Counted by the Creator

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That's code iHeart fifty when 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.280 you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.120 dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.880 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.920 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.360 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:44.440 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:45.280 ministry going. 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:57.920 Enjoy the message. 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:02.640 Well, God bless you. It's always a joy to come 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:05.240 into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:07.280 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:02:07.280 --> 0:02:10.280 our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:12.799 at home. But thanks so much for tuning in today, 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:15.639 and thank you again for coming out. I like to 0:02:15.680 --> 0:02:18.519 start with something funny and I heard about this burglar 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:21.720 that broke into a house one night. As he was 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:25.680 stealing the stereo, he heard a voice saying, Jesus is 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:30.079 watching you. He froze in his tracks, shined his flashlight 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.440 and saw a parrot over in the corner. He said, 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:35.959 did you say that to me? The parent said yes, 0:02:36.160 --> 0:02:38.960 I'm just trying to warn you. He said, warn me, 0:02:39.120 --> 0:02:42.000 what are you talking about? Who are you? The parent said, 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:46.000 my name is Moses. The burglar laughed, said, what kind 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:49.840 of crazy people would name a parrot Moses. The parent said, 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:52.160 the same kind of people that would name a one 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:57.840 hundred and fifty pound rockweller. Jesus, hold up your Bible. 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:01.360 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:04.080 I am what it says. I am. I have what 0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:06.440 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:03:06.520 --> 0:03:09.240 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:13.320 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:17.680 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:21.200 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:25.680 about counted by the Creator. It's easy to go through 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:30.400 life feeling disqualified because of the mistakes we've made or 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:33.880 negative things people have spoken over us, or even our 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:37.520 own thoughts, telling us what we can't become. If we're 0:03:37.560 --> 0:03:41.000 not careful, we'll come up with excuses as to why 0:03:41.080 --> 0:03:44.680 we can't accomplish our dreams, why we can't rise any higher. 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:49.600 In effect, we're counting ourselves out. In the scripture, the 0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:53.320 prophet Samuel came to Jesse's house to choose one of 0:03:53.360 --> 0:03:57.200 his sons as the next king. Jesse had seven of 0:03:57.200 --> 0:04:00.880 his eight sons lined up. He was so out of them. 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:05.720 They were strong, talented, good looking young men, and Samuel 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:10.880 was about to choose the oldest son, Eliab. He was big, muscular, 0:04:11.040 --> 0:04:13.480 looked like he just stepped out of a movie. But 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:18.080 God said to Samuel, don't judge by his appearance or height, 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:21.640 for he is not the one. The Lord doesn't see 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:25.520 things the way you see them. People judge by the outside, 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:29.520 but God looks on the inside. When Samuel heard this, 0:04:29.880 --> 0:04:33.200 he changed his mind. He told Jesse that it wasn't 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:38.000 any of those sons. Well. Jesse had another son named David. 0:04:38.640 --> 0:04:41.640 He was out in the shepherd's fields taking care of 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:46.160 the sheep. But in Jesse's mind, David didn't count. He 0:04:46.240 --> 0:04:50.520 was the youngest. David was small, not as strong, didn't 0:04:50.560 --> 0:04:54.160 have the experience. Jesse thought, no use even bringing him in. 0:04:54.480 --> 0:04:58.760 He'll never amount to much. But the moment Samuel saw David, 0:04:58.960 --> 0:05:02.599 he said that's the one. He's the next king. I'm 0:05:02.640 --> 0:05:06.600 sure Jesse and the other brothers nearly passed out, thinking, 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:10.400 are you kidding? You mean it's David. They didn't count him. 0:05:10.760 --> 0:05:14.560 But the good news is David was counted by the Creator. 