Signs of God's Favor

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This is not an offer 0:00:58.080 --> 0:00:59.920 to buy yourself security snore? Is it investment legal or 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:00.600 types of bikes? 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:03.800 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:03.880 --> 0:01:06.960 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:09.640 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:12.360 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:01:12.440 --> 0:01:26.440 for God's very best in your life. God bless you 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:30.200 always a joy to come into your homes. We love 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:32.759 you and we know God has great things in store. 0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:35.640 And if you're ever in our area, please stop by 0:01:35.880 --> 0:01:37.920 and be a part of one of our services. I 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:40.560 promise you we'll make you feel right at home. But 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:42.880 thanks so much for tuning in today, and thank you 0:01:43.000 --> 0:01:45.559 again for coming out. I like to start with something 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:48.840 funny each week, and I heard about this old country farmer. 0:01:49.280 --> 0:01:52.240 He was taking his nephew camping for the first time. 0:01:52.920 --> 0:01:55.800 His nephew had five degrees and was one of the 0:01:55.880 --> 0:01:59.240 smartest men alive. They set up their tent and quickly 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:02.160 fell asleep. In the middle of the ninth The farmer 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:04.400 woke up his nephew and said, look up, what do 0:02:04.480 --> 0:02:08.440 you see. The nephew said, I see millions of stars. 0:02:08.800 --> 0:02:10.600 He said I know that, But what does it tell you? 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:16.320 He said. Astronomically, it tells me there are billions of galaxies. Meteorologically, 0:02:16.560 --> 0:02:18.320 it tells me it's going to be a beautiful day. 0:02:18.600 --> 0:02:21.200 Theologically it tells me God is a great creator. What 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:24.640 does it tell you? The old farmer shook his head, said, 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:29.720 it tells me somebody stole our tent. All right, hold 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:31.840 up your bible and say it like you mean it. 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:35.520 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:38.480 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:41.320 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:45.320 taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:48.720 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:53.760 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:57.040 to talk to you today about signs of God's favor. 0:02:57.880 --> 0:03:00.600 When God puts a promise in our heart, he will 0:03:00.680 --> 0:03:03.720 always give us some kind of sign that the promise 0:03:03.840 --> 0:03:06.960 is going to come to pass, something to boost our faith, 0:03:07.320 --> 0:03:11.400 to encourage us. It may be something small. A friend 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:14.960 makes one comment. They don't even realize it, but it's 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:18.040 exactly what you needed to hear. Something lights up on 0:03:18.120 --> 0:03:22.120 the inside. That's a sign from God. I've had people 0:03:22.200 --> 0:03:25.000 tell me after the service, Joel, when you mentioned this 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:28.560 in your message, it's just what I needed. I think 0:03:28.600 --> 0:03:31.679 to myself, I didn't even talk about that. You know 0:03:31.760 --> 0:03:34.760 what that is God causing them to hear what they 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:38.840 needed to hear. Or maybe you're reading the scripture and 0:03:38.920 --> 0:03:41.360 all of a sudden a verse jumps out at you. 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:45.040 You feel ten feet tall. You know God's in control, 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:48.640 you know he's fighting your battles. That's a sign from God. 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:51.800 A couple of months after my father went to be 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:54.440 with the Lord and I stepped up to pastor the church. 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:58.360 There were so many changes taking place, things that were 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:02.040 going on. At times, I was tempted to feel overwhelmed, 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:05.200 like I wasn't able to do it. One day, when 0:04:05.240 --> 0:04:07.960 it seemed like it was the worst ever and it 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:11.440 wasn't going to work out, I went to bed so concerned. 0:04:12.120 --> 0:04:14.640 But when I woke up the next morning, I could 0:04:14.760 --> 0:04:19.159 hear myself singing a song of praise, not out loud, 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:22.440 but on the inside. I was singing it over and over. 