You Are Not A Victim

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What if 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:11.080 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:01:11.120 --> 0:01:13.600 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.399 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:19.480 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:24.120 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:26.080 This ad a sponsored by Facet. Facet Wealth in Corporated 0:01:26.200 --> 0:01:28.040 is an SEC registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:01:28.040 --> 0:01:30.080 offer to buy yourself security snoor. Is it investment, legal 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:30.800 or tax advice. 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:34.760 God is watching you. He sees you shaking off the 0:01:34.840 --> 0:01:38.520 self pity, doing the right thing when it's hard, being 0:01:38.560 --> 0:01:41.160 good to people that weren't good to you, giving it 0:01:41.240 --> 0:01:45.040 your best, when you're not seeing progress. Your time is coming. 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:49.040 Suddenly doors are going to open, Suddenly, the right people 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:53.920 will show up. Suddenly you'll see promotion, vindication, dreams coming 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:57.440 to pass bigger than you've imagined. Hi, this is Joel 0:01:57.480 --> 0:02:00.840 and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:02.160 for supporting the ministry. 0:02:02.280 --> 0:02:04.640 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:02:04.680 --> 0:02:06.200 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:09.240 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:15.960 your life. God bless you. It's great to have you 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:18.960 with us today, and if you're ever in our area, 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:21.760 please stop by be a part of one of our services. 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:24.160 We would love to have you. I hope you'll stay 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:27.600 connected with us throughout the week through our daily podcast, 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:31.160 our YouTube channel, follow us on social media. We'll keep 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:34.240 you encouraged and inspired. But thanks for tuning in and 0:02:34.320 --> 0:02:36.919 thanks again for coming out in person. I like to 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:39.680 start with something funny, and I heard about this couple 0:02:39.760 --> 0:02:42.280 that lived out in the country. They had been married 0:02:42.360 --> 0:02:46.680 fifty years and never had an argument, not one. Somebody 0:02:46.720 --> 0:02:50.359 asked the secret of their success. The men explained, as 0:02:50.360 --> 0:02:53.280 they were leaving the church going on their honeymoon, the 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:56.880 wife's horse refused to go. She got off, looked the 0:02:56.919 --> 0:03:00.720 horse in the eyes and said that's one. A little further, 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.519 stopped again. She got off, looked the horse in the 0:03:03.600 --> 0:03:06.400 eyes and said that's two. He went a little more, 0:03:06.560 --> 0:03:09.800 stopped a third time. This time, she got off, pulled 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:14.079 her revolver out, and shot the horse dead. The husband said, 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:16.320 what in the world are you doing. You can't just 0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:19.040 shoot a horse. She looked at him and said, honey, 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:24.040 that's one say it like you mean it. This is 0:03:24.120 --> 0:03:26.960 my Bible. I am what it says I am. I 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:29.280 have what it says I have. I can do what 0:03:29.360 --> 0:03:32.040 it says I can do. Today I will be taught 0:03:32.080 --> 0:03:36.160 the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:39.360 my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:44.040 In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:47.760 to you today about you are not a victim. We 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:50.600 all go through things that are unfair, people that do 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:53.800 us wrong, the company let us go. We came down 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:56.720 with an illness. It's easy to live with a victim 0:03:56.800 --> 0:04:00.880 mentality thinking we're at a disadvantage. We were short changed. 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:04.080 We can't do anything great. Look at how we were raised. 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:07.760 We can't love again. The last person hurt us. We 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:11.360 can't live happy. We've been through too much. As long 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:14.240 as you accept that you're a victim, you're going to 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:18.240 get stuck. You may have been through unfair situations, but 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:21.640 don't use it as an excuse to feel sorry for yourself, 0:04:21.960 --> 0:04:24.800 to give up on life, to not pursue your dreams. 