Surrounded By The Most High

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It's time 0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:02.200 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:04.840 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:07.119 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:01:07.120 --> 0:01:10.280 and career. Make it count with Purdue Global produce online 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:14.920 university for working adults. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:19.240 Welcome to the Jill Loustine Podcast. Help let's continue to 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:22.160 share the message of hope with those all over the world. 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:26.240 Visit Joeloustin dot com slash give Hope to give a 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:28.560 gift today. 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:39.880 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.640 your homes and if you're ever in our area, please 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:45.160 stop buying. Be a part of one of our services. 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:47.760 I'll promise you we'll make it feel right at home. 0:01:48.560 --> 0:01:50.840 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:54.400 about these two brothers, ages four and six. They were 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:57.600 spending the night at their grandmother's house. She told them 0:01:57.640 --> 0:01:59.760 before they went to bed to make sure they said 0:01:59.800 --> 0:02:03.000 their prayers. They went in the bedroom, got down on 0:02:03.040 --> 0:02:06.360 their knees, and the youngest brother started praying at the 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:09.359 top of his lungs. God, I pray for a new 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:12.600 bicycle I pray for a new PlayStation. I pray for 0:02:12.680 --> 0:02:15.000 a new puppy. His brother stopped him and said, why 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:18.440 are you screaming? God isn't death? He said, I know that, 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:23.160 but grandmother is say it like you mean it. This 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:25.720 is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:28.480 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:31.080 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:34.919 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:02:35.000 --> 0:02:38.120 is alert, my heart is recepted. I will never be 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:42.840 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:02:42.880 --> 0:02:46.720 to talk to you today about surrounded by the most high. 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:50.200 We all have times where we feel like we're surrounded 0:02:50.240 --> 0:02:56.000 by difficulties, surrounded by sickness, surrounded by death. Everywhere we turn, 0:02:56.080 --> 0:02:59.080 it's facing us, and it's easy to get discouraged and 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:00.880 think I'll get out of this. 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:02.279 It has me surrounded. 0:03:03.120 --> 0:03:06.000 That's the way a young man felt in Second Kings, 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:09.560 chapter six. The King of Aram had just sent a 0:03:09.560 --> 0:03:14.519 great army with horses and chariots to surround Elisha's house. 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:17.200 They snuck up in the middle of the night and 0:03:17.240 --> 0:03:21.360 had it totally encircled. The next morning, when the young 0:03:21.400 --> 0:03:24.520 men went out, saw all the horses and chariots. 0:03:24.639 --> 0:03:25.760 He nearly passed out. 0:03:26.320 --> 0:03:30.000 He ran back in, totally panicked, said, Elisha, wake up, 0:03:30.440 --> 0:03:32.079 We're surrounded by the enemy. 0:03:32.320 --> 0:03:36.400 What are we going to do? Elisha said, don't be afraid. 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:40.120 There are more for us than there are against us. 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:42.680 I can hear him saying, what do you mean, Elisha, 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:47.520 just you and me. I saw thousands of them, Elisha prayed, 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:51.760 Lord opened his eyes and let him see. All of 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:55.800 a sudden, the young man looked out and saw hundreds 0:03:55.840 --> 0:04:02.040 of thousands of powerful, warring angels all across the mountain side, 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:07.240 standing beside their chariots afire. He thought he was surrounded 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:12.240 by the enemy. The truth is the enemy was surrounded. 0:04:11.600 --> 0:04:13.960 By our God. Like him. 0:04:14.400 --> 0:04:18.800 You may be surrounded by trouble, surrounded by sickness, surrounded 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:22.280 by an addiction. But what you can't see is the 0:04:22.320 --> 0:04:27.760 most high God is surrounding what's surrounding you. Sickness may 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:31.080 be surrounding you. You're dealing with an illness. The good 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:35.279 news is sickness doesn't have the final say sickness is 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:39.400 surrounded The right attitude is cancer. You think you have 0:04:39.560 --> 0:04:42.719 me surrounded, you better look again. My God has you 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:47.360 surrounded that you think you're surrounding me. I have bad 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:50.760 news for you. The Lord, my provider, is surrounding you. 