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:25.880 That song we used to sing you, O Lord are 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:28.720 a shield under me, the glory and the lifter of 0:04:28.800 --> 0:04:33.080 my head. I woke up refreshed, re energized, knowing that 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:36.919 I was well able. That was a sign from Almighty God. 0:04:37.680 --> 0:04:41.320 The scripture talks about how God will confirm his word 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:45.880 with signs following. We often think that just means when 0:04:46.160 --> 0:04:50.560 someone ministers that there'll be salvation, healing and miracles, and yes, 0:04:50.680 --> 0:04:54.400 that's true, but it also means when God puts a 0:04:54.480 --> 0:04:58.760 promise in your heart, he will confirm that promise by 0:04:58.839 --> 0:05:02.400 showing you some kind of sign. It may be through 0:05:02.440 --> 0:05:06.679 a dream, through another person, through nature, through his word, 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:11.599 or through something that seems like a coincidence. It looks 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:15.839 insignificant to others, but to you, you know, it's God 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:20.040 saying I'm in control, I'm directing your steps, and it's 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:23.800 important that we recognize these signs. That's what's going to 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:27.440 help keep us encouraged while we're waiting for the promises 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:30.240 to come to pass. When we're at tempted to get down, 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:33.000 we can go back and say, no, I've got this sign. 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:36.680 God confirmed it through a phrase that was spoken to me, 0:05:37.200 --> 0:05:39.720 through a dream that I had, through the time I 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:44.160 woke up singing. If you can remember not just the promise, 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:48.240 but the time God confirmed it with a sign that's 0:05:48.279 --> 0:05:50.880 going to give you the faith to stand strong and 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:54.120 see the promise come to fulfillment. At the house where 0:05:54.160 --> 0:05:57.200 my parents used to live, they had large windows in 0:05:57.320 --> 0:06:00.520 the den that looked out to a courtyard was actually 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:05.039 a town home. Every day, for months, this little red bird, 0:06:05.520 --> 0:06:08.800 a cardinal would come into the courtyard sit on a 0:06:08.880 --> 0:06:12.640 branch right by the window in the den. My mother 0:06:12.920 --> 0:06:16.320 loves birds. She would sit there and watch that little 0:06:16.400 --> 0:06:19.440 bird and enjoy it so much she got to where 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:22.240 she looked forward to that bird coming by each day. 0:06:23.040 --> 0:06:26.440 This went on for five or six months, just like clockwork, 0:06:26.760 --> 0:06:30.240 every afternoon, the little cardinal would show up and spend 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:34.120 three or four hours in the courtyard. Well eventually he 0:06:34.279 --> 0:06:37.520 quit coming there. About a year later, my father went 0:06:37.600 --> 0:06:39.600 to be with the Lord, and now my mom was 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:43.040 living at home by herself, and after being married for 0:06:43.120 --> 0:06:46.360 nearly fifty years, she was having to make some adjustments. 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:49.320 I'm sure there were times that she was tempted to 0:06:49.440 --> 0:06:52.800 feel lonely, to get down and discourage. Do you know 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:56.280 what happened? That little cardinal started coming back to the 0:06:56.360 --> 0:07:01.680 courtyard once again every day, singing, chirping, having a good time. 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:05.800 That wasn't a coincidence. That wasn't a lucky break. That 0:07:06.040 --> 0:07:08.960 was a sign from the creator of the universe. That 0:07:09.200 --> 0:07:12.680 was Almighty God saying to my mother, I'm still in control. 0:07:13.200 --> 0:07:16.960 I still have a plan. Everything's going to work out. See. 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:22.560 God controls the whole universe, He controls nature, he controls animals. 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:26.200 If you will be sensitive, you will see the hand 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:30.320 of God at work, even in small things. That's God 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:33.920 talking to you, showing you a sign, letting you know 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:38.600 he's going to bring those promises to pass. David understood 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:42.960 this principle. He said in Psalm eighty six seventeen, God, 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:47.840 send me a sign of your favor. Notice David was 0:07:47.960 --> 0:07:51.280 on the offensive. He wasn't waiting around to see if 0:07:51.320 --> 0:07:54.880 there was going to be a sign. His attitude was, God, 0:07:55.000 --> 0:07:57.640 I know you promised you would give me a sign, 0:07:58.320 --> 0:08:01.200 So I'm asking you to confirm what you put in 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:05.280 my heart. I wonder what would happen if we would 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:08.720 be as bold as David and say, God, give me 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:12.080 a sign that this property is going to sell, Give 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:14.720 me a sign that my child's going to come back home. 