Be A Now Person

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See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:34.360 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:37.160 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:39.600 If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:41.199 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.200 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:50.720 your life. Well, God bless you. It's a joy to 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:53.520 come into your homes. We love you, and if you're 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:55.880 ever in our area, please stop buy and be a 0:01:55.880 --> 0:01:58.520 part of one of our services. I promise you. We'll 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:00.600 make it feel right at home. But thank you for 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:03.400 tuning in and thanks again for coming out. I like 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:06.240 to start with something funny in I heard about this man. 0:02:06.720 --> 0:02:10.560 He was at the airline ticket counter, hollering and screaming 0:02:10.639 --> 0:02:14.160 at the agent, being so rude. As he continued to 0:02:14.280 --> 0:02:17.400 rant and rave, the agent was just as calm and 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:21.040 polite as could be, treated him so respectfully, like it 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:23.799 didn't even bother her. He left, and the next man 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:27.520 stepped up and said, Wow, I am so impressed. You 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:30.480 must be a Christian. How could you possibly be so 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:33.200 kind to him? She smiled and said, oh, it wasn't 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:36.400 that hard. See he's going to Detroit, but his bags 0:02:36.400 --> 0:02:41.040 are going to Bangkok. Hold your Bible up and say 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:43.920 it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I 0:02:43.960 --> 0:02:46.240 am what it says. I am. I have what it 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:48.800 says I have. I can do what it says I 0:02:48.800 --> 0:02:51.880 can do. Today I will be taught to word of God. 0:02:52.360 --> 0:02:56.640 I've boldly confessed. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:02:56.960 --> 0:03:00.560 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:00.639 --> 0:03:04.160 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:04.200 --> 0:03:08.280 being a now person. It's easy to put things off 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:11.639 we plan on doing it. We have good intentions, We're 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:14.280 just going to do it later. One day, I'm going 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:17.480 to start exercising. One day, I'm going to get my 0:03:17.520 --> 0:03:20.840 finances in order. One day I'm going to forgive that 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:24.120 person that hurt me. The problem with this kind of 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:28.440 thinking is one day never comes. There will always be 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:32.200 some reason not to do it. How many people know 0:03:32.360 --> 0:03:35.600 doubt in their heart things they need to change. God's 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:39.200 been dealing with them for months, maybe even years, but 0:03:39.280 --> 0:03:42.560 they keep making excuses. Soon as I get through this 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:45.800 busy season, then I'll spend more time with my family. 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:49.280 Soon as the price of gas goes down, then I'll 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:52.840 start tithing my income. Soon as my child gets out 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:55.280 of diapers, then I'm going to get my family back 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:58.960 in church. They try to justify it, knowing that they're 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:03.720 planning to do it, but good intentions don't equal obedience. 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:06.920 The quicker you do what you feel down in your spirit, 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:10.360 the happier you're going to be. The reason some people 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:13.640 go around with this heaviness is they've got so much 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:17.880 unfinished business. They know they need to forgive, they know 0:04:17.960 --> 0:04:20.320 they need to treat someone better, but they just keep 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:23.120 putting it off. The longer we put it off, the 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:26.240 more difficult it's going to become. I heard a point. 