The Fight For Your Future

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This is not an 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.440 offer to buy yourself security snor is it investment legal 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:00.640 or taxi by He'll. 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:02.800 Forget about the video game you gave him on his birthday. 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:04.560 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:06.760 But he'll never forget how you invest it in his 0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:08.240 future with the units st app. 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.760 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.560 The unit stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.280 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.720 a limited time. Download the uns stapp and use the 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:21.080 code iHeart fifty at sign up to receive a fifty 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:23.679 dollars bonus when you find your account. That's code iHeart 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.800 fifty when you sign up at unest dot co for 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.679 a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at uness 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:30.840 --> 0:01:34.960 The forces of darkness cannot stop what God has ordained 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:39.119 for you. If you only knew all the things God 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:42.720 has refused to let happen to you. You may have 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:46.720 had some bad breaks disappointments, but just the fact that 0:01:46.800 --> 0:01:50.160 you're still here is a sign God's favor is on 0:01:50.200 --> 0:01:53.800 your life. Hi, this is Joelan Victoria. Thanks for listening 0:01:53.800 --> 0:01:56.680 to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:56.800 --> 0:01:59.160 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:59.200 --> 0:02:00.720 blessing and share with a friend. 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:03.760 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:10.800 your line. Now, God bless you. It's a joy to 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:13.680 come into your homes, and if you're ever in our area, 0:02:13.720 --> 0:02:16.800 please stop by be a part of one of our services. 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:19.480 I promise you we'll make it feel right at home. 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:22.720 I'd like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:25.720 about this six year old boy. He was standing in 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:29.440 the church lobby staring at a large plaque on the wall. 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:33.480 It was filled with names with small American flags by 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:36.920 their side. He asked the pastor what it meant. The 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:40.560 pastor explained how that was a memorial to all the 0:02:40.680 --> 0:02:44.560 young men and women that died in the service. The 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:48.560 little boy stood there silently, very concerned. He finally looked 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:50.880 up and asked, was it the eight thirty or eleven 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:54.800 o'clock service? Say it like you mean it. This is 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:57.920 my Bible. I am what it says. I am. I 0:02:58.000 --> 0:03:01.000 have what it says I have, do what it says 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:03.920 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:08.240 of God. I'll boldly confess my mind is alert, my 0:03:08.360 --> 0:03:12.880 heart is receptive. I will never be the same in Jesus' name, 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:16.760 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:21.120 about the fight for your future. We all have things 0:03:21.160 --> 0:03:24.400 that come against us in life. People that aren't fair, 0:03:24.919 --> 0:03:27.560 a sickness that won't seem to go away, or a 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:31.920 setback in our finances. Sometimes it was no fault of 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:36.720 our own. We were born into difficulties. Parents that weren't around, 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:41.400 depression and addictions that keep getting passed down. We wonder 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:45.400 why am I having this opposition? Why was I raised 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:48.800 in an unhealthy childhood? Why did this company let me 0:03:48.920 --> 0:03:53.280 go after all these years. It's because there's something in 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:57.880 you that the enemy's trying to stop. Those bad breaks 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:03.320 were not random. You weren't just unlucky. Those were strategic attacks. 