Prosper Where You're Planted

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This is not an offer 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:29.759 to buy your self securities sn or is it investment, 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:30.760 legal or tax advice. 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:33.679 While you're waiting, you need to take steps to grow, 0:01:34.160 --> 0:01:37.919 develop your skills, be good to others. What you're doing 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:41.600 while the situation is not changing will determine whether you 0:01:41.720 --> 0:01:44.560 prosper where you're planted or whether you just endure it. 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:48.440 When God sees you giving your all when things aren't improving, 0:01:48.880 --> 0:01:53.520 still pursuing your goals, still serving, giving excelling, he may 0:01:53.560 --> 0:01:55.760 not bring you out of the challenge when you thought, 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:58.800 but he will cause you to prosper in the challenge. 0:01:58.880 --> 0:02:01.640 Hi this is Joel and Vitia. Thanks for listening to 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:04.800 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:07.480 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:10.200 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:17.280 for God's very best in your life. God bless you. 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:20.240 It's great to have you with us today. If you're 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:23.239 ever in our area, please stop behying. Be a part 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:25.560 of one of our services. We'd love to have you. 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:28.359 I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week. 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:32.240 We have a daily podcast. You can download our YouTube channel, 0:02:32.440 --> 0:02:35.840 watch the messages anytime. You can follow us on social media. 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:39.320 We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. I'd like to start 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:42.639 with something funny and I heard about this new police recruit. 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:45.600 He was taking his final exam in front of a 0:02:45.680 --> 0:02:49.440 large classroom. The sergeant asked him, what would you do 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:52.200 if you had to arrest your own mother in law 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:55.560 without missing your beat? He said, call for back up. 0:02:57.200 --> 0:02:58.720 All right, Joe, I got a great mother in law. 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:01.680 But here we go. Ready, this is my Bible. I 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:03.960 am what it says I am, I have what it 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:06.240 says I have. I can do what it says I 0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:09.400 can do. Today, I will be taught the word of God. 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:14.079 I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:17.840 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:17.880 --> 0:03:21.320 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:21.560 --> 0:03:25.560 prosper where you're planted. It's easy to think when I 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:28.440 get out of this challenge, I'll be my best when 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:31.840 this pandemic is over, I'll pursue my dreams. When I 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:34.160 don't have this trouble at work, then I'll get my 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:38.080 passion back. But while you're waiting for things to change, 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:41.440 you're not supposed to put your dreams on hold. God 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:44.880 wants to prosper you in the difficulty. He wants to 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:48.160 show your favor in the famine. Don't wait for things 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:51.240 to turn around. Then you'll have a good attitude. You 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:54.600 have to be your best where you are. God doesn't 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:57.080 have to bring you out of the trouble. He can 0:03:57.120 --> 0:04:00.400 cause you to flourish in the trouble. Be in a 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:04.120 slow season, you're waiting for doors to open, hoping to 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:07.160 meet the right person, looking for a new position, but 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:11.240 nothing's happening. It's tempting to get discouraged. God, when are 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:14.640 you going to do something while you're waiting. You need 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:18.520 to take steps to grow, develop your skills, be good 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:22.240 to others. What you're doing while the situation is not 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:26.840 changing will determine whether you prosper where you're planted or 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:30.279 whether you just endure it. When God sees you giving 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:34.240 your all when things aren't improving, still pursuing your goals, 0:04:34.560 --> 0:04:38.920 still serving, giving, excelling, he may not bring you out 0:04:38.960 --> 0:04:41.679 of the challenge when you thought, but He will cause 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:45.719 you to prosper in the challenge. What's a greater testimony 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:48.520 that God brought you out of the trouble, or that 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:51.360 He calls you to flourish in the trouble, That God 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:54.840 stop the pandemic, or that you prospered in the pandemic. 