Volume No. 2010 Issue No. 47 Date: Nov. 21, 2010

Publication of the BIBLE BAPTIST MINISTRY, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706

Phone: 570.829.5216 pdmikBBM@aol.com pastormiklas@aol.com

 

Thanksgiving is not merely a day to be observed once a year. For the Christian, it must be a way of daily living. In Psalm 92:1 we read, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most high.” The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful heart. So in this devotional, let the question before us be “Are You Thankful?”

 

David gave thanks for the wondrous works of God in Psalm 26:7. He spoke "with the voice of thanksgiving."
In I Chronicles 23:30, we read that the Levites were "to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even.”

 

When the secret of Nebuchadnezzar's dream was revealed from Heaven in a night vision, Daniel gave thanks by saying in Daniel 2:23, "I thank thee … O thou God of my fathers, who … hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee." 

 

In Nehemiah 12, Nehemiah dedicated the wall of Jerusalem with "thanksgiving" and in that way appointed two great companies to "give thanks."

 

In Amos 4:5, Amos exhorts Israel to repent by saying, "Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving." 

 

In Acts 5:41, the apostles suffered persecution, but gave thanks to be "counted worthy to suffer shame for [Jesus'] name." 

 

At God's throne, the angels worshipped God, by saying in Revelation 7:12, “thanksgiving … be unto our God."

 

Paul often wielded his pen in thanksgiving. Paul was in peril of his life in Damascus, coldly suspected by his fellow believers in Jerusalem, persecuted in Antioch, stoned in Lystra, assaulted in Iconium, beaten with many stripes and put in jail at Philippi, attacked by a lewd and envious crowd in Thessalonica, pursued by jealous enmity in Berea, despised in Athens, blasphemed in Corinth, exposed to the fierce wrath of the Ephesians, in prison without his freedom, in winter without his coat, in court without friends, in poverty without aid. But in none of these was he without his hymn of thanksgiving.

 

Jesus, Son of Man without sin, Son of God with power, gave thanks. Jesus gave thanks for food. In Mark 6:41 we read, "And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves." Are you, like Jesus, grateful for food?

 

Jesus was thankful for personal gifts. When Mary, in John 12:7, with uncalculated love broke the costly box of precious nard and anointed His head and feet, He defended her against her critics and immortalized her deed.

Jesus was thankful for friends. In John 15:15 He said, "Henceforth I call you not servants…but… friends.”

Jesus was thankful for helpful service. When seated on the throne under a new relationship, He will recall kindness done to Him and His people. In Matthew 25:34-36 we read, "Then shall
the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father … For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: … Naked, and ye clothed me: … sick, and ye visited me."

Jesus was thankful for revealed truth. In Matthew 11:25 He said, "I thank thee, O Father … because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."

Jesus was thankful for answered prayer. In John 11:41 we read, "And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.”

 

May the words of the song “Thank You, Lord” written in 1940 again be a blessing to you this week.

 

Some thank the Lord for friends and home, for mercies sure and sweet;

But I would praise Him for His grace in prayer I would repeat:

Some thank Him for the flowers that grow, some for the stars that shine.

My heart is filled with joy and praise because I know He’s mine.

I trust in Him from day to day; I prove His saving grace:

I’ll sing this song of praise to Him until I see His face.

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul; thank you, Lord, for making me whole.

Thank you, Lord, for giving to me Thy great salvation so rich and free.

 

May the Lord bless you this week as you prayerfully read and meditate on the attached Weekly SERMON, “The Path to Gaining Financial Freedom.”

 

In His Amazing Grace,

PS: We do not, nor will we charge for the Weekly SERMON, however if these have been a blessing to you and you can help with the COST of this endeavor for the Lord, we appreciate and thank you for your prayers and FINANCIAL SUPPORT. Yes, at times I need to extend my hand in order to give you an opportunity to extend your hand financially to enable this ministry to continue to extend the Word of God to others. For financial accountability we are handling all ministry funds under the Green Street Baptist Chapel of Edwardsville, PA. (Mailing address: Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706) Checks made out to them and memo to Bible Baptist Ministry will be tax deductible for you and placed in the account for this ministry.

PPS: In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

 

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/../MMX47/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Abounding in Thanksgiving"

Jesus said to the Jewish Ruler, Nicodemus in John 3:3, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In this verse, Jesus was saying that in order to get to heaven you must have a new birth experience. You must have a spiritual birth, a second birth, a birth from above.

Now from Colossians 2:1-8 we read, “For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; (2) That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; (3) In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (4) And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. (5) For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. (6) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: (7) Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Now would you focus your attention upon verses 6-7, “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” From verse 6, notice two important words "AS" and "SO."

The first phrase, "AS ye have received,” represents one’s faith in Christ Jesus as Saviour.

The second phrase, “SO walk in Him." should be the natural result of having placed one's faith and confidence in Jesus Christ.

Paul said, "AS ye have received Christ Jesus…" Literally there can be NO Christian life, NO new birth experience, and NO hope of eternal life until first there is an INVITING by faith of Jesus Christ into our lives as personal Saviour.

Ephesians 2:8-9 tell us, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

John 3:36, says to us, “He that BELEIVETH on the SON (that is Jesus Christ) hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

John 5:24 tells us, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

I John 5:12-13, tells us, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye many know that ye have eternal life…”

Acts 4:12 says to us, “Neither is there SALVATION in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be SAVED.”

