I'm Still Standing

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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 --> 0:02:00.160 Enjoy the message. 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:03.200 Well, God bless you. It's always a joy to come 0:02:03.240 --> 0:02:05.720 into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, 0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:07.680 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:10.400 our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:12.720 at home. But thanks so much for tuning in, and 0:02:13.040 --> 0:02:15.600 thank you again for coming out. I like to start 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:18.480 with something funny each week and one day Adam said 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:21.680 to God, God, why did you make Eves so beautiful? 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:25.200 God said, so you would love her. He said, well, God, 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:28.040 why did you give her such long flowing hair. God 0:02:28.080 --> 0:02:30.720 said the same thing, so you would love her. Well, God, 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:32.799 why did you give her such a good figure? God 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:35.480 said it again, so you would love her. Adam said, 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:37.920 all right, God, you made her so beautiful, so attractive. 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:42.440 Why'd you make her so dumb? God said, Adam, that's easy, 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:47.240 so she would love you. Come on, say it like 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:50.200 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:02:50.280 --> 0:02:50.640 it says. 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:51.000 I am. 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:53.720 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:53.840 --> 0:02:56.720 what it says I can do. Today I will be talked. 0:02:56.760 --> 0:03:01.239 The word of God, I boldly confess is alert. My 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:06.160 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God, 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:09.480 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:14.120 I'm still standing. We all go through difficulties and things 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:17.240 we don't understand, and it's easy to get discouraged and 0:03:17.280 --> 0:03:20.440 think why am I having these problems? But being a 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:25.200 person of faith doesn't exempt us from difficulties. The scripture says, 0:03:25.480 --> 0:03:29.560 rain falls on the just and the unjust, no matter 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:31.920 how good of a person you are. No matter how 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:34.560 much you honor God, you're going to have some rain. 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:38.040 Men said to me last week in the lobby, Joel, 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:41.000 I'm having more problems than my neighbor down the street. 0:03:41.320 --> 0:03:44.680 That doesn't have anything to do with God. Jesus told 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:47.960 a parable about this where a wise man built his 0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:51.720 house up on the rock. He honored God. Another man 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:55.800 built his house on the sand. He didn't. The winds blew, 0:03:56.200 --> 0:04:01.160 the rains descended and beat upon the houses. Interesting is 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:05.200 the same storm came to both people, the just and 0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:08.920 the unjust. If the story ended right there, you would 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:12.360 think doesn't make a difference to honor God. Same thing 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:15.120 happens to me, that happens to everybody else. Built my 0:04:15.200 --> 0:04:18.120 house on the rock, Yet I'm on this storm, got 0:04:18.120 --> 0:04:21.359 a bad medical report child. God off course, lost my 0:04:21.400 --> 0:04:24.880 biggest client. No, that's not the end of the story. 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:27.719 If you judge it too soon, it may seem like 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:31.240 it doesn't make a difference. Jesus went on to tell 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:34.159 the man that built his house upon the rock, when 0:04:34.200 --> 0:04:38.080 the storm was over, his house was still standing. The 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:42.000 men that built on the sand his house had washed away. 0:04:42.040 --> 0:04:46.240 Here's the difference. When you honor God, the storms may come, 0:04:46.839 --> 0:04:50.520 but you have a promise that others don't have. When 0:04:50.520 --> 0:04:54.000 it's all said and done, you'll still be standing. And 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:56.840 in difficult times you have to remind yourself this is 0:04:56.880 --> 0:04:59.960 not the end. My house is built upon the rock. 