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:54.000 Trouble at work. You think you're going to keep me 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:57.760 from my purpose, depression, you think you're going to stop 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:01.599 my destiny. You may have me, I'll give you that much, 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:04.640 but I know a secret. The most High God. 0:05:04.480 --> 0:05:05.320 Is surrounding you. 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:11.520 When you understand God is surrounding what's surrounding you, you 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:15.760 won't go around discourage because of problems, worried about finances, 0:05:16.160 --> 0:05:18.720 upset because somebody's against you. 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:19.960 You'll be like Elisha. 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:23.440 You'll stay in peace, knowing that there are more for 0:05:23.560 --> 0:05:27.520 you than there are against you. Elisha prayed that God 0:05:27.560 --> 0:05:30.239 would open the young man's eyes so he could see 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:35.000 there's another world that we cannot see with our physical eyes. 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:38.599 If God were to pull back the curtain like he 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:41.520 did for this young man, and you could see into 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:46.240 the unseen realm, you would see all these powerful, warring 0:05:46.400 --> 0:05:51.800 angels at work on your behalf standing guard protecting you, 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:53.240 pushing back. 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:54.240 Forces of darkness. 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:57.520 You would see God moving the wrong people out of 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:01.560 the way, lining up things in your face, good breaks. 0:06:01.279 --> 0:06:06.159 Healing, deliverance. Don't get discouraged by what you see with 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:07.400 your physical eyes. 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:12.280 If you stay focused on the opposition, the addiction, the sickness, 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:13.760 then you'll live stressed out. 0:06:14.240 --> 0:06:15.600 You'll give up on dreams. 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:19.159 Through your eyes of faith, you need to see every 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:24.160 obstacle holding you back surrounded by the most high. That 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:28.360 addiction may be strong, but it's surrounded by something stronger. 0:06:29.040 --> 0:06:33.880 God controls the universe. He flung stars into space. One 0:06:33.920 --> 0:06:37.440 angel in the Old Testament defeated one hundred and eighty 0:06:37.520 --> 0:06:40.799 thousand of the enemies of God. You may have big 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:43.640 obstacles in your path, you feel stuck. 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:47.000 I believe today God is opening our eyes. 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:53.440 We're getting a new perspective, recognizing He's surrounding what's surrounding us. 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:56.120 That child that off course. 0:06:56.279 --> 0:06:59.760 Does it look like he'll fulfill his destiny. Imagine him 0:07:00.120 --> 0:07:04.960 surrounded by mercy, surrounded by favor, surrounded by the most time. 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:09.920 David said in Psalm three, I am not afraid of 0:07:10.040 --> 0:07:12.120 ten thousand enemies that. 0:07:12.080 --> 0:07:15.960 Surround me on every side. You would think with so 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:19.880 many enemies, he'd be a little worried, upset, afraid. 0:07:20.680 --> 0:07:23.800 He went on to say, I know victory comes from 0:07:23.840 --> 0:07:27.280 the Lord. He was saying, yes, I'm surrounded by all 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:28.160 these enemies. 0:07:28.600 --> 0:07:30.040 I could be overwhelmed. 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:33.360 But the reason I'm not falling apart is I know 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:38.680 a secret God is surrounding what's surrounding me. He had 0:07:38.720 --> 0:07:43.120 his spiritual eyes open. He didn't just see his enemies 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:46.480 through his eyes of faith. He saw the most high 0:07:46.680 --> 0:07:51.440 fighting his battles, making his crooked places strife. Like David, 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:57.160 you may feel surrounded by enemies, addictions, sicknesses. Maybe forces 0:07:57.200 --> 0:07:59.360 are kind to keep you from your dreams. 0:08:00.120 --> 0:08:01.680 It easy to think, well, it's just not meant to be. 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:05.640 But here's the key. What you see with your physical 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:08.560 eyes is not the only thing surrounding you. 