The God Who Closes Doors

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 fund 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 --> 0:01:33.440 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:36.520 Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:37.240 the ministry. 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:39.680 If you enjoyed today's messy, 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 --> 0:01:45.560 your line. 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:50.240 Well, God bless you. 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:53.280 It's a joy to come into your homes. If you're 0:01:53.320 --> 0:01:55.760 ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and 0:01:55.840 --> 0:01:58.200 be a part of one of our services. I promise 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:00.360 you we'll make you feel right at home. Thank you 0:02:00.440 --> 0:02:02.920 so much for tuning in, and thank you again. 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:03.640 For coming out today. 0:02:04.280 --> 0:02:06.720 I like to start with something funny in one day 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.320 up in heaven, God said to the men, I want 0:02:09.360 --> 0:02:12.560 you to form two lines. One line is for the 0:02:12.600 --> 0:02:15.120 men who were the head of the house, and the 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:17.640 other line is for the men who let the woman 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:20.240 be the head of the house. The line where the 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:23.400 woman ran the house was one hundred miles long. There 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:26.720 was only one man in the other line. God said, men, 0:02:26.800 --> 0:02:29.360 I'm ashamed of you. I created you to be the head, 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:32.040 but only one man stood up. To make me proud. 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:34.880 He looked at him and said, son, tell them, how 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:37.519 did you manage to be the only one in this line. 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:40.200 The man looked confused and said, I don't know. My 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:45.400 wife told me to stand here. Victoria says, I'm the head, 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:49.000 but she's the neck that turns the head. So hold 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:51.200 up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. This 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:53.799 is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:56.480 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:57.440 what it says. 0:02:57.200 --> 0:02:57.720 I can do. 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:00.880 Today I will be taught the word of God. I 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:05.000 boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:05.320 --> 0:03:08.519 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:09.400 God bless you. 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:13.120 I want to talk to you today about the God 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:14.520 who closes doors. 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:17.520 We all know that God opens doors. 0:03:18.000 --> 0:03:21.960 We've seen him give us favor, good breaks, promotion. That's 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:25.720 the hand of God opening the door. But the same 0:03:25.840 --> 0:03:27.359 God that opens. 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:31.359 Doors will close doors. You prayed, but you didn't get the. 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:36.000 Promotion, the loan didn't go through, the relationship didn't work out, 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:39.400 and so often we get discouraged. We kind of feel 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:42.600 like God has let us down. But God can see 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:43.360 the big. 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:44.960 Picture for your life. 0:03:45.040 --> 0:03:48.560 God knows where every road is leading, He knows the 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:52.240 dead ends. He can see around the corner. To us, 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:55.600 it looks great. What we can't see is there's danger, 0:03:56.040 --> 0:04:00.160 there's heartache, trouble up ahead. God knows the road that 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:03.280 are a big circle. We'd go for years and end 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:07.360 up right back when we started, never making any progress. Now, 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:11.000 a big part of faith is trusting God when you 0:04:11.080 --> 0:04:15.480 don't understand it. On the surface, it looks perfect. You 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:18.880 can't see any reason why it shouldn't work out. But 0:04:18.960 --> 0:04:21.200 God can see a thousand things. 0:04:20.920 --> 0:04:22.640 That we cannot see. 0:04:22.720 --> 0:04:26.120 God may close the door because you're believing too small. 