God's Face Is Shining On You

0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:03.120 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:00:03.160 --> 0:00:05.920 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:08.399 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:00:08.440 --> 0:00:10.000 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:13.000 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:00:13.080 --> 0:00:15.880 your life. Well, no, bless you. It's great to be 0:00:15.960 --> 0:00:18.639 with you today, and I hope you'll stay connected with 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:22.120 us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, 0:00:22.239 --> 0:00:25.160 social media, and you can come visit us in person. 0:00:25.400 --> 0:00:27.120 We'd love to have you be a part of one 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:30.160 of our services. But I like to start with something funny. 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:32.800 And I heard about this man. He was in his 0:00:32.840 --> 0:00:35.839 bathroom and he went over to the scales to weigh himself, 0:00:35.880 --> 0:00:38.360 and his wife was over in the corner watching, and 0:00:38.600 --> 0:00:41.199 he's a really large man. And when he stepped on 0:00:41.680 --> 0:00:44.640 he sucked in his stomach as much as he possibly could, 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:47.400 and he held his breath and his wife kind of 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:50.880 laughed at honey, that's not gonna help anything. He said, 0:00:50.920 --> 0:00:53.000 sure it is. That's the only way I can see 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:56.000 the numbers. All right, Go, I say it like you 0:00:56.120 --> 0:00:59.200 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says, 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:01.960 I am, I have what it says I have, I 0:01:02.000 --> 0:01:04.760 can do what it says I can do. Today I 0:01:04.800 --> 0:01:08.160 will be talked the word of God. I boldly confess 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:12.160 my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I'll never 0:01:12.240 --> 0:01:17.320 be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:20.200 want to talk to you today about God's face is 0:01:20.280 --> 0:01:24.000 shining on you. And we all go through situations that 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:27.120 seem too much for us. We're dealing with an illness 0:01:27.200 --> 0:01:31.120 or raising a difficult child. Our dream looks out of reach, 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:34.119 and it's easy to get discouraged and think we're at 0:01:34.120 --> 0:01:37.800 a disadvantage. And that's the way the Israelites felt. They 0:01:37.800 --> 0:01:40.760 were in the desert, some two million people trying to 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:43.800 get to the Promised Land. They were grateful that they 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:47.520 were no longer slaves, but they weren't prepared to travel 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:50.960 through the desert. They didn't have weapons and equipment to 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:55.240 protect them. They didn't have food and supplies to sustain them. 0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:58.160 At one point they said, Moses, why do you even 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:01.440 bring us out here to die? But in number six 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:05.160 God told Moses to have the priest make this declaration 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:08.919 over the people. May the Lord bless you and keep you, 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:13.320 and may His face shine on you. They were focused 0:02:13.360 --> 0:02:17.120 on the opposition and what they didn't have. But Moses said, no, 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.120 you have to have a new perspective. You're not at 0:02:20.120 --> 0:02:24.919 a disadvantage. God's face is shining on you. His face 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:30.080 represents his power, his favor, his protection. You may think, 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.240 how can I make it through this illness? The report 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:36.640 is not good. Well, on your own, you're not able. 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:39.760 The good news is you're not on your own. God's 0:02:39.800 --> 0:02:44.560 face is shining on you, empowering you, enabling you. There's 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:48.560 a supernatural force working in your life. When you look 0:02:48.600 --> 0:02:51.280 at your dreams, the odds may be against you. You 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:56.200 don't have the connections, the resources, the funding by yourself. 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:58.880 It's not possible. But you have to know you have 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:03.720 a secret force. Something that can't be explained, causes you 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:07.480 to succeed, to go beyond where you'll qualify it. What 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:11.560 is that a lucky break? No, that's God's face shining 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:15.079 on you, causing you to stand out, propelling you into 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.120 your purpose. Now, if you're going to see this happen, 0:03:18.600 --> 0:03:22.200 you can't live thinking you're at a disadvantage. Oh, man, Joel, 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:24.639 this problem is too big and I'll never get well. 