Faith For The Middle

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:15.160 UNEs dot co. 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:19.640 Welcome to the Jie Loustine Podcast. Help let's continue to 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:22.600 share the message of hope with those all over the world. 0:01:23.040 --> 0:01:26.600 Visit Joelostin dot com slash give hope to give a 0:01:26.640 --> 0:01:32.800 gift today. 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.680 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to be with you. 0:01:42.760 --> 0:01:45.479 And if you're ever in our area, please stop by 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:47.920 be a part of one of our services. I'll promise 0:01:47.960 --> 0:01:50.840 you we'll make you feel right at home. I like 0:01:50.880 --> 0:01:53.560 to start with something funny, and I heard about this man. 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:57.000 He was sitting on an airplane next to a beautiful 0:01:57.200 --> 0:02:01.200 single lady. They struck up a conversation and he asked 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:04.200 her what kind of men she liked. She said, well, 0:02:04.320 --> 0:02:08.120 I like Native American men with their high cheek bones 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:12.360 and golden tanned skin. Plus I like Jewish men. They're 0:02:12.360 --> 0:02:16.320 so brilliant and successful. And I like good old boys 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:20.040 from the south with their long Southern draw what's your name, 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:25.320 he said, My name is Geronimo Bernstein, but my friends 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:29.799 call me Bubba. Say it like you mean it. This 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:32.399 is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:35.440 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:38.120 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:42.160 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:45.560 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:50.720 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:02:50.720 --> 0:02:53.560 to talk to you today about faith for the middle. 0:02:54.560 --> 0:02:57.480 It's easy to have faith at the start, when that 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:01.200 new baby is born, you marry that beautiful girl, you 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:06.519 start that business. That's exciting, there's adrenaline flowing. It's easy 0:03:06.560 --> 0:03:08.920 to have faith at the end when you can see 0:03:08.919 --> 0:03:11.880 the finish line, the dream is in sight. You fought 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:15.680 the good fight. Having faith at the start and faith 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:19.720 at the end is no problem. The real challenge is 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:23.760 having faith in the middle when it's taking longer than 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:27.120 you thought, when you don't have the funds, when the 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:30.840 medical report wasn't good. That little baby you were so 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:34.640 excited about, he was so cute, He couldn't do any wrong. 0:03:35.040 --> 0:03:38.480 Now he's a teenager, you're convinced he's not your child. 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:43.160 You're having his DNA tested next week. The mistake we 0:03:43.280 --> 0:03:47.880 make is we get discouraged in the middle. We think, God, 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:51.320 I know you gave me this child, but he's making 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:55.600 my life miserable. God, you've brought this spouse into my life. 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:59.440 But there's conflict. God, you blessed me with this business. 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:01.920 I don't have the funds I need to run it. 0:04:02.400 --> 0:04:05.240 In the middle is where most people lose the battle. 0:04:05.920 --> 0:04:08.840 But God never promised that we would reach our destiny 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:14.640 without opposition, without disappointments, without things we don't understand. The 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:19.880 scripture says, don't think it's strange when you face fiery trials. 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:24.559 That means don't be upset because that person did you wrong. 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:29.000 Don't start worrying because business went down. God is still 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:32.880 on the throne. Nothing that's happened to you has stopped 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:35.640 his plan for your life. He's not in the heaven 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:38.800 scratching his head, thinking, oh man, that one threw me off. 0:04:39.160 --> 0:04:42.719 I didn't see that bad break coming. What God promised you, 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:46.320 He still has every intention of bringing it to pass. 0:04:46.839 --> 0:04:49.239 Now I know you can have faith at the start. 