Mountains Turned to Mole Hills

0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:03.160 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:06.360 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:09.040 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.760 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:00:11.800 --> 0:00:14.760 for God's very best in your life. God bless you. 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:17.720 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:19.959 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:24.000 daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:26.400 come visit us in person. We'd love to have you 0:00:26.480 --> 0:00:29.120 be a part of one of our services. Thought lights 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:31.360 to salt it with something funny, and I heard about 0:00:31.360 --> 0:00:34.040 this man named Bubba. He lived way out in the 0:00:34.080 --> 0:00:36.800 country and there was a stray dog that kept showing 0:00:36.840 --> 0:00:39.120 up at his house. And his wife said, Bubba, you 0:00:39.240 --> 0:00:41.400 have to put the dog in your truck and drive 0:00:41.479 --> 0:00:43.159 him out in the woods and drop him off. That's 0:00:43.159 --> 0:00:46.200 where he lives. Bubba drove him a mile down the road, 0:00:46.360 --> 0:00:49.120 dropped him off. When he came home, the dog was 0:00:49.159 --> 0:00:52.840 walking up the driveway practically beat him back. Happened again 0:00:52.880 --> 0:00:54.800 and again. His wife said, Bubba, you have to take 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:58.080 him way out, drive him around in circles, get him 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:01.640 mixed up. Bubba drove him an hour away and criss 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:05.199 cross roads he's never driven before, dropped him off. Two 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:07.600 hours later. He called his wife from the trunck, said 0:01:07.600 --> 0:01:10.720 did the dog come back? She said, yeah, he's walking 0:01:10.760 --> 0:01:13.600 down the driveway. Now, Baba said, do me a favor. 0:01:13.720 --> 0:01:17.640 Put him on the line. I need directions. All right, 0:01:17.720 --> 0:01:20.240 y'all say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:22.920 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:01:23.040 --> 0:01:25.399 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:28.160 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:32.200 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:36.679 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:40.440 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:44.720 about mountains turned to mold hills. We've all heard the 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:47.600 phrase don't make a mountain out of a mole hill 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:51.440 has someone overreacting and making a big deal out of 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.960 something small. But there are times in life that we 0:01:55.040 --> 0:01:58.640 face mountains. The doctor's report comes back and says that 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:01.640 it's not good, get a call from the school and 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:05.680 our child's in trouble again, or fell back into an addiction. 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:09.160 The big contract we were counting on didn't go through. 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:15.280 These are true mountains and obstacles that look insurmountable challenges. Well, 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:17.680 we don't see a way out, and it's easy to 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:22.120 get discouraged, live worried, give up on dreams. That's the 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:25.640 way Zeruba Bell felt in the scripture. He was facing 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:30.040 an impossible situation. But listen to what the prophet Zachariah 0:02:30.080 --> 0:02:34.040 said to him. Who are you, o great mountain that 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:37.680 would stand before Zeruba Bell? You shall become a plain, 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:41.600 a mere mole hill, and he will finish the temple. 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:45.880 God is in the business of turning mountains into mole hills. 0:02:46.400 --> 0:02:50.720 He can flatten out what looks impossible in your life, 0:02:50.760 --> 0:02:54.079 those things that are blocking your health, keeping you from 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:58.839 your dream, stopping your children, looks like it's permanent. It's 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:02.280 a mountain, too big, too strong. It may be too 0:03:02.360 --> 0:03:05.359 much for you, but it's not too much for our God. 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:09.240 He knows how to level the ground to where what 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:13.040 used to stop you. Now you're walking over. What you 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:17.560 thought was permanent is no longer there. Don't be intimidated 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:20.600 by the mountain. Don't believe those lies that it's never 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:24.280 going to change. Never get well, never break the addiction, 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:27.760 never meet the right person. No God is at work 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:30.920 in your life right now. There is no mountain. He 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:35.000 can't bring down no sickness. He can't heal no child. 