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Sunday Message · Fountain of Grace International · Pretoria North

Stop Waiting for Your Real Life to Begin - It Already Started

Everyone knows the frustration of a waiting room. The buffering screen. The livestream that won't load. You are hungry for what is on the other side - and the delay is unbearable. This message says God is not buffering. He is already live. The question is whether you have tuned in.

Pastor Ricardo Zaal · Fountain of Grace International, Pretoria North · 28 September 2025

From Cassettes to Streaming

There was a time when hearing your favourite song required patience most people today would not tolerate. You waited for the radio presenter to play it - and if he did not, you went home empty. You sat in front of a cassette player, pressing play and stop repeatedly, writing down lyrics line by line. You bought an entire album for one song.

Today, everything is instant. But the spiritual frustration of a waiting room is something every believer understands - the feeling of being ready, hungry, positioned - but unable to get through. This message addresses that frustration by asking a different question: what if the problem is not that God is delayed, but that you have not tuned in to where He already is?

God Is Not Buffering

Isaiah 43:19 - "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?" The question God asks is not "will I move?" He says it is already springing forth. The question is: will you perceive it? Will you recognise it when it comes in a form you did not expect?

Many believers are praying for something God has already released - but they are looking in the wrong place. They are waiting for the door to open when God already opened a window. They are asking for a sign while the answer is already in motion around them. The waiting room is not God's address. He is already live.

The issue is not the signal. The issue is the receiver. Are you positioned to receive what He has already sent?

Active Waiting vs. Passive Sitting

Isaiah 40:31 - "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

The word "wait" in this verse carries the idea of expectant hope tied to movement - like a waiter in a restaurant. A waiter does not sit down when there are guests. He is active, attentive, and ready to move the moment he is needed. That is what waiting on God looks like: preparation, obedience, and attentiveness while trusting His timing.

A waiting room is different. In a waiting room, you are passive. You are not preparing for what is coming. You are simply occupying space until your name is called. God does not call you into that kind of waiting. He calls you to prepare while He moves - so that when the moment comes, you are ready to step into what He has already released.

"God is not in a waiting room. He is already live. The question is not when He will move - the question is whether you are tuned in to where He already is."

- Pastor Ricardo Zaal

How to Exit the Waiting Room

  1. Stop waiting for a feeling and start acting on what you know. God rarely moves through emotion. He moves through obedience. What has He told you to do that you have been waiting to feel ready for?
  2. Look for what is already springing forth. Isaiah 43:19 says the new thing is already happening. Open your eyes to what God is already doing around you - not just to what you wish He would do.
  3. Prepare in the waiting. Use the season of not yet to build what you will need when the door opens. The person who prepares in the wait steps through the door immediately. The person who waited passively is not ready when it opens.

If you are in Pretoria North, come on a Sunday - these messages are preached live every week at Fountain of Grace International, 323 B Danie Theron Street.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does it feel like God is not moving in my situation?

The feeling of God not moving is often a signal of misalignment rather than His absence. Isaiah 43:19 says He is already doing a new thing - and asks, "will you not perceive it?" The issue is often not that God is delayed but that the believer is looking in the wrong place or waiting passively instead of preparing actively.

What is the difference between waiting on God and being stuck in a waiting room?

Waiting on God (Isaiah 40:31) is active - preparation, obedience, and expectation while trusting His timing. A waiting room is passive - sitting still until something happens. God calls believers to prepare while He moves, not to occupy space while hoping He will show up.

Join Us This Sunday

Fountain of Grace International meets every Sunday at 09:00 at 323 B Danie Theron Street, Pretoria North. Come as you are.