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:27.960 My business is not gonna make it. The scripture says, 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:31.560 look up for your redemption Draws nine. That's where your 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:35.360 help comes from. And in those difficult times when you 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:39.040 don't see a way, you have to look up by faith. 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:43.320 Imagine God's face shining on you, causing good breaks to 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:46.360 find you and causing you to go where no one 0:03:46.520 --> 0:03:50.480 in your family has gone. Psalm eighty. The Psalmist was 0:03:50.600 --> 0:03:54.680 in all kinds of trouble, facing opposition, enemies that were bigger. 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:58.360 He didn't complain, he didn't get discouraged. He said in 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:02.160 verse two, God, show us your mighty power. May your 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:05.640 face shine down on us, for only then will we 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:09.400 be saved. A few verses later, God, our enemies say 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:13.040 we're a joke. They look at us with scorn. But God, 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:16.760 may your face shine down on us verse twelve. Our 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:20.520 walls are broken down, our enemies are attacking us. But 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:24.520 oh God, let your face shine on us. Three times 0:04:24.600 --> 0:04:28.520 in this short chapter they acknowledge God's face was shining 0:04:28.560 --> 0:04:32.000 on them. They were saying, in effect, we look like 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:35.360 we're at a disadvantage, but we know a secret. God 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:39.800 is shining on us, protecting us, favoring us, sustaining us 0:04:40.440 --> 0:04:44.920 that opposition you're facing can't take you out. That sickness 0:04:44.960 --> 0:04:49.080 can't stop your purpose. That bad break didn't cancel your destiny. 0:04:49.720 --> 0:04:53.000 It doesn't have that much power. The most tied God 0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:57.080 is in control of your life. His face is his favor. 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:01.920 His face is the power to endure with a good attitude. 0:05:01.960 --> 0:05:07.320 His face is supernatural healing, promotion. Things that don't make sense, 0:05:08.200 --> 0:05:11.040 people think, how can you be that successful with all 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:15.040 you've been through? God's face is shining on you, Joel. 0:05:15.120 --> 0:05:17.600 How could you get the compact center? Or how could 0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:21.160 your mother live forty four years after she was diagnosed 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:25.159 with terminal cancer, Joel? How could your father go from poverty, 0:05:25.520 --> 0:05:29.760 no education, dropped out of high school to pastoring great churches, 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:34.520 impacting the world. That wasn't our own ability. That was 0:05:34.600 --> 0:05:37.960 God's face shining on us. You may not be able 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:41.520 to see it physically, but you need to imagine by faith, 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:46.560 God's face is shining on you. His face is his glory, 0:05:46.560 --> 0:05:50.880 causing you to stand out, giving you influence authority to 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:55.400 fulfill your purpose. When Moses was leading the Israelites through 0:05:55.440 --> 0:05:58.280 the desert, he went up on Mount Sinai and spent 0:05:58.400 --> 0:06:01.360 forty days along with God and that's where he received 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:04.600 the Ten commandments. When he came down from the mountain, 0:06:05.200 --> 0:06:09.040 his face was so radiant, so bright, that people couldn't 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:12.840 look at him. They knew something supernatural to happen. His 0:06:12.920 --> 0:06:17.080 face was glowing with the glory of God. The scripture says, 0:06:17.520 --> 0:06:20.880 the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:24.719 man speaks to his friend. That was a unique situation 0:06:24.800 --> 0:06:28.040 where he was right there with God. But notice what happened. 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:31.560 The glory of God was so bright on Moses that 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:34.760 people couldn't stand to look at him. There was awe 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:38.800 and reverence, and that's what enabled Moses to lead the 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:43.120 people through the difficulty and deal with all the trouble. 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:46.440 Some of the Israelites they didn't like Moses. They wanted 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:48.880 to do their own thing, but they knew not to 0:06:48.960 --> 0:06:52.560 mess with him. They had seen him shining with God's glory. 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:57.400 You may go through seasons where people discount you. Overlook, 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:00.960 you don't worry. Your time is coming. God knows how 0:07:01.000 --> 0:07:05.440 to illuminate you. When his face shines on you. It's 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:08.800 like Moses, you'll be radiant with the glory of God. 