether I'm

up or down? What else? Did you say something like uh, when

I feel it or I don't. So that's the power of praise, you

know, it does. It doesn't only just happen when we are all right.

It happens especially when we are not. So I'm not talking about praise

that just happens on Sunday. And I know sometimes naturally a lot of our

focus is on how well we do on Sunday, the songs that we choose,

the musicians that we have, and all that. And that's fine because

we love to celebrate on Sunday. We love to celebrate, we love a

full band and all that, and that's fine, that's not wrong. But

I want to speak to you today about taking praise outside of Sunday, because

when it really matters is Monday to Saturday. That's when we go through our

you know, challenges, our problems, our dark times. And I want

to say to you, praise is not only powerful on Sunday, it's powerful

any day. But to be truthful to you and honest, we rarely use

praise from Monday to Saturday. If I asked you, and don't put up

your hands on Monday. Last Monday, how many of you remember actually singing

to God? And many of us will probably say no, I can't remember

singing to God on Monday. Sometimes we don't even do it at a shower,

although shower is a good place to do it. Tuesday, can you

remember praising the Lord Wednesday? We probably only think like, oh, yeah,

I remember praising the Lord on Tuesday because Tuesday was press service. So

so you have to be in a service before you sing three songs. But

I'm not sure whether when we are down, whether we sing three songs when

we're discouraged, whether we even sing one when we want to give up when

maybe even the thought of suicide crosses our minds, whether we actually sing and

if you're truthful, if you're honest, we don't. And I found myself

also in that position, and then the Lord reminded me, Kenneth, I've

given you a secret, and I want you to use it. How many

of you know if you know a secret right, and nobody else knows what

you know the secret, and you keep prospering because of the secret, and

nobody else will. They probably have to come up with you and ask you

actually why, and then you tell them where. It's very simple. I

praise when I'm down, I praise when I don't feel it. I praise

on Monday as well. I sing those three songs when I'm tempted to complain

about somebody. And so I try to tell our worship team, please don't

go from new song to new song, because a new song you have to

open your eyes to sing it. The old song is when people start to

worship. Have you ever seen you start? You bring the old song,

then they cross the eyes and then their heads go up. The misworship actually

starts when you're familiar. Before that is practicing everybody's just practicing. But the

worry is that when you are down and when you're troubled, you can't remember

the lyrics of a new song. But you can definitely go into then sings

my soul or you know, uh, you know, God will make a

way where there seems to be no way. You start to really praise and

worship when you know the song by heart. And so, while we are

not against new songs, for I love new songs. We write new songs

and so, but I want people to not just sing, but make the

song part of their heart and their lives. Is that okay? So we

go to talk about that today a little bit. Let me prophesy over you

before I start, I act chapter sixteen, verse twenty five to twenty six.

Let's read the Word of God. But at midnight Paul and Silas were

praying and singing hymns to God. Don't forget Paul and Silas was or were

in prison. And as I read the Word of God, they were put

into the darkest dungeon because they were considered very dangerous. They were turning the

world upside down. So some of you in this room could be in your

darkest moments and the most challenging times, maybe in your business and your finances,

in your health. But at this midnight hour of darkness, Paul and

Silas, who knew the word of God and who know the secrets of God,

started to pray. But not just pray, it says, and sing

hymns. So there's one thing about praying, and there's another thing about praising.

These two are often they're different. So we can also praise in prayer,

okay, and we can pray in praise, but they are actually quite

different. You can actually find yourself praying, praying, pray, Oh God,

please help me, God, Please help me. God. Right,

you can be praying, but you can also be praising and say, God,

I thank you that even though I still feel the pain in my back,

I praise you because you are my healer. I said. So I

don't want Christians to just continue to pray for things. I want you to

praise because He is good. So let me prophesy over you right now that

even as you and I praise the Lord Monday to Saturday, the prisoners were

listening to them. So there are there going to be other people around you

who's going to be listening to you praise at tough times. It's one thing.

You know, you got a past. I don't know why people don't

don't care about whether I'm Christian or not. They don't care about whether you

know I've got something to say or not until they see me moving an opposite

spirit. Uh. The prisoners listen because nobody sings in prison, so it's

worth listening to. No, I won't say it again, nobody sings in

prison. The last time you were down, you didn't sing. I guarantee

you that, but we want to. We must learn to again because nobody

sings in prison. That's why the prisoners will listen. Because what in the

world. You know why the world will listen to you because you're singing at

times when you should be sad. Now you're worth listening to because if you're

only phraising when you know everything is good, then what's the difference with There

are people that don't know Jesus, so now their years are at tude and

don't forget. Our theme for this year is that all may know, so

all want to know why, because not all want to know because you're doing

well and you're no because they can do that too. They can smile and

it's all right, then they can smile and everything's going well. But to

smile at the storm it's difficult. And so the prisoners were listening. And

I want to just declare over your lives that your parents will be listening to

those of them who need to know Jesus, your uncles and aunties would be

listening when you're down and you're singing. Your friends will be listening. When

you're down and you're singing. I prophesy over you right now in the name

of your clients and your customers will listen and go like, what in the

world is happening? In the name of Jesus. You know, your brothers

and sisters who don't know Christ yet, they will be listening. Not because

you're doing so well and have got a million dollars in your bank account,

but when you are being challenged and it's tough and you're you're going through a

dark time. Oh, the prisoners will listen, and that all may know

suddenly there was a great earthquake. I declare that over your life life,

that the foundations that the devil is trying to you know, put chains on

your feet, will shake. That the foundations of the prison were shaken,

and immediately all the doors, all the prison doors, Lord, that the

prison doors in the people's lives in this room be wide open, be widely

opened, Oh, flung open, as one of the songs I think from

Deliria says, or open wide the gates, you know, fling white the

gates in the name of Jesus. I pray that the gates were not all

just open, but it will fling wide open in the name of Jesus and

set your people free. Lord, thank you that immediately all the doors were

open and everyone's chains were loose. Lord, I pray that and prophesy over

people here in this room. We didn't just come to church this morning.

We came to a prophetic utterance of God's word, because this is God's word.

God is behind his word. And Lord, thank you that your word

will go forth and not return to your void. So I command every chain

to be broken. And when we go back from Sunday and we're goin to

live our Mondays to our Saturday praising the Lord every day, Lord, maybe

we see this more and more prisoners listening. Earthquake happening all around us in

a good way, that's shaking off all the stuff that is not good for

us. And Lord, thank you that the prison doors will open, and

thank you that the chains will fall to the ground. If you believe it,

say amen, Amen, praise God. Yes, so I'm talking about

thank you. I'm talking about praise in prison, not just in good times.

