Your Reputation Is In God's Hands

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I'm 0:01:49.520 --> 0:01:52.000 gonna lift you up while they're doing their best to 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:55.240 push you down. Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks 0:01:55.240 --> 0:01:58.640 for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:58.800 --> 0:02:01.040 If you enjoy today's mass said, why don't you be 0:02:01.080 --> 0:02:03.760 a blessing and share it with a friend. We appreciate 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:06.960 you and pray for God's very best in your life. 0:02:08.320 --> 0:02:10.880 Great to be with you today, and I hope you'll 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:14.240 stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, 0:02:14.600 --> 0:02:18.720 YouTube channel, social media. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. 0:02:19.400 --> 0:02:21.560 I likes to start with something funny, and I heard 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:25.200 about these two men, the pope and a lawyer. They 0:02:25.280 --> 0:02:27.880 died on the same day and went to heaven. Peter 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:30.040 met them at the gate, said follow me. I'll take 0:02:30.080 --> 0:02:33.000 you to your homes. Peter dropped the pope off at 0:02:33.000 --> 0:02:37.079 this small wood frame house, one bed, one table, nothing 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:40.440 to it. He then took the lawyer to this magnificent house. 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:44.640 Was huge, had a big swimming pool, beautiful view out back, 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:48.000 and the lawyer was overwhelmed, said Peter. How did I 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:51.239 manage to get this spectacular place when the pope only 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:54.880 got a small place. Peter said, we have dozens of popes, 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:59.680 but you're the first lawyer second like you mean it 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:03.240 just joke. Here we go, Ready, this is my Bible. 0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:05.960 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:08.440 it says I have, I can do what it says 0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:11.240 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:15.360 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:03:15.480 --> 0:03:18.680 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:23.120 Jesus's name, God bless you. I want to talk to 0:03:23.160 --> 0:03:27.800 you today about your reputation is in God's hands. We 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:30.760 all have a desire to have a good reputation. We 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:34.280 know how important it is. Our reputation goes before us. 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:37.680 He can open doors cause the right people to come. 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:41.520 The scripture says a good name is worth more than 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:44.960 great wealth. But what happens when you're being your best, 0:03:45.320 --> 0:03:48.920 you're honoring God. But other people do things to tarnish 0:03:48.960 --> 0:03:52.839 your reputation, say things that are not true, take things 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:55.280 out of context to try to make us look bad, 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:59.800 slander in the windows, rumors We weren't there to defend 0:03:59.840 --> 0:04:02.960 our ourselves. We couldn't tell our side of the story. 0:04:03.560 --> 0:04:07.360 Now they've done something that lessens our credibility, makes people 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:10.440 have a wrong opinion of who we are. It's tempting 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:13.560 to try to straighten people out, prove to them that 0:04:13.840 --> 0:04:17.039 what they're saying is not correct. But if you get 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:20.520 on that treadmill, you'll never get off because there will 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:25.560 always be someone saying something not true, mischaracterizing what you did, 0:04:25.880 --> 0:04:29.599 questioning your motives. Here's the key. You have to put 0:04:29.640 --> 0:04:34.279 your reputation in God's hands. Let him defend you, let 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:38.159 him be your vindicator. The scripture never tells us to 0:04:38.240 --> 0:04:42.560 guard our reputation. It says guard your heart. If you're 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:45.400 trying to guard your reputation, you're going to be worn out. 0:04:45.920 --> 0:04:49.840 That's not your job. Leave your reputation in God's hands. 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.560 He knows how to change people's minds. He knows how 0:04:53.600 --> 0:04:57.159 to silence negative voices. He knows how to cause you 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:01.159 to be seen in the right light. Yours everything said 0:05:01.200 --> 0:05:06.320 about you. He sees when people are mischaracterizing you on purpose, 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:10.360 trying to make you look bad, questioning your motives. Nothing 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:14.160 goes unnoticed. The mistake we make is we get into 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:17.320 fight mode. That's not right. I have to fix everything. 