Have Comeback Power

0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:02.279 Hi, this is Joel and Victorian. 0:00:02.480 --> 0:00:05.200 Thanks so much for listening to the podcast and thanks 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:07.760 for supporting the ministry. We'd love to have you join 0:00:07.840 --> 0:00:10.560 us for a service in person sometime, or you can 0:00:10.600 --> 0:00:13.520 always watch online. You can find a service schedule on 0:00:13.560 --> 0:00:15.880 our web. I promise you it will make you feel 0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:16.479 right at home. 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:20.040 We love you and hope you enjoy the message. Well, 0:00:20.079 --> 0:00:22.520 God bless you. It is a joy to come into 0:00:22.520 --> 0:00:24.080 your homes. We love you. 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:26.600 We know God has great things in store for each 0:00:26.640 --> 0:00:29.000 one of you. And if you're ever in our area, 0:00:29.240 --> 0:00:31.160 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:00:31.200 --> 0:00:32.040 our services. 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:34.080 I promise you we'll have a good. 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:36.199 Time and will make you feel right at home. But 0:00:36.440 --> 0:00:39.120 thanks for tuning in again, thanks for coming out today. 0:00:39.159 --> 0:00:41.800 And I like to start with something funny and I 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:45.000 heard about this pastor. He decided to skip church one 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:48.239 Sunday and go play golf. He told his assistant he 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:51.479 wasn't feeling well, and he drove to another city a 0:00:51.479 --> 0:00:53.600 golf course there so nobody would know him. 0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:55.520 He teed off on the first hole. 0:00:56.120 --> 0:00:59.080 All of a sudden, a huge gust of wind caught 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:02.880 his ball, carried it an extra hundred yards and blew 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:05.959 it right into the hole for a four hundred and 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:09.479 twenty yard hole in one. An angel looked at God 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:12.640 and said, what you do that for? God smiled and said, 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:19.040 who's he going to tell? All right, hold up your bible. 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:22.240 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:01:22.720 --> 0:01:25.200 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:27.840 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:01:27.880 --> 0:01:30.720 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:35.000 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:39.520 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:40.720 God bless you. 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:44.039 I want to talk to you today about how you 0:01:44.160 --> 0:01:45.600 have come back power. 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:49.880 We all face situations that seem like they could bury us. 0:01:50.440 --> 0:01:54.040 The loss of a loved one, bad news concerning our health, 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:58.560 a divorce. Those negative thoughts bombard our minds, telling us 0:01:59.040 --> 0:02:01.560 it's over, You've seen your best days. 0:02:02.080 --> 0:02:03.080 That setback is. 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:05.960 Going to taint your future, that layoff is going to 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:09.400 ruin your career, That illness is always going to limit you. 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:12.000 It's easy to feel like we've been buried. 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:16.919 But what's interesting is the only difference between being buried 0:02:17.440 --> 0:02:21.360 and being planted is the expectancy. 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:22.400 Of what's going to happen next. 0:02:23.120 --> 0:02:25.480 When you put a seed in the ground, you don't 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:29.360 say I'm burying this seed. You say I'm planting this 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:33.760 seed because you know it's coming back. Not long ago, 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:37.080 one of our rabbits died. I didn't say I'm planting 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:40.640 this rabbit. I buried the rabbit. I knew it wasn't 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.080 coming back. If it did, I sure didn't want to 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:48.000 be around. We all face difficulties, but you have the 0:02:48.120 --> 0:02:51.000 seed of Almighty God on the inside. 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:53.760 He breathed his life into you. 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:57.840 When you go through disappointments, you're in tough times, you 0:02:57.919 --> 0:03:01.120 may feel like you've been buried, but the fact is 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:05.920 you've simply been planted. That means you're coming back, and 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:10.400 you're not only gonna come back, you're gonna come back better, increased, stronger. 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:13.680 What was meant for your harm, God will use to 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:17.360 your advantage. You go in as a seed, but because 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:20.960 of the life of God, you come out blossomed, producing 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:24.800 even more fruit. Jesus talked about this in John twelve 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:29.160 twenty four. He said, unless a grain of wheat falls 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:33.480 into the ground and is planted, it will not produce fruit. 