May 9, 2021 - How to keep hoping when the finish line keeps moving

Maybe not that. We we expected, but longer than most of us want to taller 8 +

I think we've all had times when hope we've experienced that hope deferred makes the heart sick.

and, I had an attitude completely different series. The series on discernment. I was planning on on preaching, but I got a table that for another time. with the news that came up from the province because I really do we need need, as I think we need to know how How to navigate The New Normal?

Because I don't know about you but I know for myself, I have had things. I just excused like I've put off I've put off until another time. And I don't know if that's why I know for a fact that's not God, what God wants us to do. I do believe that we need to obey God.

In new and different ways like still obey God but but do that in ways that we might not have thought of, we need creativity at this time.

But first off, we need to acknowledge like when when we need to know how to hold, keep hoping when the Finish Line keeps moving.

the problem that we have is it, we live in a province where the finish line for covid-19 hasn't even been established yet. We don't know when they're going to say. Okay, we can go out. And it doesn't matter if you think the government was slow in doing the right thing, and this is the right thing, they should be doing now. It doesn't matter if you think that Yes, we need to protect the most vulnerable, but haven't the most vulnerable had the chance to get the shot and if they want to protect the system, why have they only got it? The system, the time that they've been in power, I don't think they have a moral responsibility. Don't have a moral leg to stand on to say that they're protecting anything that they're cutting.

It doesn't matter what side of the political Spectrum, you're on all of us need to endure. All of us need to press on all of us. I need to figure out a way to get through this time in this season that we don't know when it's going to end.

Does it really matter what it matters? Because Not only. when this situation is just one, small part, I'm sorry I had to laugh because Karen is doing the broadcast and she said, sometimes when she seems up it's like, you know, she just got shut off my head for a while there, but that's okay.

I think by the time we get this done, I'm going to have my computer up here, we're going to be interacting with people because I already sent know that you're on Facebook and you're doing a great job and you're interacting and you're loving on each other. That's great. And we can bring it all the comments from my everywhere else and honestly it just scares me to do that cuz I'm so easily distracted and I just get on to the comments and I got like pages to go through here, but what was my point? I don't know. We're all going to have times in her life. When Whether it's at our health, whether it's our relationship, whether it's our finances, we're all going to feel like that Finish Line keeps getting pushed off that answer really wasn't being absurd. That that that, that Milestone really didn't matter as much as we were hoping it would

And right now my stuff like that. That's my life. Okay. A year ago, I was doing great. I had lost 75 lbs, I was walking 10,000 steps every day, I was feeling good, it was awesome. And I was on a walk on flat ground and I started getting a little bit dizzy and chest pains, and I took the shot of nitro not a big deal, it happened before when I go up. Mountains are going up a hill and it would happen. If I take a shot of nitro Nitro kind of expands all the cells in your body. So you have a bad headache for the rest of the day next day. Everything is good. That's what I totally expected. I took a cut line at think a couple shots at Nitro and walk really slowly home cuz I was young 10,000 steps away and I got home and I never got better. I I never got back to where that was and, You know, thinking it was the heart, we had to go up face that is at the heart of hearts find rate, what's next, what's going on? And in the last year, I've had 12 consult with my MD, I've had three meetings with two cardiologists. I fired the first one I've had to stress test to echocardiograms and several other test, everything is good. I had an upper gastro gastro intestinal. They checked the spike going up and down. Everything's good. There, I have been only had one visit to the ER, which is better than the last few years. But I also it's because I've got a nice one point, ECG on here, and I've got this other 6.0 ucg so I can take my own ECGs. And if it's not a problem, I'm not going in. And I take my own blood pressure and Oxygen levels and all that stuff. So,

I went, when I went to get glasses, I had to go to the to the eye doctor eye, doctor found something in my eye, and he wants me to come back in 6 months because if it, he doesn't know if I've had in my whole life, or if it's something that's growing to grow in six months. And if it grows in six months, he's got an ophthalmologist for me to see. I've gone to the respiratory therapist and did a test for sleep. Apnea wasn't the problem. My hip is slipped out a couple of times and I've got this I had surgery a number years ago, like 2004 and the scar tissue from the surgery. Sits on the nerve that runs down my leg. And so, a couple of times, like, I had no feeling in my leg. That's what was happening last weekend. My physical therapist takes care of that, she's really good.

