Seasons of Silence

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It's time 0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:02.040 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a. 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:03.560 Degree you'll be proud of, one. 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:06.200 That employers will trust and respect when you take the 0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:08.360 next step in your life and career. Make it count 0:01:08.400 --> 0:01:12.319 with Purdue Global produce online university for working adults. Start 0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:14.920 your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:19.240 Welcome to the Jiell Loustine Podcast. Help leu's continue to 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:22.160 share the message of hope with those all over the world. 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:26.240 Visit joeloostin dot com slash give hope to give a 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:33.640 gift today. 0:01:38.760 --> 0:01:41.360 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:44.200 your homes and if you're ever in our area, please 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:46.919 stop buying. Be a part of one of our services. 0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:49.360 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:01:50.080 --> 0:01:52.600 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:55.920 about these two men, the Pope and the lawyer. They 0:01:56.000 --> 0:01:58.640 died on the same day, went to heaven. Peter met 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:00.600 them at the gates and follow me. I'll take you 0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:03.640 to your homes. Peter dropped the pope off at this 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:07.960 small wood frame house, one bed, one table, nothing to it. 0:02:08.320 --> 0:02:11.760 He then took the lawyer to this magnificent house. He 0:02:11.919 --> 0:02:15.200 was huge, had a big swimming pool, beautiful view out back. 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:18.400 The lawyer was overwhelmed, said Peter, how did I manage 0:02:18.440 --> 0:02:21.480 to get this spectacular place and the pope only got 0:02:21.520 --> 0:02:25.200 the small place. Peter said, we have dozens of popes. 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:29.520 You're the first lawyer say it like you mean it. 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:32.799 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:35.720 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:38.360 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:38.440 --> 0:02:42.320 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:45.600 is alert, my heart is recepted. I will never be 0:02:45.720 --> 0:02:50.280 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:54.280 to talk to you today about seasons of silence. We 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:58.080 all go through times what doesn't feel like we're making progress. 0:02:58.639 --> 0:03:02.520 We're praying, our prayers aren't being answered. We're being our 0:03:02.600 --> 0:03:06.720 best but not getting good breaks. The problem hasn't turned around. 0:03:07.120 --> 0:03:11.440 Seems like God went on vacation. But the silence is 0:03:11.480 --> 0:03:14.600 not a sign that God is not working. He may 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:18.520 not be changing the circumstances, but he is changing us. 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:23.280 God uses the seasons of silence to get us prepared 0:03:24.080 --> 0:03:27.200 when we're not getting our way we're doing the right thing, 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:31.239 but we're being overlooked. Our friend got married, but we're 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:34.840 still single. We're working harder than our coworker, but they 0:03:34.920 --> 0:03:41.000 got the promotion. We feel overlooked, undervalued, forgotten. These times 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:46.200 of isolation where you're not being celebrated, are extremely valuable. 0:03:47.000 --> 0:03:51.240 Nothing may be changing on the outside, but something's happening 0:03:51.280 --> 0:03:55.960 on the inside. Your character is being developed. You're learning 0:03:56.000 --> 0:04:01.200 to not depend on people. You're gaining experience, maturity, strength 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.000 that you'll need to go where God is taking you. 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:08.000 And you may wonder why no one is celebrating you. 0:04:08.000 --> 0:04:11.920 You're being faithful, but the door hasn't opened. You're gifted. 0:04:12.480 --> 0:04:14.920 You know you could teach that class better than the 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:17.560 person that's in place, but they never call on you. 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:22.920 Don't complain about the silence. God does his greatest work 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:28.320 in isolation, when nobody is noticing you. There are things 0:04:28.360 --> 0:04:32.480 you will learn in anonymity that you can't learn anywhere else. 