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:13.480 If you'll open your eyes of faith, you'll recognize the trouble, 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:18.320 the addiction, the dysfunction. It is surrounded by our God. 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:22.440 You're not just surrounded by the negative. That's one layer, 0:08:22.920 --> 0:08:28.440 but God supersedes that. You're surrounded by fever, surrounded by healing, 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:32.679 surrounded by victory. I saw a movie one time, based 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:35.600 on a true story from back in the seventeen hundreds. 0:08:35.880 --> 0:08:39.320 This army had surrounded a city. They were planning to 0:08:39.360 --> 0:08:43.160 attack it. They were very strategic to go completely around 0:08:43.200 --> 0:08:45.240 it to make sure nobody could get out. 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:48.199 They cut off the food supply, and. 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:50.920 We're going to wait several weeks until the people were 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:52.440 famished and then go in. 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:56.520 And this army was very arrogant, cocky people. 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.520 They would stand outside the city walls and hurl ins, 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:04.520 make fun, trying to get the people to engage. A 0:09:04.559 --> 0:09:08.240 month later they decided to attack. They rushed into the 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:12.840 city so confidently. The only problem was nobody was there. 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:17.640 When they turned to leave, they suddenly realized they. 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:18.760 Were the one surrounded. 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.400 The people in the city received word that they were 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:25.640 going to attack. They snuck out before they got there 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:29.240 and went and hid in the hills while the enemy 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:33.360 was surrounding the city. Being so strategic, thinking they were 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:36.640 gaining the upper hand, the people from the city were 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:41.040 surrounding them. When they realized they were totally surrounded, they 0:09:41.080 --> 0:09:44.520 put up the white flag, dropped their weapons, surrendered. 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:48.400 When you're in difficult times, the enemy. 0:09:48.080 --> 0:09:51.200 Will do a lot of talking. He'll tell you I 0:09:51.320 --> 0:09:54.400 have you surrounded. This sickness will be the end. 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.840 You'll never get out, you'll never break the addiction, you'll 0:09:57.880 --> 0:10:00.000 never get out of debt. Look how long you've been there. 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:04.319 Don't believe those lies. He thinks he has you surrounded. 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:08.079 What he doesn't realize is the most high God has 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:09.000 him surrounded. 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:12.080 God knows everything that's going to happen. 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:18.360 He knows every attack, every disappointment, every unfair situation. When 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:21.160 you feel like you're surrounded, you have to come back 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:24.280 to that place of peace and say, I know my 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:27.760 God is still on the throne. He's bigger than this sickness, 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:32.360 greater than this addiction, more powerful than these enemies. This 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:35.640 is what the three Hebrew teenagers did in the scripture. 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:40.160 They wouldn't bow down to King Nebuchaonezzar's golden idol. 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:41.160 He was so. 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:43.920 Upset he said, I'm going to give you one last chance. 0:10:44.080 --> 0:10:47.040 Either bow down or you're going to be thrown into 0:10:47.080 --> 0:10:50.880 a fiery furnace. They said, King, no disrespect to you, 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:54.120 but we're not going to bow down to your idol. 0:10:54.480 --> 0:10:58.680 We know our God will deliver us, but even if 0:10:58.679 --> 0:11:02.480 he doesn't, we're still to bow down. They were saying, 0:11:03.120 --> 0:11:05.559 you can't stop God's plan for our life. 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:07.640 You can throw us in the fire. 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:11.000 We may be surrounded by that fire, but we know 0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:13.240 our God is surrounding the fire. 0:11:13.640 --> 0:11:15.960 If it's not our time to go. We're not going 0:11:16.000 --> 0:11:16.280 to go. 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:20.560 The king was so furious he had the furnace heated 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:24.760 seven times hotter than normal. The teenagers were tied up 0:11:24.800 --> 0:11:29.120 and thrown into the furnace. They weren't bitter, complaining God, 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:30.400 why'd you let this happen? 