By This I Know

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:34.560 Welcome to the Joe Lostein podcast. Help leu's continue to 0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:37.520 share the message of hope with those all over the world. 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.240 Visit Joelostein dot com slash give hope to. 0:01:41.240 --> 0:01:51.880 Give a gift today. 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:58.600 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:01.520 your homes and if you're in our area, please stop 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:03.920 buy be a part of one of our services. I 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:07.280 promise you we'll make you feel right at home. I 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:09.760 like to start with something funny and I heard about 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:12.480 this couple that lived out in the country. They had 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:17.040 been married fifty years and never had an argument, not one. 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:21.600 Somebody asked the secret of their success. The men explained. 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:24.720 As they were leaving the church going on their honeymoon, 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:28.960 the wife's horse refused to go. She got off, looked 0:02:28.960 --> 0:02:32.080 the horse in the eyes and said, that's one. He 0:02:32.120 --> 0:02:35.560 went a little further, stopped again. She got off, looked 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.520 the horse in the eyes and said that's two. He 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:41.480 went a little more, stopped a third time. This time 0:02:41.520 --> 0:02:44.920 she got off, pulled her revolver out and shot the 0:02:45.000 --> 0:02:48.560 horse dead. Her husband said, what in the world are 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:51.839 you doing. You can't just shoot a horse. She looked 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:56.760 at him and said, honey, that's one, all right. That 0:02:56.919 --> 0:03:00.320 is not advice, that's a joke. Here we go. This 0:03:00.400 --> 0:03:02.959 is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:03:03.440 --> 0:03:05.799 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:08.440 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:12.440 taught the word of God. I'll boldly confess my mind 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:15.760 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:03:15.840 --> 0:03:20.679 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:23.200 to talk to you today about by this. I know 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:28.120 we've all come through challenges and difficulties that should have 0:03:28.160 --> 0:03:33.480 stopped us. The problem seemed too big, The obstacle looked insurmountable. 0:03:33.960 --> 0:03:37.520 Somehow we made it through. We've seen doors open that 0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:41.880 shouldn't have opened, Promotion that we didn't deserve. People for 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:44.520 no reason went out of their way to be good 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:48.800 to us. That wasn't luck. It wasn't just a good break. 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:53.880 That was the hand of God pushing back forces of darkness, 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:59.000 protecting us, healing us, promoting us. David said in Psalm 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:02.720 forty one. By this, I know the Lord is on 0:04:02.800 --> 0:04:06.920 my side. He has not let my enemies triumph over me. 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:11.520 When David looked at where he was and thought about 0:04:11.560 --> 0:04:15.680 what it took to get there, the rejection being left 0:04:15.720 --> 0:04:19.040 out by his father, King Saul, trying to kill him, 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:24.560 people slandering him, he recognized the whole time it was 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:29.360 God behind the scenes, fighting his battles, not letting those 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:33.640 enemies defeat him. It gave him a confidence of boldness. 0:04:33.800 --> 0:04:37.279 He knew the Lord was on his side. All of 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:41.000 us have some of these. By this, I know that 0:04:41.120 --> 0:04:44.159 sickness could have been the end. But by the grace 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:48.039 of God, you're still here, healthy and home. You can 0:04:48.080 --> 0:04:51.120 look back and say, like David, by this, I know 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:54.200 the Lord is on my side. He didn't let that 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:59.000 sickness defeat me or the divorce. The breakup could have 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:03.560 left you sou bitter, lonely. But God not only restored you, 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:07.840 he brought somebody new, somebody better than you've imagined. Now 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:12.680 you're a happy, whole, loving life. You can say, by this, 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:15.800 I know the Lord is on my side. He turned 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:20.359 my mourning into dancing. A young lady showed me pictures 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:23.400 of a car she was driving. Somebody pulled in front 0:05:23.440 --> 0:05:26.960 of her on the freeway. She lost control of her car. 