September 7, 2025 • 40 mins
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There's a profound spiritual principle hidden in plain sight throughout Scripture: your song of praise is far more powerful than you might realize. Through an inspiring exploration of Psalms 137, we discover why maintaining your spiritual song during life's darkest moments isn't just encouraging—it's essential for victory.
Satan understands something many believers miss: your praise is a dangerous weapon against his attacks. When you continue singing despite your circumstances, you declare that though you may be wounded, you remain undefeated. This is why stealing your song becomes one of his primary objectives. As we learn from David's writings, "a song is an open rebellion to the worst that hell can throw at a human being."
The power of praise is vividly demonstrated through biblical examples like Paul and Silas, who transformed their midnight prison cell into a sanctuary through worship. Their chains fell off not because they complained about their circumstances, but because they refused to surrender their song. Similarly, when David faced complete devastation at Ziklag with his men ready to stone him, his counterintuitive response of worship led to complete recovery of everything that was stolen.
Moving personal testimonies bring this message home—from faithful elderly believers who maintained their worship through amputations and terminal illness to contemporary examples of praise persisting through seemingly impossible situations. These stories reveal how your spiritual song functions as both prophecy and companionship through life's storms.
What battle are you facing today? What circumstances have tempted you to hang up your harp and abandon your praise? Remember that your song isn't just emotional expression—it's spiritual warfare that can transform your situation. Don't surrender your most powerful weapon. Keep singing, keep worshipping, and watch as God turns your Ziklag moment into a testimony of His faithfulness.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Foundations of Truth podcast,
where we are laying strongfoundations for a holy life.
Here we return to timelesstruth, building our lives on the
solid rock of Scripture withpreaching.
Join us as we grow in wisdom,faith and understanding rooted
in Christ, the cornerstone.
Now on to the next sermon.
(00:20):
Enjoy.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
You took my place.
You bore what I deserved.
You poured out grace with thosethree words You've brought me
(00:52):
near.
You've called my past redeemed.
You've brought me life.
With those three words, it isdone, it is finished.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Love has won confidence and respect and all
the others here.
Can you go with me this morningto the book of psalms?
(01:56):
I do feel, I do feel the lordhas something for us today and I
want to be obedient to him andI want to get out of the way so
that God can have his way.
Amen, and I want him to use ina great way and if you open your
minds and if you open yourhearts and you open your spirit
up today, I really do believethat the Holy Ghost wants to
(02:18):
help us in a great way.
And so the book of Psalms,chapter number 137, very
familiar passage of Scripture.
I'm sure we've read it beforeand we've heard it preached.
It's in no way, fashion or form, a novice to us, but I really
(02:39):
want to pull from it thismorning and show you something
that I have found here and whatGod was talking to them in this
text.
So Psalms, chapter 1, verse 137.
Would you stand with me thismorning, just out of unity of
the reading of God's word?
He said by the river of Babylon, there we remembered, there we
(03:03):
sat down, yea, we wept.
When we remembered Zion, wehanged our harps upon the
willows in the midst thereof.
For there, they that carried usaway captive, required of us a
(03:28):
song, and they that wasted usrequired of us myrrh Saying here
.
I want you to catch this.
Sing us one of the songs ofZion.
How shall we sing the Lord'ssong in a strange land?
(03:51):
Slide up to the latter part ofverse number three.
Sing us one of the songs ofZion.
Would you stretch your handsforward and ask the Holy Ghost
to touch us in this place today?
Heavenly Father, god, I loveyou.
Lord, I thank, asking that youwould touch us today in a mighty
(04:16):
way.
Lord, help me to get out of theway so the Holy Ghost can have
its way in this place.
Somewhere, some way in thisplace, god, you would come in
and your Holy Ghost would giveus the song of Zion that you
have intended for us to singthis morning.
God, I give you all the glory,I give you all the praise and I
give you all the thanksgiving.
(04:37):
Lord, I thank you for it today.
In your name, we pray and thechurch says amen.
If I was to pin a title to whatI got to talk to you about
today, I would simply put it mysong or your song.
He gave us a song, amen.
You see, if we, if we go intothe text of where we are at, I
(04:58):
love to study about the life ofdavid.
I love to preach about the lifeof david.
Don't ever forget.
I know he had ever forget.
I know he had his faults and Iknow he had his failures and I
know there are things in hislife, just like we all have,
that we regret and I'm sure heregrets as well.
However, we find in our text,or we can read in the word of
(05:20):
God, that he was a man afterGod's own heart and one of the
greatest revelations of David'slife was the power of David's
song.
No one understood praise anybetter than David did and no one
understood the power of a songlike David did.
A song is more than words strungtogether to make a tune.
(05:44):
A song is a helper, a song is acompanion and, may I say this
morning, a song can also be aweapon for us in this day.
Slide with me to our text.
In our text, David is speakingof the children of Israel as
they are captive in the land ofBabylon, and David tells the
(06:07):
saddest tale that I don't knowthat he ever told the children
of Israel had lost their song.
It says we hanged our harps onthe willows and we wept and they
said how can we sing the Lord'ssong in a strange land?
This is what I would call acritical condition, because they
(06:29):
were in captive in a strangeland.
They hung up their harps, whichmeans they gave up their song,
and they refused to sing thesong that God had given them.
For a people of God who areknown by their song and by their
joyous celebration, this is acritical condition that they
(06:51):
found their self in.
They had lost their song, theyhad lost their praise, they had
lost their joy and they had losttheir faith, and this is
absolutely life threateningsituation.
One of the greatest weapons indavid's arsenal was something
most people never even consider.
(07:13):
And yet when you study outdavid's life, you will have to
come to the conclusion that oneof david's greatest and most
effective weapons that he everhad Was when he grabbed a hold
of the voice that God gave himand he began to sing with all
the power and all the grace andall the mercy.
(07:35):
He didn't deserve it, but hestill sang praise to God, his
Savior.
A song is such a powerful weaponthat one of Satan's main
objective Listen to me Is tosteal your song.
If there is a way, if there isany way, fashion or form that he
(07:59):
can steal the joy of the Lord,if he can steal your song, if he
can steal your praise, may Isay it this way he's on his way
to taking your victory away fromyou.
That's why I feel this morningI don't know who I come to
preach to.
I don't know who I come to talkto.
I don't know who the Holy Ghostwants to speak to.
(08:21):
But may I say it this way keepmy singing, keep your song,
don't ever hesitate, lift it up,worship and lift it up your
praise to god.
It's a powerful weapon that thedevil wants to steal.
Why does the devil want yoursong?
Because your song is atestimony that you're not beat.
(08:44):
You may have been bit, butyou're not beat.
That's what a song tells thedevil.
You may have been wounded, butyou're still in the fight.