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:31.880 Procrastination is my weakness. It only brings me sorrow. I 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:37.080 know I should give it up. In fact I will tomorrow, friends, 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:41.039 Tomorrow never comes. It's always out in the future when 0:04:41.080 --> 0:04:43.960 God brings something to light. If you'll deal with it 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:48.080 right at the first, you'll have a special grace. You'll 0:04:48.080 --> 0:04:52.040 feel God's enabling power helping you to do it. God 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:54.839 will never ask you to do something and then not 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:58.560 give you the ability to do it. But when we're passive, 0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:00.880 we think, yes, I know, Oh, I need to do it. 0:05:01.000 --> 0:05:04.880 Maybe next week. Next week turns into next month, next 0:05:04.920 --> 0:05:08.200 month turns into next year. What happens is we miss 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:11.760 that season of grace. Let me ask you, is there 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:15.080 something you're putting off? You know you should take that 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:17.919 class to improve your skills, but you're going to do 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:20.960 it later. You know you should get up a little 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:23.560 earlier to have that quiet time, but you haven't got 0:05:23.600 --> 0:05:27.840 around to it. This is a call to action. Your 0:05:27.880 --> 0:05:32.599 destiny stands before you. God has something amazing in your future. 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:38.400 But it says in Proverbs complacency kills. Being passive will 0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:41.919 keep you from God's best. And many times it's not 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:45.800 big things that hold us back. It's small things. You 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:49.080 haven't balanced your checkbook in two years. Every time you 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:52.080 go to write a check, you feel guilty. Something says, 0:05:52.400 --> 0:05:55.880 get your finances in order. Don't put it off. If 0:05:55.880 --> 0:05:58.880 you're not faithful with what you have, God won't entrust 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:02.119 you with more. When lady told me how she hadn't 0:06:02.160 --> 0:06:04.880 balanced her checkbook and so long, she just closed the 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:07.800 account and opened up a brand new one. At least 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:11.080 she took action. I have people tell me, Joel, I'm 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:13.800 gonna start giving. I'm going to start tithing my income 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:17.200 as soon as I make more money. No, don't wait 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:20.240 until you have a thousand dollars tithe on the ten 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:24.159 dollars you have right now. Little things you drive home, 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:27.560 You see that garage you've been meaning to clean for 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:31.039 six months. Every time you look out there, it depresses you. 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:34.839 Don't go another day like that. Put your foot down, 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:38.240 Like Larry the Cable Guy says, get her done, do 0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:42.279 something about it. It's amazing how much more will enjoy 0:06:42.360 --> 0:06:46.239 life if we don't put things off. When we procrastinate, 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:50.080 it causes us to feel badly about ourselves. Knew a 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:53.400 man at the gym years ago, and he started having 0:06:53.440 --> 0:06:57.120 some health issues. I found out that he didn't have insurance. 0:06:57.480 --> 0:07:01.280 He was struggling financially. I knew, deep down I was 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:04.480 supposed to help him. I felt it so strongly, something 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:08.400 saying Joel, give him a gift. Now. I had good intentions. 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:11.280 God knew my heart, but I kept putting it off. 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:14.120 The first week I saw him at the gym, thought, oh, man, 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:18.400 forgot my check book. Again. Next month, still hadn't done anything. 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:21.800 Every time I saw him, I felt a gnawing feeling 0:07:21.920 --> 0:07:25.280 right down in here. One day, I simply did what 0:07:25.360 --> 0:07:28.440 I'm asking you to do. I left the gym when home, 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:30.640 got my check book, wrote him a gift, stuck it 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:33.560 in his gym bag. Soon as I did that, I 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:37.400 felt the heaviness release off of me. See. God doesn't 0:07:37.440 --> 0:07:42.840 reward good intentions. He rewards obedience. So often we think, 0:07:42.920 --> 0:07:46.280 like I did, I'm planning on being a blessing. I'm 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:50.480 planning on volunteering, I'm planning