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:52.359 I know you can have faith at the end. My 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:56.560 question is, will you have faith for the middle when 0:04:56.600 --> 0:04:59.640 it's not happening the way you thought, When it seems 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:03.200 like you're going backwards. Every voice tells you to give up. 0:05:03.839 --> 0:05:06.279 You must have heard God wrong. You wouldn't have this 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:09.640 opposition if you were on the right course. Don't believe 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:13.520 those lies. It's all a part of the process. Here's 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:16.440 the key. When God puts a dream in your heart, 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:20.080 he'll show you the end. He gives you the promise, 0:05:20.560 --> 0:05:23.640 but he won't show you the middle. If he told 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:25.720 us all it was going to take to see it 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:28.960 come to pass, many times we would talk ourselves out 0:05:29.000 --> 0:05:32.640 of it. In the scripture, an angel appeared to a 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:36.240 young teenage girl named Mary. He said, Mary, you are 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:39.320 highly favored of God. You're going to have a baby 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:42.800 without knowing a man. He will be the Messiah, the 0:05:42.920 --> 0:05:47.200 savior of the world. God showed her the end. She 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:50.440 was going to be the mother of Christ, have honored, 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:55.080 be respected, and admired for generations to come. I'm sure 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:59.279 Mary was excited. She couldn't believe it was happening. But 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:03.599 years later I can hear Mary saying, God, you didn't 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:08.080 tell me having this baby would cause my fiancee to 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:11.240 want to call off the engagement. You didn't tell me 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:14.839 I would have this baby in a manger with smelly animals. 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:18.000 You didn't tell me I would have to live on 0:06:18.040 --> 0:06:21.240 the run two years trying to hide my baby from 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:27.760 King Herod. You didn't tell me my son would be mistreated, mocked, ridiculed. 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:32.000 I'd have to watch him be crucified, die a painful death. 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:36.080 What am I saying? God doesn't give us all the details. 0:06:36.880 --> 0:06:40.560 What you're facing may be difficult. You don't understand it. 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:43.400 It doesn't make sense. This is where your faith has 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:46.480 to kick in. Are you going to get discouraged and 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:49.479 talk yourself out of it? Or are you going to 0:06:49.520 --> 0:06:52.960 do like Mary and say, God, you didn't tell me 0:06:53.600 --> 0:06:56.480 that these people would do me wrong. You didn't tell 0:06:56.480 --> 0:06:59.120 me i'd be dealing with this illness. You didn't tell 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:02.400 me business would That's low, But God, I know you're 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:05.360 still on the throne. This is not a surprise to you. 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:08.240 It's a part of the process. So I'm not going 0:07:08.320 --> 0:07:11.120 to live discouraged. I'm not going to give up on 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:14.320 my dreams. I'm going to do like Mary and have 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:18.239 faith for the middle. This is what Joseph did. God 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:20.680 gave him a dream that he would rule a nation, 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:24.559 that his brothers would bow down before him. God showed 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:27.840 him the end. The promise was planted in his heart. 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:32.720 But what God didn't show him was the middle. Years later, 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:36.640 when Joseph was ruling the nation of Egypt, one of 0:07:36.680 --> 0:07:39.920 the most influential people of his day, the dream had 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:44.560 come to pass. I can imagine Joseph saying, God, you 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:48.080 told me that I would take the throne, but you 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:51.440 didn't tell me my brothers would be jealous and throw 0:07:51.520 --> 0:07:55.120 me into a pit. You showed me the kingdom, but 0:07:55.240 --> 0:07:58.120 you didn't show me along the way, I would be 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:01.800 sold into slavery. You didn't tell me I'd be falsely 0:08:01.840 --> 0:08:05.000 accused and put in prison for something that I didn't do. 