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:17.440 Give me a sign that I'm going to meet the 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:21.720 right person. If you'll be bold enough to ask. God 0:08:21.920 --> 0:08:25.680 promises he will confirm that word by showing you some 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:29.200 kind of sign that means he'll do something out of 0:08:29.240 --> 0:08:33.559 the ordinary, something unusual to where you know, beyond a 0:08:33.679 --> 0:08:36.280 shadow of a doubt. It was the hand of God 0:08:36.720 --> 0:08:40.319 confirming what He's already put in your heart. This is 0:08:40.400 --> 0:08:43.959 what King Hezekiah did. He was very sick and close 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:46.640 to death, and the prophet Isaiah showed up at the 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:51.280 palace and said, Hezekiah, sorry, but God says you're about 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:54.760 to die. Your time here on earth is done. Of course, 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:57.520 that wasn't the news Hezekiah was hoping for it. He 0:08:57.640 --> 0:09:01.960 began to pray and plead with God. Before Isaiah could 0:09:02.040 --> 0:09:05.520 leave the palace grounds, God spoke to him and said, Isaiah, 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:09.360 go back and tell Hezekiah I'm going to extend his 0:09:09.600 --> 0:09:13.800 life by fifteen more years. When Hezekiah got the news, 0:09:14.080 --> 0:09:18.640 of course, he was thrilled, but he wanted confirmation. I 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:22.240 can hear him saying Isaiah, I'm very grateful, very happy, 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:26.600 but I need a sign. God promised he would confirm 0:09:26.760 --> 0:09:31.720 this word. I need something to encourage my faith. Isaiah 0:09:31.760 --> 0:09:34.800 didn't say, Hezekiah, would you leave God alone? He gave 0:09:34.880 --> 0:09:37.240 you a promise, man, just stand on it. No, he 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:41.400 said in Second Kings twenty verse nine. This is the 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:45.400 sign from the Lord to prove he will do what 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:50.440 he promised. The son will go backwards ten degrees. They 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:53.880 went outside and looked at the shadows on the sundial, 0:09:54.160 --> 0:09:57.280 and sure enough, instead of going forward, those shadows begin 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:02.040 to go backwards. Now, time Hezekiah was tempted to get 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:05.520 discouraged and think that he wouldn't get well, he would 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:09.120 not only thank God for the promise, but he would 0:10:09.200 --> 0:10:13.400 remember the time God confirmed it by showing him a sign. 0:10:13.920 --> 0:10:16.360 He would think, if God can cause the son to 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:19.880 go backwards, then he can heal my body. If God 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:22.600 can cause me to wake up singing, he can cause 0:10:22.679 --> 0:10:25.480 me to stand up here in minister. If God can 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:29.400 cause a little cardinal to come into my mom's courtyard 0:10:29.720 --> 0:10:32.760 to cheer her up, surely God can take care of 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:36.440 my mother and give her a new beginning. God gave 0:10:36.600 --> 0:10:41.120 Hezekiah this sign to encourage his faith. God wants to 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:44.360 do the same thing for us. God knows that when 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:48.839 we're standing on his promises, believing to accomplish a dream, 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:52.840 to overcome an illness, to get out of debt. At times, 0:10:53.160 --> 0:10:56.640 it can seem impossible. Every voice tells us it's not 0:10:56.720 --> 0:10:59.560 going to happen. You're too old, it's been too long, 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:03.520 you may too many mistakes. It's easy to get discouraged 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:06.360 and give up on these promises. But if we can 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:09.960 just learn to do like David and say, God, give 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:13.400 me a sign of your favor. Give me a sign 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:16.079 that my health is going to improve, give me a 0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:20.319 sign that this relationship has your blessing. It's scriptural to 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:24.240 ask for a sign of God's favor. That's your faith 0:11:24.400 --> 0:11:27.800 being released, and faith is what allows God to do 0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:31.400 amazing things. I received a letter from a young lady. 