The Odds Are For You

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It's time 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:02.200 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:01:02.200 --> 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 it 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 us continue to 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:22.160 share the message of hope with those all over the world. 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:26.240 Visit joeloostin dot com slash give Hope to give a 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:28.400 gift today. 0:01:35.840 --> 0:01:38.640 Well, God bless you and thanks for letting us come 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:41.400 into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, 0:01:41.560 --> 0:01:43.520 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:46.520 our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:49.320 at home. I'd like to start with something funny, and 0:01:49.680 --> 0:01:51.640 I should mention that this was sent to me by 0:01:51.640 --> 0:01:55.480 a woman. But according to the Alaska Department of Fish 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:59.840 and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers 0:01:59.840 --> 0:02:03.680 and in the summer, male reindeer lose their antlers at 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:08.040 the start of winter in early November, female reindeer keep 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:11.520 theirs all the way till the spring. This means all 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:16.200 of Santa's reindeer, from Rudolph to Blitzen had to be female. 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:20.120 She goes on to say, we should have known only 0:02:20.200 --> 0:02:23.400 a woman would be able to drag around a fat 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:27.359 man wearing a red velvet suit all around the world 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:31.480 in one night and not get lost. Say it like 0:02:31.560 --> 0:02:34.600 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:02:34.720 --> 0:02:37.240 it says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:02:37.760 --> 0:02:40.320 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:43.600 I will be taught the word of God. I'll boldly confess. 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:47.480 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:51.200 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:02:52.200 --> 0:02:54.720 I want to talk to you today about the odds 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:58.480 are for you. It's easy to go through life thinking 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:01.880 of all the reasons why we can't be successful, why 0:03:01.960 --> 0:03:04.960 we won't get well, why we'll never meet the right person. 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:08.839 We look at our situations in the natural and think 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:12.239 the odds are against us. I talk to a man 0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:15.600 that struggles with an addiction. He said, Joel, my dad 0:03:15.680 --> 0:03:19.560 had this same addiction. My grandfather struggled with it. The 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:22.840 odds don't look too good for me. But as long 0:03:23.000 --> 0:03:26.120 as you think the odds are against you, you'll get 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:30.040 stuck where you are. You have the most powerful force 0:03:30.120 --> 0:03:34.440 in the universe breathing in your direction. God has crowned 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:37.320 you with favor. He has armed you with strength for 0:03:37.440 --> 0:03:41.640 every battle. He wouldn't have allowed that difficulty if he 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:44.160 wasn't going to turn it around and use it to 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:48.400 your advantage. The odds may be against you, but the 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:53.320 most high God is for you. He is a supernatural god. 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:57.880 He parts red seas, he turns water into wine. He 0:03:57.960 --> 0:04:03.560 opens the eyes of the blind. Your circumstances may look impossible, 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:07.560 but the God who can do the impossible is working 0:04:07.640 --> 0:04:12.600 behind the scenes, arranging things in your favor, turning negative 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:17.839 situations around. Since God is for you, that means the 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:22.680 odds are for you. Don't go through life thinking not me, Joel, 0:04:22.839 --> 0:04:25.320 I come from the wrong family. The odds are against me. 0:04:25.720 --> 0:04:29.320 No turn it around. I've been born into a new family. 