The Miracle Of Endurance

0:00:00.640 --> 0:00:03.600 We are so glad that you joined us for this podcast. 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:06.800 We believe that this is going to be a great February. 0:00:07.240 --> 0:00:09.520 We're starting the year off right and we know that 0:00:09.560 --> 0:00:11.719 God's got blessings in store for you. 0:00:12.000 --> 0:00:14.040 Yeah, it's so awesome that you join us and we 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:16.920 just speak blessings over you and your family. Get ready 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:22.439 for a blessed twenty twenty four. Enjoy the message. God 0:00:22.520 --> 0:00:25.320 bless you. It's great to be with you today, and 0:00:25.400 --> 0:00:27.680 I hope you stay connected with us during the week 0:00:27.960 --> 0:00:31.960 through our daily podcast or YouTube channel, social media, and 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:34.519 you can come visit us in person. We'd love to 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:36.720 have you be a part of one of our services. 0:00:37.200 --> 0:00:39.360 But I like to start with something funny, and I 0:00:39.400 --> 0:00:42.159 heard about this single man. He was sitting on an 0:00:42.200 --> 0:00:45.880 airplane next to a very beautiful single woman. They struck 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:48.680 up a conversation and he asked what kind of men 0:00:48.800 --> 0:00:52.280 she liked. She said, well, I like Native American men 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:56.440 with their high cheek bones and golden tan skin. Plus 0:00:56.520 --> 0:01:00.319 I like Jewish men, they're so brilliant and successful. And 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:02.600 I like good old boys from the South with their 0:01:02.640 --> 0:01:06.520 long Southern drawl. What's your name, he said, My name 0:01:06.680 --> 0:01:12.240 is Geronimo Bernstein, but my friends call me Bubba. 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:14.960 All right, y'all say it like you mean it. This 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:17.720 is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:20.640 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:23.319 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:27.360 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:30.760 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:01:30.840 --> 0:01:34.320 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:37.800 I want to talk to you today about the miracle 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.760 of endurance. When we think of miracles, we think of 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:45.760 when God suddenly turns things around. Jesus touched the blind 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:49.440 man and instantly his eyes were opening, prayed over five 0:01:49.520 --> 0:01:52.720 loves of bread and two fish. They multiplied and fed 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:56.400 five thousand people. Moses held his staff up in the air, 0:01:56.400 --> 0:02:00.840 and the Red sea parted. Suddenly things changed. But not 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:06.120 all miracles are instantaneous. Sometimes we're praying and believing, but 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:10.880 the problem's not turning around. Our health isn't improving, our 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:13.560 dream isn't coming to pass, and we thank God, where 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:17.520 are you? Why aren't you doing something? We don't realize 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:22.120 God is doing something. He's sustaining us, He's not letting 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:26.400 the opposition take us out. He's pushing back forces of darkness. 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:30.359 He's keeping you from getting discouraged, bitter, and giving up. 0:02:31.080 --> 0:02:33.880 You're in the middle of a miracle, but you can't 0:02:33.919 --> 0:02:37.959 always see it. It's the miracle of endurance. One day 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:40.160 you'll look back and think, how did I make it 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:44.080 through that season? How did I raise this difficult child? 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:47.280 How did I not get bitter over that breakup? How 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:50.080 did I keep going when I lost that loved one. 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:52.800 God didn't deliver you from it, but he gave you 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:56.519 the grace to go through it. Without his hand of protection, 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:00.840 favor and blessing, you wouldn't be where you are. And yes, 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:04.680 we all loved the instantaneous miracles the suddenlyist. I believe 0:03:04.760 --> 0:03:08.079 in that, but it's no less of a miracle when 0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:11.040 God takes you through what should have taken you out. 