0:05:17.960 --> 0:05:20.360 But trying to fix it is only going to make 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:23.720 it worse. Once you fix this person, something else will 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:27.279 come up, then another and another. It takes all the 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:30.880 pressure off. When you put your reputation in God's hands. 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:33.640 We think, well, Joel, if I can straighten them out, 0:05:33.880 --> 0:05:36.320 if I can let them know what they're saying is 0:05:36.400 --> 0:05:38.359 not true, that I really am a good person, and 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:42.080 that'll fix it. But The problem is some people don't 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:45.560 want to understand you. If you did everything they ask, 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:48.800 if you changed and became who they want you to be, 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:54.479 they're still going to find fault. They're determined to misunderstand you. 0:05:54.480 --> 0:05:56.760 You have to accept that they're not going to be 0:05:56.839 --> 0:06:00.560 for you, and that's okay. You don't need them fulfill 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:04.400 your destiny. Here's a bigger one. They don't have to 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:08.080 be quiet for you to reach your potential. They may 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:11.719 keep spreading lies, slandering, putting you in a bad light, 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:15.359 but they cannot stop your purpose. They don't have that 0:06:15.480 --> 0:06:19.440 much power. If you don't understand this principle, you live upset, 0:06:20.040 --> 0:06:22.520 mad at them, think it away as you can shut 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:26.120 them down. That's not your job. Your job is to 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:30.080 guard your heart. Don't let the offense, the bitterness, the 0:06:30.080 --> 0:06:33.240 poison get in you. You do your part, and God 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:36.120 will do his part. He'll take care of your reputation, 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:40.599 and sometimes he'll stop the negative things being set. He'll 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:44.680 turn things around and vindicate you. Other times he'll let 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:48.480 them keep talking, keep stirring things up. But no matter 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:52.560 what they say, it doesn't harm you. He makes them ineffective. 0:06:53.120 --> 0:06:57.000 They're making all this noise trying to discredit you. What 0:06:57.080 --> 0:07:00.320 they said, what they did, should have cost others at 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:02.760 work to look down on you, should have kept you 0:07:02.800 --> 0:07:06.159 from the project. But God took away all the steam, 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:09.279 He took away all the power. Now they're just a 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:13.360 bunch of irrelevant noise. Nobody that matters pays attention to them. 0:07:14.360 --> 0:07:17.600 That's why you have to let God do it his way. 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:20.360 He may not stop what they're doing, he may not 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:23.480 shut them up. He may cause you to shine in 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:27.000 the face of what they're doing. Sometimes that's a bigger miracle. 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:31.320 All this negative chatter about you, people at work, maybe 0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:34.200 at school, trying to make you look bad, saying things 0:07:34.280 --> 0:07:36.600 that are not true. But in spite of all that, 0:07:36.960 --> 0:07:40.720 you keep excelling, You keep growing, you keep being good 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:44.960 to people, You keep seeing favor and promotion. God knows 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:49.360 how to take care of your reputation. David said, God 0:07:49.400 --> 0:07:53.120 prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:56.640 We think, God, just get rid of my enemies, shut 0:07:56.680 --> 0:07:59.640 them up, change their mind, show them that they're wrong. 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:02.360 God says, no, I have a better way. I'm going 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:05.880 to promote you while they're still talking. I'm gonna honor 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:08.760 you while they're still making fun. I'm gonna lift you 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:11.360 up while they're doing their best to push you down. 