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:36.880 When God is silent, that doesn't mean he's not concerned. 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:40.720 Silence is not a sign that God has forgotten about you, 0:04:41.200 --> 0:04:45.120 just the opposite. It's a sign that he's closely watching you. 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:49.120 He's getting you prepared for new levels. But if he 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:51.920 brought you out before you were ready, it would stop 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:56.120 your purpose. God loves you so much that at times 0:04:56.480 --> 0:04:59.960 he will hide you. He'll cause you to be overlooked. 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:02.960 He'll cause the door not to open, He'll cause a 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:06.880 person to walk away. You can be talented and hidden, 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:11.719 anointed and hidden, have great ideas and hidden. If you 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:15.719 don't understand that its God hiding you, you'll be frustrated 0:05:16.080 --> 0:05:18.920 and try to make things happen out of God's timing. 0:05:19.680 --> 0:05:23.520 But before you see notoriety, you'll go through a season 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:27.880 of obscurity. You have to pass this test when you're hidden. 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:32.760 As a teenager, David was anointed to be king. God 0:05:32.880 --> 0:05:36.400 spoke it through the prophet Samuel. But David didn't go 0:05:36.480 --> 0:05:40.200 straight to the throne. God hid him. He went back 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:43.200 to the shepherd's fields and kept doing the same thing 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:46.359 that he had been doing, taking care of his father's sheep. 0:05:47.040 --> 0:05:52.240 He spent years out there by himself, alone in obscurity. 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:56.480 It was boring. His brothers were in the military, they 0:05:56.520 --> 0:06:00.640 had a prestigious position, they were being celebrated. Here's the key. 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:05.000 Don't compare your life to other peoples. It may seem 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:07.839 like they have it better. They're further along. They don't 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:11.960 have the challenges you do. Run your race. God's purpose 0:06:12.000 --> 0:06:15.280 for your life is not the same as theirs. Don't 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:18.240 look to the left or to the right. Stay focused 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:22.880 on your calling. In the scripture, Peter asked Jesus about 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:26.039 John and what kind of future John was going to have. 0:06:26.600 --> 0:06:30.400 He thought John might have it better than him. Jesus said, Peter, 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:34.480 if I want John to remain alive until our return, 0:06:34.880 --> 0:06:37.800 what is that to you? He was saying, Peter, what 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:41.520 happens with John James Mark is none of your business. 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:45.520 Just follow me. As long as you compare, you'll be 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:50.040 frustrated because you'll always find somebody that looks like they 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:53.719 have it better than you. But David was destined to 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:56.520 go higher than his brothers. He was going to see 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:59.920 more influence, more favor, so that required more. I saw 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:05.479 more training, more experience. I'm sure David thought, God, you 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:08.360 said I'd be the king, you said I'd leave the nation. 0:07:09.200 --> 0:07:11.720 Why am I still stuck out here taking care of 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:14.960 these sheep? I have so much more in me. But 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:19.520 those years of isolation, when nobody knew David, when he 0:07:19.560 --> 0:07:25.720 felt forgotten, undervalued, those were incredibly important years. They were 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:30.240 proving years. Years when he showed God he would be faithful. 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:34.480 He could have slacked off, gotten discouraged, but he took 0:07:34.600 --> 0:07:37.120 care of those sheep like he was taking care of 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:40.600 the nation. He killed the lion and a bear with 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:44.720 his own hands. His father would have understood if a 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:48.080 few sheep were killed by a wild animal, no big deal. 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:52.400 But David went the extra mile when nobody was watching. 