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:03.840 The enemy doesn't have the final say. God does, and 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:06.760 he says, when it's all over, I'll still be standing. 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:10.760 You may get knocked down, but you won't get knocked out. 0:05:11.560 --> 0:05:14.200 You may suffer a setback, have to go through a 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:17.320 few things, but don't get discouraged, don't get bitter. It's 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:20.919 just life. It rains on all of us. The promise 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:24.560 God gives us is if you'll stay in faith, when 0:05:24.560 --> 0:05:27.599 the smoke clears and the dust settles, you will not 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:30.640 be the victim. You will be the victor. You will 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:34.360 still be standing. All of us can look back at 0:05:34.360 --> 0:05:38.520 things that should have defeated us. That divorce, that bad break, 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:41.640 should have given you a nervous breakdown, But look at you. 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:47.159 You're still standing, happy, hold restored that addiction, that party 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:50.320 and lifestyle should have killed you. But because of your 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:56.000 praying mother, you're still standing, clean, sober, free. That sickness 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:58.640 should have been the end. The medical report said you 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:01.799 were done. But God, I said, I've got another report. 0:06:01.920 --> 0:06:05.760 It's not over. You're still standing. Or maybe you lost 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:08.600 a loved one, didn't think you could go on, thought 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:11.800 you had seen your best days. But God breathed new 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:14.920 life into you, lifted you out of the pit, put 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:17.360 a new song in your heart. And here you are today, 0:06:17.760 --> 0:06:22.000 still standing. When you go through some things, you see 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:26.680 the goodness of God. You see him lift you, restore you, 0:06:26.760 --> 0:06:31.080 promote you, heal you. When you have this history with God, 0:06:31.200 --> 0:06:35.520 remembering what He's done, you don't get discouraged by every difficulty. 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:38.920 You don't fall apart because of a disappointment. You don't 0:06:38.920 --> 0:06:41.920 get upset because people are talking about you. You know, 0:06:42.320 --> 0:06:44.680 God brought you through in the past, and He's going 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:47.719 to bring you through in the future. About a year 0:06:47.800 --> 0:06:50.720 after I took over from my father as pastor of 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:54.000 the church back in nineteen ninety nine, I got word 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:56.640 that one of our longtime members was going to leave 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:59.560 the church. These were people that I'd grown up with. 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:04.000 I was young and doing my best and last thing 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:06.960 I wanted was to lose people. And when I heard this, 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:10.160 my first thought was, Oh, man, can't believe this is happening. 0:07:10.480 --> 0:07:13.880 It's tempted to get down and discouraged, but then something 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:17.720 rolls up in me. I thought to myself, I made 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:20.600 it through the death of my father. I made it 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:23.080 through one of my darkest hours. I can make it 0:07:23.160 --> 0:07:28.360 through them leaving. I thought I made it through my 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:31.560 mother having terminal cancer. I made it through a three 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:34.400 and a half year lawsuit to get this facility. I 0:07:34.480 --> 0:07:37.600 made it through critics and naysayers telling me I couldn't minister. 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:39.800 I made it through my own thoughts telling me I 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:42.960 wasn't qualified. If I can make it through that, I 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:48.520 can make it without them being here. I heard I 0:07:48.560 --> 0:07:51.280 heard God say, right down in here, Joel, don't worry. 0:07:51.320 --> 0:07:53.360 They may leave, but I'm not going to leave it. 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:55.920 When it's all said and done, just like all those 0:07:56.000 --> 0:08:01.440 other times, you'll still be standing strong in a difficult time. 