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:33.960 My heavenly Father controls the universe. I have ruleyal blood 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:37.640 flowing through my veins. When you know the odds are 0:04:37.720 --> 0:04:41.520 for you, you'll put your shoulders back. You'll carry yourself 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:45.960 with confidence. You'll expect to do great things all through 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:49.040 the day. This should be playing in our mind, the 0:04:49.080 --> 0:04:53.200 odds are for me. I'm destined to accomplish my dreams. 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:56.919 I'm destined to overcome this challenge. I'm a child of 0:04:56.960 --> 0:05:00.839 the Most High God. But don't be surprised when you 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:04.680 find yourself in situations where it feels like the odds 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:08.280 are against you. You don't see a way out. There 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:13.080 aren't any logical solutions. God puts us there on purpose, 0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:16.960 so that when he turns it around, nobody will get 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:20.680 the credit except him. Everyone will know it is the 0:05:20.760 --> 0:05:24.640 hand of the Lord. And when your circumstances seem impossible, 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:28.480 instead of being discourage God, why me, No, Get ready, 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:32.400 You're in perfect position for God to show out in 0:05:32.480 --> 0:05:36.160 your life. He is setting you up to show his 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:40.240 favor in amazing ways. That's what happened to a man 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:44.159 in the scripture named Gideon. The Midianites and two other 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:48.560 armies came against him. They were about to attack the Israelites. 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:52.159 Gideon sent word to his men to come and fight. 0:05:52.960 --> 0:05:57.400 Thirty two thousand warriors showed up. Gideon was feeling good. 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:01.159 That was several times more men than his opposition. He 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:05.160 liked those odds. But just when he was about to attack, 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:09.560 God said Gideon, you have too many men. If you 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:12.640 defeat the Midianites, you'll think you did it in your 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:17.919 own strength. He instructed Gideon to let everyone go home 0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:23.599 that was afraid. Twenty two thousand men left. Gideon nearly 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:26.680 passed out. Two thirds of his army went home. He 0:06:26.720 --> 0:06:30.480 didn't like these odds anymore. When he thought it couldn't 0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:35.120 get any worse, God said, Gideon, you still have too many. 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:38.200 He told him to do something else to eliminate more men. 0:06:38.800 --> 0:06:43.760 Nine thousand, seven hundred men left. Gideon only had three 0:06:43.880 --> 0:06:47.920 hundred men to fight this army of thousands and thousands. 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:52.560 These odds seemed impossible. Looked like he would be wiped out. 0:06:53.080 --> 0:06:57.280 What Gideon didn't realize was God wasn't setting him back, 0:06:57.560 --> 0:07:00.000 He was setting him up. He was about to show 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:03.919 go out in his life. Gideon and those three hundred 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:07.080 men went to the enemy's camp in the middle of 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:10.640 the night. They blew their trumpets and let out a 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:15.520 loud shout. The Midianites got confused and begin to fight 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:20.360 among themselves. The Israelites defeated them. They didn't have to 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:23.280 lift one finger. They didn't even have to go to battle. 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:27.560 It looked like a set back. But the truth was 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:32.200 God was setting Gideon up. He was putting him in 0:07:32.320 --> 0:07:36.480 position to show himself strong. When the odds seem like 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:41.000 they're against you, the obstacles look bigger, stronger, more powerful. 0:07:41.360 --> 0:07:45.840 Don't worry like Gideon, it is a setup. God is 0:07:45.880 --> 0:07:49.200 about to make things happen that you could never make happen. 