0:05:15.400 --> 0:05:19.039 God doesn't judge the way people judge. You may not 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:22.359 have the most talent, the best looks come from the 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:26.520 most influential family. That's okay. You've been counted by the 0:05:26.560 --> 0:05:30.880 one who matters most. Now my challenge is don't count 0:05:30.880 --> 0:05:35.320 yourself out. I hear people say I'm too small, I 0:05:35.360 --> 0:05:38.520 don't have a good personality. I come from the wrong family. 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:43.160 Know when God created you, he put in you everything 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:47.320 you need to fulfill your destiny. That means if you 0:05:47.400 --> 0:05:51.000 don't have it, you don't need it. If you needed 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:54.440 to be taller, you would be taller. If you needed 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:57.720 more talent, you would have more talent. If you needed 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:02.080 to be a different nationality, you would be. You're not lacking. 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:07.119 You didn't get short changed. You've been fearfully and wonderfully made. 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:11.919 The creator of the universe has equipped you, empowered you, 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:17.000 put seeds of greatness on the inside. He's saying you're 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:20.760 want of a kind a masterpiece. You have what it takes. 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:26.840 He's qualified you. Now, don't disqualify yourself. Don't stay focused 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:29.800 on what somebody else can do better. How your sister 0:06:29.880 --> 0:06:33.640 has more talent, your friend has a better personality. That 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:37.160 may be true, but you're not running their race. You 0:06:37.200 --> 0:06:39.960 don't need what they have. If you needed it, God 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.719 would have given it to you. When the thoughts come 0:06:42.800 --> 0:06:46.520 telling us you're too tall, too short, you're too young, 0:06:46.640 --> 0:06:50.120 too old, you're not talented enough, not smart enough, let 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:53.080 that go in one ear and out the other. If 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:56.120 you go through life feeling like you're lacking, you don't 0:06:56.160 --> 0:07:00.360 measure up, even though God has qualified you, you are 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:05.000 disqualifying yourself. And sometimes it's not our own thoughts. But 0:07:05.160 --> 0:07:08.600 like with David, other people will try to discount us, 0:07:08.920 --> 0:07:11.400 make us feel less than, like we don't measure up. 0:07:12.000 --> 0:07:14.640 And this is what happened with my father. He was 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:18.360 raised in a very poor family. They were cotton farmers. 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:22.920 They lost everything during the Great Depression. At seventeen years 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:26.080 of age. My father gave his life to Christ, the 0:07:26.120 --> 0:07:29.480 first one in the family, and God called him into 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:32.480 the ministry put a big dream in his heart. He 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:35.000 knew one day he was going to touch the world. 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:38.120 He told his parents in his late teens that he 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:40.920 was going to leave the farm and become a minister. 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:44.440 He thought they'd be so excited, so happy for him, 0:07:44.800 --> 0:07:48.200 but it was just the opposite. They said, John, you're 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:51.720 making a big mistake. We love you, but you're not 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:55.280 going to touch the world. We're just cotton farmers. This 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:58.040 is all we know how to do. We're not influential. 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:01.160 We don't have any money or stay here and pick 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:05.320 cotton with us. My father knew he was destined to 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:09.600 do something great, but they couldn't see it. They discounted him. 0:08:10.120 --> 0:08:13.400 They were saying, John, you're not qualified. You don't have 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.360 the talent, the training, the influence. You come from the 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:20.640 wrong family. If you allow it, people will put their 0:08:20.680 --> 0:08:23.880 limitations on you. They will try to talk you out 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:26.840 of your dreams. One of the best things I have 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:31.600 ever learned is people don't determine our destiny. God does. 