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:13.800 And instead of complaining, God, why want you to answer 0:03:13.880 --> 0:03:17.200 my prayers? Nothing good's happening in my life. Have a 0:03:17.240 --> 0:03:20.960 new perspective. Lord, Thank you for sustaining me. Thank you 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:24.160 for giving me the grace, the strength, the favor to 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:28.360 keep moving forward. The Israelites had been in the desert 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:32.400 for forty years. There were no grocery stores, no malls, 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:35.680 no door dash, no in and out burghers. Yet the 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:39.680 scripture says their clothes never wore out, their shoes never 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:42.680 got old. How could they go forty years and not 0:03:42.800 --> 0:03:47.520 wear out. That wasn't natural, that was supernatural. Every morning 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:51.400 in the desert they had food to eat. Manna, something 0:03:51.480 --> 0:03:54.600 like bread appeared on the ground. They never missed a meal. 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:58.240 They weren't trained to live in the desert. They didn't 0:03:58.280 --> 0:04:02.520 have any survival skills. They had been slaves. They faced 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:07.000 armies and bandits that had more weapons, more expertise, but 0:04:07.120 --> 0:04:11.320 against all odds, the Israelites defeated them. They weren't in 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:15.040 the Promised Land. They were waiting for that miracle. That day, 0:04:15.080 --> 0:04:17.760 they finally made it to the land of the Abundance, 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:21.920 but it was taken longer than they thought. They were uncomfortable, 0:04:21.960 --> 0:04:26.240 and they started to complain, Moses, why'd you bring us 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:30.080 out here in the desert? Nothing good is happening. They 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:33.120 didn't realize they were in the middle of a miracle. 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:39.200 God was sustaining them, protecting them, not letting enemies defeat them. 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:43.520 Every miracle is not instantaneous. Are you in the middle 0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:46.840 of a miracle? But you don't realize it. You're not 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:50.320 in the Promised Land yet. Your child hasn't turned around, 0:04:50.839 --> 0:04:54.839 business hadn't taken off, You're still taking the treatment. God 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:57.760 didn't deliver you from it, but he's taken you through it. 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:02.360 He's sustaining you. Right now now there's a miracle taking place. 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:07.159 You can't always see it. Some comfortable. There's still opposition, 0:05:07.920 --> 0:05:10.680 kind of feels like God has forgotten about you. But 0:05:10.839 --> 0:05:14.520 behind the scenes, God is the one who's holding back 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:18.160 what should defeat you. He's protecting you from what should 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:21.599 take you out. Like with job, he has a hedge 0:05:21.600 --> 0:05:25.360 around you that the enemy cannot cross. You're not at 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:29.600 the mercy of other people. Sickness, lost, bad breaks. That 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:33.800 doesn't determine your destiny. God does what he is. Purpose 0:05:33.880 --> 0:05:37.359 for your life will come to pass. Now you have 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:41.360 to trust his timing and trust his ways. He may 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:44.760 take you through some desert seasons. You thought you'd be 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:47.560 in the Promised Land by now, But have you noticed 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:52.400 your shoes haven't worn out. There's been provision. Those enemies, 0:05:52.839 --> 0:05:57.120 that sickness, the addiction seems stronger and bigger, but they 0:05:57.120 --> 0:06:01.800 couldn't defeat you. There's protection, there's angels watching over you. 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:07.159 That closed door, the delay, the disappointment, should have caused 0:06:07.160 --> 0:06:10.920 you to get bitter, discouraged. But look at you. You're 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:15.920 still believing. You're still praising, You're still expecting things to change, 0:06:16.040 --> 0:06:19.880 You're still being good to others. That's not natural. You 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:22.800 didn't just decide to have a good attitude, decide to 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:26.880 be hopeful. That's the most highed God breathing on your life, 0:06:27.160 --> 0:06:31.120 empowering you to stand strong so you can reach your destiny. 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:35.279 In the Book of Daniel, King nebka Nezzar made a 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:38.520 statue that stood ninety feet tall. He put out a 0:06:38.560 --> 0:06:41.960 decree that everyone had to bow down and worship this idol. 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:46.440 If anyone didn't, they'd be thrown into a fiery furnace. Well, 0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:49.960 there were three Hebrew teenagers, Chad, DrAk, Bijak, and a 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:54.720 Bendigo that only worshiped Jehovah. They refused to bow down. 