0:04:04.120 --> 0:04:07.320 If the enemy wasn't threatened by you, he wouldn't be 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:11.400 trying to hold you back. If he couldn't see greatness 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:15.320 in you, he wouldn't waste his time bringing those challenges. 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:19.120 When you gave your life to Christ, God marked you, 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:22.760 he said you're mine. He put that crown of favor 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:27.039 on your head. That's great, But the challenge is you 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:31.440 became a target to the enemy. He knows you're destined 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:34.800 to take new ground. He knows God has favored you 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:38.599 to leave your mark, so he's going to work overtime 0:04:38.960 --> 0:04:42.760 to try to stop you. Many times, the enemy knows 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:46.360 who we are even before we realize who we are. 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:51.080 When David was a teenager working out in the shepherd's fields, 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:54.680 he seemed as ordinary as can be. He didn't have 0:04:54.720 --> 0:04:58.960 a significant position taking care of his father's sheep. He 0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:02.000 didn't come from well an influence. They were a low 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:06.760 income family. Nothing about David that stood out. Why did 0:05:06.760 --> 0:05:11.000 his father leave him in the shepherd's fields When Samuel 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:14.120 came to anoint one of the sons as the next king, 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:17.600 was no big deal to bring him in. Why did 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:20.839 he disrespect David and look down on him like that 0:05:21.680 --> 0:05:24.760 when David took lunch to his brothers when they were 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:28.800 in the army. Why did his oldest brother be little 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:32.760 David and make fun of him? Why was he jealous? 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:36.960 David wasn't intimidating, didn't seem like he was any threat 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:40.440 to them. But the enemy can see things in you 0:05:40.880 --> 0:05:45.160 that you may not see in yourself. David saw himself 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:48.880 as ordinary, but even the enemy knew he was a 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:53.000 giant killer. He knew he was a history maker. That's 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:57.600 why he came against David so strongly. Many of the 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:02.440 difficulties you faced, things it didn't make sense, opposition that 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:05.800 came out of nowhere, people that turned on you. It's 0:06:05.839 --> 0:06:10.719 because there's a giant killer in you. There's a history maker. 0:06:11.480 --> 0:06:14.000 You may not be able to see it yet, but 0:06:14.200 --> 0:06:18.320 even the enemy can see there's greatness in you. Have 0:06:18.400 --> 0:06:23.120 a new perspective. Those difficulties are a sign something amazing 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:27.120 is in your future. Mark Chapter five. There was a 0:06:27.160 --> 0:06:30.920 man that was possessed with evil spirits. It had gotten 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:34.760 so bad no one could control him. They sent him 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:38.240 to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to 0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:41.880 a place called the Gatines, where he could live among 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:46.400 the tombs in a graveyard, a deserted place. They tried 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:49.039 to chain him up, but he was so strong he 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:52.960 would break the chains. All through the night and day. 0:06:53.600 --> 0:06:57.800 He would wander through the tombs, wearing no clothes, cutting 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:02.720 himself and screaming. This man didn't look like he had 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:07.000 much of a chance. Deranged in his mind, society had 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:11.240 written him off. I can imagine some nights there were 0:07:11.320 --> 0:07:15.280 moments of sanity where he would look up and say, God, 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:19.160 please help me. Why am I so tormented God. I 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:22.640 want to go back home. It looked like this was 0:07:22.680 --> 0:07:26.920 his destiny. People had given up on him, But God 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:31.520 never gives