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:35.640 People don't set the limits for our life. They may 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:38.120 try to talk you out of it and tell you 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:40.480 what you can't do. And I don't think you're that talented. 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:44.640 It's because God didn't put the dream in them. He 0:08:44.720 --> 0:08:48.120 put the dream in you. You can't expect everyone to 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:51.839 be for you. They can't feel what you feel. They 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:54.560 don't see what you see. They don't have the faith 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:58.040 that you have. They will try to discount you. Tell 0:08:58.080 --> 0:09:01.120 you you don't have what it takes. Don't believe those lies. 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:05.600 You don't need their approval. You have God's approval. They'll 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:09.400 discount you. But the one who matters, the one who 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:13.480 spoke worlds into existence, the one who flung stars into space. 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:16.199 When they count you out, he counts you in it. 0:09:16.760 --> 0:09:20.360 He says, you have what it takes. You're well able, 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:23.720 You will fulfill your destiny. You will leave your mark 0:09:24.040 --> 0:09:28.840 on this generation. God has already counted you. Now, don't 0:09:28.880 --> 0:09:33.440 let other people discount you, Luke. Chapter nine, Jesus had 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:36.319 been teaching the people for most of the day, was 0:09:36.360 --> 0:09:39.320 getting late. The sun was about to go down, and 0:09:39.400 --> 0:09:43.600 everyone was very hungry. The disciples came and said, Jesus, 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:46.679 you need to dismiss the people. Let them go find 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:49.240 some food. They were out in the middle of the country. 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:52.800 Nothing to eat out there. Jesus said to the disciples, 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:55.280 you feed them. They said, what do you mean, we 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:58.320 don't have anything to eat. Jesus asked what they had, 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:01.240 and all they could find it was a little boy's lunch, 0:10:01.720 --> 0:10:05.880 five loaves of bread and two fish. The scripture says 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:10.280 there were five thousand men in attendance that day. That 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:14.439 means there were probably fifteen thousand people in total if 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:17.880 you counted the women and the children. And Jesus took 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:20.560 the little boy's lunch. You know the story. He prayed 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:24.959 over it. It multiplied and fed the thousands. The point 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:27.920 I want us to see is the one that wasn't 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:32.600 counted had the miracle. They counted the men, the five thousand, 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:35.960 but they didn't count the children. They thought they're too young, 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:39.840 no need to count them. Back in those days, women 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:43.320 were seen as second class, as less then they didn't 0:10:43.360 --> 0:10:47.760 count the women. But God uses people that other people 0:10:47.880 --> 0:10:51.200 don't count. One of the five thousand men could have 0:10:51.240 --> 0:10:54.120 had a lunch, one of the disciples could have brought 0:10:54.120 --> 0:10:57.880 something to eat that day. But God chose this child 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:02.040 specifically to let us know that when people leave you 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:05.200 out and say you don't have anything to offer. You're 0:11:05.200 --> 0:11:09.040 too young, you're not important. You don't count. God says 0:11:09.280 --> 0:11:12.280 you're a prime candidate for me to do something great. 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:18.120 I count people that other people don't count. Sometimes life 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:21.199 will say I'm not going to count you. You've made 0:11:21.240 --> 0:11:24.719 too many mistakes, you went through that divorce, you've got 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:28.920 that addiction. Life will try to push you down, discredit you, 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:31.760 make you feel like there's nothing good in your future. 