Stay Thirsty

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Is it investment, legal or 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:00.560 tax advice. 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:04.440 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:07.520 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:12.080 of your story, of your career, of your life. Earn 0:01:12.120 --> 0:01:14.080 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:01:14.200 --> 0:01:19.040 education employer's respect. It's time, your time, not just to 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:21.959 go back to school, but to come back and move forward. 0:01:22.200 --> 0:01:27.279 With Purdue Global produce online university for working adults. Start 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:30.399 your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:34.240 Sometimes God will ask you to do things that you 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:37.720 don't understand so you'll get your thirst back. When we've 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:40.800 been dehydrated a long time, we haven't stretched our faith 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:44.400 believe for favor healing breakthroughs. God will ask you to 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:47.319 do something out of the ordinary. Don't talk yourself out 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:49.600 of it, dare to trust him. If you'll do what 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:54.680 he's asking, you'll see water increase abundance like you've never seen. Hi. 0:01:54.800 --> 0:01:58.080 This is Joelan Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast 0:01:58.280 --> 0:01:59.920 and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:02.520 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:04.080 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:02:04.440 --> 0:02:07.120 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:02:07.200 --> 0:02:12.320 your life. God bless you. It's great to be with 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:15.080 you today, and I hope you'll stay connected with us 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:18.520 during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, 0:02:18.840 --> 0:02:22.880 social media. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. I'd like 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:25.400 to start with something funny each week. And I heard 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:28.239 about this lady. She just got out of choir practice 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:30.840 and she was so fired up. She put a honk 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:34.240 if you love Jesus bumper sticker on her car. At 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:36.840 the intersection, she was digging in her purse and didn't 0:02:36.880 --> 0:02:39.519 notice the light had changed. She said, I was so 0:02:39.680 --> 0:02:42.760 excited to find out the guy behind me loved Jesus. 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:46.600 He started honking, So I rolled my window down, waved 0:02:46.639 --> 0:02:49.920 real big, and said, I love Jesus too. She said, 0:02:49.919 --> 0:02:52.240 I found out a whole lot of people love Jesus. 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:58.400 Everyone started honking. One man even screamed Jesus Christ. She said. 0:02:58.440 --> 0:03:01.200 After we shared all that loved, I was the only 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:04.519 one that made it through the intersection. Say it like 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:07.480 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:09.959 it says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:12.960 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:16.520 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:20.320 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:03:20.440 --> 0:03:24.200 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:28.080 I want to talk to you today about stay thirsty. 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:32.359 Our body is made up of seventy percent water. It's 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:36.680 essential to ourselves, our organs, our skin. So God put 0:03:36.760 --> 0:03:40.320 in us a natural instinct to drink water. There's a 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:43.720 mechanism that sends a signal to our brain that tells 0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:47.400 us when we're thirsty. If we drink water, we get hydrated. 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:52.560 Everything's fine. But sometimes we ignore that signal. We get busy, 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:57.000 we're distracted. If it's suppressed long enough, the body will 0:03:57.080 --> 0:04:01.160 quit sending The signal goes into a different mode, thinking 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:04.720 that water is scarce, It adapts to the environment and 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:09.360 begins to conserve water. A leading expert said that most 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:14.200 of the clients he sees are chronically dehydrated. When he 0:04:14.280 --> 0:04:17.480 asks why they don't drink water, the common response is, 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:22.600 I'm not thirsty. I believe the natural