Choose Faith in Spite of the Facts

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See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.800 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.880 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.319 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.360 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:45.240 ministry going. 0:01:45.640 --> 0:02:09.640 Enjoy the message. 0:02:00.000 --> 0:02:02.400 Why God bless you and thanks so much for being 0:02:02.400 --> 0:02:05.000 with us today. And if you're ever in our area, 0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:07.000 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:02:07.040 --> 0:02:09.600 our services. I promise you it will make you feel 0:02:09.639 --> 0:02:12.040 right at home. But thank you again for tuning in, 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:14.720 and thank you so much for coming out. I like 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:16.920 to start with something funny, and I heard about this 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:20.480 elderly couple. They were having a terrible time with their memory, 0:02:20.480 --> 0:02:23.480 and they went to the doctor and he instructed them 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:26.920 to start writing down everything they had been forgetting. The 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:29.760 next night, they were watching television. The wife said, I 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:32.519 sure would like a bowl of ice cream. The husband said, 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:34.800 I'll go get it for you. She said, honey, you 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:37.160 know what the doctor said, you better write it down. 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:39.800 He said, I'm just going into the kitchen. I'm not 0:02:39.840 --> 0:02:42.239 going to forget it. In a few minutes, he came 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:46.640 back handed her a plate of bacon and eggs. She 0:02:46.720 --> 0:02:48.560 shook her head and said, I should have known it. 0:02:48.760 --> 0:02:53.360 You forgot my toast. Hold up your bible. Say it 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:56.320 like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am 0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:58.680 what it says. I am. I have what it says 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:01.239 I have. I can do what it says I can do. 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:04.280 Today I will be taught the word of God. I 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:08.360 boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:12.240 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:15.680 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:15.919 --> 0:03:20.200 choosing faith in spite of the facts. There are times 0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:23.360 in life when the facts are not our friend. The 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:26.240 facts will say you can't get well, you saw the 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:30.119 medical report. Or you can't accomplish your dreams. You don't 0:03:30.120 --> 0:03:34.000 have the training, the education, you don't know the right people. 0:03:34.400 --> 0:03:37.160 You'll never break that addiction. You've had it too long. 0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:40.800 If you just focus on the facts, they'll keep you 0:03:40.840 --> 0:03:44.040 from your destiny. The facts can talk you out of 0:03:44.040 --> 0:03:48.800 your dreams. The facts can convince you to settle for mediocrity. 0:03:48.920 --> 0:03:52.040 But I've learned that God is bigger than the facts. 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:55.520 You may not see away in the natural, but he's 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:59.560 a supernatural god. He can do what medicine cannot do. 0:04:00.280 --> 0:04:03.680 He can promote you without the training. He can make 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:07.440 rivers in a desert. He's not limited by the laws 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:11.520 of nature, science, finance. Don't let the facts fool you 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:15.840 when you believe all things are possible. When I was 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:18.560 in my late teens, I was driving to lunch with 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:21.440 some friends and we saw these two men coming out 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:24.960 of a house carrying a television and a stereo. They 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:27.800 were stealing it, and we knew the people that lived there. 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:30.640 They were out of town and I pulled into a 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:34.240 convenience store and called nine to one one. The operator said, 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:38.040 what's your emergency. I was very young and nervous, and 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:40.920 I started telling him where we were coming from, and 0:04:41.200 --> 0:04:44.159 who was with me, and where we were going. He said, sir, 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:47.359 I don't need any of that. Just give me the facts. 