Don't Believe The Lies

0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:03.520 Hi, this is Jolan Victorian. Thanks so much for listening 0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:06.280 to the podcast. We are so thankful for you and 0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:09.240 hope you're having a wonderful Thanksgiving season with your family. 0:00:09.400 --> 0:00:11.800 Don't forget I have a new book out, fifteen Ways 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:14.960 to Live Longer and Healthier. I think you'll be blessed 0:00:15.000 --> 0:00:17.400 and encouraged by it. We love you so much and 0:00:17.440 --> 0:00:20.920 we hope you enjoy the message. Well, God bless you. 0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:23.639 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:26.240 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:00:26.320 --> 0:00:30.840 daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can 0:00:30.880 --> 0:00:33.360 come visit us in person. We'd love to have you 0:00:33.479 --> 0:00:35.920 be a part of one of our services. But I 0:00:36.080 --> 0:00:38.440 like to start with something funny, and I heard about 0:00:38.440 --> 0:00:42.080 this lady. She's surprised a burglar in her house late 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:44.639 one night, and she was home alone, didn't have any 0:00:44.760 --> 0:00:47.839 kind of weapon. She didn't know what to do. Finally, 0:00:47.920 --> 0:00:51.320 she thought, I'll quote a scripture verse. She shouted out 0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:55.200 Acts two thirty eight. The burglar froze in his tracks 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:58.480 and wouldn't move, and the police soon arrived. And we're 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:01.240 amazed at how a woman with no weapon could do this, 0:01:01.880 --> 0:01:04.800 asked the burglar. What was it about that scripture that 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:08.000 had such an effect on you? He said, scripture? What 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:10.800 a scripture? I thought? She said she had an axe 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:15.040 in two thirty eighths. All right, y'all say it like 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:18.120 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:01:18.240 --> 0:01:20.880 it says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:24.080 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:01:24.200 --> 0:01:27.600 I will be talked the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:31.400 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:35.240 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:01:36.560 --> 0:01:38.920 I want to talk to you today about don't believe 0:01:38.959 --> 0:01:42.240 the lies. We're living in a time when there's more 0:01:42.280 --> 0:01:47.039 deception than ever. Americans lost thirty billion dollars last year 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:53.000 in scams. Practically every day on our phone, email, social media. 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:56.640 Someone's trying to deceive us and trick us into giving 0:01:56.720 --> 0:02:01.520 our personal information. And these scammers are skilled, they're professional, 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:05.440 they know human nature. I'm always telling my children be aware, 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:09.919 don't take the clickbait. Recognize what's happening. We were having 0:02:10.040 --> 0:02:12.360 lunch at home with my family and a few friends 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:15.320 not long ago, and my phone started buzzing, and I 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:18.560 didn't recognize the number, and normally I would ignore it, 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:21.160 but for some reason I stepped away and I answered it. 0:02:21.680 --> 0:02:26.000 This very official voice said, this is Verizon. Your phone 0:02:26.000 --> 0:02:30.200 has been compromised. It's going to be deactivated in fifteen minutes. 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:34.800 Give us the last four ditchits of your social security number. Well, 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:37.720 I didn't think twice. I was distracted. I need my phone. 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:40.560 I tapped the numbers in. I sat back down at 0:02:40.600 --> 0:02:43.679 the table. My children said, Dad, did you just give 0:02:43.680 --> 0:02:46.839 you information? I said yes. They were going to turn 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:49.399 my phone off. They said, you did what you tell 0:02:49.480 --> 0:02:53.000 us not to do. You just got scam. But it 0:02:53.080 --> 0:02:58.160 happened so fast. They were so convincing, so persuasive. Can 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:02.200 I tell you who the biggest is? Jesus said in 0:03:02.280 --> 0:03:05.800 John Aight, Satan is a liar and the father of 0:03:05.840 --> 0:03:09.720 all lies. There is no truth in him. When he lies, 0:03:10.000 --> 0:03:14.040 he speaks his native language. When we get scammed by people, 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:17.959 it can cost us money, time, effort. But if you 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:22.600 let the enemy scam you, it can cost you your destiny. Identity, 0:03:22.639 --> 0:03:26.520 