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:37.320 You can have a seed on your shelf for a lifetime. 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:40.360 It will never become what it was created to be 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:43.880 until you put it in the ground. Its potential will 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:48.560 never be fully realized until it's planted. As long as 0:03:48.600 --> 0:03:51.920 it's up on the shelf where it's comfortable, doesn't have 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:55.000 to stretch, doesn't have to deal with any adversities, that 0:03:55.080 --> 0:04:00.680 potential will remain locked up dormant on the inside. After 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:04.560 it's been planted and it goes through the process of germination, 0:04:05.200 --> 0:04:08.760 the outer shell breaks off, the new growth springs forth. 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:12.840 That's when it will blossom and produce more fruit. And 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:15.000 I'm sure if you were to ask the seed, it 0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:18.400 would say I don't want to be planted. It's lonely 0:04:18.520 --> 0:04:22.920 in the dirt by myself. It's dark, it's uncomfortable. It 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:24.760 feels like it's been buried. 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:26.320 Can't see any. 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:30.080 Light, people walking on top of it. The truth is 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:34.120 it's not buried. It's only planted. When it's in the ground. 0:04:34.680 --> 0:04:39.520 In that dark time, something supernatural begins to happen. Although 0:04:39.560 --> 0:04:44.080 the dirt is hundreds of times more powerful, possibly thousands 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:48.560 of times heavier, it cannot hold the seed in. I 0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:52.040 can imagine the dirt when it feels something sturry. It 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:54.440 says to the little seed, what do you think you're doing? 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:57.320 You can't get out. I'm much more powerful than you. 0:04:57.960 --> 0:05:01.000 The little seed says, no, no, no, I know a secret. 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:02.320 I'm not buried. 0:05:02.600 --> 0:05:06.440 I'm planted. I may be down right now, but it's temporary. 0:05:06.760 --> 0:05:09.680 I'm coming back. I've got the life of God in me. 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:13.280 The dirt says, what are you talking about. You're nothing 0:05:13.400 --> 0:05:16.160 compared to me. You don't have a chance. Something in 0:05:16.160 --> 0:05:19.320 that seed rises up even stronger and says, no, you 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:23.880 cannot keep me down. I've got comeback power in my dna. 0:05:24.160 --> 0:05:26.800 I will rise again. Sure enough. 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:30.800 One day that little seed breaks the surface of the earth. 0:05:31.080 --> 0:05:34.120 It smiles and says, I told you I was coming out. 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:38.520 It's no longer buried, no longer hidden and alone, no 0:05:38.560 --> 0:05:41.040 longer has people walking on top of it. It's got 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:45.160 a new beginning. Its potential is being realized as time 0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:48.080 goes by. Instead of being a little seed buried in 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:52.360 the ground, grows into a beautiful plant, producing all kinds. 0:05:52.080 --> 0:05:53.799 Of bright, colorful flowers. 0:05:54.120 --> 0:05:57.560 What happened It went through the process of being planted, 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:01.440 had to go through some dark times, some lonely nights, 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.240 had to push some dirt out of the way. It 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:07.240 seemed like it would never see bright days, but it 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:12.280 just kept pressing forward and eventually it became everything God 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:15.159 created it to be. You need to get this deep 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:18.479 down in your spirit today. No matter what comes against 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:20.960 you in life, you are not buried. 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:22.200 You are planted. 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:25.919 You may feel like, even now that you've got some 0:06:26.040 --> 0:06:27.880 dirt on top of you, you're in. 0:06:27.800 --> 0:06:28.520 A tough time. 0:06:28.680 --> 0:06:32.200 Something was unfair, doesn't look like it's ever gonna change. 0:06:32.560 --> 0:06:35.279 But if you can just keep shaking off the dirt, 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:39.080 shaking off the self pity, shaking off the lies that 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:42.640 are telling you it's over, you're done, then you, too, 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:45.640 like that little seed, will begin to feel the life 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:49.799 of God spring forth. The same power that raised Christ 0:06:49.839 --> 0:06:52.000 from the dead is on the inside of each one 0:06:52.000 --> 0:06:55.839 of you. That sickness will tell you can't push me 0:06:55.920 --> 0:06:59.040 out of the way. I'm much bigger than you. I've 0:06:59.040 --> 0:07:02.560 got you buried. Don't believe that lie. Just say, like 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:05.719 the seed, I'm coming back. I may be laying in 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:08.480 the hospital right now, but this sickness. 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:09.680 Is only temporary. 