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:29.000 If he opened it, it would limit what He wants 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:32.320 to do in your life. The door may close because 0:04:32.680 --> 0:04:36.240 it's not the right time. There are other people involved 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:39.560 and they're not ready yet. If God opened it now, 0:04:40.040 --> 0:04:44.240 it wouldn't work out. Bottom line is God has your 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:48.279 best interest at heart. When a door closes, you don't 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:51.920 know what God saving you from. If your prayers don't 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:55.360 get answered the way you want. Instead of being discouraged 0:04:55.760 --> 0:04:58.120 feeling like God lets you down, why don't. 0:04:57.960 --> 0:04:59.400 You have a bigger perspective. 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:03.240 The reason the door closed is because God has something 0:05:03.320 --> 0:05:07.040 better in stores. If God wanted you to have that promotion, 0:05:07.440 --> 0:05:10.479 you would have gotten it. Shake it off and move forward. 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:14.320 There's something better coming. If God wanted that person. 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:17.640 To stay that left you, they would have stayed. Shake 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:18.159 it off. 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:22.280 The right people are in your future, friends. The closed 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:27.040 doors are not an accident. You may not understand it now. 0:05:27.680 --> 0:05:30.560 To you, it looks like the opportunity of a lifetime 0:05:30.720 --> 0:05:33.719 just passed you by. But one day you will look 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:37.120 back and thank God for the closed doors because if 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:39.640 God hadn't closed the door, you wouldn't have met the 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:42.680 right person. Or if God hadn't closed the door, you 0:05:42.720 --> 0:05:45.640 would have gotten stuck at one level and not seen 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:48.600 the amazing favor that God has in your future. 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:49.480 Now. 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:52.040 I used to get excited about my open doors and 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:56.320 really down about my closed doors. Now I thank God 0:05:56.400 --> 0:05:58.920 for my closed doors just as much as I do 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:01.359 my open doors. Now, I want you to come to 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:04.440 this place where you have such a trust in God. 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:08.640 You are so confident that He's directing your steps. You say, 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:12.360 like David, God, my life is in your hands. 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:13.680 If a door. 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:17.000 Closes, you don't get your way, you don't get upset. 0:06:17.680 --> 0:06:22.000 Your attitude is I know this door didn't close by accident. 0:06:22.400 --> 0:06:26.719 God closed it on purpose. And what God closes. 0:06:26.320 --> 0:06:28.799 I don't want to open. I don't want my way. 0:06:29.040 --> 0:06:31.599 I want his way. He knows what's best. 0:06:31.880 --> 0:06:35.280 He can see what I can't see. God not my will, 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:38.800 but let yours be done. That's a very freeing way 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:42.600 to live when you really believe God didn't complete control. 0:06:42.920 --> 0:06:44.200 Takes all the pressure off. 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:47.400 A few years ago, this man flew to Houston for 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:48.760 a big job interview. 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:51.159 He was so excited about it. 0:06:51.160 --> 0:06:54.440 It was a top position at one of the largest 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:58.680 companies in the world. Looked like a golden opportunity, a 0:06:58.800 --> 0:07:02.040 huge boost to his career. He was ready to give 0:07:02.120 --> 0:07:05.400 up his position of nearly thirty years and move his 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:08.440 family here to town. He came to the service and 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:11.720 asked us to pray over this big interview. We prayed 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:14.120 that God would give him favor and cause him to 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:17.280 stand out. In a few days, he called and he 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:21.880 was on cloud nine. Everything went great, looked very promising. 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:24.960 Several weeks went by and they invited him back for 0:07:25.000 --> 0:07:28.400 a second interview. He did the same thing, came by 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:32.600 the church. We prayed favor, promotion, on and on. After 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:36.120 talking with him for several hours, that company called him 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:40.440 back in said we really like you. You're incredibly talented. 0:07:41.200 --> 0:07:43.760 We just don't feel like you're the right fit for 0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:47.920 our organization. It was like they let the air out 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:51.120 of his balloon. He came to the service like he 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:54.880 had lost his last friend. He looked twenty years older. 0:07:54.960 --> 0:07:59.320 He was so discouraged. He said, Joel, I don't understand it. 