You may have been knocked down,but I'm getting back up and I'm
jumping right back into thering and I'm going to fight the
fight of faith until it's done.
(09:06):
A song is an open rebellion tothe worst that hell can throw at
a human being and when thedevil has thrown everything he
can't at you and you still haveyour song, that means you are
still standing and you are stillpraising and you are still in
the fight for God.
(09:27):
As long as you have a song,you're still in the fight.
As long as you have breath, youstill have a song.
I said as long as you havebreath, you still have a song.
That's why Psalms 150 and versenumber 6 says Let everything
that hath breath praise the lord.
But he didn't just stop rightthere, he circles back around
(09:51):
and he says praise ye the lord.
I said let everything that hathbreath praise the lord.
Praise ye the lord.
In one sense of the word, a songis a prophecy.
The song looks beyond thepresent testing and the present
trials and the present problemsand the present sorrow and it
(10:13):
prophetically decrees somethingbetter is on its way to my life.
Something better is on its wayto my life.
Something's coming.
I may not see it right now, Imay not see it today.
Life, something's coming.
I may not see it right now, Imay not see it today, but
tomorrow morning's coming andI've got to keep my song.
(10:34):
I'm not talking about.
I'm not talking about thenobody knows the trouble song.
Oh, brother Lloyd, it's easy,the Trouble song.
Oh Brother Lloyd, it's easy tosing that song.
Nobody understands what I'mgoing through, nobody
(10:57):
understands the pressure, nobodyunderstands the difficulty.
If you had went through what Iwent through this week, if you
had gone through what I'm havingto go through, that's not the
song I'm preaching about thismorning.
That's not the song that I'mtalking about.
(11:21):
Can I say it this way?
That's the loser song.
That kind of song Is from thedevil's hymn book.
That kind of song Is for theperson who has just about given
up.
Those are the songs of thedefeated.
They are the songs of thehopeless and the helpless.
(11:41):
But as a child of God, we areneither helpless nor are we
hopeless, because our hope is ingod and god are.
Well, what does psalm, what?
Let's go back to david, psalms121 and 1 and 2 says I will lift
up my eyes under the heels.
From whence cometh my help, myhelp, coming from the lord which
(12:02):
made heaven.
And what was he saying?
He said I may be down, I may bedisgusted, I may be busted, I
may have failed God, but give memy song back.
I cannot keep from singing mypraise, david said I have help
(12:22):
and I have hope.
I have help and I have hope,and they are in God, who made
the heavens and who made theearth.
David's words convey thethought if God was big enough
and powerful enough to createthe heaven and create the earth,
he can surely, he can, surelyhe can surely Handle my problem.
(12:47):
I know this morning it may seemhuge and it may seem big and it
may seem powerful and it mayseem like there's no way out or
there's no way in, but that's upto God.
(13:07):
A song is a company for our lifejourney.
A song can go with you anywhere.
Oh, I said a song can go withyou anywhere.
A song can comfort you in thedarkest hours of your life.
There is one of the greatestrevelations for navigating
through the life storms that wego through.
(13:30):
And listen to what David saidabout the song Psalms 32 in
verse number seven.
Thou are my hiding place.
Thou shalt preserve me fromtrouble.
Thou shalt come past me aboutwith songs of deliverance.
What did he say in 119 and 54?
Thy statutes have been my songin the house of my pilgrimage.
(13:52):
Then look at the wonderfulverse in Psalms, chapter number
40 and verse number 3.
And he hath put a new song in.
How many have ever been to aplace where you thought you lost
your old song?
But there was something thatcame back to you and you just
had to say and he put a new songin my mouth Every praise unto
(14:13):
God.
God, many shall see it and fearand shall trust in the Lord.
What did he say in A1, 18 and14?
The Lord is my strength and andthe Lord is my song and my
salvation.
May I say to you, he put bothof those together to say he's my
(14:33):
song, he's my salvation.
That to me this morning sayshe's everything.
I said he's everything.
I'll say it again he iseverything.
I'll say it again he iseverything, he is everything.
One of the most dangerousthings in our life that we could
(14:55):
ever come up against is for usto lose our song, for us to live
our song.
There'll be times when yoursong will be your closest
companion.
There'll be times when yoursong will be your lifeline
(15:19):
through the storm that lifebrings you.
Travel with me this morning.
Let's go back to the text.
Let's go back to the text.
Let's go back into the word.
Do you remember the guy by thename of Paul and the guy by the
name of Silas.
They were publicly humiliated.
They were beaten black and blue, then cast into what the Bible
(15:44):
says the inner prison.
This was the deepest, darkest,most filthy compartment of the
prison.
And what does the Bible say?
They did, first of all, hold on.
May I tell you what they did,didn't do.
(16:05):
Brother Dean, I don't know youthat well.
We have worked together alittle bit.
I don't know if you're a singeror not.
Thank you, I was hoping thatwas his answer Because if not, I
was probably fixing to make himfeel bad.
But he's not a singer, andneither am I, and I just have a
(16:26):
sneaky suspicion that possiblyPaul and Silas were in the same
boat.
Me and him are in.
That's possible because Godhonored him and favored him.
Wasn't no pride going to get inthe way to say look what I can
sing?
But let me say what they didn'tdo.
This is which do you prefer?
(16:48):
I'd prefer not to sing.
No, which would you prefer,paul or silas?
Okay, he's gonna pick silas,I'm gonna be paul.
We were beaten.
You look rough, I told you.
I'm gonna tell you what theydidn't do.
You look horrible, I know I dotoo.
(17:09):
How did we find ourselves here,man?
When that stone hit me, it hurt.
It was terrible, silas.
You got to remember that, silas.
I can't believe we have preachedthe gospel.
We have traveled across theUnited States of America.
I don't know if they did that,but we've traveled, we've done
(17:32):
our best and we have sacrificedourselves for our Savior.
I'm telling you what theydidn't do.
It's been a rough go around.
Let's just lean and cry on eachother's shoulders, thank you.
That's not lean and cry on eachother's shoulder, thank you.
That's not what I find Pauldoing.
I said that's not what I findPaul doing.
(17:53):
I told you what they did not do, but I'll tell you what they
did do.
He said long about midnight,paul and Silas.
I'm sorry, I'm not going to putyou on the spot, but I don't
know that this song was even outin those days.
I think you'll know it with me.
I'm not sure that that song waseven out in those days, brother
(18:15):
Gentry, but I'm going to tellyou what my spirit just has to
say this morning.
They were there.
They may have been beaten, theymay have been busted.
They may have been in thenastiest part of the prison in
the lowest state that they hadever faced in their life, and I
told you what they didn't do.
But may I tell you what theydid?
Do I have a feeling?
Along about midnight they beganto sing a song that said I think
(18:39):
everything's going to be allright.
