It's Time To Believe Again

0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:03.880 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:00:03.920 --> 0:00:07.080 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:11.440 of your story, of your career, of your life, Earn 0:00:11.480 --> 0:00:13.480 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:13.600 --> 0:00:18.439 education employer's respect. It's time, your time, not just to 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:20.880 go back to school, but to come back and move 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:25.760 forward with Purdue Global, produce online university for working adults. 0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:29.840 Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:33.080 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:35.199 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:37.959 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:40.559 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:40.560 --> 0:00:43.040 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:43.080 --> 0:00:45.879 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:48.960 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:53.600 and get your financial wellness score today. That's faceet dot com. 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:55.560 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:55.640 --> 0:00:57.480 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:57.520 --> 0:00:58.920 offer to buy your self securities sn or is it 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:00.000 investment legal or tax fives. 0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:02.240 He'll forget about the video game you gave him on 0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:02.840 his birthday. 0:01:03.160 --> 0:01:05.039 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:07.280 But He'll never forget how you invested in his future 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:08.280 with the uns stapp. 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:10.480 Wow. Thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:13.600 The units stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:16.319 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:18.760 a limited time. Download the uns stap and use the 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:20.840 code I heeart fifty at sign up to receive a 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.400 fifty dollars bonus when you fund your account. That's code 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.400 iHeart fifty when you sign up at unest dot co 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.319 for a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:30.120 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.880 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.959 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:38.720 leave inspire. 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:41.960 Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week. 0:01:42.160 --> 0:01:45.280 We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. 0:01:45.680 --> 0:02:00.000 Enjoy the message and God bless you. 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:02.720 It is always a joy to come into your homes. 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:05.680 We love you and we know God has great things 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:07.600 in store for each one of you. If you're ever 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:10.280 in our area, stop by and see us. I promise 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:12.320 you will make you feel right at home. But thanks 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.080 for tuning in. Thanks again for coming out today. I 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:17.480 like to start with something funny each week and I 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:20.720 heard about this man. He got caught shoplifting at the 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:23.840 grocery store. He was in court and the judge said, sir, 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:27.840 I understand you stole a can of peaches. How many 0:02:27.880 --> 0:02:30.799 peaches were in that can? He said five? Your honor, 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:32.639 He said, all right, I'm going to give you one 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:35.440 week in jail for each peach. You got five weeks 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:37.960 in jail. The man's wife stood up and said, your honor, 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:40.560 may I say something? He said, yes, what is it? 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:46.760 She said, he stole a can of pease too? All right, 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:49.080 hold up your bible. Say it like you mean it. 0:02:50.280 --> 0:02:53.200 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:53.760 --> 0:02:56.240 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:56.320 --> 0:02:58.920 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:02.520 taught the word of God. God. I've boldly confess. My 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:06.440 mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never 0:03:06.520 --> 0:03:11.200 be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:14.600 want to talk to you today about not accepting things 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:18.160 as permanent. When we've dealt with something for a long 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:21.520 time and not seen any kind of change, it's easy 0:03:21.560 --> 0:03:24.320 to think this is never going to get better. I've 0:03:24.320 --> 0:03:27.240 struggled in my marriage for years. This is as good 0:03:27.280 --> 0:03:30.040 as it gets. I've had this addiction since I was 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:33.400 a teenager, or I've tried and tried to qualify for 0:03:33.480 --> 0:03:36.880 that new home, It's never going to happen. Too often 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:40.240 we get discouraged and just accepted as the way it's 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:43.360 always going to be. I have people tell me, Joel, 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:46.640 I've always been negative. That's just who i am. I've 0:03:46.680 --> 0:03:49.680 always had this sickness. I'm just learning to live with it. 