What are you waiting for today?

I woke up this morning with a song on my heart, "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. It will be forever linked to the movie Fireproof, but the lyrics can apply to so many situations both sad and happy. It is all a matter of interpretation. Usually, when we are waiting the situation causes a lot of stress and anxiety. What does the Word of God say about waiting, and about worry, stress, or anxiety?

Matthew 6:24
²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Psalm 5:2-3
² Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. ³ In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

The lyrics aid the instruction of God so well.

"I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait"

What are you waiting on today? Tomorrow? Next year? Retirement? A bad prognosis? Your children to grow up? More time in the day?

Let me ask you. Are you waiting for that perfect opportunity to go back to school, start a family, write a book, change careers, compose a song, start a business? What exactly are you waiting for? Don’t let fear keep you from experiencing all that God has for you. Don’t let the risk of failure keep you from risking at all. Serve the Lord. Become a part of something, something bigger than you can imagine. Attend a Lifegroup. Take the hand of someone who is hurting and offer comfort. Send a card to someone who is sick. What are you waiting for?

Worship and Praise God for every little detail of your life. It might seem hard at first, but just WAIT, before you know it the worry, the stress, the pain will ease, and then the answer will come. So, again, what are you waiting for?

"While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait"

It’s a lot like receiving Christ into your heart. If you were to wait until your life is perfect, holy and sinless before you invited Jesus into your life, then you would still be waiting on your deathbed, for it is Christ within us that makes us perfect, holy and sinless. God says to you, “Choose today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).

Today, ask your Father for the strength and endurance to step out into what he is calling you to do. Start with something small, and let him bring it to life. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10a).

The Grace of Strength-Devotional

Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 TIMOTHY 2:1

EVERY trouble is an opportunity to win the grace of strength. Whatever else trouble is in the world for, it is here for this good purpose: to develop strength. For a trouble is a moral and spiritual task. It is something which is hard to do. And it is in the spiritual world as in the physical, strength is increased by encounter with the difficult. A world without any trouble in it would be, to people of our kind, a place of spiritual enervation and moral laziness.

Fortunately, every day is crowded with care. Every day to every one of us brings its questions, its worries, and its tasks, brings its sufficiency of trouble. Thus, we get our daily spiritual exercise. Every day we are blessed with new opportunities for the development of strength of soul.

PRAYER

Lord, help us today to exercise our faith and strengthen our soul so that tomorrow we will be stronger, wiser, and more aware of your awesome devotion to us, as well as our developing devotion grows for you.

Amen.

Instant Messaging-Devotional

-Isaiah 65:24

24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

I heard a story recently of a missionary on the field in one country while her daughter was also on the mission field in another country. They communicated as often as they could via instant messaging. Checking in daily, exchanging stories, prayer requests, and experiences via the world of internet exchange.

Prayer is much the same thing as instant messaging. God is on one end of the communication, and I am on the other. Sometimes I fail to connect, and the messages cease to flow. But God is always online, waiting for me to return. I only need to make a connection. Have you IM'ed HIM today?

PRAYER

Loving God, thank you for always being there for us. Help us to enjoy your presence, peace, and comfort in knowing you are only an instant away. Amen.

Living in Perilous Times - Part 2

NOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT GRACE IS, YOU’LL UNDERSTAND THIS SCRIPTURE.
5 - For although they hold a form of piety (true religion / true christianity), they deny and reject the power that could make them godly; their conduct contradicts the genuineness of their profession].
SO YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO MAKE OUR DAY DIFFICULT?
PAUL SAYS,
IT’S THE LIFESTYLE OF PEOPLE WHO - QUOTE SAY: THEY ARE BORN AGAIN, I’VE BEEN SAVED, JESUS IS LORD OF MY LIFE.
BUT YET,
THEY ARE STILL GOING TO BE UNLOVING, UNFORGIVING, STILL LOVE PLEASURE MORE THAN THEY LOVE GOD, AN INORDINATE LOVE FOR MONEY.
AND THEY WILL DENY THE POWER THAT CAN CHANGE THEM FROM UNLOVING TO LOVING, UNFORGIVING TO FORGIVING, THE POWER TO CHANGE THEM FROM BEING A LOVER OF MONEY TO A LOVER OF PEOPLE.
· THE POWER THAT COULD CHANGE THEM FROM BEING UNTHANKFUL TO THANKFUL;
· THE POWER TO CHANGE THEM FROM BEING UNHOLY TO HOLY;

