The God Who Goes Before You

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Earn 0:00:56.800 --> 0:00:58.800 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:00.680 education employeer respect. 0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:05.039 It's time, Your time, not just to go back to school. 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:08.160 But to come back and move forward with Purdue Global, 0:01:08.400 --> 0:01:13.360 Purdue's online university for working adults. Start your comeback at 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:19.520 Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:31.240 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.000 your homes. And if you're ever in our area, please 0:01:34.040 --> 0:01:36.560 stop buy and be a part of one of our services. 0:01:36.720 --> 0:01:39.360 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:01:40.000 --> 0:01:42.160 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:01:42.160 --> 0:01:45.360 about this young man. He was a huge football fan. 0:01:46.040 --> 0:01:49.600 He bought two tickets to the Super Bowl months ahead 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:52.440 of time, not realizing it was going to be on 0:01:52.520 --> 0:01:56.760 the same day as his wedding. He paid two thousand 0:01:56.760 --> 0:01:59.920 dollars each for the tickets, so he put an ad 0:01:59.880 --> 0:02:03.440 on Facebook asking if anyone would like to go in 0:02:03.520 --> 0:02:06.640 his place. He said, it will be at three o'clock 0:02:06.760 --> 0:02:11.240 at First Baptist Church and her name is Tiffany. Say 0:02:11.280 --> 0:02:14.200 it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:16.640 am what it says I am. I have what it 0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:19.120 says I have. I can do what it says I 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:22.359 can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:27.240 I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:02:27.639 --> 0:02:31.240 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:02:31.320 --> 0:02:34.880 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:39.600 the God who goes before you. We all face situations 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:42.880 where we don't see a way out. The obstacles look 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:46.800 too big. We've had the problem so long, our dream 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:51.520 seems impossible. This is the way the Israelites felt they 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:55.080 were headed toward the Promised Land. They had all kinds 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:59.120 of people coming against them, and opposition from every direction. 0:03:00.000 --> 0:03:06.000 He felt overwhelmed, outnumbered, inadequate in the natural. They didn't 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:09.760 have a chance. But God said to them in Isaiah, 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:14.280 I will go before you and level the mountains. I 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:18.639 will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:22.640 of iron, so that you will know I am the Lord, 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:26.840 your God, the one who summons you by name. You 0:03:26.919 --> 0:03:31.440 may have big obstacles in your path, situations in your health, 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:35.600 your finances, or relationship. You don't see how it could 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:39.560 work out. The odds are against you. But God is 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:43.000 saying to you what he said to them. I'm going 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:48.040 to go before you and level those mountains. Whatever's trying 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:52.240 to stop you. A mountain of sickness, a mountain of addictions, 0:03:52.360 --> 0:03:56.320 a mountain of depression. It may look insurmountable to you, 0:03:56.920 --> 0:04:00.400 but it is no match for our God. Touch of 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:05.160 his favor, he'll turn that mountain into level ground. That 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:09.320 means you won't even have to climb over it. It's going 0:04:09.360 --> 0:04:12.160 to be easier than you think. You're not going to 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:16.440 have to struggle, work, worry, fight, God's going to smooth 0:04:16.480 --> 0:04:20.120 it all out. It may be a mountain now, it 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:24.040 may look intimidating, but don't worry. It's about to become 0:04:24.400 --> 0:04:28.200 level ground. And in the scripture, the words used for 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:32.920 God's power in the original language is deunamus. That's where 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:36.600 we get our word dynamite. You know what dynamite does. 0:04:37.160 --> 0:04:41.240 It brings down buildings, clears out anything that's in its path. 