Leave a Legacy of Faith

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This is not an 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.440 offer to buy yourself security snor is it Investment Legal 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:00.640 or taxi by He'll. 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:02.800 Forget about the video game you gave him on his birthday. 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:04.680 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:07.200 But he'll never forget how you invested in his future 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:08.240 with the units stapp. 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.400 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.560 The unit stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.280 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.720 a limited time. Download the units stapp and use the 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:21.120 code iHeart fifty at sign up to receive a fifty 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:23.679 dollars bonus when you find your account. That's code iHeart 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.800 fifty when you sign up at unest dot co for 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.640 a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.800 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.880 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.319 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.360 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:45.240 ministry going. 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:56.240 Enjoy the message. 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:02.160 God bless you always a joy to come into your homes. 0:02:02.440 --> 0:02:05.080 We love you. We know God has great things in 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:07.480 store for you, and if you're ever in our area, 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:09.720 I hope you'll stop buying be a part of one 0:02:09.760 --> 0:02:12.239 of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.320 right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in today, 0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:17.639 and again thanks for coming out today as well. And 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:20.120 I like to get started with something funny each week. 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:23.239 And I heard about this little girl. She asked her 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:26.960 mom how the human race got started. The mother explained 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:30.440 how God created Adam and Eve and they had children 0:02:30.480 --> 0:02:32.760 and on and on here we are today. A few 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:37.120 days later, she asked her father the same question. He explained, 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:40.720 how many years ago there were monkeys, and little by 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.280 little they became more like people, and how here we 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:46.880 are confused. She went back to her mom and said, Mom, 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:51.080 you said God created people. Dad says we came from monkeys. 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:53.920 How can that be? The mom said, oh, honey, that's easy. 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:57.480 I told you about my side of the family. Dad 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:02.840 told you about his. All right, hold up your Bible, 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:05.600 say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:08.400 I am what it says. I am. I have what 0:03:08.440 --> 0:03:10.880 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:03:10.919 --> 0:03:13.640 I can do. Today I will be talked the word 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:17.920 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:22.440 heart is receptive. I will never be the same in Jesus' name, 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:26.120 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:30.400 about leaving a legacy of faith. As we celebrate the 0:03:30.440 --> 0:03:34.359 resurrection of Christ. One thing we see is how Jesus 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:38.240 went before us and paved the way for victory. He 0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:41.560 was crucified on the cross. They buried him in the grave, 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:44.320 But on the third day he came out of that 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:49.600 grave and he said, because I live, you can live also. 0:03:50.000 --> 0:03:53.840 He won not only so we could win, but so 0:03:54.000 --> 0:03:57.400 that we could help others to win as well. The 0:03:57.480 --> 0:04:01.040 life we live, the decisions we make, should make it 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:04.760 easier on those that come after us. When we hear 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:07.440 the word legacy, a lot of times we think of 0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:12.360 how we'll be remembered, our accomplishments, what will leave our family. 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:17.240 That's all important, but there's also something even more significant. 