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:12.520 People may not be able to put their finger on it. 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:15.560 It's just something about you that they like, something that 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.360 gives you respect. They want to be good to you. 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:23.640 That's the face of God shining on you, giving you credibility, 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:26.360 lifting you up when others try to push you down, 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:30.720 causing you to succeed when some wanted you to found, 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:33.720 making you shine when that one relative was trying to 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:37.440 discredit you. The more they talk, the higher God's going 0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:41.560 to take you. What's amazing is this is not something 0:07:41.600 --> 0:07:45.880 that you have to do strive and strain and manipulate. 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:49.240 I got to work up all this favor, make people 0:07:49.400 --> 0:07:52.760 like me, force these doors to open. That's not your part. 0:07:53.160 --> 0:07:56.480 Your part is to honor God, keep him first place 0:07:57.160 --> 0:08:00.280 all through the day, acknowledge Him in your thoughts. When 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:04.000 you do that, his face is shining on you. He's 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:07.840 the one that gives the favor, the good breaks, the 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:11.720 strength to endure. See Moses didn't come down the mountain 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:14.720 and think, man, I gotta look impressive, I gotta throw 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.200 my weight around. I gotta show them that I'm a leader. 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:19.520 He didn't have to do any of that. It was 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:23.200 the glory of God on him. It wasn't his own efforts. 0:08:23.600 --> 0:08:27.440 It was God illuminating him, causing him to stand out. 0:08:28.560 --> 0:08:31.360 Think about the moon. We look up at night and 0:08:31.360 --> 0:08:35.720 it's so beautiful and glowing, this big white ball shining 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:39.680 so brightly. But what's interesting is the moon has no 0:08:39.880 --> 0:08:43.120 light of his own. Not a single ray of light 0:08:43.360 --> 0:08:47.400 comes from the moon itself. All of its beauty, all 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:50.920 of its radiance, is simply a reflection of the Sun. 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:55.520 Without the Sun, the moon wouldn't be visible. We'd never 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:58.520 see it, just a big dark object in the sky. 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:01.720 But when the sun un shines on it, the moon 0:09:01.800 --> 0:09:06.160 becomes illuminated, takes on prominence. People all over the world 0:09:06.440 --> 0:09:09.800 enjoy its beauty. That's the way it is with us. 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:13.600 We're not shining in our own strength. We don't have 0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:17.880 enough talent and experience to accomplish our God given purpose 0:09:17.960 --> 0:09:21.120 by ourselves. If we try to do it on our own, 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:25.160 we get frustrated, trying to make people before us, trying 0:09:25.160 --> 0:09:29.240 to force opportunities. But when you understand that God's face 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:31.640 is shining on you, then you can live from a 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:35.559 place of rest, knowing that it's not up to you. 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:39.160 You are reflecting the glory of God. When you stay 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:43.800 in faith, you'll reflect his favor, reflect his goodness, That 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:47.040 means he'll open doors you could have never opened. He'll 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:50.000 promote you when you weren't next in line. He'll heal 0:09:50.040 --> 0:09:53.160 you when the report says you're not going to get well. Now, 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:57.120 don't live in this striving mode and straining. Just be 0:09:57.200 --> 0:10:02.400 a good reflector. Look up, God, I put you first place. 0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:05.559 I know your face is shining on me. You'll get 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:08.680 me to where I'm supposed to be. See the moon 0:10:08.800 --> 0:10:12.360 never worries, you know. Imagine with me thinking maybe I'm 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:15.280 not gonna shine today. I don't have any light on 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:18.559 my own. What if I'm not visible? Know, the moon 0:10:18.720 --> 0:10:21.360 just does what it was purpose to do, and the 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:25.560 Sun brings the illumination. The sun shines and lights up 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:29.079 the moon. The Moon's just a good reflector. But the 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:32.400 moon could say, man, I need to create some power plants. 