Staying Full of Hope

0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:33.960 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:37.200 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:41.520 of your story, of your career, of your life, Earn 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:43.559 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:48.559 education employer's respect. 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Download the uns stap and use the 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:20.840 code I heeart fifty at sign up to receive a 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.400 fifty dollars bonus when you find your account. That's code 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.400 iHeart fifty when you sign up at unest dot co 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.319 for a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:30.120 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:34.399 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.440 --> 0:01:37.240 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:39.680 If you enjoyed today's MESSI, why don't you be a 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:41.240 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.560 --> 0:01:44.280 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:51.040 your line. Will God bless you always a joy to 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:53.680 come into your homes. We love you and we know 0:01:53.760 --> 0:01:56.440 God has great things in store. We pray for you 0:01:56.560 --> 0:01:59.240 every single day. If you're ever in our area, I 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:00.960 hope you'll stop and be a part of one of 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:03.720 our services. We'd love to have you. I promise you 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:05.800 will make you feel right at home. But thanks so 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:08.160 much for tuning in today, and thank you again for 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:11.160 coming out. I'd like to start with something funny each week. 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:14.560 And I heard about this new police recruit. He was 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:17.240 taking his final exam, was in the front of this 0:02:17.320 --> 0:02:21.160 big classroom, and the sergeant asked him, what would you 0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:24.239 do if you had to arrest your own mother in 0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:28.079 law without missing a beat? He said, call for back up. 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:32.360 All right, hold up your Bible. Say it like you 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:35.799 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says. 0:02:35.880 --> 0:02:39.040 I am. I have what it says I have. I 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:41.840 can do what it says I can do. Today I 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:45.320 will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:49.600 my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:53.480 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:02:54.600 --> 0:02:57.040 I want to talk to you today about staying full 0:02:57.080 --> 0:03:00.840 of hope. God has put dreams and does in every 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:03.799 one of our hearts. We all have goals. We want 0:03:03.840 --> 0:03:07.760 to accomplish the situations we're believing to turn around. But 0:03:07.840 --> 0:03:11.280 so often when it's taken a long time and things 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:14.960 are not working out, it's easy to lose our enthusiasm. 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:19.399 That's when the negative thoughts come, saying it's never gonna change. 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.560 You're never gonna get well, you're never gonna get out 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:25.880 of debt. That child is never gonna straighten up. And 0:03:25.919 --> 0:03:29.280 if we're not careful, we'll get discouraged and we end 0:03:29.400 --> 0:03:33.680 up just settling where we are. Many times we miss 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:37.120 out on God's best because we gave up too soon. 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:41.480 We didn't realize how close we were to our victory. 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:46.680 Just another few days of believing, another few weeks of 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:50.040 doing the right thing, or another few months of staying 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:53.120 in faith, and we would see that promise come to pass. 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:56.680 Some of you right now you're on the verge of 0:03:56.720 --> 0:04:00.440 seeing a major victory. You are so close to see 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:04.000 in that situation. Turn around. That answer you've been praying 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:07.600 about is just right around the corner. You can afford 0:04:07.720 --> 0:04:10.160 to get discouraged. You can't afford to give up. Now. 