parallels. The spiritual 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:26.720 God created us to be thirsty. He put dreams in 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:30.320 our hearts. He's given us goals to pursue even when 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:33.880 we're in difficulties. There's something telling us that we're supposed 0:04:33.920 --> 0:04:38.640 to overcome when we've gone through disappointments taken longer than 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:42.440 we thought, we didn't get the promotion, the pandemic hit, 0:04:42.640 --> 0:04:46.240 through things off, it's easy to lose our thirst. We 0:04:46.440 --> 0:04:50.600 used to be passionate about getting in shape, starting our business, 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:54.520 meeting the right person. But we've had setbacks. The door 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:58.240 didn't open. Now we've settled where we are thinking it's 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:01.880 not meant to be. God didn't create you to live 0:05:01.960 --> 0:05:06.360 in mediocrity. Just go through the motions of life, no passion. 0:05:07.040 --> 0:05:10.640 You have to get thirsty again. Just because the dream 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:14.200 hasn't come to pass doesn't mean it's not going to happen. 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:18.240 Just because you haven't met the right person yet doesn't 0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:21.480 mean they're not on the way. Just because the medical 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:25.680 report hasn't improved doesn't mean that healing is not on route. 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:29.960 But there is a condition. Psalm one oh seven says 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:35.520 God satisfies the thirsty soul with good things. If you're 0:05:35.560 --> 0:05:39.440 going to see good things, healing, breakthroughs favor, you have 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:44.000 to stay thirsty, keep believing for your dreams, keep expecting 0:05:44.080 --> 0:05:47.880 new doors to open, keep declaring favor over your children, 0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:52.160 keep speaking promises over your health. God didn't put a 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:54.960 dream in your heart that he can't bring to pass. 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:58.080 There's not a problem that you're in that he can't 0:05:58.120 --> 0:06:01.479 bring you out of. The question is are you thirsty? 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:06.040 Isaiah said, God is longing to be good to the 0:06:06.160 --> 0:06:09.840 people who are looking for his goodness. Are you looking 0:06:09.920 --> 0:06:14.120 for God's goodness? Are you expecting favor, believing to rise 0:06:14.240 --> 0:06:18.240 higher to accomplish what he put in your heart. God 0:06:18.400 --> 0:06:21.960 meets you at the level of your expectations. If you 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:26.600 expect nothing, you're going to receive nothing. But when you're thirsty, 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:29.480 when you say God, I don't see how, but I 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:33.240 know you can do exceedingly abundantly above all I can 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:36.840 ask or think. The medical report doesn't look good, but 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:40.960 I know you're Jehovah Rafah, the Lord, my healer. My 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:43.400 business is slow. I'm not going to give up on 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:47.000 my dreams. I know you're my provider. You make rivers 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:49.520 in the desert. You don't have to figure out how 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:52.080 it's going to happen. All you have to do is 0:06:52.200 --> 0:06:57.640 believe God satisfies. Not the doubting soul, the negative soul, 0:06:57.800 --> 0:07:02.760 the passive soul. He's satisfy the thirsty soul with good things. 0:07:03.600 --> 0:07:07.560 But I wonder how many of us are chronically dehydrated. 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:11.880 We've suppressed that thirst so long it's gone away. Now 0:07:12.000 --> 0:07:16.840 our thinking has adapted to our environment. We've lowered our expectations, 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:20.280 water down our dreams. Thinking this is not what I 0:07:20.400 --> 0:07:22.920 want to Joel. But I guess is good enough. I 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:26.280 guess I'm making it good enough. Is not your destiny. 0:07:26.920 --> 0:07:30.560 God put greatness in you. He has an awesome future 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:34.240 in store. But one of the enemy's favorite tricks is 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:37.240 to try to numb your thirst, to try to deceive 0:07:37.320 --> 0:07:40.360 you and to not want anymore, not believing to get well, 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:44.840 not pursuing your dream, not expecting to meet the right person. 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:48.080 And if he can deceive you into going through life 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:52.120 with no thirst, no passion, no zeal, thinking you've seen 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:55.400 your best days, he can keep you from your purpose. 