0:07:49.840 --> 0:07:53.520 He's going to turn that situation around without you having 0:07:53.560 --> 0:07:57.320 to go to battle. He's going to heal you without 0:07:57.360 --> 0:08:01.400 the extensive treatment. He's going to promote you without all 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:05.880 of the qualifications. Keep the right perspective. The odds are 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:09.760 for you. You may feel like the underdog, but you 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:13.640 and God are a majority. You don't need everyone to 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:16.400 be for you. You don't have to have all the support, 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:20.680 the encouragement. You have the one that matters the most 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:25.560 High God is breathing in your direction. Later, when the 0:08:25.600 --> 0:08:29.720 Israelites went to different cities, normally these armies would attack, 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:34.240 but the leaders said, in effect, Gideon, we saw what 0:08:34.280 --> 0:08:38.360 your God did to the Midianites. They weren't afraid of Gideon. 0:08:38.760 --> 0:08:41.920 They were afraid of the God of Gideon. They knew 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:45.440 the Lord was on his side. God wants to give 0:08:45.480 --> 0:08:49.040 you victory. To where people know the Lord is on 0:08:49.080 --> 0:08:52.960 your side. Maybe you didn't have the support growing up, 0:08:53.520 --> 0:08:58.080 the encouragement, the stability. You should have been a statistic. 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:02.360 But here you are defied the odds, leaving your mark, 0:09:02.720 --> 0:09:06.240 going further than you ever dreamed. What happened. The Lord 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:09.800 was on your side. The medical report said you wouldn't 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.920 make it, but here you are strong, healthy and whole. 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:17.040 The Lord was on your side. Perhaps the odds said 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:20.600 you'd be addicted like your father, you would struggle like 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:24.600 your grandfather, But here you are free and clean. You 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:28.080 broke the curse, you set a new standard. How could 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:31.719 this be? The Lord was on your side. When we 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:35.280 were trying to acquire this facility, the former Compact Center, 0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:38.800 every expert told us that we wouldn't get it, that 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:41.080 the city wasn't going to let a church have it. 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:45.400 On the surface, the odds were against us, but we 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:49.320 understood this principle. When you don't see a way, when 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:52.640 you feel outnumbered, when the giants look bigger, they have 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:57.240 more resources, more experience. That means God is up to something. 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:01.360 Like Gideon, He's getting you in poss position to launch 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:04.880 you to the next level. God made things happen that 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:07.640 we could never make happen. And some of the same 0:10:07.800 --> 0:10:10.920 people that were against us, the same ones that said 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:15.240 we would never get it, today they are our biggest supporters. 0:10:16.080 --> 0:10:19.160 I saw one of the council members that voted against us, 0:10:19.559 --> 0:10:23.240 a very vocal opponent. He said, Joel, that was the 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:27.840 biggest mistake of my political career. I watch you every Sunday, 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:30.800 I bring people to your services. I don't know what 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:34.320 I was thinking back then. I didn't tell him, but 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:37.240 he was a part of the setup. God was using 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:41.920 him to launch us forward. That's what it says. In Exodus, 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:46.480 God caused Faarah to harden his heart so that he 0:10:46.520 --> 0:10:51.199 could bring great glory at the expense of Pharaoh. God 0:10:51.240 --> 0:10:55.160 had told Moses to go, tell Pharah, let my people go. 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:59.480 But God knew that Pharah wasn't going to let them go. 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:03.920 He caused him to harden his heart. God was setting 0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:07.480 up the odds to be against the Israelites so he 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:10.800 could show his favor and some of the people and 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:15.200 circumstances that have come against you. You may not like it. 0:11:15.200 --> 0:11:19.320 It wasn't fair, but it was ordained by God not 0:11:19.440 --> 0:11:22.760 to stop you, not to defeat you, but so that 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:26.760 God can show out in your life. Now, quit complaining 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:30.160 about what didn't work out. Why am I facing these 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:35.040 huge giants, those obstacles that look like they're stopping you. 