A couple of weeks ago, that's what was happening. My my pain, I was in pain, I was standing up all the time. And I got the report from the biopsy that this is actually squamous cell carcinoma. Which means it's not a deadly cancer, only 3% of the time. It's a, it's an aggressive cancer that they need to take care of. So I'm booked for surgery and the beginning of June, where they'll try to make sure it gets taken out. So, I got that. Surgery on my face. And I woke up one morning with no. Like, it felt like my face fell asleep. This half of my face. It like when you sleep on your arm and pins and needles and it was like, it was painful for half an hour. And so, what's that about good news, is it probably wasn't a stroke because my doctor is seeing all those things that I'm not. So when he says they're good, it means they're not blocked because it got heart disease, all through my veins but the the so he doesn't think it's that because it was a stroke there, be some drooping or speech slurred. And it wasn't that so he thinks it's more neurological great. So, I'm looking for a neurology, I found trying to get into a neurologist and get an MRI.

And if you've been through this, you know, like it's the news that could be good news. It is, you got news that could be something else and it just gets pushed down the line and it gets pushed down like it could be a year before I see the neurologist. So what do I do in the meantime?

And what happens when I see one? What did that's like if she find something? That's not good news.

What do you do? I was really feeling like it was a pile on Trevor for Lucifer sicknesses and my body of the last couple of weeks, you'll like it. Just like, what do you do? How do you supposed to do?

The.

If you been there physically or in a relationship or with your finances and it's keeps on almost get out and then it down almost get out. This is what I'm talking about today. This is what we all need to know. It doesn't matter if it's covid related, it doesn't matter. If it's, it's life related, we need to know what we're doing in this. At the one thing that I've learned and what I try to practice and what I check up on myself is is a, my strengthening of myself in the Lord. That's the only thing that gets me through. That's the only thing that that allows me to say, okay, maybe whatever yet will I trust yet? Will I hope yet will I he's going to finish writing the story and I'm okay with that. What where does it say how to strengthen yourself in the Lord comes from? That comes from 1st Samuel 30? when David has the worst day of his life, He?

You were supposed to be fighting with the Philistines and the Philistines didn't want to him at their backs, because he knew, they knew the songs. But David killed the said that the ball killed, a thousand Philistines, but wondering if they're back, so they sent him and his men home and they came up the ziklag and ziklag was burning. And all of their family, their kids their children were taken away. And this is what it says in 1st. Samuel 36. It says, David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters. They began up to talk about stoning him, but David found strength in the Lord his God.

It's been quite a few years already but I've gone through the book and looked at the number of times it's at tells us to strengthen ourselves in the Lord and tells of what to do to strengthen ourselves in the Lord.

And a lot of them are things that you and I need to do personally, there's a whole list of things that we do together and that's another sermon when we can finally meet together. It's a whole wonderful celebratory, sermon that I got for that today, I've got this check up for us.

What it is. It's a colored cope with hope to wall and the word is actually check up. And we're going to check up on your soul to see how you're actually doing. Are you actually strengthening yourself in the Lord?

And let's get on with that. Let's pray. That was a good introduction. Heavenly father. I do want to thank you that you are God and Lord that you, you're going to work all things together for good. And Lord, you are writing the story. It is going to bring you glory in your holy name. Amen.

So the tool here I call the coop with hope tool. The acronym is checkup. The sea and Jacob. Stew's Joy. I need to choose Joy Nehemiah 8:10 that Nehemiah can continue to go and celebrate with a feast of rich food, sweet drinks, and share Gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is the secret day before the Lord don't be ejected and sad. For the joy of the Lord is your strength. The question I have for us to the soul, check for us. Is where is my joy? Where is my joy?

