The God Who Crosses His Arms

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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 a 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 Joe Loustine Podcast. Help leu's continue to 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:22.240 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 --> 0:01:34.920 gift today. 0:01:38.800 --> 0:01:41.679 Well, God bless you and thanks for letting us come 0:01:41.720 --> 0:01:45.480 into your homes today. If you're ever in our area, 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:47.640 I hope you'll stop by and be a part of 0:01:47.640 --> 0:01:51.160 one of our services, finest people in all of Houston, Texas, 0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:53.919 right here at Lakewood. But thanks for tuning in today, 0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:56.440 and thank you again for coming out. I like to 0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:59.040 start with something funny, and I heard about this man 0:01:59.080 --> 0:02:03.480 that died and to Heaven Saint Peter escorted him down 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:08.240 this long hallway filled with many clocks. The hands on 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:12.519 the clocks were all ticking at different speeds. Peter explained 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:15.760 that every person has a clock when they send the 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:19.640 clock ticks. One clock was barely moving. That was Billy 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:24.000 Graham's clock. Another clock was creeping along Mother Teresa's clock. 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:28.280 The men said, curiously, can I see my clock? Peter said, yeah, 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:30.639 we keep yours in the office and use it as 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:35.120 a fan. Say it like you mean it. This is 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:38.120 my Bible. I am what it says I am. I 0:02:38.240 --> 0:02:40.680 have what it says I have. I can do what 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.600 it says I can do. Today I will be talked 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:47.760 to word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, 0:02:48.120 --> 0:02:51.040 my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:55.679 In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk 0:02:55.720 --> 0:02:59.280 to you today about the God who crosses his arms. 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:03.000 God has things in store for you that you don't 0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:06.600 see coming. It may seem like you've reached your limits. 0:03:06.880 --> 0:03:09.760 You've gone as far as you can. But God is 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:13.440 going to open doors you never thought would open. You 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:16.640 didn't have the training, you weren't next in line, but 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:22.440 somehow you were chosen for the promotion. God has unexpected favor. 0:03:23.000 --> 0:03:26.320 He's going to do things that we didn't deserve. And 0:03:26.400 --> 0:03:30.240 that's what happened. In Genesis forty eight. Jacob was an 0:03:30.280 --> 0:03:34.600 old man and about to die. His son, Joseph was 0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:38.960 the Prime Minister of Egypt, second in command under the Pharaoh. 0:03:39.920 --> 0:03:44.360 Joseph was Jacob's youngest son and his favorite. He'd given 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:47.560 Joseph his coat of many colors and was so proud 0:03:47.600 --> 0:03:52.720 of him. But for many years Jacob thought Joseph was dead. 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:57.120 His brothers told their father that Joseph had been eaten 0:03:57.160 --> 0:04:01.040 by a wild animal. Jacob was heart broken and lived 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:05.960 with all this pain. Some thirteen years later, Jacob found 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:09.560 out that Joseph was still alive, and in this position 0:04:09.760 --> 0:04:14.560 of great honor, Joseph eventually brought his father and his 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:18.160 family to Egypt, gave them a place to live, and 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:21.640 took care of them. Now Jacob was one hundred and 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:25.600 forty years old and about to pass Joseph went in 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:28.760 to say his goodbyes and to get the blessing from 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:33.200 his father. He took his two sons with him, Manassah 0:04:33.600 --> 0:04:38.159 and Ephrium. When Jacob saw the boys, he asked who 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:43.880 they were. Joseph said, Dad, these are my sons, your grandsons. 