Read Full Sermon Transcript
it's not my message today but today i want you to understand that everybody today have this frustration of waiting rooms do you know what is waiting rooms waiting rooms is is is that that way you you want to go into a live session and you are so hungry to gain what they are saying but you have to wait in the waiting room until the person starts the life you are everyone today understand even that frustration of waiting rooms they understand that thing of of the the wi-fi buffering and you so much want to hear what did he say but the buffering makes you to stop yesterday we watch a springbok game and the buffering was there for a second and we missed two or three minute two seconds maybe of the game and that buffering everybody don't want that but let me let me come back now remember those days of radio only laverne won't understand that one so i'm not picking on you but do you know if you want your favorite song to play you have to wait for the radio presenter to play that song you have to wait hours and hours and hours and that day he doesn't play that song that you want do you know laverne there was a time when i want to play a song specific song i had to put a cassette into a cassette player and the cassette player i would rewind to get the song by the time i realized i have passed the song i have to forward it again i remember us sitting in front of the the cassette player putting the cassette and and press play and the person will sing one two three then you you stop and then you write down the song the song's words stop songs words stop songs words because you want so much to get the song's words i remember those days when an when a lp you buy you buy an lp for let's say 50 rand but the lp only have one of one of your songs that you like yes so you buy a whole lp for just one song and then when you play that song uh laverne lp do you know what lp is that record that that you showed me the the stickers that you have that is that what we call lp we call it a record we call it a lp i don't know why but i'm old school you cannot mock us lp of kenyoma's record platus spieler so so when you when you're looking at that one you play that song so much that it gets scratches and then what you have to do you have to put a matchy box on top of you so that it can press the needle down so that the sound doesn't uh just picture that you're now if you can just imagine that laverne you have to listen to a song that goes it's it's so frustrating you know getting getting a cassette and that cassette you want to play listen to a specific song then that song is in the middle of everywhere don't even let it be a 90 minutes cassette oh your rewinds and forwards will be in trouble you don't know what i'm talking about because you know why i'm saying you are you have not lived in that time you have not lived in that time the time of rewind forward missed it and start again rewind forward and missed it now after you try again you are so frustrated but yet you have learned some patience it taught you patience then if you if you go back just picture the day before jesus came how would the old century people would have been struggling and i'll get there i'll get there now now remember sitting by the radio late night waiting for your favorite songs hours go by nothing oh fiddling with the cassette tape trying to land on that specific one track rewind forward miss it rewind forward miss it try again and again and again but what i what if i told you that when you see in the old days the old days there was a mediator that was between you and god there was a a priest and if the priest don't like you you can't come to the priest because the priest don't like you sometimes even if the priest come to you the priest doesn't get to a place where he understand what you would like to have at that time so it's like a broken telephone the way you said it is not the way he said it to god because he doesn't like you don't want you to have that picture this if it would have been in the old days where men with the evil ways today would stand in the way of you and god picture that just for a second picture that but what i told what if i can told tell you that the creator of heaven and earth he ripped out that cassettes he take out that broken rewind button and literally he just go life life so you don't have to to wait because when you're on a live scene you can ask the questions and he can immediately answer you what if i can tell you right now you streaming in his presence what if i can tell you right now there's no need for a priest no veil that is standing in your way no delay no wait in the waiting room what if i can tell you that you can just tune in or what if it if you still act like you're waiting for a song that already playing you waiting for a song that is already playing what if what if now humanity once had to stand in line to meet god they had to wait for years for days to meet god a priest could block you a priest could say ah no not today i'm tired a priest could say ah i have not eaten anything give me food first before i can go i can't go on a hungry stomach and speak to god a priest could do so many things and could delay all that what you need i need of even now through this although the streamline is life many christians still sit like many christians are still sitting and and thinking god is far they can still see there's a life changing happening now and they miss so many opportunities while god is alive is life my question to you is imagine just a a a speak and god can