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:15.119 You don't have to spend your energy trying to guard 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:20.280 your reputations. Spend your energy guarding your heart, not taking 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.360 debait when people are trying to make you look bad, 0:08:23.680 --> 0:08:27.320 saying things behind your back, little in your windows. He 0:08:27.400 --> 0:08:30.400 just plays up to the boss. He's not that talented. 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:33.360 I heard she's running around with that guy. You can't 0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:37.000 stop that. You can't make people do what's right. If 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:39.120 you put out one rumor, there's going to be three 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:43.000 more pop up. Why are you wasting time and energy 0:08:43.280 --> 0:08:46.920 on something you can't change. That's not your job, That's 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:51.360 God's job. Your reputation is in his hands. He said, 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:56.680 touch not my anointed, You are His anointed. He knows 0:08:56.760 --> 0:09:02.720 when someone's slandering you, mischaracterizing on purpose, spreading rumors. You 0:09:02.800 --> 0:09:05.199 stay on the high road, and at the right time, 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:09.880 God will vindicate you. He'll defend your reputation. Let me 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:13.680 tell you, nobody can defend you like our God. But 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:16.800 if we make the mistake of getting upset trying to 0:09:16.840 --> 0:09:20.560 pay them back, straighten them out, then you're sinking down 0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:24.160 to their level. You always go down to engage with 0:09:24.240 --> 0:09:27.600 a gossip, with a person that says things to demean 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:32.120 other people. Recognize who you're dealing with. That's not an egle. 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:35.880 That's not a person of integrity, someone that will believe 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:39.280 the best, that will be happy if you succeed. That's 0:09:39.280 --> 0:09:43.280 a chicken. You're not supposed to be down pecking, gossiping, 0:09:43.400 --> 0:09:47.080 finding fault, pulling people down. You're an egle. You are 0:09:47.160 --> 0:09:50.600 created to store, stay up on those high levels where 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:55.199 you belong. But it's easy to get drawn into conflict, 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:59.600 baited into strife. Some people's whole goal is to get 0:09:59.600 --> 0:10:02.760 your star. Did you hear what so and so said 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:06.240 about you? I can't believe it. It's so wrong. Best 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:08.160 thing you can say is no, I didn't hear, and 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:11.199 I don't want to hear. My ears are not garbage 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:14.480 cans to fill with a bunch of trash. Well, are 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:17.080 you sure they're saying things that are not true? You 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:20.280 better do something about it. No, thanks, They don't control 0:10:20.280 --> 0:10:24.800 my reputation. It's in good hands. I am confident God 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:28.720 will take care of it. Quit letting people stir you up. 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:34.040 Quis listening to all the rumors, false accusations, negative things 0:10:34.080 --> 0:10:37.760 people have said, keep that out of your spirit. Now. 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:41.000 I'm not saying to be naive, act like it's not happening. 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:44.800 I'm saying, don't give it the time of day. People 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:48.679 can't stop your destiny. It's a test. Are you going 0:10:48.720 --> 0:10:52.800 to get drawn into conflict trying to defend yourself prove 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:55.360 that you're not what they're saying, or are you going 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:57.440 to stay on the high road and let God fight 0:10:57.480 --> 0:11:01.760 your battles, let God defend you. Yes, I know negative 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:04.960 things people say can be hurtful, but when you put 0:11:05.000 --> 0:11:09.400 your reputation in God's hands, there's a freedom you can rest. 0:11:09.840 --> 0:11:12.920 You can stay in peace knowing that God is your defender, 0:11:13.320 --> 0:11:17.200 knowing that He's in charge of your reputation. The scripture 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:21.839 says that Jesus made himself of no reputation. He went 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:26.480 around doing good, healing people, feeding the hungry. Yet people 0:11:26.640 --> 0:11:30.720 ridiculed him. They slandered him, said things that weren't true. 0:11:31.240 --> 0:11:34.840 His own brothers didn't believe in him. The religious leaders 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.760 said he's from the devil, that's how he can heal people. 