0:04:44.760 --> 0:04:48.200 Imagine how Jacob must have felt. He never thought he 0:04:48.240 --> 0:04:52.520 would see Joseph again. He'd already accepted that he was gone. 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:56.599 Now God not only let him see his son, but 0:04:56.720 --> 0:05:02.200 he saw his grandsons. His heart was over. And like Jacob, 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:05.000 you may have given up on a dream. You think 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:08.640 it's been too long. Now you've accepted that you'll never 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:11.800 get well, You never meet the right person, never start 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:15.560 that business. But what God put in your heart, he's 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:18.560 not only still going to bring it to pass, but 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:21.680 it's going to turn out better than you thought. Not 0:05:21.839 --> 0:05:25.120 just your son, but your grandson, so to speak. It's 0:05:25.160 --> 0:05:29.520 going to exceed what you're thinking. Jacob called Manassa and 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:33.440 Ephrium over and hugged them and kissed them. He said 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:38.840 to Joseph in verse five, I'm adopting as my own sons, 0:05:39.279 --> 0:05:42.680 your two boys. They will inherit the same thing as 0:05:42.720 --> 0:05:47.360 you and your brothers. What's interesting is these boys were 0:05:47.400 --> 0:05:52.479 born from an Egyptian mother. Back then, the Egyptians worshiped idols. 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:56.640 They didn't believe in Jehovah. She didn't have a heritage 0:05:56.680 --> 0:06:00.440 of faith. You would think God would say, not gonna 0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:03.480 have anything to do with those boys. Not counda bless 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:08.080 someone from a family that doesn't worship me. But God 0:06:08.200 --> 0:06:12.800 doesn't disqualify you because of how you were raised. You 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:15.960 may come from a family that didn't honor God. There 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:20.200 was a lot of compromise, dysfunction. The good news that 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:25.040 doesn't have to stop you. Like Manassa and Ephraim, God 0:06:25.240 --> 0:06:28.680 is adopting you in spite of what they did or 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:31.760 didn't do. You may kind of feel like you've been 0:06:31.880 --> 0:06:35.440 under a generational curse because of how you were raised. 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:40.440 God is choosing you to start a generational blessing. You're 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:44.120 the difference maker. You can be the one to affect 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:48.840 your family line for generations to come. It was extremely 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:53.800 significant that these boys were adopted by Jacob. Not only 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:58.239 did he overlook who their mother was, but they were grandsons, 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:02.680 not sons. They should have had to wait another generation 0:07:03.360 --> 0:07:08.040 forty years to receive what Jacob was giving them. Normally, 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:11.480 it would have come from their father, Joseph. He would 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:14.800 have passed down the blessing the inheritance that was given 0:07:14.800 --> 0:07:19.480 to him. These boys were receiving something that they didn't deserve. 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:24.320 This was showing us the character of God. There are 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:28.119 things that we don't deserve. We were, off course, doing 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:31.720 our own thing, but God, who is full of mercy, 0:07:32.200 --> 0:07:35.240 said I'm going to reach down in spite of your past, 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:38.440 in spite of your mistakes, in spite of what your 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:42.640 family didn't do, And I'm going to adopt you anyway, 0:07:42.800 --> 0:07:46.840 Paul said in Ephesians, God has adopted us into his 0:07:47.000 --> 0:07:51.560 own family. Because you've been adopted, You're going to come 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:55.760 in to blessings that you didn't earn, favor that you 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:59.840 didn't deserve, houses that you didn't build. The scripture says 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:04.000 vineyards that you didn't plant. Your past is not going 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:07.480 to limit you. How you were raised is not going 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:11.280 to keep God from blessing you like these boys. Mother. 