0:04:25.720 --> 0:04:28.680 My mother had polio as a child, and one of 0:04:28.720 --> 0:04:31.760 her legs is much smaller than the other. As a 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:34.320 little girl. She had to wear a brace. She couldn't 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:37.280 run and play like the other children. She could have 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:40.120 lived as a victim. I don't look up to par 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:44.039 I'm not as attractive. I'll never get married. I never 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:47.640 heard her complain. She never saw herself as being at 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:51.480 a disadvantage. She's gone on to live a full, blessed, 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:56.600 favor filled life, married for almost forty years, had five children, 0:04:57.120 --> 0:05:00.760 one son, very good looking. None of that would have happened, 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:04.200 and it wasn't Paul. It would not happen if she 0:05:04.320 --> 0:05:08.080 had seen herself as a victim. You have to take 0:05:08.120 --> 0:05:10.920 the hands you've been dealt and make the most of it. 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:15.400 Nothing that's happened to you has stopped your destiny. That 0:05:15.440 --> 0:05:18.400 person that did you wrong, they walked away. It may 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:21.760 have been painful, but they didn't ruin your life. They 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:25.360 don't have that much power. If they could stop God's plan, 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:29.160 they would be bigger than God. Don't let one bad break, 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:33.080 one injustice, one difficult season cause you to be sour, 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:36.560 have a chip on your shoulder. When my father went 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:39.080 to be with the Lord, I lost my best friend. 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:41.800 I had worked with him day in and day out 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:45.919 for seventeen years. We'd traveled the world together. Suddenly he 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:49.200 was gone. I was tempted to thank God, where are you? 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:53.080 This isn't fair? Why did this happen? When we go 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:58.120 through lass things, we don't understand that victim mentality will 0:05:58.120 --> 0:06:01.120 always come knocking at the door. We have to make 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:05.440 the choice. Are we going to live bitter, discouraged thinking 0:06:05.480 --> 0:06:08.640 we're a victim of our circumstances, We're a victim of 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:12.240 the loss, a victim of this unfair boss, a victim 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:15.400 of this pandemic. Or are we going to believe that 0:06:15.480 --> 0:06:18.719 God is in control, that he's ordering our steps, that 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:21.880 his plans for us are for good. Instead of having 0:06:21.920 --> 0:06:26.880 a victim mentality switch over to a victor mentality, That 0:06:26.960 --> 0:06:30.800 bad break is not how your story ends. The loss, 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:34.200 the sickness, the injustice is not going to limit the 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:37.960 rest of your life. God said in Isaiah, he will 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.440 pay you back double for the unfair things that have happened. 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:44.560 If you're going to see the double, you have to 0:06:44.640 --> 0:06:47.039 know that God is going to make it up to you. 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:51.040 It may be unfair, but God is a just God. 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:55.000 He saw what happened. He knows who hurt you, what 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:58.640 you're lost, what you're struggling with. He's not going to 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:02.000 just bring you out to bring you out better. Get 0:07:02.080 --> 0:07:05.719 rid of that victim mentality. Quit dwelling on who hurt you, 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:09.720 what you lost. You're not a victim. God always causes 0:07:09.760 --> 0:07:13.600 you to triumph. That bad break wasn't fair, you didn't 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:16.440 like it. But what you can't see is it set 0:07:16.520 --> 0:07:20.600 you up for double that boss that overlooked you. You 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:23.239 didn't get the credit. You could feel like a victim, 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:25.840 nor get ready. God's going to make it up to you. 0:07:26.320 --> 0:07:30.440 That sets you up for promotion, increase favor that you 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:34.160 wouldn't have seen if that had not happened. Here's the key. 0:07:34.720 --> 0:07:38.160 Nobody can make you be a victim. They can do 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:40.880 things that are not fair. You can go through things 0:07:40.920 --> 0:07:44.200 you don't like, you don't understand, but none of that 0:07:44.240 --> 0:07:47.960 can force you to have a victim mentality. You have 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:51.440 to give permission to become a victim. You have to 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:55.080 make that choice. I'm at a disadvantage. This bad break 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:59.360 has stopped my future. I'm asking you to not give permission. 