Just Remember

0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:33.960 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:37.200 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:41.520 of your story, of your career, of your life, Earn 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:43.559 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:48.559 education employer's respect. 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The units stap 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:14.360 makes it easy for grandparents and family friends to give 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:17.160 funds to a child's investment account for a limited time. 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.440 Download the uns stap and use the code I heeart 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:21.720 fifty at sign up to receive a fifty dollars bonus 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:24.280 when you fund your account. 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. 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.000 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.040 --> 0:01:36.800 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:39.280 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:40.840 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.880 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:58.360 your life. Well, God bless you always. Our joy to 0:01:58.440 --> 0:02:01.080 come into your homes, and if you're ever in our area, 0:02:01.240 --> 0:02:03.240 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:02:03.240 --> 0:02:06.200 our services. I'll promise you we'll make you feel right 0:02:06.240 --> 0:02:08.800 at home. But thanks so much for tuning in and 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:11.320 thank you again for coming out today. And I like 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:14.080 to start with something funny and I heard about this lady. 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:17.799 She was on an airplane leading her Bible. The man 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:20.600 next to her said, you don't believe all that stuff 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:22.800 in there, do you? She said, of course I do. 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:25.760 It's the Bible. He said, well, what about that guy 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:29.560 that got swallowed by the well? She said, you mean Jonah. Yes, 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:32.520 I believe that too. He said, well, how could he 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:36.200 possibly live that long inside of a fish? She thought 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:38.240 about it in a moment that I don't know. When 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:41.720 I get to heaven, I'll have to ask him. He said, sarcastically, 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:44.640 What if he's not in heaven? She said, then you'll 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:48.760 have to ask him. Hold up your Bible, say it 0:02:48.840 --> 0:02:51.680 like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am 0:02:51.760 --> 0:02:54.120 what it says I am. I have what it says 0:02:54.120 --> 0:02:56.680 I have. I can do what it says I can do. 0:02:57.080 --> 0:03:00.919 Today I will be taught the word of God oldly confess. 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:04.720 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:03:04.760 --> 0:03:08.519 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:12.520 I want to talk to you today about just remember 0:03:13.400 --> 0:03:16.040 when you look back over your life, some of the 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:19.240 things you faced at the time, you didn't think you 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:23.680 could make it through. The obstacle was so large, the breakup, 0:03:23.720 --> 0:03:27.880 purchase so badly, the medical report was so negative. You 0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:31.639 didn't see away. But God turned it around. He gave 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:33.920 you strength when you didn't think you could go on. 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:37.760 He brought the right person when you thought you'd always 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:41.720 be lonely. He promoted you, gave you that good break. 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:45.880 Things fell into place. Now you're further along than you 0:03:45.960 --> 0:03:50.560 ever imagine. Wasn't a lucky break, wasn't a coincidence. It 0:03:50.640 --> 0:03:57.040 was the hand of God. You should have been stuck, addicted, broke, depressed, lonely, 0:03:57.440 --> 0:04:00.440 but God made a way. When you didn't see away. 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:03.560 You can say, like me, I didn't get here by myself. 