on eating healthier. We need 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:53.600 to move from planning to do it. I was talking 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:56.520 to a lady recently. There's this person at her work 0:07:56.560 --> 0:08:00.480 that's very controlling, very manipulating. This has been going on 0:08:00.560 --> 0:08:03.840 for years. She's allowed this to happen. It's gotten worse 0:08:03.920 --> 0:08:07.320 and worse. She knows she needs to confront this lady, 0:08:07.560 --> 0:08:10.520 she needs to make a change, but she's more quiet 0:08:10.600 --> 0:08:14.280 and reserved. She doesn't like to deal with conflict, so 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:18.760 she goes on year after year living in mediocrity. When 0:08:18.800 --> 0:08:22.280 God asks you to do something that seems hard, number one, 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:25.000 God will always give you the grace to do it, 0:08:25.600 --> 0:08:29.239 and number two, it's because He has something so much 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:32.800 better in your future. But if you just keep putting 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:36.120 it off, then you're putting off what God wants to 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:39.559 release back to you. I know people that have been 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:43.160 planning to make peace with the relative for twenty years. 0:08:43.720 --> 0:08:46.600 One day, I'm going to reconcile. One day, Joel, I'm 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:50.559 gonna swallow my pride and I'm gonna apologize. They don't 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:53.600 know what they've missed the last twenty years, The joy, 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:58.160 the peace, the opportunities that God didn't release back because 0:08:58.200 --> 0:09:01.040 they kept putting it off. I was reading about this 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:04.319 forty two year old executive. He was on the cover 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:09.440 of Newsweek magazine years ago. The headline read, the Whiz 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:13.480 kid of Wall Street. He had a brilliant mind. He'd 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:17.160 helped start several major companies. The reporter that was doing 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:20.080 the story went back to the town he had lived 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:23.360 in some years before and interviewed people that knew him. 0:09:24.040 --> 0:09:27.160 He found out there was an alcoholic that lived in 0:09:27.200 --> 0:09:30.760 the city park with this man's same name. Toward the 0:09:30.840 --> 0:09:32.760 end of the interview, he kind of laughed and said, 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:36.160 I found out something you may not know. There was 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:39.200 a homeless man that lived in your city at the 0:09:39.240 --> 0:09:42.480 same time you did. He had your same name, your 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:47.640 same age, your same race. What a coincidence. This executive said, 0:09:47.880 --> 0:09:50.880 that wasn't a different man. That was me. I was 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:55.040 an alcoholic. I was homeless, doing nothing with my life. 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:58.520 The reporter's eyes got so big, said tell me more. 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:01.559 He said, when I would living in the city park 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:06.600 using newspapers to cover me up, I always knew one 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:09.760 day I would be successful. I knew one day I 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:13.400 would be sitting here. But I was just waiting to 0:10:13.480 --> 0:10:17.679 get started. Many people are like him. They may not 0:10:17.720 --> 0:10:21.000 be homeless, may not have a big addition, but they're 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:29.640 waiting to get started. They have incredible gifts, talents, businesses ideas, movies, books, inventions, 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:34.240 but they keep putting off moving forward, thinking one day 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.520 I'll take a step of faith. One day I'll be 0:10:37.600 --> 0:10:40.840 more disciplined. One day I'll get my life straightened out. 0:10:41.360 --> 0:10:44.520 One day I'll go back to school. Now, don't live 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:48.400 waiting for one day. Start doing what you know to 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:54.200 do today, friends, life is short. Time is flying by. 