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:04.240 Don't allow that victim mentality to enter your thinking. When 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:08.280 unfair things happen, thoughts will whisper just your luck, another 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:12.680 bad break. You're scarred now. Life will always be difficult. 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:15.360 That's when you have to dig down deep and say 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:18.760 no thanks. I refuse to be a victim. I refuse 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:22.480 to live bitter, angry thinking that I've been short changed. 0:08:22.800 --> 0:08:25.200 I know God is still on the throne. I know 0:08:25.240 --> 0:08:27.240 he didn't bring me this far to leave me what 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:30.400 was meant for my harm. He's turning to my advantage. 0:08:31.360 --> 0:08:35.520 Think about Joseph in the Scripture. As a teenager, his 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:38.640 brothers were jealous of him and threw him into a pit. 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:42.680 They ended up selling him as a slave. Joseph was 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:46.480 working in Egypt, a foreign country, for a man named Potterphar. 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:51.360 His dreams were shattered. He lost his freedom. In one sense, 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:54.679 he was a victim of his brother's jealousy, a victim 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:58.160 of bad breaks. He had plenty of reasons to have 0:08:58.280 --> 0:09:02.720 this victim mentality. But Joseph didn't go there. He didn't 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:05.800 sit around in self pity. He didn't give up on life. 0:09:06.200 --> 0:09:09.880 He kept being his best, treating people right, believing that 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:15.720 God was in control. Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph. She 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:18.760 lied about him, and he was put in prison for 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:22.000 something that he didn't do. Another reason to have a 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:25.200 chip on his shoulder. Now he was the victim of 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:30.080 this lady that was dishonest. But in prison, Joseph kept shining. 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:33.480 Before long he was put in charge of the whole prison. 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:38.480 One of his cell mates was Pharaoh's former butler. He 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:42.160 had a dream one night that he didn't understand. Joseph 0:09:42.240 --> 0:09:45.520 interpreted the dream told him that in three days the 0:09:45.559 --> 0:09:48.760 butler was going to be released and reinstated as the 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:52.920 pharaoh's butler. All Joseph asked for in return was for 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:55.400 the butler to put in a good word for him, 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:59.240 just like Joseph said. The butler got out, went back 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:03.400 to his position, but he forgot all about Joseph. Another 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:08.040 reason Joseph could feel like a victim. Thirteen years after 0:10:08.080 --> 0:10:11.280 he was thrown into the pit, Joseph interpreted a dream 0:10:11.320 --> 0:10:14.920 for the Pharaoh. He was made the prime Minister of Egypt, 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:20.439 second in command only to the Pharaoh. During those thirteen years, 0:10:20.679 --> 0:10:25.640 practically every day Joseph had to fight having a victim mentality. 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:29.800 Thoughts would whisper, look at where you are. You've done 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:32.560 the right thing, and all these bad breaks have happened. 0:10:32.920 --> 0:10:36.320 Your own family turned on you. This lady lied about you. 0:10:36.559 --> 0:10:41.400 It's never going to change. Just accept it. Joseph's attitude was, 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.560 I refuse to be a victim. I am not a 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:47.800 victim of my brother's jealousy, not a victim of this 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:50.720 lady that lied about me, not a victim of this 0:10:50.840 --> 0:10:54.560 butler that's forgotten about me. They did me wrong, but 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:57.439 God said he would make it up to me. They 0:10:57.520 --> 0:11:01.040 forgot about me, but God remembers me. They tried to 0:11:01.040 --> 0:11:03.960 push me down, but I know God will lift me up. 