Tony - Moving Forward

Well, aren't you excited to be in the house of the Lord this morning? Can you think about who we are? Why were here who wear who were worshipping the creator of the universe? Created all this that we see some days. We don't like it so much, but when you look at it, it has its own Beauty. the one who sent Christ into the world who died that we might have life and that we might have it more abundant. Send us the holy spirit that we might be empowered for service. What a mighty God we serve really. I don't know how this is going to go this morning. if I was totally obedient, I throw my notes out there somewhere and I just let her go but I've still a little shaky on that one. I know the scripture says open your mouth and I will fill it.

But I'm not quite there yet. But what will happen this morning? You're going to hear a little bit about my personal Journey over the last year. And how it impacts both my individual life and what it means what I'm Discerning. What I believe God is saying about Mosaic and I'm going to kill myself on this thing.

So what I'm talking about this morning is moving forward, but also about free-flowing water.

Let's pray. Holy Spirit, we thank you for your presence here. And Lord, I pray right now that your Holy Spirit Well. Come and settle in upon us that Lord that what you want spoken movie spoken that which shouldn't be spoken will be held back and that Lord it will fall upon good ground, and I pray now in Jesus name. Amen. I knew about this speaking few weeks ago and I went before the Lord and I said, what is it? I'm supposed to talk about he said sister. That's all I got sister and sister and hung around for about a week. Then I developed it a little further. And then God said no you got to rework that it's sister, but it's about free flowing water. And that's not unusual the way God works with me. He he lets me develop a whole thing and then redevelop it a few times and then sometimes he just as well like some Sunday morning till say well, that's not what I want at all. That's why I want you to speak then so I'm not really sure where I'm headed this morning. I have some sense. That's all I can tell you. In Jeremiah 2 and 13 says my people have dug their own cisterns broken cisterns that cannot hold water. In Deuteronomy 8 and 7. It says for the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land a land of Brooks of water of Fountain and spring flowing forth and valleys and Hills. And then it says in John 7:38. He that believeth on me as the scripture has said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water water in the Bible is very important. Then we see it in your lie every book of the Bible riversprings all of these and then as we move forward into the New Testament the water represents the Holy Spirit and if you follow the Bible in Genesis, we start out in the Garden of Eden where there's a fountain spreads out in the four rivers or four rivers. And that water's the whole earth and we end up in Revelation with a river flowing out of the Throne of God until water is very very important water is very important for many things and it's a component of everything out that God has created out there for it to survive and it's also very important for you and I both physically and spiritually physically we need water to survive. I'm a person who doesn't drink water. And I end up being dehydrated every now and then and let me tell you being dehydrated is not a whole lot of fun, but I never think about drinking water and I don't like water. But I love it when I'm dehydrated. I can drink about 4 or 5 glass 8 oz glasses and recover very quickly. So then the water of the holy spirit is the other thing that you and I need very much in this day and age if you think about water.

There's many times in the Old Testament read about where God where they strike the walk rock water comes for in Jeremiah where they straight away looking for other things dug their own sister and then God has to deal with that and their sisters didn't hold the water because it wasn't what God was providing for them. They wanted something different in John's gospel. Think about the Samaritan woman. Heath Jesus said to her I will give you living water. never thirst again

And then elsewhere in John he talks about the Holy Spirit which he describes as living water flowing out of those who believe in him.

So it's easy for you and I to think about the Holy Spirit as a flowing Living Water because when we look at the typology in the Bible, the holy spirit is represented by water Wind Fire and the Bible begins and ends with water. And so there's an important for you and I A cistern is really a well. Different shapes specially in the Old Testament. We read a lot of times they were under drought and the only water they would have would be what they could collect in the sister and see if they would Bill and some of them would have been there's one for you and that one's broken but just ho so some of us who grew up on farms and live in the country Wells with cement rings around it going down very much like a sister some of them larger than others. To collect water and the whole water and y'all know what a rain barrel looks like when it sits and it's not used and it's stagnant. It's not very good and you don't certainly don't want to drink it let alone use it for anything else.

