March 17, 2024 - The Rhythm of Remembering

Good morning, everyone.

I will cut that out of the feeder.

Have a question for you this morning. When was the last time you cut yourself smiling in a memory?

You know memories have this ability to transport us back to moments that are etched in the corridors of our consciousness.

They they often come up unexpectedly and it was a whisper from the pastor on a scent or a Sounder emotion to her Sentiments of days gone by.

Yesterday we celebrated the life of Pastor stands brother and I got to connect with people that I knew 20 years ago and Heaven. I only see them at funerals now. it seems but if it was enjoyable, I mean, it's you remember the the things that God has brought you through you remember the times together?

There's one guy that saw me and he's like right away. He's like Trevor. I've been seen you sent said he stayed at the events and and I'll tell you it was a meeting that got really awkward. Okay, I made it awkward. I was there to help mediate and end these Christian brothers were not acting like Christians and I told them to grow up and start acting like Christians. Okay, but but I told this guy I said no no, no, we see each other since then that was 25 years ago. We've got to see each other and I couldn't remember when we've seen each other but this morning I woke up and I remember a bunch of times we seen each other since then. But it's it it is sounds me. It fascinates me how just seeing someone can trigger either.

Unresolved issues or very very pleasant ones, you know, we had so many positive. Memories come up when you see someone smile or hear them laugh or or you see these little kids, you know being parents today and it just it just it lose like life is so short.

And I hope you can think of a Time recently that a smile came to your face when you're just thinking about something good that happened in the past.

And if you can't my prayer is that this message will help you to make it part of your regular rhythm. Because we should regularly be finding ourselves smiling at the good things that God has blessed us with without too much effort on our part.

See the problem with memories as we have good memories and we have bad memories. And sometimes we can remember the times we were held up for ridicule. More easily than the times we've been encouraged. And maybe we remember the pain stronger than we remember the healing.

And maybe we remember the loss and forget to remember the blessing. May God altimate Lee brought from that loss.

Jeremiah knew this all too. Well, you know, I'm going to look at one of his little man and it it's so powerful. I want to read limitations restarting it first one. He writes I'm a man who has seen affliction. by the rod of his Wrath he has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light indeed. He has turned his hand against me again and again all day long. Is made my skin in my flesh grow old and is broken my bones. He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness hard and hardship. He is make me dwell in darkness like those long-dead he is walk me in so I cannot Escape his weighed me down with chains. Even when I cry out for help. He shuts up my prayer. He is barred my way with blocks of stone. He has made my pass crooked like a bear lying in wait, like a lion and hiding he is dragged me from the path and mangled me. He let his left me without help. He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows. He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver. I became a laughingstock to all my people. They mock me in song all day long. He has filled me with bitter herbs insulted me with call. They just broken my teeth with gravel. He is trampled me and dust I have been deprived the Beast I've forgotten what Prosperity is. Do I say my blender is gone and all that. I hope for from the Lord. I remember my Affliction and my wandering the bitterness and the gall. I remember them well, and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet I call this to mind and therefore I have hope.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed. for his compassion never fail They are new every morning. So great is his faithfulness.

I say to myself the Lord is my portion.

Therefore I will wait for him.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness? Oh God, my father there is no shadow of turning with the Great Is Thy Faithfulness greatest I faithfulness morning by morning new mercies. I see.

All my Facebook is Lourdes on Tubi?

Heavenly Father we thank you for your presence here today. We thank you for the reminders that we song about your goodness and your mercy towards us. We thank you Lord for the song. That was sung to remind us that Lord you have you always been good and you are our strength. You are our comfort u r r o Now Lord, give us ears to hear and hearts to understand and hands tool be what you're telling us to do. In your precious name we pray amen.

Does remembering really matter? I think will it we'd all say it does but let me give you one example that you might not have heard of recently.

There's in the area in Azerbaijan. That has been occupied by Armenians. Since before Islam was a thing.