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:56.640 You can't afford to put off what God's put in 0:10:56.679 --> 0:10:59.720 your heart. You don't have time to live with things 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:03.040 whole than you back. You have seeds of greatness on 0:11:03.120 --> 0:11:07.720 the inside. Today can be your new beginning. Today can 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:10.800 be the start of something amazing. If we're going to 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:14.199 reach our highest potential, we have to be now, people, 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:18.120 because there are some opportunities that God brings across our 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:22.480 path that have a limited window. They are not always 0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:25.400 going to be there. The prophet Joel said in the 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:29.280 scripture to wake up the mighty men, wake up the 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:32.840 mighty women. I know I am looking at the mighty men, 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:37.200 the mighty women right now. Of faith. You are history makers. 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:42.160 You are world changers. God wants you to leave your 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:46.520 mark on this generation. But there is an enemy of 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:52.080 your soul. One of his main tools is procrastination. If 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:56.000 he can't deceive you into getting totally off course. He'll 0:11:56.120 --> 0:11:59.040 use something much more subtle. He'll try to get you 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:01.800 to put it off, to be passive, to have an 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:06.439 i'll do it later attitude. No, the scripture says, today, 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:10.120 when you hear God's voice, do not turn away. When 0:12:10.120 --> 0:12:14.320 you hear God speaking to you, be a now person. Today. 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:18.400 I'm going to respond. Today, I'm going to make changes. Today, 0:12:18.480 --> 0:12:21.640 I'm going to come up higher. Your act of obedience 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:26.200 is what triggers God's supernatural favor. This is what happened 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:29.520 to a young lady in the scripture named Esther. She 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:34.200 was an orphan. She didn't necessarily feel qualified, but her cousin, 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:38.880 Mordecai said, Esther, you have come to the kingdom for 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:42.440 such a time as this. He was saying, Esther, this 0:12:42.520 --> 0:12:46.080 is a window of opportunity to make your mark on 0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:50.120 this generation. It wasn't something that she could decide to 0:12:50.120 --> 0:12:53.200 do five years from now, after she got out of college, 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:57.080 after she raised her children. This was a destiny moment. 0:12:58.120 --> 0:13:01.000 She was supposed to stand before the king ask him 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:05.400 to save the people of Israel. Mordecai said something interesting, Esther. 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:09.600 If you don't do it, it will still happen. God's 0:13:09.679 --> 0:13:12.439 plan will come to pass, but you will miss your 0:13:12.520 --> 0:13:16.000 opportunity to be a part of it. See, when we 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:19.800 put things off, we're not stopping God's plan. We're stopping 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:22.720 the fullness of what God has in store for us. 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:26.400 Esther stepped out in faith and helped save the people 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:29.840 of Israel. Today she's listed as one of the heroes 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:33.560 of faith. Friends, it's not how talented you are, what 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:36.720 family you come from, or how many people know your name. 0:13:37.080 --> 0:13:39.720 When you walk in God's ways, he will take you 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:42.800 places that you've never dreamed of. God will help you 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:46.120 to accomplish what you could not accomplish on your own. 0:13:46.760 --> 0:13:50.240 I want a light of fire on the inside. Some 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:53.480 of you are allowing something small to keep you from 0:13:53.520 --> 0:13:59.160 God's best. Unforgiveness is small, fear is small, and addiction 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:04.000 is small. Being undisciplined is small. You have the seed 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:08.120 of Almighty God, the greatest force in the universe is 0:14:08.240 --> 0:14:12.400 breathing in your direction. There is no challenge too difficult 0:14:12.440 --> 0:14:16.920 for you. Don't miss your season. I think about Joshua 0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:19.600 and Caleb when they came back from spying out the 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:23.480 Promised Land. They said, Moses, we are well able to 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:27.920 take the land. Let us go in at once. Notice 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:31.760 not next week, not next year. They were now people. 