And so This morning. I want you to think about your spirit. or whatever you want to call wherever your soul is. That's your our sister. That's our spiritual sister where the spirit of the Lord dwells in this morning in 1979 when he when the Holy Spirit came and dwelt in his sister. Very renowned experience you and I've had them and do you remember what it was? Like the sky was never Bluer the grass was never Greener everything took on a whole different persona. And the burden that was lifted off of my shoulders. It seems like a wait we had carry I was I think 9 and somebody would say what year old know about that cuz I know my mother and father who are not Christian they were pretty upset that I would accept Christ and wanted to be baptized that was really a big thing in the community and it took the intervention of the deacon of a Baptist Church to convince them. They should let me do what I felt I needed to do at that young age, but it was impactful and to this day. I still remember that green grass. Blue sky the stars in the heaven. They were all different they were new I'm at that point what happens if the Holy Spirit comes in to dwell with inner into our spiritual sister? Then there's that piece that's called in Pentecostal and charismatic Circle the infilling of the Holy Spirit and in Pentecostal cerca another solar which comes and fills us to really over flowy. And it was no big emotional experience for me and I didn't think too much about it Pastor thought it was big stuff and I was trying to figure out what was so big about it because all I had was a few mumbling words and to be there and I went about doing what I did only I was a little more forceful and whatever I was not an emotional high and I thank God for that because one of the issues I've had all of my life is The Flash versus the spirit and I don't want flash I want spirit and so it was not an emotional High that's not to say God has an over the years did things that have touched me emotionally. Definitely he had I learned very young that. God was still there regardless of how I felt and that long as whatever his promise was. That's what I was No, I wished I could tell you that I was always faithful to the extent. I should have been that I was not.

So about a year-and-a-half ago. I was very frustrated. very frustrated I could have been mad at God, but I've never been mad at God, so I didn't figure that was his fault if I was frustrated there must be something else.

I began to and I was set up with church. Set up in the fact that what I believe God wanted to do wasn't happening.

And because I remember God telling me a long time ago that the verse of scripture that says and signs following was for today. And I wasn't seeing what I believe the Bible said we should I should be seen or what should happen when I speak little and so I was frustrated. And I decided I'd talked about about it, which was probably the right route to go. However, it was very embarrassing and very humbling.

and I begin to question God and God big I said God why? God came right back at me with a few questions. And one of the things I say to you brothers and sisters, if you don't want God to tell you don't ask cuz he'll tell you.

and here is I'm skipping all over here, but I'll get where I want to go. God said what how much time are you spending in my presence?

And then he said how much time are you spending reading my word?

I know what those were piercing questions. and then he said I have to look hair cuz they were.

skipping so I need to

and he said when did you last make confession? Well, that was a big one. And then he said how much are you prepared to sacrifice and commitment to what I want to do?

Nothing Lord on retiring. This is time to rest just got time to be doing I did 53 years day and night. I'm thinking it's time to take a sit back. And then the other question was I want about all those things. You said you'd never do again. Are you prepared to do them?

That was that the top one. Is there many reasons why I said I don't want to do the things I did. And people are mainly the big reason.

And that kept me on a journey because I had to take every aspect of my life and I had to open it and I had to deal with it. I was reading a novel a day for the last year. I couldn't add read the Bible through in a year. I couldn't even say how much I did when I compared the time spent in a novel compared to the word. How much time was I spending in his present? Well, if you got to eat hours in a novel and you're still working shut it down pretty fine.

And then the questions about what I do what I did I would say I'd never do was probably the toughest thing. I didn't have a problem with sacrifice of commitment that didn't seem to be the problem. The problem is some of the things I said, I would never do again. One of them was prophecy given never going back there again. Just let me know the little bit as you may have noticed over the last few months. That was a no-go never serving on the board or anything else ever again and God is st.

My wife always did. You never say you're never going to do it again cuz you're going to end up doing I haven't you learned anything yet. No, I have not. And it's hard to take it back.

So that was the beginning of a year-and-a-half journey and where it started started the church because God have you stop and think about what God.

There's about four things. He said. For about two years. He said I'm going to do a new thing. You never gone this way before well God, it looks doesn't look very new to me. It seemed pretty the same. In October, we had a date of prayer and if you remember there was a picture of a picture given of a river with debris in it and our pastor talked about the debris as it was a river and there were seeing sound in the top of the river looks fine. But when you look below the surface of the river there was things there that really with impeding the flow. That was in October. The New Year's Eve our service extended per serving God gave a picture of pipes. I think we have a type. Bulletproof by calling all buildup

Then on February 7th our next prayer meeting there was a prophetic word about Sin. Well, I'm thinking maybe some of that Sid might be some of that crud in the pipe or it might be some of the debris in the water in the river.

It's a when I take that and I put it in my personal life. That's what God's been doing. And he said okay, son, if you want to see what I want to do and you want to be a part of it. You got to get with the program and you got to be doing while I need you to be do it. And first of all, you need to be where I can use you the best.