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:08.880 What's interesting is all the bad breaks, all the betrayals, 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:13.000 the rejection was a part of God's plan. That's what 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:16.280 led him to see his dream come to pass. If 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:19.439 Joseph had seen himself as a victim, he would have 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:23.200 missed his destiny. If he had been bitter about his brothers, 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:27.880 angry over Potterpher's wife, in self pity because the butler 0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:31.840 forgot about him, we wouldn't be talking about Joseph. And 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:35.480 this didn't happen automatically. He refused to be a victim. 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:39.720 He refused to let his mind rehearse all the negative things. 0:11:40.240 --> 0:11:42.760 He refused to live with a chip on his shoulder. 0:11:43.280 --> 0:11:47.840 He didn't give permission to a victim mentality. I wonder 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:50.840 where you will be in five years if you will 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:54.560 just keep refusing to be a victim. I wonder how 0:11:54.600 --> 0:11:57.480 far God will take you if you'll just not live 0:11:57.559 --> 0:12:01.079 bitter over who hurt you, Not try to get revenge 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:03.600 on the friend that did you wrong. Not lose your 0:12:03.640 --> 0:12:06.880 passion because you're dealing with an illness. Not give up 0:12:06.920 --> 0:12:10.320 on a dream because a door closed didn't happen the 0:12:10.360 --> 0:12:14.079 way you thought. Every voice will say you're a victim. 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:18.640 Come on, accepted. It's not fair. God's forgotten about you. 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:22.760 Don't give it the time of day. God is watching you. 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:26.840 He sees you shaking off the self pity, doing the 0:12:26.920 --> 0:12:29.760 right thing when it's hard, being good to people that 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:32.719 weren't good to you, giving it your best when you're 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:37.079 not seeing progress. Your time is coming. Suddenly, doors are 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:40.240 going to open, Suddenly, the right people will show up. 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:45.560 Suddenly you'll see promotion, vindication, dreams coming to pass bigger 0:12:45.720 --> 0:12:49.280 than you've imagined. But when we say we're a victim, 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:53.640 we're saying what someone did to me has limited my future. 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:58.440 People don't have that kind of power over you. Circumstances 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:01.960 cannot stop what God has ordained for your life. The 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:06.760 scripture says what God has purposed. Who can annaw The 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:09.560 only way it will stop you is if you start 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:14.720 living like a victim, discouraged in self pity. Shake that off. 0:13:15.280 --> 0:13:19.680 Those disappointments are setting you up for double that betrayal, 0:13:20.080 --> 0:13:22.600 the closed door, the person that tried to make you 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:26.160 look bad. It looks like they succeeded. You didn't get 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:29.400 the promotion. God saw it. It was a part of 0:13:29.440 --> 0:13:32.679 his plan. It's setting you up for something bigger than 0:13:32.720 --> 0:13:37.400 you've imagined. Joseph could have been bitter after his brothers 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:40.640 threw him into the pit. That wasn't fair, but it 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:44.160 was a step on the way to his destiny. What 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:47.640 you can't see is that bad break is leading you 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:52.520 to a new level. Potipher's wife falsely accused Joseph caused 0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:55.720 him to be put in prison. Joseph didn't understand it 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:59.080 at the time, but that was a necessary step to 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:02.679 get him to the throat. We're not going to understand 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:06.280 everything that happens along the way. There will be plenty 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:10.640 of opportunities to be a victim. These are tests. Will 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:13.680 you keep the right attitude when it's not fair? You 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:18.000 feel like being discouraged. Why did this happen? No, refuse 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:21.560 to be a victim. Don't play that role. It may 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:24.280 have been meant for your harm, but at some point, 