Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: sunday sermon
Joel Osteen - Sermon: Calling Over Comfort. There are some seasons when God will call you to leave the familiar and step out into the unknown. It may be uncomfortable, but if you’ll push past the fear, God will make things happen that you couldn’t make happen on your own. I want to talk to you today about calling over comfort.
Read More
Joel: God bless you. It's great to have you with us today. I hope you'll stay connected with us all through the week. You can download our daily podcast, listen to the messages anytime. Or you can go to our YouTube channel, follow us on Instagram, Facebook. But thanks for tuning in today. I like to start with something funny. I heard about these three men; a Baptist, a Catholic, and a Charismatic. They died on the same day and went to heaven. Saint Peter met them at the pearly gates and said, "I'm so sorry, men, your rooms are not available yet." He didn't know what to do. So, he decided to call Satan and see if he would keep them for a little while. Satan reluctantly agreed. A few hours later, Satan called back and said, "Peter, you've got to come get these guys. The Baptist man is saving everyone, the Catholic man is forgiving everyone, and the Charismatic has already raised enough money for air-conditioning." Alright, say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do.
Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess: My mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. God bless you.
I want to talk to you today about calling over comfort. It's easy to get comfortable in life with things that are less than God's best. We know there's more in us, but we don't want to have to stretch. We don't want to take that risk. What if it doesn't work out? What if the door doesn't open? We can get comfortable with friends that are pulling us down, comfortable with addictions, comfortable with self-pity, always thinking about what we didn't get, how we're at a disadvantage. The problem with staying comfortable is you will miss your destiny. When God is about to take you higher, there will always be this conflict, something you have to choose, comfort or calling. Are you going to stay where you are, not rock the boat, not have to stretch, not have to be more disciplined, not have to push past your fears? Are you going to choose to stay comfortable or are you going to step out in faith and take a risk? If you'll leave the comfort and come into the calling,
God will make things happen that you couldn't make happen. Too often we think, "When I get the courage, I'll do this. When I have the strength, the confidence, then I'll get out of my comfort zone, then I'll forgive the person that hurt me, then I'll deal with this bad attitude." If you're waiting to feel what you need to feel, you'll be waiting your whole life. You may not ever feel like forgiving that person that did you wrong. You feel bitter, you feel angry. You have to make a move, then God will make a move. You may not have the strength now, that's because God is waiting for you to move. When you step out, strength will come, courage will come, favor will come. Are you choosing comfort over the calling? Are there areas where you know you need to make changes? You need to work on a relationship, you need to forgive, you need to stretch but you're letting fear and what people will think and how it seems too hard keep you in your comfort. God is saying, "If you'll choose my calling over your comfort, if you'll do what I'm asking you to do even though it's difficult, then I'll step in and give you supernatural strength, I'll give you the boldness, the courage, the favor to accomplish dreams, to overcome obstacles, to go where you couldn't go on your own."
In John 5 there was a man that had been crippled for thirty-eight years. Everyday people carried him on a mat to the pool of Bethesda. There was a legend they believed that when the waters bubbled up, an angel was touching the water and the first person in would be healed. There were five large porches around this pool. It was surrounded by sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed. Year after year this man came to the pool. I can imagine the first few years he believed he would get well, he came with expectancy, knowing that it could happen that day. But the first year passed and nothing happened, then another and another. Now, thirty-eight years later, he wasn't expecting anything to happen. He had tried; it didn't work out. Now, he was comfortable in his dysfunction. He was surrounded by other people who were dysfunctional. This is all he knew: going to the pool every day, laying there, talking to his friends who were lame, blind, couldn't walk. Sometimes, when we're dysfunctional, we like to get around other dysfunctional people. That way, we feel more at ease. When we're insecure, we find other people who are insecure. When we're struggling with an addiction, we find other people who are addicted. Don't get around people that enable your dysfunction.
If you're depressed, don't hang around people that are depressed. If you're fighting an illness, don't go find other people that are sick, so you can sit around and talk about your illnesses. Hang around people that have what you want, not people that are struggling with what you struggle with. The enemy would love for you to stay in a limited environment that holds you down, limits your vision, and keeps you from dreaming, believing, expecting. Don't fall into that trap. If you're depressed, find some happy friends. If you're addicted, find some free friends. If you're sick, find some healthy friends. If you're broke, find some blessed friends.
One day Jesus showed up at this pool. Out of all the people there, Jesus came over to this man. He said, "Don't you want to get well?" That seemed like an odd question. That's why he was by the pool. But you can be at the right place in the wrong frame of mind and miss your miracle. Jesus knew after all those years the man was comfortable. He had lost his passion to be well. Instead of saying, "Yes, I want to get well. That's what I've been believing for." The man said, "I can't get well. I don't have anyone to help me. When the angel comes, someone always gets in front of me." Jesus didn't feel sorry for the man. He didn't say, "Too bad, you're at a disadvantage." Jesus looked at the man and said, "Rise, pick up your bed, and walk." Jesus asked him to do something that he couldn't do. The man could have said, "What do you mean get up? Don't you know I'm crippled? I haven't walked in thirty-eight years." This man heard the call. Jesus told him to rise up, but every thought said, "You can't get up. You've been this way too long." He had to make a decision, "Am I going to stay in my dysfunction, where I'm comfortable, where I've been the last thirty-eight years? Or am I going to act on the calling? Am I going to stretch, try something that I've never done?" Something rose up in this man. Against all odds, he sat up. Suddenly strength came into his legs. He stood up and started walking. Instantly he was healed. None of this would have happened if he would have stayed where he was comfortable.