In prior to the new year I asked the Lord. What is my scripture for 2018 and he said and most of you of heard it Isaiah 43 first 16 18 to 19. This is what the Lord said he who made a way through the sea and I passed through the Muddy Waters here with the key forget the former things do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing. Now it Springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the Wasteland.

That was for me. It was for the church.

Forget the former things. Tradition how we used to do stuff. This is a new day. God said he will be the one who gets the glory for what's going to happen at mosaic. It won't be because Pastor Keith or anyone of the board or advisories or whatever does whatever it's only because we are obedient to God and God does the work. There's a verse in Isaiah 31. It says woe to the obstinate children to those who karaoke plans that are not mine. We heard it said we tried all kinds of things for outreach and the outcome was almost.

I've also heard it said West we must get going gotta move on hurry.

You and I need to be where God needs us to be as individuals and as a body of believers.

He has a plan and you know what God actually talk to us if we take the time. It's when we were very busy. We're used to that sound all the time. Have you ever tried just to sit in God's presence and pry and hear What God Says and what is your mutt mind? Like how long does it take to get to it to that state where not? Everything is bombarding you until you can actually hear what God is saying and God doesn't always yeah, sometimes he's had two with me, but he doesn't always yell. It can be solved still whisper and we can't hear it. When were when there's no noise. We love to talk to God we have all kinds of things to say to God what we want and how we want him to do it and all of the right about that. What is God saying to us? And how what he wants to do?

I also had a picture and it was a picture before the one we had about the river. And it was on a Wednesday night here and it was a picture of doors. And the doors were blue. Blue hat is significant. What was in front of it was white. And they were sort of firing the entrance to the doors. So I said God, I don't understand. If that's crud and whatever it should be black. God said it's not that it's Black it's what you're supposed to be doing and it our pastor started speaking about our spiritual disciplines these for the disciplines that God was expected to be carried out and couldn't get through the door. Which is blue Heavenly God he couldn't get through the door without the spiritual disciplines and practice the Bible reading the prayer the meditation, but whatever that's part and parcel of who we are when we accept the name of Christ and become a follower. I knew the blue with the spiritual realm what I couldn't figure out. What's the white? And it became quite easy. When I asked God to give me a revelation around what it was and it was prayer Bible read repentance and exercising the gift. of the Holy Spirit a spiritual discipline that which we as charismatic Pentecostal people are supposed to be doing

so what is God saying to us today?

Well, when we started out we talked about he wanted to lead us forward and it was going to put us in a really have a mess of my notes. It's gone beyond. Brooks of water fountains and spring 24th and valleys and Hills this water the water of the holy spirit is what you and I have to have in order to reach out there.

I know a time in my life and I can tell you honestly this morning. I'm not where I want to be yet, and I don't expect to be there for a long long time. If I make it before Christ return I doubt it is the process. But it's trying to maintain what you got when the world you're living in this world because you and I are strangers here. We're just passing through and we're going where Billy Graham delete. And until that time you and I are under on the Wheel. You and I are at you've heard it over and over again. We're broken people. And I thank God he didn't roll me away. There were times when he could have. I've been reading the Old Testament and the New Testament simultaneously all the way through and you know what God is merciful. But he's also a judge and he doesn't like something someone he doesn't like something he deals with it. And and so I've learned a lesson that I can't How much do we hear when God actually speaks? So someone gives a message here in the service. How much of it do we take to heart? How much do we meditate on it through the week or do we walk out of here? And God was here and it's all good. God does not waste his words when he gets something it's for a purpose and what we initially think maybe the purpose may not be the full purpose as we meditate on it through the week.

God loves us so much. And he wants to be in close relationship with each one of us. And he wants the best for us. He never shows Tony anything that he wants him to, you know, get rid of put aside or do less of only because he wants me more and more in his presence and more and more relying on him. There's no good for me to think I'm going out there and doing any exploits for God unless the holy spirit is Flowing fully in my life. And when the Holy Spirit is Flowing fully in my life. When I speak it's going to happen.

The Bible says there will be signs following and I've said God I want it. Benny said are you prepared to sacrifice and commit to get it and to do it? Well, yes Lord. I don't know what that means. I know they go be fun at times. But what I do know is God made a promise. It's my it's I can either stand on that promise or I can walk away from it. When I walk away from the promises of God, I'm miserable. I don't know about you. But God has a way of draining us in. God ever ask you to do something when you didn't really want to do it. And then how long did it take for him to really?

