The Healing Word

Announcer: The healing word ministry on one place is brought to you by the generous donations of people like you. At any time during today's message, feel free to send a prayer request or make a donation using the links provided. Now, I pray you will be blessed as Pastor Jack Morris delivers a message from the word of God that will encourage and strengthen your faith in him.

Pastor Jack Morris: Friend, there's nothing greater, nothing greater. And if you don't have anything else to praise the Lord for, but you do, praise him for the salvation that has come to you. Give thanks and give glory, give praise to the Lord.

Announcer: With all the negative events taking place in the world right now, praising God and being thankful for his blessings may at times be the last thing on our minds. But on today's healing word broadcast, Pastor Jack Morris is here to remind us that praising God not only lifts our spirits, but can also bring healing and wholeness to our bodies. Let's join the congregation at the Largo Community Church for today's message, healing praise.

Pastor Jack Morris: Open your Bible to Psalm 34 and I want to read verse 1 in unison. I want you to read this verse with me in unison. Psalm 34 verse 1. You have it ready? I will extol the Lord at all times. His praise will always be on my lips. Now, that's quite a statement to say, isn't it? David said it. It's put here so that we can say it and have the same blessing that David had. You know, some of the blessings of the Bible that we read about and we say, oh, I wish we could have those kind of blessings today.

Well, if we praise God like the saints of old made a surrendering commitment to him like they did, I believe that the Lord would visit us in a very wonderful and unusual way, in a biblical way. Now, notice what he said, I will. What a resolve. This is what I'm going to do it. I don't know what others may do. I don't even know what other Christians may do. There are a lot of a lot of Christians saying, I could be a Christian and don't go to church. Well, maybe so. I don't know. I'm not their judge.

But I'm a Christian and I need the church. I need you. I need to be in the house of God with God's people. I will. This is what David is saying. He's making a commitment. And friend, I I I want you to think of the commitment that Jesus made at the cross for us. And I don't want to I don't want to tread lightly on my Christian testimony to him because he made a commitment to me. He said, I will go to the cross. I will die. Oh, I could call 10,000 angels, but I will give my life a ransom.

Now, I'm going to say in return, I will praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord at all times. Now, how am I going to do that of being effectively? I'm going to do it by remembering the blessings that he has already given to me. I was at a restaurant we were eating and we noticed this man and wife bowing over their food praying very often. I'll walk through a restaurant when I see somebody doing that, I'll spot them and I'll think now I'm going to go by their table on the way out and commend them for doing that.

And I mentioned to this man and woman, I said I noticed you prayed over your food and you gave thanks. You know what he said to me? If I don't pray and give thanks for the blessings that God has already given to me he may not give me more in the future. For I'm a I'm a taker and not a praiser. But as we sang, he is worthy. He is worthy. Friend, the blessings of God. So, let's begin remembering. You see on the front of the communion table this doing remembrance. God's given us a brain to remember.

And as we begin to reflect the praises will come. Now, the first thing I want to praise God for this morning is that he saved me. I I can't I can't get over that. I just can't get over that. I I people I hear them talk about miracles and we should talk about them when God gives them to us. Answers to prayer, we should talk about them when God answers our prayer. But the miracle of miracles is when God had mercy on me and saved my soul and saved your soul. On one occasion, Jesus sent 70 disciples out to the cities around the area where he was.

And he gave them power over sickness and disease and over demon possession. And they returned rejoicing. Oh, Jesus, devils are subject to us in your name. Sick bodies were healed in your name. They went on telling about all the physical things that happened in his name, but not one of them said anything about spiritual life coming to individuals. Do you know what Jesus said to them? Don't rejoice because devils are subject to you. Don't go around chasing a miracle and looking for miracles. I'll perform miracles, but the greatest of all miracles is the salvation of souls.

And that's exactly what Jesus said. He said, rejoice because your names are written in the book of life. Now, if we begin to remember that and give praise to the Lord, the praises will just automatically begin to come. And it'll be without effort that we begin to give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. I was just a small boy, maybe 12 years old, 10 or 12 years old. I visited my grandparents in Fairmont, West Virginia. And my grandmother went to church every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, every time the church was open, she was there.