answer you immediately without you having to go to a pastor a prophet there's no need for a priest today you have a direct call to the father you have a direct call to the father there's no buffering that you miss out something and this is my message that i would like to preach i've said i've i've titled my message no more waiting rooms god is life now no more waiting rooms god is life now from a rewind religion to a real time relationship that rewind religion is gone now you have a real time relationship now i want us to to go to the book of hebrews 10 let's go to the book of hebrews 10 now hebrews 10 and i'm going to read i'm going to read for verse 19 and 20 verse 19 says the following for when moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and his soup and sprinkled both the book and all the people saying this is the blood of the testament which god has enjoyed unto you now if i take this hole and i say to you somebody had to spill blood for sacrificing whilst they are sacrificing jesus came and be the perfect sacrifice it's no need for us anymore to go and slaughter goats go and slaughter cows there's no need for us anymore because jesus has been slaughtered on the the cross of calvary for us now i want i want i want us to to to take this from rewind religion to real time relationship starting with number one number one in our today's life is that our old system access was limited do you know how it when you're talking about the old system being limited the old system god present himself behind the veil where only priests could enter once a year exodus 28 okay i think i'm just going to read it um read it from here so that i don't have to i don't know i have to keep on going to the bible exodus 20 28 verse 1 says the following being near to you Aaron your brother imagine no no no let me let me use the let me use the what is this thing called the old version the king james version 28 exodus 28 verse 1 and take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother and his sons with him from among the children of Israel that he may minister unto me in the priest office even Aaron Nerab and Abihu Elezar and Atamar Aaron's sons now imagine somebody has to be taken to minister to you if you go to Exodus 33 and the verse 20 you would see you cannot see my face for no one may see me and love no one may see me and love then if you go into the Old Testament that's what it says but when you go to the New Testament in Hebrews 9 verse 6 and 7 and I'm not reading all of it but the priest entered regularly into the outer room but only the high priest enter the inner room and that was only one year so picture you have to wait once a year for something to happen before you could speak to God is that fair so you have to make a bucket list whenever I get time to speak to God again you write down I must not forget this I must not forget that you write it down and then you write it down you write it down because some of us forget I mean if I have to speak to you once a year would I even remember what I said to you last year that is what happened in the old days where people had to to to wait for on God you know like sitting in in queues they sit then when they sit they get tired just as it is their time to go I have a pee and they leave their place after sitting for days and the priest can only see them that time now they suddenly have a pee they go to toilet by the time they come back their place has been taken these are the old days of how things was done these are the time of the radio where you have to wait for your song to play and if for some weird reason your mom just sent you suddenly to the tuck shop or wherever they sent you by the time you come back it's just the last piece of your music that you heard because the radio only play that thing once and that is why I'm saying to you God has changed that old system where excess was limited through only priests and yet we have some people I'm going to trample those let me do it yet you find people that gone to prophets and gave them their millions of rents because the prophet says if you can only sow this seed I will make it happen for you are you God are you God prophet hey you saying that if you don't sow this specific seed God will strike you are you God why are you even saying God will strike you as if you are knowing God's mind so access has not been limited to God like before even Adam and Eve they were in God's presence but yet something happened that makes them when they saw God they were even scared to speak to him your sin has come let me leave that one picture you standing with a cassette tape and you don't know where your song is which side are you going to rewind or forward and you only have ten minutes to listen to that song and you sitting with a 90 minutes cassette bishop do you know we used to have 60 minutes and 90 minutes cassettes even 120 you see now when you forward and rewind forward and rewind forward and you can't get the song that you are looking for and yet today we have access to just press a button and we are immediately at our song not one of these kids will understand that time you won't understand in the times that we live and yet somebody is still living in the old times thinking that it's only prophets that God is listening to going to prophets or going to men of God and say to the men of God you know life has been so tough can you help me hell no he's just a man as you are he doesn't have windows keys I mean God's heaven keys he doesn't have them he's not even gone are the days of cassettes gone