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:07.760 Wasn't just my good luck, my hard work, my talent, 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:11.280 It was the favor of God. He made things happen 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:14.720 that I could never make happen on my own. But 0:04:14.800 --> 0:04:18.400 none of us like difficulties. If we had a choice, 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:22.599 we wouldn't go through them. But those challenges not only 0:04:22.680 --> 0:04:26.400 prepared you for your future. But now you have a 0:04:26.600 --> 0:04:30.279 history with God. When you're in a tough time you 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:34.040 don't see a way out, instead of being discouraged negative, 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:38.000 you can go back and remember how God turned your 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:42.200 health around. Remember how he gave you that baby when 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:45.800 the specialist said you couldn't have a child. Remember how 0:04:45.839 --> 0:04:48.120 He brought you out of that trouble that you got 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:52.599 yourself in. When you remember how God has protected you, 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:56.839 promoted you, healed you, restored you, faith will rise in 0:04:56.880 --> 0:04:59.560 your heart. Instead of thinking I'll never get out of 0:04:59.560 --> 0:05:02.640 this problem, You'll know God did it for me once, 0:05:02.800 --> 0:05:05.280 he'll do it for me again. He made a way 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:07.480 in the past, I know he's gonna make a way 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:12.480 in the future. Don't complain about the problem. It's not random. 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:16.320 You're going to need that victory in the future. God 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:20.200 has taken you from glory to glory. When you come 0:05:20.240 --> 0:05:24.360 through this challenge, that victory will be the fuel you 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:28.040 use that gets you to the next level of glory. 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:31.200 This is what happened with the Israelites. They were up 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:35.599 against huge armies. People that were stronger, had more equipment, 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:39.320 more skill. The Israelites had just come out of slavery. 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:43.440 They had no military training, no weapons. They were just 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:46.120 trying to survive out in the desert, and they were 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:49.120 headed toward the Promised Land. But they had all these 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:53.479 enemies to overcome. They were very discouraged, didn't know how 0:05:53.520 --> 0:05:56.440 they could do it, and God said to them in 0:05:56.480 --> 0:06:00.920 Deuteronomy seven. You may think, how how can we conquer 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:04.840 these nations that are much stronger than us, But don't 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:10.039 be afraid. Just remember what God did to Pharaoh. You 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:14.040 saw with your own eyes the miraculous signs and the 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:18.480 amazing power God used to bring you out. God was saying, 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:22.360 when it looks impossible, you don't see a way out. 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:25.360 The way to stay encouraged, the way to keep your 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:30.640 hopes up is just remember what God has done. Like 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:34.560 the Israelites, every one of you has seen with your 0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:38.680 own eyes times where God made away. You thought you 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:41.919 were stuck, but God opened the door, caused somebody to 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:44.440 be good to you, or you lost a loved one. 0:06:45.000 --> 0:06:47.960 You didn't think you'd ever be happy again, but God 0:06:48.040 --> 0:06:50.960 lifted you out of that pit. He turned your mourning 0:06:51.040 --> 0:06:56.280 into dancing. When you face tough times, your dream looks impossible, 0:06:56.720 --> 0:07:00.600 every voice says it's never going to happen. Just remember, 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:06.279 go back and replay your victories. Relive the times God 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:09.600 made away. Remember how He put you at the right 0:07:09.640 --> 0:07:12.680 place and you met that person and fell in love. 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:17.360 Remember how He spared your life from that accident. Remember 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:19.840 how the medical report said you shouldn't be here, but 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:23.360 here you are alive, strong and health fill. If you're 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:26.520 going to overcome those obstacles, you're going to reach your 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:31.480 highest potential. You have to learn to just remember when 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:37.160 you're constantly thinking about God's goodness, how He's protected you, vindicated, 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:40.880 you promoted you. Not only will faith rise in your heart, 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:45.120 but it's that attitude of expectancy that allows God to 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:48.800 do great things. And on a regular basis, we should 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:53.000 go back over the major victories in our life. Remember 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:56.160 the day your children were born. That was a great miracle. 