And over the Soviet occupation and everything else. It's basically an enclave surrounded by azerbaijani. Play I Was Here by John. And in 2003 for 9 months the people there were embargoed and starved.

And there were battles fought. and the Armenians lost and in September of 2003 100,000 Armenians were forced to March to the border of Armenia. And leave homes that they their families have been in for Generations.

The Time magazine article talks about the cultural genocide that's taking place.

graveyards in churches churches from the 15th century or being knocked down and buried

The Monuments that have Armenian writing on their getting scraped off

There is one.

I...

Place where preschool from the 12th century that was being reconstituted as a Christian thing, but all traces of Armenians being removed from it.

And well this gets no attention from the world.

And my heart does go out to these people.

I got to say is his story and I'm more offended than anything else because history is being erased intentionally.

And if you don't think that remembering matters understand that the enemy will always try to rewrite history so that they look better.

Remembering is so important in life that passes on what was before 2 what is yet to come? We are what we remember testimony is so critical for us as believers. We need to remember the goodness of God. We remembering the goodness of God is essential for maintaining strong faith experiencing true. Peace, living a life of Thanksgiving. It's through remembering that God past faithfulness that we can find strength and hope for the present in our future. It's not about putting on rose colored glasses and ignoring the reality of life. However, brutal that is it's about encouraging ourselves and encouraging others. It said that we've seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living and if he's done it before he will do it again if he's done it for you. He will do it for me. If he done it for me, he will do it for you.

It's about healed and whole memories life-giving testimony in the pathway of gratitude that leads us there.

The rhythm of remembering is the dance of think of a thankful heart.

You & I we have rhythms to remember, you know, we are coming up on Palm Sunday we're coming up on Easter we remember Christ sacrifice and his is his death in his resurrection. We every time we take communion. We will remember his sacrifice we give thanks for our food. We eat. We remember God for vision in our lives. When we practice the Sabbath we remember God rested and enjoyed his good for Asian so that we can rest and enjoy his blessings. but all of these things Can become religious relics or commercial Wasteland if we don't remember the reason and remember them with gratitude?

Remember the rhythm of remembering is the dance of a thankful heart.

Nine hundred to a thousand years before Jeremiah. elementis I got it set him up and get him see things that people didn't want to listen to before his whole nation fell.

The children of Israel were coming into the Promised Land.

And Moses had died just died.

And Joshua who was made the new leader. Even though he would have been in his. late 60s late 70s was was greeted by a messenger of God whose only be strong and courageous and I remember everything that the Lord your God commanded to Moses remember to do them so that you can be prosperous and successful in whatever you do.

And all that stood between the people of Israel entering the Promised Land. Was the Jordan River?

But it happened to be rainy season and the river happened to be flooded.

Define the story in the

Joshua 31251

in the quiet Stillness of the morning is the first Ray of sunlight begin to touch the Earth Joshua and the children of Israel still poised on the edge of the destiny. Before then leave the Jordan River with his water and emblem of a final barrier between them and the Promised Land.

The air was thick with anticipation for the moment. They had long before through the years of wondering and dreaming was at hand.

Joshua leader who was molded in The Crucible of faith and obedience receive Divine instruction that will chart the course of history. It is officers go through the camp and give these instructions to those people. He's he told them to say at that is you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God carried by the limit of Gulf Breeze sure to move out from your positions and follow it for you have never been this way before.

York was a sacred chest the signifying God's presence that would lead them in these uncertain path.

Keep a distance from the ark 2000 cubits it's about a half a mile stay back because it's holy.

On the third day Joshua spoke to the people with a voice to carry the weight of impending chain consecrate yourselves. He's declared for tomorrow. The Lord will do amazing things among you. The heart of every man woman and child was stirred and they prepared themselves not just in body, but in spirit for they knew that they're on the cusp of witnessing the power of God.