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:58.560 When the king heard about it, he was furious. He 0:06:58.640 --> 0:07:01.919 gave them one more chance. They said, in effect, King, 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:05.080 no matter how much you pressure us, we're not going 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:08.560 to bow down. We know our God will deliver us, 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:11.840 but even if he doesn't, we're still not going to 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:15.640 bow This made the king so angry, he had the 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:18.560 guards heat up the fire seven times hotter than normal. 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:22.120 They tied the teenager's hands and feet and threw them 0:07:22.160 --> 0:07:26.440 into the furnace. Sometimes God will deliver you from the fire. 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:30.080 Other times he'll make you fire proof and take you 0:07:30.160 --> 0:07:33.920 through the fire. In a little while. This king came 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:37.360 to check on them. He looked through the furnace window, said, 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:40.440 didn't we throw three men in bound? I see four 0:07:40.480 --> 0:07:43.240 men loose, and one looks like the son of God. 0:07:44.320 --> 0:07:47.160 The only thing the fire burned were the cords that 0:07:47.200 --> 0:07:49.680 were holding them back. They came out with us the 0:07:49.760 --> 0:07:53.320 smell of smoke. King Nebuka Nezar said, from now on, 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:56.520 we're all gonna worship the God of sheddrak Nisha can 0:07:56.600 --> 0:07:59.760 have been to go. But here's my point. God is 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:03.400 all powerful. He could have just as easily kept them 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:06.320 from going into the fire. He could have changed the 0:08:06.400 --> 0:08:09.440 king's mind. He could have sent a lightning bolt and 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:12.800 took him out. He could have made those teenagers invisible. 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:15.680 There were a thousand ways he could have kept them 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:19.480 out of the fire. But sometimes the fire is the 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:23.360 pathway to our destiny. And there are two kinds of faith. 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:28.840 Delivering faith and sustaining faith. Delivering faith is when God 0:08:28.920 --> 0:08:31.920 instantly turns it around. He keeps you out of the fire. 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:36.280 Parts the Red Sea changes the pharaoh's mind. But most 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:40.040 of the time we're going to need sustaining faith. That's 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:43.000 when God takes you through the fire. That's when you're 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:45.920 in the desert on the weight of the promised land, 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:49.440 when you don't see anything improving. When it's taken longer, 0:08:49.960 --> 0:08:53.240 the opposition bigger, you'll be tempted to think, God, where 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:56.000 are you. I got thrown into the fire. I didn't 0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:59.400 see the breakthrough. The good news is God is in 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:03.320 the fire with you. He's the one sustaining you. That's 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:06.319 why you're not burning up. That's why you're not overcome. 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:09.520 That's why the sickness can't take it out. That's why 0:09:09.559 --> 0:09:12.880 that trouble hasn't defeated you. That's why you haven't panicked 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:19.720 in falling apart. There's a force at work in your life, protecting, providing, favoring, 0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:23.400 not letting you be defeated. Greater is he that's in 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:26.960 you than he that's coming against you. David said it 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:29.760 like this. By this, I know the Lord is on 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:33.800 my side for my enemies could not defeat me. He 0:09:33.840 --> 0:09:36.719 didn't say. The way I know God's on my side 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:38.800 is by how many fires he keeps me out of, 0:09:39.240 --> 0:09:42.360 how many storms I avoid, how many deserts I don't 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:44.679 have to go through. No, he said, the way I 0:09:44.760 --> 0:09:47.840 know God is on my side is the fire couldn't 0:09:47.880 --> 0:09:50.959 take me out. My shoes didn't wear out in the desert. 0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:54.880 The sickness couldn't in my life. The opposition couldn't stop 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:59.600 my purpose. There's a fourth man in that fire, sustaining us, 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:04.760 pushing back the darkness, causing us to stand strong, to outlast, 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:08.600 to persevere. You don't know God's on your side by 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:12.479 how many dreams you accomplish, how many goals you achieved, 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:15.240 how much his success you have. That's all great, But 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:18.200 the way you really know is you look back and 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:21.120 see how He sustained you when you should have gone under, 0:10:21.600 --> 0:10:23.880 How he lifted you when you should have stayed down. 