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:12.880 This chemo may have taken my strength, my energy, my hair, 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:15.640 but know this today I've got comeback power. 0:07:15.920 --> 0:07:18.080 This is not the end, It's only at the beginning 0:07:19.560 --> 0:07:20.320 or this addiction. 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:23.120 It may have kept me back for a long time, 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:26.400 it may have kept my full potential from being realized. 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:29.720 But I'm not staying here. I know my chains have 0:07:29.840 --> 0:07:32.320 been gone. I know whom the sun sets. 0:07:32.080 --> 0:07:34.680 Free is free. Indeed, I'm moving the dirt out and 0:07:34.720 --> 0:07:35.559 I'm coming back. 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:39.720 Or how about this business may be slow, I may 0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:43.280 have lost my biggest account, but I know I'm not buried. 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:46.880 I'm planted. I know God's got another victory in my future. 0:07:47.160 --> 0:07:49.560 I know my best days are still out in front 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:52.920 of me. I want you to have this new vision today. 0:07:53.440 --> 0:07:55.920 God will not let you go through more than you 0:07:55.920 --> 0:07:56.520 can handle. 0:07:57.240 --> 0:07:57.880 If you have a. 0:07:57.800 --> 0:08:02.400 Big challenge today, that just means you have a big destiny. 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:07.640 Extraordinary people face extraordinary difficulties. But the good news is 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:10.840 we serve an extraordinary God. He has you in the 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:14.680 palm of his hands. In those tough times, you got 0:08:14.680 --> 0:08:17.720 to draw the line in the sand, make a declaration. 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:22.240 This difficulty is not going to bury me. This loss, 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:26.360 this disappointment, this injustice is not going to cause me 0:08:26.440 --> 0:08:29.440 to give up on my dreams. I refuse to live 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:33.320 in self pity. I know I am a seed. That 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:34.880 means I cannot be buried. 0:08:35.040 --> 0:08:36.480 I can only be planted. 0:08:36.720 --> 0:08:39.440 Now. I may be down, but it's only temporary. I 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:41.760 know I'm not only coming back, I'm going to come 0:08:41.800 --> 0:08:43.840 back better off than I was before. 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:46.520 I heard a story about a. 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:49.720 Farmer that had an old mule that had fallen into 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:54.199 an empty well. It was about forty or fifty feet deep, and. 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:55.800 The farmer was so disappointed. 0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:59.280 He really loved this old mule, But when he surveyed 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:01.800 the situation and he realized it was almost going to 0:09:01.840 --> 0:09:03.680 be impossible to rescue him. 0:09:04.120 --> 0:09:06.320 The well was very narrow and he was crammed at 0:09:06.360 --> 0:09:06.880 the bottom. 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:10.520 He figured the mule was probably already seriously injured. 0:09:10.920 --> 0:09:12.400 As much as he didn't want. 0:09:12.240 --> 0:09:16.560 To, he decided the mule nor the well was worth saving, 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:19.080 so he was just going to fill the well in. 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.199 With dirt and bury the old mule. 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:24.160 He called some friends to help, and they began to 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:27.640 shovel the dirt in, one shovelful at a time, And 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:30.560 when that old mule felt the dirt hit his back 0:09:31.040 --> 0:09:34.360 and he realized what they were about to do. Instead 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:36.960 of having a pity party, thinking too bad for me. 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:39.199 He decided, every. 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:42.000 Time he felt the dirt on his back, he would 0:09:42.080 --> 0:09:45.240 shake it off and step up, shake it off and 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:49.200 step up, time after time, no matter how he felt, 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:52.280 no matter how tired he got, he kept shaking it 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:55.880 off and stepping up, shaking off and stepping up. Finally, 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:58.440 after two or three hours of doing that, he was 0:09:58.480 --> 0:10:01.320 able to step over the wall of the well. 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:03.560 And walk out triumphantly to freedom it. 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:09.160 What's interesting is the dirt that was meant to bury 0:10:09.240 --> 0:10:14.640 him actually saved his life. I'm asking you today, when 0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:17.760 you feel the dirt hit your back, when life treats 0:10:17.760 --> 0:10:20.880 you unfair, when you go through disappointments, don't let it 0:10:20.920 --> 0:10:24.480 bury you. Shake it off and step up. When the 0:10:24.520 --> 0:10:27.120 going gets tough, the tough have to get going. The 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:29.960 same dirt that's trying to bury you can be the 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:32.800 very dirt God will use to promote you. 0:10:32.800 --> 0:10:33.880 Your attitude should be. 0:10:35.400 --> 0:10:38.480 I may be down, but I'm not staying down. This 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:41.880 difficulty was meant to destroy me, It was meant to 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:42.360 harm me. 