I Will Not Fear

0:00:01.000 --> 0:00:03.680 Hi, this is Juel and Victoria. We are so glad 0:00:03.720 --> 0:00:06.360 that you are a part of this podcast. We believe 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:08.600 that it's going to make a huge difference in your life. 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:10.520 Know that we are praying for you. 0:00:11.000 --> 0:00:12.240 Yeah, we love you, guys, and. 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:13.960 Just appreciate you taking the time. 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:16.799 We're believing it's going to be a beautiful spring for 0:00:16.920 --> 0:00:20.960 you and an awesome twenty twenty four. Enjoy the message today. 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:24.600 Thanks so much for joining us. This is a special 0:00:24.680 --> 0:00:27.720 service of healing and unity and we're honored to have 0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:30.120 you with us. Cand like to hold a few Bibles. 0:00:30.240 --> 0:00:33.279 Let's say it like we mean it. This is my Bible. 0:00:33.680 --> 0:00:36.320 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:38.960 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:00:39.000 --> 0:00:41.800 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:46.000 of God. I'll boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:00:46.159 --> 0:00:50.640 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:00:51.120 --> 0:00:54.640 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:00:54.680 --> 0:00:59.200 about I will not fear. There are so many opportunities 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:02.600 to live anxious and afraid. You watch the news and 0:01:02.720 --> 0:01:08.800 see accidents, threats, and violence. There's war in the Middle East, viruses, 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:13.400 the pandemic, even what happened here at Lakewood. These times 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:16.360 that shake us to the core, they can strike panic 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:20.319 and uncertainty. There are certain forces that would love for 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:23.720 us to shrink back and change who we are, from 0:01:23.720 --> 0:01:28.200 peaceful to panic, from trusting to trouble, from knowing that 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:31.080 God's on the throne, to wondering what's going to happen? 0:01:31.760 --> 0:01:34.920 Are my children safe at school? Or what if I 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:38.080 come down with the virus? What if there's another incident 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:42.120 at work? David said in Psalm twenty three, though I 0:01:42.200 --> 0:01:46.199 walk through the valley of the shadow of death. God 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:50.040 knew there would be some shadowy days, some dark valleys. 0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:53.520 Well we don't understand what's happened for people have done 0:01:53.560 --> 0:01:57.160 us wrong and we feel violated, or a medical report 0:01:57.240 --> 0:02:00.720 is not good, a child is off course, it's causing 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:04.960 so much heartache. These shadowy times come to us all. 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:08.480 But David didn't stop there. He didn't just talk about 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:11.840 the problem. Yes, there's gonna be trouble, threats, Just do 0:02:11.919 --> 0:02:14.880 your best. Oh. He went on to say, though I 0:02:14.960 --> 0:02:18.560 walk through the dark valleys, I will fear no evil. 0:02:19.360 --> 0:02:23.359 He was making a statement of faith. Yes, darkness may come, 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:26.440 but I'm not giving in to fear. There may be 0:02:26.480 --> 0:02:30.760 trouble all around me, the opposition bigger, the sickness stronger, 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:34.919 the adversity greater. But I will not fear. If you're 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:37.840 going to stay in faith and not let life change 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:40.040 who you are, you're going to have to put your 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:43.359 foot down and say, with David, I will not fear. 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:47.000 Because fear is gonna keep knocking at the door. What 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:50.760 if it happens again, What if something goes wrong at school, 0:02:51.160 --> 0:02:53.120 what if you come down with that illness that your 0:02:53.160 --> 0:02:57.040 father had. When fear knocks, you have to answer with faith, 0:02:57.480 --> 0:03:00.280 I will not fear. Now. I'm not saying that we 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:04.440 won't feel fear, because fear is a human emotion. I'm saying, 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:08.200 don't let that spirit of fear take over where you 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:11.679 shrink back and you quit living, You quit going after 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:15.680 your dreams, you quit enjoying your family. You're too worried 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:19.200 on edge of what might happen, what could go wrong. 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:22.480 That's a spirit of fear trying to keep you from 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:23.760 your destiny. 0:03:23.880 --> 0:03:25.040 And the scripture says. 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:27.640 God hasn't given us that spirit of fear, but of 0:03:27.760 --> 0:03:31.640 power and of love and of a sound mind. The 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:34.720 first thing God gave us to combat that fear is 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:35.840 a spirit of power. 