Doing Business in Deep Waters

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The units stap 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:14.360 makes it easy for grandparents and family friends to give 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:17.160 funds to a child's investment account for a limited time. 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.400 Download the uns stap and use the code I heeart 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:21.720 fifty at sign up to receive a fifty dollars bonus 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:24.280 when you fund your account. 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. 0:01:31.040 --> 0:01:33.800 Hi, this is Joel on Wednesdays, we bring you the best. 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:49.400 I hope you enjoyed the podcast. Well, God bless you. 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:52.240 It's always a joy to come into your homes. And 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:55.200 if you're ever in our area, please stop by and 0:01:55.280 --> 0:01:57.920 be a part of one of our services. I promise 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:00.000 you will make you feel right at home. But thanks 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:02.160 so much for tuning in, and thank you again for 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:05.200 coming out today. And I like to start with something funny. 0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:08.560 And I heard about this lady that died. She was 0:02:08.600 --> 0:02:11.640 standing at the pearly gates and Saint Peter said, you 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:15.160 can't come in yet, you have to correctly spell a word. 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:18.880 She said, what word. He said, any word, so she 0:02:18.960 --> 0:02:22.680 spelled the word love l ovee. He said, welcome to heaven. 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:25.960 Then Peter asked her if she would take his place 0:02:26.040 --> 0:02:29.120 for a moment. He instructed her if anybody should come up, 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:32.560 just to follow the same procedure. She agreed. In a 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:36.640 few minutes, she sees her ex husband walking up. She 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:38.920 can't believe it. She says, what are you doing here? 0:02:39.440 --> 0:02:41.440 He said, I just had a heart attack. Did I 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:44.240 really make it to heaven? She said, not yet. You 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:47.480 have to correctly spell a word. He said what word? 0:02:47.960 --> 0:02:53.640 There was a long pause, and she said, Checkleslovakia. Hold 0:02:53.720 --> 0:02:56.519 up your bible. Say it like you mean it. This 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:59.040 is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:01.720 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:04.320 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:08.040 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:11.280 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:16.160 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:20.040 to talk to you today about doing business in deep waters. 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.919 If you're going to do anything great in life, there 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:29.600 will be opposition, setbacks, delays, critics, and a lot of 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:32.680 people get discouraged. Think, why is this happening to me. 0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:38.200 It's because you're taking new ground, because you're making progress. 0:03:38.800 --> 0:03:41.600 And the scripture says they that go down to the 0:03:41.680 --> 0:03:46.280 sea to do business in deep waters, they will see 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:50.560 the wonders of God. When you're in these deep waters, 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:54.840 you're not praying God, please don't let me face anything big. 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:59.400 Now you realize when you have big dreams, you're going 0:03:59.440 --> 0:04:03.120 to have big challenges. If you were an average person, 0:04:03.760 --> 0:04:06.960 then you would have average problems. But here's the key. 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:11.280 You're not average. You're not in the shallow waters. God 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:15.400 puts seeds of greatness in you. He's destined you to 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:21.200 leave your mark on this generation. You cannot expect ordinary problems. 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:25.320 You're a history maker, you're a world changer. Well, why 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:27.880 are these people talking about me at work? Why are 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:30.640 they trying to make me look bad? Listen, they don't 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:35.680 talk about average people. They talk about extraordinary people. Take 0:04:35.720 --> 0:04:40.279 it as a compliment. It goes with the territory. Every 0:04:40.279 --> 0:04:43.680 time I try to move forward, I face major challenges. 