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:13.360 That's what the scripture says in Hebrews ten thirty five, 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:17.479 do not cast away your confidence, for it will be 0:04:17.680 --> 0:04:21.440 richly rewarded. That's saying if we will stay in faith, 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:24.920 if we will keep believing, keep hoping, keep doing the 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:30.279 right thing, God promises there will be a reward. One 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:35.920 translation says, don't get discouraged. Payday is coming. When you're 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:39.000 tempted to get down and things are not going your way, 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:42.320 you need to keep telling yourself. This may be hard, 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:45.359 it may be taking a long time, but I know 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:48.200 God is a faithful God, and I'm going to keep 0:04:48.240 --> 0:04:52.960 believing knowing that my payday is on its way. One 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:56.520 thing I've learned is whenever it gets difficult and it 0:04:56.560 --> 0:05:00.960 seems like the intensity has been turned up, you are 0:05:01.000 --> 0:05:05.320 close to your victory. When those lies are bombarding your mind, 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:09.000 you're tempted to get discouraged. You feel like throwing in 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.840 the towel. No, that's not the time to give up. 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:15.000 That's not the time to back down. That's the time 0:05:15.040 --> 0:05:17.800 to dig your heels in, put on a new attitude. 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:21.520 You are close to your victory. Now. I know some 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:23.800 of you have had a lot of things come against you. 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.960 It seems like the more you pray, the worse it gets. 0:05:27.400 --> 0:05:30.000 You're doing the right thing, but the wrong thing's happening. 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:34.800 Maybe you're treating somebody kind and respectful, but they're being 0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:38.159 kind of discourteous back to you. The easy thing is 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:40.520 to say forget it. I don't have to put up 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:44.160 with this. This marriage is never gonna work, I'll never 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:46.440 be able to raise this child, or I don't like 0:05:46.560 --> 0:05:50.720 this job. No, instead of getting discouraged, instead of going 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:54.120 around all sour, you need to have the attitude. I've 0:05:54.160 --> 0:05:57.479 come too far to stop now, I've been through too 0:05:57.520 --> 0:06:01.760 much to back down. I realize the reason the intensity 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:04.440 has been turned up is because I'm about to give 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:07.880 birth to my dreams. I talked to a couple just 0:06:08.000 --> 0:06:11.520 last week, and they told how their son had gotten 0:06:11.520 --> 0:06:14.240 on the wrong course. He was running with the wrong 0:06:14.320 --> 0:06:17.719 crowd and had some addictions he needed to overcome, and 0:06:17.760 --> 0:06:20.480 they were doing everything they could to help him. They 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:22.960 found him a new place to live, away from his 0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:26.159 old friends. They got him involved in a support group. 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:29.360 They were praying more than ever, but they said, Joel, 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:32.520 it seems like the more we pray, the more we try, 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:36.080 the more we believe, the worse he gets. They were 0:06:36.120 --> 0:06:39.479 so concerned, but I told them what I'm telling you. 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:43.240 The reason the intensity has been turned up is because 0:06:43.279 --> 0:06:46.400 you're close to your victory. The enemy would not be 0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:50.280 fighting him so hard if he didn't already know he 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:52.800 was about to lose his grip on him. If you 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:56.400 will keep believing, keep hoping, keep doing the right thing. 0:06:56.800 --> 0:06:59.720 Before long, you'll give it that final push, and you'll 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:03.080 see the situation turn around. You'll see that promise come 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:06.720 to pass. It's just like a woman that's having a baby. 0:07:07.279 --> 0:07:10.480 The first month or two is not that difficult, it's 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:13.080 no big deal. She looks and feels just the same. 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:15.640 But then in a few months she starts to gain 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:18.760 the weight she has to carry around the extra pounds. 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:22.800 Her feet may swell up, her back may hurt, she 0:07:22.920 --> 0:07:26.840 may have some nausea, some morning sickness. By the eighth 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:30.240 or the ninth month, husbands, you know, you better give 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:34.480 that woman some space. Don't mess with mama, don't back 0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:37.480 talk her. Just do what she says, and nobody will 0:07:37.480 --> 0:07:43.160 get hurt. It gets more and more uncomfortable. But then 0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:47.640 when her water breaks and she goes into labor, all 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:52.600 those other challenges seem insignificant compared to the difficulty of 0:07:52.640 --> 0:07:56.440 giving birth. I remember when Victoria was in labor with 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:59.880 our first child, our son, Jonathan. She was holding on 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:02.920 my arm right here, so tight, and when she'd have 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:06.880 a contraction, she would squeeze my arm and she would scream, 0:08:07.120 --> 0:08:11.520 and I would scream. I wanted to mention to her 0:08:11.600 --> 0:08:15.080 that it was hurting me, but I feared for my life. 