0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:39.040 He can't turn around. One touch in his favor and 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:44.880 the high thing becomes low. What looked impossible somehow turns around. 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:49.520 You can't explain it. It doesn't make sense. That's God 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:54.760 turning mountains into mole hills, flattening out what's blocking your destiny. 0:03:55.720 --> 0:03:58.640 Now here's the key. Don't talk to God about how 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:02.040 big your mountain is. Talk to your mountain about how 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:06.040 big your God is. Mountain. You cannot stay in my life. 0:04:06.360 --> 0:04:10.480 You cannot stop my purpose. You may look insurmountable, but 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:13.600 I know a secret. My God is a mountain mover. 0:04:14.280 --> 0:04:16.920 My God's going to turn you into a plain. When 0:04:16.960 --> 0:04:20.200 it's all said and done, I will walk right over you. 0:04:20.200 --> 0:04:23.240 You have to stir your faith up. We don't serve 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:27.320 a weak God, a limited God. We serve the creator 0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:30.680 of the universe, the God who flung stars into space, 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:34.760 and the God who chose you before you could choose him. 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:39.080 He knew we would face mountains, have things come against 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:41.960 us that look too big. He didn't leave us on 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:45.960 our own. He said, I will turn mountains into plains, 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:49.760 and I will bring high things low. God is fighting 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:53.920 for you. He sees what you're going through. He knows 0:04:53.960 --> 0:04:58.400 what you're up against, the treatment, the lonely nights, the 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:02.520 child that's breaking your heart, seems like your stop. No, 0:05:02.680 --> 0:05:05.680 your time is coming. God is saying to you what 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:09.560 he said to Zeruba Bell. Every mountain shall be brought down, 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:13.920 every high thing will be flattened out. What God started 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:18.120 in your life, he will finish. God gave Zeruba Bell 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:21.720 this dream to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and he 0:05:21.839 --> 0:05:25.800 was living in exile in Babylon with the Israelites. The 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:29.080 King of Persia allowed them to go back home. Zeruba 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:32.400 Bel was excited and he got others involved and they 0:05:32.440 --> 0:05:36.560 started building. Well, it wasn't any time before they faced opposition. 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:41.040 Local people were upset and they didn't want Zeruba Bell there, 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:44.760 and they turned hostile and cost him all kinds of trouble. 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:47.560 They went to the city leaders and said he was 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:51.000 trying to lead a rebellion, was going to overthrow the government. 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:55.760 They convinced the politicians to make a legal decreed ordering 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:59.279 the construction to stop. Now, no more work could continue. 0:05:59.440 --> 0:06:02.520 It's not only people coming against them, but now they 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:05.760 had this law that they couldn't rebuild. It looked permanent, 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:09.040 like it could never change. And of course Zeruba bel 0:06:09.160 --> 0:06:12.279 all of his people. They were discouraged. They had laid 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:16.719 the foundation, they had gotten started, but now construction came 0:06:16.760 --> 0:06:20.560 to a halt. For years, no work was done. I 0:06:20.560 --> 0:06:24.120 can imagine Zeruba bell sometimes at night, going out by 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:27.719 the temple site and seeing the materials piled up, the 0:06:27.800 --> 0:06:32.120 lumbers starting to rot, the place in disarray. Thoughts whispered. 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:35.200 You didn't hear from God. He didn't tell you to 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:39.000 rebuild this. You made this up. You're a failure. You 0:06:39.080 --> 0:06:43.240 should be embarrassed when you face mountains and go through 0:06:43.279 --> 0:06:46.599 things that don't work out. The enemy loves to whisper 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:50.559 thoughts of shame and guilt and doubt. And God didn't 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:52.720 promise you'd get well. This is going to be the end. 0:06:53.080 --> 0:06:55.120 You should have known your business wouldn't make it. You 0:06:55.120 --> 0:06:57.880 don't have what it takes. You'll never meet the right person. 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:01.440 You're not attractive enough. No, just because it hasn't happened 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:05.320 yet doesn't mean it's not going to happen. Just because 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:09.520 you had setbacks and people came against you. The medical 0:07:09.520 --> 0:07:13.280 report didn't get better. Now that mountain looks bigger than ever. 