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:38.560 You can't be weak and passive. 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:41.200 I wist see if I feel better tomorrow, Joel. 0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:44.760 I hope this goes away. Know when it comes to fear, you. 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:48.640 Have to be bold. I will not fear. And yes, 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:51.880 someone tried to bring harm at church, but we will 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:54.960 not fear. We will not let the enemy use an 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:58.840 event to change who we are, to limit our destiny, 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:03.480 to restrict our vision, to take our passion. You are 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:06.640 in the palm of God's hands. Nothing can snatch you 0:04:06.720 --> 0:04:09.000 away if it's not your time to go. 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:11.920 All the forces of darkness cannot. 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:16.480 Take you out. No person, no accident, no sickness, no calamity. 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:20.400 But in life there will be these defining moments where 0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:23.880 things happen that can shift us from living in peace 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:27.679 to living in fear, from enjoying your life to worrying 0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:31.160 through life. That's where we are at at Lakewood. This 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:34.760 troubled woman came in and tried to do harm. This 0:04:34.800 --> 0:04:38.320 is a critical moment as a church. We could shrink back. 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:41.719 That man is dangerous. Let's hide our light, Let's just 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:44.440 go under the radar. Now this is the time to 0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:48.479 shine brighter, to share more hope, to dig down deeper 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:52.800 and say we will not fear, for our God is stronger. 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:56.280 Our God is greater. Our God is more powerful. 0:04:56.640 --> 0:04:59.280 God being for us is more than the world being 0:04:59.320 --> 0:05:02.800 against us. This is the time to rise up and 0:05:02.920 --> 0:05:07.080 reclaim what the enemy tried to steal. It's time to 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:11.320 renew our commitment to God, Renew our love for one another, 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:16.960 Renew our dedication to serve to bless to give, Renew 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:21.000 our passion for our dreams. Renew that determination to become 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:24.400 who God created you to be. Let this be a 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:27.760 time to stir your faith and move forward and not 0:05:27.880 --> 0:05:32.159 shrink back. You're not here by accident. God chose you 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:35.400 to be here at this time in history. He didn't 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:39.239 choose the ninety members that started Lakewood back in nineteen 0:05:39.320 --> 0:05:43.640 fifty nine to experience what we'd experience. He didn't choose 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:47.400 my father and that generation. He raised up you and 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:48.800 me for this time. 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:50.880 He knew what we would face. 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:54.640 He knew the hurts, the threats, the evil, the pain. 0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:58.560 Nothing that's happened is too much for you. 0:05:58.560 --> 0:06:00.760 You are armed with strength this battle. 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:04.120 There is a hedge of protection around you and your 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:08.039 family that the enemy cannot cross. The enemy is not 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:11.279 in control of your life. He didn't somehow break through 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:14.680 the protection. Now he can do whatever he wants. No, 0:06:14.839 --> 0:06:19.840 nothing happens without God's permission. When Satan wanted to test job, 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:22.839 he said, God, I can't do it because you put 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:25.240 a hedge around him that I can't penetrate. 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:27.800 You're not at the mercy of fate. 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:32.520 Happenstance. I hope I don't get harmed. It's dangerous. I 0:06:32.560 --> 0:06:35.359 hope I don't have an accident. God has a hedge 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:39.280 around you. And I'm not saying evil will never happen 0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:42.599 because God doesn't stop everything, but he. 0:06:42.520 --> 0:06:44.680 Will give you the strength to get through it. 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:48.240 If it didn't take you out, it wasn't a lucky break. 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:51.839 It was the hand of God pushing back darkness. Say 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:55.200 it is not your time to go. How many times 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:58.200 has God protected you that you didn't even know about. 