0:04:17.800 --> 0:04:21.640 The scripture talks about how we can store up mercy 0:04:22.120 --> 0:04:26.360 for our children and future generations. We can store up 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:30.719 blessings and favor by living a life of excellence and 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:35.839 integrity that will affect generations to come. I know I 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:39.440 am here today because I had parents that honored God. 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:44.000 I had grandparents that prayed for me and modeled a 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:49.320 life of excellence You are where you are because somebody sacrificed, 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:54.560 somebody prayed, somebody served, and now God is honoring them 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:58.400 by releasing his goodness in your life. None of us 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:01.240 got to where we are on our own. The apostle 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:05.880 Paul said, Timothy, the faith I see in you first 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:10.120 dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and then your mother Eunice, 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:13.680 and now I can see it in you. Paul was saying, Timothy, 0:05:14.040 --> 0:05:17.440 what I see in you didn't start with you. It 0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:21.320 started because you had a praying grandmother. That woman honored 0:05:21.360 --> 0:05:24.839 God with her life. She stored up mercy, and it 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.839 got passed down to your mother. And now I can 0:05:27.880 --> 0:05:30.640 see it in you. And the good news is it's 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:33.080 not going to stop with you, but it's gonna keep 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:36.960 going from generation to generation. Now, you say, Joel, not 0:05:37.080 --> 0:05:40.600 with me. I don't have a godly heritage. My parents, 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:43.800 my relatives, they didn't give God the time of day. No, 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:47.160 you wouldn't be in church today, you wouldn't be watching 0:05:47.279 --> 0:05:51.640 right now. If somebody somewhere in your family line didn't 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:54.600 honor God. It may have been one hundred years ago 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:57.960 that you had a cousin, a relative, a great great 0:05:58.040 --> 0:06:03.400 grandfather they prayed, they helped others. It was their faith, 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:07.720 their life of excellence that planted the seed. And now 0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:10.760 God is rewarding them by helping you to live a 0:06:10.800 --> 0:06:15.080 life of victory. In the Scripture, one time Joshua and 0:06:15.120 --> 0:06:17.680 the people of Israel were in the midst of a 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:22.000 great battle. Moses was on a hill holding up the 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:25.479 Rod of God in the air, and as long as 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:28.880 Moses had his hands in the air, Joshua and the 0:06:28.920 --> 0:06:32.080 people of Israel would win. But when he got tired 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:35.080 and put his hands down, the enemy would start winning. 0:06:35.839 --> 0:06:38.840 Moses realized what was happening. He got a couple men 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:41.240 to help him keep his hands in the air. But 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:43.960 what I want you to see is Joshua is down 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:47.440 there winning the battle. He doesn't realize the only reason 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:51.240 he's winning is because Moses is on the hill holding 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:56.200 up his hands. Without Moses doing his part, Joshua and 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:59.120 the people of Israel would have been defeated. And it's 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:03.040 easy to think, well, I'm successful today, Joel, because I'm smart, 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:06.680 I'm blessed, because I'm a hard worker, because I'm talented. 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:09.280 That's why I have a great life. And yes, that 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:12.240 may be true in part, but you didn't get to 0:07:12.280 --> 0:07:16.040 where you are on your own. You are smart because 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:19.040 you have the wisdom of your father's it's been passed 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:22.680 down to you. You are talented because your mother and 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:26.920 grandmother worked hard to develop their gifts, and then they 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:29.760 took time to teach you and to build your confidence. 