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:04.720 Right now, you need to look back and remember what 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:07.760 God has done for you. Remember how he's made away 0:08:07.960 --> 0:08:11.160 when you didn't see away. Remember how he's opened doors 0:08:11.240 --> 0:08:13.840 that should have never opened. Remember how he puts you 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:16.600 at the right place at the right time, promoted you, 0:08:17.040 --> 0:08:20.280 healed you, restored you. If He did it for you once, 0:08:20.560 --> 0:08:23.680 he can do it for you again. Your house is 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:28.000 built upon the rock. You have this promise that no 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:31.559 matter what comes your way, when the storm is over, 0:08:32.120 --> 0:08:35.559 when the trouble has passed, when the opposition has ceased, 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:38.760 one thing you can count on, you'll still be standing. 0:08:39.440 --> 0:08:43.480 You have the DNA of Almighty God. The same power 0:08:43.600 --> 0:08:46.600 that raised Christ from the dead, lives on the inside 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:49.240 of you. You may get knocked down, but you're not 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:52.360 going to stay down. There's something in your DNA that 0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:55.840 says get back up again. That's not where you belong. 0:08:56.120 --> 0:08:59.400 You're a child of the Most High God. We had 0:08:59.440 --> 0:09:02.120 a hurricane here in Houston a few years ago, and 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:05.720 there were all kinds of trees blown down. Huge oak 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:09.320 trees four or five feet in diameter, there were no 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:13.160 match for the one hundred mile an hour winds. Pine 0:09:13.200 --> 0:09:16.200 trees well over one hundred feet tall lay in yard 0:09:16.320 --> 0:09:21.920 after yard. Big trees, small trees, pines, oaks, magnolias, elms, 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:26.240 none of them could withstand the hurricane force winds. There 0:09:26.320 --> 0:09:29.480 was only one type of tree that I noticed was 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:33.800 it blown down. It was the palm tree. It's because 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:38.959 God designed the palm to withstand the storm. Unlike most 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:42.560 other trees, the palm is able to bend so it 0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:45.959 doesn't break. There's a certain kind of palm that can 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:50.040 bend over to where it's almost touching the ground during 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:52.800 a hurricane. It may stay that way for five or 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:56.320 six hours. Looks like it's over, looks like it's done. 0:09:56.840 --> 0:10:00.640 I can imagine the hurricane huffing, puffing, saying, I may 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:03.160 not be able to break you like the oaks or 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:05.199 the pines, but at least I can keep you all 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:07.280 bent over. At least I can keep you from ever 0:10:07.320 --> 0:10:11.199 standing up again. The hurricane thinks it's winning the battle, 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:14.120 but in a few hours, when it runs out of strength, 0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:16.800 when the winds die back down, you know what happens. 0:10:16.960 --> 0:10:19.360 The palm tree stands right back up to where it 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:25.640 was again. Why is that? Because God put bounce back 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:29.280 in the palm tree. It may get pushed over, but 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:32.720 it's only temporary, just a matter of time before it 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:36.720 stands right back up. Psalm ninety two twelve says the 0:10:36.880 --> 0:10:41.040 righteous will flourish like a palm tree. It could have 0:10:41.080 --> 0:10:43.960 said we'd flourish like an oak tree, be big and 0:10:44.040 --> 0:10:47.440 strong and have wide branches. Could have said we'd flourish 0:10:47.559 --> 0:10:50.840 like a pine tree, be tall and impressive and be 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:54.480 able to see for miles. But the reason God said 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:58.079 we would flourish like a palm is because God knew 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:01.480 we would face difficulties. He knew there would be things 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:03.720 in life to try to push us down and keep 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:07.240 us from our destinies. So God said, I'm gonna make 0:11:07.280 --> 0:11:10.400 you like a palm. I'm going to put bounce back 0:11:10.520 --> 0:11:13.800 on the inside. You may go through a season where 0:11:13.800 --> 0:11:17.680 the winds are blowing, a season of loss, of disappointment, 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:21.760 a season of dealing with an illness. But don't get discouraged. 