0:04:55.800 --> 0:04:59.480 Jeremiah twenty nine eleven is a very well known scripture. 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:02.400 It's says, these are the plans I have for you, 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:05.919 says the Lord plans to prosper you and not to 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:09.000 harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope. 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:13.360 It's interesting the context this was written in. The people 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:16.680 weren't in a good place, it wasn't an uptime a 0:05:16.800 --> 0:05:21.520 joyful moment. King Nebukanezar had just taken the Israelites out 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:26.000 of Jerusalem as captives and sent them to Babylon. Now 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:29.560 the Israelites were living there in exile. Not able to 0:05:29.600 --> 0:05:33.359 go home was a great disappointment. Their whole world was 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:37.599 turned upside down. I'm sure they were praying, God, deliver us, 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:40.640 please get us out of here. But the word of 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.080 the Lord came saying that they were going to be 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:47.760 there another seventy years. You can imagine how discouraged they were, 0:05:48.080 --> 0:05:51.320 thinking they had seen their best days. God knew they 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:54.240 were about to give up on their dreams lose their passion. 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:57.560 The prophet Jeremiah showed up and told them to do 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:02.120 something significant. He said in verse five, build houses and 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:06.080 live in them. Plant gardens and eat the produce. Give 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:11.000 your daughters in marriage. Increase, Do not decrease. Prosper in 0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:15.040 the land which you were in is exile. God didn't say, 0:06:15.160 --> 0:06:17.640 I'm going to get you out so I can prosper you. 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:20.400 I'm going to free you from this captivity so you 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:24.520 can build dream See increase. He said, I'm going to 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:28.200 prosper you where you're planted. I'm going to prosper you 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:31.240 in exile. I'm going to show you my favor while 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:34.799 you're in Babylon. But notice they had to do something. 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:40.760 He said, build houses, plant gardens, marry, pursue goals. They 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:43.680 could have said, God, that doesn't make sense. This isn't 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:46.640 even our land. Once you free us, then we'll get 0:06:46.640 --> 0:06:52.120 our passion back. No, in captivity, in disappointment, dealing with loss, 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:54.960 you have to take steps of faith. You can't sit 0:06:55.120 --> 0:06:58.000 back and think about what didn't work out, Why did 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:03.120 this happen? Be proactive, look for opportunities, shine at work, 0:07:03.560 --> 0:07:07.440 be a blessing wherever you go. God was telling them, 0:07:07.880 --> 0:07:10.920 I'm not going to turn this around immediately. You're going 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:13.679 to be here for a while. But while you're here, 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:16.640 you don't have to live defeated. You don't have to 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:19.640 give up on your dreams. My plans are to prosper 0:07:19.760 --> 0:07:23.760 you even while you're in captivity. I'm going to prosper you, 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:28.000 even though you're in exile. We all have times where 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:30.920 what we're hoping for is not happening as fast as 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:34.280 we would like. We're believing for a breakthrough, to meet 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:37.680 the right person, see our family restored, but it's been 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:41.760 a long time. It's tempting to get sour, lose our passion. 