CONTENTS

1    Living On a Continual High

2    My Experience With the Moody Blues

3    Primary Causes for an Empty Existence

4    Ten Keys for Living Above the Moody Blues

Personal Prayer of Commitment

Chapter One

Living On a Continual High

You don't have to live a roller coaster existence—"up" one day and "down" the next. "Up" when holidays come, when you are together with family and friends, when there is a joyous occasion, or when vacation time rolls around, and then "down" when these special occasions are over. You can live on a continual high when Jesus Christ is at the center of your life.

The Apostle Paul had a lot of high moments in his life. One was his calling to go to Rome, even though the Prophet Agabus said he would be imprisoned if he went. Paul was imprisoned at Rome just as Agabus prophesied, but it was in this period of time that Paul wrote to the Philippians.

The theme of Paul's prison letter to the Philippians is "rejoice"! Paul, by choice, was a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning he was totally "sold out" to Him. Man's imprisonment had no effect on his spiritual life because of his commitment to Jesus Christ.

Though many of Paul's comrades felt sorry for him because of his imprisonment, Paul said:

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.

Philippians 1:12

Paul was saying, "Don't feel sorry for me! What has happened has simply advanced the spread of the Gospel!"

So that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ.

Verse 13

Again, Paul was saying, "News of my imprisonment and of my testimony has reached even the hierarchy of the land."

And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:

The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;

But the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be manifested in my body, whether by life or by death.

Verses 14-20

Verse 21 is the key and the heart of Paul's message:

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Many people go through a great experience, a wonderful event, or a happy celebration, then they hit a period of what I call, "the moody blues." For some people, this occurs at holiday times when family and friends are together in the warmth of love and acceptance. When they say their goodbyes, they know it may be months, possibly even years, before they will be together again.

The moody blues set in, and before they realize what is happening, they are depressed and down.

Chapter Two

My Experience With the Moody Blues

Before I was born again in May, 1970, I didn't know you could live on a continual high.

As a youngster, I had such wonderful feelings about Christmas—until it was over! Once the presents were opened, the tree was empty, all the goodies were eaten and everyone had gone home, the moody blues hit me because of the emptiness I felt. I remember thinking, "I wish we could have Christmas all year long."

God answered the cry of my heart, because I discovered that you can have Christmas every day of the year when Jesus Christ resides in your heart. Really, Christmas is celebrating Jesus, and we should do that every day of the year!

As a young teenager, the moody blues hit me again when my two brothers married and left home. Although my brothers were seven and eight years older than me, we were very close. My dad made them be nice to me when I was growing up! He made them take me with them on their dates! We hunted, fished, camped and played all types of sports together. My dad was a Scoutmaster, so we had a lot of fun as a family.

When my brother Jack got married, it was a beautiful celebration, but I remember the emptiness I felt when he didn't come home anymore. I was really sorrowful about his leaving.

My brothers and I had bunk beds and one double bed among us. Because no one wanted to sleep in the bunk beds, my dad devised a plan he felt was fair. He made us rotate beds each night from top bunk, bottom bunk, to double bed. All my years growing up, we slept in a different bed each night. Now there were only two of us to rotate in the three beds!

A couple years later, my other brother married and moved to another state. I can remember lying in bed after his wedding thinking, "I am all alone."

I have discovered that many people never come out of the sadness and depression they experience, whether it is with a sibling, the parents' failure to adjust when their children leave home, or when death or divorce occurs.

God's plans for your life include stability, which is found in His Son, Jesus Christ, rather than continually experiencing mood swings that keep you on an up and down, roller coaster existence!

Chapter Three

Primary Causes for an Empty Existence

There are two primary causes for an empty existence or roller coaster living, where people are dominated by the moody blues.

1.    Unrealistic expectations create an atmosphere for depression.

Some people look forward to a particular event to bring them total joy, peace and happiness. For some people, a ball game holds such expectation, but they hit the moody blues when their team loses.