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:38.160 If you'll stay in faith, it's just a matter of 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:42.040 time before God turns them around and uses them to 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:46.240 push you forward. The odds are against you for one reason, 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:50.359 so that God can bring great glory out of your life. 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:53.880 He wants to make you an example of his goodness. 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:58.200 You remember when the three Hebrew teenagers wouldn't bow down 0:11:58.280 --> 0:12:02.200 to the king's golden idol. This king got so furious 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:05.520 he was going to have them thrown into a fiery furnace. 0:12:06.160 --> 0:12:09.360 He told his men to heat up the fire seven 0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:13.480 times hotter than normal. What was God doing making the 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:17.800 odds even greater. God knew the fire wasn't going to 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:20.560 burn them. He knew they weren't going to be harmed, 0:12:21.040 --> 0:12:24.240 so he had them turn it up even hotter so 0:12:24.320 --> 0:12:27.720 that it would become a greater miracle. When these three 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:31.280 Hebrew teenagers came out of that fire without the smell 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:34.840 of smoke, there wasn't any doubt that the Lord was 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:39.199 on their side. In fact, this same king said, Praise 0:12:39.320 --> 0:12:42.600 be to the God of Shadrak Mee jack in a bendigo, 0:12:43.000 --> 0:12:46.600 those three Hebrew teenagers. When it feels like the odds 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:50.199 are against you, the fire's been turned up seven times hotter. 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:53.880 Pharaoh won't let you go. God took your army from 0:12:53.880 --> 0:12:57.679 thirty two thousand to three hundred. Men. Don't panic, don't 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:01.200 fall apart. It's a set up. God is about to 0:13:01.280 --> 0:13:04.880 show out. He's about to make you a testimony. He's 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:08.040 going to do something that people cannot deny. They're going 0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:12.160 to know the Lord is on your side. I talked 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:15.120 to a man that cut his hand and developed a 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:18.960 severe infection. He tried for several days to tough it 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.360 out and hope that it would go away, but it 0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:25.240 kept getting worse. He started running a high fever. He 0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:27.880 got to the point where he couldn't eat. He finally 0:13:27.960 --> 0:13:32.240 passed out. He was rushed to the emergency room unconscious. 0:13:32.920 --> 0:13:36.000 The doctors told his family that he had some kind 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:39.520 of toxic shock and there was only a fifty percent 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:42.440 chance that he would live. They had to find the 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:46.160 right kind of antibiotic to treat him. Every hour that 0:13:46.240 --> 0:13:50.280 went by not treated, his chance of survival went down 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.800 five percent. They didn't find something in the next few hours. 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:57.560 The doctor said that he probably wouldn't make it, and 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:01.040 if somehow he did survive, he would be a vegetable. 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:05.840 Twelve hours went by, they couldn't find the antibiotic. One 0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:10.360 day still nothing. Two hundred and sixty four hours later, 0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:14.480 they finally found the right treatment. He wasn't supposed to 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:17.520 still be alive. He was told he would never be 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:23.000 able to walk, talk, function properly. But today he's perfectly healthy. 