0:08:11.560 --> 0:08:14.560 There may have been people that didn't honor God, didn't 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:18.920 make good choices. God is not holding that against you. 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:24.040 He's saying, I'm adopting you anyway. Not as my grandchild, 0:08:24.560 --> 0:08:28.280 not as my great grandchild. I'm adopting you as my 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:33.199 own son, my own daughter. Joseph's sons shouldn't have been 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:37.880 heirs for another generation, but because of what Jacob did, 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:41.880 they were thrust forty years down the road. There are 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:45.880 things that should take you years to accomplish, years to 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:49.280 get out of debt, years to break an addiction, years 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:52.400 to set a new standard. But God is going to 0:08:52.480 --> 0:08:55.480 do for you what he did for these boys. He's 0:08:55.520 --> 0:08:58.920 going to catapult you ahead. You're going to see things 0:08:58.960 --> 0:09:02.240 happen faster than you thought. It should have taken you 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:05.600 a generation. But God's going to do a quick work 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:09.720 because you're honoring him, because you say, as for me 0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:13.000 and my house, we will serve the Lord. God is 0:09:13.120 --> 0:09:16.600 feeding things up. What should have taken you your whole 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:19.920 life is going to happen in a fraction of the time. 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:24.840 But I can imagine Joseph's brothers when they saw the 0:09:24.920 --> 0:09:29.160 grandsons getting the same blessing that belonged to the brothers. 0:09:29.320 --> 0:09:33.040 They didn't understand it. They said, Dad, that's not fair. 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:38.240 They're sons, not grandsons. You're giving them the same thing 0:09:38.320 --> 0:09:42.000 that you're giving us. Can I tell you favor is 0:09:42.080 --> 0:09:46.760 not fair. It's just the goodness of God. When God 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:51.200 blesses you, don't be surprised if some people get jealous. 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:56.040 When He speeds things up, when you break barriers, some 0:09:56.240 --> 0:10:00.880 people won't understand it. They'll start talking about you don't 0:10:00.880 --> 0:10:04.200 deserve it, you're not talented, you're just lucky. It's not luck, 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:09.160 it's fever. It's God shining down on you, making things 0:10:09.240 --> 0:10:12.360 happen that you could not make happen. Now, stay on 0:10:12.400 --> 0:10:15.440 the high road. You don't have to convince people to 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:20.000 like you. Some people can't handle your success. If they 0:10:20.040 --> 0:10:24.240 walk away, let them walk. You didn't need them. If 0:10:24.280 --> 0:10:27.439 they left you, they're not a part of your destiny. 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:32.720 Don't waste your valuable time with people that won't celebrate 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:37.200 the blessing that God put on your life. Don't apologize 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:40.679 for it. Don't try to downplay it. You didn't choose it. 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:45.000 God chose you. You were a grandson. He's the one 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:48.080 that said, I'm adopting you. I'm giving you what you 0:10:48.160 --> 0:10:51.520 don't deserve. I'm taking you to a new level where 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:55.320 your blessings well, it's the favor of God on your life. 0:10:56.360 --> 0:10:59.600 After Jacob told the boys he was adopting them, he 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:03.160 called them over to give them his blessing. In the 0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:07.920 Old Testament, the blessing from the father was very significant 0:11:08.400 --> 0:11:13.319 and very revered. What the father spoke over the sons 0:11:13.320 --> 0:11:17.160 in his final days carried great weight and would affect 0:11:17.160 --> 0:11:20.920 the children the rest of their lives. The oldest son 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:25.600 would receive a double portion. That was the tradition. The 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:29.160 blessing the father gave with his right hand. Was this 0:11:29.320 --> 0:11:36.240 double portion blessing. So Joseph brought his oldest son, his firstborn, Manassa, 0:11:36.760 --> 0:11:40.840 and placed him at his father's right side so Jacob 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:44.000 could easily reach out and