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:27.080 How he gave you the grace to keep going when 0:10:27.120 --> 0:10:30.320 you should have been stuck. When my father went to 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:32.920 be with the Lord, I got thrown into the fire, 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:36.480 so to speak. I was praying God deliver me from 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:40.440 the fire. Heal my father. You heal my mother. I 0:10:40.480 --> 0:10:43.680 know you can heal him too, but this time God 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:47.760 did it another way. Twenty five years ago, last Tuesday, 0:10:48.080 --> 0:10:50.760 Daddy went to be with the Lord. We were best 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:54.760 of friends. I'd worked with him for seventeen years, travel 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:58.080 the world together. Now he was gone. I knew I 0:10:58.160 --> 0:11:00.480 was supposed to step up and pasture the church, but 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:03.560 I had never ministered before, and I was trying to 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:06.240 learn how to put a message together and keep the 0:11:06.320 --> 0:11:09.800 church going. We had a three month old baby. I'd 0:11:09.800 --> 0:11:12.839 never faced a storm that big. Now I should have 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:17.520 been overwhelmed, but I felt this peace. On the outside, 0:11:17.600 --> 0:11:20.840 everything was chaotic, but on the inside I had this 0:11:21.040 --> 0:11:25.760 quiet confidence. I knew everything was going to be okay. 0:11:25.960 --> 0:11:29.400 And I missed my father. I mourned his loss, but 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:33.000 it wasn't what I thought. I didn't fall apart, I 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:36.400 didn't get depressed. I knew God was in control. I 0:11:36.520 --> 0:11:39.600 knew he was still ordering our steps. And I didn't 0:11:39.600 --> 0:11:43.600 feel qualified to minister. I didn't have the training. I 0:11:43.760 --> 0:11:46.760 liked being behind the scenes, But all of a sudden, 0:11:46.800 --> 0:11:50.640 I had the desire to pastor. Deep down, I knew 0:11:50.679 --> 0:11:53.000 that I could do it. I felt a faith and 0:11:53.040 --> 0:11:56.640 a boldness that I never felt before. And yes it 0:11:56.720 --> 0:12:01.480 was difficult. I was uncomfortable to not be thrown into 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:04.880 the fire. But I can see now that fire was 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:08.280 leading me to my destiny. If God would have kept 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:11.200 me from the fire, I wouldn't have stepped into the 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:14.280 fullness of what He had in store. Now. I can't 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:17.560 promise you that God will deliver you from every fire, 0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:20.720 but I can promise you God will be with you 0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:24.959 in that fire to sustain you, to protect you, to 0:12:25.000 --> 0:12:29.640 empower you, to enlarge you, to move you towards your destiny. 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:32.400 When I look back now, I think, how did I 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:36.480 make it through that time learning to minister, losing my father, 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:41.480 everything turned upside down? That was God sustaining me. You 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:44.760 can look back over your life and see times where 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:48.199 you should have been overwhelmed. You should have become bitter 0:12:48.320 --> 0:12:51.160 over that loss. You should have gotten stuck after that 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:53.880 bad break. You should have given up on your dream 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:58.000 after that door closed. But somehow you kept going. You 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:02.040 believed anyway, You hope in faith, and you saw new 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:06.359 doors open. You had the grace to forgive you outlasted 0:13:06.400 --> 0:13:09.400 the trouble. You couldn't see it then, but you were 0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:12.800 in the middle of a miracle. God was sustaining you. 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:17.800 Without his strength, without his mercy, without his favor, you 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:20.880 wouldn't have made it to where you are. God may 0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:23.959 not have delivered you from that fire, but you can 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:28.240 see now he made you fireproof. Maybe you haven't seen 0:13:28.280 --> 0:13:31.240 the miracle you were praying for yet, but you're seeing 0:13:31.280 --> 0:13:35.400 the miracle of endurance. You're still here, You're still favored, 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:39.160 you still have a destiny to fulfill. When we look 0:13:39.160 --> 0:13:41.960 at the life of David, he had these big moments 0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:45.280 that we celebrate. Prophet Samuel showed up at his house 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:48.920 unannounced chose him out of his seven brothers to be 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:53.599 the next king of Israel, a destiny moment. He defeated Goliath, 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:58.040 a giant twice his size, overnight became a national hero. 