up on us. Nobody is too far gone. 0:07:31.880 --> 0:07:35.960 Don't write your child off, don't write your neighbor off, 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:40.840 your cousin off. May seem like they're too bad, too addicted, 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:45.000 too depressed, too far off. Course, the enemy wouldn't be 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:48.720 fighting them that hard if there wasn't something amazing on 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:53.080 the inside of them. Jesus was in Galilee teaching people 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:56.680 on the shore. When he finished that day, instead of 0:07:56.720 --> 0:07:59.600 going to rest where he normally did, he told the 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.720 decide peoples he wanted to cross to the other side 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:06.200 of the lake where the man was. In the middle 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:08.760 of the night, while they were on the boat, a 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:13.720 huge storm arose. The waves started crashing over the boat, 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:16.960 filling it with water. Looked like it was going to sink. 0:08:17.600 --> 0:08:21.920 Jesus was asleep in the back. The disciples frantically ran, Jesus, 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:25.600 wake up, We're about to die. Jesus stood up and 0:08:25.800 --> 0:08:30.280 spoke to the storm peace be still. Suddenly the winds 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:34.920 and waves stopped. Everything was perfectly calm. The next morning, 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.680 when they arrived on the shore, Jesus was getting out 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:42.280 of the boat when this deranged man came running up 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:47.040 to him, fell on his knees and started screaming. Jesus 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:49.959 spoke to the demons and told them to come out. 0:08:50.520 --> 0:08:54.160 Instantly the man was healed. This scripture says they saw 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:59.520 the man sitting fully clothed in his right mind. What's 0:08:59.640 --> 0:09:03.760 interesting is when Jesus was on the boat headed toward 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:09.120 the man, the huge storm that arose wasn't random, wasn't 0:09:09.160 --> 0:09:12.800 just to act and nature just a coincidence. That was 0:09:12.840 --> 0:09:16.480 the enemy trying to stop Jesus from getting to the man. 0:09:17.520 --> 0:09:21.000 You would think the enemy would be satisfied. I mean, 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:24.720 the man was possessed out of his mind, cutting himself. 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:29.559 Surely he's no threat, he'll never do anything great. No, 0:09:29.720 --> 0:09:34.520 the enemy knew, despite all he had done, despite the cutting, 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:39.400 the torment, the confusion, that this man still had greatness 0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:42.560 in him, that he still had a destiny to fulfill, 0:09:43.080 --> 0:09:47.240 dreams to accomplish. When he saw Jesus crossing the lake, 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:49.760 he thought, I've got to stop him. I've got to 0:09:49.880 --> 0:09:53.520 keep him from getting here. There is a fight for 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:56.840 your future. But what I want you to see is 0:09:56.880 --> 0:10:01.400 it's not your battle. God is fighting for you. The 0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:05.839 enemy may send the storms, opposition that looks too big. 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:12.280 Don't worry. God controls the winds. He overrides every negative force, 0:10:13.120 --> 0:10:16.559 the winds that are trying to stop you from your destiny. 0:10:16.920 --> 0:10:21.079 God is speaking to them right now. Breakthroughs are coming, 0:10:21.600 --> 0:10:25.520 Healing is coming, Freedom is coming. Things that look like 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:29.640 they could never turn around. The storm seems darker than ever. 0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:32.280 On your own, You don't have a chance that you're 0:10:32.320 --> 0:10:36.240 not on your own. Get ready, Favor is coming, Victory 0:10:36.360 --> 0:10:40.640 is coming. Like this man, you're gonna see God override 0:10:40.760 --> 0:10:45.720 what's trying to stop you. There's no storm too strong 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:50.440 for our God to calm, no giant too big for 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:54.320 him to defeat, no fire too hot that he can't 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:58.559 step in and bring you out. This man that was deranged, 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:02.000 he didn't know that Jesus had spoken to the winds. 