0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:36.240 But if you overanalyze your situation and you think about 0:14:36.280 --> 0:14:39.120 all the what ifs, you try to get approval from 0:14:39.120 --> 0:14:41.880 all your family and friends, you'll never move off a 0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:46.440 dead ciner. When God puts something in your heart, deep down, 0:14:46.520 --> 0:14:50.400 you know it's a destiny moment. It's a window of opportunity. 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:55.200 You don't need ten confirmations, three angels to appear, lightning 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:57.960 to strike next door. Now, be like Joshua and Caleb. 0:14:58.040 --> 0:15:00.640 I'm gonna go in at once, go to the delay. 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:03.760 I'm not gonna make excuses. I'm not gonna argue with God. 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:07.920 I'm gonna do what he's asking me to do. Romans 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:11.600 thirteen says it is high time to wake up out 0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:16.280 of your sleeps, for your salvation is closer than when 0:15:16.280 --> 0:15:20.080 you first believed. Some of you have let life push 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:23.640 you down. You're not pursuing what God's put in your heart. 0:15:23.800 --> 0:15:27.840 You become passive. But God is saying it's high time 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:32.200 to wake up. Notice the phrasing not just time, but 0:15:32.320 --> 0:15:37.480 high time. That means it's incredibly important. You are coming 0:15:37.520 --> 0:15:40.920 in to a destiny. Moment you are sitting on the 0:15:41.000 --> 0:15:44.280 launching pad, God is about to thrust you to a 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:47.360 new level. What he has in your future is going 0:15:47.400 --> 0:15:50.760 to far supersede what he has in your past. Now 0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:53.720 is not the time to be passive, to be sloppy, 0:15:53.880 --> 0:15:56.840 to be undisciplined. Now, more than ever, is the time 0:15:56.880 --> 0:15:59.800 to get focused. Take care of business, don't put things 0:15:59.840 --> 0:16:04.600 on Why is this so important. Your salvation is nearer 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:08.400 than it's ever been. That means you are closer to 0:16:08.480 --> 0:16:11.080 seeing that dream come to pass than you've ever been. 0:16:11.760 --> 0:16:14.720 You are closer to meeting the right person than you've 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:19.400 ever been. You'll coming into the final stretch. That healing, 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:24.560 that breakthrough, that promotion, that provision is already headed your way. 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:26.880 You may not be able to see it, don't worry 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:29.600 about it. It can see you. Your victory is right 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:32.800 around the corner. Now it's our high time to do 0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:36.000 what God's asking us to do. We have to be 0:16:36.080 --> 0:16:40.000 in position to receive what God has in store. In 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:42.920 the scripture, there was a lady that had been sick 0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:46.560 with a bleeding disorder for twelve years. She had been 0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:50.160 to the best doctors, received the finest treatment, but she 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:53.680 continued to go downhill, but one day she got word 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:57.600 that Jesus was coming through her town. When she heard that, 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:02.080 something came alive on the inside in her spirit. She 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:07.000 knew it was a destiny moment, a window of opportunity. Now, 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:09.680 she could have talked herself out of it, thought, man, 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:11.840 I've been to the best doctors. It's going to be 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:14.680 so crowded. I don't feel well. It would have been 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:18.040 easy for her to dismiss it, to be passive, but 0:17:18.160 --> 0:17:21.320 she didn't do that. She knew it was her high time. 0:17:21.800 --> 0:17:25.320 She knew her healing was headed her way. Instead of 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:27.560 putting it off. You know the story, she fought her 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:30.480 way through the crowd, touched the edge of Jesus Road. 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:34.679 When she did, immediately she was made home. But I 0:17:34.720 --> 0:17:38.520 thought about how many other people were there like her 0:17:38.560 --> 0:17:42.000 in that same type of situation. They were sick, they 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:46.400 were discouraged, they had trouble, but they just watched Jesus 0:17:46.440 --> 0:17:50.840 pass by. They thought, maybe next time somebody will help me. 