Believing For Restoration

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What if 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:11.080 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:01:11.120 --> 0:01:13.600 five minutes with a clear picture of where you stand 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.399 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:19.480 can visit Facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:24.120 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:26.080 This add a sponsored by Facet. Facet Wealth in Corporated 0:01:26.200 --> 0:01:28.040 is an SEC registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:01:28.040 --> 0:01:29.839 offer to buy yourself security s noor is it investment, 0:01:29.880 --> 0:01:30.800 legal or tax advice. 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.039 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:36.840 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:39.319 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:40.880 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:43.880 We appreciate you and pray put God's very best in 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:54.680 your life. 0:01:56.040 --> 0:01:56.800 God, thank you. 0:01:57.560 --> 0:01:59.920 It is a joy to come into your homes Equen. 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:02.440 We love you. We know God has great things in 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:05.600 store for you. If you're ever in our area, I 0:02:05.600 --> 0:02:07.960 hope you'll come by and see us. Just be our 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:09.680 joy and honor to have you be a part of 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:12.520 one of our services. But thanks for tuning in to day. 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:14.960 I like to get started each week with something kind 0:02:14.960 --> 0:02:18.040 of funny, and I heard about this pastor and song 0:02:18.160 --> 0:02:21.440 leader that weren't getting along. It began to spill over 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:25.040 into the worship services. One Sunday, the minister preached on 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:29.000 being willing to change, and afterwards, the song leader got 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:31.440 up and led the hymn I Shall not be moved. 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:36.000 The next week he preached on giving. The song leader 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:39.520 got up afterwards and sang the song Jesus paid it all. 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:43.520 The next week he preached on not gossiping. The song 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:45.880 leader got up and led the song I love to 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:50.920 tell the story. The minister got so frustrated he finally resigned. 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:53.800 He said, Jesus brought me here, and Jesus has taken 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:56.320 me away. The song leader got up and led the 0:02:56.360 --> 0:03:01.720 song what a friend we have in Jesus. All right, 0:03:02.480 --> 0:03:04.639 hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. 0:03:05.120 --> 0:03:08.200 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:11.560 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:14.360 what it says I can do. Today all will be 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:18.799 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:22.560 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:03:22.639 --> 0:03:27.359 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. We've been 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:30.560 talking about not living in the past and how we 0:03:30.600 --> 0:03:34.120 need to let things go. Life has a way of 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:38.520 pushing people down. We all go through disappointments at times. 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:41.839 We all have unfair things happen to us, and it's 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:46.040 so easy to develop a negative mindset and this always 0:03:46.120 --> 0:03:49.040 will rob us of our future. And I see too 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:54.280 many people going around with a chip on their shoulder, bitter, resentful, 0:03:54.640 --> 0:03:58.640 kind of angry, and it's because they won't let anything go. 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:03.400 Every morning. We need to start our day with a fresh, 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:06.840 clean slate when we get out of bed. One of 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:09.560 the first things we need to learn to do is 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:13.880 let go of the disappointments of yesterday, let go of 0:04:13.960 --> 0:04:18.479 our failures, forgive the people that did us wrong, release 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:22.040 any negative thing that's trying to pull us down. We 0:04:22.080 --> 0:04:25.600 need to start each day afresh and a new In 0:04:25.640 --> 0:04:29.200 other words, we may have made mistakes yesterday, but the 0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:32.960 good news is God's mercy is new every single morning. 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:37.719 Learn to receive that. Or maybe somebody offended you last week, 0:04:38.240 --> 0:04:41.039 they said something to hurt your feelings, Let that go. 