0:11:30.559 --> 0:11:31.600 They stayed in peace. 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:34.520 A little later, the king went to check on them. 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:37.679 He looked through the window in the furnace and said. 0:11:37.840 --> 0:11:40.120 Didn't we throw three men in bound? 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:43.839 I see four men loosed, and one looks like the 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:46.960 son of God. You may feel like you're in the 0:11:47.000 --> 0:11:50.200 fire today. You've had a disappointment. You don't see how 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:53.560 it could work out. The good news is you're not 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:57.319 in there by yourself. The God who controls the fire, 0:11:57.640 --> 0:11:59.480 that fourth man is right. 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:00.000 There with you. 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:03.720 This is the beauty of our God. He doesn't leave 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:07.240 us in tough times. He comes into the fire with us. 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:12.439 The king thought, throwing them into the furnace, surrounding them 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:14.360 by fire, surely that would be the end. 0:12:15.200 --> 0:12:17.120 What he didn't realize. 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:20.200 Is the God who created the fire, the god who 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:25.559 controls the universe, he has the final say. What's surrounding 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:31.600 you may seem big, strong, insurmountable. But our God is 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:35.880 all powerful. That sickness may look like it's the end. 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:40.080 But when God says live, you're going to live. That 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:43.679 addiction may look permanent, thoughts tell you you'll never break it. 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:47.280 God is saying you're not going to stay in that fire. 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:51.840 That addiction is not how your story ends. The Fourth 0:12:51.920 --> 0:12:54.560 Man is about to show up. Things are about to 0:12:54.679 --> 0:12:57.840 change in your favor. What you thought was going to 0:12:57.880 --> 0:13:02.840 stop you instead is going to promote you. When Nebuchnezar 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:06.400 saw that the teenagers were still alive, he couldn't believe it. 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:11.480 He shouted, shadrak me jaka Bendigo, servants of the Most 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:13.160 High God, come out. 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:14.120 Of that fire. 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:16.840 A few minutes earlier, he was telling them to bow 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:20.720 to his golden idol. Now he's calling them servants of 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:25.640 the Most High God. Sometimes God will allow the fire 0:13:26.280 --> 0:13:27.840 just so other people. 0:13:27.520 --> 0:13:31.520 Will see he is God. He'll use you as an example. 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:35.319 They may not believe before, but when they see God 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:38.959 show out in your life, when they see you beat 0:13:39.000 --> 0:13:42.960 the cancer, break the addiction, set a new standard, go 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:46.320 where you've never dreamed, they won't be able to deny 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:50.719 the blessing of God on your life. When these teenagers 0:13:50.760 --> 0:13:53.920 came out of the furnace, people never looked at them 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:57.640 the same way again. They had a new influence, a 0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:01.640 new respect, a new level. In fact, never Kanesar said, 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:05.000 praise be to the God of Shadrak knee jack in 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:09.400 a vendigo. We may not like the fiery furnaces, but 0:14:09.480 --> 0:14:12.600 if we'll do like them and keep the right attitude, 0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:17.400 God will use that difficulty to establish you, to give 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:19.360 you more credibility, to take you. 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:20.200 To a new level. 0:14:21.080 --> 0:14:25.320 It's interesting it doesn't say that the teenagers saw the 0:14:25.400 --> 0:14:30.040 fourth man. It says Nebkanesar saw him, the one that 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:33.040 threw them into the fire. In other words, the people 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:35.760 that tried to push you down, the people that tried 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:36.840 to hold you back. 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:37.560 Don't worry. 