I think everything's going tobe all right.
I have a feeling.
I said I have a feeling.
Hey, I said I have a feelingEverything.
I've got a feeling Everythingis going to be alright.
I've got a feeling it's goingto be okay, right where we're at
.
Why?
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Because he gets the glory.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I may be busted, I may be broke.
I may be disgusted, but it'sgoing to be broke.
I may be disgusted, but it'sgoing to be alright.
There was something powerfulthat happened.
God heard them praying, woo,and God heard them singing, and
(19:27):
your Bible tells you and myBible tells me he kicked his
footstool and the earth startedshaking and it shook the prison
off of its foundations and itopened every prison door and
every prison's bands or chainsor bonds fell.
(19:48):
If they would have sat in thatprison like some of us sit in
our bedrooms and closets, likewe drive down the road in the
25th century there weregenerations that we're living in
.
I've never been through so muchin my life.
How can I go through a?
How can God be in this?
That's not what Paul and Silassaid.
(20:09):
I'll tell you what they said.
We may be going through thefire and things may not be
working out and we may not haveno money and we may not have
anything else.
But God still gave us a song.
We can still sing tremendouspower.
Listen to me this morning,still sing Tremendous power.
(20:29):
Listen to me this morning.
Tremendous power is releasedthrough your song.
You just need to sing it.
I said we just need to sing it.
(20:51):
Oh, I got to hurry Now.
We started in Psalms, if youremember the text I took.
They hung up their harps.
We don't see harps much in ourchurches.
We grew up I grew up SisterBarbara Shoecraft.
She played that old harp Ishouldn't say old, I don't know.
(21:14):
I remember us kids getting itand we'd push them buttons, we'd
strum it.
She could make it sing.
But I don't think that was theharp, I don't think it had
buttons on it.
But they hung them up on a treeBecause they had lost their
song.
Remember that, remember my text.
(21:34):
But could we fast forward just alittle bit in David's life?
Could we reference 1 Samuel,chapter number 30 today?
The story falls in verses 1through verses number 19.
And if you remember your Bible,david and his men had been on a
military campaign.
David and his men were livingin enemy territory but David and
(21:57):
his men and their families feltvery safe because David had
convinced Achish, the king ofGath, that he was a friend to
him.
Oh, stay with me, I'm comingback to your song in just a
minute.
But then, from this safe place,david would launch his military
campaign against thePhilistines, then retreat to his
(22:22):
safe place where all theirfamilies were safely waiting for
the men of battle to returnback home to Ziglag.
But on this day, when David andhis men return from plundering
the Philistines, things werejust a little different.
(22:42):
That day, no kids came runningout to meet their daddies.
Little different that day, nokids came running out to meet
their daddies.
No smell of supper was on thestove, no sound of contented
cattle and sheep in the distanceas they began to approach.
Instead, there was the eeriesound of silence and the remains
(23:03):
of their houses that had beenplundered and burned.
Sadly, it hit them like a ton ofbricks.
Not only are the animals gone,but all the wives and all the
children are gone as well.
The first emotion that hit themis grief, sorrow, regret and
(23:27):
they wept Is grief, sorrow,regret and they wept.
The Bible says they wept untilthey could not cry anymore.
Then the sorrow and the griefand the regret Transition to
anger.
It happens to all of us.
The same pattern happens to us.
(23:50):
We're hurt, we're angry, we'redisappointed and all of a sudden
, the natural tendency of thenature of man I'll get them.
That's what happens.
(24:16):
And they turned on David.
They are angry at themselves,but they universally decide to
make David responsible and taketheir anger out on David.
And take their anger out onDavid and the Bible tells us
they even spoke of stoning David.
So David, in the midst of mostlikely the darkest season of his
(24:38):
life, and David does somethingthat does not make any sense.
He calls for his ephod and hebegins to worship.
I have a feeling at that momentthe Bible doesn't tell me this.
Put it into that can get us introuble a lot of times, but I
(25:04):
have a feeling at that moment hemay have just remembered that
line that grabbed that babysheep.
They just remembered at thattime how God, as he began to go
(25:29):
after him, gave him the power ofworship and the power of his
song, and David began to sing.
I believe his mind went back tothose times and there was a
song that began to bubble upinside of him.
And it doesn't say itverbatimly for words, but may I
put it into text today and justsay possibly I don't know that
(25:49):
this song was written either,but I feel like it's very
fitting of the words here.
When you're up against astruggle that shatters all your
dreams and your hopes have beencruelly crushed by Satan's
manifested schemes and you feelthe urge within you to submit to
earthly fears, don't let thefaith you're standing in seem to
(26:13):
disappear.
Because the songwriter saidpraise the Lord.
He can work through those whopraise him.
Praise the lord, for our godinhabits.
Praise, praise the lord.
I don't know really what it was, but what I do know is this
when david went into song andpraise dav, david went into a
(26:37):
recovery mode and there wassomething that stirred up inside
of his spirit and somethingthat stirred up inside of his
soul.
And he said if I can get mysong back, if I can get my
praise back, if I can startworshiping right in the middle
of Ziglag, god will come through, just like he's done it before.
(26:59):
And may I say to you the sameat Westside Don't fail him,
don't turn in the towel, don'tturn in the keys.
He's never failed you yet andhe's not going to now.
Oh, you know the story.
I don't need to take the timeto move on through it, but I
(27:21):
just feel God saying Someone isone Ziglag, praise and song.
Away from a victory step, awayfrom a victory step, oh,
hallelujah, hallelujah thismorning, lord.
(27:43):
I went to brother Gentry lastnight and I asked him a question
.
I said, brother Gentry, this isnot a derogatory thing on
anybody, but as a pastor, we allhave what we feel is a pillar
in the church.
They are prayers when it comesto worship time.
They're worshipers when itcomes to praise in time.
(28:04):
But not only do they do it inchurch, but there is a
foundation in their house.
They have a closet of prayerwhere they connect with God.
And I didn't even know it wouldrelate to the same conversation
, but I had a conversation aboutWest Side Holiness Church
recently with God, and I didn'teven know it would relate to the
same conversation.
But I had a conversation aboutWest side holiness church
recently with somebody it'sprobably been a few months ago
and they began to talk abouttheir grandmother and they began
(28:27):
to talk about what a godlywoman she was and they'd shared
with me a story that she had hadwith them recently.
And here's what they said Herwords were.
It seems like, all I do From thetime I get up To the time I go
to bed Is just pray and worship,pray and sing, pray and give
(28:52):
God the glory.
And may I just walk right overto this side, if you, let me ask
you to do this.
Why don't you reach in yoursongbook rack and why don't you
grab the red back hymnal?
And would you just allow me fora moment to share with you what
I asked her just before service.
That was her favorite song.