0:11:32.559 --> 0:11:36.760 Always remember when life counts you out, God counts you in. 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:41.520 He uses people that other people don't count. When my 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:43.920 father went to be with the Lord back in nineteen 0:11:44.000 --> 0:11:46.679 ninety nine, I knew I was supposed to step up 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:49.840 and pasture the church. But I could hear these voices 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:53.320 trying to discount me, saying he doesn't have what it takes, 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:57.360 he hasn't been a seminary, he's not qualified, he's too young, 0:11:57.800 --> 0:12:02.240 he doesn't count down. I could hear God saying, Joel, 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:05.720 don't worry. I've got you covered. Other people may not 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:08.480 count you, but I count you. I know what you're 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:12.840 capable of. I can see your potential. When people try 0:12:12.880 --> 0:12:17.280 to discount you, write you off. The one who matters most, 0:12:17.600 --> 0:12:21.439 the great I am, write you in He didn't create 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:24.760 you to be average, to be ordinary, to just make 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:28.920 it through life. He created you to excel, to leave 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:32.680 your fingerprint, to make this world a better place. You 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:36.600 have a destiny to fulfill. God has an assignment for 0:12:36.720 --> 0:12:40.400 you to accomplish. You think about my father. He was 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:43.800 the least likely one to do something great. If God 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:47.240 were looking for a prominent pastor, surely he would find 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:52.000 someone with the appropriate background, the training, the influence, the 0:12:52.000 --> 0:12:55.480 well to do family. That would make sense. But Paul 0:12:55.600 --> 0:13:01.000 said in Corinthians, God deliberately chooses the least likely to 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:06.199 confound the wise. He chooses the weak to outshine the strong. 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:10.520 Out of the five thousand men listening to Jesus that day, 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:16.880 no doubt some of them were community leaders, highly educated, respected, influential. 0:13:17.480 --> 0:13:20.040 You would have thought at least one of them would 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:24.360 have brought an ice chest filled with sandwiches, snacks, water. 0:13:24.800 --> 0:13:26.079 They knew they were going to be out in the 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:28.840 country all day long. But the one that had the 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:33.600 miracle was the least likely, the little boy. God used 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:37.719 the weak to outshine the strong. Could it be that 0:13:37.760 --> 0:13:41.440 you're not reaching your highest potential because you feel like 0:13:41.480 --> 0:13:45.720 you're lacking in some area you don't count now. You're 0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:49.920 not pursuing your dreams, You're not excited about life. You 0:13:50.000 --> 0:13:53.280 need to have a new perspective. You're a prime candidate 0:13:53.679 --> 0:13:56.680 for God to show out in your life. You may 0:13:56.760 --> 0:14:00.720 feel weak, but God wants to show himself strong. It 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:03.760 may seem like you're the least likely. God wants to 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:07.280 do something so amazing in your life. People around you 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:10.240 can't even believe it. You got to do your part 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:14.080 and get your passion back. You have everything you need 0:14:14.280 --> 0:14:18.280 to fulfill your destiny. You may have made mistakes, but 0:14:18.360 --> 0:14:22.040 you didn't get disqualified. You may have some flaws and 0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:25.680 weaknesses we all do, but that didn't cancel your destiny. 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:29.040 You may feel like life has left you out. The 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:32.720 odds are against you. The good news is God is 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:36.520 for you. He has the final say, and he says, 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:39.480 I count you in when other people count you out. 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:42.480 And you need to get ready. This is a new day. 