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:42.199 Jesus couldn't have been any more loving, kind and generous, 0:11:42.760 --> 0:11:48.120 but certain people were determined to misunderstand him, mischaracterize him, 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:52.400 misjudge him. What did Jesus do spend all of his 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:55.920 energy trying to straighten them out, convince them they were wrong, 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:59.480 prove to them who he was. No, he answered them 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:03.520 not a word. He didn't waste his time trying to 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:06.959 convince people to be for him. That we're never going 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:09.720 to be for him. You would think, with all the 0:12:09.760 --> 0:12:13.800 negative talk, all the rumors, slander, lies, he would have 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:18.360 missed his purpose. But people don't control your destiny. They 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:23.040 can try to defame, denounce, mischaracterize, but your reputation is 0:12:23.080 --> 0:12:27.280 in God's hands. If what they said could stop your purpose, 0:12:27.880 --> 0:12:31.080 they would be more powerful than God. Don't make the 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:35.000 mistake in engaging in battles you're not supposed to engage in. 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:38.960 Do like Jesus, answer them not a word, don't pay 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:43.280 any attention. Since God is preparing the table in the 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:47.160 presence of your enemies, that means there's a seat for you. 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:52.960 When these false accusations come, rumors, slander, the best thing 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:56.240 you can do is take a seat, stay in peace. 0:12:56.760 --> 0:12:59.720 That's not the time to get defensive, pay them back. 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:03.520 Two can play at this game. Just imagine God is 0:13:03.559 --> 0:13:06.800 sending the angels to the grocery store. He's turned the 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:10.439 ovens on. Gabril is setting the table. There's a big 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:14.960 meal being prepared, not just dinner, but a feast, a celebration. 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:19.120 Now there's a seat there for you. There's a place 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:22.120 at this table where God is going to honor you 0:13:22.559 --> 0:13:25.760 in front of those that have talked, show you favor, 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:29.120 in front of those that have made fun, promote you, 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:31.480 in front of those that tried to push you down. 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:35.560 God is not going to vindicate you in private. He's 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:38.480 going to do it in public. So the very ones 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:43.760 that treated you the worst with contempt, mischaracterized, they will 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:48.480 see you promoted, honored in positions of influence and respect. 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:52.200 Now for this to happen, you have to be seated 0:13:52.280 --> 0:13:55.960 at the table. If you're taking matters into your own hands, 0:13:56.400 --> 0:13:59.760 upset thinking about what they said, then you're going to 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:02.600 miss the dinner. You're going to miss the promotion that 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:05.360 God has for you. And it's easy to get all 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:09.120 riled up, been out of shape. Don't fall into that trap. 0:14:09.360 --> 0:14:13.839 Your reputation is in God's hands. There's nothing people can say, 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:17.560 nothing they can do that can keep you from your purpose. 0:14:18.360 --> 0:14:21.400 And yes, There may be seasons of disrespect where it 0:14:21.440 --> 0:14:24.240 looks like they're getting the upper hand, but your time 0:14:24.400 --> 0:14:28.000 is coming. The meal is being prepared. You can trust 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:32.480 the faithfulness of God, says in Psalms. Deal with me, oh, 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:37.400 Sovereign Lord, for the sake of your own reputation, because 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:40.920 you belong to the sovereign Lord, because you're his child. 0:14:41.280 --> 0:14:45.200 He will deal with you because of his reputation. It's 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:48.760 not just who you are, it's whose you are. Now. 