All right, that's what the next slide says, so that all may

know. Let's look at another slide here, Psalms twenty three, twenty two.

I should say verse three, But you are holy, the Bible says,

and thrown in the praises of Israel. Now why is this important?

God is and throw in the praises of his people. That means that no

matter where you are in life, when you start to praise God, he

actually comes and makes his home in your praise. Imagine that for a moment,

the God of the universe coming to make his inhabitation or his throne.

So I know all of us will say, our Father, who are in

heaven, Hello, it be thy name, And we believe he's in heaven.

And he is indeed in heaven. His throne is in heaven, and

we know that. But the Bible is saying to us that when people praise

him, his throne is no longer just in heaven, but it's with you

now. It's amazing. It's amazing no matter what you're going through. He's

not a thousand, million, billion miles away. He is just next to

you. As soon as you praise him, he comes. I can almost

envision him saying to his angels, come, I can see that guy,

prays, is in me. Come build the throne. Build the throne right

there, right here, in the praises of my people. All right,

I'm gonna be seated here where he's praising me. And he sits on the

throne of his glory as you praise him, and he begins to judge.

So I want to say to you right now, it is not our songs.

And I know you know this what I'm gonna say to you. It

is not our songs that drives Satan away. It's not our lyrics. All

right. Now, there's another scripture here. You can just have a look.

This one is in the Old King James. O. King James says,

but thou art holy, okay, all the Old King James words,

all thou that inhabitants. All right, we don't use that word very much,

but he just says that he comes and dwells with us. He stays

with us. Next one, please, So the enemy isn't afraid of our

praise. No, he's not our voice, our volume. So you know,

sometimes you got you know, raise the voice and the devil will flee.

The devil is not afraid of your voice or your volume. He's not

afraid of your songs. So it doesn't have to be heal songs. It

doesn't have to be Bethel because he's not afraid of those songs. He's not

afraid of extra songs. He doesn't run away because your lyrics are nice.

In fact, don't forget. Uh. You know, I watched one video

on YouTube where this passes theater that I think because Satan is the chief of

musicians, he could have written some of those songs as well. And they

were scary, right, that some Christian song could have been written by Satan.

Uh he says, hey, you know, why don't you play that

song? I like that one too. I like to jump when when that's

some plays, Because you know, the power is not in the songs.

The power is not in the style, the power is not in the music.

You can you can chase Satan away with one guitar. Uh, And

it's not in the media. And sometimes we concentrate so much on the media,

so much money, so much you know, all the lights in music.

We put all our attention on the praise that is according to all that.

And yet you know it is because God inhabits the praises of his people.

That's why Satan trembles. It's not all the other things. It's his

presence. Somebody say, Amen, it's his presence. Really it is.

And so you can be praising God without music, just your voice, which

is the greatest instrument. And I want you to be able to do this

every Sunday when you lead worship, you say, I'm not leading worship for

Sunday. I'm leading worship so that the people can get ready for Monday.

I hope that you know if you're not there in terms of your mindset of

how to prepare for worship on Sunday, you prepare for worship on Sunday saying

I've got to prepare the people for Monday because it really doesn't better very much

what really happens on Sunday, only because the people are in the midst of

people who are have faith and they're singing and they're rejoicing. So the real

victory happens on Monday, but the prepation happens on Sunday. And so we

want people to go away not thinking that, oh it was this song,

or is that song or that style, or my church has a better style,

my church has a better band. No, no, no, no,

please don't let the devil lead us there, because again he's the chief

musician and he knows exactly what he's doing. And so we say, no,

victory doesn't just happen on Sunday. Victory happens from Monday onwards. Everybody,

Okay, this is very important. It is God's presence that comes into

you know, when people are worshiping him in spirit and truth. His presence

drives the darkness away. Can I hear good? Amen? And when you

praise he comes. Praise takes us deeper, higher further. That's what what

the next slide says. It does. It does. So let me show

you a verse. Why are saying why I'm saying praise takes us deeper,

higher, further Because in Psalms one hundred, verse four, it says enter

his gates, Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with

praise, be thankful to him, and bless his name. So one thing

the lot has taught me through the years is that I cannot enter his presence

without thanksgiving. I know a lot of Christians we do that sometimes because we

are down, so we enter his presence. We can't for somebody's this his

presence, right? And then I enter, and I enter with like saying

like, oh God, you don't understand. I'm going through a lot of

trouble. And then and then suddenly go I don't feel God, no,

because the gates cannot open until you come with thanksgiving, or you come in.

He said, oh God, you know, I'm so hurt, you

know. And he didn't say enter his gates. We'd hurt and to his

gates. We complain, enter his gates. There's no way. So I

give you this simple example. You know, my remote controller, when I

get nearer to my house, when I press her, my automatic gate opens

because I press my control. I don't challenge you. But then let's say

say I challenge you are to drive near my house and press your remote control.

You know I don't challenge you, gud, I don't everybody driving you

to my house and tila. You know, one guy in export modeing is

so smart. He says, oh, I think he thinks he's smart.

But he says that no, my no, my device can open any gate,

no tiler o. Can you try? But most of you would understand

that it's our remote controller can open our gate. Yours can open my gate?

No money, how you try? So a lot of times that we

come and we want to open God's gate with our remote control. But how

come God? You know, I mean in pain you can see. But

he didn't say, uh, you know, I mean there was a song.

Some of you are older in terms of your Christian favor. It was

I will enter his gage, remember the song with thanksgiving in my I will

enter his corse with preak, good song, good song. Maybe if she

rewrive it, I will say this is the day Selena still sinking, don't

you? I will say this is the day that can I well retarge for

yes, may be glad he has, maybe glad, hey he has.

Okay, I will rejoice for he has made me glad. Hey he has

maybe glad he has, Maybe be glad. I will rejoice for he has

made me glad. I didn't plan to finish the sold the buts, you

guys are just oh phraise the Lord and hopefully you're not singing. I will

enter his gaze with complaints in my heart. You know I will end okay

because he won't open. And God really said this is the way. That's

why there's another scripture, right Philippians four, verse six, be anxious for

nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with yeah, the other way

you want to pray or so you have to include thanksgiving. Then the do

opens, and then you step into his presence. No other way, no

other way, no other way than so you can think about it right now,

right like, wow, I haven't been thankful to go for the last

three months. Means I haven't been in his presence for three months. And

now I know why the devil keep knocking me in left right said that because

I haven't been in his presence, and when I'm not in his presence,

the devil won't leave. And that's why maybe these thoughts haven't left me.