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:46.080 Those obstacles in your life, those mountains that have been 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:49.480 holding you back. I can see right now God putting 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:53.120 the dynamite in. He's about to light that fuse. You've 0:04:53.160 --> 0:04:58.719 been faithful, you've given, you've served. Get ready for some explosions. 0:04:59.279 --> 0:05:03.320 God's about to levelsome things and explosion of good breaks, 0:05:03.760 --> 0:05:09.520 an explosion of healing, and explosion of freedom. Those obstacles 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:12.760 that have held you back are about to be blown away. 0:05:13.320 --> 0:05:17.279 God says he will level your mountains, not make a 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:21.000 tunnel through them, not make a path around them, not 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:24.279 even give you the strength to go over them. God 0:05:24.400 --> 0:05:29.240 is going to do something unprecedented, something out of the ordinary. 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:32.960 The scripture says, so you will know he is the 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:36.200 Lord your God. God wants you to know that he 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:40.440 is all powerful. He's going to do some things in 0:05:40.480 --> 0:05:43.880 your life where you have no doubt that was the 0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:47.120 hand of God. You will not only know, but the 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:51.000 people around you are going to know. When God parted 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:54.679 the Red Sea and the Israelites went through on dry ground, 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:57.919 Pharaoh and all of his men knew that was the 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:02.520 Lord their Godarus was raised from the dead. Everywhere he 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:05.760 went people stood in awe of the Lord his God. 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:10.320 God wants to give you some evidence, something that can't 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:14.119 be disputed. You couldn't have made it happen. You didn't 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:18.000 have the talent. The medical report said you shouldn't be here, 0:06:18.200 --> 0:06:20.960 or maybe all your relatives are addicted. You should be 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:24.599 the same way. But the Lord your God summons you 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:28.800 by name. He went ahead of you and leveled those mountains. 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:33.520 Now everyone can look at you and see the blessing 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:36.880 of God on your life. God wants to make you 0:06:37.080 --> 0:06:41.240 an example of his goodness. You may have seen his 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:44.920 favor in the past, but you haven't seen anything yet. 0:06:45.720 --> 0:06:49.880 God has some explosive blessings that are going to catafault 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:54.000 you to the next level. And it's good to remember 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:57.720 the great things God has done. But God doesn't want 0:06:57.760 --> 0:07:02.279 you to live on past victory, always talking about what 0:07:02.400 --> 0:07:05.520 happened when I was growing up, what happened thirty years ago. 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:09.200 That's fine, But God's about to give you something new 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:12.200 to talk about. He's about to give you some fresh victories. 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:18.240 Isaiah said, God will break down the gates of bronze 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:22.760 and cut through bars of iron. That means things that 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:28.720 have held you back for years. Addictions, lack, depression, insecurity. 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:33.200 This may be in your family line for generations. Looks 0:07:33.240 --> 0:07:36.160 like that's your lot in life. Thoughts will tell you 0:07:36.200 --> 0:07:39.680 just accept it. That's who you are. God is saying, 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:44.240 I'm about to break some generational curses. I'm about to 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:48.720 put an end to what's held you back. That depression 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:53.320 is not staying in your family line, That addiction is 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:56.720 not going to be passed to the next generation. That 0:07:56.880 --> 0:08:01.000 struggle in lack is not your destiny. This is a 0:08:01.040 --> 0:08:05.480 new day. The God who spoke worlds into existence, is 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:11.200 breaking chains, chains of defeat, chains of mediocrity, chains of depression. 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:14.880 It's not going to be the way it used to be. 