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:54.440 They've convinced themselves that it's never going to change. In 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:58.120 their mind, they've allowed a stronghold of form. Now really 0:03:58.160 --> 0:04:01.480 it's their own thinking that's holding them back, because the 0:04:01.560 --> 0:04:04.440 problem is if we don't believe it's going to get 0:04:04.440 --> 0:04:08.320 any better, and we start accepting sickness as the norm, 0:04:08.840 --> 0:04:11.880 and we accept not heaven enough as the norm. We 0:04:11.920 --> 0:04:16.320 accept allowsy marriage as the norm. That's our faith at work, 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:19.800 and it allows it to become the norm. If you 0:04:19.920 --> 0:04:23.440 believe it's permanent, then it's going to become permanent. If 0:04:23.480 --> 0:04:26.239 you believe it will never get better, then it won't. 0:04:26.560 --> 0:04:28.800 If you believe you've reached your limits, than you have. 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:33.360 The problem is our own thinking. The moment we accept 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:36.560 it and allow the stronghold to take root. We've lost 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:39.840 the battle. So here's the key. You have to view 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:45.480 everything negative in your life, every obstacle, every limitation, every sickness, 0:04:45.520 --> 0:04:50.240 every problem. View it as only temporary. It is not 0:04:50.360 --> 0:04:54.279 going to last forever. That sickness is just a season. 0:04:54.640 --> 0:04:56.799 It is not going to keep you from your destiny. 0:04:57.400 --> 0:04:59.920 You may have had it for twenty years, the doctor 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:02.840 telling you just learned to live with it, but in 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:07.000 your mind you cannot allow it to become permanent. Every 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:09.720 day you need to say, Father, thank you, that this 0:05:09.839 --> 0:05:13.520 too shall pass. Sickness cannot live in my body. It's 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:17.880 on foreign territory. It is only temporary. You have to 0:05:17.960 --> 0:05:22.440 stand against the lie of permanency. Maybe in your career 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:25.200 you feel like you're stuck. You haven't had a promotion 0:05:25.320 --> 0:05:28.240 in a long time. Business is kind of low. That 0:05:28.760 --> 0:05:31.200 thought will come to your mind, I've done pretty well, 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:35.120 I've done good enough. This is okay. Now you have 0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:38.320 to have the attitude I am not settling here. I 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:41.000 know I have more in me. I'm going to accomplish 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:43.760 every dream. I'm going to reach every goal. I know 0:05:43.839 --> 0:05:46.560 it's just a matter of time before those new doors 0:05:46.640 --> 0:05:49.599 begin to open up. If you have to stand in 0:05:49.600 --> 0:05:54.600 faith your whole lifetime. You should never accept mediocrity in 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:57.720 your marriage, in your career, in your finances, in your health, 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:01.400 and your family. Don't allow the strongholds to take root. 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:05.320 It is only temporary, and it'll help you to stay 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.920 in faith if you'll recognize God is working in your 0:06:09.000 --> 0:06:13.200 life right now. You may not see anything happening, but 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:16.520 that doesn't mean God is not working, it says in 0:06:16.560 --> 0:06:20.800 Philippians two thirteen. God is constantly at work in those 0:06:20.800 --> 0:06:25.280 who believe. That means because you're a believer, right now, 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:29.919 God is working, not next week, not next month, Right now. 0:06:30.080 --> 0:06:33.560 God is arranging things in your favor. Right now. God 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:36.880 is lying up the right people right now. Health and 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:40.520 healing is flowing through your body right now. God's protecting 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:44.120 your children right now. God's fighting your battles for you. 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:48.480 As long as you're believing, God is working. That's why 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:51.720 it's so important to live in an attitude of faith 0:06:51.839 --> 0:06:56.280 and expectancy. It allows God to continue to work all 0:06:56.320 --> 0:06:59.400 through the day. These thoughts will bombard our minds saying 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:03.000 it's it's not going to change. Nothing is happening. Your 0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:06.279 health is not improving, your child is not doing better. 0:07:06.640 --> 0:07:08.600 You're never going to get married. You might as well 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:12.240 accept it. That is the forces of darkness trying to 0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:14.960 keep you right where you are. You may not see 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:18.000 anything happening in the natural. It may look the same 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:21.600 week after week, month after month, even year after year. 