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:43.600 But I know better. 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:46.400 God's gonna use it to my advantage. He's gonna use 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:50.240 it to increase me. Do you know the only difference 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:51.400 between a piece of. 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.360 Black coal and a priceless. 0:10:53.800 --> 0:10:57.920 Diamond is the amount of pressure that is endured. How 0:10:57.960 --> 0:11:01.920 you handle your adversities will make or break you. If 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:05.240 you get bitter and lose your enthusiasm, you will allow 0:11:05.600 --> 0:11:08.559 the difficulties of life to bury you. They can keep 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:11.360 you from your God given destiny. But if you will 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:15.440 choose to shake it off and step up. That means 0:11:15.760 --> 0:11:18.840 you keep pressing forward with a smile on your face. 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:22.200 You know that God is in complete control, so you 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:25.160 do the right thing even though the wrong thing's happening. 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:28.800 Instead of complaining you've got a report of victory. You 0:11:28.880 --> 0:11:31.920 go around saying, this problem is not going to defeat me. 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:35.280 It didn't come to stay, it came to pass. I 0:11:35.320 --> 0:11:39.479 have strength for everything I need. I'm equipped, empowered, anointed, 0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:42.560 I am more than a conquer When you do that, 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:46.640 the seed of victory that is in your DNA will 0:11:46.679 --> 0:11:49.319 begin to release and help you push the dirt out 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:52.640 of the way, and you will blossom into the fullness 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.240 of what God created you to be. You'll go from 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:57.720 a piece of cold to a priceless diamond. 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:00.240 That's what this one young lady did. 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:04.679 She was raised in a very difficult environment. Her father 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:07.560 died when she was six years old, and not long 0:12:07.600 --> 0:12:10.680 after that, her mother had to go on dialysis. While 0:12:10.720 --> 0:12:14.000 other young ladies were out doing cheerleading and playing with 0:12:14.040 --> 0:12:16.960 their friends, she was at home taking care of her mother, 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:20.480 helping to run the kidney machines. At twelve years old, 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:22.920 she was the one that went grocery shopping. 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:24.720 She cooked for the family. 0:12:25.000 --> 0:12:27.320 She took care of the little brother, got him dressed 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:29.720 and ready for school. She even wrote the checks for 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:33.040 the mom to pay the bills each month. It looked 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:36.760 like she was buried, looked like that disadvantage would keep 0:12:36.800 --> 0:12:41.280 her from her destiny. But understand, just because you didn't 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:44.920 get the same breaks or the same opportunities as somebody 0:12:44.960 --> 0:12:48.640 else doesn't mean God doesn't still have something. 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:52.559 Great in your future. This young lady knew she wasn't buried, 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:53.560 she was planted. 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:57.080 Yes it was difficult, Yes it was unfortunate, but she 0:12:57.240 --> 0:13:01.200 just kept shaking it off and stepping up. In spite 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:04.520 of the difficulty, she excelled in school. She got a 0:13:04.559 --> 0:13:06.360 full scholarship to college. 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:08.400 She went on to get her master's degree. 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:14.280 Today she's extremely successful. She's happily married, has three beautiful children. 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:17.920 She said, Joel, I didn't really have the chance to 0:13:18.000 --> 0:13:19.199 have a childhood. 0:13:19.240 --> 0:13:20.440 I grew up so fast. 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:24.520 But I can truly say God has restored those years 0:13:24.800 --> 0:13:27.360 and paid me back for doing the right thing. I 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:30.760 am happier and more fulfilled than I ever dreamed I 0:13:30.800 --> 0:13:31.360 could ever be. 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:33.720 What happened. 0:13:34.760 --> 0:13:39.199 Instead of having the victim mentality, she had a victor mentality. 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:42.719 God not only brought her out, but she saw her 0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:44.480 life blossom into. 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:46.440 The fullness of what God had in store. 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:51.439 And I've discovered sometimes the things that we get discouraged 0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:54.600 about are the very things God is going to use 0:13:54.679 --> 0:13:58.640 to promote us. God doesn't send the storms, but he 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:02.160 uses the storms. He will not allow a trial to 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:05.160 come into your life unless He has a purpose for it. 0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:09.000 When you're in difficult times, know that that challenge was 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:12.160 not sent to destroy you. It was sent to promote you, 0:14:12.600 --> 0:14:15.120 to increase you, to strengthen you. 