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:01.760 He stopped that car that should have hit you, Stop 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:05.000 that person that wanted to harm, Stop the trouble before 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:08.000 it got to you. You never knew anything about it, 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:11.800 but his hand of favor and protection and mercy was 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:15.760 watching after you, keeping them from harm's way. I'm sure 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.760 we can all find a reason to live worried, afraid. 0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:22.800 But when you understand who's watching after you, who's ordering 0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:27.000 your steps, who's fighting your battles, who's holding back the darkness, 0:07:27.240 --> 0:07:30.119 then you can say with confidence, I will not fear 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:33.800 listen to day. That's attitude Psalm twenty seven. The Lord 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:37.160 is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:41.640 The Lord protects me from danger? Why should I be afraid? 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:45.800 When evil people come to destroy me, they will stumble 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:49.840 and fall though a mighty army surrounds me. I will 0:07:49.840 --> 0:07:53.440 remain confident, for in my time of trouble, God will 0:07:53.560 --> 0:07:57.480 hide me. That's what God did for us last Sunday 0:07:57.800 --> 0:08:01.480 he hit us. Where would we be without the mercy 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:04.880 and protection of our God? How can we thank him 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:07.840 enough for what could have happened? For we have seen 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:11.160 the goodness of God sparing us from all kinds of 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:14.600 heartache and pain. Now I have never come out of 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:19.120 an attack without going to a new level, seeing new opportunities, 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:21.880 having greater faith and greater confidence. 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:25.679 And really, this is the biggest challenge. 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:28.680 In Lakewood sixty five year history. This tells me that 0:08:28.920 --> 0:08:31.880 God is up to something big. He's about to do 0:08:31.960 --> 0:08:34.920 a new thing, not just for us as a ministry, 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:38.920 but in your life. You're about to step into greater influence, 0:08:39.240 --> 0:08:44.720 greater favor, greater wisdom, greater confidence, greater resources. David said, 0:08:44.720 --> 0:08:47.880 though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:51.680 he didn't say I stop in the valley. I set 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:54.360 up camp in the valley. After all, look what I've 0:08:54.360 --> 0:08:57.440 been through. I've got a good reason to be afraid, 0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:01.720 bitter stress. God said he would give you beauty for 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:05.040 the ashes. He said, he'll pay you back double for 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:08.160 the unfair things. But you have to do your part 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:12.240 and keep walking through the valley. The enemy would love 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:16.800 for us to get stuck, stuck in fear, stuck in anxiety, 0:09:16.840 --> 0:09:22.320 stuck letting negative images play, rehearsing the hurts, reliving the pain. 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:26.400 Those images may come, but you have to cast down 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:30.760 wrong imaginations, don't let them keep playing. Just like the 0:09:30.840 --> 0:09:34.200 remote control for your television, if you don't like a program, 0:09:34.400 --> 0:09:37.400 you just click and change the channel. It's the same 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:41.040 thing in your mind. When the wrong picture starts playing, 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:43.360 you have the remote change the channel. 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:46.280 When fear comes, switch over into faith. 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:50.520 When negative memories come up, wanting to remind you of 0:09:50.559 --> 0:09:55.280 all the heart egg disappointment. Change that channel. I refuse 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:58.760 to let this building be a symbol of hurt. Terror 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:02.320 and panic means the channel. This is a place of faith, 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:05.840 This is a place of victory. I see it full 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:12.040 of people who are blessed, strong, healthy, generous, victorious. Jesus 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:16.680 told his disciples, I'm sending you out as sheep among wolves. 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:21.000 It's significant that a sheep has no way to protect itself. 0:10:21.600 --> 0:10:22.280 Sheep are one of. 