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:09.240 If Joseph were here today, he would tell you, don't 0:08:09.280 --> 0:08:13.000 get discouraged in the middle, don't give up when life 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:16.920 doesn't make sense. You know the promise is in your heart. 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:20.640 You know God has told you that you'll be healthy again, 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:23.920 that you'll see your family restored, that you'll meet the 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:28.320 person of your dreams. But every circumstance may say just 0:08:28.360 --> 0:08:31.800 the opposite, looks like you're going the other direction. Do 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:36.760 like Joseph, keep believing, keep being your best. God has 0:08:36.800 --> 0:08:39.960 not brought you this far to leave you. He hasn't 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:42.160 failed you in the past. He's not going to fail 0:08:42.160 --> 0:08:45.520 you in the future. Don't get discouraged by the process. 0:08:46.559 --> 0:08:50.840 See the start is fun, the end is exciting, but 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:54.959 the middle can be messy in some way. We're all 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:58.120 in the middle. We're all on a journey. There are 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:01.319 things that you're believing for. You know, God has planted 0:09:01.320 --> 0:09:04.719 that seed over time. It's easy to get discouraged and 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:07.160 thank God, Joe, it's never gonna happen. There are too 0:09:07.160 --> 0:09:11.520 many obstacles. God has you hearing this to breathe new 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:15.880 life into your dreams. What He's promised you is already 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:20.160 en route. The process has already been started, the healing, 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:24.200 the right people, the new business, the breakthrough is already 0:09:24.240 --> 0:09:27.000 on the way. Now do your part and have faith 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:31.160 for the middle. David could have said, God, you promised 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:34.160 me I would be the king, but you didn't tell 0:09:34.160 --> 0:09:37.040 me I would have to face a giant twice my size. 0:09:37.520 --> 0:09:40.840 You left that detail out. You didn't tell me King 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:43.959 Saul would chase me through the desert and try to 0:09:44.080 --> 0:09:47.560 kill me. You didn't tell me my own son would 0:09:47.600 --> 0:09:51.160 turn on me and try to take the throne. When 0:09:51.200 --> 0:09:55.200 you study the great heroes of faith, one common denominator 0:09:55.240 --> 0:09:59.000 you'll find is they had faith for the middle. When 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:02.880 it looked impossible, when the promise seemed a long way off, 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:06.120 they kept moving forward, knowing that it was a part 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:09.600 of the process. I can still remember where I was 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:13.160 sitting years ago in a restaurant when a friend of 0:10:13.200 --> 0:10:17.120 mine told me that the Houston Rockets basketball team was 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:19.840 going to move out of the Compact Center and this 0:10:20.040 --> 0:10:24.560 facility was going to become available. When I heard that something 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:27.760 came alive on the inside, I knew it was supposed 0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:31.560 to be ours. God showed me the end. I could 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:34.880 already see us in here, having services touching the world. 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:40.280 But looking back now, I realize what God didn't show 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:43.959 me that it was going to take two years to 0:10:44.000 --> 0:10:47.160 try to convince ten city council members to vote for us. 0:10:48.080 --> 0:10:51.160 He didn't show me one of the largest companies in 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:53.920 Texas would follow a lawsuit to try to keep us 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:57.240 from moving in. He didn't tell me it was going 0:10:57.280 --> 0:11:01.720 to cost one hundred million dollars to renovate. Sometimes God 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:05.320 leaves out certain details on purpose. If he would have 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:08.240 told me I would be responsible for those funds, I 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:11.319 would have said, God, we're fine with our old location. 