Replay: Do This When Times Get Hard.

[00:00:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Hey everyone, it's MJ and thank you for joining me.

[00:00:08] [SPEAKER_00]: You know we just came out of a wonderful series entitled The Essence of Praise in Worship.

[00:00:13] [SPEAKER_00]: And I learned so much from it and I hope you did too.

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: But 2020 has been such a challenging year for many, whether it was unemployment, fear

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_00]: and anxiety or even sickness from the coronavirus.

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_00]: So it may be hard for some people to tap into a praise and worship mindset.

[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_00]: So how do you worship God in difficult times?

[00:00:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I have a little input on that and I would like to share it with you.

[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_00]: So please stay tuned.

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: This topic is very interesting to me.

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure we've all encountered difficult times even before the pandemic.

[00:00:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you get laid off your job or maybe you're dealing with financial hardships.

[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you and your family are not on good terms.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe the doctor gave you some news that just wasn't that great.

[00:01:09] [SPEAKER_00]: All of those things fall under the difficult category and can lead to stress and depression.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_00]: But worship is one way to get through difficult times.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_00]: So that is something we shouldn't stay away from, but we should actually run to it.

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_00]: However, not just anyone can worship God.

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_00]: John 4 and 24, God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_00]: and in truth.

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_00]: And it's all in one word, relationship.

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_00]: You see, God has a flawless track record.

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_00]: He never fails.

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_00]: He never disappoints.

[00:01:58] [SPEAKER_00]: He always delivers.

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_00]: If you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, God has never lost the battle.

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_00]: He has always brought his people through.

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you're one of those people like, yeah, me and God, we're real close and I trust God.

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: I love God.

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_00]: And you are leery about worshiping God in a difficult time.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_00]: If you are struggling with worshiping God in this kind of season,

[00:02:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I am questioning your relationship.

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, when we are in church, we praise God together.

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_00]: We fellowship together and our pastor feeds us with knowledge and understanding.

[00:02:45] [SPEAKER_00]: And they do this to strengthen our relationship with God.

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_00]: We all have a relationship with our pastor, but it's a different relationship that he has with us.

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_00]: He's not going to have a relationship with us that he will have with his spouse.

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_00]: A married couple who has been together for years, they may have kids together built this

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_00]: lifelong relationship, this strong marriage.

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_00]: And then someone comes, someone they don't even know and starts spreading negativity or saying

[00:03:18] [SPEAKER_00]: some things that really aren't true.

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_00]: You're not going to believe this person talking about your spouse.

[00:03:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Why? Because you have a relationship with them and you know them.

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_00]: You know them way better than this person does who probably doesn't even know them at all.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, you can't worship God without relationship in good times or bad times.

[00:03:46] [SPEAKER_00]: So let's do a little relationship evaluation to see if you're qualified to worship God.

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Number one, do you love God?

[00:03:58] [SPEAKER_00]: You love God with your life.

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_00]: John 14 and 15.

[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_00]: If you love me, keep my commandments.

[00:04:07] [SPEAKER_00]: And what are the commandments?

[00:04:09] [SPEAKER_00]: You should have no other gods before me.

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_00]: You should not make for yourselves an idol.

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_00]: You should not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Honor your father and your mother.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_00]: You should not murder.

[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_00]: You should not commit adultery.

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_00]: You should not steal.

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_00]: You should not give false testimony.

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_00]: You should not covet.

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_00]: We can post it on social media all day.

[00:04:36] [SPEAKER_00]: We can wear t-shirts.

[00:04:37] [SPEAKER_00]: We can say it verbally.

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_00]: But your life is a reflection of your love for God.

[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_00]: He's not just looking at what you do in the four walls of the church.

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_00]: He's looking at your heart and he's looking at your life.

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Number two, do you trust God?

[00:04:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs three and five.

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not onto thine own understanding.

[00:05:06] [SPEAKER_00]: And Job 13 and 15.

[00:05:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Though he slay me, yet will I trust him?

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I personally, I admire Job because to go through what he went through speaks

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_00]: volumes about his relationship with God.

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Job recognized that what he was going through, his affliction, was something God allowed.

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_00]: And despite of how uncomfortable it was, he still loved God.

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_00]: He trusted God and he wouldn't even let his own spouse get in between them.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_00]: We should be striving to get to that place where we won't let a person or a situation

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_00]: get in between our relationship.