VS 7 – “ALWAYS LEARNING BUT NEVER COMING TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.”
WE SPEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON CD’S, DVD’S & BOOKS AND WHAT DO WE HAVE …A CHURCH THAT IS EVER LEARNING BUT NEVER COMING TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.
WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE OF COMING INTO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH? A CHANGED LIFE!
· Where all the sudden now, we’re being honest in business dealings.
SO, PAUL SAYS THIS IS WHATS GOING TO MAKE THE LAST DAYS DIFFICULT.
LUKEWARMNESS, COMPROMISE & A WORLDLY LIFESTYLE IS A VERY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
PEOPLE WILL HAVE A FORM OF GODLINESS.
SEE,
PAUL LIVED IN A DAY OF PERSECUTION.
AND I THINK THE DEVIL JUST GOT SMARTER IN THE LAST DAYS AND SAID “I KNOW HOW TO GET THE CHURCH AWAY FROM JESUS.
- I’LL JUST GIVE THEM A LIFE OF EASE.
- I’LL JUST GET THEM LUKEWARM.
LOOK AT REVELATION 4:1 – AFTER THESE THINGS I LOOKED AND BEHOLD THE DOOR WAS STANDING OPEN IN HEAVEN; AND THE FIRST VOICE WHICH I HEARD WAS LIKE A TRUMPET SPEAKING TO ME SAYING COME UP HERE!
HOW IS THE LORD COMING BACK FOR HIS CHURCH?
HE WILL DECEND ON A CLOUD, WITH A VOICE OF AN ARCH ANGEL, WITH THE TRUMPET OF GOD;
NOW,
REVELATION 3:14 – NOW TO THE ANGEL (MESSENGER) TO THE CHURCH OF THE LAODICIANS WRITE.
LISTEN CAREFULLY …UNDERLINE THE WORD CHURCH!
NOTICE HE DOESN’T SAY “TO THE CITY… HE SAYS TO THE CHURCH OF LAODICIA.”
HE SAYS TO THE CHURCH OF LAODICIA WRITE.



WATCH WHAT HE SAYS… “
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, (FAITHFUL MEANS TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH ALL THE TIME; TRUE MEANS? IT MEANS HE WILL TELL YOU THE TRUTH WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.)
HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU GO TO 90% OF USED CAR SALES LOTS IN AMERICA WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?
Look at you, wow! You look like a picture of the American Dream. Who makes your suits, wow man you deserve to drive something that is as nice as how you look. This thing here is the real deal. You wouldn’t believe how I got this baby. This little grandma bought this brand new and only drove it to church & back on Sunday’s and it’s always been babied.
AND WHAT’S HE THINKING? WOW, THIS GUY IS NICER TO ME THAN MY WIFE!
WHY? BECAUSE YOUR WIFE LOVES YOU & THIS GUY JUST WANTS TO FLADDER YOU SO HE CAN TAKE YOUR MONEY.
YOU KNOW WHAT Exodus 23:8 says, “a form of a bribe is flattery & blinds the discerning.”
The moment you receive flattery, your discernment goes out the window. He’s trying to flatter you so he can take your money.
JESUS IS NOT A FLATTERING PREACHER!
HE’S A FAITHFUL & TRUE WITNESS.
HE WILL TELL YOU THE TRUTH EVERY TIME.
15 - I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot…”
WHO’S THE HOT? The hot are probably most of you here this morning. Give or take a few. They are passionate about God, willing to throw themselves into the work of God, willing to be used of the Lord.
WHO’S THE COLD? The cold are in probably the ones in the bars, wouldn’t dare go to church, his god is probably Tennessee Titans.
VS 15 - I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
FOR JESUS TO SAY HE WISH FOR YOU TO BE EITHER THIS OR THAT, MEANS THAT COLD OR HOT IS BETTER THAN BEING LUKEWARM.
WHY? WHAT’S HIS REASONING FOR TELLING THE CHURCH THIS?
THIS HAS PUZZLED ME FOR YEARS.
HE’S TALKING TO A CHURCH & HE’S SAYING TO THE GUYS IN THE CHURCH, WHEN YOU ARE LUKEWARM YOU ARE WORSE OFF THAN THE GUY IN THE BARS.
HELLO!!!
AND THEN I READ THE NEXT VERSE & GOT THE UNDERSTANDING.
LOOK AT,
VS. 16 -So then, because you are lukewarm, (Luke warm means its got enough hot in it to blend in with the hot, it can sing the songs, it knows the lingo, knows the dress, has the t-shirts, knows the music.
BUT,
It also has enough cold in it that it can blend in with the cold.
LUKE WARM IS REALLY A COMILLIAN.
VS. 16 - So then, because you are lukewarm …and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SOMEONE VOMIT?
IT’S NOT JUST A LITTLE DRIBBLE, DRIBBLE.
IT’S WITH GREAT FORCE.
YET, THAT’S THE LANGUAGE HE USES.
NOW,
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION?
CAN I VOMIT A STEAK IF IT’S IN MY HAND? NO! THE STEAK HAS TO BE IN MY BODY.