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:31.880 It flipped over and rolled three times. There was nothing 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:35.800 left of the car. Didn't look like anyway someone could survive. 0:05:36.400 --> 0:05:39.760 She smiled and said, Joel, I came out without one scratch, 0:05:40.080 --> 0:05:44.720 without one bruise. The police couldn't believe it when they 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:48.880 saw the car. They were expecting a fatality. They had 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:51.320 to use the jaws of life to get her out. 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:56.120 An officer said, you were one very lucky young lady. 0:05:57.040 --> 0:06:00.640 That wasn't luck, that was the goodness of God. Those 0:06:00.720 --> 0:06:05.000 were angels protecting her, keeping her from dashing her foot 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:08.760 against a stone. Now, she can look back and say, 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:12.359 by this, I know the Lord is on my side. 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:15.880 The things that should have stopped you, the people that 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:20.320 came against you, the accidents, the rejection, the tough childhood, 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:24.600 the addiction that was passed down. Other people were defeated, 0:06:25.120 --> 0:06:28.520 other people got knocked down. But look at you. You're 0:06:28.560 --> 0:06:33.240 still standing, You're still blessed, you're still victorious, you're still happy. 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:37.440 Just the fact that you're here. That's a sign the 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:41.160 Lord is on your side. When you look back and 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:45.520 see how you outlasted the opposition, how you raised that 0:06:45.720 --> 0:06:49.640 child on your own, how you put yourself through college, 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:53.280 how you broke the addiction, rose out of the dysfunction, 0:06:53.880 --> 0:06:57.640 how you came through the cancer treatment, how you encouraged 0:06:57.640 --> 0:07:01.960 yourself when nobody else was around. Other people would have 0:07:02.080 --> 0:07:06.719 given up, others would have complained, been discouraged, missed their destiny. 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:11.040 But not you. You're still going strong. When you know the 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:14.320 Lord is on your side, it gives you a boldness, 0:07:14.560 --> 0:07:18.440 a confidence. You don't fall apart when you face opposition. 0:07:19.480 --> 0:07:22.920 Your attitude is you are messing with the wrong person. 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:26.400 I may look ordinary, but I have a secret. The 0:07:26.480 --> 0:07:29.840 most High God, the creator of the universe is on 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:33.520 my side. How do you know He didn't let your 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:37.960 enemies triumph over you. You didn't make it through all those 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:41.960 challenges on your own. That was God fighting your battles, 0:07:42.240 --> 0:07:47.040 breathing in your direction. You didn't break that addiction by yourself. 0:07:47.680 --> 0:07:50.119 You may have done your part, but it was God 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:54.520 keeping it from stopping your purpose. You didn't meet that 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:58.400 person that you fell in love with by accident. Wasn't 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:01.920 a coincidence that they came across your path. She could 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:04.640 have been five minutes later and you've never seen her. 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:08.000 He could have changed his mind, done something different that day. 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:12.760 God ordered your steps, and now you're blessed with someone 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:16.760 to love and every challenge God has brought you through. 0:08:17.360 --> 0:08:22.240 Those victories were designed as fuel for your faith. So 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:26.720 when you face new challenges, you can look back and say, God, 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:29.560 you did it for me back then. I know you'll 0:08:29.560 --> 0:08:33.200 do it for me now. You have a history with God. 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:37.200 You've seen him make a way where you didn't see away. 