Remember being “Born Again” is just the beginning of the journey. Afterwards the ACCENT moves from ACCEPTANCE of Christ, to CONTINUING in Christ. As a result there should be a revolution that takes place in one’s life of actions, activities, and attitudes, after accepting Christ as Saviour. It is in II Corinthians 5:17 we read, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

In our last Sermon we spent a great deal of time on the first part of verse 7. However, at the end of verse 7, we have a kind of “PS” to the "basic Christian life." Since we are in what we call the Thanksgiving Season it seems appropriate that we touch upon one of the basic ingredients to the Christian life found in the last three words of verse 7, "Abounding with Thanksgiving." The word “Thanks” or “Thanksgiving” in one form or another is found some 140 times in the Bible.

David the shepherd, King, and Psalmist probably referred to “Thanks” more times than any other Bible Character.

Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with THANKSGIVING, and into his courts with praise; be THANKFUL unto him, and bless his name.”

Psalm 105:1, “O give THANKS unto the LORD; call upon his name…”

Psalm 106:1, “Praise ye the LORD. O give THANKS unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

The Apostle Paul who lived continually in the spirit of “Thanksgiving” runs a close second, for praise was as natural to him as breathing.

In Philippians 4:6 we read, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

In I Thessalonians 5:18 he said, "In EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus…"

Even the Hymn-writer encourages us:

When upon life's bellows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, NAME THEM ONE BY ONE,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

On the other hand, when you hear some people talk, you think they have nothing but RAIN in their lives. All they do is gripe and complain about their lot:

How difficult life is.

How bad the kids are.

How the boss is such a pain in the neck.

How bad the problems are at home.

How nothing is going right at church.

It seems all you hear is Negative, Negative, Negative, as though it RAINS all the time in their lives. Let's face it. There will be those cloudy rainy times filled with problems, trials and circumstances beyond our control. However, the truth of the matter is, God sees to it that there is sunshine every day in our lives as believers:

Maybe it is just for a moment.

Maybe it is just for a portion of a day.

On the other hand, whatever takes place in the negative, God sees to it that His love, warmth and blessings come into our lives every day. Even the prophet Jeremiah, as he wept over the destruction of Jerusalem and wrote the Book of Lamentations, could say in Lamentations 3:22-24, "It is because of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion's fail not. They are NEW EVERY MORNING: great is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, Therefore will I hope in Him."

In each of the four chapters of Colossians, there is at least one reference to the truth of "Abounding with Thanksgiving." Please follow me as we note four of those passages.

First: In Colossians 1:3-4 we read, “We give THANKS to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints…”  Here we find something very typical of the Apostle Paul. Throughout his epistles, he gave thanks for the believers in the churches to whom he was writing. Here’s a man, always in the midst of some trying circumstance and yet he was filled with thanksgiving for the faith of others.

In I Corinthians 1:4 Paul was thankful for the believers in Corinth, “I THANK my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.”

In Ephesians 1:15-16 Paul was thankful for believers in Ephesus, “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give THANKS for you, making mention of you in my prayers.”

In Philippians 1:3-4 Paul was thankful for the believers at Philippi, “I THANK my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.”

Now understand that Paul’s giving thanks for believers in these churches was in spite of the fact that:

In Colossians there were DOCTRINAL difficulties in that church.

In Philippi there were PERSONAL difficulties in that church.

In Corinth there were MORAL disorders in that church.

Think about it. If those difficulties existed in our Church, would we be giving thanks as Paul did? Or would we be saying, "What do I have to be thankful for in this wretched place?"

Nobody ever talks to me.

People seem to be somewhat unfriendly.

I don't like they way things are going in the ministry.

There are some problems, yet I cannot explain them if I had to.

There are sins in other people’s lives, but I can not think of any in my life.

The Deacons and the Pastor are not doing what I think they ought to be doing.

To top it off, I am just plain miserable.

However, that was not the Apostle Paul's attitude despite problems. He was thankful to God for the saints in these Churches. Just as we should be THANKFUL TO GOD FOR ONE ANOTHER IN THIS PLACE WHERE GOD HAS PLACED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US AS MEMBERS and as a part of the body of Christ.

Oh, by the way, welcome to the real world. For even in this church, none of us are perfect, and no situation will ever be perfect. Often, it has been said, "If you are looking for a perfect church, stop looking, for you will never find one. But if you even think you have found one, don't join it, because you will soon wreck it."

Now, if you look at what the Apostle Paul was being thankful for in these letters, you will notice that it was not for PERFECTION in the saints. Rather, he was thanking God for several other qualities:

First: He was thankful for the faith of the saints. Notice again Colossians 1:3-4, “We give THANKS to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,…”  He was thankful for a regenerate church membership. We too should be thankful to God for the faith of believers in our assembly. Perhaps most, if not all, of us could stand this morning and sing:

Thank you Lord, for saving my soul.

Thank you Lord for making me whole.

Thank you Lord for giving to me,

Thy salvation so rich and free.

Second: He was thankful for the love of the saints. In I Thessalonians 1:2-3 we read, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; (3) Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;” Notice again Paul was thankful for other’s "Work of Faith, Labor of Love and Patience of Hope." Let me ask you an honest, heart searching question.

"When was the last time you took the time, either by letter, phone, or personal conversation, to express your gratitude for someone's "Work of Faith, Labor of Love and Patience of Hope" on your behalf or for the ministry on behalf of others?

I encourage you to take the challenge this week to write a note of THANKSGIVING to God, to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit and to others. Express your thanksgiving to them for the ways they have benefited your life. Consider writing a note of THANKS to your husband or wife, to your children or your parents, to one of your relatives or neighbors, or to a friend here at church. I predict that it will be a blessing to witness the results of your outpouring of thankfulness.

Second: In Colossians 2:7 we read, “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Now you know as well as I do, you do not have to be a Christian to be thankful. Even the unsaved can be thankful. But there is a difference between someone who is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and someone who is a non-believer. The simple difference is the believer will be "abounding or overflowing with Thanksgiving." He can be happy even in the midst of the most depressing and painful circumstances.

