Seeing Yourself The Way You Want To Be

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What if 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:11.080 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:01:11.120 --> 0:01:13.600 five minutes with a clear picture of where you stand 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.399 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:19.480 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:24.120 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:26.240 This ada sponsored by Facet. Facet Wealth in Corporated is 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:28.240 an SEC registered investment advisor. This is not an offer 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:30.080 to buy yourself security s noor is it investment, legal 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:30.800 or tax advice. 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.039 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:37.200 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:39.880 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:42.600 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:56.880 put God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. 0:01:57.560 --> 0:01:59.920 It is always a joy to come into your homes. 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:02.919 We love you, We know God has great things in store. 0:02:02.960 --> 0:02:05.000 And if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:07.320 stop by and be a part of one of our services. 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:09.800 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:13.040 But thanks for tuning in, Thanks again for coming out today, 0:02:13.080 --> 0:02:15.440 and I like to start with something funny each week. 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:18.000 And I heard about this man. He was at the 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:22.720 airline ticket counter, hollering and screaming at the agent, being 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:26.600 so rude. As he continued to rant and rave, the 0:02:26.680 --> 0:02:29.960 agent remained just as calm and polite as can be. 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.880 She treated him respectfully, as if he didn't even bother her. 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:36.400 He left, and the next man in line stepped up 0:02:36.480 --> 0:02:39.320 said to the agent, Wow, I am so impressed. You 0:02:39.400 --> 0:02:42.720 must be a Christian. How could you possibly treat him 0:02:42.760 --> 0:02:45.400 so nice? She smiled and said, oh, it wasn't hard. 0:02:45.680 --> 0:02:48.639 See he's going to Detroit, but his bags are going 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:53.640 to bangkhawk. All right, hold up your Bible. Say it 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:56.639 like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am 0:02:56.720 --> 0:02:59.200 what it says I am. I have what it says 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:01.720 I have. I can do what it says I can do. 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:04.960 Today I will be taught the word of God. I 0:03:05.120 --> 0:03:09.359 boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:13.320 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:16.600 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:20.840 seeing yourself the way you want to be. God created 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:24.200 us as visual beings. Every one of us has a 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:29.000 mental picture of ourselves, our family, and our future. How 0:03:29.040 --> 0:03:32.920 you see yourself will determine what kind of life you live. 0:03:33.639 --> 0:03:36.760 You will move toward the picture you have in your mind. 0:03:37.320 --> 0:03:42.840 If you have an image of success, victory, health, happiness, abundance, 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:46.760 you will naturally gravitate toward that. But if you have 0:03:46.800 --> 0:03:51.200 an image of lack, defeat, mediocrity, that will keep you 0:03:51.280 --> 0:03:54.600 from God's best. If you're going to be successful, you 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:58.720 have to first see yourself successful. You will produce what 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:01.680 you keep in front of you when you close your eyes. 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:05.560 In your imagination, you need to see yourself the way 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:08.000 you want to be. You've got to look out through 0:04:08.000 --> 0:04:13.640 your eyes of faith and see yourself rising higher, overcoming obstacles, 0:04:13.760 --> 0:04:17.279 fulfilling your destiny. The image has to take root on 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:20.760 the inside before it will happen on the outside. I 0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:25.440 call it having a vision of victory. Somebody said sight 0:04:25.720 --> 0:04:29.040 has to do with what we can see, but vision 0:04:29.160 --> 0:04:32.360 has to do with what we can be. The reason 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:35.279 some people are stuck at the same level is because 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:40.560 their vision is limited. They don't see themselves growing, increasing, 0:04:40.680 --> 0:04:44.120 being promoted, getting healthier. All they see is more of 0:04:44.160 --> 0:04:47.960 the same, more lack, more struggle, defeat, more sickness. They're 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:51.520 producing what they're seeing. When I close my eyes, I 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:55.120 don't see myself at this same level next year as 0:04:55.160 --> 0:05:00.000 I am right now. I see myself stronger, healthier, wiser. 