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:04.480 I believed how could God let this happen. I told 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:07.640 him what I'm telling you. The same God that opens 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:09.480 doors will close doors. 0:08:09.800 --> 0:08:11.000 You have to trust him. 0:08:11.560 --> 0:08:14.520 You may not understand it now, but one day you 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:15.760 will understand it. 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:19.200 One day you'll thank God that you didn't get that position. 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:23.280 A couple of years later, he showed up smiling from 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:26.040 ear to ear. He said Joel. God knew what he 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:30.120 was doing. He told how that company was in bankruptcy. 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:33.600 Thousands of people were being laid off. It was a 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:37.120 big mess all over the news. The whole company ended 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:40.840 up shutting down. Here's how good God is. He was 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:44.760 less than two years away from retirement at that other company. 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:48.040 If he would have gotten that position, he would not 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:51.160 only be out of a job right now, but he 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:55.280 would have lost nearly thirty years of his retirement benefits. 0:08:55.920 --> 0:08:57.360 God knows what he's doing. 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:02.520 Don't be discouraged by your closed doors yours. If God 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:05.840 wants a door to open, you can be certain it 0:09:05.880 --> 0:09:09.400 will open. All the forces of darkness cannot stop it. 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:10.679 Well, what I want you. 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:14.440 To see is when you pray, you believe, you stand 0:09:14.480 --> 0:09:18.440 in faith, and the door doesn't open, take it as 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:22.560 a sign from God. It's not his best. Sometimes, like 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:26.800 this man, we're so disappointed. But the truth is God 0:09:26.880 --> 0:09:29.000 loves you too much to open that door. 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:32.400 God is not letting you down. He's doing you a favor. 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:35.360 He's keeping you from all kinds of heartache and pain. 0:09:36.400 --> 0:09:39.480 If we're really going to trust God, we have to 0:09:39.480 --> 0:09:43.840 be content with the answer. God gives us so often 0:09:43.920 --> 0:09:46.960 we say we're trusting, but we're only going to be 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:48.880 happy if God does it our. 0:09:48.800 --> 0:09:50.679 Way on our timetable. 0:09:51.559 --> 0:09:53.800 Now you have to put the dream on the altar 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:58.320 and say, God, if this is what you want from me, God, 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:00.280 if this is your best for my life. 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:03.920 I know you're in complete control. There's no power greater 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:05.679 than yours. God. I trust you. 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:08.800 If it happens, I'm going to be happy and thank 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.680 you for it. If it doesn't work out, I'm not 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:14.560 going to get discouraged. I'm not going to quit believing. 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:18.080 I know that means you have something better in store. 0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:22.760 This takes all the pressure off. You're not frustrated if 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:26.280 it doesn't work out. You don't live in self pity 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:30.240 if it doesn't happen your way. You know, the steps 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:33.160 and the stops of a good person are ordered by 0:10:33.160 --> 0:10:36.680 the Lord. And this was difficult for me because you 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:40.839 know how some opportunities look so great in my mind. 0:10:40.880 --> 0:10:44.439 I thought, God, it's perfect. There will never be anything better. 0:10:45.200 --> 0:10:49.720 The problem is our thinking is limited. God's plan for 0:10:49.800 --> 0:10:52.800 your life is so much bigger than your own plan 0:10:53.400 --> 0:10:56.680 that if God didn't close certain doors, it would keep 0:10:56.720 --> 0:10:59.719 you from the fullness of your destiny. A couple of 0:10:59.800 --> 0:11:02.000 years after my dad went to be with the Lord 0:11:02.000 --> 0:11:05.240 and I took over, the church really started growing. We 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:09.079 needed property to build a new sanctuary on My father 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:12.080 said that he would never move the church, and so 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:15.120 we looked for property as close to the other location 0:11:15.400 --> 0:11:18.960 as we could possibly find. We found this one hundred 0:11:19.080 --> 0:11:22.840 acre tract of land right off the freeway, about two 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:24.280 miles from the other location. 