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy. We need to have joy in the journey joint join in the process. If we don't, we need to know how to get it. So how do you choose Joy? You choose his presence. Psalm, 16:11 says in his presence, is fullness of joy. You choose to obey his word. Jesus said, if you will be my words, my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. John 15-19, you choose Joy before you feel joyful and I love this one in her backpack, I'm going to read it for you. I don't have it here. Have it here even though it had backup 3, 1718 even though the fig tree has no Blossom and there's no grapes in the vine and even though they all of crop failed in the field, lies empty and Barren, even though the flocks died in the field and the cattle barns are empty yet. Will I rejoice in the Lord? I will be joyful in the god of my salvation. Do you choose Joy? Is that something that you want to fight for? It better be something you want to fight for it because if you want to cope with o you need to choose Joy. You what? You get, joy, we all need peace at all times and in every situation and you when you have peace you have joy because it's a God of all hope that fills you with joy and peace as you trust in him so that you could overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. God will give you that Joy. But you need to choose to receive that Joy from him. How are you doing that today? How are you doing that? This week? When was the last time you felt been yourself laughing out loud? I did this morning cuz we If you did a long story, if you see the post, I did about these Bears up here with a masks and bringing my own audience. Emily was saying that I can't even share that. That would be.

She said if the white bear was mail, if you didn't have an opinion to share anyways, but anyway it was something better than that. I was laughing. But To cope with hope he need to choose Joy. So, choose Joy H in the check-up. Each is you need to hear God for yourself. So I'm a hundred, nineteen twenty-seven. And twenty-eight is caused me to understand the way of your precepts. That, I mean, meditate on your wonderful Deeds. My soul is weary with Soros strengthens me. According to your word, the soul check for us. Is have I been making space to hear God's voice? You know, a lot of times when we are offended at God and we get offended God, when we lose hope we get offended, God, when things don't work out, the way we planned, we get offended it. God, when it's not is answer. The answer is down here. And and we find ourselves. I find myself not wanting to hear from God. Because there are times I just rather sold, then actually here, it's going to be okay. There are times I just want to have that pity party, then here get off your butt and do what I told you to do. Get over that, get off your butt and do what he tells you to do. How do you hear God for yourself? Three easy steps for. So I know that you're his sheep and you hear his voice. John 1035 Jesus says that you are as cheap, you hear his voice to be, still Psalm 46, be still and know that I am. God 3. Look to see what he will say. Habakkuk 2 1 and 2 basically give them space. Like look, what is he saying to you? I do conversational journaling all the time. I want to hear his voice. I spend time in his presence. I want to have that July. I want to know what he saying. When I get past myself. do you hear from God, for yourself, like

John 6, Jesus has the most offendable thing. You could say, he had multitudes of people following him. And and you wanted us to know if the crowd. So he said, take my body is real bread, my blood is real drink and they understood him that his body was real Brad and his body was real legends, real drink. And so it says people have to get any boosters turns his disciples and he says, are you going to leave me to? That's how bad it got. Like, people were leaving him so much that he turns his disciples me to leave me to hand feed. Her says, I think it was Peter, he says, where, where will we go? Because you have the words of life,

You and I have access to the words of Life by when we take the time to listen to his voice. It is life, he brings. And so when we are in the middle of it, when we need to keep on hoping, when the Finish Line keeps moving, we need to hear his voice for ourselves. It's not good enough to hear it secondhand. You got to get it for yourself.

If you want to cope with hope you need to hear God for yourself. Ben, Jacob is to engage in service. What do I mean by that? Proverbs 11:25 the generous will prosper. Those who refreshes others? Will they themselves? Be refreshed.

Soulja question is, have I been serving others in love?

This is one that we put off because hey, we're not supposed to be around other people. Guess what? We need to figure this out. We need to figure out how we can serve others in love. This is so important. I'm going to be speaking a whole message on this in the next couple of weeks. But there's two things I want you to think about and do. You need to. If you're not serving others in love, you need to change your view on what you do and change your view on what happens to you. What do I mean by that? Change your view on what you do? Little simple gestures. Change lives. Daily. What do I mean by that? Your friendliness matters. Your smile leaving behind a mask matters. Showing appreciation matters.