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:45.360 But while you're waiting, instead of dragging through the day, 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:49.840 if you'll start being productive, building houses, so to speak, 0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:54.160 pursuing dreams, using your gifts, God will cause you to 0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:59.720 prosper in exile. He'll prosper you on the enemy's territory. 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:02.600 He's not waiting to bring you out. He'll prosper you 0:08:02.720 --> 0:08:06.000 in the pandemic. He'll show you his goodness while you're 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:09.760 in captivity. Like the Israelites, life may have thrown you 0:08:09.800 --> 0:08:13.000 a cur you feel like you're in exile, gone through 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:16.920 a disappointment, break up, a child's off course. You could 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:19.640 settle where you are, accept that it's not going to 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:23.200 work out. No, get your passion back. You're not in 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:27.800 exile by yourself. You're not alone in captivity. The creator 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:31.120 of the universe is right there with you. You may 0:08:31.120 --> 0:08:33.680 not understand it, but it's a part of his plan. 0:08:34.360 --> 0:08:37.120 If you're going to reach your highest potential, you have 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:39.520 to keep doing the right thing when the wrong thing 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:44.760 is happening. Keep believing, keep dreaming, keep growing. God didn't 0:08:44.760 --> 0:08:47.160 bring you this far to leave you. It may not 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:49.679 turn around as soon as you would like, but how 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:52.040 do you know God is not going to prosper you 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:55.040 in the difficulty, cause you to flourish in the fire, 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:58.320 take you to new levels in the midst of that challenge. 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:01.920 We've all seen this with the pandemic. Seem like it 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:05.680 was getting better and then another strain. We see the 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:11.080 conflicts in Afghanistan, the earthquakes, the hurricanes. In one sense, 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:15.800 we could say we're in Babylon. There are difficulties, situations 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:19.320 that are not changing. Here's the key. We're not supposed 0:09:19.320 --> 0:09:23.200 to surrender. Put our dreams on hold. It's too much 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:27.120 to overcome. Just endure till he comes. God is saying 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:30.720 to us what he said to the Israelites. Build your houses, 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:35.640 pursue your dreams, go after your destiny. The situation around 0:09:35.760 --> 0:09:40.479 us doesn't have to change. God will prosper us in Babylon. 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:45.480 He'll prosper us despite what's happening around us. Don't live 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:48.560 with the survivor mentality. I can just make it through. 0:09:49.080 --> 0:09:51.920 I'm on the enemy's territory. We may be on the 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:57.000 enemy's territory, but we are God's property. God controls the universe. 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:01.280 He doesn't need permission from any one to bless you. 0:10:02.080 --> 0:10:05.199 When it's your time to be promoted, to see increase, 0:10:05.480 --> 0:10:09.320 to build, to take new ground. No person can stop him. 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:13.600 No bad break, no loss, no pandemic, All the forces 0:10:13.640 --> 0:10:17.720 of darkness cannot stop what God has for you. The 0:10:17.760 --> 0:10:20.960 scripture says, the darker it gets in the world, the 0:10:20.960 --> 0:10:23.760 brighter it is going to get in the church. You 0:10:23.840 --> 0:10:26.600 and I are the church. The church is not a building, 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:30.240 it's people. The darker it gets around you, the more 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:33.160 you're going to shine, the more you're going to stand out, 0:10:33.400 --> 0:10:36.920 the more you're going to see favor. Don't expect God 0:10:36.960 --> 0:10:40.720 to deliver you from every Babylon, but you can't expect 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:44.959 him to cause you to prosper in every Babylon. He 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:48.160 may not take you out of that negative environment at work, 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:50.880 but He will promote you in the midst of it. 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:54.480 And if God is not delivering you from the difficulty, 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.920 maybe that's a sign that you're supposed to shine in 0:10:58.000 --> 0:11:03.160 the difficulty, are to prosper you. He didn't say that 0:11:03.200 --> 0:11:05.920 when everything was going great. He said that when they 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:09.400 were in captivity. If you will have the right attitude, 0:11:09.559 --> 0:11:12.680 God's going to cause you to prosper despite what's coming 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:15.640 against you. He's going to cause you to flourish on 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:21.120 the enemy's territory. Not in Jerusalem that's expected, but in Babylon. 