It is difficult to find sermons that teach the truth that God created people to love and praise Him. As we mature in the Lord, we realize that fellowship with the Lord produces praise—we even become something like praise fairies before we die. That’s what happened to King David. In reading his Psalms it is easy to see that he would rather stand in the temple praising God for who He is, rather than standing in a war room celebrating military victories.
Today's contemporary church would rather sit around discussing the victories of NFL teams rather than praising God. There is a whole contemporary movement (that is influencing all of the churches) that is trying to celebrate financial victories: new houses, new cars, better jobs, more money, instead of celebrating the presence of God and His anointing on our lips so that we speak prophetic words to people—words that change their lives.
People who love God will end up praising God.--They will find a way. The human spirit does not like praise. The worldly Christians, who think as humans do (with passions and desires), believe praise to be a waste of time, they think that praise is just some kind of emotional outburst.
We Christians can hardly be called “human” anymore since we gather around the altar after the church service, and we begin a praise service. We are a kind of Spirit People. We become prayer intercessors.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit anointed one was King David (among others). His words dripped with the Holy Spirit. And what did he say? Tremendous words of praise and adoration to God. Speaking of himself, David said:
“The anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue” (2 Sam 23: 1-2 KJV)
But now, since Pentecost, we can have the Holy Spirit indwelling us so that we may speak words that are anointed by the Holy Spirit as well; and we continue to praise Him who live forever and ever.
“Therefore by him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.” (Heb 13: 15 KJV)
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”
( 1 Peter 2: 9 KJV)
Anyone who worships God from the heart knows that the Holy Spirit always joins in the praises, even conservatives who don’t say much about the Holy Spirit in their churches, have prayed to God and said things that they did not intend on saying—they are led by the Holy Spirit in prayer and praise.
Unfortunately, there is a group of believers who are called, “Cessationists,” and these people, for whatever reason, cannot hear from God, so they say that you and I cannot hear from God either. God does not speak to them prophetically (with revelation knowledge); therefore, they are afraid of all tongues and prophecies. They are deceiving people into thinking that God’s Spirit does not speak to us.
Picture this: A little child praising in tongues and loving God, and then a Cessationist comes to him with that question—that evil question (just like serpent in the Garden) “How do you know that tongues speaking is from God.” and “If it’s not from God, where is it from?”
Cessationists cannot tell the difference between the Holy Spirit and a demon spirit, so they think that you and I cannot tell the difference either. They are deceiving the children. I know they are doing it out of ignorance (I used to be a cessationist myself), but they are still doing damage to the church).
This means that cessationists can’t tell the difference between God’s Spirit and a demon spirit. I tell people that the difference between feeling God’s Spirit and feeling a demon spirit is the difference between eating a bowl of ice cream or eating a bowl of cow manure. How can they not know the difference?
Pentecostals and charismatics are not speaking in tongues by the power of a demon spirit, otherwise they would be totally demon possessed, they would cuss at everyone, buy all kinds of x-rated movies, and they would actually hate praising God. People who are influenced by demons hate praise, they get real antsy when Christians go up to the altar after church to begin praising God. A lot of “Christian” worship leaders spend their time listening to secular music that is actually written by demons, and they get in the spirit of that music, then on Sunday, at church, their spirits are bothered when people start praising God, they just want the praise to end.
Speaking in tongues in not from demonic sources, Tongues-speaking comes from our spirit (Not from the emotional aspect of man—as we are always accused of being emotional in church); tongues-speaking happens when we think good thoughts about God. If tongues-speaking was from a demon spirit then anytime we get mad while driving we would yell out at people in some kind of angry unholy tongues.
Relationship with God is living a life of praise—a life of desiring God. No one praises intently and joyously unless he actually means it. No one has strong desires for an altar prayer service unless he actually enjoys feeling the presence of God.
God deserves our praise.