And she said, oh, she didn'thave to guess, she didn't have
(29:13):
to vary from.
Well, I've got a lot of songsin there.
Here's what she said.
She said 223.
And me and her husband weretalking and I said no song.
She said, oh, yeah, 223.
He said baby song and I'm likePsalms 223?
I don't.
She said no, the red hymnal,song 223.
(29:37):
And may I just move over hereand say would you mind me saying
your song?
She said it was the number 223.
I had to grab a hymnal.
I don't know it that well, butI know the song that is her
favorite when the home gatesswing open for me.
Oh, would you let me sing it toyou for a minute.
(29:58):
Oh, that'll be such a happy daywhen the clouds have passed
away from my trouble, from mysorrow, when those home gates
swing open for me.
Man, sister, karen, brother,bobby, keep singing your song.
(30:32):
There's grandchildren that arestill in the house of God.
There are children that arestill worshiping because you
never left your song down.
There are people sitting underthe sound of my voice that God
delivered out of a horriblelifestyle.
Why?
Because every single morning Ihave a feeling.
She went back to page 223 andshe said One of these days I may
(30:54):
be out of here, but I'm notgone yet.
So I got to keep singing mysong and giving God the praise.
Where's brother Sammy?
Is he in here today?
Is he not here today?
He skipped out on me.
He knew.
I pinned him down last night,asking him some questions.
(31:17):
I said how old are you?
How long ago did you get saved?
You know what he said A longtime man of many words, wasn't
he?
As I sat there at the table,the gentry, they began to tell
me I guess some of the blocks onthe church was laid by.
I'm talking about a foundationthat had a by.
(31:39):
I'm talking about a foundationthat had a song.
I'm talking about a foundation.
Oh, I'm bringing back some westside people.
You know, some of you heardthem sing.
I can remember brother, brotherLloyd and sister Sherry.
I can remember sister GraceLawrence, my that pillar in my
life.
Sister Grace Lawrence had beenin the church all my life and
(32:02):
when I turned 16 years old shelived by herself.
When I turned 16 years oldabout then, they had to amputate
one of her legs so she couldn'tdrive About, killed her and my
responsibility and I mean thiswith all my heart, with joy and
pride was to drive to Lola,kentucky, turn on Dittney Road
(32:24):
and pick up Sister GraceLawrence for church.
I remember they had to take offthe second leg and she just had
a hard time with it.
But may I say it this way, shenever laid out of the house of
God.
She was there every service way.
She never laid out of the houseof god, she was there every
service.
Matter of fact, she got outfrom amputation on tuesday
evening or wednesday morning.
When picked her up from thehospital guess where she was
(32:46):
wednesday night she said I hopethis bandage don't bleed through
, but if it does, god, god'sstill going to get the glory.
Oh, I feel like telling you hersong today Sister Grace Lawrence
.
Dad would throw her amicrophone.
She'd say I don't even know ifyou can follow me on the piano,
(33:09):
but she would take off singingthe song.
It says thank you, lord, foryour blessings on me.
Thank you, lord, for yourblessings on me.
Thank you, lord, woo.
Then she go into the song.
Now, this is old.
Some of y'all are going to geton here with me.
She said there's food on thetable and shoes on my feet, and
(33:34):
shoes on my feet.
You gave me your love, lord,and a fine family.
Thank you, lord, for yourblessings on me.
To the day she died, dad couldhand her a microphone, any given
(34:02):
dead service.
You got it, and man, the spiritof God would come in that place
.
She never lost her song.
I'm almost done right here, butI felt like talking to you.
His name he got saved in August,the 3rd of 1975.
(34:23):
His name was Lyle Berg Sr.
March, the 8th of 2017.
He passed away.
I'm reminded because so vividly.
He's my father-in-law and Iremember Brother Lloyd.
I didn't understand it, Ididn't comprehend it.
He was a missionary to thePhilippines for 13 years,
(34:46):
pioneered a pastor to church inWest Virginia for 25.
And from the first time he wentto that doctor's appointment,
eight months and about threedays later, he went and sung his
final song.
But I'm reminded so many timesmy mind comes back, and
especially in preparation fortoday, my mind comes back to
that day.
(35:08):
On March, the 8th of 2017, wewalked into that house.
My mother-in-law called thatmorning Brother Smith and she
said I don't know that today maybe the day Every day for eight
months.
We went to that house 1921, Ibelieve it was US Highway 60
(35:32):
East and we'd walk through thedoor and as soon as he heard us
come through the door, he'd saysay, thank god, my pastor's here
.
He'd be laying in that hospitalbed in that bedroom, first room
to the left.
And as we'd walk in, sometimeswe'd hear god, you've been good
to me all my life.
My children are serving you.
(35:54):
Lord, we walked in that day.
Brother, gentry is a littleLord.
We walked in that day, brotherGentry.
It's a little different, but wewalked in that day.
As we walked around that corner,I can remember it.
There wasn't a lot of life leftin that body and I walked up to
that bed.
We gathered around his bed,sister Sherry, and I said Dad,
(36:16):
we're going to sing to you, Ijust want to sing a song.
I couldn't tell you what it was, but I do remember that hand
went up and he began, in hisfeeble way of movement in his
mouth, to sing his last song andI felt like I come to Westside
(36:36):
today to tell you.
On this Saturday morning youmay feel life is about over, and
I'm not talking physically now,I'm talking spiritually.
You may think the life iszapped out of you.
You may think that you're onthe rock bottom of your life.
(36:57):
Don't stop singing.
I come in.
On Thursday night we sat righthere beside Brother Will's mom
and as the choir began to singThursday night Brother Lloyd
already mentioned I felt theanointing of God.
But I leaned over and I saidSister Jordan, who's that lady
(37:20):
singing right there in the choir?
She said that's my sister.
I seen such passion.
If you come here, maybe it wasjust Thursday night, I don't
know, but I'm telling you I seensuch a passion in her song and
such a desire to care less whatit sounded like.
(37:41):
Care less who was watching,care less who was around her.
And here's what I want to say.
She said you don't know whatshe's been through to why she
sings that way.
I don't know what you've beenthrough and I don't know what
(38:03):
you're going through and I don'tknow what battle you have been
up against, but can I tell youthat woman right over there
still had a song.
I don't, I just told her tosing what her favorite song was.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
I never lost my faith .
Speaker 3 (38:25):
I don't know what her story is.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
I never lost my joy.
I don't know what she's beenthrough.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
I don't know what her trials have been.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
I never lost my praise.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
But she said I haven't know what her trials
have been.
But she said I haven't lost mypraise.
I didn't research her favoritesong.
I didn't even ask her what itwas.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
But you know what I've seen all over her.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
Standing right here on Thursday night she was saying
I still got a praise, I stillgot a song, I still got worship.