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:25.679 It was perfect. 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:29.040 We talked to the owner and he told how it 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:31.760 had been on the market for over twenty years and 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:35.280 he had never had one offer, not one person interested. 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:38.720 We said, thank you, Lord, you've saved this property for us. 0:11:39.600 --> 0:11:42.199 After about six months of doing our research and our 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:45.760 soil test, we went to close on the property. We 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:48.600 had an eight o'clock meeting. We walked in at seven 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:52.120 point forty five. I'll never forget it. The secretary came 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:55.520 out and said, I'm so sorry, but the owner sold 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:58.560 the property last night to another party. 0:11:59.400 --> 0:12:00.760 I was so disappointed. 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:04.559 I just knew that was the devil stealing our property. 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:09.920 I went home very discouraged, and I told Victoria what happened. 0:12:10.320 --> 0:12:13.720 She said, listen, Joel, God closed that door for a reason. 0:12:14.120 --> 0:12:16.360 We're not going to get discouraged. We're going to keep 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:20.439 a good attitude. God has something better in store. In 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.640 my mind, I couldn't believe it. But in my heart, 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:26.840 down in here, I knew what she was saying was 0:12:26.880 --> 0:12:29.959 exactly true. I thought God is still on the throne. 0:12:30.320 --> 0:12:33.200 His plan cannot be stopped by a bad break, a 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:36.320 disappointment by a person. God has the final save. 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:40.880 I made a decision that day. Instead of sitting around 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:41.760 in self. 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:45.360 Pity saying God, why didn't it work out? I chose 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:49.000 to believe that God was still in control. It was 0:12:49.080 --> 0:12:51.960 a few months later I got a call from a friend. 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:55.840 He said, hey, Joel, the Houston Rockets basketball team is 0:12:55.920 --> 0:12:58.640 moving out of the Compact Center. That would be a 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:02.800 great facility for Lakewood. When he said that, something came 0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:06.000 alive on the inside. I knew right then and there 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:09.400 that was the reason God closed the other door. 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:11.280 It was too small. 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:14.160 It would have limited what God wanted to do. And 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:16.839 things begin to fall into place, and here we are 0:13:16.840 --> 0:13:20.120 today enjoying the fullness of what God had in store. 0:13:23.120 --> 0:13:27.560 But back then I couldn't fathom. This wasn't even on 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:32.680 my radar. This was exceedingly abundantly above and beyond. I 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:35.280 would have been happy with the other property. I would 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:38.240 have celebrated God's goodness if he'd done it that way. 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:42.400 But God's dream for your life is so much bigger 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:43.360 than your own dream. 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:47.600 There will be times that a door closes that you 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:48.599 don't understand. 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:50.360 It doesn't make sense. 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:54.040 They were the perfect man, the perfect woman, but they 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:55.400 broke off the relationship. 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:57.920 The house was just what you wanted. 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:00.800 It even had the wallpaper you would have picked in 0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:03.440 the living room, but they didn't accept your offer. 0:14:03.760 --> 0:14:04.960 The loan didn't go through. 0:14:05.720 --> 0:14:09.440 It doesn't make sense, But one day it will make sense. 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:12.880 One day you'll have your Compact Center. You'll look back 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:15.760 and say, God, thank you that the property was sold 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:19.640 out from under me. God, thank you that the loan 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:23.760 didn't go through. God, thank you that that old goat walked. 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:25.280 Out on me. I mean that person walked out on me. 0:14:27.200 --> 0:14:28.040 Here's the question. 