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:24.280 But you've got to have the attitude. I am not 0:07:24.480 --> 0:07:27.680 moved by what I see. I'm moved by what I know, 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:31.440 and I know because I'm a believer. Right now, God 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:34.400 is working in my finances right now, God's working in 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:38.480 my children, right now, God's working in my health. When 0:07:38.520 --> 0:07:42.320 you believe, you activate God's power. But if we don't 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:46.240 guard our minds and constantly cast down these wrong thoughts, 0:07:46.640 --> 0:07:50.120 then over time we'll get worn down and eventually we'll 0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:53.680 give in. Well, Joel, I'd love to believe what you're saying, 0:07:53.760 --> 0:07:56.960 but you don't know my situation. I don't see how 0:07:56.960 --> 0:08:00.200 it could ever change. It's been this way so long. No, 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:03.280 when you dwell on thoughts like that, you are tying 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:07.040 the hands of almighty God. If you could see behind 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:10.400 the scenes right now, you would see God arranging things 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:14.760 in your favor, lining up your vindication, planning your breakthrough. 0:08:15.320 --> 0:08:17.440 But all of a sudden, God says to the angels, 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:20.480 hold on, everybody, We've got to take a break. We've 0:08:20.480 --> 0:08:22.720 got to put this project on hold. One of the 0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:25.760 angels says, why God, why can't we finish? Why can't 0:08:25.800 --> 0:08:28.320 we give them the victory? Why can't we turn it around? 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:31.880 God says, we have to stop because they quit believing. 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:35.960 They're not releasing their faith anymore. If they're not activating 0:08:36.000 --> 0:08:39.160 my power, I can't continue to work. I don't know 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:41.520 about you, but I need all the help I can get. 0:08:41.840 --> 0:08:44.280 I need God to fight my battles for me. I 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:47.760 need his favor, his wisdom, his strength. Let's make up 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:50.680 our minds. We're going to be believers and not doubters. 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:53.880 And it may be taking a long time, but remember 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:58.280 this promise God will finish what he started. That tells 0:08:58.320 --> 0:09:01.480 me we don't have to live life up set, stressed, 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:04.000 wondering if it's ever going to change, Is it ever 0:09:04.040 --> 0:09:06.640 gonna get any better? No, we can stay at peace, 0:09:07.080 --> 0:09:10.520 knowing at the exact right time, in due season, it 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:11.800 is going to come to pass. 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:12.400 Now. 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:15.479 I know some of you have had these same challenges 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:18.160 for a long long time, and in the natural it 0:09:18.200 --> 0:09:20.680 doesn't seem like it's ever going to get better. But 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:23.720 God is saying it is not permanent. It is not 0:09:23.840 --> 0:09:27.120 going to last forever. Your day of victory is on 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:31.200 its way. Because you're a believer, things are changing in 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:35.360 your favor. God is working behind the scenes, and it's 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:38.000 just a matter of time before you see new doors 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:44.439 begin to open. Divine connections are coming your way, restoration, vindication, promotion, 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:48.680 health and healing. Now is not the time to give up. 0:09:49.160 --> 0:09:51.719 Now's not the time to get discouraged to think, ah, man, 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:54.640 it's not gonna happen for me. No. Now, more than 0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:57.679 ever is the time to dig your heels in, stay 0:09:57.679 --> 0:10:01.439 in faith, knowing that your time is coming. I think 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:05.240 about the Israelites. They had been in slavery year after year. 0:10:05.760 --> 0:10:09.960 They were very mistreated. Taking advantage of was unfair. But 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:13.720 one day God supernaturally brought them out and after much traveling, 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:17.280 they finally made it to the Promised Land. They were 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:21.240 camped right next door. God promised them the victory. All 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:23.800 they had to do was fight for the land. They 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:27.120 were so close they could taste it. Their dream was 0:10:27.120 --> 0:10:30.200 about to come to pass. Moses sent some men in 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:33.320 to spy out the land, and they came back and said, Moses, 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:36.840 we'll never defeat these people. They're so much stronger, so 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:39.320 much more powerful than us. We don't have a chance. 