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:17.280 You may not see how right now, but God has 0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:17.640 a way. 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:22.320 Just like that little seed, God uses adversities to bring 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:25.160 potential out of us that we didn't even know we had. 0:14:26.080 --> 0:14:27.920 That's what happened to me when. 0:14:27.760 --> 0:14:30.240 My father went to be with the Lord in nineteen 0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:33.560 ninety nine. In a sense, I felt like I had 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:36.080 been buried outside of Victoria. 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:38.040 My father was my best friend. 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:40.800 I'd worked with him closely here at the ministry for 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:41.760 seventeen years. 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:43.800 We traveled all over the world. 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:46.720 When he died, it seemed like the wind that was 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:49.600 taken out of my cell. It was a struggle making 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:52.320 some of the adjustments. But one thing that really helped 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:55.960 me was down deep, I knew this thing is not 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:59.840 going to bury me. It's planting me, and somehow, someon 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:01.360 God's gonna use it. 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:01.880 To my good. 0:15:02.720 --> 0:15:05.240 There were days where it didn't look like anything would 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:08.200 ever work out. I had to do like David and 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:11.720 just keep encouraging myself. I said, God, I know you're 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:14.680 still on the throne. This loss is not a surprise 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:18.240 to you, but you still have something great in my future. 0:15:19.160 --> 0:15:22.000 God is faithful. He not only brought me through that 0:15:22.160 --> 0:15:26.080 dark time, but that's when I discovered potential in me 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:28.720 that I didn't even know I had. I didn't know 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:31.640 I could get up here in minister. The loss of 0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:35.200 my father is when my seed really blossomed. It was 0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:38.760 meant to destroy me, but God used it to increase me. 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:42.400 When you're in. 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:45.280 Those dark times and you feel like you've been buried. 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:46.520 Maybe you've been. 0:15:46.400 --> 0:15:48.880 Through some kind of loss and you don't see anything 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:51.800 bright in your future. Feels like people are walking on 0:15:51.880 --> 0:15:56.160 top of you. Remember there is a process taking place 0:15:56.800 --> 0:16:01.120 like that little seed. New growth is springing forth, new talent, 0:16:01.560 --> 0:16:06.800 new determination, new opportunities, new friendships. God is birthing something 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:09.920 in you greater than you are right now. You have 0:16:10.000 --> 0:16:13.480 to keep reminding yourself. God is still on the throne. 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:16.960 This is not the end, It's only the beginning. I've 0:16:16.960 --> 0:16:18.640 got comeback power. 0:16:18.400 --> 0:16:20.800 In my DNA. Friends. 0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:23.400 Don't live your life with a chip on your shoulder. 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:27.560 Don't go around dwelling on your disappointments on what didn't 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:31.640 work out. Bitterness will keep your seed from taking root. 0:16:32.480 --> 0:16:37.360 Self pity will hinder your growth. Condemnation and feeling like 0:16:37.400 --> 0:16:40.400 you don't deserve God's goodness will limit how high you 0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:43.400 can go. Why don't you shake that off and step 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:48.000 up over into faith? Understand the only difference between being 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:52.080 buried and being planted is what you expect. If you 0:16:52.200 --> 0:16:54.960 expect that difficulty to be the end of you and 0:16:55.000 --> 0:16:58.640 you give up on your dreams, then even though you're 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:02.400 a seed with the life of Almighty God. Even though 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:05.680 God's already planned, you'll come back because of your own 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:09.480 thinking it won't happen. And I've seen people that have 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:13.400 gone through incredible challenges, but right in the middle, they've 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:17.320 got a smile on their face. They're hoping, believing, expecting. 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:21.040 You know what they're saying, God, I know I'm not buried. 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:23.960 I'm planted, and I can't wait to see what you're 0:17:23.960 --> 0:17:26.479 gonna do next. I can't wait to see the new 0:17:26.520 --> 0:17:29.240 doors you're gonna open, the new friends I'm gonna meet, 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:31.640 the new opportunities I'm gonna encounter. 