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:33.440 Will you stay in faith while you wait to see what. 0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:34.240 God is up to? 0:14:35.000 --> 0:14:38.920 Will you not get discouraged and start complaining nothing good 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:41.600 ever happens to me. I can't believe I didn't get 0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:44.600 the promotion. I've been at the company longer than anybody else, 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:48.360 or I treated this girl like a queen, and she 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:50.000 just wants to be friends. 0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:53.800 She says, I'm just like her brother and God. 0:14:53.840 --> 0:14:55.440 I don't want to be a brother. I want to 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:59.160 be a husband. All of us have been brothers before. 0:14:59.280 --> 0:15:03.880 But trust God with your life. He knows what he's doing. 0:15:04.840 --> 0:15:08.600 I pray every day God opened the right doors and 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:12.480 closed the wrong doors. God bring the right people across 0:15:12.560 --> 0:15:15.320 my path, weed out those that shouldn't be there. 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:19.480 I've learned the closed doors are just as important as 0:15:19.520 --> 0:15:20.400 the open doors. 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:23.840 You know what brought us to this facility a closed door. 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:28.640 Don't be discouraged by your closed doors. That's God protecting 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:32.120 you from heartache. That's God keeping you from the wrong people. 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:36.240 That's God not letting you live a limited life. You 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:39.360 may be like me, you want the empty piece of property. 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:43.840 But God has a building already built for you. He 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:47.520 has more than you can ask or thinks, and exceedingly 0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:52.440 abundantly above and beyond future. God loves you so much 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:57.120 that he hasn't answered certain prayers. He hasn't allowed certain 0:15:57.160 --> 0:16:00.440 people into your life that you really wanted, because they 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:04.680 would have limited your growth. Learn to trust him, Thank 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:08.640 Him for your open doors, Celebrate his goodness, But thank 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:11.840 him just as much for your closed doors, knowing that he's. 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:13.240 Still directing your steps. 0:16:14.160 --> 0:16:17.600 Some of you today are discouraged because your plan didn't 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:21.239 work out. The man, the woman, they didn't marry you. 0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:24.200 You didn't get the position you were hoping for. Shake 0:16:24.240 --> 0:16:28.040 it off, move forward. God has something better in front 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:31.560 of you. God is not hindering you. He's helping you. 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:35.320 He's getting you in position for the amazing future he 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:38.720 has in store. There was a young lady that came 0:16:38.760 --> 0:16:41.560 down for prayer a few years back, right here at 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:45.520 the altar. She was so discouraged because her boyfriend had 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:48.640 broken up with her. She didn't think she could live 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:51.640 without him. She knew he was the man of her dreams. 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:55.920 Every Sunday we would pray that that relationship would be restored. 0:16:56.400 --> 0:16:59.560 This went on month after month. She was as faithful 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:00.240 as can be. 0:17:01.160 --> 0:17:01.280 Now. 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:03.840 I could tell though, she was only going to be 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:07.679 happy if God did it her way. I tried to 0:17:07.800 --> 0:17:11.600 encourage her hate stay open. God knows what's best. He 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:13.800 can see the big picture. She didn't want to hear 0:17:13.800 --> 0:17:16.639 any of that. She only wanted this young man back. 0:17:17.119 --> 0:17:17.280 Well. 