# Songs in the Night

Date: June 7, 2024

And all of our veterans here today, we want to just start off by saying thank you, thank you, thank you. Let’s give them a hand right off the back.

Humanly speaking, if it was not for these men and ladies, we would not be here today. We would not have the freedom to worship the Lord as we do in America today. We want to say thank you so very, very much. I’m going to try to recognize all the different men and ladies and the branches and whatnot, but I would be amiss if I didn’t say this right off the bat because I don’t want to miss it.

It is very rare in our day and time to know a World War II vet. Brother Almas Raymer right down front here, 98 years old. He says he wants to live to 100, and we made a deal. When he reaches 100, we’re going to have a big party at church for him. He mentioned he said, “Now, preacher, I’m counting on that.”

Let’s do that. Brother Raymer, can we get you to stand up? Let’s give just him a hand. Would you do that? Amen. Amen. That’s just awesome. Thank you for doing that. And that means a lot. He’s got his uniform on. Wow. That’s pretty amazing. I tell you what, that’s just awesome. I love it. I love it. Praise the Lord for him.

He still can fit into it, amen. That’s pretty good. I didn’t know. He’s got all those muscles now. I didn’t know if he could fit into it. He still fits into what it is there, you know. So that’s great.

By the way, I hope you get the bulletin and the bulletin insert. If we missed you, I apologize. We did not do that on purpose. But we’ve tried to recognize those that we know of in our church who are in the military, the different branches, maybe the years you served, and any awards you got and all those different things. Please read over that, but we want to recognize these individuals. Then we want to get all of them up here; we want to get a group picture of them together.

All those who were in the Air Force, did you please stand? All those folks that were in the Air Force, and let’s give them a hand.

All those that were in the Army, would you please stand? All those that were in the Army? Amen. By the way, we’ll keep going here, but I want you to read through these. There are Bronze Stars in here, Purple Hearts, and all kinds of other awards. All those are awesome. And the Marines, would the Marines stand, please? And Navy, any that were in the Navy? Amen. Amen.

Can we get all… Coast Guard? Any that I missed? I don’t want to miss anyone. All right. We’ll get a picture here. Would you come on up? We want to get you on the steps here. We want to get a picture of that. If you were in the military, if you’d come on up, we want to get a picture of you here. If you’d come right on up, we’d get a picture of that. We’ll get a couple taking pictures of that. That would be great. Yes, sir, if you would, please. Just come right up here.

While they’re coming, let’s just say a word about their families also, and the sacrifice of the families and the burden of the family. We appreciate those families also. Let’s give the families of the military a hand. Would you do that, please?

Amen. We’re going to try to get this picture. This would be a wonderful shot if we get Brother Raymer in there, if able. We want to get that picture. We’ve got several folks. I’m going to take a picture of that. Can we get some of you that are able to get up on the steps? Just those that are able. That way we can kind of get you compacted in there. Good deal, good deal. Praise the Lord for America.

Freedom never has been, never will be free. Praise the Lord for those that have paid the cost. We are honored to have them a part of our church family. Amen. Amen. And that’s great. We want to get a couple pictures of that.

Good deal. If you want to get a picture, you’re welcome to slip up here and get a picture of it if you like to. Good deal. Then we have a gift from our church for these men. It is Long Rifle Coffee—Black Rifle, excuse me—and it is veteran-owned. When they buy some coffee, other coffee goes to military serving across the country. We’ve got some coffee for these men. We want to give to them this time. Let’s give him another hand. Amen, amen.

Amen. Thank you so much, gentlemen. We appreciate that. Appreciate your service. The Bible says, “Give honor where honor is due,” and I believe honor is due to these men for sure, and other ladies that have served in the military. We appreciate it so very, very much. We would not have America if we didn’t have these that fought for our freedom. We appreciate it, and them paying the cost for us to enjoy what we have today.

Someone said, if you don’t realize what you’ve paid for something, you’ll treat it very lightly. I think that’s happening in America. Freedom has always cost a dear, dear price. We appreciate those that have paid that cost—the veterans, those that gave the ultimate price on Memorial Day. We appreciate so very, very much these individuals and what they’ve done for our country.