0:07:56.920 --> 0:08:01.160 Remember how God gave you that job, protected you, how 0:08:01.160 --> 0:08:04.840 you met the right person, developed this habit of remembering 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:09.120 what God has done. I remember in my early twenties 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:12.680 walking into a jewelry store to buy a battery for 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:16.760 my watch, minding my own business, and outwalked the most 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:20.840 beautiful girl I'd ever seen. It was Victoria. We ended 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:23.760 up dating for a year and a half and she 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:26.320 couldn't keep her hands off of me, so we got married. 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:30.360 At least that's the way I remember it. But I 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:35.320 recognize that wasn't a coincidence, that wasn't a lucky break. 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:39.079 That was God directing my steps, putting me at the 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:42.240 right place at the right time. And when I think 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:46.240 about that, it reminds me how God is in control 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:49.480 of my life. If he was directing my steps back then, 0:08:49.920 --> 0:08:53.760 I know he's directed my steps right now. The Apostle 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:57.480 Paul talks about in the Scripture the mercies of God, 0:08:58.000 --> 0:09:01.800 not singular but plural. Now every one of us has 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:05.720 experienced some of these mercies. Walking into the jewelry store 0:09:05.760 --> 0:09:08.200 that day, that was one of the mercies of God. 0:09:09.080 --> 0:09:11.800 When I was first married, I was driving on the 0:09:11.840 --> 0:09:15.480 freeway during a big rainstorm. I lost control of my 0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:19.439 car and started spinning around and around, crossing the different 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:22.680 lanes of the freeway. At one point I looked up 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:25.880 and this eighteen wheeler was coming right at me. I 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:29.520 was going the wrong direction. We were so close I 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:32.840 felt like I could touch his front grill. Now, I thought, boy, 0:09:32.880 --> 0:09:36.600 that's it. I'm done. All I could say was Jesus, 0:09:37.520 --> 0:09:39.600 when you're in trouble, you don't have to pray long. 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:42.680 Some of you would have said something else, but we 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:47.480 want to talk about that. Somehow, that big truck missed me. 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:51.319 The driver pulled over. He came up to my window 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:54.280 his eyes were this big. He said, I can't believe 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:57.120 I didn't run over you. But at the last second, 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:00.680 a big gust of wind blew my tree into the 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:04.160 other lane. He said, it was the wind. I know 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:08.679 it was the mercies of God. When our son Jonathan 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:12.079 was a little boy, less than a year old, we 0:10:12.080 --> 0:10:14.600 were on a boat with some friends and he was 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:17.240 in the baby carrier and we'd sit it on the 0:10:17.280 --> 0:10:20.400 bench there in the boat. As we were traveling along, 0:10:20.720 --> 0:10:24.400 something whispered to Victoria, go hold on to your son. 0:10:25.160 --> 0:10:27.920 She walked over and held on to the baby carrier. 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:32.240 About thirty seconds later, the boat hit a huge wave. 