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:47.400 It's because you're a major person and you have a 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:51.240 major destiny. The enemy would leave you alone if you 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:54.719 weren't a major threat. He wouldn't bother you if you 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:58.880 didn't have something amazing in your future. Because you're an 0:04:58.960 --> 0:05:05.000 extraordinary person, you will face extraordinary challenges. The good news 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:09.120 is we serve an extraordinary God. He can get you 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:12.359 to where you're supposed to be. When you're in the 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:16.520 deep waters, you're not wasting your time trying to convince 0:05:16.600 --> 0:05:20.560 everyone to like you. Win over all your critics, prove 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:24.000 to your family members that you really are. Okay, let 0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:27.000 me give you a newsflash. Everybody is not going to 0:05:27.120 --> 0:05:31.279 like you. Everybody is not going to understand you. Your 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:36.600 friends may not celebrate your success. Your relatives may find fault, 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:41.280 your coworkers may get jealous. Shake it off and run 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:45.560 your race. You're doing business in deep waters. You don't 0:05:45.600 --> 0:05:48.200 have time to go over in the shallow waters. For 0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:52.920 all that pettiness, you're a history maker. You cannot please 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:57.159 every person and please God at the same time. You'll 0:05:57.200 --> 0:06:00.200 either have a few people upset with you, or you'll 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:03.600 have God upset with you. I've learned if you'll please God, 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:07.840 he'll take care of your critics. Well, Joel, they said 0:06:07.880 --> 0:06:10.800 something about me. I'm gonna go straighten them out now. 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:14.400 If that battle is not between you and your God 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:19.240 given destiny. It is simply a distraction. You're not supposed 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:23.200 to engage in every battle. You only have so much 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:28.200 emotional energy each day. If you're spending that energy thinking 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:31.760 about how you can pay somebody back calling a friend, 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:34.560 can you believe what they said, You're not going to 0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:38.680 have the energy you need for your own dreams. Don't 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:42.680 fight battles that don't matter. You've got to be selective 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:47.160 in how you spend your time. We all love our family, 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:50.520 but some family members you have to love them from 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:56.040 a distance. Some relatives once a year at the family 0:06:56.120 --> 0:06:59.520 reunion is good enough. Go give them a big hug 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:03.080 how much you love them. Ask God for forgiveness for 0:07:03.200 --> 0:07:10.080 lying later. But you can't spend all week with Uncle Charlie, 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:12.880 or he'll pull you into the shallow waters, get you 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:16.720 off course. You love Aunt Myrtle, but if you spend 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:19.640 too much time with her, you're going to be negative, critical, 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:23.920 fighting battles that don't matter. Learn to love them from 0:07:24.000 --> 0:07:27.000 a distance, and you have to accept the fact that 0:07:27.120 --> 0:07:30.239 some people are never going to be for you. Treat 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:33.800 them with respect, but you don't need their approval to 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:37.760 fulfill your destiny. Don't get lured over into the shallow 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:42.120 waters trying to prove to them who you are. The apostle. 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:44.960 Paul had people that were trying to tell him his 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:47.280 dreams wouldn't come to pass, tell him what he couldn't do, 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:50.120 what he didn't have. He didn't try to straighten them out. 