Life may have dealt me a badblow, but I still got a song.
Why don't you lift your hands?
And in your place of worship, Idon't care if you just begin to
(39:11):
sing your song.
Your song may be praised, yoursong may have words, but in this
place, on a Saturday morning,let your song ring to him, amen.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
Thank you for joining us today on Foundations of
Truth.
We hope today's message hasstrengthened your faith and
helped you grow in understanding.
Be sure to subscribe so youdon't miss an episode, and share
this podcast with others whoseek the truth.
Until next time, stay groundedin God's word and walk in his
(39:47):
light.
God bless you.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
You took my place.
You bore what I deserved.
You poured out grace with thosethree words.
(40:20):
You've brought me near.
You've called my past redeemed.
You've brought me life, withthose three words.
Welcome to Foundations of Truth podcast,
where we are laying strongfoundations for a holy life.
Here we return to timelesstruth, building our lives on the
solid rock of Scripture withpreaching.
Join us as we grow in wisdom,faith and understanding rooted
in Christ, the cornerstone.
Now on to the next sermon.
(00:20):
Enjoy.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
You took my place.
You bore what I deserved.
You poured out grace with thosethree words You've brought me
(00:52):
near.
You've called my past redeemed.
You've brought me life.
With those three words, it isdone, it is finished.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Love has won confidence and respect and all
the others here.
Can you go with me this morningto the book of psalms?
(01:56):
I do feel, I do feel the lordhas something for us today and I
want to be obedient to him andI want to get out of the way so
that God can have his way.
Amen, and I want him to use ina great way and if you open your
minds and if you open yourhearts and you open your spirit
up today, I really do believethat the Holy Ghost wants to
(02:18):
help us in a great way.
And so the book of Psalms,chapter number 137, very
familiar passage of Scripture.
I'm sure we've read it beforeand we've heard it preached.
It's in no way, fashion or form, a novice to us, but I really
(02:39):
want to pull from it thismorning and show you something
that I have found here and whatGod was talking to them in this
text.
So Psalms, chapter 1, verse 137.
Would you stand with me thismorning, just out of unity of
the reading of God's word?
He said by the river of Babylon, there we remembered, there we
(03:03):
sat down, yea, we wept.
When we remembered Zion, wehanged our harps upon the
willows in the midst thereof.
For there, they that carried usaway captive, required of us a
(03:28):
song, and they that wasted usrequired of us myrrh Saying here
.
I want you to catch this.
Sing us one of the songs ofZion.
How shall we sing the Lord'ssong in a strange land?
(03:51):
Slide up to the latter part ofverse number three.
Sing us one of the songs ofZion.
Would you stretch your handsforward and ask the Holy Ghost
to touch us in this place today?
Heavenly Father, god, I loveyou.
Lord, I thank, asking that youwould touch us today in a mighty
(04:16):
way.
Lord, help me to get out of theway so the Holy Ghost can have
its way in this place.
Somewhere, some way in thisplace, god, you would come in
and your Holy Ghost would giveus the song of Zion that you
have intended for us to singthis morning.
God, I give you all the glory,I give you all the praise and I
give you all the thanksgiving.
(04:37):
Lord, I thank you for it today.
In your name, we pray and thechurch says amen.
If I was to pin a title to whatI got to talk to you about
today, I would simply put it mysong or your song.
He gave us a song, amen.
You see, if we, if we go intothe text of where we are at, I
(04:58):
love to study about the life ofdavid.
I love to preach about the lifeof david.
Don't ever forget.
I know he had ever forget.
I know he had his faults and Iknow he had his failures and I
know there are things in hislife, just like we all have,
that we regret and I'm sure heregrets as well.
However, we find in our text,or we can read in the word of
(05:20):
God, that he was a man afterGod's own heart and one of the
greatest revelations of David'slife was the power of David's
song.
No one understood praise anybetter than David did and no one
understood the power of a songlike David did.
A song is more than words strungtogether to make a tune.
(05:44):
A song is a helper, a song is acompanion and, may I say this
morning, a song can also be aweapon for us in this day.
Slide with me to our text.
In our text, David is speakingof the children of Israel as
they are captive in the land ofBabylon, and David tells the
(06:07):
saddest tale that I don't knowthat he ever told the children
of Israel had lost their song.
It says we hanged our harps onthe willows and we wept and they
said how can we sing the Lord'ssong in a strange land?
This is what I would call acritical condition, because they
(06:29):
were in captive in a strangeland.
They hung up their harps, whichmeans they gave up their song,
and they refused to sing thesong that God had given them.
For a people of God who areknown by their song and by their
joyous celebration, this is acritical condition that they
(06:51):
found their self in.
They had lost their song, theyhad lost their praise, they had
lost their joy and they had losttheir faith, and this is
absolutely life threateningsituation.
One of the greatest weapons indavid's arsenal was something
most people never even consider.
(07:13):
And yet when you study outdavid's life, you will have to
come to the conclusion that oneof david's greatest and most
effective weapons that he everhad Was when he grabbed a hold
of the voice that God gave himand he began to sing with all
the power and all the grace andall the mercy.
(07:35):
He didn't deserve it, but hestill sang praise to God, his
Savior.
A song is such a powerful weaponthat one of Satan's main
objective Listen to me Is tosteal your song.
If there is a way, if there isany way, fashion or form that he
(07:59):
can steal the joy of the Lord,if he can steal your song, if he
can steal your praise, may Isay it this way he's on his way
to taking your victory away fromyou.
That's why I feel this morningI don't know who I come to
preach to.
I don't know who I come to talkto.
I don't know who the Holy Ghostwants to speak to.
(08:21):
But may I say it this way keepmy singing, keep your song,
don't ever hesitate, lift it up,worship and lift it up your
praise to god.
It's a powerful weapon that thedevil wants to steal.
Why does the devil want yoursong?
Because your song is atestimony that you're not beat.
(08:44):
You may have been bit, butyou're not beat.
That's what a song tells thedevil.
You may have been wounded, butyou're still in the fight.
You may have been knocked down,but I'm getting back up and I'm
jumping right back into thering and I'm going to fight the
fight of faith until it's done.
(09:06):
A song is an open rebellion tothe worst that hell can throw at
a human being and when thedevil has thrown everything he
can't at you and you still haveyour song, that means you are
still standing and you are stillpraising and you are still in
the fight for God.
(09:27):
As long as you have a song,you're still in the fight.
As long as you have breath, youstill have a song.
I said as long as you havebreath, you still have a song.
That's why Psalms 150 and versenumber 6 says Let everything
that hath breath praise the lord.
But he didn't just stop rightthere, he circles back around
(09:51):
and he says praise ye the lord.
I said let everything that hathbreath praise the lord.
Praise ye the lord.
In one sense of the word, a songis a prophecy.