Anytime God is going to do something new in your life, give you more influence, more favor, more anointing, more resources, there's going to be this test of being uncomfortable. Are you willing to stretch, to do something you've never done? Move away from tradition, from certain people, from what you're familiar with? Don't let the comfort keep you from the calling. Where God is taking you is going to require risks. You're going to have to leave what's familiar and step into the unknown. Like this man, God is going to ask you to do things that you don't think you can do. In your own ability you can't, but when you take that step of faith, God will step in and give you supernatural ability. But sometimes we've been a certain way so long, we've convinced ourselves of what we can't do. "I can't run my department; I don't have the talent. I can't break this addiction; I've had it since high school. I can't get the Compaq Center; I've only been ministering for two years." God doesn't ask you and then not give you what you need. The question is, are you going to stay comfortable, where it's safe, or are you going to step into your calling?
I'm not saying this is easy; if it was easy, everyone would do it. This takes boldness. This takes a made-up mind that says, "I am not going to let fear, insecurity, what I don't think I can do, keep me in my limited environment. I'm going to stretch. I'm going to take risks. I may have to hurt some feelings, but I'm going to make changes to follow the call. I'm not going to sit around in dysfunction, surrounded by dysfunctional friends. I'm going to rise and walk." Your destiny is too great, your assignment too important, to let fear, what will people think, what if it doesn't work out, hold you back. If you know how everything is going to work out, you don't need faith. If you can accomplish your dreams in your own ability, then your dreams are too small. That may be a steppingstone, but God will put dreams in your heart where you don't have the finances, the connections, the experience. If He doesn't show up, then it won't happen. You'll be tempted to think like the lame man, "I can't walk. God, you're telling me to do something that I've never done." If you'll take that step of faith, you'll see God do something that you've never seen. You'll see doors open you couldn't open, you'll see divine connections, people show up that want to help you, things fall into place. That's because in your calling, there's favor. In your calling, opportunities will find you. In your calling, you'll break addictions, you'll beat the cancer, you'll defeat that depression. But in your comfort, you'll get stuck where you are. If you're always comfortable, then there'll be lack, dysfunction, mediocrity. God is saying to you, "I'm calling you up higher, I'm calling you into abundance, I'm calling you into freedom, I'm calling you into new levels." Now don't let comfort hold you back. The fear may still be there, but you have to act on your purpose, not on your fear.
Fear will keep you from your destiny. Fear will keep you by the pool another year. You may feel fear, but you have to do it afraid. As you step out, courage will come. Confidence will show up. The favor, the blessing, the healing, it's waiting for you not in your comfort but in your calling. If you're never uncomfortable, you're not growing. If you never have to stretch your faith, you're never over your head, then you're going to be limited. God will bring opportunities across your path so you can come up to a new level, go where you've never been, break bondages that have been passed down in your family line. It takes courage, it takes a holy determination. You'll be tempted to play it safe, don't rock the boat, "I don't want to have to stretch, try something new, it seems impossible."
God wouldn't have given you the opportunity, He wouldn't have told you to rise and walk if you couldn't do it. Don't let comfort hold you back. Being comfortable will keep you from your potential. You were created to stretch. You were created to go further. Yes, there will be seasons where you're comfortable, seasons where you're enjoying favor and blessings, but God is not going to leave you in your comfort. He's taking you from glory to glory. You can't reach new levels of glory without being uncomfortable, without having to stretch, without believing for things that seem unlikely. I've learned, the calling will disrupt your comfort. There will be strategic times in your life, like this crippled man, that God will call you up higher, He'll call you to break the addiction. You were fine for a long time, but suddenly you know you have to do something. He'll call you to leave the familiar and go into the unknown. That's what happened to me.
I worked seventeen years behind the scenes here at Lakewood doing the television production. When my father went to be with the Lord, I knew I was supposed to step up and pastor the church, but I was comfortable behind the scenes. I didn't want to be in front of people. I wouldn't know what to say. All these fears, insecurity, intimidation were trying to hold me back. I had to make a decision: was I going to act on my calling or stay in my comfort? There were all these loud thoughts saying, "You better stay where you are. You don't have the training, the experience, you've never ministered before. It's not worth the risk." God was calling me to rise and walk. Like that crippled man, my first thought was, "I can't. I've never done it." But when I got quiet, I could hear this still small voice telling me, "Joel, you've got what it takes, you've been raised up for this time, this is your moment. You are well able."
The enemy will always tell you what you can't do, but if you'll turn down his lies, you'll hear a still small voice telling you what you can do. "You can break that addiction; you can beat that cancer; you can teach that class; you can start that business; you can pay your house off; you can rise and walk." "Joel, what if I try it and it doesn't work out?" What if you try and it does work out? What if you take that step of faith and you go to a new level? What if it thrusts you further than you've imagined? What if you discover you can do what you've never done, you can walk, you can lead, you can live free and whole. Don't let the what-ifs talk you out of your destiny. Turn them around. What if God shows up and favors you? What if doors open you never dreamed would open? What if you beat that addiction after all these years? Here's the key, if you never try, you're never going to know. There are no risks in playing it safe, no risk in lying by the pool another thirty-eight years. You already know what's going to happen. But how sad it will be to come to the end of life and never know what you could have become if you would have just dared to take some risks, if you would have acted on the call and not the comfort. If you would have listened to the still small voice, the Most High God, instead of all the loud, intimidating lies of the enemy. When my father went to be with the Lord, there were other family members on staff that were ministers. My sisters, brothers-in-law. They had more experience, they were very capable, excellent ministers. They could have wanted to pastor the church.
My personality type is I don't like conflict. I want everyone to be happy. I'll go out of my way to avoid even a possible confrontation. But I knew if I was going to step up and do what God called me to do, I had to tell my family what I was thinking. I asked if they would all meet me at the church one morning. You talk about being uncomfortable and way out of what I was used to. I called this big family meeting, the first time in my life. I was so nervous, wondering what everyone was going to think and how it was going to turn out. But when you make a move, God will make a move. I told them how I felt like God wanted me to pastor the church and I didn't know how it was going to work out or even if it was right but that's what I believed in my heart. I waited for all this conflict, all this debate. I'm sure some others felt the same way, that they were supposed to become the pastor, after all, they had more credentials. All I had was my high school diploma, one year of college, and my good looks. That was debatable.