This depression has then left me because when I enter his presence, really really

in his presence, how can depression remain? How can suicide thoughts to remain?

It cannot his presence. In his presence, his fullness off joy,

and the joy of the Lord is our strength. Oh wow, if you

didn't have joy for the last three months, maybe because you haven't been in

his presence, and you haven't been this president, because maybe you haven't been

thankful. So oh, this is an important lesson. But praise takes us

deeper. What do I mean? He says, I will enter his gaate,

So you just enter his gags to me with thanksgiving, but now you

enter his courts with praise. And why is the courts important? It's because

let me give you a thought. The next slide will give you a thought.

So this is Esther and Esther. It says it happened on the third

day that Esther put on her royal ropes. Now you're don know why she

put on her royal rope right, because Mordechai came to her ready before that

and said, you know your people are going to be killed, all right,

God has brought you in here for such a time as this. And

then of course before that, Esther was scared. She said, no body

is allowed to stand before the king. If the king didn't call, you

can die. And Mordiga said, for such a time as this, and

so Esta said, okay, and the famous words that she used was if

I perish, I perished, I died diet Okay. But she put on

these ropes, right. It's good to know that you have to be dressed

before the Lord in your best uh, and not just like this addressing of

no in your heart, the posture before the Lord. You come before the

Lord, and so you enter firs with thanksgiving, and then now you go

deeper into his courts. So what happened She stood in the inner court.

Obviously esther has passed the gates already, and now she finds herself in the

courts of the King's palace across in the king's house. So it's not the

gates there is across the king's house. It is the courts that is across

his house. So what I'm saying is that praise takes you deeper to a

place where God can actually see you. Now the king is on his royal

throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house. Okay,

So the gate is there, it's still it can be seen. But while

thanksgiving brings you through the gate, praise brings you to the courts it is

the courts where we need to find ourselves. If we really want to see

a breakthrough. You cannot just stand at the gates. Thanksgiving is good,

but not enough praise takes you deeper. Okay, Now she finds herself in

the courts. So it was when the king saw So the King didn't see

Esther at the gates. He saw Esther at the courts. And the Bible

is saying, only praise takes you there. Let's try to learn something here.

When the King saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found

favor in his side. Let's finish it. And the king held out to

Esther the golden sceptor that was in his hand. Then Esther went near,

so from the cause she went even nearer. Now, so I guess there's

inner courts, holy place, holy of holies that there is. I don't

know whether you understand this, but they're in the Bible. Uh. There

is a concept and a principle of levels of intimacy. That's why even when

God asked us to build it, well, not us, but asked his

people to build the temple, there was the outer courts, inner courts,

holy place, holy of holies. This is not man's concept, is God's

concept that all of us can actually enjoy a deeper relationship with Him. And

that's why all the calls in church are never at the back. Have you

called you for all the court to the bag that one is disciplined? Repeat,

I'll see you at the back, you know, yeah, uh,

And that's why I was sure. When people start to backslide, start to

backslide a few further away from God's presence, where do they sit front or

back? No, sometimes we think that it's just by natural. No,

it's and as suddenly as they go far further toback and suddenly, you know,

if they still can't work out their faith and their salvation with fear and

trembling, they will slowly be no longer even around you meet with me.

And sometimes they even hang outside for too long. Actually she come in after

a while. But know they hang out so too long because actually the external

sometimes is a reflection of the internal. And so I want to encourage all

of you that's a deeper place to go with the lot today and praise takes

you to the courts at least, and even after being seen at the courts

and favor from the King comes, and the King says, you know,

he holds out his golden scepter like and the Queen goes even nearer, and

even after praise, you know, there will be levels of proximity and intimacy

that we can enjoy from the Lord. Now, let me finish this.

So and the King said to her, what do you wish, Queen Esther.

He the King did not ask what you wish Queen Esther at the gates.

He asked what you wish, Queen Esther at the courts. So when

you praise the Lord, you can I'm telling you right now because I've learned

it time and time again. And sometimes I forget about praiser and I just

pray, pray, pray. But then Lord says, move one gear up

from praying, praying, praying to praising and see the results. See the

results not only on Sunday, please, but at times you need it the

most. And it was at the court the King finally said, what is

your request, hell Love, it is at the courts, he says.

He didn't say at the gates. He didn't say on the way to the

gates, or from the gates to the courts. At the courts, and

he says it shall be given to you up to half the kingdom. Let's

look at the next light, all right, to console those yo, you'll

know this scripture. I'm sure you're ready before Isaia sixty one West three.

The Bible is so clear about how God wants to turn our life around.

To console those who mornings, I need to give them beauty for ashes.

Somebody say, Amen, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of

praise for the spirit of heaviness. I want to say to you right now,

there is a garment of praise we need to put on this morning.

It is a garment, and you have a choice whether you want to put

on that garment or put off that government. I'm going to encourage all of

you that before we close this morning, put on like how the Bible says,

put on the new men, take off the old man. Put on

the new man. Put on that garment. It's a garment. This garment

is a choice. It's not like stuck to your skin. You have to

choose morning by morning to praise, night by night to praise. Put on

the go. And sometimes we don't have the garment of praise, then we

have other garments. Garment of sadness, depression. I want to give up,

want to throw in the towel, all other garments. I know,

we think it's very very nice because it's a garment, but no, the

Lord wants us to take off that those heavy garments and put on the garment

of praise for the spirit of heaviness. There is a spirit of heaviness,

but the garment of praise is going to take that away. Amen, Praise

the Lord that they may be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of

the Lord, that he may be glorified. Next slight please. Okay,

So what's the difference between thanks, thanksgiving and praise. We thank him for

what he's done. We're prais him for who he is. That's the difference.

If you don't know, the difference isn't doing the same thing, but

sometimes he's used interchangeably. But this is the difference. Thank you John for

what you did. Thank you for what you did, and you praise well.

John is really a good worship leader, different what he's done who he

is. So God may not even do anything for you the next twenty four

hours are but you still should praise him. So if you find no reason

to thank him for one week because God didn't do anything for me like this

week. Okay, he didn't do anything to me. I asked him so

many times, he didn't do anything for me. Why am I to thank

you? But you still praise him because he's still good, He's still God,

he's still awesome. He still died on the cross for you. You

praise him for the savior of the world, worthy of our praise. If

at one time the Lord challenges music Kenneth, if I didn't do anything for

you the next twenty years that we used to praise me, of course,

my mind, God, I say, please, I, God, don't

do it. Don't I hope you're just testing me because I really need you,

and I really need you every day I need you, and said,

no, I'm just asking you. That means that all that He's ever done

for us and given him my salvation is ready enough because I know where I'm

going when I die, to the arms of Jesus. So I'm going to

call you praise him because he's worthy. He's holy. Amen, he's great.