0:14:23.240 --> 0:14:26.600 You would never know anything was wrong. But God could 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:30.040 have healed him the first day. The doctors could have 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:33.160 found the right treatment the first few hours. That would 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:37.560 have still been a great miracle. But sometimes God will 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:41.400 let the odds grow greater to where you don't see 0:14:41.440 --> 0:14:45.240 a way out. Then suddenly God will step in and 0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:48.840 make things happen that you could never make happen. Don't 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:52.000 let the odds fool you. Don't let the fact that 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:57.040 you don't see away. The financial situation looks too far gone. 0:14:57.240 --> 0:15:00.360 You've tried to break that addiction for years now you 0:15:00.440 --> 0:15:03.960 think it wasn't meant to be. No, get ready, this 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:07.400 is a setup. This is not the time to give up. 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:10.720 This is the time to stir your faith up all 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:14.120 through the day. Lord, thank you that you're bigger than 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:18.800 this sickness, greater than this addiction, more powerful than these opponents. 0:15:19.520 --> 0:15:23.000 If you'll stay in faith like this man, you're going 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:26.520 to become a testimony. People are going to look at 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:30.720 you and see that God's favor is on your life. 0:15:30.760 --> 0:15:34.600 In the Scripture, Mary and Martha sent word to their 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:39.360 friend Jesus that their brother Lazarus had died. Jesus was 0:15:39.360 --> 0:15:41.600 in a different city, and they thought that he would 0:15:41.600 --> 0:15:45.080 come right away and pray for Lazarus. They'd seen Jesus 0:15:45.120 --> 0:15:48.320 heal people before, they knew that he could heal their brother. 0:15:49.160 --> 0:15:52.800 One day passed and Jesus didn't show up. I'm sure, 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:57.240 Martha thought, Jesus, where are you? What's taking you so long? Now? 0:15:57.280 --> 0:16:00.640 The day went by, still no sign of Jesus. Finally, 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:05.480 Lazarus died. When Jesus arrived at their house, Lazarus had 0:16:05.480 --> 0:16:09.000 been in the tomb for four days. Mary and Martha 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:11.960 were so upset, they said, Jesus, if you would have 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:15.920 been here, our brother would still be alive. The odds 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:18.560 weren't that good when he was sick, but now that 0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:22.720 he was dead, they looked impossible. He was already wrapped 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:25.880 in grave clothes, wrapped up like a mummy. You know 0:16:25.960 --> 0:16:28.600 the story. Jesus went to the tomb and he spoke 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:30.880 to Lazarus and told him to come back to life, 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:34.360 and when he did, Lazarus woke up. Was a great miracle. 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:40.080 My point is, sometimes God will wait on purpose till 0:16:40.120 --> 0:16:43.480 the odds are weigh against us. You're ready to bury 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:47.240 the dream, bury the promise, bury the relationship. You don't 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:51.040 see a way, but God's ways are not our ways. 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:55.600 Mary and Martha were praying for a healing, but God 0:16:55.720 --> 0:17:00.680 had something better in store. He had a resurrection. What 0:17:00.800 --> 0:17:03.640 you're tempted to give up on you don't see how 0:17:03.680 --> 0:17:07.040 it could happen. Maybe God is not going to do 0:17:07.119 --> 0:17:10.560 it the way you're thinking. Maybe He has something better 0:17:10.600 --> 0:17:14.359 for you. Twice we tried to buy property to build 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:18.600 a new sanctuary. On both times that property was sold 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:21.959 out from under us. We couldn't find any more large 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:25.440 tracts of land. I was discouraged. I didn't think we'd 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:30.159 ever have a bigger sanctuary. Then one day suddenly the 0:17:30.240 --> 0:17:34.560 compact center became available. I was praying for a healing, 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:39.000 but God had a resurrection, something better than I've ever dreamed. 