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:18.160 Know what God started He's going to finish. Isaiah forty says, 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:22.240 the hills will become a plain, the rough country will 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:25.760 become smooth. Then the glory of the Lord will be 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:30.040 revealed and all the people will see it. That mountain 0:07:30.080 --> 0:07:33.160 you're facing is setting you up for God to show 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:36.760 out in your life. When the hills become a plain, 0:07:37.240 --> 0:07:40.640 the glory of the Lord will be revealed. God is 0:07:40.680 --> 0:07:44.200 going to make you an example of his goodness. When 0:07:44.240 --> 0:07:47.840 he turns the mountain into a mole hill, everyone will 0:07:47.880 --> 0:07:52.480 know his favor is on your line. Now. Sometimes God 0:07:52.520 --> 0:07:55.880 will let us face mountains so other people will see 0:07:55.920 --> 0:08:00.320 his power. Can God trust you with the mountain? Can 0:08:00.400 --> 0:08:03.200 he count on you to stay in faith and keep believing? 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:06.880 It's easy to get sour bitter God, Why didn't this 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:09.600 work out? Zerube Bell could have said, God, I was 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:12.520 doing my best. Why did these people come against me? 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:16.520 Why did they make this ruling look like he had failed? 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:20.320 Like he was done? But it's not over until God 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:23.160 says it's over. You don't know what God is up 0:08:23.240 --> 0:08:27.600 to when you face obstacles, things that look permanent. That's 0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:31.120 a test. Are you going to get discouraged and give 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:33.720 up on what God promised? Or are you going to 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:38.520 keep believing, keep thanking God, knowing that He is positioning 0:08:38.600 --> 0:08:42.440 you for His glory to be revealed. When you see 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:45.679 what God was up to, you'll not only be amazed, 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:49.320 but other people won't be able to deny the blessing 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.880 of God on your life. This couple I know became 0:08:53.120 --> 0:08:57.439 pregnant with triplets seventeen years ago and they were so excited. 0:08:57.800 --> 0:09:00.200 They had never been able to have children and now 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:04.319 their dream finally come true. But the mother had complications 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:08.480 during the pregnancy and the babies were born months prematurely 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:12.160 and hardly weighed anything. Doctors didn't know if they were 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:14.280 going to make it. It was day by day, and 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:18.640 of course the parents were hoping, praying, believing. For six months, 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:23.120 the babies were in the neonatal intensive care unit, critical condition, 0:09:23.720 --> 0:09:27.160 all these tubes feeding them, trying to get them strong 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:30.559 and developed. By the grace of God, they all survived 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.640 and today they're sixteen years old, healthy at home. I 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:36.560 saw them last week in the lobby. Well. This couple 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:41.199 had insurance, but not enough to cover all the hospital costs. 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:45.840 They received a bill for two million dollars. They didn't 0:09:45.880 --> 0:09:48.840 have those resources. Looked like they'd be paying on this 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:52.200 the rest of their life, a mountain of debt. But 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:55.520 instead of being discouraged and thinking it could never work out, 0:09:56.120 --> 0:09:58.880 they just kept thanking God that he was fighting their battles, 0:09:59.080 --> 0:10:01.680 that he was supplying their needs, that he could turn 0:10:01.800 --> 0:10:06.600 mountains into mole hills. At Christmas time, they received a 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:10.320 letter from the hospital saying, we've never done this before, 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:14.000 but we've decided to forgive the two million dollar debt 0:10:15.080 --> 0:10:17.560 and to pay you back for all the payments that 0:10:17.600 --> 0:10:21.560 you've already made. The scripture says, is there anything too 0:10:21.600 --> 0:10:24.000 hard for the Lord? Now? I know none of us 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:28.280 like obstacles, but how do you know? Like Isaiah said, 0:10:28.800 --> 0:10:32.120 that that mountain is not there to reveal the glory 0:10:32.160 --> 0:10:35.679 of God through you. When he flattens out your high 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:39.600 placesm when he heals you from the sickness, frees you 0:10:39.640 --> 0:10:43.240 from the addiction, turns your child around, people will see 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:47.240 the goodness of God. He wants to make you an example. 