0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:40.280 They're going to see the hand of God on you 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:42.680 things that you may not be able to see. 0:14:43.840 --> 0:14:45.240 This is why you. 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:47.760 Don't have to prove to people who you are. You 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:49.600 don't have to convince them that you're right. 0:14:49.920 --> 0:14:51.480 God is your vindicator. 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:54.240 He knows how to get their attention, he knows how 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:57.480 to change their mind. Well, Joel, if I'm surrounded by 0:14:57.520 --> 0:14:59.800 the most time, why did I have the problem in 0:14:59.800 --> 0:15:02.360 the first place, Why didn't God keep me out of 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:06.200 the furnace. But God never said we wouldn't have difficulties. 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:12.040 Being people of faith doesn't exempt us from challenges, unfair situations. 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:16.480 The Psalmist said, many are the afflictions of the righteous, 0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:20.720 but the Lord delivers us out of them all. The 0:15:20.760 --> 0:15:24.960 promise is not that you won't have challenges. The promise 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:28.880 is God will bring you out, not of some of them, 0:15:29.240 --> 0:15:32.280 not of most of them, but out of all of them. 0:15:33.120 --> 0:15:36.480 When you're in the fire, the right report is I'm 0:15:36.520 --> 0:15:40.600 coming out. This sickness is not the end. This trouble 0:15:40.680 --> 0:15:43.560 is not permanent. This slow down at work. 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:44.640 Is just a season. 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:48.280 You may not realize it, but God is in the 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:52.080 process of bringing you out right now. You may not 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:56.160 see him, but the Fourth man's in your fire right now. 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:58.520 Without him there, you wouldn't still be here. 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:02.200 He's the one keeping the fire from harming you. He's 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:05.880 the one pushing back forces of darkness. Don't complain in 0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:08.880 the fire, Give God praise in the furnace. 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:11.040 Be your best right where you are. 0:16:11.560 --> 0:16:16.160 That difficulty cannot keep you from your purpose. But we 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:18.800 pray God, keep thee out of the fire, keep the 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:21.800 out of this problem. And sometimes God will do that, 0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:26.000 but most of the time God will make you fire. 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:27.960 Proof and take you through the fire. 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:33.320 Coming out of the furnace is a greater testimony. That's 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:36.440 what gave the teenagers a new respect with the king. 0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:40.640 That's what changed the way people saw them. If God 0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:44.000 kept us out of every furnace, we wouldn't reach the 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:48.400 fullness of our destinies. Here's why, when the teenagers were 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:52.080 in the fire, the only thing that burned were the 0:16:52.200 --> 0:16:55.600 cords that had them tied up. They're clothes didn't burn, 0:16:55.960 --> 0:16:59.080 their shoes didn't burn, just the cords. When you're in 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:02.800 the fire, God knows how to protect what you need 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:06.159 and at the same time burn off anything that's holding 0:17:06.200 --> 0:17:06.679 you back. 0:17:07.560 --> 0:17:09.480 You are not going to come out of the fire 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:10.040 the same. 0:17:10.560 --> 0:17:13.000 You're going to come out free from things that are 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:14.720 holding you back with. 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:17.639 A greater influence. People are going to look at you 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:20.439 in a new light. People that look down at you 0:17:20.680 --> 0:17:21.720 are going to look up to you. 0:17:22.560 --> 0:17:25.000 People that wouldn't pay you any attention are going to 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:29.399 want your friendship. Psalm thirty four says the Angel of 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:34.280 the Lord encamps around those that fear him. One translation 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:39.680 says God's angels set up a circle of protection around us. 0:17:40.160 --> 0:17:43.760 That's what happened with the teenagers. That circle of protection 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:47.200 didn't keep them out of the fire, but it kept 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:50.760 the fire from harming them. And if you're not supposed 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:53.840 to go in the fire, you're not going to go. 