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:46.120 You're about to see new doors begin to open. God 0:14:46.200 --> 0:14:49.320 is about to multiply what you have. He's going to 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:52.400 take you from the back to the front, from lack 0:14:52.600 --> 0:14:58.200 to abundance, from insignificance to great influence. You've been counted 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:02.400 you've been qualified. What God spoke over your life will 0:15:02.440 --> 0:15:06.800 come to pass. Those are not just nice, kind encouraging words. 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:10.080 That's a prophecy. If you'll receive it and say, yes, 0:15:10.240 --> 0:15:12.920 this is for me, then you'll begin to see it happen. 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:17.440 God will amaze you with his goodness. Years ago, there 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:19.920 was a young lady that had a dream of becoming 0:15:19.960 --> 0:15:23.280 an actress. But the problem was she was very small, 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:27.240 under five feet tall. All the experts told her she 0:15:27.280 --> 0:15:30.720 would never be successful in her field because of her height, 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:32.960 and that could have been the end of the story. 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:36.240 She moved on and tried something else. But this young 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:41.600 lady understood this principle. She knew God uses people that 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:46.040 other people don't count. She had been disqualified by the experts, 0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:49.320 but she knew she was qualified by the one who 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:53.840 mattered most. And against all odds, she started getting chosen 0:15:53.880 --> 0:15:57.760 for this role, and another role, and another role. Helen 0:15:57.880 --> 0:16:01.080 Hayes went on to become one of the latest actresses 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:04.920 of her time. At one point she played the very 0:16:05.000 --> 0:16:09.120 acclaimed role of Mary, Queen of Scotland, who was one 0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:13.320 of the tallest queens that ever lived. Friends, when people 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:17.400 count you out, God counts you in In the scripture, 0:16:18.080 --> 0:16:20.600 God told Jeremiah that he was going to become a 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:25.800 great prophet and speak to the nations. Jeremiah was young, insecure. 0:16:26.400 --> 0:16:29.240 He said, God, I can't do that. I'm too young. 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:31.680 I'm afraid to get up in front of people. I 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:35.520 wouldn't know what to say. God said, Jeremiah, Say not 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:39.640 that you're too young, Say not that you're afraid. He 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:42.800 was saying, Jeremiah, I wouldn't have asked you to do 0:16:42.880 --> 0:16:46.560 it if I didn't already know you had the ability. 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:50.440 Don't let negative voices talk you out of your dreams. 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:53.240 If I'd have gone around saying I can't pastor that 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:56.920 church man, I've never ministered before, I don't have the training, 0:16:57.160 --> 0:16:59.600 I don't have the right personality, it would have kept 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:03.960 me from my destiny. When you say I'm not that talented. 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:08.000 I've made too many mistakes. I don't have the right personality. 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:12.080 God says to you what he said to Jeremiah. Zip 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:15.720 it up. Say not I'm too short. Say not I 0:17:15.760 --> 0:17:19.160 don't have the talent. Say not I can't accomplish my dreams. 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:23.960 Quit discounting yourself. You have the miracle, you have the 0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:26.879 five loaves and the two fish. It may not seem 0:17:27.000 --> 0:17:30.639 like much, you may not feel qualified. The odds are 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:33.800 against you. But this is where our God comes in. 0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:38.000 He can take the little and multiply it. You don't 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:40.720 have to have a great gift for God to use 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:43.960 you in a great way. You can have a little talent, 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:47.680 a little training, a little influence, and like the little 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:51.679 boy's lunch, God can take it and multiply it. He 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:54.959 can open doors that you could have never opened. He 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:57.320 can bring talent out of you that you didn't know 0:17:57.359 --> 0:17:59.800 you had. He can cause you to be at the 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:04.480 place at the right time. Give you favor, honor, influence. 