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:26.360 It's only temporary. At some point those winds will stop 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:29.360 blowing and the bounce back put in you by your 0:11:29.440 --> 0:11:32.200 creator will cause you to straighten right back up to 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:35.840 where you were before. Don't believe the lives that is permanent. 0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:40.000 You'll never get well, you'll never overcome that addiction, you'll 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:42.760 never get out of that legal problem. No, your house 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:45.320 is built upon the rock. You may be a little 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:48.880 bent over now, you may have some difficulties, but when 0:11:48.880 --> 0:11:52.640 that storm passes, be encouraged. You're gonna stand right back 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:56.880 up to where you were before. What's interesting is when 0:11:56.880 --> 0:12:00.000 the palm tree is bent over because of the hurricane. 0:12:00.800 --> 0:12:04.120 You would think that's damaging the tree and making it weaker, 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:08.240 but research shows it's just the opposite. When the tree 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:12.160 is being pushed and stretched by the strong winds, it's 0:12:12.200 --> 0:12:16.640 strengthening its root system and giving it opportunities for new growth. 0:12:17.480 --> 0:12:20.960 After the storm, when the palm tree stands right back up, 0:12:21.320 --> 0:12:25.560 it's actually stronger than it was before. When you get 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:28.480 through that storm, when you straighten back up, you're not 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:33.080 going to be the same. You're going to be stronger, healthier, wiser, 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:37.280 better off, ready for new growth. God never brings you 0:12:37.360 --> 0:12:41.000 out the same. He makes the enemy pay for bringing 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:44.679 the trouble. What's meant for your harm, God will use 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:48.440 to your advantage. That difficulty is not going to defeat you. 0:12:48.679 --> 0:12:51.360 It's going to promote you. It's not going to break you. 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:54.320 It's going to strengthen you. You're not only going to 0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:58.000 still be standing, You're going to be standing stronger than ever. 0:12:59.200 --> 0:13:02.200 I have a friend that's had cancer three times. It's 0:13:02.240 --> 0:13:04.600 been going on the last ten years, and couple of 0:13:04.640 --> 0:13:08.040 times it looked like he was done, but I've never 0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:11.520 once seen him down. I've never heard him complain. He 0:13:11.640 --> 0:13:13.959 knows God has him in the palm of his hand. 0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:17.240 He knows the number of his days. God will fulfill. 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:20.840 In other words, he's got his house built upon the rock. 0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:24.400 Every time it looks like he's done somehow, like that 0:13:24.480 --> 0:13:28.640 palm tree, he bounces back. Last time the cancer came back, 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:31.400 the doctors told him they were going to harvest his 0:13:31.440 --> 0:13:35.480 white blood cells before he took chemotherapy. He asked them 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:39.040 how many they needed. They gave him a number. He said, doctor, 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:42.520 I'm gonna give you twice what you're asking for. Every 0:13:42.600 --> 0:13:45.160 day he would thank God that he was getting better. 0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:48.840 He saw himself healthy and Whull went out in exercise, 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:52.280 did everything that he could. Two months later, went back 0:13:52.280 --> 0:13:54.840 to the hospital. The doctor said, you're a man of 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.400 your word. You've given us more than twice what we 0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:01.800 asked for. Today he's totally answer free, beat the cancer 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:07.000 for the third time. Here's what I'm saying. No matter 0:14:07.040 --> 0:14:11.000 how hard those winds blow, they cannot uproot you. They 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:15.760 cannot topple you, they cannot break you. Sickness doesn't determine 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:19.920 your destiny. God does. He's the one that breathed life 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:23.160 into you. He made your body. If it's not your 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:25.960 time to go, you're not going to go. God has 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:29.840 the final say, and he said, no weapon formed against 0:14:29.920 --> 0:14:33.200 you will prosper. He said, many are the afflictions of 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:36.360 the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all. 