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:34.959 She lost her husband at twenty nine years old. He 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:39.400 was killed in a motorcycle accident. They had two beautiful daughters. 0:11:40.000 --> 0:11:44.199 Of course, her world was turned upside down. It was difficult, 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:47.120 but she stood on the promise that God would give 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:52.000 her beauty for ashes, joy for mourning. Several years later, 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:54.920 she met a young man and fell in love, and 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:58.520 they decided to get married. And although she was happy, 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:02.920 down deep she felt a little bit guilty. She believed 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:04.920 that her first husband would want her to go on 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:08.600 with her life and remarry, but she was constantly dealing 0:12:08.679 --> 0:12:12.040 with these lingering thoughts of doubt. A week before she 0:12:12.200 --> 0:12:15.640 left for Hawaii to get remarried, she got down on 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:19.439 her knees and said, God, I'm asking you to give 0:12:19.520 --> 0:12:22.360 me a sign so i'll know that I have your 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:27.199 blessing and my first husband's blessing. She said, Joel, I'm 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:30.040 not too good at seeing signs, so I asked for 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:33.520 something obvious. They were going to get married outdoors on 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:36.400 the beach there in Hawaii. She asked God to give 0:12:36.480 --> 0:12:40.280 her a rainbow in the sky. After she thought about it, 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:43.839 she felt like that was too far out, too extreme. 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:47.040 Those thoughts came saying, who do you think you are? 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:49.840 God's not going to give you a rainbow talked her 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:52.319 out of it. She finally thought, well, maybe I'll just 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:56.640 see a butterfly at the ceremony, or maybe a beautiful sunset, 0:12:56.760 --> 0:12:59.600 and that'll let me know that I'm making the right decision. 0:13:00.200 --> 0:13:03.000 Think anything more about it. The day of the wedding, 0:13:03.559 --> 0:13:07.400 just as the ceremony started, out of nowhere, there appeared 0:13:07.720 --> 0:13:12.120 not only one beautiful rainbow, but there were two beautiful 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:18.319 rainbows lighting up the sky. The lady that was coordinating 0:13:18.360 --> 0:13:21.199 the wedding, said she had done weddings there for over 0:13:21.320 --> 0:13:25.199 twenty years and never seen that happen once before. As 0:13:25.240 --> 0:13:28.000 soon as they got through taking their wedding pictures, the 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:33.200 rainbows quietly disappeared. She said, Joel, I know one rainbow 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:37.560 was God saying you have my approval, and the second 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:41.400 rainbow was God saying you have your first husband's blessing 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:45.200 as well. She closed the letter by saying, who would 0:13:45.240 --> 0:13:47.880 have ever thought you could ask God to give you 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:51.120 a rainbow and he'd not only give you one, but 0:13:51.240 --> 0:13:53.679 he'd give you two. Friends, that's the kind of God 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:58.240 we serve. He likes to outdo himself. But here's my point. 0:13:58.960 --> 0:14:02.200 I don't believe she would have seen those rainbows if 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:05.319 she had not been bold enough to ask. Some of 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:09.240 you never see any signs, but it's because you're not asking. 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:13.319 God wants to do something amazing in your life. He 0:14:13.400 --> 0:14:16.680 wants to do things to strengthen your faith, to uplift 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:19.880 your spirits. But he's waiting for us to take the 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:24.320 first step. We have not because we ask not. Those 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:28.080 promises that you're standing on today, the dreams in your heart, 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:32.440 the situations you'll believing to turn around, dare to say, God, 0:14:32.560 --> 0:14:35.000 give me a sign of your favor, give me a 0:14:35.200 --> 0:14:39.200 sign that I'm going the right direction. If you'll release 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:43.440 your faith by asking, then be on the lookout expecting 0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:48.480 