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:43.839 That negative report spread like wildfire throughout the rest of 0:10:43.880 --> 0:10:49.480 the camp. The people got discouraged. They started complaining, saying, Moses, 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:52.000 why did you bring us out here in the desert 0:10:52.080 --> 0:10:55.120 to die? Why can't we just go back to being slaves? 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:58.959 Do you know those people, even though they were camped 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:02.400 next door, they never made it into the promised land. 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:06.320 They wandered around in the wilderness for over forty years. 0:11:06.480 --> 0:11:10.640 What's my point? It became permanent because of their own 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:14.760 wrong thinking. It was never God's intention for them to 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:21.280 stay in mediocrity. God never planned for them to wander around, defeated, constantly, struggling, 0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:25.240 constantly in lack. They had seen God do great things. 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:28.920 But when we get discouraged and we slip over into 0:11:28.960 --> 0:11:33.280 that negative mentality and we start thinking, my obstacles are 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:35.760 too big, I don't see how it could ever change. 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.839 It's always going to be like this. Then our own 0:11:39.080 --> 0:11:43.520 wrong thinking is what allows it to become permanent. Some 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:47.160 of you today, just like them, You are camped right 0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:50.480 next door to your promised land. You are so close 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:53.720 to a major victory. You are so close to seeing 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:56.720 that promotion you've been praying for, close to a new 0:11:56.800 --> 0:11:59.959 day in your health, close to seeing that child turn rand. 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:04.080 Let me encourage you. Don't do like they did and say, 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:07.280 oh Joel, I've had this sickness for years. My obstacles 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:10.240 are too big. I never get any good breaks. No, 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:13.920 shake that off and let this seed of faith take root. 0:12:14.440 --> 0:12:17.960 You got to have the attitude it's my time. This 0:12:18.040 --> 0:12:21.239 may look permanent, but I know better God says it's temporary. 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:24.920 I'm not gonna live my life defeated, depressed, negative. I'm 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:27.959 a believer and not a doubter. I'm gonna step into 0:12:27.960 --> 0:12:31.840 my promised land. It is only permanent if we allow 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:34.760 it to become permanent in our own minds. The Book 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:37.960 of Genesis, Isaac was talking to his son Esaud. He 0:12:38.000 --> 0:12:41.760 said something so interesting. He said, Esau, your brother has 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:47.000 tricked me, and he has carried away your blessing. This 0:12:47.160 --> 0:12:52.400 is saying someone or something can carry away our blessing. 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:57.280 I'm sure sometimes we've let disappointments carry away our blessing. 0:12:57.960 --> 0:13:02.080 Sometimes we let discouragement carry a way of blessing, no doubt. 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:05.440 At times we've all let other people steal our blessings. 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:08.320 I don't know about you, but this does something to 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:11.920 me on the inside. It makes me more determined than 0:13:11.960 --> 0:13:15.000 ever that I am gonna stand in faith and not 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:20.000 allow anyone or anything to carry away my blessings. Some 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:23.520 of you today you need to go back and get 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:27.280 your blessings. That's a great thing about God. It's never 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:32.079 too late. You can reclaim lost blessings. Maybe you didn't 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:34.160 go into the Promised Land the first time you were 0:13:34.200 --> 0:13:37.200 camp next door. Your attitude needs to be I'm gonna 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:39.720 go in the next time. No person is gonna talk 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:42.880 me out of my victory. No obstacle is gonna defeat me, 0:13:43.360 --> 0:13:46.840 No sickness is gonna hold me back, No disappointment is 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:50.199 going to discourage me. What I lost in the past, 0:13:50.640 --> 0:13:53.160 I know God can make up in the future. So 0:13:53.280 --> 0:13:57.360 I'm going into that reclaiming mode. You need to reclaim 0:13:57.520 --> 0:14:02.280 every lost opportunity, Reclaim every blessing you let pass by, 0:14:02.520 --> 0:14:06.000 Reclaim every promotion that should have been yours. Reclaim the 0:14:06.080 --> 0:14:08.960 victory that people tried to talk you out of. If 0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:11.760 you'll rise up in faith, it is never too late. 