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:52.000 Your part is to guard your heart, not get offended, 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:56.040 not get distracted in battles that don't matter. God's part 0:14:56.440 --> 0:14:59.720 is to guard your reputation. He'll make sure that you're 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:03.680 seeing in the right light. God gave Neemiah a dream 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:07.000 to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He was living one 0:15:07.000 --> 0:15:10.440 thousand miles away, working as a cupbearer for the king. 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:14.840 He didn't have the experience, the materials, the funds, but 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:17.840 God gave him favor with the king, and this king 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:22.240 gave him everything he needed. But when two men, Sanbalot 0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:25.920 and Tobias, heard about Neamiah's plan, they didn't like it. 0:15:26.440 --> 0:15:31.760 They started stirring up trouble, spreading rumors, making false accusations, 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:35.000 can imagine they went to the city officials trying to 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:38.800 discredit him. What's this man Neamiah doing in our city. 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:41.880 He's only in it for himself. He's just trying to 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:46.720 become known. They questioned his motives, cast doubt on his integrity. 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.840 It's no different today. Anytime you step out to do 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:54.840 something great, you being a great mother, pouring your heart 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:58.920 and soul into raising those children, maybe excelling at school, 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:01.680 or going to the extra mile at work, seeing your 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:05.720 gifts come out in great ways. Don't be surprised if 0:16:05.720 --> 0:16:10.000 someone is going to find fault, question your motives, say 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:12.680 things that are not true. He just thinks he's better 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:16.160 than us. She's not that talented. She can just manipulate 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:19.280 people to get that position. If you were sitting around 0:16:19.360 --> 0:16:23.000 being mediocre, no one would care. The fact that people 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:26.360 are trying to discredit you, trying to make you look bad. 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:29.720 That's a sign that you're doing something right. You're making 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:34.040 a difference, You're leaving your mark. While Neemiah was up 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:37.600 on the hill with his men rebuilding the wall, sand 0:16:37.600 --> 0:16:40.360 Ballot and Tobias were at the bottom of the hill 0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:45.280 hurling insults. Verse two says they shouted what does this 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:49.880 poor feeble man think he's doing? San Ballet said, if 0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:53.680 a fox walked on that wall in fall down, I'm sure. 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:57.400 Neemiah was tempted to put his tools down, walk down 0:16:57.400 --> 0:17:00.280 the hill and tell them what he thought. He had 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:03.240 his speech ready. Listen to hear, losers, You don't know me. 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:07.200 You're just a bunch of trouble makers, spreading lies, trying 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:09.680 to stop a good cause. By the way, why did 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:14.320 your mother name you, sanbalad? That's ridiculous. He felt like 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:17.240 giving them a piece of his mind, trying to straighten 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:20.920 them out. Then he came back to his senses, thought, no, 0:17:21.400 --> 0:17:24.200 I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince 0:17:24.280 --> 0:17:26.280 them to be for me. They don't want to be 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:29.359 for me. They don't want to understand what I'm doing. 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:34.720 They're determined to misunderstand me. Some people are so small minded, 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:39.639 so insecure. They'll never celebrate the favor on your life. 0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:43.080 That jealous spirit will cause him to find fault, criticize. 0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:47.960 Just stay on the wall. Niamiah ignored them and kept working. 0:17:48.560 --> 0:17:52.040 Every day he could hear their insults. Every day, he 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:55.800 could hear their slander. It's interesting that God didn't stop it. 0:17:56.280 --> 0:17:59.920 Neamiah had to on purpose, tune it out and keep 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:03.160 focused on what he was called to do. Fifty two 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:07.720 days in record time, he rebuilt the wall. Nehemiah was 0:18:07.800 --> 0:18:11.520 honored and esteemed as one who helped save the Israelites. 