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:04.720 I see our ministry touching more people, having greater influence, 0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:08.719 going where no ministry's gone before. I see my children, 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:14.920 my family, healthy, victorious, happy, hold prosperous. Those are the 0:05:14.960 --> 0:05:18.200 images I keep in front of me. Naturally, I am 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:22.400 gravitating toward that. That's the way God created us. One 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:25.520 way to change your life is to change the pictures 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:29.080 in your own imagination. I have a friend that was 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:32.919 on vacation in Hawaiian. One day. This guide was driving 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:35.680 him and his wife around the island, showing him the 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:38.960 different sites. They came to this one place, and the 0:05:39.000 --> 0:05:41.919 guide pointed to the top of a hill. There was 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:47.359 a beautiful house overlooking the ocean, palm trees, green grass, 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:52.640 big windows. It looked like a postcard, so magnificent, so peaceful. 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:56.840 My friend, just in passing, said to the God, I 0:05:56.920 --> 0:06:01.040 can't even imagine living in a place like that. All 0:06:01.080 --> 0:06:03.839 of a sudden, he heard a voice on the inside saying, 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:08.799 don't worry, you never will. Startled at his own thoughts. 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:11.440 He said, God, is that you. God said, yes, son, 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:14.880 and as long as you can imagine it, it will 0:06:14.880 --> 0:06:18.800 not happen for you. Friends, God wants to do amazing 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:21.240 things in our lives, but we have to get in 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:25.560 agreement with him. I'm asking you today to create some 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:32.440 new pictures. Get rid of every image of lack, defeat, mediocrity, sickness, 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:35.880 and start seeing yourself the way God created you to be, 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:39.719 as the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, 0:06:39.920 --> 0:06:43.880 a victor and not a victim. I hear people say, 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:47.040 I can't imagine having a good year with the economy 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:50.280 like it is. I can't imagine getting well after what 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:53.920 the doctors told me. I can't imagine my relationship ever 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:56.560 working out. God is saying to you what he said 0:06:56.600 --> 0:06:59.400 to my friend. Don't worry it won't work out. You 0:06:59.440 --> 0:07:02.039 will move toward that image you have in your mind. 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:06.040 Why don't you paint some new pictures. Our attitude should be. 0:07:06.400 --> 0:07:09.760 It may seem unlikely, but you know what. I can 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:13.400 imagine me paying my house off. I can imagine me 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.720 getting out of debt. I can imagine me being promoted. 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:20.600 I can imagine my business taking off the economy may 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:23.320 be low, but I can imagine me having my best 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:26.920 year so far. You may be struggling with the sickness. 0:07:27.160 --> 0:07:30.160 The medical report doesn't look good. But instead of going 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:34.120 around discouraged with an image of defeat in the forefront 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:37.680 of your mind, change the picture. I can imagine me 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:41.040 healthy and whole. I can imagine me out running again. 0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:44.280 I can imagine me free from this pain. I can 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:48.800 imagine my youth being renewed like the eagles. Perhaps a 0:07:48.920 --> 0:07:52.200 child is off course making poor decisions. I'm not worried 0:07:52.240 --> 0:07:55.200 about it. I can imagine him turning around. I can 0:07:55.280 --> 0:07:59.080 imagine him making great decisions. I can imagine him fulfilling 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:03.240 his destiny. And whenever you see someone that God's blessed 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:05.840 in a great way, something that looks far out of 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:09.360 reach for you, don't ever say I can't imagine that. 0:08:10.200 --> 0:08:14.640 Your imagination has incredible power. When you think that, it 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:18.600 creates a negative image that will limit you. It may 0:08:18.640 --> 0:08:22.600 be unattainable in the natural, But instead of speaking defeat, 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:26.120 make a declaration of faith. I can imagine living in 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:29.280 a house like that. I can imagine me being that healthy. 