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.640 King Saul sent for David to come to the palace 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:05.760 to work for him. These were mountaintop moments where God 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:11.480 suddenly promoted, blessed and favored. That's delivering faith, where God 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.720 quickly changes things. And God has some of these moments 0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:18.720 of favor for you too. But most of David's life 0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:22.560 was not the exciting moments where everything was going his way. 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:26.600 He could see God's hand at work. There were times 0:14:26.960 --> 0:14:33.000 didn't look like God was doing anything, times that were lonely, unfair, uncomfortable. 0:14:33.840 --> 0:14:36.400 After he was anointed to be king, he went back 0:14:36.440 --> 0:14:40.000 to the shepherd's fields and spent years taking care of sheep, 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:45.640 feeding them, shoveling waste, chasing away wild animals. I'm sure 0:14:45.640 --> 0:14:49.040 he thought, God have so much more in me, why 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:52.040 am I stuck out here? If it wasn't for the 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:55.600 grace of God, David would have gotten discouraged and given 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:58.800 up on his dream. He eventually went to the palace 0:14:58.840 --> 0:15:01.560 to work for King Saul, but Saul was jealous of 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:04.920 David tried to kill him. David had to flee for 0:15:05.000 --> 0:15:09.240 his life. He spent years on the run, hiding in Knes, 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:13.520 trying to outmaneuver Saul. Here he had done nothing wrong 0:15:13.600 --> 0:15:19.040 to Saul. Was unfair, didn't make sense, But somehow David 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:22.240 didn't get bitter. How could he keep a good attitude 0:15:22.400 --> 0:15:26.800 and not be revengeful. That was God working behind the scenes, 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:31.480 sustaining David, giving him the grace to handle what was unfair. 0:15:32.600 --> 0:15:36.520 David defeated Goliath in a few minutes, but this conflict 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:40.080 with King Saul would go on for years. And it's 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:44.800 great when you defeat your goliath, those instantaneous miracles, but 0:15:45.000 --> 0:15:48.960 most challenges in life will be the sauls, the things 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:52.400 that don't go away easily. This is when God steps 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:56.280 in and gives you the miracle of endurance. And at 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:59.960 one point King Saul and his men finally found David. 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:02.560 He was on the other side of the mountain. Was 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.840 too late for David to get away, he was caught. 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:09.960 After years of chasing David, tracking him down with no success, 0:16:10.520 --> 0:16:13.080 this was the big moment they had been waiting for. 0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:16.480 But just when Saul was about to give the order 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:20.120 to send in all the troops, this messenger came riding 0:16:20.160 --> 0:16:24.040 towards Saul on horseback, going full speed ahead in a 0:16:24.080 --> 0:16:27.720 great hurry. The men got off said to Saul, the 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:31.680 Philistines are attacking our city. It's urgent that you come 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:35.240 back home right now. Saul and all the men had 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:39.240 to immediately turn around and go back home. How many 0:16:39.280 --> 0:16:41.840 times in our life did it look like it was over. 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:45.840 The opposition was closing in. We didn't see a way out, 0:16:46.120 --> 0:16:50.200 the sickness too strong, the addiction too great. Then God 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:55.320 steps in and turns it around. Protects you, provides for you, 0:16:55.560 --> 0:16:59.400 push his back opposition, made ways where we didn't see away. 