touch him. Ephrium stood on 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:48.959 his left. Joseph knelt down put his face toward the ground, 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:53.160 but Jacob, instead of reaching out with his right hand 0:11:53.520 --> 0:11:58.080 and touching Manassa, he crossed his arms and put his 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:02.440 right hand on Ephrium his left on Manassa. He spoke 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:06.760 the blessing over them. When Joseph eventually looked up and 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:09.520 saw it, he was upset. He got up in a 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:12.160 hurry and said, Dad, what are you doing? You got 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:16.960 it backwards. Manassa is my oldest. He took Jacob's right 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:20.360 hand and was going to place it on Manassa. Jacob 0:12:20.400 --> 0:12:23.439 pulled it back. He said, I know what I'm doing. 0:12:24.080 --> 0:12:28.400 Manassa will be great, but Ephrium will even be greater. 0:12:29.200 --> 0:12:33.600 Multitudes of nations will come out of him. God was 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:38.400 showing us that he doesn't always bless the way we expect. 0:12:39.280 --> 0:12:43.679 Ephrium wasn't next in line, he didn't deserve it, he 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:47.760 wasn't born in the right position, but God bypassed all 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:52.040 the tradition. He bypassed what people thought would happen and 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:56.280 did something out of the ordinary. When Joseph tried to 0:12:56.320 --> 0:13:00.920 stop his father, Jacob said, in effect, you know Ephrium 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:04.840 was born second. I know this doesn't belong to him, 0:13:04.960 --> 0:13:08.560 but I'm crossing my arms on purpose. I'm going to 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:12.880 show him fever that he doesn't deserve. And this story 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:16.960 is not so much about one family member getting ahead 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:21.000 of another. It's God's showing us how he can take 0:13:21.120 --> 0:13:24.480 people from the back, people that don't have the position, 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:27.840 people that feel left out, and bring them to the front. 0:13:29.080 --> 0:13:34.440 God loves to choose people that others say are not qualified, 0:13:35.160 --> 0:13:37.280 they don't have the talent, they don't come from the 0:13:37.360 --> 0:13:41.360 right family, they've made too many mistakes. Don't believe those lives. 0:13:41.679 --> 0:13:45.360 God is about to cross his arms. He's going to 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:49.400 put you in a position that you didn't earn, you 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:53.280 didn't qualify for it, you weren't next in line. God's 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:56.240 going to make things happen that you didn't see coming. 0:13:57.280 --> 0:14:00.040 And you may think, like I did, that where you 0:13:59.880 --> 0:14:02.960 are now is where you're always going to be. You've 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:06.480 reached your limits. That would all be true except for 0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:10.440 one thing. God is going to cross his arms. You 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:14.960 keep honoring God being her best. He will open doors 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:18.280 you never dreamed would open. He's going to promote you 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:22.280 even though you weren't next in line. You'll think, how 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:25.640 did I get here? I didn't have the training, the experience, 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:30.320 the connections. Here's how God crossed his arms. I think, 0:14:30.920 --> 0:14:33.320 how did I end up in front of so many people? 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:37.000 Eighteen years ago? I was running the cameras, I was 0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:40.600 doing the production. I wasn't next in line necessarily, I 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.720 wasn't the most qualified. But God crossed his arms, and 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.560 here I am. How did we get the compact center. 