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:53.800 Maybe one day I'll have a chance. Maybe one time 0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:58.399 it won't be so crowded. No making excuses keeps us 0:17:58.440 --> 0:18:02.639 from our miracle. The right attitude is it's my high time. 0:18:02.960 --> 0:18:06.040 I'm close to my healing. I'm close to my breakthrough. 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:09.560 I'm close to seeing my family restored. That's what it 0:18:09.680 --> 0:18:12.480 means to wake up out of your sleep. You know 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:15.560 there are destiny moments in front of you. You're on 0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:18.800 the lookout. You're not going to miss your season. In 0:18:18.840 --> 0:18:22.439 the Old Testament, God spoke to the people about rebuilding 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:25.600 the temple. It says in the book a HAGII, the 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:29.880 people said that time has not yet come to rebuild 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:34.440 the Lord's house, even though Cyrus had ordered it eighteen 0:18:34.560 --> 0:18:38.840 years earlier. Notice, God had told them to rebuild it 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:42.840 eighteen years before, but they were still saying, it's not 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:46.959 the right time, Let's do it later. I don't believe 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:49.600 when they put it off the first time, they ever 0:18:49.680 --> 0:18:52.560 planned on putting it off. For eighteen years, it just 0:18:52.720 --> 0:18:55.919 kept growing. The first year, Let's don't do it now, 0:18:56.040 --> 0:18:59.439 I'm busy. Second year, it's not convenient. Let's do it 0:18:59.440 --> 0:19:03.440 some other time. Eighteen years later, and they're still putting 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:06.720 it off. What happens when we don't do what God's 0:19:06.760 --> 0:19:10.679 asking us to do. Verse six says, you have sown 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:15.840 much but reaped little. You've earned your wages but you're 0:19:15.840 --> 0:19:19.280 putting them in a bag with holes in it. Verse 0:19:19.280 --> 0:19:24.199 seven says, consider your ways. Notice what happens when we 0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:27.080 put things off. It's like we're trying to fill up 0:19:27.080 --> 0:19:29.720 a bag that has holes in it. We can't seem 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:33.840 to get ahead. There's always something holding us back. What 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:37.760 do we need to do? Consider our ways. Let's make 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:41.320 sure we're not doing like them, putting things off. Thinking 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:45.280 one day I'll pursue that dream. One day I forgive 0:19:45.320 --> 0:19:48.560 that person that hurt me, one day I'll get serious 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:52.399 about my relationship with God. Your heart is right, you 0:19:52.480 --> 0:19:56.160 have good intentions, but if you're not careful, one day 0:19:56.359 --> 0:19:59.560 can turn into one year. One year can turn into 0:19:59.560 --> 0:20:03.199 a life. What could be worse than to come to 0:20:03.240 --> 0:20:06.159 the end of our life and have all these regrets 0:20:06.720 --> 0:20:10.080 If I'd only forgiven, if I'd only been more disciplines, 0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:13.399 if I'd only taken that step of faith. Don't let 0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:16.520 that be you. You may have put things off a 0:20:16.560 --> 0:20:19.480 lot longer than you should have, but the good news 0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:23.200 is it's not too late to get started. You can 0:20:23.280 --> 0:20:26.879 still rebuild your temple, so to speak. You can still 0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:31.080 become everything God's created you to be. Don't make excuses 0:20:31.720 --> 0:20:36.160 don't wait for a more convenient time. It says in Ecclesiastes, 0:20:36.560 --> 0:20:39.600 if we wait for all the conditions to be just right, 0:20:40.080 --> 0:20:43.400 we'll never move off. A dead sinner. Make a decision 0:20:43.600 --> 0:20:47.119 to just do it. Be a now person. Your destiny 0:20:47.240 --> 0:20:52.280 is calling out. My grandfather on my dad's side was 0:20:52.320 --> 0:20:56.160 a very good man, a hard worker. But Granddaddy didn't 0:20:56.160 --> 0:20:59.879 have any kind of spiritual upbringing. None of his relatives 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:03.520 knew anything about God. My father was the first one 0:21:03.520 --> 0:21:06.040 in the family, at the age of seventeen, to come 0:21:06.080 --> 0:21:09.280 to know the Lord. Granddaddy Oustin was a very quiet, 0:21:09.600 --> 0:21:15.160 reserved man. My father shared his faith with Grandaddy many times, 0:21:15.440 --> 0:21:19.000 but he wouldn't hear it. He said, John, when I'm dead, 0:21:19.200 --> 0:21:21.520 I'm dead like a dog, Just roll me over in 0:21:21.600 --> 0:21:24.560 the ditch. My father would say, no, Daddy, you got 0:21:24.560 --> 0:21:28.439 to live on somewhere after the stars fall. Like autumn leaves. 