theft is a major problem. The biggest identity theef is 0:03:26.560 --> 0:03:30.280 the enemy. He knows who you are, a child of 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:34.440 the MOSTI God fearfully and wonderfully made. He can see 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:38.360 your crown of favor, your robe of righteousness, and royal 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:42.000 blood flowing through your veins. He'll go to work to 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:45.760 try to deceive you into believing a lie. He'll whisper 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:50.960 you're not valuable, you're not attractive, nobody cares about you, 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:54.200 or you've made too many mistakes. Look at all your 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:58.880 flaws and weaknesses. If you believe those lies, he'll steal 0:03:58.920 --> 0:04:02.040 your identity. He'll talk you out of who you are. 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:05.640 You're not in a power struggle with the enemy. He's 0:04:05.680 --> 0:04:10.040 already defeated. You're in a truth struggle. The only power 0:04:10.120 --> 0:04:12.880 he has over you is the power you give him 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:17.200 by believing his lies. And the scripture says to recognize 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:21.800 the enemy's schemes and strategies. He has two main weapons, 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:27.200 deception and lies. He's very clever, very subtle. He doesn't 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:30.120 come up with this big thought, Hey, go run around 0:04:30.160 --> 0:04:34.320 on your spous steal that money, see yourself as unworthy. 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:38.320 That's too obvious. It starts as a little thought, a 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:42.680 seed of doubt. Your spouse doesn't really love you. It's 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:45.600 okay to fudge a little on your taxes. Not going 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:48.960 to hurt to party this one time. It's just a suggestion, 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:54.320 seems harmless, no big deal. But it's like clickbait. If 0:04:54.360 --> 0:04:57.279 you dwell on that thought, if you click on it, 0:04:57.279 --> 0:05:00.359 it's going to open up all kinds of detrimental things. 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:04.560 The enemy never shows where it's leading you. Where you'll 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:10.640 end up broken, lonely, addicted. He's a scammer. Seems enticing 0:05:10.720 --> 0:05:13.880 and so appealing. Well, this goes way back to the 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:18.080 Garden of Eden. The enemy hasn't changed his schemes. He's 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:22.200 not creative, he has no new strategies. If you can 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:27.160 become skilled at recognizing his lies and not giving into deception, 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:30.680 you'll not only save yourself so much hearty and pain, 0:05:31.040 --> 0:05:34.360 but you'll go so much further. Adam and Eve had 0:05:34.360 --> 0:05:39.400 the perfect life. They were in this magnificent garden, beautiful, 0:05:39.920 --> 0:05:44.240 credibly peaceful, with these streams flowing all kinds of delicious 0:05:44.279 --> 0:05:48.480 food to eat, fruit and vegetables. They had conversations with 0:05:48.560 --> 0:05:53.320 God every day. There was no sickness, no strife, no humidity, 0:05:53.440 --> 0:05:56.520 no mosquitoes. It was everything they could ever dream of. 0:05:57.560 --> 0:06:01.359 There was one tree out of thousand that God told 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:04.120 them they could not eat the fruit from that tree. 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:08.000 Don't be deal. They had acres of other trees, but 0:06:08.120 --> 0:06:11.320 here comes the serpent. He said to Eve, how come 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:14.760 you can't eat from that tree? That fruit seems so good. 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:18.719 It's just like the enemy to try to deceive you 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:23.480 into focusing on one thing you don't have while overlooking 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:27.000 all the great things that you do have. Your spouse 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.560 is an amazing person, but he'll try to get you 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:32.279 focused on the one thing you don't like. Or you 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:34.760 have a great job, but he'll show you that one 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:38.279 other coworker that seems to have more benefits. He's trying 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:43.479 to plant seeds of discontentment, seeds of doubt, compromise, hoping 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:47.320 he can deceive you into getting off track, wasting time 0:06:47.400 --> 0:06:51.440 and making decisions that cause your heartache and pain. Eve 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:54.080 was strong at first. She said, no, no, we can't 0:06:54.120 --> 0:06:57.440 eat that. God said, if we do, we would surely die. 