As Dawn broke broke the following day the priest took the Ark of the Covenant and stepped into the overflowing Waters of the Jordan. Then yet is a soles of the feet touch. The water's edge The Waters from Upstream stopped flowing and they rose up in a heap the creating a path that could be crossed and the people crossed over opposite of Jericho and their hearts pounding with us as their eyes wide with Wonder at the power of God.

When you have a rape Kings over on the Jordan west of the Jordan in the Canaanite Kings who lived along the coast heard that got it dried up the Jordan so that the people of Israel could cross their hearts. They lost heart and were paralyzed with fear.

After everyone got across Joshua commanded one man from each tribe to go and pick up a stone from where the priesthood and bring them to the shore and they piled them up in the Heat and is a testament to when their faith in the Lord had paved the way to the impossible. water and Joshua told the people when your children ask why is there some piles of stones here? You tell them God Made A Way when there was no way.

When your grandkids ask about this Stone you say that God was with you not against you.

What are your remembrance stones?

Because if you walk with God for any length of time, you've been through deep Waters and he's been with you you have gone through the rivers of difficulty and he has not let you drown. You have walked through the fires of Oppression and you have not been burned by the Flames before he was with you. What do you remember how the goodness of God in your life?

He's done it before he will do it again. He seen you through he will see you through again.

You have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living so you can be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

He's worked all things together for good which means he's made you and those around more and more like Jesus because of what you've gone through.

That's the definition of using it for the good in context. By the way. It's not that good things are going to happen to me is it said that he's going to make me more like Jesus, which is good. Good.

If you don't think this is true or that he did it. That's why that's what we need to deal with today. We need to have a rhythm of remembering so that if naturally comes to us. Because the rhythm of the remembering is a dance of a tankful heart.

What if the next time you face an impossible situation, you can go to those times where God has brought you through before when you thought you couldn't take the next step but you if you did what he told you to do and he saw you through what would that feel like to know and have that confidence grow in you that God is going to see it again. He's going to do it again.

What have doubts and fears for the future of melted away cuz and you couldn't wipe the smile on your face because I can't see it away, but God's going to do it cuz he's done it before he will do it again.

What would happen if you can more easily remember God's faithfulness? It means you would trust him as you trust in him if you'll be filled with peace and hope and joy because the God of all hope will fill you with peace and joy as you trust in him, so you overflow with hope by the power of Holy Spirit.

There is power in Remembering healed and whole memories there is Grace in giving Life Giving testimony. There is the pathway the gratitude that leads us to both.

How do we do that? That's a great question. I'm so glad you have.

It's the rhythm of remembering tool. And I've used the word recall to make it easy for us.

We're going to remember the good things. God has done. We're going to expect God to do it again. We're going to challenge The Narrative of the enemy. We're going to agree to give thanks. We're going to lean into gratitude, and we're going to level up appreciation. Let me unpack all that for you today.

Remember the good things that God has done Revelation 12:11. Does this and they defeated him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony and they didn't love their life so much that they are afraid to die.

Testimony can come from the historical acts of God from the book. He's done it before he will do it again. It can come from the experience of others. That's one of the reasons why we meet together is to hear what God is doing in your life and you can hear what God is doing in my life. Cuz if he did it for you he can do it for me if you did it for me. He can do it for you.

Or it can come from my own experience.

And I can remember those things those highlight but that those time though those remember and stones.

What are you remember in stone?

If you can't think of any like this. Free things you can do number one learn to celebrate what God is doing like this is something I need for myself. I I'm like yay God on to the next to the next couple weeks ago. I had to find the name of somebody and I've got this book that I write in. Every phone call I got every conversation. I have every like a part of it is protect my but another part is just so I have the information somewhere handy and I knew the name I was looking for it was in that book until I read through the book. And I remembered all the people I've been able to help in the past couple of years. At all the people I was able to help you were helping others true horrific situations.