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:40.280 You've seen him have you at the right place at 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:43.880 the right time when you've made mistakes. You've seen him 0:08:43.920 --> 0:08:47.559 show you mercy, turn it around when you didn't deserve it. 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:51.920 Big and small. We've all seen the hand of God. 0:08:52.640 --> 0:08:55.559 When you're tempted to get discouraged and think the problem 0:08:55.640 --> 0:08:59.000 is too big, it'll never change, you'll never get well, 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:01.839 never meet the right place person, you need to go 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:06.480 back and get some fuel. Remember what God has done. 0:09:06.800 --> 0:09:09.680 Think about the times he's shown out in your life. 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:13.680 When you go back over your history and see how 0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:17.000 God has never left you, how he kept you from 0:09:17.040 --> 0:09:20.760 the accident, brought the right person, led you to that 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:24.959 house where things fell into place. Then when thoughts whisper 0:09:25.280 --> 0:09:27.760 it's not going to work out. This is as good 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:31.400 as it gets. Just smile and say I'm sorry you're 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:35.120 too late. I have a history with God. I've already 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:39.480 seen his goodness. I've already seen him turn my child around, 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:43.520 already seen him heal my loved one. I've seen him 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:46.320 promote me, take me where I couldn't go. I've seen 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:49.160 him bring me through lass and give me beauty for ashes. 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:53.000 When you look back at your history, it will give 0:09:53.040 --> 0:09:57.920 you fuel for your destiny. Genesis twenty four, Abraham was 0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:01.680 old and close to death. He told his assistant to 0:10:01.800 --> 0:10:05.560 travel back to his hometown to find his son, Isaac, 0:10:05.679 --> 0:10:10.160 a wife they were living in Canaan. Abraham wanted Isaac 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:14.319 to marry someone from his original home. This assistant felt 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:16.920 all the pressure. He thought, how am I going to 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:20.520 know if it's the right girl. He said to Abraham, 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:23.640 I'll go, but what if I can't find a young 0:10:23.760 --> 0:10:27.600 lady that will come back with me? Abraham said in 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:31.880 verse thirty nine, you will find the right one, for 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:35.839 the Lord in whose presence I have walked will send 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:40.960 his angel with you and make your mission successful. Abraham 0:10:41.080 --> 0:10:44.280 was saying, don't worry. I have a history with God. 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:48.720 I've seen his faithfulness down through the years. He gave 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:51.520 my wife and I a baby when we were way 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:55.160 too old. He provided a ram in the bush when 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:58.679 I needed a sacrifice. He showed me mercy when I 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:01.600 made a mistake and had a baby out of wedlock. 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:06.079 He's seen God's goodness again and again. It gave him 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:10.120 a confidence. He said it with boldness. It will happen. 0:11:10.520 --> 0:11:14.040 I have walked with God. When you look back over 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:17.800 your life, you will see these times like with Abraham, 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:21.959 where God brought a promise to pass that seemed impossible. 0:11:22.640 --> 0:11:25.160 He made a way when you didn't see that way. 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:28.480 He brought your child out of trouble. Now they're doing 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:32.840 great things. When you think about the faithfulness of God, 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:36.959 it'll give you a confidence. You'll say it will happen. 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:41.120 My children will be mighty in the land. I will 0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:44.560 live and not die, I will lend and not borrow. 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:47.880 I will fulfill my destiny. How can you be so 0:11:47.960 --> 0:11:51.960 sure you have a history with God. You didn't get 0:11:52.000 --> 0:11:56.960 here by yourself. God was directing your steps behind the scenes. 