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:02.400 The serpent answered back, you will not surely die. God 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:05.839 knows when you eat that fruit, you'll become just like him. 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:10.120 The mistake Eve made is instead of dismissing it, not 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:12.880 giving it at the time of day, she started dwelling 0:07:12.920 --> 0:07:16.320 on it, reasoning it out, well, the fruit does look 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:18.960 kind of good. And I don't think it hurt anything. 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:22.920 Maybe it will make us smarter if you believe that lie. 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:26.080 If you let that thought take root, you're giving the 0:07:26.240 --> 0:07:31.720 enemy permission to come in and manipulate, deceive, and take advantage, 0:07:32.040 --> 0:07:35.160 just like you're opening the door. That's why the scripture 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:39.080 tells us to guard our mind. Don't let just any 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:43.960 thought in. You have to be selective, recognize the enemy's schemes. 0:07:44.600 --> 0:07:48.200 One of his main tactics is to contradict what God 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:51.880 promised you. He said to Eve, did God really say 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:55.680 you can't eat that fruit? It's the same today. You'll 0:07:55.760 --> 0:07:59.600 hear thoughts whispering. Has God really said you're gonna get well? 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:03.320 Look at the medical report. Has God really said your 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:05.920 children will be mighty in the land they're you're not 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:09.200 making good decisions. Has God really said you'll meet the 0:08:09.280 --> 0:08:12.240 right person that'll give you the desires of your heart. 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:15.600 Surely it would have happened by now. Don't fall for 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:20.080 the scam. The enemy cannot speak the truth. He's trying 0:08:20.080 --> 0:08:23.640 to plant doubt, get you discouraged, where you quit believing. 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:27.840 Verse five says Eve was convinced the fruit looked so 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:31.360 fresh and delicious. She knew it would make her smarter, 0:08:31.960 --> 0:08:34.520 so she ate the fruit and gave it to her 0:08:34.600 --> 0:08:39.040 husband Adam. Immediately their eyes were open. They knew they 0:08:39.080 --> 0:08:43.000 were naked. They felt shame. They went out and made 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:47.000 big leaves and hid in the garden. What happened? They 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:51.360 got scammed. Just a few minutes earlier, the serpent said, 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:55.200 when they ate the fruit, they'd be happier, wiser, more fulfilled. 0:08:55.880 --> 0:09:00.560 But it was all alive. They were afraid, ashamed. Gurridge. 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:05.920 The click bait is always enticing. The fruit looks so fresh. 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:09.400 Surely this is gonna be something great. It's not what 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:13.440 it looks like. Don't take the bait. This all starts 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:16.880 in our mind. That's the enemy's main area to work in. 0:09:17.679 --> 0:09:20.840 The scripture says you shall know the truth, and the 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:24.360 truth will make you free. The truth on its own 0:09:24.440 --> 0:09:27.520 won't make you free. It's the truth you know that 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:31.160 will make you free. When the enemy prizes the plant 0:09:31.200 --> 0:09:35.480 thought of doubt, fear, compromise, you have to go back 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:39.040 to the truth found in God's word. Answer the doubt 0:09:39.160 --> 0:09:43.600 with faith, answer the lies with what God says. You'll 0:09:43.600 --> 0:09:46.640 never get well what had happened by now? No God 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:49.560 is restoring health back into me. I will live and 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:53.319 not die. Well, you'll never get ahead. Everyone in your 0:09:53.360 --> 0:09:56.400 family struggles. No, I will lend and not borrow. I 0:09:56.440 --> 0:10:01.120 will prosper and succeed. The enemy is a skin. He 0:10:01.160 --> 0:10:04.520 can be convincing, but you have an advantage. You have 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:07.400 the spirit of God on the inside of you. You 0:10:07.480 --> 0:10:10.600 have the mind of Christ. You are full of wisdom 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:14.520 and discernment. It's good to pray God. I thank you 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:18.200 that I'm aware of the enemy's schemes, that the Holy 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:22.000 Spirit quickens every life, that every strategy that would try 0:10:22.000 --> 0:10:25.680 to stop my destiny, every