Hallelujah Anyhow!
James 1:1-3
As Christians we should learn to rejoice. Even our bad days are blessings if we look at it through God’s eyes. Because even though the devil means things for bad the God I serve can turn it around for good. Brothers and sisters, one thing we need to keep in mind about rejoicing is that God is in control and is always worthy to be praised. No matter what the situation, God is worthy. Whether in good times or bad times, God is great and He is worthy to be praised.
The late Rev. Oris Mayes said it best when he sang with Rev. Clay Evans and the ARC mass choir, the song, “Hallelujah Anyhow!” Basically what he was saying is no matter what’s going on; no matter what condition I find myself in; no matter whether I am having a good day or a bad day; I count it all joy because I know who’s in control and I can say with authority, “Hallelujah Anyhow!” In a world where each corner holds some potential danger we should be able to say, “Hallelujah Anyhow!”
In a society where just going to work can end in total tragedy, we still should be able to shout, “Hallelujah Anyhow!” In a community where drugs run rampant and hope is fleeting, it’s a good thing to proclaim, “Hallelujah Anyhow!” It is essential that Christians look past the circumstance and cling to the cross. James encourages us to just count each trial as a learning experience. Count each tribulation as a stepping-stone. Count every troublesome occurrence as Joy; Rejoicing in the midst of our suffering; Praising God in the midst of our pain.
Oh somebody ought to be willing to shout this morning "Hallelujah Anyhow!"
Hallelujah is the highest form of exhortation or praise. It is a proclamation of confidence to the one who sits high but has the ability to see down low. And we shout it because we recognize that even though it may appear that our burdens are overbearing - we shout victoriously because we understand that God is Awesome, God is Mighty, God is wonderful and he can do anything but fail.
There are many things that may occur in life that causes you to be knocked about a bit. There are many situations that make it hard for us to be certain that God is in control. But these seeds of doubts are simply tools that Satan has put into play to cause the children of God to turn away from the master.
However, when we just take the time to reflect on the goodness of our God; when we allow our minds to think on everything that he has done - everything he is doing - and oh everything he is going to do - our souls ought to be crying out in the midst of our trials and tribulations, "Hallelujah Anyhow!" Brothers and sisters, trials and tribulations are a part of life. You might as well prepare yourself to deal with it. Christianity is not a shield from hardships. Being saved is not a get out of trouble free pass.
Knowing God will not keep tragedy from knocking on your door. Throughout the word of God we find that we should expect them to come. Mark 13:12 tells us we will be betrayed. Luke 11:49 tells us some will be persecuted and slain. John 15:20 tells us that Jesus himself endured ridicule and we should expect no less. 2 Corinthians 4: beginning at the 8th verse we are told we endure trials because we are Christians - why you may ask - well trials and tribulations - problems and perplexities - circumstances and situations are our living testimony that God is good all the time and all the time God is good. Hallelujah Anyhow!
The command that God has given us is not to praise Him because of but to praise Him in spite of! It is a joyful tribute rendered to the God that has done it before and will certainly do it again. Praise is rendered by believers because they understand that the word has promised weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning - Hallelujah anyhow! Praise is offered up by those who have a personal relationship and not a part-time acquaintance to God.
Allowing us to endure difficulties because we know that trouble don’t last always. Praise is given because we in this Christian journey are standing on the promises of God! We sing every Sunday morning, “What a mighty God we serve” and it is based upon the knowledge that God is deserving of our praise and He is a mighty God. Every blessing that comes our way is a result of God’s love. The psalmist David wrote, "Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord".
Brothers and sisters praise is a mandate by God for each of us to render honor and glory. We do so with gladness and thanksgiving for His multiple mercies and goodness. When we feel weak and desperate we can praise Him because Exodus 15:2 says the Lord is my strength and my salvation. When troubles arise we have no need to fear and we praise him because we know as it tells us in Isaiah 54:17, “no weapons formed against us will prosper”.
When our situation seems hot - and it appears we have entered into a fiery furnace we can praise God because the same God of Shadrach, Meshak and Abednego will quench the fiery darts thrown our way. Hallelujah anyhow! So why should we feel discouraged when problems come our way. Why would we be fearful of the shadows or the unknown? Since we have a friend in Jesus - why should our heart feel lonely because we are living a life to acquire our heavenly home?