After my big speech, the whole room went silent. Finally, my sister Lisa spoke up and said, "Joel, if you feel that way, we're all going to support you." The next person said the same thing, and again and again. I thought, "You mean there's not going to be this big debate, all this tension, strife, discord?" When you step into your calling, God will make your crooked places straight. He'll cause people to be for you that could be against you. He'll prepare their hearts; He'll fight your battles. That meeting ended with my mother saying, "Joel, I can't believe it's going to be you. You're the least likely one." I said, "Thank you, Mother, for your confidence." I walked out of there feeling about two feet tall. Friends, life is short, time is flying by. You have to make this decision: Are you going to stay comfortable, or are you going to step into your calling? On the other side of that uncomfortableness are new levels, new relationships, businesses, Compaq Centers. Are you letting fear hold you back, fear of what might happen?
I had played out in my mind over and over that family meeting, strife, discord, contention, arguing. None of that happened. Most of the negative things you think are going to happen are not going to happen. Why? God has already prepared the way. He's already lined up the right people. He's moving out the wrong people. He has the breaks you need, the favor, the strength, the healing, the freedom. All He needs is for you to step into your calling. Don't let fear hold you back, fear of what people are going to think. "What are they going to say, what if they're not for me?" If they're not for you, then you don't need them.
Your destiny is not dependent on everyone being for you. God has already lined up the people you need that will be there to support you, people that will help you accomplish your dreams. If a person or a group of people could stop your destiny, they would be more powerful than God. Quit worrying about what they might say, "They may not be for me, they may try to discredit me." They cannot stand against our God. Him being for you is more than the world being against you. We all have these times like I had; they are destiny moments. That opportunity is not going to pass by again. If you let fear keep you in your comfort zone, people didn't stop you, you stopped yourself. I'm asking you to choose your calling over your comfort. Every time God has taken me to a new level, every time I've seen favor in greater ways, one common thing has happened. I was uncomfortable, I had to do something I didn't like, I had to stretch, I had to walk down a path that wasn't familiar.
There was a lady in the Scripture named Rahab. She lived in the city of Jericho. She didn't have a good reputation; she was a prostitute. People looked down on her, didn't give her the time of day, thought, "Why would she live like that?" But God never writes anyone off. The Scripture says, "His calling on your life is irrevocable." That means God has already given you an assignment. He's already called you and He's not going to change His mind. You may make mistakes, get off course, do things you know you shouldn't but that doesn't change the call. God still has a destiny for you to fulfill. His mercy is bigger than any mistake you've made.
Joshua and the Israelites were headed to the Promised Land. The city of Jericho stood in their path. Joshua sent two men in to spy out the land. They looked around all that day; at night they needed a place to stay. Of all places, they came to Rahab's house. She found out who they were, and something came alive on the inside. All of the sudden she had this desire to help them. She told them how she believed in their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. She not only took them in, but she hid them. The next morning, the king of Jericho sent men to Rahab's house, and said, "Bring those men out, they're spies." She said, "I'm sorry, they left last night out the city gates right before dusk, if you hurry you can probably still catch them." Those men took off. The spies told her, "Because you've protected us, when we attack the city, we're not going to harm you or anyone in your house."
Rahab's life was spared. None of this would have happened if she wasn't willing to take a risk. She had to decide, "Am I going to stay where it's comfortable, keep living in dysfunction, doing things I'm not proud of or am I going to step into my calling?" She had this boldness, this courage to do something out of the ordinary. She had to take a chance that the king would find out she was hiding the spies. But deep down she knew this was a destiny moment, a chance to do the right thing, to show God that she believed in Him. I'm sure thoughts told her, "God's not going to have anything to do with you. Look at the life you've lived. Look at all the mistakes you've made." Somehow Rahab tuned that all out and thought, "God, I know you still have a purpose for me. I know I can still leave my mark." She took this risk and her whole world changed. Rahab ended up marrying a Jewish man, they had a son named Boaz.
Boaz married Ruth, they had a son named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse; Jesse had a son named David. That means Rahab, this former prostitute, is in the family line of Jesus Christ. Like Rahab, when you choose your calling over your comfort, you can affect generations to come. Who knows how not only your life will be impacted for the good but because you chose to stretch when you felt like playing it safe, you chose to take the high road instead of compromising, you chose to leave the comfort of the addiction, the comfort of the dysfunction, and take steps to overcome. Your family line will look back and see the blessing, the freedom, the abundance started with you. You saying yes to your calling, you being willing to be obedient to do the right thing when it was hard, to forgive when you were wronged, to push past fear and step into your purpose. You were the difference maker. Is there some area God is asking you to leave your comfort and come into your calling?
Rahab felt the calling on her life, but the environment wasn't conducive to serve God. They didn't worship Jehovah. No one in her family believed in God. She was in an occupation that was looked down on, but because she stepped out of her comfort, what she was used to, she is now listed as one of the heroes of faith. Maybe like her, you come from a family that doesn't have any kind of faith, you're in an environment with people that don't have anything to do with God. All around you there's compromising, mediocrity, people taking the easy way out. The reason you feel that stirring in your spirit, the reason something is coming alive on the inside is because God is calling you. He's been waiting for you. You're not hearing this by accident, this is a destiny moment. The question is will you leave your comfort and step into your calling. Will you leave what's familiar, things that have held you down, people that are causing you to compromise, and make this decision that you're going to honor God. You're going to step up to who you were created to be. It's easy to play it safe, don't rock the boat. "I don't want to have to change, I don't want to be uncomfortable." But you'll never fulfill your purpose staying comfortable.