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:24.320 That way people will know the favor of God is 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:27.600 on your life. My father went through a time when 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:31.439 felt like he was in Babylon. Back in the nineteen fifties. 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:35.079 He had been pastoring a successful church. They just built 0:11:35.080 --> 0:11:38.719 a new auditorium held a thousand people. His dreams were 0:11:38.760 --> 0:11:42.040 coming to pass. Then my sister Lisa was born with 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:45.199 something like cerebral palsy, and my father went to a 0:11:45.280 --> 0:11:48.720 hotel for a few days to be alone. He read 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:51.360 the scripture like he was reading it for the first time, 0:11:51.400 --> 0:11:54.840 and he saw how Jesus went about healing people and 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:58.520 performing miracles. He came back to his church with a 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:02.560 new passion, thought they would be excited, but they didn't 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:05.880 like his new message of faith and victory. It didn't 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:09.760 fit their tradition. There was so much contention he ended 0:12:09.800 --> 0:12:13.080 up having to leave the church. He had spent years 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:16.280 pouring into those people. Now there was nothing to show 0:12:16.360 --> 0:12:19.760 for it. He was in exile, so to speak. But 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:24.800 I've learned nothing happens without God's permission. We may not 0:12:25.000 --> 0:12:28.319 understand it, it may not seem fair, but God knows 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:31.480 what he's doing. He wouldn't have allowed it if it 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:34.520 was going to keep you from your purpose. When you 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:38.360 feel like you're in exile, you've been pushed out, having 0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:42.480 to start over, gone through a divorce, been betrayed, dealing 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:46.440 with the loss, it's tempting to settle, get discouraged, think 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:49.320 you've seen your best days. That's when you have to 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:52.680 dig down deep, say God, I don't understand it. It 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:56.040 doesn't make sense to be but I trust you. I 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:58.880 know you're still on the throne. You said your plans 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:02.360 for me are for good. While I'm in Babylon, I'm 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:05.280 still going to praise you, still going to be my best, 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:08.319 still going to pursue my dreams. I'm still going to 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:12.840 believe for your favor. My father was disappointed because, like 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:15.559 the wind was knocked out of him, But he didn't 0:13:15.600 --> 0:13:19.200 sit around in self pity. He didn't get bitter. God, 0:13:19.240 --> 0:13:21.880 why am I in exile? Why did I get pushed out? 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:25.079 He and my mother went out and found an old 0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:28.960 rundown building used to be a feed store. They started 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:33.280 Lakewood with ninety people. He had a thousand members before, 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:37.239 now just a fraction. He had a beautiful brick sanctuary 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:42.119 now this little wood building. Sometimes to reach your destiny, 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:45.120 you have to go backwards so God can take you 0:13:45.240 --> 0:13:49.120 further forward. God doesn't always do things in a straight 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:55.079 line in what makes sense. There will be closed doors, disappointments, 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:58.560 people that walk away, things you didn't see coming. You 0:13:58.600 --> 0:14:01.520 look up and you're in Babylon. You were doing great 0:14:01.559 --> 0:14:06.440 in Jerusalem, but things unexpectedly changed in these times. It 0:14:06.480 --> 0:14:10.199 don't make sense. He came down with an illness, lost 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:13.360 a main contract, the friend betrayed you. You have to 0:14:13.400 --> 0:14:16.960 remind yourself that God is still in control. Being in 0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:21.120 Babylon is not a surprise to him. Don't panic. God 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:23.560 knows how to take what was meant for harm and 0:14:23.640 --> 0:14:26.440 turn it to your advantage. He may not deliver you 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:30.120 from it, but He will prosper you in it. Being 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:33.720 in Babylon is a test, going through