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:19.560 But the truth be known, when a woman is in labor, 0:08:19.920 --> 0:08:22.800 if she had a choice, she'd probably say, I don't 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:25.480 want to do this anymore. It's too difficult. I can't 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:28.640 stand it. But no, she doesn't have a choice. The doctor, 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:31.920 the nurse, the husband keeps saying push, push, push. Before long, 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:35.160 she pushes that baby out, and in a few minutes 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:38.920 she forgets all about the pain because she's holding the promise. 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:42.320 She's holding that little child. And really it's the same 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:48.079 principle in life, the same principle in life. The greatest 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:52.559 difficulty is always right before the birth, before we see 0:08:52.559 --> 0:08:56.360 a new level of God's favor. Don't be surprised if 0:08:56.600 --> 0:09:00.400 things come against you to try to discourage You'll try 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:02.600 to talk you out of your dreams, to convince you 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:05.439 to just settle where you are. Some of you right 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:08.719 now you don't realize it, but you're in labor. You're 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.280 about to give birth to what God's put in your heart. 0:09:11.720 --> 0:09:15.200 That's why it's such a struggle. You're in that final push. 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:18.400 Maybe at work you're doing the right thing, going the 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:21.559 extra mile, but you got passed over for that promotion. 0:09:21.800 --> 0:09:25.480 It wasn't fair. What was that a labor pain? Just 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:28.800 push through it. Maybe you wanted to start that new business, 0:09:29.040 --> 0:09:32.280 but your partner backed out, the financing didn't come through. 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:36.080 What was that another labor pain. If you'll keep pushing, 0:09:36.400 --> 0:09:41.199 keep believing, keep hoping, before long, like that woman, you're 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:44.040 going to push that promise out. Now. I know some 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.800 of you today you feel like you've never had such 0:09:46.800 --> 0:09:50.480 a struggle, maybe in your finances, or your health, or 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:53.559 your relationships. You could say, Joel, this is the greatest 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:57.400 attack that I've ever faced. But instead of getting down 0:09:57.520 --> 0:09:59.960 and thinking poor old me, learn to turn it aroun 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:03.199 and say, yes, this is the greatest attack that I've 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.440 ever been through. But I know that means I'm headed 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:10.360 for the greatest victory that I've ever seen. Remember it's 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:14.280 always darkest right before the dawn. You're about to give 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:18.720 birth to that promise. Not long ago, I was in Colorado. 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:21.480 I got up early one morning to go for a hike, 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:24.320 and there was this mountain trail that was about three 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:25.280 miles up. 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:25.800 Now. 0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:27.960 At the base, there was a sign that said it 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:30.400 should take about three hours to get to the top. 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:32.840 And when I looked at the mountain. It was kind 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:37.880 of intimidating. It was not only extremely steep, but the altitude, 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:41.319 even at the base was eight thousand feet above sea level, 0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:44.080 and it went up to nearly eleven thousand feet and 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:46.960 just walking up the stairs, I could feel myself breathing 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:49.680 heavier than normal. I wasn't real sure that I could 0:10:49.720 --> 0:10:52.080 make it to the top, but I started out with 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:55.160 just my cell phone and a bottle of water. I 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:58.240 had a pretty good pace. Going first fifteen minutes seemed 0:10:58.280 --> 0:11:01.920 fairly easy. The next fifteen minutes got a little more difficult. 