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:19.200 You're stepping into a new season. You're going to have 0:08:19.280 --> 0:08:22.160 a strength that you didn't have. Things are going to 0:08:22.200 --> 0:08:25.080 fall into place, You're not going to have to fight. 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:28.960 God is cutting through the bars of iron. That means 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:32.920 he's going to make things happen that you couldn't make happen. 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:35.800 You didn't have the talent to do it on your own. 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:39.720 You didn't have the connections. The odds were against you. 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:43.920 But it's suddenly going to turn around. You're suddenly going 0:08:43.960 --> 0:08:47.040 to step into a new level. You're suddenly going to 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:50.720 break that addiction. How could this be? The God who 0:08:50.760 --> 0:08:54.680 goes before you is breaking the chains, cutting through bars 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:58.840 of iron. I talked to a gentleman last week. He 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:02.680 had been an alcohol for thirty years. This is all 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:05.760 he had known growing up. He watched his father and 0:09:05.880 --> 0:09:10.040 grandfather struggle with alcohol. It looked like this addiction would 0:09:10.120 --> 0:09:14.000 keep getting passed from generation to generation. He had tried 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:17.000 to stop but wasn't able to, and now he was 0:09:17.080 --> 0:09:22.600 accepting it. One day he was so miserable, he said, God, 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:26.880 I can't do this anymore. Please send somebody to help me. 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:33.000 He specifically prayed, God send me a counselor. Just so happened, 0:09:33.240 --> 0:09:37.079 he flipped on our serious XM channel. He would listen 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:41.200 for hours and hours every day. He said, with tears 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:45.160 running down his cheeks, Joel, you became my counselor. You 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:48.240 were the answer to my prayer for the first time 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:51.960 in thirty years. He's been sober for eight months. He 0:09:52.000 --> 0:09:55.200 couldn't do it on his own, but God broke the chains. 0:09:56.000 --> 0:09:59.679 God cut through the bars of ironland. There may be 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:02.280 things that have held you back for a long time. 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:05.800 Every voice tells JA it's never going to change. You're 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:09.320 never going to break it, never get well, never meet 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:12.559 the right person, never get out of debt on your own. 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:16.120 That may be true. The good news, though you're not 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:19.920 on your own. The most High God is going before you. 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:24.000 He's going to break the change. And it may not 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:27.400 have happened yet, but don't worry. Your time is coming. 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:31.840 This is your year of yes. Yes to break the addiction, 0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:35.600 Yes to healing, Yes to meeting the right people, Yes 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:40.319 to seeing new doors open. Joshua twenty four. The Israelites 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:43.640 were up against seven nations that were bigger and stronger. 0:10:44.040 --> 0:10:48.199 They had more equipment, more training. The Israelites on their 0:10:48.280 --> 0:10:52.080 own didn't have a chance. They could have retreated and thought, hey, 0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:55.120 it's not meant to be. We'll never take this land. 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:59.440 There was no way in the natural. But God's ways 0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:03.079 are not our ways. He said to them in verse twelve, 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:07.280 I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out 0:11:07.320 --> 0:11:10.400 the inhabitants. You won't have to do it with your 0:11:10.440 --> 0:11:14.360 own sword and shield. I will give you the land 0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:18.440 that you didn't work for, and cities that you didn't build. 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:23.479 How did God get rid of these seven powerful nations? 