things you don't understand, 0:14:34.360 --> 0:14:38.320 things that are not fair. That shows what your character is, 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:42.600 That shows what you're capable of handling. How much God 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:45.760 can trust you with, how much influence you can carry, 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:49.800 how much responsibility he can give you. What you do 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:53.200 in the tough times will determine how high you rise. 0:14:54.000 --> 0:14:56.680 My father could have slacked off. God when you give 0:14:56.720 --> 0:15:00.200 me a big church, I'll be my best again. When 0:15:00.200 --> 0:15:02.560 I have a thousand members, then i'll study, then I'll 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:05.840 prepare and do my best. No, my father preached to 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:09.360 those ninety people like he was preaching to thousands, never 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:13.440 missed a service. While he was waiting for promotion, waiting 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:17.920 for growth, waiting for favor. He developed his gifts. He served, 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:21.560 He visited people in the hospital, He helped those in need. 0:15:22.400 --> 0:15:25.080 Ten years went by, the church still had less than 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:30.120 two hundred people. Those were very important years, years of testing, 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:33.760 years of proving God was seeing what my father was 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:37.040 made of. Daddy proved that he would do the right 0:15:37.080 --> 0:15:39.280 thing when it was hard, that he would be his 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:43.720 best when things weren't growing, that he would build dream plan. 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:48.600 Even though he was in Babylon. Nineteen seventy two, it 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:52.160 was like God opened up a fawcet. People started coming 0:15:52.200 --> 0:15:54.920 to the church from all over the city. It grew 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.880 to a thousand, then two thousand, then four, then eight. 0:15:58.080 --> 0:16:01.960 Here we are today. My father would have never reached 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:05.800 his destiny without being pushed out of that church. What 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:09.680 was inside of him was bigger than the denomination he 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:14.400 was in. Don't fight the closed doors, the disappointments, the 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:17.440 people that walk away. You don't know what God is 0:16:17.520 --> 0:16:22.160 up to. Sometimes he has to move you away from 0:16:22.160 --> 0:16:25.480 what you're comfortable with. You can't see it, but he 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:29.120 knows something is limiting you. You may go through these 0:16:29.160 --> 0:16:34.160 seasons of testing, seasons approving. It's easy to get discouraged 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:36.920 slack off, but you need to keep being your best. 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:40.640 Nothing is changing, that's okay, keep doing the right thing. 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:44.520 God told the Israelites You're going to be in Babylon 0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:48.200 for some years. I'm not going to turn this around overnight. 0:16:48.720 --> 0:16:54.880 But while you're here, don't put your life on hold. Build, plant, marry, increase. 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:58.800 We're all going to have these Babylon seasons where nothing 0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:02.600 is improving. Like my father, you being your best but 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:08.040 not seeing growth. Keep building, keep pursuing, keep serving, pass 0:17:08.160 --> 0:17:11.840 those tests. God may not bring you out of Babylon, 0:17:12.160 --> 0:17:14.399 but at the right time, he will cause you to 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:18.800 prosper in Babylon. This is what happened with Joseph in 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:22.399 the Scripture. At seventeen years old, God gave him a 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:25.960 dream that he would lead a nation and have great influence. 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:30.480 He was excited, but his brothers not so much. They 0:17:30.480 --> 0:17:33.040 didn't like the fact that he had a big dream 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:36.120 and that there was favor on his life. They were 0:17:36.160 --> 0:17:39.400 taking care of sheep in another city. His father asked 0:17:39.480 --> 0:17:42.919 Joseph to go check on them. When they saw Joseph coming, 0:17:43.119 --> 0:17:45.439 they thought this was their big chance to get rid 0:17:45.480 --> 0:17:48.479 of him. They threw him into a pit. They were 0:17:48.520 --> 0:17:51.720 going to leave him there, but a caravan of Ishmaelites 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:55.159 came traveling through. They ended up selling him as a slave. 