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:52.720 He didn't try to win over all of his critics. 0:07:52.880 --> 0:07:57.360 He said in Romans three, does their unbelief make the 0:07:57.400 --> 0:08:00.960 promise of God of no effect in my life? He 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:04.280 was saying, in effect, So what if they don't believe 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:07.680 God didn't put the promise in them, He put the 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:12.560 promise in me. That's the attitude we should have always, respectfully, 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:16.840 what if they don't accept me? So what if they're 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:20.320 talking about me, trying to discredit me. I'm not going 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:23.320 to lose any sleep over it. I'm not going to 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:26.080 waste my time trying to prove to them who I am. No, 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:29.240 I'm going to stay in the deep waters and do 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:32.400 what God has called me to do. That's when you're 0:08:32.440 --> 0:08:36.240 going to see the wonders of God. When Billy Graham 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:39.840 went to England for the first time over fifty years ago, 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:43.280 the press was very negative. They said, we don't want 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:47.800 your religion. We don't need another minister. One reporter said, 0:08:48.120 --> 0:08:51.280 how can you even justify coming over here on a 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:55.440 big ocean liner, a big ship when Jesus rode a 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:59.520 donkey everywhere he went. Billy Graham said, if you'll find 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:01.839 me a dog that can walk on water, I'll buy 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:06.199 it in a minute. Stay in the deep waters. They'll 0:09:06.240 --> 0:09:11.439 always be people trying to pull you into the shallow waters. Criticize, fine, fault, discredit, 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:14.640 don't waste your time with that. Set your face like 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:18.960 a flint and run your own race. First. Samuel, chapter ten, 0:09:19.800 --> 0:09:22.920 Saul was chosen to be the next king of Israel. 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:26.000 Samuel called him up in front of all the people, 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:30.240 anointed his head, and said he's our next leader. Most 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:33.959 of the people were happy for Saul and congratulated him. 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:37.600 But when Saul got back home, some of his longtime 0:09:37.679 --> 0:09:42.720 friends didn't like Samuel's choice. They begin to laugh, make fun, 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:46.319 ridicule Saul's not gonna be our king. Saul doesn't have 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:50.240 what it takes. The truth is they were jealous of Saul. 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:55.160 They were so insecure, so intimidated, They tried to push 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:58.920 him down so that they would look bigger. Remember this. 0:09:59.320 --> 0:10:04.600 When someone belittle Jew, they are being little. Small minded 0:10:04.640 --> 0:10:10.760 people won't celebrate you. Small minded pre people will be jealous, criticized, 0:10:10.920 --> 0:10:14.040 fine fault gossip, try to make you look bad. Don't 0:10:14.080 --> 0:10:19.040 ever fight battles with small minded people. Your destiny is 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:23.000 too great to be distracted by someone that's small. They're 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:27.439 not going where God has taken you. In Verse twenty seven, 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:32.319 it says they despise Saul and refuse to give him gifts. 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:37.199 What if he do? But Saul ignored them. One translation 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:41.680 says he paid them no mind my encouragement. Pay no 0:10:41.840 --> 0:10:45.160 mind to jealous people. Pay no mind to people that 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:48.480 don't celebrate you. Pay no mind to people that try 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:52.040 to make you feel small. They don't control your destiny. 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:56.240 God does. They are distractions to try to lure you 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:59.720 into the shallow waters, to keep you from God's best. 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:04.800 Your assignment is too important, Your time is too valuable 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:09.800 to be distracted by negative, critical, jealous, small minded people. 