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:27.640 Did he send in tanks navy seals? Did he call 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:30.760 down angels from heaven, Gabriel go take care of them. No, 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:36.079 he sent an insect. He sent hornets ahead of them 0:11:36.120 --> 0:11:39.320 so they didn't have to fight. You may not see 0:11:39.440 --> 0:11:42.880 how your situation could ever work out, but don't worry. 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:46.679 God has plenty of insects. He has ways to do 0:11:46.760 --> 0:11:49.920 it that you've never thought of. He may not do 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:54.560 it a traditional manner. Quit trying to figure everything out 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:58.679 and trust him. He's in control of your life. He 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:01.440 knows how to get you to where you're supposed to be. 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:05.800 The Israelites could have reasoned it out, thought God, they 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:09.840 have the latest equipment, they have chariots, they're trained soldiers. 0:12:10.320 --> 0:12:13.480 We're former slaves. We don't have a chance. This is 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:17.440 not our field. God said, don't worry, you're not going 0:12:17.480 --> 0:12:21.000 to have to fight. I'm going ahead of you. I'm 0:12:21.040 --> 0:12:24.720 going to level your mountains. God is saying the same 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:28.520 thing to you. Put down your shields, put down your swords. 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:31.600 You're not going to have to worry, struggle trying to 0:12:31.640 --> 0:12:34.920 force it to happen. God is going ahead of you. 0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:38.319 He is going to drive out the inhabitants that are 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:43.400 on your land. That means whatever's keeping you from your health, 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:49.200 your joy, your abundance, your victory, that's your land. That's 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:53.439 what God promised you. I believe right now he's beginning 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:56.280 to drive them out. You're going to come in to 0:12:56.400 --> 0:13:00.480 your land of health and wholeness. God is dry out 0:13:00.679 --> 0:13:04.839 sickness and disease. You'll coming into your land of increase 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:09.719 and promotion. He's driving out struggle and lack. You're going 0:13:09.760 --> 0:13:13.840 to come into your land of unprecedented favor, where God 0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:16.280 takes you where you could not go on your own. 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:20.800 If God showed you all he had in store, you 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:23.280 would think, Oh, that's not for me. God, you've got 0:13:23.280 --> 0:13:26.080 the wrong person. I don't have the training, the experience, 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:29.720 the talent. You may not, but the God who goes 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:32.640 before you is going to give you land that you 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:37.080 didn't work for, cities that you didn't build. The Houston 0:13:37.160 --> 0:13:41.960 Rockets basketball team played in this facility for nearly thirty years. 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:46.000 Nineteen ninety nine, they wanted to move out and build 0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:49.120 a new arena. The citizens were going to have to 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:52.240 pay for most of the construction, so they had to 0:13:52.280 --> 0:13:55.920 put it up for vote. The citizens voted no, they 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:59.400 didn't want to pay, the Rockets couldn't move out. A 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:01.440 year and a half later, it was put on the 0:14:01.480 --> 0:14:06.360 ballot again. This time the citizens voted yes. The Rockets 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:08.920 were cleared to move and they built the new arena. 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:12.960 What's interesting is if the vote would have passed the 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:17.360 first time, Lakewood wouldn't have been ready for this facility. 0:14:17.679 --> 0:14:21.479 My father had just died, we were working through changes, 0:14:21.880 --> 0:14:24.160 trying to keep everything going and not sure what was 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:28.760 going to happen. I believe God put the building on hold, 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:32.160 caused it to not pass because he knew it was 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:34.800 supposed to be ours. We weren't ready for it yet. 0:14:36.360 --> 0:14:39.880 If it had gone through the first time, most likely 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:42.520 it would have been sold to a developer and we 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:45.480 wouldn't be here. But a year and a half later, 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:49.360 after everything calmed down after my father's death, and we 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:53.080 saw incredible growth. It was like God said, all right, 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:56.640 let me drive the inhabitants out of your land. Let 0:14:56.640 --> 0:14:59.760 me move the basketball team so I can give you 0:14:59.800 --> 0:15:04.280 the arena that I've destined for you to have. God 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:07.080 gave us a facility that we didn't have to build. 