0:17:56.040 --> 0:17:59.240 Joseph was in a foreign country working for a high 0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:03.920 ranking military harry officer named potterphar Here. A few weeks earlier, 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:07.480 his future looked so bright. He was wearing the coat 0:18:07.600 --> 0:18:10.400 of many colors that his father had given him, his 0:18:10.440 --> 0:18:14.240 father's favorite child. But life has a way of taking 0:18:14.320 --> 0:18:18.120 twist in turns things that we didn't see coming. Now 0:18:18.200 --> 0:18:22.320 Joseph found himself in Babylon, so to speak, in exile, 0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:27.280 in captivity, just like the people in Jeremiah's day. Joseph 0:18:27.480 --> 0:18:31.040 had every right to be bitter discouraged. He didn't do 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:35.480 anything wrong. But Joseph understood this principle that there are 0:18:35.560 --> 0:18:39.720 times we're going to find ourselves in exile instead of 0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:42.720 sitting around in self pity. He kept being his best, 0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:47.280 using his gifts and talents. He served with such excellence 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:51.160 that potterpher noticed him. He stood out from among all 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:54.119 the other staff. Potterphar put him in charge of his 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:59.040 whole house. The scripture says that Joseph became a favorite 0:18:59.160 --> 0:19:02.919 of Potterphar. It's interesting how Joseph was a favorite of 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:07.280 his father. That door closed he went into exile. But 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:10.680 notice how God works. If you keep using your gifts, 0:19:11.240 --> 0:19:14.920 keep being your best, favor will follow you into exile. 0:19:15.520 --> 0:19:19.160 He became the favorite of his boss. The favor didn't 0:19:19.240 --> 0:19:23.680 leave him just because he changed locations. Didn't leave him 0:19:23.840 --> 0:19:27.080 because people were jealous. He had a bad break, he 0:19:27.160 --> 0:19:31.120 was in captivity. The favor on your life didn't leave 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:35.159 you because you're in a pandemic. Somebody walked away, you 0:19:35.280 --> 0:19:39.480 had a disappointment. It's still there. Keep shining where you are, 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:44.720 keep excelling, keep serving, keep giving. The right people are 0:19:44.720 --> 0:19:47.560 going to be for you. The right doors are going 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:51.600 to open. Being in Babylon did not stop the blessing 0:19:51.840 --> 0:19:55.879 God put on your life. Genesis thirty nine says the 0:19:55.920 --> 0:20:00.960 Lord begin to bless potterpur because of Joseph Potiphar was 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:05.240 an influential, successful leader. You would think Joseph would be 0:20:05.280 --> 0:20:08.439 blessed because he worked for Potterphar, but it was the 0:20:08.480 --> 0:20:13.640 other way around. Potterphar was blessed because of Joseph, a slave, 0:20:14.080 --> 0:20:17.919 a foreigner in captivity that had the favor of God. 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:22.399 Wherever you go, there is favor on your life. The 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:27.360 location doesn't stop the favor. Joseph was a handsome young man. 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:31.680 Potterphar's wife noticed how attractive he was, and she tried 0:20:31.720 --> 0:20:35.040 to seduce him. Joseph could have let his guard down, 0:20:35.160 --> 0:20:37.959 thought big deal, have nothing to lose, I'm a slave. 0:20:38.480 --> 0:20:42.240 But Joseph had so much integrity, he was so honorable 0:20:42.560 --> 0:20:46.400 that he wouldn't give in. She lied about Joseph, falsely 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:50.920 accused him. Poterphar was furious. He had Joseph put in prison. 0:20:51.720 --> 0:20:54.399 Now he's not just a slave, not just in a 0:20:54.440 --> 0:20:57.919 foreign country, but he's a prisoner on the way to 0:20:58.000 --> 0:21:02.399 your destiny. Don't be surprised if there are twists. People 0:21:02.400 --> 0:21:04.919 that lie about you, people that try to get you 0:21:04.960 --> 0:21:09.440 to compromise, jealous family members, co workers that play politics. 0:21:10.280 --> 0:21:14.200 How we handle these times will determine whether we prosper 0:21:14.359 --> 0:21:17.240 where we are, or whether we get stuck where we are. 0:21:18.280 --> 0:21:21.879 Joseph was in prison, but he didn't get sour. He 0:21:21.920 --> 0:21:25.880 didn't start complaining. He kept being his best, still serving, 0:21:26.320 --> 0:21:30.879 still using his leadership skills. Verse twenty one says Joseph 0:21:31.000 --> 0:21:34.800 had favor with the chief jailer. Before long he was 0:21:34.840 --> 0:21:38.119 put in charge of all the other prisoners. And everything 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:41.960 that happened in the prison. God didn't deliver him out 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:45.080 of the trouble. He caused him to flourish in the trouble. 0:21:45.600 --> 0:21:50.000 He prospered in the prison. His environment didn't change, but 0:21:50.080 --> 0:21:55.400 he kept seeing favor promotion despite the bad breaks. One night, 0:21:55.520 --> 0:21:58.879 one of the prisoners, Pharaoh's former butler, had a dream. 0:21:59.480 --> 0:22:02.280 He didn't know what it meant. Joseph had a gift 0:22:02.320 --> 0:22:05.440 of interpreting dreams. He could have thought, not going to help. 0:22:05.520 --> 0:22:08.679 You have enough problems of my own. He could have 0:22:08.720 --> 0:22:12.080 been bitter, but he used his gifts to help the butler. 