I remember watching the Razorbacks as a boy, and when they lost, we were depressed for a week! We lived in an up and down state based upon what happened in the ball game.

2.    Focus on temporal things leaves an empty life.

When I was twenty years old, I had a vision while I was on the athletic field of the state college

I attended. I saw people living all their lives for temporal things, then coming to the end of their lives and looking back, realizing nothing they had ever done would go into eternity.

The Lord spoke to me, "You can start today living for eternal things, and when you come to the end of your life, the people you have touched will go into eternity." I made a decision that very day to base my entire life on eternal values.

Chapter Four

Ten Keys for Living Above the Moody Blues

Here are ten keys to help you live on a continual high, no longer dominated by the moody blues.

1. You have power over your thoughts.

Your thoughts will create your mood. Moody people don't have control over their thinking. Certain thoughts will cause your blood pressure to rise while the recall of some incidents will produce a calming effect. Your thoughts affect the spirit, body and soul (which includes the emotions). They are hooked together.

Many people are depressed because they don't take charge over their thoughts. Second Corinthians 10:4,5 KJV says:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

These verses indicate that you can take control of your thoughts.

Paul indicates what we are to think on, again indicating that we can choose to control our thoughts.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8 KJV

In 1981 when we purchased an automobile dealership to start Victory Christian Center, a big sign bearing the business name at the entrance to the premises read, "Tink's Auto Mart." Bob Yandian, a friend and pastor of another charismatic church in Tulsa, said to me, "Don't change the

entire sign. Just put, Tink on these things!'"

Paul indicated in verse 7 that God's peace will garrison your life if your thoughts are fixed on the right things.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Many people are controlled by their circumstances, or by something that happened thirty years ago or more. The hurt and pain are still in their thoughts. They haven't cut the cord of it, dismissed it, or cast it down, so it still controls their lives. They need to bring in a new thought, "I forgive. It's over and passed."

2. Your main goal in life should be to please God.

In the fall of 1992, we were given first option, among several interested parties, to purchase the former Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association building and land on which it is located for $1.5 million, a savings to us at current building construction and land costs of approximately $4.6 million.

Although we had only forty-nine days to come up with this large sum of money, and in the natural, the pressure of an impossible feat faced us, I shared with my staff the importance of keeping our focus on Jesus Christ rather than on the building. I said, "I have full confidence that we will reach the $1.5 million mark, and we will buy the building. But the important thing is that we do not get our hearts and minds set on the building as a goal. Our goal is Jesus Christ. The building is simply a vehicle through which we can minister to people."

As we kept our priorities and focus right, the full amount of money needed came seven minutes before the deadline so we could purchase the land and building.

The primary goal in life for some people is retirement, yet when they reach this goal, they become depressed because their lives are empty.

Other people have reached the top in the sports and entertainment worlds or the movie industry only to find that there is nothing but emptiness at that level of success, because Jesus

Christ wasn't their primary goal.

Paul talked about his primary goal in life in Philippians 3:12-14:

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1,2 says:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith....

One day, all that will matter to you and me is to hear the Father say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Success is measured by, "Did you do what God told you to do?"—not by the amount of investments, real estate and corporate holdings you possess.

Jesus said, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26).

3. Focus on what is eternal rather than on temporal things.

Second Corinthians 4:18 says:

While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Ask yourself each day, "What is eternal?" The temporal things will pass away, but the eternal things will remain forever. We are to keep our focus on God's Word because it will never change. Psalm 119:89 says, "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.”

You can avoid the moody blues when you live for what is eternal. When Jesus Christ is the primary focus of your life, it won't make any difference whether it's Monday or Friday. I haven't had a blue Monday since I was saved in 1970. My life changed. In the world, people talk about blue Mondays and happy Fridays. But with Christ, you can acknowledge, "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

When your focus moves from the temporal to the eternal, your life will no longer go up and down like a roller coaster, but it will just keep going up, up, up in God! You will go from strength to strength, from faith to faith, from victory to victory and from glory to glory!