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:05.559 He didn't know there was a huge storm that Jesus 0:11:05.559 --> 0:11:07.880 had gone to great lengths to get to him. He 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:10.679 just saw him show up on the shore. You don't 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:14.280 know how many storms the enemy has sent to try 0:11:14.280 --> 0:11:17.760 to keep God from getting to you, how many times 0:11:17.800 --> 0:11:21.960 God has said, peace, be still, that's my son, that's 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:24.599 my daughter. I'm gonna break those chains. They're going to 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:30.960 fulfill their destiny. God has been fighting for you your whole life, 0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:37.600 pushing back forces of darkness, crossing lakes, calming storms, just 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:41.840 to get to you. Some of these battles took place 0:11:42.120 --> 0:11:45.559 when you were a small child. The enemy knew way 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:48.839 back then what you were called to be. He could 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:52.560 see the favor and anointing on your life. He could 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:55.880 see you were destined for greatness. So he has worked 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:59.640 over time trying to stop your destiny through things you 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:03.520 had no control over. My father, as a two year 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:06.880 old little boy, was walking by a fire and he 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:10.920 fell into it. Nobody was around. He could have been 0:12:11.000 --> 0:12:14.520 killed out of nowhere. Someone came and pulled him out. 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:19.200 He couldn't save himself. That was God fighting for him. 0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:23.360 The enemy scent the storm, but God said, peace be still. 0:12:23.880 --> 0:12:28.360 I have the final say. The enemy can't stop your life. 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:32.880 He can't stop your destiny. David said in Psalm thirty, Lord, 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:36.640 I praise you for you. Refuse to let my enemies 0:12:36.760 --> 0:12:40.520 triumph over me. Why did that fire not take my 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:44.800 father out? God? Refuse to let the enemy triumph? Why 0:12:44.800 --> 0:12:48.319 did that accident not harm you? God refuse to let 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:52.040 it harm you. Why did you beat the cancer? Why 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:55.720 did that unhealthy childhood not stop you? Why hasn't that 0:12:55.800 --> 0:13:00.160 addiction finished you off? Because God's purpose is more more 0:13:00.200 --> 0:13:04.960 powerful than the enemy's plan. The forces of darkness cannot 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:08.920 stop what God has ordained for you. If you only 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:12.920 knew all the things God has refused to let happen 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:17.280 to you. You may have had some bad breaks, disappointments, 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:20.079 but just the fact that you're still here is a 0:13:20.120 --> 0:13:25.160 sign God's fever is on your life. There may be 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:29.440 obstacles trying to stop you. Now you don't understand it. 0:13:29.440 --> 0:13:34.320 It's because there's greatness in you. The enemy doesn't come 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:38.600 against people that don't have anything. If you weren't a threat, 0:13:38.880 --> 0:13:42.160 he'd leave you alone. In one sense, you can take 0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:46.040 it as a compliment. Yes, I have big obstacles, but 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:49.520 I know it's because I have a big destiny. Had 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:53.200 some bad breaks, disappointments, but they could not finish me 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:57.880 all I'm still standing. The enemy wouldn't have wasted so 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:01.440 much time and energy on you if there wasn't something 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:05.880 amazing in your future. Now do your part, stay in faith. 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:09.720 Don't go around complaining about what didn't work out. What 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:13.920 you didn't get, God is still working. He's a god 0:14:14.080 --> 0:14:17.800 of justice. He will make up for what was unfair. 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:20.200 He will pay you back for the wrongs that were 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:24.720 done Way back as a small child. The enemy knew 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:28.000 my father would be the first one in our family 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:31.520 to give his life to Christ. He knew he would 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:34.960 be the one to break the cycle of poverty that 0:14:35.040 --> 0:14:39.560 had limited us for generations. He knew Daddy would start Lakewood, 0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:43.400 that he would leave children and grandchildren to continue it on. 