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:52.760 We weren't the most influential group in the bidding process, 0:14:53.000 --> 0:14:57.200 We didn't have the biggest portfolio, the most resources. But 0:14:57.280 --> 0:15:00.680 God crossed his arms. He took us from back and 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:04.240 put us in the front. How is my mother still 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:08.840 alive thirty seven years after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:13.640 God crossed his arms. He did what medicine could not do. 0:15:15.440 --> 0:15:18.720 We can all come up with an excuse to settle 0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:22.000 where we are. I don't have the training, Joel, I 0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:25.320 don't have the connections, the confidence, the talent, the size, 0:15:25.360 --> 0:15:30.000 the personality. God says, I know all that I created you. 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:33.880 I know what order you were born in. You may 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:37.280 not be the firstborn son, so to speak. You don't 0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:39.600 feel like you have what you need to go further. 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:43.160 Don't worry. God's going to cross his arms. He's going 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:46.840 to make things happen that you couldn't make happen. In 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:50.800 the scripture, Gideon said God, I can't lead the people 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:55.360 of Israel against the Midianites. I come from the poorest family. 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:59.400 I'm the least one in my father's house. God said Gideon. 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:03.360 I know you're not qualified. I know you're not next 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:06.600 in line, but I'm going to cross my arms. I'm 0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:09.840 going to take you from the background to the foreground. 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:12.960 I'm going to give you influence and ability that you've 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:17.480 never had. Sampson could have said, God, I don't deserve 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:21.760 your goodness. You gave me supernatural strength, and I blew it. 0:16:22.320 --> 0:16:27.560 I kept giving into temptation. Now I'm blind bound, grinding 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:30.680 at the mill, and it's all my own fault. God 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:34.480 said Sampson. I knew every mistake you would ever make, 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:39.160 and my mercy is bigger than anything you've done wrong. Yes, 0:16:40.200 --> 0:16:44.120 you should die defeated, feeling like a failure. But take heart, 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:48.440 I'm going to cross my arms. God blessed Sampson one 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:52.160 more time, and he defeated more enemies in his death 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:55.720 than he did his whole lifetime. You may have a 0:16:55.840 --> 0:17:00.560 thousand reasons why you can't accomplish your dream. You can't 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:03.480 get out of that problem. God is saying to you, 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:07.040 I'm about to cross my arms. I'm going to show 0:17:07.080 --> 0:17:15.040 you unexpected favor, unexpected promotion, unexpected healing, unexpected breakthroughs. You 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:18.239 didn't see it coming. You weren't qualified, you weren't the 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:22.320 next in line. It's just the goodness of God. Well, Joel, 0:17:22.359 --> 0:17:24.920 this is encouraging today. But I don't know. I got 0:17:24.920 --> 0:17:27.359 some big problems. I have a lot coming against me. 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:31.680 The scripture says, is the arm of the Lord too 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:36.920 short to deliver you? Do you think somehow God's arm 0:17:37.080 --> 0:17:41.760 can't reach you. You're too far back, made too many mistakes, 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:45.360 missed too many opportunities, have too big a problems. Can 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:49.439 I tell you God's arm is not too short to 0:17:49.560 --> 0:17:53.119 deliver you, to heal you, to provide for you, to 0:17:53.240 --> 0:17:56.520 free you, to vindicate you. You're going to see God 0:17:56.600 --> 0:18:01.560 do things that you didn't see coming. He crosses his arms. 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:05.080 Things are going to fall into place. Good breaks are 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:08.680 going to find you. Opportunity is going to chase you down. 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:13.639 Men I know owns a design company. He started with 0:18:13.760 --> 0:18:18.480 three small clients. His main competitor had thousands of clients. 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:21.440 He was just a spect compared to them. And some 0:18:21.520 --> 0:18:24.560 of the people there were jealous of his work, and 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:28.200 they would make disparaging remarks and try to belittle him. 