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:37.280 Everything that wasn't tied down went flying overboard. He too, 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:40.480 would have been thrown into the water if not for 0:10:40.559 --> 0:10:44.240 the mercies of God. Many of you you can say, 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:47.200 like me, you wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:51.080 God's mercy. Some of the things you've done, the crowd 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:54.760 you used to run with, the drugs, the alcohol, that 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:57.920 should have taken you out. But God showed you some 0:10:58.000 --> 0:11:02.800 of his mercies, not one, but again and again. Maybe 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:06.320 you shouldn't have that position that you're in. You weren't 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:09.800 the most qualified, but the mercies of God gave it 0:11:09.840 --> 0:11:12.800 to you. Or perhaps that sickness said it was going 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:15.400 to be the end, but the mercies of God said, 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:19.360 this is not your time. When you recognize what God 0:11:19.400 --> 0:11:22.640 has done, you don't take for granted that all through 0:11:22.679 --> 0:11:26.120 your life it's been his hand getting you to where 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:29.880 you are. Then it's easy to honor God. It's easy 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:32.680 to be grateful, it's easy to serve, to give to 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:36.880 help others. You realize where you are in life is 0:11:36.920 --> 0:11:41.240 because of the mercies of God. You know you're driving 0:11:41.400 --> 0:11:45.640 a mercy car, you're living in a mercy house, you're 0:11:45.679 --> 0:11:49.080 working at a mercy job. You didn't just marry over 0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:52.920 your head. You married mercy. Maybe you should have had 0:11:52.920 --> 0:11:57.239 a nervous breakdown, but Mercy showed up. You should be depressed, 0:11:57.400 --> 0:12:00.600 but mercy turns you around. You could be in prison, 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:03.600 but Mercy kept you out, or you tried to take 0:12:03.640 --> 0:12:07.720 your life. Mercy kept you alive. Mercy gave you that baby. 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:12.079 Mercy gave you that idea. Mercy opened that door. Don't 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:15.040 take it for granted. Keep it on the forefront of 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:19.000 your mind. You're not just lucky. You don't just keep 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:22.880 beating the odds it's the mercies of God. In fact, 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:26.800 the reason you're still hearing, the reason that truck couldn't 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:30.040 run over you, the reason those drugs couldn't kill you, 0:12:30.600 --> 0:12:33.760 the reason the sickness couldn't take you out, is because 0:12:33.800 --> 0:12:37.400 God has a destiny for you to fulfill. He has 0:12:37.440 --> 0:12:42.360 an assignment for you to accomplish. His mercies are never 0:12:42.440 --> 0:12:46.480 going to give up on you. His calling is irrevocable. 0:12:47.160 --> 0:12:50.600 He chose you before you could choose him. You might 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:54.360 as well recognize you're a marked man, a marked woman. 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:58.199 The creator of the universe has his hand on your life. 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:02.640 The sooner you render your will to his, the better 0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:05.760 off you're going to be. You're not giving up anything. 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:11.200 You're gaining purpose, destiny, a life that He's designed, a 0:13:11.280 --> 0:13:16.400 life more rewarding than you ever imagined. David said, if 0:13:16.440 --> 0:13:19.120 it had not been for the goodness of God, where 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:22.320 would I be? He was saying, in effect, if God 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:25.720 had not shown me some of these mercies, I wouldn't 0:13:25.720 --> 0:13:29.199 have defeated Goliath. I wouldn't have been able to outlast 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:32.320 King Saul trying to kill me in the desert without 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:35.760 the mercies of God, or I wouldn't have been restored 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:40.920 after my mistake with Bathsheba, without God's mercy. A young 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:44.280 man told me how he's had a serious drug problem 0:13:44.320 --> 0:13:47.240 for many years. The other day, he was out partying 0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:50.320 with some friends and accidentally he got all these different 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:54.000 kinds of drugs mixed up. He took so many that 0:13:54.120 --> 0:13:57.200 his friends begin to panic. They thought for sure he 0:13:57.200 --> 0:14:01.720 would pass out and have convulsions. But those drugs had 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:04.480 no effect on him. It was like they had lost 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:07.480 all their power. He said, Joel, I came to church 0:14:07.520 --> 0:14:11.320 today because I'm one lucky guy. I told him what 0:14:11.360 --> 0:14:13.960 I'm telling you. It's a lot more than luck. It's 0:14:14.000 --> 0:14:19.560 the mercies of God. Psal one nine says from my 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:23.840 earliest youth, my enemies have persecuted me, but they have 0:14:24.080 --> 0:14:28.760 never been able to finish me off. Sometimes you need 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:32.480 to just thank God that you're still here. Cancer couldn't 0:14:32.520 --> 0:14:37.000 finish you off. Depression couldn't finish you off. That divorce, 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:41.280 the legal problem, the bankruptcy couldn't finish you off. The 0:14:41.280 --> 0:14:45.240 person talking about you, the caters, the critics, the naysayers. 