0:11:12.320 --> 0:11:16.560 I would have settled for less than his best. There's 0:11:16.640 --> 0:11:20.079 a reason we don't know all the details. We wouldn't 0:11:20.120 --> 0:11:23.959 move into the fullness of our destiny because none of 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:28.160 us like adversity. We like to be comfortable. But you 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:31.840 won't become all you were created to be without opposition, 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:36.440 without disappointments, without struggles that caused you to stretch your faith, 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:41.000 to grow, to develop your spiritual muscles. When God brought 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:44.600 the Israelites out of slavery, they were headed toward the 0:11:44.640 --> 0:11:49.400 promised land. God showed them the destination, the land flowing 0:11:49.440 --> 0:11:52.840 with milk and honey. He got them started. But in 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:57.360 the middle God didn't abandon them. He didn't say, I 0:11:57.400 --> 0:12:00.280 gave you the promise, Now you're on your own. Good 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:04.720 luck in the middle. All along the way, God supernaturally 0:12:04.760 --> 0:12:09.000 provided for them. He gave them manna, something like bread 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:12.480 to eat each morning out in the desert. When they 0:12:12.520 --> 0:12:16.360 wanted meat, God shifted the direction of the winds and 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:20.200 hundreds of thousands of quell came into the camp. When 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:23.160 they were thirsty and couldn't find a stream, God brought 0:12:23.280 --> 0:12:26.959 water out of a rock. He protected them from enemies 0:12:26.960 --> 0:12:30.920 that were much bigger and more powerful. When Pharaoh changed 0:12:30.960 --> 0:12:34.640 his mind and came chasing after the Israelites, they were 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:37.160 at a dead end at the Red Sea, and they 0:12:37.200 --> 0:12:40.079 had nowhere to go. It looked like they were done. 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:44.240 God supernaturally parted the waters, took them through on dry ground. 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:49.160 Again and again. God showed them favor, made things happen 0:12:49.400 --> 0:12:53.120 that they could never make happen. God was showing us 0:12:53.400 --> 0:12:56.079 I'm not just the god of the start. I'm not 0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:58.199 just the god of the finish. I'm the God of 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:00.720 the middle. I'm the God who will bring you through 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:05.440 the storm, through the trial, through the difficulty. When you're 0:13:05.440 --> 0:13:10.199 in the middle, God's given you the promise. Like the Israelites, 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:14.640 you know your destination, but you're en route raising that baby, 0:13:14.760 --> 0:13:19.160 believing for your healing. You're running your business along the way. 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:24.280 You'll face situations like them where it looks impossible. The 0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:29.120 odds are against you, the opposition is much stronger. Be encouraged. 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:31.920 The God of the Middle is right there with you. 0:13:32.800 --> 0:13:36.040 There may be some red seas in your path. Seems 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:39.160 like you're stuck. The good news is God knows how 0:13:39.160 --> 0:13:42.200 to part the waters. He knows how to make a way. 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:44.320 You may not have the funds you need to go 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:48.280 to college to run your business, but God knows how 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:51.400 to shift the direction of the winds and bring quall 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:54.360 into your camp, so to speak. God can still bring 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:57.160 water out of a rock. Don't give up in the middle. 0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:02.000 The scripture says you'll go through the flood, but you 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:05.040 will not drown. Why is that? The God of the 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:08.120 middle is with you. Goes on to say, you'll go 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:11.280 through the fire, but you won't be burned. You'll go 0:14:11.400 --> 0:14:15.000 through the famine, but you won't go hungry. You may 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:18.280 be in the fire, in the flood, in the famine, 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:21.600 God is saying you're not staying there. You're going through it. 0:14:22.120 --> 0:14:24.880 And when you're in the middle, you have to remind 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:30.640 yourself this too shall pass. It's temporary. Now. Quit giving 0:14:30.760 --> 0:14:34.240 so much energy to something that's not going to last. 