0:08:29.640 --> 0:08:33.040 I can imagine my family being that successful. Keep the 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:37.040 right pictures in front of you. Instead of being intimidated. 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:40.360 When we see something like my friend saw that should 0:08:40.520 --> 0:08:44.000 inspire us. We should say, God, if you did it 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:46.120 for them, I believe you can do it for me. 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:49.679 When Moses sent the twelve men in to spy out 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:52.960 the Promised Land, I believe one reason God wanted them 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:55.520 to go in is so they could get a picture 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:58.760 of it. God wanted them to see the beautiful land, 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:03.800 the flowing, the luscious gardens, the abundant crops. He wanted 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:08.080 that image to take root. Unfortunately, only two of the 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:11.200 twelve men saw the right things. Ten of the men 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:15.760 focused on their problems, their obstacles, their giants. How impossible 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:19.679 it was, They said, like my friend, we can't imagine 0:09:19.720 --> 0:09:22.079 ever living in that place. We don't have a chance. 0:09:22.120 --> 0:09:26.599 The giants are too big. They allowed those negative images 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:32.040 to dominate their imagination, and they ended up seeing themselves weak, defeated, 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:35.400 not able to here. God was trying to paint some 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:38.760 new pictures on the canvas of their hearts, but they 0:09:38.840 --> 0:09:42.120 kept erasing them and putting up the old pictures they 0:09:42.160 --> 0:09:45.880 had grown up with. Could it be that God's trying 0:09:45.920 --> 0:09:49.439 to paint some new pictures in your imagination, but you 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:53.160 keep erasing them by saying, oh, that's too great for me. 0:09:53.880 --> 0:09:56.520 I could never live in a house like that. Nobody 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:59.800 in my family has. I'll never be successful. I've got 0:09:59.800 --> 0:10:03.079 two too many obstacles. I'll never be happy. I've been 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:07.120 through too many disappointments. Now you need to change the picture, 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:10.760 start seeing yourself the way you want to be. It 0:10:10.800 --> 0:10:14.520 may seem unlikely, but all God has to do is 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:18.360 breathe in your direction. One touch of God's favor can 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:20.680 thrust you to a whole new level. This is what 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:24.679 happened to Abraham. He faced an unlikely situation. God gave 0:10:24.760 --> 0:10:26.560 him the promise that he was going to have a 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:30.200 child in the natural. He was much too old. It 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:33.640 was impossible. But when God told him, he didn't just 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:36.480 say you're going to have a baby. God gave him 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:39.920 a picture to look at. Abraham was in his tent, 0:10:40.240 --> 0:10:43.520 no doubt, getting ready for bed. God said, Abraham, I 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:46.840 have something to tell you. Abraham said, go ahead God. 0:10:47.480 --> 0:10:50.440 God said, no, Abraham, You've got to come outside your tent. 0:10:51.120 --> 0:10:54.440 Once he got outside, God said, now, Abraham, look up 0:10:54.600 --> 0:10:58.679 to the sky for as many stars as you can see. 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:02.200 That's how many descendants going to have. Why was it 0:11:02.240 --> 0:11:05.840 important that he have a picture, Because God knows over 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:09.960 time it's easy to get discouraged. It's easy to lose 0:11:09.960 --> 0:11:12.800 your vision. I can imagine a year went by and 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:15.400 there's no baby, and those thoughts came to him, saying, 0:11:15.960 --> 0:11:18.880 you heard God wrong. It's never going to happen. It's impossible. 