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:25.959 The most helpless animals when it comes to defense. They 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:29.640 can't run fast, they can't really hide, they can't bite, 0:10:30.000 --> 0:10:33.480 they don't growl and at least threaten their opponent. Seems 0:10:33.480 --> 0:10:35.640 like it'd been better if God would have said, I'm 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:39.240 sending you out as a gazelle among wolves. At least 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:41.400 we could outrun them, or a lion. 0:10:41.880 --> 0:10:43.400 We could claw an elephant. 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:47.880 We'd have size. The reason God used sheep was because 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:52.600 sheep rely on their shepherd for protection. Have you noticed 0:10:53.400 --> 0:10:57.040 sheep don't live worried. I've never seen a stress out sheep. 0:10:58.040 --> 0:11:00.679 The Victoria and I were riding four wheler's one time 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:03.400 in the mountain and we came around this corner and 0:11:03.440 --> 0:11:06.680 there were hundreds of sheep on the trail. We couldn't 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:10.280 get by. I honked the horn again and again, never 0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:13.480 phased them. They wouldn't budge. I pulled up real close, 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:16.600 and I put the machine in neutral, and I read 0:11:16.640 --> 0:11:17.679 the engine. 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:19.520 As loud as it would go four or five times. 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:23.319 I'll never forget. One of those sheep out of hundreds, 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:27.840 looked at me like you're a fool. They never moved. 0:11:28.400 --> 0:11:30.240 We had to turn around and go down another path. 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:31.319 Sheep were peaceful. 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:32.800 They don't worry. 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:36.440 About their enemies. They know they have a shepherd watching 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:41.400 after them, protecting them, keeping them from harm. It's significant 0:11:41.559 --> 0:11:45.120 that David was a shepherd. He had spent years taking 0:11:45.120 --> 0:11:49.080 care of his father's sheep, fighting off wild animals, making 0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:52.319 sure they were okay even in the night, keeping an 0:11:52.320 --> 0:11:55.000 eye out for dangers and things that would try to 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:59.040 sneak up and bring harm. It's not a coincidence that 0:11:59.160 --> 0:12:04.199 David wrote three before he pinned though I walked through 0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:06.880 the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I'll fear no evil. 0:12:07.520 --> 0:12:10.840 He started off the song by saying, the Lord is 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:15.320 my shepherd. The reason David could say I will not 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:18.760 fear in these dark valleys was it because he was 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:23.160 so strong, so courageous, that he never felt fear. It 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:26.839 was because he knew he had a shepherd. He knew 0:12:26.880 --> 0:12:31.000 the most High was watching after him. When you're tempted 0:12:31.040 --> 0:12:34.679 to be anxious, live, afraid, worried, how's it going to 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:38.600 work out? You need to do like David and remind yourself. 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:40.640 The Lord is my shepherd. 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:43.400 The God who shut the mouths. 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:46.559 Of lions for Daniel, The God who brought three Hebrew 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:50.320 teenagers out of a fiery furnace without the smell of smoke, 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:53.880 The God who opened prison doors for Paul and Silas, 0:12:54.120 --> 0:12:58.280 The God who made Elisha invisible to the enemy. The Lord, 0:12:58.559 --> 0:13:02.720 your shepherd, is what after you and see. The shepherd 0:13:02.760 --> 0:13:05.880 knows there will be things that are too much for us, 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:07.520 too powerful. 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:07.720 Too strong. 0:13:08.559 --> 0:13:12.800 The sickness, the opposition, the threats on our own we're 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:17.000 not able by ourselves, will be overcome. That's when the 0:13:17.000 --> 0:13:20.800 shepherd steps in. When the enemy comes in like a flood. 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:24.240 The scripture says, the spirit of God raises up a 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:29.120 barrier when the enemy attacks. The shepherd is there when 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:33.440 evil comes. The shepherd shows up. When trouble catches you 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:38.000 off guard, that's okay. The Shepherd is looking out for you. 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:40.920 You can live in peace, you can stay at rest. 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:43.360 You don't have to do all this on your own. 0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:47.760 But the reason sometimes we get worried, afraid, and uptight 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:51.840 is because we're trying to be the shepherd, when in 0:13:51.880 --> 0:13:55.200 fact we're sheep. We're trying to do what only God 0:13:55.280 --> 0:13:59.240 can do. And yes, you's wisdom, of course, have common sense, 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:02.040 but some things are out of our control. 