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:39.600 Quit wasting time, Worried about the situation at work, discouraged 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:43.440 over the medical report, upset over what they said. That's 0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:48.160 not your destination. You're only passing through. The trouble is 0:14:48.200 --> 0:14:52.960 not permanent, the sickness, the legal situation, the loneliness. It's 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:56.640 just a step along the way. But if you make 0:14:56.720 --> 0:14:59.880 the mistake of letting it overwhelm you and get discouraged, 0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:03.240 then you'll settle there and let what should have been 0:15:03.320 --> 0:15:07.800 temporary become permanent. This is where many people miss it. 0:15:08.040 --> 0:15:10.960 They give up in the middle. I'm asking you to 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:14.960 keep moving forward. David said it this way, though, I 0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:18.800 walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death. He 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:21.840 didn't say I stay in the valley. I set up 0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:24.720 camp in the valley. I build my house in the valley. 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:28.360 He said, the valley is not my home. I don't 0:15:28.440 --> 0:15:32.080 settle in the middle. I don't get discouraged by opposition. 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:35.880 I don't give up when life doesn't make sense. He 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:39.920 had faith for the middle. When things come against you 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:42.720 you're tempted to settle, you have to dig your heels 0:15:42.720 --> 0:15:45.560 in and say, like David, I know he's not just 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:48.120 the god of the finish, He's the God of the middle. 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:50.560 So I'm not going to settle in the valley. I'm 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:52.600 not going to get stuck in the middle. I'm going 0:15:52.680 --> 0:15:55.720 to keep moving forward, knowing that God will get me 0:15:56.000 --> 0:15:58.800 to where I'm supposed to be. This is what it 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:02.480 says in some one third. The Lord will work out 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:06.560 his plan for your life. Doesn't say we have to 0:16:06.600 --> 0:16:09.280 work out our own plan. Make it happen in our 0:16:09.320 --> 0:16:12.520 own strength, be frustrated when it's not happening the way 0:16:12.560 --> 0:16:16.080 we thought. Now we can stay in peace knowing that 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:20.040 the Lord, the God who created the universe, the God 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:24.520 who spoke worlds into existence, He's promised he will work 0:16:24.560 --> 0:16:28.240 out his plan for your life. And sometimes it does 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:31.040 feel like we're going backwards. We know we should be 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:34.120 going that way, we're going just the opposite. But God 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:38.000 knows what he's doing. His ways are better than our ways. 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:42.120 Right now, he's behind the scenes in your life working 0:16:42.160 --> 0:16:46.840 out his plans. That means he's arranging things in your favor. 0:16:47.280 --> 0:16:50.040 He's moving the wrong people out of the way. He's 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:53.760 lining up the breaks you need. You may not see anything, 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:57.400 yet you have to walk by faith and not by sight. 0:16:58.320 --> 0:17:01.400 See in the middle, Joseph could have said, it's never 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:05.639 gonna work out. I'm a slave in prison in a 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:09.720 foreign land. You're telling me I'm a ruler nation. What 0:17:09.840 --> 0:17:14.000 Joseph couldn't see was behind the scenes God was working 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:17.760 out the plan for his life. In the Middle, David 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:21.159 could have said, I'll never take the throne. I'm a 0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:24.760 shepherd boy from a low income family. I don't have 0:17:24.840 --> 0:17:28.119 the talent, the connections, the experience. But God is not 0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:32.199 dependent on what you don't have. When He brethed his 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:36.160 life into you, he equipped you with everything that you need. 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.600 What you think you don't have enough of the favor 0:17:39.640 --> 0:17:42.199 of God will make up for it. His anointing on 0:17:42.320 --> 0:17:45.040 your life will cause you to go further than people 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:48.240 that have more talent than you do. In the Middle 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:53.000 Abrachaim could have said, we'll never have a baby. That's impossible, 0:17:53.160 --> 0:17:57.080 we're too old. But what he couldn't see was behind 0:17:57.119 --> 0:18:01.440 the SEMs, God had already ordained a little baby named 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:05.639 Isaac that had Abraham and Sarah's name on it. You 0:18:05.720 --> 0:18:08.040 may not see how your dream could come to pass. 