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:11.160 This was more than we could imagine. We couldn't have 0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:14.880 done it in our own strength. A professional basketball team. 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:19.120 They were bigger, stronger, more powerful. But God has the 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:23.240 final say what he has destined for you. No person 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:29.000 can stop, no organization, no group. He knows when the 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:33.600 right time is. If it hasn't happened yet, you didn't 0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:37.720 miss your opportunity. God is holding what belongs to you, 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:42.320 whatever's on your land. When it's your time. It's no 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:45.520 match for our God. He knows how to move them away. 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:48.600 He will make things happen that you couldn't make happening. 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:51.840 I talked to a lady that has a son that's 0:15:51.880 --> 0:15:56.520 in the military. He's stationed in Hawaii. They live in Tennessee, 0:15:56.680 --> 0:16:01.120 and he started competing in different military events. He won 0:16:01.320 --> 0:16:05.280 Soldier of the Year for his brigade. His parents were 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:07.880 so proud of him. They hadn't seen him in a 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:12.640 long time, and he kept winning these competitions. His mother 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:15.440 said to his father, I feel bad that he's over 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:18.800 there by himself and we can't be there to support him. 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:21.600 And his father said, well, the next time he competes, 0:16:21.840 --> 0:16:24.360 get on a plane and go see him. She was 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:28.120 so excited she flew to Hawaii to surprise her son. 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:32.200 When she pulled up on the base, he couldn't believe 0:16:32.240 --> 0:16:35.760 his eyes. He came running out, gave her a big hug, 0:16:36.040 --> 0:16:40.080 had tears coming down his cheeks. He said, Mom, I 0:16:40.200 --> 0:16:42.960 was out walking in the woods this morning, and I 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:47.920 prayed God, I need my family, Please make a way 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:51.560 that I could see them. This mother had already flown 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:57.920 ten hours from Tennessee. She had already landed before he prayed. 0:16:58.800 --> 0:17:02.720 God said in Isaiah, before you call, I will answer you. 0:17:05.680 --> 0:17:09.639 Before the words ever came out of his mouth. Days earlier, 0:17:10.000 --> 0:17:13.800 God already had the answer on the way. That's the 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:17.679 God who goes before us things you haven't even prayed about. 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:21.680 He's already lined up the answer. My brother Paul was 0:17:21.720 --> 0:17:25.159 in Haiti several years ago, right after the big earthquake, 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:28.840 and he and a team of surgeons were operating on 0:17:28.960 --> 0:17:33.119 all the injured people. At one point, the main monitor 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:37.080 they were using during surgery to monitor the patient's vital 0:17:37.160 --> 0:17:41.320 signs went out. Without that monitor, they couldn't do any 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:44.640 more surgeries. It was too dangerous. They looked all over 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:48.960 the little makeship hospital couldn't find another one. Paul and 0:17:49.000 --> 0:17:52.800 the team made phone calls with no success. It looked 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:56.720 like it would be several days having a monitor flown 0:17:56.760 --> 0:18:00.320 in from the United States. It was very frustrated to 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:03.879 have all the surgeons, the talent, the ability, but one 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:07.639 small thing was keeping them from helping so many people. 