The song looks beyond thepresent testing and the present
trials and the present problemsand the present sorrow and it
(10:13):
prophetically decrees somethingbetter is on its way to my life.
Something better is on its wayto my life.
Something's coming.
I may not see it right now, Imay not see it today.
Life, something's coming.
I may not see it right now, Imay not see it today, but
tomorrow morning's coming andI've got to keep my song.
(10:34):
I'm not talking about.
I'm not talking about thenobody knows the trouble song.
Oh, brother Lloyd, it's easy,the Trouble song.
Oh Brother Lloyd, it's easy tosing that song.
Nobody understands what I'mgoing through, nobody
(10:57):
understands the pressure, nobodyunderstands the difficulty.
If you had went through what Iwent through this week, if you
had gone through what I'm havingto go through, that's not the
song I'm preaching about thismorning.
That's not the song that I'mtalking about.
(11:21):
Can I say it this way?
That's the loser song.
That kind of song Is from thedevil's hymn book.
That kind of song Is for theperson who has just about given
up.
Those are the songs of thedefeated.
They are the songs of thehopeless and the helpless.
(11:41):
But as a child of God, we areneither helpless nor are we
hopeless, because our hope is ingod and god are.
Well, what does psalm, what?
Let's go back to david, psalms121 and 1 and 2 says I will lift
up my eyes under the heels.
From whence cometh my help, myhelp, coming from the lord which
(12:02):
made heaven.
And what was he saying?
He said I may be down, I may bedisgusted, I may be busted, I
may have failed God, but give memy song back.
I cannot keep from singing mypraise, david said I have help
(12:22):
and I have hope.
I have help and I have hope,and they are in God, who made
the heavens and who made theearth.
David's words convey thethought if God was big enough
and powerful enough to createthe heaven and create the earth,
he can surely, he can, surelyhe can surely Handle my problem.
(12:47):
I know this morning it may seemhuge and it may seem big and it
may seem powerful and it mayseem like there's no way out or
there's no way in, but that's upto God.
(13:07):
A song is a company for our lifejourney.
A song can go with you anywhere.
Oh, I said a song can go withyou anywhere.
A song can comfort you in thedarkest hours of your life.
There is one of the greatestrevelations for navigating
through the life storms that wego through.
(13:30):
And listen to what David saidabout the song Psalms 32 in
verse number seven.
Thou are my hiding place.
Thou shalt preserve me fromtrouble.
Thou shalt come past me aboutwith songs of deliverance.
What did he say in 119 and 54?
Thy statutes have been my songin the house of my pilgrimage.
(13:52):
Then look at the wonderfulverse in Psalms, chapter number
40 and verse number 3.
And he hath put a new song in.
How many have ever been to aplace where you thought you lost
your old song?
But there was something thatcame back to you and you just
had to say and he put a new songin my mouth Every praise unto
(14:13):
God.
God, many shall see it and fearand shall trust in the Lord.
What did he say in A1, 18 and14?
The Lord is my strength and andthe Lord is my song and my
salvation.
May I say to you, he put bothof those together to say he's my
(14:33):
song, he's my salvation.
That to me this morning sayshe's everything.
I said he's everything.
I'll say it again he iseverything.
I'll say it again he iseverything, he is everything.
One of the most dangerousthings in our life that we could
(14:55):
ever come up against is for usto lose our song, for us to live
our song.
There'll be times when yoursong will be your closest
companion.
There'll be times when yoursong will be your lifeline
(15:19):
through the storm that lifebrings you.
Travel with me this morning.
Let's go back to the text.
Let's go back to the text.
Let's go back into the word.
Do you remember the guy by thename of Paul and the guy by the
name of Silas.
They were publicly humiliated.
They were beaten black and blue, then cast into what the Bible
(15:44):
says the inner prison.
This was the deepest, darkest,most filthy compartment of the
prison.
And what does the Bible say?
They did, first of all, hold on.
May I tell you what they did,didn't do.
(16:05):
Brother Dean, I don't know youthat well.
We have worked together alittle bit.
I don't know if you're a singeror not.
Thank you, I was hoping thatwas his answer Because if not, I
was probably fixing to make himfeel bad.
But he's not a singer, andneither am I, and I just have a
(16:26):
sneaky suspicion that possiblyPaul and Silas were in the same
boat.
Me and him are in.
That's possible because Godhonored him and favored him.
Wasn't no pride going to get inthe way to say look what I can
sing?
But let me say what they didn'tdo.
This is which do you prefer?
(16:48):
I'd prefer not to sing.
No, which would you prefer,paul or silas?
Okay, he's gonna pick silas,I'm gonna be paul.
We were beaten.
You look rough, I told you.
I'm gonna tell you what theydidn't do.
You look horrible, I know I dotoo.
(17:09):
How did we find ourselves here,man?
When that stone hit me, it hurt.
It was terrible, silas.
You got to remember that, silas.
I can't believe we have preachedthe gospel.
We have traveled across theUnited States of America.
I don't know if they did that,but we've traveled, we've done
(17:32):
our best and we have sacrificedourselves for our Savior.
I'm telling you what theydidn't do.
It's been a rough go around.
Let's just lean and cry on eachother's shoulders, thank you.
That's not lean and cry on eachother's shoulder, thank you.
That's not what I find Pauldoing.
I said that's not what I findPaul doing.
(17:53):
I told you what they did not do, but I'll tell you what they
did do.
He said long about midnight,paul and Silas.
I'm sorry, I'm not going to putyou on the spot, but I don't
know that this song was even outin those days.
I think you'll know it with me.
I'm not sure that that song waseven out in those days, brother
(18:15):
Gentry, but I'm going to tellyou what my spirit just has to
say this morning.
They were there.
They may have been beaten, theymay have been busted.
They may have been in thenastiest part of the prison in
the lowest state that they hadever faced in their life, and I
told you what they didn't do.
But may I tell you what theydid?
Do I have a feeling?
Along about midnight they beganto sing a song that said I think
(18:39):
everything's going to be allright.
I think everything's going tobe all right.
I have a feeling.
I said I have a feeling.
Hey, I said I have a feelingEverything.
I've got a feeling Everythingis going to be alright.
I've got a feeling it's goingto be okay, right where we're at
.
Why?
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Because he gets the glory.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I may be busted, I may be broke.
I may be disgusted, but it'sgoing to be broke.
I may be disgusted, but it'sgoing to be alright.
There was something powerfulthat happened.
God heard them praying, woo,and God heard them singing, and
(19:27):
your Bible tells you and myBible tells me he kicked his
footstool and the earth startedshaking and it shook the prison
off of its foundations and itopened every prison door and
every prison's bands or chainsor bonds fell.
