Remember The Good

0:00:01.080 --> 0:00:03.840 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:00:03.880 --> 0:00:07.040 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:00:07.120 --> 0:00:09.720 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:12.440 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:00:12.480 --> 0:00:16.000 for God's very best in your life. Now, God bless you. 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:19.000 It's always a joy to come into your homes. We 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:21.720 love you, and if you're ever in our area, please 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:24.280 stop by and be a part of one of our services. 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:26.880 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:00:27.280 --> 0:00:29.319 But thanks so much for tuning in, and thank you 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:32.000 again for coming out today. I like to start with 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:35.159 something funny and I heard about this teenager. You've just 0:00:35.200 --> 0:00:38.680 gotten his driver's license. You ask his dad about borrowing 0:00:38.720 --> 0:00:41.280 the car. His dad said, son, I'll make a deal 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:44.400 with you. If you'll bring your grades up, read your 0:00:44.400 --> 0:00:47.720 Bible every day, and cut your hair, I'll let you 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:50.720 borrow the car. Month later, he came back and asked 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:53.720 about it. Dad said, well, son, you've brought your grades up, 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:56.640 you've been reading your Bible, but you still haven't cut 0:00:56.680 --> 0:00:59.440 your hair. He said, well, Dad, I've been thinking about it. 0:01:00.360 --> 0:01:04.280 Had long hair. Samson had long hair even Jesus had 0:01:04.319 --> 0:01:07.880 long hair. Dad said yes, son, and they walked everywhere 0:01:07.920 --> 0:01:12.399 they went. Hold up your Bible, say it like you 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:15.520 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says. 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:18.240 I am. I have what it says I have. I 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:20.880 can do what it says I can do. Today I 0:01:20.920 --> 0:01:23.920 will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.640 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:31.360 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:01:32.520 --> 0:01:35.800 I want to talk to you today about remembering the good. 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:40.360 Our memory is very powerful. You can be driving in 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:43.919 your car, all of a sudden you remember a tender 0:01:44.000 --> 0:01:47.280 moment with your child, a hug, a kiss, could have 0:01:47.319 --> 0:01:50.600 been five years ago, something funny that they did. But 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:53.720 when you remember it, it'll bring a smile to your face. 0:01:54.240 --> 0:01:57.840 You'll start to feel those same emotions, joy and warmth, 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:01.440 just like it was happening again. On the other hand, 0:02:01.720 --> 0:02:04.840 you can be enjoy in the day, everything's going great, 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:08.880 but then you start to remember a sad event where 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:12.239 you weren't treated right, somebody did you wrong, you went 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:15.960 through a laws. Before long, you'll be down and discouraged. 0:02:16.520 --> 0:02:20.600 What made you sad? Dwelling on wrong memories, what made 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:24.760 you happy? Dwelling on right memories, and it's interesting our 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:29.239 mind will naturally gravitate toward the negative. A study showed 0:02:29.280 --> 0:02:34.040 how positive and negative memories are handled by different parts 0:02:34.080 --> 0:02:38.160 of the brain. A negative memory takes up more space, 0:02:38.720 --> 0:02:42.600 there's more to process. Because of this, we will remember 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:46.960 the negative more than the positive. The example they used 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:51.480 is a person will remember losing fifty dollars more than 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:56.080 they will remember gaining fifty dollars. The negative carries more weight, 0:02:56.520 --> 0:02:59.639 It has a greater impact than the positive. I can 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:03.040 walk up off this platform and one hundred people tell me, Joel, 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:06.239 that was good today. I really enjoyed it. But then 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:09.959 one person can say I didn't get anything out of it. 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:13.200 Didn't make sense to me. In the old days, that's 0:03:13.240 --> 0:03:16.480 all I'd think about. That one negative comment would play 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:19.560 over and over. That's how it stored in. Our brain 0:03:20.120 --> 0:03:24.920 takes up more space. Knowing this, we have to be proactive. 