Finishing Grace

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That's code iHeart fifty when 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.280 you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.120 dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.880 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.120 --> 0:01:37.920 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.360 leave inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:44.440 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:45.280 ministry going. 0:01:45.720 --> 0:02:09.359 Enjoy the message. 0:01:58.280 --> 0:01:59.160 About bless you. 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:02.440 He's a joy to come into your homes and if 0:02:02.440 --> 0:02:05.000 you're ever in our area, please stop by and be 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:06.440 a part of one of our services. 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:08.920 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:11.520 Thanks so much for tuning in, and thank you again 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:14.280 for coming out today. I'd like to start with something 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:17.280 funny and this was sent to me from an attorney. 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:21.040 I heard about these two men, the pope and a lawyer. 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:24.520 They died on the same day. Saint Peter met them 0:02:24.520 --> 0:02:27.200 at the pearly gates said, follow me, men, I'll take 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:28.200 you to your homes. 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:30.240 Peter first dropped. 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:33.520 The pope off at this small wood frame house, just 0:02:33.639 --> 0:02:37.120 one bed and one desk. He then took the lawyer 0:02:37.200 --> 0:02:40.679 to this magnificent house. It was huge, had a big 0:02:40.720 --> 0:02:42.880 swimming pool, a beautiful view out back. 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:45.079 The lawyer was overwhelmed. 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:48.280 He said, Saint Peter, what did I do to manage 0:02:48.320 --> 0:02:51.639 to get this magnificent place when the Pope only got 0:02:51.680 --> 0:02:55.600 that small place. Peter said, we have dozens of popes. 0:02:55.840 --> 0:03:00.800 You're the first lawyer. Hold up your bible. This is 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:03.760 my Bible. I am what it says I am. I 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:06.120 have what it says I have. I can do what 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:08.800 it says I can do. Today I will be taught 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:12.720 the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, 0:03:13.080 --> 0:03:15.840 my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:20.799 In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk 0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:24.840 to you today about finishing grace. It doesn't take a 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:29.040 lot of effort to start things. Start a diet, start school, 0:03:29.520 --> 0:03:34.320 start a family. Starting is easy. Finishing is what can 0:03:34.360 --> 0:03:38.200 be difficult. Any young lady can have a baby, but 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:40.640 it takes a mother to really raise that child. 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:42.840 Any two people. 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:45.680 Can get married, but it takes commitment to stick with 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:49.160 it for the long haul. Anyone can have a dream, 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:53.200 but it takes determination, perseverance, a made up mind to 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:54.320 see it come to pass. 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:59.040 The question is not will you start, but will you finish? 0:03:59.440 --> 0:03:59.960 Will you finish? 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:02.760 Wish the diet, will you finish school? Will you finish 0:04:02.880 --> 0:04:07.040 raising your children? Too many people start off good. They 0:04:07.040 --> 0:04:11.240 have big dreams, they're excited about their future, but along 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:12.040 the way they. 0:04:11.920 --> 0:04:12.960 Have some setbacks. 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:16.240 It's taken longer than they thought, somebody didn't do what 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:19.560 they said, and over time they get discouraged. Thank well, 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:22.400 what's the use It's never going to work out. But 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:26.440 God is called the author and the finisher of our faith. 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:30.560 He's not only giving you the grace to start, He's 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:31.280 given you the. 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:32.600 Grace to finish. 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:36.360 When you're tempted to get discouraged, give up on a dream, 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:39.080 give up on a relationship, give up on a project, 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:42.960 you have to remind yourself I was not created to 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:46.479 give up. I was not created to quit. I was 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:50.640 created to finish. You got to shake off the discouragement, 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:53.920 shake off the self pity, shake off. 0:04:53.680 --> 0:04:57.200 What somebody said. If you will keep moving. 