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:15.000 Somebody may have carried away a blessing, but this is 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:18.199 a new day and God is saying, you can still 0:14:18.240 --> 0:14:21.960 live a life of victory. You can still accomplish every dream, 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:25.600 you can still overcome that addiction, you can still be 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:29.040 happy in your marriage. You can still live a blessed, 0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:33.080 prosperous life. It is never too late to become all 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:36.840 that God's created you to be. I think about how 0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:40.560 when Jesus prayed for people, often he would ask how 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:43.440 long they had been that way. He said to the 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:46.160 man at the pool of Bethesda, how long have you 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:50.440 been laying here? The man answered thirty eight years. He 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:52.760 asked a woman that has all been over, how long 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:56.840 you've been this way? She said eighteen years. These parents 0:14:56.880 --> 0:15:00.560 brought their grown son to Jesus. He was blind. Jesus said, 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:03.280 how long has he not been able to see? They said, 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:07.400 since he was born. Why was Jesus so interested in 0:15:07.480 --> 0:15:09.920 the length of time? Why didn't he just heal them 0:15:09.960 --> 0:15:12.760 and go on to the next one. It's because he 0:15:12.840 --> 0:15:16.680 wanted to show us how nothing is permanent. He wanted 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:20.080 it to be forever recorded so we would always know 0:15:20.520 --> 0:15:24.240 it is never too late. It's interesting at that pool, 0:15:24.600 --> 0:15:28.360 Jesus healed the man that had been there the longest. 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:31.720 He didn't just randomly pick him out, no doubt, there 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:34.960 were hundreds of other sick people. Why did Jesus choose 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:38.880 him to make sure we understood that even if it's 0:15:38.920 --> 0:15:41.960 been thirty eight years, even if it looks like it's 0:15:42.000 --> 0:15:44.920 set in stone, it looks like it's never going to change. 0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:49.320 It's just impossible. God says, if you believe, all things 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:54.880 are possible. Some of you today, some of you today, 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:58.400 have faced things that have been there year after year, 0:15:58.480 --> 0:16:00.720 and you're just about to give up. You're just about 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:03.880 to write it off. But God is saying it's time 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:07.720 to believe again. I can still bring that dream to pass. 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:11.040 I can still restore your marriage. I can still heal 0:16:11.120 --> 0:16:14.280 your body. I can still bring the right person into 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:18.440 your life. Don't stop believing it's not over until God 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:21.080 says it's over. You may have been praying about a 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:24.560 situation for a year or five years, I don't know 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:28.680 ten years. But as long as you're praying, God is working, 0:16:28.760 --> 0:16:32.160 as long as you're believing, God is working. I met 0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:35.000 a ninety year old man in the lobbies. A couple 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:37.800 of weeks ago after the service. He had never been 0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:40.680 to church a day in his life, ninety years old, 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:44.080 never set foot in a church. That morning, he had 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:47.160 stood up and made a decision for Christ. His family 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:51.720 was so excited. His wife was there, his children, his grandchildren. 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:56.080 They told how they had been praying for their father 0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:59.920 for over sixty years. This wife had gone to church 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:04.560 without him, year after year, taking the children. Being her best, 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:07.639 she said, every time I pulled out of the driveway 0:17:07.760 --> 0:17:11.040 headed to church, I said, Father, thank you that one 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:14.440 day my husband will be coming with me. One day 0:17:14.600 --> 0:17:17.639 he'll be serving you, don't you know. She could have 0:17:17.680 --> 0:17:21.560 given up after a year, after five years, after ten years, 0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:25.240 but she was bold enough to keep believing. She knew 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:28.240 as long as she was believing, God was working, she 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:31.320 knew this promise that God would finish what he started. 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:35.040 She had big tears coming down her cheeks. She said, Joel, 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:39.359 today is the fulfillment of a dream coming to pass. Friends, 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:42.560 It's not over until God says it's over. You may 0:17:42.640 --> 0:17:45.520 have been praying for a loved one for many years, 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:48.879 but keep on praying. Your day of victory is on 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:52.080 its way. You may have struggled with that addiction for 0:17:52.119 --> 0:17:54.919 a long long time, but you keep resisting it, you 0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:57.840 keep being your best because your day of freedom is 0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:00.879 on its way. Or maybe you've had a dream in 0:18:00.960 --> 