And I thought she was just the greatest person on earth. And I went with her and that Sunday night, the preacher preached a sermon, gave an altar call and he said, anybody here you want to be saved, you want to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, come to this altar. I came up and I knelt down right likes like here on one of these dealers. And I somebody knelt down beside me. And I turned and looked and there it was the pastor of that church kneeling with me. And he prayed with me and he talked with me.

And I boo-hooed and cried and asked Jesus to come into my life. And what a change happened. What a change. Then years later while I'm pastoring this church but that many years ago you know Bob Roden, Dr. Robert Roden, he's been here a number of times. When he was the bishop of the churches in Maryland and Virginia, he was the district superintendent. He had a ministers meeting that he called all his pastors together, well over 300 of them. And he contacted me and invited me to come. He said, I want you to take 10 minutes and tell the ministers about your counseling ministry.

The back then I had a rather active counseling ministry. Ministers have problems too and they have challenges that are different and unique from from anybody else, I think. I don't know. But I don't want to compare mine to yours because yours hurt you just as much as mine hurts me. But I I did. Credited I went. Credited I was in the counseling ministry. And I got up and he introduced me. He said, tell them about your counseling ministry. Some of these husbands and wives, their pastors may want to come. They need some individual help, individual counseling.

I stood behind the podium and I looked at over those 300 and some ministers. And way over to my left I saw Reverend McAuley, the pastor of at my grandmother's church, the pastor that gave the altar call, the pastor that knelt beside me and prayed with me when I was just a little boy. He's now a old old man, very tall, about 6 ft two or three and very thin. And when I saw him I forgot everything else. All I could remember was that salvation experience and that dear brother helping this little boy to pray and to get right with God.

And I had to I said I gentlemen, ladies, I said I could mention a lot of people who are my friends. I recognized a lot of those pastors. I said, but there's somebody here that I have to take just a moment. I mean, there was nothing greater that just happened to me in all my life to this very moment. And when that man knelt beside me and that dear brother, I said Reverend McAuley, would you please stand? And Crin started clapping and then the others started clapping. And pretty soon there was an an orchestra of people clapping as I recognized that's the man that told me about Jesus that knelt and prayed for it.

Friend, there's nothing greater, nothing greater. And if you don't have anything else to praise the Lord for, but you do, praise him for the salvation that has come to you. Give thanks and give glory, give praise to the Lord. The the years went by. The years went by and Reverend McAuley died and went to heaven. His wife contacted me and she said we're having the Reverend Dr. Roden minister at the funeral do the eulogy. But we want you to come. We want you to come and take 5 minutes and give a testimony. I mean, back then well I still am on television and radio pastoring a church.

And I did. I could hardly talk. And then when the they begin to bring that casket out and walk by the casket. But when he went by the the lid was down and and I just I reached over and I I touched it, touched it. Friend that was my that's my life. That's my life now. I'm saying, are you saved? Do you thank God daily because of your great salvation that he has brought to you that you couldn't have brought to yourself? Your name is in heaven in the book of life. And when this life is over, but before this life is over, you have Jesus with you to bless you and to help you.

Announcer: We will return for the conclusion of today's message following this important update on how you can make a difference in lives across the world by supporting the healing word ministry. Would you consider partnering with Pastor Morris and supporting the healing word ministry with your prayers and donating to keep the gospel of Jesus Christ reaching thousands? Go to the healingword.com and click the donate button to pledge your support. And remember the faith building message you heard today is our gift to you. Your donation is your gift to God. I also invite you to check out all the ministry resources available for you at the healingword.com.

There you can search and listen to messages that match your need. Pray with Pastor Morris using the pray now app and send your prayer request directly to the pastor and he will pray for you and return an encouraging note. You'll find all these gifts waiting for you at the healingword.com. Now, let's join Pastor Jack Morris for the conclusion of today's message.