0:11:57.120 --> 0:12:00.439 You couldn't see it. But God was pushing back up position. 0:12:01.040 --> 0:12:05.080 He was favoring you. He was dealing with those enemies. 0:12:05.440 --> 0:12:08.960 That's why they couldn't defeat you. That's why you had 0:12:09.000 --> 0:12:12.520 a baby when the expert said you couldn't have one. 0:12:12.559 --> 0:12:15.880 That's why that company called and offered you the position. 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:20.080 You didn't go after it. It came after you. That 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:23.920 wasn't good luck. That was a good God. Instead of 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:27.320 wondering if it's going to work out, living stressed over 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:31.520 your finances, worried about your children, have a new attitude. 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:35.680 The Lord in whose presence I have walked, the Lord 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:39.160 who has defeated my enemies, the Lord who has restored 0:12:39.320 --> 0:12:43.439 and vindicated me, the Lord who has promoted and prospered me. 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:48.960 He will make my mission successful. God has not brought 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:53.200 you this far to leave you. He's defeated enemies for 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:56.520 you in the past. The good news is he's still 0:12:56.520 --> 0:12:59.000 on the throne. He's going to do it again in 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:03.120 the future. Think about all the circumstances that could have 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:06.080 brought you down. Look at all the people that could 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:09.280 have held you back. They told you what you couldn't become, 0:13:09.760 --> 0:13:12.840 tried to discourage you, push you down, but you just 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:16.480 kept on keeping on. Now they're nowhere to be found. 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:20.160 You're still going strong. By this, you can know the 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:23.719 Lord is on your side. You could have been discouraged, 0:13:24.440 --> 0:13:27.319 you could have believed what they said. But God didn't 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:31.040 let their negative report take root. He didn't let their 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:35.640 prophecy come to pass. Instead, he spoke new words into 0:13:35.679 --> 0:13:40.000 your spirit. No weapon formed against you will prosper. He said. 0:13:40.040 --> 0:13:43.000 When the enemy comes against you one way, he will 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:46.440 defeat them and cause them to flee seven different ways. 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:50.520 When we were trying to acquire this place, the former 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:54.080 Compact Center, the company we were up against was the 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:58.920 largest taxpayer in Texas, a huge real estate company. It 0:13:59.000 --> 0:14:02.840 was David Verse Goliath in the natural. We didn't have 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:07.360 a chance, but I've learned you and God are a majority. 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:10.720 He can make things happen that you couldn't make happen. 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:15.000 We needed ten votes from the city council members, but 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:19.840 we only had nine. The night before the final vote, 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:23.640 a young Jewish council member that had been against us 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:28.360 two years suddenly changed his mind and voted for us, 0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:31.600 and we got the building. We couldn't believe it. We 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:35.320 were so thrilled. I asked him afterwards what happened. He 0:14:35.400 --> 0:14:38.840 explained how he received a phone call out of the 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:43.160 blue from an older Jewish woman that he hadn't spoken 0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:46.640 to in over twenty years, but he always had great 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:51.280 respect for her. She told him in no uncertain terms 0:14:51.600 --> 0:14:55.240 he was to vote for Lakewood having the compact center. 0:14:56.520 --> 0:15:00.440 That lady that I have never met, is why he 0:15:00.600 --> 0:15:04.240 changed his mind. I couldn't have made that happen. Now, 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:07.840 every time I see this place, I can say by this, 0:15:08.080 --> 0:15:11.440 I know the Lord is on my side. He didn't 0:15:11.520 --> 0:15:16.720 let those enemies defeed us. This building is a testimony 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:21.080 of God's goodness. It's a reminder that he's fighting our battles, 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:24.880 that he's bigger than what we're facing. Look back over 0:15:24.920 --> 0:15:29.080 your life, remember what God has done. That's fuel for 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:32.960 your faith. You have a history with God, but too 0:15:33.000 --> 0:15:36.440 often we forget the good things. We remember the hurts, 0:15:36.680 --> 0:15:40.840 the disappointments, the mistakes. But look at where you are now. 