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:46.760 No wonder he tried to stop him in the fire. 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:50.840 No wonder his family told him. All he knew how 0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:53.360 to do was Pitt Cotton that he could never become 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:57.120 a minister. No wonder one church ask him to resign 0:14:57.640 --> 0:15:00.600 because his message of faith and victory did fit in. 0:15:01.360 --> 0:15:04.760 When you have a big future, the enemy is not 0:15:04.880 --> 0:15:07.400 going to just roll out the red carpet and let 0:15:07.520 --> 0:15:12.160 you fulfill it, Paul said, First Corinthians. A wide door 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:16.800 of opportunity is open to me, and there are many adversaries. 0:15:17.640 --> 0:15:21.280 The many adversaries doesn't mean God has forgotten about you, 0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:25.280 doesn't mean you've been left out. It's because of the 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:28.600 wide doors that are about to open. It's because of 0:15:28.640 --> 0:15:32.480 the favor that's in your future. You can look back 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:35.440 over your life and see things that came against you, 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:38.440 Some that you had nothing to do with, things that 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:43.440 weren't fair. You were left out, mischaracterized, made to look bad. 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.840 Other times you tried to step up to a new level, 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:50.440 You tried to set a new standard, but opposition came 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:54.200 out of the woodwork, things that you've never faced. There 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:57.400 are forces that don't want you to take new ground. 0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:01.600 When the enemy sees you start to make progress, he'll 0:16:01.640 --> 0:16:05.480 send the storm, the winds, the waves. That's when God 0:16:05.520 --> 0:16:10.320 will step up and say, peace be stilled. The storms 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:14.800 cannot stoff our God. What you're up against is not 0:16:14.880 --> 0:16:18.920 a sign that you're stuck. It's a sign promotion is coming. 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:22.760 The storm is a sign God is close to the shore. 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:27.480 You're about to see things change in your favor. When 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:30.920 Moses was born, the Pharaoh had put out a decree 0:16:31.320 --> 0:16:35.280 that all the Hebrew male babies were to be killed 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:39.480 at birth. Fabor was concerned that the Israelites would get 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:42.880 bigger than the Egyptians and overtake them. Not only that, 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:47.160 it was prophesied that Moses would deliver the Israelites out 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:52.040 of slavery. It wasn't a coincidence that Moses was born 0:16:52.560 --> 0:16:57.320 into adversity, born with forces against him. Nothing he had 0:16:57.360 --> 0:17:01.680 done wasn't his poor choices, But from his birth the 0:17:01.880 --> 0:17:05.760 enemy was trying to stop him. His mother hid him 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:09.439 in the house for three months. Eventually he got too big. 0:17:09.800 --> 0:17:12.359 She thought he would be found and killed, so she 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:15.960 put him in a small basket and sent him floating 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:20.200 down the Nile River. It just so happened. Pharaoh's daughter 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:23.640 was out taking a bath when she heard the cries 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:27.000 coming from the basket. She opened it and couldn't believe it. 0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:31.560 She fell in love with this little baby. What's interesting 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:35.560 is she knew he was a Hebrew baby. She knew 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:38.960 he wasn't supposed to live. Her father was the one 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:42.919 that made the decree, But for some reason, she and 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:47.120 her father, the pharaoh, decided it was okay for her 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:50.240 to keep the baby and raise it as her own. 