(19:48):
If they would have sat in thatprison like some of us sit in
our bedrooms and closets, likewe drive down the road in the
25th century there weregenerations that we're living in
.
I've never been through so muchin my life.
How can I go through a?
How can God be in this?
That's not what Paul and Silassaid.
(20:09):
I'll tell you what they said.
We may be going through thefire and things may not be
working out and we may not haveno money and we may not have
anything else.
But God still gave us a song.
We can still sing tremendouspower.
Listen to me this morning,still sing Tremendous power.
(20:29):
Listen to me this morning.
Tremendous power is releasedthrough your song.
You just need to sing it.
I said we just need to sing it.
(20:51):
Oh, I got to hurry Now.
We started in Psalms, if youremember the text I took.
They hung up their harps.
We don't see harps much in ourchurches.
We grew up I grew up SisterBarbara Shoecraft.
She played that old harp Ishouldn't say old, I don't know.
(21:14):
I remember us kids getting itand we'd push them buttons, we'd
strum it.
She could make it sing.
But I don't think that was theharp, I don't think it had
buttons on it.
But they hung them up on a treeBecause they had lost their
song.
Remember that, remember my text.
(21:34):
But could we fast forward just alittle bit in David's life?
Could we reference 1 Samuel,chapter number 30 today?
The story falls in verses 1through verses number 19.
And if you remember your Bible,david and his men had been on a
military campaign.
David and his men were livingin enemy territory but David and
(21:57):
his men and their families feltvery safe because David had
convinced Achish, the king ofGath, that he was a friend to
him.
Oh, stay with me, I'm comingback to your song in just a
minute.
But then, from this safe place,david would launch his military
campaign against thePhilistines, then retreat to his
(22:22):
safe place where all theirfamilies were safely waiting for
the men of battle to returnback home to Ziglag.
But on this day, when David andhis men return from plundering
the Philistines, things werejust a little different.
(22:42):
That day, no kids came runningout to meet their daddies.
Little different that day, nokids came running out to meet
their daddies.
No smell of supper was on thestove, no sound of contented
cattle and sheep in the distanceas they began to approach.
Instead, there was the eeriesound of silence and the remains
(23:03):
of their houses that had beenplundered and burned.
Sadly, it hit them like a ton ofbricks.
Not only are the animals gone,but all the wives and all the
children are gone as well.
The first emotion that hit themis grief, sorrow, regret and
(23:27):
they wept Is grief, sorrow,regret and they wept.
The Bible says they wept untilthey could not cry anymore.
Then the sorrow and the griefand the regret Transition to
anger.
It happens to all of us.
The same pattern happens to us.
(23:50):
We're hurt, we're angry, we'redisappointed and all of a sudden
, the natural tendency of thenature of man I'll get them.
That's what happens.
(24:16):
And they turned on David.
They are angry at themselves,but they universally decide to
make David responsible and taketheir anger out on David.
And take their anger out onDavid and the Bible tells us
they even spoke of stoning David.
So David, in the midst of mostlikely the darkest season of his
(24:38):
life, and David does somethingthat does not make any sense.
He calls for his ephod and hebegins to worship.
I have a feeling at that momentthe Bible doesn't tell me this.
Put it into that can get us introuble a lot of times, but I
(25:04):
have a feeling at that moment hemay have just remembered that
line that grabbed that babysheep.
They just remembered at thattime how God, as he began to go
(25:29):
after him, gave him the power ofworship and the power of his
song, and David began to sing.
I believe his mind went back tothose times and there was a
song that began to bubble upinside of him.
And it doesn't say itverbatimly for words, but may I
put it into text today and justsay possibly I don't know that
(25:49):
this song was written either,but I feel like it's very
fitting of the words here.
When you're up against astruggle that shatters all your
dreams and your hopes have beencruelly crushed by Satan's
manifested schemes and you feelthe urge within you to submit to
earthly fears, don't let thefaith you're standing in seem to
(26:13):
disappear.
Because the songwriter saidpraise the Lord.
He can work through those whopraise him.
Praise the lord, for our godinhabits.
Praise, praise the lord.
I don't know really what it was, but what I do know is this
when david went into song andpraise dav, david went into a
(26:37):
recovery mode and there wassomething that stirred up inside
of his spirit and somethingthat stirred up inside of his
soul.
And he said if I can get mysong back, if I can get my
praise back, if I can startworshiping right in the middle
of Ziglag, god will come through, just like he's done it before.
(26:59):
And may I say to you the sameat Westside Don't fail him,
don't turn in the towel, don'tturn in the keys.
He's never failed you yet andhe's not going to now.
Oh, you know the story.
I don't need to take the timeto move on through it, but I
(27:21):
just feel God saying Someone isone Ziglag, praise and song.
Away from a victory step, awayfrom a victory step, oh,
hallelujah, hallelujah thismorning, lord.
(27:43):
I went to brother Gentry lastnight and I asked him a question
.
I said, brother Gentry, this isnot a derogatory thing on
anybody, but as a pastor, we allhave what we feel is a pillar
in the church.
They are prayers when it comesto worship time.
They're worshipers when itcomes to praise in time.
(28:04):
But not only do they do it inchurch, but there is a
foundation in their house.
They have a closet of prayerwhere they connect with God.
And I didn't even know it wouldrelate to the same conversation
, but I had a conversation aboutWest Side Holiness Church
recently with God, and I didn'teven know it would relate to the
same conversation.
But I had a conversation aboutWest side holiness church
recently with somebody it'sprobably been a few months ago
and they began to talk abouttheir grandmother and they began
(28:27):
to talk about what a godlywoman she was and they'd shared
with me a story that she had hadwith them recently.
And here's what they said Herwords were.
It seems like, all I do From thetime I get up To the time I go
to bed Is just pray and worship,pray and sing, pray and give
(28:52):
God the glory.
And may I just walk right overto this side, if you, let me ask
you to do this.
Why don't you reach in yoursongbook rack and why don't you
grab the red back hymnal?
And would you just allow me fora moment to share with you what
I asked her just before service.
That was her favorite song.
And she said, oh, she didn'thave to guess, she didn't have
(29:13):
to vary from.
Well, I've got a lot of songsin there.
Here's what she said.
She said 223.
And me and her husband weretalking and I said no song.
She said, oh, yeah, 223.
He said baby song and I'm likePsalms 223?
I don't.
She said no, the red hymnal,song 223.
(29:37):
And may I just move over hereand say would you mind me saying
your song?
She said it was the number 223.
I had to grab a hymnal.
I don't know it that well, butI know the song that is her
favorite when the home gatesswing open for me.
Oh, would you let me sing it toyou for a minute.
(29:58):
Oh, that'll be such a happy daywhen the clouds have passed
away from my trouble, from mysorrow, when those home gates
swing open for me.
Man, sister, karen, brother,bobby, keep singing your song.