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:46.480 That unforgiveness will poison your own life. Maybe somebody cheated 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:50.400 you out of a promotion at work. They lied, manipulated things, 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:53.560 and man, it wasn't fair. But don't get bitter, don't 0:04:53.560 --> 0:04:56.280 try to get even. If you'll let it go, God 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:59.279 will be your vindicator. God will make your wrongs right. 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:03.080 Some of you have been through a lot of unfair situations. 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:07.120 Maybe growing up you weren't treated right, a spouse walked 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:10.479 out of a relationship, you lost a loved one. It's 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:13.720 so easy to stay focused on the pains of the past, 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:17.520 but I'm asking you to let all that go. Don't 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:21.840 allow your past to poison your future. Know this, Your 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:25.000 best days are not behind you. They are in front 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:28.719 of you. And our God is called a god of restoration, 0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:33.120 and he's promised if we'll keep the right attitude, he'll 0:05:33.160 --> 0:05:36.960 not only restore what's been stolen, but he'll bring us 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:40.520 out better off than we were before. He said in 0:05:40.600 --> 0:05:44.479 Isaiah he would pay us back double for our former shame. 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:48.559 So when unfair things happen to you, instead of getting 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:50.720 bent out of shade and going around with that chip 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:54.120 on your shoulder, learn to just turn it around. Say 0:05:54.160 --> 0:05:57.599 you know what, that wasn't fair. They offended me, But 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:00.640 I'm not going to get upset I know that just 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:04.359 qualifies me for double. They meant it for evil, but 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:06.720 God's going to use it for my good. So I'm 0:06:06.720 --> 0:06:09.159 gonta believe to come out of this with twice the joy, 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:12.960 twice the piece, twice the favor, twice the victory. See 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:15.520 if you can learn to have the right attitude, then 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:18.920 when people do unfair things, you'll know, in a sense, 0:06:18.960 --> 0:06:21.080 they just did you a favor. They put you in 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:25.240 a position to receive double. I remember one time, years ago, 0:06:25.800 --> 0:06:30.920 this person that I knew started talking about me, spreading rumors, lying, 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:33.159 saying things that you're just were not true. He was 0:06:33.520 --> 0:06:36.719 basically trying to ruin my reputation, turn people against me. 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:39.320 And the funny thing is I knew a whole lot 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:42.000 of bad things about him. He didn't have a good 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:45.400 reputation to start with, and when I heard he was 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:48.360 talking about me, the first thing I wanted to do 0:06:48.440 --> 0:06:51.720 in the natural was to start talking about him. I thought, 0:06:51.800 --> 0:06:54.800 let me set the record straight, let me announce to 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:57.040 you what I know about him. Better yet, let me 0:06:57.080 --> 0:07:00.800 take out an ad in the newspaper. But I've learned, 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:04.000 no matter how we feel, no matter what our emotions 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:07.480 are telling us, it's always best to take the high road. 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:12.360 You don't overcome evil with more evil. Somebody's talking about you, 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:15.080 don't start talking about them. That makes you just as 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:19.160 wrong as they are. The scripture says we overcome evil 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:22.920 with good. We're supposed to bless our enemies. We're supposed 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:25.560 to be kind to people even when they're not being 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:27.840 kind to us. And that's what I tried to do. 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:31.119 I said, God, this is not fair, but you said 0:07:31.160 --> 0:07:34.240 you would be my vindicator, So I'm not gonna get offended. 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:36.840 I'm not gonna go around with a bad attitude. He 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:39.560 doesn't realize it, but he's done me a favor. He's 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:42.680 put me in a position to receive double and all 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:46.240 through the day when that situation would come up, instead 0:07:46.240 --> 0:07:49.840 of getting all stressed out, all worked up on the inside, 0:07:50.320 --> 0:07:52.680 I just said, Father, thank you that you're fighting my 0:07:52.760 --> 0:07:55.080 battles for me. I believe I'm gonna come out of 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:58.920 this better off than I was before, stronger, happier, and healthier. 