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:54.720 When God is fighting your battles, things will happen that 0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:59.240 don't make sense. When he says peace be still, storms 0:17:59.240 --> 0:18:04.080 that look empt possible will suddenly calm down. Maybe you 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:07.359 were raised in an environment that wasn't real healthy, You 0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:10.199 have plenty of reasons to be sour and think that 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:13.399 you could never do anything great. You've been through too much. 0:18:14.080 --> 0:18:17.480 How do you know you're not a Moses? How do 0:18:17.560 --> 0:18:21.119 you know that adversity is not a sign that greatness 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:24.280 is in you? That the enemy tried to push you 0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:27.840 down to keep you from leaving your mark, but God 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:32.000 stepped up and said peace be still. He didn't bring 0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:36.240 you through because you're ordinary. Now you need to step 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:40.280 into your greatness. Quit believing those lies that you've had 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:44.080 too many bad breaks, too much against you. It's too unfair. 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:47.600 It doesn't have to be fair for God to do 0:18:47.680 --> 0:18:51.720 something awesome in your life. In fact, when it's not fair, 0:18:52.400 --> 0:18:55.679 when you're the underdog, when the enemy's trying to stop you, 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:59.359 that's when God steps up and shows out the most. 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:04.080 Wasn't fair that David's own family belittled him, but that 0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:07.760 didn't stop him from taking the throne. Wasn't fair that 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:11.320 Joseph was thrown into a pit, lied about, put in prison, 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:14.439 but that didn't stop him from becoming the prime minister. 0:19:15.480 --> 0:19:18.720 Wasn't fair that Moses was born under a death threat 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:22.160 parents had to hide him, but that didn't stop him 0:19:22.320 --> 0:19:26.639 from delivering the Israelites, who says it has to be 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:31.400 fair for you to fulfill your destiny. No bad break 0:19:31.640 --> 0:19:36.840 has canceled God's plan for your life. No injustice, no disappointment, 0:19:36.920 --> 0:19:41.160 no person. The reason it's not fair is because there's 0:19:41.200 --> 0:19:45.400 something in you that the enemy doesn't want out. There's 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:49.280 an assignment God has for you that the enemy is 0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:54.560 trying to stop, an anointing and empowerment, a favor that 0:19:54.640 --> 0:19:57.560 he doesn't want you to see. The good news. He 0:19:57.600 --> 0:20:00.960 doesn't have the final say. Now get ready to step 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:05.760 in to your greatness. My sister Lisa was born with 0:20:05.840 --> 0:20:09.960 something like cerebral paulsy. The doctors told my parents she 0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:13.760 may never be able to walk or feed herself. First year, 0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:17.840 she couldn't lift her head, had no sucking reflexes, but 0:20:17.880 --> 0:20:21.679 by the grace of God, over time, she defied the 0:20:21.800 --> 0:20:26.120 odds kept getting better and better. Growing up, there were 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:28.919 five of us kids in the house, and all of 0:20:29.000 --> 0:20:35.719 us except Lisa, we're very athletic, played sports, stayed active. Lisa, 0:20:35.800 --> 0:20:38.760 having come through that birth injury, couldn't do everything we could, 0:20:38.840 --> 0:20:42.560 and when we were choosing teams to play kickball with 0:20:42.640 --> 0:20:46.520 our friends in the neighborhood. Lisa would always be chosen 0:20:46.920 --> 0:20:52.080 toward the very end, right before my brother Paul. But 0:20:52.200 --> 0:20:56.160 it seemed like it was one bad break after another 0:20:56.240 --> 0:20:59.840 for Lisa. In her early twenties, she went through a 0:20:59.840 --> 0:21:03.920 break up in a relation she had, very hurtful, very unfair. 0:21:04.680 --> 0:21:07.360 Not long after that, she was working with us here 0:21:07.359 --> 0:21:11.159 at the church opening my father's moil. One day she 0:21:11.320 --> 0:21:15.399 opened this package and it exploded in her lap. It 0:21:15.480 --> 0:21:18.320 was a mill bomb. Blew up part of her leg, 0:21:18.880 --> 0:21:22.080 injured her stomach. She was rushed to the hospital, had 0:21:22.080 --> 0:21:26.320 to have surgery. The investigators told us if the package 0:21:26.359 --> 0:21:29.640 would have been turned long ways in her lap instead 0:21:29.680 --> 0:21:33.119 of sideways, she would have been instantly killed. It was 0:21:33.160 --> 0:21:36.800 a pipe bomb. When it exploded, the nails blew out 0:21:37.000 --> 0:21:42.440 sideways away from her instead of into her. Why did 0:21:42.520 --> 0:21:46.720 Lisa have all these things coming against her since she 0:21:46.840 --> 0:21:50.640 was a baby. The enemy knew there was something special 0:21:50.720 --> 0:21:54.520 in her and anointing to teach, a gifting, to leave 0:21:55.200 --> 0:21:59.200 a favor to help build people. Every time the enemy 0:21:59.320 --> 0:22:03.199 sent a storm, God stepped up and said peace be still. 