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:56.600 In anonymity, when nobody knew his name, he was a 0:07:56.640 --> 0:08:00.640 person of excellence. I can imagine when he was out 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:04.400 there alone, nobody to talk to, he would look up 0:08:04.440 --> 0:08:08.119 into the skies and talk to God. In that time 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:13.160 of isolation, he drew close to his creator. Maybe that's 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:16.120 where he wrote some of the psalms that we read today. 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:20.080 Instead of complaining God, was it taking so long? The 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:24.160 Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Surely, goodness 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:27.160 and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. 0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:31.880 After he passed the test of obscurity, God knew he 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:36.320 could trust him with notoriety. Like David, you may have 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:40.720 big dreams. God has spoken promises over you, but nobody 0:08:40.840 --> 0:08:46.120 is noticing you. You're not seeing increase promotion don't get discouraged. 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:50.480 It's because God has you hidden. You're not off course, 0:08:51.040 --> 0:08:54.880 you're not falling behind. You are in a time of preparation, 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:59.400 a time of training. God is getting you ready for 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:02.120 what He has in store. And if you will keep 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:05.120 doing the right thing, you will come into a time 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:09.800 where God causes you to be seen. Promotion doesn't come 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:14.040 from people. It comes from the Lord. When it's your time, 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:19.480 no person can stop you, no bad break, no injustice. 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:23.600 Just as God hids you, he will bring you out 0:09:23.679 --> 0:09:27.320 into the open. He will shine down his favor and 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:30.079 cause you to go where you couldn't go on your own. 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:34.000 Now you may feel like you're hidden, but don't be 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:38.320 frustrated thinking you're falling behind, and look who's getting ahead 0:09:38.360 --> 0:09:41.840 of me. When God brings you out, he will catapult 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:44.880 you forward. He will make up for the lost time. 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:49.160 When you have an expensive piece of jewelry, a diamond ring, 0:09:49.679 --> 0:09:52.439 you put it in a box and hide it. He 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:55.360 don't wear it around the house to go work out, 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:58.800 to run up to the grocery store. It's valuable, so 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:01.760 you keep it hidden, and at the right time, when 0:10:01.800 --> 0:10:04.960 you're going somewhere special, you bring it out for people 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:09.040 to see in the same way. The reason you're hidden 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:14.000 is because you're extremely valuable. You're like that diamond. You're 0:10:14.040 --> 0:10:17.520 going to shine. God's waiting for the right time to 0:10:17.600 --> 0:10:21.280 bring you out. You are not hidden because you're ordinary. 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:25.240 You're not hidden because you're average. You're hidden because you're 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:29.520 a masterpiece. God breeds his life into you. You have 0:10:29.679 --> 0:10:34.120 seeds of greatness. Don't let the silence discourage you. Your 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:39.200 time is coming now. In the isolation, you have to 0:10:39.320 --> 0:10:43.040 deal with the issues God brings to light. Let him 0:10:43.080 --> 0:10:47.320 develop you like David. Do the right thing when it's hard, 0:10:47.960 --> 0:10:51.319 Keep a good attitude when you're being treated wrong. Go 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:55.439 the extra mile when nobody is watching. When you're hidden, 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:59.360 you won't see anything happening on the outside. But I 0:10:59.360 --> 0:11:02.720 can assure you you on the inside, God is doing 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:07.120 a work. That's an opportunity to grow, to come up higher. 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:11.359 You're getting prepared for new levels. It's like a tree. 