Pastor Jack Morris: Now, during that time, growing up time, I was in and out of the church. I quote backslid as they would say. And I would come back to the Lord, but I I never forgot. I never forgot. I mean, it got a hold of me. It got brought what that man said was from the word of God. And the Holy Spirit reached out and took hold of me and brought me into God's kingdom. And no matter where I would go or what I would do or how far I would drift I could never get away from that experience and how thankful I am.

Listen, friend, I could go on and on. When I begin to remember, that's what I'm talking about. When I begin to remember and I want you to begin to remember and when you begin to remember, you will begin to praise God honestly, sincerely from your heart. And at that time the blessing of God will come. Friend, we we take these blessings. I think of the blessings of God, the food I eat, the clothes I wear, the house I live in, the church I go to, the air I breathe, and on and on I could go.

There is an abundant of reasons to give praise to the Lord. And I praise God today and I praise him for you and for the blessing that you've been to Crin and me in our lives. There's a song the choir sings. My help my help, all of my help comes from the Lord. Do you remember that one? How true it is. All of my help comes from the Lord. Well, you still have your Bibles open? Look at the next word, extol. I will. Oh, friend, I can't help myself today. I'm happy. I I'm so happy and just talking about my experience in in in the Lord.

It's as real today as it was when I was a little boy way back there. Thank God for his blessing. Notice the third word. What is the third word? I will extol. Now, in the King James New King James the word is praise. It could be translated extol or it could be translated praise. The word praise comes from the word price. I praise the Lord for the price. And I'm going to remember that price that he paid for me. Friend, listen to me. Listen, I I I've got to say something very important. What price do you put upon your relationship with the Lord?

Or what price can you put upon that relationship? Remember the relationship. You have that relationship. What price? And that's what David was saying. I will praise the Lord. I will remember the price. I will extol the Lord at all times. Now, the scripture says in Psalm 23 God inhabits the praises of his people, meaning God the word inhabit means come and set down. Come and set down. When I begin to praise the Lord and I'm here praising the Lord and I'm worshiping God Jesus comes and sits down beside me. And that word inhabit means come alongside, set down beside.

It also means remain. He doesn't jump up and run out. No. Friend, if you want a blessing, praise the Lord. If you don't have a blessing, it's because you have forgotten some of the blessings of the Lord. So, begin to remember today and begin to praise the Lord for what God has done for you. The scripture says how pleasant and fitting to praise the Lord. There's so many unpleasant things that go on in our lives. But if you want to have a pleasant experience you you want to have a good, comfortable, pleasant, relaxed experience praise the Lord.

Like I said in the beginning of the message, God's going to heal somebody today physically, spiritually, emotionally. Somebody says, but that's all together up to God. No, that's only partially true. It's all together up to God, but it's all together up to you too. If you don't thank God for what God has already done then why should we expect him to do anything else for us? We're going to come to this altar in just a moment and he's going to do great things. Now, notice what it says praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord at all times.

I'm I know I 'm not going to be able to finish this message today at all times. There are things that I cannot praise the Lord for that go on in my life and have gone on and things that have gone on in your life that you cannot praise the Lord for. Uh we don't say thank God, you know, I'm dying with cancer. No. Thank God I I I have heart failure. No. Crin, you notice she's not in her sling today? Did you notice that? She fell and two times broke her collar bone. Did I thank God that Crin fell and broke her collar bone?

The Bible says praise God at all times. No. No. You know what I praise God for? I thank God that he's blessed her. He's going to heal her. He's going to restore her. He's our Savior. He's going to do great things. It could be a lot worse. Praise God at all times in all circumstances. We all say what is going on? We can praise God and give thanks to the Lord because God is God and he does great and mighty things. Friend, let me ask you again, do you want help today? Remember the help that you already received from the Lord.

Praise him and thank him for that and watch what happens. Jesus will come. He'll sit down beside you. He'll come right into that situation that you're being confronted with. And he will remain there and sit with you and comfort you and bring pleasantness into your life at all times. Now, notice and I I'm going to have to close real fast now. Look at verse two. My soul, say those two words.

Congregation: My soul

Pastor Jack Morris: will boast in the Lord.