0:04:57.000 --> 0:05:00.960 Forward in faith, honoring God, you will come into a 0:05:01.080 --> 0:05:05.560 strength that you didn't have before. A force pushing you forward. 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:10.160 That's finishing grace. That's God breathing in your direction. 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:12.919 Helping you to become who he created you to be. 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:17.679 Disgrace is available, but you have to tap into it. 0:05:17.680 --> 0:05:19.800 It's not going to do us any good if we 0:05:19.880 --> 0:05:23.880 sit around in self pity thinking about how difficult it is, 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:28.039 what didn't work out well. Joel my college professor, he's 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:31.159 so hard, I'll never pass his course. No, you have 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:35.520 the grace to finish. Quit talking defeat and start talking victory. 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:38.880 I can do all things through Christ. I am full 0:05:38.880 --> 0:05:43.600 of wisdom, talent, creativity. I will pass this course. When 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:47.200 you do that, finishing grace will help you do what 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:50.599 you could not do on your own, even in simple things. 0:05:51.120 --> 0:05:54.360 You start cleaning your house. Five minutes later, I don't 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:56.919 feel like doing this. I am so tired. This is 0:05:56.960 --> 0:05:57.480 so boring. 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:00.200 No, turn it around. I am strong in the Lord, 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:02.839 I am full of energy. I'm healthy. This is no 0:06:03.000 --> 0:06:03.560 match for me. 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:08.240 If you'll tap into this finishing grace, you'll vacuum your 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:14.560 house like you're on a mission from God, vacuuming up dirt, coins, socks, children, 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:17.920 anything that gets in your way. Maybe you're tempted to 0:06:17.960 --> 0:06:20.640 give up on a dream. Things haven't turned out the 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:24.040 way you planned. Was going fine at first, but then 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:26.279 you had some obstacles and you think, hey man, it 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:29.839 just wasn't meant to be. Here's what I've learned. The 0:06:30.080 --> 0:06:33.760 enemy doesn't try to stop you from starting. He's seen 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:37.039 a lot of people start. That doesn't bother him. But 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:40.839 when you have a made up mind, you keep pushing forward, 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:45.040 doing the right thing, taking new ground. When he sees 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:48.920 you getting closer, he'll work overtime to try to keep 0:06:48.920 --> 0:06:53.440 you from finishing. When you have setbacks, disappointments, people come 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:57.320 against you, a negative medical report, don't get discouraged. That's 0:06:57.320 --> 0:07:01.760 a sign that you're moving toward finish line. He was 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:04.560 fine when you got started, He was fine when you 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:07.920 were way back, no big deal. But when you begin 0:07:08.040 --> 0:07:11.360 to make progress, that got his attention. That's when he 0:07:11.400 --> 0:07:14.160 threw some obstacles, some challenges. 0:07:14.200 --> 0:07:15.920 Where you confused him. 0:07:16.320 --> 0:07:18.520 Is he thought you would give up after the first 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:22.160 few difficulties. He thought you would get discouraged when that 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:25.520 friend turned on you, when you lost that client, when 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:29.160 your child got in trouble. But instead you kept moving forward, 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:32.800 thanking God that he's in control, thanking him that he's 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:36.480 fighting your battles, thanking him that no weapon formed against. 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:37.040 You will prosper. 0:07:37.320 --> 0:07:41.800 What were you doing tapping into finishing grace when you 0:07:41.840 --> 0:07:45.480 should have gotten weaker. You got stronger when you should 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:47.880 have been depressed. You had a smile on your face 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:49.680 when you should have been complaining. 0:07:49.960 --> 0:07:51.440 You had a song of praise. 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:54.800 Instead of talking about how big the problem was, you 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:56.640 were always talking about how big. 0:07:56.440 --> 0:07:57.040 Your God is. 0:07:57.480 --> 0:07:59.760 And when you should have gone under, God calls you 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:02.440 to go. When you didn't see a way, He made 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:02.760 a way. 