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:28.840 When the negative memories come back to the movie screen 0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:32.760 of your mind. Many people pull up a chair, get 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:36.720 some popcorn, watch them all over again. Can't believe they 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:40.040 hurt me. That was so unfair. Why do I have 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:43.720 all these bad breaks? Now here's my message. That's not 0:03:43.840 --> 0:03:48.760 the only channel. There's another movie playing. It's not your defeats, 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:54.520 your failures, your disappointments. It's a channel filled with your accomplishments, 0:03:54.920 --> 0:03:58.640 your victories, the things you've done right, the times you 0:03:58.720 --> 0:04:01.600 were promoted, you met the right person, you bought the 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:05.960 new house, your child was born healthy. Instead of staying 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:09.120 on that negative channel, you got to switch over to 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:13.120 your victory channel. You're not going to move forward into 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.320 the new things God has in store if you're always 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:20.560 replaying the negative things that have happened to you. We've 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:24.960 all been through disappointments, set backs, and bad breaks. Those 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:28.880 memories will play the most often. The good news is 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:33.080 you have the remote control. Just because the memory comes 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:35.839 up doesn't mean you have to watch it. Learn to 0:04:36.040 --> 0:04:39.159 change the channel. A couple of years after my father 0:04:39.240 --> 0:04:41.760 went to be with the Lord, I was over at 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:44.960 my mother's house to pick something up and nobody else 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:48.760 was home. As I was walking through the den, I 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:52.960 begin to immediately see the night that my father died. 0:04:53.640 --> 0:04:56.280 He'd had a heart attack in that room. I could 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:59.239 see him lying on the floor, and when I arrived 0:04:59.440 --> 0:05:03.000 the pyramid. We're trying to get his heart restarted. That 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:06.680 whole night started to replay in my mind, and I 0:05:06.720 --> 0:05:10.200 started to feel those same type of emotions. I did 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:13.360 just what I'm asking you to do. I said, no, thanks, 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:16.520 I'm not going there. I'm not going to relive that 0:05:16.680 --> 0:05:20.640 night and get all down and discourage. I simply changed 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:24.680 the channel. I started remembering all the great times I'd 0:05:24.680 --> 0:05:27.320 had with my father. I remember the times that we 0:05:27.400 --> 0:05:30.680 laughed and had fun, the times we had traveled the world. 0:05:31.160 --> 0:05:33.440 I remember the times where he used to come over 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:36.160 to our house and play with our little son Jonathan. 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:40.159 There was another channel. I just had to switch over 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:44.080 to it. Some of you need to start changing the channel. 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:49.919 You're reliving all your hurts, disappointments, bad breaks. As long 0:05:50.080 --> 0:05:53.400 as you're replaying that, you're never going to really heal. 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:57.240 It's like a scab that's starting to get better, but 0:05:57.279 --> 0:05:59.320 if you keep picking at it, it has to start 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:04.160 all over again. Emotional wounds are the same way. If 0:06:04.160 --> 0:06:08.119 you're always reliving your hurts, watching them on the movie 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:11.560 screen of your mind, talking about it, telling your friends, 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:16.120 that's just reopening the wound. You have to change the channel. 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:19.359 May be difficult. You may have had a lot of 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:23.320 unfair things happen. But when you look back over your life, 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:26.880 can you find at least one time where God's done 0:06:26.960 --> 0:06:30.000 something good for you? Can you remember at least one 0:06:30.080 --> 0:06:32.920 time where it was the hand of God promoting you, 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:36.240 protecting you, healing you. Then switch over to that channel, 0:06:36.560 --> 0:06:40.039 get your mind going in a new direction. Reporter asked 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:43.919 me not long ago, what my biggest regret was my 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:48.000 biggest failure. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I 0:06:48.040 --> 0:06:52.360 don't remember my biggest regret. I'm not dwelling on that channel. 0:06:52.400 --> 0:06:55.560 I don't go there. Sure we all make mistakes, we 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:58.080 all do things we wish we have done differently, but 0:06:58.160 --> 0:07:00.800 that is not supposed to be on the forefront of 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:04.800 our minds. You're supposed to remember what you've done right, 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:09.840 the times you've succeeded your victories, the times you overcame 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:12.760 the temptation, the times you went out of your way 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:16.400 to be kind to a stranger. The reason some people 0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:20.200 are not happy is they remember every mistake they've made 0:07:20.440 --> 0:07:24.440 since nineteen twenty seven. They got a running record. The 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:28.280 enemy doesn't have to accuse them, they do it for him. 0:07:28.920 --> 0:07:33.160 Do yourself a big favor, change the channel. Quit dwelling 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:36.120 on how you don't measure up, and you should have 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:38.720 spent more time with your children growing up, and you 0:07:38.760 --> 0:07:42.960 should have been stronger, more disciplined, resisted that temptation. No, 0:07:43.160 --> 0:07:45.920 you may have fallen, but dwell on the fact that 0:07:45.960 --> 0:07:49.320 you got back up again. You're here today. You may 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:52.160 have made a poor choice, but dwell on the fact 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:55.280 that you've made a lot of great choices. You may 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:58.240 have some weaknesses, but dwell on the fact that you 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:01.720 have a whole lot of strengths. Quit focusing on what's 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:05.600 wrong with you and start focusing on what's right with you. 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:08.920 You're not going to become everything God's created you to 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:13.680 be if you're against yourself. You have to retrain your mind, 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:17.160 be disciplined about what you allow yourself to dwell on. 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:21.360 Those negative memories take up the most space. Those movies 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:24.840 are going to play the most often. Recognize what's happening, 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:28.800 and learn to change that channel. Several years ago, I 0:08:28.840 --> 0:08:31.800 was playing basketball with our son Jonathan. We've done this 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:36.360 for many years, one on one him versus me. This day, 0:08:36.480 --> 0:08:39.800 for the first time, he beat me fair and square, 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:43.160 fifteen to fourteen. I gave him a high five and 0:08:43.440 --> 0:08:47.640 then told him he was grounded. But during the game, 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:50.360 at one point he went around me and was about 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:52.640 to go up for a shot, and I timed it 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:55.199 just right. I came out of nowhere and I blocked 0:08:55.240 --> 0:08:58.600 his shot. I mean, I swatted the ball away over 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:02.360 into the bushes. I felt like a professional. A couple 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:05.280 of days later, we were playing up at the gym 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:09.760 some friends. Jonathan said, Dad, tell everybody about what happened 0:09:09.760 --> 0:09:12.400 the other night. I said, oh, yeah, Jonathan went up 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:14.160 for a shot a time that just perfect. I went 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:16.760 He said, no, Dad, I meant tell him about how 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:20.960 I beat you for the first time. The funny thing 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:26.079 is I didn't remember my defeat. I remembered my victory. 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:30.960 First thing that came to my mind was not how 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:34.240 I lost the game, but something that I'd done right. 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:38.240 It's because I've trained my mind to remember the good. 0:09:39.160 --> 0:09:41.840 You know, some people won the game, but they remember 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:45.400 every mistake they made. They never feel good about themselves. 