The believer is able to abound in thankfulness to God in the little things as well as in the big things. Turning to Ephesians 5:20 we read, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” Giving thanks is just not something we do at a Wednesday evening prayer and praise time, or on Sundays when we come to the house of God for a time of Worship, or on Thanksgiving Day. Giving thanks is to be included everyday for all things. Please notice carefully the context here starting with verse 18, “…but be ye filled with the Spirit.”  People ask all the time, “How does one know when someone is filled (the word means CONTROLLED) with the Holy Spirit?”

According to Ephesians 5:19 a spirit filled Christian has a song in his heart, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” A spirit-filled believer can sing:

Come, thou font of EVERY blessing, Turn my heart to sing thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.

According to Ephesians 5:20 a spirit filled Christian is a thankful Christian, “GIVING THANKS always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

According to I Corinthians 15:55, 57 a spirit filled believer can even be thankful for death, for we read, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength if sin is the law. But thanks be God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." But thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." The unsaved can not thank God for death, but:

                Believers can thank God for other’s faith.

                Believers can thank God for other’s love.

                Believers can thank God for victory over death.

A spirit-filled believer can be "Abounding with Thanksgiving."

Third: In Colossians 3:15, 17 we read, “…and be ye THANKFUL… And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving THANKS to God and the Father by him.” Holding your place here in Colossians please turn with me to the Gospel of John chapter 6, where I call your attention to a little known incident that happened after the feeding of the 5000 and right after our Lord had walked on the water. Notice verses 22-23, “The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples unto the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone: (23) (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks).” Now verse 23 seems to be just a parenthesis after the feeding of the 5000. However, just the fact that the Lord gave thanks before eating made a profound impact on these disciples.

I mention this because it is so seldom when I eat in a restaurant that I see anybody bow their head and give thanks. At times, people seem to be like a bunch of pigs. Just as soon as the food hits the table they stick their snout right in it and just gobble it up.

On the other hand, when you see someone bow his or her head, or a family praying before they eat, doesn't that make a profound impact on you? It made a profound impact on the disciples when they saw the Lord praying before eating. What a testimony a simple prayer of thanks can be to unbelievers. That is just another way of "Abounding with Thanksgiving."

Fourth: In Colossians 4:2 we read, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with THANKGIVING.”  As you read this verse, let me ask you four questions.

How long has it been since you prayed a prayer of thanksgiving, not asking, but giving thanks to God and praising Jesus for:

  His redeeming blood,

  His marvelous grace,

  His keeping power,

  His mercy and tenderness, and for

  The everyday things of life so generally taken for granted?

How long has it been since you thanked God for:

Sunshine and rain,

  Good fresh air to breathe,

  Good food to eat,

                Clothes to wear,

                A house to live in, and for

                Family, friends, neighbors, and your church?

How long has it been since you counted your blessings and named them one by one?

How long since you fell on your knees in humility and poured forth words of praise and thanksgiving to God as the giver of every good and perfect gift?

May God help each and every one of us to take the time to breathe a prayer of thanksgiving for His goodness to us, right now! I do not remember from where I retrieved this article, but let me end our message today with a story entitled with some very familiar words, “Why Me Lord?”

I couldn’t sleep. To make matters worse, I had a sore throat. I looked at the clock, 2 a.m.! I’d gone to bed at eight, and to my knowledge I hadn’t drifted off to sleep once. Then, to top it all off, one of the neighbors decided that 2 a.m. would be a good time to turn on his rock music. Now I knew I’d never get to sleep.

So I prayed, “Lord, here it is 2 a.m. and I need my sleep. Would you please blow up the neighbor’s stereo?” When that didn’t appear to work, I tried quoting Scripture. However, it was hard to concentrate against the constant “boom, boom, boom” surrounding me. So, after exhausting my memory storehouse, I began to pray for everyone and everything. That is until I realized that I was repeating the same names and requests. I think I’m drifting off to sleep now. Silence….Ahhh….they must have gone to bed and turned off the music. BOOM! Maybe the stereo blew up. “Thank you, Lord!” Then reality struck. Oh no, here it goes again! The silence must have been between songs and the loud thud was only the slamming of a car door. I looked at the clock again, 2:30 a.m.

“I hear something! Someone’s breathing! Oh, it’s only my husband snoring.” I glanced over at him. How peaceful and rested he looked. Suddenly, I had an urge to give him a big shove! “After all, I thought, we’re one, aren’t we? Seems to me he ought to be able to share in my misery.” Maybe if I moaned a few times. “What’s the matter, Honey?” “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I wake you up? It’s nothing really. It’s just that my throat is sore and I can’t get to sleep.” “Hope, you feel better, sweetheart,” he said reassuringly as he drifted off to sleep again. “Woe is me, a lot of good that did!” Now I felt like crying. I was angry and frustrated.” Lord, I’m miserable.

 Why won’t You help me go to sleep?

 Why do I have to be sick?

 Why does the devil play that “junk” in my ears?

 Why can’t the neighbors be more considerate?

 Why me, Lord? WHY?  WHY?

Suddenly, a verse penetrated my sulking and self-pity. “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.”

“Oh, Lord! Why am I complaining? I have more than You ever had when You were here on earth. You’re the King of Glory, the Lord God, Almighty, my Saviour, my Master, and yet…” Suddenly everything took on new meaning; things usually taken for granted became treasures, and gratefulness swelled in my heart to heights sublime.

I clasped my pillow and hugged it. “Thank You, Lord, for a soft pillow on which to lay my head, for a comfortable bed, and warm cover.”

I saw the soft light of the night light. “Thank You, Lord, for electricity. Thank You that I simply have to flick a switch, turn a dial, or pull a knob, and I can have heat, air conditioning, clean clothes, spotless floors, a hot meal, beautiful music or even the weather report.”