Bring you around. Sometimes it doesn't take very long. I can remember sometimes trying to have to give a word of Prophecy that I didn't think I wanted to give because of what it was and I thought I was having a heart attack until I did a God has a way he has a way to work with each one of us because as individuals, we all have different personalities. He knows us so well. He knows exactly how we react how we deal with it. My premise this morning is the river needs to be flowing. The pipes need to be clean before God can do what he wants to do in our midst.

God doesn't want to bring in people from out there in the here. If we're not where he wants us to be. The church is very good at killing people. How many people do you and I know that have been killed or wounded by the church?

We have last chance of wounding if we're right with God in the Holy Spirit is flowing through us the way it should.

I'm just about finished.

My word I was thinking over the past few weeks. So while we were away moving with the cloud was spoken.

Then we were talking about we had our prayer service where the prophetic word was given. We're heading towards a 21-day fast, March 1st.

That's in the sex because it was ordained of God that it should happen. Stop by chance. We're already at the end of month to in 2018.

What who will it participate in the fast? I don't know. What will happen in the fast I can't be sure but I know a few things that should happen and will happen one is it will have an impact on us as individuals? It also will we may be able to hear the what God wants to do next next step?

The God doesn't just say March.

He also there's a preparation in 21 days. At the end of 21 days we come together again. God will speak. God will speak. And there will be no doubt what God wants of me what he wants of you or what he wants of Mosaic. That's why it's being called.

One of the big things in my life have been fear man. It has ruined everything I've ever tried to do and it's because of what happened to me as a child. It's because of a lot of things that brought fear into my life. And I've always had this overwhelming fear and need to be what people expected me to be.

That is gone. That has left in the last year-and-a-half. I don't care if you like me or not Frank play. God loves me. and the fear that I had was man

They're the ones going to hell. I'm going to heaven. I'm supposed to be out there trying to help them find their way. But I couldn't. I was there were times when there was not fear, but the overall riding thing when there were certain things. God wanted me to do very specific some of the dreams that I've had failed because of allowing man to be the one who said it can't be done. And God saying it can be. You and I and II some of you are much younger some of you are older than I am, but God's not finished with one of us yet. There are things God wants to do with with us and for us in the days ahead.

I don't there are many things Pastor Keith was aware of some of the things that's been boiling in my head that I don't know where they're going and if they're going to happen. It doesn't matter matter is that at least they're there and if God says I'll do. Now, I don't know what that's all about. It doesn't matter. The thing is and my willing and yes, I am but it didn't happen over night. It happened when the fear of men left and the love of God fill that Halo and I said I don't care if I want to go out there and believe that God is going to give me a building. He's going to give me a building if it's God's will. I don't have to worry about the circumstances have I got money? I know we ain't going very far on my money. What is my father got? Everything the cattle on a thousand hills his Storehouse is full. He has everything I need and you need in Mosaic need to move forward. We don't have to worry about that piece. We just have to worry about are we where we need to be and are we willing to do it and if we are he will give us what we need.

I wasn't always able to say what I just said as you are. Well aware. Some people said to me you've changed and yes I have changed. But it's a change by the Holy Spirit. It was nothing Tony could do there was things I had to do but first of all, I had to be able to hear God.

I don't know how many years I've got left. Could be none. It could be 10. It could be 20 could be 30. I don't know. But I have to make them count. As you and all the rest of us, do we want our lives to matter? And what do we want them to matter for? It's not about Recreation. It's not about entertainment. It's not about how many vacations I can take. It's about. What impact can I make on the world? And yes, I believe I made an impact in the world in my field of work in the 50-yard years that I put into it and definitely I did. But the greater impact is yet to come. What is a goddess saying to us this morning? Really?

God is really looking at you and I this morning insane asking us to questions.

He's asking us. Do you really want what I want to do? That's the first part of the question. Do you really want it if the answer is yes, then are you willing to sacrifice and commit whatever it takes to see it happen and to be a part of it.

And then he says but now my notes are So Gone. sorry for the mess but I knew this was going to happen. So it's not a surprise.

Are you and I prepared to allow the spotlight of the Holy Spirit to shine into the inner recesses that we never let anybody into. And deal with what's there? Cuz that's what God wants to do to you for you. And I that's what he's doing with Tony right now because What he's going to bring end, it's going to need what I got from God because of what he did down here. The God took a thermometer this morning. You said no cake Tony hot warm cold. Tony is not hot hot hot he's going to be hot. He's going to be bubbling over.

I promise you that God God will allow God to work in my life. It was the Heat's going to rise the thermometers going to go out. What it Where do you sit hot cold?