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:11.439 Medically speaking, you won't get well. Does it look like 0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:14.200 you'll ever break that addiction on your own? You're out 0:18:14.240 --> 0:18:17.440 of luck. The good news is you're not on your own. 0:18:18.119 --> 0:18:22.080 You're not doing life by yourself. Your heavenly Father, the 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:25.880 Most High God, is working out his plans for your life. 0:18:26.560 --> 0:18:30.760 There may be some obstacles that look insurmountable, but God 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:34.800 has the final say. When you have faith for the middle, 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:38.240 God will make things happen that you could never make happen. 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:42.240 He'll turn situations around that look impossible. He'll take you 0:18:42.560 --> 0:18:47.159 further than you've imagined. Paul said in Ephesians, put on 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:50.360 the armor of God, so in the day of trouble 0:18:50.880 --> 0:18:54.840 you can stand in life. We will all have days 0:18:54.880 --> 0:18:59.439 of trouble, days of disappointments, days of opposition. But the 0:18:59.480 --> 0:19:02.199 same God that said there will be a day of 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:06.199 trouble also said there will be a day when that 0:19:06.280 --> 0:19:09.600 trouble comes to an end. You may be in a 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:15.160 difficulty right now, be encouraged. It's temporary. That trouble has 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:19.400 an expiration date. God has already set an end to it. 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:22.560 You're in the middle, but at the appointed time, the 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:26.320 end will come. That legal situation, it's just one of 0:19:26.359 --> 0:19:30.399 those days of trouble that God talked about. Instead of 0:19:30.440 --> 0:19:35.000 being discouraged, keep your minding yourself. This trouble is not permanent. 0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:38.440 It has an expiration date. Just like there's a day 0:19:38.480 --> 0:19:41.320 of trouble. God has a day of deliverance, a day 0:19:41.359 --> 0:19:44.320 of healing, a day of abundance, a day of breakthrough. 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:48.680 This couple I know have a son that was addicted 0:19:48.680 --> 0:19:52.359 to drugs for over twenty years. These parents are good people, 0:19:52.640 --> 0:19:56.200 they love God. They're always giving and serving, but somehow 0:19:56.240 --> 0:19:59.360 their son god on the wrong course. Year after year 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:03.240 went by, looked like nothing was changing. But I never 0:20:03.320 --> 0:20:06.800 heard these parents talk about the problem. I never once 0:20:06.880 --> 0:20:10.680 heard them complain God, why did this happen to our son? 0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:14.600 We don't understand it. They were in the valley, but 0:20:14.680 --> 0:20:18.760 they didn't make the valley their home. They knew just 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:21.520 as there was a day of trouble when their son 0:20:21.720 --> 0:20:25.320 was addicted, there was a day of deliverance set by 0:20:25.359 --> 0:20:28.119 the creator of the universe where their son would be 0:20:28.240 --> 0:20:32.000 free from that addiction. And they had done everything they could. 0:20:32.040 --> 0:20:34.879 They prayed, they believed, they send him to rehab, but 0:20:35.160 --> 0:20:38.879 none of that worked. Few months ago, some people that 0:20:39.040 --> 0:20:42.440 worked with this young man took a special interest in him. 0:20:42.960 --> 0:20:47.200 They're not even believers, but they befriended him and paid 0:20:47.240 --> 0:20:52.200 his way to go through treatment. This time it was successful. Now, 0:20:52.240 --> 0:20:56.000 for the first time in over twenty years, he's completely clean. 0:20:56.359 --> 0:21:00.040 He has no desire for any of those drugs. He 0:21:00.880 --> 0:21:05.240 came in to his day of deliverance. What his parents 0:21:05.280 --> 0:21:09.080 couldn't do, God had somebody to do for him. When 0:21:09.160 --> 0:21:11.920 you have faith for the middle, God will make things 0:21:11.960 --> 0:21:15.280 happen that you could never make happen. You may be 0:21:15.880 --> 0:21:19.120 in one of those days of trouble right now, Trouble 0:21:19.119 --> 0:21:22.080 in your health, trouble in a relationship, trouble in your mind. 0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:25.240 It's easy to think it's never going to change. I'll 0:21:25.240 --> 0:21:28.760 always be depressed, I'll always struggle in my finance, and 0:21:28.840 --> 0:21:31.960 always struggle with this addiction. You need to get ready 0:21:32.400 --> 0:21:35.239 like this young man. God is saying, your day of 0:21:35.280 --> 0:21:39.000 deliverance is coming, Your day of freedom, your day of joy, 0:21:39.240 --> 0:21:43.520 your day of victory is on the way. March chapter four, 0:21:43.920 --> 0:21:47.560 Jesus had been teaching thousands of people. It was late 0:21:47.600 --> 0:21:50.680 in the day, and he said to the disciples, let's 0:21:50.680 --> 0:21:53.920 go to the other side of the lake. They got 0:21:53.920 --> 0:21:56.959 in a boat and began to travel there, But along 0:21:57.000 --> 0:22:01.760 the way they encountered a huge storm. The scripture describes 0:22:01.800 --> 0:22:06.840 it as a furious squall of hurricane proportions. The winds 0:22:06.840 --> 0:22:10.280 were so strong they thought the boat was going to capsize. 