“Thank You, Lord, for the clothes in my closet, the variety I have, the warmth, the colors You made – blue, yellow, red, purple, peach, orange, and green.” I laughed to myself when I thought of how funny the world would look if it were all in black and white.

I remembered back to third grade when I had wished out loud that I could wear glasses. Then, after it was discovered I needed them, how often I had wished that I never wished that wish. But now I was grateful. “Thank You for glasses, Lord, to help me see. If it weren’t for my glasses, I couldn’t see a picture across the room, drive a car, or recognize a friend down the street.” I thought of all the millions of people who had ever lived and had missed seeing God’s great creation because they had no glasses.

I purposely tried to think of other things I could be grateful for, both large and small:

             A cozy trailer with a furnace that works,

             Bug spray, where would I be without it?

             Christian parents, what a heritage!

A wonderful, godly husband, even if he was sleeping so soundly,

America and freedom! I could  easily have been born in a Communist country or a primitive culture where Christ had never been heard of.

“Oh, Thank You, Lord, for sending Your Son to die for me, for saving me from my sins, for Your Word, the opportunity of serving You, the promise of heaven, the privilege of one day seeing You face to face!”

My mind went back once more to the verse, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.” “Dear Jesus, why me, why have You been so good to me?” As the tears fell on my pillow and joy flooded my soul, I whispered softly, “Goodnight, Lord. I love you.”

If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon "Abounding with Thanksgiving," right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMONS” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in it’s original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose.  Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.

Walk Ye in Him

In the Gospel of John we turn your attention to a very, very familiar passage of scripture found in Chapter 3:1-8 where we read,

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: (2) The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (4) Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (8) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

Now would you notice again verse 3 and verse 7, where Jesus said, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (7) “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Jesus was saying to Nicodemus, this Jewish Ruler, in order to get to heaven, you must have a new birth experience. You must have a spiritual birth, a second birth, a birth from above. There was a time when someone said they were “Born Again,” there was a stigma attached to it, “O you are one of those religious Jesus people.” This is no longer the case. Today, for the most part, it seems fashionable to be “Born Again.”

We have Politicians claiming a “Born Again” experience.

We have Hollywood celebrities claiming a “Born Again” experience.

We have sports figures claiming a “Born Again” experience.

We even have those who claim to have had a “Born Again” experience in the pews.

So it is somewhat fashionable to talk about being “Born Again.” People know what you are talking about for the most part. Praise God if you have come to Christ and received Him as your personal Savior, you have been “Born Again.”.

However, when you think about the life style of some of those people who have claimed a “Born Again” experience in Christ, it becomes somewhat confusing. Maybe to you it does not, but to me it does. I firmly believe when someone accepts Christ as Savior, there ought to be a change in one's life style. There ought to be a change in one’s way of living. The sinful and questionable activities you once loved, you ought not to love them any longer. Do we not read in II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (that is creation); old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." There should be a revolution that takes place in our actions, activities, and attitudes after we have accepted Christ as Savior.    

I believe there is a reason for so little difference in the actions, activities, and attitudes of believers after acceptance of Christ as Savior, and why so many people are still living in sin, and why they remain un-convicted about the kind of life they are living.  That reason is because the ACCENT TODAY is more upon ACCEPTANCE of Christ, than it is upon CONTINUING in Christ.

The accent is upon being “Born Again” as if that was the end of the journey, when in reality being “Born Again” is just the beginning of the journey.

Now from Colossians 2:1-8 we read, “For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; (2) That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; (3) In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (4) And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. (5) For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. (6) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: (7) Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Now would you focus your attention upon verses 6-7, “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” From verse 6 would you notice two important words "AS" and "SO."

The first phase, "AS ye have received,” represents one’s faith in Christ Jesus as Saviour.

The second phrase, “SO walk in Him." should be the natural result of having placed one's faith and confidence in Jesus Christ.

Paul said, "As ye have received Christ Jesus…" There can be NO Christian life until first of all there is a BELIEVING and INVITING of Jesus Christ into our lives as Personal Savior. This certainly ties in with John 1:12, "But as many as receive Him, to them gave he power to become the Sons (little children) of God, even to them who believe on His name."

Notice Paul said, "AS ye have received Christ Jesus THE LORD…" There are two sides to the coin.

First: receiving Christ Jesus as one’s personal Savior.

Second: placing yourself under His jurisdiction as Lord of your life.

Now if I were to ask how many of you have received Christ as your Personal Savior, I believe for the most part, most if not all of you could stand and give testimony to that fact. But if I were to ask, “How many can say this Christ Jesus is "LORD OF YOUR LIFE?" I believe we would have a very disturbing and revealing service. Any church gathering can sing, "Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all," but not all who are willing to crown Him with their lips will make Him Lord of their lives.

We have only two options. We can either receive Him as Savior or reject Him as Savior. But once we receive Him as Saviour, our options end. We are no longer our own, for in I Corinthians 6:19-20 we read, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

As Lord of our lives, He has the first word and the last word. He demands absolute loyalty beyond that of any earthly dictator. Remember the 4th stanza of the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” which reads "Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so Divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."

How foolish to say as a Christian, “Nobody is going to tell me how much I am supposed to give in the offering.” My friends, God has already told Christians how much you are to give in the tithe.

How foolish to say as a Christian, “Nobody is going to tell me what to do as a Christian.” My friends, God in this book has already told Christians how to live.  May I remind you that God has a will and path for you to walk therein.

If there is anything to be understood, it is this: When Jesus becomes Lord of your life "YOU ARE NOW UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT." He is the MASTER, YOU are the SERVANT.  Now, when you drift away from this arrangement in the slightest, you’ll find:

Your prayer life is affected.

Your witnessing is affected.

Your spiritual growth is affected by going nowhere.