YOU KNOW WHAT JESUS IS SAYING?
I’M GOING TO VOMIT THOSE OUT OF MY CHURCH WHO
REALLY DON’T BELONG TO ME.
BECAUSE
YOUR BODY VOMITS WHAT IT CANNOT ASSIMILATE.
HAVE YOU GOT FOOD POISONED BEFORE.
WITHIN AN HOUR YOU WILL BE TOSSING YOUR COOKIES BECAUSE YOUR BODY CAN’T ASSIMILATE POISONOUS MEAT.
JESUS IS SAYING “I’M GOING TO VOMIT THOSE IN MY CHURCH THAT REALLY DON’T BELONG TO ME.”
FOLKS,
NEVER CALL A LUKEWARM BELIEVER A CHRISTIAN.
BECAUSE JESUS WOULD NEVER VOMIT SOMEBODY WHO IS A TRUE BELIEVER.

SO, WHY IS IT MORE ADVANTAGEOUS TO BE COLD, IN THE BARS, IN THE CLUBS THAN TO BE LUKEWARM.
BECAUSE,
THE GUY IN THE BAR KNOWS HE’S LOST, YOU DON’T HAVE TO CONVINCE HIM.
BUT, THE LUKEWARM PERSON IN THE CHURCH, SAYS “I KNOW THE LORD, I PRAYED THE FORMULA PRAYER MAN”.
SEE, IF YOU DON’T THINK YOU NEED TO BE SAVED YOU WON’T HAVE A REASON TO GET SAVED.
YOU’RE HARDER TO REACH!

Stay tuned for part 3 tomorrow.

Living In Perilous Times

We received such a tremendous response to the sermon "Living in Perilous Times, " we wanted to include portions of the sermon on our blog for everyone to refresh their sprit. The entire sermon can be picked up on DVD at the MVG center in the lobby or listen to the message after it has been added to the sermons on the web site.

II COR. 7:1 - Therefore having these promises!
WHAT ARE THESE PROMISES?
1. I will dwell among them
2. I will walk among them
3. I will be there God
4. They will be my people
PAUL SAYS “THEREFORE HAVING THESE PROMISES, BELOVED (He’s talking to believers) LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES FROM ALL FILTHINESS. (not some but all filthiness)OF THE FLESH & SPIRIT PERFECTING HOLINESS IN THE LOVE??? NO FEAR OF GOD.

JESUS SAID, “A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE YOU THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.”
SO, WE MUST LOVE GOD & FEAR GOD & THAT’S WHAT KEEPS US STRAIGHT.
THE LOVE OF GOD KEEPS US FROM LEGALISM.
THE FEAR OF GOD KEEPS US FROM LAWLESSNESS.

BUT NOTICE HE SAYS,
“LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES (How do we cleanse ourselves?) FROM ALL FILTHINESS OF THE FLESH & SPIRIT PERFECTING HOLINESS.”
HOW DO WE DO THAT II CORINTHIANS 6:1

AS GOD'S FELLOW WORKERS WE URGE YOU NOT TO RECEIVE GOD'S GRACE IN VAIN.

LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
I REMEMBER IN MY HOME CHURCH AS YOUNG MAN, WE RENTED A MOVIE CALLED THE BURNING HELL!
AND MAN THE PLACE WAS PACKED OUT!
AND WHEN I SAW THAT MOVIE, OOH… I WAS REPENTING LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS.
AND MY LIFE WAS CHANGED …FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND I WAS BACK INTO ALL MY SIN.
· I HAD REPENTED… BUT THERE WAS NO GRACE.
· GRACE IS WHAT GIVES YOU THE POWER TO LIVE IT.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I’M SAYING?

I MAY HAVE BEEN A REPENTING YOUNG MAN AFTER SEEING THAT MOVIE, BUT THE GRACE OF GOD EMPOWERS YOU TO CLEANSE YOURSELF.
HEBREWS 12:14 - Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
PAUL SAYS “WITHOUT HOLINESS OR SANCTIFICATION (IT’S THE SAME) NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD;

NOW,
NOTICE WHAT HE DOES NOT SAY… HE DOES NOT SAY “WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION NOBODY WILL SEE THE LORD.”
HE SAYS “WITHOUT HOLINESS”!
JUSTIFICATION IS ALL - WHAT GOD DOES.
- WE CAN’T DO NOTHING BUT RECEIVE IT. RIGHT?
BUT,
SANCTIFICATION WE HAVE A PART IN, WE HAVE TO CLEANSE OURSELVES.
HE SAYS “PURSUE PEACE WITH ALL AND HOLINESS WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN WILL SEE THE LORD.”
SOME PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS AS A GOAL WE SHOULD REACH FOR, BUT GOD SAYS WHAT HE MEANS & MEANS WHAT HE SAYS!
LET’S READ ON, BECAUSE HE’S NOT THROUGH
VS. 15 - LOOKING CAREFULLY LEST ANYONE FALL SHORT OF THE GRACE OF GOD;
AIN’T NO WAY YOU CAN FALL SHORT OF GOD’S GRACE.

BUT,
WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND GRACE AS BEING GOD’S EMPOWERING PRESENCE TO GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO CLEANSE YOURSELF SO THAT YOU WALK IN HOLINESS & SEE THE LORD –
THEN YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HOW SOMEONE CAN RECEIVE IT IN VAIN.
IT WOULD BE LIKE YOU FALLING OVER-BOARD & ME THROWING A LIFE PRESERVER TO YOU SO YOU DIDN’T DROWN, BUT YOU DIDN’T USE IT TO GET BACK TO THE BOAT.
NOW GO WITH ME TO II TIMOTHY 3:1 -“KNOW THIS THAT IN THE LAST DAYS…
· NOW, HOW MANY OF YOU BELIEVE WE’RE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS?
· YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE SPIRITUALLY COMOTOSE TO NOT KNOW WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS.
· JESUS REBUKED THE PHARASEE’S FOR KNOWING THE SEASONS IN THE NATURAL BUT YOU CAN’T DISCERN THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
· IF YOU ARE WALKING WITH GOD YOU WILL KNOW THE SEASONS OF HIS RETURN.

PAUL SAYS, “KNOW THIS THAT IN THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES WILL COME”.
THE NIV SAYS “IN THE LAST DAYS TERRIBLE DAYS WILL COME.”
THE NLT SAYS, “VERY DIFFICULT DAYS WILL COME.”
THE AMPLIFIED SAYS “PERILOUS TIMES OF GREAT STRESS AND TROUBLE, HARD TO DEAL WITH AND HARD TO BEAR”.