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:51.960 Don't get discouraged by the mountain, complain about the obstacle, 0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:55.760 have a new perspective. That mountain is setting you up 0:10:55.920 --> 0:10:59.079 for God to do something unusual, out of the ordinary, 0:10:59.320 --> 0:11:03.040 so His glory glory will be seen through you. Sure 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:05.920 the enemy meant the mountain to block you, but God 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:08.040 is going to turn it around and cause it to 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:11.920 promote you. That's what happened with my mother. She faced 0:11:11.920 --> 0:11:15.480 a mountain of cancer. The doctor said it was terminal. 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:19.160 You can't move. This mountain is permanent. But my mother 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:22.560 never talked about how big the mountain was. She always 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:26.079 talked about how big our God is. All through the day, Lord, 0:11:26.120 --> 0:11:29.360 thank you that you're restoring health back into me. Father, 0:11:29.440 --> 0:11:32.640 thank you that I will live and not die. There 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:36.479 was no way in the natural, but our God is supernatural. 0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:41.400 He took that mountain that looked permanent, looked impossible, no 0:11:41.520 --> 0:11:44.520 way out medically speaking, and he turned it into a 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:49.000 mold hill. She was perfectly healthy and whole for forty years. 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:52.800 God showed his glory through my mother. She told everyone 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:56.600 what happened. She is constantly praying for people, letting them 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:58.880 know if God did it for me, he can do 0:11:58.960 --> 0:12:02.720 it for you. When we were trying to acquire this place, 0:12:02.920 --> 0:12:06.640 the former compact center. We faced a mountain. The company 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:10.680 that was up against us was the largest taxpayer in Texas. 0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:14.720 They were huge, seemed insurmountable. They had all this money 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:19.120 and influence and connections. We didn't see how it could happen. 0:12:19.800 --> 0:12:22.880 It looked impossible, but we had a little bit of faith. 0:12:23.200 --> 0:12:25.960 And the scripture says, if you have faith the size 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:29.000 of a mustard seed, that's one of the smallest seeds, 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:32.600 then you can see mountains move. You don't have to 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:35.440 have great faith, you don't have to know all the 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:38.120 scriptures and have it all figured out, if you just 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:41.280 have a little faith God. I don't see away, but 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:44.800 I know you have a way. This looks impossible to me, 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:47.560 but I know you can still do it. That's all 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:51.880 God needs to work with. We kept believing, declaring, thanking God. 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:56.640 Through a series of supernatural events, things fell into place. 0:12:57.320 --> 0:13:00.480 God changed the city council member's mind, and here we 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:03.760 are today. He turned a mountain into a mold hill. 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:08.120 He brought down the high places that were blocking our purpose. 0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:11.560 For the last twenty years that we've been in this building, 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:15.440 the glory of God has been revealed through us. He 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:19.520 has shined brightly. Now You may be facing a mountain today. 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:25.000 Your health, your finances, your dreams. Seems like you're stump 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:29.839 there's no way around it. But like Isaiah said, God 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:33.120 didn't allow the mountain to stop you, but to display 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:37.720 his glory, his favor, his healing. Don't give up on 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:40.520 what He put in your heart. Don't let the lies 0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:43.640 convince you. This is too big, too strong, too late. 