(30:32):
There's grandchildren that arestill in the house of God.
There are children that arestill worshiping because you
never left your song down.
There are people sitting underthe sound of my voice that God
delivered out of a horriblelifestyle.
Why?
Because every single morning Ihave a feeling.
She went back to page 223 andshe said One of these days I may
(30:54):
be out of here, but I'm notgone yet.
So I got to keep singing mysong and giving God the praise.
Where's brother Sammy?
Is he in here today?
Is he not here today?
He skipped out on me.
He knew.
I pinned him down last night,asking him some questions.
(31:17):
I said how old are you?
How long ago did you get saved?
You know what he said A longtime man of many words, wasn't
he?
As I sat there at the table,the gentry, they began to tell
me I guess some of the blocks onthe church was laid by.
I'm talking about a foundationthat had a by.
(31:39):
I'm talking about a foundationthat had a song.
I'm talking about a foundation.
Oh, I'm bringing back some westside people.
You know, some of you heardthem sing.
I can remember brother, brotherLloyd and sister Sherry.
I can remember sister GraceLawrence, my that pillar in my
life.
Sister Grace Lawrence had beenin the church all my life and
(32:02):
when I turned 16 years old shelived by herself.
When I turned 16 years oldabout then, they had to amputate
one of her legs so she couldn'tdrive About, killed her and my
responsibility and I mean thiswith all my heart, with joy and
pride was to drive to Lola,kentucky, turn on Dittney Road
(32:24):
and pick up Sister GraceLawrence for church.
I remember they had to take offthe second leg and she just had
a hard time with it.
But may I say it this way, shenever laid out of the house of
God.
She was there every service way.
She never laid out of the houseof god, she was there every
service.
Matter of fact, she got outfrom amputation on tuesday
evening or wednesday morning.
When picked her up from thehospital guess where she was
(32:46):
wednesday night she said I hopethis bandage don't bleed through
, but if it does, god, god'sstill going to get the glory.
Oh, I feel like telling you hersong today Sister Grace Lawrence
.
Dad would throw her amicrophone.
She'd say I don't even know ifyou can follow me on the piano,
(33:09):
but she would take off singingthe song.
It says thank you, lord, foryour blessings on me.
Thank you, lord, for yourblessings on me.
Thank you, lord, woo.
Then she go into the song.
Now, this is old.
Some of y'all are going to geton here with me.
She said there's food on thetable and shoes on my feet, and
(33:34):
shoes on my feet.
You gave me your love, lord,and a fine family.
Thank you, lord, for yourblessings on me.
To the day she died, dad couldhand her a microphone, any given
(34:02):
dead service.
You got it, and man, the spiritof God would come in that place
.
She never lost her song.
I'm almost done right here, butI felt like talking to you.
His name he got saved in August,the 3rd of 1975.
(34:23):
His name was Lyle Berg Sr.
March, the 8th of 2017.
He passed away.
I'm reminded because so vividly.
He's my father-in-law and Iremember Brother Lloyd.
I didn't understand it, Ididn't comprehend it.
He was a missionary to thePhilippines for 13 years,
(34:46):
pioneered a pastor to church inWest Virginia for 25.
And from the first time he wentto that doctor's appointment,
eight months and about threedays later, he went and sung his
final song.
But I'm reminded so many timesmy mind comes back, and
especially in preparation fortoday, my mind comes back to
that day.
(35:08):
On March, the 8th of 2017, wewalked into that house.
My mother-in-law called thatmorning Brother Smith and she
said I don't know that today maybe the day Every day for eight
months.
We went to that house 1921, Ibelieve it was US Highway 60
(35:32):
East and we'd walk through thedoor and as soon as he heard us
come through the door, he'd saysay, thank god, my pastor's here
.
He'd be laying in that hospitalbed in that bedroom, first room
to the left.
And as we'd walk in, sometimeswe'd hear god, you've been good
to me all my life.
My children are serving you.
(35:54):
Lord, we walked in that day.
Brother, gentry is a littleLord.
We walked in that day, brotherGentry.
It's a little different, but wewalked in that day.
As we walked around that corner,I can remember it.
There wasn't a lot of life leftin that body and I walked up to
that bed.
We gathered around his bed,sister Sherry, and I said Dad,
(36:16):
we're going to sing to you, Ijust want to sing a song.
I couldn't tell you what it was, but I do remember that hand
went up and he began, in hisfeeble way of movement in his
mouth, to sing his last song andI felt like I come to Westside
(36:36):
today to tell you.
On this Saturday morning youmay feel life is about over, and
I'm not talking physically now,I'm talking spiritually.
You may think the life iszapped out of you.
You may think that you're onthe rock bottom of your life.
(36:57):
Don't stop singing.
I come in.
On Thursday night we sat righthere beside Brother Will's mom
and as the choir began to singThursday night Brother Lloyd
already mentioned I felt theanointing of God.
But I leaned over and I saidSister Jordan, who's that lady
(37:20):
singing right there in the choir?
She said that's my sister.
I seen such passion.
If you come here, maybe it wasjust Thursday night, I don't
know, but I'm telling you I seensuch a passion in her song and
such a desire to care less whatit sounded like.
(37:41):
Care less who was watching,care less who was around her.
And here's what I want to say.
She said you don't know whatshe's been through to why she
sings that way.
I don't know what you've beenthrough and I don't know what
(38:03):
you're going through and I don'tknow what battle you have been
up against, but can I tell youthat woman right over there
still had a song.
I don't, I just told her tosing what her favorite song was.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
I never lost my faith .
Speaker 3 (38:25):
I don't know what her story is.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
I never lost my joy.
I don't know what she's beenthrough.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
I don't know what her trials have been.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
I never lost my praise.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
But she said I haven't know what her trials
have been.
But she said I haven't lost mypraise.
I didn't research her favoritesong.
I didn't even ask her what itwas.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
But you know what I've seen all over her.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
Standing right here on Thursday night she was saying
I still got a praise, I stillgot a song, I still got worship.
Life may have dealt me a badblow, but I still got a song.
Why don't you lift your hands?
And in your place of worship, Idon't care if you just begin to
(39:11):
sing your song.
Your song may be praised, yoursong may have words, but in this
place, on a Saturday morning,let your song ring to him, amen.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
Thank you for joining us today on Foundations of
Truth.
We hope today's message hasstrengthened your faith and
helped you grow in understanding.
Be sure to subscribe so youdon't miss an episode, and share
this podcast with others whoseek the truth.
Until next time, stay groundedin God's word and walk in his
(39:47):
light.
God bless you.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
You took my place.
You bore what I deserved.
You poured out grace with thosethree words.
(40:20):
You've brought me near.
You've called my past redeemed.
You've brought me life, withthose three words.
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