are the days of waiting on a radio for you to play to listen to a specific song God has removed that from you where you can go directly into the throne room of God and speak to him directly telling him hey God you know today I had such a nice time wow my life was like you can speak to him like as if you are having a friend God is life forever he's not having you to wait for a life session to start counting down 10 9 8 7 6 5 while you so much want to hear it you are waiting on him on the life session yet some of us are still waiting for a life session that has started long time ago a song that should be played but yet you have the remote to change that to that song but yet you are still waiting for the one song to finish because you feel like God has given us access there is no limited access anymore you don't have to wait for a perfect song you can make your own song you don't have to wait for a priest or a prophet or a man of God to tell you look God says only if you do 1 2 3 4 5 then you must sow the seed first and once you sow the seed I will speak to God and hear if help you go directly to him and this is this is this is a you can almost say it's an extended of the presence of God it's not part of the presence of God don't get me wrong that is why I said to you my message is entitled no more waiting rooms God is life now no more waiting rooms God is life now so so so the limited access has been removed now the veil was torn so direct access is now open to you direct access is now open to you you Jesus Jesus actually ended that rewind and forward system of old waiting for radio station to say next next song is no you you want to listen to the song now you want to listen to the song and says then it just starts then it says oh sorry it's time for the news we will listen after the news and you know after the news you have to go now you can't wait for the news to finish and then listen to your song and then go you have to go now now the veil was torn direct access is now open Matthew 27 verse 51 and you just have to write it down you will read it at home at that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom so the temple was exposed it was open no more for waiting for the priest only once a year to go and give your request to God and and Bishop I'm just picture I'm not I'm not I wasn't living in that times but picture this you one person one for for the whole year you receive requests from people okay tell God this and that for the whole year by the time you get into the presence of God now you tend to forget Mr. Ricardo's request because you don't like him picture that I don't like the way he dress I'm not going to say God just now God asked me why do you bring this request from that sinner and he decide not to speak to God once I hear that he can speak he won't tell everything he won't talk to everyone about everyone's issues that I can guarantee you now because being a human being is your brain is small you can't think big you can't think God the veil was torn Hebrews 10 19 and 20 therefore brothers and sisters since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus Hebrews 10 19 and 20 1st Timothy 2 verse 5 for there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind the man Christ Jesus now my question to you is why are you still using I'm a prophet for mediator while the Bible is calling it out in 1st Timothy 2 verse 5 he's calling it in 1st Timothy 2 verse 5 for there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind the man Christ Jesus imagine imagine you have to book an appointment for one on one and then he says no I'm only available at 2 o'clock on Monday and 2 o'clock on Monday you have a surgery you are they must they must do your appendix and it's only only time they have time for for that appendix thing is that 2 o'clock other than that it's only 3 months from after that now the guy says ah whatever you want to do it's 2 o'clock and that's it who are you going to choose the veil has been torn the veil has been torn scheduling a program like like like scheduling a specific time ah ah there's no need to schedule time god has a on demand streaming happening right now right now not waiting for thy kingdom come right now the only thing that people don't understand is that if you understand this thing called bible you will understand that so many things is unnecessary for you to do it's unnecessary for you to do genesis is it genesis exodus man exodus yeah i think yeah exodus if i if i go to exodus 14 verse 14 he says the lord shall fight for you and he shall hold your peace why are you fighting is it not what the bible says it's not what i'm saying it's what the bible saying he says the lord shall fight he didn't say he shall just fight he said he said shall fight for you why are you going on and fighting my question so the veil was torn that's number two number three you are now the royal priesthood that you are you are the royal priesthood you are the royal priesthood you don't have to put schedules up you don't have to make time no no no no no god has been giving you a royal priesthood so that what you need to do the only thing you can you can do is to just make sure that you go and you say to him I want to talk to you about something no need to wait the veil has been torn first Peter 2 verse 9 you are chosen people a royal priesthood a holy nation god's special possession revelations 1 verse 5 and 6 and has made us to be kingdom and priest to serve his god and father there's no need for you to imagine it's not like before where the DJ is