0:18:03.840 your heart. It's been so long and you've tried here 0:18:03.880 --> 0:18:06.639 and there, nothing's worked out. But if you will stay 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:10.600 in faith and keep believing, keep praying, keep hoping, keep 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:13.120 being your best, God still has a way to bring 0:18:13.160 --> 0:18:16.679 it to pass. The scripture says here in Second Corinthians 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:20.800 four eighteen, the things that are seen are temporary, but 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:24.720 the things that are unseen are eternal. One version says 0:18:25.000 --> 0:18:29.399 the things that are seen are subject to change. You 0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:32.760 may have situations that look permanent, looks like it's set 0:18:32.840 --> 0:18:36.680 in stone, but you have to remind yourself everything you're 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:40.720 facing is subject to change. Your child may not be 0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:44.320 doing right, but he's subject to change. Your health may 0:18:44.320 --> 0:18:47.680 be going downhill. The good news is it's subject to change. 0:18:48.280 --> 0:18:50.840 Your finances may be kind of low, but they are 0:18:51.040 --> 0:18:55.160 subject to change. Sometimes you need to get that checkbook 0:18:55.200 --> 0:18:59.159 out and just announce to it you are subject to change. 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:03.040 Or maybe your boss hasn't been treating you right. Maybe 0:19:03.080 --> 0:19:05.359 it's been that way a long time. Next time you 0:19:05.400 --> 0:19:07.720 see him, just smile real big and say, sir, do 0:19:07.800 --> 0:19:11.919 you realize you are subject to change? You better do 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:15.639 that one under your breath. But if we make the 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:18.560 mistake of accepting it, and we let it get on 0:19:18.600 --> 0:19:23.160 the inside and damper our vision, steal our enthusiasm, we've 0:19:23.160 --> 0:19:25.840 already lost the battle. It may have been going on 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:29.120 for years, but it is not permanent. Here's how Paul 0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:33.800 put it. These light afflictions are for a moment. Notice, 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:37.439 he was saying, don't take ownership of those problems. They 0:19:37.480 --> 0:19:41.840 are temporary. It's amazing what he called light afflictions. Paul 0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:45.400 had been shipwrecked and spent nights on the open sea. 0:19:45.760 --> 0:19:49.560 He had been bitten by poisonous snakes, beaten with rods, 0:19:49.640 --> 0:19:54.040 thrown into prison, gone without food and shelter. His attitude was, 0:19:54.160 --> 0:19:56.560 it's no big deal. It's not gonna keep me from 0:19:56.640 --> 0:20:01.920 my destiny. It's just a small detour, just a temporary delay. 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:05.080 If you've been struggling with something a long time and 0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:08.520 you're tempted to get discouraged, you need to remind yourself 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:11.320 you're not going to be staying there long. That is 0:20:11.359 --> 0:20:15.040 not your permanent address. You're just passing through. It's a 0:20:15.119 --> 0:20:19.200 light affliction. It is only for a moment. The problem 0:20:19.359 --> 0:20:22.760 is many times we put our stakes down, so to speak, 0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:26.200 We get our tent out, move our furniture in, set 0:20:26.280 --> 0:20:29.240 up camp there. We don't see any way out. We're 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:32.720 making plans to be there forever. But I'm asking you today, 0:20:33.000 --> 0:20:37.199 pull your stakes up, pack up your belongings. Have the attitude. 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:41.520 I am not a citizen of mediocreville. I do not 0:20:41.680 --> 0:20:46.480 reside permanently in poverty estates. I may be here temporarily, 0:20:46.880 --> 0:20:49.760 but this is not my final destination. I do not 0:20:49.920 --> 0:20:53.760 belong here. I am a foreigner. That's what Moses did. 0:20:54.000 --> 0:20:56.800 He had been in slavery all those years, but he 0:20:56.880 --> 0:21:00.919 never let slavery get on the inside. In those days, 0:21:01.640 --> 0:21:06.080 names had much more significance than our names today. Moses 0:21:06.160 --> 0:21:10.639 named one of his sons Gersham, which means I was 0:21:10.680 --> 0:21:15.240 an alien in a strange land. He was saying, we 0:21:15.240 --> 0:21:19.840 were in slavery, but slavery was not the norm, that 0:21:20.000 --> 0:21:23.960 was not our permitted address. We were foreigners. Every time 0:21:24.000 --> 0:21:27.440 he saw his son said hey, Gersham, he was reminding himself, 0:21:27.560 --> 0:21:32.120 we don't belong here. This slavery, this poverty, this defeat, 0:21:32.520 --> 0:21:36.320 this lack, this is not our normal state. I am 0:21:36.359 --> 0:21:40.080 an alien in a strange land. That's the attitude we 0:21:40.200 --> 0:21:43.800 have to have when times get difficult. Don't embrace it 0:21:44.119 --> 0:21:46.840 and allow it to become the norm. I hear people 0:21:46.880 --> 0:21:50.000 say things like, my arthritis is really acting up today, 0:21:50.760 --> 0:21:57.080 my depression is really bad, my anxiety attacks my financial difficulties. No, 0:21:57.280 --> 0:22:01.600 don't take ownership of those problems. You may be there temporarily, 0:22:01.920 --> 0:22:05.040 but that is not your permanent home. You might say 0:22:05.080 --> 0:22:09.440 it like this. You are not a citizen of that difficulty. 0:22:09.520 --> 0:22:13.080 You don't fit in that environment. You are a foreigner 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:16.680 in a strange land. When times get tough, it's good 0:22:16.760 --> 0:22:19.960 to announce to yourself. I won't be staying here long. 0:22:20.560 --> 0:22:24.120 I don't have citizenship here. I am not a citizen 0:22:24.200 --> 0:22:27.679 of fear. I'm not a citizen of poverty. I'm not 0:22:27.720 --> 0:22:31.360 a citizen of depression. I'm not a citizen of anxiety. 