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:12.959 A few hours later, the hospital administrator came up a 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:17.719 local Haitian man carrying a brand new monitor still in 0:18:17.760 --> 0:18:22.080 the box, the exact one that they needed. Paul and 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:25.320 the team were amazed that he would have that monitor. 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:29.680 Paul asked him where he got it. He explained how 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:33.760 two years earlier he had been at a hospital administrator's 0:18:33.840 --> 0:18:38.720 conference in the United States. Everyone that attended had their 0:18:38.840 --> 0:18:43.119 name entered into a contest for adoor prize. It just 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:47.000 so happened, out of several thousand people, he was chosen 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:50.000 for this monitor. He had no need for it at 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:54.240 the time. It was in storage. But God knows what 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:58.320 you're going to need in the future. He knows who 0:18:58.400 --> 0:19:01.879 you're going to need in the future. The good news 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:05.720 is he's going ahead of you right now, lining up 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:10.240 the right people, the right supplies, the right opportunities. He 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:15.280 has solutions to problems you haven't had. Before you call, 0:19:15.880 --> 0:19:21.320 he will answer. He's a strategic god. Nothing happens by accident. 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:25.480 He's already planned out your days from the end to 0:19:25.560 --> 0:19:29.120 the beginning. He knows what you need today and what 0:19:29.160 --> 0:19:31.520 you're going to need ten years from now. Why don't 0:19:31.520 --> 0:19:35.960 you trust him? A young couple in Los Angeles were 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:40.080 moving out of their apartment complex. As they were going 0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:43.840 down the elevator with their mattress, the elevator quit working. 0:19:44.280 --> 0:19:47.600 They were stuck. They called the front desk and waited 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:50.879 and waited. An hour later, they were finally able to 0:19:50.920 --> 0:19:54.840 get out, and they were carrying the mattress toward their truck. 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:59.840 They heard some commotion up above. They looked up and 0:20:00.000 --> 0:20:03.240 a three year old boy was playing on the balcony 0:20:03.320 --> 0:20:07.520 railing on the third story. Very dangerous. They tried to 0:20:07.560 --> 0:20:09.760 get his attention to get him to go back in, 0:20:09.920 --> 0:20:13.840 but he wouldn't listen. They were so alarmed they rushed 0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:17.760 over with their mattress and put it underneath where the 0:20:17.800 --> 0:20:21.520 boy was playing. In a few seconds, this little boy 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:27.280 fell off the third story balcony landed right in their mattress, unharmed. 0:20:27.920 --> 0:20:30.600 He was autistic and couldn't hear what they were saying. 0:20:31.440 --> 0:20:35.480 The scripture says, a sparrow doesn't fall to the ground 0:20:35.800 --> 0:20:38.840 without God knowing about it, a little bird. How much 0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:43.960 more is God concerned about you, about your family? You're 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:48.479 his most prized possession. Well, Joel, that's a lucky break 0:20:48.680 --> 0:20:52.040 as some coincidence. No, that was the God who goes 0:20:52.080 --> 0:20:57.080 before us causing things to fall into place. That elevator 0:20:57.280 --> 0:21:01.760 not working properly, that was a divine and delay. That 0:21:01.960 --> 0:21:05.719 was God causing it to malfunction to put those people 0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:09.320 at the right place at the right time. You can 0:21:09.359 --> 0:21:12.880 be assured God will be there to watch over you. 0:21:13.280 --> 0:21:17.760 And your children. He'll even be there when you make mistakes, 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:21.439 when you get off course. He doesn't say I'll go 0:21:21.520 --> 0:21:25.360 before you, I'll protect you, I'll level your mountains if 0:21:25.400 --> 0:21:28.480 you perform perfectly. If you never get on that third 0:21:28.520 --> 0:21:33.760 story balcony, do something foolish, God loves you unconditionally. He 0:21:33.840 --> 0:21:37.240 knows we're going to make mistakes. In his great mercy, 0:21:37.560 --> 0:21:40.399 he'll be right there to help you get back on course. 0:21:41.240 --> 0:21:44.439 This is what happened with Jonah. God told him to 0:21:44.520 --> 0:21:48.480 go to the city of Nineveh. He had clear instructions. 