0:07:59.400 --> 0:08:01.880 And that was years ago, and I saw God do 0:08:02.040 --> 0:08:05.360 exactly that. He'll do it for you as well. When 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:09.480 unfair things happen, maybe somebody's talking about you, or maybe 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:12.720 you've just gotten some bad breaks in life. Nothing you 0:08:12.760 --> 0:08:15.679 did to deserve. It wasn't your fault. But you've gone 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:20.440 through some painful, hurtful situations. What I'm saying is, don't 0:08:20.480 --> 0:08:23.440 let it get down on the inside. Instead of trying 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:26.840 to pay people back and getting all worked up, learn 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:30.040 to stay on the high road. Know that God is 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:32.680 in control of your life, and if you will keep 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:36.200 the right attitude, He's promised to bring you out with 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:38.880 double what you had before. That's just the way our 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:42.560 God is. He never brings us out the same. He 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:46.400 always makes the enemy pay for bringing that trouble into 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:50.080 your life. You heard my sister Lisa until last week, 0:08:50.520 --> 0:08:53.160 how when she was in her early twenties, she went 0:08:53.200 --> 0:08:58.319 through an unwanted divorce, was very unfair, very hurtful, very painful. 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:01.920 And for a week after week, Lisa just sat there 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:05.160 in all that defeat, thinking that she didn't have a future, 0:09:05.679 --> 0:09:09.240 and she continued to sink lower and lower, allowing that 0:09:09.320 --> 0:09:12.800 self pity to control her life. But one day she 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:16.760 decided enough was enough. She said, this is not the 0:09:17.000 --> 0:09:19.960 end for me, this is a new beginning, and she 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:23.600 rose up in her authority, shook off that self pity 0:09:24.040 --> 0:09:28.600 and she put on a fresh new attitude. She got hopeful, expecting. 0:09:28.880 --> 0:09:32.480 She stayed aggressive, and God not only brought her out, 0:09:32.720 --> 0:09:35.600 but he made the enemy pain. It was through that 0:09:35.720 --> 0:09:40.319 difficulty that Lisa learned to teach God's work. She began 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:43.319 to help other people that were struggling in their marriages, 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:46.640 and she would share the scriptures with them and encourage 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:50.319 their hearts. That's where she developed her gift of teaching. 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:54.240 See the enemy minute for evil, but God used it 0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:58.840 to thrust her into her destiny. Something new was birthed 0:09:58.840 --> 0:10:02.520 out of that adversity. And when you go through unfair 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:05.920 situations in your time of need, don't you dare sit 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:10.640 around feeling sorry for yourself, thinking that your life is over. No, 0:10:10.920 --> 0:10:13.840 dig your heels in and believe that you're gonna come 0:10:13.840 --> 0:10:17.000 out of that better oft than you were before. Believe 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:21.640 you're gonna come out stronger, happier, wiser. You know the 0:10:21.640 --> 0:10:25.800 scripture in Romans eight twenty eight, all things work together 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:29.040 for good when we love the Lord. It doesn't say 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:32.400 that all things are good. We all go through things 0:10:32.400 --> 0:10:37.320 that are difficult, painful, unfair. We don't like them. They 0:10:37.360 --> 0:10:40.280 may not be good. But know this God is good. 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:44.480 Life may not be fair, but God is fair, and 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:48.319 what you're going through today may be difficult. But if 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:51.560 you'll keep your trust in Him, not get bitter, not 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:56.040 get resentful, then somehow, some way, God will turn that 0:10:56.080 --> 0:11:00.000 situation around and use it to your advantage. That's exactly 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:02.360 what God did for me. When my dad went to 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:05.400 be with the Lord. That was the most difficult thing 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:08.400 that I'd ever faced in my life. I had worked 0:11:08.400 --> 0:11:12.400 with my father here at Lakewood seventeen years. Behind the scenes, 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:15.559 Daddy and I were the best of friends. I used 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:17.520 to think, what am I going to do when my 0:11:17.600 --> 0:11:21.240 father's gone? Really, my whole world was built around him. 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:25.160 But in January of nineteen ninety nine, my father had 0:11:25.160 --> 0:11:27.040 a heart attack and went to be with the Lord. 