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:31.600 He didn't pay any attention to it. He kept running 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:36.360 his race, being his best. One client led to another, 0:18:36.840 --> 0:18:40.480 he kept growing, new doors kept opening. He came to 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:44.440 the place where he passed up that other company. One 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:47.239 day they called and asked if he would like to 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:51.399 purchase them. Today he owns the company that used to 0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:54.960 be hundreds of times bigger than his. He told me, Joel, 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:58.160 I didn't see this coming. I never dreamed I would 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:01.320 be this successful now. The people that used to make 0:19:01.359 --> 0:19:04.080 fun of him, instead of calling him names, you know what, 0:19:04.119 --> 0:19:09.160 they call him boss. What happened? God crossed his arm. 0:19:10.440 --> 0:19:15.520 You may not have the position yet, the influence, the reputation, 0:19:15.760 --> 0:19:18.960 the confidence. You feel like you're further back. That's okay. 0:19:19.600 --> 0:19:22.920 Just keep honoring God and you will come into this 0:19:23.240 --> 0:19:28.359 unexpected fever promotion that you didn't see coming. The Book 0:19:28.359 --> 0:19:32.600 of Luke. The angel said, Mary, the Lord has decided 0:19:32.680 --> 0:19:36.280 to bless you. There are some blessings that come from 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:39.920 being faithful and doing the right thing when it's hard. 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:44.719 But there are times like with Mary, like with Ephrium, 0:19:45.080 --> 0:19:49.560 that God has simply decided to bless you. You didn't 0:19:49.600 --> 0:19:52.639 do anything to earn it. In fact, there were plenty 0:19:52.680 --> 0:19:55.800 of reasons why it shouldn't have happened. Maybe you didn't 0:19:55.840 --> 0:19:59.119 make good choices, or you had a family member like 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:03.480 Ephrium that did and honor God. But God, in his mercy, 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:07.240 crossed his arms. He chose to be good to you. 0:20:07.920 --> 0:20:11.160 He chose to turn that problem around that you got 0:20:11.200 --> 0:20:14.960 yourself into. He chose to open that door that you 0:20:15.040 --> 0:20:19.199 could have never opened. That's God deciding to bless you. 0:20:20.200 --> 0:20:23.280 This is what happened with my father. He was raised 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:26.680 in a good family, but they didn't have any kind 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:30.880 of faith. You would think when God needed a pastor, 0:20:31.359 --> 0:20:34.560 when he needed somebody to carry out his will, he 0:20:34.600 --> 0:20:38.159 would find somebody from a family of faith. But God 0:20:38.240 --> 0:20:42.280 doesn't always choose who we would choose. And at seventeen 0:20:42.400 --> 0:20:45.320 years of age, my father was walking home from a 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:48.760 nightclub at two o'clock in the morning, like he'd done 0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:52.840 many times before, but this time there was something different. 0:20:53.560 --> 0:20:57.000 He looked up at the stars for some reason begin 0:20:57.119 --> 0:21:00.399 to think about God. He wondered what he would do 0:21:00.440 --> 0:21:03.440 with the rest of his life. His family was very poor. 0:21:03.880 --> 0:21:06.520 They were cotton farmers. He thought he'd have to pick 0:21:06.560 --> 0:21:08.600 cotton the rest of his life. It's all he knew 0:21:08.600 --> 0:21:12.119 how to do. But as he looked up at those stars, 0:21:12.520 --> 0:21:16.560 deep down he knew he was made for more. Didn't 0:21:16.600 --> 0:21:21.280 understand anything about God, but that night he felt something special. 0:21:21.960 --> 0:21:25.320 When he got home, he noticed the family Bible on 0:21:25.400 --> 0:21:29.280 the coffee table. He was there as a decoration. Something 0:21:29.359 --> 0:21:32.320 told him to open it. When he did, it fell 0:21:32.359 --> 0:21:36.040 open to a picture of Jesus standing at a door 0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:39.560 and knocking. The caption read, I stand at the door 0:21:39.600 --> 0:21:42.320 and knock. If you open it, I will come in. 0:21:43.160 --> 0:21:48.080 My father didn't understand theology, but he could understand opening 0:21:48.080 --> 0:21:51.840 a door. The next day, he went to church with 0:21:51.920 --> 0:21:55.360 a friend for the first time. The end of the service, 0:21:55.760 --> 0:21:58.879 the pastor invited people to come to the front that 0:21:59.000 --> 0:22:02.800 wanted to receive. My father wanted to go, but he 0:22:02.880 --> 0:22:07.040 was too nervous. He wouldn't budge. His friend turned and said, John, 0:22:07.440 --> 0:22:11.360 if you'll go, I'll go with you. They walked down together. 