0:07:30.400 --> 0:07:33.480 You got that good break not because you were lucky, 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:37.560 not because they just decided to offer you that position. No, 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:42.240 somebody in your family line honored God. Somebody that you 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:46.600 can't see is holding up their hands. They won so 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:50.360 that you could win. My challenge to us today is 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:54.000 live your life in such a way to cause others 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:58.360 to win. Every right decision you make, you are holding 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:01.600 up your hands in it easier on those that come 0:08:01.640 --> 0:08:06.080 after you. Every time you resist temptation, you were winning 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:10.480 for your children. Every time you are kind and respectful. 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:14.160 Every time you help someone in need, every time you 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:18.120 come to church, serve and give, you are storing up mercy. 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:22.200 It may be for your children, your grandchildren, or even 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:25.880 one hundred years from now, somebody in your family line 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:29.560 will experience God's goodness because of the life that you've lived. 0:08:30.400 --> 0:08:33.520 It's interesting. In the Book of Hebrews, it talks about 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:36.679 a man by the name of Levi. I don't know 0:08:36.720 --> 0:08:39.760 that I fully understand it, but it says that Levi 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:45.400 gave tithes and offerings while he was still in his 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:50.840 forefather's loins. In other words, before he was born, before 0:08:50.880 --> 0:08:54.680 he showed up on planet Earth. God credited tithes and 0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:59.360 offerings to him because one of his relatives was a giver. 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:04.360 What happened, somebody went before him and stored up favor. 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:08.520 When you give, God is not going to just bless you, 0:09:08.800 --> 0:09:11.760 but he's going to credit that giving to your children 0:09:11.960 --> 0:09:15.600 and to future generations. I have a little notebook of 0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:18.760 my grandfather's that he kept of all of his giving. 0:09:19.320 --> 0:09:22.199 Granddaddy died when he was ninety six, quite a few 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:25.960 years ago, but for over fifty years he wrote down 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:29.480 every tithe, every offering. You can go back and look. 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:33.560 In July nineteen sixty three, seven dollars to the Lakewood 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:37.120 Building Fund, ten dollars to Central Baptist Church, on and on. 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:41.680 No wonder I'm blessed today, No wonder, I'm seeing God's favor. 0:09:42.080 --> 0:09:47.640 Somebody went before me that was a giver. Now God 0:09:47.960 --> 0:09:53.040 is honoring my grandfather by honoring me. David talked about 0:09:53.040 --> 0:09:56.679 this in Psalm eighty nine. He called it a covenant 0:09:56.679 --> 0:10:00.600 of mercy. Just like a bank account, every one of 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:04.280 us has an account in heaven. By the life we live, 0:10:04.640 --> 0:10:08.840 we can store up blessings favor mercy. How do we 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:14.080 make deposits into this account? By making choices that honor God. 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:17.600 When you come to church, you're storing up mercy. You 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:21.760 made a deposit into your heavenly account today. When you 0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:25.600 forgive a wrong, when you overlook an insult, you're not 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:29.079 just helping yourself, but you're making a deposit of mercy. 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:33.600 Maybe you struggle with an addiction. The temptation comes, but 0:10:33.720 --> 0:10:37.080 instead of giving in, you discipline yourself to resist it. 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:41.560 You just made another deposit of mercy. And God said 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:46.320 to David, because you've stored up this mercy, because you've 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:50.079 done your best to honor me, I will always look 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:55.439 favorably towards your children and future generations. And even if 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:59.120 they make mistakes, even if they get off track, I 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:02.240 will not give them what they deserve. I will show 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:06.160 them mercy because of the life that you've lived. That's 0:11:06.200 --> 0:11:08.880 what God is saying to all of us. Because you're 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:12.640 making right choices, God is going to watch after your children, 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:16.400 your grandchildren, your nieces and your nephews, and even if 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:19.160 they get off course, God's going to help them get 0:11:19.200 --> 0:11:22.320 back on course because of the life that you're living now. 