0:11:02.520 --> 0:11:05.280 I was breathing heavier and had to stop every so 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:08.800 often to catch my breath. Now, about forty five minutes in, 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:13.199 the trail got extremely steep, almost like I was climbing 0:11:13.240 --> 0:11:16.319 straight up. And I'm in shape, I'm a runner, but 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:20.200 my legs were burning, my chest was pounding, and I 0:11:20.240 --> 0:11:24.040 thought to myself, if there's another two hours like this, 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:26.520 I don't know if I'm gonna make it. And I 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:29.360 just come over this big ridge and I had to 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:31.760 stop to catch my breath, and I could feel that 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:34.760 sweat pouring off of my body. And the whole time, 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:38.240 all morning, I had not seen anyone else on the path. 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:41.840 But about that time, this older gentleman came around the 0:11:41.880 --> 0:11:46.840 curve coming down the mountain. He said one little phrase 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:50.560 to me that totally changed my perspective. He didn't know 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:53.160 where I was headed, he didn't know what I was thinking. 0:11:53.720 --> 0:11:56.760 But as he passed me, he smiled and said, in 0:11:56.800 --> 0:12:00.880 a real calm voice, you are closer than you think. 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:05.120 When he said that, it was like new life was 0:12:05.160 --> 0:12:08.240 breathed into my lungs. I could feel strength going into 0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:11.719 my legs, energy coming into my body. I had that 0:12:11.880 --> 0:12:15.880 second wind, and from then on out, with every stride, 0:12:16.000 --> 0:12:19.760 I kept telling myself, I'm closer than I think. Even 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:22.000 though it was difficult, even though it was hurting, I 0:12:22.120 --> 0:12:24.840 kept saying, I'm almost to the top. I know I'm 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:28.200 going to make it. Sure enough, just ten minutes later, 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:30.680 I came over these big boulders and I could see 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:33.120 the top. I made it in just under an hour. 0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:37.520 But what's my message? Without his words, I might have 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:42.320 turned around, without his encouragement, without his insight, I might 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:45.760 have talked myself out of it. After all, I thought 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:48.680 I had two more hours to go, but all I 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:52.440 really had was ten more minutes. Now I believe God 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:55.800 is saying the same thing to every one of you. 0:12:55.800 --> 0:12:59.680 You are closer than you think. I don't know where 0:12:59.720 --> 0:13:03.679 you're headed, what your dreams are, how many obstacles you 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:07.360 have to overcome, But let these words sink deep down 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:11.760 into your spirit, receive them by faith. You are closer 0:13:12.200 --> 0:13:15.840 than you think. That means now is not the time 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:19.480 to talk yourself out of it. Now is not the 0:13:19.559 --> 0:13:23.800 time to get discouraged. You may think, like I did, 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:27.080 that you're not even halfway there. You got so far 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:30.040 to go, but you don't know. It may just be 0:13:30.280 --> 0:13:32.920 up around the corner. You may think it's going to 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:35.760 be another two years, but if you stay in faith, 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:38.840 who knows, it may just be two more months. You 0:13:38.880 --> 0:13:41.920 may have struggled with that addiction since you were a teenager, 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:44.680 but you don't know how close you are to breaking it. 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:48.880 God is wanting to breathe new life into your dreams. 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:52.920 He's wanting to breathe new hope into your heart. Some 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:55.600 of you are about to give up on a marriage, 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:59.120 on a child, on a goal. But God is saying, 0:13:59.400 --> 0:14:02.240 if you'll get that's your second win. If you'll put 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:05.800 on a new attitude and press forward like you're headed 0:14:05.840 --> 0:14:09.240 down the final stretch, you'll see God begin to do 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:13.320 amazing things. You may be tired, you may be tempted 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:16.079 to get discouraged, but you've got to shake that off 0:14:16.360 --> 0:14:20.320 and start talking to yourself instead of saying things like, Man, 0:14:20.360 --> 0:14:23.360 I'm never gonna get there, I'm never gonna break this addiction. 0:14:23.440 --> 0:14:25.920 I'm never gonna get out of this problem. No, your 0:14:25.960 --> 0:14:29.880 declaration should be I am closer than I think. I 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:34.440 know I can raise this child, I can overcome this sickness. 