0:22:12.359 --> 0:22:16.840 He interpreted his dream. What's interesting is that his gift 0:22:16.920 --> 0:22:20.800 worked in the prison. Your gifts don't quit working because 0:22:20.800 --> 0:22:23.560 you had a bad break. You went through a disappointment, 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:27.240 you lost a loved one. You're in Babylon. Use what 0:22:27.280 --> 0:22:30.760 God has given you. Be good to others. Don't put 0:22:30.760 --> 0:22:33.480 your gifts on hold because things haven't turned out the 0:22:33.520 --> 0:22:36.320 way you thought. Your gifts are going to make room 0:22:36.359 --> 0:22:39.439 for you. Your gifts are going to cause doors to open. 0:22:39.880 --> 0:22:43.280 Your gifts are a key to you reaching your destiny. 0:22:43.800 --> 0:22:47.199 Joseph interpreted the butler's dream told him that in two 0:22:47.280 --> 0:22:49.800 days he was going to get out of prison. All 0:22:49.880 --> 0:22:52.919 Joseph asked for in return was for the butler to 0:22:52.920 --> 0:22:55.760 put in a good word for him. The butler agreed, 0:22:56.160 --> 0:22:59.520 got out of prison for good. All about Joseph. Two 0:22:59.600 --> 0:23:04.160 more years past, another opportunity for Joseph to be discouraged, 0:23:04.680 --> 0:23:08.000 but Joseph wouldn't take the bait. He just kept being 0:23:08.040 --> 0:23:11.359 his best, being good to people that were not good 0:23:11.359 --> 0:23:14.560 to him, serving in a country that he didn't want 0:23:14.560 --> 0:23:18.160 to be in. When you pass these tests, like Joseph, 0:23:18.560 --> 0:23:21.160 you're not only going to prosper each step of the way, 0:23:21.720 --> 0:23:24.840 but God is going to do some unusual things. He's 0:23:24.880 --> 0:23:28.320 preparing you to go where you've never dreamed. As you 0:23:28.440 --> 0:23:31.520 keep doing the right thing, you're proving to God that 0:23:31.640 --> 0:23:35.000 he can trust you. We always want God to deliver 0:23:35.119 --> 0:23:39.480 us from the challenge. I'm uncomfortable. I don't like the opposition. 0:23:39.840 --> 0:23:42.320 These people aren't treating me right. But if you will 0:23:42.359 --> 0:23:45.600 do like Joseph and say God, even if you don't 0:23:45.640 --> 0:23:48.840 deliver me right now, I'm gonna keep shining. I'm gonna 0:23:48.920 --> 0:23:52.280 keep praising, keep using my gifts, keep being my best. 0:23:53.119 --> 0:23:55.920 Then you'll not only see God's goodness along the way, 0:23:56.600 --> 0:24:01.320 but you'll come into some explosive blessings, blessings that catapult 0:24:01.359 --> 0:24:05.600 you ahead where suddenly you're promoted, suddenly you get well, 0:24:05.960 --> 0:24:09.399 suddenly you meet the right person, Suddenly you're thrust to 0:24:09.480 --> 0:24:13.320 a new level of your destiny. One night, the pharaoh 0:24:13.400 --> 0:24:16.240 had a dream the leader of the country, and he 0:24:16.320 --> 0:24:20.720 didn't understand what it meant. The butler suddenly remembered Joseph. 0:24:21.040 --> 0:24:24.280 Two years after he interpreted his dream. He said to 0:24:24.320 --> 0:24:27.639 the Pharaoh, there's a young man in prison, a slave 0:24:27.760 --> 0:24:31.640 named Joseph. He can interpret your dream. Think about this. 0:24:32.160 --> 0:24:35.439 If Joseph had not used his gift to interpret the 0:24:35.480 --> 0:24:39.439 butler's dream, if he had been upset in self pity, 0:24:39.760 --> 0:24:43.119 we wouldn't be talking about him. That's what Jeremiah was 0:24:43.160 --> 0:24:46.879 saying to the Israelites while you're in Babylon. Don't waste 0:24:46.880 --> 0:24:50.199 these years being discouraged, thinking of all the reasons it 0:24:50.240 --> 0:24:55.320 hadn't worked out. No build dream, plant, increase. He was saying, 0:24:55.560 --> 0:24:59.800 use your gifts, stretch your faith, and you'll prosper in Babylon. 0:25:00.200 --> 0:25:05.000 You'll see favor. In captivity, the scripture says the Pharaoh 0:25:05.200 --> 0:25:08.760 sent word for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from 0:25:08.840 --> 0:25:12.119 the prison to stand before Pharaoh. He had been in 0:25:12.200 --> 0:25:16.280 captivity thirteen years. It seemed like that was his destiny. 0:25:16.760 --> 0:25:20.560 But God knows how to quickly turn things around. He 0:25:20.560 --> 0:25:24.640 can quickly turn your business around, quickly turn your health around, 0:25:24.960 --> 0:25:29.920 quickly turn your family around. Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh's dream. 0:25:30.440 --> 0:25:33.680 He was so impressed he made Joseph the prime Minister 0:25:33.800 --> 0:25:38.600 of Egypt, second in command only to the Pharaoh. Looking back, 0:25:39.119 --> 0:25:42.359 we can see how all those steps were necessary for 0:25:42.480 --> 0:25:48.680 Joseph to get to the throne. The bad breaks, the betrayals, delays, disappointments, 0:25:49.000 --> 0:25:52.440 they were all a part of God's plan. Had Joseph 0:25:52.680 --> 0:25:56.480 not kept a good attitude, not used his gifts, not 0:25:56.600 --> 0:26:00.439 bid his best, he would have gotten stuck. God is 0:26:00.480 --> 0:26:03.680 going to connect the dots in your life. You may 0:26:03.720 --> 0:26:06.879 not understand everything along the way, but you can be 0:26:07.000 --> 0:26:10.480 sure that God knows what he's doing. He may not 0:26:10.640 --> 0:26:14.639 deliver you out of every situation on your timetable, but 0:26:14.720 --> 0:26:17.520 if you'll stay in faith, he'll cause you to flourish 0:26:17.640 --> 0:26:21.320 at every step of the way. He'll prosper you wherever 0:26:21.400 --> 0:26:25.280 you're planted. A few years later, Joseph had a son 0:26:25.680 --> 0:26:31.120 that he named Ephrium. Ephrium means productive, fruitful. He said 0:26:31.119 --> 0:26:34.720 in verse fifty two, I've named him this because the 0:26:34.800 --> 0:26:37.760 Lord has made me prosper us in the land of 0:26:37.840 --> 0:26:42.119 my suffering. He was saying, I had bad breaks, things 0:26:42.119 --> 0:26:46.199 weren't fair, but God caused me to prosper despite what 0:26:46.320 --> 0:26:49.760 tried to stop me. If you're going to have an Ephrium, 0:26:50.040 --> 0:26:51.960 if you're going to see God prosper you in the 0:26:52.000 --> 0:26:55.800 midst of the difficulty, you have to stay productive, keep 0:26:55.880 --> 0:26:59.679 using your gifts, keep stretching, keep being good to people. 