0:10:32.679 --> 0:10:36.200 I need to stir up some massive lights and generate 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:41.080 electricity and wattage and visibility. Know the moon knows it 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:44.960 has a source. It doesn't have to manufacture all this 0:10:45.160 --> 0:10:49.600 prominence invisibility. The Sun is up there in the same 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:55.240 way we don't have to manufacture promotion favor people liking us. 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:59.400 Be still and know that he is your source. His 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:04.199 faith is shining on you. But trying to create all 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:07.559 the light and just reflect his goodness. God knows how 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:10.240 to make you shine. He knows how to bring out 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:15.559 your brilliance, cause you to radiate so brightly that people notice. 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:18.760 You don't have to convince them. They will see the favor, 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:23.480 the healing, the creativity. You are reflecting the goodness of God. 0:11:24.480 --> 0:11:28.440 When I first started ministering, I felt so unqualified. I 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:32.760 didn't have the training, the experience. All these thoughts tried 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:35.560 to convince me that I wasn't enough, that I couldn't 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:38.600 do it, that I would fail. But when you don't 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:42.840 feel enough on your own ability, that's not necessarily a 0:11:42.880 --> 0:11:46.400 bad thing. Jesus said, of my own self, I can 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:50.440 do nothing. He's the son of God. He has all power. 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:54.360 He was saying, in effect, I'm reflecting the goodness of 0:11:54.400 --> 0:11:57.760 my Father. I'm in power through his favor and through 0:11:57.760 --> 0:12:00.800 his purpose. And if I had go by how I 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:03.600 felt or how it looked in the natural, I to 0:12:03.600 --> 0:12:06.480 talk myself out of it. I had to look up 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:10.760 and say, God, I believe your face is shining on me. God, 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:13.360 I don't have enough light on my own I don't 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:17.440 have the qualifications. But God, I'll be a reflector. I'll 0:12:17.480 --> 0:12:22.400 reflect your goodness, your favor, your mercy. God knows how 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:25.599 to bring prominence. He knows how to give you ability 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:29.600 and open doors and cause things to fall into place. 0:12:30.240 --> 0:12:32.920 That's what the scripture says. It's not by our might, 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:36.800 not by our power, but by your spirit. It's His 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:41.319 face shining on you, causing you to accomplish your purpose. Now, 0:12:41.320 --> 0:12:44.400 don't talk yourself out of it, focused on what you 0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:48.440 don't have, what you didn't get, how you feel not enough. 0:12:49.040 --> 0:12:52.319 The moon doesn't have any light, not one ball, not 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:56.320 one generator, not one power plant. Yet it shines day 0:12:56.480 --> 0:13:00.960 after day, year after year. Why because the sun is 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:04.560 its source. It's not dependent just on what it has. 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:08.240 Can I encourage you? The sun is your source. So 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:12.600 n the most High God is shining on you. He's 0:13:12.679 --> 0:13:16.880 making your radiance. He's showing your brilliance. He's causing you 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:22.199 to stand out, to achieve, to overcome. Isaiah said, arise 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:26.040 and shine, for the glory of the Lord is upon you. 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:29.280 It doesn't say one day God's going to shine on you. 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:33.080 It says God is shining on you right now. How 0:13:33.080 --> 0:13:36.120 come that sickness couldn't take you out. God is shining 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:39.000 on you. Why did that car barely miss you on 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:43.520 the freeway? That's God shining. How can you endure that trouble? 0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:47.160 You should have had a nervous breakdown, but you're still standing. 0:13:47.880 --> 0:13:51.360 That wasn't just willpower. That's God's face shining on you. 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:55.240 Or how were you able to have that baby? You 0:13:55.280 --> 0:13:58.839 were told by the experts you couldn't conceive. That's the 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:02.200 faith of God causing you to do what you can't 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:07.079 do on your own. Now, Isaiah said, arise and shine. 0:14:07.800 --> 0:14:11.480 The principle is you can't sit around discouraged, dwelling on 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:15.000 what didn't work out, thinking it's never going to change. 