God's goodness. He promises he will confirm that word by 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.560 showing you some kind of sign. I'm not saying that 0:14:52.000 --> 0:14:54.040 God's going to give us everything we ask for, and 0:14:54.080 --> 0:14:56.680 if we say we need a rainbow, there'll be a rainbow. No, 0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:59.720 we don't tell God what to do. We simply need 0:14:59.800 --> 0:15:02.800 to ask in faith and then trust God to do 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:06.200 it his way. He's God. He knows how to confirm 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:09.000 what he's saying to you. But what I love about 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:12.520 this young lady is her boldness. That took a lot 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:16.120 of nerve to say, God, give me a rainbow. She 0:15:16.200 --> 0:15:19.840 could have thought God's not that concerned about me. He's 0:15:19.880 --> 0:15:24.040 got bigger things to deal with. I can't bother God. No, understand, 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:28.120 you are God's biggest deal. You are the apple of 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:32.080 God's eye. You are his most prized possession. God knows 0:15:32.160 --> 0:15:35.120 when you get up and when you sit down. He 0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:40.320 knows when you feel lonely, discouraged, when you're overwhelmed. If 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:43.480 you're going to see these signs of God's favor to 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:47.600 build your faith, to help you overcome obstacles. And you've 0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:50.200 got to do like this, young lady, rise up with 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:54.560 a boldness, understanding who you are, a child of the 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:59.880 Most High God, valuable, chosen, set apart, crowned with favor. 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:02.760 Now you've got to put your shoulders back, hold your 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:06.200 head up high, and dare to say, like David, God, 0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:09.800 give me a sign that promotion is coming. Give me 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:13.160 a sign that this depression is leaving. Give me a 0:16:13.320 --> 0:16:15.840 sign that my child is going to break this addiction. 0:16:16.960 --> 0:16:21.080 When you ask, you're releasing your faith. You're saying God, 0:16:21.520 --> 0:16:23.960 I believe you can do what you promised. 0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:24.560 God. 0:16:24.640 --> 0:16:27.720 I believe you're bigger than what the medical report says. 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:31.280 I believe you're greater than what my bank account looks like. 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:34.640 I believe you're stronger than what the critics are telling me. 0:16:35.160 --> 0:16:37.800 I may not see away, but God, I know you 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:41.400 have a way and you will bring these promises to pass. 0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:46.440 I remember when my mother was so sick in nineteen 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:50.000 eighty one with terminal cancer. Didn't look like she was 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:53.960 going to make it. We'd been praying and believing week 0:16:54.080 --> 0:16:57.800 after week, but she wasn't getting any better. My father 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:01.280 had this attitude we're talking about, saying, God, send me 0:17:01.360 --> 0:17:04.840 a sign of your favor. One night we got home 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:07.720 from church and my father went to his bedroom to 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:10.560 change clothes, and he put his Bible on the bed, 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:13.119 and it just so happened to fall open in the middle. 0:17:13.680 --> 0:17:16.280 He didn't think anything about it, but as he was 0:17:16.359 --> 0:17:19.399 hanging his coat up on the hangar, for some reason, 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:23.200 he felt drawn to the Bible. As he was watching it, 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:27.680 the pages begin to flip and flip and flip, just 0:17:27.880 --> 0:17:31.840 like someone was intentionally turning them. He thought, that's odd. 