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:14.440 I have this big oak in my backyard, and in 0:11:14.480 --> 0:11:17.960 the winter time it loses all of its leaves. It 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:22.720 looks dead. It's bearren, just a bunch of branches, no life. 0:11:23.280 --> 0:11:27.720 But what we can't see is while everything looks stagnant, 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:32.080 on the outside. On the inside, the tree is gathering 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:36.640 up sap for spring growth. Without that time of baredness 0:11:37.080 --> 0:11:39.960 where it's cold and looks like nothing is happening, the 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:44.920 tree wouldn't have any new growth. In the seasons of silence, 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:48.760 when you feel like you're hidden, nothing positive has taking 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:52.920 place like this tree. What you can't see is you 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:56.800 gathering up SAPs, so to speak. Your spiritual muscles are 0:11:56.840 --> 0:12:00.720 getting stronger. You're learning to trust God in a new way. 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:05.280 This time is important because when God brings you out 0:12:05.480 --> 0:12:11.480 to new levels, into greater opportunities, you will see greater opposition, 0:12:12.320 --> 0:12:16.800 bigger obstacles, more coming against you. If God brought you 0:12:16.880 --> 0:12:20.400 out before you were ready, you couldn't handle it. So 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:24.840 He uses the hidden seasons to toughen us up. The 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:29.400 scripture says God didn't take the Israelites the shortest route 0:12:29.440 --> 0:12:33.079 to the Promised Land because they weren't prepared for war. 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:37.839 God knew they would have been defeated, so he hid them. 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:41.520 They went through this season of silence where they didn't 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:45.319 see anything happening. Now, the mistake they made is they 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:49.400 started complaining God, why is it taking so long? God? 0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:51.320 Why are we still out here? In the desert. God, 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:54.920 why are we making more progress? God was doing them 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:58.760 a favor, but they didn't recognize it. Don't do like 0:12:58.840 --> 0:13:02.880 they did. You may not understand the path that God 0:13:02.920 --> 0:13:07.120 has taken you, why it's not happening faster. But God 0:13:07.200 --> 0:13:11.800 knows what he's doing. He uses the delays, the difficulties 0:13:11.960 --> 0:13:16.079 to get us prepared. None of us like the slow seasons, 0:13:16.480 --> 0:13:20.040 and especially the unfair seasons. We lost a loved one, 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:24.400 a friend walked away, a dream didn't work out. It's 0:13:24.480 --> 0:13:27.040 easy to thank God. Why didn't you stop it? Why 0:13:27.040 --> 0:13:29.760 didn't you heal my father? Why didn't you keep them 0:13:29.760 --> 0:13:34.960 from betraying me? But God doesn't waste anything, the difficulties, 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:39.960 the delays, the losses. If we will keep the right attitude, 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:43.840 it's all working for our good. It's getting us toughened 0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:48.600 up because where you're going, you can't be offended by 0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:52.200 every negative comment. You have to have a backbone made 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:56.360 of steel. God can't promote you if you're going to 0:13:56.400 --> 0:13:59.760 be revengeful and try to use that position to pay 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:03.000 people back. You have to let it go and trust 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:07.200 God to be your vindicator. If you're intimidated by the opposition, 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:11.400 overwhelmed by difficulties. It will keep you from your destiny. 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:16.679 In these silent seasons, like the Israelites, we can think God, 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:19.400 the Promised Land is that way? Why are you taking 0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:22.960 me the long route. You have to trust God. He 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:27.200 can see things that you can't see. He knows what's best. 0:14:27.440 --> 0:14:30.680 It's all a part of the process to get you prepared, 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:34.440 to get you developed. He knows what you're going to need. 