0:14:15.280 --> 0:14:18.760 You have to arise. That means get your passion back, 0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:24.560 get your dreams back, start expecting God's favor instead of complaining. 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:27.760 You need to look up. Father. I thank you that 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:31.480 your face is shining on me. You're opening the right doors, 0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:34.760 You're bringing the right people. Lord, I recognize I don't 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:38.479 have to make all this happen. I'm reflecting your goodness. 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:42.120 You live like that. God will cause you to shine. 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:45.560 He'll bring prominence. I have some friends that live in 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:48.520 another state and they were trying to sell their home. 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:52.920 The housing market was very depressed. There were a surplus 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:55.920 of homes for Salem. On their street alone, there were 0:14:56.120 --> 0:14:59.600 twelve houses on the market. It was taking an average 0:14:59.640 --> 0:15:01.360 of a year year and a half for them to sell, 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:04.760 and their realtor told them not to get their hopes up, 0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:09.200 that it'd be a long, long process. Those were the facts. 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:13.720 That's all true in the natural. But God is supernatural. 0:15:14.240 --> 0:15:17.560 When his face shines on you, it'll cause your property 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:21.640 to stand out. God knows how to illuminate your business 0:15:21.680 --> 0:15:27.280 and illuminate you give you contracts, promotions that don't make sense. Well, 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:31.160 six weeks after this couple listed their house, the agent 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:34.520 brought them a contract for the full price. The agent 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:37.120 didn't know what to say. Nothing was selling in less 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:41.760 than a year. At closing, the buyers told this couple 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.120 how they had looked at many other houses, even ones 0:15:45.120 --> 0:15:48.560 that were bigger, a better value, but they said, there's 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:52.240 just something about this place that stood out. We knew 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:56.320 it was supposed to be ours. That wasn't a lucky break. 0:15:56.520 --> 0:15:59.720 That was the face of God causing them to shine. 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:03.480 You'll make your business stand out. He'll cause your children 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:07.880 to excel your health to turn around. I don't live 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:12.960 striving straining. Just be a good reflector believe that God's 0:16:12.960 --> 0:16:16.120 face is shining on you. You may not see how 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:19.440 it can work out. That's okay. We're limited, but God 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:22.560 is unlimited. He knows how to get you to where 0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:26.560 you're supposed to be. A lady I know was refinishing 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:29.360 a piece of furniture at home and she was using 0:16:29.440 --> 0:16:32.440 this electric sander that she'd had for years. One of 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:35.400 the pieces that held the belt on broke off, and 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:38.240 she put into a bag that said Lakewood and ran 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:41.320 up to the hardware store. This man came over to help, 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:44.200 and she showed him the piece and asked if they 0:16:44.280 --> 0:16:47.320 carried it. He looked at her in the strangest way 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:50.640 and said, no, we don't carry that model. But he 0:16:50.720 --> 0:16:53.640 picked up a brand new top of the line sander 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:56.400 and said, here, take this one. We're going to give 0:16:56.400 --> 0:16:59.000 it to you. She didn't know what to think. She'd 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:01.640 never met the man, never seen him. She said, are 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:05.119 you serious? He said yes. When you get to the counter, 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:08.639 just tell them my number. It's five five five. She 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:11.240 thanked him and walked up front to check out, and 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:13.840 there were several long lines with people. She was at 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:16.920 the back. One of the ladies at the register stopped 0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:19.000 and said to her, come up here. I'm gonna take 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:21.840 you next. She pointed to herself and said you mean me. 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:25.159 She said, yes, you. She told the clerk how the 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:28.320 man said he's gonna give that to her. Clerk said, 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:30.080 I don't know if he can do that. What's his name? 