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:51.919 He knew exactly what he was supposed to do. But 0:21:52.040 --> 0:21:54.560 Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh. He went the 0:21:54.600 --> 0:22:00.680 opposite direction. God said, go left. He went right. God 0:22:00.720 --> 0:22:03.760 would say, all right, Jonah, you're on your own. I'll 0:22:03.800 --> 0:22:06.680 go before you if you go to Nineveh, but good 0:22:06.800 --> 0:22:10.520 luck if you go the other way. Jonah got on 0:22:10.560 --> 0:22:14.360 a boat headed in the wrong direction, and a huge 0:22:14.400 --> 0:22:19.879 storm arose. Yes, there are consequences for going the wrong way, 0:22:20.520 --> 0:22:23.640 but that doesn't mean God is not going to help you. 0:22:24.400 --> 0:22:27.439 He's going to give you another chance, and another chance, 0:22:27.520 --> 0:22:31.119 and another. The boat was about to capsize. They were 0:22:31.160 --> 0:22:35.040 all about to die. Jonah finally admitted he was the cause. 0:22:35.560 --> 0:22:39.200 They didn't think twice they threw him overboard. Jonah was 0:22:39.240 --> 0:22:42.040 out in the middle of the ocean in a huge storm, 0:22:42.080 --> 0:22:46.000 no life jacket, no chance of survival. This should have 0:22:46.040 --> 0:22:49.240 been the end. Jonah died doing his own thing. Don't 0:22:49.240 --> 0:22:53.600 feel sorry for him. But God doesn't abandon us when 0:22:53.640 --> 0:22:58.679 we make mistakes. God had already gone before Jonah in 0:22:58.800 --> 0:23:02.520 the wrong direction, and he had that big fish waiting 0:23:02.760 --> 0:23:07.120 to swallow him up and spare his life. Like Jonah, 0:23:07.680 --> 0:23:10.440 many of us would not be here if God had 0:23:10.480 --> 0:23:14.359 not gone before us in the wrong direction. We brought 0:23:14.359 --> 0:23:18.520 the trouble on ourselves. It was nobody's fault except our own. 0:23:18.840 --> 0:23:21.800 But God, in his mercy, was there to help get 0:23:21.880 --> 0:23:25.720 us out. I want you to have this assurance that 0:23:25.760 --> 0:23:29.520 you're not doing life by yourself. The creator of the 0:23:29.640 --> 0:23:34.240 universe is going before you. He has you covered. You 0:23:34.280 --> 0:23:37.639 can lie down at night in peace. Not just when 0:23:37.720 --> 0:23:41.480 you do everything right, but even when you make mistakes. 0:23:42.680 --> 0:23:45.320 You may think that you've blown it too many times, 0:23:45.720 --> 0:23:49.320 you've gotten too far off course. You wouldn't be hearing 0:23:49.359 --> 0:23:52.760 this if God was finished with you. And you can 0:23:52.840 --> 0:23:56.879 try to outrun God, but you'll never be successful. God 0:23:57.000 --> 0:23:59.879 knows your next move. When you show up, He'll be 0:24:00.119 --> 0:24:03.720 right there, not to condemn you, but to help restore you, 0:24:04.400 --> 0:24:07.000 to give you another chance, to help you get back 0:24:07.040 --> 0:24:10.960 on the best path you can still become all God's 0:24:10.960 --> 0:24:15.040 created you to be. Years ago, there was a pastor 0:24:15.119 --> 0:24:18.960 of a large church in America. He was very successful, 0:24:19.320 --> 0:24:21.959 but he made poor choices and he got off course, 0:24:22.040 --> 0:24:24.720 and he ended up losing his family and had to 0:24:24.760 --> 0:24:28.360 resign from the ministry. It's very sad. He was living 0:24:28.920 --> 0:24:33.160 very down on himself, guilty, condemned, feeling all washed up. 0:24:33.880 --> 0:24:38.040 Several years later, he was in South America. A local 0:24:38.160 --> 0:24:40.879 pastor that he knew there invited him to come to 0:24:40.960 --> 0:24:44.840 his church. He was sitting on the platform during a service. 0:24:45.440 --> 0:24:49.040 This man came up, looked him in the eyes, almost 0:24:49.119 --> 0:24:53.320 in amazement, and begin weeping. This pastor didn't know what 0:24:53.400 --> 0:24:56.800 was going on. The man started praying for him. All 0:24:56.840 --> 0:25:00.480 of a sudden, he felt a warmth come over him 0:25:00.640 --> 0:25:03.879 like nothing he had ever felt. He said, it was 0:25:04.040 --> 0:25:07.600 like this love was purging him of all the guilt, 0:25:08.119 --> 0:25:12.080 the shame, the hurt. For the first time, he was 0:25:12.160 --> 0:25:16.080 able to forgive himself that night was a turning point. 0:25:16.600 --> 0:25:20.120 He left there feeling restored, knowing that God still had 0:25:20.119 --> 0:25:24.159 a purpose for him. After the service, he asked that 0:25:24.320 --> 0:25:27.720 man why he prayed for him like that. This man 0:25:27.800 --> 0:25:32.640 explained how, twenty years earlier he was praying and out 0:25:32.640 --> 0:25:36.440 of nowhere he saw this man's face in his heart. 0:25:36.800 --> 0:25:40.160 God said to him, one day, you're going to see 0:25:40.200 --> 0:25:43.399 this man face to face, and you're to help bring 0:25:43.440 --> 0:25:49.480 healing and restoration to him. What's interesting is, twenty years earlier, 0:25:50.240 --> 0:25:54.280 this US pastor wasn't in the ministry. He wasn't even 0:25:54.400 --> 0:25:58.160 married yet. Yet God had already lined up the right 0:25:58.280 --> 0:26:02.840 person to help him. God knows the end from the beginning. 0:26:03.480 --> 0:26:07.240 He has solutions to problems you haven't had. He's going 0:26:07.320 --> 0:26:11.080 before you not to just level mountains, but to help 0:26:11.160 --> 0:26:13.920 lift you when you fall, to help restore you when 0:26:13.920 --> 0:26:17.480 you make mistakes. He'll have the right people there to 0:26:17.560 --> 0:26:22.320 help bring healing and wholeness. Maybe God is using me 0:26:22.840 --> 0:26:25.199 to help get you back on the right course. We 0:26:25.240 --> 0:26:29.800 didn't meet by accident. God caused our paths to cross. 