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:55.480 God will keep you out. 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:58.960 But if you do go, that doesn't mean God lets 0:17:59.000 --> 0:17:59.440 you down. 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:02.520 Well, I prayed, I was doing my best. 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:05.199 Joel, I got thrown into the furnace, came down with 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:05.920 this illness. 0:18:06.080 --> 0:18:10.160 My company had to let me go. The enemy cannot. 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:13.920 Break the circle of protection God has around you. If 0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:17.399 you go in the fire, that means God allowed it. 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:20.919 The good news is the same God that lets you 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:23.640 go in is the God that's going to bring you out. 0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:27.120 The enemy is not in control of your life. God 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:31.399 is God, said to Satan, have you seen my servant Job. 0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:34.919 There's nobody like him. He always honors me. 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:41.040 Satan answers something interesting, He said, why shouldn't he honor you? 0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:45.320 You put a hedge of protection around him. He couldn't 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:50.200 test Job without first asking God for permission. Job went 0:18:50.240 --> 0:18:54.240 through the test the unfair situations, but he didn't get bitter. 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:58.400 Job said, though he slaved me. Yet will I trust him? 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:01.679 He was saying with the teenage said, God, my life 0:19:01.720 --> 0:19:05.359 is in your hands. I'm surrounded by trouble, but I 0:19:05.440 --> 0:19:09.879 know you have the final say. You're surrounding what's surrounding me, 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:15.000 like Jove, like these teenagers. God has a hedge of 0:19:15.119 --> 0:19:17.880 protection around you and your family. 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:20.960 I heard a story about a young girl. 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:24.920 She was walking to her car after class late one night, 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:27.200 and he was in a dark parking lot and didn't 0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:30.720 look like anybody was around. All of a sudden, these 0:19:30.760 --> 0:19:34.280 three men stepped out. They were hiding behind a car 0:19:34.359 --> 0:19:37.479 about fifty feet in front of her, and her heart 0:19:37.520 --> 0:19:40.479 skipped a beat. She knew they were there to harm her. 0:19:41.000 --> 0:19:43.439 She wanted to run, but she didn't have a chance. 0:19:43.920 --> 0:19:47.640 She stood there, praying under her breath as the men 0:19:47.800 --> 0:19:52.080 continued coming closer. In her mind she was afraid, but 0:19:52.160 --> 0:19:55.760 in her heart she was at peace. Something told her 0:19:55.960 --> 0:19:59.359 everything is going to be okay. When the men got 0:19:59.520 --> 0:20:04.400 about fi fifteen feet away, suddenly they froze in their tracks. 0:20:05.000 --> 0:20:08.800 Their eyes got real big terror came across their face. 0:20:09.200 --> 0:20:13.240 They began to back up slowly, carefully. Then they turned 0:20:13.440 --> 0:20:16.760 and ran as fast as they could She knew that 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:19.880 God protected her, but she didn't really know what happened. 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:23.000 A few days later, they arrested one of the men. 0:20:23.760 --> 0:20:26.879 He admitted that they were going to harm her, but 0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:31.000 when they got close to her, he said, this mighty 0:20:31.080 --> 0:20:35.919 warrior suddenly appeared. He began to describe them. He stood 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:39.800 over ten feet tall. He talked about his physique, how 0:20:39.840 --> 0:20:43.560 his arms, his legs, his chest were rippled with muscles, 0:20:43.880 --> 0:20:46.760 and how his face was radiating with so much light 0:20:47.119 --> 0:20:50.240 they could hardly look at him. He had his sword drawn. 0:20:50.880 --> 0:20:53.760 He was standing over this young lady. She only came 0:20:53.840 --> 0:20:56.560 up to his waist. Had a sword in one hand 0:20:56.880 --> 0:20:59.760 a shield in the other. He stared at those three 0:20:59.800 --> 0:21:03.440 men just like he was saying, come on, make my dad. 0:21:03.600 --> 0:21:07.640 I dare you to touch her in the unseen realm. 0:21:08.040 --> 0:21:14.440 Just like her, You have these powerful warring angels protecting you. 0:21:14.440 --> 0:21:16.320 You may be surrounded by trouble. 0:21:16.760 --> 0:21:20.800 The good news is the most High is surrounding that trouble. 0:21:21.840 --> 0:21:25.440 Psalm ninety one says, when you honor God, he will 0:21:25.480 --> 0:21:29.920 command his angels to watch over you. These three men 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:32.280 thought they had the young lady surrounded. 0:21:32.840 --> 0:21:36.360 They thought no big deal. One girl against three grown men. 0:21:36.840 --> 0:21:41.480 What they didn't realize was like Elisha, God had them surrounded. 