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:05.280 You have to know what your job is and what 0:14:05.360 --> 0:14:06.280 God's job is. 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:10.080 Psalm ninety one says, if you will dwell in the 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:13.960 secret place of the Most High, you will abide under 0:14:13.960 --> 0:14:17.400 the shadow of the Almighty. He will cover you with 0:14:17.520 --> 0:14:21.880 his feathers. He will hide you from trouble. Our job 0:14:22.120 --> 0:14:25.560 is to stay in that secret place, stay close to God, 0:14:26.160 --> 0:14:29.600 keep in first place in your life. The secret place 0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:33.360 is a place of peace, a place of trust. A 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:36.440 lot may be happening on the outside, things that could 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:39.680 have you worried afraid, but you can't let that get 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:44.040 On the inside. In that secret place, there's a calmness, 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:47.920 a rest. You know the Shepherd is watching after you. 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:51.400 You know you're covered under his wings. When you're in 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:55.120 that secret place. For calamity to get to you. It 0:14:55.160 --> 0:14:58.640 has to first go through him. You'll covered when the 0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:01.840 enemy comes after you. He has to first deal with 0:15:01.920 --> 0:15:05.680 the Lord, your shepherd. David had so many things that 0:15:05.720 --> 0:15:10.920 could have stopped him. He was constantly facing dangers, attacks, betrayal, 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:15.200 armies were after him in the natural. He had a 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:18.520 good reason to live worried and afraid. But he gives 0:15:18.560 --> 0:15:19.280 us a secret. 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:23.120 In Saw one point thirty one, he said, I have stilled. 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:24.440 And quieted my soul. 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:27.360 There's a lot of noise these days. 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:32.560 News and rumors, threats, worries, our own thoughts on a 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:37.920 regular basis. You need to quiet your soul, steal your emotions, 0:15:38.240 --> 0:15:41.640 come back to a place of peace. That's a powerful place. 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:45.480 When the battles all around you, thoughts are telling you 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:50.120 to panic. Circumstances could have you worried and afraid. That's 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:53.320 when you have to take charge and quiet your soul. 0:15:53.920 --> 0:15:56.960 The enemy would love for us to live noisy trouble. 0:15:57.600 --> 0:16:01.360 My child has me frustrated her. I'm rattled by this attack. 0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:05.240 I'm stressed over my finances. I'm worried about my health. 0:16:05.760 --> 0:16:09.360 The scripture says, be still and know that He is God. 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:14.160 This infers if you're not still. If you don't quiet 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:18.480 your soul and release the anxiety and release the worries. 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:20.280 Then you're not going to know he's God. 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:23.200 You're not going to feel his presence and see his 0:16:23.280 --> 0:16:27.760 goodness like you should. God works where there's faith. The 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:31.680 enemy works where there's fear. The real battle is taking 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:34.920 place in our mind. You have to control your thought life. 0:16:35.640 --> 0:16:39.040 Make this decision with me. I will not fear. I 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:42.520 am quieting my soul. I know the Lord, my shepherd 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:46.600 is watching after me. Heard about this young boy one 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:49.640 morning he found a baby owl on the ground in 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:51.880 his backyard and he wanted to go over and pick 0:16:51.920 --> 0:16:52.280 it up. 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:55.320 Look like it was defenseless, this small bird. 0:16:55.920 --> 0:16:58.680 His father told him not to get close until he 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:01.800 found out more about it. Called the local veterinarian and 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:05.080 ask what they should do. The vet said that sometimes 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:07.960 the strong winds can blow the baby owl out of 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:11.040 the nest, or they just get over confident and try 0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:14.359 to fly before they're able. In any case, he said, 0:17:14.640 --> 0:17:17.120 it's a good thing your son didn't try to pick 0:17:17.200 --> 0:17:21.120 up the owl. The father asked why. The veterinarian said, 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:24.000 it looks like that owl is alone. But if you 0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:26.320 look up in the trees, you're going to see a 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:31.199 large mother owl looking down closely watching her baby. The 0:17:31.320 --> 0:17:34.040 minute something tries to harm it, they're going to feel 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:37.760 the full force of a mother owl like they've never imagined. 