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:48.640 They never did it good enough. It's all in how 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:52.640 we've trained our mind. It depends on what channel we're watching. 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:56.280 I cannot find one place in the scripture where it 0:09:56.360 --> 0:10:02.360 tells us to remember our defeats. Remember our remember our hurts. No, 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:07.000 it says again and again, to remember the great things 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:11.080 God has done. In other words, stay on your victory channel. 0:10:12.080 --> 0:10:15.360 Remember how God gave you that promotion even though you 0:10:15.400 --> 0:10:19.800 weren't the most qualified. Remember how God brought your child 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:22.120 back on the right course when it looked pretty bad. 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:25.880 Remember when you went through that loss. You should have 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:29.320 had a nervous breakdown, but you felt a supernatural strength. 0:10:29.600 --> 0:10:32.840 And here you are today, better than ever. The Psalm 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:36.520 has put it this way. I recall the many miracles 0:10:36.559 --> 0:10:40.400 God has done for me. I cannot stop thinking about them. 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:44.920 They are constantly in my thoughts. Notice they're supposed to 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:49.080 be constantly in our mind. The mistake we make too 0:10:49.120 --> 0:10:53.960 often is we remember what we should be forgetting our hurts, 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:58.240 our failures, our disappointments, and we forget what we should 0:10:58.240 --> 0:11:02.360 be remembering our victories, our accomplishments, the times God's brought 0:11:02.400 --> 0:11:06.880 us through. In the Old Testament, God commanded them to 0:11:06.920 --> 0:11:11.920 have certain festivals, certain celebrations. One of the main reasons 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:15.960 is so they would remember what God had done. Several 0:11:16.000 --> 0:11:18.319 times a year, they'd all stop what they were doing, 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:22.360 come together, and they would celebrate how God brought them 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:25.920 out of slavery, how God defeated this enemy, how God 0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:31.040 protected them over here they were required to remember. Now 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:34.520 the place talks about how they put out memorial stones. 0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:39.240 These were big boulders we might call them historical markers 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:44.240 today that reminded them of specific victories. Every time they 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:47.200 walked by, they say, Oh, yeah, that stone is for 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:50.360 when God brought us out of slavery. That stone is 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:53.680 for when God healed my child. That stone is for 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:58.920 when God provided for our needs. These memorial stones helped 0:11:58.960 --> 0:12:03.080 it to stay fresh in their memory. In the same way. 0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:06.760 Every one of us should have our own memorial stones. 0:12:07.679 --> 0:12:10.880 When you look back over your life, you should remember 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:15.000 not the times you failed. You went through a breakup, 0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:18.440 your boss did you wrong, the business went down. That's 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:22.960 remembering what you should be forgetting switch over to the 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:27.240 other channel. Remember when you were lonely and God brought 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:31.240 somebody great into your life. Remember when the medical report 0:12:31.280 --> 0:12:35.480 said it was impossible, but God supernaturally healed you. Remember 0:12:35.520 --> 0:12:37.800 when it was dark you didn't think you'd have another 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:40.840 happy day, but God not only turned it around, he 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:44.360 gave you beauty for ashes, joy for morning. All of 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:49.440 us should have our memorial stones out. Last Tuesday was 0:12:49.480 --> 0:12:53.240 the thirty one year anniversary that my mother was healed 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:59.120 from terminal cancer. Thirty one years ago. The doctors told 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:01.840 her she had a few weeks to live, but another 0:13:01.960 --> 0:13:04.839 year just went by. She's still healthy in hole. That's 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:09.880 a memorial stone. I remember December first, two thousand and three, 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:13.080 when Mayor Lee Brown handed us the key to this 0:13:13.160 --> 0:13:17.880 beautiful facility. This building is a memorial stone. I still 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:21.840 thank God for it. I remember when I walked into 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:25.320 a jewelry store and saw Victoria for the first time. 0:13:25.880 --> 0:13:28.400 God answered her prayer. I mean, God answered my prayer. 