Your Christian life begins to stagnate.

So again, focus your attention on the first half of Colossians 2:6 were we read, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord…”

You are to receive Christ Jesus, "that is, as your Savior."

You are to receive Him as Lord, "that is, as Master of your life."

Now the second half of this verse shows how your conduct must be consistent with your belief. "So walk you in him." You say what does that mean? As you go through the New Testament you will discover great stress is placed upon your walk with the Lord. The walk of the Christian life is laid out for you. You will find phrases such as:

                Walk in love, Ephesians 5:2                            Walk by Faith, II Corinthians 5:7

                Walk circumspectly, Ephesians 5:15            Walk Honestly, I Thessalonians 4:12

                Walk in the light, I John 1:7                            Walk in truth, III John 4

                Walk in wisdom, Colossians 4:5                     Walk in the Spirit, Galatians 5:16

Now the explanation of this phrase, "So walk ye in Him" is spelled out for us in verse 7. “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Please note the word "Rooted." If something is rooted, you expect the upper part to be a tree or bush. On a number of occasions in the Bible, the righteous are referred to as "TREES."

In Psalm 1:1-3 we read, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Again in verse 1 we read, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Verse 1 can be interpreted as a warning to Christians to avoid the ungodly, because it shows us what happens when someone begins to drift away from fellowship with God.

First: They WALK in the counsel of the ungodly. They may follow advice from the ungodly.

Second: They STAND in the activities of sinners. They may do sinful things, just like sinners do.

Third: They SIT in the places of the ungodly. They may socialize with those who show contempt for Godly things.

This implies that listening to, emulating (acting like), and hanging around with ungodly folks will prevent Christians from receiving God’s blessings. However, this verse is not meant to be negative. Actually it is very positive; for it begins by saying "Blessed (Happy) is the man who does NOT do these things."

Some Christians have said to me, “When it comes to my Christian faith, I am just neutral.” My friends, there is no such thing as being neutral or stationary in the Christian life. You are either drifting backward, as you WALK, SIT and STAND with the ungodly, or you are progressing forward with the Lord toward godliness.

In verse 2 we read, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” In this verse we find our delight will be in the Lord and in the Word of God when we are focused on Him and NOT walking, standing or sitting with the ungodly.

Then we come to verse 3 where we see the result of the one who delights in the Word of God he "shall be like a tree planted." And this planted tree will bring forth fruit and prosper.

In Isaiah 61:3 we read, “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Here God calls us "Trees of Righteousness." Now when we look at a tree we see a number of visible things:

We see the trunk of the tree.

We see the branches of the tree.

We see the leaves on the tree.

We see the massive size of the tree.

But often we overlook a vital aspect of the tree, and that's the root structure.

About 30 years ago at our first ministry we began to clear the land where the first parsonage was erected. We would cut down the trees and then start digging at the roots. In doing so, we soon discovered the root structure going every which way. We would chop here and then chop there and soon you would discover the one big root that holds that tree securely to the ground. That root is called the "Tap Root"

The “Tap Root” is the most important root the tree has. It's the most vital root of the tree. It's the primary root. Now you could cut off all the secondary roots of a tree and still have this tap root and the tree will still remain alive and active. However, you cut off that tap root and the tree will die.

As “Trees of Righteousness," we have roots, lots of roots. In the Christian life, we have lots of what we could call secondary roots. These roots branch out into lots of different interests and many different activities:

I have a family and I am concerned about them

I have a job and I am concerned about that.

I have a ministry and I am also concerned about that.

I have a vital interest in you, the people of this church.

Some of you have an interest in missions and evangelism.

Some of you have an interest in the youth ministry.

Some of you have an interest in your football team winning today.

Hold it, my friends. Need I remind you, you have a Tap Root, a primary root in your life, a primary interest, if you please, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

You may say, “Pastor, I’m not sure what or who represents the primary root in my life.  How do I know?” To answer that question, let me ask you, "What is the primary interest in your life?" For most of you, your primary interest in life is that to which you channel:

all your efforts, and

all your affections, and

most of your thoughts, and

most of your dreams, and probably

most of your money!

Now the Word of God is telling us, from our text in Colossians 2:6-7, that our primary root should not be in an activity or in things but in a person, the person of CHRIST. Notice again in Colossians 2:6 we are to "WALK IN HIM." and in verse 7 we are literally to be "ROOTED IN HIM"

Our primary interest in life ought to be Jesus Christ.

He is the TAP ROOT of our lives.

He ought to have "First Place" in our lives.

He ought to have the Pre-eminence in our lives.

Now it is a normal thing for us to have many secondary roots in our life, and there is nothing wrong in having them.

There is nothing wrong with being interested in SPORTS as long as it is not the TAP ROOT.

There is nothing wrong with being interested in CARS as long as it is not the TAP ROOT.

There is nothing wrong with being interested in your JOB as long as it is not the TAP ROOT.

There is nothing wrong with being interested in some form of RECREATION as long as it is not the TAP ROOT.

There is nothing wrong with being involved in your family life as long as it is not the TAP ROOT.

There is nothing wrong with being involved in (blank)…you fill in the (blank).

However, as a growing, developing believer, the TAP ROOT of your life has got to be CHRIST,

Our primary concern ought to be Christ,

Our primary thought ought to be Christ,

Our primary goal in life ought to be the will of God.

Now, please be careful here. As you travel down life's pathway, the old devil could move in and move you to the point where if you take inventory of your life you will say:

My primary interest is my church.

My primary interest is my job.

My primary interest is my family, children and grandchildren.

My primary interest is my money.

My primary interest is my recreation.

My primary interest is getting things in life.

My friends, if your primary interest is in something other than Jesus Christ, please allow me to give you a word of caution. Think about this. Every area in life is subject to change. Any area of life could be cut off or destroyed, ever so quickly.