4. Other people don’t control your joy.

In explaining His crucifixion to the disciples before it happened, Jesus said, "...You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you" (John 16:22).

Just because someone is unhappy and upset doesn't mean you have to lose your joy. It is important to maintain your peace and joy in the midst of every situation, for Nehemiah said, "...The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). Some people don't have peace because they've given too many people a piece of their mind!

5. Feed your faith and starve your doubts.

Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Many people live an up and down roller coaster life because their Word level is so low.

Before going on a trip, most people fill the gas tank, check the oil and make sure there is air in the tires. It's amazing how a car runs better with gas! You run better with the Word in you, too!

Some people want you to take authority over the ups and downs they are experiencing and cast it out of them, or they want you to pray them into victory and blessing. If their Word level is low, they will have the same problems all over again within a day or two.

If your moods are swinging back and forth with depression, fear, heaviness, discouragement and ups and downs, it is because the Word level in your life is at such a low the devil can whip you around with every type of feeling, imagination, thought, opinion of other people, the 6:00 news, or whatever is going on. He can manipulate you through world conditions, opinions of people and thoughts that cross your mind. You are tossed to and fro. But when your Word level is up, it is like a bedrock foundation.

It's time to double up on the Word. Maybe you have tapes that need to be dusted off, or you need to cancel your newspaper subscription for about six months and turn the TV off for a while to allow for extra time in the Word. You have the time, but it is being eaten up by the thorns and thistles, the cares of this life and the lust for other things, causing it to become unfruitful.

Some people go through mental instability because their Word level is so low, and they are inconsistent in church attendance. If relatives show up and they don't bring any clothes to wear to church, leave them home a few times and they will remember to bring the right clothes. You can simply say, "We go to church. We are glad you came, and you can go with us."

Some people give priority to the circus, a game, golfing, or some other activity over church attendance. They miss church, giving it little thought. In the natural, if you keep missing meals and necessary vitamins, you will become anemic, malnourished and susceptible to disease.

We can draw an analogy in the lives of Christians who are spiritually malnourished. They are prey for the marauding bands of the enemy to take them captive.

This is an hour to be full of the Word of God through your personal reading, church attendance, tapes and whatever other means that will cause you to overdose on it.

One young lady who was in our youth group years ago grew up listening to teaching tapes at night. She married an Oral Roberts University baseball player. When she got married, she was so accustomed to listening to teaching tapes at bedtime that she couldn't go to sleep without a tape on. This couple now has little children. I asked her husband recently, "How are the tapes going, Joe?" He said, "They are great! I am learning!" At bedtime, they feed themselves on God's Word until they go to sleep.

If you will "up" your Word level, you will live above the moody blues!

6. Forgiveness puts you in a position to receive grace.

Many people are moody, grouchy and complaining because of unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment. The grace of God can't get through an unforgiving heart filled with strife and resentment.

Nothing has ever happened or will ever happen to you that is worth holding on to in bitterness and resentment, because these cancerous-like enemies will stop the grace of God.

Following the great faith verses in Mark 11:22-24 are two verses that indicate the importance of forgiveness:

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

"But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

Verses 25,26

7. Your greatest fears have already been removed.

Some people who don't have anything to worry about worry because they don't have anything to worry about! This happens when they don't have control over fear in their lives. Then other people have it so good they worry that something bad is going to happen.

Hebrews 2:14,15 says:

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

And release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Fear of death is the root of all fear. There is nothing worse that could happen to you than to die and go to hell. You have nothing to fear because Jesus has already provided everything you need.

He has promised to be your Provider, Healer, Deliverer, Savior, Peace, Shepherd and Guide.

You can live with a positive expectation that the conditions and circumstances in your life are going to get better just as your relationships with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are continually growing stronger.

Because of what the Bible says, I believe world conditions in this hour will get worse and worse. Jesus indicated that the last days would be difficult times.

Paul said, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1 KJV).

We don't have to look to the future to understand that there are difficult times right now for many people, not only in our country, but in many other countries of the world. I'm not talking about the great tribulation, but about the difficulties people face every day.