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:33.880 I still thank God for that. I remember when my 0:13:34.000 --> 0:13:37.360 dad died. I didn't think I could minister, never done 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:39.800 this before, but God gave me the grace to step 0:13:39.920 --> 0:13:43.920 up and pastor the church. I put out a memorial stone. 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:47.960 My question, do you have any memorial stones out in 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:52.600 your own life? What you are remembering will determine what 0:13:52.800 --> 0:13:55.960 kind of life you're going to live. If you're remembering 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:58.959 all your defeats, your failures, your hurts, it's going to 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:01.560 cause you to be stuff in a rut. If you 0:14:01.559 --> 0:14:05.400 could just change what you're remembering, start remembering your victories 0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:07.680 that can cause you to go to a new level. 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:11.199 You may be in a tough time, you're facing an obstacle, 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:15.320 but when you remember the right things, you won't be saying, oh, man, 0:14:15.679 --> 0:14:17.120 this is gonna be the end of me. I'm never 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:19.720 gonna get out. No, you'll be saying, God, you did 0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:21.560 it for me once. I know you'll do it for 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:24.600 me again. God. I've seen your goodness in the past, 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:27.800 I know i'll see it in the future. This is 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:31.239 what David did when he was about to face Goliath, 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:35.280 a giant nearly twice his size. He could have focused 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:39.560 on how big Goliath was, how Goliath had more training, 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:44.120 more equipment, more experience. That would have just made him discouraged. 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:48.680 The scripture says David remembered how he had killed a 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:52.520 lion and a bear with his own hands. What was 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:57.120 he doing remembering his victories. He could have remembered how 0:14:57.120 --> 0:15:00.360 his brothers mistreated him, tried to make him feel small, 0:15:01.200 --> 0:15:04.440 or how his father had disrespected him. There were a 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:07.600 lot of things in David's past negative, like in all 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:12.480 of our lives, but David understood this principle dwelling on 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:15.800 your defeats, your failures, your hurts. That causes you to 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:19.720 stay stuck in a rut. He chose instead to dwell 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:23.680 on his victories. He not only overcame that obstacle, but 0:15:23.760 --> 0:15:27.440 many others. He became everything that God created him to be. 0:15:28.600 --> 0:15:31.720 You may be up against a giant today. The way 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:35.480 you're going to overcome is just like David, not going 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:38.560 around thinking, Ah, this is impossible. It's never going to 0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:42.200 work out. No, all through the day, start remembering your victories. 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:46.600 Go over your memorial stones. Lord. I remember that time 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:49.160 when all the odds were against me, but you made 0:15:49.160 --> 0:15:52.960 a way God. I remember how you protected me, blessed me, 0:15:53.240 --> 0:15:58.600 promoted me, vindicated me, made my wrongs right. Recall your victories, 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:02.560 remembering the good things God has done. That's what helps 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.480 you to stay strong. It would do us all good 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:10.120 on a regular basis, just like God required the Israelites 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:14.760 to go back over one by one the major victories 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:18.560 in our life, the major successes. You said, Joe, I 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:21.760 don't have anything big like you. God didn't heal my 0:16:21.840 --> 0:16:25.000 family member of cancer. I didn't get a big facility. 