Brother Raymer, I don’t remember the whole details, but a shell, I believe, went off real close by him—some kind of a bomber shell—and blew him up. That’s how he had to come back to the States because of that. We appreciate all of our veterans this morning and what they paid for our country. We appreciate it very, very much.

The holiday season is here. Just a couple of announcements about that. We are having, for the first time ever, a Christmas decorating contest. Even if you say, “Pastor, we’ll never win,” just enter. If you like to, we’ll have a lot of fun with it. There’s a sign-up sheet on the back table. You write your name, address, and things on there. If you do that by December the 3rd, then on December the 10th, we’ll pass that little card—it’ll have all those addresses and names on there. You’ll ride by those if you like to, and you’ll be the judges. Our people will be the judges of it. You’ll put one to ten, ten being the highest, and all those things down. You’ll turn that in, and then at the vision meeting on January the 5th—sixth, excuse me—we’ll give out an award for that first time ever, the first place. We’ll have a good time. Now, we’re not going to knock on the door or whatever; it’s just outside Christmas decoration, but we’ll have a good time with that, and I hope you jump in.

By the way, manger scenes—amen! We want to see those manger scenes. That’s what it’s all about. Come on now, we’ve got to have manger scenes. Manger scenes are very important. And then I’m preaching the Bible here, I tell you for sure now. Turkey at Thanksgiving—come on now, you know, you just got to do those things, you know. So I hope you participate in those things. That’d be wonderful. Love to have you part of it.

Midweek service during Thanksgiving week is changed from Wednesday to Tuesday. That’s always a special time. It has become a while—that’s always a special service. That’s just a Thanksgiving service. We’ll give testimony; just a sweet, sweet service. So plan on that if you would the week of Thanksgiving. That’d be great.

I hope you’re praying. We’ll be taking a bucket with you. Just praying, “Lord, what would You have me do?” You may sell cookies or whatnot; I don’t know. Have the Lord lead you. Maybe you work a couple of overtimes; you can put a little bit extra in the bucket. December the 24th, or the last Sunday of the year, the 31st, we’ll turn our buckets in. All that will go towards the building fund. I hope you’re praying and working towards that, praying, “God, allow me to do something special in that.”

We’ve got our primary church in here today, and they’re going to sing for us in place of the offering. They’re going to sing some Bible verses for us, and that’s awesome. Brother Joshua, Mr. Jel, heads up primary church and other teachers. We appreciate all the work. Sunday morning we’re in here, and people all over are working, just teaching young people for the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s awesome. Praise the Lord for the workers all over the place. I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing from these young people here in just a minute.

And that’s great. Praise the Lord for all these veterans. Praise the Lord. We appreciate him so very, very much. Brother Kevin, 21 years Air Force, and we appreciate all the service of the men here this morning. Brother Kevin, would you at least lead us in a prayer for the offering, please?

Turn your Bibles, if you would, to Psalms chapter number 77. Psalms chapter number 77. Would you give me just a little bit more volume there? That would be great. Psalms 77 in God’s Word. We’re going to look at several different verses as a way of introduction, really get to a truth or a thought from the Bible. We’re going to just focus on that one little truth and give a lot of illustrations this morning about that truth, and I think you’ll grasp it probably a lot better that way than other ways. We’ll be done in, oh, I would say probably going to take me 15 minutes plus… another 45, amen, you know, but we’ll see if I said. We try to be wise with time. But I like what someone said. The preacher is a guest preacher, and he sat down the front row waiting for them to call him up and sat by a lady. She’d been through a lot of struggles. She said, “Hey, preacher, I want you to know, we didn’t come to leave today. I want to get something while I’m here,” amen. And I like her philosophy. We didn’t come to leave. Amen. We came to get something while we’re here. Amen. So I hope that’s your desire this morning also. If you’re glad you’re in church this morning, would you say, “Amen?” Good deal. I’m glad you’re here. Praise the Lord. And be faithful over the holiday season. You don’t want to get out of church during the holiday season; it’s easy to do. I’m glad you’re here this morning.

Psalms chapter number 77. We’re going to look at just one verse, verse number six. If you’re able to, would you please stand just to show the word of God respect? We try to show God’s word respect the best we can. This is the Psalm of Asaph. He was Israel’s probably their main song leader, and he is the one that God used to pen this Psalm.