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:51.000 He said it twice, very sternly. All I want are 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:54.919 the facts. In the same way, when you're believing for 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:57.880 a problem to turn around, believing for a child to 0:04:57.880 --> 0:05:00.640 get on the right path, believing to get out of debt, 0:05:01.200 --> 0:05:04.760 in your heart, you'll hear a voice saying it's going 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:08.200 to happen. God can make a way, favor is coming, 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:12.560 healing is coming. You'll feel faith rising up. But in 0:05:12.600 --> 0:05:16.080 your mind you'll hear another voice saying, just give me 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:19.279 the facts. I don't want to hear all that faith stuff. 0:05:19.839 --> 0:05:22.680 I when to know what you're believing for what you're 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:26.440 hoping will happen. All I want are the facts. In 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:29.880 other words, what does the medical report say? How much 0:05:29.920 --> 0:05:32.520 do you have in the account? Where is your child 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:37.000 right now? The real battle is taking place in our mind, 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:41.880 and the scripture says, lean not to your own understanding. 0:05:42.680 --> 0:05:45.359 There are times. Take this in the right sense, you 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:48.720 have to turn your mind off. Your mind will tell 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:51.160 you all the reasons why it's not going to happen. 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:55.320 If you stay focused on the facts, the details, what 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:59.040 the experts have said. Before long, you'll talk yourself out 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:02.880 of it. Now, I'm all four, having common sense, being wise, 0:06:03.360 --> 0:06:07.680 But sometimes there is no logical solution. There is no 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:11.880 way in the natural. This is when faith kicks in. God. 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:15.520 I believe you're bigger than these facts. I don't see away, 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:18.640 but I know you can still make a way. But 0:06:18.680 --> 0:06:21.560 too often we only look at things from a natural, 0:06:21.880 --> 0:06:25.800 logical point of view. This is my financial statement. These 0:06:25.839 --> 0:06:28.880 are the numbers, Joel. Nothing to debate about this. This 0:06:29.040 --> 0:06:32.040 is what the medical report says. These are the grades 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:35.240 my child is making in school right now. That's all 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:38.840 true in the natural. What I'm saying is we serve 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:42.480 a supernatural God. He is not limited by the facts. 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:47.680 He controls the whole universe. He spoke worlds into existence, 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:52.719 he flung stars into space. The facts may tell you you'll 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:55.159 never get out of debt, but one touch of God's 0:06:55.200 --> 0:06:59.000 favor can put you into overflow. The facts will say 0:06:59.040 --> 0:07:02.039 you can't accomplish your it's been too long, you're too 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:05.479 far behind. One touch of God's favor can put you 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:09.080 fifty years down the road. The facts may tell you you'll 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:12.560 never get well, You'll always have that addiction, always have 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:16.360 that depression. One touch of God's favor can set you 0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:19.920 instantly free. I had a man tell me last week 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:23.160 how he had been filled with anger and hatred his 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:26.080 whole life. This is all he had ever known. He 0:07:26.200 --> 0:07:29.640 was in his forties. He didn't like himself. He wanted 0:07:29.720 --> 0:07:32.440 to do better, but the facts said, this is who 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:36.400 you are. Just deal with it. But about two months ago, 0:07:36.680 --> 0:07:40.880 he accidentally flipped on our broadcast. Didn't have any kind 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:44.960 of spiritual background, but as he listened, something began to 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:48.760 come alive on the inside. He said, Joel, When I 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:51.640 prayed that prayer at the end of the program, it's 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:55.440 like I became a totally different person. All the anger 0:07:55.480 --> 0:08:00.960 and hatred instantly left me. One touch of God's favor 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:05.720 can override the facts. God can override what the medical 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:09.640 report says. He can override what people are telling you 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:13.600 you can't do. He can override what you think you're lacking. 