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:44.240 The odds may be totally against you today, but can 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:48.280 I tell you God is totally for you. He has 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:52.640 not brought you this far to leave you. Your circumstances 0:17:52.720 --> 0:17:56.200 may look dead. God didn't show up on time. You've 0:17:56.200 --> 0:18:00.600 been asking and asking. Dare to trust him. He has 0:18:00.680 --> 0:18:03.560 you in the palm of his hand. You may not 0:18:03.680 --> 0:18:08.080 see anything happening, but he's working behind the scenes. When 0:18:08.119 --> 0:18:11.879 he speaks, dead things come back to life. He's not 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:15.920 moved by the odds. When Jesus found out that Lazarus 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:19.560 was dead, he didn't say, oh, man, I waited too long. 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:23.520 What am I going to do now? God controls the universe. 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:27.679 The odds do not determine what he can and cannot do. 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:32.359 Back in those days, the Sadducees, these were the people 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:36.240 that were very against Jesus. They believed that the spirit 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:40.959 left the body three days after a person died. It 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:44.760 wasn't a coincidence that Jesus waited till the fourth day 0:18:44.800 --> 0:18:47.880 to show up. He did this on purpose, so when 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:51.000 he raised Lazarus there would be no doubt about it. 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:56.600 Sometimes God will let the odds become greater, not just 0:18:56.720 --> 0:19:00.600 so you, but so your critics, so your neighbor, so 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:04.200 your relatives, so your co workers. They won't be able 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:07.480 to deny what God has done. Now, I love the 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:12.680 fact that from that moment forward, Lazarus became a testimony. 0:19:13.480 --> 0:19:16.440 Everywhere he went. He didn't have to say a word. 0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:19.280 People pointed at him. You can hear him whispering. Look 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:22.439 there's that guy. He was dead. He's not supposed to 0:19:22.440 --> 0:19:26.240 be here. He defied the odds. He was a living testimony. 0:19:26.800 --> 0:19:29.600 That's what God wants to do for you, show you 0:19:29.720 --> 0:19:33.440 his favor in such a way that people notice that 0:19:33.480 --> 0:19:37.000 you stand out. You're going to become a living testimony. 0:19:38.000 --> 0:19:41.119 I know a young lady that applied for a scholarship 0:19:41.280 --> 0:19:45.840 at a prestigious university. Twenty six hundred other students applied 0:19:45.880 --> 0:19:50.879 as well. The challenge was there were only twelve scholarships available. 0:19:51.560 --> 0:19:55.600 Those odds were less than half of one percent. She 0:19:55.680 --> 0:19:58.919 could have thought, what's the use, no use even trying, 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:03.280 These are imp possible odds. Instead, she did what I'm 0:20:03.320 --> 0:20:06.760 asking you to do. She dared to believe that God 0:20:06.800 --> 0:20:09.639 would open the doors that she was supposed to go through. 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:13.680 It doesn't always happen the way we think God knows 0:20:13.720 --> 0:20:17.240 what's best. But if you're letting the odds talk you 0:20:17.359 --> 0:20:21.800 out of stretching, out of dreaming, out of believing, then 0:20:21.800 --> 0:20:25.440 you're going to miss the fullness of your destiny. If 0:20:25.440 --> 0:20:29.480 you can accomplish everything in your own strength, you don't 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:33.720 need God's help. But when the odds are against you, 0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:37.840 you don't see away. You don't have the connections, the finances, 0:20:37.840 --> 0:20:40.800 you're too young, too old. That's when you have to 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:44.320 dig your heels in and say, God, I know these 0:20:44.400 --> 0:20:47.480 odds are no problem for you. I know this is 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:50.720 a setup for you to show out. That's what this 0:20:50.880 --> 0:20:56.360 young lady did. Several months later, she received a letter saying, congratulations, 0:20:56.520 --> 0:20:58.680 out of the twenty six hundred, you're one of the 0:20:58.720 --> 0:21:02.359 twelve that we've chosen. Are you letting the odds talk 0:21:02.400 --> 0:21:05.080 you out of your dreams, talk you out of your health, 0:21:05.320 --> 0:21:09.040 talk you out of your freedom? Not long ago, the 0:21:09.160 --> 0:21:12.600 lottery was at a record amount. I read where the 0:21:12.640 --> 0:21:16.040 odds of winning it were one in three hundred million. 