0:18:05.040 --> 0:18:08.120 Don't go around feeling like you're at a disadvantage. Put 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:11.359 your shoulders back, hold your head up high. The most 0:18:11.400 --> 0:18:15.359 High God has breathed life into you. He's crowned you 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:19.200 with his favor. You have royal blood flowing through your veins. 0:18:19.359 --> 0:18:22.360 You're not at a disadvantage. Other people may have not 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:25.480 counted you, but the one who matters, he counts you. 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:28.399 He writes you in when other people write you off. 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:33.360 I've learned God will never ask you to do something 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:35.960 and then not give you the ability to do it. 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:40.000 You may not feel like you have the confidence, the training, 0:18:40.119 --> 0:18:43.120 the talent. I didn't when I stepped up. But this 0:18:43.200 --> 0:18:45.880 is what faith is all about. You have to believe 0:18:45.960 --> 0:18:49.400 it before you see it. I heard about this pastor 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:52.879 before the service. He gave a man that he knew 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:56.359 a one hundred dollars bill and ask him to secretly 0:18:56.480 --> 0:18:59.160 put it in his wife's bible make sure she didn't 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:02.800 see it. During his message, he asked this lady to 0:19:02.840 --> 0:19:06.720 stand up. He said, do you trust me? She said yes, 0:19:06.760 --> 0:19:09.360 I do. He said, will you do what I asked? 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:12.679 She said yes, I will. He said, then, please open 0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:15.520 your bible and hand me a one hundred dollar bill. 0:19:16.320 --> 0:19:18.399 She said, oh, I'm so sorry. I don't have one 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:21.679 hundred dollars in there. He said it again. Do you 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:24.800 trust me? Yes? I do. Will you do what I asked? Yes, 0:19:24.920 --> 0:19:28.399 I will. Then please open your bible and hand me 0:19:28.480 --> 0:19:32.560 a one hundred dollar bill. Frustrated, she opened her bible 0:19:32.920 --> 0:19:35.880 and much to her surprise, there was one hundred dollars. 0:19:36.440 --> 0:19:38.360 She shook her head and said, how did it get 0:19:38.359 --> 0:19:41.600 in there? He smiled and said, I put it in there. 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:45.560 That's the way God is. He'll never ask you for 0:19:45.680 --> 0:19:50.480 something without first putting it in you. When you know, 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:54.879 deep down you know you're supposed to take a step 0:19:54.920 --> 0:19:57.719 of faith, you may not feel like you can do it. 0:19:58.480 --> 0:20:02.639 Voices will try to discount, tell you you're not qualified. But 0:20:02.720 --> 0:20:06.000 if you'll dare take that step, you'll discover things in 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:09.359 you that you never knew you had. Say not, I 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:12.120 can't do it. The right attitude, I can do all 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:16.239 things through Christ. Say not, I'm at a disadvantage. The 0:20:16.320 --> 0:20:19.959 right attitude. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I'm a 0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:23.720 child of the most High God. Say not, I've reached 0:20:23.760 --> 0:20:26.280 my limits. This is as good as it gets. Joel, 0:20:26.359 --> 0:20:28.880 you know the right attitude. My best days are still 0:20:28.920 --> 0:20:31.040 out in front of me. The path of the righteous 0:20:31.040 --> 0:20:35.040 gets brighter and brighter. I'm excited about my future. This 0:20:35.080 --> 0:20:37.040 is what a friend of mine did. He had a 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:40.959 dream of becoming a pastor, but he had a serious 0:20:41.000 --> 0:20:44.920 problem with stuttering. It affected his self image to where 0:20:44.920 --> 0:20:48.160 he'd hardly look it in the eyes. At sixteen years 0:20:48.160 --> 0:20:51.480 of age, his parents sent him to a very prestigious 0:20:51.680 --> 0:20:56.680 speech school. The teachers carried around stopwatches. When a student 0:20:56.720 --> 0:20:59.800 got stuck, they would time how long it would take 0:20:59.800 --> 0:21:02.639 this to get the word out. That's how they tracked 0:21:02.680 --> 0:21:06.040 their progress. The first day my friend was at the school, 0:21:06.359 --> 0:21:09.600 he got stuck on the word thee. It took him 0:21:09.600 --> 0:21:12.679 one minute and sixteen seconds to get it out. He 0:21:12.760 --> 0:21:16.880 had a major stuttering problem. In the natural, you would 0:21:16.920 --> 0:21:20.080 think you're not cut out to become a public speaker. 