0:22:11.920 --> 0:22:14.800 My father gave his life to Christ, the first one 0:22:14.880 --> 0:22:19.600 in our family. But I think why my father, Why 0:22:19.640 --> 0:22:22.600 did he feel that drawing. Why did he look up 0:22:22.600 --> 0:22:25.200 at the stars and begin to think about his destiny? 0:22:25.720 --> 0:22:28.199 Why did the Bible fall open to a picture he 0:22:28.240 --> 0:22:31.760 could understand? Why did that friend take an interest and 0:22:31.840 --> 0:22:34.800 walk down the aisle with him? That was the Lord 0:22:35.240 --> 0:22:39.119 deciding to bless my father, the Lord deciding to be 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:43.080 good to my family. My father, he wasn't next in 0:22:43.160 --> 0:22:47.800 line to become a pastor. He wasn't qualified, He didn't 0:22:48.040 --> 0:22:51.119 come from the quote right family. Can I tell you 0:22:51.800 --> 0:22:55.560 none of that matters. When God decides to bless you, 0:22:56.000 --> 0:22:59.800 he'll show you favor that you didn't earn, mercy that 0:22:59.840 --> 0:23:03.080 you didn't deserve. Was that anything you did? It was 0:23:03.160 --> 0:23:07.760 just God crossing his arms. Where would I be if 0:23:07.800 --> 0:23:10.720 God had not decided to be good to my father? 0:23:11.160 --> 0:23:14.360 Where would my children be if God had not crossed 0:23:14.359 --> 0:23:18.399 his arms. So my father not only went on to 0:23:18.440 --> 0:23:22.320 become a great pastor, founded Lakewood and touched the world 0:23:22.880 --> 0:23:26.359 but Daddy broke the curse of poverty that he was 0:23:26.440 --> 0:23:29.720 raised in. He set a new standard for our family. 0:23:31.000 --> 0:23:34.639 And I believe, like God did for my father, like 0:23:34.720 --> 0:23:38.480 he's done for me, God has decided to bless you. 0:23:39.400 --> 0:23:43.359 He's decided to bring your family in. He's decided to 0:23:43.400 --> 0:23:47.199 take you to new levels. Circumstances may say it's not 0:23:47.280 --> 0:23:50.399 going to happen. You're not qualified, you're not next in line. 0:23:50.560 --> 0:23:57.480 Don't worry. God has unexpected favor, unexpected promotion, unexpected turnarounds. 0:23:57.720 --> 0:24:00.399 You didn't see it coming. And it may see like 0:24:01.040 --> 0:24:04.000 your family will never come in, or you could never 0:24:04.080 --> 0:24:07.800 set a new standard. You keep honoring God and you 0:24:07.840 --> 0:24:11.320 will come into these moments where God has decided to 0:24:11.400 --> 0:24:15.200 bless you. I saw a young man on television playing 0:24:15.240 --> 0:24:19.080 professional football. He had just caught the game winning catch. 0:24:19.560 --> 0:24:23.440 His teammates were piling on him, that fans were cheering, 0:24:23.520 --> 0:24:28.000 everybody shouting and going wild. Two years earlier, he was 0:24:28.040 --> 0:24:32.119 working at a grocery store stocking shells. He was turned 0:24:32.160 --> 0:24:35.200 down by all the teams. They said he was too small. 0:24:35.800 --> 0:24:39.160 He was the star player in college. He was excited 0:24:39.200 --> 0:24:43.960 about playing professionally, but he wasn't drafted no one wanted him. 0:24:44.320 --> 0:24:47.879 He felt overlooked and forgotten. He knew he had what 0:24:47.960 --> 0:24:52.160 it takes, but nobody would give him a chance. One day, 0:24:52.600 --> 0:24:55.440 out of the blue, a coach that he had never 0:24:55.560 --> 0:24:58.960 met called and invited him to try out for the team. 0:25:00.119 --> 0:25:02.880 The team and went on to become their leading receiver. 0:25:03.720 --> 0:25:07.119 The reporter was interviewing him after the game winning catch. 0:25:07.760 --> 0:25:10.880 He thanked the Lord. Then he said, wow, I never 0:25:10.960 --> 0:25:15.200 saw this coming. He thought his days of football were over. 0:25:15.840 --> 0:25:18.480 He had already accepted that it wasn't meant to be. 0:25:19.119 --> 0:25:23.160 Then God cost his arms. Not only was he celebrating 0:25:23.200 --> 0:25:28.320 the victory, but everyone was celebrating him. People may rule 0:25:28.359 --> 0:25:30.960 you out, they may tell you it's never going to 0:25:31.040 --> 0:25:35.040 work out, but God has the final say. He knows 0:25:35.080 --> 0:25:38.320 how to take it from the background to the foreground. 0:25:38.960 --> 0:25:42.439 When he decides to bless you, things are going to 0:25:42.520 --> 0:25:46.439 happen that you didn't see coming. You don't have to 0:25:46.520 --> 0:25:50.720 be the most qualified, the most experienced, from the most 0:25:50.800 --> 0:25:55.040 influential family. If you are, that's great. God can still 0:25:55.080 --> 0:25:59.200 take you higher. But you may feel like you have disadvantages. 0:26:00.280 --> 0:26:03.760 You had no control over what family you were born into, 0:26:03.920 --> 0:26:09.359 what nationality, what social standing like Ephraim. He couldn't help 0:26:09.640 --> 0:26:12.879 that he wasn't the firstborn son. He couldn't help that 0:26:13.000 --> 0:26:16.360 his mother worshiped idols. He had no say over that. 0:26:17.200 --> 0:26:20.399 On the surface, that could hold you back, cause you 0:26:20.440 --> 0:26:22.800 to think too bad. This is my lot in life. 0:26:23.320 --> 0:26:27.480 But God doesn't choose the way we choose. He's about 0:26:27.520 --> 0:26:33.040 to show you influence ability, opportunities that you didn't see coming. 