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:29.880 And of course we were kind of in shock. It 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:32.679 was a sudden thing, and I remember I had to 0:11:32.679 --> 0:11:35.559 make a decision back then. Was I going to get bitter, 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:39.440 go around with a chip on my shoulder thinking God, 0:11:39.480 --> 0:11:41.600 It's not fair, Why'd you let this happen to me? 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:45.640 Or was I going to press forward and believe that 0:11:45.720 --> 0:11:48.800 God still had a good plan for my life? And 0:11:48.920 --> 0:11:52.280 looking back now, I can see what I thought would 0:11:52.280 --> 0:11:55.080 have been my darkest hour turned out to be my 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:59.480 brightest hour. God used that adversity to thrust me into 0:11:59.520 --> 0:12:02.719 a whole new dimension of my life. I didn't know 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:05.080 that I could minister. I didn't know I had this 0:12:05.200 --> 0:12:07.679 in me. My father tried to get me up here 0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:10.600 many times. I said, Daddy, I'm not a preacher. I 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:14.560 can't do that. I'm too shy, I'm too nervous. Sometimes 0:12:14.880 --> 0:12:18.200 God has to push us into our destiny. Sometimes he'll 0:12:18.320 --> 0:12:21.480 use the adversity. He'll use the dark hour to get 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:23.439 you where he wants you to be. And if you've 0:12:23.480 --> 0:12:26.319 been through some kind of loss, some kind of disappointment, 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:29.760 I know that's hard. But know this, God still has 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:33.040 a great plan for your life. I found that when 0:12:33.080 --> 0:12:36.760 one door closes, God will always open up another door. 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:42.640 And you don't know. God may use that difficulty to 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:46.040 thrust you to a whole new level. You have things 0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:48.520 on the inside of you, just like I did. That 0:12:48.600 --> 0:12:51.360 you don't even realize it. I can tell you if 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:53.600 my father was still here, I wouldn't be up here. 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:56.719 It was too easy behind the scenes. I was too comfortable. 0:12:57.280 --> 0:13:00.480 Sometimes God has to give us that push, and it's 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:03.120 up to us to keep the right attitude and to 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:06.079 stay hopeful, and to believe that God is in control 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:08.360 of our lives. Now. I love what God said in 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:12.440 the Book of Joel two twenty five. I will restore 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:16.640 the years that the locust has eaten. I believe God's 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:18.960 saying that to every one of us. He wants to 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:22.520 restore the years that have been stolen from you. Some 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:24.760 of you feel like you've wasted years of your life 0:13:25.400 --> 0:13:28.560 in a relationship that didn't work out. Or maybe you've 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:32.079 spent years on the job, working hard, doing your best, 0:13:32.240 --> 0:13:35.440 but not getting promoted, not getting the credit you deserve. 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:39.400 I know some of you didn't have a proper childhood 0:13:39.960 --> 0:13:43.400 growing up, you were mistreated, talked down to pass from 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:47.120 one relative to the other. The good news is God 0:13:47.160 --> 0:13:50.320 wants to restore all those years. He wants to make 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:51.000 that up to you. 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:51.800 Now. 0:13:51.800 --> 0:13:54.319 Why don't you do your part and have a vision 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:58.080 for it. Quit living depressed and defeated. Quit going around 0:13:58.080 --> 0:14:00.440 with a chip on your shoulder. You got to get 0:14:00.520 --> 0:14:04.920 up every morning excited about your future, get up expecting 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:07.719 things to change in your favor. I see too many 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:11.480 people going around better resentful Joel. I don't know why 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:14.480 this has happened to me. It's just not fair. But 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:18.760 understand that very attitude is going to draw in more 0:14:18.840 --> 0:14:21.960 of the problems. It's a negative cycle that's just going 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:24.920 to keep getting repeated. The only way it's going to 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:27.640 change is for you to put your foot down and 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:31.080 say no, I'm not gonna let my past ruin my future. 0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:33.600 I'm not going to allow what somebody did to me 0:14:34.040 --> 0:14:37.440 to keep me from my destiny. It may have been unfair. 