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:44.000 If it had not been for the goodness of God, 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:47.600 you wouldn't be here. Some people that have gone through 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:51.120 what you've been through, they didn't make it. They gave up, 0:15:51.400 --> 0:15:55.800 God discouraged living, defeated. Not you, God shined his fevor 0:15:55.840 --> 0:16:00.359 on you. God has been keeping enemies from defeating you 0:16:00.360 --> 0:16:04.200 your whole life. He was guarding and protecting you, even 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:07.920 when you didn't realize it. There are enemies that you've 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:11.080 never seen because God kept them out of your path. 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:15.440 When my father was a toddler, he fell into a fire. 0:16:16.080 --> 0:16:19.400 He could have easily been killed. Another few seconds and 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:22.800 he would lost his life. Someone just so happened to 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:26.360 be right there to pull him out. The enemy has 0:16:26.400 --> 0:16:29.280 been trying to take you out since you were a baby. 0:16:29.960 --> 0:16:33.360 He knows you're a person of destiny. He knows you 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:37.320 have seeds of greatness. He knows you've been crowned with favor. 0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:41.680 So he's been working overtime to try to silence your voice. 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:46.040 Stop your gifts, limit your potential, keep you from reaching 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:50.440 your destiny. But those forces have not been able to 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:54.720 stop you. It's because you have a protector. You have 0:16:54.800 --> 0:16:59.280 a defender that's watching over you. He never sleeps. He's 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:04.080 pushing back darkness. He's keeping those forces from taking your life. 0:17:05.080 --> 0:17:08.680 David said, A thousand may fall at your side, ten 0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:11.240 thousand at your right hand, but it will not come 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:15.480 near you. God has his angels standing guard over you. 0:17:16.080 --> 0:17:19.480 The fact that you're here, alive and healthy. By this, 0:17:19.600 --> 0:17:23.320 you can know the Lord is on your side. When 0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:27.520 I see my mother diagnosed with terminal cancer in nineteen 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:32.240 eighty one, thirty seven years later, still healthy and strong, 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:35.960 By this, I know the Lord is on my side. 0:17:36.080 --> 0:17:39.639 He didn't let that sickness take her life. When I 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:42.360 stepped up to pastor the church, when my father went 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:44.600 to be with the Lord, I didn't think I could 0:17:44.600 --> 0:17:48.600 do this. I didn't have the training, the experience. But 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:51.439 God brought gifts out of me that I didn't know 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:55.679 I had. He's promoted me, taking me further than I've imagined, 0:17:56.119 --> 0:17:59.639 helped me to outlast the opposition. By this, I know 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:02.680 the Lord is on my side. He didn't let those 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:06.760 enemies defeat me. When I see Victorian, look at how 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:10.199 beautiful she is. By this, I know the Lord is 0:18:10.240 --> 0:18:14.040 on my side. On the other hand, when I look 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:16.879 at my brother Paul, by this, I know the Lord 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:21.960 is on my side. The scripture says, taste and see 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:24.800 that the Lord is good. I don't know about you, 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:29.679 but I've tasted God's goodness. I've seen his favor, his blessings, 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:34.439 his mercy, his vindication, his abundance. In the battle for 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:37.560 the Compact Center, there were a few people that didn't 0:18:37.560 --> 0:18:40.080 want us to have the building. One of the main 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:44.399 business leaders, a very respected influential man, was at a 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:47.440 luncheon with a friend of mine. He said to everyone 0:18:47.520 --> 0:18:50.399 at the table, it will be a cold day in 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:55.400 hell before Lakewood gets the Compact Center, said it very sarcastically. 