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:40.760 He went on to say that mother owl will do 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:44.480 whatever it takes to defend her baby, even if it 0:17:44.560 --> 0:17:47.720 means giving her own life. They went out and started 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:51.639 looking around. Sure enough, they spotted the mother owl. She 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:55.840 had her eyes glued to her baby, standing guard, ready 0:17:55.880 --> 0:17:59.399 to defend, to protect. To get to that baby owl, 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:03.159 you had to go through the mother owl. Sometimes we 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:06.160 can fill alone, like we're at the mercy of what's 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:11.560 around us. People with wrong intentions, threats, opposition, trouble at work. 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:15.119 But what you may not realize is, like that mother owl, 0:18:15.480 --> 0:18:17.840 there is a god who has his eyes on you. 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:22.800 The all powerful creator of the universe is closely watching you, 0:18:23.480 --> 0:18:28.080 standing by to guard and to protect Psalm one. The 0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:32.119 message translation says, your way is your guardian God. 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:33.720 He never sleeps. 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:37.840 He's always at your side to protect you, shielding you 0:18:37.920 --> 0:18:41.080 from every evil. He guards you when you leave, and 0:18:41.119 --> 0:18:43.919 he guards you when you return. He guards you now, 0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:47.920 and he'll guard you always when you understand who's got 0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:51.600 your back. You won't go through life worry. Thinking is 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:54.760 so dangerous. And I'm afraid to drive on these freeways. 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:55.560 Crime's bad. 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:58.160 I'm afraid to go out. I'm afraid from my children. 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:01.880 Now you'll say, like David, will not fear. I will 0:19:01.880 --> 0:19:05.320 fear no evil. I will fear no attack, I will 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:09.000 fear no accident. I will fear no sickness. For the 0:19:09.119 --> 0:19:13.679 Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my defender, my protector, 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:14.680 my deliver. 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:17.080 He makes me to lie down. 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:20.840 In green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:26.720 When thoughts of fear, worry, and anxiety come, recognize that's 0:19:26.760 --> 0:19:29.159 the enemy trying to lead you away from. 0:19:29.040 --> 0:19:32.919 The still waters. Get you upset, live on edge. 0:19:33.280 --> 0:19:36.440 No go back to where God is leading you. Isaiah 0:19:36.520 --> 0:19:41.159 said in quietness and stillness shall be your strength. But 0:19:41.240 --> 0:19:46.000 the offosit is true. Worry, fear, anxiety, that's taking your strength, 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:49.800 draining your energy, your joy, your passion. You have to 0:19:49.880 --> 0:19:53.159 quiet your soul, come back to a place of peace. 0:19:53.440 --> 0:19:57.560 That's when you'll feel strength, confidence, joy, even in the 0:19:57.600 --> 0:20:01.480 midst of a difficult time. When I first started ministering, 0:20:01.640 --> 0:20:04.639 I was very unsure of myself. I'd been behind the 0:20:04.680 --> 0:20:08.000 scenes for seventeen years, and I never had any desire 0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:10.119 to be in front of people or a desire to 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:13.640 become a minister. But when my father passed, I knew 0:20:13.680 --> 0:20:16.000 I was supposed to step up and pastor the church, 0:20:16.080 --> 0:20:19.840 and suddenly I had that desire. And we never dreamed 0:20:19.840 --> 0:20:22.240 that it would grow and we'd see all the favor 0:20:22.240 --> 0:20:27.280 and increase. But with that favor came opposition. Those first 0:20:27.320 --> 0:20:31.320 few years, it seemed like practically every week there was 0:20:31.359 --> 0:20:35.280 some group coming against us or some influential person trying 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:38.840 to discredit us, and I didn't understand it. I thought, man, 0:20:38.840 --> 0:20:41.600 we're just trying to encourage people and let them know 0:20:41.640 --> 0:20:44.800 that God is for them. I was tempted to live 0:20:45.080 --> 0:20:48.760 so worried and afraid of what might happen. One night 0:20:48.880 --> 0:20:51.879 during that time, I had a dream. In this dream, 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:55.199 I was running through a large open field and there 0:20:55.200 --> 0:20:59.000 were planes flying very low overhead, just thirty or forty 0:20:59.000 --> 0:21:02.800 feet off the ground. They were dropping bombs all around me, 0:21:03.200 --> 0:21:06.080 just like a war movie. One would hit twenty feet 0:21:06.080 --> 0:21:09.320 away and I would brace and wait for the shrapnel. 0:21:09.880 --> 0:21:12.520 I knew it was the end. It would explode and 0:21:12.560 --> 0:21:16.840 make this deafening sound, but nothing would harm me. I 0:21:16.960 --> 0:21:20.000 was amazed at how I wasn't getting hurt. Didn't make sense. 