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:13.080 If you listen to what they're saying about you, that 0:11:13.320 --> 0:11:16.760 poison will get on the inside and you'll start fighting 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:20.400 a battle that you were never supposed to fight. Isaiah 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:24.440 fifty four says, no weapon formed against you will prosper. 0:11:25.160 --> 0:11:28.680 Every tongue raised in judgment you will show to be 0:11:28.760 --> 0:11:32.240 in the wrong. When you're in the deep waters, there 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:36.600 will be some challenges, attacks, people talking. There may be 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:40.240 some tongues raised against you right now, but don't worry. 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:43.839 It's not going to hold you back because you're honoring God, 0:11:44.000 --> 0:11:47.920 trusting him. In the deep waters. God says, you'll see 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:52.720 his wonders. That means his protection, his vindication, his favor. 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:57.040 When I first started ministering in nineteen ninety nine, this 0:11:57.200 --> 0:12:00.280 was all very new to me. Spent seventeen year years 0:12:00.320 --> 0:12:03.800 behind the scenes, and suddenly I was thrust in front 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:06.280 of a lot of people. I wasn't sure I could 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:09.960 do this, and at one point it felt overwhelmed me. 0:12:10.720 --> 0:12:14.120 Some people were talking, he's not as good as his father, 0:12:14.240 --> 0:12:17.079 and I felt the pressure of learning how to minister. 0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:21.480 It seemed like on every side there was opposition and 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:25.319 negative things happening. I said, God, I've taken this step 0:12:25.360 --> 0:12:29.000 of faith. I'm in the deep waters. Sink or swim. God, 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:31.880 here I am. You're gonna have to help me. One 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:35.560 night during that time, I had a dream was so vivid. 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:38.840 I remember it like it was yesterday. Then this dream, 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:42.719 I was running through a large open field. There were 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:47.880 planes flying very low overhead, dropping bombs all around me, 0:12:48.600 --> 0:12:51.440 just like out of a war movie. When bomb would 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:54.000 hit fifteen or twenty feet away from me, I would 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:57.280 brace myself and wait for the shrapnel to hit me. 0:12:57.880 --> 0:12:59.760 I knew I was dead. I knew it was over. 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:04.320 The explosion was deafening, but for some reason, every time 0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:08.000 the shrapnel never would hit me. This happened four or 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:10.920 five times, and even in my dream, I was amazed 0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:13.959 that I was still alive. I ended up running to 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:18.600 this little house, hiding inside, very afraid. I could hear 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:21.440 the soldiers running by looking for me, and I was 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:23.960 praying that they wouldn't check that house, hoping that they 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:28.560 wouldn't come inside. Then my worst nightmare came true. They 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:32.080 came bursting in the door, had their guns drawn. I 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:34.400 was standing right in front of them. I thought, that's it, 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:37.480 I'm dead. They found me. They looked at me for 0:13:37.520 --> 0:13:40.560 a couple of seconds and then turned around and walked out. 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:44.760 It was like I had become invisible to them, and 0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:49.120 I immediately woke up wide awake. I could hear God 0:13:49.240 --> 0:13:52.880 saying down in here so strongly Joel, things may be 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:56.160 exploding all around you, but I've got you in the 0:13:56.200 --> 0:14:01.920 palm of my hand. If you're trusting me, and no 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:06.800 weapon formed against you, will prosper. Now, when things come 0:14:06.840 --> 0:14:10.560 against me, I remind myself that God has a hedge 0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:14.880 of protection around us that the enemy cannot cross, instead 0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:18.520 of complaining about how big the obstacle is, how somebody's 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:21.600 talking about you will come back to that place of peace. 