0:22:03.960 --> 0:22:07.359 When the bomb exploded, God said, bomb, you can't finish 0:22:07.440 --> 0:22:11.000 her off. I have the final say God refused to 0:22:11.119 --> 0:22:15.879 let her enemies triumph over her. Lisa says, I opened 0:22:15.920 --> 0:22:21.640 the bomb, and now I am the bomb. What's come 0:22:21.720 --> 0:22:27.040 against you has not been random. Those were strategic attacks 0:22:27.240 --> 0:22:33.359 for one reason, because of what's in you purpose, destiny, greatness, 0:22:33.560 --> 0:22:36.760 and if you will keep moving forward not get bitter 0:22:36.920 --> 0:22:40.159 over what hasn't worked out, at some point you're going 0:22:40.240 --> 0:22:42.879 to step in to what the enemy didn't want you 0:22:42.960 --> 0:22:48.040 to see, new levels of favor, opportunity like you've never dreamed. 0:22:48.280 --> 0:22:51.119 God has taken you where you couldn't go on your own. 0:22:52.000 --> 0:22:54.440 A friend of mine grew up in a large family 0:22:54.560 --> 0:22:59.000 in Puerto Rico, had seventeen brothers and sisters. His parents 0:22:59.000 --> 0:23:03.399 were heavily in witchcraft. When he was three years old, 0:23:03.680 --> 0:23:06.880 his mother was in a trance. She declared over him 0:23:07.160 --> 0:23:10.600 that he was the son of Satan. He was too 0:23:10.680 --> 0:23:14.360 young to know any better, but imagine having people speaking 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:17.879 things like that over your life. Didn't seem fair. Looked 0:23:17.880 --> 0:23:21.520 like he was at a disadvantage, But people don't have 0:23:21.560 --> 0:23:26.040 the final say. What you can't see is behind the scenes, 0:23:26.400 --> 0:23:30.439 the most taighed God is fighting for you. He overrules 0:23:30.920 --> 0:23:35.720 every negative thing that people have spoken. Fifteen years old, 0:23:36.400 --> 0:23:38.880 this young man moved to New York City with one 0:23:38.880 --> 0:23:42.440 of his brothers. Six months later, he was the leader 0:23:42.680 --> 0:23:46.000 of one of the most violent and feared street games. 0:23:46.480 --> 0:23:50.159 Fighting and stealing were a part of his everyday life. 0:23:50.200 --> 0:23:53.560 A year later, his best friend was stabbed and died 0:23:53.680 --> 0:23:57.600 in his arms, like the deranged man that was cutting himself. 0:23:57.960 --> 0:24:01.280 Didn't seem like this young man had the future. He 0:24:01.320 --> 0:24:04.720 would never amount to much. He was too far off course. 0:24:05.320 --> 0:24:08.439 But what he couldn't see was God was crossing the 0:24:08.560 --> 0:24:11.440 lake to get to him. God was on the way 0:24:11.560 --> 0:24:15.960 to turn things around. When forces come against you that strongly, 0:24:16.400 --> 0:24:20.080 you can be assured there's a great purpose for your life. 0:24:20.400 --> 0:24:25.160 There's great potential on the inside. One night, a minister 0:24:25.320 --> 0:24:28.200 came up to him on the street and invited him 0:24:28.240 --> 0:24:31.200 to a service that he was having. This young man 0:24:31.280 --> 0:24:33.560 made fun of him and threatened to beat him up. 0:24:34.280 --> 0:24:37.120 But when you plan a seed, you never know when 0:24:37.160 --> 0:24:40.600 it's going to take root. The next night, the young 0:24:40.680 --> 0:24:44.040 man and his whole game showed up at the service. 0:24:44.760 --> 0:24:48.480 They were planning to disrupt things and cause trouble, But 0:24:48.560 --> 0:24:51.840 when he began to hear about the love and forgiveness 0:24:51.920 --> 0:24:55.560 of our God, he felt something on the inside that 0:24:55.640 --> 0:24:58.640 he had never felt. At the end of the service, 0:24:58.960 --> 0:25:02.200 against all awe odds, he stood up and gave his 0:25:02.240 --> 0:25:07.080 life to Christ. Instantly, changes were broken off of his mind. 0:25:07.680 --> 0:25:10.520 He felt a new sense of purpose, a new sense 0:25:10.560 --> 0:25:14.120 of destiny. He knew he was no longer the son 0:25:14.200 --> 0:25:17.640 of Satan. He was the son of the Mosah God. 0:25:18.720 --> 0:25:21.680 When you can't fight for yourself, you have to know 0:25:22.240 --> 0:25:26.280 God is fighting for you. He is bigger than any 0:25:26.440 --> 0:25:29.879 force that's trying to hold you back. He's bigger than 0:25:29.960 --> 0:25:33.479 negative words that were spoken over you. He's bigger than 0:25:33.520 --> 0:25:36.880 the addiction, bigger than how you were raised, bigger than 0:25:36.880 --> 0:25:40.960 that sickness. You wouldn't have that difficulty if there wasn't 0:25:41.080 --> 0:25:45.520 greatness in you today. Our friend Nicki Cruz is an 0:25:45.560 --> 0:25:49.200 amazing minister. He goes around the world telling what God 0:25:49.240 --> 0:25:53.600 has done. But what I'm saying is Nicki couldn't change 0:25:53.600 --> 0:25:57.760 that on his own. Being born in that environment seemed unfair. 