We don't want to be warm. We want to move towards hot. And I want to be boiling because I want to make a change up there and I can't do it even on hot. That's not hot enough hot. bubbling over so that when we speak to people We're speaking in the power of the authority of Jesus Christ and it's not about how loud I'm going to talk how much I'm going to pray if I should be able to say in the name of Jesus be healed or the name of Jesus Break the Chain of addiction or prostitution or whatever and it happened. All I know is it's not happening and it has to happen. If my Bible and I believe your Bible the same as my Bible says that signs will follow then I'm after the follow. Because I can't do it but I can be a vessel that God can work through and you can be vessels that God can work through but it all depends on you and I what we really want God will flowers to be mediocre. He will allow it to continue on as we're doing. We're in control of our sister.

What is happening to the water in the sister? Is the holy spirit bubbly now flowing are we to the top yet? Are we overflowing and what is it God is speaking in our ear. God has been faithful to Mosaic believe me. He's been Facebook. There was a time when we are $25,000 in debt and didn't know if we could meet the next payroll. That's not the case anymore.

God has used government and all kinds of other agencies where we got grants to provide for things in this building. He will continue to do that as long as we are moving in the direction he wants Woe to the obstinate children who do not come along with the plan that he has. what you and I want may not be what God way of doing things are cuz you and I we just we want it now. And God doesn't work on now. He has a different time table. But he is moving and he is speaking and sold really the question this morning. Is it for you and I what is it? We really want. And are we willing and that's only a question that as individuals we can answer and it's it our court. God bless.

Thank you, Tony. I think everybody got the drift to that.

It's our pipes are clogged. There's things that God is probably saying to us that he wants us to do in following him. And the question this morning is like he said are we willing? I'm not going to say come up and start confessing all your sins. That's not what got to asking this morning. What he's asking is are you willing to follow him as he deals with the stuff in our life that needs to the gunk that needs to come out and he'll show us what needs to come out and when it needs to come out and how it needs to come out but are we willing to do that? Because there's something tremendous on that road, so

the fast we are going to start the fast on the 1st of March you can fast food when and how you want. We're not saying you don't eat for 21 days. We're saying that you figure out what's important to you. Maybe one day a week, maybe two days a week. Maybe you'd give up social media. Maybe you'll give up. I don't know. You know, you think it could be doesn't necessarily have to be food. But we're asking everybody who believes and what was said this morning that we as a testament to God and as an act of willingness to God take something out of our life. So God can put something in And fasting is part of that and so you decide you know, what it is that you personally want to do as the church were not mandating any specific type of fasting. We're just saying we're asking you and some way to deprive yourself of something because you want to have a Consciousness towards God. You want to hear God you want to say God. Yes. I'm willing. So father we thank you for your word today. We thank you for what you're saying. We thank you Father God for the holy spirit that helps us understand all these things and how to be in the play. She want us to be Jesus. You said this I have come so that you can have life to the fullest and father when are pipes are clogged and when we're not listening and we're not following you we are not going to have the life that you designed for us, which is actually the best fullest and most whole life that will give us the most sense of completion and that we're doing what we're here to do and we are being everything that we're supposed to be. So father Come Holy Spirit speak to us this morning as we in our hearts say yay or nay About yes Father. I want to follow you. Yes, I want what you have for me? Yes. I want to give you the gunk in my pipe. Yes. I want to be with you. So father is we all just look at our hearts right now and each of us you're you know what we're thinking we're saying. We just give it to you right now in Jesus name. amen, amen

sure price

Yes.

Yes, interesting.

Yep.

Yeah, it's a I stopped with Facebook and I have not gone back. I go back to send a few messages and stuff. But I I don't miss it. Yeah, I don't miss it. And duh, and honestly in this day in age in order to to live the life, even if let's say you're not following Jesus and that's not the motivation. But you just want to live a healthy mental healthy life. Well, the world will tell you in psychologist and doctors get the gunkote. Stop watching Game of Thrones that has a rape every second show stop watching these shows that have all this garbage in its social media and everyone vomiting their shortcomings in front of everybody on social media and everyone sitting there watching it, you know, go by We have to be a people of discipline. We have to be a people who are striving for something better. And God will show us how to do that. So in order to really have the life we want to have and I think if you're here this morning, it's because you know, you want to follow God fasting is one of the ways to do it and we talked about that last week. So I don't think there's any announcements other than what we've said tea and coffee at the back and we'll be in touch about the fasting I'll send up some more directives on fasting and otherwise in that have yourself a great week be blessed know God loves you and you're not here by accident. You're here on purpose. You're here this morning because God want to say something to you. So I'll be blessed. Amen.

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