And I could say it was just a chance for me to cuz I forgot all about it. I didn't even think about it. It was kind of like oh, yeah, but then when I stopped and I read it it was like I got to be reading this more. I got to see the good that we're doing. I got to remember the goodness of God. I got to The learn to celebrate what God is doing to start setting up remember and stones. This is my old 1984 NIV translation. I've written in all the margins here. I got sermons I can preach just cuz they're there. My I gave the Bible to my son. I had Grandpa's Bible with his notes in the margin. and when I give it to my son I said this is this is a family heirloom. Don't let don't don't treat this street this well. Because that's the hand of your grandpa writing in the in the March.

Remember and stone can be locations. They can be emotions that can be smells. They give me scripture. They can be other people.

Nothing else right in the margins of your Bible get off the app and read the book.

Feeling old spend. Yeah, that's

and the third thing you can do is you can ask Holy Spirit to reveal the times that you got is showing your himself good to you. If you can't think of those times where yeah, I've been through the fire. Yeah. I've been through the water. You just go to God and say God will you show me those things? He will take you to those memories and they could become permanent birthstones for you. He can rewrite the history cuz you thought it went this way, but when God shows you it you can see him in there and he can speak the truth to you and then you can realize he did use that for the good and he made you more to him a few more like him. And that can create the memory. remembered stones

set up those locations. Go back to them often.

Have your kids ask what is that for left when God spoke to me here? That's when God spoke to me here. There's a reason why we have that birds up on the wall. Is a reason why this this is important to us. The reason why we go to that summer camp every year.

What are some of your remembered stones?

Ian recall reminds us to expect God to do it again. Revelation 19 10 says that I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me don't do that. I'm a fellow slave and your brother and that you and your brothers who have a testimony about Jesus worship God. Worship God because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy. What does that mean? Well.

In my experience the more we talk about the good things of God the more we see the good things of God.

When a miracle starts breaking out we start seeing more miracles when salvation starts breaking out we start seeing more salvation when baptism starts happening we get more people baptized.

There's there's this homogeneous unit principle is what they taught us in seminary is that like attracts like and what happens in the natural happens in the spiritual so I don't understand it except If you buy the book The Secret, that's a secret that they want everyone to know. They've like attracts like and they spiritualize it without taking Jesus out of it. But the fact of the matter is it's a true spiritual thing.

Play Take out the power by taking you Jesus. but when we understand when we talk about the good things of God, we see War of the good things of God when we share our testimony. We're inviting the Holy Spirit to do it again. That's why it's so important. We share testimony.

Back before covid way back when we would share testimonies in public.

Sometimes customers will be shared that they were really really bad like it never got to the good part. Don't share your testimony there. It's just a test. You're sharing. I don't want to invitation for more tests. Tell me when it done. But anyway.

Testimony is so powerful. If you need a breakthrough in an area start collecting testimonies of breakthrough in that area if it's hell if its finances if its relationship buying testimonies in that area. That's why we gather together. I don't how God has moved in other people's lives. If if you need a breakthrough in something that none of us have gone through before and none of us have a destiny go to YouTube and search for it because people are talking about the good things of God on YouTube buying those testimony build up your faith understand that if God did it before he will do it again. If you did it for them. He can do it for me. Invite Holy Spirit to do the work. Be encouraged by the testimony of others.

And know God is going to turn the test that you're going through in a test into a testimony for others.

Question you can ask is that if I believe in God will do it again.

His grace is sufficient.

His grace is sufficient.

The sea in recall reminds us to challenge The Narrative of the enemy. Okay, here we go. The enemy comes to steal kill and destroy. I have come that it might have you might have life and have it to the phone.

We agree with the Enemy when we look to the Lac and the loss. And that's the story We Tell ourselves.

You can go to God and ask him to reveal the lie that you're believing in that and ask him to show you the truth.