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:58.680 Everyone laughed. Of course, he didn't know my friend was there. 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:02.479 And when he told me what the men said, it 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:06.280 didn't discourage me. It was just the opposite. It made 0:19:06.359 --> 0:19:11.480 me more determined. I prayed harder, I stood stronger. You 0:19:11.640 --> 0:19:15.879 can't have a big testimony without having a big test 0:19:16.440 --> 0:19:19.320 and sometimes God will send you a big jerk, I mean, 0:19:19.359 --> 0:19:24.520 a big enemy. Stay in pay they cannot stop your destiny. 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:27.640 They don't know it, but God is going to use 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:28.919 them for fuel. 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:30.280 Now. 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:33.880 I can imagine now, when he drives by the building, 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:37.600 or he flips through the channel and sees my smiling face, 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:40.840 he must think it's a cold day in hell, because 0:19:41.000 --> 0:19:47.639 here we are. The scripture says, don't gloat over your enemies, 0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:53.639 but it's hard. He went from being opposition to be 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:57.880 in fuel. Now, when I face other giants, I think 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:01.360 about him. He couldn't stop us. He thought we were 0:20:01.400 --> 0:20:04.840 a lightweight. What he couldn't see was behind the scenes, 0:20:05.080 --> 0:20:08.920 we had a heavyweight, the most high, God fighting our battles. 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:13.000 When I'm tempted to get discouraged, I go back over 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:16.600 my history. I think about how God brought my father 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:20.960 out of poverty. Had no money, no education, no future 0:20:21.040 --> 0:20:24.119 to speak of. But at seventeen years of age, he 0:20:24.240 --> 0:20:27.800 gave his life to Christ, the first one in his family. 0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:32.280 That wasn't a lucky break. That was God choosing my 0:20:32.440 --> 0:20:36.000 father before he could choose him. If it had not 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:39.560 been for the goodness of God in my father's life, 0:20:39.640 --> 0:20:43.200 I wouldn't be standing here. I think about how God 0:20:43.280 --> 0:20:46.399 protected me on the freeway when I lost control of 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:49.800 my car. I was in my early twenties. It's reigning 0:20:49.840 --> 0:20:53.960 really hard. I hit the center guardrail, spun back around 0:20:54.200 --> 0:20:57.480 five lanes of traffic. At one point I was going 0:20:57.560 --> 0:21:01.040 the wrong direction. I looked up and an eighteen wheeler 0:21:01.200 --> 0:21:03.840 was coming right at me. I felt like I could 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:07.000 reach out and touch his front grill. He was so close. 0:21:07.560 --> 0:21:11.520 All I had time to say was Jesus. The scripture says, 0:21:12.040 --> 0:21:14.400 call on the name of the Lord, and you will 0:21:14.440 --> 0:21:20.080 be saved. You don't have to pray long. When you 0:21:20.160 --> 0:21:24.359 say Jesus, Heaven and earth comes to attention. The next 0:21:24.359 --> 0:21:26.560 thing I knew, I was on the shoulder on the 0:21:26.560 --> 0:21:29.880 side of the freeway, stopped. The eighteen wheeler pulled over. 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:33.480 The driver got out, came to my window. He said, boy, 0:21:33.680 --> 0:21:37.200 you must be living right right. When I was about 0:21:37.240 --> 0:21:40.719 to hit you, I braced myself, but a huge gust 0:21:40.760 --> 0:21:45.840 of wind blew me into the other lane, and somehow 0:21:45.920 --> 0:21:50.520 I miss you, he said, somehow, But I know it 0:21:50.600 --> 0:21:54.479 was someone. He thought. It was a good break. I 0:21:54.560 --> 0:21:57.399 know it was the hand of God. By this, I 0:21:57.560 --> 0:22:00.480 know the Lord is on my side, and let the 0:22:00.480 --> 0:22:05.840 accident take my life. What has God done for you. You 0:22:05.080 --> 0:22:09.000 have some of these. By this, I know those victories 0:22:09.080 --> 0:22:12.000 were not just to protect you, to heal you, to 0:22:12.040 --> 0:22:16.320 promote you. They're fuel so when you face new challenges, 0:22:16.680 --> 0:22:20.000 obstacles that look too big, if you'll go back and 0:22:20.119 --> 0:22:24.159 remember what God has done, that's what gives you the faith, 0:22:24.600 --> 0:22:28.399 the confidence, the knowing that He's in control, that he 0:22:28.480 --> 0:22:30.880 has you in the palm of his hand, that what's 0:22:30.920 --> 0:22:34.720 trying to stop you doesn't have a chance. The enemy 0:22:34.760 --> 0:22:37.920 may do his best, his best will never be enough. 