0:22:31.680 --> 0:22:35.720 I'm not a citizen of cancer. This disease is alien 0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:39.240 to me. It is not my normal state. This may 0:22:39.280 --> 0:22:42.000 be where I am, but it is certainly not who 0:22:42.040 --> 0:22:46.160 I am. I am blessed, I am prosperous, I am healthy, 0:22:46.280 --> 0:22:51.240 I am strong. Anything to the contrary, you need to 0:22:51.320 --> 0:22:55.480 view as foreign It's only temporary, it is not your 0:22:55.520 --> 0:22:59.399 permanent address. This is what my father did. He was 0:22:59.520 --> 0:23:02.960 raised in extreme poverty, looked like he would never make 0:23:03.040 --> 0:23:06.040 much out of his life. But my father was bold 0:23:06.119 --> 0:23:09.399 enough to believe that he was a foreigner in that land. 0:23:10.040 --> 0:23:13.640 His attitude was, I may be in poverty, but poverty 0:23:13.760 --> 0:23:16.680 is not in me. I am an alien to poverty. 0:23:16.720 --> 0:23:20.080 I am an alien to defeat. I don't have citizenship here. 0:23:20.560 --> 0:23:23.880 In other words, he didn't take ownership. He didn't see 0:23:23.880 --> 0:23:27.280 it as his normal state. Daddy rose up out of 0:23:27.320 --> 0:23:29.520 that defeat and went on to do something great with 0:23:29.600 --> 0:23:33.320 his life. When my mother faced terminal cancer in nineteen 0:23:33.359 --> 0:23:36.200 eighty one, this is what she did. She didn't sit 0:23:36.280 --> 0:23:40.480 back and accept it. Her attitude was, I may have cancer, 0:23:40.920 --> 0:23:44.440 but this is not my normal state. I don't belong here. 0:23:44.760 --> 0:23:49.400 I am a foreigner to cancer. It was never my cancer. 0:23:50.400 --> 0:23:53.639 She didn't take ownership of it. She didn't see it 0:23:53.680 --> 0:23:57.480 as permanent. She saw it as temporary. When times get difficult, 0:23:57.760 --> 0:23:59.920 you cannot take ownership of that problem. 0:24:00.119 --> 0:24:00.280 Law. 0:24:00.720 --> 0:24:04.719 Don't embrace the trouble and let it get on the inside. 0:24:05.000 --> 0:24:07.160 If you do, it'll become a part of you. That's 0:24:07.160 --> 0:24:10.600 what stops us from God's very best. Too many people 0:24:10.640 --> 0:24:14.359 today are living below their potential, and one reason is 0:24:14.640 --> 0:24:18.919 they've got all these limitations programmed into their mind, things 0:24:19.040 --> 0:24:22.920 like you're depressed because your mother was depressed. You'll never 0:24:22.960 --> 0:24:26.439 break that addiction. Your father has the same problem. You'll 0:24:26.480 --> 0:24:30.320 always be poor and defeated. Everybody in your family has 0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:33.960 been that way. But just because it's been that way 0:24:34.000 --> 0:24:37.240 a long time, just because that's all you saw model 0:24:37.359 --> 0:24:40.840 growing up, doesn't mean it's the way it's supposed to be. 0:24:41.680 --> 0:24:46.520 Could it be even right now? You've accepted something a limitation, 0:24:47.000 --> 0:24:51.200 an addiction, a sickness, a wrong mindset, when in fact, 0:24:51.560 --> 0:24:54.960 just like my father, you're a foreigner in that land. 0:24:55.680 --> 0:24:58.600 You may have settled there, but something on the inside 0:24:58.680 --> 0:25:03.120 is saying don't belong here. I don't fit in. I 0:25:03.160 --> 0:25:06.600 was made to rise higher. I was made to be free, 0:25:07.119 --> 0:25:09.760 I was made to live healthy, I was made to 0:25:09.800 --> 0:25:13.560 have good relationships. I was made to do something great 0:25:13.600 --> 0:25:16.560 with my life. You need to rise up and say 0:25:16.600 --> 0:25:19.440 I am not settling here. I've been here long enough, 0:25:19.600 --> 0:25:23.280 but I don't fit in mediocrity. I don't fit in defeat. 0:25:23.359 --> 0:25:26.439 I don't fit in poverty. I don't fit in poor health. 0:25:26.760 --> 0:25:30.159 That's not who I really am. I am a foreigner 0:25:30.200 --> 0:25:32.600 to those things. That may be the way it's been 0:25:32.640 --> 0:25:34.639 in the past, but that's not the way it's going 0:25:34.720 --> 0:25:37.480 to be in the future. I'm packing up my goods 0:25:37.600 --> 0:25:40.560 and moving where I belong, to the land of victory, 0:25:40.840 --> 0:25:43.560 the land of more than enough, the land of health 0:25:43.600 --> 0:25:48.600 and wholeness, the land of blessing and favor. How you say, Joel, 0:25:48.600 --> 0:25:51.359 I don't see how that can happen. My obstacles are 0:25:51.400 --> 0:25:54.200 so big, and I have so much coming against me. 0:25:54.960 --> 0:25:59.960 No recognize. In difficult times, human nature tends to exagger 0:26:00.440 --> 0:26:03.960 the negative. We get so focused on our problems we 0:26:04.080 --> 0:26:06.720 make them bigger than they really are. And that's what 0:26:06.840 --> 0:26:11.200 happened to the Israelites heading toward the Promised Land. They said, Moses, 0:26:11.520 --> 0:26:14.360 we're never gonna survive out here. We don't have anything 0:26:14.359 --> 0:26:17.720 to eat, nothing to drink. What are we gonna do? Really, 0:26:17.840 --> 0:26:21.960 that was not true. God had provided them manna every day, 0:26:22.480 --> 0:26:25.040 He had given them water out of a rock. The 0:26:25.119 --> 0:26:28.320 fact is they had not missed a single meal. But 0:26:28.480 --> 0:26:31.240 in their mind it was so hard, and they were 0:26:31.280 --> 0:26:36.080 so worried. They exaggerated their problems. When times get tough, 0:26:36.280 --> 0:26:38.520 you need to step back and get the proper view. 0:26:39.280 --> 0:26:42.639 You'll hear those thoughts saying it's never gonna change, But 0:26:42.680 --> 0:26:45.800 the fact is it is gonna change. Well, it's never 0:26:45.800 --> 0:26:47.480 gonna get any better. No, Can I give you some 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:50.440 good news? It is gonna get better. Well, it's been 0:26:50.520 --> 0:26:53.400 like this forever, Joel. No, most likely it's just been 0:26:53.480 --> 0:26:56.560 like that for a season. Get a new perspective. Don't 0:26:56.600 --> 0:27:01.480 believe the never lies. They are exaggerations. I'll never get well, 0:27:01.960 --> 0:27:05.960 I'll never get out of debt, I'll never overcome this obstacle. No, 0:27:06.119 --> 0:27:10.600 those are exaggerated points of view. You've got to reprogram 0:27:10.640 --> 0:27:13.879 your thinking. I'm trying to put some new software in 0:27:13.960 --> 0:27:18.399 your computer today. This is the latest, greatest version available. 