thought that is against your will, 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:29.320 I will dismiss, I will cast down. I will guard 0:10:29.400 --> 0:10:33.160 my mind. Every morning I pray for the spirit of 0:10:33.200 --> 0:10:38.160 wisdom and discernment, wisdom to make good decisions, decisions that 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:42.920 honor God, that move me toward my destiny. Discernment has 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:47.760 to do with seeing the intent, the motives, recognizing where 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:51.520 the thought is coming from. When you ask God, he'll 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:55.520 help you discern what's right and what's not. The still 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:59.079 small voice on the inside will alert you to things 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:03.280 that are deceptive. May look fine, the fruit looks good, 0:11:03.520 --> 0:11:06.640 it makes sense, but the spirit of God will rise 0:11:06.760 --> 0:11:10.400 up in you and you'll feel a check and uneasiness. 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:14.079 Something says it's not right. When you're sensitive to what 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:18.520 you're feeling, you listen to that inward witness. That's God 0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:22.400 keeping you from getting scammed. That's the spirit of truth 0:11:22.679 --> 0:11:26.200 revealing the lies. And God will always give you a 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:29.800 warning before you make a mistake. He'll always speak to 0:11:29.840 --> 0:11:34.400 your spirit. There will be an unrest and uneasiness. If 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:37.319 you'll be aware and act on it, it will keep 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:40.320 you from heartache. I can look back in my life 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:44.160 at things that didn't work out, business ventures that weren't 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:47.280 what I thought, and taking advantage of people who weren't 0:11:47.280 --> 0:11:50.600 who they said they were. I can see how God 0:11:50.679 --> 0:11:54.120 tried to warn me. How I felt this alarm going off. 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:59.040 I knew something wasn't right, but I overrode it. Like Eve, 0:11:59.160 --> 0:12:03.079 I reasoned it out. This seems good, these people seem honest, 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:06.880 looks like a great opportunity, but it wasn't what it 0:12:06.920 --> 0:12:11.480 looked like. Pay attention to what you're feeling. Everything that 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:16.120 looks enticing is not what it appears. Deception is all 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:19.880 the enemy has. He can't overpower you. All he can 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:24.359 do is try to scam you. Deceive you, steal your identity, 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:27.960 talk you out of your dreams, convince you to compromise. 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:32.040 It's okay to party, just run around, just eat the fruit. 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:37.120 It's not gonna hurt. Recognize his strategies. His ways always 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:41.319 end in heartache, struggle, and pain. This can be avoided 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:44.400 if will guard our mind and not believe the lies. 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:48.319 These days, we hear a lot about fact checking. We're 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:51.800 gonna fact check what this politician said, or fact check 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:55.120 this statement. You need to fact check the thoughts that 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:59.000 come into your mind against what God says. But you're 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:03.160 not valuable, You're not attractive. Compare that to the truth. 0:13:03.400 --> 0:13:06.160 You are a masterpiece made in the image of God. 0:13:06.760 --> 0:13:09.280 I'm getting rid of that lie. I'm not falling for 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:13.240 that scam thoughts whisper. Nothing good is in your future. 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:17.160 You've been through so many disappointments. Just accept it. Let 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:19.959 me fact check that the path of the righteous gets 0:13:19.960 --> 0:13:23.560 brighter and brighter. God has taken me from glory to glory. 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:27.120 I haven't seen, heard, or imagined what he has in store. 0:13:27.960 --> 0:13:31.920 You need to stamp that lie false, deceptive, don't give 0:13:31.960 --> 0:13:35.640 it the time of day. In Greek mythology, there was 0:13:35.679 --> 0:13:38.160 a war that had been going on for ten years 0:13:38.480 --> 0:13:41.960 between the people of Troy they were called Trojans and 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:45.600 the people of Greece. Troy was a walled off city 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:51.319 so secure, had powerful warriors the latest equipment. The Greeks 0:13:51.360 --> 0:13:54.880 couldn't penetrate it. They didn't have the man power, so 0:13:54.920 --> 0:13:58.760 they came up with a plan, a scheme. They constructed 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:03.400 this huge of a horse that stood dozens of feet tall. 