On the other side of the discomfort, is a new level of your destiny. I know today I am looking at heroes of faith. I'm looking at people that have greatness in them, great courage, great talent, great favor. "Not me, Joel. I've had a rough background, I'm not in a good environment." You're right where Rahab was. You are one decision away from stepping into your greatness. One decision from setting your family on a new course to freedom, honor, blessing, victory. Now do your part, leave the comfort and come into your calling. If you'll do this, I believe and declare, like the crippled man, chains that have held you back are being broken, sicknesses, addictions, lack, poverty, limited thinking. You're about to rise and walk. God is about to do what you couldn't do on your own. Like Rahab, you're going to see favor, promotion, protection, the right people, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name. I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life.
Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free information on your walk with the Lord. Just text the number on the screen. I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place.
Joel: Thanks for watching this message. I hope you enjoyed it. We upload new videos every week to keep you inspired and encouraged. So don't forget to hit the like button and make sure you subscribe to our channel.
Victoria: Let us know in the comments below how this message has encouraged you. We would love to hear from you. We're praying for you and your family. We'll see you next time.
Joel Osteen Watch Sermon: I Will Not Fear. God has not given us that spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind. When you’re tempted to be afraid, live anxious, worried about how it’s going to work out, you need to do like David and remind yourself, the Lord is my Shepherd. Still your emotions. Come back to a place of peace.
Matt Hagee - Watch Sunday Sermon: "What Do You Do When You’re Bent Out of Shape?" Sometimes you try to have a good day and things don’t exactly work out. Bad news rains down on every side. As much as you try to remain positive, things go sideways and you get bent out of shape. Sometimes things happen in your spirit that bend you out of shape. Whatever you’re facing, God is still on the throne and everything is going to be alright.
Michael Todd - Sunday Sermon: Fresh Foundation: Tithing & Honoring God First // Fresh Fruit (Part 6)
Watch Michael Todd Sunday Sermon: Tithing & Honoring God First. In the kingdom of God, tithing is the foundation of our finances. Jesus redeemed us from the curse of not tithing, but when we don’t tithe, we rob God of the opportunity to bless you. We don’t want there to be a cap on what God wants to do in our lives! We pray this message is a reminder of how we can put Jesus first in our finances.
Watch Jack Hibbs Sunday Sermon: Epicenter Israel: What's Really Happening in the Middle East? Join us for a special prophecy update. Does Israel's very existence threaten an invisible spiritual agenda? Are events unfolding in the epicenter of the Middle East the early signs of prophecy coming to pass?
John Hagee Sunday Sermon (March 17, 2024) The Road to Armageddon.
On October 7, 2023, war broke out in Israel; now world leaders are calling for the New World Order to take control before HAMAS is defeated. Israel didn’t start this war; they should be allowed to win it. America’s Administration and military are weaker than ever. This is the perfect environment for the New World Order to take control. The Church will be raptured, and the New World Order will introduce the Anti-Christ. Then the tribulation begins…ending at Armageddon.
Tony Evans Sunday Sermon: Diligence Is the Missing Ingredient for Your Spiritual Growth. Dr. Tony Evans shows us the importance of aligning with God's plan and diligently cooperating with the divine nature within. Join him as he’ll highlight the transformative potential within every believer and the necessity of actively working out one's salvation with fear and trembling.
Joel Osteen - Sermon: Grass In The Desert. When you're in a difficult season, you have to remember that God is still at work in your life. While you wait for the promise to come to pass, He's going to fill you with the strength you need to keep going. Because you're a child of the Most High God, that difficulty isn't going to overwhelm you. I want to talk to you today about grass in the desert. In Mark chapter 6, Jesus was with His disciples, so many people were crowding around, He told them to get in the boat so they could have some time alone.
Read More
Joel: God bless you, it's great to have you with us today. I know God has amazing things in your future. I hope you'll stay connected with us through the week. We have a daily podcast that you can download, or go to our YouTube channel, follow us on social media. We want to keep you encouraged and inspired, but thanks for tuning in today. I like to start with something funny. I heard about this young man. One day he was talking to God. He said, "God, what's a million years like to you?" God said, "A million years to me is like one second to you." He said, "Well God, what's a million dollars like to you?" God said, "A million dollars to me is like one penny to you." He thought about it a moment and said, "God, will you give me a penny?" God said, "Sure, just a second." Come on. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess: My mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same in Jesus' name. God bless you.
I want to talk to you today about grass in the desert. In Mark chapter 6, Jesus was with His disciples, so many people were crowding around, He told them to get in the boat so they could have some time alone.
Verse 32 says, "They departed to a desert place." People saw where they were heading, when they arrived, there were thousands of people waiting for them. Jesus began to teach them. Late in the day, the disciples said, "Jesus it's almost night, we're out here in the desert, there's nothing to eat, send the people home." Jesus said, "You feed them." They said, "With what? We're in the desert. We don't have food for all these people." Jesus asked them for what they had. They gave Him two fish and five loaves of bread. Verse 39 says, "Jesus told the crowd to sit down in groups on the green grass." Three times in this passage it says they were in a desert place. Now He's telling them to sit on green grass. The people were tired, hot, hungry. Jesus hadn't multiplied the food yet, they hadn't received the miracle, but while they were waiting God gave them grass in the desert. He made the hard places easier. He didn't stop them from going into the desert, He didn't keep them from the heat, but He did lighten the load. We all go through these desert places in life, problems that should overwhelm us, giants that should defeat us, bad breaks that should make us bitter. But somehow in the midst of these challenges, there's a force sustaining us. We feel strength that we didn't have, courage to keep moving forward, grace to endure. We look back and think, "How did I make it through the loss of my loved one? How did I overcome that sickness? How did I raise that child that was so difficult?" It was God giving you grass in the desert. God making the hard places easier. Without His grace we would have gone under. Without His favor, that sickness would have defeated you. Without Him breathing in your direction, you wouldn't have made it through that breakup. He didn't stop the trouble, but He did keep the trouble from stopping you. You could have fallen apart, you could have had a nervous breakdown, gotten bitter, but God gave you green grass in the desert. He sustained you.