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:03.480 This wasn't the big miracle David was believing for he 0:17:03.560 --> 0:17:06.840 wasn't seeing the promise of taking the throne. This was 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:11.639 the miracle of endurance, God sustaining him on the way 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:15.000 to what he promised. But sometimes we're so focused on 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:18.000 the main thing God put in our heart, we're not 0:17:18.160 --> 0:17:22.879 recognizing the miracles along the way. How many times God 0:17:22.960 --> 0:17:27.879 is pushing back opposition, protecting you from harm, moving wrong 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:31.200 people out of the way, breathing faith and hope into 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:35.000 your spirit to keep you moving forward. David was in 0:17:35.040 --> 0:17:38.200 that fire, so to speak, for years, with King Saul 0:17:38.359 --> 0:17:41.439 chasing him. But God won't let you get in a 0:17:41.520 --> 0:17:46.720 fire without making your fire proof. Saul couldn't take David out, 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:50.320 even though he had more men, more power, more weapons. 0:17:51.000 --> 0:17:54.399 There is a hedge of protection around you the enemy 0:17:54.480 --> 0:17:59.040 cannot cross. But yes, it's easy to get discouraged when 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:01.000 things aren't changing it as fast as we would like. 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:04.560 We know God's put these promises in our heart. Then 0:18:04.640 --> 0:18:09.679 Saul shows up, we face opposition. Nothing's improving, But what 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:13.280 about the fact that you're still standing that it couldn't 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:17.600 take you out. You should be defeated, discouraged, frustrated. But 0:18:17.760 --> 0:18:22.159 God stepped in and sustained you. The psalmist said, my 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:26.080 enemies tried their best, but they could not finish me off. 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.879 You came down with the sickness. Stay in courage. It 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:33.440 cannot finish you all. There's a God who's breathing health 0:18:33.480 --> 0:18:37.480 into you, a God who's numbered your days. That set 0:18:37.560 --> 0:18:40.879 back in your business should stop you. You lost a 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:45.200 main client, the pandemic hit. It cannot finish you all. 0:18:45.520 --> 0:18:49.200 We serve Jehovah, Jairah, the Lord, our provider. He made 0:18:49.240 --> 0:18:52.720 streams in the desert. He said, even in famine, the 0:18:52.840 --> 0:18:56.000 righteous will have more than enough. Or the trouble with 0:18:56.119 --> 0:18:59.240 your child looks like he'll never get back on course, 0:18:59.440 --> 0:19:03.280 you pray, you believe. It cannot finish him off. What 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:07.160 God started in your child he's going to complete. As 0:19:07.160 --> 0:19:09.480 for you and your house. You will serve the Lord. 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:13.200 I talked to a woman that was a widow. She 0:19:13.359 --> 0:19:16.439 lost her husband in her forties and she was numb. 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:19.440 She didn't think she could go on. They had two 0:19:19.520 --> 0:19:22.320 small boys and she was a stay at home mom. 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:26.600 He provided all the income The scripture says, when the 0:19:26.760 --> 0:19:30.280 enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of God 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:34.159 raises up a barrier. And sometimes it's like there's a 0:19:34.160 --> 0:19:38.120 flood of heartbreak, a flood of anxiety, a flood of trouble. 0:19:38.960 --> 0:19:42.119 God knows there are things we can't handle on our own. 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:45.480 It's too much to carry. We don't have the strength, 0:19:45.840 --> 0:19:49.800 the courage, the passion. That's when he steps in and 0:19:49.920 --> 0:19:53.960 raises up a barrier. He'll push back the opposition to 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:58.000 lighten the load, to carry that burden. When this lady 0:19:58.320 --> 0:20:01.480 was at her lowest point, she told how she's about 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:05.480 to give up, but she felt this supernatural strength. She 0:20:05.600 --> 0:20:09.960 had this fresh vision, this new attitude. She said, Joel, 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:12.080 I don't know how to explain it. It was just 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:15.320 like that pressure lifted off of me and I knew 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:18.920 that I could move forward. That was fifteen years ago. 0:20:19.400 --> 0:20:22.159 She never missed a house payment, her son got a 0:20:22.160 --> 0:20:25.760 scholarship to college, she was promoted at her work. She 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:28.720 serves here at Lakewood each week. She said, if you 0:20:28.760 --> 0:20:31.720 would have told me back then that I would be 0:20:31.760 --> 0:20:34.320 where I am today, I would have never believed it. 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:39.040 That's the miracle of endurance. You may have things coming 0:20:39.040 --> 0:20:41.960 against you. You don't see how it's going to work out. 0:20:42.200 --> 0:20:44.760 Can I encourage you? You're in the middle of a 0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:49.320 miracle right now. God is sustaining you. There are things 0:20:49.320 --> 0:20:52.879 happening that you cannot see. He's not letting that loss 0:20:53.000 --> 0:20:56.080 keep you from your destiny. He's not letting the sickness 0:20:56.119 --> 0:21:00.880 take you out. That disappointment didn't stop your purpose. He's 0:21:00.920 --> 0:21:06.760 strengthening you, empowering you, pushing back forces of darkness. See, 0:21:06.800 --> 0:21:11.440 sometimes the way we overcome is to outlast. David never 0:21:11.520 --> 0:21:15.280 defeated King Saul. He wouldn't touch Saul because he knew 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:19.159 God had anointed him. It didn't seem fair. Saul was 0:21:19.160 --> 0:21:22.960 trying to kill David. Don't take matters into your own hands. 