So thanksgiving, enter his gate swift and into his court swift. Okay,

let's look at the next light. Praise with the word. Okay,

this is important every morning when I wake up now for the last four years

and I do my quiet time, half of my quiet time is using God's

word. And I found it very beneficial and very helpful for me. So

from the start, you know, our start and of course our Father,

who what in heaven hell would be thy name? Is also something I use

the Lord's prayer, but I use the word. I use the word a

lot. Okay, So I'm gonna enter into a quick testimony. Let's see

how quick I can do it. But the testimony, firstly is found in

the scripture Psalms one, eight, verse eight to nine. All right,

that's the second speaker right there. Okay, it is better trust in the

Lord that the book. Confidence in man is better trust in the Lord and

the boot confidence in princess. So this was a word God gave to me.

And I'll share with you the testimony. Now. About twelve years ago

I bought my house, and I won't give you the whole testimony now because

some of you, if not many of you, have heard it that it

was sold for almost a million ring it to me and I didn't have the

money, and the Lord provided miraculously the bank manager told me that this is

the first case he's ever seen someone get a loan from a bank without a

salary, as in, no collateral, nothing, no EPF, no soph

nothing. Uh. And so the Lord provided and I was able to buy

the house and every month, by by faith, pay the monthly to the

bank. And so it's happened now for twelve years. God has never missed

one single month of payment, even the deposit. You know all that.

So, as I said, I won't go deeper. But the Lord did

a miracle for me. Then the law putty on my heart. I actually

renovate it. So I renovated it the first time, and again the renovation

money came a miracle about maybe eleven years ago now, not ten years ago,

three hundred thousand ring it Okay. At that time I wanted to renovate

the whole house and especially renovate the back portion because of my parents in law.

So I wanted to invite my parents in law to come and stay with

us. Actually they were already staying with us, but I wanted to give

them the nicest space at the back. So what happened was, I think

the past the senters seem to think so that the contractor did a number on

us. And actually it was supposed to be the whole house renovated for three

hundred thousand. This is ten eleven years ago, so it shouldn't be enough

dead, but it ran above and I think I paid at the end of

the day three hundred and fifty thousand ring it okay, but with the back

portion not finished, so it's only more. But he couldn't finish, and

so I left the back. It's the upstairs first floor. Just outside the

window of my prayer room, I can see this very ugly looking finish.

How you see those constructions, They have those metal bars coming out and just

ugly right, and even the fact the metal bars really rusted, and some

people came to my house to you know, covery with plastic, et cetera.

So ten years have gone by, and two years ago I was on

my knees in my prayer room, and after I finished my prayer time,

the Lord asked me look out your window, you know, thinking about the

song and looking out my window, and I thought, okay, God,

So I looked at my window and I saw something that I've seen already for

ten years. But you know, after a while even the things that are

ugly, we you know, you can't like accept it like okay, you

know, and sometimes you should accept somethings that ugly in your life. You

know, it's God's gift. But I'm just saying that some things that you

shouldn't accept one, but you will accept, right, some bad habits.

So whatever, you know, so you accept it. And so I looked

out. But this time round the lot gave me eyes to see that it

is ugly. And not only that, but like, hey, your neighbors

also think is ugly. Okay, all right, all right, So the

Lord said to me very clearly, Kenneth, finish it, finish it.

I knew it was going to be expensive to finish the background portion, and

so in my heart I said, oh, Lord, you know I don't

have the money at that time. I think my bank account was left maybe

two thousand ring it And I said, Lord, I can't. Anyway,

cut along story short, the Lord convinced me, and I finally said,

yes, Lord, yes, Lord. I think he convinced me like this

though. He said, a Kenneth, you are a pastor and you are

my son, and I don't want your neighbors to think that your God cannot

afford. So at the end of the day, you know, God for

me. When the Lord puts his reputation and take it gets to me like

it's some of your old reputation. You know, it's it's okay, God,

I can live anywhere. But God said, no, no, no,

no, it's my name's at stake. I want you to finish your

job. And the Lord say to me, I order, I'll pay right,

I'll order, I pay, I pay for what I order. I

say, okay, Lord. So I was struggling because I didn't have the

money and I don't know where to go to. And then I prayed,

as a Lord, many times in my life, you have touched people's hearts

to give to the church, or to give to the ministry, or to

give to me. I said, now, Lord, you know those days

when I was younger, I wrote to maybe twenty people and get nineteen rejections.

He's very painful. Every rejection is very painful. To keep the church

going, to keep the salaries paid, I will be usually the only one

that will had to go and look for money. And so it's not I

don't like actually writing to people. But then I learned something that when you

wait upon the Lord, that the Lord will give you names, so you

don't have to write to twenty. He'll give you one name. That's why

he says, those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, because

when you write to twenty, by the time the twentieth respond to, your

strength is gone. But when the lod says to you right to one,

your strength is renewed because you don't chase after everybody else. So those who

wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall, you know,

rise up with wings as eagles, and they shall run and not be really,

they shall walk and not faint. So I said, Lord, give

me one name. I'm too old for this. Twenty thirty applications that you

know, I'm too old for this. I'll get so stressed out. My

high blod pressure will go up. And Lord, just one name, and

they Lot put the one name in my heart. So I went and saw

him. And as we're having meal a meal. You know, when the

Lord moves, it becomes very smooth, and so the brother, I just

want to let you know I've been praying, and the Lot put you on

my heart to ask. But you can say no, I'm about to embark

on the project that actually I don't want to do, but the Lord says,

finish it, and so I'm going to have to finish it. He

said to me how much the contractor just told me only a couple of weeks

before I met him. Contractor to me, is two hundred thousand rate just

to finish the upstairs back push it. So I said to him, brothers

two hundred thousand. He said to me, okay, I'll help you.

I don't know how the continuity the conversation though, because he's like, why

so fast? I thought, you know, I had thoughts of like how

to convince, what scripture to use, and it's the Lord, It's amazing.

And so that's the way. He hasn't finished there. The contractor says

to me, ah, he needs some money thirty seven thousand just to start

buying the material. He's a good contractor, he does for our church,

so he's very kind. Said, you just give me the material money first.