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:34.640 If you'll stay in faith like that. 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:39.000 Your difficulties will lead you to a new fullness. You'll 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:42.800 see God blossom your life in ways you've never even imagined. 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:45.960 This is what happened to Job. He went through a 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:49.600 nine month season when everything that could go wrong did. 0:17:50.160 --> 0:17:54.240 He lost his business, lost his health, lost his family. 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:57.600 It looked like he was buried, looked like God wasn't 0:17:57.640 --> 0:18:02.080 even concerned about him. So bad his wife said, Job, 0:18:02.240 --> 0:18:06.400 just curse God and die. She was saying, Job, it's over, 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:10.359 You're done, Just give up. It's funny sometimes the people 0:18:10.359 --> 0:18:13.360 that should be encouraging us or doing just the opposite. 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:17.359 Don't let anyone talk you out of your dreams. 0:18:17.640 --> 0:18:21.119 Don't let someone convince you that you've been buried. Don't 0:18:21.160 --> 0:18:23.840 listen to the news report so long that you just 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:27.240 plan on having a defeated down year. No, no matter 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:30.520 what comes your way, it is not a surprise to God. 0:18:30.920 --> 0:18:33.280 It was not sent to bury you. It was sent 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:34.760 to increase you. 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:36.760 You may not see how right now, but God has 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:39.400 a way if you stay in faith, He's gonna bring 0:18:39.520 --> 0:18:42.399 some kind of good out of it. Job was down, 0:18:42.840 --> 0:18:45.840 but Job was not out. If you read the end 0:18:45.880 --> 0:18:49.040 of the story, it tells us that Job came out 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:52.439 with twice what he had before. He had twice, the 0:18:52.480 --> 0:18:56.040 livestock twice, the joy twice, the peace twice, the victory. 0:18:56.200 --> 0:18:59.159 God gave him double for that trouble. When you're in 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:03.120 tough times, everything that could go wrong does, you got 0:19:03.119 --> 0:19:05.640 to dig your heels in and just say this attack 0:19:05.960 --> 0:19:09.879 was meant to destroy me, but I've got inside information. 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:13.040 It cannot bury me. It's only planting me. 0:19:13.480 --> 0:19:15.479 And I'm not only gonna come out, I'm gonna come 0:19:15.480 --> 0:19:16.480 out like Job. 0:19:16.560 --> 0:19:18.000 Which is what I had before. 0:19:19.760 --> 0:19:23.040 The scripture talks about in James how we should wait 0:19:23.080 --> 0:19:27.280 for God's promises like a farmer waits for his harvest. 0:19:28.000 --> 0:19:31.520 I've never seen a farmer plant a crop and then 0:19:31.640 --> 0:19:34.240 worry night and day as to whether it's gonna come up. 0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:36.640 He doesn't lose sleep at night. 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:39.440 Say, oh, please pray that my corn's gonna take root, 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:41.720 Please pray that I'm gonna have a harvest. 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:46.119 No, he waits with a knowing, with a confidence. 0:19:46.480 --> 0:19:50.840 In fact, he doesn't necessarily hope that it happens. He 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:53.720 doesn't even have to believe that it's gonna happen. He 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:57.240 takes it one step further. He knows that his harvest 0:19:57.280 --> 0:19:59.720 is on its way. He's seen it happen time. 0:19:59.520 --> 0:20:00.359 And time again. 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:04.520 And really it's not enough to just hope that your 0:20:04.560 --> 0:20:07.960 situation turns around. Joel, I hope I get well, or 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:11.040 I hope my child straightens up, or I sure hope 0:20:11.040 --> 0:20:13.320 I make it through this slow time at the office. 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:14.280 It doesn't look good. 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:18.080 No, start waiting like a farmer, Wait with a knowing, 0:20:18.200 --> 0:20:21.440 wait with a confidence. Not if it's gonna happen, but 0:20:21.520 --> 0:20:25.760 when it's gonna happen. Just like that farmer, he has planted, 0:20:26.080 --> 0:20:30.480 he's watered, he's fertilized. Now he waits with a knowing, Well, 0:20:30.520 --> 0:20:33.639 you have stood on God's promises. You have prayed, you 0:20:33.680 --> 0:20:37.160 have believed, you have watered your seed with your praises. 0:20:37.840 --> 0:20:41.120 Now it's time to come over into this knowing. It's 0:20:41.200 --> 0:20:43.959 time to come into an unshakable confidence. 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:46.679 Somebody ask you. 0:20:46.000 --> 0:20:48.119 You still think you're gonna get out of debt with 0:20:48.240 --> 0:20:50.040 the economy as bad as it is. 0:20:50.560 --> 0:20:53.320 Tell him, I don't think so. I know. So it's 0:20:53.400 --> 0:20:54.359 just a matter of time. 0:20:56.440 --> 0:20:59.240 Well, you still think that your child is gonna straighten 0:20:59.359 --> 0:21:01.040 up all as can be? 0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:03.520 No, I don't think so. I know. So as for 0:21:03.640 --> 0:21:05.480 me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 0:21:07.160 --> 0:21:09.520 Well, you really think you're gonna get well? I've never 0:21:09.560 --> 0:21:12.960 seen you look so bad. They must be related to 0:21:13.040 --> 0:21:16.480 Job's wife. You tell them, I don't think i'm gonna 0:21:16.480 --> 0:21:18.840 get well. I know I'm gonna get well. God is 0:21:18.880 --> 0:21:23.639 restoring health unto me. How about this one? You really 0:21:23.640 --> 0:21:26.320 think you're gonna get married? You've been single so long. 0:21:26.520 --> 0:21:27.320 I don't think so. 0:21:27.480 --> 0:21:27.800 I know. 0:21:27.960 --> 0:21:30.840 So God's bringing the right person into my life. He's 0:21:30.880 --> 0:21:37.040 bringing me divine connections. You've got to have an unshakable confidence. 