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:40.160 He said, a good man may fall seven times, but 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:43.880 the Lord will raise him up. There's the bounce back. Now, 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:46.480 you got to get in agreement with God. Don't have 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:50.040 a weak, defeated mentality. Oh Joe, why did this happen 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:52.120 to me? I don't understand it. I can tell you 0:14:52.200 --> 0:14:55.840 why it happened because you're alive. It rains on everyone. 0:14:56.240 --> 0:14:59.800 The good news is because you're the righteous, you have 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:04.040 something in you that the unrighteous doesn't have, Like that 0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:08.520 palm tree. There's bounce back in your spirit. No matter 0:15:08.560 --> 0:15:12.320 how hard those winds blow, they cannot defeat you. If 0:15:12.360 --> 0:15:14.960 you'll stay in faith, you'll be able to say, like 0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:18.760 my friend, I'm still standing. Sickness had me down for 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:21.680 a little while, but I came right back up still standing. 0:15:22.400 --> 0:15:25.400 Went through a slow season at work, had a bad break, 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:28.000 but it didn't defeat me. It promoted me. I came 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:31.280 out stronger. I'm still standing. Or maybe I had a 0:15:31.320 --> 0:15:34.720 breakup in a relationship. Somebody walked out on me, broke 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:37.440 my heart. Didn't think I'd ever be happy again. But 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:40.400 look what the Lord has done, brought somebody better into 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:45.000 my life. I'm still standing stronger than ever. Met a 0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:48.680 young couple that moved here from New Orleans. They lost 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:52.440 everything during Hurricane Katrina. The house that they had worked 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:57.120 so hard for was washed away, lost their possessions, their furniture, 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:00.000 their car. They made it out only with the clothes 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:02.920 on their back. A bus dropped them off at the 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:06.160 Houston Astrodome, and when I met them here at Lakewood, 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:09.480 it's like they were numb. Their whole world had fallen apart. 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:12.840 The men's company, the people he worked for, had closed down. 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:16.600 He no longer had a job. I told them what 0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:20.360 I'm telling you. You may be down, but it's temporary. 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:24.360 There's bounce back in your spirit. When it's all said 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:28.200 and done, you'll still be standing strong. Week after week 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:31.320 they kept coming to Lakewood, hearing about how we are 0:16:31.440 --> 0:16:35.040 victors and not victims, and about how God will pay 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:38.200 you back for the unfair things that have happened. A 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:40.880 couple of years later, they brought me pictures in the 0:16:40.920 --> 0:16:43.760 lobby of the new home they had just moved into 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:47.600 in New Orleans. They had an older home, but here 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:50.400 they have a brand new home. The man told how 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:53.840 he has a better job with better benefits, His kids 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:57.400 are in better school, On and on. That's what happens 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:00.360 when your house is built upon the rock. He doesn't 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:03.880 prevent difficulties. You may have some storms, you may go 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:07.200 through some bad breaks, but because of the bounce back 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:11.480 in your spirit, when it's all over, you'll still be standing, 0:17:11.840 --> 0:17:15.800 not the same, but increased, promoted, better off than you 0:17:15.840 --> 0:17:20.840 were before. Isaiah said, when the enemy comes in like 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:25.040 a flood. That means when you feel overwhelmed. You lost 0:17:25.119 --> 0:17:28.280 your house in the hurricane, you got a bad medical report, 0:17:28.760 --> 0:17:31.520 a friend did you wrong in a business deal. What 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:35.160 does God do sit back and think too bad? Told 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:36.960 you it's gonna rain, told your life was going to 0:17:37.000 --> 0:17:40.119 be difficult. Now, when the enemy comes in like a flood, 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:45.360 