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:24.080 If God be for you, who dare be against you? 0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:27.520 God said, when the enemy comes against you, one way, 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:30.920 he would defeat them and cause them to flee seven 0:14:30.920 --> 0:14:35.200 different ways. You may be up against a big challenge today, 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:39.520 but that tells me you have a big destiny. The 0:14:39.560 --> 0:14:43.360 size of your problem is an indication of the size 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:47.240 of your future. David had a big destiny. What did 0:14:47.280 --> 0:14:51.320 God do send him a big problem? But without Goliath, 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:55.080 David would still be known as a shepherd boy. That 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:59.080 difficulty was not sent to defeat you, It was sent 0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:04.080 to promote you. The Israelites were being mistreated by their captors. 0:15:04.600 --> 0:15:08.880 The scripture says, the more they oppressed them, the more 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:13.120 the Israelites multiplied, the more they tried to push them down. 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.600 The higher God took them. That's the way God is. 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:19.960 If you'll stay in faith, God will make the enemy 0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:23.160 pay for bringing that trouble into your life. You'll not 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:27.760 only come out, you'll come out stronger, increased, promoted, multiplied. 0:15:28.480 --> 0:15:31.240 The more people try to make you look bad, the 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:34.440 better God will make you look. God said he would 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:38.760 prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:41.520 That means the ones that tried to push you down, 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.520 played politics, left you out, cheated you. God will make 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:50.320 sure they see you promoted, elevated, increased, in a position 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:56.160 of honor. In the scripture, Hayman tried to discredit Mordecai. 0:15:56.920 --> 0:15:59.680 He lied about him and told the king how bad 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:02.400 more to Kai was and how he should be removed. 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:02.880 On and on. 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:06.960 Mordecai didn't try to get even, didn't try to straighten 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:10.040 him out. He stayed in the deep waters, just kept 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:14.200 honoring God, being his best. In the end, the king 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:18.800 had Hayman put a royal robe on Mordecai, marching through 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:23.080 the city streets, saying, look how great Mordecai is. The 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:27.320 more someone or something tries to push you down, don't worry. 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:31.800 God's in control. The more you will be multiplied. Instead 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:36.360 of being discouraged by opposition, you can be encouraged by it. 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:40.200 Knowing on the other side of that difficulty is a 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:44.440 new level of your destiny. The enemy always fights us 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:48.200 the hardest when we are close to our victory. When 0:16:48.240 --> 0:16:51.320 you're at tempted to get discouraged, sour, go back to 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:54.200 the shallow waters. It's never gonna work out. It's been 0:16:54.240 --> 0:16:56.840 too long now. That's when you have to dig your 0:16:56.920 --> 0:16:59.800 heels in and say, I've come too far to stop now. 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:03.280 My God is still on the throne fighting my battles. 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:05.920 I'm not only coming out, I'm coming out better off 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:09.840 than I was before. When I was in Africa, a 0:17:09.840 --> 0:17:14.639 Safari god told how when a gazelle or wilderbeast is 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:18.320 pregnant and very close to giving birth, a lion will 0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:22.439 stalk that animal day after day. The lion will follow 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:26.440 that pregnant mother around, waiting for her to go into labor. 