the only one carrying the mic that he can say look I'm playing your song now you have your own mic today you broadcasting directly to god everybody has a mic now even as small as you are if you need to speak to god don't ask your parents to speak to god for you it's not necessary god has already been given us the authority to speak to him directly directly you know you know that the only thing that keeps us number four yeah let me say number four not the only thing but one thing that keeps us from wanting to speak to god is our sin if you can remember genesis 3 the verse 7 and 8 if you can remember then the eyes of both were opened this is now adam and eve and they realized they were naked so your sins because you have eaten your eight from the you ate from the apple tree or the apple of the tree you ate that fruit from the tree you ate it and when you ate it now suddenly you realize it was wrong now you can't speak to god last night i was in the club i was dancing i can't go to church this morning because i feel i made a mistake because religion has told us that if you have been drinking the night before you can't go to church i mean you can't go to you can't go drunk to church let me say that way stop that nonsense whenever you have made a mistake it's not your mistakes that takes you away from god it's you and then make that mistake to run away that makes the mistake not to see god jesus i'm of the opinion that when you when you come to to to christ there's a certain way you can come to him and is to know that you have the right to speak to him it's it's it's not a privilege it's your right to speak to him as long as you are called a son of god you have the right to speak to your father you have the right to speak to me you have the right to tell me bro go put on better clothes bishop when i i can do this you know my daughter will say put it right let's say won't come and make a doesn't hold it in the heart she will tell me straight hey that thing is wrong fix the button sits maybe so fix the one so why would you feel that you can't speak to god if you can speak to your father what is it your sins yes you feel it okay look the bible says in Isaiah 59 verse 2 he says your unique iniquities have separated you from god your sins have hidden his face from you yes yes then he says in genesis 3 verse 7 and 8 then the eyes of both were open and they realized they were naked and they hid themselves from lord god now but then in first john 1 verse 9 says if we confess our sins one good did you hear that part yes he said if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from our unrighteousness the signal is still life repentance clear the line repentance clear the buffering repentance clear the waiting room the waiting room is only repentance cleared hey hey do you know that when you have done something to a friend or to somebody when it was wrong you would you can almost say you literally for me what is for me avoid yeah you avoid to speak to that person because you have done something wrong it's the same thing you have done something wrong now you avoid speaking to God instead of telling him hey bruh I made a mistake tell him tell him I've I've made a mistake I'm sorry I've made a mistake so sins are the reason why we can't speak to God he's always life but we always have a problem that we make him to be that we need to go to the priest and what not others you know number five is the spirit helps you even when you don't have words the spirit of God even he even pray for you what more can you ask I mean really is it necessary for you to say Maragot I don't know what to say while he said it the spirit himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words according to Romans 8 26 Romans 8 26 wait wait let me let me go there Romans 8 26 Romans 8 8 26 says the following he says likewise the spirit also help our infirmities I love this thing likewise the spirit also help our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit itself make it intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered with deep words picture that John 16 verse 3 John 16 verse 3 says when he the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all truth he will guide you into all truth imagine bishop do you know that there's this thing called text to speech sometimes it's nice to write your feelings your pains and your hurts on a piece of paper and when you write it down you don't have to say much you just show him look at this he transcribed that for you that's what the spirit of God is for you some of us think that we need to have eloquent English words so that people can be impressed when we talk let the people be oh when I say eloquent it sounds like I'm sounding it's not necessary to even have the eloquent words bishop if I swear I swear to God me the one that stands in front of this to people I won't say it but to God I don't come and hide myself before him because he knows me I don't need to hide myself because anytime whenever I think something you already have heard it bishop do you have you seen my preaching most of the time I would say I told Peter let me just say it because by just thinking it already it's already been out so therefore God has heard our thoughts and through our thoughts he can make the Holy Spirit to come out with groan of words is your voice to text that thing where you if you can't you just write it down and it skits up to him that is the Spirit number six and I think I would make this one the last one number six live like the stream is on what I mean by that