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:34.960 The air conditioner wasn't on, there wasn't a fan, and 0:17:35.480 --> 0:17:37.720 he went over there and one of the pages is 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:40.800 sort of halfway flipped up on the other. The first 0:17:41.200 --> 0:17:44.200 verse that he saw, the one that totally stuck out, 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:50.040 was Psalm one five thirty seven. It says God brought 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:53.320 them out with silver and gold, and there was not 0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:58.240 one sickly person among them. When he read that, it 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:02.760 was like electricity shot through his whole body. He knew 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:06.000 God was saying, my mother was going to come out 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:11.040 healthy and hope. Month after month went by, we didn't 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:15.040 see any signs of improvement. But instead of getting discouraged, 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:18.520 we would always go back and remember that night that 0:18:18.640 --> 0:18:21.800 God turned the pages in the Bible. That was a 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:26.600 sign from God to my father, confirming those promises that 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:29.240 we were standing on. And I don't know if it 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:32.600 was their conditioner, maybe just a natural gust of air, 0:18:32.920 --> 0:18:36.440 but whatever caused it, ultimately we knew it was the 0:18:36.600 --> 0:18:40.080 hand of God speaking faith to our heart. We chose 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:44.080 to believe that it was God confirming his word. That 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:47.159 was nearly thirty years ago, and today my mother is 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:51.600 still healthy and strong, going ninety miles an hour every 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:57.040 single day. But I wonder how many times we miss 0:18:57.359 --> 0:19:00.960 the signs God is giving us. Think, oh wow, the 0:19:01.359 --> 0:19:04.800 pages on the Bible flip, that's a good scripture. Oh wow, 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:08.119 there was a rainbow in the sky. No, be sensitive 0:19:08.480 --> 0:19:11.520 to what God is doing. There's no such thing as 0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:15.200 a coincidence, no such thing as a lucky break. That's 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:18.480 the hand of God at work in your life. He 0:19:18.560 --> 0:19:22.440 could very well be God confirming a promise that He's 0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:25.680 placed in your heart. A few years ago, I was 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:28.919 out running and I'd had a long day, and there 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:31.879 were some situations I was hoping would turn around and 0:19:32.200 --> 0:19:34.760 I was wondering why it was taking so long and 0:19:35.080 --> 0:19:37.520 when it was ever going to get any better, just 0:19:37.640 --> 0:19:41.680 kind of frustrated and stressed out trying to make things happen. 0:19:42.480 --> 0:19:45.119 While I was running, it was very winding. The leaves 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:47.919 were blowing off the trees, and one thing I've always 0:19:48.040 --> 0:19:50.240 liked to do is to try to catch leaves. So 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:53.200 while I was running, I was grabbing here and grabbing there, 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:56.040 but I couldn't catch these leaves that were very small. 0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:59.359 They were darting all around, but at one point there 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:02.480 was this huge, dude burst of air. There must have 0:20:02.520 --> 0:20:06.080 been a thousand leaves falling all around me, and I thought, wow, 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:09.040 this is my chance, and I started grabbing and grabbing 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:13.440 and grabbing, grabbing, but I could not catch one single leaf. 0:20:13.640 --> 0:20:16.159 I couldn't believe it. Here I was out running to 0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:18.760 try to relieve stress, and I was getting more stressed 0:20:18.760 --> 0:20:21.600 out because I couldn't catch a leaf, and finally I 0:20:21.720 --> 0:20:25.280 just said forget about it, kept on running. About fifteen 0:20:25.400 --> 0:20:28.880 minutes later, while I was still running, as this arm 0:20:28.960 --> 0:20:31.480 went up into the air just a natural motion, I 0:20:31.680 --> 0:20:35.280 felt something hit the palm of my hand. I opened 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:38.240 it up and it was this leaf I couldn't believe it. 0:20:39.119 --> 0:20:42.840 I've been running practically my whole life and never had 0:20:42.880 --> 0:20:46.400 a leaf fall into my hand. That was God saying 0:20:46.480 --> 0:20:49.480 to me, Joel, you don't have to grab, you don't 0:20:49.520 --> 0:20:51.639 have to try to make things happen. You don't have 0:20:51.760 --> 0:20:58.359 to live frustrated. He was saying, just trust me, and 0:20:58.520 --> 0:21:02.480 I'll give you that as I of your heart. Now, 0:21:02.640 --> 0:21:05.600 every time something is not happening as fast as I 0:21:05.640 --> 0:21:08.479 would like, or I'm tempted to worry, if it's going 0:21:08.560 --> 0:21:11.000 to work out, I'll go back and get my leaf 0:21:11.080 --> 0:21:14.440 out and look at it. This leaf reminds me that 0:21:14.600 --> 0:21:17.639 the creator of the universe is in control of my life. 