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:07.880 The Trojans thought horses were sacred. The Greeks told them 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:10.840 that they were ending the war, the conflict was over. 0:14:11.360 --> 0:14:14.640 They were returning to their city. As a goodwill gesture, 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:18.240 they made the people of Troy this beautiful Trojan horse. 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:21.680 They were so flattered by it. So in awe was 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:25.320 made out of expensive wood, made it more valuable, more revered. 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:29.480 They opened the gates and brought this huge horse into 0:14:29.520 --> 0:14:33.000 their city. The Greeks waved goodbye and went toward their 0:14:33.040 --> 0:14:37.360 boats to depart. The Trojans begin to celebrate, had this 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:41.200 big party until late in the night. What they didn't 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:45.600 realize is that huge horse was hollow on the inside. 0:14:45.640 --> 0:14:49.280 There were hundreds of Greek warriors. When the Trojans were 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:52.400 all tired and had too much to drink. The Greeks 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:55.880 came bursting out of that horse, went in and conquered 0:14:55.880 --> 0:15:00.440 the city. The Trojans seemed like an invincible fo oh. 0:15:00.760 --> 0:15:04.880 They were bigger, stronger in this wald off city. For 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:08.320 ten years, the Greeks couldn't phase them. But when they 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:12.200 turned to deceptions, when they tricked them with what they 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:15.280 thought was a gift, when in reality it was a 0:15:15.320 --> 0:15:18.160 scheme to get in their city, that's when the city 0:15:18.200 --> 0:15:21.640 of Troy it was taken. It's the same principle with us. 0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:26.320 You are an invincible foe. The same spirit that raised 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:28.760 Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you. 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:32.600 The enemy can't defeat you, he can't stop your purpose. 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:36.520 But if you allow him to deceive you, if you 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:39.480 open up your gates and let him in your head, 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:45.600 you start believing the lies, dwelling on the negative, doubt, compromise, 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:49.840 can't do it. Never gonna work out like that Trojan horse. 0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:54.200 Once you give in, all kinds of discouragement and turmoil 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:57.880 will be released. He can't beat you from the outside. 0:15:58.480 --> 0:16:01.040 He has to get in your thoughts. He has to 0:16:01.160 --> 0:16:04.880 deceive you into dwelling on things you had no business 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:08.720 letting in. If the Greeks would have told the people 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:12.200 of Troy the truth. If they said, hey, look this 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:15.520 huge trojan horse looks like a gift, but it's hollow. 0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:18.200 It's full of our warriors. They're gonna come in and 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:21.080 defeat you, take your city. They would say, I don't 0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:23.920 think so. You are not bringing that into our city. 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:29.040 That's what deception is. You have to recognize the enemy's schemes. 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:33.360 Can't be naive, passive and believe every thought that comes 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:36.960 to your mind. Sometimes the enemy will try to make 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:39.560 it feel like he's doing you a favor, like he's 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:43.400 helping you out, giving you a gift. When my father passed, 0:16:43.640 --> 0:16:46.320 thoughts told me, Joel, you can't get up there, and minister, 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:49.840 you're gonna look like a fool. Nobody's gonna believe you. You 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:52.960 don't have the training, the experience. My first thought was, 0:16:53.000 --> 0:16:56.840 you're right, that's good advice. That's gonna save me embarrassment. 