0:22:10.680 --> 0:22:13.959 The waves were coming up over the top. The disciples 0:22:13.960 --> 0:22:16.760 were so panicked that Peter ran down to the stern 0:22:16.880 --> 0:22:20.399 of the boat where Jesus was sleeping, and said, Jesus, 0:22:20.480 --> 0:22:22.480 wake up. We're in the middle of the storm. We're 0:22:22.480 --> 0:22:25.439 about to die. Jesus woke up, and he spoke to 0:22:25.480 --> 0:22:30.560 the storm and everything calmed down. What's interesting is Jesus 0:22:30.640 --> 0:22:33.719 knew there was going to be a storm before they 0:22:33.800 --> 0:22:38.040 left that night. He's God, he knows everything. Why did 0:22:38.080 --> 0:22:41.040 he tell them let's go to the other side if 0:22:41.080 --> 0:22:43.639 he knew there was going to be a hurricane, a 0:22:43.680 --> 0:22:48.320 major storm. Because he also knew that storm could not 0:22:48.520 --> 0:22:51.720 keep them from their destiny. He knew there would be 0:22:51.800 --> 0:22:55.760 difficulties in the middle. But when he declares we're going 0:22:55.800 --> 0:22:59.400 to the other side, all the forces of darkness cannot 0:22:59.400 --> 0:23:01.879 stop him. He's going to make it to the other side. 0:23:02.960 --> 0:23:06.320 In the same way, when God puts a promise in 0:23:06.400 --> 0:23:10.240 your heart, when he speaks into your destiny, you don't 0:23:10.280 --> 0:23:13.879 have to be moved by the winds, worried by the storms, 0:23:14.600 --> 0:23:17.960 upset and panic because there's a few hurricanes along the journey. 0:23:18.440 --> 0:23:21.720 God is in control of the universe. What he's spoken 0:23:21.760 --> 0:23:25.359 over your life will come to pass. And the reason 0:23:25.640 --> 0:23:29.200 Jesus didn't wake up on his own in the middle 0:23:29.240 --> 0:23:33.359 of that storm is because he knew the disciples could 0:23:33.400 --> 0:23:36.080 handle it. If they were all going to die, he 0:23:36.119 --> 0:23:39.040 would have gotten up without them having to wake him up. 0:23:39.920 --> 0:23:42.520 When we're in a storm, a lot of times we 0:23:42.600 --> 0:23:45.359 do like Peter and we get all upset. Panic. God, 0:23:45.400 --> 0:23:47.440 you got to help me. God, You've got to fix 0:23:47.520 --> 0:23:51.440 this right now. The reason it may seem like God 0:23:51.520 --> 0:23:54.880 is not waking up is not because he's ignoring you, 0:23:55.520 --> 0:24:00.000 not because he's uninterested. It's because he knows you can 0:24:00.119 --> 0:24:04.000 handle it. He wouldn't have allowed that storm if it 0:24:04.080 --> 0:24:07.920 was going to sink you. Now. Quit being upset over 0:24:07.960 --> 0:24:12.160 something you can handle. Quit worrying about that situation at work. 0:24:12.720 --> 0:24:15.679 God is not ignoring you. He knew there'd be a 0:24:15.680 --> 0:24:19.520 storm before he sent you out. He's not waking up 0:24:20.080 --> 0:24:23.560 because he's growing you up. He's teaching you to have 0:24:23.680 --> 0:24:28.320 faith for the middle. If he came running every time 0:24:28.359 --> 0:24:32.760 we had a difficulty, our spiritual muscles would never develop. 0:24:33.320 --> 0:24:36.879 We would never really trust him. But when you're calm 0:24:37.080 --> 0:24:40.800 despite what comes against you, that's a sign of maturity. 0:24:41.320 --> 0:24:44.680 That's a sign you have faith for the middle. If 0:24:44.720 --> 0:24:47.879 God is not turning it around yet, the winds are 0:24:47.920 --> 0:24:51.400 still blowing, the waves are still rocking. Take it as 0:24:51.440 --> 0:24:55.280 a compliment. That means you can handle it. It's not 0:24:55.400 --> 0:24:58.159 too much for you. You have the most powerful force 0:24:58.240 --> 0:25:02.800 in the universe breathing in your direction. Years ago, we 0:25:02.800 --> 0:25:05.480 were doing a Night of Hope in Los Angeles at 0:25:05.520 --> 0:25:10.119 Dodger Stadium. Alexandra, our daughter, was a little girl. She 0:25:10.160 --> 0:25:12.640 would come up at the end of the program and sing. 0:25:13.080 --> 0:25:16.320 There were thousands of people there was live on television. 0:25:16.920 --> 0:25:20.880 Alexandra started her song, but the mic wasn't working properly. 0:25:21.359 --> 0:25:23.520 He would come on for a second, go off for 0:25:23.560 --> 0:25:26.960 three seconds, cutting in and out. It's hard enough to 0:25:27.000 --> 0:25:29.919 sing in the big stadiums because there's so much echo. 0:25:30.400 --> 0:25:32.760 But now she couldn't hear herself, and she was a 0:25:32.800 --> 0:25:36.000 little girl and didn't really know what to do. As 0:25:36.080 --> 0:25:39.919 she was singing, with these thoughts of confusion filling her mind, 0:25:40.040 --> 0:25:42.960 saying you should stop. Nobody can hear you. You're wasting 0:25:43.000 --> 0:25:46.280 your time. She looked over to the left and could 0:25:46.280 --> 0:25:50.520 see Victoria, her mother, sitting on the side of the platform. 0:25:51.000 --> 0:25:54.280 The whole time Victoria had a big smile on her 0:25:54.320 --> 0:25:57.639 face and was nodding her head yes, just like she 0:25:57.760 --> 0:26:01.760 was saying keep going, you're doing good. Alexander would sing 0:26:01.800 --> 0:26:05.000 for another fifteen seconds, Mike cutting in and out. She 0:26:05.040 --> 0:26:08.600 would look back over and there was Victoria, still smiling 0:26:08.640 --> 0:26:12.960 from ear to ear, nodding her head yes. Alexandra made 0:26:13.000 --> 0:26:17.200 it through the whole song simply because she could see 0:26:17.240 --> 0:26:21.199 her mother reassuring her that everything was going to be 0:26:21.240 --> 0:26:26.880 all right. Sometimes in life, the mic is not working. 