0:25:58.359 --> 0:26:01.400 The man that was deranged cutting himself, he couldn't get 0:26:01.400 --> 0:26:05.080 free by himself. Even people couldn't help him. That's why 0:26:05.080 --> 0:26:08.480 they sent him away. The good news is you have 0:26:08.680 --> 0:26:12.920 someone fighting for you behind the scenes. God's pushing back 0:26:13.080 --> 0:26:17.000 forces of darkness, making things happen that you couldn't make happen. 0:26:17.560 --> 0:26:21.280 The scripture says, stand still and you will see the 0:26:21.359 --> 0:26:25.000 deliverance of the Lord. You keep doing the right thing, 0:26:25.400 --> 0:26:28.920 and God will take care of what's stopping you. He'll 0:26:28.960 --> 0:26:32.720 turn the opposition around, He'll move the wrong people out 0:26:32.720 --> 0:26:35.359 of the way. He'll give you the breaks you need 0:26:35.520 --> 0:26:38.680 to get you to where you're supposed to be. When 0:26:38.720 --> 0:26:42.080 I first started ministering back in nineteen ninety nine, it 0:26:42.160 --> 0:26:45.879 seemed like everyone was for me. People were so encouraging, 0:26:45.960 --> 0:26:49.000 cheering beyond many of you. But after a couple of 0:26:49.119 --> 0:26:52.720 years I started having some opposition and people that didn't 0:26:52.800 --> 0:26:56.080 understand me. I used to think, why are they coming 0:26:56.119 --> 0:26:59.720 against me? Just trying to keep the church going, talking 0:26:59.760 --> 0:27:03.040 about the goodness of God. I'm not bothering anybody else. 0:27:03.920 --> 0:27:07.600 I realize now the enemy doesn't fight you for where 0:27:07.640 --> 0:27:11.600 you are. He fights you for where you're going. I 0:27:11.680 --> 0:27:15.199 thought I would always be at the same level. I 0:27:15.320 --> 0:27:19.640 was satisfied to maintain where we were. But God had 0:27:19.720 --> 0:27:23.720 something bigger in me, things that I couldn't see. The 0:27:23.880 --> 0:27:26.879 enemy wasn't fighting me for where I was. He was 0:27:26.920 --> 0:27:30.280 fighting me for the Compact Center. He was fighting me 0:27:30.359 --> 0:27:34.719 for my books, for serious exem for the Knights of Hope. 0:27:34.920 --> 0:27:37.720 You may be doing the right thing, but you have opposition. 0:27:38.160 --> 0:27:42.080 You don't understand it. It's because there's something in your 0:27:42.200 --> 0:27:46.359 future much bigger than you think. You can't see it 0:27:46.480 --> 0:27:50.280 right now, but even the enemy knows it's coming. He 0:27:50.480 --> 0:27:54.280 knows you're a giant killer, You're a history maker that 0:27:54.320 --> 0:27:58.040 you're going to affect generations to come. Now. Quit being 0:27:58.080 --> 0:28:01.840 discouraged by what's against you. If you aren't a threat, 0:28:02.160 --> 0:28:05.199 the enemy wouldn't be bothering you. It's because of the 0:28:05.280 --> 0:28:10.320 greatness that's in you. What's come against you may be bigger, stronger. 0:28:10.600 --> 0:28:13.960 Don't worry. The most tied God is fighting for you 0:28:14.480 --> 0:28:19.320 right now. He's crossing the lake. Say in peace, be stilled. Now, 0:28:19.359 --> 0:28:23.520 I believe and declare. Every storm that you're facing is 0:28:23.600 --> 0:28:27.639 beginning to dissipate. Every chain that's held you back is 0:28:27.680 --> 0:28:31.320 being broken. The greatness in you is about to come 0:28:31.359 --> 0:28:37.240 out new levels of favor, influence, opportunity, healing, breakthroughs, the 0:28:37.320 --> 0:28:41.400 fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name, And if you 0:28:41.480 --> 0:28:45.600 receive it, can you say him in today. Well, I'd 0:28:45.680 --> 0:28:48.760 like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:28:48.800 --> 0:28:53.520 Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:28:54.720 --> 0:29:00.240 I repent of my sins, Come into my hearty. Thank you, 0:29:00.320 --> 0:29:04.840 my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:29:04.960 --> 0:29:07.960 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:29:08.000 --> 0:29:11.640 Bible based church, and keep God first place. Thanks so 0:29:11.760 --> 0:29:15.080 much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe 0:29:15.240 --> 0:29:17.960 so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you 0:29:18.080 --> 0:29:20.200 encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:20.360 --> 0:29:22.600 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:22.600 --> 0:29:26.080 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:29:26.160 --> 0:29:28.800 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:29:28.880 --> 0:29:29.400 us today. 0:29:29.640 --> 0:29:32.080 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:32.200 --> 0:29:35.000 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:35.040 --> 0:29:38.160 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:29:38.160 --> 0:29:39.000 see you next time. 0:29:41.160 --> 0:29:43.120 Summer is here and our sleep is just as important 0:29:43.160 --> 0:29:45.280 as our weekend plans, So get the sleep you deserve 0:29:45.360 --> 0:29:47.440 with Lisa. For a limited time, save up to seven 0:29:47.520 --> 0:29:50.400 hundred dollars off select mattresses plus two free pillows during 0:29:50.400 --> 0:29:53.080 our summer sale check out our hybrid mattress designed to 0:29:53.120 --> 0:29:55.680 keep you cool during those hot summer nights. 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