live like the stream is on when God is live streaming some of us think that the buffering is there because of our sins I just said to you now that buffering is repentance it will help the buffering through repentance so live life I mean live like the stream is on stop acting as if you are waiting for the priest or an altar call how many of us are waiting on an altar call look I have sent can I can I take this moment and ask for forgiveness but wait wait I just need to ask the preacher first let him make the altar call then I will come no it's happening so fast God already showed you what you should do and you are waiting in a waiting room not knowing according to Hebrew 4 verse 16 Hebrew 4 verse 16 says let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence with confidence let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence Hebrews 4 verse 16 I mean how many of us sometimes don't want to speak up in a meeting because we think the thing that we want to say is not going to impact or it's not the same impact as the one that speaks at the moment it's like your point has no meaning because you feel you have a lower self-esteem sometimes sometimes the thing that you say with boldness is the thing that moves you to your next level you can't let the devil be tramping on your head the whole time and you allowing him to have this headache every time it's a headache you are like please move the devil is standing on your head aren't you supposed to be the one that stands on his head tell him hey what the hell you have given stop this where you making him to be where he makes you to be a dormant stop that thing James 8 I mean 4 sorry James 4 verse 8 draw near to God and he will draw near to you James 4 verse 8 draw near to God and he will draw near to you Psalm 141 Psalm 141 verse 2 may my prayer be said before you like incense so you you need to build a streaming habit you know like like knowing that he's forever life so pray worship speak to him as you you know like naturally if I can say that way as as the word like is there a word like naturally yeah naturally so naturally you know you you you actually need to speak to God more more than the way you look at your phone all the time because if you're looking at your phone how many seconds it takes before you look at your phone again imagine and you think of God and speak to God more than what you're looking at your phone so anytime when you look at your phone remember this message say have I spoken to God today before I took the phone build streaming habits really make sure wire wire you are in contact with him so now I want you with this message I want you to realize you've been given a backstage pass like literally VIP the VIP sign is so big here in front of you nobody could miss it the VIP stamp so big nobody can miss it if you walk this side they can see it from that side if you walk that side they can see it from this side the VIP pass you have it's a backstage access to the creator of all creators you have a backseat pass to the creator of this universe you have a backseat pass the line is open there's no no no you are caller number 10 there's no please hold while I redirect your call you have a VIP pass a VIP pass the veil is torn no need to wait for the veil to be opened the signal is even strong no buffering the signal is life there's no waiting room no waiting room the father is already calling you he says come I'm life come I'm life if you don't use this opportunity to know that you are literally having access to him through Christ that has been our mediator no need for you to wait upon prophets no need for you to wait upon men of God to speak to God for you no need you have direct contact you have VIP access that's it now there's a guy called Henry Black AB he says God is always at work around you then he goes on he says the question is not whether he's speaking but whether you are listening it's not whether you're speaking it's whether you are listening that's where the difference comes in God is life now are you tuned in God is life now are you tuned in the only thing that is keeping you from speaking to him is repentance whatever there is that you need to repent of today we take this few seconds and we say it into our hearts directly onto God you don't need a priest like the Roman Catholic Catholic Catholic what is Catholic what Roman Catholic Catholic Catholic Catholic Catholic Catholic Catholic Catholic where did I get Catholic from oh yeah so it's like no not like Roman priest you have to go and confess your sins every second 10 days every 20 days every 3 hours let us confess our sins every time whenever we are being aware of it to God immediately so that by the time that you need to speak to him there's nothing that keeps you or withholds you to speak to him nothing heavenly father I repent today of anything that I have sinned whether known or unknown and I come to you and I bring the whole church anybody under the sound of my voice and I pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior forgive them their sins move their sins as far as the east is from the west through the blood of Christ Jesus that was on the cross of Calvary for us wash them white as snow so that they can stand in clearance of you and speak to you boldly without having that thing of no confidence but speaking to you with confidence in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior with much thanksgiving and praise amen and amen let's let's hear the grace Amen and Amen
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