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:18.240 Don't let the facts keep you from your destiny, choose faith. 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:22.200 Dare to believe. God did not put you here on 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:27.040 planet Earth to be average, to be addicted, to be overcome, 0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:31.200 to barely get by. He puts you here to be victorious, 0:08:31.560 --> 0:08:34.920 to be free, to leave your mark on this generation. 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:38.560 The facts may say otherwise, but don't let that fool you. 0:08:39.000 --> 0:08:43.280 God is not limited by the facts. When you believe, 0:08:43.800 --> 0:08:47.000 you tap into the most powerful force in the universe. 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:50.760 When Victoria and I were first married, one night, we 0:08:50.760 --> 0:08:54.240 were walking through this nice neighborhood and there was this 0:08:54.280 --> 0:08:58.080 beautiful two story house almost finished being built, and we 0:08:58.120 --> 0:09:02.679 walked up to look in it. Big windows, high ceilings, 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:07.800 spacious rooms. Was so beautiful. Victoria said, Joel, one day, 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:10.040 We're going to live in a house just like this. 0:09:11.120 --> 0:09:13.360 She might as well have said, Joel, one day we're 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:16.360 going to go to the moon. I no more believe that, 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:19.960 I said, Victoria, I work for a church. I'm never 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:21.960 going to be able to afford a house like this, 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:24.800 And being the great man of faith that I am, 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:27.400 I went on and on trying to talk her out 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:30.360 of it, telling her all the reasons why it wasn't 0:09:30.400 --> 0:09:33.160 going to happen. She wouldn't hear it. It went in 0:09:33.200 --> 0:09:36.000 one ear and out the other. She said, Now, Joel, 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:38.520 I feel it down in my spirit. One day it's 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:45.040 going to happen. Two years later, we unexpectedly sold property. 0:09:45.600 --> 0:09:48.960 God blessed us more than we could ever imagine, and 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:51.400 we were able to move into a house just like 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:54.960 the one that she saw. The difference was I was 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:58.800 focused on the facts. I knew what we made, what 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:02.480 we saved, what it took to send kids to college, 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:06.319 the cost of living. I had the projections, the spreadsheets, 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:09.760 the financial data. All the facts said it would not 0:10:10.000 --> 0:10:14.640 happen in my lifetime. Now Victoria had the same facts, 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:19.080 the same information, but instead of letting the facts talk 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:22.319 her out of it, she chose to believe what God 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:26.960 put in her heart. She wasn't denying the facts. She 0:10:27.120 --> 0:10:30.200 wasn't living in a fantasy land. She was simply saying, 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:34.120 it's not possible in the natural. But God, I know 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:38.000 you're a supernatural God. You're not limited by our income, 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:42.240 by our position, by our background, by our circumstances. You 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:45.360 have all power. You can get us to where you 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:48.160 want us to be. When you take the limits off 0:10:48.200 --> 0:10:52.040 of God, he'll amaze you with this goodness. Don't do 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:55.200 like I did and let the facts talk you out 0:10:55.280 --> 0:10:58.840 of God's best. You've thought long enough of all the 0:10:58.920 --> 0:11:02.520 reasons you can't live in a nice house, or why 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:05.640 your children will never honor God, why you won't break 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:09.240 that addiction. No, the facts may be against you, but 0:11:09.280 --> 0:11:13.560 can I tell you God is for you. His power 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:17.000 is greater than any force that's trying to hold you back. 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:20.680 His favor can thrust you to a new level. His 0:11:20.840 --> 0:11:24.840 goodness can turn your children around. His mercy can set 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:29.840 you free from every addiction. His love can restore, rebuild, 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:32.960 set you on a new path, give you a new beginning. 