0:07:56.040 --> 0:08:00.440 Go fall into that trap. Get thirsty again, start dreaming again, 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:04.800 start believing again, start hoping again, Joel. I tried this 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:08.240 once and it didn't work out. Try again. The medical 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:11.080 report says I'm not going to get well. That's one report. 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:14.480 But there's another report. It says God is restoring health 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:17.760 back into you. This is what Marissa and Rubin did. 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:21.720 I love their story. Their young son Christian, diagnosed with 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:26.760 stage four cancer spread throughout his whole body. They were devastated. 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:30.200 Rubin said when he first heard the report, it was 0:08:30.360 --> 0:08:33.080 like all the error had been taken out of the room, 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:37.240 Like he could barely breathe. Medically speaking, it didn't look good. 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:41.480 They could have fallen apart, been depressed. There were plenty 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:45.640 of opportunities to suppress what they believed, but they understood 0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:49.400 this principle. They stayed thirsty. When they could have been 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:53.080 complaining talking about how bad it was, they were singing 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:56.439 songs of praise. We're going to see a victory. The 0:08:56.600 --> 0:08:59.160 weapon may be formed, but we have good news. It's 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:02.000 not going to prospers. They weren't talking about how big 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:05.319 the problem was. They're talking about how big our God is. 0:09:06.240 --> 0:09:10.079 When you're thirsty, Angels go to work when you're thirsty, 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:14.000 Miracles are set in motion. When you're thirsty. God will 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:17.800 make things happen that you can't make happen. Christian took 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:21.600 the treatment ten weeks later. The doctors told them they 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:24.599 can't explain it. They don't understand it, but there's no 0:09:24.840 --> 0:09:29.400 cancer in Christian's body. God has the final say. My 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:33.000 question is are you thirsty or have you let the 0:09:33.080 --> 0:09:37.640 circumstances suppress your faith? Who told you you can't get well, 0:09:38.280 --> 0:09:41.920 Who told you your business can't be successful, Who told 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:44.480 you you've reached your limits, that this is as good 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:48.200 as it gets. Don't let other people numb your thirst. 0:09:48.960 --> 0:09:51.319 Don't let what you see talk you out of what 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:55.240 God promised. Don't let time cause you to give up 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:57.880 on the dream he put in your heart. And don't 0:09:58.000 --> 0:10:01.559 let mistakes you've made con you to live condemned with 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:05.960 no passion. Get your thirst back, get your fireback. God 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:09.120 is still on the throne. He didn't change his mind 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:13.520 about what he promised you. God doesn't abort dreams. It 0:10:13.640 --> 0:10:16.280 may not have happened on your timetable. There may have 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:21.040 been disappointments, setbacks, but that didn't stop the promise. The 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:25.559 enemy would love to convince you to live dehydrated, not expecting, 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:29.319 not hoping. Don't believe those lies. I may not be 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:32.000 the most interesting man in the world, but I am 0:10:32.120 --> 0:10:38.280 telling you stay thirsty. My friends. Exephti King three, the 0:10:38.360 --> 0:10:41.920 people of Judah headed out into the desert to fight 0:10:42.040 --> 0:10:45.720 this enemy army. They didn't realize that all the streams 0:10:45.760 --> 0:10:48.880 had dried up. Day after day, they had no water 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:52.040 for themselves or their animals, and they were so thirsty. 0:10:52.800 --> 0:10:55.720 On the seventh day, they were camped in a valley 0:10:55.800 --> 0:10:58.360 where it never rained. It was the worst place to 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:00.959 run out of water. Look like they would be an 0:11:01.040 --> 0:11:05.000 easy target for the enemy that was approaching. The prophet 0:11:05.160 --> 0:11:08.839 Elijah showed up and told them to dig ditches all 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:12.079 through the valley to prepare for the water that was coming. 