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:48.160 They tried to push you down, make you look bad. 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:51.160 They did their best, but their best was not enough. 0:14:51.200 --> 0:14:54.960 You're still standing. You're still strong, you still got a smile. 0:14:55.520 --> 0:14:59.240 They couldn't finish you off. You got knocked down, but 0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:03.680 you got back up again. You had a setback, a breakup, 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:07.360 but you're still in the game. You went through a loss, 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:10.720 but you didn't get better. You kept moving forward. That 0:15:10.880 --> 0:15:15.080 setback could not finish you off. My father, when he 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:18.520 was a little boy, fell into a large fire. That 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:22.080 fire should have taken his life, but the fire could 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:25.400 not finish him off. He was raised during the Great 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:29.600 Depression with nothing, but poverty could not finish him off. 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:33.240 His first marriage as a young man didn't make it. 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:36.520 He was told he could never be in ministry, but 0:15:36.640 --> 0:15:41.080 divorce couldn't finish him off. Years later, some people turned 0:15:41.120 --> 0:15:44.720 on him, ask him to leave his church. But betrayal 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:48.280 couldn't finish him off. He had high blood pressure most 0:15:48.280 --> 0:15:51.320 of his life. That couldn't finish him off. Had to 0:15:51.400 --> 0:15:56.480 raise my brother Paul, that came very very close. What 0:15:56.600 --> 0:16:00.840 am I saying? God has the final say. People can't 0:16:00.840 --> 0:16:06.520 finish you all a bad break, betrayal, rejection, sickness. When 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:09.800 the enemy comes in like a flood. The scripture says 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:12.840 God raises up a barrier. God will put a stop 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:17.120 to it. The forces that are for you are greater 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:20.560 than the forces that are against you. You may be 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:25.520 in a difficult time, don't get discouraged. Just remember the 0:16:25.560 --> 0:16:29.680 red seas God's parted in your life. Remember how God's 0:16:29.720 --> 0:16:32.720 delivered you from the Pharaoh, so to speak, how he 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:37.080 snatched you out of that harmful situation, how he closed 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:39.640 that door that would have been a big mistake, how 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:43.160 he blessed you with that position. You have a history 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:47.160 with God. You've seen his mercies not once, but again 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:50.640 and again showing out in your life. You need to 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:54.280 announce to that cancer. You can't finish me off. The 0:16:54.320 --> 0:16:58.480 God who spoke worlds into existence, breathed his life into me. 0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:05.480 He controls the number of my days. Announce to that depression, fear, anxiety. 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:08.439 You're not going to finish me off. God promised I 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:12.040 will finish my course with joy. Or that person at 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:14.680 the office is trying to push you down, make you 0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:18.680 look bad, don't get discouraged. They don't control your destiny. 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:22.600 They can't stop God's plan for your life. When those 0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:25.800 negative thoughts come telling you this sickness is going to 0:17:25.840 --> 0:17:29.399 sink you, this legal problem, this depression, it's going to 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:32.520 be the end. Just answer back. You don't realize who 0:17:32.600 --> 0:17:35.280 you're dealing with. I am a child of the Most 0:17:35.359 --> 0:17:39.919 High God. You cannot finish me off. God is called 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:44.000 the author and the finisher of our faith. What he 0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:47.960 started in your life, he will finish. Not a bad break, 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:51.000 not a disappointment, not a sickness. God is the finisher. 