When you could have been overwhelmed, He stepped in and lightened the load. That's why that person showed up at just the right time to help you. It wasn't a lucky break; it was grass in the desert. That's why you had the strength to take that treatment when you should have been discouraged, worn out; it was grass in the desert. That's why this pandemic hasn't defeated you. You could be stressed out, not able to make it, but there's grass in the desert. God hasn't changed it all yet. You haven't seen the promise come to pass. You're still believing for the healing, the promotion, the spouse. The good news is while you're waiting,
God is making your hard places easier. You may not be able to tell it, but if it wasn't for the goodness of God, that sickness would have taken you out. Without His favor, that trouble would have overwhelmed you. Without His mercy, that addiction would have defeated you. No matter what you go through, an illness, a divorce, a betrayal, because you're a child of the Most High God, there's going to be green grass in the desert. It's not going to overwhelm you. It's not going to be too much. God is going to do things that don't make sense. He's going to give you strength that you can't explain. Courage that you didn't know you had. Favor that you didn't see coming. You may be in a desert place now; the right attitude is, "Lord, I want to thank You for the green grass. Thank You for sustaining me, thank You for what couldn't take me out, thank You that I'm still standing." How could Joseph keep a good attitude after all the negative things that happened to him? He was betrayed by his brothers and thrown into a pit. They were going to leave him there to die, but they ended up selling him as a slave. He should have been bitter, angry, trying to get revenge, but God gave him grass in the desert. He made the hard places easier.
Despite all the injustice, despite his world being turned upside down, Joseph kept being his best, doing the right thing. When he faced temptation, the owner's wife tried to seduce him, Joseph could have thought, "I have nothing to lose. These people have done me wrong." He could have let his guard down and compromised, but there was grass in the desert. Joseph stayed faithful, loyal, committed. You don't know how God is working in your life right now. Where did you get the strength to withstand the temptation? How are you able to keep a good attitude when negative things have happened? How can you still be strong and do the right thing with these challenges you're up against? It's not just your will, your determination, it's God giving you grass in the desert. He's not letting that trouble overwhelm you. He's not letting that bad break defeat you. The Scripture says, "You'll never face anything that you can't handle." If it was too much, if it was going to stop your destiny, God wouldn't have allowed it. Like Joseph, you may be in a desert place. Life has thrown you a curve. You're dealing with things that you never saw coming, people that did you wrong, a sickness that's not improving, your business went down. You don't see how you can go on. God is about to make your hard places easier.
You're going to feel strength that you've never felt. The right people, divine connections, are headed your way. God is going to get you to where you're supposed to be. The desert is not your destiny; that barren place, the disappointment, the loss is not how your story ends. The desert is temporary, the trouble is temporary, the depression is only temporary. Joseph ended up the prime minister of Egypt. He came out of the desert into his promised land. We don't like the desert, but the desert was necessary. Without the opposition, without the betrayals, the disappointments, Joseph would have never made it to his destiny. God won't stop the desert; He never promised we wouldn't have difficulties, but He did promise He'll give you grass in the desert. He'll make your hard places easier.
Now quit telling yourself you can't handle it. "It's too much. I'll never beat this cancer, I'll never raise these children, this pandemic is going to ruin my business." You're defeating yourself. Victory starts in our thinking. The Scripture says, "Take hold of His strength." Try a different approach. "Lord, thank you for the grass in the desert. Thank you that I can do all things through Christ. Thank you that I'm strong in the Lord. Thank you that You're making my crooked places straight. Thank you that You being for me is more than the world being against me."
My father struggled with high blood pressure most of his life. Often, the medicine he would take would make him dizzy and not feel like himself. On Sunday mornings, I would come down to put his microphone on in the TV area before the service. Many times, he hadn't slept much the night before, he didn't seem up to par. I would ask him if he wanted to minister or did he want us to get someone else. He would never think twice. He'd say, "Yes, I'm ready." He would go out as strong, as anointed, as effective as ever. When he stepped into the pulpit, it was like he was a different person. You couldn't tell anything was wrong. I was so amazed. I thought, how could he do that? I realize now that was God giving him grass in the desert.
David said, "God makes me to lie down in green pastures." You can be in a desert and God will create a green pasture. In a pandemic, you could be worried, upset, but look at you, strong, confident. You know God is still on the throne. You know He holds victory in store for the upright. You know what was meant for harm, He's turning to your advantage. It's barren all around you, but you're in a green pasture. You have grass in the desert. While others are complaining, talking about how it's not going to work out, you have a song of praise, you're expecting God's favor, you're declaring His promises.
When I looked at my father, I didn't see green pastures, all I saw was a desert, barren land, him not feeling well. I didn't see how he could prepare a message, how he could get up and be effective. But God doesn't wait till you get out of the desert; He'll cause you to flourish in the desert. He'll make you prosperous in a barren land. What I couldn't see was in that desert, He had green grass. He had strength to do what he shouldn't be able to do.
At seventy-seven, my father had to go on dialysis. His kidneys had quit working. Often, I would take him to the clinic. He would sit there for four hours, three times a week. He was used to being able to travel, go places but now he was tied down. This should have defeated him; it should have taken the joy and victory out of his life. But God takes things that should be disheartening, defeating, unbearable, and He gives you the grace to keep going strong. Even though he was on dialysis, he never missed ministering on a Sunday morning. I never heard him complain. He didn't talk about how bad it was.
He was constantly thanking God for His goodness. That didn't make sense. He was in the desert, on dialysis, not able to travel, but God knows how to make your hard places easier. He may not keep you out of the desert, but He will give you grass in the desert. He'll give you the grace to go through whatever comes your way. You may be up against things that seem like they're too much to handle, too difficult, too unfair. You don't have the strength, the energy, the faith. Don't worry, there's grass in that desert. God has a green pasture for wherever He takes you. Going through a divorce, yes, that's hard but there's grass in that desert. You're going to feel strength that you've never felt. Taking that treatment, it should wipe you out but even in the barren place, you're going to discover a green pasture. God has already prepared it for you. Raising that special needs child, it would be too much for others, but not you. There's grass in that desert.