Psalm 77, would you look at verse number six right there, verse number six? He says, “I called to remembrance my song in the night. I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search.” I want you to notice that: “I call to remembrance my song in the night.”

Look in chapter number 42, would you please? Chapter 42 of the book of Psalms. Chapter 42, by the way, for the title, he gives “Songs of the Night” as a title. Psalm 42, verse number eight. We’re not sure exactly who penned this one, whoever it was. Someone was after them, criticizing them, just hurling accusations at them, maybe even trying physically to hurt them. Watch what he says in verse number eight. Psalm 42, verse number eight: “Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me. Amen. And my prayer unto the God of my life.” Would you focus on that: “in the night, His song shall be with me”?

Look in chapter number 32, Psalms 32. Psalm chapter number 32. This is a great song that David penned after he had gotten right with God. Maybe God used him to write Psalm 51 a little bit after that, Psalm 32. If you’re trying to get right with the Lord, these are both great chapters to read: Psalm 51 and 32. Look at verse number seven of Psalm 32, verse number seven: “Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Selah—I mean, think on this.

Look over in Job, chapter number 35, right before the book of Psalms. The fellow in the Bible that had a job—the book of Job. I hate it when I have to tell you it was a joke, you know. The book of Job, Job chapter number 35. This is Elihu speaking to Job. It’s kind of like everybody—he’s kind of like saying, everybody knows this, if you will, verse number 10. We’re trying to just establish the truth here as we get going in just a moment. Job 35 and verse number 10. You’re there this morning? Amen? Good deal. Verse number 10: “But none saith, Where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night?”

Would you say that with me, starting with “Who”? Here we go: “Who giveth songs in the night?” One more time, please: “Who giveth songs in the night?”

Would you pray with me that God would just maybe make this a great truth, a comfort in our hearts, that maybe just to… an error in or quiver we’d have for life? Would you pray that? Father, we come to You. Lord, I do ask that You have, in times in my life, Lord, have been great messages. You spoke to my heart and always were kind of remembered when I needed it. Lord, I do pray, would You make this great truth that way for many people here today? Lord, these young folks, the seniors that are here today, everyone in between, please, Lord, speak to our hearts about this great truth: You give songs in the night. Father, we thank You and praise You for what You do. It’s in Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated. Please don’t lose me as we go into the message a little bit.

There are two preachers, Paul and Silas. They were starting a church. Acts chapter 16, they went to two different places, and God said, “No, that’s not it.” Then they went to a place called Philippi. They went out by a river; they’re having a prayer meeting out there at this river, these two preachers. A businesswoman was there; she’s a seller of purple, and her name was Lydia. She overheard them having a prayer meeting. By the way, it’s always a wonderful thing when someone overhears you praying, amen.

They heard them praying, and Lydia said, “Wow, sounds like you know God.” She began to talk with them. Lydia was probably the first convert at Philippi. Out of that, they started a small church at the beginning there. I believe it started out of her house. These two preachers began to just get the gospel out, trying to win souls and start a church in the city of Philippi.

There was a demon-possessed girl. Satan always loves to get involved when God’s doing something. By the way, if you try to do something for God, just mark it down: there’s going to be battles. That’s just part of it. This demonic girl, a teenage girl, begins to follow these preachers. She was saying the right thing: “These are men of God,” and so on and so on. But she was just really hampering these preachers, and it was bothering them. She did it for days and days.

Finally, Paul, one of the preachers—Paul and Silas—Paul finally turns. He spoke to the demon. That’s very important. If you ever deal with something like that, see past the person; see the demon. That’s the cause of it; that’s the devil working through them. Paul did. He said, “In the name of Jesus, I command thee, come out of her.” The demon came out of this teenage girl.

She actually ended up being a very sweet girl once a demon got out of there. Her managers—let’s just say it that way, maybe even her pimps, if you will—her managers got mad because they couldn’t make money off of this demon-possessed girl anymore. She was sane and in a right mind. They couldn’t make money off of it. So the manager, a little bit of money—money’s the root of all evil, love of money’s the root of all evil.