0:11:33.640 --> 0:11:38.080 Shake off the doubt, shake off the negative voices. If 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:40.920 God be for you, who dare be against you? He 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:43.560 wouldn't have put that dream in your heart if he 0:11:43.679 --> 0:11:47.600 wasn't already planning on bringing it to pass. You don't 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:50.280 have to figure out how it's going to happen. It 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:53.440 may not work on paper. The odds may be against you. 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:57.120 That's okay, That's not your job. Your job is to 0:11:57.200 --> 0:12:00.640 believe God. The medical report says I'm not going to 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:04.160 get well, but you said with long life you would 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:08.520 satisfy me God. My children aren't doing right, but you said, 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:11.160 as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 0:12:12.120 --> 0:12:14.800 The facts say I'll never get out of debt, but God, 0:12:14.840 --> 0:12:17.480 you said, I will lend to not borrow. I am 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:20.280 the head and not the tail. If you're going to 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:24.400 see God's best, you've got to choose faith in spite 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:27.800 of the facts. The facts told my mother that she 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:30.760 had a few weeks to live with terminal cancer in 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:34.640 nineteen eighty one, but my mother chose faith, and she's 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:39.600 still alive and healthy today, eighty one years old. The 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:44.080 facts said I couldn't pass through the church after my 0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:46.839 father went to be with the Lord. I had never ministered. 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:50.560 I didn't have the training, the experience. But I chose 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:53.959 faith in spite of the facts, and everything's worked out 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:57.880 pretty good so far. The facts said we would never 0:12:57.960 --> 0:13:02.240 get this facility, the former compact, a city owned building. 0:13:02.800 --> 0:13:05.079 The fact said, the city is not going to let 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:08.480 a church have it. The odds were against us. But 0:13:08.559 --> 0:13:11.760 I've learned when God laid out the plan for your life, 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:14.840 he didn't go check to make sure all the facts 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:17.679 would line up so it would happen. The facts don't 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:22.080 limit him. He's not up in the heavens, scratching his head, thinking, Oh, 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:25.200 I wanted Jee's mom to live a long life. I 0:13:25.240 --> 0:13:27.640 didn't know she'd have cancer at forty eight years old. 0:13:28.360 --> 0:13:31.160 Or I wanted Lakewood to have the Compact Center. I 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:33.840 didn't know that company would file a lawsuit to try 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:36.760 to keep them from moving in. No. God is not 0:13:36.920 --> 0:13:40.000 moved by the facts. He has ways to get you 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:43.640 to your destiny that you've never thought of. One good break, 0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:49.120 one phone call, one idea, one divine connection can catapult 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:52.600 you into a new level of your destiny. I know 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:55.680 a young man that applied for a scholarship at this 0:13:55.800 --> 0:13:59.800 major university. There were only twenty scholarships available in the 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:03.920 field he wanted to study. Over three thousand people applied. 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:06.960 The odds were not in his favor. He could have 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:10.600 thought there's no use even believing for this. His chances 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:14.160 were less than one half of one percent, not good 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:17.800 at all. But instead of letting those facts talk him 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:21.240 out of it, his attitude was God, the odds are 0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:24.520 against me, but I know you are for me, and 0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:27.200 if you want me in this university, I believe you 0:14:27.280 --> 0:14:30.360 can open the door and make it happen. A few 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:34.240 months later, he received an email saying congratulations, out of 0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:36.920 the three thousand, you were one of the twenty chosen. 