0:17:27.200 --> 0:17:30.640 When the mother goes into labor, the lion knows it's 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:34.359 an easy target. They can't fight back, so the lion 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:38.040 will attack and kill not only the mother, but the 0:17:38.119 --> 0:17:42.080 baby as well. In the same way, when you are 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:45.320 close to giving birth to your dreams. You will face 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:49.040 your greatest attacks. The enemy waits till you're close to 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:52.600 the breakthrough, close to the healing, close to the promotion, 0:17:52.960 --> 0:17:55.439 when you're about to step into a new level of 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:59.879 your destiny. Don't be surprised if you hit a setbacks, 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:02.679 a sure sign you're about to give birth to what 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:05.600 God has placed in your heart. The good news is 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:09.280 the forces that are for you are greater than the 0:18:09.280 --> 0:18:13.640 forces that are against you. Your destiny cannot be stopped 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:18.359 by bad breaks, by opposition by people, nor by all 0:18:18.440 --> 0:18:22.840 the forces of darkness. God has the final say. When 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:25.399 you stay in agreement with him, he will get you 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:28.320 to where you're supposed to be. You may be up 0:18:28.359 --> 0:18:31.960 against that big challenge that tells me you need to 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:34.760 get ready. You're about to give birth. You're about to 0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:37.680 see a promise come to pass. You're about to see 0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:41.000 that child turn around. You're about to meet the person 0:18:41.119 --> 0:18:43.800 of your dreams. This is not the time to get 0:18:43.800 --> 0:18:47.159 discourage and think, oh, it's taken so long. No, Now, 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:50.159 more than ever, you need to have the attitude I 0:18:50.200 --> 0:18:52.719 am in it to win it. I am not going 0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:57.280 to let this bad break, this unfair situation, this disappointment, 0:18:57.320 --> 0:19:00.280 is still my dreams. I'm going to give birth to 0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:04.119 everything God's placed in my heart. I know some of 0:19:04.160 --> 0:19:08.080 you have had more than your share of unfair situations. 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:12.760 Maybe you lost a loved one, her relationship didn't work out, 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:15.639 perhaps a child has caused you a lot of heartache 0:19:15.680 --> 0:19:19.800 and pain. But know this, nothing that you've been through 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:25.640 has been wasted. Every struggle, every wrong, every sleepless night 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:30.119 has deposited something on the inside. It's made you stronger, 0:19:30.600 --> 0:19:34.480 It's helped develop your character. You are not defined by 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:38.399 your past. You are prepared by your past. It is 0:19:38.480 --> 0:19:41.359 put you in position for the new thing God is 0:19:41.400 --> 0:19:45.199 about to do. Zachariah said, if you will be a 0:19:45.280 --> 0:19:49.479 prisoner of hope, God will restore double back to you. 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:53.440 God wants to give you beauty for the ashes. You've 0:19:53.440 --> 0:19:55.400 got to do your part and get your hopes up, 0:19:55.440 --> 0:20:00.040 get your fireback, start believing, start dreaming. That's not just 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:04.159 being positive, that's releasing your faith. There was a lady 0:20:04.200 --> 0:20:07.320 in the Old Testament, an Israelite woman. She did just 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:10.440 the opposite. She was about to give birth to a baby. 0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:14.120 She heard that the ark of the Covenant had been stolen, 0:20:14.760 --> 0:20:17.159 and this is where God lived back then it was 0:20:17.200 --> 0:20:21.720 a big deal, and she was so distraught, so upset, 0:20:22.000 --> 0:20:26.080 that when her baby was born, she named her son Ichabod. 0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:32.120 Ichabod means the glory has departed. Notice she named her 0:20:32.240 --> 0:20:36.520 future based on what had happened in the past. She 0:20:36.600 --> 0:20:40.520 could have just as easily named him the glory will return. 0:20:41.400 --> 0:20:44.199 She could have named him what Zachariah said, double the 0:20:44.240 --> 0:20:47.439 glory is coming. But she was so caught up in 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:51.320 what she'd been through, the disappointment, the heartache, that it 0:20:51.400 --> 0:20:55.400 tainted her whole future. So often we do the same thing. 