0:26:27.720 --> 0:26:30.440 You're in the middle of your song. You thought it 0:26:30.480 --> 0:26:32.840 would be the best part of your life, but you 0:26:32.920 --> 0:26:36.399 came down with an illness. Somebody walked away and broke 0:26:36.440 --> 0:26:39.280 your heart. The business didn't make it. You hit one 0:26:39.320 --> 0:26:42.679 of those days of trouble. Every voice will tell you 0:26:42.720 --> 0:26:46.880 to stop singing. It's not making a difference. Nobody's listening. 0:26:47.600 --> 0:26:50.719 But if you'll look up through your eyes of faith, 0:26:51.160 --> 0:26:55.000 you'll see your heavenly father nodding his head yes, saying 0:26:55.119 --> 0:26:59.640 keep going, you're doing good. I'm in control. When you're 0:26:59.680 --> 0:27:03.000 in the middle and the might quits working, the key 0:27:03.600 --> 0:27:06.880 is just keep seeing your song, keep doing the right thing. 0:27:07.680 --> 0:27:11.240 You can't control everything that happens to you just be 0:27:11.400 --> 0:27:14.919 your best and trust God to take care of the rest. 0:27:15.240 --> 0:27:17.600 He's not just the God of the start, not just 0:27:17.640 --> 0:27:20.199 the god of the finish. He's the God of the middle. 0:27:20.800 --> 0:27:23.680 He has you in the palm of his hand. He's 0:27:23.720 --> 0:27:27.159 behind the scenes right now working out his plan for 0:27:27.200 --> 0:27:31.040 your life. Don't be discouraged by the process. You may 0:27:31.080 --> 0:27:34.000 be in the fire, but you're not staying there. You're 0:27:34.040 --> 0:27:37.520 passing through. You're coming out now. I believe and declare, 0:27:37.680 --> 0:27:40.439 if you'll have faith for the middle, the God of 0:27:40.480 --> 0:27:43.240 the middle is going to show up and show out 0:27:43.320 --> 0:27:46.840 in your life like the Israelites, providing for you, protecting you, 0:27:47.240 --> 0:27:49.520 and you won't get stuck in the middle. You will 0:27:49.560 --> 0:27:53.080 make it in to your promised land in Jesus' name. 0:27:53.560 --> 0:27:56.560 If you receive it, can just say him in Today. 0:27:57.640 --> 0:28:00.200 I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:28:00.200 --> 0:28:02.679 the lord of your life. Would you pray with me, 0:28:03.480 --> 0:28:09.080 Just say Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come 0:28:09.119 --> 0:28:12.960 into my heart. I make you my Lord and save you. 0:28:14.680 --> 0:28:17.359 If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:17.400 --> 0:28:21.400 born again. Get in a good Bible based church, Victorian. 0:28:21.400 --> 0:28:23.800 I will be right back to speak a blessing over you. 0:28:24.680 --> 0:28:27.120 As a thank you for your support of our ministry. 0:28:27.119 --> 0:28:29.679 This month, Joel and Victoria would like to send you 0:28:29.760 --> 0:28:33.320 a copy of Joel's new series, Three Keys to Being Free. 0:28:33.600 --> 0:28:37.399 In this inspiring series, you'll discover how to one forgive 0:28:37.440 --> 0:28:41.680 yourself and others, two keep your peace and enjoy God's rest, 0:28:41.960 --> 0:28:45.640 and three move forward in faith and into your destiny. 0:28:46.600 --> 0:28:49.400 God wants you to break free from everything that's holding 0:28:49.440 --> 0:28:49.880 you back. 0:28:50.200 --> 0:28:53.000 There may be obstacles in your path, but the forces 0:28:53.040 --> 0:28:55.160 that are for you are greater than the forces that 0:28:55.160 --> 0:28:55.840 are against you. 0:28:56.240 --> 0:28:58.360 This is your time to step up into a new 0:28:58.480 --> 0:29:02.120 level of freedom. It's this resource. It will inspire you 0:29:02.280 --> 0:29:06.040 to believe for the victorious life that belongs to you. 0:29:06.080 --> 0:29:09.560 Get ready to live free. Request your copy of Three 0:29:09.680 --> 0:29:13.560 Keys to Being Free today at Joelostein dot com or 0:29:13.680 --> 0:29:16.400 Calm eight eight eight five six seven. Joel. 0:29:17.680 --> 0:29:20.880 When we got our son's diagnosis with autism, our whole 0:29:20.920 --> 0:29:23.720 world changed. We weren't sure what to do, but it 0:29:23.760 --> 0:29:26.440 was Joel's message of hope that really carried us over 0:29:26.480 --> 0:29:29.400 our obstacles. We thank God for the ministry of Joel 0:29:29.400 --> 0:29:32.520 Ostein and everything that it meant to our family. 0:29:32.960 --> 0:29:36.680 Your support is changing lives. Thanks for partnering with us. 0:29:36.880 --> 0:29:41.040 We appreciate your prayer, your generosity. Special thank you to 0:29:41.120 --> 0:29:43.960 our champion of Whole Partners for all you do to 0:29:44.040 --> 0:29:47.280 take this message around the world. Victoria and I pray 0:29:47.320 --> 0:29:50.120 for you and your family every day. We'll believe in 0:29:50.160 --> 0:29:53.040 twenty seventeen is going to be an amazing year in 0:29:53.080 --> 0:29:56.600 your life. Until we meet again, know that you're not average, 0:29:56.720 --> 0:29:59.760 You're not mediocre. You're a child of the most. 0:29:59.520 --> 0:30:14.120 TIMEO nice buns, soft, fluffy and ultralownetcarbs. Discover hero Bread 0:30:14.200 --> 0:30:18.240 the delicious ultralow net carbbread with incredible taste and texture. 0:30:18.600 --> 0:30:21.400 Hero Bread has zero grams of sugar and is under 0:30:21.400 --> 0:30:24.160 one hundred calories per serving, plus high end fiber and 0:30:24.320 --> 0:30:27.239 up to ten grams of protein per serving. 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