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:38.400 I can make this business work. Weeping may endure for 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:41.360 a night, but I know joy is coming in the morning. 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:46.080 You got to get up each day knowing this could 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:49.120 be the day you get the break you need. This 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:51.480 could be the day you see your health start to 0:14:51.520 --> 0:14:54.400 turn around. This could be the day your child comes 0:14:54.440 --> 0:14:57.560 back home. You single people, this could be the day 0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:02.320 you meet the man or woman of your dream. Zachariah nine, 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:06.480 verse twelve says that we should be prisoners of hope. 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:09.320 It's easy to give up, it's easy to get discouraged. 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:12.560 But God wants us to be so full of hope, 0:15:12.640 --> 0:15:16.480 so full of expectancy, that we just can't help believing 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:20.040 for the best. When you're a prisoner of something. It's 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:23.040 like your chain to it. In other words, you can't 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:26.400 get away from it. I know people that are prisoners 0:15:26.440 --> 0:15:31.320 of fear, prisoners of worry, prisoners of doubt. You've heard them. 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:35.080 Nothing good ever happens to me. It's never gonna change, Joel. 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:38.480 It's just been too long. No, you're chained to the 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:42.000 wrong thing. You need to break those chains and become 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.880 a prisoner of hope. That means, no matter how long 0:15:45.960 --> 0:15:50.160 it's taken, no matter how impossible it looks, our attitude 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:52.760 should be. I just can't help it. I know it's 0:15:52.800 --> 0:15:56.400 gonna work out. I know I'm gonna overcome. It may 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:59.200 be taken a long time, but I know this too 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:02.840 shall pass. It may be difficult, but I know that 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:06.320 means I'm close to my victory. Somebody says to you, 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:09.640 what is it with you? You think everything's gonna work out, 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:12.680 You think you're always gonna succeed. Just tell them I 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:16.320 don't think so. I know. So I'm a prisoner of hope. 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:19.440 I can't get away from it. I just can't make 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:23.120 myself get negative. I just can't make myself start complaining. 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:26.840 I've got this hope that's feeding my faith, this hope 0:16:26.840 --> 0:16:30.400 that's constantly lifting my spirits. They may say, well, I 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:33.240 don't know why I saw the medical report doesn't look 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:36.400 good for you. Yes, but I've got another report. It 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:40.440 says God is restoring health back in the mail. Well, 0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:42.520 I saw your child. I don't think he'll ever do 0:16:42.640 --> 0:16:46.040 what's right. No, I've got another report. It says, as 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:48.440 for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 0:16:49.520 --> 0:16:52.960 And understand. You may not see any of this in 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:55.840 the natural. It may not look like it's going to 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:59.600 come to pass, but that's okay. The scripture says we 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:03.680 walk by faith and not by sight. That means we 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:06.920 don't have to see it to believe it. It's just the opposite. 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:10.040 If we'll believe it, then we'll start to see it. 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:14.200 You need to take those dreams, those promises God's put 0:17:14.240 --> 0:17:17.960 in your heart, and every day declare that they are 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:20.879 going to come to pass. Just say something like, Father, 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:24.159 I want to thank you that my payday is coming. 0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:27.639 You said, no good thing, will you withhold because I 0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:30.840 walk up rightly and I believe even right now you're 0:17:30.920 --> 0:17:35.080 arranging things in my favor. Let me ask you, what 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:39.280 are you? A prisoner of fear? Worry, self, pity, negativity. 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:43.600 No break those chains and become a prisoner of hope. 