Congregation: will boast in the Lord.

Pastor Jack Morris: Let the afflicted here

Congregation: Let the afflicted here

Pastor Jack Morris: and rejoice.

Congregation: and rejoice.

Pastor Jack Morris: There's going to be tragedy. There's going to be hardship. My sister was killed in a accident. Her husband was killed in a I didn't thank God that they left us. But I thank God for the Sunday night when I was pastoring in Baltimore on Christmas Eve. I preached a sermon. My sister got up walked down to the altar, knelt down, gave her heart to the Lord. I remembered. I remembered. I remembered and I gave praise. Friend, it's in remembering. It's in remembering the praise begins to come. She's in heaven today with my dad, her dad and her mother, my dad and my mother.

Oh, I have so much to praise the Lord for. Oh, I miss them. I don't praise the Lord that they they died. I praise the Lord. They went to heaven. And there's life after this life. There's fellowship forevermore in Jesus. Friend, if you do not know Jesus as your Savior like I did not know him at one time I failed him many times, but he has never failed me. He's been with me all my life. What a wonderful Savior. Today he'll come into your heart and be with you the remainder of your life and then for all eternity.

Friend, if you don't know him, all you need to do is ask him to come into your heart and he'll hear your prayer and he'll come. He died on the cross. His broken body, his shed blood, it's on this holy altar now. Christian praise the Lord. Begin to think, begin to remember. Thank him for your salvation. Remember, reflect, relive it, let it happen. The Holy Spirit will bring grace into your life. You'll know joy pleasantness pleasantness will come to you even in the midst of situations that are unpleasant. I'm going to pray for the unsaved now.

With your heads bowed, if you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior you pray a prayer something like this. You repeat it after me. Lord Jesus Christ forgive me of my sins come into my heart. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. You died on the cross taking my sins. Today forgive me of my sins. Take all my sins away. Give to me impart to me new life your life. I want to be born again, born from above. I receive Jesus as my Savior. Friend, if you prayed that prayer and you believe that then you're saved.

God has come into your heart. Now, Christians I know some of you are going through some difficult places. God loves you and I love you. I pray for you every day. I 'm going to pray for you now. But before I pray for you, I want you to pause and think and give thanks. I can't I I thank God for the blessings that have come to you, but I don't know those blessings. But you be specific and we're going to just bow before the Lord and you give thanks to the Lord. Whatever it is thank you for saving you.

Remember your baptism in water. Thank him that you're coming to the holy communion table. Tell him as you come you are remembering Calvary and his precious blood that has cleansed you from your sins that you are a new creation in him. Just talk to him like that. Let it come to your mind. He'll hear your prayer. He'll hear your praise. And he'll inhabit. He'll come and sit down beside you. Father God, I pray for your people the church of Jesus Christ this colony of heaven on earth. The Largo Community Church is part of that colony of heaven on earth.

Our citizenship is in heaven. God bless your people and help us to remember your blessings and to give praise and to give thanks to you. Come and inhabit the praises of your people. Come and sit down beside us in that difficult situation. We're not not alone, but you're you're sitting right there. You're not in a hurry to leave. Matter of fact, you're not going to leave. We're going to praise you and receive from you.

Announcer: As we were reminded in today's message, there are many reasons to give God praise with this gift of salvation to us being first and foremost. Are you seeking a way to start your week filled with hope and inspiration? Every Monday morning, receive a fresh devotional delivered right to your inbox to uplift your spirit and encourage you throughout the week. Pastor Jack Morris carefully crafts each message with scripture that speaks to the heart, reflections to inspire growth, and practical steps to help you live out your faith every day. These are words of hope and strength meant to meet you right where you are.

Ready to begin? Just visit the healingword.com and click the banner to sign up. Start each week with renewed purpose feeling connected to God and ready for what lies ahead. We love to hear from you. Your thoughts, questions, and testimonies are so important to us. They truly bless Pastor Morris and the entire healing word ministry team. Please email us at contact us at the healingword.com. Again, that address is contact us at the healingword.com. Join us tomorrow for another healing word message. Until then blessings on you.