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:25.040 I don't know about you, but that helps me to 0:11:25.040 --> 0:11:28.880 sleep better at night. I know that as long as 0:11:28.880 --> 0:11:31.840 I'm being my best, as long as I'm keeping my 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:35.840 mercy account full, God is promised he'll not only show 0:11:35.880 --> 0:11:39.120 me mercy, but he'll take it one step further, and 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:44.800 he'll always look favorably toward my children and grandchildren. I 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:48.080 want you to understand, you're not just coming to church. 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:51.880 You're storing up mercy. You're not just being kind to 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:56.960 that stranger. You're not just overlooking an insult. You're not 0:11:57.200 --> 0:12:02.560 just forgiving or wrong. You're making as of mercy. Somebody says, 0:12:02.600 --> 0:12:05.800 are you still volunteering at the hospital. Aren't you tired 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:08.840 of that? Not at all. I'm keeping my mercy account full. 0:12:09.640 --> 0:12:12.679 You mean you're still going over to Lakewood, getting there early, 0:12:12.720 --> 0:12:15.199 singing in the choir, ushering, being a greed or teaching 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:18.880 the children. Yes, I am. I'm making deposits of mercy, 0:12:19.280 --> 0:12:22.400 and I know God promises he will not only show 0:12:22.480 --> 0:12:25.679 me favor, but he will be good to my children 0:12:25.760 --> 0:12:29.640 and future generations. When I was growing up, I had 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:32.760 a friend that was a pastor's son like me. For 0:12:32.800 --> 0:12:35.880 a while, he started going out and partying, doing all 0:12:35.920 --> 0:12:38.520 these things he knew he shouldn't be doing. He thought 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:40.800 we were too stiff, and this other group was having 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:43.800 more fun, so he started hanging out with them. He 0:12:43.920 --> 0:12:47.840 told me later, Joel, I was so miserable in front 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:50.440 of them. I acted like I was having fun, but 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:53.240 deep down I just couldn't stand it. I'd come home 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:56.640 at night almost sick to my stomach. I told him, 0:12:56.840 --> 0:13:00.920 it's because you are ruined for doing wrong. Man, your 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:04.280 parents have stored up so much mercy. God is going 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:06.440 to make you miserable to you get back on the 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:10.800 right course. Today. He's the pastor of a very successful church. 0:13:11.320 --> 0:13:13.800 But this is the way our God is. Even if 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:17.440 our children, our grandchildren get off course, God's going to 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:20.960 make sure they're uncomfortable. He's going to give them an 0:13:21.080 --> 0:13:25.200 unrest that will eventually stir them out of those wrong places. 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:28.720 It may not happen overnight, but God will keep working 0:13:28.760 --> 0:13:31.720 on them and working on them all because of the 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:35.000 life of excellence that you have lived. This is what 0:13:35.120 --> 0:13:39.240 happened with David's children. Twenty three years after David died. 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:43.760 His son Solomon was making very poor choices. He had 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:46.600 married these foreign wives and now he was starting to 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:50.920 worship their idols and first kings. God said to him, Solomon, 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:54.800 normally I would take the kingdom away from you. You've 0:13:54.800 --> 0:13:58.680 done wrong in my sight. However, I will not do 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:03.120 it for your father David's sake. God was saying, Solomon, 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:07.000 you deserve judgment. You've done wrong, but I am a 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:11.520 loyal God. And your father David, even though he lived 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.640 twenty three years ago, he stored up mercy for you, 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:17.240 and I'm not going to give you what you deserve. 