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:15.800 You would think they would be excited. This is great news, 0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:19.400 Elijah said, water is on the way. But I can 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:24.040 imagine by this time they were all dehydrated. They had 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:27.600 suppressed their thirsts so long. They were beyond being thirsty. 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:31.800 They were so tired, so worn out. They thought, Elijah, 0:11:32.080 --> 0:11:34.560 we don't want to dig ditches. That doesn't make sense. 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:38.839 It never rains out here. Sometimes God will ask you 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:42.360 to do things that you don't understand so you'll get 0:11:42.400 --> 0:11:45.880 your thirst back. When we've been dehydrated a long time, 0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:51.080 we haven't stretched our faith believe for favor, healing breakthroughs. 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:54.400 God will ask you to do something out of the ordinary. 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:58.079 Don't talk yourself out of it. Dare to trust him. 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:02.200 If you'll do what he's asked, you'll see water increase 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:06.839 abundance like you've never seen. The people finally decided to 0:12:06.920 --> 0:12:10.400 dig these ditches. Thoughts were telling them to waste a time. 0:12:10.880 --> 0:12:12.760 What good is this going to do? But they just 0:12:12.880 --> 0:12:17.520 kept on digging. Jesus said he that hungers and thirst 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:22.040 after righteousness will be filled. Notice the principle, you have 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:25.800 to be thirsty before God will fill you. They had 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:29.400 to dig ditches in faith before any water would come. 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:33.520 They were saying by their actions, God, we're thirsty. Yes 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:36.360 we're in a desert, but we believe you can bring water. 0:12:36.840 --> 0:12:39.520 We don't see away, but God, we know you still 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:42.920 have a way. Now, God could have brought them water 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:46.559 without digging ditches. He could have done it despite them 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:52.160 being dehydrated, doubting negative, how can this happen? But God says, 0:12:52.520 --> 0:12:56.520 if you're thirsty, I'll show you good things. If you're thirsty, 0:12:56.920 --> 0:13:01.120 I'll fill you with water, with health, with abundance. When 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:05.160 we've been without water for days like these people, difficulties 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:09.560 aren't turning around, dreams aren't coming to pass. It's easy 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:12.520 to let that numb your thirst to where you become 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:18.320 chronically dehydrated. We're in a valley. We need water, healing, restoration, 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:21.800 but we're not digging any ditches. We're not believing for 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:26.760 our dreams, declaring favor over our finances, speaking health over 0:13:26.880 --> 0:13:30.920 our bodies, taking steps to accomplish that goal. You have 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:35.280 to get thirsty again. Here's the key. How many ditches 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:38.080 you dig is how much God is going to fill. 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:42.520 The only thing that limits God is our capacity to receive. 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:45.520 If you have a little vision, you're going to see 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:48.760 little favor. If you believe to just make it through 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:51.559 this year, then you're going to just struggle through it. 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:54.679 Why don't you dig some more dishes? Why don't you 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:58.040 get more thirsty? God, I'm not just believing to survive 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:01.079 this year, but I'm believing for old flow to have 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:05.640 a blessed, favor filled, productive year. I'm not learning to 0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:08.800 live with this sickness. God. I'm believing for total help, 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:12.200 for complete victory, that I'll run and not be weary 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:16.319 or Yes, I've had setbacks. Life has thrown me some curves, 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:20.560 but I'm not living dehydrated. I'm still thirsty. I'm believing 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:23.479 what was meant for harm. God's turning to my advantage, 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.320 that my latter days will be better than my former days. 