R1304 Finding God’s Vision

I'm calling upon every believer in the United States of America to adopt the right position.

People God you and I have to practically and we have to in every way.

Be willing to position ourselves before God. You've got to be willing to move all body and self imposition. That's a very practical, welcome The Encouraging Word featuring the Bible-based preaching up Dr. Don Wilton today.

Dr. Wilton is talking about finding God's vision gaining clarity and understanding what God called each of us to do, not only in his specific will to our lives. But in general will to all of us are part of the body of Christ as we study the word together.

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Today's message finding God's vision with Dr. Don Wilton annual majestic presence we humble ourselves before you not one of us are listening. One of us are worshiping today by accident you have purposed for us to have our is open our eyes open our hearts open Lord we guide on SKU that by your spirit that you would get a hold of our hearts today. Lord we are praying for one another. We are praying for our world where praying for people where praying for loved ones where praying for our nation were asking you to speak to us in the grip hearts with your presence, and we want to focus on you.

In Jesus name we pray together. Amen.

So glad to be in the house of God and to be able to worship the Lord together. Now, folks, I'm going to say to you, I'm going to ask you to open your Bibles to back that's a tough one to find in the Old Testament, so I'm going to give you just a little moment here Habakkuk. I'm not even sure if I can spell her back. I grew up in the British will sign Habakkuk, so I'm really trying to discipline myself to say Habakkuk and I want you to turn in your Bibles.

This is an incredible in the Old Testament just to help some of you. It's just before Zephaniah that should clear the way for you rock that and for some who are battling today. It's just immediately following Nahum you going to be able to get Habakkuk. I really want you to turn the in your Bibles in whatever means you got if you got electronic means, get it out. Get out your iPad and you blueberry in your raw's very and what ever it is, get it out. Turn the look at it. I'm not sure if I'm going to say what needs to be saying to you right now but I'm going to say this that I really believe that God has put a message into our hearts today. That is absolutely critical. So I'm I want to say this to you today. There are two issues watch me for a minute. On the one hand there is the issue of the world in which we live on the other hand, there is the issue of you and me. The church.

Those who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ on this hand. We got a world that has got more problems than you and I can possibly imagine. We are living in a very precarious rule. We know that are going to spend a lot of time unpacking that today out there in the wider world. We've got terrorism rampant their awards. They more wars going on now than in any other time in history.

There are people losing their lives for Christ there's the economy.

The European market tensions, homelessness, boat people, poor people, people who are struggling. We hearing more of Rick's everywhere plane crashes ships going down volcanoes and earthquakes, tornadoes, I don't want to depress you, but that's the world you are not living that's out there in the United States countries in trouble my friends we live in the greatest nation in the world.

We still I don't think there's a nation in the world that can touch America. I love that phrase from sea to shining sea. Our White House is in trouble.

Congress is in trouble. Our state capitals are in trouble. We living in a pagan America.

The gladiators have entered the arena you be you and I becoming more more afraid of speaking about Jesus, lest we offend someone. Political correctness.

We don't even know how to law for one another anymore we losing our sense of humor and I'm not talking about at the expense of someone that's never acceptable. You got people marching your tensions between various communities. The moral fiber of America is going down so rapidly.

We are the prime exporter of pornography around the world. Hacking is becoming the order of the day access. While we could go on and on.

So you got the world out here and then you've got those who know and love the Lord Jesus in my life. First Baptist Church. This body that I love so much.

The church there are wonderful churches everywhere. So how does it do we.

Those of us who believe in Jesus. Those of us who know the truth relate to this world that we are talking about and what is that look like going for what way do we need to be the book of Habakkuk is exactly about that subject. I'm not going to do a history lesson for you accepting to say written way back then about 640.

Contextually we know something about this book that God has put care for us to know and understand.

We know that just before the will of Assyria and Judah that Babylon began to rise up. And Babylon began to infiltrate Judah sounds familiar, doesn't paganism and decline began to infiltrate. It came from without. Within and something was about to happen and Habakkuk was God's servant, he represented God's people.

Habakkuk was you and me and and something happens you and this is what I was laid to conclude that while our world faces great challenges.