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:22.920 You're too old. But instead of giving up, Abraham would 0:11:22.960 --> 0:11:25.440 just walk outside at night and look up to the 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:28.240 sky and say, no, they're still there. I can still 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:31.600 see it. Those stars represent how many descendants I'm going 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:35.440 to have. Year after year, every time he was tempted 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:37.640 to get discouraged, he would just go out to the 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:42.600 night sky. Those stars reminded him of what God promised. 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:46.280 That promise was being ingrained in his heart a little 0:11:46.320 --> 0:11:50.160 bit deeper. Twenty years later, the image he saw on 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:54.360 the inside became a reality on the outside. He and 0:11:54.400 --> 0:11:57.640 his wife had that baby. The promise came to pass. Well, 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:01.280 maybe God has put promises in your heart today that 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:05.559 seem very unlikely. It looks unlikely for you to get 0:12:05.559 --> 0:12:09.079 out of debt, or unlikely for your family to be restored, 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:12.360 or for you to ever be healthy again. But every 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:16.040 day in your imagination, you need to see that promise 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:20.000 come into fulfillment. You need to see your whole family 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:23.400 in here serving God with you. You need to see 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:27.319 yourself living in a beautiful, debt free home. You need 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:32.520 to see yourself healthy, whole, successful, accomplishing what God's put 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:36.199 in your heart. And when those thoughts come telling you that, hey, 0:12:36.240 --> 0:12:39.200 it's not going to happen. You're too old, you're too young, 0:12:39.280 --> 0:12:42.080 it's impossible, you've made too many mistakes. Now, just close 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:45.920 your eyes and replay that picture that you created in 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:49.800 your imagination as you see it over and over again. 0:12:50.360 --> 0:12:54.480 God's promise is being ingrained in your heart deeper and deeper, 0:12:54.800 --> 0:12:57.360 and one day, like Abraham, it won't just be a 0:12:57.440 --> 0:13:01.640 picture on the inside, it'll be a reality on the outside. 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:06.000 God will bring that promise to pass. Years ago, Victoria 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:08.680 and I were driving through a nice neighborhood here in town, 0:13:08.760 --> 0:13:12.160 and I saw one of the Rockets basketball coaches out 0:13:12.200 --> 0:13:15.559 walking through the subdivision. He was a very popular coach, 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:18.920 very well known, and the subdivision was just a mile 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:21.640 or two from this place where the Rockets used to 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:25.920 play basketball. When I saw that something was birthed on 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:29.240 the inside. Didn't really know what it was, but it 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:33.800 inspired me. It enlarged my vision. I told Victoria, that's 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:37.400 amazing here. He lives so close to the Compact Center. 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:39.720 Doesn't even have to get on the freeway, can be 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:42.840 there in less than five minutes. At that time, Victoria 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:46.319 and I were a young couple, just recently married, and 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:48.680 we were living in a town home and in the 0:13:48.800 --> 0:13:51.559 natural we couldn't see anyway something like that would happen 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:55.439 for us. But that day, for a few minutes, parked 0:13:55.480 --> 0:14:00.720 in that neighborhood, I just sat there and dreamed realize it. 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:04.720 But I was allowing a seed to take root. God 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:08.160 was painting a new picture on the canvas of my heart, 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:11.560 just like a woman has to conceive before she could 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:15.640 give birth. That day I conceived something on the inside. 0:14:16.080 --> 0:14:19.480 I said to Victoria, I believe one day we will 0:14:19.520 --> 0:14:22.640 live in a nice home like this, very close to 0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:25.400 the place that we work. I never thought much more 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:28.280 about it. It didn't consume me. I didn't have to 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:31.000 have it. It was simply a desire of my heart. 