0:26:30.600 --> 0:26:34.399 You may have made mistakes, but that didn't cancel your destiny. 0:26:34.960 --> 0:26:39.080 God has already forgiven you his mercy is bigger than 0:26:39.119 --> 0:26:44.320 any mistake. He already has a new beginning waiting for you. 0:26:44.640 --> 0:26:48.959 Why don't you get back in the game. Quit living guilty, condemned. 0:26:49.280 --> 0:26:52.800 You wouldn't be alive unless God had something amazing up 0:26:52.840 --> 0:26:56.639 in front of you. Friends, you're not doing life on 0:26:56.680 --> 0:27:01.280 your own. You have an advantage. The God who goes 0:27:01.359 --> 0:27:05.760 before you is fighting your battles. Are you living worried, 0:27:05.920 --> 0:27:08.520 stressed out, wondering how it's going to work out? God 0:27:08.600 --> 0:27:12.800 is saying, trust me, I have you covered. I know 0:27:12.840 --> 0:27:15.920 where you are, and I know where you're going. And 0:27:16.000 --> 0:27:18.880 those obstacles that look like they're never going to change, 0:27:19.000 --> 0:27:21.160 you need to get ready. This is a new day, 0:27:21.560 --> 0:27:25.720 I believe and declare. God is breaking chains that have 0:27:25.800 --> 0:27:29.719 held you back. He's driving the inhabitants out of your land. 0:27:30.240 --> 0:27:36.200 You're going to see increase, restoration, healing, breakthroughs, the fullness 0:27:36.240 --> 0:27:39.199 of your destiny. You will know it is the God 0:27:39.280 --> 0:27:43.040 who goes before you. In Jesus' name. If you receive 0:27:43.080 --> 0:27:47.480 it today, can you say amen, I'd like to give 0:27:47.520 --> 0:27:50.879 you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:27:51.280 --> 0:27:55.720 Would you pray with me? Just say Lord, Jesus, I 0:27:55.840 --> 0:28:01.080 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I'll make 0:28:01.160 --> 0:28:05.119 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:28:05.240 --> 0:28:08.359 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in 0:28:08.400 --> 0:28:12.640 a good Bible based church, keep God first place. Victoria 0:28:12.640 --> 0:28:15.000 and I will be right back to speak a blessing 0:28:15.080 --> 0:28:15.520 over you. 0:28:16.720 --> 0:28:19.240 As a thank you for your support of our ministry. 0:28:19.280 --> 0:28:21.800 This month, Joel and Victoria would like to send you 0:28:21.840 --> 0:28:25.600 a copy of Joel's new series, Unlock Your Promise. In 0:28:25.680 --> 0:28:29.200 this new three part series, Joel Osteine reminds you that 0:28:29.280 --> 0:28:32.679 God's promises are yours. Today, God will lead you to 0:28:32.720 --> 0:28:36.400 your destiny and use old things for your good. Request 0:28:36.440 --> 0:28:40.360 your copy of Unlock Your Promise today at Joelostine dot 0:28:40.400 --> 0:28:43.240 com or call eight eight eight five six seven. 0:28:43.440 --> 0:28:47.200 Joel, don't let doubt and discouragement talk you out of 0:28:47.200 --> 0:28:47.800 your dreams. 0:28:48.200 --> 0:28:50.720 It may be taking longer than you thought, but what 0:28:50.880 --> 0:28:52.800 God started He's going to finish. 0:28:52.960 --> 0:28:55.600 It's just a matter of time before you see things 0:28:55.680 --> 0:28:58.880 change in your favor. Request this resource. It's going to 0:28:58.920 --> 0:29:01.440 help you stay in faith so you can unlock the 0:29:01.480 --> 0:29:03.160 promises that belonged to you. 0:29:03.600 --> 0:29:06.280 Before I ever heard Joel speak, I felt lost in 0:29:06.320 --> 0:29:08.360 my life. I didn't know where I was headed. But 0:29:08.440 --> 0:29:11.000 through the message of Hope in this ministry, I feel 0:29:11.000 --> 0:29:14.200 like I found my purpose. I've gotten married, we're expecting 0:29:14.240 --> 0:29:18.320 our first child. This ministry has completely changed my family's life. 0:29:18.600 --> 0:29:22.000 Your support is making a difference in people's lives. Thank 0:29:22.080 --> 0:29:25.320 you so much for your prayer and generosity. If you'd 0:29:25.360 --> 0:29:27.880 like to partner with us to take Hope around the world, 0:29:28.080 --> 0:29:31.200 go to the website and find out how. We appreciate 0:29:31.320 --> 0:29:34.239 our Champion of Hope partners so much. Victoria and I 0:29:34.320 --> 0:29:37.160 pray for you and your family every day. We believe 0:29:37.240 --> 0:29:41.680 twenty seventeen is going to be a blessed, prosperous, bountiful year. 0:29:41.960 --> 0:29:44.360 Know that we love you, that you're blessed, and you're 0:29:44.360 --> 0:29:46.040 a child of the Most Time God. 0:29:54.720 --> 0:29:58.600 Be a barbecue hero with delicious ultra lownette carb hero 0:29:58.760 --> 0:30:02.120 bred buns and tortilla soft and fluffy, high in fiber, 0:30:02.240 --> 0:30:04.680 and with zero grams of sugar, end up to ten 0:30:04.720 --> 0:30:07.520 grams of protein, coming in at under one hundred calories 0:30:07.560 --> 0:30:10.280 per serving. Oh and did I mention they taste like 0:30:10.320 --> 0:30:13.920 their mouthwatering traditional versions. It's enough to have the neighbors 0:30:14.000 --> 0:30:17.520 asking for seconds. 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