Uh. So I was about to, you know, ask the brother.

I said, like two hundred thousand, you know, could you give

me a little bit first? But without even having to to him, a

check came in for fifty thousand okay. So this brother is, you know,

obviously quite a word abiding, you know, promise abiding brothera so give

me few said wow, please, God, I rejoice, tears come out

now and God so fitfull tears floory freely. And I'm like, oh,

thank you Jesus, you remember me. You know it happens, And yeah,

I gave the decrement. That was okay, fine. And then another

time I went to because he caught me to go and minister in his in

his church. So I went to his church and I ministered, and it

was around my birthday time and the lad said to me, said, Kenneth,

let's take it up one more level. You don't ask him because the

other next fifty thousand is due. And he said, you know, you

don't ask him. You just relaxed. You just minister and you do your

best, and ministered. I did my best. And then it's time for

him to send me back to the airport. And so as he's driving my

arms being because I need the money on the second batch of but no sound,

and the law says, don't say all right, And then we get

to the airport, he gives me a hug or hugmansare bye bye. You

know in my house, dabas shanda, dabaha da sirideando raba sanda. And

then he says, and this is something for you. And so there was

a what envelope? You know, those of you who have been with me

a long time, you know I like what envelopes. So I thought it

was my offering for ministrying in his church. So I, you know,

I learned never to open it in front people. Okay, no, So

taking in, check in and sat down and then open Hey, it's just

one piece of paper in it. So I took it out and it was

the second check for fifty thousand wonderful, okay, praise what so I paid.

I was so, I was so glad, so happy, so thankful.

And then came four months to five months of silence. The renovation is

going on. How many of you like times of silence? Everything happened well

at the beginning, But this this meet me at the middle, when we

sing the song, meet Me at the middle, it's always the middle.

It's not the start, it's not the end. It's the middle. Jesus

met his disciples are struggling, rowing their border and the middle of the sea.

It's always the middle. You know, the middle in terms of age

is what teenage? Yes, it is the middle that is all the worst,

totally uncertain. When you're a child, okay, mommy, you know,

think you are you know, eat all that kind of stuff, whatever

you want, and then you come teenager in the middle. It's tough.

It's tough to be a teenager. It's in the middle. Right there,

Peo posts are coming out. You don't understand hormones. It's crazy teenage minist

you know. Anyway, so the silence, but I'm thinking to myself,

this guy, this contactor is gonna ask me for the next batch of money,

right so one month past, two months, past, three months wi

and the building is going up now and every day I'm thinking, photo,

were very nice, very nice, you know. And then can Ken his

name, contuctor, he comes and he says, so far, so good

good. I'm just hoping he doesn't ask for money. And he didn't ask

her for four months. He didn't ask for four months, you know.

You know, the Lord's gracer comes in different wayson sometimes the money hasn't come,

but also people didn't ask no some way that the kind of balances out.

But you but you know, sometimes we are more, ganjung. We

are more excited. We are more scared than anything else. And so I

prayed and then came use I was praying, right, I was praying,

and then came, uh, you turn. So I said, Lord,

I want to pray. You know twenty one days. I want to pray

for the money to come. There's one hundred thousanding it more. And the

Lord says, Canneth, please stop praying. I've been hearing you. Ready.

How many of you are pray? A lord? Because you thought God

didn't hear you? Do first sight? I know the a lot of prayer

warriors around who if they see here, they probably will have a word.

We'll be after that. Pastory are encouraging people to pray, pray, pray,

pray, pray, And now you say, God said enough. That's

why Jesus says, I stop praying repetitiously like the Heathens do. God hears

you. I said, then what do I do? God do nothing,

he says, engage gear go from pray to praise. That's all he said.

See praise. I don't know whether you do it. Praise is I

think you've done it? Say it hasn't come. Why you cast down all

my soul, Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God? For

I shall yet praise him. Not yet, but I shall. I'm going

to praise him, even though it has it happened some forty three Verse five,

I shall yet praise him. So the Lord gave me this word.

He says, canne use this word every day? Because I think you are

thinking about this man? When is he going to send you another check?

And I want you every day for twenty one days to confess in the morning.

It is better to trust in the Lord and to put confidence in man.

It's better trust in the Lord and to put confidence in Princess every day.

No more prayinger God heard it. Praising and praise brings me to the

courts, and probably that's where I will meet God like es I did.

Praise, praise, praise, praise every day. Or it's better to trust

in the Lord. I memorize his versity, you know, than to put

con vidence in man. It is better the trust in the Lord, in

the book confidence Princess. By the twenty first day, I'm done. Twenty

second day, the call comes from this brother, says Brother Kenneth. I'm

back in Malaysia. And I've been thinking about you. I said, hallelujah,

Oh, yes, think about me. He said, can we go

for lunch? I said, yes, sounds good. Read for lunch and

he talked about so many things. Finally talked about the house. He said,

Brother, Kenneth, I just want to let you know I know I

made you a promise. You know when he said I know you made your

promise that, I didn't even think there was a promise. Though. I

thought he would just say I will help you, but promise me. I

promised to help you, but he took it as a promise, not to

me. I said, hallelujah, Yeah, said brother, is the problem.

I didn't say it. I didn't say it. I don't promise.

Yeah, I said, I promised you. And I felt so bad because

I was so down financially. He said. The businesses I had nothing moved

for four six months. Nothing moved. I had four pieces of land that

I've been trying to sell for three years. One piece of land is a

beachfront, uh and that itself cost twenty million ring it if I sold it.

And I have four of different things, and it was all stuck and

I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel. See as he's talking,

I learned that even rich people have their challenges somehow, you know, people

gonna I cannot be like you know, look at the roles. Don't judge

like that. No, the best of us I have our own problems.

And God, really, God, this allowed me or to even make and

steing a call to him for four months. Do you know what if I

made that call? You know what he said to me, I felt so

embarrassed for four months, the last four months because I didn't have money to

help you. I did have money to fulfill my promise, came igine.

If I called him, how much more he'll be embarrassed. So God loves

him as well. God wants to give him a miracle as well. And

while I was speaking this, God was moving. Don't see, God's not

just interested in only your life, he said, so interested in the people

around you and the people who's helping you, all people who want to help

you. It's so interested in them some other God, I think they're holding

their money. Don't go and judge that's okay. Clearly you don't know people's

problems. You don't know what they're going through. And then he said to

me by the Kenneth. So I let you know that something happened. In

the last thirty days, all four of my property have been so I tell

you I almost cried. I don't want cry for him, but because I

didn't tell him that I was fasting and praying for twenty one days. But

all I was doing was declaring his word, declining praise praise. He says,

I don't believe it. One guy calls me, there's a corporate guy

wants to buy it. Then suddenly he introduced me to another friend who wants

to buy my second lane and all four pieces I waited for three years.