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:31.160 Just went in one ear and out the other. Didn't 0:21:31.160 --> 0:21:34.520 have any effect on him. Year after year went by him. 0:21:35.000 --> 0:21:38.040 One Sunday, my father was up in the pulpit at 0:21:38.080 --> 0:21:41.919 the church he pastored at that time, and Grandaddy walked 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:44.760 in the church for the first time and sat on 0:21:44.800 --> 0:21:48.399 the back road. My father was so thrilled. It was 0:21:48.440 --> 0:21:52.159 a dream come true. Right in the middle of his message, 0:21:52.200 --> 0:21:55.280 Granddaddy got up, walked down the aisle and stood at 0:21:55.280 --> 0:21:59.640 the altar, interrupted the whole service. He said, John, I'm 0:21:59.680 --> 0:22:04.960 finishishing today what I started over forty years ago. Daddy said, 0:22:05.000 --> 0:22:08.159 what do you mean. Granddaddy told how when he was 0:22:08.200 --> 0:22:11.160 in his early twenties, he was out in the woods 0:22:11.680 --> 0:22:17.159 and a huge snowstorm unexpectedly came in a blizzard, he 0:22:17.200 --> 0:22:21.760 got lost. He walked for hours and hours, couldn't see anything. 0:22:22.119 --> 0:22:26.959 Temperature below zero. Night fell. Now he's out there in 0:22:27.000 --> 0:22:30.200 the dark, all alone. He was sure that he was 0:22:30.240 --> 0:22:33.439 going to freeze to death. His body was starting to 0:22:33.480 --> 0:22:36.960 shut down, got very sleepy. He was about to lay 0:22:37.040 --> 0:22:40.920 down in the snow. Before he did, under his breath, 0:22:41.400 --> 0:22:45.080 he said, God, if you'll spare my life and help 0:22:45.160 --> 0:22:47.960 me to make it through this storm, then i'll serve you. 0:22:48.920 --> 0:22:51.640 Laid down in the snow, expecting that to be the end. 0:22:52.359 --> 0:22:55.560 The next morning, he woke up just as warm as toast. 0:22:56.000 --> 0:22:59.520 Somehow God had kept him alive. He said, John, I've 0:22:59.560 --> 0:23:03.359 put this off for forty years, but today I'm going 0:23:03.440 --> 0:23:05.879 to make good on the promise that I made God. 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:13.560 My grandfather never missed another Sunday at that church. One 0:23:13.640 --> 0:23:16.400 day they asked him to become an usher. You would 0:23:16.400 --> 0:23:18.520 have thought that asked him to become the president of 0:23:18.520 --> 0:23:23.119 the United States. He was so proud, so excited. Granddaddy 0:23:23.160 --> 0:23:26.320 only owned one suit when he died, that suit that 0:23:26.359 --> 0:23:29.280 he was buried in. In the pockets. There were church 0:23:29.320 --> 0:23:33.320 bulletins and church offering envelopes and tracks from the church 0:23:33.359 --> 0:23:37.160 where he had served. How many of us, like my grandfather, 0:23:37.600 --> 0:23:40.840 have made a promise to God. God, if you'll help 0:23:40.880 --> 0:23:44.359 me through this tough time, then I'll serve you. God. 0:23:44.440 --> 0:23:46.680 If you'll give me this job, then I'll get back 0:23:46.720 --> 0:23:50.160 in church. God, if you'll heal my child, if you'll 0:23:50.160 --> 0:23:52.840 help me to pass this college course. God, if you'll 0:23:52.880 --> 0:23:57.720 show me mercy. God did his part. My question is 0:23:57.800 --> 0:24:00.800 have you done your part? Have you made good on 0:24:00.920 --> 0:24:04.680 the promise that you made? God? If not, don't put 0:24:04.680 --> 0:24:08.360 it off any longer. It's not too late to forgive. 0:24:09.080 --> 0:24:11.800 It's not too late to get back in church. It's 0:24:11.840 --> 0:24:15.320 not too late to pursue a dream. God wouldn't have 0:24:15.359 --> 0:24:18.399 allowed you to hear this message unless he had another 0:24:18.760 --> 0:24:21.960 window of opportunity in front of you. This is your 0:24:22.040 --> 0:24:26.119 high time. You are closer to your new beginning than 0:24:26.160 --> 0:24:31.119 you realize. That dream is within reach, that promise is 0:24:31.160 --> 0:24:34.399 within reach. You may have put it off eighteen years, 0:24:34.800 --> 0:24:38.080 like the people in Hagii's day, even forty years like 0:24:38.119 --> 0:24:41.919 my grandfather. Good news is, God is not mad at you. 0:24:42.680 --> 0:24:45.880 He's not holding that against you. If you will make 0:24:45.960 --> 0:24:48.840 good on the promise that you made God, then you 0:24:48.880 --> 0:24:52.600 will step into a life that's more rewarding, more fulfilling 0:24:52.760 --> 0:24:56.359 than you ever even dreamed of. I read last week 0:24:56.720 --> 0:24:59.800 about this one hundred and four year old lady that 0:25:00.160 --> 0:25:03.800 just graduated from high school. They asked her why she 0:25:03.880 --> 0:25:06.560 went back to finish. She told how when she was 0:25:06.600 --> 0:25:09.840 ten years old, she was taken out of school to 0:25:09.960 --> 0:25:13.359 help her parents on the farm. Make ends me, she 0:25:13.560 --> 0:25:16.880 promised her mother that she would finish high school. She said, 0:25:16.920 --> 0:25:20.439 I didn't want to die without keeping my promise. Have 0:25:20.560 --> 0:25:24.360 you made a promise to God, a promise to your parents, 0:25:25.160 --> 0:25:28.480 or maybe you promised yourself. I'm not going to live 0:25:28.520 --> 0:25:30.919 with this bitterness. I'm not going to go around with 0:25:30.960 --> 0:25:35.520 this anger. Make good on your promise. Maybe you promised 0:25:35.520 --> 0:25:38.040 yourself I'm not going to get stuck at this job 0:25:38.119 --> 0:25:41.080 and settle here when I've got so much more in me. 0:25:41.800 --> 0:25:45.800 Keep your promise. Maybe you promised yourself, I'm not going 0:25:45.880 --> 0:25:48.520 to hang around these people