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:04.840 When people came against you. 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.680 He fought your battles and you came out better than 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:10.960 you were before. Now you may be up against challenges 0:08:11.040 --> 0:08:13.120 right now, it's because. 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:15.520 You're moving forward. You're making progress. 0:08:15.760 --> 0:08:19.880 Keep reminding yourself He's the author and the finisher of 0:08:19.920 --> 0:08:20.400 your faith. 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:22.520 God helped you to get started. 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:26.280 That's great, But something more important, He's going to help 0:08:26.320 --> 0:08:28.680 you to finish He didn't bring you this far to 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:33.120 leave you, says in Philippians, God began a good work 0:08:33.160 --> 0:08:36.480 in you, and he will continue to perform it until 0:08:36.480 --> 0:08:40.120 it's complete. One translation says, he will bring you to 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:44.840 a flourishing finish, not a defeated finish. Well you barely 0:08:44.880 --> 0:08:47.360 make it, beat up, broke. No, you are coming to 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:52.560 a flourishing finish, a finish more rewarding than you ever imagine. 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:54.560 This is what happened to a man in the scripture 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:58.520 named Joseph. As a teenager, God gave him a dream 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:02.920 that one day he would a nation. His father, Jacob, 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:07.160 loved him very much. Everything started off great for Joseph 0:09:07.360 --> 0:09:11.000 had a big dream, a supportive family. Life was good. 0:09:11.800 --> 0:09:16.160 But along the way things started to go wrong. His brothers, 0:09:16.760 --> 0:09:20.040 who loved him very much. At one time this was 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:23.960 their little brother Joseph. They were always taken up for him, 0:09:24.440 --> 0:09:26.200 making sure nobody harmed him. 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:30.199 But these same brothers turned on him. They were jealous. 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:34.400 They threw Joseph into a pit, left him there to die. 0:09:34.520 --> 0:09:39.000 They eventually changed their mind and sold him into slavery 0:09:39.160 --> 0:09:43.000 to a man named Potterfard. And here Joseph hadn't really 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:46.559 done anything wrong. Yet his whole world had been turned 0:09:46.640 --> 0:09:51.080 upside down. Looked like his dream was done, betrayed by 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:55.080 his family, a slave in a foreign country. If that 0:09:55.240 --> 0:09:59.040 wasn't bad enough, they put him in prison for thirteen. 0:09:58.600 --> 0:10:00.520 Years for something that he didn't do. 0:10:01.559 --> 0:10:06.480 Surely, Joseph was depressed, angry, bitter, upset. Nothing had turned 0:10:06.520 --> 0:10:11.480 out right. No, Joseph understood this principle. He knew he 0:10:11.600 --> 0:10:15.120 had the grace not only to start, but to finish 0:10:15.280 --> 0:10:18.360 what God put in his heart. He knew the enemy 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:22.720 wouldn't be fighting him if he wasn't heading toward his destiny. 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:26.200 So he stayed in faith. He kept doing the right 0:10:26.280 --> 0:10:27.920 thing when the wrong thing was. 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:32.960 Happening, not working under people, but working under God. One day, 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:36.640 the Pharaoh, the leader of the nation, had a dream 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:41.120 that he didn't understand. Joseph was able to interpret the dream. 0:10:41.440 --> 0:10:44.480 If Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph, he brought him 0:10:44.480 --> 0:10:46.680 out of prison and put him in charge of the 0:10:46.720 --> 0:10:47.320 whole nation. 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:49.840 Joseph's dream came to pass. 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:54.880 God has put something on you that will override people 0:10:54.920 --> 0:11:00.280 being against you. It will override bad breaks injustice, the 0:11:00.360 --> 0:11:02.280 grace not to just start. 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:06.240 You have something even more powerful the grace to finish. 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:10.840 When you have an attitude like Joseph, you cannot stay defeated. 0:11:11.600 --> 0:11:13.960 Life may push you down, but God will push you 0:11:14.040 --> 0:11:17.120 back up. People may do you wrong, but God will 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:21.800 be your vindicator. Situations may look impossible, but God can 0:11:21.920 --> 0:11:26.439 do the impossible. When you have finishing grace, all the 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:28.440 forces of darkness cannot stop you. 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:30.000 Sure you may have. 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:35.920 Some setbacks, bad breaks injustice, but don't worry. It's only temporary. 