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:20.600 I'm going to show favor on you because of the 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:24.200 life your father has lived. There's no telling how many 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:28.160 things we've been spared because somebody in our family line 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:31.320 made a deposit of mercy. All of a sudden, we 0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:34.440 get a good break, a problem resolved, and we think, man, 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:37.600 I sure was lucky. That could have turned out bad. No, 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:39.960 luck didn't have anything to do with it. It was 0:14:40.040 --> 0:14:43.160 because you had a grandmother that was praying, or you 0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:45.720 had a great great uncle that you never even met. 0:14:46.080 --> 0:14:50.280 He honored God, and now God is honoring him by 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:53.520 helping you to get out of that trouble. Solomon eventually 0:14:53.600 --> 0:14:57.720 died and his son took over the throne Reaboeing. This 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:01.120 was David's grandson. You would have thought he had learned 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:03.920 to do what's right, but he didn't honor God. He 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:06.880 was in the midst of all this turmoil. This was 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:11.120 fifty seven years after David's death. God basically said the 0:15:11.160 --> 0:15:14.760 same thing to him, Ria Boem, I should send judgment 0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:19.000 for the wrong that you've done. Nevertheless, for my servant 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:22.880 David's sake, I will not do it. Notice how this 0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:28.000 mercy is being passed from generation to generation, all because 0:15:28.360 --> 0:15:32.200 one man chose to honor God. You can be that man, 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:35.080 you can be that woman, You can be that young 0:15:35.160 --> 0:15:39.240 person that will affect generations to come. I can't think 0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:42.800 of anything I'd rather leave my children more than the 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:46.680 blessings and favor of God. And living a life of 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:50.720 excellence and integrity is worth more than leaving your children 0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:54.520 houses and cars and money. The scripture puts it this way. 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:59.600 A godly heritage is better than a heritage of great wealth. 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:03.320 Let me challenge you keep being your best each day. 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:07.400 You were so in seeds for future generations. Keep doing 0:16:07.440 --> 0:16:11.320 the right thing, even when it's hard. Keep serving, keep giving, 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:15.560 keep loving. You are storing up blessings and favor, not 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:19.880 only for you, but for generations to come. Think about this. 0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:23.920 Three hundred and five years after David was dead, one 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:26.800 of his great great great grandchildren was on the throne. 0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:32.480 His name was King Hezekiah. A huge army had surrounded Jerusalem. 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:36.240 It looked like Hezekiah and the people were doomed, looked 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:38.960 like they didn't have a chance. But all of a sudden, 0:16:39.320 --> 0:16:42.120 the Angel of the Lord showed up and in a 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:46.360 split second, destroyed one hundred and eighty thousand of the 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:51.240 enemy troops. Hezekiah's life and city was spare. Not long 0:16:51.280 --> 0:16:54.800 after that, Hezekiah said, God, what did we do to 0:16:54.880 --> 0:16:59.800 deserve this favor in such a way? God said, in effect, Hezekiah, 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:02.800 there's a man that's been in the grave three hundred 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:06.639 and five years. He honored me, he loved me, and 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:10.280 I'm a faithful God. And yes, Hezekiah, I love you. 0:17:10.680 --> 0:17:13.639 But I'm not doing this for your sake. I'm doing 0:17:13.680 --> 0:17:18.360 it because a man named David established a covenant of mercy, 0:17:18.760 --> 0:17:22.359 and I will always watch after his seed. That's the 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:25.960 promise God makes to us. If we will keep him first, 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:29.320 he will make sure that our seed is taken care of. 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:32.560 We may not even be around, but I love to 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:36.800 think about the fact the decisions I make today can 0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:40.639 affect my descendants for the good for years and years 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:43.480 to come. I want God to be able to say 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:47.520 to my relatives that may need help many years from now, 0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:51.760 I'm not doing this for your sake, but way back 0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:56.399 in twenty ten, there was a young, good looking minister 0:17:56.520 --> 0:18:00.840 that lived. He did his best to honor me, and 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:04.520 because of the life he lived, I'm gonna show you mercy, 0:18:05.000 --> 0:18:08.679 not for your sake, but for his sake. How that 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:11.080 ought to stir us up to make our lives count. 