0:21:16.840 --> 0:21:20.320 They used this example that if you laid pennies on 0:21:20.400 --> 0:21:25.440 the ground side by side from Seattle to Miami and 0:21:25.480 --> 0:21:28.280 you marked one of those pennies with a special X. 0:21:28.960 --> 0:21:31.879 The chances of you winning that lottery were the same 0:21:32.400 --> 0:21:37.240 as you choosing that one special penny. Between Seattle and Miami, 0:21:37.920 --> 0:21:41.160 they were basically saying, forget about it, you're not gonna win. 0:21:42.119 --> 0:21:44.680 In the Book of Genesis, it talks about how God 0:21:44.760 --> 0:21:48.199 created the heavens and the earth. The word it uses 0:21:48.240 --> 0:21:51.679 for creation means that he made it out of nothing. 0:21:52.760 --> 0:21:56.639 Every expert would have said, that's impossible. You don't have 0:21:56.720 --> 0:22:01.880 anything to work with. If you had skies, oceans, grass, air, 0:22:02.160 --> 0:22:05.160 then maybe you could make something put it together. But 0:22:05.200 --> 0:22:08.600 you can't do that with nothing. It's one thing to 0:22:08.640 --> 0:22:11.960 have odds of twelve and twenty six hundred. That's not 0:22:12.000 --> 0:22:15.840 so great. It's another to have odds of one in 0:22:15.880 --> 0:22:20.640 three hundred million. That's very unlikely. But what about when 0:22:20.680 --> 0:22:24.919 the odds are zero in three hundred million, zero in 0:22:25.000 --> 0:22:29.440 twenty six hundred. It's impossible. There's no chance. Here's how 0:22:29.520 --> 0:22:34.080 amazing God is. He started the universe with odds of zero. 0:22:35.080 --> 0:22:38.520 He had nothing to work with, no way in the natural. 0:22:38.920 --> 0:22:42.840 But God is not moved by the odds. He didn't 0:22:42.960 --> 0:22:48.680 check with accounting and say I'm about to create stars, galaxies, planets. 0:22:48.840 --> 0:22:51.560 I have nothing to work with. What are the odds 0:22:51.600 --> 0:22:55.399 of this happening? Accounting would have said zero. You have 0:22:55.520 --> 0:22:59.359 no materials, no resources. God would have said, thank you 0:22:59.400 --> 0:23:03.639 for your infrat. Now let there be light. Light came 0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:07.040 at one hundred and eighty six thousand miles a second. 0:23:07.520 --> 0:23:12.119 He spoke worlds into creation. He didn't google it to 0:23:12.160 --> 0:23:14.879 see if it was possible. He didn't try to figure 0:23:14.920 --> 0:23:18.080 out a way. He is the way. He didn't try 0:23:18.119 --> 0:23:21.560 to open a door. He is the door. He doesn't 0:23:21.680 --> 0:23:24.040 check with the odds to see if you can reach 0:23:24.080 --> 0:23:29.040 your destiny. He speaks and it becomes your destiny. He's 0:23:29.080 --> 0:23:32.400 not limited by your background, by how you were raised, 0:23:32.520 --> 0:23:37.000 by your education. He is all powerful. He can take 0:23:37.119 --> 0:23:42.040 nothing and make something magnificent. Imagine what he can do 0:23:42.160 --> 0:23:46.399 with you. You are his prized possession. He breathed his 0:23:46.520 --> 0:23:50.200 life into you. You have the DNA of Almighty God. 0:23:51.040 --> 0:23:54.320 There may be odds against you in certain areas, but 0:23:54.480 --> 0:23:58.480 they cannot stop you. God has destined you to leave 0:23:58.520 --> 0:24:03.040 your mark. Let the odds discourage you. Don't let what 0:24:03.119 --> 0:24:05.920 you think is not going to happen talk you out 0:24:05.960 --> 0:24:09.920 of believing. Even if the odds are zero in a million. 0:24:10.440 --> 0:24:13.320 All God has to do is speak and the odds 0:24:13.440 --> 0:24:16.600 change in your favor. A friend of mine grew up 0:24:16.680 --> 0:24:21.400 in a very dysfunctional environment. His father wasn't around, his 0:24:21.480 --> 0:24:25.320 mother had mental issues. When she wasn't in the psychiatric ward, 0:24:25.600 --> 0:24:29.439 she was either in jail or with different boyfriends. There 0:24:29.520 --> 0:24:32.760 was all kinds of violence and abuse in his home. 0:24:33.520 --> 0:24:36.520 At the age of thirteen, his mother left him at 0:24:36.560 --> 0:24:41.080 a bus stop and took off with another boyfriend. For years, 0:24:41.160 --> 0:24:44.280 this young man was in and out of foster homes, 0:24:44.640 --> 0:24:49.480 detention centers. He slept in abandoned buildings in the woods, 0:24:49.680 --> 0:24:52.639 any place he could find. He had to steal food 0:24:52.960 --> 0:24:56.800 in order to survive. How could he ever make anything 0:24:56.840 --> 0:24:59.800 out of his life? All the odds were against him, 0:25:00.240 --> 0:25:03.120 and it wasn't his fault. He didn't have a fair 0:25:03.359 --> 0:25:07.440 shot in life. But in the seventh grade, he met 0:25:07.560 --> 0:25:11.680 a junior high counselor at a small inner city school 0:25:12.080 --> 0:25:16.040 named Cindy. Cindy could tell this young boy was troubled, 0:25:16.520 --> 0:25:20.560 had no stability. She took a great interest in him. 0:25:20.720 --> 0:25:23.919 But this boy was only in her school for several 0:25:23.960 --> 0:25:27.920 months before he dropped out. Every day for two years 0:25:28.160 --> 0:25:32.040 Cindy prayed, God, please send him back to our school 0:25:32.840 --> 0:25:35.679 in the ninth grade. He came walking through the doors. 