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:35.000 Over the years, every time I saw that coach, that 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:39.840 image would come up. I just pondered it. It seemed unlikely, 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:42.720 but I didn't abort it by saying, oh, I can't 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:46.240 imagine that happening to us. After all, he's a professional coach. 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:49.440 We could never be that successful. No, I just left 0:14:49.480 --> 0:14:52.680 the door open by saying, God, you did it for him, 0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:55.560 I believe you can do it for me. God, you said, 0:14:55.560 --> 0:14:58.280 when we delight ourselves in you, you will give us 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:00.920 the desires of our heart. I kept that image in 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:04.360 front of me. Little did I know twenty one years 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:07.880 later we would not only have the same building where 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:10.640 he used to play basketball, but now Victoria and I 0:15:10.720 --> 0:15:14.320 live in that same neighborhood where we saw him walking. Friends, 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:19.000 God is an amazing God. He wants to take you 0:15:19.160 --> 0:15:23.160 places that you've never dreamed of. What kind of seeds 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:25.800 are you allowing to take root? Do you have a 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:32.240 vision of increase success, prosperity, health, happiness or have you 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:35.000 talked yourself out of it? Well, Joel, that never happened 0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:38.120 for me. I come from the wrong family. I've made 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:41.840 too many mistakes. I've already reached my limits. I've got 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:44.640 too many problems, too many obstacles. Don't get rid of 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:48.520 those excuses. God wants to do more than you can ask, 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:52.520 think or imagine. One place talks about how God will 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:57.000 supply all of our needs, not according to our name, 0:15:57.480 --> 0:16:01.360 or our upbringing, or our talent or our It's according 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:06.040 to his riches, his favor, his goodness. God owns it all. 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:10.080 He's called Jehovah Jirah, the Lord, our provider. When you 0:16:10.160 --> 0:16:13.240 live a life of excellence, I've learned that God will 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:16.280 not only do what he said, but he will do 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:19.480 more than he promised. He'll do more than you can 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:22.840 even imagine. I met a young lady at a book 0:16:22.880 --> 0:16:26.280 signing a while back. Her name was Tara Holland. From 0:16:26.320 --> 0:16:28.440 the time she was a little girl, she had a 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:32.560 dream of becoming Miss America. Nineteen ninety four, she entered 0:16:32.560 --> 0:16:35.760 the Miss Florida contest. She won the title of first 0:16:35.840 --> 0:16:39.200 runner up. The next year she entered and the same thing, 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:43.000 first runner up. She could have easily given up and 0:16:43.040 --> 0:16:47.400 gotten discouraged, but instead she moved to Kansas. In nineteen 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:50.720 ninety seven, she entered that contest and won the Miss Kansas. 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:54.440 A little later that year, she ended up becoming Miss America. 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:58.400 Someone asked her the secret of her success, how she 0:16:58.440 --> 0:17:02.160 could stay so focused into determined even after those two 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:05.719 major losses. And she told how she went out and 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:11.000 rented every video she could find of beauty pageants, local pageants, 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:16.400 regional pageants, Miss America, Miss Universe. She watched those pageants 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:20.760 over and over again, hundreds and hundreds of times. Every 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:24.359 time she saw them crowning the young Lady the Winter, 0:17:24.840 --> 0:17:29.320 she pictured herself in that situation. She imagined them putting 0:17:29.359 --> 0:17:32.760 the crown on her head. She imagined herself walking down 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:36.639 the runway holding the flowers while the announcer was singing, 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:40.240 here she is Miss America. She had that image of 0:17:40.440 --> 0:17:44.880 victory ingrained in her thinking. That night after she won 0:17:44.920 --> 0:17:48.600 Miss America. At the press conference, a reporter asked her 0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:52.600 if she was nervous walking down the runway with millions 0:17:52.600 --> 0:17:56.440 of people watching by television. She said, no, I wasn't 0:17:56.480 --> 0:17:59.480 nervous at all. You see, I had walked down that 