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:41.680 When you believe, it activates God's power. And if he 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:44.000 had just sat around thinking, oh, it's not going to happen. 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:47.200 I never get any good breaks, I'm not that smart, 0:14:47.200 --> 0:14:49.440 I come from the wrong family, then it wouldn't have happened. 0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:52.800 You have to take the limits off of God. Dare 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:58.040 to believe. Sometimes the facts will say it's been too long, 0:14:58.640 --> 0:15:00.840 the dream is never going to come to pass, the 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:04.640 problem's not going to turn around. It's too late. This 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:07.760 is what happened with Jesus. One time he was walking 0:15:07.840 --> 0:15:10.920 through this town. Men came up to him. A leader 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:14.440 in the synagogue fell at his feet and said, Jesus, 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:17.720 my little girl is so sick. Would you please come 0:15:17.760 --> 0:15:20.720 to my house and pray for her? And Jesus told 0:15:20.760 --> 0:15:23.840 him that he would come, but he kept getting delayed 0:15:23.960 --> 0:15:27.960 along the way again and again. Finally, one of the 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:30.960 men's assistants came up to the disciples that were standing 0:15:31.000 --> 0:15:35.560 behind Jesus and said, no use bothering Jesus anymore. It's 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:40.000 too late. The little girl has died. The scripture says 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:46.760 Jesus overhearing but ignoring. He heard the facts, he got 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:50.840 the official report, she's dead. Jesus could have gotten discouraged 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:52.760 and thought, oh man, I blew it. I should have 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:57.240 gotten there sooner. No, he simply ignored the negative report. 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:00.280 And if you're going to stay in faith, he can't 0:16:00.360 --> 0:16:03.200 go through the day thinking about all the odds that 0:16:03.240 --> 0:16:06.960 are against you, how you'll never get well, how big 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:10.800 your obstacles are. No, the facts may not look good, 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:14.000 but you've got to do like Jesus and choose to 0:16:14.120 --> 0:16:17.400 ignore them, choose to not dwell on them, choose to 0:16:17.480 --> 0:16:21.080 stay in faith. Jesus went to the house, prayed for 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:24.880 the little girl. She came back to life. His attitude was, 0:16:25.080 --> 0:16:28.120 the facts don't stop me. I'm bigger than the facts. 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:32.480 When I speak, waves obey me. When I speak blind 0:16:32.520 --> 0:16:36.480 eyes open red, seize part the dead come back to life. 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:40.840 I wonder how many situations we'd see turn around, how 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.560 many dreams we'd see come to pass, if we would 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:48.920 simply start ignoring the negative reports. The facts may be 0:16:49.040 --> 0:16:53.600 against you, that's one report, but God always has another report. 0:16:54.560 --> 0:16:57.920 The medical situation may say you'll never get well, but 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:01.680 God says, I'm restoring health back into you. I will 0:17:01.720 --> 0:17:04.480 heal you of your wounds. Now here's the big question. 0:17:05.359 --> 0:17:09.520 Whose report are you going to believe? Faith are fact? 0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:13.399 Sometimes fact is easier because you can see it. It 0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:16.560 makes sense, it's right before you. But the scripture says 0:17:16.800 --> 0:17:20.919 we walk by faith and not by sight. The facts 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:24.280 may say you're hurt, you're lonely, you've been through a breakup, 0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:28.240 nothing good is in your future. You've heard that long enough. 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:32.119 But there's another report that says God has beauty for 0:17:32.200 --> 0:17:35.480 your ashes, joy for your mourning. What was meant for 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:38.880 your harm? He's going to use to your advantage. Why 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:42.160 don't you choose to believe that report. The facts can 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:44.120 tell you you're not going to get out of debt 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:47.440 until you're one hundred and sixty seven years old. You've 0:17:47.440 --> 0:17:50.960 calculated it, you've run all the numbers. You've got the facts. 