0:27:00.240 --> 0:27:03.320 Don't put your dreams on hold because you're in Babylon. 0:27:04.119 --> 0:27:07.520 Like Joseph, God can make you prosperous in the affliction, 0:27:08.280 --> 0:27:10.960 not when you get out, but in the pandemic, in 0:27:11.080 --> 0:27:14.800 the trouble, in the disappointment. You can shine. You can 0:27:14.840 --> 0:27:19.480 still build, still see great relationships, still accomplish your dreams. 0:27:20.200 --> 0:27:22.760 This is what the apostle Paul did. He spent the 0:27:22.840 --> 0:27:26.240 last few years of his life in prison. He could 0:27:26.240 --> 0:27:28.720 have been sour, thinking man, this is how it's going 0:27:28.800 --> 0:27:33.440 to end in Babylon, in exile. But Paul knew that 0:27:33.480 --> 0:27:36.760 those prison bars couldn't keep his gifts from coming out. 0:27:37.600 --> 0:27:40.119 While he was in prison, he wrote books of the 0:27:40.160 --> 0:27:43.439 Bible scriptures that we all quote today. I can do 0:27:43.520 --> 0:27:47.040 all things through Christ. God will do exceedingly, abundantly above 0:27:47.080 --> 0:27:49.479 what we ask. Be strong in the Lord and the 0:27:49.480 --> 0:27:53.120 power of his mind. He wasn't complaining in the prison. 0:27:53.560 --> 0:27:57.560 He was flourishing in the prison. While he was in captivity, 0:27:57.840 --> 0:28:01.200 he was writing books that would in Hurriye Us two 0:28:01.200 --> 0:28:04.960 thousand years later. If Paul were here, he would tell 0:28:05.000 --> 0:28:09.080 you you can prosper wherever you're planet. You don't have 0:28:09.160 --> 0:28:12.000 to wait till everything is perfect. You can flourish in 0:28:12.080 --> 0:28:16.119 the trouble, see favor in the famine, be promoted in 0:28:16.200 --> 0:28:20.120 the pandemic. My challenge today is do what Paul did, 0:28:20.640 --> 0:28:23.880 Do what Joseph did. Keep being your best where you are. 0:28:24.720 --> 0:28:26.880 I can't promise you that you're going to come out 0:28:26.920 --> 0:28:30.840 of every Babylon overnight. But I can promise you that 0:28:30.920 --> 0:28:34.480 God will prosper you in Babylon. He'll show you favor 0:28:34.720 --> 0:28:39.120 on the enemy's territory. His plans for you are for good. 0:28:40.120 --> 0:28:43.360 He sees your commitment. He sees you doing the right 0:28:43.440 --> 0:28:46.440 thing when it's hard. He sees you being your best 0:28:46.480 --> 0:28:49.440 when you're not getting the credit. Your time is coming. 0:28:50.120 --> 0:28:53.760 I believe and declare you're about to see God prosper 0:28:53.880 --> 0:28:57.000 you despite what's trying to stop you. You're going to 0:28:57.040 --> 0:29:01.640 see uncommon favor, favor that catapult you ahead, dreams coming 0:29:01.680 --> 0:29:06.040 to pass, negative situations, turning around new levels of your 0:29:06.080 --> 0:29:10.000 destiny in Jesus's name, and if you receive it, can 0:29:10.080 --> 0:29:13.600 you say amen? Today I'd like to give you an 0:29:13.640 --> 0:29:17.360 opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would 0:29:17.400 --> 0:29:21.479 you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent 0:29:21.520 --> 0:29:26.080 of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you 0:29:26.200 --> 0:29:30.200 my Lord and savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, 0:29:30.240 --> 0:29:33.000 we believe you got born again. We'd love to send 0:29:33.000 --> 0:29:35.160 you some information on your new walk with the Lord. 0:29:35.280 --> 0:29:37.520 Just text the number on the screen, or you can 0:29:37.560 --> 0:29:40.160 go to the website. I hope you'll get into a 0:29:40.240 --> 0:29:44.760 good Bible based church and keep God first place. Thanks 0:29:44.800 --> 0:29:47.680 so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll 0:29:47.680 --> 0:29:51.160 subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep 0:29:51.160 --> 0:29:53.480 you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:53.640 --> 0:29:55.880 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:55.880 --> 0:29:59.320 with those all around the world. Visit joeloasting dot com 0:29:59.400 --> 0:30:02.640 or click the in the description to partner with us today. 0:30:02.920 --> 0:30:05.360 WE hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:30:05.440 --> 0:30:08.240 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:30:08.320 --> 0:30:11.440 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:30:11.440 --> 0:30:12.280 see you next time. 0:30:14.440 --> 0:30:17.200 With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling 0:30:17.240 --> 0:30:21.760 for everyone. For example, Quand's as he drifts away to 0:30:21.840 --> 0:30:25.560 Nirvana after only the first chapter is different to Maya's 0:30:25.880 --> 0:30:29.840 when she discovered the narrator was in fact the Evil Twin, 0:30:30.400 --> 0:30:34.000 which is also different to Noah's aw anytime the cute 0:30:34.040 --> 0:30:37.360 cyberpunk is mentioned, even though in reality he'd be totally 0:30:37.440 --> 0:30:42.840 out of his lead. 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