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:21.800 Unfortunately it didn't work out. He married someone else. She 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:25.440 was so disappointed. She felt like God had let her down. 0:17:25.920 --> 0:17:29.480 She said, Joel, all those prayers we prayed, I quoted 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:32.359 the scripture, I was good to others. I did everything 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:35.640 I was supposed to do. She ended up dropping out 0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:40.760 a church. The scripture says God's ways are not our ways, 0:17:40.960 --> 0:17:45.680 they are better than our ways. Maybe, like her, your 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:48.920 prayer didn't get answered the way you wanted, didn't turn 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:51.840 out the way you had hoped. Let these words sink 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:56.320 down into your spirit. God's way is better than your way. 0:17:56.480 --> 0:18:00.199 His plan is bigger than your plan. His dream for 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:04.600 your life is more rewarding, more fulfilling, better than you've 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:08.320 ever dreamed of. Now stay open and let God do 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:11.920 it his way. Put the request on the altar. It's 0:18:11.960 --> 0:18:14.400 okay to be honest and say God, this is what 0:18:14.440 --> 0:18:14.920 I want. 0:18:15.480 --> 0:18:15.680 God. 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:17.719 You know how badly I want it, you know how 0:18:17.760 --> 0:18:20.480 much it means to me. But God, if it's not 0:18:20.760 --> 0:18:21.960 your best. 0:18:21.840 --> 0:18:24.040 I don't want it. God, I trust you. 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:27.240 I didn't see this young lady for the longest time. 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:30.840 She ended up moving to another city. In about five 0:18:30.920 --> 0:18:33.919 or six years. After all of this, she came to 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:37.280 church with this handsome man by her side come to 0:18:37.320 --> 0:18:38.520 find out they were married. 0:18:38.760 --> 0:18:39.960 They had a beautiful daughter. 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:42.640 She was as happy as can be, and at one 0:18:42.680 --> 0:18:47.000 point her husband stepped away and she whispered in my ear, Joey, 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:49.879 you remember the young man we used to always pray about. 0:18:50.440 --> 0:18:54.520 He's already been married and divorced two times. He's constantly 0:18:54.560 --> 0:18:56.879 in and out of trouble. He can't hold down a 0:18:56.920 --> 0:19:00.640 good job. She made the statement, I think God every 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:02.480 day that he didn't answer my prayer. 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:05.920 When you want. 0:19:05.720 --> 0:19:10.240 Something so badly, you don't think you can live without it, 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:13.159 you try to force it to happen. God is so 0:19:13.440 --> 0:19:17.119 merciful if it's not his best, He's not going to 0:19:17.160 --> 0:19:20.280 answer that prayer. He loves you too much to open 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:22.520 that door. Why don't you trust him? 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:26.080 He wants you to fulfill your destiny more than you do. 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:29.439 He is in complete control. When you come to a 0:19:29.480 --> 0:19:32.760 closed door, that is a test of your faith. 0:19:33.560 --> 0:19:36.560 Are you going to get bitter, live in self pity, 0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:39.960 give up on your dreams, or are you going to 0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:43.960 move forward knowing that God is still in control. If 0:19:44.000 --> 0:19:47.480 you will pass the test, God will release what he 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:50.879 has in your future, and many times it will be 0:19:51.080 --> 0:19:55.160 exactly what you're praying for. God will bring that person back, 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:58.200 or he'll bring an opportunity or that dream to pass. 0:19:58.640 --> 0:20:01.520 God just wants to see do you trust him enough 0:20:01.800 --> 0:20:02.120 to be. 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:06.040 Happy even if it doesn't happen your way. That's what 0:20:06.119 --> 0:20:07.159 happened with Abraham. 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:11.240 God instructed him to put his own son on the altar, 0:20:11.760 --> 0:20:14.640 the thing that meant the most to him. Just when 0:20:14.640 --> 0:20:17.600 Abraham was going to harm him, God said, no, Abraham, 0:20:17.720 --> 0:20:20.720 don't do it. I just wanted to see if you 0:20:20.880 --> 0:20:23.600 trusted me enough to give me your own son. 0:20:24.600 --> 0:20:28.600 Abraham passed the test, and what happened. God gave him 0:20:28.640 --> 0:20:31.159 back what he really wanted, the thing that meant the 0:20:31.200 --> 0:20:31.840 most to him. 0:20:32.600 --> 0:20:35.480 When you face a disappointment, a closed door, your plans 0:20:35.520 --> 0:20:38.439 don't work out, and you keep a good attitude, you 0:20:38.520 --> 0:20:42.199 stay in faith, you are passing the test. That's what 0:20:42.320 --> 0:20:43.920 allows God to give you. 0:20:43.920 --> 0:20:46.240 Back what you really want the most. 0:20:46.640 --> 0:20:50.359 In Proverbs twenty, verse twenty four says, since the Lord 0:20:50.680 --> 0:20:54.240 is directing our steps, why do we try to figure 0:20:54.280 --> 0:20:58.359 out everything that happens along the way. Some of you 0:20:58.440 --> 0:21:01.320 today could get free if you just quit trying to 0:21:01.359 --> 0:21:02.600 figure everything out. 0:21:03.440 --> 0:21:05.919 God, why did I go through that breakup? I'm a 0:21:05.960 --> 0:21:06.560 good person. 0:21:07.119 --> 0:21:10.480 God, why did they sell that property out from under us? No, 0:21:10.640 --> 0:21:13.600 if you're trying to figure everything out, all that's going 0:21:13.680 --> 0:21:15.440 to do is make it confused. 