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:38.960 It's just a detour on the way to your destiny. 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:43.760 That's a sign that you are moving toward your finished line. 0:11:44.080 --> 0:11:45.240 See, the enemy. 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:48.520 Doesn't fight people that are going the wrong way, people 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:51.880 that are off course, discourage, distracted, bit or angry. 0:11:52.000 --> 0:11:52.960 That's where he wants you. 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:57.319 He comes against people that are headed toward the fullness 0:11:57.320 --> 0:12:00.600 of their destinies, people that are taking new ground, people 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:04.640 like you, that are coming into a flourishing finish. Our 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:07.880 attitude should be I have a made up mind. I'm 0:12:07.920 --> 0:12:11.120 going to keep moving forward in spite of the bad break, 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:14.880 in spite of the loss, in spite of the negative report, 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:18.840 in spite of the critics. My destiny is too great, 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:24.440 my assignment too important to get discouraged, distracted, bitter. I'm 0:12:24.480 --> 0:12:28.040 not going to become half, not three fours, not ninety percent. 0:12:28.200 --> 0:12:30.880 I'm going to become all God's created me to be. 0:12:32.400 --> 0:12:36.679 When you're tempted to get discouraged and settle, it's because 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:41.080 you're close to your breakthrough. You're close to seeing the 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:44.840 problem turn around. You're close to meeting the right person. 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:48.520 Pharaoh is about to call you, so to speak, the 0:12:48.559 --> 0:12:51.400 good break is on the way, the healing is on 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:54.920 the way, the contract is on the way. Now you've 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:59.199 got to tap in to this finishing grace. Friends, You've 0:12:59.240 --> 0:13:02.760 come too far to stop now. You believe too long, 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:06.200 You've worked too hard, You've invested too much. 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:08.040 It may be difficult. 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:11.520 Negative voices may be telling you, hey, it's never going 0:13:11.600 --> 0:13:13.360 to work out, forget it. 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:14.600 Just settle where you. 0:13:14.600 --> 0:13:18.120 Are, or don't believe those lives. You are close to 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:21.800 your destiny. When the going gets tough, you have to 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:24.920 dig your heels in and say, I am in it 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:28.120 to win it. I am not moved by this opposition. 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:31.480 I am not moved by what I see, by what 0:13:31.559 --> 0:13:34.600 I feel. I'm moved by what I know, and I 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:37.599 know this. I have the grace to finish. 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:38.440 I know this. 0:13:38.640 --> 0:13:41.040 God began a good work in me, and He's going 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:43.960 to complete it. So I'm going to keep honoring God. 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:46.960 I'm going to keep being good to people. I'm going 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:51.080 to keep on being my best. Every day you do that, 0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:54.840 you are passing the test. You are one day closer 0:13:55.200 --> 0:13:58.800 to coming in to your finish line. The scripture says 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:03.280 here in Deuteronomy, as your days are, so shall. 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:03.840 Your strength be. 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:09.240 This means your strength will always be equivalent to what 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:12.840 you need. If you were to get a negative medical report, 0:14:13.160 --> 0:14:15.280 you're going to have the strength to deal with it. 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:17.120 You're not gonna fall apart. 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:17.320 Now. 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:20.520 I can't believe this is happening. No, your strength will 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:24.680 always match what you're up against. I remember when my 0:14:24.720 --> 0:14:27.920 father went to be with the Lord. My first thought was, 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:30.800 how am I going to deal with this? My dad 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:33.480 and I were very close, we had traveled the world together, 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:36.880 and all of a sudden he was gone. But what 0:14:36.960 --> 0:14:40.520 I thought would be very devastating, knock the wind out 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:43.440 of me, it wasn't anything like I'd imagined. 0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:46.200 I felt a peace like I never. 0:14:46.080 --> 0:14:51.040 Felt a strength or resolve, a determination. I should have 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:55.520 been upset, anxious, but that whole time I was at peace. 