0:22:38.440 --> 0:22:42.639 God has a hedge of protection around you. His forces 0:22:42.800 --> 0:22:45.720 are greater than the forces that are trying to stop you. 0:22:46.359 --> 0:22:50.760 Don't live worried, afraid. Go back over your history. When 0:22:50.840 --> 0:22:54.159 you start thanking God for what he's done, you'll feel 0:22:54.200 --> 0:22:57.159 faith rise in your hearts. You'll know He did it 0:22:57.200 --> 0:23:00.280 for you back then, he'll do it for you today. 0:23:00.640 --> 0:23:04.520 This is where the Israelites missed it. God supernaturally brought 0:23:04.560 --> 0:23:07.960 them out of slavery. He sent plagues on their enemies. 0:23:08.320 --> 0:23:12.399 When Pharaoh changed his mind came chasing them. The Israelites 0:23:12.400 --> 0:23:14.920 were at a dead end at the Red Sea, had 0:23:15.000 --> 0:23:18.640 nowhere to go. God simply parted the Red Sea. They 0:23:18.680 --> 0:23:22.000 went through on dry ground out in the desert. God 0:23:22.040 --> 0:23:25.160 brought them water out of a rock. He gave them 0:23:25.240 --> 0:23:29.880 manna bread to eat. Each morning was one miracle after another. 0:23:30.560 --> 0:23:33.560 But when they arrived at the Promised Land and saw 0:23:33.600 --> 0:23:37.520 how big the people were, instead of using what God 0:23:37.520 --> 0:23:40.720 had done as fuel, instead of saying, by this, we 0:23:40.960 --> 0:23:44.879 know the Lord is on our side, Psalm seventy eight says, 0:23:45.320 --> 0:23:50.560 they forgot the amazing miracles God had done. They got discouraged, 0:23:50.600 --> 0:23:54.359 started complaining, saying, Moses, they're too big, Let's just go 0:23:54.480 --> 0:23:58.040 back to being slaves. Here. They had a great history 0:23:58.080 --> 0:24:02.199 with God. He had done amazing things. Their problem was 0:24:02.240 --> 0:24:06.320 they didn't remember them. Instead of going into the Promised Land, 0:24:06.600 --> 0:24:10.280 they wandered in the desert for forty years. Are you 0:24:10.359 --> 0:24:14.960 living worried thinking a problem is too big. Perhaps you're 0:24:14.960 --> 0:24:18.320 doing like they did. You've forgotten what God has done. 0:24:19.000 --> 0:24:22.960 You're out of fuel. Your faith needs to be re energized. 0:24:23.320 --> 0:24:25.919 One way you do that is by going back over you. 0:24:26.359 --> 0:24:29.280 By this, I knows the times God made away, the 0:24:29.320 --> 0:24:32.159 times he protected you, the times he opened that door. 0:24:32.480 --> 0:24:35.679 When you start dwelling on the goodness of God in 0:24:35.720 --> 0:24:38.639 your own life, not what He did for your neighbor. 0:24:39.200 --> 0:24:42.280 It's great that God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, 0:24:42.800 --> 0:24:45.480 but how about the red seas God's parted for you, 0:24:46.200 --> 0:24:50.400 the times he made something happen that seems impossible. That's 0:24:50.440 --> 0:24:55.080 your fuel, your personal history. If you'll start thanking God 0:24:55.119 --> 0:24:58.760 for those things, you'll get that spring back in your step. 0:24:59.160 --> 0:25:02.720 You'll live with this confidence. By this, I know the 0:25:02.800 --> 0:25:05.840 Lord is on my side. I talked to a man 0:25:05.920 --> 0:25:09.560 that has struggled with addictions for twenty seven years. He 0:25:09.600 --> 0:25:13.160 was an executive, had a great job, a happy family. 0:25:13.800 --> 0:25:17.600 Drugs and alcohol ruined his life. He lost his marriage, 0:25:17.960 --> 0:25:21.320 lost his job. He was so depressed he didn't want 0:25:21.359 --> 0:25:25.119 to live. At the lowest point, he turned the television 0:25:25.160 --> 0:25:27.959 on and I was talking about how God is bigger 0:25:28.000 --> 0:25:31.639 than addictions, how one touch of his favor can turn 0:25:31.760 --> 0:25:36.639 situations around. All of a sudden, he felt the warmness 0:25:36.840 --> 0:25:40.720 starting at his head, flowing down to his feet. He said, 0:25:40.800 --> 0:25:44.720 for the first time in years, he felt hopeful. He 0:25:44.760 --> 0:25:47.600 got down on his knees and said, God can't do 0:25:47.640 --> 0:25:51.399 this on my own, help me to change. That moment 0:25:51.680 --> 0:25:54.800 was a turning point. Never went back to the drugs, 0:25:55.200 --> 0:25:58.639 never touched the alcohol again. That was nine years ago. 0:25:59.119 --> 0:26:03.280 He's been sober ever since he and his wife had divorced. 0:26:03.840 --> 0:26:08.720 They remarried. He's back with his family. Now he can say, 0:26:08.800 --> 0:26:12.800 like David, by this, I know the Lord is on 0:26:12.880 --> 0:26:16.880 my side. Now I think, I hope, I'm praying, I'm 0:26:16.920 --> 0:26:20.760 believing God is going to do some things in your future. 0:26:21.160 --> 0:26:23.960 Where you know he is on your side, there would 0:26:24.000 --> 0:26:27.880 be no doubt. Maybe, like him, you couldn't break the addiction. 0:26:28.160 --> 0:26:31.600 Suddenly you're free. You were told you couldn't have children. 0:26:31.760 --> 0:26:34.760 Now you have a healthy baby. You weren't even looking. 0:26:34.920 --> 0:26:38.840 Somebody amazing came into your life. The opposition was bigger 0:26:38.880 --> 0:26:42.399 and stronger. But the Compact Center came to you, the 0:26:42.480 --> 0:26:45.560 contract came to you, the business came to you. You 0:26:45.560 --> 0:26:48.320 couldn't have made it happen. You were at your limits. 