The church faces great opportunities. The world is in the midst of monumental challenges we those about to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ are being presented with great opportunity. Church this coming year. We as believers have got to understand the opportunities that God is giving to us because God has always used God's people to make a difference. That's why he called us salt and light. Our world is losing its flavor. Jesus spoke about long time. Off to the prophecy of Habakkuk and God alone has the onset I want you to please listen to what I believe God is put in my heart to say all of us, beginning with me. It's not about what we must do.

It's about who we need to look at in order to do what we must. You're listening to Dr. Don Wilton in that sense of calling us to be salt and light what is the necessary step for you to become saltier and brighter in your light.

Forgive the interruption will be back with more of today's message finding God's vision, part one Dr. Don Wilton in just a few moments with Dr. Don insist I interrupt so you know this, where available for you to look for a with you and for you we can connect a couple of different ways keyboard keyboard on our website@vencouragingword.org that's the Encouraging Word.org or this phone number 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 love to be able to connect with you. Pray with you and for you, but also connect you to great resources whether be the daily Encouraging Word Bible guide the email that Dr. Don sends out every morning with a hard copy all those resources are listed for you on our website The Encouraging Word.org.

Feel free to call us at 866899673. Again, don't forget tonight at 6:30 PM Eastern will be sharing another great message from Dr. Wilton on television on the Trinity broadcasting network that's tonight at 630 Eastern standard Time, would love to connect you with Dr. Wilton and a powerful message about God's word and the way that it revolutionizes the way we see each other from family to business partners to friends to the world around us. That's tonight 630 on TBN. The Trinity broadcasting network. I hope you join us that now back to today's message finding God's vision with Dr. Don Wilton you can take any issue in America today. Name any of the issues that are on the type if all we do is try to figure out what we must do related to those issues. But what we must do very quickly becomes swallowed up in the divisiveness that is presented by those issues. You will never get to where you need to go. But when you focus on Jesus Christ and you listen to him.

He brings to the type that very thing or things that we need to know and to do). This church in one church as in every Bible believing church that calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus, God is speaking to the church so I haven't included this part into my reading, but I just want to read this and then I'm going to go to chapter 2. This is what I just want to read a few verses in chapter 1 of the book of Habakkuk.

I hadn't planned to do that. I just sings the Lord telling me to read this verse one article that Habakkuk the prophet soul. Oh Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear cry to violence and you will not say why do you make me see iniquity, and why do I need to look at wrong distraction and violence all before me strife and contention arrives. So the Lord has become paralyzed. We're a paralyzed nation. Democracy is paralyzed. We don't know what is right and what is wrong because we've invested right and wrong into the hearts of we the people we decided to become the governor's about today's and tomorrow's, we decided to set the standard and we cannot do it.

I've got news for you this time next year Congress will still be divided and I've got even worse news for you it doesn't matter who we elect as the next president on our current track. The law will still be paralyzed and ironically we the people are being destroyed. We become the focus of our own destruction. We are destroying our soldiers. I want you to turn to chapter 2 of the book of Habakkuk is what he says I will take my stand at my watch quotes and station myself on the tower and I will look out to see what he will say to me and what I will onset concerning my complaint and the loan on Sydney.

This is what Garden City is not Congress is not me as an American citizen. This is God speak right division make it plain on tablets, so he may run reads. The vision awaits its appointed time it hastens to the end, it will not apply if it seems slow Whiteford it will surely come, it will not delay but hold his soul is popped up. It is not right with him him and here is the key verse, but the righteous shall live by his faith. We want to know two things I want to know two things. These are the two things that we must not number one. What is it that God wants for us. First Baptist Church. What is it that God wants for us individual believer. What is it that God wants for you. What's the onset what you facing what are we looking what we do next. How do we plan preparation. Should we might question number one what is it that God wants for us. Christian number two.

What is it that God requires through us lost two questions today of myself and I simply posses on to each one of us today I want to know what God wants of me. I really want to know what God what do you want of me. What do you require of me as' this of believers and number two.

What is it that you require through me.

How can you use me and let's all stead of the church God. What do you want for us as a church number two. What is it that you want to do through us as a church. The prophet Habakkuk off these questions in his day. It was this terrible freight facing his land he was facing unmitigated challenges.

I think when one really understands the historical context and makes for a dutiful study. I it's an incredible book. The challenges that they faced all so similar to our challenges today.