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:26.920 like with Joseph, God is going to turn it to 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:30.240 your advantage. It's going to catapult you where you can't 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:33.560 go on your own. I met a young couple from 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:37.080 New Orleans. They just bought their first house there. They 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:40.840 were excited. The man had a good job, moving up 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:43.760 in his company. They had a little baby on the way, 0:14:44.000 --> 0:14:48.040 their first child. Life was good. Then the storm between 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:51.880 a hit wiped out their whole neighborhood. They lost not 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:55.880 only their home, but all their possessions, their car, their clothes, 0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:59.960 his company closed down, didn't have a job. They move 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:02.840 moved to Houston with just the clothes on their back. 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:06.720 When I saw them, they were numb. Their whole world 0:15:06.760 --> 0:15:11.400 had fallen apart. Everything in their thinking said you're a victim. 0:15:11.800 --> 0:15:14.480 Just to accept it. Life will never be what it 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:17.640 could have been. I told them what I'm telling you, 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:20.800 that God knows what you've been through. He's seen the 0:15:20.840 --> 0:15:24.400 tears you've shed, the heartache you've felt. He's not going 0:15:24.440 --> 0:15:26.800 to just bring you out He's going to make the 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:30.080 enemy pay. But you have to do your part and 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:33.880 refuse to be a victim. Refuse to live bitter in 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:37.480 self pity, thinking you've seen your best days. I could 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:41.080 see faith begin to rise in their hearts. Week after 0:15:41.120 --> 0:15:44.600 week they kept coming to Lakewood hearing about how God 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:48.320 is fighting our battles. Several years later I met them 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:51.920 after service. They had just moved into their new house 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:55.160 that they had built here. The man has a better job, 0:15:55.560 --> 0:16:00.000 with better income, less travel. They don't just have one child, 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:03.520 two children, they said, Joel, we never dreamed we could 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:07.160 be where we are today. That's what happens when you 0:16:07.240 --> 0:16:10.440 refuse to be a victim, when you say no thanks 0:16:10.440 --> 0:16:13.960 to bitterness, no thanks to self pity, no thanks to 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:17.480 living defeated. God will take what was meant for harm 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:21.000 and turn it to your advantage. But as long as 0:16:21.000 --> 0:16:24.240 you're playing the role of victim, you're giving the enemy 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:28.320 permission to keep you defeated. Some of you have come 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:32.960 from generations of abuse, mistreatment, things that were not fair. 0:16:33.680 --> 0:16:38.120 That victim mentality can be passed from generation to generation. 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:43.320 We've always been poor, defeated short chains. Look what we've 0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:45.800 been through. We have a good reason to feel like 0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:50.160 a victim. This forever, the victim mentality will try to 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:53.960 take root. It will continue to be passed down until 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:58.000 someone rises up and puts into it. And yes, there 0:16:58.080 --> 0:17:01.120 was injustice in the past. There were things that were 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:04.560 not fair, but this is a new day. The reason 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:08.040 you're hearing this is because you're the one to break 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:10.679 the cycle. You're the one to say, i am not 0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:14.639 a victim, i am a victor. I'm gonna set a 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:18.600 new standard. I'm gonna believe for better things. I'm gonna 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:23.200 live whole free expecting favor. When you have that kind 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:26.560 of attitude, all the things that should have been yours, 0:17:27.320 --> 0:17:30.280 all the things that your relatives didn't get what they 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:34.320 were owed in the scripture, the first generation that had 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:37.840 this new mindset, they were the ones that God paid 0:17:37.920 --> 0:17:41.280 back for all that belonged to their family. If you 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:44.720 will be the first one to have this victor mentality, 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:48.880 you will see God show out in amazing ways. Don't 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:51.920 look to people to pay you. People can't make up 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:55.160 for what you didn't get. Only God can. He knows 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:57.879 what you're owed. He knows what should have been yours. 