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:38.600 I face challenges today that if I would have faced 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:42.720 twenty years ago, they would have defeated me. My personality 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:46.680 type is to want everyone to like me, and when 0:14:46.720 --> 0:14:49.680 I was working behind the scenes those seventeen years, that 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:52.080 was easy. I had a dozen friends and they all 0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:55.080 liked me, at least I think they did. But when 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:58.920 God promoted me and put me in front of more people, 0:14:59.400 --> 0:15:02.480 I found out that some people didn't like me. And 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:05.080 that would have bothered me back then and made me 0:15:05.080 --> 0:15:10.560 feel insecure, intimidated. But I've learned my approval doesn't come 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:16.320 from people. It comes from God. God had to toughen 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:20.600 me up. Now when things come against me. I think 0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:24.800 I buried my father. I went through that loss. I 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:27.400 learned how to minister when I didn't think I could. 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:30.640 I fought for the compact Center when every voice said 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:32.960 we'd never get it. If I can make it through 0:15:32.960 --> 0:15:37.000 those difficulties, then I could make it through anything. The 0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:42.360 scripture says, these light afflictions are for a moment, but 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:46.760 they're working in us and eternal weight of glory. Somebody 0:15:46.840 --> 0:15:50.320 not being for you, that's a light affliction. That's like 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:53.600 a little gnat. Just flick that away. Your time is 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:57.520 too valuable to waste on petty things. But when you've 0:15:57.560 --> 0:16:03.640 been through some difficulties, through losses, through some golias, you 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:07.280 don't complain about not getting a parking spot. You don't 0:16:07.320 --> 0:16:10.480 fall apart because somebody left you out. You don't give 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:13.200 up on a dream because it didn't turn out your way. 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:17.120 You know it's a light affliction and it's working for 0:16:17.200 --> 0:16:21.760 your good. Now you may be in a season of silence. 0:16:22.400 --> 0:16:26.000 You feel like you're hidden, But the silence doesn't mean 0:16:26.120 --> 0:16:30.760 God has forgotten about you. He's heard every prayer, he's 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:34.760 seen every tear, and at the right time, God is 0:16:34.800 --> 0:16:39.280 going to bring you into what he's already prepared. God 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:43.560 is not preparing the blessing for you, He's preparing you 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:48.080 for the blessing. The Promised Land was already in place. 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:52.520 He had to get the Israelites prepared. Favor is already 0:16:52.560 --> 0:16:55.960 in your future. There are blessings that already have your 0:16:56.080 --> 0:17:00.360 name on them. The right people, divine connections are ready 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:04.760 lined up. You keep passing the test in the silent seasons, 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:07.960 you keep getting prepared, and you're going to come in 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.000 to more than you can ask or think. But what 0:17:11.200 --> 0:17:15.320 stops some people is they don't like the preparation. You 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:18.440 have to deal with the issues God's bring into light. 0:17:19.119 --> 0:17:22.679 Maybe God's asking you to put down your pride, forgive 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:25.680 the person that did you wrong, or to start saying 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:29.000 no to the compromise, no to the jealousy, no to 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:33.399 the critical spirit. Don't let a small thing keep you hidden. 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:37.840 Don't let something you know you can overcome keep you 0:17:37.920 --> 0:17:41.919 from the amazing future that belongs to you. You're not 0:17:42.119 --> 0:17:45.439 hidden because God is mad at you. You are hidden 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:49.520 because God loves you so much. He's getting you prepared 0:17:49.880 --> 0:17:53.840 to go where you've never gone. Now, in the isolation, 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:58.439 in the anonymity, where you're not seeing increase, you're not 0:17:58.480 --> 0:18:03.320 getting good breaks, David use that time to draw close 0:18:03.359 --> 0:18:07.480 to God. One thing about being isolated where you don't 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:10.000 have a lot of people or things to give your 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:14.639 attention to. You can turn your attention towards your heavenly Father. 