0:20:56.080 --> 0:20:59.960 We're focused on what we lost, how unfair it wasn't 0:21:00.160 --> 0:21:04.360 think it's gonna change. No, don't ever name your future 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:07.919 based on a negative past. In other words, don't go 0:21:07.960 --> 0:21:11.200 around thinking, well, Joel didn't get any good breaks last year. 0:21:11.720 --> 0:21:17.119 I'm sure it's going to be the same struggle, loneliness, depression, sickness, 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:20.439 people not treating me right. No, get that Ichabod's spirit 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:23.800 off of you. This is a new day. God is 0:21:23.880 --> 0:21:26.800 doing a new thing. The enemies you've seen in the 0:21:26.840 --> 0:21:30.720 past you will see no more. God has shifted things 0:21:30.760 --> 0:21:34.080 in your favor. What's meant for your harm? God is 0:21:34.119 --> 0:21:37.520 turning to your advantage. Here's what you should name your 0:21:37.560 --> 0:21:46.520 future blessed, prosperous, victorious, healthy, strong, talented, well able. You 0:21:46.600 --> 0:21:49.600 may be in a difficult season. Your attitude should be 0:21:49.760 --> 0:21:52.720 this is only temporary. I know it's just a matter 0:21:52.800 --> 0:21:56.840 of time before it turns around. May seem like you're stuck, 0:21:57.320 --> 0:22:01.400 could never rise any higher. But don't go around speak defeat. Well, 0:22:01.440 --> 0:22:04.119 I've reached my limits. I don't have the connections, I 0:22:04.119 --> 0:22:07.959 don't have the funds. No, name your future by saying 0:22:08.359 --> 0:22:12.160 God's face is smiling down on me. He's opening new 0:22:12.200 --> 0:22:15.720 doors of opportunity. He's putting me at the right place 0:22:15.800 --> 0:22:19.199 at the right time. My greatest victories are not behind me, 0:22:19.480 --> 0:22:24.680 They're still out in front of me. That's calling in favor, increase, blessing. 0:22:25.440 --> 0:22:27.919 When you think about your future, there should be an 0:22:28.040 --> 0:22:33.560 excitement and expectancy. You're looking for God's goodness, not dragging 0:22:33.600 --> 0:22:36.159 around thinking, oh it's so hard, why is it taking 0:22:36.200 --> 0:22:39.199 so long. No, all through the day, something good is 0:22:39.240 --> 0:22:42.360 going to happen to me. Blessings are chasing me down. 0:22:42.600 --> 0:22:45.880 Favor is in my future. This is what David did. 0:22:46.440 --> 0:22:50.879 He went through plenty of bad breaks, disappointment, heartache, but 0:22:51.040 --> 0:22:55.000 he didn't name his future based on his past. He said, 0:22:55.440 --> 0:22:59.280 I am confident I will see the goodness of God 0:22:59.560 --> 0:23:02.600 in the land into the livy. That's my prayer for you, 0:23:03.000 --> 0:23:06.160 that you will be confident that your best days are 0:23:06.160 --> 0:23:09.359 still up ahead, Confident that God has shifted things in 0:23:09.400 --> 0:23:12.800 your favor, Confident that your dreams will come to pass. 0:23:13.600 --> 0:23:17.760 Isaiah put it this way, a rise and shine, for 0:23:17.840 --> 0:23:21.960 the glory of the Lord is upon you. It doesn't 0:23:22.000 --> 0:23:25.160 say the glory is going to come on you one day, 0:23:26.000 --> 0:23:29.720 maybe next year, if business picks up, maybe in the future, 0:23:29.760 --> 0:23:32.560 if you get that good break. No, it says the 0:23:32.600 --> 0:23:37.400 glory of the Lord is already on you. That word 0:23:37.480 --> 0:23:42.840 glory in the original language implies God's favor, God's splendor, 0:23:43.200 --> 0:23:47.679 and God's honor is heavy on you. There's an emphasis 0:23:47.760 --> 0:23:52.719 on heavy. Remember the old days, hippies used to say, heavy, man, heavy. 0:23:53.160 --> 0:23:56.240 Let me tell you, because you're honoring God, you are 0:23:56.560 --> 0:24:02.919 heavy with favor. You are dripping with God's goods. See, 0:24:03.080 --> 0:24:07.560 we're not supposed to be heavy with trials, heavy with difficulties, 0:24:07.800 --> 0:24:10.680 weighted down with worry. You Now, the only thing that's 0:24:10.720 --> 0:24:14.120 supposed to be heavy on you is God's favor. When 0:24:14.119 --> 0:24:17.080 you get up in the morning, have the right perspective, 0:24:17.400 --> 0:24:20.840 you have an advantage. God has put something on you 0:24:21.359 --> 0:24:24.560 that causes you to stand out in the crowd. It 0:24:24.680 --> 0:24:29.440 causes opportunity, good breaks, healing, the right people to track 0:24:29.480 --> 0:24:32.800 you down. You are not a lightweight. You are heavy 0:24:32.960 --> 0:24:36.359 with God's favor. I talked to a lady in the 0:24:36.359 --> 0:24:38.840 lobby a couple of years ago. She asked me to 0:24:38.920 --> 0:24:41.520 sign her bible. It's one of the bibles that we 0:24:41.560 --> 0:24:44.440 give away to graduates. She looked to be in her 0:24:44.480 --> 0:24:47.080 early fifties, and I asked her if it was for 0:24:47.160 --> 0:24:50.120 her son or her daughter. She smiled and said, no, 0:24:50.200 --> 0:24:54.280 it's for me. I just graduated from college. She told 0:24:54.520 --> 0:24:57.199 how she was the first one in her family for 0:24:57.280 --> 0:25:00.440 as far back as she could see, to evergre graduate 0:25:00.480 --> 0:25:04.639 from college. There was a lot of mediocrity and dysfunction 0:25:04.800 --> 0:25:08.320 in her family. She always wanted to go, always had 0:25:08.359 --> 0:25:11.800 the desire, but anytime she tried, something held her back, 0:25:12.480 --> 0:25:14.719 and at the age of forty, it looked like it 0:25:14.760 --> 0:25:18.560 was too late. She had children to raise, couldn't get 0:25:18.560 --> 0:25:22.000 off work, didn't have the extra finances. All the odds 0:25:22.040 --> 