It's it's really quite incredible so he has gone speaking back at the prophet and I want to just show you what God God told the prophet Habakkuk that he have to do three things. These are the three things that Habakkuk had to do that.

I think we need to do number one we have to be willing to receive God's vision. We are supposed to question what is it that God wants for us and what is it that God requires through us first thing we gotta do is we have to be willing to receive God's vision. That's what verse one is all about. I will take my stand at my watch post will station myself on the top, look out and see and what I will onset concerning my complaint. I have to be willing to receive what ever is that God who loves me and who has a perfect plan and purpose for me requires of me and will use through me. I've got to be willing to receive that vision, which means number one that we have to have the right position before God.

That's what he signed. They I will take my stand at my watch, post and station myself at the watchtower.

This speaks to the movement of the body. It means a practical movement of the body. Habakkuk understood that God is not going to speak to us if we do not position ourselves physically. I congratulate you today and I command you today for being in the right position. There are hundreds of thousands of believers today who never gave a single thought to putting themselves in a position to God's vision that takes discipline just even going to church takes discipline. Habakkuk made it very clear number two. Not only must we have the right position before God. But we must have the right posture before God does what he said and got to see what he will say the right position has to do with the movement of the body the right posture has to do with the engagement of the mind, you naughty Sadie said I'm actually going to stand in the watchtower, I'm going to actually open my eyes.

There are many many men and women who have served in the military all around the world and most of you will bear testimony to the fact when a perimeter is established and you're in a dangerous position, and the enemy is lurking out there and everybody has to sleep and any kind of military pollute but put no company will select those through the means of authority, you are going to stand in the watchtower and you establish a perimeter and you type those four or five men and they all fully armed and they are equipped and their job is to stay awake. Understanding the watchtower while the rest of the company get some well earned race and what good is it if the perimeter doesn't open their eyes, how many a man on guard duty, as does go resulting in the day of those he was intended to protect.

That's what he's talking about. We must be willing to receive God's vision. You knew that you have the right position means you gotta move your body.

You got to get in the watchtower but it also means you gotta have the right posture which means you've got to engage your mind. You gotta look out and see but it also means you but I have the right preparation. That's what he was saying yes I will onset concerning my complaint. What this speaks to is not just simply the movement of the body or the engagement of the mind, the willingness of the heart.

How do we have that willing heart. Part of that is the discipline of spending time in God's word every day early this morning we began our day with the daily Encouraging Word verse Proverbs 35 trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

The whole idea of trusting in God more than ourselves.

That mean we go through life doubting and second-guessing ourselves now are being afraid to move in case we make a mistake, but when we recognize and embrace God's plan for our life. We tap into the power we need to fulfill it. No false humility as well as things, handicaps are spiritually, mentally and emotionally keeps us from moving forward.

But when God called Jeremiah to be a prophet.

He is and what to do it. He said I'm a child Jeremiah 16 but listen to what God told him, saying, not I am a child as surely as the tongue can bring death or life you must learn to speak God's word over the vision he has given you think about it we can't play God's role. We need to understand who God is and how his personal calls personal purpose on our life can empower us to do things we never dreamed possible. Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. That's just a taste of what we've been studying all day today marinating on so to speak here at The Encouraging Word. And if you don't have a copy of the daily Encouraging Word will it's free.

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I'd love to help you right now.

Would you pray this prayer with me and accept Jesus into your heart and life. Dear God, I know that Arneson I know that Jesus loves me and died for me on the cross right now, I repent of my sin and I can face my sin to the Lord Jesus Christ come into my heart and save me today and forgive me for my sin. In Jesus name I pray a main if you prayed that pray we'd love to get along side of you and celebrate with you and send you some literature help you as you begin to grow and I want you to know that I love you very very much. And by the way, don't leave, don't go away. What ever you do is I'll be right back. Dr. Wilton and staff it is my pleasure to share how the daily Encouraging Word played an important role in my recovery from breast cancer while having surgery, chemo and radiation treatments.

I would find myself with little or no energy, plus so tired I couldn't stay awake long enough to read anything of great length. That is where your precious devotional canine I could read, pray and know God was with me every step of that long year journey that was four years ago and I praise God for his mercy, grace and healing power. For I am now cancer free.

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