You could lose your job.

You could lose your money.

You could lose your family.

You could lose your ability in your recreation.

You could lose your friends.

And because that was the TAP ROOT of your life, all of life may seem to die with it. That is why you need to make these things secondary and the primary TAP ROOT Jesus Christ.

Praise God that believers are secured in Christ, nothing shall separate you from the love of Christ.

He has anchored the believer’s soul to eternity, with eternal life.

He will never leave the believer nor forsake the believer.

All else can and will fail, but Christ will remain forever. Amen!!

Again note from verse 7 not only are we to be rooted in Christ, but we are also to be “built up.”

It is interesting to note that the word "Rooted" is in the Greek perfect tense, which tells us that something is completed. It means something has been firmly established once and for all..

On the other hand, the words "Built up" are in the present tense and this denotes a continuous action. This conveys the idea of something that needs to be done repeatedly.

II Peter 3:18 spells out how believers are to be built up continually, "But GROW in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." See those words, "But GROW…” It’s is not possible to be neutral, There needs to be continuous growth in our spiritual lives. Growth brings development and development brings change. And we must remember growth takes both, SUNSHINE as well as RAIN.

You and I need the SUNSHINE of the SON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, Jesus.

We also need to experience the SHOWERS OF BLESSING as well as the SHOWERS OF SUFFERING.

In Psalm 104:16 we read, “The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;” Notice the phrase "The trees of the Lord are full…" This speaks volumes to me. May I say to you as trees of righteousness?

We should be a people full of SPIRITUAL LIFE.

We should be a people full of JOY.

We should be a people full of God’s POWER.

We should be a people full of God's PEACE.

We should be a people full of HOPE.

We should be a people full of PURPOSE.

Yes, because of Christ in our lives there should be fullness. But on the other hand, have you ever sat down and talked with somebody

Who did not have time for God,

Who did not have time for the Word of God,

Who did not have time for the House of God?

You will have to excuse me, but I find they are the emptiest people in the whole world. They may be very knowledgeable, or very sports minded, or possess a wealth of things. But, you know what, they talk about, NOTHING IMPORTANT and in reality they posses NOTHING IMPORTANT. Now, on the other hand, when I sit down and talk with those

Who do have time for the Lord, and

Who do have time for the Word of God, and

Who do have time for the House of God,

I discover they are full of blessings, praise, purpose and hope. These people know the experience of the RAYS OF THE SON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS and the SHOWERS OF GOD'S BLESSINGS pouring into their souls. They are ROOTED and they are GROWING and according to Colossians 2:7 I find they are being "established in the faith."

This word "established” means "steadfast." Back in Colossians 2:5 we read, "beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ." Let's face it. The more you are taught in the WORD, and the more you are growing in the WORD, the greater you will be STABILIZED or ESTABLISHED in the faith.

Do you know what brings the greatest joy to a pastor's heart? It is seeing His people growing in the things of Christ:

Growing STEADFAST IN CHRIST,

Growing STEADFAST IN THE WORD OF GOD,

Growing STEADFAST IN THE FAITH,

Growing STEADFAST IN LOYALTY,

Growing STEADFAST IN COMMITMENT,

Growing STEADFAST IN SERVICE, and

Growing STEADFAST IN CONVICTION.

Can you say, "Here I stand, Jesus is my Savior, Jesus is my Lord."

What a joy it is for a pastor to see someone come to know Christ as Savior.

What a delight it is to see that same someone recognize and accept Christ as Lord and master of their life and to see them walking in vital union with the Lord, tap rooted in Christ as the center of their lives.

What a joy to see believers growing, building up their faith, daily, weekly and yearly becoming steadfast in the faith.

There is yet one more phrase to be noted in verse 7, “Abounding in Thanksgiving.” We will take up that phrase on the next Lord ’s Day. As we draw this message to a conclusion, let me ask you, "Where are you in these verses."

Have you received Christ as your Savior? Are you absolutely sure of Heaven?

Is Jesus the TAP ROOT of your life? Is He the Lord of your life in every action, activity, and attitude?

Are you spiritually growing in the Lord day by day? If not, what adjustments do you need to make in your life TODAY to make Christ come alive in you?"

****************************************************************

If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon “Walk Ye in Him” right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMONS” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in it’s original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose.  Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.

Sunday November 9, 2008                                                                      Phone: 570.829.5216

Pastor David Miklas                                                                    e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com

Message: “Thanksgiving-2008”                                           Text: Psalm 146:1, Revelation 19:1-6

“Praise Ye the Lord”

Introduction: Thanksgiving Day comes late this year; however the annual thanksgiving Weekly SERMON will come early. As you read Revelation 19:1-6 notice the use of the word “ALLELUIA.” “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: (2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (3) And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. (4) And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. (5) And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. (6) And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”

As accurately as I can count, the word “Hallelujah” or “Alleluia” is used 24 times in the book of Psalms and four times in Revelation 19, making 28 times altogether.

                In the Psalms it is Hallelujah of the EARTH, and

                In Revelation it is the Alleluia of HEAVEN.

The word “Hallelujah,” a Hebrew term, not English, is composed of two smaller terms meaning “To boast in Jehovah.” So whenever we say “Hallelujah” we are asserting “Let’s give glory and praise to the Lord and none other.” Another expression used that means the same is “Praise the Lord.”

Charles Wesley wrote numerous hymns. One of them was

O for a heart to praise my God, A heart from sin set free,

A heart that always feels thy blood, So freely shed for me!

A heart resigned, submissive, meek, My great Redeemer’s throne;

Where only Christ is heard to speak, Where Jesus reigns alone.

A heart in every thought renewed, And full of love divine;

Perfect, and right, and pure, and good, A copy, Lord of Thee!