It gets done in thirty days. You know the Lord can do it.

And it's not just a lesson for him, as a lesson for me and

all of us learner when God moves all of us leen. I thought to

myself, Wow, Lord, should I tell him that I've been fasting prayer.

But I didn't. I just okay, because he has so much to

say. I wanted this. To listen to his testimony and he was so

blessed. He was so blessed, and he said, but a Kenneth,

this is what God did for me. And now I can do this for

you, And so he banks in a check for one hundred thousand ringgits.

So now all two hundred thousand ring kit has been supplied. Praise a lot,

Amen, and the bill has been paid. And I just gave Ken

the last check you know for to make up the two hundred thousand ring it.

God is faithful, he ordered, and he paid. And we learn

something that praise is very powerful. I think about it, Paul. Is

it even written? He let me see the next slight? Please, brother,

Yeah, we can go through these very quickly, because I've got another

thought to tell you. So the children of Israel arose and went up to

the House of God to inquire of God. They said, which of us

shall go up first to the battle against the children? Benjamin? The Lord

said, Judah first. Judah just means praise. So I want to encourage

all of you before we leave today. Put praise first, praise, and

God will go before you and fight your enemies. The battle is the Lord's,

so not complain first, not just praise first. I don't know what's

happening God, but I praise you first. What's the next one second chronicle

is twenty twenty one to twenty two. See how they praise. You know,

the Jehosaph I think. This is a story of jehosph I think.

And he's leading his people out to fight against three armies that could wipe Israel

out easily, and God says, go and fight. I will be with

you. And you know what the people knew then that we should know now

that when we go out, we praise first. And all they were saying

was praise the Lord for his mercy and yours forever. You know what happened,

right, God was fighting for their battle, and before Israel even reached

their enemies, all of them were wiped out. People in the past in

the Bible, they know some thing that we should remember today. That's why

they keep using it. And when they kept using it, they kept having

victory. We may have forgotten it because we have boiled it down to just

Sunday, half an hour Sunday, and then we might not live so victoriously

for Monday this Saturday, because we think it's all about Sunday. And God

is saying to you, take the Sunday out into your Monday. Next one

start between Racy and Pharaoh's army. Remember the story, right, Moses let's

look. Let's look at what Moses did. Moses said to the people,

don't be afraid. Time still and see the salvation of the Lord, which

will accomplished for you today. For the Gyptus whom you see today you shall

see again no more forever. The Law will fight for you, and you

shall hold your peace. Let's move on. And the Lord said to Moses,

why do you cry to me? Let's pause there for a while.

I very often look into God's word and he says, I cried out to

the Lord, and he hurt my prayer or hear my cry. Do you

know how we are encouraged to cry out to the Lord. But for God

to say, stop crying to me, it is very unique, and a

lot of Christians, if we are not aware, we keep crying out to

him and nothing happens. Because what we need to do is move forward.

Don't stop crying and move forward. Move forward because God is about to do

something great. And then he says, lift up your rod and stretch out

your hand. What is that symbol? Praise and surrender? Yes, but

praise. If you ever wanted to draw praise, not to write the word,

but draw, you will put people's hands up. And that's exactly what

say. Stop crying, Moses, but stretch out your hand, So stop

praying, start praising. Move forward. That's how the Red Sea was parted.

Let's move on. God doesn't want us to pray repetitiously, but we

are allowed, even encouraged to praise repetitiously. Not pray repetitiously, but praise.

Keep on praising the Lord. Everybody, Okay, let's move on.

Oh I like this one, Joshua did as Moses said to him and fought

with with Amelek and Moses, Aaron and her went up her is not a

lady, went up to the top of the hill. And so it was

when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed. And when he let down

his hand armlike prevail. Moses' hands became heavy because he's human, and sometimes

even in as human beings that we get tired. So they took a stone

and put it under him, and he said on it, and Aaron and

Her supported his hands, one on one side and the other on the other

side. And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

So Joshua defeated, and like and these people with the age of the sword

is real one. The people have got one. Tim, Can I use

you for a woman? Just you just sit there? Okay, So this

is how it works out. If I was in children's church, I will

use this because I think I think people will get it like when I do

it. Okay, lift up your hand please, yeah, okay, win

win, put down your hand loose, Put on your hair again, win

down loose. This is what the Bible is telling us. And yet love

Christians don't understand the simplicity of this home more time, win down loose so

much so that you have friends now who when you're tired, help you to

keep them up? Yeah, because there's no other way. God didn't give

plan B. You know, I said, if God is kind, if

God is loving, compassionate, doesn't he understands that Moses will get tired.

Choose That not a plan God. But there's no plan B. Christians always

reached there was a plan B. You don't understand. I get tired,

I God, you get tired, then get your friends to come around you.

But I have no other plan. Hands up, hands up? What

when? Hands down? Easy? So conclusion, keep your hands. But

we're tired. So we got a church and a community like ex Umpunk to

come around just so that we can help you. Right, put a stone

under you so that you can sit down. No, that means I had

to do something to keep your hands up. God won't change his plans.

If I have to give you a seat, I'll give you a seat.

If I put my show, I will do whatever it takes to keep your

hands that's it. That's it. But even though you have a church that's

very supportive, they can't force you to put your hands up. You have

to make a choice to put your hands up anyway as to please help because

my hands are coming down. I'm so tired. And then they come around

you. But can they force you to put your hands up. There's a

difference. We think that a church is there or because the church didn't help

me. That's why. No, you have to make a choice. The

church cannot get your hands up. They can really help you with the will

of putting your hands up anyway. Okay, this is very important. I'll

say it again, hands up, hands down. This is God's plan,

and I pray that all of you will win. If you believe, say

man, all of you will win. The next light that says this what

a big risk, God, thro What a big risk because Moses could have

really put his hands down and Israel would have lost that day. Many Christians

don't understand why we keep losing, And I want to just lovingly tell us

because I've learned it myself again and again. Lord, I know all I

need to do is keep my hands up, praising You, no matter what,

no matter what, no matter how I feel, no matter what people

say. My hands have got to be Ah, then I win. Help

me God to keep them up. Oh, what a big risk God took

that day. What a big risk he took. Shirre can feel one if

the hands weren't up, but God trusted his people. Praise is the wings

on which faith source. Sometimes your faith feels so weak, but when you

start, isn't it true? Sometimes when you don't want to come for prayer

service, and that's how you come and you start praising God, and then

you start feeling like, Hey, I was so tired before I came,

and now I feel so refreshed. You don't want to come to church service

on Sunday. When you come, something happens. Because while faith is very

important, praise is the one that keeps it, keeps it going. Oh,

I'm down, but I will cond Do you praise the Lord? Let

me give you another thought before we draw this so close. There is a

scripture I believe he's found in Second Corinthians twelve Is it twelve where it says