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:23.480 It reminds me. It reminds me that the Most High 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:27.800 God is directing my steps, making my crooked places straight, 0:21:28.240 --> 0:21:32.000 surrounding me with his favor. If God can cause a 0:21:32.160 --> 0:21:35.040 leaf to blow out of a tree at the exact 0:21:35.200 --> 0:21:38.040 right time to hit the palm of my hand while 0:21:38.040 --> 0:21:41.919 I'm running in motion, then surely God can get us 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:44.719 to where we're supposed to be. And no person can 0:21:44.800 --> 0:21:49.919 stop us, no economy can stop us, no sickness can 0:21:50.000 --> 0:21:53.720 stop you, no bad break can stop you. If God 0:21:53.880 --> 0:21:59.040 be for you, to dare be against you. You need 0:21:59.119 --> 0:22:02.160 to go back and remember the great things as God 0:22:02.240 --> 0:22:05.680 has done. Go back and get your leef. I'm convinced 0:22:05.800 --> 0:22:08.920 every one of us has things we know had to 0:22:09.000 --> 0:22:13.240 be the hand of God. Somebody you bumped into introduced 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:17.959 you to your spouse, a coworker unexpectedly resigned, and all 0:22:18.000 --> 0:22:20.800 of a sudden you were promoted. A stranger came by 0:22:20.880 --> 0:22:24.639 to help. They spoke one phrase that spoke volumes to 0:22:24.720 --> 0:22:28.800 your heart. Those are signs of God's favor, just like 0:22:28.920 --> 0:22:31.720 my leaf. When you're at tempted to get down, think 0:22:31.800 --> 0:22:33.960 it's not going to work out, go get your leaf 0:22:34.040 --> 0:22:37.119 out and say no. I remember when God opened up 0:22:37.160 --> 0:22:40.200 that door. I remember when God made away. I remember 0:22:40.280 --> 0:22:43.760 when God spared my life. I remember when God healed 0:22:43.840 --> 0:22:48.760 my child. Remembering the great things God has done is 0:22:48.840 --> 0:22:51.159 going to give you the strength to keep fighting that 0:22:51.320 --> 0:22:54.240 good fight of faith, because you'll know if God did 0:22:54.280 --> 0:22:56.280 it for you once, he'll do it for you again. 0:22:56.400 --> 0:23:00.159 It's good to keep something in front of you you 0:23:00.480 --> 0:23:03.480 that reminds you of God's goodness. That's why I keep 0:23:03.560 --> 0:23:06.399 this leaf in my desk. Every time I see it, 0:23:06.680 --> 0:23:10.600 it reminds me that God is in complete control. I 0:23:10.680 --> 0:23:13.600 remember when we were trying to acquire this new facility, 0:23:14.119 --> 0:23:16.280 there was a council member that I could not get 0:23:16.320 --> 0:23:20.000 in touch with. I'd called and called, but he was 0:23:20.080 --> 0:23:23.199 either always too busy or out of the office. There 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:26.000 was some excuse, and he would never call me back. 0:23:26.600 --> 0:23:29.920 After doing this for several months, I finally decided to 0:23:30.000 --> 0:23:33.200 quit trying. I knew that he was avoiding us. I'd 0:23:33.240 --> 0:23:36.399 already been told by his staff very clearly that he 0:23:36.720 --> 0:23:39.560 was not for us. I thought, well, I'll just write 0:23:39.640 --> 0:23:43.000 him off. No use wasting our time and energy. And 0:23:43.119 --> 0:23:46.159 during the process of trying to get this facility, there 0:23:46.200 --> 0:23:49.400 were plenty of opportunities like that to where we could 0:23:49.400 --> 0:23:52.320 have gotten discouraged. But I did just what I'm asking 0:23:52.359 --> 0:23:54.840 you to do. Every morning I got up and said, God, 0:23:55.280 --> 0:23:58.640 give me a sign of your favor, something to encourage 0:23:58.680 --> 0:24:02.240 my heart. One evening, I was in a sporting goods 0:24:02.280 --> 0:24:05.880 store trying on some tennis shoes. It was very late, 0:24:06.160 --> 0:24:08.760 the store was just about to close. It was cold 0:24:08.880 --> 0:24:12.240 and rainy outside. It was hardly anybody else in the store. 0:24:12.760 --> 0:24:14.640 But at one point, when I looked up from trying 0:24:14.720 --> 0:24:17.960 on those shoes, that council member was standing just a 0:24:18.040 --> 0:24:20.880 few feet in front of me. Now, I thought, God, 0:24:21.000 --> 0:24:24.520 you are so good because he is caught and he 0:24:24.640 --> 0:24:29.240 has nowhere to run. Friends, God has a way of 0:24:29.400 --> 0:24:31.960 having you at the right place at the right time. 0:24:32.920 --> 0:24:35.560 He came right up to me, very friendly and said, 0:24:35.640 --> 0:24:39.359 old Pastor Osteen, I've been meaning to get back to you. 0:24:39.760 --> 0:24:42.800 I've just been so busy, and I stepped back in 0:24:42.920 --> 0:24:48.040 case the lightning struck. He went on to say, I 0:24:48.160 --> 0:24:51.119 want you to know I'm one hundred percent for you. 0:24:51.720 --> 0:24:55.480 You can definitely count on my vote. I was amazed. 0:24:56.480 --> 0:24:59.880 I had been told very clearly that he was told 0:25:00.440 --> 0:25:03.720 against us and he would never vote for us. It 0:25:03.840 --> 0:25:07.600 says in Proverbs God can turn the heart of a king. 0:25:08.200 --> 0:25:12.080 That means the people that are so against you, God 0:25:12.200 --> 0:25:15.760 can suddenly cause them to be totally for you. See, 0:25:15.840 --> 0:25:18.960 God is not just in control of your life. He's 0:25:19.080 --> 0:25:22.919 even in control of your enemies. Those people that are 0:25:22.960 --> 0:25:25.840 so against you right now trying to hold you back 0:25:25.960 --> 0:25:28.840 and keep you from your dreams. Don't waste your time 0:25:28.960 --> 0:25:33.119 worrying about it. They can't stop your destiny. God controls 0:25:33.200 --> 0:25:38.720 your destiny if you need them to be for you, 0:25:39.160 --> 0:25:41.040 So you can get to where