You need to know the good things you do that. You think matter. Nothing is make a difference in people's lives. So keep up with doing those small little things to make someone smile. That brings someone joy to bring someone in a little bit more Jesus today, who sings matter.

Little simple gestures. Change lives. Daily. You're the salt, you give the world some flavor. Make the world a better place for people who are with you and the Finish Line keeps getting pushed ahead. OK. Google, you got to change your view and what you do, what you do is important and it matters. Even the little things you need to change your view on what happens to you and this is a big one for me.

I came across the god reminded me of this verse yet. You know Paul calls our troubles are light and momentary troubles. Light and momentary. I think we should consider everything. We're going through as light and momentary but yeah, there's think about this. We get to live forever. This part of our journey is just the preface of the book that goes on forever. Light and momentary. Listen to what what? What they produced? This is what he says in 1st Corinthians 2nd Corinthians 4. 1718 East is for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us and eternal glory that far away's the mall. So we fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what we see what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal Wow. Wow. You're going through the grinder, guess what? It's a light in a momentary.

Hard Times. Come guess what? Their light and momentary.

You don't have that answer. You think you should have, guess what? It's light and momentary.

Did I tell you that boy I didn't even tell you that you got to stop being so impressed with your problems. Get a you get off your butt and start serve on. It start to serve others in love.

It's it's something that we do when we get to get less impressed with the size of our problems and more impressed with helping others, that that makes the difference in our own lives.

That was last point but I did say it. So it's a good point. Now, Get get like understand. We yeah. Change your view on what happens to you and change your view of what you do, what you do matters, whatever little thing you can do, whatever it. It's not necessary that little to the person that you do it for.

You can do things like phone calls. You can do things, like text messages, you can do things like he emails. You can do things like a live cast. You can do things like images or With your, I love seeing your your doodle stuff. Your doodle art stuff that you do updates. It makes me smile when I see it, it makes my day better. Just seeing who sings. It's Your doing those things. And the trick with that is is listen to what God is saying and do it. Listen to what he's telling you to do. Something bring someone brings comes to your mind. Give them a phone call. Give them that email. Give them that text. There's something comes up or maybe I can Dave post that we can do your video posted online. Let's see it online. We couldn't do it this morning. Get it out there.

Do you want to cope with hope?

Well, that is the same part. Yeah, we talked about service. You got engage in service. You got, you got to cope with. Opiate need to serve others in love. Non-negotiable are okay. so, That's a good thing. We're at what have you done? We've talked and talked about choose Joy. Here got for yourself and engage in service. The next see and check up is to catch good teaching. Get that First Corinthians or 2nd Corinthians 12. 19. Paul says, perhaps, you think we saying these things? Just to defend ourselves know, we tell you this as Christ's servants and with God's as God is our witness. Everything we do with your friends is just drink than you. We got strength from hearing, good teaching. Do you get strength but hearing good teaching. I can't even to see, this would be great for interaction because honestly I got like the four people who were up here and that's it. And then we got to cool a koala bear and polar bear with face mask on. So I don't know what you're saying, like better put in the comments if you were listening or paying attention, if you're watching on YouTube on a big-screen you really can't. But if you want to go to Gateway To Live, I was actually texting Karen there so you can see your little love text for mother's day, but you can do that as well. Turns up there, you can talk to her with the text there.

Teaching is to strengthen you and to encourage you to work love and good deeds. And there's all kinds of ways to get good teaching the it's a best teaching the world has ever. Seen is in the world right now. It is, is is now But you got to sit through. You might need to sit through some other stuff to get to it. The.

How do you find? Good teaching. We got an app for that. Okay, Kate, Way. TV you can do find it on our app. You can go to Gateway. TV and that's video-on-demand it has all our old sermons and the messages are our past. You're not old sermons. They are past broadcasts. I'm still hoping to use them on my site for a while.

Last broadcasted kiwi. Kiwi. Tv YouTube, if you don't get overwhelmed YouTube, there's all kinds of really good teaching. ITunes, Stitcher SoundCloud, if you do the podcast, think there's an all kind of whatever. Wherever you listen to your podcast, you can find great teaching the tip. Here is easy to ask others who they're getting encouragement from. If you don't know anybody, if you don't, is this isn't something. You do ask other people who they're listening to and get encouragement from and check them out.