my grace is sufficient for you. I think it's twelve, and you can

find Second Corinthians traverse eight. Uh. Paul said this three times. I

asked the Lord to take away the thorn from my side three times, and

then the Lord said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for

my strength is made perfect in your weakness. And I learned. I learned

from Paul because three times was enough for him. I say, Lord,

when do I stop praying? Because Paul did not pray for thirty times or

three hundred times. He prayed for three times, and then the Lord spoke

to him. And then from that time or wards, I think he just

praise the Lord. Lord, even though this thorn is still in my side.

But I praise you because you can sustain me. I praise you anyway,

even though there I know sometimes you come to church, so there might

be a thorn in your site by you seeing something you don't like. There's

a thorn. And then you say, Lord, you're not going to remove

that thorn. Okay, because you say your grace is sufficient for me.

Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. Yes, I will not need

to worship you in perfection. I will never have a perfect you know,

sound, or perfect church or perfect whatever. There's a thorn in my side.

But your grace is sufficient. Somebody say, man, your grace is

what I need. I prayed three times that you would do it, you

would change it, but you didn't because you want to leave it there because

it's good for me in the long run. It's good for me. It's

good for me. Actually, it's good for my soul. It's good for

my challenges, my mindset, it challenges my heart. Okay, Lord,

leave it there then, because your grace is sufficient. I prayed three times,

and now I'm I'm gonna stop praying. I'm going to start praising.

Amen. Let's move on. Oh, thank you for the scripture. Guys.

All right, I want by faith, each step by faith, to

live by faith. I put my trust in you. I think you most

of you have heard my testimony before. I'm going to stay to you and

I'm going to close. So my father was in hospital, university hospital,

and he has stroke, and I had no money. I remember having maybe

about fifteen ring kit in my pocket. And after about eight days of being

in the hospital, a university hospital, the nurse said to me when I

went to visit my dad, you can take your dad out. You can

discharge him. Now. I had a small apartment, didn't know where to

put my dad because you know his apartment right, not not so easy for

my dad in his state of stroke to get to. I know, my

dad's my my apartment, second room, the bathroom is not near, so

my dad won't be able to recover. I was stressed because the nurse put

a bombshell on me. I thought, can stay here another week and another

two weeks, good because he's not fully recovered. But the nurse said,

there are the people more serious and your dad. That's how hospitals work.

If I had to be more serious then, but my dad was still in

a serious state. Can't walk, can't talk. So Kenneth, you bully

a made you mean, bapa, you know you can take your father out.

I'm like, my heart is pumping so quick, and she said,

this is the slip, go downstairs, pay come back, take your dad

out. I said, my dad can't even walk. No, you can

take the wheelchair take him down. Well, I tell you, I was

so stressed. Passenger was not around, she was in office. You know

sometimes when you had to carry the weight on your owner, it's tough.

It's really really tough. No money. And my father was so big,

you know, he was like a two hundred and seventy pound man. How

to carry him, you know, onto the wheelcha myself? How to carry

him up? Push him in the car? Oh? Boy? So I

was stress, really really stressed. Fifteen ring it in my pocket. And

then as I was walking slowly like a Korean drama, you know, really

no tears, this is like slowly coming. I'm like, what in the

world my wife is not around? No money. It was bad times,

bad times. Go carry my dad? Where do I take him back to

the apartment? What do I do? You know, how do I prepare

the bit for him? How do I take him to toilet? He can't

go to the toilet himself. I'm thinking of all these things. And the

ministry church is growing, uh, and you know I needed to spend a

lot of time there. That's why my wife couldn't even come to the hospital

with me because she's either her or me. All right, someone has been

in the office, and so I'm walking out and then the law begins to

speak, he says Kenneth sing. I said, the last thing you want

to do when you're down or stress is singing. But we're singing church,

but you know, but sing hello. I can't even remember. But what

song? Through the lyrics all gone? It just comes back to me on

Sunday. But you know, on when you're stressed, when you're stress,

it doesn't you know. I'm like, I'm on the six or seventh floor

of you hit sing the Holy Spirit sing? I don't know sing what song?

I walk by faith, each step by faith. I put my trust

in you chest me dancer, I put my trust in you, you hite.

I wasn't dancing. I'm telling you. I very slowly hit the button

for the lift to go down. I said, I don't know what song.

I put my trust in you, So I'm not. I really don't

want you know how many of you just don't want? No? You know,

the children, no one, huh. I'm also a child of God

eyes Okay, No, another time of Sunday I wait on this Sunday.

Can hell o? Can you wait on a Sunday? Sunday is the time

we we praise you Man, we under Sunday God, wait on a Sunday

two days, not a day. You got your day's wrong? All right?

What you got day's wrong? I don't say that, but you knows.

Like is when when your turn? Where your turn? Can you be

asking me to do something on Monday like this? Sing that opens and then

I begin to sing my face sing properly, sing that you mean it,

not like on Sunday. No no, no, No'm kidding, IM kidding,

kidding. Oh why okay? Sing like this? You depend on this?

And I sang, I saying I was The lyrics came because the Holy

Spirit was giving me a lyrics. I put my trust in you. And

then the lift door opened or didn't know? People come in? Can sing

that and the loss is sing cole you sing under your breath. Then the

people got Then you know, I went all the way down and I could

finish this song. I could FIU a song. But by the time he

reached g I had more faith. So I was singing a bit out theer

ie walk by faith. Each step now. So faith took over, not

feelings, but faith took over. And we must live by faith, walk

by faith, not by side. So the song kept going, kept going,

and there, of course every time there's people in the in the pathway,

I sang softer and have nobody a walk, and thank God you hat

very far not to pay the bill, very farward you will be to you.