Jesus said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33 KJV). If He has already overcome it, and we are seated in heavenly places in Christ, what have we to worry about?

Paul said:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

Rejoice because you have been given a spirit of power, love and a sound mind in the place of fear!

8. You are never alone.

The writer of Hebrews said:

... I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

Hebrews 13:5,6 AMP

Jesus said:

"I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.

"And He who sent Me is with Me.

The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."

John 8:16,29

If Jesus could say it, we can say it, too, because Jesus committed to be with us throughout all eternity through the Holy Spirit Who dwells on the inside of us.

Our church always has some people who are alone for holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. I pray for them, then provide an opportunity for congregation members to invite them to their homes so they won't be alone. When people can't go home to their own families, it is good to know that the family of God will love and accept them.

9. The doer of the Word is blessed in all of his deeds.

To be a doer of the Word is to believe it, speak it and act as though you already have the manifestation of it. James had something to say about being a doer of the Word.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; For he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:22-25

Jesus compared the doer of the Word to a person who builds his house upon the Solid Rock as opposed to building on sand.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

"And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

"And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Matthew 7:24-27

We have had people with emotional, mental and psychiatric difficulties say to almost every member of our pastoral staff, "I've tried doing the Word and it doesn't work." Either that person or God is lying! Yet Numbers 23:19 exonerates God:

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

You need to settle it in your mind whether it works for you or not: God's Word works! Maybe you haven't met God's conditions. Just because you haven't seen the Word work in your life doesn't nullify God's Word. Though some may say, "Confessing God's Word doesn't work," it is working in my life.

Too many people want a quick fix so they don't have to become a doer of the Word. It just doesn't work that way!

John 8:31,32 says:

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

"If you abide in My word" is the condition, and the two promises in these verses are: 1) "You are My disciples indeed," and 2) "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Believe that God's Word works. He will hasten to perform His Word on your behalf (Jeremiah 1:12) if you will believe it, speak it and act as if you already have the manifestation of His promises in your life.

10. Giving yourself to help others will cure the ills of your life.

Personal Prayer of Commitment

Thank You for the knowledge, Father, that I no longer have to live with mental torment, harassment, or depression that would cause disease in my thinking process, and I no longer have to accept the emotional attacks sent against me by the devil.

I now understand that the first step in transforming my thought life is to be born again into Your Kingdom, Lord.

I acknowledge Jesus Christ as Your Son, Father, and I believe He was crucified, buried and resurrected to pave the way for me to receive all of Your benefits—forgiveness, salvation, deliverance, healing and prosperity in every area of my life. I accept You now, Jesus, as my personal Lord and Savior.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for empowering me with the Holy Spirit so I can be an effective carrier of Your life to others all over the world.

I decree that the moody blues will no longer affect my life, Lord, but I will live on a continual high with You through prayer, fellowship, praise and worship and study of Your Word.

Thank You for a new life of stability in You, Lord Jesus!

Signature ________   Date ________

About the Author

Billy Joe Daugherty is the pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Present ministry outreaches include a daily radio and television ministry; monthly crusades in government-subsidized housing projects in the Tulsa area; and crusades held in other nations.

Victory Christian Center, established in 1981, operates Victory Christian School, Victory Bible Institute, and the World Missions Training Center. Other Victory Bible Institutes have been established in Russia, Mexico, Albania, Czech Republic, Germany, Haiti, Scotland and France.

Billy Joe has authored several books including Faith Power, Absolute Victory, This New Life, The Demonstration of the Gospel, and most recently, Led By the Spirit, the testimony of God’s divine direction for his life and ministry.

Billy Joe and his wife, Sharon, were married in 1973, and have four children: Sarah, Ruth, John and Paul.

Table of Contents

1 Living On a Continual High

2 My Experience With the Moody Blues

3 Primary Causes for an Empty Existence

4 Ten Keys for Living Above the Moody Blues

Personal Prayer of Commitment