I know I wanted to get the hold of sermon series out of the way cuz it's really important. But hey, if you got questions, talk to somebody. We are available. If you got questions about anybody, and so we're here, we're still here for each other.

Do you create space to be strengthened in the Lord by teaching? Ask Holy Spirit who he wants you to start listening to her how you want you to do a be encouraged through teaching. If you want to cope with, hope you need to catch good teaching. In the key. You know, it's going to be here. The K is you got to know how to wait.

And I'm reading from the book here and it doesn't quite say what I wanted to say. But I'll say what it should have said. So anyway, this is the New Living Translation, a breeding Oh, Jacob. How can you say? The Lord doesn't see your troubles. Oh, Israel, how can you say, God, ignores your rights? Have you not heard? Have you not understood? The Lord is the Everlasting. God, the creator of the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depth of his understanding. He gives power to the week and strengthens the powerless even used become weak and tired. And young men will fall in exhaustion, but those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings. Like eagles, they will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

The the older version say those who wait on the in the Lord. But this version actually translates it the way it should be. Okay, those to wait means to trust How do you? Wait, you need to wait with expectancy. Waiting. With expectancy is to wait with trust. Okay. The wait with him with expectancies, the wait for him to speak knowing that he will answer. Jeremiah 33:3 promises us that the wait with him with expectancies, to wait for his presence to be palpable knowing his presence is what makes the difference between us and all the other people of the world, Exodus 33 15 to 16 and to wait with expectancy is to wait with his pleasure knowing he rejoices over us with singing, Zephaniah 3:17. Do you know how to wait?

Have you been choosing to wait?

And trust and Hope.

We need to have peace at all times. And in every situation we can, you can we rejoice and we Rejoice, always and pray continually, yes, we, yes, we can.

We're all going to have to know how to wait, when the Finish Line keeps moving.

Do you? So the check out we choose Joy. Hear God for yourself and gauge and service. Catch. Good teaching know how to wait. The you is utilize. Praise. We sang this this morning people already, you know, this, those who saw me to those who, through the praise of children and infants have established a stronghold against your enemies silence before Adventure. Soul check for us. Is have I been choosing to praise?

Freeze is a choice that we make. It can't be Hollow and it can't be in cognitive dissonance, what's cognitive? Dissidence. It's when words come out of my mouth where I really can't feel them.

We need to praise at. How do we avoid cognitive dissonance? We We Praise Him in response to who he is, what he is done and what he has promised to do. We can't reason because it's the Christian thing to do. We can't freeze him because it's part of the service. We can't freeze him because we want to get something out of it. We praise him because in response to who he is and what he's done and what he's promised to do. There is a time when you got to say bless the Lord. Oh my soul. But that's Psalm 103 and Psalm 103 throughout some 103, it talks about who got is what he is done and what he has promised to do. So I'm 103. Also tells us the freezer with her whole heart. And you know what it means afraid to do anything with your whole heart, right? It's a, it's a decision. It's an emotion. That's an action. How is it a decision? We decide to praise him for who he is. It's an emotion because we would remind himself for what he's done. When you have those testimonies of yourself, what he has done in the past what he's done, for others, in the past, those things allow you to praise honestly. And without cognitive dissidence, when, when you remind you of the action, as you do something in response to what he's promised to do. Sometimes that's a funny guy. Sometime. I will freeze him in the battle, right? Like what? We've been singing those songs. We got to do it before. We feel like it sometimes, but but remember who he is. For what he's done and it brings it all together. We need to praise him. Why, what it, what is one thing he's promised to do? He's promised to work all things together for good. He's promised that. He's done it in the past. He's going to do it again. He's not finished yet, I can praise him because he is God and he is able, I can praise him because I remember what he's done for me personally and what he's done for others that I've seen working and working their lives. I can praise him because he will work all things together for good.