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:22.280 You can do something else, but you're not going to 0:21:22.280 --> 0:21:24.840 be a pastor. He would have been one of the 0:21:24.840 --> 0:21:29.720 ones not counted. He stutters, cross him off. But God 0:21:29.920 --> 0:21:34.040 uses people that other people don't count. And when God 0:21:34.080 --> 0:21:36.560 put the dream in your heart, he gave you the 0:21:36.600 --> 0:21:40.760 ability to do it. But there will always be forces 0:21:40.760 --> 0:21:44.639 that try to keep your potential from being released. The 0:21:44.840 --> 0:21:48.280 enemy would love for your gift to stay hidden. He 0:21:48.320 --> 0:21:51.520 would love for the best of you to never come out. 0:21:51.760 --> 0:21:54.840 And just because you have a dream, just because God 0:21:54.880 --> 0:21:58.119 has qualified you, doesn't mean that you're not going to 0:21:58.160 --> 0:22:01.840 have to fight. You have to stand strong and be 0:22:02.000 --> 0:22:05.840 determined to become all you were created to be. You 0:22:05.920 --> 0:22:09.680 can't be weak, get discouraged because you had to set back, 0:22:10.000 --> 0:22:12.399 fall into self pity. Now you have to dig your 0:22:12.440 --> 0:22:15.320 heels in and say I am in it to win it. 0:22:15.680 --> 0:22:18.800 This challenge is no match for me. I am more 0:22:18.840 --> 0:22:22.000 than a conqueror. If God be for me, who dare 0:22:22.080 --> 0:22:25.879 be against me? I will fulfill my destiny. If you 0:22:25.920 --> 0:22:29.840 don't talk to yourself the right way, negative thoughts will 0:22:29.880 --> 0:22:32.920 talk to you. Just like you can talk to yourself 0:22:32.960 --> 0:22:36.200 out of a dream, you can talk yourself into a dream. 0:22:37.000 --> 0:22:39.639 My friend, as a young man, he would get alone 0:22:39.760 --> 0:22:42.640 in his house where nobody could hear him. He would 0:22:42.720 --> 0:22:46.480 quote scriptures. Sometimes it would take five minutes to just 0:22:46.520 --> 0:22:50.000 get one scripture out. He didn't get discouraged. He would 0:22:50.040 --> 0:22:53.240 say things like, no weapon formed against me will prosper. 0:22:53.720 --> 0:22:56.520 Thanks be to God who always causes me to triumph. 0:22:56.840 --> 0:23:00.560 And it didn't happen overnight, but little by little, better 0:23:00.680 --> 0:23:04.800 and better. It amazed his teachers. Today he can speak 0:23:04.840 --> 0:23:09.120 as clearly and fluently as can be, no stuttering. Plus 0:23:09.359 --> 0:23:12.879 he's the pastor of a successful church. What am I saying? 0:23:13.480 --> 0:23:17.720 When life counts you out, God counts you in. Don't 0:23:17.800 --> 0:23:21.920 let negative thoughts, negative people keep you from stepping into 0:23:21.920 --> 0:23:25.840 the fullness of your destiny. There will always be voices 0:23:25.880 --> 0:23:29.959 telling you you're not qualified, you stutter, you've made too 0:23:30.000 --> 0:23:33.720 many mistakes, you're too short, you're not that talented, those 0:23:33.760 --> 0:23:36.679 are all lies, trying to make you feel like you 0:23:36.720 --> 0:23:40.120 don't count, so that the best of you never comes out. 0:23:40.640 --> 0:23:44.280 Don't believe that. Don't fall into that trap. Even way 0:23:44.320 --> 0:23:47.560 back with Moses, when God told him to go, tell 0:23:47.600 --> 0:23:51.080 Pharaoh let my people go. The first thing Moses said 0:23:51.560 --> 0:23:54.680 was God, I can't do that. I stutter, I don't 0:23:54.720 --> 0:23:58.560 speak well. It's easy to come up with excuses. But 0:23:58.600 --> 0:24:01.760 I love the way God an him back. He said, Moses, 0:24:02.280 --> 0:24:05.440 who made your tongue? Who makes the deaf to hear? 0:24:05.840 --> 0:24:08.440 Who makes the blind to see? He was saying, Moses, 0:24:08.840 --> 0:24:12.800 who disqualifies you, who left you out? Who told you 0:24:12.800 --> 0:24:16.399 you don't count? Don't you realize, Moses, I control the 0:24:16.440 --> 0:24:20.000 whole universe when you believe I can make it happen. 0:24:20.880 --> 0:24:24.280 Years before David was chosen to be king, the prophet 0:24:24.320 --> 0:24:28.040 Samuel went to another young man named Saul and told 0:24:28.119 --> 0:24:30.639 him he was going to be the next king. But 0:24:30.720 --> 0:24:34.200 Saul said, Samuel, how can this be. I come from 0:24:34.200 --> 0:24:38.119 the smallest tribe and my family is the least important. 0:24:38.600 --> 0:24:40.880 He was saying the same thing, I can't be a king. 0:24:41.320 --> 0:24:44.720 I don't count. I don't come from an influential family. 0:24:45.040 --> 0:24:50.040 We're not royalty. We're just ordinary people. What's interesting is 0:24:50.119 --> 0:24:54.280 Samuel didn't answer Saul. He didn't respond back to him. 0:24:54.880 --> 0:24:57.640 When we come up with excuses and tell God why 0:24:57.680 --> 0:25:00.960 we can't rise higher, God, I'm not the talented God. 0:25:01.000 --> 0:25:03.480 I have this addiction. God, I come from the wrong family. 0:25:03.840 --> 0:25:07.800 God doesn't say, yes, I understand you have a disadvantage. No, 0:25:07.960 --> 0:25:12.080 our excuses don't phase God. He knows what he's put 0:25:12.080 --> 0:25:16.080 in you. God can see your greatness. He sees the 0:25:16.160 --> 0:25:19.600 royalty in your blood. He sees the potential you've not 0:25:19.720 --> 0:25:23.800 yet tapped into. Our doubts, our fears, our insecurity. That 0:25:23.840 --> 0:25:27.520 doesn't change God's mind. He's already laid out the plan 0:25:27.640 --> 0:25:31.200 for your life. He's saying to you today, I've called 0:25:31.240 --> 0:25:34.320 you to be a king, to be a queen, to 0:25:34.480 --> 0:25:38.800 reign in life, to make a new standard for your family. 