0:21:20.640 --> 0:21:23.520 This happened a half a dozen times, and every time 0:21:23.640 --> 0:21:26.879 the bomb went off, it didn't affect me. Finally, I 0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:29.560 kept running and I made it to this small house, 0:21:29.680 --> 0:21:32.040 like an abandoned cabin in the woods. 0:21:32.680 --> 0:21:34.080 Had two small bedrooms. 0:21:34.680 --> 0:21:35.360 I hurried to. 0:21:35.320 --> 0:21:37.680 One and shut the door. I could hear the. 0:21:37.600 --> 0:21:41.240 Soldiers coming and their footsteps getting closer and closer, and 0:21:41.280 --> 0:21:44.159 they were looking so intently for me. I was holding 0:21:44.200 --> 0:21:47.480 my breath hoping they would pass by. God, please don't 0:21:47.520 --> 0:21:50.920 let them find me. Then my worst fear came true. 0:21:51.160 --> 0:21:53.560 I heard them on the front porch. They came in 0:21:53.600 --> 0:21:56.959 the house and looked around the front rooms. Then they 0:21:57.000 --> 0:21:59.760 came into my room. They opened the door and I 0:21:59.840 --> 0:22:02.840 was standing right there in front of them. My heart sunk. 0:22:02.920 --> 0:22:04.600 I thought, all right, I'm done. 0:22:05.200 --> 0:22:08.399 They looked right at me for about ten seconds, just 0:22:08.440 --> 0:22:11.320 a couple of feet away. Then they turned around and 0:22:11.440 --> 0:22:15.439 walked out. In my dream, I realized they couldn't see me. 0:22:16.119 --> 0:22:19.600 Now I woke up wide awake, and I felt God 0:22:19.680 --> 0:22:22.040 saying to me, not out loud, but down in here, Joel, 0:22:22.119 --> 0:22:24.720 quit worrying about what's coming against you. 0:22:25.080 --> 0:22:28.840 I have you hidden in a safe place, he said. 0:22:28.920 --> 0:22:31.160 You just keep doing what I've called you to do, 0:22:32.040 --> 0:22:36.080 and the attacks will not harm you. Isaiah said it 0:22:36.119 --> 0:22:40.359 this way. No weapon formed against you will prosper. God 0:22:40.359 --> 0:22:43.520 didn't say we wouldn't have anything come against us. If 0:22:43.560 --> 0:22:45.400 you stay in faith, you'll. 0:22:45.240 --> 0:22:47.399 Never have trouble, sickness or opposition. 0:22:47.960 --> 0:22:51.159 No, they may form, but the promise is they're not 0:22:51.280 --> 0:22:55.680 going to prosper. God has you hidden, he says in Psalms. 0:22:55.920 --> 0:23:00.440 His favor surrounds you like a shield. Sometimes like we're 0:23:00.480 --> 0:23:05.480 surrounded by trouble, surrounded by evil, surrounded by sickness. But 0:23:05.560 --> 0:23:09.159 what you may not realize is there something else surrounding you, 0:23:09.600 --> 0:23:13.560 a shield of God's favor. He's holding back the darkness, 0:23:13.800 --> 0:23:18.480 keeping you from harm, confusing your enemies. Something may informed, 0:23:18.560 --> 0:23:22.440 But don't start complaining. God, why did this happen? Where 0:23:22.480 --> 0:23:25.000 are you now? Turn it around? Lord, Thank you that 0:23:25.119 --> 0:23:27.520 is not going to prosper. Thank you that you've made 0:23:27.560 --> 0:23:31.240 me invisible to the enemy. That you're the Lord, my shepherd, 0:23:31.680 --> 0:23:35.840 my protector, my defender, my waymaker. I will not fear 0:23:36.760 --> 0:23:40.359 Jesus said, I'm sending you out a sheep among wolves, 0:23:40.400 --> 0:23:43.200 and every once in a while a wolf will show up. 0:23:44.000 --> 0:23:48.000 That's what happened to us last week, something to harm, 0:23:48.000 --> 0:23:52.679 something unthinkable that invokes fear and panic and worry. But 0:23:52.760 --> 0:23:57.600 God didn't give us this beautiful building to shrink back, live, intimidated, 0:23:58.119 --> 0:24:00.600 wondering if we're going to be okay. He gave it 0:24:00.640 --> 0:24:03.679 to us because He trusts us to bring hope to 0:24:03.720 --> 0:24:07.480 the world, to lift the fallen, to restore the broken, 0:24:07.920 --> 0:24:10.600 to show mercy to those that have failed, to pray 0:24:10.640 --> 0:24:14.880 for our enemies. We cannot let one event, one act 0:24:14.920 --> 0:24:18.359 of evil, change who we are. This is the time, 0:24:18.400 --> 0:24:22.200 more than ever, to stand together, to stay planted in 0:24:22.280 --> 0:24:24.960 the house of the Lord, so we can shine brighter 0:24:25.000 --> 0:24:28.199 and be a greater force for good. We need you, 0:24:29.359 --> 0:24:33.440 We need your family, We need your smile, we need 0:24:33.480 --> 0:24:37.520 your love, we need your gifts. Together we are stronger. 0:24:38.160 --> 0:24:40.960 The scripture talks about how the darker it gets in 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:45.080 the world, the brighter it will get for the Church. Yes, 0:24:45.119 --> 0:24:48.800 there's darkness all around us. That means we're gonna shine brighter. 0:24:49.200 --> 0:24:52.000 We're going to see new levels of favor, influence in 0:24:52.080 --> 0:24:56.120 God's goodness. So I'm twenty three. After David talked about 0:24:56.119 --> 0:24:59.000 the Lord being our shepherd, after we talked about walking 0:24:59.040 --> 0:25:01.520 through the valley of the sh shadow of death, he 0:25:01.680 --> 0:25:05.840 ended by saying, Surely goodness and mercy will follow me 0:25:05.960 --> 0:25:08.840 all the days of my life. We all go through 0:25:08.880 --> 0:25:13.119 some dark valleys, but remember this, after every shadow, a 0:25:13.240 --> 0:25:14.200 surely is coming. 0:25:15.200 --> 0:25:17.920 We've been through a shadow. But can I tell you some. 0:25:17.960 --> 0:25:21.520 Surelyes are on their way. Surely goodness is coming. Surely 0:25:21.600 --> 0:25:25.639 heally is coming. Surely new levels are coming. The enemy 0:25:25.720 --> 0:25:29.320 always attacks when he knows something greater is in store. 0:25:30.560 --> 0:25:33.359 You may be in a dark valley today, dealing with 0:25:33.400 --> 0:25:36.080 the sickness, a loss, a wayward child. 