0:18:15.920 --> 0:18:20.639 Learn to talk to God, develop a deeper relationship. Not 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:23.760 just a Sunday morning God, but all through the day 0:18:24.119 --> 0:18:27.199 in your thoughts. Talk to God like you talk to 0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:31.280 a friend. God will be as involved in your life 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:33.800 as much as you want him to be. If you 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:36.960 keep God in a Sunday morning box, he'll stay there, 0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:40.560 but he wants to be so much more. Tyler Perry 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:43.359 told how as a young man he had a dream 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:46.840 to put on plays. He's always been very creative and 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:50.919 had a vivid imagination. As a little boy, he was 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:54.600 mistreated by his father, and the way he would escape 0:18:54.640 --> 0:18:58.400 the pain is to go out under his front porch alone, 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:02.280 and he'd come up with these amazing stories in his mind. 0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:05.040 He would go to a different world. When he was 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:08.280 in his early twenties, he borrowed three hundred dollars from 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:12.440 a family member and rented a small theater in Atlanta. 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:16.159 He passed out flowers all over the community. He was 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:20.280 excited this was his big debut, but nobody showed up. 0:19:20.840 --> 0:19:24.560 This happened again and again. His family told him to 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:28.560 forget about the plays, go get a normal job. Every 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:31.639 time he wanted to quit, somebody would step up and 0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:35.600 underwrite the next play. One play, only a few people 0:19:35.680 --> 0:19:39.440 showed up. He was so disappointed. He couldn't pay the building, 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:41.760 couldn't pay his staff. That was it. He was done. 0:19:42.359 --> 0:19:45.960 But afterwards a man from the audience came and said, 0:19:46.000 --> 0:19:48.639 I love that. I want to support your next play. 0:19:49.640 --> 0:19:52.520 You may be hidden, but God will always have the 0:19:52.640 --> 0:19:58.040 right people there to help keep you going. For seven years, 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:01.919 it was a struggle. At time time, Tyler was homeless, 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:05.360 living out of his car. Twenty dollars was the difference 0:20:05.400 --> 0:20:09.280 of him eating that whole week. An opportunity came for 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:12.560 him to take the play to South Carolina. He thought 0:20:12.560 --> 0:20:16.160 this was his big break, loaded up the truck started driving. 0:20:16.400 --> 0:20:19.120 Then it came on the news, a hurricane is coming 0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:24.359 to South Carolina, another disappointment. Tyler had the talent, he 0:20:24.440 --> 0:20:27.760 had the creativity, he had the skills, but he said, 0:20:28.359 --> 0:20:32.160 God hid me on purpose. I didn't have the maturity 0:20:32.720 --> 0:20:35.040 and if God would have given it to me back then, 0:20:35.560 --> 0:20:39.520 I wouldn't have been able to sustain it back in Atlanta, 0:20:39.760 --> 0:20:43.600 he rented another theater decided to try it again. He 0:20:43.640 --> 0:20:47.040 thought it'd be the same result, another disappointment. This time 0:20:47.440 --> 0:20:50.760 on opening night, he peeked out the window. People were 0:20:50.840 --> 0:20:54.000 lined up around the block waiting to get in. He 0:20:54.040 --> 0:21:00.760 couldn't quit weeping. That night was the start of something amazing. Today, 0:21:00.840 --> 0:21:05.440 Tyler Perry has become the most successful African American film 0:21:05.440 --> 0:21:11.040 producer in history. You may be hidden, but when it's 0:21:11.080 --> 0:21:14.840 your time, God knows how to bring you out. What 0:21:14.920 --> 0:21:19.399 he has prepared is bigger than anything you can imagine. 0:21:19.560 --> 0:21:23.160 What's significant is Tyler told me. None of this success 0:21:23.280 --> 0:21:28.320 happened until he forgave his father. For years, he was bitter. 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:32.480 He couldn't understand why his father treated him so badly. 0:21:33.359 --> 0:21:36.080 One day, he went to visit his father with a 0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:40.160 new perspective, to try to understand who he was as 0:21:40.160 --> 0:21:44.080 a person, not as a parent. He began to learn 0:21:44.160 --> 0:21:47.640 how his father didn't have any training, didn't have any 0:21:47.680 --> 0:21:51.520 guidance growing up. He didn't know any better. Tyler. Once 0:21:51.560 --> 0:21:54.920 he understood what his father dealt with, he didn't excuse 0:21:54.960 --> 0:21:58.960 his actions, but he did make the decision to forgive him. 0:21:59.400 --> 0:22:03.040 That's when yours begin to open. When you're in these 0:22:03.080 --> 0:22:06.560 seasons of silence, when you feel like you're hidden, it's 0:22:06.640 --> 0:22:11.040 so important to look inside and deal with things that 0:22:11.160 --> 0:22:14.479 could be holding you back. You can have the talent 0:22:14.640 --> 0:22:17.320 to go somewhere, but if you don't have the character, 0:22:17.880 --> 0:22:21.119 if you're not willing to forgive, keep giving into compromise, 0:22:21.160 --> 0:22:23.720 if you don't treat people right, that will keep you 0:22:23.800 --> 0:22:28.160 from your best. We see this in the scripture with Joseph. 