that are dragging me down 0:25:48.640 --> 0:25:52.440 my whole life. Has it been a year, five years, 0:25:52.600 --> 0:25:55.639 twenty years? What are you waiting for? You owe it 0:25:55.680 --> 0:25:59.560 to yourself. When the people of Israel were in slavery, 0:26:00.119 --> 0:26:03.119 God sent different plegs on their enemies to try to 0:26:03.200 --> 0:26:06.720 convince them to let them go. Pharah was very stubborn, 0:26:06.840 --> 0:26:09.960 very hardheaded. He wouldn't do it. One of the plgs 0:26:10.320 --> 0:26:14.560 was the land was filled with millions of frogs. Everywhere 0:26:14.600 --> 0:26:17.640 they looked frogs in their home, frogs in their bed, 0:26:17.800 --> 0:26:20.720 frogs in their food. They couldn't walk without stepping on 0:26:20.760 --> 0:26:25.440 a frog. They got so miserable. Pharaoh finally called Moses 0:26:25.520 --> 0:26:29.120 back in. Said Moses, hey, we've learned our lesson. Please 0:26:29.560 --> 0:26:34.000 ask your God to take away these frogs. Moses said, 0:26:34.000 --> 0:26:37.399 I'll do it. Pharaoh, you set the time. When do 0:26:37.480 --> 0:26:39.920 you want it to happen? You would think he would 0:26:39.960 --> 0:26:44.000 say right now immediately at this moment, No, Pharaoh said 0:26:44.200 --> 0:26:48.720 take them away tomorrow. He was saying, we can put 0:26:48.800 --> 0:26:53.080 up with these frogs just one more night. How many 0:26:53.080 --> 0:26:55.840 times do we do the same thing, Joel, I'm going 0:26:55.880 --> 0:26:58.800 to forgive, but I'm going to do it tomorrow. I'm 0:26:58.840 --> 0:27:01.840 gonna have a better attitude. I'm gonna quit worrying tomorrow. 0:27:02.480 --> 0:27:05.640 We're saying, like Fairo, I can put up with this addiction, 0:27:06.000 --> 0:27:09.520 with this worry, with this mediocrity, twenty four more hours. 0:27:10.200 --> 0:27:13.120 Now our attitude should be I'm not gonna spend one 0:27:13.160 --> 0:27:15.879 more night with the frogs, putting up with things that 0:27:15.920 --> 0:27:18.760 are not God's best. Today, I'm gonna get my life 0:27:18.760 --> 0:27:23.159 straightened out. Today. I'm gonna forgive today, I'm gonna stop worrying. Today, 0:27:23.160 --> 0:27:26.479 I'm gonna take a step of faith. Friends, your time 0:27:26.680 --> 0:27:30.960 is too valuable, your destiny too great, your future too 0:27:31.000 --> 0:27:34.480 bright to waste a single moment. You gotta shake off 0:27:34.480 --> 0:27:38.560 being passive, shake off being complacent, rise up with this 0:27:38.680 --> 0:27:42.040 new boldness. My prayer is we're gonna be like Joshua 0:27:42.080 --> 0:27:44.840 and Caleb, not put it off people, but let us 0:27:44.880 --> 0:27:47.359 go in at once, people like the lady with the 0:27:47.400 --> 0:27:50.400 issue of blood. We're not gonna miss our season. We're 0:27:50.400 --> 0:27:54.320 gonna be people of action. Here's my assignment. Think of 0:27:54.359 --> 0:27:58.480 at least one area that you've been procrastinating in your health. 0:27:58.840 --> 0:28:02.200 Your finances are a relationship. Not taking a step of faith, 0:28:02.880 --> 0:28:05.600 make a decision that you're going to start working on 0:28:05.680 --> 0:28:09.439 it today. You don't have time to wait another year 0:28:09.760 --> 0:28:13.320 to forgive, to get back in shade, to pursue a dream. 0:28:13.760 --> 0:28:16.960 This is your high time. You are close to seeing 0:28:17.000 --> 0:28:20.119 that promise come to pass. If you will be a 0:28:20.280 --> 0:28:23.240 now person and be quick to do what God's asking 0:28:23.280 --> 0:28:26.760 you to do, then I believe and declare healing is coming, 0:28:27.040 --> 0:28:31.400 promotion is coming, favor is coming, breakthroughs are coming. You're 0:28:31.440 --> 0:28:34.320 going to live the abundant life that God has in 0:28:34.400 --> 0:28:37.240 store if you receive it. Can you say amen? This morning? 0:28:38.800 --> 0:28:41.680 We never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:28:41.720 --> 0:28:44.560 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:44.840 --> 0:28:49.200 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:28:49.360 --> 0:28:54.080 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:28:54.120 --> 0:28:57.720 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:28:57.800 --> 0:29:01.040 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in 0:29:01.120 --> 0:29:04.360 a good Bible based church, Keep God first place. He's 0:29:04.400 --> 0:29:06.600 going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:07.280 --> 0:29:10.240 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:10.240 --> 0:29:13.640 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:13.720 --> 0:29:16.240 keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:16.400 --> 0:29:18.640 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:18.640 --> 0:29:20.080 with those all around the world. 0:29:20.440 --> 0:29:23.200 Visit Joelosting dot com or click the link in the 0:29:23.240 --> 0:29:25.400 description to partner with us today. 0:29:25.680 --> 0:29:28.160 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:28.200 --> 0:29:31.000 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:31.080 --> 0:29:34.160 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:29:34.200 --> 0:29:35.040 see you next time. 0:29:37.000 --> 0:29:39.520 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:39.560 --> 0:29:43.320 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:29:43.360 --> 0:29:46.600 been ill equipped to help. 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