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:16.360 Sandbalot and Tobias did their best to ruin his reputation. 0:18:17.119 --> 0:18:20.520 But when you put your reputation in God's hands, nothing 0:18:20.600 --> 0:18:23.680 can stop it. Today, Neemiah is one of the heroes 0:18:23.720 --> 0:18:27.640 of faith. No matter how hard someone tries, they may 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:32.640 have more influence, more seniority, more followers. Don't worry, they 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:36.880 cannot stand against our God. You keep doing the right thing. 0:18:37.600 --> 0:18:41.520 You keep striving for excellence, following that dream in your heart, 0:18:42.040 --> 0:18:45.600 and God will take care of the sand Balance and tobiases. 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:48.680 You may be in a situation now where people are 0:18:48.680 --> 0:18:52.120 coming against you, saying things that aren't true. You attempted 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:55.640 to get all riled up straighten them out. No, don't 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:58.679 come down off the wall. Don't let them bait you 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:03.280 into conflict. They're a distraction. The SAand Ballast the Tobias 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:06.080 is they're trying to lure you out of your purpose, 0:19:06.680 --> 0:19:10.000 so you'll waste valuable time on things that don't matter. 0:19:10.600 --> 0:19:15.280 Stay on the wall. Their disrespect cannot stop you unless 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:19.399 you come down Their lies, slander in the windows is 0:19:19.480 --> 0:19:24.200 nothing but noise. It's nothing but negative chatter. Here's the thing. 0:19:24.240 --> 0:19:26.960 God hears it. When you stay on that high road. 0:19:27.280 --> 0:19:31.240 He's preparing the dinner, he's setting the table. There will 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:34.320 be a time when the noise has stopped and you're 0:19:34.320 --> 0:19:38.400 being promoted, you're being honored. But Joel Man, they're damaging 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:42.080 my reputation. They're saying things that make people believe less 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:46.080 of me. That's only temporary. The truth will come out. 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:49.880 God is in control of your reputation as long as 0:19:49.880 --> 0:19:53.720 you're honoring Him at the right time. Vindication is coming. 0:19:54.480 --> 0:19:57.280 You will come out of it not with less respect, 0:19:57.600 --> 0:20:00.800 but with more respect than had they tried to hold 0:20:00.840 --> 0:20:03.679 you down. What's meant for harm, God will turn to 0:20:03.760 --> 0:20:07.600 your advantage. A couple of years after my father went 0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:10.080 to be with the Lord and I started ministering. I 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:12.800 met this minister when I was in another city and 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:16.119 we became friends. He started coming to our Knights of 0:20:16.160 --> 0:20:18.840 Hope when we traveled to different cities each month, and 0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:22.080 I never asked him to. He just came to volunteer 0:20:22.119 --> 0:20:26.080 and support us. We had certain consultants helping us run 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:28.960 the events at that time, and some of them didn't 0:20:29.040 --> 0:20:31.760 like him showing up so much. They wondered, who is 0:20:31.800 --> 0:20:35.280 this new guy? Why he's always here. When they found 0:20:35.320 --> 0:20:37.840 out he was a friend of mine and I wanted 0:20:37.920 --> 0:20:41.240 him to come back, they were jealous. They started putting 0:20:41.320 --> 0:20:44.200 him in a negative light. I would hear the rumors 0:20:44.320 --> 0:20:48.280 he's opportunistic, he's just in this for himself, he's trying 0:20:48.320 --> 0:20:52.800 to take advantage, questioning his motives, trying to discredit him. 0:20:53.320 --> 0:20:56.360 I knew him well. His heart was pure, he had 0:20:56.400 --> 0:21:00.159 great character, a person of integrity. You can have the 0:21:00.240 --> 0:21:04.240 best intentions, the purest motives, but there will always be 0:21:04.400 --> 0:21:10.240 people that try to cast out that on purpose, mischaracterize, misjudge, 0:21:10.480 --> 0:21:14.080 and they're not bad people. Sometimes they're just jealous. They 0:21:14.119 --> 0:21:16.399 don't want to see you succeed. They don't want to 0:21:16.480 --> 0:21:19.480 let someone new in. This is when it's tempting to 0:21:19.480 --> 0:21:24.119 get offended, get baited into conflict. Live defensive. You have 0:21:24.200 --> 0:21:27.840 to stay on the wall, leave it alone, trust God 0:21:27.960 --> 0:21:31.600 to fight your battles. One event, I knew my friend 0:21:31.640 --> 0:21:33.879 was coming, but he was late. He was going to 0:21:33.960 --> 0:21:36.280 start in a few minutes and I texted him and 0:21:36.359 --> 0:21:39.400 asked where he was. He said that he was delayed. 