0:25:25.480 were against her. Most people would have given up, thought, well, 0:25:25.520 --> 0:25:29.360 too bad, not this lady. She kept believing, kept praying, 0:25:29.680 --> 0:25:33.240 knowing that she was heavy with God's favor. One day, 0:25:33.440 --> 0:25:38.000 her employer unexpectedly called her in and said, we heard 0:25:38.040 --> 0:25:40.919 you want to go to college. We've decided that we 0:25:40.960 --> 0:25:45.199 will pay for your tuition. Plus we will let you 0:25:45.280 --> 0:25:48.119 take off of work and go to class whenever you 0:25:48.200 --> 0:25:54.280 need to. That's heavy favor. It's one thing to have 0:25:54.400 --> 0:25:59.000 a free tuition, but she basically got paid to go 0:25:59.040 --> 0:26:02.760 to college. She not only got her bachelor's degree, she 0:26:02.840 --> 0:26:07.320 got her master's degree. Friends, this is your time, this 0:26:07.400 --> 0:26:11.399 is your moment. You are heavy with favor. The prophet 0:26:11.440 --> 0:26:14.960 Joel said, wake up the mighty men, wake up the 0:26:15.040 --> 0:26:18.840 mighty women. That's who I'm speaking to today. God has 0:26:18.920 --> 0:26:23.280 equipped you, empowered you, and anointed you. No weapon formed 0:26:23.280 --> 0:26:26.679 against you can prosper now. Pain no mind to the 0:26:26.720 --> 0:26:29.800 people that are trying to discourage you. God didn't put 0:26:29.840 --> 0:26:32.520 the promise in them. He put the promise in you. 0:26:33.000 --> 0:26:36.800 What God started in your life, he will finish You. 0:26:36.920 --> 0:26:40.160 May be in a difficult season, just keep on shining. 0:26:40.760 --> 0:26:43.920 Like the Israelites. The more difficult it is, the more 0:26:44.000 --> 0:26:46.760 God is going to multiply you. You're not gonna come 0:26:46.800 --> 0:26:50.639 out the same, You're gonna come out increased, promoted, better 0:26:50.720 --> 0:26:54.679 than you were before. Last week would have been my 0:26:54.760 --> 0:26:58.480 father's ninety second birthday. My dad went to be with 0:26:58.520 --> 0:27:00.800 the Lord in nineteen ninety nine, at the age of 0:27:00.880 --> 0:27:05.200 seventy seven. I was reflecting back over the last fourteen 0:27:05.359 --> 0:27:08.360 years and thinking about all the things God has done 0:27:08.400 --> 0:27:11.479 in my life. Never dreamed I would be here today, 0:27:12.280 --> 0:27:15.760 never thought I could minister, never imagine we would have 0:27:15.800 --> 0:27:19.000 the former Compact Center as our church. God has done 0:27:19.040 --> 0:27:21.720 more than I could even ask or think. I have 0:27:21.880 --> 0:27:26.000 seen his wonders. But the truth is I'm not the 0:27:26.040 --> 0:27:30.120 most talented, not the most dynamic. But one thing I'm 0:27:30.200 --> 0:27:34.200 good at is staying in the deep waters, not letting 0:27:34.240 --> 0:27:38.480 things bother me, not fighting battles that don't matter, not 0:27:38.680 --> 0:27:42.920 naming my future based on the past, believing that I'm 0:27:43.000 --> 0:27:47.359 heavy with favor, simple things. But when you honor God 0:27:47.600 --> 0:27:50.960 like that, he will make more out of your life 0:27:51.000 --> 0:27:55.040 than you ever imagined. I'm asking you to stay in 0:27:55.080 --> 0:28:00.200 the deep waters, shake off the discouragement, shake off the event, 0:28:00.920 --> 0:28:05.160 shake off little dreams, believe that you're heavy with favor, 0:28:05.720 --> 0:28:08.280 believe that your best days are still out in front 0:28:08.280 --> 0:28:11.320 of you. If you will stay in the deep waters, 0:28:11.560 --> 0:28:15.600 I'm a living testimony. You will see the wonders of God. 0:28:16.040 --> 0:28:19.120 God will open doors that no man can shut. God 0:28:19.200 --> 0:28:21.480 will take you where you could not go on your own. 0:28:21.760 --> 0:28:25.320 He'll fight your battles, He'll make your wrongs right. I 0:28:25.440 --> 0:28:30.359 believe and declare you will overcome every obstacle, defeat every enemy, 0:28:30.560 --> 0:28:34.840 and become everything that God's created you to be. In Jesus' name, 0:28:35.160 --> 0:28:38.560 if you receive it, can you say them in today? 0:28:39.640 --> 0:28:42.400 We never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:28:42.400 --> 0:28:45.440 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:45.640 --> 0:28:49.960 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:28:50.120 --> 0:28:54.960 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:28:55.040 --> 0:28:58.480 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you pray that 0:28:58.600 --> 0:29:01.720 simple prayer, we believe you born again. Get in a 0:29:01.720 --> 0:29:05.360 good Bible based church, Keep God first place. He's gonna 0:29:05.360 --> 0:29:07.280 take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:08.280 --> 0:29:11.720 Thank you for listening to the joel Ostein podcast. Help 0:29:11.800 --> 0:29:14.520 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:14.640 --> 0:29:18.520 all over the world. Visit Joeloastin dot com, slash give 0:29:18.600 --> 0:29:20.280 hope to give a gift today. 0:29:21.560 --> 0:29:24.480 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:24.520 --> 0:29:27.880 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:27.960 --> 0:29:31.160 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:31.320 --> 0:29:33.840 I know God's best is still ahead. 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