God raises up a barrier. In other words, that injustice, 0:17:45.680 --> 0:17:49.800 that bad break, that sickness, it gets God's attention. He 0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:53.320 doesn't sit back, He goes to work. It's like as 0:17:53.320 --> 0:17:58.080 a parent, if you see anything bothering your child, if 0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:00.600 someone or something is giving them a heart time, you 0:18:00.640 --> 0:18:03.760 don't think twice. You stop what you're doing and immediately 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:06.840 go to help. One time, when our son Jonathan was 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:10.040 a little boy, maybe about two years old, we were 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:12.840 at the grocery store together and I had walked down 0:18:12.880 --> 0:18:14.960 to the end of the aisle to get something. He 0:18:15.080 --> 0:18:17.640 stayed there at the cart and I could still see him, 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:21.000 but he was about forty feet away. He started pulling 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:23.960 things off the bottom shelf, a few boxes of cereal, 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:25.840 and no big deal. I was gonna clean it up. 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:29.160 But this lady came around the corner that worked there 0:18:29.520 --> 0:18:32.480 and got very upset that he was making a mess. 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:36.120 She started jumping down his throat, saying, listen here, young man, 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:38.000 you need to learn to keep your hands to yourself, 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:40.000 and you cannot make this mess in my store. On 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:43.440 and on. And when I heard that, something rose up 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:46.840 on the inside of me. I don't know if it 0:18:46.880 --> 0:18:52.480 was God or the devil, but it felt good. I'm 0:18:52.480 --> 0:18:54.840 the nicest guy you'll ever meet. I'll do anything in 0:18:54.880 --> 0:18:58.119 the world for you, but if you mess with my children, 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:03.320 you got a fight on your hands. That's the way 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:07.200 it is with our heavenly Father. When the enemy comes 0:19:07.200 --> 0:19:10.160 in like a flood, God steps up and says, hey, wait, 0:19:10.200 --> 0:19:13.720 a minute. You're messing with the wrong person. That's my son, 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:18.360 that's my daughter. If you're gonna mess with them, you're 0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:21.960 gonna have to first mess with me. Who am I? 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:25.840 I am the all powerful creator of the universe. When 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:28.800 God said, let there be light, light came at one 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:32.680 hundred and eighty six thousand miles. A second, God says, 0:19:32.720 --> 0:19:35.520 to your enemies, you want some of this, go ahead 0:19:35.520 --> 0:19:39.600 and make my dad. You gotta realize, in the tough times, 0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:44.280 you're not alone. You've got somebody fighting for you. The 0:19:44.400 --> 0:19:47.840 Most High God has got your back. Now you've got 0:19:47.840 --> 0:19:51.080 to get your fire back. You can't go through life 0:19:51.280 --> 0:19:53.840 focused on who hurt you and what didn't work out 0:19:53.880 --> 0:19:56.040 and how unfair it is. That's gonna keep you down. 0:19:56.560 --> 0:20:01.400 Shake off that weak, defeated mentality and have a warrior mentality. 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:06.719 A warrior doesn't complain about opposition. On the contrary, a 0:20:06.760 --> 0:20:10.600 warrior likes a good fight. It fires him up. This 0:20:10.640 --> 0:20:13.359 is what David did in the scripture. He suffered a 0:20:13.440 --> 0:20:17.359 major setback. While he and his men were out protecting 0:20:17.400 --> 0:20:21.720 the borders of Israel, doing the right thing, fulfilling their purpose, 0:20:22.040 --> 0:20:25.720 it began to rain. These bandits came in and attacked 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:30.240 their home city of Ziglag, burned down their houses, stole 0:20:30.320 --> 0:20:34.639 their possessions, kidnapped their wives and children. When he and 0:20:34.720 --> 0:20:38.159 his six hundred men returned home and saw the smoke 0:20:38.280 --> 0:20:42.800 billowing in the distance, finally realized that was their home city. 0:20:43.240 --> 0:20:47.040 The scripture says they wept until they could not weep anymore. 0:20:47.640 --> 0:20:50.639 It was the worst day of their lives. It looked 0:20:50.680 --> 0:20:52.960 like it was over looked, like they were done. It 0:20:52.960 --> 0:20:55.280 would have stayed that way if it had not been 0:20:55.359 --> 0:20:58.640 for David. He did something that we all must do 0:20:59.119 --> 0:21:01.919 if we're going to see them bounce back. Instead of 0:21:01.960 --> 0:21:05.159 staying in the ashes focusing on how bad life had 0:21:05.200 --> 0:21:10.320 treated him, that warrior spirit began to rise up. He thought, Hey, 0:21:10.359 --> 0:21:13.119 I may be down, this may be my worst defeat 0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:16.040 so far, but this is not the end of my story. 