you're supposed to be. 0:25:41.680 --> 0:25:44.399 Then God will either change their heart or he'll simply 0:25:44.480 --> 0:25:47.000 move them out of the way. But no person can 0:25:47.119 --> 0:25:51.440 keep you from your God given destiny. That one encounter 0:25:52.000 --> 0:25:55.639 of unexpectedly meeting the council member finding out he was 0:25:55.760 --> 0:25:59.480 for us, that was a sign of God's favor more 0:25:59.560 --> 0:26:02.639 than the one that was God's saying to me, Joel, 0:26:03.200 --> 0:26:06.680 I've got you back. Don't worry if somebody's not for you. 0:26:07.119 --> 0:26:09.800 I'll turn the hearts that need to be turned. I'll 0:26:09.840 --> 0:26:13.240 fight your battles, I'll direct your steps. My favor will 0:26:13.280 --> 0:26:15.880 get you to where you're supposed to be. And that's 0:26:15.920 --> 0:26:19.720 exactly what happened. Here we are today enjoying God's blessings. 0:26:19.960 --> 0:26:24.480 We saw the promises come to pass. Many of you 0:26:24.880 --> 0:26:28.680 have been standing on promises for a long time, believing 0:26:28.800 --> 0:26:31.760 for something to change, but you don't see anything happening. 0:26:32.080 --> 0:26:35.280 You could easily get discouraged, but understand, just like in 0:26:35.359 --> 0:26:39.320 my situation, God is in complete control of your life. 0:26:40.160 --> 0:26:43.639 People may have tried to stop you. Circumstances may have 0:26:43.720 --> 0:26:46.119 tried to talk you out of it. Your own thoughts 0:26:46.200 --> 0:26:48.720 may be telling you that it's all over. But the 0:26:48.800 --> 0:26:51.960 good news is God has the final say, and he 0:26:52.160 --> 0:26:55.520 has every intention of getting you to where you're supposed 0:26:55.560 --> 0:26:58.920 to be. Now you've got to dare say, like David, God, 0:26:59.040 --> 0:27:01.840 give me a sign of your favor. Give me a 0:27:02.000 --> 0:27:04.600 sign that that promotion is coming. Give me a sign 0:27:04.720 --> 0:27:07.600 that this situation is going to turn around. Then when 0:27:07.640 --> 0:27:10.520 you're tempted to get discouraged, you can go back and 0:27:10.640 --> 0:27:14.240 say no. I remember the rainbow in the sky. I 0:27:14.400 --> 0:27:17.520 remember the pages the Bible flipping on their own. I 0:27:17.680 --> 0:27:21.520 remember catching the leaf. I remember bumping into the council member. 0:27:21.760 --> 0:27:24.720 I remember when I woke up singing. If you can 0:27:24.840 --> 0:27:28.720 remember the signs God gave you, it'll breathe new life 0:27:28.840 --> 0:27:31.399 into your dreams, and it won't matter if the promise 0:27:31.480 --> 0:27:34.520 takes a week, a year, or twenty years. Deep down, 0:27:34.640 --> 0:27:37.000 you'll know that you know God is still going to 0:27:37.080 --> 0:27:42.000 bring that promise to pass. I believe that many of 0:27:42.119 --> 0:27:45.440 you this week you're going to see a sign of 0:27:45.600 --> 0:27:48.960 God's favor. Something is going to happen to where you say, 0:27:49.560 --> 0:27:52.720 I know that was the hand of God showing me 0:27:52.840 --> 0:27:57.080 that He's in control of my life. Be expecting God's goodness, 0:27:57.440 --> 0:28:00.520 keep looking for God's favor. If you do that, God 0:28:00.600 --> 0:28:03.800 will not only confirm the word with some kind of sign, 0:28:04.080 --> 0:28:06.720 but you're going to see Ephesians three twenty at work, 0:28:07.040 --> 0:28:10.479 God is going to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond. 0:28:11.000 --> 0:28:13.639 I believe it. I declare it over each one of 0:28:13.720 --> 0:28:16.480 you in the name of Jesus. And if you receive it, 0:28:16.760 --> 0:28:21.520 can you say amen? And amen amen. We never like 0:28:21.600 --> 0:28:24.639 to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to 0:28:24.720 --> 0:28:27.280 make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray 0:28:27.359 --> 0:28:32.119 with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. 0:28:33.160 --> 0:28:38.080 Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 0:28:38.160 --> 0:28:40.480 if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:40.520 --> 0:28:43.840 born again. Get in a good Bible based church. Keep 0:28:43.920 --> 0:28:46.560 God first place. He's going to take your places that 0:28:46.680 --> 0:28:49.040 you've never dreamed of. Thank you for listening to the 0:28:49.160 --> 0:28:50.560 Jolus Deine podcast. 0:28:50.960 --> 0:28:53.520 Help us continue to share the message of hope with 0:28:53.680 --> 0:28:54.960 those all over the world. 0:28:55.360 --> 0:28:58.960 Visit jolosdein dot com slash give Hope to give a 0:28:59.080 --> 0:29:03.320 gift today. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:29:03.600 --> 0:29:06.320 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:29:06.400 --> 0:29:09.840 podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. We're 0:29:09.920 --> 0:29:12.520 praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead. 0:29:12.760 --> 0:29:13.800 We'll see you next time. 0:29:25.520 --> 0:29:28.160 With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling 0:29:28.280 --> 0:29:33.280 for everyone. For example, Raquel's WHOA when she first entered 0:29:33.280 --> 0:29:37.480 the Kingdom by dragonback is different to Ari's WHOA when 0:29:37.560 --> 0:29:40.280 he found out there was more than one crime scene, 0:29:40.840 --> 0:29:45.560 which is also different to Ava's WHOA the moment when 0:29:45.600 --> 0:29:51.240 the stable Boy became a stable man from WHOA Whoa? 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