0:25:39.320 --> 0:25:42.280 Why don't you lose the excuses and get an agreement 0:25:42.320 --> 0:25:46.720 with God. Sometimes we think we're disqualified because of the 0:25:46.760 --> 0:25:50.120 mistakes we've made. We don't count because we haven't lived 0:25:50.160 --> 0:25:52.640 the right kind of life, and that's why we're kind 0:25:52.640 --> 0:25:56.640 of sitting on the sidelines. But when God needed someone 0:25:56.760 --> 0:25:59.880 to save the Israeli spies, back in the Old test 0:26:00.240 --> 0:26:03.760 It they were in the city of Jericho. Word got 0:26:03.800 --> 0:26:06.520 out that they were there. Their cover was blown. Now 0:26:06.560 --> 0:26:09.680 they were about to be captured. God could have chosen 0:26:09.800 --> 0:26:12.719 anyone to help them. He's God. He could have had 0:26:12.760 --> 0:26:16.960 a soldier help get them out, or a community leader 0:26:17.000 --> 0:26:19.520 to secretly escort them out of the city. But he 0:26:19.560 --> 0:26:23.640 didn't do that. God chose a woman by the name 0:26:23.680 --> 0:26:29.240 of Rahab. She was a prostitute, not respected. Everyone looked 0:26:29.280 --> 0:26:33.000 down on her, thought she'll never do anything significant. She 0:26:33.119 --> 0:26:37.840 doesn't count. But God doesn't judge the way people judge. 0:26:38.160 --> 0:26:42.280 People saw her shortcomings, her failures, but God saw a 0:26:42.400 --> 0:26:46.200 diamond in the rough. God saw her potential. He knew 0:26:46.200 --> 0:26:50.119 what she could become. God looked down from heaven and said, 0:26:50.320 --> 0:26:53.400 I want to use her. I can hear an angel say, 0:26:53.400 --> 0:26:56.159 excuse me, God, I don't mean the second. Yes you, 0:26:56.240 --> 0:26:59.879 but I think you've chosen the wrong person. That lady 0:27:00.240 --> 0:27:03.760 is a notorious sinner. She's made a mess of her life. 0:27:04.080 --> 0:27:08.400 She's disqualified. God said, no, I didn't make a mistake. 0:27:09.000 --> 0:27:13.960 I choose people that other people don't choose. Rayhab not 0:27:14.160 --> 0:27:17.880 only saved the spies, but that ended up saving her 0:27:17.920 --> 0:27:22.040 own life, her own family. Here's how amazing God is. 0:27:22.600 --> 0:27:26.879 Rayhab married a Jewish man. They had a son named Boas. 0:27:27.600 --> 0:27:30.920 Boas had a son named Jesse. Jesse had a son 0:27:31.040 --> 0:27:35.960 named David. That means that Rahab, the former prostitute, is 0:27:36.000 --> 0:27:39.800 in the family line of Jesus Christ. God doesn't choose 0:27:40.119 --> 0:27:45.720 the way people choose. You may have made mistakes, you 0:27:45.800 --> 0:27:48.520 feel like you don't count you blew it. Can I 0:27:48.560 --> 0:27:52.880 tell you You've been counted by the Creator. He's looking down 0:27:52.920 --> 0:27:56.520 from heaven right now, calling your name, saying I choose you. 0:27:57.160 --> 0:28:00.160 I want you to do something great. I have a 0:28:00.200 --> 0:28:02.240 destiny for you to fulfill. I want to make your 0:28:02.280 --> 0:28:06.040 life significant. People may have written you off, but God 0:28:06.080 --> 0:28:10.160 has written you in. He's already qualified you. Now, don't 0:28:10.160 --> 0:28:14.240 disqualify yourself. Get up every morning knowing that you've been 0:28:14.280 --> 0:28:17.720 counted by the one who matters most. God has the 0:28:17.800 --> 0:28:22.480 final say. He says, You're redeemed, You're forgiven, You're blessed. 0:28:22.680 --> 0:28:24.680 Your best days are set out in front of you. 0:28:25.040 --> 0:28:28.600 I believe and declare, dreams are coming back to life. 0:28:28.800 --> 0:28:32.600 Vision is being restored, Hope is rising. You will become 0:28:32.680 --> 0:28:36.439 everything God created you to be and have everything he 0:28:36.560 --> 0:28:39.840 intended for you to have in Jesus' name. If you 0:28:39.880 --> 0:28:44.440 receive it, can you say him then today we never 0:28:44.520 --> 0:28:47.800 like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity 0:28:47.920 --> 0:28:50.480 to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you 0:28:50.520 --> 0:28:55.040 pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of 0:28:55.080 --> 0:28:59.880 my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my 0:29:00.120 --> 0:29:04.200 Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:29:04.360 --> 0:29:07.160 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:29:07.200 --> 0:29:10.560 Bible based church, Keep God in first place. He's going 0:29:10.640 --> 0:29:12.360 to take you well you've never dreamed. 0:29:12.960 --> 0:29:16.600 Thank you for listening to the Joelustine podcast. Help us 0:29:16.640 --> 0:29:19.520 continue to share the message of hope with those all 0:29:19.520 --> 0:29:23.600 over the world. Visit joelostin dot com slash give Hope 0:29:23.760 --> 0:29:24.959 to give a gift today. 0:29:26.240 --> 0:29:29.160 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:29.160 --> 0:29:32.560 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:32.640 --> 0:29:35.840 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:36.000 --> 0:29:38.440 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:38.520 --> 0:29:39.000 next time. 0:29:47.560 --> 0:29:50.080 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:50.120 --> 0:29:53.720 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:29:53.760 --> 0:29:56.840 been ill equipped to help. That is until now. 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