I have a friend that was married to a professional football player; a big, strong man that served in the military. Later in life, he developed diabetes and ended up losing both of his legs. This lady took care of him like a king. She would get up at four in the morning before she went to work and get him dressed and bathed. She's a large woman, she would pick him up out of the bed and physically carry him around the house, month after month, year after year. Eventually, he went to be with the Lord. How could she have that kind of strength, that kind of stamina, that kind of commitment? That was God giving her grass in the desert. You may be doing a hard thing, but you have to know God sees you. You're not in this by yourself. He's about to lighten the load. He's going to make that hard place easier. He has grace for every season. I believe right now strength is coming into you, fresh vision, fresh anointing. You may be tired but you're about to get a second wind. You're going to feel God breathing in your direction, bringing dreams back to life, making things happen that you couldn't make happen. You're going to say like her, "How did I make it through that difficult time?" It was God giving you grass in the desert. You stepped into a green pasture that He already prepared. When I look back over my life, I can see these times where God made my hard places easier. When my father passed, I was in a desert place. I had worked with him for years here at Lakewood and traveled the world together.
In 1999 when he had a heart attack and went to be with the Lord, that was the most difficult thing I had ever faced. My world was turned upside down, but it wasn't what I thought. I thought I would be devastated, overwhelmed, not able to go on, but I felt a peace that I had never felt. I missed my father but deep down I knew he'd fulfilled his purpose. There was this grace to not only make it through his loss but to step up and pastor the church. I suddenly had this desire. I never wanted to before. My father tried for seventeen years to get me up to minister, I wouldn't do it. But now I not only knew I was supposed to, but I wanted to. What was that? God giving me grass in the desert, making my hard places easier. I didn't know how to minister. I had never written a message before. I should have been overwhelmed, stressed out but every week by the grace of God I came up with something to say.
Our daughter Alexandra was three months old at the time and Jonathan was four years old. How could I step up and not only start ministering each week but lead the church, have time for my family, raise my children, keep Victoria in line, I mean love Victoria. How could that happen? God makes your hard places easier. He has a green pasture for you when you lose a loved one. You're not going to fall apart. You're not going to give up on life, new dreams are going to spring up, new desires are going to come. He has a green pasture for when that child is in trouble, for when your business slows, for when the medical report is not good. When you look back over your life, you can see these times where God gave you grass in the desert. At the time you may not have realized it. You were so caught up in what was going on and making it through, you didn't recognize it was the grace of God giving you the strength, the favor, helping you do what you couldn't do. It's good to take time and reflect on the goodness of God. "Lord, thank you for the green pastures, thank you for bringing me through what should have stopped me, thank you for peace when I lost a loved one, thank you for strength to make it through that sickness, thank you for sustaining me when I should have gone under, thank you for defeating enemies that were much bigger, thank you for giving me the stamina to outlast the opposition." "Well Joel, this sounds good, but I don't see this grass in the desert. I don't have these big moments where I stepped up and did something great."
Think about what could have happened. That sickness could have taken you out, but God gave you the strength to overcome. That breakup should have soured your life, left you bitter, but while you were hurting, there was a green pasture. You had the strength to move forward and now you have someone great in your life. That wasn't a lucky break; that was grass in the desert. Maybe you spent years taking care of your elderly parents, at the same time raising your children, pursuing your dreams. How could you do all that? How could you have the energy, the desire, the consistency? It wasn't just your good heart; it was God making your difficult places easier.
God gives you grace for every season in life. I talked to a lady several years back. She's in her sixties. She just found out that she was going to raise three of her grandchildren. She wasn't expecting it; the mother had some issues she was dealing with. These children were all under the age of seven. She didn't know how she was going to have the energy; how could she help them with schoolwork, be there for all their events? She was so worried. I told her what I'm telling you. You may be in the desert place, something you weren't expecting, but it's not a surprise to God. He has a green pasture that He's already ordained for you. It's going to be easier than you think.
Now the key is don't talk yourself out of it. "This is too much for me. I can't believe this happened." Don't complain about the desert. You can flourish in the desert. You can prosper in a pandemic. You can succeed in a down year. The most high God is on your side. He makes rivers in the desert. He turns dry land into green pastures. Jeremiah said, "When your hope is in the Lord, you will be like a tree not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Your leaves will stay green and you will go on producing luscious fruit." Because your hope is in the Lord, you're not going to be bothered by the drought.
While others are drying up, you're going to flourish. When they're shrinking back, you're going to move forward. When they're going under, you're going to go over. Why? Your hope is in the Lord. That desert can't stop you, the sickness, the trouble, the anxiety, it cannot stop you. You may be in a barren place, but God knows how to create grass in that desert. He's going to open doors you couldn't open, cause the right people to find you. He said, your leaves are going to stay green. You're going to keep producing fruit. Not up one year and down two. You're going to be consistent. You're going to see the faithfulness of God. He's not limited by the economy, by your job, by the stock market. He owns it all. Keep your hope in Him and you're not going to just make it, just get by, you're going to keep producing luscious fruit. Not shriveled up, mediocre. You're going to see abundance, overflow, pressed down, shaken together, running over. Not after the drought, but in the drought. In the pandemic, you're going to see God show out in your life. That's what it means to have grass in the desert. You can't explain it, it doesn't make sense. It's just the goodness of God.
I saw this lady recently. She told how raising these children has been one of the most rewarding, fulfilling things she's ever done.