0:21:16.359 --> 0:21:19.840 I am the righteous. I've got bounced back in my spirit. 0:21:20.400 --> 0:21:22.840 My house is built upon the rock. I have the 0:21:22.960 --> 0:21:26.919 promise when it's all over, I'll still be standing. He 0:21:27.040 --> 0:21:32.359 started encouraging himself, reminding him who he was and whose 0:21:32.400 --> 0:21:36.560 he was. He told his men, get up, dry your tears, 0:21:36.760 --> 0:21:40.000 get your equipment. We're going to go get what belongs 0:21:40.040 --> 0:21:44.000 to us. They went out not only attacked and defeated 0:21:44.080 --> 0:21:47.480 the enemy, but they got all their possessions back, They 0:21:47.480 --> 0:21:51.160 got their wives and children back. The scripture says they 0:21:51.240 --> 0:21:55.520 recovered all. David's greatest defeat turned into one of his 0:21:55.600 --> 0:22:01.040 greatest victories. We all face unfair situations, things that seem 0:22:01.160 --> 0:22:03.600 like they're going to bury us. But if you will 0:22:03.600 --> 0:22:08.040 have this warrior mentality and go after what belongs to you, 0:22:08.640 --> 0:22:12.200 the enemy won't have the last laugh you will. He 0:22:12.240 --> 0:22:15.359 may hit you with his best shot, but his best 0:22:15.480 --> 0:22:18.680 will never be enough. The forces that are for you 0:22:18.960 --> 0:22:22.560 are greater than the forces that are against you. Like David, 0:22:23.280 --> 0:22:26.160 you may be down right now. It may be raining 0:22:26.240 --> 0:22:29.680 in your life, but because your house is built upon 0:22:29.720 --> 0:22:33.320 the rock, because you are the righteous, there's bounce back 0:22:33.400 --> 0:22:36.360 in your spirit. When it's all said and done, you're 0:22:36.400 --> 0:22:39.560 still going to be standing. A few weeks ago, I 0:22:39.680 --> 0:22:43.560 was at home lifting weights by myself. I was lying 0:22:43.600 --> 0:22:46.800 on a bench doing the bench press. I was using 0:22:46.800 --> 0:22:50.720 a barbell free weights. It wasn't a machine, and this 0:22:50.840 --> 0:22:53.680 was my last set. I was going to do five repetitions. 0:22:53.880 --> 0:22:56.640 It was a very heavy weight for me. I did 0:22:56.720 --> 0:23:00.639 number one, two, three, Everything fine, just like normal, but 0:23:00.760 --> 0:23:04.000 on rep number four it was very hard. Could barely 0:23:04.040 --> 0:23:06.240 get it up. I thought, Okay, I'm gonna go ahead 0:23:06.280 --> 0:23:08.000 and try number five, but I don't know if I 0:23:08.000 --> 0:23:10.600 could do it. I pushed number five and got about 0:23:10.640 --> 0:23:15.040 halfway up and got stuck. I pushed and pushed and pushed, 0:23:15.160 --> 0:23:17.919 gave it everything I had, but it wouldn't budge. I 0:23:17.960 --> 0:23:20.920 couldn't do it. I went to set the weight down 0:23:21.040 --> 0:23:23.919 on the safety rails I have on each side so 0:23:24.000 --> 0:23:26.800 I could get out from under it. The only problem 0:23:26.960 --> 0:23:30.439 was Jonathan was home from college and he had moved 0:23:30.480 --> 0:23:33.960 the safety rails lower when he was working out. I 0:23:34.040 --> 0:23:37.040 forgot to check. Then. Now I've got all this weight 0:23:37.119 --> 0:23:40.720 on my chest and I'm totally out of energy. I 0:23:40.760 --> 0:23:42.720 couldn't shake it off to one side or the other. 0:23:42.760 --> 0:23:45.199 There were clamps on the end of the barbells. Had 0:23:45.240 --> 0:23:47.879 times before I've rolled it down my chest to my stomach, 0:23:47.960 --> 0:23:50.760 but I couldn't do it with this heavy weight. My 0:23:50.840 --> 0:23:54.440 first thought was how long can I keep this weight 0:23:54.480 --> 0:23:57.240 off of me before it crushes me? And I thought 0:23:57.280 --> 0:24:00.840 probably about a minute or two. The next thought was, 0:24:01.000 --> 0:24:07.480 you've already wasted thirty seconds. As I sat there contemplating 0:24:07.600 --> 0:24:12.160 what I should do. Something rose up in me and said, Joel, 0:24:12.400 --> 0:24:15.480 you are not going to let this way crush you. 0:24:15.480 --> 0:24:17.520 You are not going to let your family come in 0:24:17.560 --> 0:24:20.439 here and find you squashed. This is not the end 0:24:20.520 --> 0:24:24.520 of your story. You're too young to die, you got 0:24:24.560 --> 0:24:27.320 too much in you to die. You're too good looking 0:24:27.400 --> 0:24:32.640 to die. And crazy thoughts come when you're about to die. 0:24:33.640 --> 0:24:37.120 I pushed on this right side with all of my might. 0:24:37.600 --> 0:24:40.520 The left side caught the lower safety rail, and I 0:24:40.520 --> 0:24:44.040 scooted about an inch. I rested a few seconds and 0:24:44.119 --> 0:24:46.720 pushed again on that right side, scooted another inch, and 0:24:46.800 --> 0:24:49.520 another and another. Eventually I was able to get my 0:24:49.920 --> 0:24:52.000 shoulder out from the bench, then my chest out, and 0:24:52.040 --> 0:24:54.280 finally I fell to the ground, and that bar belle 0:24:54.359 --> 0:24:56.840 was caught by the lower rail. Here's my point. When 0:24:56.880 --> 0:25:00.240 you're in a tough time, you can't sit around thinking 0:25:00.280 --> 0:25:03.159 about the bad break and how unfair it was. And 0:25:03.359 --> 0:25:05.919 I can't believe I got this sickness, can believe they 0:25:06.000 --> 0:25:08.320 left me, can believe this weight is on me. You 0:25:08.320 --> 0:25:12.040 can either let that sickness crush you. You can let 