The manager went to the magistrate, went to the sheriff of the town, if you will, and said, “Hey, these two men are stirring up trouble.” They called across town and began to spread rumors about these two preachers. Unfortunately, he got a lot of people on his side. This manager, and money speaks, unfortunately, to a lot of people. Maybe have the press—Satan’s a prince of power of the air, you know. Be careful with the media, amen. You all listen out there, come on now, you know. Ephesians 2:2, he’s a prince of power of the air, the devil is. So be careful with the media, amen. Are y’all awake out there this morning? This side’s awake a little bit; this side… y’all come on now over here, you know. Come on, y’all got to help me out a little bit, you know. Wait a second, wait a second, here we go. Amen, preacher, that’s good. How about that?

Anyway, they start, and just an angry mob came out there against these preachers, you know, and they arrested them. The Bible says they beat them with many stripes. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine someone taking like a leather whip? We’re not exactly sure what it was this time, but maybe like a leather whip, and it just—the Bible says, “beat them with many stripes.” Can you imagine having welts all over the body? The Bible uses that word, “many stripes.” I’m sure there was blood coming out of these men. Paul, one of them, says later on, “I bear in my body the marks.” Scarred for life. He was beaten with many stripes. And then they threw them into jail.

They threatened the jailer: “You better let those two guys go right there.” So the jailer put them into the inner prison, right in the middle of it. Then the Bible talks about he put their feet in stocks. Now, it wasn’t socks, folks; it was stocks. Okay? Amen, you know. And y’all are not with it this morning. Come on now. I’ll tell you what, now, you know. Goodness gracious.

Anyway, they had their feet, their legs in handcuffs, you know, and they’re there. Now, here’s the thing: notice they’re there. They have been beaten. They had not done anything wrong besides tell someone how to miss hell and gain heaven. Amen. In fact, they cast a demon out of this teenage girl. They helped that girl. Probably saved her life, I don’t know, but maybe she got saved after that. I tend to think she did; I don’t know that.

But they’re doing good things, and then they end up in jail, and they got all these wounds, scars, lacerations all over the body. They’re in these handcuffs on their feet, ankle cuffs, and they’re locked up down there. Then the Bible says this: Now listen to me, “And at midnight, they prayed and sang.” Amen.

God gave them a song in the night. God always, always, always—if you’re listening—God always gives us a song in the night. We have a lady in our church. She comes from a very abused background, and she told me here recently, she says, “You know, it’s amazing. Without fail, God always wakes me up with a song in the morning time.” God gives a song.

He says over there in Job, Job 35, we just read it: “Who giveth songs in the night?” You look at that hymn book; you probably got right in front of you there somewhere along there. One of these songbooks—who’s got a songbook over there? Thank you. Thank you. I won’t take time to do it, but I imagine more of the songs that are written in this songbook, probably more than any one individual, there are more songs in here written by a lady. When she was six weeks old, just a little bitty baby, she had an eye infection. They called for the doctor, but the regular family doctor died. You know, back in the day, towns had doctors. Each town had a doctor. Well, the regular doctor was going off, and so they had a quack of a doctor, you know, and they went to the quack doctor, and he gave her this medicine that was the wrong medicine. Parents didn’t know that, and they gave her that wrong kind of medicine. Six weeks old, just had an eye infection, and that medicine caused her to be blind for the rest of her life.

Yet that blind lady, Fanny Crosby—I imagine more than any one person—there are songs all through this hymn book that Fanny Crosby wrote because God gives songs in the night. Friend, check it out all through the Bible: who giveth songs in the night?

It’s always true. Let me just say a word while we’re here on this subject. Let me say something: Hey, Christians in America, don’t you get down in the mouth and discouraged and depressed. You say, “Well, Tuesday, elections went bad, and it’s horrible and it’s bad.” Hey, friend, you look up. You keep your eyes looking up to redemption one day. Hey, Christ gives songs in the night.

It’s not time for us Christians to be down in the dumps and blue and whining and complaining. It’s time for us to sing the songs God gives. He gives songs in the night. By the way, by the way, let me just say something here. We say, “Well, we got it so bad.” They got it so bad, us Christians in America. They may take away our tax-exempt status for churches in America. Friend, they were taking heads off during the Bible time.