0:21:16.240 --> 0:21:20.520 Let it go and move forward. God can see things 0:21:20.640 --> 0:21:21.680 that you can't see. 0:21:22.520 --> 0:21:25.399 It may not make sense right now, but one day, 0:21:25.600 --> 0:21:28.840 when God's whole plan unfolds. 0:21:28.480 --> 0:21:30.959 You will see what God is up to. Now. 0:21:31.000 --> 0:21:35.040 A part of trusting is saying God, I don't understand it. 0:21:35.040 --> 0:21:38.560 It doesn't seem fair, But God, I believe that my 0:21:38.720 --> 0:21:42.720 steps and my stops are ordered by you. I know, 0:21:42.920 --> 0:21:45.560 just as you can open doors, you will close doors. 0:21:45.760 --> 0:21:47.439 So I'm going to keep a good attitude. 0:21:47.520 --> 0:21:49.920 I'm going to move forward in faith, knowing that you 0:21:50.040 --> 0:21:53.080 have my best interest at heart. I read about this 0:21:53.200 --> 0:21:57.280 lady that was complaining about everything that went wrong that day. 0:21:57.400 --> 0:21:59.920 She said, God, why did you let so many bad? 0:22:00.000 --> 0:22:03.280 Had things happened to me? My alarm didn't go off 0:22:03.320 --> 0:22:06.400 and I was late to work. At lunch, they made 0:22:06.480 --> 0:22:09.280 my sandwich wrong and I had to send it back. 0:22:09.840 --> 0:22:13.000 Driving home, my cell phone dropped the call right in 0:22:13.040 --> 0:22:16.320 the middle of a conversation. To top it off, God, 0:22:16.440 --> 0:22:18.800 when I got home, I wanted to put my feet 0:22:19.080 --> 0:22:22.320 in the foot massager just to relax, but it wouldn't 0:22:22.320 --> 0:22:26.760 turn on. God, nothing went right today, God said, all right, 0:22:26.880 --> 0:22:29.480 let me go down the list. Your alarm didn't go 0:22:29.640 --> 0:22:32.639 off because there was a drunk driver on the freeway. 0:22:33.040 --> 0:22:35.920 I delayed you on purpose so you wouldn't be harmed. 0:22:36.400 --> 0:22:39.080 And your sandwich, you had to send that back because 0:22:39.119 --> 0:22:42.040 the first person that made it wasn't feeling well, and 0:22:42.080 --> 0:22:44.199 I didn't want you to catch what they had, so 0:22:44.280 --> 0:22:46.080 I had somebody else remake it. 0:22:46.640 --> 0:22:47.520 The phone call. 0:22:47.440 --> 0:22:50.960 Driving home, I caused it to drop on purpose because 0:22:50.960 --> 0:22:53.919 that person was going to spread rumors and fill you 0:22:54.000 --> 0:22:55.119 with all kinds of trash. 0:22:55.359 --> 0:22:57.000 I didn't want you to be contaminated. 0:22:57.960 --> 0:23:00.919 And oh yeah, that foot massager'd had a short in it. 0:23:01.240 --> 0:23:03.280 If it would have turned on, it would have blown 0:23:03.320 --> 0:23:05.840 out power to the whole house. And I didn't think 0:23:05.840 --> 0:23:08.040 you'd want to sit around in the dark all evening, 0:23:08.200 --> 0:23:10.040 so I caused it to not turn on. 0:23:10.800 --> 0:23:13.680 What's my point. God knows exactly what he's doing. 0:23:14.160 --> 0:23:16.920 Everything about your life is calculated. 0:23:18.760 --> 0:23:20.000 Take this in the right way. 0:23:20.240 --> 0:23:23.800 You may not understand it, but it's because you're not God. 0:23:24.560 --> 0:23:28.680 God has a reason. Every door that's closed. God had 0:23:28.680 --> 0:23:32.520 a purpose for it closing. Since the Lord is directing 0:23:32.560 --> 0:23:35.399 our steps, let's don't try to figure out everything that 0:23:35.440 --> 0:23:36.440 happens along the way. 0:23:36.640 --> 0:23:39.840 Let's just trust him. I have a good friend that's 0:23:39.880 --> 0:23:40.359 a minister. 0:23:40.960 --> 0:23:44.360 He and his team had this big outdoor event planned 0:23:44.440 --> 0:23:45.440 in another country. 0:23:45.800 --> 0:23:48.040 They had spent over two years working on it. 0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:52.679 They had government officials, business leaders, pastors, all kinds of 0:23:52.800 --> 0:23:57.560 organizations involved. It was a huge undertaking, costing thousands and 0:23:57.600 --> 0:24:00.560 thousands of dollars. Finally came down to the week of 0:24:00.600 --> 0:24:03.760 the big event. They had the staging out, the sound 0:24:03.800 --> 0:24:07.240 system was up, all the advertising. 0:24:06.760 --> 0:24:08.080 Was going through the airways. 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:11.879 It was just about to happen when they got word 0:24:12.000 --> 0:24:15.680 from the government that because of the swine flu outbreak, 0:24:16.080 --> 0:24:20.840 all public meetings had been indefinitely canceled. My friend was 0:24:20.960 --> 0:24:24.639 so disappointed. Two years of hard work seemed like the 0:24:24.640 --> 0:24:28.160 biggest waste of time, energy, money. He and his team 0:24:28.200 --> 0:24:30.480 got on the plane came back home. That's all they 0:24:30.520 --> 0:24:34.480 could do. But that weekend, right when their event was 0:24:34.520 --> 0:24:39.679 supposed to take place, the military overthrew the government a coup. 0:24:40.000 --> 0:24:41.640 It was total chaos. 0:24:41.920 --> 0:24:46.080 People panicked, no law, no order, shooting in the street, 0:24:46.680 --> 0:24:50.720 all kinds of mayhem. If his event had not been canceled, 0:24:50.840 --> 0:24:52.520 he would have been right in the middle of it. 0:24:52.680 --> 0:24:54.080 No telling what would have happened. 0:24:54.600 --> 0:24:56.920 He said, I know this sounds odd, but I thank 0:24:57.000 --> 0:25:01.679 God for the swine flu. We lost some time, energy, money, 0:25:01.800 --> 0:25:04.880 but we could have lost our lives. See, there may 0:25:04.920 --> 0:25:08.160 be things that you cannot figure out why it happened. 0:25:08.240 --> 0:25:09.880 Right now seems. 