0:21:40.080 --> 0:21:42.560 What he didn't tell me is these people wouldn't let 0:21:42.600 --> 0:21:44.919 him in the event, so he was in line to 0:21:44.960 --> 0:21:48.280 buy a ticket. He was very hurt by it. For 0:21:48.320 --> 0:21:50.760 a few months, he quit coming. He thought they put 0:21:50.800 --> 0:21:54.159 me down, discredit me, when in fact I'm trying to 0:21:54.160 --> 0:21:56.200 be a source for good. Then forget it. I don't 0:21:56.240 --> 0:22:01.800 need it. I'll stay where I'm appreciated. You don't have 0:22:01.920 --> 0:22:04.880 to guard your reputation, but you do have to guard 0:22:04.960 --> 0:22:08.320 your heart. God is going to take care of your reputation. 0:22:08.760 --> 0:22:11.200 The question is are you going to take care of 0:22:11.240 --> 0:22:15.880 your heart. It's easy to get offended, live bitter upset. 0:22:16.640 --> 0:22:18.760 My friend was tempted to come down off the wall, 0:22:19.400 --> 0:22:21.680 let what was said keep him from doing what he 0:22:21.760 --> 0:22:25.160 knew God called him to do. He started coming back 0:22:25.359 --> 0:22:30.440 again and again, month after month, ignoring the insults, dismissing 0:22:30.480 --> 0:22:34.920 the disrespect, not paying attention to the rumors. God started 0:22:34.920 --> 0:22:39.120 fighting his battles. God began to bring vindication. The more 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:41.960 they pushed him down, the more God lifted him up. 0:22:42.840 --> 0:22:46.080 They didn't believe in him, but I believed in him. 0:22:46.680 --> 0:22:49.200 I didn't know all that was going on. But God 0:22:49.240 --> 0:22:52.160 will always have the right people that will be there 0:22:52.200 --> 0:22:55.439 for you. The ones that matter will see the best 0:22:55.440 --> 0:22:58.480 in you. They'll want to stand up for you, help 0:22:58.520 --> 0:23:01.320 you move into your purpose. You don't have to find them, 0:23:01.520 --> 0:23:04.280 they'll find you. You don't have to convince them to 0:23:04.320 --> 0:23:07.680 be for you. They'll want to be for you. What's 0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:11.199 interesting is all those that were against him are no 0:23:11.320 --> 0:23:15.200 longer with us, but he's still here. He outlasted all 0:23:15.240 --> 0:23:18.639 of them. Just kidding, but listen, there may be seasons 0:23:19.320 --> 0:23:23.280 where you have to endure disrespect, being put down, seen 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:27.360 in a bad light. The sand ballots and tobiases may 0:23:27.480 --> 0:23:31.479 keep hurling their insults, stirring up trouble, but that is 0:23:31.520 --> 0:23:34.800 not how your story ends. Just stay on the wall, 0:23:35.359 --> 0:23:39.000 keep doing the right thing, keep fulfilling your purpose, and 0:23:39.080 --> 0:23:41.959 there will be a time like with my friend, the 0:23:42.000 --> 0:23:47.159 opposition is gone, the slanders are silenced, the haters are humiliated. 0:23:47.480 --> 0:23:50.920 God knows how to defend your reputation. He knows how 0:23:50.920 --> 0:23:55.400 to promote you in the presence of your enemies. Despite 0:23:55.400 --> 0:23:58.480 what was said, despite what was done, You're going to 0:23:58.560 --> 0:24:02.280 shine to sell. You're going to step into levels that 0:24:02.359 --> 0:24:06.560 you've never dreamed. This is what happened to Joseph as 0:24:06.600 --> 0:24:09.280 a teenager. God gave him a dream that he was 0:24:09.280 --> 0:24:12.440 going to lead a nation. But his brothers were jealous. 0:24:13.000 --> 0:24:15.440 They threw him into a pit. They were going to 0:24:15.520 --> 0:24:18.000 leave him there to die, but they saw a caravan 0:24:18.040 --> 0:24:22.160 of Ishmaelites coming. They sold him as a slave. It's 0:24:22.160 --> 0:24:26.160 interesting that it wasn't someone on the outside that tried 0:24:26.200 --> 0:24:29.160 to keep Joseph from his purpose. It was his family. 0:24:30.160 --> 0:24:33.399 Sometimes the people closest to you will not believe in you, 0:24:34.280 --> 0:24:37.320 not treat you with respect, say things that are hurtful. 0:24:37.880 --> 0:24:41.359 It's tempting to come off the wall, live offended, bitter. 0:24:42.000 --> 0:24:44.399 You have to give it to God, leave it in 0:24:44.520 --> 0:24:48.040 his hands. You can't dwell on what they said, what 0:24:48.080 --> 0:24:51.800 they did. Sometimes they don't even know they're doing it. 0:24:51.800 --> 0:24:54.120 It's just how they were raised. It's just what they 0:24:54.160 --> 0:24:57.640 saw model. Growing up. Joseph was working for a high 0:24:57.760 --> 0:25:03.040 ranking military official in each running his househo He never complained, 0:25:03.520 --> 0:25:06.400 He didn't slack aw. He just kept being his best, 0:25:06.440 --> 0:25:10.800 staying on the wall. The man's wife falsely accused Joseph 0:25:11.119 --> 0:25:13.639 said he was trying to harm her. This man was 0:25:13.720 --> 0:25:18.199 furious had Joseph thrown in prison. If you judge Joseph 0:25:18.280 --> 0:25:21.439 at that point, you would think he has no reputation, 0:25:22.000 --> 0:25:26.080 no chance man. He's a slave in prison, disowned by 0:25:26.119 --> 0:25:31.480 his family. Joseph could have been bitter, angry, thinking about 0:25:31.480 --> 0:25:34.960 what his brothers did. How could this lady lie about me? 0:25:35.160 --> 0:25:39.320 That's so wrong. Instead, he stayed on the wall. He 0:25:39.400 --> 0:25:42.679 trusted God to be his vindicator. He kept doing the 0:25:42.760 --> 0:25:48.080 right thing when it was hard, when he was misunderstood, mischaracterized. 