From James 1:2 we learn, “We are to count it all JOY when TRIALS and TRIBULATIONS come upon us.” Then in James 1:12 we read, “Blessed (Happy) is the man who endureth temptations.” In other words we are to REJOICE even while we are going through TRIALS and TRIBULATIONS. In Philippians 4:4, the Apostle Paul instructed us to “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” Listen, in this old sin cursed world, people need a lift from Christians.

Psalm 100:1-5 expresses the exuberance of the psalmist for the goodness and the mercy of God as we read, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. (2) Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. (3) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (4) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. (5) For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Again notice verse 1, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD…” The word joyful literally says, “SHOUT TO THE LORD.” The word joyful comes from a Hebrew word meaning “To raise a shout, to give a blast.“ It could read “Shout for Joy to the Lord.“ In our modern way of saying it, we would express it with these words: “GREAT, PRAISE GOD, GLORY, or AMEN.”

I am sure that there are times when God does things about which you cannot keep quiet. He takes care of some detail or some problem in your lives, and you suddenly sense He has come to your assistance. DO NOT KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT, SHOUT TO HIM, PRAISE THE LORD! “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…“

Hard hearts and burdened hearts need to hear God’s people rejoice. Yes, in Christ,

You can rejoice when the plate is full as well as rejoice when the plate is empty.

You can rejoice when your steps are quick and when your steps are slow and unsure.

You can rejoice at the grave site as well as at the crib.

You can rejoice when you are with others or when you are alone.

                There is more to life than complaining and griping

There is more to life than bickering and fighting.

                There is more to life than moping and frowning.

There is a joy, a lift, an excitement and a blessing that can be yours. Whereby you can “REJOICE ALWAYS, and AGAIN I SAY REJOICE.” You can always REJOICE in the LORD. Since this is true:

You can REJOICE when you are broken, if you rejoice in the Lord.

You can REJOICE when you are sick, if you rejoice in the Lord.

You can REJOICE when you are at the bottom, if you rejoice in the Lord.

You can REJOICE in the Goodness of God the Father.

You can REJOICE in the Great unchanging OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, OMNIPRESENT GOD.

You can REJOICE in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

You can REJOICE in the one who is:

                the Lily of the Valley, the Fairest of Ten Thousands,

                the Bright and Morning Star, the Rose of Sharon,

                the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

You can rejoice in His virgin Birth.

You can rejoice in His sinless life.

You can rejoice in His vicarious death.

You can rejoice in His bodily resurrection.

You can rejoice in His intercessory ministry.

You can rejoice in that He is coming again.

You can rejoice in that one day He will be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

You are to REJOICE. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…” It is a command. “REJOICE AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE.” Why? Because your rejoicing is not in a WHAT, but in the WHO, JESUS. No wonder David said in Psalm 5:11, “But let all those who put their trust in thee REJOICE; let them ever SHOUT for JOY, because thou defendest them; let them also that love thy name be JOYFUL in thee.”

It is my understanding that the word HALLELUJAH is universally understood. It appears that the entire world of believers, no matter where they come from, is practicing to sing in the great HALLELUJAH CHORUS in Heaven. Perhaps there are more, but let me point out to you six concepts of Hallelujah from the 28 times the word is used in the Bible.

I. There are four HALLELUJAHS of EARTH.

First: The Hallelujah of Nature. The first use of the word is at the close of Psalm 104. Notice the last part of verse 35 reads, “Bless thou the LORD, O my Soul. PRAISE YE THE LORD.” It could read, “Bless the LORD, O my soul. HALLELUJAH.” This Psalm is a Psalm on nature. It begins by calling on the soul to bless God. It then continues by ascribing to God the greatness, honor and majesty due Him.

The light is God’s garment.

The heaven is the canopy which HE has spread.

The foundations of the ocean were laid by Him.

He makes the clouds His chariot and rides upon the wings of the wind.

The thunder is His voice.

He makes the springs which water bird and beast.

The grass for the cattle, the trees for the nesting birds, the hills for the wild goats and the rocks for the conies (rabbits) are the expressions of His love and wisdom.

He made the laws which govern the sun and moon. Even the darkness serves a benevolent purpose.

The study of nature fills the psalmist with PRAISE TO GOD. In verses 31-35 we read, “The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works. (32) He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke. (33) I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. (34) My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. (35) Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.”

The naturalist, who does not see God in His works, simply shuts his eyes and refuses to see. EVERYTHING ON EARTH AND IN THE SEA AND IN THE SKY PROCLAIMS A GOD. Notice verse 24, “O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches.” This being so, why should we not shout HALLELUJAH, PRAISE YE THE LORD? The hymn writer wrote; “When morning gilds the skies; My heart awakening cries: May Jesus Christ be praised.”

Second: The Hallelujah of Providence. Psalm 105 deals with the history of Israel and focuses on the footprints of God in history as well as in nature. Please notice the last verse, number 45, “That they might observe His statures, and keep His laws. PRAISE YE THE LORD.” Now notice verses 1-5, “O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. (2) Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. (3) Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. (4) Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. (5) Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;” Throughout the rest of this Psalm, he gives praise for God’s providence:

It was God who made a covenant with Abraham, “made oath unto Isaac,” and “confirmed the same to Jacob.”

It was God who protected His people when they “were but few in number.”

It was God who “called for a famine upon the land,” when prosperity had caused them to forget His laws.

It was God who sent Joseph into Egypt and then Moses as the deliverer of His people.

It was God who sent the darkness and turned their water into blood.

It was God who spread a cloud over them for a covering and gave them “fire to give light in the night.”

It was God who “opened the rock” and quenched their thirst.

There is no kind of experience in which a Christian has a right to refuse to praise God, “for all things work together for good to them that love God.”