0:21:37.440 --> 0:21:39.439 Just like you know the sun's gonna come up in 0:21:39.480 --> 0:21:42.520 the morning, you know God's gonna bring about his promises. 0:21:43.040 --> 0:21:47.040 It may happen this afternoon, it may happen tomorrow, next week, 0:21:47.080 --> 0:21:50.359 next year, or twenty years from now, but you know that, 0:21:50.480 --> 0:21:52.960 you know that, you know, just like that farmer, that 0:21:53.040 --> 0:21:55.919 your harvest is on its way. You've seen God do 0:21:56.000 --> 0:21:57.760 it in the past, and you know He's gonna do 0:21:57.760 --> 0:22:01.520 it again in your future. It goes on to say 0:22:01.560 --> 0:22:05.639 that we should wait like Job. Isn't it interesting that 0:22:06.200 --> 0:22:09.119 of all the people God could have chosen, he chose 0:22:09.240 --> 0:22:13.720 Job as the example. I believe it's significant Job was 0:22:13.760 --> 0:22:17.360 the one that received double God is saying, while you're 0:22:17.400 --> 0:22:21.120 waiting for his promises, when the business is slow, when 0:22:21.119 --> 0:22:24.520 the medical report doesn't look good, don't just expect to 0:22:24.560 --> 0:22:27.399 come out the same. Don't expect to just survive it. 0:22:27.840 --> 0:22:30.800 Expect to come out better off than you were before. 0:22:31.280 --> 0:22:34.320 Expect to come out like Job, with twice what you have. 0:22:34.680 --> 0:22:38.080 In other words, get a bigger vision. Think about when 0:22:38.080 --> 0:22:40.760 you put a seed in the ground, it never comes 0:22:40.840 --> 0:22:43.480 up and just gives you one more seed. It doesn't 0:22:43.520 --> 0:22:46.320 come up equal If you plant an apple seed, it 0:22:46.320 --> 0:22:47.840 grows up into a big tree. 0:22:47.960 --> 0:22:52.119 It gives you many more apples. It's multiplied over and over. 0:22:52.720 --> 0:22:53.800 That's what this is saying. 0:22:54.000 --> 0:22:57.480 We should wait with a confidence, with a knowing that 0:22:57.600 --> 0:22:59.760 I'm not only coming out, but I'm going to come 0:22:59.800 --> 0:23:04.719 out multiplied, increase, in full blossom. I know you may 0:23:04.760 --> 0:23:08.720 have some difficulties, but don't talk about your problems, talk 0:23:08.760 --> 0:23:13.040 about your God. The scripture says, let God arise, and 0:23:13.080 --> 0:23:16.600 his enemies will be scattered. When you let God arise 0:23:16.640 --> 0:23:20.320 in your life and you go out with this unshakable confidence, 0:23:20.760 --> 0:23:24.040 you're waiting for your harvest like that farmer, know one 0:23:24.080 --> 0:23:26.639 that is going to be better than expected. You know 0:23:26.760 --> 0:23:30.720 down deep, no difficulty can defeat you, No person can 0:23:30.800 --> 0:23:34.320 keep you from your destiny. Every setback is only temporary. 0:23:34.640 --> 0:23:37.320 Instead of complaining, you're saying, I can't wait to see 0:23:37.320 --> 0:23:40.400 what God's going to do. When you let God arise, 0:23:40.800 --> 0:23:43.520 you might as well get ready. Your enemies will be scattered, 0:23:43.960 --> 0:23:48.520 enemies of sickness, enemies of debt, enemies of depression, enemies 0:23:48.560 --> 0:23:52.480 of disappointment. Let me ask you today, what are you 0:23:52.560 --> 0:23:55.720 letting arise? What are you lifting up? Oh Joe a 0:23:55.720 --> 0:23:58.080 minutes hard. I lost a lot of money in the 0:23:58.080 --> 0:24:01.760 stock market. My health doesn't look good. Somebody walked out 0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:05.000 of my relationship. No, you're letting the wrong things arise. 0:24:05.080 --> 0:24:08.959 That's discouragement, self pity. You need to turn it around. 0:24:09.240 --> 0:24:11.280 Say God is still in control. 0:24:11.720 --> 0:24:14.560 Somebody may have walked out of a relationship, but I 0:24:14.600 --> 0:24:17.480 know God's gonna bring me somebody better. I may be 0:24:17.600 --> 0:24:20.240 hurting right now, but I know God is the restorer 0:24:20.359 --> 0:24:21.000 of my soul. 0:24:21.200 --> 0:24:23.040 He's giving me beauty for my ashes. 0:24:23.560 --> 0:24:26.040 May have lost money in the stock market, but I'm 0:24:26.040 --> 0:24:28.960 not worried. I know God is my provider. He's supplying 0:24:29.000 --> 0:24:31.760 all of my needs. Somebody may have cheated me in 0:24:31.840 --> 0:24:32.880 a business deal. 0:24:32.960 --> 0:24:33.600 No big deal. 0:24:33.760 --> 0:24:36.959 God's my vindicator. He'll make my wrongs right. He's fighting 0:24:37.000 --> 0:24:41.000 my battles. I'm not buried. I know I'm planet. When 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:44.159 you let God arise, you can't stay defeated. Your enemies 0:24:44.200 --> 0:24:47.720 will be scattered. I was thinking about Moses as a 0:24:47.760 --> 0:24:50.919 young man. He had a desire to deliver the people 0:24:50.960 --> 0:24:53.879 of Israel, but he got out of God's timing and 0:24:53.960 --> 0:24:57.280 he killed a man. He had to run for his life. 0:24:57.359 --> 0:24:59.960 He spent forty years on the back side of the death. 0:25:00.760 --> 0:25:03.720 Looked like he was buried, looked like his dreams would 0:25:03.720 --> 0:25:07.160 never come to pass. The truth is he wasn't buried. 0:25:07.440 --> 0:25:10.960 He was simply planted. He was coming back. Those dreams 0:25:11.000 --> 0:25:14.159 were still alive during all those years out there in 0:25:14.200 --> 0:25:18.520 the wilderness. He didn't get bitter, he didn't get discouraged. 