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:47.040 It could never happen. Now, can I encourage you? It's 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:50.520 about to become a mold hill. You wouldn't be hearing 0:13:50.559 --> 0:13:54.679 this if God wasn't about to flatten out some impossibilities 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:59.439 in your life. He's about to bring high things low 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:03.200 to get in agreement with him. All you need is 0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:05.960 just mustard seed faith, A little bit of faith. That's 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:09.320 what moves mountains. Lord, I believe you can heal me 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:12.880 from this sickness. I believe my child is turning around, 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:16.439 that you have beauty for these ashes, that my dreams 0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:20.880 are still coming to pass. Well. Sixteen years the temple 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:25.680 sat there in ruins, nothing but a foundation, and zerube 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:28.560 Bell thought it was too late. He had done his best, 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:33.600 didn't work out. But God doesn't abort dreams. You may 0:14:33.640 --> 0:14:36.800 have given up, but God still has every intention of 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:41.120 bringing it to pass. The puppet Zachariah showed up, said 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:44.560 Zeruba Bell, it's time to get going. That's when he 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.680 made this statement. God's going to turn this mountain into 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:52.280 a mole hill and you will finish the temple. That 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:55.960 breathed new life into Zeruba Bell. He called his men 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:59.880 together and they started working, and four years later they 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:04.000 finish the temple. If Zaruba Bel were here today, he 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:07.640 would tell you, don't let the mountain fool you. Don't 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:11.600 let the sickness, the debt, the trouble convince you that 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:14.560 it's not going to happen. God is fighting for you. 0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:17.760 He's going to level the mountain. He's going to move 0:15:17.840 --> 0:15:21.080 the wrong people. He's going to turn the sickness around. 0:15:21.240 --> 0:15:24.280 He's going to open the right doors. I love the 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:27.960 way Zachariah said it. Who are you, o great mountain 0:15:28.160 --> 0:15:31.160 to stand before Zeruba Bel? He was saying, in effect, 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:34.520 who are you cancer to think you can stand against 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:38.360 God's people? Who are you lax struggle, can't get ahead, 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:41.800 to think you can stop what God has purposed? Who 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:46.000 are you bad breaks, betrayals, closed doors to think you 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:50.040 can hinder our destiny? He didn't say, I hope something 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:53.440 works out. I hope things turned around. No, he said 0:15:53.800 --> 0:15:58.160 you shall be leveled, you shall be flattened out. That 0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:01.400 mountain that used to block you, You're gonna walk on top 0:16:01.480 --> 0:16:05.720 of it. That sickness that held you back, the financial difficulty, 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:09.440 the child that won't do what's right. It's not just 0:16:09.480 --> 0:16:12.760 gonna get a little better, Joel, that's not quite as bad. 0:16:13.040 --> 0:16:15.520 It's just a small hill now. No, it's going to 0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:20.320 be completely flattened, totally smooth, no sign of it. I 0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:23.320 saw where there was a mountain that's twenty nine thousand 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:27.240 feet high. A typical mole hill is two inches tall. 0:16:27.680 --> 0:16:31.200 When we think of this comparison, doesn't seem possible. This 0:16:31.320 --> 0:16:34.840 huge mountain coming down to two inches. God is saying, 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:38.560 I'm gonna do things that don't make sense that you 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:42.480 can't comprehend. Out of the ordinary. You didn't see any way. 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:45.560 But God is going to show up and flatten what 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:49.680 looks impossible in your life. Now, if Zachariah had not 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:54.000 come and spoken faith into zerube Bell reminded him of 0:16:54.040 --> 0:16:58.040 what God can do, he would have never restarted rebuilding 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:01.520 the temple. And sometimes you need people to speak faith 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:05.680 into you. Maybe you're up against a big mountain. It's 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:08.800 been there a long time. You've accepted that it's never 0:17:08.880 --> 0:17:12.040 going to change. But God sent me to stir your 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:15.679 faith to let you know it's not permanent. Yes, it 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:18.480 looks big. It's been a long time. You don't see how, 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:20.919 But you don't have to see how. All you have 0:17:21.000 --> 0:17:24.359 to do is believe. When you believe, the creator of 0:17:24.400 --> 0:17:29.119 the universe goes to work, Angels are dispatched, Miracles set 0:17:29.119 --> 0:17:33.000 in emotion. There's a young man that attends here