Praise God in the dark, “for He maketh the light to shine out of darkness.”

Praise God for sorrow, for Jesus said, “Your sorrow shall be turned into Joy.”

Praise God for clouds, for it is upon the clouds that God shows His rainbow of love.

Praise God for the furnace, for it is in the fire that the Son of Man delights to walk with you, and when you come out, you will find that only your bonds have been burned.

Someone said, “He who obeys the command, ‘Rejoice in the Lord,’ has a HALLELUJAH in his soul every minute of the day and night.”

Third: The Hallelujah of Mercy. You will notice in Psalm 106 that it begins in verse 1 with “Praise ye the Lord,” and the Psalm ends in verse 48 with “Praise ye the Lord.” The keynote of this HALLELUJAH Psalm is in the first verse, “Give thanks unto the Lord, for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOR EVER.”

You will notice in verse 4 he prays, “O visit me with thy salvation,” and he makes confession of sin in verse 6, “We have sinned with our fathers; we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.” He then follows a recount of God’s merciful dealings with His people in spite of their sins. You and I, as sinners saved by grace, can sing this HALLELUJAH of mercy more loudly and sweetly than any others. Why? Because God’s justice has been satisfied in Jesus Christ.

“Hallelujah for His mercy” is the song of the redeemed. It comes to us from heaven and it will return with us to heaven.

In Psalms 136 we read these words 26 times, “For His mercy endureth for ever.”

In Psalm 106:1 we read, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

In Psalm 107:1 we read, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

In Psalm 118:1 we read, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

Listen to this. God will be merciful to you as long as you live.

When you walk in the valley of trials, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

When your body is eaten up with cancer, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

When you walk in the path of illness, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

When you rise to meet Him in the air, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

No matter what happens God’s mercy is there and will always be there.

If you can see or if you can’t see, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

If you can hear or if you can’t hear, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

If you can walk or if you can’t walk, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

It is about time we put aside our locked jaw and stand up and say, HALLELUJAH! “His mercy endureth for ever.” Say it over and over again: “His mercy endureth for ever.” Yes, it endures for ever and for ever!

Fourth: The Hallelujah of Grace: As we move towards the last half of the Psalm, we see an increase in the number of Hallelujah’s.

In Psalm 111, verses 1 and 10 we read, “Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. (10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

In Psalm 112:1 we read, “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.”

In Psalm 113:1 we read, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.”

In Psalm 146:1, 2 we read, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. (2) While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.”

In Psalm 147:1 we read, “Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.”

In Psalm 148:1 we read, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.”

In Psalm 149:1 we read, “Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.”

Those are the four Hallelujahs of Earth.

II. There are also the Hallelujahs of Heaven.

            Fifth: The Hallelujah of Judgment. Again turn to Revelation 19 and notice verses 1-3, “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: (2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (3) And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.”  The Hallelujah of Judgment is the response of the creature to seek justice which comes upon those who wreck the character and destroy the happiness of others.

            Sixth: The Hallelujah of Sovereignty: Again notice Revelation 19:6, “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” Today the world appears to have dethroned God and denied the eternal Son of God as the Savior. They think by their own human imagination they can conquer. But HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, for the Lord God OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH! One day we will gladly bow before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and shout, “PRAISE THE LORD,” GLORY HALLELUJAH to our GREAT OMNISCIENT, OMNIPOTENT, AND OMNIPRESENT GOD who is on the throne.

Fanny Crosby’s great hymn, “To God be the Glory, great things He hath done,” closes in the refrain,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice.

O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.

God hath done great things has He not? Why should we not shout “HALLELUJAH, PRAISE THE LORD?” We ought to be SHOUTING believers.

When a Hymn of praise is sung by the congregation, or a special number blesses your heart, there is nothing wrong with saying, as we lift up our praise unto God, Praise the Lord!

When something in a message blesses your heart or you strike a chord in agreement, there is nothing wrong with saying as we lift up our praise unto God, Praise the Lord!

When someone’s testimony blesses you, there is nothing wrong with saying, as we lift up our praise unto God, Praise the Lord!

When God answers a prayer and by it your soul is blessed, there is nothing wrong with saying as we life up our praise unto God, Praise the Lord!

In Psalms 119:164 the Psalmist says, “Seven times a day do I praise Thee.“ We ought to be praising God all the time, singing what we call the DOXOLOGY. Doxology means the “study of GLORY.”

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

We began this message quoting a hymn written by Charles Wesley, now let us conclude the message with another of his hymns, the beloved hymn:

O for a thousand tongues to Sing My great Redeemer’s praise,

The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace.

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,

Your loosened tongues employ;

Ye blind, behold your Saviour come; And leap, ye lame, for joy.

Isn’t’ time we just turned loose and

Let’s Just Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord.

Let’s just lift our hearts (and voice) to heaven and praise the Lord.

We will conclude this message by reading Psalm 150:1-6, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. (2) Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. (3) Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. (4) Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. (5) Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. (6) Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”

Now let Fanny Crosby’s hymn “Be thou Exalted” echo in your heart this coming week.

Be Thou exalted forever and ever,

God of eternity, the Ancient of Days!

Wondrous in wisdom, majestic in glory,

Perfect in holiness, and worthy of praise.

Be Thou exalted, O Son of the highest,

Savior of sinful men, Redeemer and King!

One with the Father, co-equal in glory,

Humbly we come to Thee our homage to bring.

Be Thou exalted, O Spirit of power,

Dwelling within our hearts to keep us from sin.

God of the ages, and Lord of Salvation,

Ruler of heaven and earth, Thy praises we sing!

Be Thou exalted by seraphs and angels,

Be Thou exalted with harp and with song;

Saints in their anthems of rapture adore Thee,

Thine be the glory forever, Amen!

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Praise Ye the Lord,” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

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