0:25:36.160 --> 0:25:39.520 Cindy was right there waiting for him. Nobody had ever 0:25:39.600 --> 0:25:43.080 been looking for this young man. His home life was 0:25:43.080 --> 0:25:47.760 so dysfunctional. Every morning, Cindy would drive forty five minutes 0:25:47.880 --> 0:25:51.080 to pick him up and bring him to school. Her 0:25:51.119 --> 0:25:57.240 motto was, correction does much, but encouragement does more. That summer, 0:25:57.400 --> 0:26:00.400 he was mowing the lawn of an elderly couple. When 0:26:00.440 --> 0:26:03.560 they learned his story, they opened their home and took 0:26:03.600 --> 0:26:07.439 him in. They discovered this young boy had a gift 0:26:07.440 --> 0:26:12.679 of music, writing and singing. He started performing at talent 0:26:12.800 --> 0:26:17.320 shows and community events. Every time, this elderly lady would 0:26:17.320 --> 0:26:19.800 be on the front row with her Bible in hand, 0:26:20.080 --> 0:26:23.920 cheering him on. In two thousand and eight, Jimmy Wayne's 0:26:23.920 --> 0:26:27.480 song do You Believe Me Now hit number one on 0:26:27.560 --> 0:26:33.960 the country charts. He's toured with Brad Paisley and other stars. Today, 0:26:34.800 --> 0:26:39.520 he uses his country music platform to raise awareness about 0:26:39.600 --> 0:26:43.240 foster care and to help other children in the same situation. 0:26:44.400 --> 0:26:47.760 Like Jimmy, the odds may be against you. You don't 0:26:47.760 --> 0:26:51.160 see any way your situation could work out. But God 0:26:51.240 --> 0:26:55.320 has the right people already lined up. The gifts He's 0:26:55.320 --> 0:26:58.439 put in you, the dreams. They didn't get canceled because 0:26:58.480 --> 0:27:01.840 you had bad breaks, because somebody did you wrong. They 0:27:01.880 --> 0:27:06.040 are still alive. You can still become who God created 0:27:06.080 --> 0:27:08.359 you to be. And it may feel like the fire 0:27:08.400 --> 0:27:11.800 has been turned up seven times hotter, But don't worry. 0:27:11.920 --> 0:27:15.400 Your time is coming. God is saying the odds are 0:27:15.440 --> 0:27:18.320 for you. Things are about to change in your favor. 0:27:19.000 --> 0:27:23.040 That problem that looks permanent, it's only temporary now. All 0:27:23.119 --> 0:27:25.959 through the day, Father, thank you that the odds are 0:27:26.000 --> 0:27:29.560 for me. If you'll do this, I believe and declare, 0:27:30.040 --> 0:27:32.920 like Jimmy, you're going to go further than you've ever dreamed, 0:27:33.400 --> 0:27:35.800 Like these Hebrew teenagers, You're going to come out of 0:27:35.840 --> 0:27:39.159 that fire without the smell of smoke, and like Lazarus. 0:27:39.359 --> 0:27:42.760 God is going to make you a living testimony in 0:27:42.920 --> 0:27:45.800 Jesus's name. If you receive it, can you say it 0:27:45.880 --> 0:27:49.600 in today? I'd like to give you an opportunity to 0:27:49.680 --> 0:27:52.879 make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray 0:27:52.920 --> 0:27:57.960 with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. 0:27:59.240 --> 0:28:03.240 Come into my I'll make you, my Lord and Savior. 0:28:04.800 --> 0:28:07.520 If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:07.520 --> 0:28:10.399 born again. Get in a good Bible based church, and 0:28:10.480 --> 0:28:13.440 keep God in first place. Victorian, I will be right 0:28:13.480 --> 0:28:15.240 back to speak a blessing over you. 0:28:19.720 --> 0:28:22.080 As a thank you for your support of our ministry 0:28:22.119 --> 0:28:24.720 this month, Joel and Victoria would like to send you 0:28:24.760 --> 0:28:28.400 a copy of Joel's news series Five Ways to Live Amazed. 0:28:29.000 --> 0:28:32.119 You will discover that there is no limit to God's favor, 0:28:32.359 --> 0:28:37.159 God's goodness, and God's blessings in your life. Get ready 0:28:37.200 --> 0:28:38.640 to live amazed today. 0:28:39.280 --> 0:28:42.720 God has things in store for you that you've never imagined. 0:28:43.000 --> 0:28:45.400 He can take you where you can't go on your own. 0:28:45.840 --> 0:28:48.120 You may think you've reached your limits, but if you'll 0:28:48.200 --> 0:28:51.320 keep honoring God, He's going to amaze you with his goodness. 0:28:51.520 --> 0:28:54.440 God's dream for your life is much bigger than your own. 0:28:54.760 --> 0:28:57.720 Request this resource. It will lift your faith and help 0:28:57.760 --> 0:28:59.400 you believe for an amazing year. 0:29:00.120 --> 0:29:03.080 Request your copy. Are Five Ways to Live a Maze 0:29:03.160 --> 0:29:06.920 today at Jeelustin dot com or call eight eight eight 0:29:07.160 --> 0:29:08.080 five six seven. 0:29:08.280 --> 0:29:13.120 Joel, your support is changing lives. Thanks so much for 0:29:13.200 --> 0:29:16.080 your prayer, for your generosity and being a part of 0:29:16.120 --> 0:29:19.160 the ministry special thank you to all of our Champion 0:29:19.200 --> 0:29:21.640 of Hope partners for all you do to make the 0:29:21.720 --> 0:29:24.960 Ministry possible. And be sure to stay connected with us 0:29:24.960 --> 0:29:30.000 on social media through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, download our podcast. 0:29:30.240 --> 0:29:32.560 We'd love to inspire you all through the week and 0:29:32.560 --> 0:29:35.040 help you keep your thoughts going in the right direction. 0:29:35.640 --> 0:29:38.280 Victoria and I pray for you and your families every 0:29:38.400 --> 0:29:41.000 day and we believe you're going to see God's best 0:29:41.040 --> 0:29:44.320 in your life overcoming problems, and that God's going to 0:29:44.400 --> 0:29:48.320 exceed your expectations in twenty eighteen. Be a believer and 0:29:48.360 --> 0:29:50.840 not a doubter. 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