0:21:23.080 --> 0:21:27.680 Let God be your vindicator. Thirteen years after David was 0:21:27.720 --> 0:21:31.520 anointed by Samuel, Saul was killed in a battle. And 0:21:31.520 --> 0:21:34.520 after all this time of being on the run, hiding, 0:21:35.160 --> 0:21:38.119 doing the right thing when it was hard, David was 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:43.040 made keen. What took him to the throne wasn't defeating Goliath, 0:21:43.880 --> 0:21:47.119 wasn't the promise that came to pass quickly. It was 0:21:47.160 --> 0:21:51.879 the miracle of endurance. It was God's sustaining him. But 0:21:51.920 --> 0:21:53.880 when we're in the middle of it can be hard 0:21:53.920 --> 0:21:57.680 to say. God, Saul still chasing me, He's still making 0:21:57.720 --> 0:22:01.199 my life miserable. God, I still have this sickness. My 0:22:01.280 --> 0:22:04.080 child's still off course. God, I was doing the right 0:22:04.119 --> 0:22:06.480 thing and this king threw me into the fire. Where 0:22:06.520 --> 0:22:10.159 are you now? Have a new perspective, Lord, Thank you 0:22:10.280 --> 0:22:14.359 for sustaining me. Thank you for the grace for this season. Lord, 0:22:14.400 --> 0:22:18.320 I recognize you're holding back the opposition. You're giving me 0:22:18.359 --> 0:22:22.439 the power to endure. You're not letting this adversity finish 0:22:22.520 --> 0:22:25.680 me off. I was at the beach when our children 0:22:25.680 --> 0:22:29.960 were much younger. Alexandra was three and Jonathan was six, 0:22:30.040 --> 0:22:32.960 and we were having a good time making this castle 0:22:33.040 --> 0:22:36.959 in the sand when this little yellow bumblebee came and 0:22:37.040 --> 0:22:40.920 landed right by us. Alexandra took off, run and afraid, 0:22:41.000 --> 0:22:44.120 and I swatted him away. We went back to play 0:22:44.160 --> 0:22:47.600 it no big deal. About thirty seconds later, he was 0:22:47.720 --> 0:22:51.160 right back, flying all around us. Kids were screaming, Daddy, 0:22:51.200 --> 0:22:53.159 get him out of here. I got a towel and 0:22:53.200 --> 0:22:55.920 I swatted him down to the ground. Thought I'm gonna 0:22:55.920 --> 0:22:58.360 show him whose boss. I'm tired of dealing with him 0:22:58.800 --> 0:23:02.639 about A minute later, there he was again, flying all around, 0:23:02.680 --> 0:23:05.680 buzzy in and out. I got that towel knocked him down, 0:23:06.400 --> 0:23:09.000 But this time I put my tennis shoe on and 0:23:09.119 --> 0:23:11.959 I went over and I squashed him into the sand 0:23:12.560 --> 0:23:15.880 with all one hundred and fifty pounds of this pure 0:23:15.960 --> 0:23:19.520 still went right into that little bumble bee. I was 0:23:19.760 --> 0:23:23.000 done with him. A couple of minutes later, I walked 0:23:23.000 --> 0:23:25.399 over to make sure that he was still dead. I 0:23:25.400 --> 0:23:29.760 couldn't believe what I was seeing. One wing barely started 0:23:29.760 --> 0:23:32.720 to move. I thought, you know, it's just his nerves. 0:23:32.760 --> 0:23:35.600 He's got to be dead. Then this other wing started 0:23:35.600 --> 0:23:38.920 to slowly come out from under the sand. I thought, 0:23:38.960 --> 0:23:44.000 this bumblebee has resurrection power. Even though a thousand times 0:23:44.040 --> 0:23:48.080 bigger and stronger, I could not finish him off. He 0:23:48.160 --> 0:23:50.399 walked around in the sand like he was dazed. I 0:23:50.520 --> 0:23:53.240 still thought he was dead. Then he flapped his wings 0:23:53.240 --> 0:23:56.680 and took off into the air. I stood there, amazed, 0:23:57.040 --> 0:24:00.520 watching him fly into the distance. About that time, he 0:24:00.600 --> 0:24:04.240 turned around and came right toward me, buzzed by my 0:24:04.359 --> 0:24:06.359 head two or three times, where I had to duck, 0:24:07.280 --> 0:24:11.240 Like that bumblebee. God has put something in you where 0:24:11.240 --> 0:24:15.840 you cannot be finished off. A power and anointing, a 0:24:15.920 --> 0:24:20.160 favor that will cause you to defy the odds. Where 0:24:20.200 --> 0:24:22.919 you get up when you've been knocked down, where you 0:24:23.040 --> 0:24:26.560 keep going when you should be stuck, Where you overpower 0:24:26.920 --> 0:24:30.960 what should have overpowered you. It's the miracle of endurance. 0:24:31.680 --> 0:24:36.040 God didn't create us to be weak, defeated, overcome. The 0:24:36.080 --> 0:24:39.920 same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you. 0:24:40.600 --> 0:24:43.480 The scripture says, a good person may get knocked down 0:24:43.600 --> 0:24:46.480 seven times, but the Lord will raise him back up. 0:24:46.960 --> 0:24:50.040 God didn't just give you delivering faith. He's given you 0:24:50.119 --> 0:24:54.359 sustaining faith. Yes, you're gonna defeat some golias, you're gonna 0:24:54.400 --> 0:24:58.320 see some quick victories, but you're also going to outlast 0:24:58.400 --> 0:25:02.480 the psalms. You have the power to endure. Right now, 0:25:02.520 --> 0:25:07.280 God is sustaining you, protecting you, favoring you, strengthening you, 0:25:07.480 --> 0:25:11.440 pushing back the darkness. God said in Isaiah forty six, 0:25:11.920 --> 0:25:15.400 even till your old age, I am the God who 0:25:15.480 --> 0:25:19.439 sustains you. You're not doing life on your own. I 0:25:19.480 --> 0:25:23.400 