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:59.200 Deep down, I felt a rest. Sure in my mind. 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:02.720 There were thoughts of worry, anxiety, discouragement, but in my 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:07.080 spirit I could hear God whispering, Joel, I'm in control. 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:09.560 It's all going to work out. I've got you in 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:10.880 the palm of my hand. 0:15:11.280 --> 0:15:15.880 That was finishing grace, pushing me forward, propelling me into 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:20.880 my destiny. The psalmist said, God is a very present 0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:25.240 help in times of need, in the difficulties of life. 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:27.920 If you will get quiet, turn off. 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:32.320 The negative voices, you will feel a peace that passes understanding. 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:36.320 You should be falling apart, but there's grace for every season. 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:40.720 Victoria and I were in Colorado earlier this year, driving 0:15:40.760 --> 0:15:45.280 through the mountains. We rented an SUV, a large vehicle 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:48.560 with an eight cylinder engine. As long as we were 0:15:48.600 --> 0:15:51.480 on the flat roads, the engine was as quiet as 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:54.600 can be. But as we started going up the steep, 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:59.080 winding mountain roads, just when you thought the vehicle couldn't 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:01.600 make it, when it looked like it was going to stop, 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:05.640 you could hear those extra two cylinders kick in. You 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:08.480 could actually feel the car almost like it lifted up 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:10.280 and took off with a new power. 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:11.800 Here's my point. 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:16.400 Those two extra cylinders were there all the time. The 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:18.840 extra power was always available. 0:16:19.320 --> 0:16:22.000 It just showed up when we needed it. It was 0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:23.600 strength in reserve. 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:28.440 Sometimes in life we think, how am I going to 0:16:28.440 --> 0:16:31.000 make it up that steep hill? I've gotten this far, 0:16:31.040 --> 0:16:33.600 but how am I going to deal with this illness? 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:36.680 How am I going to raise this difficult child? I 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:38.440 went through a loss, Joe, I don't think I can 0:16:38.480 --> 0:16:38.880 go on. 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:39.440 No. 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:43.440 God has some strength in reserve for you. When you 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:45.960 hit a tough time, don't worry. There are two more 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:49.840 cylinders about to kick in a strength you haven't tapped into. 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:50.840 You're going to. 0:16:50.760 --> 0:16:54.400 Feel a force pushing you forward, taking you where you 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:56.120 could not go on your own. 0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:57.880 That's finishing grace. 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:02.680 And I've learned the closer you get to your destiny, 0:17:03.240 --> 0:17:06.879 the tougher the battles become. The higher you go up 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:10.520 the mountain, the more God promotes you, the steeper the 0:17:10.600 --> 0:17:11.080 hill is. 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:12.639 The critics will. 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:15.320 Come out of the woodwork. People may not celebrate you. 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:19.720 Unexpected challenges, a health issue, a business slows down, you 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:21.240 lose a loved one. 0:17:21.359 --> 0:17:23.200 It's easy to think, man, I. 0:17:23.160 --> 0:17:25.840 Was doing so good if I just wouldn't have had 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:28.560 this bad break. Now I've got this steep hill to 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:32.880 go up. That challenge is a sign that you are 0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:36.720 close to your destiny. The same God that gave you 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:40.280 the grace to start is the same God that's going. 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:41.240 To help you finish. 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:46.000 He knows exactly where your path is leading. Nothing you're 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:49.280 facing is a surprise to him. He knows every hill, 0:17:49.880 --> 0:17:52.080 every disappointment, every setback. 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:56.040 He said that his grace is sufficient. 