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:03.040 The Israelites had in slavery for ten generations. All they 0:18:03.080 --> 0:18:08.080 knew was hardship, being mistreated, working long hours with no pay. 0:18:08.640 --> 0:18:12.160 It wasn't fair, but God was keeping the records. After 0:18:12.240 --> 0:18:15.399 four hundred and thirty years, God delivered them from the 0:18:15.400 --> 0:18:19.720 Pharaoh and brought them out of Egypt. You can imagine 0:18:19.840 --> 0:18:23.640 how they had become comfortable being a victim. It's all 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:27.440 they had known. Their parents, their grandparents. They were all slaves, 0:18:27.720 --> 0:18:31.640 all mistreated on the way to the Promised Land. When 0:18:31.680 --> 0:18:36.320 they faced adversity, opposition that was bigger, they said to Moses, 0:18:36.720 --> 0:18:40.000 let's go back to Egypt. Let's go back to being slaves. 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:43.880 They were saying, We're okay with being a victim. That's 0:18:43.920 --> 0:18:47.280 normal to us, that's what we're used to. They came 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:50.520 out of Egypt, but Egypt never came out of them. 0:18:51.200 --> 0:18:54.320 What's interesting is when they were leaving, God caused the 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:58.520 Israelites to have favor with their oppressors, and they gave 0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:03.560 them their gold and find clothing. They didn't leave empty handed. 0:19:03.960 --> 0:19:06.880 God paid them back for four hundred and thirty years 0:19:07.000 --> 0:19:11.160 of working for free. In Exodus three, God told them 0:19:11.200 --> 0:19:14.240 what to do with the gifts they received. He said, 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:17.639 you are to dress your sons and daughters in this 0:19:17.800 --> 0:19:22.159 jewelry and fine clothing. Why would God want them to 0:19:22.160 --> 0:19:24.919 get their children dressed up they were about to go 0:19:25.000 --> 0:19:29.720 into the desert. It's because God wanted these children to 0:19:29.800 --> 0:19:35.240 see themselves differently. They saw themselves like their parents, as slaves, 0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:40.320 as victims, poor, defeated limited. God knew if they were 0:19:40.320 --> 0:19:43.159 going to go into the Promised Land, they had to 0:19:43.200 --> 0:19:46.600 get rid of that victim mentality. He didn't have the 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:49.520 parents put on the nice clothes, didn't have the grown 0:19:49.600 --> 0:19:52.600 ups where the fine jewelry. He wanted to change the 0:19:52.720 --> 0:19:56.600 image of these small children. I can imagine a mother 0:19:56.960 --> 0:20:00.359 putting a gold necklace on her little daughter. Her face 0:20:00.440 --> 0:20:04.159 brightens up like never before. Father putting a ring on 0:20:04.240 --> 0:20:08.000 his son. He puts his shoulders back, feeling so special. 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:13.280 These children had worn old hand me down clothes, dirty, raggedy. 0:20:13.760 --> 0:20:17.480 Now the parents are dressing them in beautiful dresses, nice, 0:20:17.560 --> 0:20:21.760 clean outfits. For the first time, these children begin to 0:20:21.800 --> 0:20:26.679 see themselves as victors. It's significant that the parents and 0:20:26.800 --> 0:20:30.760 grandparents they never made it into the Promised Land. It's 0:20:30.800 --> 0:20:34.960 because they never got rid of a victim mentality. They 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:39.840 never quit seeing themselves as anything but poor at a disadvantage. 0:20:40.400 --> 0:20:44.719 These children had a different mindset. It started when they 0:20:44.760 --> 0:20:48.680 put on the new clothing, the nice jewelry. Something shifted 0:20:48.800 --> 0:20:53.119 in their thinking. They thought, maybe we're not victims. Maybe 0:20:53.160 --> 0:20:56.160 we're not always going to struggle. Maybe we can live 0:20:56.400 --> 0:21:01.399 an abundant life. Victory starts in your think. As long 0:21:01.440 --> 0:21:03.919 as you feel like a victim, it's going to limit 0:21:04.000 --> 0:21:08.159 your destiny. You won't pray bold prayers, you won't believe 0:21:08.200 --> 0:21:12.160 for big dreams. You won't expect God's favor, no matter 0:21:12.200 --> 0:21:15.680 what's happened in your past, no matter how many generations 0:21:15.840 --> 0:21:21.600 there's been dysfunction, abuse, lack, struggle. You're the generation that's 0:21:21.600 --> 0:21:24.600 going to set a new standard. You're the one that's 0:21:24.600 --> 0:21:28.480 going to see this shift in your thinking. We're not slaves, 0:21:28.840 --> 0:21:33.240 we're not victims limited at a disadvantage. We are children 0:21:33.359 --> 0:21:37.640 of the most high God. No more, forever the victim. 0:21:38.040 --> 0:21:41.560 No more. I always get bad breaks. It's just my luck. 