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:47.600 Those warring angels were standing guard instead of going around worried, afraid. 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:48.639 Turn it around. 0:21:48.920 --> 0:21:52.000 Father, Thank you that your angels are watching over me. 0:21:52.720 --> 0:21:56.680 Thank you that I'm surrounded by protection, surrounded by your goodness. 0:21:57.520 --> 0:22:01.119 When you go through life in faith, knowing that God 0:22:01.200 --> 0:22:05.119 is surrounding what's surrounding you, you're showing God that you 0:22:05.240 --> 0:22:06.080 trust him. 0:22:06.480 --> 0:22:10.080 That's what allows God to show himself strong in your life. 0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:12.119 But you all, I had a bad break. 0:22:12.560 --> 0:22:15.000 God thrown into the furnace. Don't see how it's going 0:22:15.040 --> 0:22:17.680 to work out. That's going to keep you where you are. 0:22:18.400 --> 0:22:21.760 The right attitude is, yes, this sickness has come against me, 0:22:22.160 --> 0:22:25.719 but I know I'm surrounded by healing. Yes, I had 0:22:25.720 --> 0:22:28.760 a bad break, but this is not my final chapter. 0:22:29.080 --> 0:22:32.400 I'm surrounded by favor, surrounded by restoration. 0:22:33.280 --> 0:22:36.760 God didn't bring you this far to leave you. It's 0:22:36.800 --> 0:22:40.680 a test. Every person gets thrown into the furnace. 0:22:41.040 --> 0:22:45.120 It's not to defeat you. It's to establish you. It's 0:22:45.160 --> 0:22:48.240 to let other people see God's favor is on your 0:22:48.320 --> 0:22:51.920 life and to let you know that God is still 0:22:51.960 --> 0:22:56.240 in control. Every furnace God brings you out of You 0:22:56.359 --> 0:23:00.000 come out with a greater trust in God, a greater confidence, 0:23:00.720 --> 0:23:04.800 a greater faith. That's getting you prepared for the next 0:23:04.880 --> 0:23:10.160 level of your destiny. With every experience, something is deposited 0:23:10.480 --> 0:23:11.600 that you will use. 0:23:11.440 --> 0:23:12.080 Down the road. 0:23:13.080 --> 0:23:16.080 If you didn't need the furnace, if it wasn't going 0:23:16.160 --> 0:23:18.800 to work for your good God would have kept you out. 0:23:19.800 --> 0:23:22.840 You may not understand it, it may not seem fair, 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:26.720 but God knows what he's doing. He's not going to 0:23:26.840 --> 0:23:30.360 let it defeat you. Thoughts will tell you you'll never get out, 0:23:30.840 --> 0:23:33.000 you'll never get well, it'll never turn around. 0:23:33.200 --> 0:23:36.359 Don't believe that God is bringing you out right now 0:23:36.920 --> 0:23:37.959 like these teenagers. 0:23:37.960 --> 0:23:40.000 You're not only going to come out, You're going to 0:23:40.000 --> 0:23:42.840 come out stronger, promoted. 0:23:42.520 --> 0:23:44.359 To a new level of your destiny. 0:23:45.240 --> 0:23:48.840 In the story Second Kings, chapter six, Elisha prayed for 0:23:48.880 --> 0:23:51.439 the young man that the Lord would open his eyes 0:23:51.480 --> 0:23:54.840 and he saw all those powerful angels. But when the 0:23:55.119 --> 0:23:59.880 enemy army came closer, Elisha prayed just the opposite, Lord, 0:24:00.280 --> 0:24:05.120 make them blind. The commander knocked on Elisha's door, said 0:24:05.160 --> 0:24:09.040 I'm here to see Elisha. Elisha said, you've come to 0:24:09.080 --> 0:24:12.520 the wrong city. He doesn't live here. Let me take 0:24:12.560 --> 0:24:15.600 you to where he is. Sometimes you have to lie 0:24:15.680 --> 0:24:20.439 for the Lord. Elisha let this enemy army to the 0:24:20.440 --> 0:24:24.960 city of Samaria, where they were surrounded by the Israelites. 0:24:25.440 --> 0:24:26.080 Then he prayed. 0:24:26.080 --> 0:24:30.040 Lord opened their eyes. They suddenly realized they were captured. 0:24:30.119 --> 0:24:31.000 It was a trap. 0:24:31.280 --> 0:24:35.120 They were at the mercy of Elisha. Elisha let them go. 0:24:35.800 --> 0:24:41.480 The scripture says they never bothered the Israelites anymore. God 0:24:41.600 --> 0:24:45.920 knows how to turn your situation around. Like Elisha, there 0:24:45.960 --> 0:24:49.440 are enemies that are not going to bother you anymore. 0:24:50.320 --> 0:24:53.600 That sickness you've struggled with for years. God is going 0:24:53.680 --> 0:24:57.520 to put an end to it. That financial difficulty you 0:24:57.560 --> 0:24:58.800 can't seem to get ahead. 0:24:59.359 --> 0:25:02.119 You keep on honoring God being your best. 0:25:02.600 --> 0:25:05.280 You're going to see those forces that have hindered you 0:25:05.760 --> 0:25:09.720 broken once and for all. Now I realize that we 0:25:09.800 --> 0:25:13.720 will never live trouble free. But there are some enemies 0:25:14.080 --> 0:25:18.960 like with Elisha. God will free you from permanently. God 0:25:19.040 --> 0:25:22.600 told the Israelites the enemies you see today, you will 0:25:22.640 --> 0:25:25.880 see no more. Those things that are holding you back 0:25:25.920 --> 0:25:31.800 a sickness, depression, addictions. Dare to believe like what God 0:25:31.840 --> 0:25:35.360 told the Israelites. The sickness you see today, you will 0:25:35.359 --> 0:25:38.639 see no more. That addiction that's dogged you for years. 0:25:38.680 --> 0:25:41.760 You will see no more. That trouble at work, people 0:25:41.760 --> 0:25:44.080 trying to push you down, You will see no more. 0:25:45.200 --> 0:25:49.119 A man told me recently how for over twenty years he. 0:25:49.040 --> 0:25:52.880 Wasn't treated fairly at work because his boss didn't like him. 0:25:53.280 --> 0:25:54.720 This man was in cells. 