0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:01.200 But if I had believed that lie, that trojan horse, 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:05.040 it would have opened up all kinds of defeat insecurity, 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:08.960 not qualified, I would have missed my destiny. The enemy 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:12.040 is clever, he's trying to get in your head. The 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:14.840 good news is He can't fool you. You have the 0:17:14.880 --> 0:17:18.400 mind of Christ, you have a spirit of discernment. It 0:17:18.440 --> 0:17:22.760 may look flattering, but you recognize his strategies. You know 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:25.959 he's a scammer. So you don't open up your gates. 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:29.720 You guard your mind. Even Jesus had to do this. 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:32.840 After he was baptized in the Jordan River, he was 0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:36.119 led out into the wilderness to be tempted by the enemy. 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.359 Satan took him to a high place. He said, if 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:42.960 you'll bow down before me, I'll give you all these kingdoms, 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:47.000 all this power, like he was giving Jesus this big gift. 0:17:47.359 --> 0:17:51.200 Seemed like something great, but it was a scam. Jesus 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:55.680 already had all power. He already ruled every kingdom. Jesus said, 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:57.879 in a fact, I'm not bowing down to you. I 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:02.119 know who I am. Don't be fooled by these subtle eyes. 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:06.040 There may be a little truth to it, can seem reasonable, 0:18:06.320 --> 0:18:10.879 but it's rooted in deception. When the Compact Center became available, 0:18:11.240 --> 0:18:14.359 I knew in my spirit we were supposed to pursue it. 0:18:14.920 --> 0:18:18.480 I felt faith rising up. There was this anticipation that 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:21.800 God was going to do something amazing. Then here came 0:18:21.840 --> 0:18:25.520 the deceiver. Yes, Joel, it's exciting, but it's going to 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:28.520 be a lot of money. Where will you get the funds? 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:32.119 The opposition is so much bigger. Maybe it'd be better 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:35.120 to just pass. I'm sure something else will come along. 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:38.880 Don't let him in your head. He's trying to get 0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:44.320 you to water down your dreams. Settle for mediocrity. Seemed reasonable, 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:47.800 but you have to be aware of his strategies. He's 0:18:47.840 --> 0:18:51.640 a deceiver. If you accept that one thought, then here 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:55.880 comes another and another. You don't get defeated from the outside, 0:18:56.200 --> 0:19:00.520 but from the inside. Proverb says, be care for how 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:04.879 you think, because your thoughts run your life. One of 0:19:04.880 --> 0:19:08.199 the enemy's favorite lies is you don't have what it takes. 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:13.720 You're not smart enough, talented enough, pretty enough, popular enough. 0:19:14.359 --> 0:19:17.360 If you make the mistake of dwelling on it, well, 0:19:17.400 --> 0:19:19.440 I'm not as smart as my brother he's a surgeon 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:22.040 I made one year in college. Or I'm not as 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:25.240 tall as my cousin, not as beautiful as my coworker. 0:19:25.880 --> 0:19:31.120 These little lies, little suggestions, can do great damage. It's 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:35.000 all about hidden agendas. The enemy will never tell you. 0:19:35.160 --> 0:19:37.640 If you believe this small lie, I'm going to cause 0:19:37.680 --> 0:19:40.040 it to grow to where you end up missing your 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:44.560 destiny and giving up on your dreams, living insecure. If 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:48.040 we could see the truth, if the intent were obvious, 0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:51.360 we would reject him. That's why he has to use 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:55.720 deception and hidden motives. He'll start with small lies to 0:19:56.000 --> 0:19:59.320 see if you'll take the babe. Your business is never 0:19:59.359 --> 0:20:02.680 going to increase. Had pain in your chest, that's serious, 0:20:03.240 --> 0:20:05.959 had child this off course, he'll never make anything of 0:20:06.000 --> 0:20:11.120 his life. Seeds of doubt, seeds of compromise, seeds of discouragement. 