0:17:56.760 --> 0:17:59.640 You will never come to a hill where you don't 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:02.720 have this strength to climb it. Now, you may face 0:18:02.760 --> 0:18:05.240 some challenges like I did when my dad went to 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:07.560 be with the Lord. Well you think, man, I don't 0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:08.640 know how I'm going to. 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:09.199 Make it up this. 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:13.480 The reason you think that way is you haven't needed 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:17.080 those two extra cylinders yet. You have not felt the 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:21.640 full force of finishing grace. When it kicks in, it's 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:25.240 going to propel you forward. You're going to climb mountains 0:18:25.359 --> 0:18:28.159 that you thought were way too steep. You're going to 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:32.760 overcome obstacles that looked insurmountable, accomplished dreams that you thought 0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:33.680 were impossible. 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:35.400 How could you do this? 0:18:36.200 --> 0:18:41.639 Finishing grace You tapped into strength in reserve this is 0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:43.800 what the apostle Paul did in the scripture. 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:45.080 He faced some. 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:49.520 Huge hills, didn't look like he could fulfill his destiny. 0:18:49.600 --> 0:18:52.760 He was doing the right thing, sharing the good news, 0:18:52.960 --> 0:18:56.679 helping other people. When he was arrested and put in prison. 0:18:57.600 --> 0:19:01.040 The closer he got to his destiny, the more obstacles 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:05.720 he faced. He was alone in a dungeon on death row. 0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:09.879 It looked like God had forgotten about him. But Paul 0:19:10.000 --> 0:19:14.800 wasn't defeated, depressed, feeling sorry for himself. Even though he 0:19:14.880 --> 0:19:18.280 was in chains. They couldn't stop what God wanted him 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:21.800 to do. And since Paul couldn't go out and speak publicly, 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:24.360 he thought, no problem, I'll start writing. 0:19:25.080 --> 0:19:26.639 He wrote book after book. 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:29.480 Here's a letter to the Ephesians, Here's a letter to 0:19:29.520 --> 0:19:33.399 the Colossians, to the Romans, to the Corinthians. He wrote 0:19:33.720 --> 0:19:37.600 over half of the New Testament, much of it from. 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:38.920 A prison cell. 0:19:39.040 --> 0:19:41.760 They thought they were stopping him, but they were doing 0:19:41.880 --> 0:19:46.640 just the opposite, causing his voice to become amplified. Here 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:50.560 we are, some two thousand years later, still feeling Paul's influence. 0:19:50.840 --> 0:19:53.800 What they meant for harm, God use for good. 0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:58.360 People may try to stop you but finishing grace will 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:01.000 get you to where you're supposed to be. They may 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:04.080 push you down, but finishing grace will lift you back up. 0:20:04.840 --> 0:20:08.080 They may try to discredit, be little, leave you out. 0:20:08.280 --> 0:20:09.120 Don't get upset. 0:20:09.800 --> 0:20:12.399 They are a part of the plan to get you 0:20:12.520 --> 0:20:16.920 to your destiny. God will use them to propel you forward. 0:20:17.400 --> 0:20:20.680 As long as you stay in faith and keep honoring God, 0:20:21.080 --> 0:20:23.280 you will accomplish your assignment. 0:20:23.600 --> 0:20:26.760 He is the author and the finisher of your faith. 0:20:27.680 --> 0:20:31.560 Now quit focusing on who's against you, on how steep 0:20:31.600 --> 0:20:35.080 the hill is, on how impossible it looks. God has 0:20:35.160 --> 0:20:39.840 the final say. He brought Joseph out of prison. Paul 0:20:39.960 --> 0:20:44.640 stayed in prison, but they both fulfilled their destinies. If 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:48.199 God doesn't turn it around the way you thought, he 0:20:48.280 --> 0:20:51.000 may do like Paul and cause you to have great 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:54.680 influence right in the midst of your enemies, in the 0:20:54.680 --> 0:20:58.440 midst of those difficulties, you can shine, be a bright light, 0:20:59.000 --> 0:21:02.200 have God's favor. The bottom line is this, No person 0:21:02.480 --> 0:21:05.680 can stand against our God. No bad break can keep 0:21:05.720 --> 0:21:09.480 you from your destiny. God has given you finishing grace. 0:21:09.960 --> 0:21:12.359 He's going to get you to where you're supposed to be. 0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:15.880 When Paul came to the end of his life. He said, 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:20.960 I have finished my course. One place says I finished 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:27.159 my course with joy. Notice he didn't finish defeated, depressed, sour. 0:21:27.600 --> 0:21:30.880 He finished with a smile on his face. He finished 0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:33.720 with a spring in his step. He finished with a 0:21:33.840 --> 0:21:36.920 song in his heart. That's what it means to have 0:21:36.960 --> 0:21:39.200 a flourishing finish. 