0:14:38.240 --> 0:14:40.480 I may have gotten some bad breaks in life. I 0:14:40.520 --> 0:14:42.760 may be in the middle of a big mess right now, 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:45.760 but I know this. It didn't come to stay, it 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:48.400 came to pass. It may not be good, but I 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:51.000 know God is good. He's still in control of my 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:55.080 life now. I believe he's going to restore and bring 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:57.400 me out better off than I was before. That's the 0:14:57.440 --> 0:15:00.280 attitude we got to have. See, we need to keep 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:04.680 our hopes up. Hope is called the anchor of our soul. 0:15:05.600 --> 0:15:08.480 No matter what you've been through, no matter how unfair 0:15:08.520 --> 0:15:12.000 it was, know this the best is still yet to come. 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:14.280 May not have happened in the past, but this is 0:15:14.320 --> 0:15:18.880 a new day, says about Abraham, all hope being gone, 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:22.400 he hoped on in faith, and you may feel like 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:25.960 him today. You hear what I'm saying and it stirs 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:28.440 your heart. You know, down in here it's true. You 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:31.560 know God's got great things in store. But when you 0:15:31.560 --> 0:15:33.800 look out, you think, man, I don't see how it 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:36.800 could happen, Joel, I don't see how my dreams could 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:38.960 come to pass. I don't see how my marriage could 0:15:38.960 --> 0:15:41.720 ever be restored. That's okay, that's not your part. You 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:44.640 don't have to figure it out. Your part is to believe. 0:15:45.200 --> 0:15:47.920 Your part is to get up every day expecting good 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:53.000 things and know this. Our God is a God of justice. 0:15:53.240 --> 0:15:55.760 He sees every wrong that's ever been done to you. 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:59.800 He sees every person that's ever mistreated you. He sees 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:03.400 every tear that you've ever shed. God is keeping the records, 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:06.880 and he's promised if you will keep your trust in him, 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:11.600 he will not allow you to be continually mistreated, no 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:14.680 matter what's come against you, if you will just dig 0:16:14.720 --> 0:16:17.640 your heels in and keep fighting that good fight of faith. 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:21.400 That means you get up every morning, put a smile 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:26.080 on your face, and keep pressing forward, shaking off disappointments, 0:16:26.520 --> 0:16:29.840 shaking off offenses, shaking off self pity. Listen, If you 0:16:29.920 --> 0:16:33.600 do that, God will reward you. And the scripture says here, 0:16:33.960 --> 0:16:38.040 do not cast away your confidence, for it shall be 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:42.520 richly rewarded. Notice God is saying, if we'll just stay 0:16:42.520 --> 0:16:45.920 on the high road and keep doing our best, then 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:49.280 eventually things are going to change in our favor. Now. 0:16:49.280 --> 0:16:52.400 I love one translation. It says, keep your hopes up 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:54.320 for payday is coming. 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:55.720 I like that. 0:16:55.960 --> 0:16:58.040 You got to know. God will pay you back for 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:02.240 doing the right thing. Pay you back for staying hopeful 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:05.960 even though you felt like giving up. He'll pay you 0:17:06.080 --> 0:17:09.160 back for being kind to somebody even though they were 0:17:09.160 --> 0:17:11.879 treating you bad. He'll pay you back for having a 0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:14.879 good attitude, even though you had a right to be 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:18.960 bitter and angry. And when unfair things happened. When you 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:22.040 go through tough times, I always remember, as long as 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:25.760 you're on the high road, payday is coming. I think 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:29.560 about Joseph. Nobody had more unfair things happened to him 0:17:29.600 --> 0:17:32.520 than he did. When he was a young man. His 0:17:32.600 --> 0:17:35.359 brothers were so jealous of him they were going to 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:37.680 kill him. They threw him into that pit, but they 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:41.800 finally sold him into slavery in Egypt, and even though 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:45.520 Joseph kept doing the right thing, the wrong thing kept 0:17:45.560 --> 0:17:49.919 happening to him. He was led about, falsely accused. He 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:53.199 ended up spending thirteen years in prison for something that 0:17:53.240 --> 0:17:56.439 he didn't do. But what I love about Joseph is 0:17:56.480 --> 0:17:59.560 he just kept on keeping on. He just bloomed right 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:02.080 there where he was planted. He didn't go through the 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:05.640 day saying God, it's not fair. I don't deserve any 0:18:05.680 --> 0:18:07.600 of this. Why did this happen to me? No, he 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:10.760 just kept giving it his very best, and every place 0:18:10.800 --> 0:18:14.119 they put him, he got promoted. He rose to the top. 