0:25:09.560 --> 0:25:13.640 Like a big disappointment. But like him, one day you'll 0:25:13.680 --> 0:25:16.600 thank God the door closed. You'll be grateful that it 0:25:16.640 --> 0:25:21.400 didn't work out. Scripture says in Corinthians. Now we see 0:25:21.520 --> 0:25:25.840 in part, like looking through a glass dimly, but one 0:25:25.920 --> 0:25:30.040 day we will see clearly, face to face. Right now, 0:25:30.080 --> 0:25:33.399 notice you can't see it all clearly. You're only looking 0:25:33.440 --> 0:25:36.400 at it in part. But one day it will come 0:25:36.400 --> 0:25:39.720 into focus and you'll look back and say, wow, God, 0:25:39.960 --> 0:25:43.520 you are amazing. You had it all figured out, all 0:25:43.560 --> 0:25:47.080 lined up. You closed the door on purpose so your 0:25:47.119 --> 0:25:50.639 perfect will would be done. That's what happened to this 0:25:50.680 --> 0:25:54.200 one young man. He's a straight A student in high school. 0:25:54.560 --> 0:25:58.080 He loves to study academically. He's in the top five 0:25:58.160 --> 0:26:02.560 percent of the nation. His dream was to become an engineer. 0:26:02.800 --> 0:26:05.760 It's always what he wanted to do. He applied to 0:26:05.840 --> 0:26:09.520 about a dozen or so of the best engineering schools 0:26:09.560 --> 0:26:13.720 in the nation, but he got turned down again and again. 0:26:14.200 --> 0:26:15.159 Didn't make sense. 0:26:15.760 --> 0:26:18.720 Some of his friends were being accepted that didn't have 0:26:18.840 --> 0:26:20.200 as good a grace as he did. 0:26:20.400 --> 0:26:21.639 He didn't understand it. 0:26:22.520 --> 0:26:25.120 While he was waiting to hear back from other schools, 0:26:25.600 --> 0:26:27.719 he went on a missions trip with a group of 0:26:27.760 --> 0:26:30.600 doctors from his church. He was there to just run 0:26:30.720 --> 0:26:33.240 errands and to help out. They were in a very 0:26:33.359 --> 0:26:37.360 poor nation. When he saw the doctors taking care. 0:26:37.200 --> 0:26:40.199 Of the people, treating their diseases. 0:26:39.760 --> 0:26:44.439 Helping them get better, something new was birthed on the inside. 0:26:44.520 --> 0:26:47.600 He thought, I don't want to be an engineer. This 0:26:47.680 --> 0:26:49.800 is what I want to do with my life. I 0:26:49.840 --> 0:26:52.480 want to become a doctor and help to take care 0:26:52.520 --> 0:26:55.639 of people. He went back home and he applied to 0:26:55.720 --> 0:26:58.639 medical school and he was immediately accepted. 0:26:59.160 --> 0:27:01.720 In fact, he had several schools to choose from. 0:27:02.359 --> 0:27:06.560 What's interesting is the first engineering school he applied to 0:27:07.080 --> 0:27:09.240 then sent him a letter of acceptance. 0:27:09.880 --> 0:27:11.639 If he were to received that letter. 0:27:11.680 --> 0:27:14.480 Months earlier, he would have never gone on the mission's trip, 0:27:15.000 --> 0:27:18.240 never been open to that call to go into medicine. 0:27:18.280 --> 0:27:22.600 God closed the doors on purpose to the engineering school 0:27:22.840 --> 0:27:23.800 to push him. 0:27:23.840 --> 0:27:26.560 Into his divine destiny. What am I saying? 0:27:27.119 --> 0:27:30.960 Don't fight your closed doors. God knows what he's doing. 0:27:31.280 --> 0:27:34.480 He can see the big picture for your life. Some 0:27:34.560 --> 0:27:37.840 of you are discouraged because your plans have not worked out. 0:27:38.359 --> 0:27:41.680 Those closed doors were not an accident. That was God 0:27:41.800 --> 0:27:46.240 directing your steps. The reason God closed them is because 0:27:46.280 --> 0:27:48.000 he has something better in store. 0:27:48.240 --> 0:27:49.359 Will you trust him? 0:27:49.600 --> 0:27:52.080 It may not make sense now, but one day it 0:27:52.119 --> 0:27:56.760 will make sense. Remember you're not really trusting if you're 0:27:56.800 --> 0:27:59.520 only going to be happy if it happens your way. 0:28:00.160 --> 0:28:02.800 Put it on the altar. God, this is what I want, 0:28:03.240 --> 0:28:06.120 but not my will. Let your will be done. 0:28:06.440 --> 0:28:09.440 If you'll have this perspective and not only thank God 0:28:09.480 --> 0:28:12.080 for your open doors, but thank him just as much 0:28:12.119 --> 0:28:16.200 for your closed doors, then like Abraham, you'll pass the test. 0:28:16.640 --> 0:28:21.000 I believe and declare you will see the exceedingly abundantly 0:28:21.240 --> 0:28:24.560 above and beyond future that God has in store in 0:28:24.680 --> 0:28:25.480 Jesus's name. 0:28:25.760 --> 0:28:26.840 Do you receive it today? 0:28:28.520 --> 0:28:31.440 We never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:28:31.480 --> 0:28:34.160 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:34.560 --> 0:28:35.520 Would you pray with me. 0:28:36.160 --> 0:28:40.040 Just say, Lord Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. 0:28:41.200 --> 0:28:45.000 Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. 0:28:46.200 --> 0:28:48.520 Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you 0:28:48.560 --> 0:28:51.360 got born again. Get in a good Bible based church. 0:28:51.560 --> 0:28:54.200 Keep God first place. He's going to take your places 0:28:54.280 --> 0:28:57.360 that you've never dreamed of. Thanks so much for listening 0:28:57.360 --> 0:29:00.520 to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can 0:29:00.560 --> 0:29:04.160 receive the latest podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired 0:29:04.240 --> 0:29:05.000 all through the week. 0:29:05.160 --> 0:29:07.400 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:07.400 --> 0:29:08.920 with those all around the world. 0:29:09.200 --> 0:29:10.800 Visit jolosting dot. 0:29:10.560 --> 0:29:13.440 Com or click the link in the description to partner 0:29:13.480 --> 0:29:14.200 with us today. 0:29:14.440 --> 0:29:16.880 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:17.000 --> 0:29:19.800 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:19.840 --> 0:29:22.960 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. 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