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:29.080 Don't dig one little trench. You need to get a 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:32.720 bulldozer and dig some big dishes. Make room for God 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:36.120 to do big things in your life. What He has 0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:38.880 in store for you is more than you can imagine. 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:43.240 Elijah told the people, if you'll dig the ditches, if 0:14:43.280 --> 0:14:47.320 you'll get thirsty again, you will see neither wind nor rain. 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:51.480 But this valley will be filled with water. God was saying, 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:54.520 what I'm about to do is not going to happen 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:59.240 a normal way. It's going to be uncommon, unusual, out 0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:02.480 of the ordinary. That's why when you look at this situation, 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:06.400 you may not see away. All the circumstances say you'll 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:09.800 never get well. You saw the medical report. You can't 0:15:09.800 --> 0:15:12.840 accomplish your dream, and you don't have the funds. You'll 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:16.040 never break that addiction. It's been in your family for years. 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:20.560 In the natural, that's true. But God is supernatural. He 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:24.720 can bring water without rain. That means you may not 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:28.560 see any sign of it, no clouds, no lightning, no thunder. 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:33.080 These people were in the desert, blue skies, sunshine, but 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:37.840 the next morning, water started flowing into the valley, supernaturally 0:15:38.440 --> 0:15:42.520 filled all the ditches. The scripture says, soon there was 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:47.160 water everywhere. God has some sooons in your future. It 0:15:47.280 --> 0:15:49.480 looked like you'd take a long time, But soon you 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:53.320 get wound. Soon your business turns around. Soon the right 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:57.120 person shows up, one touch of God's favor, and soon 0:15:57.440 --> 0:16:01.480 your ditches are filled. This doesn't happen for people that 0:16:01.560 --> 0:16:06.080 are passive, complacent, Joel, Why should I dig ditches? Why 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:08.240 should I get my hopes up? Look what I've been through? 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:11.600 Look what I didn't get. Look how big this obstacle is. 0:16:12.200 --> 0:16:15.840 That's the enemy trying to numb your thirst, convince you 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:18.320 to settle for less than what God has for you. 0:16:18.960 --> 0:16:21.480 You have to stir your faith of God. I believe 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:24.160 that what you started in my life you will finish. 0:16:24.560 --> 0:16:27.400 That I haven't seen my best days. That the path 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:31.920 of the righteous, my path is getting brighter and brighter. See, 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:34.840 it's easy to coast in life. It's easy to think, 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:38.280 you know, God's been good to me. I'm grateful, I'm content. 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:42.400 That's good. But God is not finished with you. You've 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:45.480 seen his blessing, his favor on your life. But you 0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:50.200 haven't seen anything yet. God never performs his greatest victories 0:16:50.360 --> 0:16:53.760 in your past. They are always in your future, and 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:57.240 it's important to live content. I'm content where God has me. 0:16:57.600 --> 0:17:00.360 I'm grateful for his blessing, for his favor, thank him 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:04.000 every day, But I'm not satisfied to stay where I am. 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:07.760 You weren't created to reach one level and get stuck there. 0:17:08.320 --> 0:17:12.239 In your attitude, your career, in your relationships, in your 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:16.280 walk with God, stay thirsty. God has new mountains for 0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:21.800 you to climb, new friendships, new levels of influence, favor leadership. 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:24.760 It's good to be grateful for what God has done, 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:27.760 but you can't put your faith on hold. You need 0:17:27.840 --> 0:17:32.800 to be stretching, growing, pursuing, knowing that there's more in store. 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:38.040 Frank Lloyd Wright was a world renowned architect. He designed 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:42.280 some of the most beautiful buildings and most magnificent structures. 