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:55.760 But faith says God's blessings are chasing you down. Your 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:59.159 cup will run over. Whatever you touch will prosper and 0:17:59.200 --> 0:18:03.960 succeed like Jesus. I'm sure you've heard plenty of these 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:07.280 negative reports. It may not have been from other people, 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:10.960 but even your own thinking saying things like you've reached 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:14.520 your limits. You're not that talented, you're not attractive, you're 0:18:14.560 --> 0:18:19.320 not smart enough. Start ignoring those lies. Don't give them 0:18:19.359 --> 0:18:23.000 the time of day. You wouldn't be alive unless God 0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:26.520 had something amazing in your future. He has equipped you, 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:31.359 empowered you, and anointed you. You have everything you need 0:18:31.440 --> 0:18:36.280 to fulfill your destiny. Now. Sometimes the facts say otherwise, 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:41.600 But Paul said in Corinthians, the things we see are temporary. 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:46.960 One version says they are subject to change. Your finances 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:49.600 may be low today, The good news is they are 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:54.120 subject to change. You may be lonely, but that's subject 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:57.600 to change. God has a divine connection. The right person 0:18:57.640 --> 0:19:00.240 come in your way, or you may have had that 0:19:00.280 --> 0:19:04.600 addiction for twenty years. But don't believe that lie that 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:07.480 that's the way it's always going to be. That may 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:09.959 be the way that it's been, but that's not the 0:19:10.080 --> 0:19:13.159 end of your story. It's subject to change. In a 0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:17.359 split second, God can set you free. The key is 0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:21.040 don't let it become permanent in your thinking. Don't let 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:24.120 the facts convince you that's the way it's always going 0:19:24.160 --> 0:19:28.240 to be. No, today is a new day. God is 0:19:28.280 --> 0:19:31.360 saying the things you've been praying about, the things you've 0:19:31.400 --> 0:19:34.600 been believing for are about to come to pass. You're 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:37.920 about to see the breakthroughs, the healing, the favor, the promotion, 0:19:38.240 --> 0:19:42.840 the victory is headed your way. One Kings, chapter seventeen. 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:46.679 There was a widow living during a great famine. She 0:19:46.800 --> 0:19:49.920 was a single parent mother. All of her funds had 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:53.000 run out. She had no food, no way to survive. 0:19:53.680 --> 0:19:57.040 She went outside to gather up some firewood, and she 0:19:57.200 --> 0:19:59.680 was going to cook the last little bit of flour 0:19:59.840 --> 0:20:02.720 and oil that she had. She and her son were 0:20:02.720 --> 0:20:05.920 going to eat what they thought would be their last meal. 0:20:06.760 --> 0:20:10.000 The fact said she was done in a great famine, 0:20:10.040 --> 0:20:13.040 no food, no income, All the odds were against her. 0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:15.840 There was a knock on the door. It was the 0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:19.920 prophet Elijah. He was a friend of the family. After 0:20:19.960 --> 0:20:22.680 he greeted them, he said, would you do me a 0:20:22.720 --> 0:20:26.600 big favor? I'm so hungry. Would you please make me 0:20:26.680 --> 0:20:29.600 something to eat? She said, Elijah, I would love to, 0:20:29.720 --> 0:20:32.159 but all I have is this little bit of flour, 0:20:32.280 --> 0:20:34.159 little bit of oil. It was going to be our 0:20:34.280 --> 0:20:37.919 last meal. He said, I understand that. Just make me 0:20:38.040 --> 0:20:41.560 something first, and you guys can eat what's left over. 0:20:42.320 --> 0:20:45.080 I'm sure, she thought. Reverend Elijah, I really love you, 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:47.960 but I'm not about to give you my last meal. 0:20:48.400 --> 0:20:51.920 It seemed like he was being selfish, but Elijah knew 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:54.920 what he was doing. It's the principle when you put 0:20:55.000 --> 0:20:59.120 God first, he'll take care of you. All of her logic, 0:20:59.640 --> 0:21:02.680 all her reasoning, said, don't make him something when you're 0:21:02.720 --> 0:21:05.879 starving to death. But in spite of what her mind 0:21:05.920 --> 0:21:08.960 told her, she chose to do it. She cooked the 0:21:09.080 --> 0:21:11.440 last bit of flour, the last little bit of oil, 0:21:11.680 --> 0:21:14.560 made him some bread. She and her son ate what 0:21:14.720 --> 0:21:18.480 was left over. The next day, she went to those containers, 0:21:18.840 --> 0:21:22.320 expecting them to be empty, but much to her surprise, 0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:26.560 there was still some flower left, still some oil. This 0:21:26.640 --> 0:21:31.119 happened day after day, month after month. The supply never 0:21:31.280 --> 0:21:37.359 ran out. God supernaturally multiplied it. What's interesting is God 0:21:37.400 --> 0:21:41.480 didn't stop the famine. The conditions around her were just 0:21:41.560 --> 0:21:45.199 the same. God simply blessed her in the midst of 0:21:45.240 --> 0:21:48.919 the famine. Sometimes we think that the economy has to 0:21:49.000 --> 0:21:52.520 improve for us to do better. Joel, my job has 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:56.040 to increase my company and then I can rise higher. 