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:55.400 In the scripture, Saul was one of the greatest enemies 0:17:55.440 --> 0:18:00.000 of the Church. He was headed toward Damascus to persecute believers. 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:04.119 He had permission from the courts to arrest any followers 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:08.040 of Christ. He was on his mission, had papers in hand, 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:13.000 when suddenly a bright light shone down from heaven. It 0:18:13.080 --> 0:18:16.000 was so strong that it knocked him off his horse. 0:18:16.480 --> 0:18:20.199 He fell flat on his back and couldn't see. The 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:24.880 believers in Damascus had this powerful enemy coming toward them. 0:18:25.520 --> 0:18:28.399 He was going to cause them heartache and pain. It 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:32.680 looked inevitable, but in a split second, God stopped it. 0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:37.439 There are times you knew nothing about but something was 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:41.679 coming your way, a bad break, an accident, a sickness. 0:18:41.880 --> 0:18:45.240 It was already en route. It should have finished you off, 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:48.920 but God said no, I don't think so that's my son, 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:52.520 that's my daughter. He put a stop to it. That 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:56.679 eighteen wheeler should have finished me off, but God stopped 0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:59.920 the truck. Some of these things you knew nothing about. 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:04.480 But God stop the cancer, stop the betrayal, stop the rejection. 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:08.840 It was all behind the scenes. That's the mercies of God. 0:19:09.560 --> 0:19:13.000 And sometimes you need to thank God for what didn't happen, 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:17.959 thanking for the enemies he stopped that you knew nothing about. Well, 0:19:18.040 --> 0:19:20.960 you said, Joel, this sounds good today, it's encouraging. But 0:19:21.000 --> 0:19:23.399 I've had a lot of bad breaks, gone through a 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.720 lot of disappointments. I didn't get the promotion I worked 0:19:26.760 --> 0:19:30.160 hard for. This person walked out in my life. Here's 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:34.680 the problem. You're remembering the wrong things. I can't find 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:38.200 one place in the scripture where we're supposed to remember 0:19:38.240 --> 0:19:42.720 our defeats, remember our failures, remember our bad breaks. Well, 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:45.359 this company laid me off twenty seven years ago. It 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:49.159 wasn't right. Can I tell you respectfully, it's time to 0:19:49.200 --> 0:19:52.800 get over it. Quit thinking about it, quit talking about it, 0:19:53.240 --> 0:19:58.760 quit reliving it. All that's doing is depressing yourself. You're 0:19:58.760 --> 0:20:02.800 making yourself defeated. Has God done anything good for you 0:20:02.960 --> 0:20:06.080 in the last twenty seven years, have you seen one promotion, 0:20:06.240 --> 0:20:09.800 one healing, one sign of his favor. If you will 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:13.959 start remembering your victories, the times God healed you, the 0:20:14.000 --> 0:20:17.200 times he promoted you, the times he stopped the accident, 0:20:17.560 --> 0:20:20.960 the times he turned the problem around. When you're remembering 0:20:21.000 --> 0:20:24.119 the right things, you're going to move forward in faith. 0:20:24.440 --> 0:20:27.959 You'll see more of God's favor. David said in Psalm 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:32.119 thirty four, let all who are discouraged take heart. He 0:20:32.160 --> 0:20:34.240 goes on to tell how to do it. The next 0:20:34.320 --> 0:20:39.480 verse says, come, let's talk about God's goodness. I prayed 0:20:39.920 --> 0:20:43.480 and the Lord answered my prayer. He was saying, when 0:20:43.560 --> 0:20:47.040 you're discouraged, when you don't see a way out come, 0:20:47.280 --> 0:20:50.919 and let's talk not about your problems, not about what 0:20:50.960 --> 0:20:54.320 didn't work out. No, let's talk about God's greatness. Let's 0:20:54.320 --> 0:20:57.240 talk about your answered prayers. Let's talk about the red 0:20:57.280 --> 0:21:00.600 seas that have been parted. What you're saved in. Your 0:21:00.640 --> 0:21:03.679 tough times will make you or break you. If you 0:21:03.800 --> 0:21:05.800 go around saying I'll never get out of this problem. 