0:18:11.760 --> 0:18:15.600 The scripture talks about how an iniquity can be passed 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:21.320 down for three or four generations. An iniquity is something destructive, addictions, 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:26.280 bad habits, sicknesses, low self esteem, depression. Those things can 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:30.240 get passed down three or four generations. But it says 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:34.879 in Deuteronomy seventy nine, God will keep his covenant of 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:39.800 mercy with those that love him for a thousand generations. 0:18:40.520 --> 0:18:43.480 That means the fact that you're in church today, the 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:47.720 fact that you're watching right now, a thousand generations from now, 0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:50.600 God will not forget about this. You are making a 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:56.200 lasting difference. This one thing to leave your family material resources, 0:18:56.240 --> 0:18:59.000 and that's good. But let me challenge it. To leave 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:03.360 them something great than money, greater than houses, greater than cars. 0:19:03.920 --> 0:19:08.760 Leave them this covenant of mercy, leave them a legacy 0:19:08.880 --> 0:19:12.120 of faith. When times get tough and you think, oh, man, 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:14.840 I don't feel like going to church. I don't feel 0:19:14.880 --> 0:19:17.480 like being good to these people. They're aggravating me. I 0:19:17.520 --> 0:19:20.359 don't even feel like trying to overcome this addiction. I 0:19:20.400 --> 0:19:24.359 don't see anything happening. No, you have to keep reminding yourself. 0:19:24.600 --> 0:19:28.360 You are storing up mercy. Every time you leave this building. 0:19:28.520 --> 0:19:31.960 You should say to yourself, I just made another deposit 0:19:32.040 --> 0:19:35.639 of mercy. My account got a little bit fuller. Every 0:19:35.640 --> 0:19:38.320 time you get up early to read your Bible and pray, 0:19:38.800 --> 0:19:43.080 every time you're kind to someone, every time you resist temptation, 0:19:43.640 --> 0:19:47.080 you're not only making it easier for yourself, but you're 0:19:47.119 --> 0:19:51.400 making it easier for generations to come. You are affecting 0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:55.880 your bloodline and some of you today need some new blood. 0:19:56.560 --> 0:19:59.200 There are things you're dealing with right now that keep 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:03.359 getting past from generation to generation. And if you don't 0:20:03.440 --> 0:20:06.000 draw the line in the sand and say no more, 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:08.639 this is a new day. I'm gonna break these addictions. 0:20:08.920 --> 0:20:13.000 I'm not gonna live negative, bitter, angry, upset. If you 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:16.000 don't put a stop to it, it'll continue to linger 0:20:16.080 --> 0:20:20.600 in your family line for generations and generations. One time 0:20:20.640 --> 0:20:24.320 in the Old Testament, God told King Saul to go 0:20:24.480 --> 0:20:29.480 and totally destroy the Amalekites. Saul went out and defeated 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:34.000 the enemy, but he's spared the king, King Agag. He 0:20:34.080 --> 0:20:36.800 captured him, and when he brought him back, the prophet 0:20:36.880 --> 0:20:40.240 Samuel saw it. He says, Saul, what in the world 0:20:40.280 --> 0:20:43.720 have you done? God gave you the power to totally 0:20:43.760 --> 0:20:48.400 defeat this enemy, but you've spared the king. Fast forward now, 0:20:48.560 --> 0:20:52.720 hundreds of years later, Esther is in the palace. There's 0:20:52.760 --> 0:20:55.920 a man by the name of Haman that is trying 0:20:55.960 --> 0:20:58.359 to get rid of her and all of her people. 0:20:58.880 --> 0:21:03.280 The scripture says that demon was an Agite, and Aguite 0:21:03.520 --> 0:21:07.560 was a descendant of King Agag. Here's my point. If 0:21:07.680 --> 0:21:10.600 Saul would have taken care of the enemy. When God 0:21:10.640 --> 0:21:13.560 gave him the power to do it, Estra wouldn't be 0:21:13.560 --> 0:21:17.520 having this problem five hundred years later. Could it be 0:21:17.680 --> 0:21:20.159 that there are issues that you're dealing with right now 0:21:20.440 --> 0:21:22.600 that if you don't rise up and put a stop 0:21:22.640 --> 0:21:26.320 to it, someone in your family line will still be 0:21:26.359 --> 0:21:30.199 struggling with it five hundred years from now. God is saying, 0:21:30.600 --> 0:21:34.359 this is your time, This is your moment. Your destiny 0:21:34.480 --> 0:21:37.000 is calling out to you. You can either put up 0:21:37.080 --> 0:21:39.960 with it, let it conquer you, and like Saul, let 0:21:40.000 --> 0:21:42.720 good enough be good enough, or you can put your 0:21:42.760 --> 0:21:45.840 foot down and say no way. The same power that 0:21:45.960 --> 0:21:48.800 raised Jesus from the dead is on the inside of me. 0:21:49.320 --> 0:21:52.320 I am going to totally defeat this enemy. I'm gonna 0:21:52.359 --> 0:21:56.359 conquer this addiction, this anger, this low self esteem, this depression. 