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:28.560 Maybe not, but God has done something great for every 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:32.520 one of us. Remember the day your child was born healthy, 0:16:33.080 --> 0:16:35.400 That was the goodness of God. That was a miracle. 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:38.560 Remember when God gave you that job, That was his 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:42.240 hand of favor. Remember when God spared your life from 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:44.760 that accident. Now the split second and you would have 0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:48.400 been harmed. That was his angels watching over you. Remember 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:51.080 that person God brought into your life, you fell in 0:16:51.160 --> 0:16:54.680 love and got married. That wasn't a coincidence. That was 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:59.000 the goodness of God. Keep your memorial stones out, go 0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:02.440 over them on a regular basis. I really believe some 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:04.919 of you. If you'd spend the same amount of time 0:17:05.440 --> 0:17:09.560 dwelling on your victories as you do your disappointments, you 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:12.879 see your life go to a whole new level. I 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:16.840 love how in the Old Testament they celebrated their victories 0:17:17.080 --> 0:17:20.520 every year. I mean they had a party, singing, dancing, 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:25.200 a festival. Imagine somebody comes over to your house. You're 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:29.000 having a big party. The music is going, everybody's having fun. 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:34.240 They ask you, what kind of party is this? Wedding party, 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:38.120 birthday party, super Bowl party. You tell them, no, we're 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:42.200 celebrating what God has done. Five years ago, God spared 0:17:42.240 --> 0:17:45.479 my life from an accident, or ten years ago, I 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:49.240 got free from this addiction. We're celebrating me being sober 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:53.359 for ten years, or maybe thirty one years ago. God 0:17:53.440 --> 0:17:56.600 healed my mother of cancer. We're taking time to thank 0:17:56.640 --> 0:18:00.399 God for the great things that he's done. When you 0:18:00.480 --> 0:18:04.520 develop this habit of remembering the good not only affects 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:08.520 your personality, how you carry yourself, your attitude, but it'll 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:12.719 affect the way you pray. It won't be God, Please, 0:18:12.840 --> 0:18:15.840 I need healing. God, I'm sick. I need a miracle. God, 0:18:15.960 --> 0:18:18.720 you gotta bless me. No, you'll say, Lord, I want 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:21.640 to thank you for how you've healed me in the past. Lord, 0:18:21.640 --> 0:18:23.320 I want to thank you for how you've taken care 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:25.560 of me through the years. God, I know if you 0:18:25.640 --> 0:18:27.920 did it once. I just want to think in advance 0:18:28.080 --> 0:18:31.399 that you'll do it again. See if you're just praying 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:34.200 for your needs, God, I need this, I need that. 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:39.280 You'll probably end up discouraged. But when you thank God 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:43.040 for what he's already done, when you remember your victories, 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:47.560 how He's promoted you, protected you, healed you. By the 0:18:47.600 --> 0:18:50.520 time you're done praying, you'll be all fired up. You'll 0:18:50.520 --> 0:18:54.280 be strong, you'll be confident. You know that answer is 0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:58.879 on the way. Think about the Israelites. God supernaturally brought 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:02.359 them out of slavery. God sent plague after plague on 0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:05.679 their enemies they were living next door, but none of 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:09.400 those plagues ever affected them. They came to a dead 0:19:09.520 --> 0:19:12.560 end at the Red Sea, looked like it was over. 0:19:12.680 --> 0:19:16.000 Pharaoh and the army changed their mind coming after them. 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:19.600 So you know the story. God supernaturally parted the sea 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:23.600 that went through on dry ground. God gave them water 0:19:23.800 --> 0:19:26.919 out of a rock. He brought them food out in 0:19:27.000 --> 0:19:32.159 the desert. They had seen again and again God's incredible miracles. 0:19:32.880 --> 0:19:35.640 Yet in spite of all of this, they never made 0:19:35.640 --> 0:19:39.480 it into the Promised Land. Psalm seventy eight tells us 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:44.600 one reason why. It says they forgot about all the 0:19:44.720 --> 0:19:49.480 amazing miracles God had done for them and their ancestors. 