In Times Like These We Need Praise

We Sing:

- In Times Like These We Need a Savior

- In Times Like These We Need an Anchor

- In Times Like These We Need The Bible

Some more words:

- In Times Like These We Need Prayer

- In Times Like These We Need Praise

I. But I Can’t Praise

This Week:

- Joe Biden "It’s patriotic to pay more taxes"

- The Treasury has pledged bail out Fannie and Freddie up to $200 billion

- Fanny & Freddie -Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)

- AIG (American International Group) takeover

- Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers

- Oil Prices rising close to $100 a barrel

- In an effort to turn around a global credit crisis and near-panic on Wall Street, the US Federal Reserve is pumping billions of dollars into financial markets in the US and abroad.

- President working hard on economic turmoil

- CNN- Wall Street losing faith in banks

- Unemployment rate hits 7.3% Illinois

- Minnesota dropped 3100 jobs

- RI rates hits 8.5%

- Massachusetts rose 5.3%

- UK unemployment up 80,000

- Youth unemployment in S. Africa among the highest in the world

- We want togive and say I GIVE UP

James 5:1-8 - The Lord is coming soon -- The Rich howl

- Now is the time to simplify your life, scale down your lifestyle, and get out of debt.

James 4:8-10 - The Humble lifted up

Fear Is Rampant

Note Ps 34 title takes place in 1 Sam 21:10-22:1

- v. 4 Need to be delivered from fears

- v. 6 Troubles building up

- v. 12 I want just a good life

Deliverance From Fear

- v. 4 - I sought the Lord

How? — Through Praise - v.1

The First Step in seeking the Lord is Praise

- Until we realize the true purpose in life, which is to worship Him and enjoy Him forever, we’ll always be floundering.

- We’ll always be frustrated because worship is the central purpose of life!

II. The Reason For Praise

1. Praise Glorifies Him

- Paul at Athens saw an alter to the unknown god

Acts 17:28 KJV - For in him we live, and move, and have our being.

- v. 2 the "humble" shall hear thereof and be glad

- TLB ... all who are discouraged

- Net ... the oppressed

- Century ... the poor

- Readers ... hurting

- NIV ...afflicted

2. My Faith Will Be Strengthened

v. 3 Magnify means to make Him the big thing, the focus of our eyes

- Problems look like mountains or rivers

- Song “Got any rivers you think are uncrossable”

- It’s not the problems but how big our Lord is

- Praise will strengthen and energize your faith

- Remember it is not great faith but a great God

- Praise is just faith turned inside out

- Every prayer should begin and end with Praise

- “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.”

- That’s praise!

- And how does it end?

- “Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”.

- That’s praise!

3. My Fear Will Disappear

- We need victory

- Praise is the way peace & joy

v. 4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Last week of Aug./08

- Matthew Edwards, 33, and Robin Gibson, 27

- The couple, both experienced outdoors-people, had been hiking a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail when they took a wrong turn, becoming stuck on an 18-inch ledge

- They contacted law enforcement officials Wednesday evening via cell phone after they lost their gear, tent and waterproof clothing

- Their cell phone battery dying, calls have been limited to short check-ins

- They were in a panic really afraid and scared.

- Trapped 8,000’ at Spier Point in the North Cascades WA

- Friday’s rescue capped what has been a harrowing week for hikers in the region, with unseasonal rain and cooler-than-normal temperatures that made it feel more like October than late August

- Now cold and wet

- They spent nearly two days on an 18-inch ledge on the mountain unable to climb up or down

- Rescue workers tried unsuccessfully to reach them by air, fog made them almost invisible and violent weather forced them to turn back.

- They were coxed & instructed to reach a glacier above them

- A team of 3 hiked 10 miles to help them down 2000 ft. below cloud cover to be picked up by Naval helicopter

- Follow the instructions and you will be delivered

4. I Will Be Blessed

- 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good