0:21:58.119 --> 0:22:00.240 I Am not going to let it linger in my 0:22:00.320 --> 0:22:03.560 family line any longer. Friends, you got to rise up 0:22:03.720 --> 0:22:07.080 and fight the good fight of faith. You are anointed, 0:22:07.119 --> 0:22:10.320 you are equipped, you are empowered. The forces that are 0:22:10.400 --> 0:22:13.199 for you are greater than the forces that are against you. 0:22:14.119 --> 0:22:17.919 My declaration is we are putting a stop to every 0:22:18.040 --> 0:22:22.040 negative thing in our family line. Every curse is being broken. 0:22:22.480 --> 0:22:26.600 No sickness, no addictions, no bad habits, no depression, no 0:22:26.760 --> 0:22:30.520 low self esteem is going to be passed any further. Today, 0:22:30.840 --> 0:22:33.879 the tide of the battle is turning. I read a 0:22:33.920 --> 0:22:39.119 story about our Capone's lawyer. His name was easy Eddie. 0:22:39.240 --> 0:22:42.320 Of course, our Capone was the leader of the mafia 0:22:42.640 --> 0:22:46.120 in Chicago many many years ago, and Easy Eddie had 0:22:46.160 --> 0:22:49.160 no integrity. He did whatever he had to to keep 0:22:49.200 --> 0:22:53.600 Capone out of jail. He was extremely successful and compensated 0:22:53.840 --> 0:22:57.040 greatly for it. But Easy Eddie had a young son. 0:22:57.760 --> 0:23:00.679 Even though with all of his wealth and influences he 0:23:00.720 --> 0:23:03.919 could give his boy the houses and cars and the 0:23:03.920 --> 0:23:07.439 best of everything, there were two things he could not 0:23:07.600 --> 0:23:10.959 give his young son, and it really bothered him. He 0:23:11.040 --> 0:23:14.560 could not give him a good name or a good example. 0:23:15.280 --> 0:23:18.320 He got to where he couldn't live with himself, although 0:23:18.359 --> 0:23:22.439 he knew the consequences would be extreme. One day he 0:23:22.480 --> 0:23:25.639 went to the authorities and he told everything he knew 0:23:25.680 --> 0:23:28.760 about Capone, and he confessed to all the wrong that 0:23:28.840 --> 0:23:31.359 he had done. He was trying, in some way to 0:23:31.480 --> 0:23:34.959 salvage his reputation and to teach his young boy that 0:23:35.280 --> 0:23:39.760 integrity and honor and excellence was so important. He ended 0:23:39.800 --> 0:23:43.040 up having to testify against the mob, and, as most 0:23:43.040 --> 0:23:47.080 people expected, within a year, his life ended in a 0:23:47.160 --> 0:23:51.639 hell of gunfire outside his home. Many years later, during 0:23:51.680 --> 0:23:56.000 World War II, there was a young US airman flying 0:23:56.040 --> 0:23:59.520 his fighter plane on a mission in the South Pacific. 0:24:00.240 --> 0:24:03.760 Long after takeoff, he realized someone had forgotten to fill 0:24:03.840 --> 0:24:07.720 his fuel tanks. He couldn't complete the mission. He dropped 0:24:07.720 --> 0:24:11.240 out of formation headed back to the mother ship. On 0:24:11.280 --> 0:24:15.680 the way, he saw a squadron of enemy planes speeding 0:24:15.720 --> 0:24:19.600 toward his fleet, the one he just left without him. 0:24:19.880 --> 0:24:22.919 His fleet was totally defenseless. He had no way to 0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:26.199 contact them. The only thing he could do was to 0:24:26.240 --> 0:24:29.360 try to distract these planes and keep them from going 0:24:29.400 --> 0:24:33.680 after his friends. Even though he was outnumbered ten to one, 0:24:33.760 --> 0:24:37.440 he charged toward them, darting in and out like a madman. 0:24:38.000 --> 0:24:41.000 He dove at their wings and tried to clip their tails, 0:24:41.160 --> 0:24:44.400 doing everything he could. The whole time he was being 0:24:44.600 --> 0:24:47.680 hit with bullets, Smoke was everywhere. Looked like he didn't 0:24:47.720 --> 0:24:51.560 have a chance. At one point, these enemy pilots got 0:24:51.600 --> 0:24:55.320 so confused and so frustrated they turned around, gave up 0:24:55.359 --> 0:24:58.960 and went back. He spared his fleet all by himself. 0:24:59.560 --> 0:25:03.800 For this incredible act of bravery, he became the Navy's 0:25:03.840 --> 0:25:07.800 first pilot to receive the Medal of Honor award for 0:25:07.920 --> 0:25:12.280 the highest act of bravery and heroism. A year later, 0:25:12.359 --> 0:25:17.280 this young man, Butch O'Hare, was killed in aerial combat 0:25:17.840 --> 0:25:21.760 at the age of twenty nine. His hometown city would 0:25:21.760 --> 0:25:26.639 not let his heroics be forgotten. Today O'Hare Airport in 0:25:26.760 --> 0:25:30.439 Chicago is named after him. But what makes this story 0:25:30.480 --> 0:25:35.880 more significant is Butch O'Hare was easy Eddie's son. He 0:25:36.040 --> 0:25:39.040 was the young man that Easy Eddie changed his life for. 0:25:39.760 --> 0:25:42.639 Do you see the difference one person can make in 0:25:42.680 --> 0:25:48.160 a family line, when one man, when one woman, when 0:25:48.240 --> 0:25:51.200 one young person rises up and says, you know what, 0:25:51.640 --> 0:25:54.119 I'm gonna live a life that honors God. I'm going 0:25:54.160 --> 0:25:56.840 to be a person of excellence and integrity. I'm not 0:25:56.880 --> 0:25:59.800 going to compromise. I'm not gonna take the easy way out. 0:26:00.440 --> 0:26:02.840 When you make an effort to honor God like that, 0:26:03.400 --> 0:26:05.800 when you do what you can to make things