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:34.160 She said, his number is five five five. The clerk 0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:37.040 said he can do whatever he wants. He's the national manager. 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:40.680 As the lady was about to leave, she said to 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:44.040 the clerk, why'd you call me up here? The clerk said, 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:48.880 I saw your Lakewood bag, and I love Lakewood. Friends. 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:52.359 God knows how to make your sand out. He knows 0:17:52.440 --> 0:17:56.040 how to illuminate you. She didn't know the man, but 0:17:56.160 --> 0:17:59.119 God will cause people to be good to you. His 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:03.720 face shine on you, will bring prominence again. This is 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:06.520 not something you have to work for try to make happen. 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:10.120 Just keep God first place, and you'll reflect his glory, 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:14.560 reflect his goodness. I don't know, Joe Man. I got 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:16.879 a lot of things coming against me, and I've had 0:18:16.920 --> 0:18:19.760 a lot of setbacks. I think I'm at a disadvantage. No, 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:23.280 you need to look up, have a new perspective. The 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:27.360 creator of the universe, the God who flung stars into space, 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:31.399 has his face shining on you. You wouldn't be hearing 0:18:31.440 --> 0:18:35.480 this if God wasn't about to do something unusual out 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:39.840 of the ordinary. Open new doors, turn that sickness around, 0:18:40.359 --> 0:18:44.560 bring your child back home. New levels of prominence, influence 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:48.760 come in your way. The scripture says, the Lord God 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:53.080 is a sun and a shield. He bestows honor and favor. 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:57.000 This refers to God as the Sun. One thing about 0:18:57.040 --> 0:19:00.800 the sun is it never stops shining. There's never been 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:03.359 a day when the sun hasn't come up in the morning, 0:19:04.000 --> 0:19:06.720 never a time when the sun went dark, when it 0:19:06.760 --> 0:19:11.359 didn't produce light. The sun is constantly shining. Now we 0:19:11.440 --> 0:19:15.800 don't always see it. Some days are cloudy, it's overcast, 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:19.480 looks gray and gloomy. But the fact is the sun 0:19:19.560 --> 0:19:22.879 is still shining. It's just being blocked by the clouds. 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.880 At some point, the clouds will dissipate and we'll see 0:19:26.920 --> 0:19:30.840 the sun shining brightly in the sky. It's the same 0:19:30.920 --> 0:19:34.920 way with God's face shining on us. Sometimes we don't 0:19:34.920 --> 0:19:38.439 see it. It's cloudy. In our life. We're dealing with 0:19:38.480 --> 0:19:42.280 an illness, went through a breakup, we lost the loved one, 0:19:42.400 --> 0:19:45.960 feels dark. Thoughts will tell you it's never gonna change. 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:49.520 You've seen your best days. You have to know God's 0:19:49.560 --> 0:19:53.520 face is still shining on you. He may feel distant, 0:19:53.920 --> 0:19:57.800 but he has not left you behind the dark clouds. 0:19:57.880 --> 0:20:03.399 He's shining strength up, not letting you go under. Without 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:07.359 his face, you wouldn't make it through. The good news 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:12.320 is those clouds are not permanent. The trouble is temporary, 0:20:13.000 --> 0:20:16.280 the sickness, the loneliness. It's just a matter of time 0:20:16.600 --> 0:20:20.159 before the clouds blow out and you see the face 0:20:20.200 --> 0:20:24.280 of God shining on you in a new way. Now, 0:20:24.320 --> 0:20:27.280 don't let the dark clouds fool you. Just like the 0:20:27.400 --> 0:20:30.360 sun has always come up in the morning, God has 0:20:30.440 --> 0:20:34.679 always had his face shining on you, even when you 0:20:34.720 --> 0:20:38.000 were off course, even when we didn't deserve it. It 0:20:38.080 --> 0:20:41.960 was his mercy that gave us another chance. His mercy 0:20:42.000 --> 0:20:45.280 had you fenced in, kept you from missing your destiny. 0:20:45.720 --> 0:20:50.159 His mercy sustained you in the hospital. His mercy protected 0:20:50.200 --> 0:20:54.840 your child. His mercy pushed back forces of evil. In 0:20:54.880 --> 0:20:58.320 those dark times, when it's cloudy in your life, you 0:20:58.440 --> 0:21:01.679 have to look up and say, by faith, God, I 0:21:01.760 --> 0:21:05.720 believe your faith is still shining on me. I can't 0:21:05.720 --> 0:21:08.359 see it right now, but I know these clouds are 0:21:08.400 --> 0:21:11.520 about to pass, and I will see your favor. You're 0:21:11.560 --> 0:21:17.120 healing your breakthroughs in amazing ways. Acts Chapter six. There 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:20.040 was a man named Stephen. He was full of faith 0:21:20.160 --> 0:21:23.320 and full of the spirit. The scripture says he prayed 0:21:23.359 --> 0:21:27.480 and saw many miracles, and many people become believers. But 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:31.080 just because you have faith doesn't mean you won't have opposition. 