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:04.600 runway thousands of times before. Let me ask you, have 0:18:04.720 --> 0:18:07.720 you ever walked down the runway? Have you ever seen 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:12.000 yourself accomplishing your dreams? Do you see yourself rising higher, 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:16.120 becoming all God's created you to be? Living? Happy, healthy, 0:18:16.240 --> 0:18:20.399 debt free, victorious, successful. Now you say, Joe, I don't know. 0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:23.960 I got a lot of problems. I'm in debt, or 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:26.679 I'm lonely, or I've got this health issue. Now, you 0:18:26.760 --> 0:18:29.320 got to quit seeing yourself just the way you are 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:32.280 and start seeing yourself the way you want to be. 0:18:33.160 --> 0:18:37.359 Tewod Corinthians four eighteen says the things that are seen 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:43.040 are temporary. One translation says subject to change, but the 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:47.040 things that are unseen are eternal. This is saying the 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:50.800 things we see with our physical eyes are only temporary, 0:18:51.320 --> 0:18:54.040 but the things we see through our eyes of faith 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:59.119 are eternal. But too often we allow temporary things to 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:01.240 cause us to get to discouraged and give up on 0:19:01.280 --> 0:19:04.840 our dreams. But anything that doesn't line up with a 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:08.000 vision God's placed in your heart, you need to see 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:12.520 that not as permanent, but as subject to change. For instance, 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:15.960 you may be facing a sickness, but your attitude should 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:20.120 be God, you said by the stripes of your son Jesus, 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:23.040 I've been made well. So the picture I have of 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:28.960 myself is strong, healthy, whole. That tells me this sickness 0:19:29.119 --> 0:19:32.199 is only temporary, it's subject to change. It does not 0:19:32.359 --> 0:19:35.119 line up with your vision. Or I may be in 0:19:35.240 --> 0:19:38.639 debt right now, but God you said I would lend 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:42.040 and not borrow. So the picture I have of myself 0:19:42.480 --> 0:19:48.000 is successful, victorious, prosperous, being generous with others. That lets 0:19:48.040 --> 0:19:52.040 me know this debt is only temporary, It's subject to change. 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:55.200 Doesn't line up with God's vision, or my child may 0:19:55.200 --> 0:19:58.400 be running with the wrong crowd today, making poor choices. 0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:01.399 But God, the picture you painted on the canvas of 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:04.359 my heart says, as for me and my house, we 0:20:04.400 --> 0:20:07.080 will serve the Lord. The seed of the righteous will 0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:10.280 be mighty in the land. So I realized where he 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:13.920 is is only temporary. He is subject to change. Here's 0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:18.040 what I've learned. The recession is subject to change. Being 0:20:18.119 --> 0:20:22.200 lonely is subject to change. Debt is subject to change. 0:20:22.440 --> 0:20:26.159 People pushing you down is subject to change. Now you've 0:20:26.200 --> 0:20:28.320 got to do your part and don't let what you 0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:31.239 see with your natural eyes cause you to lose your 0:20:31.359 --> 0:20:34.720 joy and give up on your dreams. It's only temporary, see, 0:20:34.800 --> 0:20:38.800 its subject to change. This is exactly what Joseph did. 0:20:39.280 --> 0:20:41.879 He had a big dream in his heart as a 0:20:41.920 --> 0:20:44.960 young man. God promised that he would be a great 0:20:45.080 --> 0:20:48.320 leader and even help rule a nation. But on the 0:20:48.320 --> 0:20:52.200 way to that dream coming to pass, Joseph had many adversities. 0:20:52.560 --> 0:20:55.280 His brothers were jealous of him. They threw him into 0:20:55.280 --> 0:20:57.240 a deep pit. They were going to leave him there 0:20:57.240 --> 0:21:01.480 to die. But Joseph understood this principle. In that pit, 0:21:01.840 --> 0:21:06.119 he realized where he was did not line up with 0:21:06.240 --> 0:21:09.040 the vision that God had painted on the canvas of 0:21:09.080 --> 0:21:12.840 his heart. He saw himself as a great leader, so 0:21:12.880 --> 0:21:16.800 he didn't get discouraged. He didn't start complaining. He knew 0:21:16.920 --> 0:21:20.639 deep down that pit was only temporary. It did not 0:21:20.960 --> 0:21:23.480 line up with what he saw through his eyes of faith. 