We ain’t got it that bad, friend. We’re sucking in air conditioning and heat when it gets too cold, and padded pews. They got little holes here and here and there, but they’re still padded pews or chairs, you know, amen. We got it good, friend. They were spreading the gospel around the normal world at that time while Nero was cutting their heads off. He was actually lining the roads to Rome with their heads on poles.

Don’t you get down in the dumps, friend. Hey, listen, if it does get dark in America, that’s all right. The light shines brighter in darkness. He gives songs in the night. Don’t go around complaining and whining how bad it is. By the way, if I was a lost man working with a co-worker who was a Christian, and all he did is complain and whine, I wouldn’t want to get saved. Come on now. You all out there this morning?

Hey, get that song the Lord Jesus Christ gives. He gives songs in the night and sing them out for all the world to hear.

You say, “Let’s fall apart, preacher.” It ain’t falling apart; it’s falling in place, amen, just like the Bible told us. He gives songs in the night. God’s people ought not be complaining. Well, I’ll be saying, “Hey, He’s got a song for me.” He gives songs in the night. How many you know the song, “It Is Well With My Soul”? How many know that song?

Wonderful song. We sing it sometimes here. Sometimes I think our choir sang it. It’s just beautiful, beautiful song. Many of you know how it was written. Horatio Spafford. He was a lawyer in Chicago years gone by, a real estate investor. The Chicago fire came along, wiped out. He lost a fortune in the Chicago fire.

A little somewhere along there—something will say before, I think it was before—but somewhere along there, his four-year-old son died. Can you imagine your four-year-old son died? And then his investment just lost, a fortune.

His wife, his daughters—he said, “Well, maybe it’s maybe good for us to take a little vacation.” They had worked heavily with D.L. Moody. He said, “We’re going to go over there and be with D.L. Moody on his campaigns in Europe a little bit there and spend some time. Maybe vacation will be good for us just to get away.” They’ve lost his son and they’ve lost so much in the Chicago fire.

Something came up, some business details right before he left, and he said, “Well, I need to stay here, take care of these business details. Y’all go ahead and cross over before, you know, these intercontinental flights and all those things.” So the wife and the daughters boarded the ship. Now imagine: already lost his son, lost a fortune in the fire, and his daughters and his wife sailing across the ocean.

Horrible, horrible crash at sea. Icy waters, and the ship just went down. Over 200 people died in that. His wife, Mrs. Spafford, she made it over to England, and she sent a telegram back. This is what it said. Imagine this: four daughters. She sends back, “Saved alone. What shall I do?” Mr. Spafford, when he got that word, of course, as quickly as he could, he got his ship sailing over. He got on that ship. Can you imagine the grief? Just—his son’s gone, lost a fortune. Now his daughters—saved alone—the wife. And he’s sailing over to try to comfort his wife.

They say the captain knew; he knew what was going on, and he went to the cabin where Horatio Spafford was staying. He said, “As best we can tell, we’re coming up to where your daughters went down.” Mr. Spafford went out and was standing on that vessel sailing the ocean. He looked out over the ocean. Thank you. This is the grave of his daughters. Can you imagine?

I’ve been with people when they lost one, but can you imagine? Already lost a son and I lost the daughters. Wow. And yet when he was on that vessel sailing, God spoke to him and gave him a song in the night. Amen.

You know the song: “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, that has taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’” Friend, He gives songs in the night. I don’t know what you’re going through this morning. By the way, either you’re going through a nighttime or you’re about to go through a nighttime. Everybody has night times, friend.

I don’t know what you’re going through, but can I just promise you, can I guarantee you, He gives songs in the night? If you listen in the darkest of night at midnight, you’re in prison and didn’t do anything wrong—I don’t know. I tend to think they thought they were going to die the next day because I think that’s what the sheriff was planning on doing. But they’re in jail. In the darkest of night times, He gives a song.

Friend, you listen at nighttime, and it’s just dark all around you and bad all around you and problems. Some of these verses over in Psalms, people are after them and chasing them in the darkest of time. God gives them a song. God always gives a song in the night. I hope you’ll listen for the song when you’re going through the dark times.