0:21:31.960 --> 0:21:36.680 When God promotes you, some people can't handle it. They'll criticize, 0:21:37.119 --> 0:21:40.800 try to discredit, make you look bad. Well, Stephen had 0:21:40.800 --> 0:21:44.480 all this favor, but the religious leaders didn't like him. 0:21:45.000 --> 0:21:49.320 They made up lies and false accusations, had him arrested. 0:21:49.960 --> 0:21:52.520 They brought him before the counsel and said, this man 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:56.600 is causing trouble, speaking against our tradition and what Moses 0:21:56.680 --> 0:22:00.359 taught us. Stephen was there in front of this hostile crowd, 0:22:00.880 --> 0:22:04.479 surrounded by people that didn't like him. He could have thought, God, 0:22:05.000 --> 0:22:08.000 where are you, If you're shining your face, why didn't 0:22:08.040 --> 0:22:11.200 you keep me out of this trouble? But verse fifteen 0:22:11.320 --> 0:22:15.399 says all the people stared at Stephen because his face 0:22:15.800 --> 0:22:19.600 became as bright as an angel in front of this 0:22:19.800 --> 0:22:23.960 angry mob on trial for something he didn't do. Notice 0:22:24.000 --> 0:22:27.439 what happened. The glory of God came on him so 0:22:27.640 --> 0:22:31.800 bright the people were taken aback. He looked like an angel. 0:22:32.760 --> 0:22:36.320 God was showing us when you're in difficult times, I 0:22:36.400 --> 0:22:40.280 don't leave you. I shine brighter. When you get thrown 0:22:40.320 --> 0:22:43.000 into the fire, he comes in with you. He's the 0:22:43.040 --> 0:22:46.680 fourth Man. I can't tell you that God's face will 0:22:46.720 --> 0:22:49.840 keep you out of trouble, out of difficulty, but I 0:22:49.880 --> 0:22:53.320 can tell you he'll shine brighter. He'll give you the grace, 0:22:53.680 --> 0:22:57.679 the strength, the favor to endure. They gave Stephen the 0:22:57.760 --> 0:23:00.960 mic put him on trial. What's your def What do 0:23:01.000 --> 0:23:04.520 you say about these accusations? Stephen went through a long 0:23:04.640 --> 0:23:08.720 speech telling the history of God's goodness, from Abraham to Joseph, 0:23:08.720 --> 0:23:12.680 to David to Jesus. He ended with, you persecuted all 0:23:12.720 --> 0:23:17.200 the prophets before me. You crucified Jesus the Messiah. Now 0:23:17.200 --> 0:23:21.440 you're persecuting me. They were so angry they shook their 0:23:21.480 --> 0:23:25.680 fists in rage. But the scripture says Stephen looked up 0:23:26.119 --> 0:23:28.800 and saw the glory of God. He said, I see 0:23:28.880 --> 0:23:32.480 Jesus standing at the right end of the Father. They 0:23:32.520 --> 0:23:36.679 were so outraged they picked up rocks and started stoning him, 0:23:37.000 --> 0:23:40.720 this angry mob through rock after rock. But you never 0:23:40.840 --> 0:23:44.480 read where Stephen complained. You never read where he was 0:23:44.520 --> 0:23:48.200 in pain. The glory of God was on him so strong. 0:23:48.440 --> 0:23:52.400 He said, Father, forgive them, don't hold this charge against them. 0:23:52.920 --> 0:23:56.560 He breathed his last breath. What am I saying? In 0:23:56.640 --> 0:24:00.840 the most difficult times, God's face is still shining on you, 0:24:01.359 --> 0:24:05.359 giving you the grace to endure. See, there's living grace, 0:24:06.080 --> 0:24:09.879 that's the grace to outlast, to overcome. But there's also 0:24:10.160 --> 0:24:14.679 dying grace. That's the grace to go home, not bitter, 0:24:15.560 --> 0:24:20.040 not complaining, not in pain, but in peace, knowing the 0:24:20.080 --> 0:24:23.560 God whose face is shining on you is the God 0:24:23.600 --> 0:24:26.880 who will receive you into his arms, the God who 0:24:26.920 --> 0:24:31.720 welcomes you to the place He's prepared for you. When't 0:24:31.760 --> 0:24:34.840 my brother Paul was a little boy, I wasn't born yet. 0:24:35.200 --> 0:24:38.920 Paul is thirty four years older than I am. Most 0:24:38.920 --> 0:24:42.600 people think he's my father. But one night, one night, 0:24:42.600 --> 0:24:45.280 Paul was in bed, about five years old, and his 0:24:45.400 --> 0:24:48.040 room was a few feet down the hallway from our parents, 0:24:48.040 --> 0:24:50.960 and they were in bed as well, and for some reason, 0:24:51.000 --> 0:24:53.960 Paul was afraid that night. He said, Daddy, are you 0:24:54.080 --> 0:24:57.960 in there? My father said, yes, Paul, I'm here. Thirty 0:24:58.000 --> 0:25:00.600 seconds went by. He said it again, Daddy, you're still 0:25:00.640 --> 0:25:04.040 in there. Yes, Paul, I'm still here. Another time, Daddy, 0:25:04.040 --> 0:25:08.160 you're there. Yes, Paul, I'm here. Minute went by. This time, 0:25:08.200 --> 0:25:12.760 Paul said, Daddy, is your face turned toward me? My 0:25:12.880 --> 0:25:16.080 father says, yes, Paul, my face is turned towards you. 0:25:16.560 --> 0:25:19.360 Can I tell you, God's face is turned towards you, 0:25:19.800 --> 0:25:23.919 and it'll always be turned towards you, even when you 0:25:24.000 --> 0:25:28.439 make mistakes. God's mercy is still there when you're in 0:25:28.520 --> 0:25:33.240 times of trouble injustice, like Stephen, God's face is shining 0:25:33.280 --> 0:25:37.159 the strength, the endurance. When the task seems too big 0:25:37.760 --> 0:25:41.600 you're not qualified, like with Moses, God's shining the favor, 0:25:42.080 --> 0:25:46.119 causing you to stand out, to excel. And again, you 0:25:46.160 --> 0:25:49.440 don't have to make all this happen striving and straining. 