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, the season that we are in is uncomfortable.

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_00]: But if God allowed it, there is purpose attached to it.

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Someone will ask you again.

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you trust God?

[00:06:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you trust God with your money?

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Are you tithing during the pandemic?

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Malachi three and eight will a man rob God?

[00:06:16] [SPEAKER_00]: God.

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Yet you have robbed me, but you say, where in have we robbed thee in tithes and in offerings?

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Trust God.

[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Number three.

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you appreciate God?

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_00]: James one and 17.

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and coming down from the father of lights

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_00]: with whom is no variable.

[00:06:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Neither shadow of turning.

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure everyone that is listening has bought a gift for someone at least one time,

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_00]: whether it was Christmas, birthday anniversary, etc.

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_00]: You give gifts out of love and God gives gifts out of love because he loves you.

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_00]: God gave it to you because he trusts you with it.

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_00]: And I don't think there's no better time than right now to start using your gifts right now.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_00]: During a pandemic?

[00:07:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, right now.

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_00]: And let me tell you why.

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_00]: If you were to go to a Christmas party or birthday party and you bought a special gift

[00:07:30] [SPEAKER_00]: for someone and they just gave you a little shady thank you and they just threw the gift

[00:07:35] [SPEAKER_00]: in a corner somewhere and a week goes by month, year or two years and they never use their gift.

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_00]: They never really bothered with the gift.

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_00]: You'll be feeling some type of way.

[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I know I'll be feeling some type of way because it just shows me that you really didn't appreciate

[00:07:54] [SPEAKER_00]: me giving you this gift.

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, how do you think God feels when we don't use the gifts that he's given us?

[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_00]: The gifts, the anointing, the skills, the talent.

[00:08:06] [SPEAKER_00]: It's like a slap in God's face.

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_00]: And that is why I'm encouraging you to start now because by using your gifts,

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_00]: you show God great appreciation.

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_00]: And lastly, number four, do you know God?

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And I know people will say, yeah, I know him, but do you really know him?

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Are you seeking his hand or are you seeking his face?

[00:08:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you know what he loves?

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you know what he hates?

[00:08:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you know his promises towards you as a child of God?

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Be honest with yourself.

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you don't know him on a level like you think you should, get to know him.

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Develop a prayer life.

[00:08:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Talk to him.

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Read his word.

[00:08:56] [SPEAKER_00]: But don't just read to read.

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Read with expectation.

[00:09:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Read expecting God to speak to you.

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_00]: We are living in a time where sin is so trendy.

[00:09:12] [SPEAKER_00]: And if we're not careful, we will get caught up in these simple things simply because

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_00]: everyone else is doing it and it looks and seems so innocent.

[00:09:24] [SPEAKER_00]: But if you have a true, strong, deep relationship with God,

[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_00]: none of these things will trick you or faze you.

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_00]: So I am encouraging you in this new year to get to know God on a deeper level.

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_00]: So when you love God and when you trust God and when you appreciate God

[00:09:51] [SPEAKER_00]: and when you know God, it won't be hard for you to worship in difficult times

[00:09:59] [SPEAKER_00]: because now it's not just something that you do on Sundays when the praise team is up.

[00:10:05] [SPEAKER_00]: When you're in the church walls.

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Now it's a lifestyle.

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER_00]: You're not married three times a week, four times a week.

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_00]: When you're married, you're married every day and you work through the hard times.

[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_00]: You don't leave when something goes wrong but you work it out.

[00:10:27] [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm encouraging you in this new year to build your relationship with God

[00:10:35] [SPEAKER_00]: and know that he won't let you down, that he'll be there no matter what.

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_00]: So when you're going through a difficult time, don't run away from God.

[00:10:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Run to Him because that's where your strength lies.

[00:10:52] [SPEAKER_00]: I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

[00:10:55] [SPEAKER_00]: If you have not already, I want to invite you to visit our website which is changemylife.com

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: or put a hyphen in between my and life.

[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_00]: So just change my, put a hyphen or a dash in there, life.com

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and there you'll be able to get on our email list, check out our blog,

[00:11:10] [SPEAKER_00]: support the show and more.

[00:11:12] [SPEAKER_00]: So make sure you go visit and I hope to connect with you there.

[00:11:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Wow. Who knew?

[00:11:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Worshiping God in difficult times would change my life.