0:25:12.040 --> 0:25:16.320 that defeat, that bad break, that disappointment finish you. Off, 0:25:17.160 --> 0:25:19.119 die under the weight of it, or you can have 0:25:19.240 --> 0:25:28.400 this war your mentality and do what you've got to do. Push, scoot, stretch, squirm, wiggle, refocus, 0:25:29.119 --> 0:25:32.560 get your second wind and beat it. I got up 0:25:32.560 --> 0:25:35.439 off the ground. My chest was a little scraped and 0:25:35.480 --> 0:25:37.520 my back was a little bruised, but at least I 0:25:37.600 --> 0:25:40.479 was still alive. I looked at that way and say, 0:25:40.520 --> 0:25:44.640 you didn't defeat me. I'm still standing. The scripture puts 0:25:44.640 --> 0:25:48.119 it this way. God has armed you with strength for 0:25:48.240 --> 0:25:52.520 every battle. I found, the more difficult the battle, the 0:25:52.520 --> 0:25:56.439 more strength you'll have. Your strength will always match what 0:25:56.480 --> 0:25:59.400 you're up against. When I think about how I got 0:25:59.400 --> 0:26:01.240 out from under that way, I don't know how I 0:26:01.280 --> 0:26:04.359 did it. I was totally out of energy. I'd used 0:26:04.359 --> 0:26:07.360 all my strength for that fifth rep. I could have said, God, 0:26:07.400 --> 0:26:09.679 please just take this off of me. It's gonna kill me. 0:26:10.280 --> 0:26:13.760 God said no, Joel, push one more time and watch 0:26:13.760 --> 0:26:17.800 what will happen. I pushed and discovered strength that I 0:26:17.800 --> 0:26:21.320 didn't know I had. Are you letting something defeat you 0:26:21.800 --> 0:26:24.280 because you don't think you have the strength to overcome 0:26:24.960 --> 0:26:28.399 the strength to deal with that financial problem, that sickness, 0:26:28.560 --> 0:26:32.040 that child, this off course if you'll have this warrior 0:26:32.200 --> 0:26:36.080 mentality and do what you can do, God will help 0:26:36.119 --> 0:26:38.960 you do what you cannot do. I saw on the 0:26:39.000 --> 0:26:42.280 news just last week this man came up to a 0:26:42.359 --> 0:26:45.560 car on the freeway that had crashed. There was a 0:26:45.560 --> 0:26:48.679 person trapped on the inside. The car caught on fire. 0:26:49.280 --> 0:26:52.680 This man about my size went over to the doorframe 0:26:53.040 --> 0:26:56.840 and somehow ripped the door away from the car so 0:26:56.920 --> 0:26:59.359 the person could get out. They showed a picture of 0:26:59.400 --> 0:27:02.840 this bit steel frame looked like something you'd see in 0:27:02.880 --> 0:27:06.399 the movies from a superhero. Asked the man how he 0:27:06.440 --> 0:27:08.720 did it. He said, I don't know. I just pulled 0:27:08.800 --> 0:27:11.960 as hard as I could. When you do what you've 0:27:11.960 --> 0:27:15.040 got to do, you'll discover a strength that you didn't 0:27:15.040 --> 0:27:18.639 know you had. Friends, you are not weak, you're not defeated. 0:27:19.240 --> 0:27:24.960 You're a warrior. You've got resurrection power on the inside. 0:27:25.119 --> 0:27:28.520 You may be down right now, those winds may be blowing, 0:27:28.800 --> 0:27:31.480 but like that palm tree, you're about to come back 0:27:31.560 --> 0:27:34.040 up again. You're not gonna stay down. You're not gonna 0:27:34.080 --> 0:27:37.840 be the same. You're gonna be stronger, healthier, better off. 0:27:38.080 --> 0:27:41.399 This is a new day. Things are changing in your favor. 0:27:41.600 --> 0:27:43.639 God's done it in the past. He's going to do 0:27:43.720 --> 0:27:46.119 it again in the future. You need to get ready. 0:27:46.200 --> 0:27:48.960 A bounce back is coming. You're going to bounce back 0:27:48.960 --> 0:27:53.560 from sickness, bounce back from loss, bounce back from bad breaks, 0:27:53.840 --> 0:27:58.240 bounce back from debt. Those winds cannot uproot you. They 0:27:58.240 --> 0:28:01.800 don't have the final say God does, because your house 0:28:01.920 --> 0:28:04.880 is built upon the rock. No matter what comes against you, 0:28:05.040 --> 0:28:08.560 I believe and declare, when it's all said and done, 0:28:08.640 --> 0:28:11.800 you will not be the victim. You will be the victor. 0:28:12.240 --> 0:28:16.119 You will still be standing in Jesus's name if you 0:28:16.200 --> 0:28:20.760 receive it. Can you say him in today? We never 0:28:20.920 --> 0:28:24.040 like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity 0:28:24.119 --> 0:28:26.679 to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you 0:28:26.720 --> 0:28:31.159 pray with me? Just say Lord, Jesus, I repent of 0:28:31.240 --> 0:28:35.879 my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my 0:28:36.000 --> 0:28:40.200 Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:28:40.280 --> 0:28:42.840 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:28:42.880 --> 0:28:46.280 Bible based church. Keep God first place. He's going to 0:28:46.320 --> 0:28:48.200 take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:28:48.920 --> 0:28:52.320 Thank you for listening to the Joel Oustine podcast. Help 0:28:52.440 --> 0:28:55.160 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:28:55.280 --> 0:28:59.160 all over the world. Visit Joeloustine dot com slash give 0:28:59.240 --> 0:29:00.920 hope to get a gift today. 0:29:02.200 --> 0:29:05.120 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:05.120 --> 0:29:08.520 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:08.600 --> 0:29:11.800 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:11.960 --> 0:29:14.400 I know God's best is still ahead. 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