My wife, she had cancer about 13 years ago. Our two kids were teenagers, and boy, she was doing a wonderful job going through what she was going through—surgery and then chemo. But we had two kids to raise, teenagers and all that. I’m trying to hold it all together. God clearly said, “I want you to sing this song,” and I would try to sing it. My kids wouldn’t know. We’d be in the car as teenagers, and the old dad’s singing again. That’s a bad thing when this dad sings, amen, you know. Sing when nobody else is around, but God gave me a song to sing.

Let me just read a couple of verses. It says, “God wants to hear you sing when the waves are crashing around you, when the fiery darts are around you, when despair is all you see, God wants to hear your voice. When the wisest man has spoken and says your circumstances are as hopeless as can be, that’s when God wants to hear you sing.” Friend, He gives songs in the night.

Can I remind you? Can I remind you all out there this morning? You all listen to Him. Can I remind you, Jesus—He had that last supper with the apostles. Judas is gone, about midway, so he’s gone. Jesus knows it’s beginning to get dark. He knows He’s going to go to the garden. He’s going to be praying, sweating if it was grape drops of blood, then He’ll go out of the garden, and Judas betrayed—traitor Judas—will come and give Him that horrible kiss on the cheek of betrayal, and then He would be taken over there to the judgment hall and tortured all night long, and the next day He’d be crucified. It’s nighttime.

Can I tell you what Jesus led His apostles to do at that moment? They left the Last Supper, and the Bible says they went out and sung a hymn, is what the Bible says. I’m talking about in the darkest of times, in the night times. He giveth songs in the night. Oh, yeah.

Preacher, you don’t know what I’m going through, and I don’t know per se, but I know He gives songs in the night. Nobody else is around. You’re hurt. You said, “Preacher, I just hurt; I hurt so much. My heart literally hurts. What am I going to do?” Listen for a song; it’ll be there. He gives songs in the night.

Now, can I say this? Can I say this? Satan always offers his songs. Young people, would you listen very, very closely here? Satan—we’ve talked about it recently. I think Satan was the song leader in heaven before he fell. He was Lucifer. He was very gifted at music. He has created with pipes and musical instruments inside of—very musically talented. He can—I think it was a song that are very talented at music. So Satan loves to use music to his advantage. So when God is giving His song, Satan is always trying to give his song. But God will help you through the nighttime; Satan will always keep you locked up in the nighttime.

Satan’s songs will only make it darker and worse. They are songs of hopelessness, songs of heartbreak. There’s no hope in it; it’s just worse and worse and worse and worse and worser and worse. That’s what Satan’s songs do. But Satan will always—by the way, Satan can never—he never creates anything. He always takes what God does. God makes wonderful, beautiful things, and he twists it and perverts it. God made music, and Satan twists and perverts it. God gives songs in the night, and Satan twists and perverts it, and he wants to keep you locked up at the nighttime.

You say, “Well, all right, preacher. Let’s maybe—let’s just talk for a little bit. Let’s just talk for a little bit about the top songs in our day and time, top charts.” I’m not—I don’t know about all that worldly music, but I’ve got a computer, amen. I can look it up, all that crazy junk. I was amazed. One thing I was amazed about the top charts for this week—she just came out with a new album—but it was amazing how many of the tops were Taylor Swift. By the way, they’re a little demon-masked, all that, you understand all that. By the way, Satan and his music is always demonic, whether it’s open or hidden, it’s demonic. It’s about drinking, it’s about drugs, it’s about sex, it’s about immorality. Come on now. That’s Satan’s music. It wants to keep you locked up in the nighttime.

The top number one hit song right now, Taylor Swift, is “Is It Over Now?” It’s where our boyfriend and girlfriend, they got caught. Actually, the boyfriend got caught, and both were cheating on each other. Come on now. Let me read for you a couple of lines. You say, “Well, it’s not really that bad.” Well, let me read for you a couple of lines from the song. It’s just two lines from it: “But was it over when she laid down on your couch? She talked to her boyfriend. Was it over when he unbuttoned my blouse?” Does that sound like something’s going to get you out of the nighttime, friend? Or does it sound like somebody wallowing in the pigpen? Come on now. You’ll be all right if you say amen, you know.

Friend, don’t you fall—don’t you fall for the devil’s music. He only wants to make it darker for you. He only comes for one thing: He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. That’s what Satan is all about. He loves to keep you wrapped up in the nighttime and the tears and the hurt and the pain. That’s all he wants. He wants to add to it.