That's how you can remember healed and whole memories. Do we know in part? Scripture says we know in part we prophesy in part we know in part when we look at our history. We know what we've gone through. But until we know God's view of it. That could be really raw and really hurtful and really painful for us. But when we go to God and that's on the back, it's the tear down strongholds tool available for you there. Basically, when when you get triggered with an emotion you at you go to God and see God. What am I feel like why am I feeling this? Are you pondering what comes to mind as you're focusing on that feeling? What is there a memory that God is leading you to that he wants to heal and go to that memory and ask how you how you know. When you're in that memory, does it feel the same way? I'm feeling now. If not, you might ask God for another memory. But if it does, that's the memory probably he wants to heal.

Ask yourself. Why do you why do I feel that way? Why does believing this make me feel like this? the memory could be loss and lack, you know like God you abandoned me Jeremiah just We just read Jeremiah. It can feel like that sometimes it's okay to feel that way God's given us a language to express that loss and lack to him. It doesn't mean it's scriptural truth. It means we have a language to use to for our heart of the god. It's emotional truth. For sure.

So we can ask God, you know, why does believing that I abandoned make me feel anxious that I can't trust you now, for example.

And if there's not another memory, this is the one that God's going to heal.

Then you try to understand you can say not that not that it's true. But it feels like it's true God not that you've abandoned me but it feels like you abandoned me.

is it do you have any hesitancy to say the opposite, you know God you have not abandoned me you have any hesitancy in saying that but do you have

I believe it. Yeah.

Mayweather questions there for you, and then the but the next part is you want you want to seek him for the truth. Show me what's the truth of that situation? And in your memory God can show you where he was at or what was happening or he can show you how he's use that for good or whatever he's going to do he will do but he wants you to have healed and whole memories of the work that he's done in your life.

After you're done that he is you. Go back to the current situation. Do I still feel? Anger or XYZ that whatever I was feeling to get my attention to feel that way. You can use this and go through it yourself, or you can just talk to people I can help you go through this.

It don't half. You literally can look back at your memories and have smile spontaneously come to your face get it. You don't have to work at it.

Question you can ask is what is the truth you want to review?

Now we get to the good stuff. sport it's been scientifically proven. If you do these three things, you will be 10% happier.

Don't ask me how they got that. It scares me to death. But anyway. A you agree to give thanks. It's a decision to give thanks. Okay 1st Thessalonians, 5:18 be thankful in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ. It's good to be specific. I am thankful for my dog who licked my hand is better than I'm just thankful for my dog. You know, I'm thankful for the kids who did the dishes. Just I'm thankful for the kids be as specific as possible. For what year the more specific you can be the more emotion you can show so it's important to be specific. So the challenge would be to do everyday think of three things that you decide to be thankful for. Okay every day think of three things. The next part is you leaving to gratitude gratitude is what we feel. Those three things you need to feel grateful for they can't just be mental assent. I've written them down then I could just not meant to listen. So you choose to you feel gratitude. And so the question is can I feel the Colossians 3:16 left a message of Christ will in you richly as you teaching their mohnish one another with all wisdom through songs and hymns and songs of the spirit singing with god with gratitude in your heart and I feel gratitude for the three things. I've chosen to give thanks. Thanks for okay. Now the third part level up appreciation. This is the key. You got to do something to show appreciation. so m107 went to do give thanks to the Lord for he is good as faithful love endures forever as a lord redeemed you but it speak it out of your enemies.

In the study. It was actually a journal if you'd write in a gratitude journal every day. So every day you think of three things you choose to be thankful for Everyday you feel thankful for those three things. It's an emotive the emotion you need to do. You need to feel it. And then the third thing you got to do something about it in the study was was testing people running those three things down in a journal the physical act of what you're doing. You can show up Rishi ation. If you feel grateful for your kids give him a hug at showing appreciation. If you're thankful for your parents call him up on the phone. That's it that's of showing appreciation. You do those three things for 21 days and it's all ate your 20 or 10% happier. Now. I know you're thinking big deal if your income doubled in 28 days. You would be 10% happier. It's a significant as getting your salary double. That's how significant it is. So maybe hey we can do this. I've got a journal at the Gratitude Journal that I've developed because if you do it if you did. Neuroplasticity if you do 21 days three times in a row, it becomes a solidified part of your existence. It's beyond a habit. You just can't stop doing it. So if you do it for that would be Another week gets it 70 and that's more biblical. So that's why I have 70 days and and you