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:47.359 Expect God's favor, believe that He's working in your life 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:51.000 even right now. I read about this experiment that was 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:54.840 done with these rats. The researchers wanted to see how 0:17:54.880 --> 0:17:58.560 their attitude affected their will to live. And so they 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:00.439 took this rat and put him in a life large 0:18:00.480 --> 0:18:03.359 tub of water with high sides that he could not 0:18:03.440 --> 0:18:06.480 get out. And they put that tub in a totally 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:10.080 dark room, and they timed how long the rat would 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:13.600 keep swimming before he gave up. The rat lasted a 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:17.399 little over three minutes. They then put another rat in 0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:21.000 the same tub, but this time they allowed a bright 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:24.680 ray of light to shine into the room. That rat 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:29.440 swam over thirty six hours, seven hundred times more than 0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:33.000 the rat with no light. Why was that the rat 0:18:33.080 --> 0:18:36.640 with no light had no hope? When he looked into 0:18:36.720 --> 0:18:40.440 his future, he didn't see anything. There wasn't any reason 0:18:40.520 --> 0:18:44.080 worth living for. And that's what happens when we don't 0:18:44.119 --> 0:18:48.360 get up expecting God's favor, knowing that we can overcome 0:18:48.400 --> 0:18:52.560 our obstacles, believing that God's in control. We lose our passion. 0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:56.359 We lose our enthusiasm. And that's why it's so important, 0:18:56.840 --> 0:19:01.720 especially in times of difficulty, to keep remind yourself that 0:19:01.880 --> 0:19:06.040 the creator of the universe is directing my steps. He 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:08.800 has me in the palm of his hands. And even 0:19:08.840 --> 0:19:11.639 though this is difficult, I know it's just a matter 0:19:11.680 --> 0:19:15.320 of time before it turns around. I know my payday 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:18.240 is coming. Some of you are just about to give 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:20.879 up on a dream. You think it's been too long, 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:24.920 it's never gonna change, it's never gonna work out. You've 0:19:24.960 --> 0:19:29.080 got to get your fireback. Fan that flame. That dream 0:19:29.320 --> 0:19:32.720 is still alive, even though it's taken a long time. 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:35.919 The good news is God still has a way to 0:19:35.960 --> 0:19:39.840 bring it to pass. Several years ago, Victoria lost a 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:42.600 ring that her mother had given her. It was a 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:46.119 diamond band that had been in the family for several generations, 0:19:46.400 --> 0:19:49.520 and although it was valuable, it had even more sentimental 0:19:49.600 --> 0:19:52.520 value to us. And sometimes when we go on trips, 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:55.960 Victoria would hide the ring different places in our house, 0:19:56.560 --> 0:20:00.000 and so we looked and looked and looked in every drawer, 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:04.920 in every cabinet. I looked behind couches and in between chairs. 0:20:05.160 --> 0:20:07.280 I mean, I found things that I hadn't seen in 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:12.399 ten years, but never the ring. After a couple of 0:20:12.440 --> 0:20:15.440 months of looking on and off, I finally had given 0:20:15.520 --> 0:20:19.040 up that ring was nowhere to be found. But every 0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:23.119 few days I would hear Victoria saying, father, thank you 0:20:23.240 --> 0:20:25.960 that I'm gonna find my ring, thank you that you're 0:20:26.040 --> 0:20:29.320 leading me and guiding me. And I didn't say anything 0:20:29.359 --> 0:20:33.040 out loud, but inside, being the great man of faith 0:20:33.040 --> 0:20:37.240 that I am, I thought, Victoria, you are wasting your time. 0:20:37.760 --> 0:20:40.760 We have turned this house upside down. That ring is 0:20:40.920 --> 0:20:44.199 just not here. It's funny. Even her mom noticed that 0:20:44.240 --> 0:20:46.600 she wasn't wearing it much anymore, and she asked her 0:20:46.600 --> 0:20:49.400 about it. Victoria said, oh, mom, I've got it put 0:20:49.440 --> 0:20:54.119 away in a really safe place. I thought, yes, so 0:20:54.280 --> 0:20:58.040 safe that we can't even find it. As the months 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:02.480 went by, I probably heard Victoria talking about how she 0:21:02.640 --> 0:21:06.400 was going to find that ring five hundred times. I 0:21:06.480 --> 0:21:09.399 never once heard her say it's gone. I've lost it. 0:21:09.440 --> 0:21:12.680 What am I gonna do? She had the attitude, I'm 0:21:12.800 --> 0:21:16.280 closer than I think I know. Any day that ring 0:21:16.480 --> 0:21:20.240 is going to show up. Three years later, we were 0:21:20.320 --> 0:21:25.240 driving home from Victoria, Texas, two hours south of Houston. 0:21:25.520 --> 0:21:27.680 We had just ministered for my brother in law, Jim, 0:21:27.760 --> 0:21:31.479 and my sister Tamroy. Driving on the freeway eleven o'clock 0:21:31.520 --> 0:21:34.960 at night, Victoria said, Joel, you better slow down. You're 0:21:35.000 --> 0:21:36.960 gonna get a ticket. I said, I'm not going to 0:21:37.000 --> 0:21:39.440 get a ticket. I'm only going seventy. The speed limit 0:21:39.520 --> 0:21:43.200 sixty five. She said, no, the speed limit sixty at night. 