Let’s go to all the top threes; it’s Taylor Swift, and the vast majority of the top ten are Taylor Swift. It’s amazing. I was really shocked about that part. We’ll go to the number three. The title is “Slut.” Now, this next part is not what I say; it’s what they say about it. I’ll read what they say about it: “Slut leans fully into Swift’s media reputation as a slut, accepting that branding as long as it means she’s dating, in quote, the one.” My friend, that’s not what I say. I’ve never listened to music, and I don’t know much about it, but this is what they say about it. Does that sound like godly, edifying music to you?

Does it sound like the songs that the Lord gives in the night? No. Or does it sound like somebody that the devil has used to keep you handcuffed and bitter and mad and sad and drinking and doing drugs and sleeping with somebody else? Yeah. I just a couple more. Number four, I don’t even know the name of this group; I didn’t write it down. I wouldn’t know, but the number four song is “Paint the Town Red” with all the cursing in it. Come on now. Some of you know what I’m talking about. The cursing all through it. Number eight, “Snooze.” It’s all about sex, cursing in there, too. You just look at the picture of some of these songs; you’re like, “Whoa, I don’t even want to see the picture.”

While I was studying, I had to keep my hand over some pictures just to read the lyrics of it so I could find something to tell you what’s going on a little bit. Y’all are quiet a little bit here.

Friend, now wait a second. Let me just say something here: That’s not the songs the Lord gives in the nighttime. That’s the songs that’s going to hurt you and keep you chained down there. It’s going to multiply your sorrow and add years and worse. It’s going to make you, when you’re down, make another dumb mistake and get even worse.

You don’t want those songs. Satan will always offer you the wrong music, and somebody’s got to be strong enough and wise enough to say, “No, I’m going to listen to the songs that God gives in the nighttime.”

We had a young man here years ago, a teenage young man, and you could just kind of see him take a step up. I thought, “Wow, what’s going on with him?” I literally thought he started having his devotions. So I went to him and said, “Hey, what’s happening? We just seem like you really perked up for the Lord here lately and doing good.” I hope you don’t mind me asking. I’m not trying to preach at you. What happened? How have you grown?

It’s what he said. He said, “I’ve stopped listening to country music.” I thought, “Man, he’s reading his Bible.” No, he stopped listening to, “Who are you with now? I’m so heartbroken because you’re not with me anymore, and I’m drinking my soul away,” and all the rest of that stuff. Come on now. I’m not mad at you, but somebody’s got to love you enough to tell you the truth about that junk music. I don’t hate Taylor Swift. I wish she would get Jesus Christ in her heart. She needs Him like all the rest of the lost people need Him. By the way, one of the richest ladies in the world, and she’s never done anything for you besides take your money. Come on now. While veterans risk their lives for you, they did so much for you, and oftentimes they ain’t got much money. She’s got millions, and all she does is keep you handcuffed, unfortunately, where she’s at. Come on.

Hey, don’t fall for that. Get rid of the devil’s music and say, “Hey, I want to listen for the songs of the night that God gives.” Hey, listen, sing about what the choir sings about. I’d rather be an old-time Christian, amen. Sing some of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Sing some songs. Hey, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.” You say, “That’s kind of old-fashioned.” You better believe it is, amen. I like it old-fashioned.

You say, “Are you old-fashioned?” Old-fashioned? Yes, sir, you better believe it, about 2,000 years old-fashioned, amen. Not ashamed of it in the world. Hey, listen, at the end of the day, I’m glad to be a Christian. I’m glad to listen to the songs that God gives in the night. Be proud of it. By the way, I don’t want something that kind of sounds like the world’s music. We’ve got Christian words. I want something distinctively Christian, amen.

It’s amazing. I was up here last night studying. I was over here—sometimes I come up here on Saturday night studying a little bit. I’d made my wife mad. Usually, she preaches a good one at me. I write it down, but she’s hurt with her knee, and it wouldn’t work. So I had to study this week, man, you know. She had knee surgery. She says it’s working now; I’m going to get you later on, you know.