0:21:39.240 --> 0:21:40.960 We all have things come against us. 0:21:41.440 --> 0:21:44.439 It's easy to lose our passion and drag through life, 0:21:44.720 --> 0:21:49.240 discourage negative, bitter, but there is no victory if you 0:21:49.320 --> 0:21:52.479 finish your course that way. You have to make up 0:21:52.480 --> 0:21:55.520 your mind. I'm not only going to finish my course, 0:21:55.800 --> 0:21:59.679 I'm going to finish it with joy, with a good attitude, 0:22:00.160 --> 0:22:03.720 not complaining, but with a song of praise. Not thinking 0:22:03.720 --> 0:22:06.119 about what I don't have, but thanking God for what 0:22:06.200 --> 0:22:09.119 I do have, looking at what's wrong in my life, 0:22:09.240 --> 0:22:12.200 but thanking God for what's right in my life. When 0:22:12.240 --> 0:22:16.120 you tap into finishing grace, you want dragged through the day. 0:22:16.440 --> 0:22:18.000 You'll enjoy the day. 0:22:18.480 --> 0:22:21.760 Thousands of years ago, in Greece, there was a famous 0:22:21.840 --> 0:22:26.000 race called the Torch Race. All of the runners got 0:22:26.040 --> 0:22:28.760 a torch at the start of the race. They would 0:22:28.840 --> 0:22:32.080 light the fire. Those runners would take off running with 0:22:32.160 --> 0:22:35.440 their torch lit. The only way you could win the 0:22:35.560 --> 0:22:39.119 race was to cross the finish line with your torch 0:22:39.320 --> 0:22:43.320 still lit. Even if you finish first, if your fire 0:22:43.400 --> 0:22:47.320 went out, you were disqualified. So the whole time they 0:22:47.359 --> 0:22:51.680 were running, on the forefront of their mind was protecting 0:22:51.760 --> 0:22:55.800 their fire, keeping it from wind or rain or anything 0:22:55.840 --> 0:22:58.880 that might put it out. They were constantly checking their 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:02.640 torch to make sure that it was still lit. It's 0:23:02.680 --> 0:23:06.040 the same principle in the race of life. If you're 0:23:06.040 --> 0:23:09.199 going to finish your course with joy, you've got to 0:23:09.240 --> 0:23:12.760 guard your fire. You can't let your flame go out. 0:23:13.520 --> 0:23:17.280 Too many people have lost their passion. They're still running, 0:23:17.560 --> 0:23:21.280 but their torch is no longer lit. At one time 0:23:21.320 --> 0:23:24.960 they were passionate about their dreams. They had some setbacks. 0:23:25.440 --> 0:23:26.280 Now they're running. 0:23:26.359 --> 0:23:29.440 That's good, but they let their fire go out. They 0:23:29.480 --> 0:23:33.760 lost their zeal. If that's you, I've come to relight 0:23:33.880 --> 0:23:37.240 your fire. God is not done with you. You have 0:23:37.320 --> 0:23:40.200 not seen your best days. You've got to shake off 0:23:40.240 --> 0:23:43.280 the blaws, shake off the discouragement. 0:23:43.920 --> 0:23:44.720 There is a. 0:23:44.600 --> 0:23:47.880 Flame that is still alive on the inside of you. 0:23:48.560 --> 0:23:51.400 The scripture talks about how we have to fan the flame, 0:23:51.760 --> 0:23:55.040 stir up the gifts. It's not enough to just finish. 0:23:55.200 --> 0:23:58.439 You've got to finish your course with your fire still burning. 0:23:59.400 --> 0:24:02.600 For as long as I can remember, my father struggled 0:24:02.600 --> 0:24:05.600 with high blood pressure toward the end of his life. 0:24:05.640 --> 0:24:06.679 He didn't feel well. 0:24:07.200 --> 0:24:10.880 The medicines made him dizzy, his kidneys quit working properly, 0:24:10.960 --> 0:24:14.000 and he had to go on dialysis. We used to 0:24:14.040 --> 0:24:16.520 travel overseas a couple of times a year, and he 0:24:16.600 --> 0:24:19.920 really looked forward to it, but when his health went downhill, 0:24:20.200 --> 0:24:22.720 he had to stay at home and take dialysis three 0:24:22.760 --> 0:24:25.800 times a week. He never wanted to live if he 0:24:25.840 --> 0:24:29.080 couldn't preach, and even though he didn't feel well, he 0:24:29.200 --> 0:24:32.520 never missed a Sunday. Victoria used to go pick him 0:24:32.600 --> 0:24:34.600 up and bring him to church a little bit late. 0:24:35.200 --> 0:24:37.919 Sometimes he'd call and said, Joel, I'm not sure your 0:24:37.960 --> 0:24:40.879 dad can minister today. Doesn't seem like he feels well. 0:24:41.440 --> 0:24:43.920 I would run down from the TV department during the service. 0:24:44.000 --> 0:24:45.879 When he arrived, Daddy, you're sure you're up to this? 0:24:46.080 --> 0:24:48.000 He'd smile and say, yeah, Joel, I'm ready to go. 0:24:48.840 --> 0:24:51.359 When he walked out on the platform, nobody knew he 0:24:51.440 --> 0:24:53.800 wasn't up to par. He still had a spring in 0:24:53.880 --> 0:24:57.439 his step, a smile on his face. He could have 0:24:57.480 --> 0:25:01.280 been at home negative, complaining, God, I've served you all 0:25:01.359 --> 0:25:03.479 these years. Look what it comes down to. I can 0:25:03.560 --> 0:25:07.919 hardly even minister No. He kept his fire burning. He 0:25:08.040 --> 0:25:11.600 guarded that flame. He was determined to not just finish 0:25:11.600 --> 0:25:16.280 his course, but to finish it with joy. Seventy seven 0:25:16.359 --> 0:25:19.920 years old. One night he wasn't feeling well. He asked 0:25:19.920 --> 0:25:22.320 my brother in law, Gary to come over and visit 0:25:22.359 --> 0:25:25.719 with him. They were talking about two o'clock in the morning, 0:25:26.400 --> 0:25:29.760 and Gary asked him what he thought about the difficulties 0:25:29.800 --> 0:25:33.400 he was having. My father said, Gary, I don't understand 0:25:33.440 --> 0:25:37.560 it all, but I know this, his mercy endures forever. 0:25:38.560 --> 0:25:42.400 Those were the last words my father ever spoke. Right 0:25:42.440 --> 0:25:45.000 then he breathed his final breath. 