know sometimes it gets difficult. Things aren't fair. We get 0:25:23.440 --> 0:25:26.159 thrown into the fire. We don't feel like we have 0:25:26.240 --> 0:25:30.359 the strength. How can we overcome by ourselves. We can't. 0:25:30.800 --> 0:25:34.720 That's when our God steps in to sustain you. He 0:25:34.800 --> 0:25:37.440 may not keep you from every fire, but I can 0:25:37.480 --> 0:25:41.520 assure you he's made you fireproof. The enemy is not 0:25:41.680 --> 0:25:44.879 in control of your life. God is. He wouldn't have 0:25:44.960 --> 0:25:47.520 let you get in that fire unless it was leading 0:25:47.560 --> 0:25:51.040 you to a new level of your destiny. It cannot 0:25:51.160 --> 0:25:53.960 finish you off. You're going to come out without the 0:25:54.040 --> 0:25:57.680 smell of smoke. Now, when you're tempted to get discouraged, 0:25:58.119 --> 0:26:01.600 look back over your life. You have a history with God. 0:26:02.359 --> 0:26:05.560 Think about all the times he made a way. He 0:26:05.600 --> 0:26:08.119 gave you strength when you didn't think you could go on. 0:26:08.520 --> 0:26:13.160 He provided in the pandemic. He protected you against forces 0:26:13.160 --> 0:26:16.359 that were way too much. He hasn't brought you this 0:26:16.600 --> 0:26:19.920 far to leave you where you are, even till your 0:26:20.000 --> 0:26:23.520 old age, till your last breath. He's going to keep 0:26:23.560 --> 0:26:27.960 sustaining you, stay in peace. You can trust him. You're 0:26:28.000 --> 0:26:31.720 in the middle of a miracle now, I believe and declare. 0:26:32.160 --> 0:26:36.879 Right now, God is lifting burdens, lightning loads. You're about 0:26:36.880 --> 0:26:41.080 to feel a supernatural strength, a power to outlast, a 0:26:41.200 --> 0:26:44.920 courage to overcome, a favor that propels you into your 0:26:44.960 --> 0:26:50.119 purpose the miracle of endurance in Jesus' name, And if 0:26:50.200 --> 0:26:54.359 you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to 0:26:54.359 --> 0:26:57.199 give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of 0:26:57.240 --> 0:27:01.200 your life. Would you pray with me, say Lord Jesus, 0:27:01.760 --> 0:27:05.440 I repent of my sins, Come into my heart. I 0:27:05.640 --> 0:27:08.960 make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed that 0:27:09.040 --> 0:27:12.719 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love 0:27:12.800 --> 0:27:15.280 to send you some information on your new walk with 0:27:15.320 --> 0:27:17.679 the Lord. You can text the number on the screen 0:27:17.920 --> 0:27:20.360 or go to the website. But I hope you'll get 0:27:20.400 --> 0:27:24.560 into a good Bible based church and keep God first place. 0:27:25.800 --> 0:27:29.000 Breathtaking that's what you feel when you look out at 0:27:29.080 --> 0:27:34.240 majestic mountain peaks. Yes, God's creation truly is a masterpiece. 0:27:34.720 --> 0:27:38.119 But even as you consider his handiwork, you might also 0:27:38.240 --> 0:27:43.159 feel bless that not good enough or not valuable. The 0:27:43.240 --> 0:27:47.560 image before you is incredible, but the confidence inside is lacking. 0:27:48.119 --> 0:27:49.200 How do you overcome this? 0:27:50.240 --> 0:27:53.800 The opinion you have of yourself is your most important opinion. 0:27:54.320 --> 0:27:58.800 Too often we see ourselves as ordinary, not talented, unattractive, 0:27:59.359 --> 0:28:02.280 net wrongs. Image is setting the limits for our life. 0:28:02.960 --> 0:28:05.200 The key is to get an agreement with who God 0:28:05.280 --> 0:28:10.280 says you are. He calls you a masterpiece, strong, talented, valuable. 0:28:10.920 --> 0:28:13.680 If you'll have the right image of yourself, you'll rise 0:28:13.760 --> 0:28:16.919 higher and become who you were created to be. We 0:28:16.960 --> 0:28:19.160 have a new resource that will help you do just that. 0:28:19.480 --> 0:28:23.120 It's called you Are a Masterpiece. It's filled with inspiration 0:28:23.359 --> 0:28:28.960 and encouragement that will remind you who you really are, gifted, chosen, approved. 0:28:29.280 --> 0:28:31.160 It will help you get rid of the wrong self 0:28:31.200 --> 0:28:35.240 image and start seeing yourself as the masterpiece God created 0:28:35.280 --> 0:28:35.720 you to be. 0:28:36.840 --> 0:28:39.320 As our Thank you for your gift of any amount 0:28:39.360 --> 0:28:41.680 to the ministry. This month, we want to send you 0:28:41.800 --> 0:28:47.800 Joel's inspiring newbrook. You are a masterpiece. God made you unique, 0:28:48.000 --> 0:28:51.760 with a divine purpose and a bright future. As these 0:28:51.840 --> 0:28:55.440 truths sink down in your spirit, the majesty of God's 0:28:55.440 --> 0:28:59.640 glory will arise within you. Yes, God has breathed his 0:28:59.720 --> 0:29:04.480 life into you. He approved you, equipped you, empowered you. 0:29:05.120 --> 0:29:08.440 Stop believing the lies about you and start hearing what 0:29:08.520 --> 0:29:09.640 God says about you. 0:29:10.160 --> 0:29:12.400 Thanks so much for being a part of the ministry. 0:29:12.720 --> 0:29:15.480 Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day, 0:29:15.760 --> 0:29:18.840 Believing it's going to be a favor filled twenty twenty four. 0:29:19.480 --> 0:29:23.640 We appreciate your prayer and support. Your generosity is impacting 0:29:23.680 --> 0:29:27.280 people around the world. Remember you can watch the services 0:29:27.360 --> 0:29:31.320 live online Sunday mornings, see all the music and ministry, 0:29:31.760 --> 0:29:35.320 download our daily podcast. Until we meet again, May the 0:29:35.360 --> 0:29:36.840 Lord bless you and keep you. 0:29:37.680 --> 0:29:40.160 Be sure to request your copy of that You were 0:29:40.200 --> 0:29:50.560 a Masterpiece Today. Visit Joelostein dot com