But, you know, sometimes, not always, but sometimes Saturday nights are just a sweet time for me to be alone with the Lord. I have so many memories of John Fontaine and others I used to meet with on Saturday night a lot of times—just good memories, sweet time. And I was having a good time last night just in here. It’s amazing. I mentioned this before. It’s amazing. You come here at nighttime, and just the cross—turn all the other lights off—just that cross, how beautiful it is at nighttime, just awesome. It’s amazing how it lights up from the door, double doors are open, and it’s dark; it’ll light up all the way to that end door at the end of the hall. It’s amazing to me how that just the light of the cross.

I was having a good night, and it came to this time, and it felt like the Lord wanted me to dig into the garbage can of the world. So I started looking up in some of these lyrics, lyrics and pictures. You know, I had to put my hand over the picture. I don’t see that, you know, while I’m trying to find out a little about this music. I’ll be honest, when I got done with that part of the message, the sweetness was gone, and I felt a little dirty, to be honest with you. You know, the Holy Spirit—you know, four times the book of Daniel, he says, “Hey, Daniel’s God, He’s the Holy God.” There are differences in the holy gods. And I got done with that, and I’ll be honest, I said, “Lord, I felt like You’ve—I felt like You want me to study up a little bit on this, and somebody in love has got to warn people.” And the Lord said, “Yeah, that’s what I wanted.”

So I had to pray, “Lord, give me a song.” I was sitting down here last night. I used to sit right here and have a water beside me or a Dr. Pepper. Somebody say amen, you know. Just the water last night. And Brother Glenn’s music was up here. I said, “Lord, I got—I want that sweet spirit back.” I looked up and I sang that: “I’d rather be an old-time Christian.” I started singing that, just singing some dear old songs of the Spirit of God used men to put out there. You know, the sweet spirit came back, and the old devil—devil’s spirit—got defeated because greater is in you than He’s in you than He’s in the world.

Well, my friend, I’m telling you, hey, listen, don’t fall for the devil’s music. It’ll keep you chained down. It’ll keep you in—what is Hollywood’s? What would they do? Love one another and another, and another, and another, and another. Come on now.

Let me say something here about all this. You know, 50 years ago, this is very common preaching in America. Not much nowadays, and look where we’re at. I’m getting off a little bit. Woo, boy, that clock. Can somebody turn that clock back a little bit here? I’m going to move on. I’m going to move on. We’ll be here all day long, amen, you know.

But would you just remember? Would you remember when the nighttime comes? Would you remember that phrase over there in Job 35:10, “He giveth songs in the night”? Amen. When it’s so dark and you’re hurting, you don’t know which way to go, you just don’t even know which way is up. Would you listen?

I lost my fingers—oh, it’s been 31, 32 years ago. At first, I was fine; I was all right. But the one thing that bothered me at first at nighttime: I’d go to sleep, I’d see the big old blade come down and cut my fingers off. I’d seen it. I could see my fingers laying there. I could see all that. I was fine during the daytime, but at nighttime, I tried to go to sleep, and why? I just kept that thing just kept running through my mind, just seeing that thing.

The only way I could sleep for about the first month—back in the day when boom boxes were around—I remember the boom boxes? Brother Frank used to have one, carried on his shoulder while he’d breakdance, you know. I mean, you know, so many had two good knees, you know. Anyway, you know, I had one of those and had the dual cassette tapes. It wasn’t eight-track; don’t go there. I’m not that old now, you know. And the only way I could sleep—I cannot remember the order, and maybe I just switched it up—I can’t remember. But in one of the cassette tapes would be the Bible, and the other would be songs, just sweet, godly songs. I could fall asleep with that.

Friend, He gives songs in the night. Maybe you’re there this morning. Maybe it’ll be Christmas time; you’re there. I don’t know. He gives songs in the night.

I thought about—I’m not dead a whole lot, but sometimes when the Holy Spirit—I feel like He leaves—but when someone’s dying in the hospital and family’s all there, I think about one time in particular, just so special. I think the first time I’ve ever done it, God just gave it to me. We’re all gathered around a loved one—I think it’s a mom—she was dying.

The family was there, you know, just the hurting, the pain. The Lord just gave me the idea. So, “Hey, let’s get around her bed.” We got around the bed, and we held hands, and we started singing, “In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore.”

Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - Songs in the Night - Sunday AM 11122023