0:21:43.400 --> 0:21:45.600 I said, no, it's sixty five. She said, Joel, I'm 0:21:45.600 --> 0:21:48.080 telling you you need to slow down. I kind of 0:21:48.160 --> 0:21:50.800 laughed and said, Victoria, I've got the favor of God. 0:21:50.840 --> 0:21:55.080 I'm not gonna get a ticket. But God has a 0:21:55.119 --> 0:21:58.400 sense of humor, because just about that time, I looked 0:21:58.440 --> 0:22:00.359 in my rear view mirror and I said, all the 0:22:00.400 --> 0:22:04.879 red flashing lights. I looked at Victoria and said, you 0:22:05.000 --> 0:22:09.720 made me get this ticket. The officer came up. He 0:22:09.800 --> 0:22:13.439 was a real nice, polite young man. He said, I 0:22:13.440 --> 0:22:16.080 need to see your driver's license. I gave it to him. 0:22:16.280 --> 0:22:18.760 He said, are you the minister? I said I am. 0:22:19.400 --> 0:22:22.240 He said, did you speak at Faith Family Church tonight? 0:22:22.320 --> 0:22:24.960 I said I did. That's my sister's church. He said, 0:22:25.000 --> 0:22:28.000 I know. My father was there. He's the head usher. 0:22:28.560 --> 0:22:31.280 I said, oh man, that's great. He was so nice 0:22:31.320 --> 0:22:34.040 to me. I had to repent later. I didn't know 0:22:34.080 --> 0:22:37.359 him from Adam. He kind of laughed and said, well, 0:22:37.359 --> 0:22:39.920 I need to see your insurance card. And so Victoria 0:22:40.040 --> 0:22:43.040 started digging and digging through the glove compartment. You know, 0:22:43.119 --> 0:22:45.600 it was dark, and we a little uptight about being 0:22:45.680 --> 0:22:48.520 pulled over. Seemed like we could find every card except 0:22:48.560 --> 0:22:50.960 the right one. And so Victoria started taking all the 0:22:51.000 --> 0:22:53.800 stuff out and moving it around. And at one point 0:22:53.840 --> 0:22:56.280 she reached way back in there with her little finger 0:22:56.600 --> 0:22:59.080 in the crack of the glove compartment, in the dark, 0:22:59.160 --> 0:23:02.240 she felt something. She kept digging and digging. Sure enough, 0:23:02.359 --> 0:23:04.760 she pulled it out. Lo and behold, it was her ring. 0:23:07.280 --> 0:23:11.840 She was so excited, she was so thrilled she forgot 0:23:11.880 --> 0:23:15.280 all about looking for the insurance call. I thought, girl, 0:23:15.320 --> 0:23:19.159 you're rejoicing, and I'm about to go to jail. We 0:23:19.240 --> 0:23:22.560 got to find that card. We finally found it and 0:23:22.560 --> 0:23:25.320 gave it to the officer. He said, Joel, I'm gonna 0:23:25.400 --> 0:23:28.080 let you go. I just have run request. When I 0:23:28.160 --> 0:23:30.440 come visit your church, will you save me a seat? 0:23:30.640 --> 0:23:35.360 I said, officer, I'll save you a whole section. We 0:23:35.440 --> 0:23:39.199 drove off that night, thinking God you are so good. 0:23:39.320 --> 0:23:42.040 I didn't get a ticket and Victoria found her ring. 0:23:43.160 --> 0:23:47.760 But God works in mysterious ways. I thought about it 0:23:47.840 --> 0:23:52.040 later and God caused her to find her ring at 0:23:52.119 --> 0:23:57.040 my expense. But the truth is Victoria stayed in faith. 0:23:57.359 --> 0:24:01.159 She had that attitude. I'm closer than I say. I know. 0:24:01.240 --> 0:24:04.360 This young couple, they wanted to sell their house, and 0:24:04.440 --> 0:24:06.560 several people had looked at it, but they didn't really 0:24:06.600 --> 0:24:09.240 have any good leads, and at that time the market 0:24:09.320 --> 0:24:11.639 was kind of low and people were telling them it 0:24:11.680 --> 0:24:14.399 may take six months, a year, maybe even two years 0:24:14.400 --> 0:24:17.760 to sell. But this couple had that attitude of faith. 0:24:17.800 --> 0:24:20.600 They were prisoners of hope, and even though it didn't 0:24:20.640 --> 0:24:24.320 look good, they kept reminding themselves, we are closer than 0:24:24.359 --> 0:24:28.000 we think. It could happen any day. This man came 0:24:28.040 --> 0:24:30.280 back to look at the house a second time. He 0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:32.960 wanted to spend a couple of hours and really study 0:24:33.000 --> 0:24:35.320 it and see if it was right for him. And 0:24:35.359 --> 0:24:38.320 this young couple debated as to whether they should take 0:24:38.400 --> 0:24:42.520 down their personal pictures, pictures of themselves and their children, 0:24:42.800 --> 0:24:45.399 just so they could remain more private. But after they 0:24:45.440 --> 0:24:48.000 thought about it, they just felt good about leaving those 0:24:48.000 --> 0:24:50.800 pictures where they were. The men came over and looked 0:24:50.840 --> 0:24:52.679 at the house. A couple hours later, they got a 0:24:52.680 --> 0:24:55.600 call from the relator saying the men wanted to purchase 0:24:55.600 --> 0:24:59.320 the house. And what's interesting is this young couple are 0:24:59.400 --> 0:25:02.639 faithful men here at Lakewood. In a while back, we 0:25:02.720 --> 0:25:06.040 took a picture together in the lobby. They framed it 0:25:06.119 --> 0:25:09.440 and put it on the bookshelves at their house. This 0:25:09.520 --> 0:25:12.479 man that purchased the house, he told how he and 0:25:12.520 --> 0:25:15.200 his wife were trying to decide between two different houses, 0:25:15.280 --> 0:25:18.560 going back and forth. But he said, when we saw 0:25:18.640 --> 0:25:22.240 that picture of you and your pastor, we thought these 0:25:22.280 --> 0:25:25.359 people loved God. They go to Lakewood. This must be 0:25:25.440 --> 0:25:28.400 the house for us. That young man told me later 0:25:28.480 --> 0:25:31.359 he said, Joel, did you hear you help me sell 0:25:31.480 --> 0:25:35.280 my house? I said, I heard. Now, let's talk about 0:25:35.280 --> 0:25:41.320 commission the friends. God has all kinds of ways to 0:25:41.400 --> 0:25:44.639 bring your dreams to pass. He can cause a simple 0:25:44.720 --> 0:25:47.400 picture to be at the right place at the right 0:25:47.440 --> 0:25:49.960 time to help you sell a piece of property. He 0:25:50.000 --> 0:25:52.439 can cause a police officer to pull you over in 0:25:52.520 --> 0:25:54.720 the middle of the night and help you find something 0:25:54.720 --> 0:25:58.080 you've been looking for. God is in complete control. I'm 0:25:58.119 --> 0:26:01.119 asking you to be a prisoner of hope. Get up 0:26:01.119 --> 0:26:04.920 each day expecting his favor. When those negative thoughts come 0:26:05.400 --> 0:26:08.840 and it looks impossible, you feel like getting discouraged. Just 0:26:08.920 --> 0:26:12.520 keep telling yourself, I'm closer than I think. Right now, 0:26:12.560 --> 0:26:15.560 the creator of the universe is lining up things in 0:26:15.640 --> 0:26:19.399 my favor, the right people, the right breaks, the right opportunities. 