0:21:56.320 --> 0:21:59.280 No God can bless you right in the middle of 0:21:59.320 --> 0:22:02.359 the famine. He can bless you in spite of what's 0:22:02.400 --> 0:22:06.080 going on around you. Let me make it more practical. 0:22:06.359 --> 0:22:10.320 You can be in a dysfunctional situation at work, people 0:22:10.359 --> 0:22:13.600 that don't like you trying to hold you down. The 0:22:13.680 --> 0:22:16.320 facts say, too bad, Just learn to live with it. No, 0:22:16.480 --> 0:22:19.800 that doesn't stop God when it's his time to promote you. 0:22:20.000 --> 0:22:24.359 All the forces of darkness cannot hold you down. Or 0:22:24.359 --> 0:22:28.040 how about at home a situation parents that don't support you, 0:22:28.160 --> 0:22:31.440 or child that's not doing right in a bad neighborhood. 0:22:31.840 --> 0:22:35.600 The facts say you're stuck. Good luck, Just endure it. No, 0:22:35.760 --> 0:22:38.720 God can reach down in the middle of that dysfunction, 0:22:39.280 --> 0:22:41.560 in the middle of the chaos, and say, I'm going 0:22:41.640 --> 0:22:43.560 to promote you. I'm going to increase you. I'm going 0:22:43.600 --> 0:22:47.720 to take you where you've never dreamed. When God blesses 0:22:47.800 --> 0:22:51.359 you in the midst of the famine, then everyone around 0:22:51.480 --> 0:22:55.840 you will know his favor is on your life. See, 0:22:55.880 --> 0:22:59.320 the conditions don't have to be just right. You just 0:22:59.359 --> 0:23:02.960 have to be right. If you'll honor God, take the 0:23:03.000 --> 0:23:06.880 limits off of him, he'll prosper you even in a desert. 0:23:07.440 --> 0:23:11.240 He'll make you an example of his goodness. The facts 0:23:11.280 --> 0:23:14.080 may say you'll never get out of that environment. You'll 0:23:14.119 --> 0:23:16.920 never rise out of that rut, that struggle, that lack. 0:23:17.000 --> 0:23:21.320 It's all around you. You're surrounded by mediocrity. Know the 0:23:21.359 --> 0:23:24.840 odds may be against you, but the most High God 0:23:25.000 --> 0:23:28.200 is for you. He doesn't have to change the whole environment. 0:23:28.440 --> 0:23:30.679 You need to get ready. God's going to bless you 0:23:30.800 --> 0:23:33.959 in spite of your circumstances. He's going to promote your 0:23:34.040 --> 0:23:39.040 right in the middle of a famine. I was in Kenya, Africa, 0:23:39.200 --> 0:23:42.720 several years ago. We were visiting this orphanage. The family 0:23:42.840 --> 0:23:46.119 that run it are great people. The father left a 0:23:46.160 --> 0:23:49.439 prestigious job teaching at the university to come back and 0:23:49.480 --> 0:23:52.720 start the orphanage. Now he and his grown sons and 0:23:52.840 --> 0:23:56.080 daughters have two hundred acres where they take care of 0:23:56.119 --> 0:23:59.800 five hundred children. We ask about their support and how 0:23:59.800 --> 0:24:04.119 they raised funds. The father told how they were self sufficient. 0:24:04.680 --> 0:24:07.480 They farmed the land and that's how they provide the 0:24:07.520 --> 0:24:10.960 food and nutrition for the children. They've developed their own 0:24:11.080 --> 0:24:15.920 unique irrigation system. They're so successful they sell their produce 0:24:16.080 --> 0:24:20.000 to the local grocery stores. And what's interesting is when 0:24:20.000 --> 0:24:23.560 they purchased the property, they were told that they wouldn't 0:24:23.600 --> 0:24:26.760 be able to grow crops there because the soil was 0:24:26.760 --> 0:24:31.080 too unhealthy and there wasn't enough rain. The experts told 0:24:31.119 --> 0:24:34.400 them they would never be able to sustain themselves off 0:24:34.440 --> 0:24:38.640 the land. And that's what's happening all around for miles 0:24:38.680 --> 0:24:42.399 and miles. Nobody else can grow crops. It's dry and barren. 0:24:42.800 --> 0:24:45.240 But when you get to their property, it's like an 0:24:45.280 --> 0:24:49.720 oasis out in the desert. The university sent people out 0:24:49.800 --> 0:24:53.000 to take soil samples to do studies, try to figure 0:24:53.000 --> 0:24:57.320 out what's different about their property. They can't understand how 0:24:57.359 --> 0:25:00.280 their soil can be so rich and fertile and right 0:25:00.320 --> 0:25:04.080 next door it's totally different. When this father told me, 0:25:04.280 --> 0:25:07.040 he smiled and said, Joel, it's the blessing of God 0:25:07.119 --> 0:25:13.159 on our life. Friends. God controls the environment. He's not 0:25:13.400 --> 0:25:17.440 limited by what somebody has told you. He's not limited 0:25:17.480 --> 0:25:20.000 by what the experts have said. With all due respect, 0:25:20.359 --> 0:25:23.639 God has the final say. The facts don't have to 0:25:23.680 --> 0:25:26.240 line up for Him to bless you. You don't have 0:25:26.280 --> 0:25:30.320 to be the smartest, the most talented, the strongest. What's 0:25:30.359 --> 0:25:33.399 more important than all of that is God's blessing on 0:25:33.440 --> 0:25:36.360 your life. Why don't you take the limits off of him? 0:25:36.920 --> 0:25:39.720 Don't let the facts talk you out of what God 0:25:39.800 --> 0:25:43.040 put in your heart. One time in the Old Testament, 0:25:43.200 --> 0:25:47.320 the Israelites were surrounded by a major army. This army 0:25:47.359 --> 0:25:50.280 had cut off their food supply. They were waiting for 0:25:50.320 --> 0:25:52.280 them to starve to death, and then they were going 0:25:52.320 --> 0:25:55.960 to go take the land. The prophet Elisha showed up 0:25:56.400 --> 0:26:00.119 and said to the Israelites, by this time tomorrow, there 0:26:00.160 --> 0:26:02.880 will be so much food you'll be able to buy 0:26:02.920 --> 0:26:06.479 a loaf of bread for only one penny. The king's 0:26:06.520 --> 0:26:11.200 assistant said, Elisha, what are you talking about. That's totally impossible. 