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:45.200 No more. My family has always struggled. It's just who 0:21:45.240 --> 0:21:48.480 we are. God is doing a new thing. Now do 0:21:48.600 --> 0:21:51.840 your part and put on those new clothes, so to speak, 0:21:52.440 --> 0:21:56.280 See yourself differently, have a new perspective, You're not a 0:21:56.400 --> 0:22:00.000 victim of your past, a victim of who went before you, 0:22:00.119 --> 0:22:03.080 a victim of what didn't work out. You are a victor. 0:22:03.640 --> 0:22:08.520 God is about to release freedom, wholeness, abundance, favor like 0:22:08.600 --> 0:22:11.760 you've never seen. You've been raised up for such a 0:22:11.800 --> 0:22:14.960 time as this to make a difference, to take your 0:22:15.000 --> 0:22:18.600 family to a new level. I heard about this father. 0:22:19.080 --> 0:22:23.000 He was an alcoholic. He had small twin boys growing up. 0:22:23.040 --> 0:22:26.400 He would get drunk and mistreat them. He was angry 0:22:26.520 --> 0:22:29.639 and mean. He would say things that were hurtful, curse 0:22:29.720 --> 0:22:32.919 them out. These boys grew up into young men and 0:22:33.000 --> 0:22:36.679 left home as soon as they could. One son became 0:22:36.680 --> 0:22:42.159 an alcoholic. He drank, parted, never did anything productive. Someone 0:22:42.240 --> 0:22:45.680 asked him why he drank so much. He said, because 0:22:45.720 --> 0:22:49.080 my father was an alcoholic. That's all I've seen. I 0:22:49.080 --> 0:22:52.880 had a terrible childhood. What do you expect. The other 0:22:53.040 --> 0:22:59.880 son became very successful. He was running a large company, talented, disciplined, respectful. 0:23:00.560 --> 0:23:04.200 After work, his colleagues noticed that he never touched alcohol. 0:23:04.640 --> 0:23:08.040 They asked him why he didn't drink. He said, because 0:23:08.080 --> 0:23:11.760 my father was an alcoholic. They both went through the 0:23:11.840 --> 0:23:15.960 same experience, but one son got stuck being a victim. 0:23:16.600 --> 0:23:19.639 The other son used what he saw growing up to 0:23:19.840 --> 0:23:23.199 inspire him to be better. He refused to be a 0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:28.399 victim any longer. Which son are you. We're all going 0:23:28.480 --> 0:23:31.040 to go through things that are not fair. The question 0:23:31.320 --> 0:23:34.399 is are you going to continue being a victim or 0:23:34.440 --> 0:23:37.119 are you going to refuse to be a victim. You 0:23:37.160 --> 0:23:40.000 can't be a victim and go into your promised land. 0:23:40.800 --> 0:23:44.080 The enemy would love to convince you to be forever 0:23:44.160 --> 0:23:48.159 the victim always some reason to not move forward. I 0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:51.920 wasn't raised right. My cousin hurt me, I came down 0:23:51.920 --> 0:23:55.280 with this illness. I lost a loved one. I'm not 0:23:55.400 --> 0:23:58.400 making light of any of that. I know it's not easy, 0:23:58.840 --> 0:24:02.160 but you can't move forward if you're playing the victim role. 0:24:02.920 --> 0:24:06.320 God saw it wasn't fair, He knows it was painful, 0:24:06.760 --> 0:24:10.040 but staying a victim will keep you in pain. It 0:24:10.080 --> 0:24:13.120 will bring more heartache. You have to turn it over 0:24:13.160 --> 0:24:15.800 to God and live out of a place of wholeness. 0:24:16.240 --> 0:24:20.760 Freedom Victory starts in your thinking. People may have done 0:24:20.760 --> 0:24:22.879 me wrong, but God will make it up to me. 0:24:23.080 --> 0:24:25.800 I'm leaving it up to him. I wasn't raised in 0:24:25.840 --> 0:24:28.720 a healthy environment, but that's in the past. It didn't 0:24:28.720 --> 0:24:33.399 stop my destiny dealing with this illness, lost a family member, 0:24:33.760 --> 0:24:37.080 my company let me go. It was difficult, but I'm 0:24:37.080 --> 0:24:39.560 not better. I don't have a chip on my shoulder. 0:24:39.840 --> 0:24:42.439 I know God is going to cause all things to 0:24:42.520 --> 0:24:46.119 work out for my good. There was a young woman 0:24:46.240 --> 0:24:50.000 in California riding her mountain bike up the trails of 0:24:50.040 --> 0:24:52.959 the state park like she had done many times before. 0:24:53.520 --> 0:24:56.359 As she was speeding down the mountain side, she noticed 0:24:56.400 --> 0:24:59.040 a blur out of the corner of her eye. She 0:24:59.160 --> 0:25:01.680 thought it was a d but it was a mountain 0:25:01.760 --> 0:25:06.280 lion leaping toward her. Knocked her to the ground, bitter face, 0:25:06.680 --> 0:25:10.800 and wouldn't let go. All she could do was whisper Jesus. 0:25:11.520 --> 0:25:14.040 Her friend threw her bike at it, but the lion 0:25:14.160 --> 0:25:17.159 kept dragging her all the way to the ravine. She 0:25:17.320 --> 0:25:20.520 passed out, thought she was done. She woke up in 0:25:20.560 --> 0:25:25.000 the hospital miraculously. Her life was spared. Half of her 0:25:25.000 --> 0:25:28.959 face was disfigured. She had forty bite marks across her body, 0:25:29.320 --> 0:25:32.879 two hundred staples holding her skin together. She had to 0:25:32.880 --> 0:25:36.840 have six surgeries to repair the damage. Everyone referred to 0:25:36.880 --> 0:25:40.520 her as the victim of the Mountain Lion. And that's 0:25:40.600 --> 0:25:43.840 true in one sense. But I don't believe it's healthy 0:25:44.200 --> 0:25:48.400 to live thinking you're a victim. Negative things may have happened, 0:25:48.680 --> 0:25:52.679 but don't let what you've been through become your identity. 