NOW, PAUL LOOKS AT OUR DAY AND SAYS “ITS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT”.
HE WENT ON TO SAY 3 TIMES I WAS BEATEN WITH RODS.
BY BEATING PAUL WITH RODS THEY WOULD LITERALLY BRUISE THEIR BONES.
- HE SAID I’VE BEEN STONED AND LEFT FOR DEAD ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS.
FOLKS, THIS IS THE SAME MAN WHO LOOKS AT MY DAY & CALLS IT DIFFICULT.
LET ME READ THIS OUT OF THE AMPLIFIED & NEW LIVING TOGETHER.
“BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].
For people will be self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate desires for wealth, proud and arrogant and boasters. They will be abusive disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.
3 -They will be unloving and unforgiving, relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); they will be false accusers, intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.
4 - They will be betrayers, rash, and inflated with self-conceit. They will be lovers of pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.
SO THEY WILL LOVE PLEASURE MORE THAN THEY LOVE GOD.
5 - For although they hold a form of piety (true religion / true christianity), they deny and reject the power that could make them godly.
WHAT POWER IS THAT? GRACE

That's just a taste of the sermon. We will be back later this week with more of this POWERFUL sermon on "Living in Perilous Times."

Follow the Star

MATTHEW 2:1-2
1 NOW WHEN JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDAEA IN THE DAYS OF HEROD THE KING, BEHOLD, THERE CAME WISE MEN FROM THE EAST TO JERUSALEM,
2 SAYING, WHERE IS HE THAT IS BORN KING OF THE JEWS? FOR WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR IN THE EAST, AND ARE COME TO WORSHIP HIM.

Every man has 2 people inside of them. A king and a fool.
Whichever Cyndi talks to is who she gets.

I want to speak to the king in everyone’s hearts today.
I believe we have a mission, God had the provision of heaven He was moving kings around the world to make provisions
· He knew he would have to run away from Egypt.
· He knew of the massacre of Bethlehems child.
· Out-rage of Herod

When God births something in you, he will send kings from the other side of the world to support one of his babies.
· I can see King Gaspar; Belthazar; & Melchior looking up into the sky,

And they look up, …“look up there” …kings left the protection of their world.
You know you’re a king when you see stuff that no one else sees.
You know you’re a king when you leave your world of safety to risk everything to follow the star of your life.
I’M TALKING TO KINGS TODAY.

God’s looking for People who are willing to follow the star, NOT Hollywood but Bright and Morning Star...
These men set out.
IT WAS “RIDICULOUS”, WHAT THEY DID!
- We serve a ridiculous god with ridiculous grace, that calls us out of darkness with a ridiculous love.
- Surely not Bethlehem, surely not shepherds, that’s ridiculous.
- The fact that he saw me in my sin is ridiculous.
- The fact that I’m a joint aire of Jesus is ridiculous.
- His love has no boundries.
- He is utterly ridiculous.
-
These 3 kings set out across the world to find a baby that hadn’t been conceived.
- The angel hadn’t whispered to Mary yet.

Anything born of God will be provided for by God.
WHEN DO YOU SEE STARS? AT NIGHT!
When everybody else is sleeping, Kings are looking for stars.
When everybody else is cuddled up at night, Kings say “I’ve got to go”
A king will leave safety!
A king stands up in the dark & says “I’m following my destiny.
In this church today, I want to anoint kings, I want to move forward into 2009 and raise up some kings.
· SO HERE’S SOME STARS.
- This year we’re going to see some families saved.
- This year we’re going to give more to God than ever.
When people squabble & fight on penny annie petty things, I can’t. I’ve got a star to follow.
How many times have I sit down and not been a King.
When David was in ziglag.
He was a mercenary.
The philistines had possessed God’s praise.
And David was working as a Mercinaries.
David was doing something he wasn’t suppose to be doing.
HE WASN’T KING
They paid him off. The praiser, the worshiper, was fighting for the enemy.
He was gone one day, and they slaughtered, murdered & raped their wives and daughters. They hated the Israelites.
And when David came back from doing what he shouldn’t of been doing, his family was gone.
When people start doing stuff they should never be doing. Their families, their children pay the price.

When you put your hand against the ark of god… there’s hell to pay and it will show up in your family!
Mark it down!

So David inquired of the Lord
David took the spoils of the people.
The prodical still had enough of His father in him to say “what, am I doing here." The servants in my fathers house have better than this.

What we need to do in the next few weeks is call our kings home this year…
We need to put the names of every unsaved loved one in the new church.
Bring the pictures of your lost loved ones.
Put the rock in the middle of the altar.