0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:54.440 When you forget what you should be remembering, it can 0:19:54.520 --> 0:19:58.480 keep you out of your promised land. They got discouraged 0:19:59.000 --> 0:20:02.600 started complaining. Here they had seen God do the impossible 0:20:02.720 --> 0:20:06.880 again and again, but because they forgot about it, they 0:20:06.920 --> 0:20:11.800 got worried negative afraid they missed out on God's best. 0:20:12.320 --> 0:20:15.200 Are you forgetting what God has done in your life? 0:20:16.200 --> 0:20:19.840 Have you let something that was once a miracle become 0:20:20.000 --> 0:20:25.239 ordinary doesn't excite you anymore. You don't thank God for it. Now, 0:20:25.280 --> 0:20:28.600 when you look back over your life, remember what it 0:20:28.640 --> 0:20:31.760 took to get you to where you are. Big things 0:20:32.160 --> 0:20:35.439 and even little things. The next time you're tempted to 0:20:35.480 --> 0:20:40.560 think my problem's too big, Joel, I'll never accomplish my dreams. No, 0:20:40.760 --> 0:20:44.480 go back and remember all the red seas God has 0:20:44.480 --> 0:20:48.760 parted for you. Remember all the enemies God's defeated for you. 0:20:49.760 --> 0:20:54.560 Remember the times God has shown your favor, shown your mercy, 0:20:54.840 --> 0:20:58.320 restored you. Every one of us can look back and 0:20:58.400 --> 0:21:01.320 see the hand of God in our life. Just like 0:21:01.400 --> 0:21:04.760 the Israelites. You can say, like me, God has opened 0:21:04.760 --> 0:21:07.480 doors for you that should have never opened on their own. 0:21:08.080 --> 0:21:10.560 God has helped you accomplished what you could have never 0:21:10.560 --> 0:21:14.199 accomplished on your own. God has brought us through difficulties 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:18.280 that at one time seemed totally impossible. If we're going 0:21:18.359 --> 0:21:22.040 to stay encouraged and step into the new doors and 0:21:22.240 --> 0:21:25.920 see God turn the negative around, one of the keys 0:21:26.520 --> 0:21:31.040 is you can't forget what God has already done. In fact, 0:21:31.080 --> 0:21:35.359 the scripture says we should tell our children and our grandchildren. 0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:40.320 We should pass down stories of God's goodness. That's why 0:21:40.359 --> 0:21:43.240 I never get tired of telling how God gave us 0:21:43.320 --> 0:21:46.760 this beautiful facility, how God healed my mother of cancer, 0:21:47.080 --> 0:21:49.960 how God gave me the courage and ability to step 0:21:50.040 --> 0:21:52.760 up and pastor of the church. I'm not bragging on me. 0:21:53.040 --> 0:21:55.640 I'm bragging on what God has done. I can say 0:21:55.680 --> 0:21:58.840 with David, so can you. Where would we be without 0:21:58.840 --> 0:22:02.240 the goodness of God? Don't keep it to yourself. Tell 0:22:02.280 --> 0:22:07.080 your children, your grandchildren. How many times did I hear 0:22:07.160 --> 0:22:10.680 my father tell his story How he was coming home 0:22:10.720 --> 0:22:15.040 from a nightclub, two o'clock in the morning, seventeen years 0:22:15.040 --> 0:22:19.399 of age, no purpose, no direction in life. He looked 0:22:19.440 --> 0:22:22.159 up at the stars and he began to think about 0:22:22.440 --> 0:22:26.719 his life and his eternal destiny. Walked in his house. 0:22:27.480 --> 0:22:30.680 On the table in the den was the family Bible, 0:22:31.280 --> 0:22:34.920 just there for decoration. His family knew nothing about God. 0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:38.600 They weren't religious people. My father felt drawn to it, 0:22:39.240 --> 0:22:42.040 went over and opened it. Just so happened. It fell 0:22:42.119 --> 0:22:46.199 open to a picture of Jesus standing at a door 0:22:46.280 --> 0:22:50.600 and knocking. The caption read, if you open the door, 0:22:51.000 --> 0:22:56.560 I will come in. My father didn't understand religion or theology, 0:22:56.880 --> 0:23:01.080 but he could understand opening a door. The next day 0:23:01.440 --> 0:23:03.359 he went to church with a friend of his and 0:23:03.400 --> 0:23:07.240 gave his life to Christ. Without that night, we wouldn't 0:23:07.240 --> 0:23:10.600 be sitting here today. Wasn't a coincidence. It was the 0:23:10.640 --> 0:23:15.600 mercy of God. Don't forget what it took to get 0:23:15.680 --> 0:23:19.119 you to where you are. You didn't get here just 0:23:19.240 --> 0:23:22.520 in your own strength, your own education, your own talent. 0:23:23.040 --> 0:23:26.600 There were a lot of miracles along the way, not 0:23:26.640 --> 0:23:29.240 only in your life, but in the people that came 0:23:29.280 --> 0:23:32.879 before you, the people that raised you. If you'll look closely, 0:23:33.240 --> 0:23:36.960 you'll see God's goodness all through your family line. You 0:23:37.000 --> 0:23:40.000 should not only remember it, but tell it to your children, 0:23:40.440 --> 0:23:44.120 your grandchildren, pass it down to the next generation. I've 0:23:44.200 --> 0:23:47.760 learned the more you brag on God's goodness, the more 0:23:47.840 --> 0:23:50.840 of his goodness you will see. It's interesting. In the 0:23:50.920 --> 0:23:54.119 Old Testament we hear a lot about the staff that 0:23:54.160 --> 0:23:57.560 people would carry around with them. It wasn't just a 0:23:57.600 --> 0:24:01.280 walking stick, not just something to get keep wild animals away. 0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:05.679 Was more significant than that. Back in those days, they 0:24:05.720 --> 0:24:09.120 were a nomadic people. That meant they're always on the move. 0:24:09.720 --> 0:24:13.560 Of course, they didn't have computers files paper like we 0:24:13.680 --> 0:24:18.080 have today. One of the main ways they kept important records, 0:24:18.600 --> 0:24:22.480 important dates was to etch it on their staff. That 0:24:22.680 --> 0:24:27.320 was their personal record. On this date, we defeated the Amalekites. 