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:16.520 Even in prison, they put him in charge of the 0:18:16.520 --> 0:18:20.200 whole prison. Well, one day God turned this all around. 0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:23.720 He brought him out. His payday came and he was 0:18:23.760 --> 0:18:26.639 put in charge of all the affairs of Egypt. He 0:18:26.800 --> 0:18:30.000 was second in command only to the Pharaoh. And at 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:33.359 this particular time there was a great famine in the land, 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:37.119 and Joseph was in charge of the food supply. And 0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:40.600 one day his nine brothers showed up at the palace. 0:18:41.160 --> 0:18:44.199 They had traveled a great distance looking and hoping to 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:48.080 buy some food. These were the same brothers that sold 0:18:48.160 --> 0:18:51.760 him into slavery, the same ones that had caused him 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:55.440 all that heartache and pain. And now they're standing before Joseph, 0:18:55.920 --> 0:18:59.040 they're at his mercy, and they don't recognize who he is. 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:02.600 And the scripture says in Genesis forty two, verse nine, 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:08.960 when Joseph saw his brothers, he remembered his dream. Isn't 0:19:09.000 --> 0:19:12.040 that interesting? You would have thought when he saw them 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:15.960 he would have remembered the pain and heartache they had cost. 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:18.600 You would have thought he would have been angry and 0:19:18.640 --> 0:19:21.560 wanted to pay them back. Most of the time, we 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:26.000 tend to remember the negative. But Joseph remembered his dream. 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:29.480 The point I want to make is your dream has 0:19:29.560 --> 0:19:33.080 to be greater than the painful memories of your past. 0:19:33.400 --> 0:19:36.600 If you stay focused on who hurts you and why 0:19:36.640 --> 0:19:39.600 did this happen and how unfair it is, that's going 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:42.720 to rob you of your future every single time. You've 0:19:42.720 --> 0:19:45.560 got to do like Joseph and say this wasn't fair. 0:19:45.920 --> 0:19:48.520 But God, I know my payday is coming. I know 0:19:48.680 --> 0:19:51.520 you're going to restore. I've still got the dream in 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:56.720 my heart. See, too often we allow our painful memories 0:19:57.160 --> 0:20:01.760 are hurts, the rejection, the unfair, the situations to push 0:20:01.800 --> 0:20:05.560 down our dreams, and we find we're not pressing forward anymore. 0:20:06.200 --> 0:20:07.919 And some of you today, you've got to stir up 0:20:07.960 --> 0:20:11.480 that dream. You've got to get your enthusiasm back, get 0:20:11.520 --> 0:20:14.960 your passion for life back. Your dream has to be 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:19.440 greater than your painful memories. It's interesting what Joseph did 0:20:19.880 --> 0:20:22.320 his brothers. As I said, they didn't recognize them. This 0:20:22.320 --> 0:20:24.919 has been many, many years later, and so he kind 0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:27.360 of played with them. He said, guys, if you want 0:20:27.400 --> 0:20:29.879 to buy food from me, then you're going to have 0:20:29.920 --> 0:20:32.840 to prove to me that you're not a spy. And 0:20:32.920 --> 0:20:36.200 he asked them if they had any other brothers. He 0:20:36.280 --> 0:20:40.000 knew they did. Their youngest brother, Benjamin wasn't with them, 0:20:40.520 --> 0:20:42.879 and they said, yes, we've got one brother back at home. 0:20:43.480 --> 0:20:45.320 And Joseph said, well, here's what you've got to do. 0:20:46.080 --> 0:20:47.919 I want one of you to stay here with me. 0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:51.119 The rest of you go back home and get that 0:20:51.200 --> 0:20:54.640 younger brother and bring him back, and that way i'll 0:20:54.640 --> 0:20:57.119 know you're not spies, and I'll sell you some more food. 0:20:57.560 --> 0:21:02.359 And so they headed off that way. I understand years earlier, 0:21:02.600 --> 0:21:06.520 when those brothers sold Joseph into slavery, they took the 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:09.359 robe off of him and they ripped it up, and 0:21:09.440 --> 0:21:12.119 they dipped it in some animal blood to make it 0:21:12.160 --> 0:21:14.360 look like he had been killed by a wild animal. 0:21:14.920 --> 0:21:18.800 And then they took that bloodied robe back to their father, Jacob, 0:21:19.440 --> 0:21:22.680 and that was their excuse as to what happened to Joseph. 0:21:22.880 --> 0:21:26.040 And so this father, Jacob, he has a painful memory 0:21:26.080 --> 0:21:28.960 of losing one of his sons. And when they come 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:31.760 back and given the news that they have to send 0:21:32.200 --> 0:21:35.800 the youngest son, Benjamin back to Egypt, Jacob is so 0:21:35.960 --> 0:21:39.479 distraught I can imagine. He goes to the closet and 0:21:39.520 --> 0:21:44.160 he gets out Joseph's old robe. It's torn, it's bloodied, 0:21:44.600 --> 0:21:47.919 and he begins to mourn and weep all over again. 