0:22:28.560 --> 0:22:31.960 He was hidden for thirteen years. He was betrayed by 0:22:31.960 --> 0:22:36.000 his family, falsely accused by a lady, put in prison 0:22:36.080 --> 0:22:40.320 for something that he didn't do. The reason Joseph fulfilled 0:22:40.359 --> 0:22:44.320 his purpose is he kept passing these tests. He showed 0:22:44.400 --> 0:22:48.840 God he would forgive in prison. Instead of sitting around bitter, 0:22:49.200 --> 0:22:52.520 he helped the butler get out of prison. He's so deceved. 0:22:53.600 --> 0:22:57.000 Nothing that's happened to you is a surprise to God. 0:22:57.600 --> 0:23:00.000 He wouldn't have allowed it if he didn't have a place. 0:23:00.880 --> 0:23:03.320 It may have been meant to harm you, but God 0:23:03.400 --> 0:23:07.000 knows how to turn it to your advantage. God did 0:23:07.040 --> 0:23:11.000 not create you to stay hidden. It may look like 0:23:11.119 --> 0:23:14.040 it's never going to change. The truth is it's a 0:23:14.160 --> 0:23:18.800 season of silence. Not a lifetime of silence. What God 0:23:18.840 --> 0:23:22.399 has spoken over you, there is an appointed time for 0:23:22.520 --> 0:23:26.639 it to come to pass. Keep growing, keep improving. The 0:23:26.800 --> 0:23:32.320 silence is only temporary. Matthew. Chapter sixteen, Jesus asked Peter, 0:23:32.800 --> 0:23:36.000 who do you say that I am? Peter answered, you're 0:23:36.000 --> 0:23:39.919 the Messiah, the son of the Living God. Verse twenty 0:23:40.000 --> 0:23:44.920 says Jesus sternly warned him to not tell anyone who 0:23:45.000 --> 0:23:49.159 he was. Jesus knew he was supposed to be hidden. 0:23:49.600 --> 0:23:53.399 He knew it wasn't his time Yet another place, the 0:23:53.440 --> 0:23:57.879 people believed in Jesus so strongly they wanted to crown 0:23:58.000 --> 0:24:01.359 him king. But the scripture said, as Jesus snuck away 0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:05.080 and went up and hid in the mountains, he knew 0:24:05.600 --> 0:24:08.640 he couldn't be crowned before he went to the cross. 0:24:09.240 --> 0:24:13.919 He trusted his father's timing. Like Jesus, we can't be 0:24:14.080 --> 0:24:17.120 crowned before we go to our cross, so to speak, 0:24:17.280 --> 0:24:20.840 before we learn to crucify our flesh and resist things 0:24:20.880 --> 0:24:24.800 that are holding us back. He told his disciples to 0:24:24.880 --> 0:24:29.040 stay silent, to not tell anyone he was the Messiah. 0:24:29.480 --> 0:24:32.600 A lot of us would be just the opposite. Go ahead, Peter, 0:24:32.960 --> 0:24:35.560 get the word out. Let everyone know how great I am. 0:24:36.240 --> 0:24:40.360 It's much better to let God promote you and not people. 0:24:41.000 --> 0:24:44.200 Don't get in a hurry. You don't have to make 0:24:44.320 --> 0:24:48.080 things happen. You don't have to convince someone to put 0:24:48.080 --> 0:24:50.960 in a good word for you. God knew how to 0:24:51.080 --> 0:24:54.800 hide you, and he knows how to elevate you. If 0:24:54.840 --> 0:24:57.720 you'll let God do it his way, it will be 0:24:57.720 --> 0:25:01.520 better than anything you could have made happen. God has 0:25:01.560 --> 0:25:05.119 not forgotten about you. He knows you're hidden, and he 0:25:05.240 --> 0:25:08.360 knows how long you've been there. He knows what's in you. 0:25:08.880 --> 0:25:12.000 He's the one that put the gifts, the talents, the dreams. 0:25:12.680 --> 0:25:15.320 Instead of fighting the silence, why don't you do like 0:25:15.440 --> 0:25:19.720 Jesus and embrace it. God, My times are in your hands. 0:25:20.119 --> 0:25:23.119 I know you're getting me prepared, working all things for 0:25:23.200 --> 0:25:26.119 my good, and at the appointed time, I know you 0:25:26.200 --> 0:25:30.280 will bring me out. Elijah was one of the greatest 0:25:30.359 --> 0:25:33.600 prophets in the Bible. As a young man, he spent 0:25:33.680 --> 0:25:37.359 time studying and preparing for ministry. He just gone to 0:25:37.440 --> 0:25:40.240 the palace and spoken the word of the Lord, the 0:25:40.359 --> 0:25:43.879 King Ahab. No one else had the courage to speak 0:25:43.960 --> 0:25:47.960 up to the King, I'm sure. Elijah left there feeling confident, 0:25:48.200 --> 0:25:51.639 ready for his next assignment. God said to him in 0:25:51.720 --> 0:25:57.480 one King seventeen, leave here, go east and hide yourself 0:25:57.760 --> 0:26:02.399 by the brook Cherah him saying, excuse me, God, you 0:26:02.560 --> 0:26:06.640 must have the wrong person. I'm Elijah. I just prophesied 0:26:06.680 --> 0:26:10.119 to the king. I've studied more than anyone. I'm ready 0:26:10.119 --> 0:26:12.520 to go on a national tour. You don't want me 0:26:12.560 --> 0:26:16.680 to hide myself. Elijah wanted to speak to the nation, 0:26:17.320 --> 0:26:19.800 but for the next three and a half