right, 0:26:06.119 --> 0:26:10.399 you are starting this covenant of mercy. God will not 0:26:10.480 --> 0:26:14.240 only honor you, he will honor your children. This family 0:26:14.280 --> 0:26:19.080 went from no reputation, no integrity, no respect one generation 0:26:19.240 --> 0:26:24.520 later to incredible respect, honor, and admiration. Some of you 0:26:24.560 --> 0:26:29.000 today are one generation away from seeing God honor your 0:26:29.040 --> 0:26:32.560 family like you've never even dreamed of. It may not 0:26:32.640 --> 0:26:35.440 be to have your name on something big, but God 0:26:35.520 --> 0:26:39.600 is going to honor your children with incredible success, with 0:26:39.680 --> 0:26:43.960 amazing opportunities. God is going to show you an Ephesians three, 0:26:44.080 --> 0:26:49.560 twenty decade, exceedingly abundantly above and beyond. You may have 0:26:49.600 --> 0:26:52.680 some things in your past, like easy eddy that you're 0:26:52.720 --> 0:26:56.000 not proud of, but God is not interested in where 0:26:56.040 --> 0:27:00.360 you've been. He's interested in where you're going. Today can 0:27:00.400 --> 0:27:02.800 be a new day. You can be the one to 0:27:02.840 --> 0:27:05.359 set a new standard. You can be the one to 0:27:05.760 --> 0:27:09.959 fill your account of mercy full. You may come from 0:27:10.080 --> 0:27:14.719 what we call these long lines of generational curses. But 0:27:14.760 --> 0:27:18.920 the good news is there's something else called a generational blessing. 0:27:19.480 --> 0:27:22.520 And just as sickness is and addictions can be passed down, 0:27:22.840 --> 0:27:26.880 how much more can faith, integrity, favor be passed down. 0:27:27.520 --> 0:27:31.560 Now I've learned this, the blessing will always override the curse. 0:27:32.480 --> 0:27:36.040 As we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, one promise we 0:27:36.080 --> 0:27:39.880 can stand on is that Christ has redeemed us from 0:27:39.920 --> 0:27:43.159 the curse of the law. Let that inspire you to 0:27:43.320 --> 0:27:47.639 rise higher, to break every bondage, and to become everything 0:27:47.720 --> 0:27:52.040 God's created you to be. Jesus won the victory. Now 0:27:52.119 --> 0:27:55.360 let's take the power the authority he's given us and 0:27:55.400 --> 0:27:58.680 not only win for ourselves, but let's help someone else 0:27:58.720 --> 0:28:03.159 win decisions that honor God and make it easier on 0:28:03.280 --> 0:28:06.440 those that come after us. After all, I don't want 0:28:06.440 --> 0:28:10.199 my relatives to serve God in spite of me. I 0:28:10.280 --> 0:28:13.400 want them to serve God because of me. I want 0:28:13.440 --> 0:28:16.520 them to be challenged by my faith, inspired by the 0:28:16.560 --> 0:28:20.440 excellence and integrity that they see. Remember, none of us 0:28:20.480 --> 0:28:24.159 got to where we are by ourselves. Somebody went before 0:28:24.240 --> 0:28:27.800 us to make it easier. Somebody held up their hands, 0:28:28.200 --> 0:28:32.080 like Moses did for Joshua. I'm asking you today to 0:28:32.200 --> 0:28:35.880 hold up your hands and help somebody else win lead 0:28:35.960 --> 0:28:39.400 this legacy of faith. If you do this, you are 0:28:39.480 --> 0:28:43.400 storing up mercy. And God promises he will not only 0:28:43.440 --> 0:28:46.920 be good to your family line for a thousand generations, 0:28:47.240 --> 0:28:49.600 but God will be good to you. He'll pour out 0:28:49.640 --> 0:28:52.640 his blessings in favor. And I believe and declare you 0:28:52.680 --> 0:28:55.600 will become everything God's created you to be, and you 0:28:55.640 --> 0:28:59.880 will see in Ephesians three, twenty decade exceedingly abundantly above 0:29:00.200 --> 0:29:02.959 and beyond. Amen and Amen. Do you receive that today? 0:29:04.880 --> 0:29:07.720 We never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:29:07.760 --> 0:29:10.640 an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. 0:29:10.800 --> 0:29:14.480 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I'll 0:29:14.560 --> 0:29:18.880 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:29:18.960 --> 0:29:22.240 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:29:22.320 --> 0:29:25.160 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in 0:29:25.200 --> 0:29:28.360 a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. He's 0:29:28.400 --> 0:29:30.440 going to take you places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:31.200 --> 0:29:34.640 Thank you for listening to the Joel Oustine podcast. Help 0:29:34.720 --> 0:29:37.440 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:37.560 --> 0:29:41.440 all over the world. Visit Joeloustine dot com slash give 0:29:41.520 --> 0:29:43.200 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:44.480 --> 0:29:47.400 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:47.400 --> 0:29:50.800 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:50.880 --> 0:29:54.080 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:54.240 --> 0:29:56.720 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:56.760 --> 0:29:57.360 next time. 0:30:05.800 --> 0:30:08.320 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:30:08.360 --> 0:30:11.960 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:30:12.000 --> 0:30:15.080 been ill equipped to help. That is until now. Join 0:30:15.160 --> 0:30:18.160 nearly fifty thousand people just like you who've enrolled in 0:30:18.200 --> 0:30:21.480 the Mental Health Coach training program and become equipped to help. 0:30:21.640 --> 0:30:24.320 For a limited time. 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