0:26:33.960 --> 0:26:37.480 David said, who am i, o, Lord, and what is 0:26:37.600 --> 0:26:41.040 my family that you would take me this far? He 0:26:41.160 --> 0:26:45.800 was saying, I'm not the biggest, strongest, most qualified. I 0:26:45.840 --> 0:26:49.560 didn't come from royalty. I was a shepherd working in 0:26:49.600 --> 0:26:53.080 the fields, minding my own business. And Lord, look where 0:26:53.119 --> 0:26:56.520 you've taken me. He didn't have to go after it. 0:26:56.520 --> 0:26:59.840 It came after him. The prophet Samuel showed up at 0:27:00.119 --> 0:27:04.479 his house to anoint him King. God has some far 0:27:04.680 --> 0:27:08.960 and beyond opportunities that are about to come looking for you. 0:27:09.520 --> 0:27:12.280 The right people are going to track you down. You 0:27:12.320 --> 0:27:15.080 couldn't have made it happen. It's the arm of the 0:27:15.160 --> 0:27:20.399 Lord reaching down to promote, to elevate, to increase you. You're 0:27:19.840 --> 0:27:22.520 gonna look back and say, like David, Wow, God, I 0:27:22.600 --> 0:27:25.720 never dreamed you'd take me to this level. Now, keep 0:27:25.760 --> 0:27:28.640 your faith out there. Thoughts will tell you it's never 0:27:28.680 --> 0:27:31.800 going to happen. Nor get ready. God's about to cross 0:27:31.840 --> 0:27:36.520 his arms. I believe and declare You're coming into unexpected favor, 0:27:37.040 --> 0:27:41.720 unexpected healing, unexpected turnarounds. God's going to take it from 0:27:41.760 --> 0:27:45.000 the background to the foreground. You're going to step into 0:27:45.080 --> 0:27:48.439 new levels, set a new standard for your family, and 0:27:48.520 --> 0:27:52.760 reach the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. And 0:27:52.840 --> 0:27:56.840 if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like 0:27:56.880 --> 0:27:59.760 to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord 0:27:59.800 --> 0:28:02.920 of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, 0:28:03.280 --> 0:28:08.760 Lord Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come into my heart. 0:28:09.880 --> 0:28:13.720 I'll make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed 0:28:13.720 --> 0:28:16.920 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again, get 0:28:16.920 --> 0:28:21.240 in a good Bible based church, and keep God first place. Victorian, 0:28:21.280 --> 0:28:23.560 I'll be right back to speak a blessing over you. 0:28:25.840 --> 0:28:28.360 As a thank you for your support of our ministry 0:28:28.440 --> 0:28:30.880 this month, Joel and Victoria, I would like to send 0:28:30.920 --> 0:28:35.359 you a copy of Joel's inspirational series Fearless, Courageous Living. 0:28:35.520 --> 0:28:40.800 Every Day. In this series, You'll be challenged to reject fear, 0:28:41.000 --> 0:28:45.000 to activate your faith, and to watch God do the impossible. 0:28:45.800 --> 0:28:50.200 Stand on God's promises and see Him do exceedingly, abundantly 0:28:50.280 --> 0:28:52.760 more than you could ever ask or think. 0:28:54.160 --> 0:28:57.400 You can handle whatever comes your way. Don't let thoughts 0:28:57.400 --> 0:29:01.120 of fear and intimidation hold you back. God has equipped 0:29:01.120 --> 0:29:04.720 you and empowered you. Be bold, be strong, and say, 0:29:04.800 --> 0:29:06.480 like David, I will not fear. 0:29:06.880 --> 0:29:09.680 When you choose faith over fear, God will take your 0:29:09.680 --> 0:29:13.160 places that you've never dreamed. Request this resource. It will 0:29:13.200 --> 0:29:14.280 be a great help to you. 0:29:14.760 --> 0:29:18.880 Request your copy of Fearless today at Joeloustein dot com 0:29:19.160 --> 0:29:21.520 or call eight eight eight five six seven. 0:29:21.720 --> 0:29:26.520 Joel, thank you so much for your prayer and support 0:29:26.600 --> 0:29:29.640 of the ministry. You're helping to change the lives all 0:29:29.680 --> 0:29:33.200 over the world, and we are very grateful for your generosity. 0:29:33.600 --> 0:29:36.600 A special thank you to our Champion of Whole Partners 0:29:36.720 --> 0:29:39.760 for all you do to make the ministry possible. Know 0:29:39.880 --> 0:29:42.520 that we pray for you. We're believing you're going to 0:29:42.520 --> 0:29:46.560 see dreams come to pass and God exceed your expectations, 0:29:46.760 --> 0:29:50.080 take your places that you've never even thought possible. Stay 0:29:50.080 --> 0:29:54.120 in faith, stay incourage You're not average. You're not mediocre. 0:29:54.400 --> 0:29:56.680 You are a child of the most High God. 0:30:30.920 --> 0:30:35.040 Be a barbecue Hero with delicious ultralow netcar Hero Bread 0:30:35.120 --> 0:30:38.600 buns and tortillas, soft and fluffy, high in fiber, and 0:30:38.680 --> 0:30:40.920 with zero grams of sugar and up to ten grams 0:30:40.920 --> 0:30:44.600 of protein coming in at under one hundred calories per serving. Oh, 0:30:44.640 --> 0:30:48.000 and did I mention they taste like their mouthwatering traditional versions. 0:30:48.280 --> 0:30:51.080 It's enough to have the neighbors asking for seconds. 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