0:25:44.840 --> 0:25:46.080 And went to be with the Lord. 0:25:46.840 --> 0:25:50.000 But think about those last words. He wasn't complaining. He 0:25:50.080 --> 0:25:54.040 was bragging on God's goodness, not magnifying his problems, but 0:25:54.160 --> 0:25:55.240 magnifying his God. 0:25:56.200 --> 0:25:59.359 He crossed the finish line with his fire still burning, 0:26:00.160 --> 0:26:01.560 with his torch still lit. 0:26:02.400 --> 0:26:05.919 The scripture talks about how the saints of old died 0:26:06.160 --> 0:26:09.400 in faith the truth is one day, of course, we're 0:26:09.400 --> 0:26:11.879 all going to die. You have to make a decision. 0:26:12.400 --> 0:26:15.000 Are you going to die in faith or are you 0:26:15.119 --> 0:26:19.320 going to die negative? Bitter, complaining, I can't believe this happened. No, 0:26:19.480 --> 0:26:21.920 make up your mind that you're going to die full 0:26:21.960 --> 0:26:25.480 of joy, with your fire still burning, with your torch 0:26:25.520 --> 0:26:29.960 still lift. Nineteen sixty eight, the Olympic Games were held 0:26:30.000 --> 0:26:34.440 in Mexico City. During the marathon, a young runner from 0:26:34.480 --> 0:26:39.240 Tanzania fell and broke his leg. He was bloodied and bruised, 0:26:39.480 --> 0:26:43.600 but somehow managed to get up and continue running. Long 0:26:43.760 --> 0:26:47.639 after everyone else had finished. He entered the stadium for 0:26:47.720 --> 0:26:51.760 his final lap. Over one hundred thousand people were there earlier, 0:26:52.280 --> 0:26:55.120 but now an hour or two later, only a few 0:26:55.200 --> 0:27:00.200 thousand people remained. The main lights were off, television cameras gone, 0:27:00.480 --> 0:27:04.000 the event was officially over. As he struggled into the 0:27:04.040 --> 0:27:08.440 stadium headed toward that final lap. When the few thousand 0:27:08.480 --> 0:27:11.840 people saw him, they stood up and begin to cheer 0:27:11.920 --> 0:27:15.520 him on. They cheered louder and louder as if he 0:27:15.640 --> 0:27:19.439 was in first place. Drawing strength from the crowd, he 0:27:19.520 --> 0:27:22.280 began to smile and wave as if he was going 0:27:22.320 --> 0:27:25.359 to win the gold medal. It was a moving moment, 0:27:25.600 --> 0:27:29.840 later seen around the world. A reporter asked him afterwards, 0:27:30.440 --> 0:27:32.879 why didn't you drop out of the race when you 0:27:32.960 --> 0:27:33.720 broke your leg. 0:27:34.359 --> 0:27:35.879 Nobody would have faulted. 0:27:35.520 --> 0:27:35.959 You for it. 0:27:36.720 --> 0:27:40.600 The young man from Tanzania said, my country didn't send 0:27:40.600 --> 0:27:42.920 me seven thousand miles to start the. 0:27:42.960 --> 0:27:44.600 Race, but to finish it. 0:27:45.800 --> 0:27:50.000 In the same way, God didn't breathe his life into you, 0:27:50.840 --> 0:27:53.960 crown you with favor, put seeds of greatness on the 0:27:54.040 --> 0:27:57.560 inside to start the race, but he sent you to 0:27:57.640 --> 0:28:00.879 finish it. The scripture talks about how the race is 0:28:00.920 --> 0:28:04.320 not for the swift, nor for the strong, but for those. 0:28:04.119 --> 0:28:05.840 Who endure till the end. 0:28:06.640 --> 0:28:09.159 You don't have to finish first. You're not competing with 0:28:09.240 --> 0:28:13.439 anybody else. Just finish your course, keep your fire burning. 0:28:13.720 --> 0:28:17.120 You weren't created to give up, to quit. We can 0:28:17.160 --> 0:28:19.760 all find a reason to drop out of the race. 0:28:19.840 --> 0:28:22.199 We can all find some kind of excuse. But you 0:28:22.280 --> 0:28:24.560 have to dig your heels in and say I am 0:28:24.600 --> 0:28:28.200 determined to finish my course. If you will tap into 0:28:28.240 --> 0:28:31.560 this finishing grace, those two extra cylinders. 0:28:31.119 --> 0:28:32.879 Will kick in when you need it. You'll have a 0:28:32.920 --> 0:28:34.120 strength that you didn't have. 0:28:34.440 --> 0:28:37.560 Now I believe and declare, like the apostle Paul, you 0:28:37.600 --> 0:28:40.959 will finish your course with joy. You will complete your 0:28:41.000 --> 0:28:45.960 assignment and become everything God created you to be in Jesus' name. 0:28:46.560 --> 0:28:48.720 If you receive it, can you say them in today? 0:28:49.640 --> 0:28:52.400 Well, we never like to close our broadcast without giving 0:28:52.440 --> 0:28:53.680 you an opportunity to. 0:28:53.680 --> 0:28:55.480 Make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:55.920 --> 0:29:00.360 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:29:00.520 --> 0:29:05.120 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:29:05.200 --> 0:29:08.880 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:29:08.960 --> 0:29:11.440 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. 0:29:11.840 --> 0:29:15.040 Get in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. 0:29:15.400 --> 0:29:17.920 He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed. 0:29:19.400 --> 0:29:22.800 Thank you for listening to the Joelus Deine podcast. Help 0:29:22.880 --> 0:29:25.640 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:25.720 --> 0:29:29.640 all over the world. Visit jolostin dot com slash give 0:29:29.720 --> 0:29:31.400 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:32.680 --> 0:29:35.560 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:35.600 --> 0:29:38.960 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:39.080 --> 0:29:39.440 keep you. 0:29:39.480 --> 0:29:42.560 Inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. I 0:29:42.600 --> 0:29:45.440 know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time. 0:29:52.440 --> 0:29:54.960 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:55.000 --> 0:29:58.760 for their mental health struggles. 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