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:45.640 Toward the end of his life, a reporter asked him, 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:48.840 out of all of his buildings, which one was his favorite. 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:53.119 Without missing a beat, he said, my next one. He 0:17:53.200 --> 0:17:55.560 had had all the success in the world, but he 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:59.479 was still thirsty. He knew that his best designs were 0:17:59.520 --> 0:18:02.920 still in him. Don't let the success you've seen in 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:06.119 the past keep you from stretching to the fullness of 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:09.720 your destiny. There was a little frog that lived in 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:13.200 the bottom of a well. He was so happy. Every 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:16.440 day he would play in the water, splash and have fun. 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:19.200 He thought he had all the water in the world. 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:22.600 Life was good. One day he looked up and saw 0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:25.480 light at the top of the well. He decided to 0:18:25.520 --> 0:18:29.080 go check it out. Very cautiously, he peered over the 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:32.640 edge of the well. Much to his surprise, he saw 0:18:32.680 --> 0:18:36.000 a pond. He couldn't believe it. He had never seen 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:39.000 so much water. He hopped a little further and saw 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:42.560 a lake. He couldn't fathom that much water. He went 0:18:42.600 --> 0:18:45.640 a little more and came to the ocean. He looked 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:48.680 out as far as he could see and saw miles 0:18:48.840 --> 0:18:51.960 and miles of water. Here he thought he had all 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:54.800 the water in the world. But what he had was 0:18:54.840 --> 0:18:57.800 only a drop in the bucket compared to what God 0:18:57.880 --> 0:19:01.560 had for him. Like that little frog, it's easy to 0:19:01.600 --> 0:19:05.640 get satisfied in our well. We're happy. God's been good 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:08.400 to us. We have no complaints. But can I tell 0:19:08.400 --> 0:19:12.200 you there is so much more. God has oceans of 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:17.400 favor oceans of good breaks, oceans of new opportunities. How 0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:20.760 are you going to step into it? Stay thirsty, be 0:19:20.920 --> 0:19:23.440 grateful for where you are, and at the same time 0:19:23.800 --> 0:19:26.320 release your faith for the new things that are in 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:30.080 your future. But many times our thinking is limited to 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:34.160 our environment, how we were raised, what our parents had, 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:37.840 friends we hang around. We can get comfortable with a 0:19:37.960 --> 0:19:42.840 small vision, with lack, addictions, dysfunction, it's all we've seen. 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:46.120 But how about getting out of that well, how about 0:19:46.200 --> 0:19:48.760 looking over the edge and seeing some of the new 0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:52.000 things that God wants to do. What if you found out, 0:19:52.200 --> 0:19:55.720 like that little frog, that you were too easily satisfied, 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:59.720 that you lost your thirst because you quit stretching your faith, 0:20:00.240 --> 0:20:03.840 You quit believing to rise higher, to overcome what's holding 0:20:03.880 --> 0:20:08.119 you back. My prayer is God, make us thirsty again, 0:20:08.840 --> 0:20:11.800 Thirsty to know You in a greater way, Thirsty to 0:20:11.920 --> 0:20:16.719 rise out of addictions, defeat mediocrity, Thirsty to set new levels, 0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:19.359 to go where no one in our family has gone, 0:20:19.640 --> 0:20:23.480 to become all that You've created us to be. My 0:20:23.640 --> 0:20:26.680 father was pastoring a church in the nineteen fifties and 0:20:27.040 --> 0:20:30.800 everything was going great. The church was growing. They had 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:34.600 just built a new sanctuary. On the surface, life was good, 0:20:34.880 --> 0:20:39.280 he was satisfied, but deep down, something told him there 0:20:39.400 --> 0:20:42.720 was more. He was preaching what he had learned in seminary, 0:20:43.200 --> 0:20:46.359 giving good messages, but he had this longing on the 0:20:46.520 --> 0:20:51.480 inside that something was missing. In the scripture, Gideon said 0:20:51.520 --> 0:20:54.720 to the angel, if God is for us, where are 0:20:54.800 --> 0:20:58.560 all the miracles? My father felt this way. If God 0:20:58.680 --> 0:21:01.640 is with us, where is the power? Where is the favor? 0:21:01.680 --> 0:21:05.119 Where is the victory? There was this stirring in his spirit, 0:21:05.480 --> 0:21:07.960 a thirst for something greater than what he was seeing. 