and 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:36.800 his dream was to become a physician and graduated from 0:17:36.840 --> 0:17:41.080 college with honors. He applied to forty medical schools, but 0:17:41.200 --> 0:17:45.080 only three contacted him back, and unfortunately he was turned 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:49.240 down and didn't have any offers. He is disappointed. He'd 0:17:49.280 --> 0:17:52.160 worked so hard. This is what he always wanted to do. 0:17:52.720 --> 0:17:55.800 But you have to go through your closed doors before 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:59.240 you get to your open doors. The mistake we make 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:02.960 sometimes is we give up too soon. Didn't work out, Joel, 0:18:03.440 --> 0:18:06.720 it's not fair. I don't understand it. This young man, 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:10.679 instead of being discouraged, instead of complaining, he kept thanking 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:14.920 God for what he promised him, declaring favor over his future. Lord, 0:18:15.000 --> 0:18:17.600 I think you that you're opening doors that no man 0:18:17.640 --> 0:18:20.880 can shut, that your favors causing me to stand out 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:24.200 that what you purpose from my life will come to pass. 0:18:24.720 --> 0:18:28.840 When you're facing a mountain, situations that look permanent, it's 0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:32.840 important what you're saying. Are you talking about how big 0:18:32.840 --> 0:18:35.720 the mountain is? Or are you talking about how big 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:39.399 your God is? Are you saying, like Zachariah mountain, you 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:42.879 will become a mole hill. You can't stop my destiny. 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:46.320 I'm God's property. Or are you saying, Joel, I don't know. 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:50.560 Medical reports are not good. Everyone in my family struggles. 0:18:50.800 --> 0:18:54.240 I've had this addiction a long time. No, those mountains 0:18:54.240 --> 0:18:56.920 are not there to stop you, but so that God 0:18:56.960 --> 0:18:59.800 can show his glory through you. He wouldn't have a 0:18:59.800 --> 0:19:01.640 life out it. If it's going to keep you from 0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:05.880 your destiny. It's a test. Be strong, be of good courage. 0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:09.760 What God started, He's going to finish this. Young man 0:19:09.840 --> 0:19:13.639 attended a seminar for students wanting to get into medical school. 0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:16.560 One of the options they mentioned was working for the 0:19:16.720 --> 0:19:21.400 Armed Services. When he heard that something ignited on the inside, 0:19:21.440 --> 0:19:24.320 he talked to a gentleman there that took great interest 0:19:24.359 --> 0:19:26.560 in him and put in a good word for him, 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:29.600 and he received the news that he was accepted into 0:19:29.600 --> 0:19:33.560 the Armed Forces medical schools. He would not only receive 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:37.880 a full scholarship, not have any costs for his medical education, 0:19:38.600 --> 0:19:42.040 but he would be paid a substantial salary while he 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:46.480 attended schools. He never dreamed he could become a physician 0:19:46.600 --> 0:19:50.159 and have no debt. It looked like that mountain was 0:19:50.200 --> 0:19:53.480 blocking his purpose, but God turned it into a mold hill. 0:19:54.320 --> 0:19:58.720 There may be mountains trying to block you today. Closed 0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:02.399 door sickness that you don't see how it can change. 0:20:02.840 --> 0:20:08.119 Looks too big, too strong, insurmountable. On your own, you 0:20:08.200 --> 0:20:11.960 can't change it. But listen to what God said in Jeremiah. Look, 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:16.679 olmighty mountain, I am your enemy, says the Lord. I 0:20:16.760 --> 0:20:20.080 will raise my fist against you to knock you down 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:22.840 from the heights. When I am finished, you will be 0:20:22.880 --> 0:20:26.399 nothing but a heap of rubble. God is saying to 0:20:26.480 --> 0:20:30.680 the sickness, the addiction, the closed doors, I am your 0:20:30.840 --> 0:20:35.040 enemy because you belong to the most high. He's an 0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:39.639 enemy to what opposes you. Imagine God with his fist 0:20:39.720 --> 0:20:43.520 clensed against that cancer. That's trying to stop you. His 0:20:43.640 --> 0:20:48.240 fist clensed against the depression, the anxiety that looks permanent, 0:20:48.800 --> 0:20:52.280 or clensed against the addiction, against the people that are 0:20:52.280 --> 0:20:56.200 doing you wrong. You're not fighting on your own. God 0:20:56.320 --> 0:20:59.960 is about to deliver the knockout punch. When he is finished, 0:21:00.320 --> 0:21:03.679 those mountains will be nothing but a heap of rubble. 