And it gives me peace for myself, knowing that God is the author of my story. And he is off that. He's, he's offered the whole thing already, every word written before. One of them has come to be, Anything I do in this life, anything that happens to me in this life is just a preference. The before the first chapter it really is Laytonville Terry, it really is not that big a deal in light of Eternity. It's more important for me. To encourage you to work love and good deeds and do love and Good. Deeds myself. And it is for me to have the answers. I'd really like to have last year.

If you want to cope with, hope you need to utilize price. You got to do it. In the final p. You got to pray in the spirit. We're told 1st Corinthians 4 for a person who speaks in a tongue is strengthened personally and what is me some prophecy. Strengthens the entire church, you'd 120 but your friends you must build each other up in the Most. Holy Faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. We we tongues is the least of all the gifts because it's for the individual, not the collective body, but guess what? All of us are individuals. Now when we do have a gather body, there is prophecy, that's for all of us. There is signs and wonders. It's for all of us to build us, all out. There is Revelation that happens that build us all up when were alone, the gift is tongues that we need to be focused on. So how if you if you got the full check question, do you pray in tongues or do you seek to pray in tongues? Praying in the spirit. Yeah, I've already done that. How do you pray in the spirit if you don't know how Ask for it. Luke 11:9 at 9 to 13, tells us to ask and keep asking, so you can keep seeking knock and keep on knocking cuz, you know, God is the father is a good father and he's going to give you the good gifts. So he's going to give you the Holy Spirit. And the second thing is, you got to step out in faith, Hebrews 11:6. It's impossible to please. God without faith. So you, you step out in faith. Free in tongues. If you got them eagerly desire them, if you don't. If you want to cope with hope you need to pray in the spirit.

How you been doing with coping with hope? Here's the check up. Do you choose Joy? Do you hear God for yourself? Do you engage and service? Do you catch? Good teaching? Do you know how to wait? Do you utilize praise and do you pray in the spirit?

That's for us today. How are we doing? Cuz we're not done this trip yet. We're not where this road is not over this continues on. But it is light and momentary troubles and God is working that out for your good for his glory.

There's a blessing. It's actually a prayer in 1st Peter. My first beer that I want to leave us with today. But I I probably could have opened up with and gone through because it says everything that I've just gone through it, just listen to the words of it and realize what God has in store for all of us. Okay. 1st Peter 1 verse 3. All praise to God, the father of our Lord. Jesus Christ is by his great Mercy. That we have been born again because God raised raised Jesus from the dead. Now, we live with great expectation and we have the Priceless inheritance and inheritance it is kept in heaven for you pure and undefiled beyond the reach of any changes changing. The K and through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive his salvation, which is already revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad there is wonderful joy ahead. Even though you must endure trials for a little while, these trials will show that your faith is genuine, it's being tested as fire test in purified School through your faith and is far more precious than gold. So when your face remain strong, through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day. The Christ Jesus is revealed to the whole world. Receipt. You love him even though you never have never seen him so you do not see him now you trust him and you were Joyce with a glorious and an inexpressible Joy. The reward for your trust in him will be the salvation of your souls. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we do what we want to lift up to you, everyone who's part of this community, that that needs. The encouragement to Keep On Keepin On. I pray for those. Who are feeling lonely. I pray for those who are seeking answers that I've just been pushed down farther, And Lord I pray that trust will rise up in us and encouragement and hope would be our guitar just right there. God Lorde.

We do want to pray for our leaders and every level of governments in in Holy Spirit, give them Supernatural wisdom. To make decisions.

And Lord, we pray for an end to this Byron virus, and all of the variance. Lord, we pray. Free that your name would be glorified it in through it. We pray that through simple acts of kindness, we can show your light and spread yourself, Lord. I pray Lord God for the people that we do connect with that, their lives would be brought into your kingdom. That they would know, the hope that they can have in you. The delivery is hope the in the Lord they would they would know.

Allure that they would ask us. The reason for our hope. And I thank you for that Lord.

So Lord today, I do pray for answers for prayer as well.

Because we know that hope deferred makes the heart sick. But a longing for Phil is a tree of life.

The Lord.

Have your way innocent through us.

Elvis the Shine, Your Light bright as a darkness comes in in your name event.