0:20:11.840 --> 0:20:14.920 He'd loved for you to take that bait and quit believing, 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:19.199 quit hoping, and quit dreaming. Tune all that out. That 0:20:19.359 --> 0:20:21.960 scam has gone on long enough. Get him out of 0:20:22.000 --> 0:20:25.040 your head. You have a destiny to fulfill, You have 0:20:25.080 --> 0:20:28.680 an assignment to accomplish. Friend of mine was raised in 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:32.080 a home with two older brothers. Her father was very 0:20:32.359 --> 0:20:35.840 involved with the children, but as a young girl, he 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:38.840 spent more time with her brothers. They were always playing 0:20:38.880 --> 0:20:42.160 sports together, and he was at their games and taking 0:20:42.200 --> 0:20:46.240 them to practice. They seemed to be having so much fun, 0:20:46.320 --> 0:20:49.600 but she felt left out. One day, they were all 0:20:49.640 --> 0:20:52.840 going to a ballgame and she was at home. Kind 0:20:52.840 --> 0:20:56.600 of disappointed, and the thought came to her, saying, the 0:20:56.640 --> 0:21:00.000 reason your father doesn't spend as much time with you 0:21:00.359 --> 0:21:03.800 is because he never wanted a daughter. He wanted all sons. 0:21:04.680 --> 0:21:07.560 She was just ten years old. She didn't know any better. 0:21:07.840 --> 0:21:12.760 She believed that lie. She began to feel insecure and unworthy, 0:21:13.160 --> 0:21:17.360 not valuable. Her personality didn't come out. She is much 0:21:17.400 --> 0:21:21.800 more reserved and introverted. All because of this one thought, 0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:26.080 she and her father grew apart. There was conflict and 0:21:26.119 --> 0:21:30.280 strife for years. She lived with this nagging feeling that 0:21:30.400 --> 0:21:34.399 something was wrong, that she wasn't good enough. Well in 0:21:34.440 --> 0:21:38.680 her forties, her father was tragically killed in an automobile accident. 0:21:39.359 --> 0:21:42.840 After the funeral, she was at her grandmother's house. This 0:21:43.000 --> 0:21:46.440 was her father's mother. She gave this granddaughter a box 0:21:46.480 --> 0:21:50.320 of memorabilia from her father, different things from growing up. 0:21:51.040 --> 0:21:54.280 She found a letter inside that he had written to 0:21:54.320 --> 0:21:57.360 his parents when he was in the army years before. 0:21:58.080 --> 0:22:00.639 He said, Mom and Dad, I'm hoping to find a 0:22:00.720 --> 0:22:04.040 good wife one day because I can't wait to have 0:22:04.080 --> 0:22:07.560 a little girl. Even if I don't get married, I'm 0:22:07.600 --> 0:22:10.480 going to adopt a daughter. That's what I want more 0:22:10.520 --> 0:22:15.200 than anything else. When she read that, she began to weep. 0:22:15.560 --> 0:22:18.480 All those years she felt like she wasn't wanted, that 0:22:18.560 --> 0:22:21.639 her father was disappointed in her, that she was a mistake, 0:22:22.240 --> 0:22:26.119 when in fact, she was her father's dream. He loved 0:22:26.119 --> 0:22:29.560 her more than she could imagine. Look at how the 0:22:29.680 --> 0:22:33.159 enemy works, she said, I still remember the place I 0:22:33.280 --> 0:22:36.680 was standing as a little girl when that thought said 0:22:37.119 --> 0:22:40.040 he wanted a boy, not a girl. She went on 0:22:40.119 --> 0:22:42.880 to say, I'm telling my story not so people will 0:22:42.920 --> 0:22:46.600 feel sorry for me, but so they will recognize how 0:22:46.640 --> 0:22:49.720 the enemy can plant seeds of doubt in our mind. 0:22:50.600 --> 0:22:53.080 If we don't learn to cast down those lies and 0:22:53.600 --> 0:22:56.240 not give them the time of day, they can take 0:22:56.320 --> 0:23:00.600 root and keep us from our destiny. Are there lies 0:23:00.680 --> 0:23:04.720 that you believed that are now limiting your life? You're 0:23:04.760 --> 0:23:08.560 not good enough, you can't break the addiction, you never 0:23:08.600 --> 0:23:12.040 get well, nothing good is in your future. That's the 0:23:12.320 --> 0:23:16.159 enemy doing what he does best, trying to deceive you, 0:23:16.800 --> 0:23:19.960 plant seeds of doubt, hoping you'll believe it to be 0:23:20.080 --> 0:23:23.000 the truth. Don't fall into that trap. You need to 0:23:23.080 --> 0:23:26.119 do some fact checking. How does that compare to what 0:23:26.200 --> 0:23:29.359 God says about you? If it doesn't line up, clear 0:23:29.400 --> 0:23:32.080 out all those lies go back to who God says 0:23:32.119 --> 0:23:35.280 you are. This is what Gideon had to do. In 0:23:35.320 --> 0:23:39.280 the scripture, he was hiding in the wine press, afraid 0:23:39.320 --> 0:23:43.359 of the enemy army. An angel appeared and said, mighty hero, 0:23:43.880 --> 0:23:46.560 the Lord is with you. You are to deliver the 0:23:46.600 --> 0:23:51.320 people of Israel from the Midianites. Imagine an angel showing 0:23:51.400 --> 0:23:54.840 up and telling you that God says you're a mighty hero. 0:23:55.600 --> 0:23:58.600 What an incredible moment. You would think Gideon would be 0:23:58.640 --> 0:24:02.000 fired up, full of faith, ready to do great things. 0:24:02.640 --> 0:24:05.080 But he said to the angel, how can I lead 0:24:05.119 --> 0:24:08.439 the people? I come from the poorest family. I'm the 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:12.560 least one in my father's house. Here God called him mighty, 0:24:13.200 --> 0:24:17.879 but he's believed this lie that he's weak, unqualified, not able. 