0:26:48.520 --> 0:26:51.879 But the Red Sea Party. Get ready, You're about to 0:26:52.040 --> 0:26:55.280 know the Lord is on your side. What he's done 0:26:55.280 --> 0:26:58.560 in the past is going to peale in comparison to 0:26:58.640 --> 0:26:59.760 what he's about to do. 0:27:00.520 --> 0:27:00.680 Now. 0:27:00.720 --> 0:27:04.560 Don't be surprised when you face giants bigger than you've 0:27:04.600 --> 0:27:09.119 ever faced, bigger opposition, that's a sign you're headed to 0:27:09.200 --> 0:27:13.280 a new level. You'll be tempted to worry, feel overwhelmed. 0:27:13.720 --> 0:27:17.119 You need to go back and get your fuel. Remember 0:27:17.160 --> 0:27:20.720 what God has done. Thank him for the red seas 0:27:20.800 --> 0:27:24.000 he's parted. Thank him for the giants you've defeated. Thank 0:27:24.040 --> 0:27:26.960 him for the times he's made away. You didn't get 0:27:27.000 --> 0:27:29.520 to where you are on your own. There are things 0:27:29.520 --> 0:27:32.800 that should have stopped you. You can say, like David, 0:27:33.119 --> 0:27:35.760 by this, I know the Lord is on my side. 0:27:35.800 --> 0:27:39.760 The cancer didn't defeat me, the divorce didn't stop my destiny. 0:27:39.920 --> 0:27:43.280 The accident didn't take my life. You have a history 0:27:43.320 --> 0:27:46.600 with God. He's done it in the past. He's going 0:27:46.680 --> 0:27:49.000 to do it in the future. He was fighting your 0:27:49.040 --> 0:27:52.439 battles back then. Can I encourage you He's fighting your 0:27:52.480 --> 0:27:57.000 battles right now. I believe and declare You're about to 0:27:57.080 --> 0:28:01.199 take new ground. Giants much more bigger are about to 0:28:01.240 --> 0:28:04.399 come tumbling down. God is going to show out in 0:28:04.480 --> 0:28:07.440 your life in a new way. By this, you will 0:28:07.520 --> 0:28:11.160 know the Lord is on your side. In Jesus' name, 0:28:11.560 --> 0:28:15.840 if you receive it, Can you say, then today I'd 0:28:15.880 --> 0:28:18.639 like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:28:18.680 --> 0:28:21.919 lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just 0:28:22.000 --> 0:28:27.720 say Lord Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come into 0:28:27.760 --> 0:28:32.479 my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. If 0:28:32.520 --> 0:28:35.600 you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. 0:28:36.119 --> 0:28:39.320 Get in a good Bible based church, keep God first place. 0:28:39.800 --> 0:28:42.200 Be torn. I'll be right back to speak a blessing 0:28:42.320 --> 0:28:42.760 over you. 0:28:45.360 --> 0:28:47.760 Joel in Victoria, we'd like to send you a copy 0:28:47.800 --> 0:28:51.360 of Joel's new series Blessed Not Stressed, as a thank 0:28:51.400 --> 0:28:54.400 you for your support of our ministry. In this new 0:28:54.480 --> 0:28:57.440 series by Joel Rustin, you'll learn to let go of 0:28:57.480 --> 0:28:58.440 the little things that. 0:28:58.440 --> 0:28:59.360 Can stress you out. 0:28:59.720 --> 0:29:02.560 When you realize God has good things in store for 0:29:02.680 --> 0:29:05.560 you and that you can live in His favor every day, 0:29:05.920 --> 0:29:08.560 you won't live a life filled with stress anymore. 0:29:09.360 --> 0:29:10.960 Live a life of joy. 0:29:10.760 --> 0:29:13.320 And choose to experience God's blessings. 0:29:14.520 --> 0:29:17.480 Life's too short to let things bother you. Every day 0:29:17.560 --> 0:29:18.480 is a gift from God. 0:29:19.040 --> 0:29:21.640 When you look for the good, keeping the right perspective, 0:29:21.880 --> 0:29:24.360 you'll enjoy your life and see God's goodness. 0:29:24.440 --> 0:29:26.960 When you have your joy, you have your strength. That's 0:29:26.960 --> 0:29:30.560 what helps you live a victorious life. Request this resource. 0:29:30.760 --> 0:29:32.360 I know it will be a great. 0:29:32.120 --> 0:29:32.640 Help to you. 0:29:33.480 --> 0:29:37.960 Request your copy of blessed not stressed today at Joelosting 0:29:38.040 --> 0:29:41.320 dot com or call eight eight eight five sixty seven. 0:29:41.640 --> 0:29:46.400 Joel, your support is making a difference around the world. 0:29:46.640 --> 0:29:49.920 Thank you so much for your generosity and for your prayers. 0:29:50.040 --> 0:29:53.080 It's helping to make a difference in people's lives. A 0:29:53.160 --> 0:29:56.160 special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners for 0:29:56.280 --> 0:29:59.200 all you do to make the ministry possible. Know that 0:29:59.320 --> 0:30:02.080 Victoria and I pray for you and your family. We're 0:30:02.080 --> 0:30:06.440 believing in twenty eighteen, God's going to exceed your expectations. 0:30:06.720 --> 0:30:08.600 We love you, We're praying for you. 0:30:08.760 --> 0:30:09.080 Know this. 0:30:09.360 --> 0:30:12.640 You're not average, You're not mediocre. You're a child of 0:30:12.680 --> 0:30:13.720 the most hoigh God. 0:30:20.240 --> 0:30:24.360 Be a barbecue Hero with delicious ultralow netcar hero Bread 0:30:24.440 --> 0:30:27.920 buns and tortillas, soft and fluffy, high in fiber, and 0:30:28.000 --> 0:30:30.240 with zero grams of sugar and up to ten grams 0:30:30.240 --> 0:30:33.520 of protein, coming in at under one hundred calories per survey. 0:30:33.760 --> 0:30:36.320 Oh and did I mention they taste like their mouthwatering 0:30:36.360 --> 0:30:40.000 traditional versions. 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