What's happening there? Will the Bible says I will get it in Psalm 90 91. I will give thanks to you Lord with all of my heart. I will tell of your wonderful Deeds. What did I just tell you you have to decide that's the decision part of your heart. You got to feel gratitude. That's the emotional part of your heart. You got to do something about it. That's the exact second part of your heart. Your heart is the seat of your emotions the seat of your actions of the seat of your emotions decision action and emotion.

So when we do those things the study didn't study the whole heart. I picked up the study and said hey that lined up with the whole heart. And so when you decide to give thanks when you feel gratitude you show appreciation. Get into that rhythm. Get into that Rhythm as a bonus. You'll be 10% happier.

You can remember the bitterness in the gall.

But remember to call this tonight. But the steadfast Lord, but with the steadfast love of the Lord never changes. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. So great is his faithfulness.

The rhythm of remembering is to recall its to remember the good things that God has done. Its to expect God to do it. Again. It's the challenge The Narrative of the enemy it's degree to give thanks. It's a lean into gratitude and it's a show appreciation.

Will you remember the good things that God has done in history and in your life and in the Life lives of others?

Can you expect since he's done it before he will do it again. If he's done it for them. He will do it for me. Will you change the narrative in the stories? You tell yourself with? Holy spirit's help replace the lies of the enemy with the truth that he reveals.

Will you agree to give thanks always feel gratitude and show appreciation with your whole heart.

Is so important for us to remember.

We need to remember the good things of God.

It's not about. Ignoring the reality that's right here. But it's refusing to give in to this reality is God will.

And with me if we pray.

Lord, I don't know

whatever you want is going through or has gone through this week or even longer

but I do know Lord that you set us up today. because the songs that we sang and the Special that we heard Lord. We're we're so in line with what you wanted to tell us. What you prepared in me this week?

The Lord I want to speak to hopeless situations and say be hopeful.

I want to speak to despondency and say it's life.

There is hope.

There is truth.

Lord help us to rewrite the stories. The enemy is telling to us.

Help us to remember Lord God the truth of what you have for us.

Remind us of your goodness in the land of the living father.

And as we get filled up with his hope and joy. May we be able to show it to a world that needs it more than we do father.

Your precious name we pray. Hey, Matt.

You may be seated.

Amen, thank you, Pastor Trevor. Just want to remind everybody on their way out today that we're going to next Sunday will be gone Sunday. So get prepared to really Focus your thoughts and your intentions on work of the cross That's what it's all about. So we have Batman on Good Friday. We have our healing service Impact Church will be joining us at that time. So we're having a potluck afterwards, so bring a plate of food, but really to me, the Highlight is going to be the healing that's going to take place that day. I believe it's something that God is just wanting to to refresh us and I just believe today's message was a preparatory message. for Good Friday because I I believe we can limit God by not expecting from God. And part of the Breakthrough is just it is to make that mental decision that says God I'm going to trust you over my situation and my circumstance and when we do that, we allow God to do what he wants to do. So I want to thank God for Trevor and then the praise team and a 44 their Ministry today was just the one point and we're going to just continue this on next Sunday and then Good Friday and then Easter Sunday. So just come expecting an end for the special with a good Friday. If you know somebody who needs a touch if you healing start inviting them now, let's just believe that God's going to move in this place like you moved so many times and and we're going to see healing to take place. So thank you for being here today. Thank you for being a part of this church. And I thank you for those who joined us online. Please know that we appreciate each one of you and for those who join the song. Just recognize it in Canada. We do a stupid thing called daylight savings time. So we moved our service an hour ahead a few weeks ago. So if you're wondering why we're not at the same time, we've always been healthy light savings time. I don't know what to say this but Definitely not time. So there we go. Thank you for being with us and we will see you all next time. God bless.