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:22.720 That didn't happen overnight. Those were seeds the enemy planted 0:24:22.800 --> 0:24:27.800 years before. Gideon, you're poor, your family is limited, you're 0:24:27.840 --> 0:24:32.200 not that talented. You'll never do anything significant. The truth 0:24:32.359 --> 0:24:35.960 is he was a mighty hero. He was a world changer, 0:24:36.560 --> 0:24:40.679 but he got scammed. He suffered from identity that he 0:24:40.720 --> 0:24:44.359 didn't recognize the enemy schemes. He took that bait and 0:24:44.400 --> 0:24:48.080 believed all the lies. The good news is you can 0:24:48.119 --> 0:24:51.320 get your identity back. You can clear out all the 0:24:51.400 --> 0:24:55.160 wrong mindsets and start believing what God says about you, 0:24:56.119 --> 0:24:59.600 like Gideon, like my friend and her father. You may 0:24:59.640 --> 0:25:03.080 have some strongholds that are keeping you back. God sent 0:25:03.200 --> 0:25:06.320 me across your path to tell you who you really are. 0:25:07.040 --> 0:25:16.040 A mighty hero, a history maker, strong, talented, favored, valuable, worthy, healthy, qualified, 0:25:16.640 --> 0:25:21.359 well able, victorious. Sometimes I'll see a report where a 0:25:21.400 --> 0:25:26.480 scammer gets caught, this person that's deceived, tricked, stolen. They 0:25:26.480 --> 0:25:29.679 get exposed for who they really are, and justice is serned. 0:25:30.359 --> 0:25:33.200 Can I tell you I know who the scammer is. 0:25:33.880 --> 0:25:38.639 I'm exposing his tricks, his lies, his deception. Now that 0:25:38.720 --> 0:25:44.520 you recognize his schemes, next time he whispers doubt, compromise, fear, 0:25:44.760 --> 0:25:47.360 you need to say no, thanks. I know who you are, 0:25:47.720 --> 0:25:51.840 A liar and the father of lies. When the doubt comes, 0:25:52.040 --> 0:25:54.879 you can turn it around and take just the opposite 0:25:55.040 --> 0:25:58.120 of what he told you. You'll never get well. Thank 0:25:58.200 --> 0:26:02.240 you now, I know healing is coming. The opposition too big, Joel, 0:26:02.320 --> 0:26:04.919 you'll never get the Compact center. Thank you. Now know 0:26:05.000 --> 0:26:08.600 the Compact Center's ours. We'll get in. You're too poor, 0:26:08.640 --> 0:26:11.560 You at a disadvantage. Thank you. Now I know I'm 0:26:11.560 --> 0:26:15.560 a mighty hero. No more believe in the lies. Come 0:26:15.600 --> 0:26:18.240 over into the truth. Don't let the enemy get in 0:26:18.320 --> 0:26:21.800 your head. Guard your mind, keep it filled with faith, 0:26:22.000 --> 0:26:25.920 with hope, with victory. If you'll do this, I believe 0:26:26.200 --> 0:26:31.280 and declare, every stronghold is coming down, every wrong mindset 0:26:31.400 --> 0:26:35.080 is being broken. You have the spirit of wisdom and discernment. 0:26:35.400 --> 0:26:39.520 You will rise higher, accomplish dreams, and become all you 0:26:39.600 --> 0:26:43.080 were created to be. In Jesus' name, And if you 0:26:43.160 --> 0:26:47.240 receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to give 0:26:47.240 --> 0:26:50.359 you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. 0:26:50.840 --> 0:26:54.560 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:26:54.680 --> 0:26:58.760 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:26:58.800 --> 0:27:02.640 you my Lord, and say if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:27:02.680 --> 0:27:05.680 we believe you got born again. We'd love to send 0:27:05.680 --> 0:27:08.520 you some new information on your new walk with the Lord. 0:27:08.920 --> 0:27:11.200 You can text the number on the screen or go 0:27:11.240 --> 0:27:13.720 to the website. But I hope you'll get into a 0:27:13.800 --> 0:27:17.399 good Bible based church and keep God first place. 0:27:19.400 --> 0:27:21.960 Sometimes life can make you feel like you were just 0:27:22.040 --> 0:27:24.720 living in the dark. Even your prayers don't feel like 0:27:24.760 --> 0:27:28.000 they're making it to heaven. But God is listening and 0:27:28.080 --> 0:27:31.159 his light is about to shine. 0:27:31.480 --> 0:27:34.159 We know God is all powerful that he can answer 0:27:34.200 --> 0:27:37.399 any prayer, but sometimes we don't know what to pray. 0:27:37.920 --> 0:27:41.920 We don't think we deserve God's goodness. Maybe we're inconveniencing him, 0:27:42.040 --> 0:27:44.960 or he has more important things to deal with. But 0:27:45.000 --> 0:27:48.880 God is concerned about every detail of your life. He's 0:27:48.960 --> 0:27:52.160 waiting to hear your prayers. I have a new resource 0:27:52.240 --> 0:27:56.880 called Praying with Confidence, Guided Prayers for Life's Moments. When 0:27:56.880 --> 0:28:00.520 you face challenges or obstacles that seem too big, you'll 0:28:00.560 --> 0:28:03.560 find prayers that will build your faith, prayers that will 0:28:03.600 --> 0:28:06.239 move the hands of God. There are prayers you can 0:28:06.280 --> 0:28:09.880 pray for peace and comfort, prayers for your family and hell, 0:28:10.160 --> 0:28:13.080 prayers for your dreams and goals. As you make these 0:28:13.080 --> 0:28:16.600 prayers your own, pray with confidence, that's when you'll see 0:28:16.600 --> 0:28:19.760 the creator of the universe go to work. I hope 0:28:19.760 --> 0:28:21.360 you'll request your copy today. 0:28:22.240 --> 0:28:24.840 With a gift of any amount this month, we would 0:28:24.880 --> 0:28:27.600 like to immediately send you a copy of Praying with 0:28:27.760 --> 0:28:32.400 Confidence Guided Prayers for Life's Moments. In this new resource, 0:28:32.680 --> 0:28:35.879 Joel shares how to Pray when you need a breakthrough, 0:28:36.359 --> 0:28:40.440 when you need strength. Yes, when life's moments happen and 0:28:40.520 --> 0:28:44.000 you're not sure how to pray. Praying confident prayers will 0:28:44.040 --> 0:28:47.520 put you on the right path. You'll enter new seasons 0:28:47.520 --> 0:28:50.840 in your prayer life that will turn challenges to victories, 0:28:51.240 --> 0:28:56.200 heartache to hope, frustration to new found favor. Be sure 0:28:56.200 --> 0:28:59.720 to request your copy of Praying with Confidence Guided Prayers 0:28:59.760 --> 0:29:03.640 for Life Life's Moments Today. Visit Joelousteen dot com or 0:29:03.760 --> 0:29:06.600 call eighty eight five six seven Joel