0:21:48.560 --> 0:21:52.359 He says, no, I can't send Benjamin back. I know 0:21:52.480 --> 0:21:54.919 what happened to Joseph, and I can't let it happen 0:21:54.960 --> 0:21:58.879 to him as well. And Jacob is so focused on 0:21:58.960 --> 0:22:02.000 the pains of his past asked that he cannot move forward. 0:22:02.600 --> 0:22:05.480 And that's what many people are doing today. They're hanging 0:22:05.560 --> 0:22:09.840 on to their blooded robes, the painful memories, the rejection, 0:22:10.400 --> 0:22:14.200 the disappointments. Their attitude is, I can't go forward. I'm 0:22:14.240 --> 0:22:18.719 afraid I might get hurt again, and understand this whole time, 0:22:19.119 --> 0:22:22.639 God had provision for Jacob and his family. He wanted 0:22:22.680 --> 0:22:26.119 to restore his son Joseph back to him. He wanted 0:22:26.119 --> 0:22:29.080 to give them the food and supplies they needed. But 0:22:29.200 --> 0:22:33.119 it all depended on Jacob being willing to take a risk, 0:22:33.480 --> 0:22:37.040 being willing to look away from the blooded robe. And 0:22:37.080 --> 0:22:40.600 do you know how many people today will not move 0:22:40.640 --> 0:22:43.560 forward in life because they've been hurt in the past. 0:22:44.440 --> 0:22:46.959 They won't get into a new relationship even though they 0:22:46.960 --> 0:22:50.560 feel good about it because they were rejected in a 0:22:50.600 --> 0:22:54.120 previous one, or somebody burned them in a business deal. 0:22:54.200 --> 0:22:56.680 Now they won't try anything to do. Or maybe at 0:22:56.680 --> 0:23:00.399 one time they served in the children's ministry one they 0:23:00.400 --> 0:23:04.280 were at church every Sunday, but somebody hurt them, somebody 0:23:04.320 --> 0:23:07.720 offended them. Now they're too busy nursing their wounds to 0:23:07.760 --> 0:23:11.800 move forward. That's exactly what was happening to Jacob. He 0:23:11.840 --> 0:23:15.639 couldn't take advantage of the present opportunity because he was 0:23:15.680 --> 0:23:19.120 so focused on the pains of his past. And as 0:23:19.160 --> 0:23:22.439 long as you're not willing to release the benjamins in 0:23:22.560 --> 0:23:24.919 your life, in other words, as long as you're not 0:23:25.000 --> 0:23:28.160 willing to take a step of faith toward your new beginning, 0:23:28.800 --> 0:23:32.200 then you're not gonna see God restore. The scripture tells 0:23:32.280 --> 0:23:35.320 us in Isaiah that God wants to give us beauty 0:23:35.440 --> 0:23:38.200 for our ashes. But I found we have to let 0:23:38.240 --> 0:23:40.840 go of the ashes before God can give us the beauty. 0:23:41.359 --> 0:23:44.640 And if you're just playing it safe, nursing your wounds, 0:23:44.720 --> 0:23:49.440 feeling sorry for yourself, that's gonna keep you from God's best. Finally, 0:23:49.720 --> 0:23:53.359 after more than a year, Jacob agreed to allow his 0:23:53.480 --> 0:23:57.160 sons to take Benjamin back to Egypt. When they got there, 0:23:57.840 --> 0:24:01.679 Joseph prepared this big feast, a big table set, and 0:24:01.760 --> 0:24:04.840 he put the brothers in birth order, from the oldest 0:24:04.920 --> 0:24:07.359 to the youngest. They thought, how did he know how 0:24:07.400 --> 0:24:10.880 to do that? Long story short, Joseph revealed to them 0:24:10.960 --> 0:24:14.440 who he was. He was kind to them, He gave 0:24:14.480 --> 0:24:18.240 them everything they needed and more. And eventually the father 0:24:18.440 --> 0:24:22.200 Jacob God news that his son Joseph was indeed alive. 0:24:22.880 --> 0:24:25.240 He was able to come back to the palace and 0:24:25.320 --> 0:24:29.680 live close to them as well. God restored Joseph back 0:24:29.680 --> 0:24:33.440 to his father Jacob. But it only happened when Jacob 0:24:33.640 --> 0:24:36.679 was willing to quit looking at the pains of the past. 0:24:37.359 --> 0:24:41.280 Let me ask you today, is your dream greater than 0:24:41.320 --> 0:24:44.159 the painful memories of your past? It has to be 0:24:44.320 --> 0:24:47.080 if you're going to move forward or are you kind 0:24:47.080 --> 0:24:49.679 of doing like Jacob and you're so focused on the 0:24:49.720 --> 0:24:52.760 negative that you're afraid to take that step of faith. 0:24:53.160 --> 0:24:55.960 You're afraid you might get hurt again. Now get rid 0:24:56.160 --> 0:24:58.760 of that bloodied robe. God wants to do a new 0:24:58.840 --> 0:25:01.480 thing in your life. You gotta let go of what 0:25:01.640 --> 0:25:05.720 didn't work out, Let go of who hurts you. All 0:25:05.760 --> 0:25:08.920 that's gonna do is poison your future. It's just gonna 0:25:09.000 --> 0:25:11.840 drag you down. And it may have been unfair. You 0:25:11.880 --> 0:25:15.719 may have a thousand good reasons to convince me that 0:25:15.800 --> 0:25:19.280 you should be able to live bitter, angry, negative, sarcastic. 0:25:19.520 --> 0:25:22.200 But I'm asking you to walk away from all of that. 0:25:22.960 --> 0:25:27.720 The scripture says, because Joseph kept the right attitude, because 0:25:27.760 --> 0:25:31.480 his dream was greater than his memory. Then God took 0:25:31.560 --> 0:25:34.280 what the enemy meant for evil, and he used it 0:25:34.480 --> 0:25:37.200 to his advantage. God wants to do the same thing 0:25:37.240 --> 0:25:40.119 for each one of you. Quit living life looking in 0:25:40.160 --> 0:25:43.840 your rear view mirror. This is a new day, and 0:25:43.960 --> 0:25:46.879 you may have been through more than your share of 0:25:47.040 --> 0:25:50.240 unfair experiences. But that's exactly the way you need to 0:25:50.280 --> 0:25:52.960 see it. You've been through it. In other words, it's 0:25:53.040 --> 0:25:56.040 over and done. Your attitude should be this is a 0:25:56.080 --> 0:25:58.840 new season. I'm moving on. I know God's going to 0:25:58.920 --> 0:26:02.920 restore and bring me out better off than I was before. Now, 0:26:02.960 --> 0:26:05.399 you