She said specifically, "It's been so much easier than I thought. I never dreamed I would have this much energy, this much strength, be able to get so much done." Sometimes we think when we get out of the desert, out of the barren place, then we'll excel, then we'll pursue our dreams, but God is going to cause you to flourish in the desert. He's going to make those hard places easier than you think. You may have difficult things coming against you now, in your health, your finances, your family. It seems like it's more than you can handle. Like this woman, it's going to be easier than it looks. Things you thought you would struggle with are not going to be a struggle. There's going to be an anointing of ease. An ease to raise those children, an ease to overcome that illness, an ease to build the business, an ease to move forward after the loss. Right now, God is creating grass in your desert place. The forces that have stopped you in the past will stop you no more. God is releasing you into favor, healing, freedom, and abundance. You are strong, you are anointed, equipped, and empowered. You will flourish in the famine. You will prosper in the pandemic. You will blossom in the desert places.
This is what happened to a young lady in the Scripture named Ruth. She was going along fine, life was good, then her husband unexpectedly died. You can imagine how devastated she was. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, was moving back to her hometown of Bethlehem. Ruth decided to go with her, so she could help take care of her. She would go out into the fields every morning to pick up the leftover wheat that the workers missed. That's how she and Naomi survived. Ruth was in a desert place, a young widow, dreams shattered, now living in lack and poverty. It didn't look like she had much of a future. She could have been discouraged, bitter, "God, why did this happen?" But God won't let you get in a desert where He can't create green grass.
One day the owner of the field noticed Ruth. He told his workers to leave handfuls of wheat on purpose for Ruth. Now she had more than she needed, she gathered it in a fraction of the time. With that one good break, her life became so much easier. When you're in a desert place, you don't know who God is speaking to about being good to you. God didn't speak to Ruth. He didn't say, "I'm going to tell that owner to help you." God is working behind the scenes in your life, speaking to the people you need to flourish in the desert, lining up the breaks you need to make your life easier. He knows how to make a green pasture in the middle of a setback, in the middle of a loss. I'm sure Ruth was so happy, so grateful, God had been good to her. But God didn't stop there. He created the grass, but He didn't leave her in the desert. The owner of the field, Boaz, fell in love with Ruth. They ended up getting married. Now instead of working in the field, Ruth owned the field. In those desert places, you don't know what God is up to. Thoughts will tell you, "You've seen your best days, you've been through too much, you'll never get well, never meet the right person, never beat that addiction." Don't believe those lies.
God has already lined up your Boazes, the right people, He's already arranged the good breaks, the promotion, the healing, the favor. He's not going to just make the hard places easier, but He's going to cause you to flourish in the desert, to prosper despite what you've been through. The reason you have the strength to withstand, the power to outlast, the determination to try again is because God has something awesome in your future. If you were done, He wouldn't have created grass in the desert. If He wasn't about to multiply what you have, do something that you've never seen, He wouldn't have made the green pastures for you to lie down in.
The fact that you're hearing this tells me that your future is much brighter than your past. Now quit telling yourself, "This loss is too much for me, I'll never get past this breakup, this sickness, this trouble at work." It's all a part of your destiny. Without the desert places, you can't make it to your promised land. The question is, are you going to take hold of His strength? Are you going to do like Joseph, like Ruth, and keep moving forward, being your best, knowing that God is in control, or are you going to settle for mediocrity, overwhelmed, discouraged?
What you're up against may be difficult, but this is a new day. God is about to lighten the load. Things are about to change in your favor. You're going to feel a strength that you've never felt, a grace to do what you couldn't do, an anointing of ease. I believe and declare you are coming into your green pastures. You're going to flourish in the famine, prosper in the pandemic.
Favor is coming, healing is coming, breakthroughs, freedom, promotion, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name.
I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to give you some free information. Just text the number on the screen or go to the website. I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place. Victoria and I will be right. Joel: Thanks for watching this message. I hope you enjoyed it. We upload new videos every week to keep you inspired and encouraged. So don't forget to hit the like button and make sure you subscribe to our channel. Victoria: Let us know in the comments below how this message has encouraged you. We would love to hear from you. We're praying for you and your family. We'll see you next time!
Victoria Osteen - Sermon: Unity In The Body Of Christ.
In this message, Victoria will teach there is a commanded blessing when we have unity. The Bible says when believers dwell together in unity, “there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forevermore” (Psalm 133:3). We need to fight together for our faith, not fight with one another about our faith! It is only the love of God that brings people to the arms and saving power of Jesus Christ.
God is saying it’s up to us to keep in unity and the bond of peace. That tells me that you and I must watch our words and attitudes and walk worthy of our calling under the blood of Jesus and stand humbly in God’s righteousness, not our own “rightness.” We can break the power of darkness and show people the irresistible love of the Father!
Joel Osteen - Sermon: Your Time To Reign. You were crowned with favor to defeat every obstacle. The trouble you're facing is only temporary. Get ready, your time to reign is coming. I want to talk to you today about your time to reign. We weren't created to go through life overcome by problems or settle in mediocrity. God created us to reign, to be the victor, not the victim. He's already lined up moments of favor, where he's going to make things happen that you couldn't make happen. You didn't have the experience, but suddenly you're promoted.
Read More
Even now, chains are being broken; things that have held you back are coming down. New doors are about to open, healing is flowing into you. Fear the obstacles no more. This is a new day; things that have been reigning over you—the loneliness, the guilt, the bad breaks—there's about to be a turnaround. It's your time to reign; it's your time to be free; it's your time to step into abundance.
Hey, God bless you. It's so good to be with you. Today, we're praying for you guys and your families. We hope you'll stay connected with us all throughout the week. We have a daily podcast that you can download. You can go to our YouTube channel to watch the messages anytime. Follow us on social media. We want to keep you encouraged and inspired. Thanks for tuning in again, and thanks for coming out today.
I'll start with something funny. She was sitting on an airplane reading her Bible. The guy next to her said, "You don't believe all that stuff in there, do you?" She said, "Of course, I do. It's the Bible." He said, "Well, what about that guy that got swallowed by the whale?" She said, "You mean Jonah? Yes, I believe that, too." He said, "Well, how could he possibly survive that long inside?" Well, she thought about it for a moment and said, "I don't know. When I get to heaven, I'll have to ask him." He said sarcastically, "What if he's not in heaven?" She said, "Then you'll have to ask him."