0:21:04.440 --> 0:21:08.439 Just ask David. He faced the mountain, looked impossible, This 0:21:08.600 --> 0:21:12.480 huge giant that was defying the armies of the Living God, 0:21:12.760 --> 0:21:16.560 making fun of God's people, stopping their purpose. They were 0:21:16.600 --> 0:21:19.800 all running in fear. Not David. He stepped up with 0:21:19.880 --> 0:21:24.359 that slingshot and delivered the knockout punch. That high thing 0:21:24.480 --> 0:21:28.320 was brought low, the giant lying on the ground. You 0:21:28.359 --> 0:21:31.199 may have some big obstacles, but our God has a 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:34.679 big punch. He's about to knock out some things that 0:21:34.720 --> 0:21:38.760 have been holding you back. Knock out the fear, Knock 0:21:38.800 --> 0:21:42.280 out the heart trouble, Knock out the strife that's tearing 0:21:42.320 --> 0:21:45.920 your family apart. Knock out those people that are doing 0:21:45.920 --> 0:21:48.919 you wrong. You don't have to fight. Let God do it. 0:21:49.480 --> 0:21:53.040 He has his fist raised against high things that are 0:21:53.040 --> 0:21:57.840 holding your back. When people, circumstances come against you and 0:21:57.840 --> 0:22:00.879 trying to stop your purpose, keep your from moving forward. 0:22:01.359 --> 0:22:05.639 Remember they're not just coming against you, they're coming against God. 0:22:06.560 --> 0:22:09.919 He becomes their enemy. He said, oh, great Mountain, I 0:22:09.960 --> 0:22:13.120 am your enemy. I will knock you from the heights 0:22:13.400 --> 0:22:16.760 and bring you down to rubble. When you understand this, 0:22:16.960 --> 0:22:19.560 you can stay in peace. You don't have to try 0:22:19.600 --> 0:22:23.520 to fight and defend fix everything on your own. You 0:22:23.640 --> 0:22:27.320 have a protector, You have a defender. God will be 0:22:27.400 --> 0:22:30.240 the enemy to your enemies. He will bring every high 0:22:30.240 --> 0:22:34.320 thing low, those obstacles blocking your path, he will turn 0:22:34.359 --> 0:22:38.760 them into rubble, so you can keep moving into your destiny. 0:22:38.920 --> 0:22:41.920 There's a man in the scripture named Saul. He was 0:22:41.960 --> 0:22:45.960 a devout Pharisee and committed to the Jewish law. Well. 0:22:46.000 --> 0:22:49.000 He saw the followers of Jesus as going against what 0:22:49.080 --> 0:22:51.520 he believed, and he tried his best to get rid 0:22:51.560 --> 0:22:54.399 of them. He was the biggest enemy of the church, 0:22:54.960 --> 0:23:00.000 as nine says Saul, breathing threats and murder against the disciples. 0:23:00.680 --> 0:23:04.840 He wasn't playing around, he was standing there giving his approval. 0:23:05.040 --> 0:23:08.199 When Stephen was stoned to death, he went to the 0:23:08.240 --> 0:23:12.280 officials and got legal permission to arrest believers and have 0:23:12.400 --> 0:23:15.040 them put in jail. One day, he was on the 0:23:15.119 --> 0:23:19.359 road to Damascus on this mission to persecute believers. But 0:23:19.400 --> 0:23:22.879 while he was traveling, a bright light shine down from heaven, 0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:26.120 knocked him off his horse and he fell to the ground. 0:23:26.960 --> 0:23:31.639 He was blind, he couldn't see it. A voice boomed out, Saul, Saul, 0:23:31.840 --> 0:23:35.119 why do you persecute me? He was puzzling at who 0:23:35.200 --> 0:23:39.399 are you? The voice responded, I am Jesus, whom you 0:23:39.440 --> 0:23:44.400 are persecuting. What's significant is Saul had never met Jesus. 0:23:45.000 --> 0:23:47.960 He thought he was going after the disciples. But when 0:23:48.000 --> 0:23:53.400 people persecute you, really they're persecuting him because you belonged 0:23:53.440 --> 0:23:57.560 to Christ. God takes it personally. He becomes an enemy 0:23:57.800 --> 0:24:02.800 to those who attack you. Feels every wrong, every injustice, 0:24:03.280 --> 0:24:06.680 every hurt. There will be a time when he delivers 0:24:06.720 --> 0:24:09.840 a knockout punch. You don't have to do it. His 0:24:09.960 --> 0:24:14.080 reputation is on the line. He knows how to defend himself, 0:24:14.520 --> 0:24:17.840 how to bring every high thing low. See, Saul was 0:24:17.880 --> 0:24:21.000 a mountain. He was blocking the church from moving forward. 0:24:21.200 --> 0:24:24.639 He had everybody on the run, hiding, living in fear. 0:24:25.359 --> 0:24:29.720 But God's fist is clenched against your enemies. God delivered 0:24:29.880 --> 0:24:33.320 the knockout punch. Saul fell off his high horse and 0:24:33.560 --> 0:24:37.440 came to the ground. That day was a turning point. 0:24:37.480 --> 0:24:40.600 Saul became a follower of Christ. He went on to 0:24:40.640 --> 0:24:44.200 become the apostle Paul, who wrote half of the books 0:24:44.240 --> 0:24:47.480 in the New Testament. The greatest enemy of the Church, 0:24:47.920 --> 0:24:51.760 became the greatest ally of the Church. God knows how 0:24:51.800 --> 0:24:55.120 to knock out what's trying to stop you. It may 0:24:55.160 --> 0:24:59.040 be a goliath, a person, or perhaps a sickness or 0:24:59.400 --> 0:25:02.800 dead or trouble. I can imagine right now God rolling 0:25:02.880 --> 0:25:06.960 up his sleeves, clenching his fist. You've stood strong, you've 0:25:06.960 --> 0:25:11.160 been faithful. Now here comes the knockout punch, knocking out 0:25:11.160 --> 0:25:15.440 the sickness, knocking out the dysfunction, knocking out the death, 0:25:16.040 --> 0:25:19.080 knocking out those people, moving the wrong ones out of 0:25:19.119 --> 0:25:22.879 your path, making a way, not where you have to go, 0:25:23.000 --> 0:25:25.960 way around that obstacle. You can get there in a 0:25:26.000 --> 0:25:28.639 year or two. No, God's about to turn the mountain 0:25:28.720 --> 0:25:32.280 into a mole hill. He's gonna flatten out what looks 0:25:32.320 --> 0:25:36.920 impossible so you can go straight to your destiny. Now 0:25:37.040 --> 0:25:40.399 give him something to work with, just mustard seed, faith, 0:25:40.960 --> 0:25:44.080 a little bit of faith can move mountains, not complaining, 0:25:44.760 --> 0:25:47.119 not talking about how bad it is, but how about 0:25:47.160 --> 0:25:50.479 talking about how great our God is. He's an enemy 0:25:50.680 --> 0:25:54.480 to your enemies. You can stay in peace. You can 0:25:54.560 --> 0:25:57.520 live from a place of trust, knowing that no mountain 0:25:57.560 --> 0:26:01.240 can stand against you, that every high thing