0:25:55.000 --> 0:25:58.080 He sold more than all the other salespeople, but he 0:25:58.160 --> 0:26:01.960 was always overlooked for promotion, never given the bonuses that 0:26:02.000 --> 0:26:02.720 he deserved. 0:26:03.160 --> 0:26:05.720 He didn't get bitter. He kept being his best. 0:26:06.000 --> 0:26:09.119 He told me last week, Joe, my boss was just 0:26:09.600 --> 0:26:13.840 suddenly terminated. They didn't tell anybody why, but out of 0:26:13.960 --> 0:26:18.560 over sixty sealspeople, he was chosen to take his boss's position. 0:26:20.000 --> 0:26:22.240 God is a god of justice. 0:26:22.920 --> 0:26:26.639 You keep doing the right thing, and like him, you 0:26:26.720 --> 0:26:29.760 will come into that day where the enemies you see 0:26:29.840 --> 0:26:33.119 today you will see no more. They think they have 0:26:33.240 --> 0:26:37.000 you surrounded. The good news is the most High God. 0:26:36.840 --> 0:26:37.879 Has them surrounded. 0:26:38.600 --> 0:26:43.000 My prayer for us, Lord, open our eyes, help us 0:26:43.040 --> 0:26:44.520 to realize there are more. 0:26:44.400 --> 0:26:46.600 For us than there are against us. 0:26:47.480 --> 0:26:50.800 That trouble that's keeping you awake at night, come back 0:26:50.800 --> 0:26:51.919 to a place of peace. 0:26:52.280 --> 0:26:55.960 God has the trouble surrounded. Sure, we all get. 0:26:55.760 --> 0:26:59.200 Thrown into the furnace, but the fire is not the end. 0:26:59.640 --> 0:27:01.399 The only thing it's going to do. 0:27:01.720 --> 0:27:05.240 Is burn off what's holding you back all through the day, 0:27:05.520 --> 0:27:09.160 especially when you're tempted to worry. Remind yourself I am 0:27:09.240 --> 0:27:11.120 surrounded by the most time. 0:27:11.720 --> 0:27:12.320 If you'll do. 0:27:12.320 --> 0:27:16.199 This, I believe and declare God is going to protect you, 0:27:16.880 --> 0:27:18.520 deliver you, promote you. 0:27:19.119 --> 0:27:22.399 Things that have held you back are being broken right now. 0:27:22.760 --> 0:27:26.840 You're coming out of the furnace into freedom, into favor, 0:27:26.840 --> 0:27:31.400 into healing, into the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name, 0:27:31.880 --> 0:27:34.320 And if you receive it, can you say amen? Today 0:27:35.720 --> 0:27:38.600 I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:27:38.720 --> 0:27:41.119 the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? 0:27:41.920 --> 0:27:47.680 Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come 0:27:47.720 --> 0:27:51.640 into my heart. I make you my Lord in Savior. 0:27:53.080 --> 0:27:55.720 If you've prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:27:55.760 --> 0:27:59.199 born again. Get in a good Bible based church, and 0:27:59.320 --> 0:28:00.840 keep God first place. 0:28:02.640 --> 0:28:05.439 Start each day off right by having Joel lead you 0:28:05.480 --> 0:28:08.040 in declaring the truth of who you are in Christ. 0:28:08.440 --> 0:28:13.040 Through this powerful thirty one day audio devotional Discover Your Destiny. 0:28:13.280 --> 0:28:16.240 God makes things happen that you couldn't make happen. 0:28:16.440 --> 0:28:19.840 Available this month on audio CD or digital download. As 0:28:19.880 --> 0:28:22.080 a thank you for your support of our ministry. 0:28:22.760 --> 0:28:25.959 You know what's in your destiny, something awesome, something that 0:28:26.000 --> 0:28:26.760 you've never seen. 0:28:26.840 --> 0:28:29.880 Each day includes an inspiring short message that you can 0:28:29.920 --> 0:28:32.119 listen to you in your car, at home, or on 0:28:32.160 --> 0:28:32.359 the go. 0:28:33.320 --> 0:28:36.119 When you start your day off making declarations of faith 0:28:36.160 --> 0:28:39.720 over your family, your children, your finances, You're setting the 0:28:39.760 --> 0:28:43.800 tone for a blessed, victorious day. As you declare these promises, 0:28:43.960 --> 0:28:46.000 you'll see God's favor in new ways. 0:28:46.160 --> 0:28:49.200 I've written thirty one declarations, one for each day of 0:28:49.240 --> 0:28:51.680 the month. Just takes about a minute. It's a great 0:28:51.720 --> 0:28:54.760 way to start the new year. Request this resource. It 0:28:54.760 --> 0:28:56.880 will help you speak faith into your future. 0:28:57.280 --> 0:29:00.880 To request your copy of Discover your Destiny, visit us 0:29:00.920 --> 0:29:04.360 at Joeloustein dot com or call eight eight eight five 0:29:04.440 --> 0:29:05.560 six seven Joel. 0:29:05.720 --> 0:29:08.120 Ten years ago, I was messing with drugs and having 0:29:08.200 --> 0:29:11.440 severe panic attacks, But through this ministry and Joel's message 0:29:11.480 --> 0:29:14.120 of hope, I discovered that God's a God of new beginnings. 0:29:14.480 --> 0:29:16.400 It's been ten years and I haven't had a panic 0:29:16.400 --> 0:29:19.479 attack since today. I'm married, I have two beautiful children. 0:29:19.760 --> 0:29:24.160 I feel God's peace. This ministry changed my life. 0:29:24.200 --> 0:29:26.360 Your support is changing lives. 0:29:26.600 --> 0:29:29.920 Thanks so much for your generosity, for your prayers and 0:29:30.000 --> 0:29:32.720 being a part of our ministry. We love you, and 0:29:32.960 --> 0:29:36.000 we especially want to thank our Champion of Hope partners 0:29:36.120 --> 0:29:38.960 for all you do to make the ministry possible. We 0:29:39.080 --> 0:29:41.520 pray for you and your family. Believe in that in 0:29:41.560 --> 0:29:44.520 twenty eighteen you're going to see dreams come to pass 0:29:44.560 --> 0:29:47.800 and just God's favor in new ways that He'll exceed 0:29:48.040 --> 0:29:52.320 your expectations. Be a believer, Stay in faith. You're favored, 0:29:52.520 --> 0:29:55.480 You're blessed. 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