0:25:52.960 --> 0:25:56.000 Don't become known as the person that went through the tragedy, 0:25:56.400 --> 0:25:58.800 the person that lost their loved one, the man that 0:25:58.880 --> 0:26:01.919 lost his job. That's what happened to you. That's not 0:26:01.960 --> 0:26:04.919 who you are. When this young lady got out of 0:26:04.920 --> 0:26:08.000 the hospital, she told her friends that she wanted to 0:26:08.040 --> 0:26:11.560 go back to the trail where she was attacked. They 0:26:11.560 --> 0:26:15.240 were surprised and asked why. She said, I'm not going 0:26:15.280 --> 0:26:18.200 to be a prisoner of this drama. I'm not going 0:26:18.240 --> 0:26:21.040 to let what's happened to me defind who I am 0:26:21.480 --> 0:26:25.280 and caused me to live angry, bitter and afraid. She 0:26:25.440 --> 0:26:28.639 was saying, I'm not going to be forever the victim. 0:26:28.960 --> 0:26:31.439 This incident is not going to ruin the rest of 0:26:31.440 --> 0:26:37.000 my life. Today she's healthy, free, moving forward, raising her children. 0:26:38.040 --> 0:26:42.040 We all have these opportunities to become a forever victim. 0:26:42.720 --> 0:26:46.280 We can't get past it. It was too traumatic. They 0:26:46.359 --> 0:26:50.399 hurt me too badly, this disappointment too painful, This lost 0:26:50.440 --> 0:26:53.240 too much. That's when you have to do like her 0:26:53.680 --> 0:26:56.880 and say, I refuse to be the victim. I refuse 0:26:57.000 --> 0:26:59.720 to let this limit my passion caused me to give 0:26:59.760 --> 0:27:03.560 up my dreams. That's what allows God to pay you 0:27:03.640 --> 0:27:06.960 back for the wrongs, to bring beauty out of the ashes, 0:27:07.240 --> 0:27:11.000 to give you double for the unfair things. This is 0:27:11.040 --> 0:27:13.800 a choice that we have to make all through life. 0:27:14.320 --> 0:27:17.800 It's not if the hurts come. If you have bad breaks, 0:27:18.320 --> 0:27:21.400 these things are going to happen. The question is are 0:27:21.440 --> 0:27:24.639 you going to live bitter in self pity or are 0:27:24.680 --> 0:27:27.600 you going to say this wasn't fair. But God, I 0:27:27.680 --> 0:27:30.439 know you're still on the throne. It was a bad break, 0:27:30.480 --> 0:27:32.920 but you said you would pay me back. They did 0:27:33.000 --> 0:27:36.080 me wrong, but you're my vindicator. I'm going to trust 0:27:36.119 --> 0:27:40.040 you and move forward with my life. Don't get stuck 0:27:40.080 --> 0:27:43.399 in the desert like the Israelites because you have a 0:27:43.480 --> 0:27:47.960 victim mentality. Be like their children. Put on a new attitude, 0:27:48.359 --> 0:27:51.320 see yourself a different way so you can go into 0:27:51.359 --> 0:27:54.880 your promised land. This is a new day, no more 0:27:55.000 --> 0:27:59.240 forever the victim. Try a different approach, forever the VICTI 0:28:00.160 --> 0:28:03.479 rate that cycle. Where will you be in five years. 0:28:03.640 --> 0:28:07.040 If you'll start refusing to be the victim, this is 0:28:07.080 --> 0:28:09.600 not going to happen easily. Your feelings will want to 0:28:09.640 --> 0:28:12.280 feel sorry for yourself. This is when you have to 0:28:12.320 --> 0:28:15.840 be bold and refuse to be the victim. Refuse to 0:28:15.880 --> 0:28:19.800 play that role that's not your part. Every unfair thing 0:28:19.840 --> 0:28:22.400 that's happened to you has set you up for double 0:28:23.119 --> 0:28:26.240 God saw it. He's promised to pay you back. Now 0:28:26.280 --> 0:28:29.479 do your part, play the right role, be the victor. 0:28:30.280 --> 0:28:34.080 If you'll do this, I believe and declare, Like with Joseph, 0:28:34.280 --> 0:28:36.760 what was meant for your harm, God is turning to 0:28:36.800 --> 0:28:40.360 your advantage. Like the Israelite children, You're going to go 0:28:40.560 --> 0:28:48.240 into your promised land. Promotion is coming, restoration, vindication, healing, freedom, abundance, 0:28:48.440 --> 0:28:52.440 the fullness of your destiny in Jesus's name, and if 0:28:52.440 --> 0:28:56.440 you receive it. Can you say amen? Today? I'd like 0:28:56.480 --> 0:28:59.320 to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord 0:28:59.360 --> 0:29:03.560 of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:29:04.600 --> 0:29:09.200 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:29:09.360 --> 0:29:12.680 make you my lord and savior. If you prayed that 0:29:12.800 --> 0:29:16.160 simple prayer, we believe you got born again we'd love 0:29:16.200 --> 0:29:18.640 to send you some free information your new walk with 0:29:18.680 --> 0:29:20.960 the Lord. Just text the number on the screen, or 0:29:21.000 --> 0:29:23.400 you can go to the website. I hope you'll get 0:29:23.400 --> 0:29:27.320 into a good Bible based church and keep God first place. 0:29:27.880 --> 0:29:30.840 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:30.880 --> 0:29:34.240 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:34.360 --> 0:29:36.800 keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:37.000 --> 0:29:39.200 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:39.240 --> 0:29:40.680 with those all around the world. 0:29:41.040 --> 0:29:43.840 Visit Joelosting dot com or click the link in the 0:29:43.880 --> 0:29:46.040 description to partner with us today. 0:29:46.280 --> 0:29:48.720 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:48.800 --> 0:29:51.600 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:51.680 --> 0:29:54.800 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:29:54.840 --> 0:29:55.640 see you next time. 0:29:57.640 --> 0:30:00.400 With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling 0:30:00.440 --> 0:30:04.760 for everyone. 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