is being 0:26:01.280 --> 0:26:04.520 brought low. God didn't bring you this far to leave 0:26:04.560 --> 0:26:07.679 you now. I know, like Zaruba bel you may have 0:26:07.720 --> 0:26:10.720 had some delays and people did you wrong. It hadn't 0:26:10.760 --> 0:26:14.160 worked out. But what God started in your life, He's 0:26:14.200 --> 0:26:17.600 going to finish. It's time to try it again. If 0:26:17.640 --> 0:26:21.439 you'll do this, I believe declare, God's about to deliver 0:26:21.560 --> 0:26:25.520 some knockout punches. He's gonna flatten out everything hindering you, 0:26:26.080 --> 0:26:29.399 every mountain turned to a mole hill. Healing is coming, 0:26:29.520 --> 0:26:33.080 freedom is coming, Favor is coming, the fullness of your 0:26:33.119 --> 0:26:37.200 destiny in Jesus' name, And if you receive it, can 0:26:37.280 --> 0:26:41.480 you say amen? I'd like to give you an opportunity 0:26:41.560 --> 0:26:44.280 to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you 0:26:44.280 --> 0:26:48.159 pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of 0:26:48.200 --> 0:26:51.840 my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my 0:26:51.960 --> 0:26:55.520 lord and savior. If you prayed that simple prayer. We 0:26:55.640 --> 0:26:58.120 believe you got born again and we'd love to send 0:26:58.160 --> 0:27:00.720 you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. 0:27:01.040 --> 0:27:03.360 You can text the number on the screen or go 0:27:03.400 --> 0:27:06.040 to the website. But I hope you'll get into a 0:27:06.080 --> 0:27:09.919 good Bible based church and keep God first place. 0:27:11.000 --> 0:27:14.159 Fear can be a powerful force, and we'll try to 0:27:14.200 --> 0:27:19.040 make you feel alone stuck without hope. But fear doesn't 0:27:19.040 --> 0:27:22.520 have to get the final say. There is a way out. 0:27:22.880 --> 0:27:25.919 Fear is a powerful force, but so is faith. What 0:27:26.000 --> 0:27:29.280 we focus on shapes our reality. In my new book, 0:27:29.480 --> 0:27:32.440 No More Fear, you have the mind of Christ, I'll 0:27:32.440 --> 0:27:35.280 show you how to silence fear and live boldly in 0:27:35.400 --> 0:27:39.120 faith and confidence. Just like David said, though I walk 0:27:39.200 --> 0:27:42.480 through the valley, I will not fear, you too can 0:27:42.520 --> 0:27:46.399 walk through life's challenges without being paralyzed by fear. And 0:27:46.480 --> 0:27:49.600 I can't promise you you'll never feel fear, but I can 0:27:49.760 --> 0:27:52.240 teach you how to rise above it by dwelling on 0:27:52.280 --> 0:27:56.159 what God says, learning to replace the anxious thoughts with 0:27:56.320 --> 0:27:59.520 faith filled ones, you can live from a place of peace, 0:28:00.119 --> 0:28:01.160 hour and purpose. 0:28:01.960 --> 0:28:04.399 As our way of saying thank You for your gift 0:28:04.440 --> 0:28:07.000 of any amount. This month, we would like to send 0:28:07.040 --> 0:28:10.359 you a copy of Joel's book, No More Fear. You 0:28:10.640 --> 0:28:14.200 have the mind of Christ. The Bible proclaims the Lord 0:28:14.320 --> 0:28:17.760 is my Light and my Salvation. Whom shall I fear? 0:28:18.240 --> 0:28:21.800 This powerful and practical book will help you silence doubt, 0:28:22.160 --> 0:28:27.320 overcome anxiety, and step boldly into God's overcoming power when 0:28:27.400 --> 0:28:31.439 fear whispers you can't. This devotional will stir your faith 0:28:31.560 --> 0:28:35.520 to declare God will. Each page reminds you that you 0:28:35.680 --> 0:28:39.280 weren't created to live in fear or despair. You were 0:28:39.320 --> 0:28:43.720 created to live with passion, purpose, and confidence in God's 0:28:43.760 --> 0:28:47.360 plans for your life. Let God's word equip you to 0:28:47.520 --> 0:28:50.320 rise above fear and walk in victory. 0:28:51.480 --> 0:28:55.000 Fear doesn't have the final say God does. Be bold, 0:28:55.080 --> 0:28:57.720 be strong, and step up to who He made you 0:28:57.800 --> 0:29:00.640 to be. Ftorne, I want you to know we're praying 0:29:00.720 --> 0:29:04.000 for you and your family, believing for God's very best. 0:29:04.480 --> 0:29:07.360 Thank you so much for your prayer and support. Your 0:29:07.400 --> 0:29:11.360 generosity is helping people around the world. As we finish 0:29:11.400 --> 0:29:14.400 this year, I hope you'll consider making a special year 0:29:14.520 --> 0:29:18.200 in gift helps to keep the ministry strong. I always 0:29:18.200 --> 0:29:20.680 want to thank our champion of hope partners for your 0:29:20.720 --> 0:29:23.520 monthly gifts. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll 0:29:23.560 --> 0:29:26.880 consider becoming one. Until we see you next time. May 0:29:26.960 --> 0:29:28.800 the Lord bless you and keep you. 0:29:29.720 --> 0:29:32.640 Be sure to request your copy of Joel's new book, 0:29:32.920 --> 0:29:36.280 No More Fear. You have the Mind of Christ. Visit 0:29:36.360 --> 0:29:39.920 Joelostein dot com or call eight eight eight five six 0:29:40.040 --> 0:29:43.880 seven Joel, and for an additional gift. This month, we're 0:29:43.920 --> 0:29:48.480 also offering the God's Word Work study collection. This empowering 0:29:48.560 --> 0:29:52.680 set includes the NIV, the Message Parallel Bible, Joel's No 0:29:52.800 --> 0:29:56.200 More Fear Devotional, the classic How to Read Your Bible 0:29:56.280 --> 0:30:00.280 and Enjoy It, plus a beautifully crafted leather bookmark with pen. 0:30:00.800 --> 0:30:04.880 You can request these inspiring scripture discovery resources by calling 0:30:05.120 --> 0:30:08.400 eight eight eight five six seven Joel or logging on 0:30:08.560 --> 0:30:13.240 to Joelostein dot com today, call or click anytime twenty 0:30:13.240 --> 0:30:17.680 four hours a day. Silence fear, strengthen your spirit. Let 0:30:17.800 --> 0:30:21.240 God's Word equip you to rise above fear and walk 0:30:21.400 --> 0:30:24.560 in victory. Request these resources today