0:26:12.080 --> 0:26:14.879 The problem with this assistant is he was only looking 0:26:14.920 --> 0:26:18.560 at it in the natural. He started checking all the facts. 0:26:18.760 --> 0:26:23.480 We're surrounded, we're outnumbered, we have no food, we're starving, 0:26:23.760 --> 0:26:27.120 we're weak. In other words, he checked the stock report, 0:26:27.640 --> 0:26:31.000 he looked at this financial statement, he watched the nightly news. 0:26:31.320 --> 0:26:34.440 Came to the conclusion there's no way it's never going 0:26:34.520 --> 0:26:38.119 to happen. When he told Elisha that he thought it 0:26:38.160 --> 0:26:42.520 was impossible, Elisha did something significant. He didn't just blow 0:26:42.560 --> 0:26:45.160 him off and say, well, we'll see. He looked at 0:26:45.160 --> 0:26:48.960 this assistant and said it will come to pass. But 0:26:49.080 --> 0:26:52.919 because you doubted. Because you didn't believe, it will not 0:26:53.119 --> 0:26:55.840 happen for you. You won't see any part of it. 0:26:56.440 --> 0:26:59.919 Later that day, four lepers were sitting outside the city gates. 0:27:00.520 --> 0:27:04.600 They started walking toward the enemy's camp. God caused it 0:27:04.640 --> 0:27:08.320 to sound like a huge army was approaching. The enemy 0:27:08.400 --> 0:27:11.680 panicked and took off, running for their lives. Left all 0:27:11.680 --> 0:27:15.280 of their food and supplies. The lepers went back and 0:27:15.320 --> 0:27:18.480 told the Israelites that the enemy was gone and there 0:27:18.520 --> 0:27:22.800 was an abundance of food. This assistant, who didn't believe, 0:27:23.080 --> 0:27:25.960 was in charge of the city gates. When he opened 0:27:26.000 --> 0:27:28.320 them up to let the people out, they were so 0:27:28.480 --> 0:27:32.080 excited he got knocked down and was trampled to death. 0:27:33.119 --> 0:27:36.719 Everyone else could buy bread for one penny a loaf, 0:27:37.000 --> 0:27:41.040 but not him. It happened just like Elisha said. Now, 0:27:41.080 --> 0:27:44.639 my encouragement is when God puts a promise in your heart, 0:27:45.320 --> 0:27:47.760 you may not see how it can happen. All the 0:27:47.840 --> 0:27:51.520 facts may say it's impossible, But do yourself a favor. 0:27:52.080 --> 0:27:55.000 Don't tell God all the reasons why you don't believe, 0:27:55.400 --> 0:27:58.400 why you can't get well. That will keep it from 0:27:58.480 --> 0:28:02.800 happening for you. You have to turn your mind off He's 0:28:02.840 --> 0:28:07.359 a supernatural God. He's not limited by your circumstances. He's 0:28:07.440 --> 0:28:11.320 limited by what you believe. The odds may be against 0:28:11.400 --> 0:28:14.679 you today, but don't ever forget the most High God 0:28:14.840 --> 0:28:18.159 is for you. The facts don't stop him, the economy 0:28:18.200 --> 0:28:22.320 doesn't stop him. A medphal report doesn't stop him. He 0:28:22.440 --> 0:28:26.399 has all power. And if you'll start choosing faith in 0:28:26.480 --> 0:28:29.840 spite of the facts, I believe and declare new doors 0:28:29.880 --> 0:28:32.679 are going to open, Dreams are going to come to pass, 0:28:32.880 --> 0:28:37.560 problems are going to turn around, favor, healing, breakthroughs, abundance, 0:28:37.960 --> 0:28:41.920 victory is coming your way in Jesus' name. If you 0:28:41.960 --> 0:28:46.480 receive it today, can you say amen? We never like 0:28:46.560 --> 0:28:49.680 to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to 0:28:49.680 --> 0:28:52.400 make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray 0:28:52.440 --> 0:28:57.400 with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. 0:28:58.720 --> 0:29:04.120 Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 0:29:04.120 --> 0:29:06.400 if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:29:06.440 --> 0:29:09.680 born again. Get in a good Bible based church, keep 0:29:09.720 --> 0:29:13.000 God first place. He's gonna take you where you've never dreamed. 0:29:14.240 --> 0:29:17.680 Thank you for listening to the joel Ostine podcast. Help 0:29:17.760 --> 0:29:20.480 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:20.600 --> 0:29:24.480 all over the world. Visit Joelostin dot com slash give 0:29:24.560 --> 0:29:26.240 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:27.520 --> 0:29:30.440 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:30.480 --> 0:29:33.840 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:33.920 --> 0:29:37.120 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:37.280 --> 0:29:39.760 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:39.800 --> 0:29:40.280 next time. 0:29:47.320 --> 0:29:49.800 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:49.880 --> 0:29:53.600 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:29:53.640 --> 0:29:56.880 been ill equipped to help. That is until now. 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