There's a reason. It's for people like me. There has a finish

a song. Think about people like me. It's like you're going to walk

long walk. I think pasta these songs, this path walking one killometer just

to pay a bill is for people like that. I remember past the story

he has a finishing song. I'm singing, I'm singing. I'm singing,

I'm singing. I'm getting I'm getting now closer to the cashier, and there

are two people in front of me. I remember that cashier. Okayyaya,

And so I'm the third guy. My heart now a bit more courage,

be more confident by face each day, taking quite a long time, the

two guys you find me. So I kept seeing someone. I put my

trust in you. But at the same time I was looking left and looking

right. Who looks like at that door, and who looks like a tancre,

who looks like a rich man, who rich woman? Who will come

as it come now? I'm read in line I did he come now?

Whoever you are, come now? Right? Then I second in lined.

I walk by God pint away the people I walked, so I was really

thinking to my mind, I was looking up the I was thinking to myself,

God, how if I come? It's my turn? And they said,

yeah, uh, you know, what do you want? And I'll

say, buggy, do a big meg. Then you know, I was

ready to order so just to get off the embarrassment. And then they say

you need book book make sorry, yes, a la counter. You know,

I was ready in my mind that I have to save myself, save

my reputation. And then the guy in front of me pays, He pays,

he pays down. Now it's my turn, so I step up and

the nice malay chap look at me. He said, slip, And I

gave him a slip. My heart was bounding, still singing no in my

in the back of my brain, by faith, I put my trust in

you. You know you can sing on Sunday. It doesn't really matter.

He can sing those times and God moves, and let me tell you how

you moved. The guy started typing the reference much and he looks up to

me. Now I look at him, Hey, look out. He took

about maybe a minute, very long. Then I got courage to ask him.

I put mysella. It means, what's the problem, and he says,

say that any much double register can't register. So then the confidence came

up. I said, you mean I can't pay it? Then he said

no, no, hold on, let me try again. There is it

maybe cannot pay today. So the confidence really rose up. Said you mean,

have money's okay up here? I know, I know. Please don't

test God. Don't test God's yes, something rolls up with him that sometimes

you speak and you go like ah, the woods came on, how do

I take it back? You know? I can't think it back. Got

money is oking up here? So then my heart read faster, like please

please. Computer dog suddenly come with and he said no. I said,

but the last two guys paid, right, I said, yeah, the

last two guys paid. But suddenly the computer don't work. Do you know

what? God also is into computer science? Amen? Amen? He couldn't

type it in, so he said to me, it looks like you have

to pay another day. I said, I cannot pay another day. Then

nurse said I need to pay before. No, no, no, I'm

going to prepare you a slip that you have been here the counter, uh,

and that you will pay another day. Here's the slip. I said,

when do I pay? Then, sir, he said, pay anytime

that you have the money. He's like he knew I wouldn't have money,

you know. And then I tell you I didn't want to cry in front

of him. But when I took the slip and walked away, I started

to cry. But when I came down, it was tears of sadness.

When I went away, it was tears of joy, still tears, and

I was seeing louder and louder and louder as I went back to the lift,

went back to the seventh floor, wheel my father out. Now I

even had strength to carry my father because it was a supernatural strength of joy,

because the job the Lord your strength and wheel my father into the car.

And I'm telling you right now, guys, uh, praise is powerful.

Praise is powerful. I think I want to if you the last few

slices, and then I want to pray. Here we go. Ah,

so I gave you this scripture already. Yeah, we are cast down,

we are disquieted. The devil wants who rob us of our praise. I'm

telling you right now, but you must hope in God and continue hoping God,

for I shall yet praise Him. Maybe you haven't yet, but you

will. Somebody say, Amen, you are going to before this chem is

done. I'm telling you, even one or two of you will get news

that, Wow, God, I praise you. Don't wait until it happens

before you praise him. Praise him as if it happened already. The help

of my counter. You know what, help of my countenance? Because without

God, all our countenance like that. With God he helps us. Because

God is the best face lifter. I know how you may want to go

for plastic surgery and lift up your face. Let God lift up your face,

because without God, with him, he helps lift up my countenance.

You know something, You will come to church and they're so down they have

to pretend to smile. But when God is your help, you don't have

to pretend anymore. You can actually be down. But because God lifts up

your face, you can actually genuinely be happy even when it hasn't happened,

Happy even when it hasn't happened, because you know that it will happen in

God. It will. Let me draw to a close last few, or

do this is the last one already? Let me give you the ones that

I had just from last night. If the devil could rob anything in our

lives, he will rob our praise because he knows that praise is power and

that God inhabits your praise. So he's scared. He wants to rob you

and me of our praise. Don't allow him to. Praise causes growth.

Maybe you can give me this last scripture found in X two forty six to

forty seven X two forty six forty seven. And before I get there,

let me just say one more thing. Praise causes growth. Somebody say,

amen, praise. You want an exampom to grow? Keep praising. You

know when a church starts going down is that it's as full of sadness,

full nothing good to say. Everything is negative, everything is all terrible.

You know, we're all going down and people are leaving the church. So

the church sometimes goes through a period whereby there's nothing really good to say,

but that also robs us of our growth. So if you really want to

grow, start praising him even when things haven't happened yet. Start praising him

even when changes haven't happened yet. Praise causes growth. When praise stops,

growth slows. When praise stops, growth slows. It is same with marriage,

say with family, same with church, same with company. You know,

first, when people first came to acts, everybody was so excited,

and that's why church grew, grew, grew three you know, sixty six

hundred, one thousand, two hundred, one thousand, five hundred, because

everybody had only good things to say. And then the devil comes and he

tries to shake it up, and he tries to rob us of our joy,

robbers of our praise, and then it'll come to a place whereby for

three five seven years, no praises, and then the church begins to go

into our step, a place that God doesn't want us to go. So

I would I just want to be clear that from today onwards, we want

to choose to praise. Somebody say, man, choose is the choice the

garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. And finally that scripture, thank

you John that scripture acts two. All right, here we go, so

continuing daily, we want accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to

house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Look at

first forty seven praising God. Somebody say, praise God is the early church

and having favored with all the people, and the Lord added to the church

daily those who are being saved in that very same scripture of growth is the

scripture of praise. You take away praising God, you might not see daily

growth. So I want to be claire as I close, as I'm bung.

You will grow. You will grow. But the time to start praising

the Lord is now. I know things have happened in the past, but

I choose the future and the hope that God has come to give us.

I choose to praise forgetting the things that are in the past. Paul said,

I look forward. I press in to the upward call of God.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church,

please visit as church dot org, also active on Facebook and Instagram.

We're believing that this week is going to be a good week, a hit

for you. God bless