0:25:49.960 --> 0:25:54.560 Just be a good reflector keep God first place, honor 0:25:54.640 --> 0:25:57.160 him with your life, and you'll be like the moon. 0:25:57.760 --> 0:26:00.000 You don't have any lot of your own but you'll 0:26:00.040 --> 0:26:03.760 reflect the goodness of God. Now. No more thinking you're 0:26:03.800 --> 0:26:08.080 at a disadvantage, you're not enough. No arise and shine, 0:26:08.480 --> 0:26:11.440 for the glory of the Lord is upon you. If 0:26:11.440 --> 0:26:14.800 you'll do this, I believe and declare you're about to 0:26:14.840 --> 0:26:18.520 see His face shining in a new way, doors opening, 0:26:19.119 --> 0:26:24.879 greater prominence, influence, healing, abundance, the fullness of your destiny 0:26:25.440 --> 0:26:28.480 in Jesus's name, And if you receive it, can you 0:26:28.520 --> 0:26:32.840 say amen? I'd like to give you an opportunity to 0:26:32.840 --> 0:26:35.680 make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray 0:26:35.720 --> 0:26:40.080 with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. 0:26:40.720 --> 0:26:44.280 Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. 0:26:45.080 --> 0:26:47.480 He prayed that simple prayer. We believe you got born 0:26:47.560 --> 0:26:50.080 again and we'd love to send you some free information 0:26:50.200 --> 0:26:52.600 on your new walk with the Lord. You can go 0:26:52.640 --> 0:26:55.280 to the website or text the number on the screen. 0:26:55.720 --> 0:26:57.960 But I hope you'll get into a good Bible based 0:26:58.040 --> 0:27:03.120 church and keep God first. Many people believe that God 0:27:03.160 --> 0:27:06.520 can heal, but when nothing is improving, our prayers are 0:27:06.520 --> 0:27:09.840 not being answered, it's easy to think, will God heal me? 0:27:10.640 --> 0:27:14.280 The truth is God still loves to heal. I've witnessed 0:27:14.280 --> 0:27:18.520 God's healing power firsthand in my own family. When situations 0:27:18.520 --> 0:27:22.320 seemed impossible and medically speaking, there were no options, God 0:27:22.359 --> 0:27:25.040 stepped in and made away. Now I love to send 0:27:25.080 --> 0:27:28.320 you our new devotional, God Still Loves to Heal. It's 0:27:28.359 --> 0:27:32.000 filled with scripture and encouragement designed to strengthen your faith 0:27:32.240 --> 0:27:35.280 and help you believe for healing even when you can't 0:27:35.320 --> 0:27:38.639 see it. God is still working as you stand firm 0:27:38.680 --> 0:27:41.959 and declare his promises. Healing is on the way. The 0:27:42.000 --> 0:27:45.400 same God who healed in the Bible is still healing today. 0:27:46.240 --> 0:27:49.480 Your generous support is so important to help us share 0:27:49.560 --> 0:27:52.160 the message of hope, and as our way of saying 0:27:52.200 --> 0:27:55.280 thank you for your gift of any amount, Paster Joel 0:27:55.320 --> 0:27:57.720 would like to send you a copy of God Still 0:27:57.760 --> 0:28:02.159 Loves to Heal seventy days to receive, reflect and rest 0:28:02.359 --> 0:28:06.280 in the finished work of God. This new seasonal devotional 0:28:06.440 --> 0:28:09.159 will guide you through a weekly rhythm where you'll be 0:28:09.320 --> 0:28:13.160 encouraged by life changing insight that will strengthen and encourage 0:28:13.200 --> 0:28:17.400 you in your faith. Jesus cares about you physically, mentally, 0:28:17.600 --> 0:28:22.240 and emotionally. He forgives us, delivers us and he heals 0:28:22.320 --> 0:28:26.600 us and makes us whole. With this inspiring devotional resource, 0:28:26.800 --> 0:28:30.240 You'll go on a healing journey. You'll enter into God's 0:28:30.320 --> 0:28:35.240 rest and restoration, knowing his promises are true. Yesterday, today, 0:28:35.600 --> 0:28:39.520 and forever. Receive your copy of this powerful new book 0:28:39.760 --> 0:28:43.800 and experience God's goodness and healing power. Be sure to 0:28:43.840 --> 0:28:47.440 request your copy of God Still Loves to Heal available 0:28:47.480 --> 0:28:51.240 this month by simply visiting us at Joelostein dot com 0:28:51.600 --> 0:28:54.760 or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel. 0:28:55.520 --> 0:28:59.640 My mother was miraculously healed from terminal cancer. My sister 0:28:59.720 --> 0:29:03.280 Lisa was healed from a birth injury similar to cerebral palsy. 0:29:03.720 --> 0:29:06.760 What God did for us, he can do for you. Nick, 0:29:06.800 --> 0:29:08.240 Tory and I are going to be praying for you 0:29:08.320 --> 0:29:11.840 this month, especially for healing for you and your family, 0:29:12.240 --> 0:29:16.040 not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, that you will 0:29:16.080 --> 0:29:20.720 be completely whole. We appreciate your prayer and support. Your 0:29:20.760 --> 0:29:24.880 generosity is impacting people around the world, and special thank 0:29:24.920 --> 0:29:27.160 you to our Champion of Hope partners for all you 0:29:27.280 --> 0:29:30.440 do to make the ministry possible. Until we meet again, 0:29:30.880 --> 0:29:32.880 May the Lord bless you and keep you. 0:29:33.560 --> 0:29:36.480 Be sure to request Your copy of God Still Loves 0:29:36.520 --> 0:29:40.040 to Heal available this month by simply visiting us at 0:29:40.120 --> 0:29:44.080 Joelosting dot com or call eight eight eight five six 0:29:44.200 --> 0:29:48.000 seven Joel, and you can fill your year with strength, 0:29:48.200 --> 0:29:52.080 peace and encouragement with the Healing and Wholeness Collection. It 0:29:52.160 --> 0:29:55.520 features God's Word for every season, a guided four part 0:29:55.600 --> 0:29:58.640 journal series to help anchor your heart to his promises, 0:29:58.840 --> 0:30:01.560 plus God Still Loves to Heal, and the blessing of 0:30:01.600 --> 0:30:06.200 taking communion Together. They'll strengthen your faith, renew your hope, 0:30:06.360 --> 0:30:10.120 and remind you that Jesus still heals and restores Today. 0:30:10.680 --> 0:30:14.440 You can request these inspiring resources by calling eight eight 0:30:14.520 --> 0:30:18.600 eight five six seven Joel or logging on to Joelostein 0:30:18.720 --> 0:30:23.000 dot com today. Call or click anytime twenty four hours 0:30:23.040 --> 0:30:27.880 a day. Request your copies today