years he 0:26:19.880 --> 0:26:23.800 only spoke to a widow and her son. God hit him. 0:26:24.200 --> 0:26:27.480 He didn't understand it. He had bigger things in his heart, 0:26:27.960 --> 0:26:31.840 but he trusted God's timing. He was faithful when he 0:26:31.960 --> 0:26:36.199 was hidden. When you're faithful in the silent seasons, you 0:26:36.240 --> 0:26:39.720 are setting yourself on a launching pad for God to 0:26:39.800 --> 0:26:43.639 take you further than you've ever dreamed. After three and 0:26:43.680 --> 0:26:47.000 a half years, God said, okay, Elijah, now I know 0:26:47.200 --> 0:26:50.080 I can trust you. You're ready, leave here and go 0:26:50.160 --> 0:26:55.040 on your next assignment. After he was hidden, Elishah prayed 0:26:55.119 --> 0:26:57.800 and the drought came to an end. He called down 0:26:57.840 --> 0:27:01.560 fire from heaven destroyed four hundred false prophets, on and on. 0:27:02.280 --> 0:27:07.040 It's interesting he performed no miracles until after his season 0:27:07.160 --> 0:27:12.280 of silence. Don't be frustrated when you're hidden. Jesus was hidden, 0:27:12.480 --> 0:27:15.639 Elijah was hidden, David was hidden. It's all a part 0:27:15.720 --> 0:27:19.640 of the process. Here's the beauty. You're hidden number one 0:27:20.040 --> 0:27:24.200 because you're extremely valuable, like that diamond. Number two. You're 0:27:24.320 --> 0:27:28.520 hidden because God is about to launch you. You're on 0:27:28.600 --> 0:27:33.359 the verge of seeing promotion, favor increase like you've never seen. 0:27:34.200 --> 0:27:36.399 You may have been hidden for a long time, but 0:27:36.520 --> 0:27:40.960 you've been faithful. You've been growing, getting prepared. I believe 0:27:41.200 --> 0:27:44.480 and declare God is about to bring you out. He's 0:27:44.520 --> 0:27:47.560 about to cause you to be seen. People are going 0:27:47.600 --> 0:27:51.080 to notice you that have never noticed. Keep being faithful. 0:27:51.440 --> 0:27:55.359 Your appointed time is on the way in Jesus' name, 0:27:55.960 --> 0:27:58.280 and if you receive it, can you say men? Today, 0:28:00.000 --> 0:28:02.800 I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:28:02.880 --> 0:28:05.080 the lord of your life. Would you pray with me? 0:28:05.720 --> 0:28:11.440 Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come 0:28:11.480 --> 0:28:15.400 into my heart. I'll make you my lord and savior. 0:28:16.760 --> 0:28:19.200 If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:19.200 --> 0:28:22.199 born again. Get in a good Bible based church and 0:28:22.320 --> 0:28:25.840 keep God first place. Victorian, I'll be right back to 0:28:25.880 --> 0:28:27.280 speak a blessing over you. 0:28:28.640 --> 0:28:31.160 As a thank you for your support of our ministry. 0:28:31.200 --> 0:28:33.800 This month, Joel and Victoria would like to send you 0:28:33.840 --> 0:28:38.920 a copy of Joel's inspirational series Fearless Courageous Living every Day. 0:28:40.640 --> 0:28:43.880 In this series, you'll be challenged to reject fear, to 0:28:44.000 --> 0:28:47.800 activate your faith, and to watch God do the impossible. 0:28:48.600 --> 0:28:53.000 Stand on God's promises and see Him do exceedingly, abundantly 0:28:53.080 --> 0:28:55.280 more than you could ever ask or think. 0:28:56.960 --> 0:28:59.960 You can handle whatever comes your way. Don't let thought 0:29:00.160 --> 0:29:03.880 so fear and intimidation holds you back. God has equipped 0:29:03.920 --> 0:29:07.520 you and empowered you. Be bold, be strong, and say, 0:29:07.600 --> 0:29:09.280 like David, I will not fear. 0:29:09.680 --> 0:29:12.479 When you choose faith over fear, God will take your 0:29:12.480 --> 0:29:15.960 places that you've never dreamed. Request this resource it will 0:29:16.000 --> 0:29:17.080 be a great help to you. 0:29:17.560 --> 0:29:21.680 Request your copy of Fearless today at Joelostein dot com 0:29:21.960 --> 0:29:24.320 or call eight eight age five six seven. 0:29:24.520 --> 0:29:29.320 Joel, thank you so much for your prayer and support 0:29:29.400 --> 0:29:32.440 of the ministry. You're helping to change the lives all 0:29:32.480 --> 0:29:36.000 over the world and we are very grateful for your generosity. 0:29:36.400 --> 0:29:39.360 A special thank you to our champion of whole partners 0:29:39.520 --> 0:29:42.560 for all you do to make the ministry possible. Know 0:29:42.680 --> 0:29:45.280 that we pray for you. We're believing. You're going to 0:29:45.320 --> 0:29:49.360 see dreams come to pass and God exceed your expectations. 0:29:49.560 --> 0:29:52.880 Take your places that you've never even thought possible. Stay 0:29:52.880 --> 0:29:56.920 in faith, stay in courage. You're not average, You're not mediocre. 0:29:57.160 --> 0:29:59.440 You are a child of the most High God. 0:30:09.040 --> 0:30:14.280 Nice buns, soft, fluffy and ultralownetcarbs. Discover hero Bread the 0:30:14.320 --> 0:30:18.800 delicious ultralow net carbbread with incredible taste and texture. Hero 0:30:19.000 --> 0:30:21.520 Bread has zero grams of sugar and is under one 0:30:21.560 --> 0:30:24.440 hundred calories per serving, plus high end fiber and up 0:30:24.480 --> 0:30:27.760 to ten grams of protein per serving. Available on Amazon 0:30:27.800 --> 0:30:29.560 dot com, Walmart dot com. 0:30:29.280 --> 0:30:30.200 And Hero dot Co. 0:30:30.720 --> 0:30:34.600 That's hro dot Co. 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