0:27:18.800 --> 0:27:23.400 It says every problem is temporary, that sickness is not permanent, 0:27:24.000 --> 0:27:27.479 that financial difficulty is not going to last forever. This 0:27:27.640 --> 0:27:31.360 too shall pass. God is supplying all of your needs. 0:27:31.680 --> 0:27:34.480 He's going to prosper you even in the desert. What 0:27:34.720 --> 0:27:36.800 was meant for your harm, God's going to use to 0:27:36.880 --> 0:27:39.800 your advantage. It may be taking a long time, but 0:27:40.040 --> 0:27:42.160 you don't know. You may be camped right next door 0:27:42.200 --> 0:27:45.240 to your promised land. The good news is God will 0:27:45.280 --> 0:27:48.560 finish what he started. If you're going to exaggerate anything, 0:27:48.920 --> 0:27:53.359 exaggerate the goodness of God in your life, magnify his promises. 0:27:54.680 --> 0:28:00.679 Recognize every adversity is only temporary. It may have been 0:28:00.720 --> 0:28:03.359 there for years, but it is not permanent. Let me 0:28:03.400 --> 0:28:07.200 tell you what is permanent. Psalm thirty, verse five. God's 0:28:07.280 --> 0:28:11.960 favor will last for a lifetime. Friends. Challenges are temporary. 0:28:12.359 --> 0:28:17.080 Favor is permanent. David said, goodness and mercy will follow me, 0:28:17.640 --> 0:28:20.200 not a little while, not six days a week, all 0:28:20.320 --> 0:28:22.679 the days of my life. I want you to have 0:28:22.720 --> 0:28:26.480 a new attitude. Those problems didn't come to stay. Favor 0:28:26.560 --> 0:28:29.800 came to stay. That sickness is not going to last forever. 0:28:29.960 --> 0:28:33.720 Favor is going to last forever. That financial difficulty is 0:28:33.760 --> 0:28:38.120 not permanent. Favor is what's permanent. Because you honor God, 0:28:38.200 --> 0:28:40.760 he has promised his blessings are going to chase you 0:28:40.840 --> 0:28:43.440 down and overtake you. That means trouble is not going 0:28:43.520 --> 0:28:46.560 to overtake you. Blessings are going to overtake you. When 0:28:46.600 --> 0:28:50.040 you look back, don't look for heartache, disappointments, failure. Look 0:28:50.080 --> 0:28:55.560 for promotion, increase, blessings, favor. Remember, everything you're facing is 0:28:55.600 --> 0:28:59.200 subject to change right now. The creator of the universe 0:28:59.440 --> 0:29:02.680 is at work in your life. Those light afflictions are 0:29:02.720 --> 0:29:06.040 for a moment, but favor is permanent. If you'll have 0:29:06.120 --> 0:29:10.640 this perspective and view everything negative as temporary, here's what's 0:29:10.680 --> 0:29:13.400 gonna happen. You're gonna step into a new freedom. You're 0:29:13.400 --> 0:29:16.800 gonna enjoy each day more. You're gonna overcome every obstacle, 0:29:16.840 --> 0:29:19.240 defeat every enemy, and you're gonna live that life of 0:29:19.320 --> 0:29:22.400 victory God has in story. Amen, do you receive it today? 0:29:23.800 --> 0:29:27.479 Thank you for listening to the Jolustine podcast. Help us 0:29:27.520 --> 0:29:30.360 continue to share the message of hope with those all 0:29:30.400 --> 0:29:34.480 over the world. Visit Joeloustin dot com slash give Hope 0:29:34.640 --> 0:29:35.840 to give a gift today. 0:29:37.120 --> 0:29:40.040 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:40.040 --> 0:29:43.400 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:43.480 --> 0:29:46.680 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:46.880 --> 0:29:49.320 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:49.400 --> 0:29:49.960 next time. 0:29:56.880 --> 0:29:59.400 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:59.440 --> 0:30:03.200 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:30:03.240 --> 0:30:06.480 been ill equipped to health. That is until now. Join 0:30:06.560 --> 0:30:09.640 yourly fifty thousand people just like you who've enrolled in 0:30:09.640 --> 0:30:12.800 the Mental Health Coach training program and become equipped to 0:30:12.880 --> 0:30:15.760 health for a limited time, apply for a full tuition 0:30:15.840 --> 0:30:18.240 scholarship and you only pay a one time tech fee 0:30:18.240 --> 0:30:22.160 of fifty four dollars if accepted. Apply now at mentalhealth 0:30:22.160 --> 0:30:25.880 coach dot org again, that's mentalhealthcoach dot org. 0:30:28.040 --> 0:30:33.280 Nice buns, soft, fluffy and ultralownetcarbs, discover hero Bread the 0:30:33.320 --> 0:30:37.800 delicious ultralow net carbbread with incredible taste and texture. Hero 0:30:37.960 --> 0:30:40.520 Bread has zero grams of sugar and is under one 0:30:40.560 --> 0:30:43.440 hundred calories per serving, plus high in fiber and up 0:30:43.440 --> 0:30:46.760 to ten grams of protein per serving. Available on Amazon 0:30:46.800 --> 0:30:49.920 dot com, Walmart dot com and hero dot Co. That's 0:30:50.160 --> 0:30:53.920 hro dot co. Order from Hero dot Co now and 0:30:54.000 --> 0:30:57.400 get ten percent off your purchase with promo code IHM ten. 0:30:58.360 --> 0:31:00.360 Somewhere is here and our sleep is just as important 0:31:00.400 --> 0:31:02.520 as our weekend plans, So get the sleep you deserve 0:31:02.560 --> 0:31:04.640 with Lisa for a limited time. Save up to seven 0:31:04.720 --> 0:31:07.600 hundred dollars off select mattresses plus two free pillows during 0:31:07.600 --> 0:31:10.280 our summer sale. Check out our hybrid mattress designed to 0:31:10.360 --> 0:31:12.880 keep you cool during those hot summer nights. Lisa also 0:31:12.920 --> 0:31:15.760 offers free shipping and a risk free one hundred night trial. 0:31:15.960 --> 0:31:18.560 Get the sleep you deserve. Shop our summer sale now 0:31:18.560 --> 0:31:21.000 and save up to seven hundred dollars off select mattresses 0:31:21.120 --> 0:31:24.000 plus two free pillows at Lisa dot com. That's l 0:31:24.040 --> 0:31:26.480 e e s A dot Com Exclusions apply. 0:31:26.600 --> 0:31:28.000 Visit Lisa dot com for details