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:08.800 It's just too big. You'll get stuck. But if you'll 0:21:08.800 --> 0:21:11.920 turn it around and say, God, I want to thank 0:21:11.960 --> 0:21:14.840 you for your greatness in my life. Thank you for 0:21:14.880 --> 0:21:17.800 giving me this job. Lord, Thank you for freeing me 0:21:17.880 --> 0:21:22.120 from this addiction. When you're always talking about God's goodness, 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:25.040 you won't be down and discouraged. You'll have a spring 0:21:25.080 --> 0:21:28.239 in your step, a smile on your face. You'll know 0:21:28.359 --> 0:21:30.480 God's done it for you in the past, He'll do 0:21:30.520 --> 0:21:33.320 it again for you in the future. A friend of 0:21:33.359 --> 0:21:36.840 mine is a big fisherman. In his house he has 0:21:36.960 --> 0:21:41.439 all these impressive fish mounted on the walls, a large 0:21:41.560 --> 0:21:46.399 swordfish over his fireplace, a blue marlin hanging on the 0:21:46.440 --> 0:21:50.320 wall next to his television. In his family room, there's 0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:54.119 this big hammer head shark must have been ten feet 0:21:54.200 --> 0:21:57.720 long up there on the wall like a trophy. The 0:21:57.760 --> 0:22:00.440 first time I went there, we spent over it hour 0:22:00.640 --> 0:22:04.240 just going through the house taking in all those impressive fish. 0:22:04.480 --> 0:22:06.960 He told me how he caught them, what kind of 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:10.320 bait he used? That blue marlin took him over two 0:22:10.359 --> 0:22:14.000 hours to struggle and reel that in. But what's interesting 0:22:14.760 --> 0:22:19.879 is over the years he's caught a lot of small fish, trout, flounder, 0:22:20.000 --> 0:22:23.000 smaller things, but none of them were up on the walls. 0:22:23.680 --> 0:22:28.760 He only mounted the large fish. The small ones were fine, 0:22:29.280 --> 0:22:32.680 they had value. You can eat them, but they weren't mountable. 0:22:33.160 --> 0:22:36.240 In the same way, God has done many great things 0:22:36.240 --> 0:22:40.240 for us. He provides our daily needs. He gives us strength, 0:22:40.320 --> 0:22:43.960 gives us wisdom, protects us. We're all thankful, We're grateful 0:22:43.960 --> 0:22:47.600 for his goodness. But God wants to do some things 0:22:47.600 --> 0:22:51.200 in your life that are mountable, some things that are 0:22:51.280 --> 0:22:55.479 so big, so impressive. You can hang them on your walls, 0:22:55.480 --> 0:22:59.160 so to speak, when people come over, when they see 0:22:59.200 --> 0:23:02.679 you have something to point at. This is what God 0:23:02.680 --> 0:23:05.600 did in my life. You know what this building is, 0:23:06.119 --> 0:23:10.080 the former Compact Center. It's mountable. People driving on the 0:23:10.080 --> 0:23:12.760 freeway that used to be a sports arena now it's 0:23:12.840 --> 0:23:16.879 Lakewood Church. They're saying, look what God has done. My 0:23:17.040 --> 0:23:21.200 mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a few 0:23:21.200 --> 0:23:25.440 weeks to live. Today, thirty four years later, she's still alive, 0:23:25.760 --> 0:23:31.280 healthy and strong. Everywhere she goes she has something to 0:23:31.320 --> 0:23:35.560 talk about, something impressive, something out of the ordinary, a 0:23:35.640 --> 0:23:39.440 trophy of God's goodness. All of you can look back 0:23:39.640 --> 0:23:44.080 and see times where God did something unusual. Maybe you 0:23:44.119 --> 0:23:47.080 shouldn't be living in that house that you're in. You 0:23:47.119 --> 0:23:50.199 didn't have the funds but things fell into place. You 0:23:50.320 --> 0:23:54.159 know it was the hand of God. That's mountable. Perhaps 0:23:54.200 --> 0:23:57.560 you struggled with an addiction, you were off course, but 0:23:57.640 --> 0:24:01.320 today you're healthy, you're clean, free, You're being a blessing 0:24:01.359 --> 0:24:06.080 to others like my mother. You are a living testimony. 0:24:06.160 --> 0:24:08.280 You don't have to go look for a miracle. You 0:24:08.359 --> 0:24:11.280 are a miracle. When you need to be encouraged, just 0:24:11.320 --> 0:24:14.080 go look at yourself in the mirror. You shouldn't be 0:24:14.119 --> 0:24:20.160 where you are. Perhaps you should still be struggling, addicted, angry, depressed, lonely. 0:24:20.480 --> 0:24:23.359 But God, in his mercy, showed up and said, I 0:24:23.359 --> 0:24:27.199 don't think so. When it looked impossible, he stopped it. 0:24:27.760 --> 0:24:31.560 He's given you something to talk about. You're a trophy 0:24:31.680 --> 0:24:35.800 of God's goodness. Now here's the key. Don't let what 0:24:36.040 --> 0:24:40.800 once was a miracle become ordinary. Don't lose the awe 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:43.879 of what God has done. Like my friend, when I 0:24:43.920 --> 0:24:46.560 went to his house, he couldn't wait to show off 0:24:46.680 --> 0:24:51.520 all those impressive fish that he had caught. Everywhere you go, 0:24:52.080 --> 0:24:55.880 talk about God's goodness, not bragging on yourself, but bragging 0:24:56.040 --> 0:25:00.359 on what God has done. I heard my father probably 0:25:00.359 --> 0:25:04.320 a thousand times, tell how he gave his life to Christ. 0:25:05.119 --> 0:25:08.919 It happened when he was seventeen, but at seventy five 0:25:09.240 --> 0:25:11.920 he was still telling it like it had happened yesterday. 0:25:12.520 --> 0:25:16.800 He never lost the amazement. When you constantly think about 0:25:16.800 --> 0:25:20.800 what God has done, you relive your miracles. You're always 0:25:20.880 --> 0:25:24.280 in awe of His goodness. Then you are putting yourself 0:25:24.320 --> 0:25:29.320 in position for God to do something more amazing. God 0:25:29.359 --> 0:25:33.080 wants to give you some new things to mount. Get 0:25:33.119 --> 0:25:38.400 ready for favor that you haven't seen, opportunity, influence, promotion. 