0:21:08.600 --> 0:21:11.040 He could have pushed it down, thought, man, I'm satisfied, 0:21:11.640 --> 0:21:14.720 I'm successful. God's been good to me. But when you 0:21:14.840 --> 0:21:18.640 feel something stirring in your spirit and unrest, that's God 0:21:18.800 --> 0:21:22.359 talking to you. That's God saying that there's more in store. 0:21:22.640 --> 0:21:26.800 There's something greater to accomplish. Don't push it down, don't 0:21:26.840 --> 0:21:29.720 ignore it. Think I don't want to stretch. I'm comfortable. 0:21:30.359 --> 0:21:33.280 If you do that long enough, you'll numb that thirst. 0:21:33.760 --> 0:21:36.560 It'll go away. And that's why some people are living 0:21:36.640 --> 0:21:40.399 below their potential. My sister Lisa was born during this 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:44.200 time with something like cerebral pauls in. My father was 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:47.359 taught that healing had passed away, that it only happened 0:21:47.400 --> 0:21:50.800 back in Bible days. He went to a hotel downtown 0:21:50.960 --> 0:21:54.320 for several days to be alone. He told how he 0:21:54.440 --> 0:21:58.160 took off his denominational glasses and he read the scripture 0:21:58.520 --> 0:22:01.240 like he was reading it for the first time. He 0:22:01.400 --> 0:22:05.600 saw how Jesus went about healing people, how he experienced 0:22:05.600 --> 0:22:08.440 the power of the Holy Spirit, how there was never 0:22:08.560 --> 0:22:11.520 a day of miracles, but there is a God of miracles. 0:22:12.200 --> 0:22:15.120 They prayed for Lisa didn't happen overnight, but she got 0:22:15.200 --> 0:22:19.480 better and better. Today she's perfectly normal. But not everyone 0:22:19.920 --> 0:22:24.320 understood my father's new message of faith and victory. It 0:22:24.400 --> 0:22:28.080 didn't fit into their denominational mold. My father had to 0:22:28.200 --> 0:22:32.160 lead that church. He was very discouraged. He'd spent years 0:22:32.200 --> 0:22:35.359 there pouring his life into the people. Now he felt 0:22:35.400 --> 0:22:39.919 the stem of rejection. And sometimes God has to close 0:22:40.000 --> 0:22:42.960 a door so he can open a bigger door. He 0:22:43.080 --> 0:22:45.359 has to get you out of a place you would 0:22:45.400 --> 0:22:48.240 never leave on your own, so he'll shut that door. 0:22:49.119 --> 0:22:51.840 It looks like a setback, but really it's a set 0:22:51.920 --> 0:22:55.560 up for a new level of your destiny. My mother 0:22:55.680 --> 0:22:59.879 and father started Lakewood nineteen fifty nine with ninety people. 0:23:00.320 --> 0:23:03.440 It grew and grew to impact people all over the world. 0:23:04.040 --> 0:23:07.880 My father pastored here for almost forty years. He would 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:11.000 have never reached his destiny if he had stayed in 0:23:11.119 --> 0:23:15.560 that limited environment. What God put in him was bigger 0:23:15.800 --> 0:23:19.960 than the denomination he was in. Had he thought, I'm satisfied, 0:23:20.600 --> 0:23:23.240 life is good. I've got plenty of water at the 0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:27.080 bottom of this well. Had he not stayed thirsty, he 0:23:27.119 --> 0:23:30.639 would have missed his purpose. When you take steps of faith, 0:23:30.880 --> 0:23:34.800 some people won't understand. They may find fault, try to 0:23:34.880 --> 0:23:36.880 talk you out of it. I don't think that's right. 0:23:37.440 --> 0:23:40.479 But God didn't put the thirst in them. Don't let 0:23:40.600 --> 0:23:43.480 that keep you from pursuing what God put in your heart. 0:23:44.119 --> 0:23:48.080 When you're thirsty, it may ruffle some feathers when you're thirsty, 0:23:48.520 --> 0:23:52.480 doors may close before they open. When you're thirsty, you 0:23:52.600 --> 0:23:55.600 may have to dig ditches when there's no water, do 0:23:55.800 --> 0:23:59.360 things that don't make sense. But when you're thirsty, you'll 0:23:59.359 --> 0:24:02.160 see God sit out in your life. He'll bring water 0:24:02.359 --> 0:24:05.639 without rain. He'll open doors you never dream would open. 0:24:06.080 --> 0:24:09.720 He'll take your further than you've imagined. Are you thirsty 0:24:10.320 --> 0:24:14.680 or have you gotten complacent, put dreams on hold, living passive. 0:24:14.960 --> 0:24:17.800 Maybe one day you'll get your fire back. The problem 0:24:18.000 --> 0:24:22.840 is you're dehydrated, not physically, but spiritually. Your thirst has 0:24:22.920 --> 0:24:26.680 been numbed. When you push those dreams down so long, 0:24:26.960 --> 0:24:31.000 you lose your natural inclination to drink. I believe today 0:24:31.480 --> 0:24:35.480 thirst is coming back. Dreams are waking up. What God 0:24:35.640 --> 0:24:39.280 promised you is still alive on the inside. Now do 0:24:39.359 --> 0:24:43.479 your part. Start believing again, get your fireback, get your 0:24:43.600 --> 0:24:47.760 passion back. If you'll stay thirsty, God will satisfy you 0:24:47.880 --> 0:24:51.560 with good things. Even dreams you've let go of you 0:24:51.680 --> 0:24:54.679 think it's too late, God can still bring them to pass. 0:24:55.680 --> 0:24:58.080 I met a one hundred and six year old man 0:24:58.400 --> 0:25:01.840 after the service a while back. He was so likable. 