0:25:36.400 --> 0:25:39.880 God sees what you're going through. He knows the hurt. 0:25:40.160 --> 0:25:43.560 Who did you wrong? What wasn't fair? That's not how 0:25:43.560 --> 0:25:47.040 your story ends. You've seen the shadow. Now get ready 0:25:47.080 --> 0:25:49.640 for the Surely God never brings. 0:25:49.359 --> 0:25:50.200 You out the same. 0:25:50.600 --> 0:25:54.119 He makes the enemy pay for bringing the trouble. Now 0:25:54.240 --> 0:25:56.879 do your part. Come back to a place of peace. 0:25:57.560 --> 0:26:01.720 Quit living, worry, afraid, quiet and calm your soul. 0:26:02.080 --> 0:26:03.040 The Lord, your. 0:26:02.880 --> 0:26:06.119 Shepherd, is watching over you. He didn't bring you this 0:26:06.280 --> 0:26:11.199 far to leave you keep walking through that valley, trusting, believing. 0:26:11.520 --> 0:26:13.920 There are some surelyes right up in front of you. 0:26:14.600 --> 0:26:17.679 Surely you're gonna see beauty for these ashes. Surely that 0:26:17.800 --> 0:26:20.600 child's gonna get back on course. Surely your health is 0:26:20.640 --> 0:26:23.760 about to turn around. God is saying to us, do 0:26:23.920 --> 0:26:27.160 not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, 0:26:27.240 --> 0:26:30.359 for I am your God. I will strengthen you and 0:26:30.440 --> 0:26:34.360 withhold you with my victorious right hand. Come on, let's 0:26:34.440 --> 0:26:35.440 keep moving forward. 0:26:35.760 --> 0:26:38.160 Our greatest days are still in front of us. 0:26:38.800 --> 0:26:42.120 Let me tell you, this setback is setting us up 0:26:42.200 --> 0:26:46.040 to go further, to shine brighter, to see the fullness 0:26:46.080 --> 0:26:47.120 of our destinies. 0:26:47.400 --> 0:26:50.680 The enemy did his best, but his best was not enough. 0:26:50.840 --> 0:26:55.679 We're still standing victors and never victims. We will not 0:26:55.840 --> 0:26:59.720 fear in Jesus' name, And if you receive it, can 0:26:59.760 --> 0:27:02.840 you say, hey, amen, I'd like to give you an 0:27:02.840 --> 0:27:06.160 opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would 0:27:06.240 --> 0:27:10.119 you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent 0:27:10.200 --> 0:27:13.720 of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you 0:27:13.840 --> 0:27:17.320 my lord and savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, 0:27:17.440 --> 0:27:20.240 we believe you got born again. We'd love to send 0:27:20.320 --> 0:27:22.720 you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. 0:27:23.080 --> 0:27:25.080 You can text the number on the screen or go 0:27:25.119 --> 0:27:27.560 to the website. But I hope you'll get into a 0:27:27.600 --> 0:27:31.200 good Bible based church and keep God first place. 0:27:32.480 --> 0:27:36.080 It starts with just a tiny seed. From it, tender 0:27:36.160 --> 0:27:40.040 bud sprout. The miracle of new life blooms and thrives. 0:27:40.359 --> 0:27:43.920 But how do you experience the same miraculous and extraordinary 0:27:43.960 --> 0:27:45.320 growth in your own life? 0:27:45.760 --> 0:27:49.400 Sometimes our life is limited because we're believing too small. 0:27:50.000 --> 0:27:53.400 Faith is like a seed. When you believe all things 0:27:53.440 --> 0:27:57.600 are possible, that's when you'll see new growth, opportunity and healing. 0:27:57.920 --> 0:27:59.840 We don't have to figure out how it's going to have. 0:28:00.600 --> 0:28:03.199 All we have to do is believe. There may not 0:28:03.320 --> 0:28:06.399 be away in the natural, but our God is supernatural. 0:28:06.560 --> 0:28:09.800 We'd like to send you this time next year believe 0:28:09.920 --> 0:28:12.800 big journal. It will help you to enlarge your vision 0:28:12.880 --> 0:28:15.760 and stretch your faith. Where would you like to be 0:28:16.080 --> 0:28:18.720 a year from now? Who knows what God will do 0:28:18.760 --> 0:28:21.320 in twenty twenty four if you'll take the limits off 0:28:21.359 --> 0:28:24.119 of him and believe for the great things He's placed 0:28:24.160 --> 0:28:24.760 in your heart. 0:28:25.240 --> 0:28:27.760 As our thank you for your gift of any amount 0:28:27.800 --> 0:28:30.320 this month. We want to send you that this time 0:28:30.400 --> 0:28:34.160 next year Believe Big Journal along with our new Believe tea. 0:28:34.520 --> 0:28:37.640 As you begin to Believe Big, you'll see God move 0:28:37.720 --> 0:28:43.239 in powerful ways, the impossible made possible. Growth, provision, and 0:28:43.280 --> 0:28:46.800 new opportunities will burst forth above and beyond which you 0:28:46.840 --> 0:28:50.520 can ask or imagine. Also, for the first time ever, 0:28:50.920 --> 0:28:53.760 we want to present you with our new Believe t shirt, 0:28:54.160 --> 0:28:57.800 created exclusively by our friends at Copperfeit for the viewers 0:28:57.840 --> 0:29:01.480 and partners of Joe Lostein. We invite you to wear 0:29:01.560 --> 0:29:04.520 and declare which you are believing God for in twenty 0:29:04.560 --> 0:29:07.920 twenty four. It's a gift from Copperfit as they extend 0:29:07.960 --> 0:29:10.400 their support of the message of hope. 0:29:10.560 --> 0:29:12.480 Many of you have watched us a long time, but 0:29:12.520 --> 0:29:15.320 you've never been to Lakewood. We have a perfect time. 0:29:15.560 --> 0:29:19.600 We're calling it Homecoming weekend April thirteenth and fourteenth. We'd 0:29:19.640 --> 0:29:22.200 love to meet you. I'll introduce you to my family. 0:29:22.480 --> 0:29:25.280 You can see the facility and enjoy a service. We'd 0:29:25.360 --> 0:29:27.680 be honored to have you. We'll make you feel right 0:29:27.720 --> 0:29:30.880 at home. Remember you can watch the services live online 0:29:30.920 --> 0:29:34.600 every Sunday, download our podcast watch on YouTube. 0:29:34.760 --> 0:29:36.959 We'll keep you inspired and encouraged. 0:29:37.320 --> 0:29:40.400 Be sure to request your copy of This Time next year. 0:29:40.640 --> 0:29:44.000 Believe Big Journal and the Copperfit Believe T shirt as 0:29:44.040 --> 0:29:48.080 our gift of thanks Today, visit Joelostein dot com or 0:29:48.120 --> 0:29:52.080 call us tool free