0:25:18.520 --> 0:25:22.080 He knew God was still in control. One day, when 0:25:22.080 --> 0:25:25.280 he was eighty years old, God came and said, Moses, 0:25:25.720 --> 0:25:28.720 it's time for you come back. It's time for you 0:25:28.800 --> 0:25:32.080 to blossom. I've got an assignment for you. Do you 0:25:32.160 --> 0:25:35.919 know the latter part of Moses's life was much greater 0:25:36.080 --> 0:25:36.960 than the first part. 0:25:37.760 --> 0:25:38.919 Some of you today kind. 0:25:38.760 --> 0:25:42.200 Of feel like Moses, like you've made too many mistakes. Joel, 0:25:42.240 --> 0:25:45.480 this sounds good, but I've missed so many opportunities. Listen, 0:25:45.920 --> 0:25:48.560 God wants the rest of your life to be the 0:25:48.560 --> 0:25:53.000 most fulfilling, the most rewarding. Those dreams that you once had, 0:25:53.400 --> 0:25:57.119 they didn't die. They're still alive on the inside. You 0:25:57.200 --> 0:26:00.000 may have made poor choices, but it didn't bury you. 0:26:00.200 --> 0:26:04.400 It planted you. That means God has already arranged your comeback. 0:26:04.880 --> 0:26:06.760 Now you've got to do your part and get your 0:26:06.840 --> 0:26:11.359 fire back. Quit living condemned. Quit listening to the accuser 0:26:11.840 --> 0:26:15.480 reminding you of everything that you've done wrong. God knew 0:26:15.480 --> 0:26:18.879 every mistake you'd ever make. The moment you ask him. 0:26:18.760 --> 0:26:21.800 For forgiveness, he forgave you. And the good news is 0:26:22.000 --> 0:26:25.680 he didn't cancel your destiny. He didn't give away your assignment. 0:26:26.280 --> 0:26:28.160 You need to dig your heels in say that's it. 0:26:28.440 --> 0:26:32.800 I'm not living condemned anymore. If God gave Moses another chance, 0:26:32.920 --> 0:26:34.320 he'll give me another chance. 0:26:34.600 --> 0:26:37.280 This is a new day. I'm putting on a new attitude. 0:26:37.560 --> 0:26:41.639 I know I've not been buried. I've been planted. Friends, 0:26:41.680 --> 0:26:44.240 you have come back power in your DNA. 0:26:44.720 --> 0:26:48.320 You've been created to overcome every obstacle, to rise above 0:26:48.400 --> 0:26:51.520 every challenge. I want you to have this confidence that 0:26:51.600 --> 0:26:54.959 no matter what comes against you, it cannot defeat you. 0:26:55.320 --> 0:26:58.600 As long as you're letting God arise, your enemies will 0:26:58.640 --> 0:27:02.160 be scattered. Same dirt that's trying to bury you can 0:27:02.200 --> 0:27:05.000 be the dirt God's gonna use to promote you. Learn 0:27:05.080 --> 0:27:08.359 to shake it off and step up. Remember in the 0:27:08.400 --> 0:27:12.320 tough times, that loss, that disappointment, that injustice is not 0:27:12.480 --> 0:27:15.800 the end. It's a new beginning. Put your shoulders back, 0:27:16.080 --> 0:27:18.919 hold your head up, hie dare to declare I'm coming 0:27:18.960 --> 0:27:20.639 back and I'm coming back better. 0:27:20.920 --> 0:27:22.679 If you do that, then you're gonna come out like 0:27:22.800 --> 0:27:24.879 job with twice what you had before. 0:27:25.320 --> 0:27:29.400 Those difficulties are gonna give way to new growth, new potential, 0:27:29.480 --> 0:27:32.760 new talent, new friendships, new opportunities, new vision. 0:27:33.040 --> 0:27:36.359 You're gonna see God blossom your life in ways that 0:27:36.440 --> 0:27:39.359 you've never even dreamed of. Amen. Do you receive that today? 0:27:41.080 --> 0:27:43.680 Or we never like to close our godcast without giving 0:27:43.680 --> 0:27:46.600 you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life? 0:27:46.800 --> 0:27:47.720 Would you pray with me? 0:27:48.280 --> 0:27:52.960 Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins, Come 0:27:53.000 --> 0:27:57.720 into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 0:27:57.720 --> 0:28:00.600 if you've prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got again. 0:28:00.960 --> 0:28:04.040 Get in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. 0:28:04.280 --> 0:28:06.600 He's gonna take your places you've never dreamed of. 0:28:08.040 --> 0:28:10.560 Sometimes life can make you feel like you are just 0:28:10.680 --> 0:28:13.359 living in the dark. Even your prayers don't feel like 0:28:13.400 --> 0:28:16.200 they are making it to heaven. But God is listening 0:28:16.440 --> 0:28:20.040 and his light is about to shine. 0:28:20.080 --> 0:28:22.800 We know God is all powerful that he can answer 0:28:22.840 --> 0:28:26.040 any prayer, but sometimes we don't know what to pray. 0:28:26.560 --> 0:28:28.639 We don't think we deserve God's goodness. 0:28:28.840 --> 0:28:32.160 Maybe we're inconveniencing him, or he has more important things 0:28:32.240 --> 0:28:32.920 to deal with. 0:28:33.440 --> 0:28:35.600 But God is concerned about. 0:28:35.280 --> 0:28:39.120 Every detail of your life. He's waiting to hear your prayers. 0:28:39.600 --> 0:28:43.320 I have a new resource called Praying with Confidence Guided 0:28:43.400 --> 0:28:44.960 Prayers for Life's Moments. 0:28:45.320 --> 0:28:47.240 When you face challenges. 0:28:46.760 --> 0:28:49.960 Or obstacles that seem too big, you'll find prayers that 0:28:50.040 --> 0:28:52.880 will build your faith, prayers that will move the hands 0:28:52.960 --> 0:28:55.720 of God. There are prayers you can pray for peace 0:28:55.840 --> 0:28:59.239 and comfort, prayers for your family and hell, prayers for 0:28:59.280 --> 0:29:02.600 your dreams goals. As you make these prayers your own, 0:29:02.960 --> 0:29:06.160 pray with confidence, that's when you'll see the creator of. 0:29:06.120 --> 0:29:09.200 The universe go to work. I hope you'll request your 0:29:09.200 --> 0:29:09.959 copy today. 0:29:10.840 --> 0:29:13.440 With a gift of any amount this month, we would 0:29:13.480 --> 0:29:16.280 like to immediately send you a copy of Praying with 0:29:16.360 --> 0:29:21.040 Confidence Guided Prayers for Life's Moments. In this new resource, 0:29:21.320 --> 0:29:24.480 Joel shares how to pray when you need a breakthrough, 0:29:24.960 --> 0:29:29.080 when you need strength. Yes, when life's moments happen and 0:29:29.120 --> 0:29:32.640 you're not sure how to pray, Praying confident prayers will 0:29:32.640 --> 0:29:36.160 put you on the right path, you'll enter new seasons 0:29:36.160 --> 0:29:39.440 in your prayer life that will turn challenges to victories, 0:29:39.880 --> 0:29:44.800 heartache to hope, frustration to new found favor. Be sure 0:29:44.840 --> 0:29:48.400 to request your copy of Praying with Confidence Guided Prayers 0:29:48.440 --> 0:29:52.680 for Life's Moments Today. Visit Joeloustein dot com or call 0:29:52.920 --> 0:29:55.240 eighty eight five six seven Joel