0:21:24.359 --> 0:21:27.480 In a little while, a caravan came by. They got 0:21:27.520 --> 0:21:30.480 him out, and the people took him to Egypt. And 0:21:30.640 --> 0:21:33.639 Joseph worked as a slave for years in Egypt. But 0:21:33.680 --> 0:21:36.520 once again he didn't get discouraged. He just checked the 0:21:36.560 --> 0:21:38.880 picture and said, no, this is not who I am. 0:21:39.359 --> 0:21:42.440 A slave does not match up with the promise God 0:21:42.440 --> 0:21:47.880 put in me. This too shall pass. Year after year, disappointments, setbacks, 0:21:48.000 --> 0:21:52.280 unfair situations. He just kept checking the painting that God 0:21:52.280 --> 0:21:55.720 had put on his heart. One day, the right doors 0:21:55.760 --> 0:21:58.200 did open up. They put him in charge over all 0:21:58.240 --> 0:22:01.119 of Egypt. This time he could find say, now this 0:22:01.280 --> 0:22:04.520 is permanent, this is what I've seen in my imagination 0:22:04.720 --> 0:22:10.040 all these years in life, we all face disappointments, setbacks, 0:22:10.320 --> 0:22:13.920 unfair situations. At times, it can even feel like we're 0:22:13.960 --> 0:22:17.280 in the pit. But instead of being discouraged and letting 0:22:17.320 --> 0:22:20.679 that cloud your vision, if you'll just look inside, you 0:22:20.760 --> 0:22:24.280 will see that does not match up with the vision 0:22:24.440 --> 0:22:26.840 God put in your heart. You'll be able to do 0:22:27.000 --> 0:22:30.200 just like Joseph and say, no big deal, I Am 0:22:30.200 --> 0:22:33.159 not going to get depressed. This is not permanent. This 0:22:33.320 --> 0:22:36.520 is just another stop on the way to my divine destiny. 0:22:37.280 --> 0:22:40.320 And some of you, maybe even now your little discouraged. 0:22:40.359 --> 0:22:42.399 Maybe something didn't turn out the way you would hope. 0:22:42.760 --> 0:22:45.840 But God is still on the throne. He still has 0:22:45.880 --> 0:22:48.199 a way to get you to where you're supposed to be. 0:22:48.680 --> 0:22:51.479 Now you've got to get your fire back. It is 0:22:51.520 --> 0:22:54.800 not over until God says it's over. God is a 0:22:54.880 --> 0:22:58.200 faithful God. He will do what he promised. You may 0:22:58.280 --> 0:23:00.520 be in the pit, but the good news is a 0:23:00.640 --> 0:23:03.800 caravan is coming your way to help take you to 0:23:03.920 --> 0:23:09.240 your divine destiny. I think about Jeremiah. God had a 0:23:09.280 --> 0:23:11.879 great plan for his life. He called him to be 0:23:11.920 --> 0:23:14.840 a prophet to the nations, and God spoke all these 0:23:14.880 --> 0:23:18.080 great things over him. But then God turned around and 0:23:18.200 --> 0:23:23.160 asked him, Jeremiah, what do you see. Even though God 0:23:23.240 --> 0:23:26.840 had just spoken favor and increase into his future, God 0:23:26.920 --> 0:23:29.400 knew none of it would come to pass if Jeremiah 0:23:29.480 --> 0:23:33.520 didn't get in agreement and see the right things. Jeremiah 0:23:33.560 --> 0:23:36.400 was young and timid. He didn't know if he could 0:23:36.440 --> 0:23:39.520 do it. At first, he started making all these excuses, 0:23:39.920 --> 0:23:42.199 telling God all the reasons why he was not the 0:23:42.240 --> 0:23:45.560 best choice. Finally, he shook it off and said, you 0:23:45.560 --> 0:23:48.200 know what, I'm going to see myself the way God 0:23:48.240 --> 0:23:53.359 sees me. He answered back, something very intriguing. He said, God, 0:23:53.800 --> 0:23:58.119 I see the branch of an almond tree starting the bud. 0:23:58.880 --> 0:24:03.720 It is the emblem of alertness and activity blossoming in 0:24:03.840 --> 0:24:08.240 late winter. He was saying, God, I see new growth. 0:24:08.760 --> 0:24:13.200 I see new opportunity, new life, new seasons, new levels. 0:24:13.480 --> 0:24:16.440 He compared what he saw to a plant coming out 0:24:16.480 --> 0:24:21.200 of winter going into spring starting to blossom. You may 0:24:21.240 --> 0:24:24.920 feel like you're in winter in life right now. Winter 0:24:25.080 --> 0:24:29.600 is when nothing exciting is happening. You're not making much progress. 0:24:30.000 --> 0:24:33.439 Business is slow, a relationship is still, A child is 0:24:33.480 --> 0:24:36.800 acting up. Here's the key. You've got to do like 0:24:36.880 --> 0:24:41.720 Jeremiah and start seeing spring even while you're still in winter. 0:24:42.359 --> 0:24:44.359 You've got to look out through your eyes of faith 0:24:44.600 --> 0:24:48.760 and see new growth even when everything's dead around you. 0:24:48.760 --> 0:24:52.439 You've got to see yourself prospering, even when business is slow. 0:24:53.040 --> 0:24:55.920 You've got to see yourself with friends, even when you're 0:24:56.040 --> 0:24:59.280 very lonely. You're in winter, but the way not to 0:24:59.359 --> 0:25:02.240 stay is to do like Jeremiah and start seeing spring. 0:25:02.560 --> 0:25:06.880 Start seeing new growth, new opportunities, new life. One time 0:25:07.000 --> 0:25:09.720 Abraham was in winter. He had just gone through a 0:25:09.800 --> 0:25:13.520 major setback, a major disappointment. He had a dispute with 0:25:13.600 --> 0:25:16.760 his nephew Lot. In order to keep the peace, he 0:25:16.800 --> 0:25:19.560 took the high road and moved to a different location. 0:25:20.480 --> 0:25:24.159 Now Abraham had to start all over here. He had 0:25:24.200 --> 0:25:28.200 worked years so hard developing his other land, trying to 0:25:28.240 --> 0:25:31.639 provide a great place for his family. But this new land, 0:25:31.960 --> 0:25:36.520 it was dry and bearing, nothing beautiful about it. I'm 0:25:36.560 --> 0:25:41.600 sure Abraham was discouraged, very disappointed. But God said something 0:25:41.640 --> 0:25:45.520 to him they're in Genesis chapter thirteen that changed his perspective. 