said, Joel, I don't see how that could happen 0:26:05.440 --> 0:26:08.560 for me. Man, you don't know my circumstances. No, God 0:26:08.720 --> 0:26:12.480 always has a plan. His ways are higher and better 0:26:12.560 --> 0:26:16.280 than our ways. Just believe, Just keep pressing forward, get 0:26:16.359 --> 0:26:20.159 up every day expecting good things. I heard a story 0:26:20.200 --> 0:26:23.239 about this lady. She and her daughter had gotten at 0:26:23.280 --> 0:26:26.680 odds with each other, and they hadn't spoken in over 0:26:26.760 --> 0:26:30.160 twelve years to each other, and this mother was very 0:26:30.200 --> 0:26:33.119 distraught by it all. She had tried her best to 0:26:33.119 --> 0:26:36.359 make amends, but there was just so much water under 0:26:36.359 --> 0:26:39.399 the bridge, and the relationship was so strained that she 0:26:39.400 --> 0:26:42.760 couldn't seem to make any headway. This daughter wouldn't speak 0:26:42.760 --> 0:26:45.760 to her, wouldn't come to see her. The daughter had 0:26:45.760 --> 0:26:48.600 basically just written the mother out of her life. But 0:26:48.640 --> 0:26:52.320 this mother refused to give up. She kept praying, she 0:26:52.480 --> 0:26:56.240 kept believing, even though it looked impossible. Just like Abraham, 0:26:56.400 --> 0:26:59.080 she just kept hoping on in faith. She said, God, 0:26:59.119 --> 0:27:01.879 I know you're a God of restoration. I know you 0:27:01.920 --> 0:27:04.119 can do what men can't do. And God, I just 0:27:04.160 --> 0:27:07.560 believe one day, somehow, some way, you're going to restore 0:27:07.560 --> 0:27:11.480 my daughter back to me. And God works in mysterious ways. 0:27:11.920 --> 0:27:14.439 Two years ago, I was at a book signing in 0:27:14.480 --> 0:27:17.639 another state. There were several hundred people in line and 0:27:17.960 --> 0:27:20.120 had come up to the table and signed the book, 0:27:20.240 --> 0:27:22.280 talked to them for a moment or two, and all 0:27:22.280 --> 0:27:24.920 of a sudden, this lady stepped up and I didn't 0:27:24.920 --> 0:27:26.880 know who she was. She looked to be in her 0:27:26.920 --> 0:27:30.560 mid fifties. She had a beautiful young lady by her side, 0:27:30.960 --> 0:27:33.959 and they both had tears streaming down their faces, standing 0:27:34.000 --> 0:27:37.199 their arm in arm. Come to find out, over the 0:27:37.240 --> 0:27:40.320 last few years, they had both been watching our television 0:27:40.359 --> 0:27:43.640 program and not knowing any of this. When they heard 0:27:43.680 --> 0:27:46.360 we were coming to that city. They both showed up 0:27:46.400 --> 0:27:49.160 at the book signing, first time they had seen each 0:27:49.200 --> 0:27:53.840 other in over twelve years, and God used that. God 0:27:54.040 --> 0:27:58.200 used that as a time of healing, a time of restoration. 0:27:58.840 --> 0:28:00.920 The mother looked at me with big tears running down 0:28:00.920 --> 0:28:03.440 her face. She said, Joel, this is the happiest day 0:28:03.480 --> 0:28:06.919 of my life. God has brought my daughter back to me. Friends, 0:28:06.960 --> 0:28:09.720 God knows how to restore. He knows how to put 0:28:09.760 --> 0:28:12.480 you at the right place at the right time. Stay 0:28:12.520 --> 0:28:15.840 in faith. You may not think anything is happening, but 0:28:15.920 --> 0:28:20.320 God is working behind the scenes. He's planning the right seeds, 0:28:20.520 --> 0:28:24.560 He's rearranging things in your favor. He's in complete control 0:28:24.600 --> 0:28:28.320 of your life. And when you believe, all things are possible. 0:28:28.520 --> 0:28:31.760 When you don't lose your hope, payday is coming. It 0:28:31.800 --> 0:28:34.520 may not happen overnight, but it will happen. God is 0:28:34.560 --> 0:28:36.960 a faithful God. Now I want you to go out 0:28:37.000 --> 0:28:40.640 of here today with a spirit of restoration. It may 0:28:40.680 --> 0:28:43.720 look impossible to you, but it's not over until God 0:28:43.800 --> 0:28:48.160 says it's over. Keep praying, keep believing, and know this. 0:28:48.680 --> 0:28:52.640 When negative things happen to you, when unfair situations come, 0:28:53.040 --> 0:28:55.800 don't get all discouraged, don't get all bent out of shape. 0:28:55.840 --> 0:28:58.400 They just put you in a position to receive double 0:28:58.840 --> 0:29:01.320 And if you'll do your part, keep your hopes up, 0:29:01.600 --> 0:29:05.560 stay expectant, you'll not only rise above every negative circumstance, 0:29:05.680 --> 0:29:08.040 but God promises he'll bring you out better off than 0:29:08.080 --> 0:29:11.840 you were before. Amen. Do you receive it today? We 0:29:11.960 --> 0:29:14.440 never like to close off broadcast without giving you an 0:29:14.440 --> 0:29:17.480 opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would 0:29:17.480 --> 0:29:21.400 you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent 0:29:21.440 --> 0:29:25.600 of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you 0:29:25.680 --> 0:29:29.760 my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:29:29.840 --> 0:29:32.480 we believe you got born again. Get into good church, 0:29:32.600 --> 0:29:35.480 Keep God first place. He'll take your places that you've 0:29:35.480 --> 0:29:36.200 never dreamed of. 0:29:36.920 --> 0:29:40.360 Thank you for listening to the Jolus Deine podcast. Help 0:29:40.480 --> 0:29:43.200 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:43.280 --> 0:29:47.200 all over the world. Visit jolusdin dot com slash give 0:29:47.280 --> 0:29:48.959 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:50.240 --> 0:29:53.160 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:53.160 --> 0:29:56.520 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:56.600 --> 0:29:59.800 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:30:00.040 --> 0:30:02.440 I know God's best is still ahead. 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