0:25:02.200 --> 0:25:04.920 He looked like he was seventy years old. He didn't 0:25:04.960 --> 0:25:08.240 have one wrinkle on his face. I commented on how 0:25:08.480 --> 0:25:12.040 good he looked. He's African American. He touched his face 0:25:12.080 --> 0:25:16.399 and said, Joel Black, don't crack. He was so funny 0:25:16.480 --> 0:25:19.920 and so good natured. And I ask him how long 0:25:20.040 --> 0:25:22.680 he was planning on living. I'll never forget what he 0:25:22.800 --> 0:25:26.440 told me. He said, I have seven children. One of 0:25:26.520 --> 0:25:29.639 my sons is not serving God. He's off track, not 0:25:29.800 --> 0:25:33.200 making good decisions. God promised that as from me and 0:25:33.320 --> 0:25:36.080 my house, we will serve the Lord. I'm not gonna 0:25:36.160 --> 0:25:39.959 die until I see him back on course. One hundred 0:25:40.040 --> 0:25:44.280 and six years old, and he's still thirsty. He's still 0:25:44.359 --> 0:25:48.920 expecting God to bring promises to pass. He could have thought, oh, man, 0:25:49.000 --> 0:25:51.800 six out of seven children doing good. That's not bad. 0:25:52.520 --> 0:25:55.520 I've lived a long, healthy life. That's good enough. No, 0:25:55.880 --> 0:25:58.000 don't water down what God promised. 0:25:58.040 --> 0:25:58.080 You. 0:25:58.880 --> 0:26:02.520 Stay passionate, keep believing for the fullness of your destiny. 0:26:03.560 --> 0:26:06.200 This is what Caleb did in the scripture. He was 0:26:06.280 --> 0:26:09.359 forty years old when he and Joshua spied out the 0:26:09.480 --> 0:26:13.159 Promised Land. They were the only two out of twelve 0:26:13.280 --> 0:26:16.800 spies that had a positive report. They said, we can 0:26:16.880 --> 0:26:19.639 take the land. Let us go in at once. The 0:26:19.760 --> 0:26:23.280 other spies told Moses the people are too big, there 0:26:23.320 --> 0:26:27.080 are giants in the land. That word spread throughout the camp. 0:26:27.560 --> 0:26:30.840 Before long, all two million of the Israelites were discouraged. 0:26:31.200 --> 0:26:34.480 They never did make it into the Promised Land. Caleb 0:26:34.520 --> 0:26:38.080 could have lived bitter. Wasn't his fault. He had faith. 0:26:38.440 --> 0:26:41.800 Other people kept him from going in. But forty five 0:26:41.920 --> 0:26:46.040 years later, Caleb was eighty five years old. The children 0:26:46.200 --> 0:26:49.200 of the Israelites were about to go into the Promised Land. 0:26:49.880 --> 0:26:53.399 You would think Caleb would be retired, old and frol 0:26:53.960 --> 0:26:57.680 but Caleb said, Joshua, I'm still as strong today as 0:26:57.800 --> 0:27:00.520 the day Moses sent me out forty five years ago. 0:27:01.560 --> 0:27:04.520 He looked at the mountain, the same place they had 0:27:04.600 --> 0:27:07.520 spied out with the giants in the land. He said, 0:27:07.840 --> 0:27:11.439 I want that mountain. Joshua could have said, Caleb, there 0:27:11.480 --> 0:27:14.399 are still giants on that land. You're too old. Let 0:27:14.480 --> 0:27:17.160 me give you this other place. Caleb said, no, Joshua, 0:27:17.480 --> 0:27:21.400 I'm still thirsty. I'm still believing for what God promised 0:27:21.480 --> 0:27:24.399 me that it will come to pass. Yes, he had 0:27:24.440 --> 0:27:28.680 had delays, bad breaks, people that didn't believe, but that 0:27:28.880 --> 0:27:32.040 didn't stop him from becoming all he was created to be. 0:27:32.560 --> 0:27:36.240 At eighty five, he defeated three giants and went into 0:27:36.320 --> 0:27:41.120 the Promised Land. Like Caleb, many of you have stayed thirsty. 0:27:41.800 --> 0:27:44.760 You've kept believing when the odds were against you. You 0:27:44.880 --> 0:27:47.159 kept thanking God when there was no sign of it. 0:27:47.600 --> 0:27:50.920 You kept digging ditches when there were no clouds, praising 0:27:51.160 --> 0:27:54.959 when you could have been complaining that hasn't gone unnoticed. 0:27:55.440 --> 0:27:59.240 God saw your faith, he saw your dedication. What he 0:27:59.400 --> 0:28:02.760 promised you is still going to come to pass. It's 0:28:02.840 --> 0:28:06.159 not too late, you're not too old. The obstacle is 0:28:06.240 --> 0:28:09.520 not too big. You're about to see a soon moment, 0:28:10.040 --> 0:28:15.560 something unusual, uncommon that you didn't see coming, water without rain, 0:28:16.119 --> 0:28:20.080 rivers in the desert because you're thirsty. I believe and 0:28:20.200 --> 0:28:27.000 declare God is going to satisfy your life with good things, promotion, healing, restoration, 0:28:27.240 --> 0:28:31.880 the right people, the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name, 0:28:32.440 --> 0:28:34.760 and if you receive it, can you say men? Today 0:28:36.600 --> 0:28:39.360 I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:28:39.480 --> 0:28:41.960 the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? 0:28:42.720 --> 0:28:47.880 Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come 0:28:47.960 --> 0:28:51.720 into my heart. I'll make you my Lord and savior. 0:28:53.320 --> 0:28:55.680 If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:55.760 --> 0:28:58.720 born again. We'd love to send you some information on 0:28:58.840 --> 0:29:01.080 your new walk with the Lord. Text the number on 0:29:01.160 --> 0:29:03.880 the screen or go to the website. I hope you'll 0:29:03.920 --> 0:29:07.280 get into a good Bible based church and keep God 0:29:07.520 --> 0:29:11.200 first place. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:29:11.440 --> 0:29:14.240 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:29:14.280 --> 0:29:17.760 podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:17.920 --> 0:29:20.160 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:20.160 --> 0:29:23.520 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:29:23.760 --> 0:29:26.280 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:29:26.440 --> 0:29:26.920 us today. 0:29:27.200 --> 0:29:29.600 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:29.760 --> 0:29:32.520 be sure to follow us on social media. 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