Brothers and sisters we don’t have to worry about sickness and disease because Jesus is our portion. We don’t have to be concerned about mishaps because a constant friend is he. He knows what we need when we need it because his eye is on the sparrow and I know most definitely he is watching over us. So in the midst of our trials we can shout Hallelujah anyhow! Psalms 89:8 says we ought to praise Him because he is faithful! Joel 2:26 tells us to praise God and not be ashamed about it.
1 Peter 2:9 tells us because we are chosen to be a part of God’s holy nation we ought to be praising God. Hallelujah anyhow! What can praise do you might ask - well you could ask Paul and Silas - locked up in jail just what praise can do. When they were imprisoned - instead of dwelling on the situation they rejoiced because they knew who was their salvation. Ask David who had been persecuted by his own child - who battled giants – who endured trials and tribulations yet rejoicing - because he knew that the Lord was his shepherd and would supply him with everything that was necessary.
Brothers and sisters God expects us to praise Him. God tells us to praise him. Scripture after scripture we see the command to magnify, glorify and rejoice. And as we praise God he favors us with his multitude of blessings. He didn’t say just praise me after you receive your blessing. He didn’t say only praise me when your money is right. He didn’t say only praise me when your bills are paid. He didn’t say only praise me when things go right for you. He didn’t say only praise me when your health is good.
He wants us to praise Him at all times. That is from sun up to sun up. Praising Him for everything. Thanking him for his mercy and his grace. Yes even thanking him for the trials and tribulations in our lives. Because if when the praises go up the blessings come down, it would seem justifiable to think if while we are going through difficult time we offer up mournful and feeble praise when our blessings come trickling down drip by drip - we ought not be offended or put out.
When we are going through hard times and we offer up routine praise and our blessing appears to be ordinary we ought not to feel God has forgotten us. But when you are like Job who lost everything but praised God to the utmost. When you are like Daniel who faced certain death as he faced a den full of lions - but praised God not because of but in spite of. If we could be like Joshua at the battle of Jericho who endured the jeers of his peers when he presented what appeared to be a half-baked form of attack.
Marching around a wall of a large city once a day for six days in total silence. Each day someone from within the city probably yelled an insult or laughed at these folk who did nothing but walk. If we could be like Joshua who on the seventh day walked around six times in silence but on the seventh go around shouted Glory to God - praised God for the victory he had promised. He praised God for the conquest he had secured. - He Praised God with conviction because He said it and so he believed it.
And the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. Brothers and sisters, all I’m trying to say this morning is when the road gets rough and the going gets tough and your hills get hard to climb - Just lean on the everlasting arms of God and shout Hallelujah anyhow! When the doctor says there is no hope - just know you have some one better than a doctor = you have a healer. When legal issues seem to be overbearing - and it appears all hope is gone. Remember you have the best litigator - Jesus Christ.
When it seems that everyone is against you and everybody has forsaken you. Just remember that God said he would never leave or forsake you. He would never leave you alone. So even when you see the lightning flashing shout Hallelujah anyhow! Even when you hear the thunder roll shout Hallelujah anyhow! Even when sin breakers are dashing trying to conquer your soul - Jesus said he would never leave you - never leave me - never leave us alone. Hallelujah anyhow!
Oh we can shout hallelujah because God so loved the world that he gave us a way up when we didn’t have a way out. Oh we can shout hallelujah because Jesus came that we might have a life and have it more abundantly. Oh we can shout hallelujah because on Calvary our Savior took on and washed away our sins. Oh we can shout hallelujah because as he gave up the ghost he removed our debt - and it is now paid in full. Oh we can shout hallelujah about him being laid in somebody else’s tomb because that was not going to be the conclusion to the story.
Oh we can shout hallelujah because on that third day he assured us that each of us entered into a fixed fight. We can shout hallelujah anyhow when we are up. Shout hallelujah when we are down - because God is in control. We can shout hallelujah anyhow because we serve a mighty God. We can shout hallelujah anyhow because our God can do anything but fail. When folk talk about you - Hallelujah anyhow! When best friends ridicule you - Hallelujah anyhow! When the lights go out - Hallelujah anyhow!
When you are sick - Hallelujah anyhow! When your heart is broken - Hallelujah anyhow!