0:25:45.920 --> 0:25:50.240 God said, Abraham, look up from where you are, for 0:25:50.440 --> 0:25:53.480 all the land that you can see. I will give 0:25:53.520 --> 0:25:57.760 it to you. Notice this principle, look up from where 0:25:57.800 --> 0:26:01.040 you are. You may not be in a good place 0:26:01.160 --> 0:26:05.160 in life right now. Maybe, like Abraham, you've had a disappointment. 0:26:05.560 --> 0:26:08.080 Somebody did you wrong. You feel like you're having to 0:26:08.119 --> 0:26:11.360 start all over. You lost a job or relationship, your 0:26:11.359 --> 0:26:14.440 health seems like everything you've worked for has gone down 0:26:14.480 --> 0:26:18.160 the drain. That's when it's easy to stay looking down, 0:26:18.600 --> 0:26:23.720 focused on your problems, letting that disappointment consume you. This 0:26:23.760 --> 0:26:28.440 is when so many people get stuck. Their vision becomes limited. 0:26:28.840 --> 0:26:32.800 They quit dreaming, they quit believing. But God is saying 0:26:32.840 --> 0:26:36.200 to you what he said to Abraham. Look up from 0:26:36.200 --> 0:26:39.920 where you are, get a new vision. God still has 0:26:39.960 --> 0:26:42.560 a great plan for your life. He's got you in 0:26:42.600 --> 0:26:45.880 the palm of his hand. He is called the Glory 0:26:46.240 --> 0:26:49.280 and the lifter of our heads. You may have lost 0:26:49.280 --> 0:26:52.199 a job, but look up from where you are and 0:26:52.240 --> 0:26:55.440 get a vision of a better job. A relationship may 0:26:55.440 --> 0:26:58.960 have ended, but your life didn't end just because somebody 0:26:59.000 --> 0:27:02.600 walked away. Lift up your head. God has something better 0:27:02.640 --> 0:27:07.200 in store. If you'll shake off that disappointment, that self pity, 0:27:07.840 --> 0:27:12.359 and start seeing spring in winter, then God says everything 0:27:12.440 --> 0:27:15.679 you see. I will give it to you. Friends, you 0:27:15.720 --> 0:27:18.920 are called to be an eagle. One thing about an 0:27:18.920 --> 0:27:22.880 egle is it has incredible vision. It can see ten 0:27:22.920 --> 0:27:26.120 times better than humans. An egle always has its sight 0:27:26.280 --> 0:27:29.520 set far down the road. The opposite of an eagle 0:27:29.600 --> 0:27:32.600 would have to be a chicken. A chicken is always 0:27:32.680 --> 0:27:35.600 looking down God. It's head toward the ground, pecking here, 0:27:35.680 --> 0:27:38.240 pecking there. All it can see is more of the same. 0:27:38.640 --> 0:27:41.240 But let me remind you you are not a chicken. 0:27:41.560 --> 0:27:46.400 You are an eagle. You were created to soar. Lift 0:27:46.480 --> 0:27:51.600 up your head. God has given you incredible vision. It 0:27:51.680 --> 0:27:54.640 may be winter, it may be difficult, but through your 0:27:54.720 --> 0:27:58.359 eyes of faith, you've got the ability to see spring. Now. 0:27:58.359 --> 0:28:01.520 I'm asking you today to keep right picture in front 0:28:01.560 --> 0:28:05.200 of you. You're gonna move toward that image in your mind. 0:28:05.800 --> 0:28:09.080 Some of you, your picture is too small. You need 0:28:09.119 --> 0:28:12.600 to enlarge your vision. You need to start seeing yourself 0:28:12.680 --> 0:28:16.480 rising higher, living the abundant life. You've got to make 0:28:16.600 --> 0:28:19.639 room for the great things God has in store. Remember, 0:28:19.680 --> 0:28:22.120 when you see somebody that God's blessed in a great way, 0:28:22.359 --> 0:28:25.080 don't you dare ever say I can't imagine that happening 0:28:25.080 --> 0:28:27.679 to me now? You make a declaration of faith. I 0:28:27.720 --> 0:28:30.760 can imagine me being that blessed. I can imagine me 0:28:30.840 --> 0:28:33.960 being promoted. I can imagine my family that healthy. You 0:28:34.080 --> 0:28:36.720 gotta let it take root on the inside before it'll 0:28:36.720 --> 0:28:39.880 happen on the outside. If you will see yourself the 0:28:39.920 --> 0:28:44.200 way you want to be, keep that vision of increase, abundance, health, 0:28:44.200 --> 0:28:46.880 happiness in front of you, then God will do amazing 0:28:47.000 --> 0:28:49.560 things in your life. You will rise higher. He'll pour 0:28:49.600 --> 0:28:53.000 out his blessings in favor. Like Abraham, it won't just 0:28:53.040 --> 0:28:55.840 be a vision on the inside, It'll become a reality 0:28:55.880 --> 0:28:58.880 on the outside. Like Joseph. You won't just be dreaming 0:28:58.960 --> 0:29:02.280 your dreams. You'll up one day and find yourself live 0:29:02.320 --> 0:29:05.840 in your dreams. Amen. We never like to close our 0:29:05.880 --> 0:29:09.480 broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:29:09.520 --> 0:29:13.880 lord of your life. Would you pray with me, Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:29:14.920 --> 0:29:19.720 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:29:19.880 --> 0:29:23.520 make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed 0:29:23.560 --> 0:29:26.520 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get 0:29:26.560 --> 0:29:29.400 in a good Bible based church, Keep God first place. 0:29:29.640 --> 0:29:32.080 He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:32.800 --> 0:29:36.240 Thank you for listening to the Juelus Deine podcast. Help 0:29:36.320 --> 0:29:39.080 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:39.160 --> 0:29:42.760 all over the world. Visit Jolus dein dot com slash 0:29:42.840 --> 0:29:44.840 give Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:46.120 --> 0:29:49.040 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:49.040 --> 0:29:52.400 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:52.480 --> 0:29:55.680 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:55.880 --> 0:29:58.320 I know God's best is still ahead. 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