0:25:49.000 --> 0:25:51.600 One night, the pharaoh, the leader of the country, had 0:25:51.640 --> 0:25:55.040 a dream that he didn't understand. They called for Joseph. 0:25:55.280 --> 0:25:58.959 He interpreted the dream. The pharaoh was so impressed he 0:25:59.040 --> 0:26:03.280 made Joseph second in command of all of Egypt. Overnight, 0:26:03.520 --> 0:26:06.760 he went from the prison to being prime minister, one 0:26:06.800 --> 0:26:10.360 of the most powerful people of that day. Now he 0:26:10.480 --> 0:26:16.439 was respected, honored, influential people bowed down before him. God 0:26:16.520 --> 0:26:20.040 knows how to vindicate you. He knows how to restore 0:26:20.119 --> 0:26:23.560 your reputation. May seem like people have done things that 0:26:23.840 --> 0:26:27.760 have permanently set you back. Your motives were right, your 0:26:27.800 --> 0:26:30.560 heart was pure, But things happened that puts you in 0:26:30.640 --> 0:26:34.040 a bad light, Like with Joseph, you're in that season 0:26:34.080 --> 0:26:39.760 of disrespect, loss of credibility, people discrediting you. Your time 0:26:40.000 --> 0:26:43.280 is coming. God sees you doing the right thing. He 0:26:43.320 --> 0:26:47.960 sees you being a Joseph, not complaining, not holding a grudge, 0:26:48.119 --> 0:26:51.119 not giving up on life. The Pharaoh is going to 0:26:51.200 --> 0:26:53.640 call you in so to speak. The right people are 0:26:53.640 --> 0:26:57.760 going to show up. Vindication is coming. It's going to 0:26:57.800 --> 0:27:01.439 happen quickly. It's going to twenty years to restore what 0:27:01.600 --> 0:27:05.639 was lost. Joseph went from a prisoner to a prince overnight. 0:27:06.440 --> 0:27:12.560 Suddenly you're going to see vindication, restoration, promotion, honor, and influence. 0:27:13.560 --> 0:27:16.840 Thirteen years after the brothers threw him into the pit, 0:27:17.480 --> 0:27:20.320 they showed up at the palace in Egypt looking for food. 0:27:20.480 --> 0:27:23.159 There was a great famine. Joseph was in charge of 0:27:23.160 --> 0:27:26.760 the food supply. They thought he was dead. When they 0:27:26.800 --> 0:27:30.520 realized it was him, they all bowed down low before him. 0:27:31.000 --> 0:27:33.880 That was the table. In the presence of his enemies, 0:27:34.760 --> 0:27:37.520 very ones that tried to hold you down. They're going 0:27:37.560 --> 0:27:38.560 to see you promoted. 0:27:39.560 --> 0:27:39.720 Now. 0:27:39.720 --> 0:27:43.399 Don't live stressed out, trying to guard your reputation, guard 0:27:43.480 --> 0:27:48.000 your heart. Make the decision to not live offended upset 0:27:48.280 --> 0:27:51.160 trying to pay people back, and God will take care 0:27:51.240 --> 0:27:55.199 of your reputation. He's heard every negative comment that was 0:27:55.240 --> 0:28:00.240 set about you, the insult, the disrespect, the betrayals. To 0:28:00.240 --> 0:28:03.080 make it up to you. You do your part and 0:28:03.160 --> 0:28:06.840 stay on the wall. Keep doing great things, keep being 0:28:06.880 --> 0:28:11.240 a person of excellence, keep dreaming, keep stretching. The naysayers 0:28:11.600 --> 0:28:15.719 cannot stop your purpose. The negative chatter is just noise 0:28:16.000 --> 0:28:18.600 to try to get you distracted. Don't take the bait, 0:28:19.320 --> 0:28:23.680 stay focused, and leave your reputation in God's hands. If 0:28:23.720 --> 0:28:27.800 you'll do this, I believe and declare like Joseph, you'll 0:28:27.800 --> 0:28:32.919 go to see vindication, promotion. Negative situations are about to 0:28:32.960 --> 0:28:36.560 turn around. Forces that have held you back are being broken. 0:28:37.040 --> 0:28:39.520 You're about to see the table in the presence of 0:28:39.560 --> 0:28:44.040 your enemies from the prison to the palace. In Jesus's name, 0:28:44.520 --> 0:28:48.440 and if you receive it, can just say amen, I'd 0:28:48.480 --> 0:28:51.120 like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:28:51.200 --> 0:28:54.720 lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, 0:28:54.920 --> 0:29:02.160 Lord Jesus, I'll repent of my sins, my heart. I'll 0:29:02.200 --> 0:29:05.880 make you my lord and savior. If you prayed that 0:29:06.000 --> 0:29:09.200 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love 0:29:09.240 --> 0:29:11.360 to send you some free information on your new walk 0:29:11.360 --> 0:29:13.000 with the Lord. You can text the number or go 0:29:13.000 --> 0:29:15.640 to the website. I hope you'll get into a good 0:29:15.680 --> 0:29:19.840 Bible based church and keep God first place. Thanks so 0:29:19.960 --> 0:29:23.280 much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe 0:29:23.440 --> 0:29:26.160 so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you 0:29:26.280 --> 0:29:28.400 encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:28.560 --> 0:29:30.800 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:30.800 --> 0:29:32.320 with those all around the world. 0:29:32.600 --> 0:29:34.200 Visit Joelosting dot. 0:29:33.960 --> 0:29:36.840 Com or click the link in the description to partner 0:29:36.880 --> 0:29:37.600 with us today. 0:29:37.840 --> 0:29:40.280 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:40.400 --> 0:29:43.200 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:43.240 --> 0:29:46.360 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:29:46.360 --> 0:29:47.200 see you next time.