0:24:27.560 --> 0:24:30.680 On this date, my son was born. On this date, 0:24:30.960 --> 0:24:35.320 God brought water out of a rock. Their staff was 0:24:35.400 --> 0:24:40.760 literally their personal record of their history with God. When 0:24:40.800 --> 0:24:42.679 Moses part of the Red Sea, what did he do? 0:24:43.000 --> 0:24:46.720 He held up his staff. He was saying, in e fact, Lord, 0:24:46.960 --> 0:24:49.840 we thank you for all the things you've done in 0:24:49.880 --> 0:24:53.639 our past. Lord, we remember how you have delivered us 0:24:53.720 --> 0:24:57.639 time and time again. They were remembering the great things 0:24:57.640 --> 0:25:00.720 God had done. Even David, when he went out to 0:25:00.720 --> 0:25:05.040 face Goliath, he didn't just take his slingshot. The scripture says, 0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:09.000 he took his staff. No doubt he had etched on it. 0:25:09.160 --> 0:25:12.399 On this date, I killed a bear with my own hands. 0:25:12.640 --> 0:25:15.720 On this date, I killed a lion. On this date, 0:25:15.920 --> 0:25:19.120 the prophet Samuel anointed me the next king of Israel. 0:25:19.880 --> 0:25:23.880 Can imagine just before he fought Goliath, he ran back 0:25:23.920 --> 0:25:26.440 over and looked at his staff one more time, read 0:25:26.480 --> 0:25:28.959 over it, just to give him that final boost. Then 0:25:29.000 --> 0:25:31.320 he went out, knowing, God, you did it for me 0:25:31.400 --> 0:25:33.480 back then, I know you'll do it for me again. 0:25:34.520 --> 0:25:37.640 Some of you today, you need to get your staff out. 0:25:38.280 --> 0:25:41.680 You're up against a big challenge. Your dreams look impossible. 0:25:42.000 --> 0:25:44.919 Instead of going around thinking it's never going to work out, No, 0:25:45.320 --> 0:25:49.440 start dwelling on your victories. Start thinking about the times 0:25:49.760 --> 0:25:52.640 you've killed the lion and the bear in your own life, 0:25:52.720 --> 0:25:56.880 so to speak. Recall all the times God has promoted you, 0:25:57.480 --> 0:26:01.399 put you at the right place, family member made away 0:26:01.480 --> 0:26:04.440 when you didn't see a way. Don't forget about what 0:26:04.480 --> 0:26:08.200 God has done on a regular basis. Go back over 0:26:08.359 --> 0:26:12.120 your memorial stones. That's the equivalent of holding your staff up. 0:26:12.920 --> 0:26:16.080 When those negative memories come back up and they come 0:26:16.080 --> 0:26:20.320 to all of us hurts, failures, disappointments. The trick of 0:26:20.359 --> 0:26:23.480 the enemy is to keep you so focused on that 0:26:23.480 --> 0:26:26.560 that you get stuck in a rut. No, remember that 0:26:26.760 --> 0:26:30.400 is not the only channel. Get your remote control out 0:26:30.440 --> 0:26:33.600 and switch over to your victory channel. Get your mind 0:26:33.680 --> 0:26:36.080 going in the right direction, and your life will go 0:26:36.119 --> 0:26:39.520 in the right direction. If you'll develop this habit of 0:26:39.600 --> 0:26:43.560 remembering the good, your accomplishments, your victories, the times God's 0:26:43.600 --> 0:26:47.040 brought you through, then you will have the faith, the courage, 0:26:47.440 --> 0:26:51.240 and the confidence to step in to the amazing future 0:26:51.280 --> 0:26:55.320 God has in store. I believe in declare, just like David, 0:26:55.640 --> 0:26:58.800 you will defeat every enemy, You will overcome every obstacle, 0:26:59.080 --> 0:27:02.679 and you will become everything God's created you to be. Amen, 0:27:02.960 --> 0:27:06.640 He receive it today. We never like to courage our 0:27:06.640 --> 0:27:10.200 God Christ without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:27:10.200 --> 0:27:12.480 the lord of your life. Would you pray with me, 0:27:13.119 --> 0:27:18.680 just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come 0:27:18.720 --> 0:27:23.800 into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 0:27:23.800 --> 0:27:26.240 if you've prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:27:26.280 --> 0:27:29.880 born again. Get in a good Bible based church, Keep 0:27:29.880 --> 0:27:32.800 God first place. He's gonna take your places that you've 0:27:32.840 --> 0:27:36.639 never dreamed of. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:27:36.760 --> 0:27:39.560 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:27:39.600 --> 0:27:43.080 podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:27:43.240 --> 0:27:45.440 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:27:45.480 --> 0:27:48.960 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:27:49.040 --> 0:27:51.680 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:27:51.760 --> 0:27:54.240 us today. We hope you'll share this message with a 0:27:54.320 --> 0:27:57.040 friend and be sure to follow us on social media. 0:27:57.280 --> 0:28:01.000 We're praying for you I know God's bestest ahead. We'll 0:28:01.040 --> 0:28:03.680 see you next time. M.