0:26:20.000 --> 0:26:22.439 You say, Joel, I've been through a lot of tough times. 0:26:22.560 --> 0:26:25.480 You're exactly right, You've been through it. Don't stay there, 0:26:25.480 --> 0:26:29.200 put on a new attitude. Disappointments are for a season, 0:26:29.480 --> 0:26:33.000 but God's favor is for a lifetime. I heard about 0:26:33.000 --> 0:26:35.520 this man that had a picture up in his office. 0:26:35.960 --> 0:26:38.639 It was of a large rowboat that had washed up 0:26:38.680 --> 0:26:41.760 on the beach. The two oars were resting gently in 0:26:41.840 --> 0:26:44.520 the sand. You could see the ocean off in the 0:26:44.560 --> 0:26:47.680 distance twenty or thirty feet away. The boat was too 0:26:47.720 --> 0:26:51.000 heavy to drag, too big to move. It was just 0:26:51.040 --> 0:26:53.840 sitting there, stuck. It had washed up during the high 0:26:53.880 --> 0:26:58.240 tide and now it was stranded. The picture wasn't very beautiful, 0:26:58.920 --> 0:27:03.320 wasn't even inspired. In fact, it was very depressing. Hear 0:27:03.400 --> 0:27:06.560 this boat that was created to live in the water, 0:27:07.080 --> 0:27:10.959 to dance on top of the ocean. It was sitting there, lifeless, 0:27:11.320 --> 0:27:14.640 no energy, stuck in the sand. But at the very 0:27:14.720 --> 0:27:18.520 bottom of the picture there was a small caption. If 0:27:18.560 --> 0:27:20.800 you didn't look at it carefully, you might miss it. 0:27:21.280 --> 0:27:27.000 The caption read, the tide always comes back. What's the message? 0:27:27.200 --> 0:27:31.760 When the tide comes back, the seemingly helpless, lifeless boat 0:27:32.160 --> 0:27:35.440 will get a new beginning. It comes back to life. 0:27:35.480 --> 0:27:37.800 A friend saw the picture and said, why did you 0:27:37.840 --> 0:27:40.760 put this up in your office? It's so depressing. The 0:27:40.840 --> 0:27:43.520 man told how he had gone through a great disappointment. 0:27:43.800 --> 0:27:46.800 He didn't think he'd ever be happy again. He saw 0:27:46.840 --> 0:27:50.040 the painting at a small antique store bought it for 0:27:50.200 --> 0:27:52.840 just a few dollars. Nobody else wanted it. It was 0:27:52.880 --> 0:27:56.560 too discouraging looking, But he said, every time I looked 0:27:56.560 --> 0:28:01.080 at it, I said to myself, the tide is coming back. 0:28:01.760 --> 0:28:04.959 What was he doing speaking faith into his heart? He 0:28:05.080 --> 0:28:08.920 was saying, I'm closer than I think. Things are changing 0:28:09.040 --> 0:28:12.080 in my favor. You may be here kind of like 0:28:12.119 --> 0:28:16.679 that man stuck stranded. Things aren't going your way. You 0:28:16.680 --> 0:28:19.520 don't have the energy and enthusiasm that you used to have. 0:28:20.200 --> 0:28:23.159 But you need to hear these words, the tide is 0:28:23.200 --> 0:28:27.200 coming back. God is breathing new life into your dreams. 0:28:27.600 --> 0:28:30.159 You're going to feel the wind of His spirit lifts 0:28:30.160 --> 0:28:33.919 you to where you begin to sell once again. Not 0:28:34.160 --> 0:28:37.639 just endure life barely get by, but to even dance 0:28:37.760 --> 0:28:40.080 on top of the waves. That means to live the 0:28:40.640 --> 0:28:43.840 abundant life that you were created to live. You need 0:28:43.880 --> 0:28:47.720 to start telling yourself every day, my tide is coming back. 0:28:48.240 --> 0:28:51.760 I am closer than I think. It may be difficult, 0:28:53.040 --> 0:28:57.160 but the good news is that difficulty means you're close 0:28:57.200 --> 0:29:00.880 to your victory. Don't give up on that dream, don't 0:29:00.880 --> 0:29:03.520 give up on that marriage, don't give up on living 0:29:03.560 --> 0:29:07.160 a healthy life. It may be difficult, but remember there's 0:29:07.200 --> 0:29:10.840 a reward for staying in faith. God promises your payday 0:29:11.200 --> 0:29:13.560 is on its way. If you'll learn to be this 0:29:13.720 --> 0:29:17.240 prisoner of hope and get up every day expecting God's favor, 0:29:17.680 --> 0:29:20.840 You'll see God begin to do amazing things. You'll overcome 0:29:20.880 --> 0:29:24.719 every obstacle, you'll defeat every enemy, and I believe and 0:29:24.760 --> 0:29:28.280 declare you'll see every dream, every promise God's put in 0:29:28.320 --> 0:29:31.120 your heart, it will come to pass. Amen. If you 0:29:31.200 --> 0:29:33.080 receive it. Can you give the Lord a shout of 0:29:33.120 --> 0:29:36.920 praise today. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:29:37.000 --> 0:29:39.800 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:29:39.840 --> 0:29:43.320 podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:43.480 --> 0:29:45.680 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:45.720 --> 0:29:49.160 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:29:49.280 --> 0:29:51.920 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:29:52.000 --> 0:29:52.520 us today. 0:29:52.760 --> 0:29:55.200 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:55.280 --> 0:29:58.080 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:58.160 --> 0:30:01.280 for you. I know God's best toy still ahead. We'll 0:30:01.280 --> 0:30:02.080 see you next time. 0:30:04.440 --> 0:30:07.560 Did you know you can be happier enjoying watermelon? 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