0:25:38.760 --> 0:25:43.520 He has something out of the ordinary, something impressive, a 0:25:43.560 --> 0:25:47.439 new level come in your way. One time, the disciples 0:25:47.480 --> 0:25:50.480 were on a boat. They had just seen Jesus take 0:25:50.520 --> 0:25:53.919 five loaves of bread and two fish. When he prayed 0:25:53.920 --> 0:25:57.479 over it, that multiplied and fed over five thousand people 0:25:58.080 --> 0:26:00.119 at the end of that day. He told the these 0:26:00.200 --> 0:26:03.200 disciples to gather up the leftovers, get in the boat, 0:26:03.280 --> 0:26:06.239 and cross to the other side. Now it was the 0:26:06.280 --> 0:26:09.800 middle of the night. The waves were very big, the 0:26:09.840 --> 0:26:13.840 winds so strong. They were concerned for their safety. When 0:26:13.840 --> 0:26:17.520 they saw Jesus walking on the water, at first they 0:26:17.560 --> 0:26:21.280 thought he was a ghost. They finally recognized him invited 0:26:21.359 --> 0:26:24.080 him into their boat. When he did, the winds and 0:26:24.200 --> 0:26:28.160 waves calmed down immediately. They were relieved that they were okay. 0:26:28.960 --> 0:26:31.920 But the scripture gives us insight into why they were 0:26:31.920 --> 0:26:36.760 so worried. It says they didn't consider the miracle of 0:26:36.800 --> 0:26:40.719 the loaves. They were so stressed out, wondering if they 0:26:40.760 --> 0:26:43.240 were going to make it to the other side, when 0:26:43.440 --> 0:26:47.040 earlier that day they had seen with their own eyes 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:51.080 one of the greatest miracles ever recorded. If they would 0:26:51.080 --> 0:26:55.239 have just remembered what God did earlier that day, if 0:26:55.280 --> 0:26:58.560 they would have just considered the miracle, then they would 0:26:58.560 --> 0:27:01.320 have stayed in faith, would have been fine, knowing that 0:27:01.400 --> 0:27:05.600 everything was going to be okay. What's interesting is they 0:27:05.640 --> 0:27:09.280 were obedient. They did what Jesus asked, They were faithful. 0:27:09.680 --> 0:27:13.000 Where they missed it is they forgot what God had done. 0:27:14.080 --> 0:27:18.159 Are you doing what they did? Letting your circumstances, a 0:27:18.200 --> 0:27:22.400 medical report, a financial situation cause you to live worried, 0:27:22.680 --> 0:27:27.800 stressed out. Why don't you start considering your miracles? Look 0:27:27.880 --> 0:27:31.520 back over your life, remember that time God showed up 0:27:31.520 --> 0:27:34.680 and suddenly turned it around. Look up on your wall 0:27:34.800 --> 0:27:38.720 and relive some of those mountable things God has done. 0:27:38.760 --> 0:27:41.240 How are you going to defeat the Pharaohs in your life? 0:27:41.840 --> 0:27:45.280 How are you going to overcome those large obstacles? God 0:27:45.359 --> 0:27:47.520 is saying to you what he said to the Israelites. 0:27:48.119 --> 0:27:52.960 Just remember you have a history with God. Every victory 0:27:53.000 --> 0:27:56.040 he's given you wasn't just for that time. It was 0:27:56.080 --> 0:27:59.359 so you could go back and use that as fuel 0:27:59.680 --> 0:28:03.080 to bid your faith. You may be low on faith. 0:28:03.359 --> 0:28:05.520 You need to go back and get some fuel. It's 0:28:05.560 --> 0:28:09.200 in your past victories. Don't talk about your problems, talk 0:28:09.200 --> 0:28:12.639 about the greatness of God. Remember the enemy cannot finish 0:28:12.680 --> 0:28:15.560 you off. God has the final Say now I believe 0:28:15.600 --> 0:28:19.359 and declare if you will, just remember God is about 0:28:19.400 --> 0:28:22.040 to show out in your life. He's going to give 0:28:22.080 --> 0:28:25.240 you something new to mount. You're going to rise higher, 0:28:25.560 --> 0:28:29.320 accomplish your dreams, and reach the fullness of your destiny. 0:28:29.720 --> 0:28:34.400 In Jesus' name, we never like to close our broadcast 0:28:34.760 --> 0:28:38.000 without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord 0:28:38.040 --> 0:28:42.400 of your life. Would you pray with me, Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:28:43.680 --> 0:28:49.080 I repent of my sins, Come into my heart, wash 0:28:49.200 --> 0:28:54.120 me clean. I make you my Lord and savior. Well, 0:28:54.160 --> 0:28:56.440 if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:56.480 --> 0:28:59.720 born again, Get in a good Bible based church. Keep 0:28:59.760 --> 0:29:02.640 God first place. He's going to take your places that 0:29:02.720 --> 0:29:03.640 you've never dreamed. 0:29:04.160 --> 0:29:07.600 Thank you for listening to the joelos Dean podcast. Help 0:29:07.720 --> 0:29:10.440 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:10.520 --> 0:29:14.440 all over the world. Visit joelostin dot com slash give 0:29:14.520 --> 0:29:16.200 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:17.480 --> 0:29:20.400 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:20.400 --> 0:29:23.760 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:23.880 --> 0:29:27.080 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:27.240 --> 0:29:29.680 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:29.760 --> 0:29:30.240 next time. 0:29:37.600 --> 0:29:40.520 Ever, wonder which foods connect as medicine or maybe you're 0:29:40.520 --> 0:29:43.880 looking to start meditation, how about finding foods that supports 0:29:43.880 --> 0:29:46.240 brain health. 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