Say it like you mean it: This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, and I will never be the same, in Jesus' name. God bless you.
I want to talk to you today about your time to reign. We weren't created to go through life overcome by problems or settle in mediocrity. God created us to reign, to be the victor, not the victim. He's already lined up moments of favor, where he's going to make things happen that you couldn't make happen. You didn't have the experience, but suddenly you're promoted. The medical report said you wouldn't get well, but somehow your health turned around. Your family has struggled for years, but suddenly you come into opportunity, promotion, overflow. That's God causing you to reign.
You may have circumstances that look like they'll never change. It's easy to get discouraged and think, "I'll never get well. I'll never meet the right person. I'll never break this addiction. It's been too long." It may look permanent, but God is saying it's only temporary. You're about to reign over the addiction, reign over that depression. The sickness looks like it's the end, but you're going to reign. Things that have held you back are coming down, new doors are about to open, healing is flowing into you. I can see fear, depression, anxiety lifting off of you. This is a new day. Things that have been reigning over you — the loneliness, the guilt, the bad breaks — there's about to be a turnaround. It's your time to reign, it's your time to be free, it's your time to step into abundance.
Scripture says God has crowned you with favor. That crown is symbolic. He could have said, "I've given you favor. I've put favor on you." That would have been good, but he used the word "crown" to let us know we're supposed to reign. God didn't crown you to live defeated, burdened down by fear, addictions. You were crowned to defeat enemies, crowned to take your family to a new level, crowned to succeed, to excel, to leave your mark. Anything negative that's been reigning over you — dysfunction, insecurity, people trying to pull you down — there's about to be a shift, a change in authority. You're about to reign over what's been reigning over you.
In Second Chronicles 23, there's the story of a young man named Joash. When he was a baby, his uncle, the king of Judah, was killed. One of the king's sons should have taken the throne, but the king's mother, Athaliah, decided she wanted to be the queen. She had all of her grandsons killed so that she wouldn't have any opposition. Someone heard what she was doing and took baby Joash, Athaliah's grandson, and hid him in the temple. He was the only member of the royal family that survived. His grandfather, Athaliah's husband, was a descendant of King David. If she would have succeeded in getting rid of all her husband's relatives, then the promise God made to David — that one of his descendants would always be on the throne — wouldn't have happened. What God promised you will come to pass. People can't stop it, bad breaks can't keep it from happening. What God started, he's going to finish.
The high priest in the temple was named Jehoiada. He and his wife took care of little Joash year after year, keeping him hidden, knowing that he was destined to take the throne. When Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada went to five different army captains. He told them what happened. They agreed to help. They all came to the temple, saw little Joash. Verse 11 says Jehoiada said to them, "The time has come for the king's son to reign."
It didn't seem like he was ready to reign. He was only seven years old. He didn't have the training, the experience, the size, the wisdom. None of the circumstances looked like he was going to take the throne anytime soon. Yet, Jehoiada showed up and said, "It's time for you to reign." What am I saying? God is going to do things for you sooner than you think. It's not going to take as long as it looks. When it seems the least likely, no sign of it, nothing improving, God is going to show up. He does things at unpredictable times. It's going to be unusual, uncommon, out of season. You didn't see it coming. Everything may say it can't happen now. "Joel, we're in a pandemic. My business can't increase. It's going to take years to pay off my house. I've had this addiction since high school." When things improve, then I'll believe. Now, get ready. God doesn't do things on a normal schedule. He caused Sarah to give birth at 90 years old, out of season. At a wedding, he turned water into wine. Wine should take years to make; he did it in a split second. You're going to see accelerations. God is going to speed things up. What should take you a lifetime to accomplish is going to happen in a fraction of the time.
It's not going to take as long as you think to get out of debt, to meet the right person. It's going to happen much quicker than it looks. God's going to do things out of season. A friend of mine works in real estate. He owns hundreds of rental properties. When the pandemic hit, he was very discouraged. He didn't know if his business was going to make it. For several months, they were completely empty, no income. Just when he thought he would go under, people started booking his properties left and right. They got tired of staying in their houses, and his business exploded. He didn't see it coming. It was unusual, out of the ordinary. He made more in three months than he normally makes in a year. God is not waiting for the conditions to be right so he can bless you. He makes rivers in a desert.
In the scripture, Isaac planted in a drought and reaped a hundred-fold return. God is not limited by your environment, by the economy, by the medical report, by who is against you, by how you were raised. He's about to do some things out of the ordinary, things that catapult you ahead. Joash was born into a dysfunctional family, a chaotic environment. His grandmother tried to get rid of him. The family all gone. Strife, confusion. All the odds were against him. It didn't look like he had any kind of future. He should have lived defeated, struggling, overcome. What made the difference was he was a king's son. Maybe you've had some bad breaks, were raised in an unhealthy environment, you feel like you're at a disadvantage, you've been overlooked, pushed down. That would keep most people in defeat, mediocre, but not you. You're a king's son, you're a king's daughter. You have an advantage, a blessing that will lift you up when life tries to push you down, an anointing to excel when you should be limited, to rise higher when you should be stuck, to defeat the odds, to outlast the opposition. Bad breaks can't stop you. You're a king's son. That disappointment is not how your story ends. You're a king's daughter. That breakup, that sickness, the trouble, it's only temporary. God is saying to you what he said to Joash: It's time for the king's sons to reign, it's time for the king's daughters to reign. Put your shoulders back, hold your head up high, have the right perspective. You're a king's child. Who told you you can't accomplish your dreams? Who told you you can't go to college? Who told you you can't be happy? You've had too many bad breaks, the obstacles are too big. That may be true if you were average, if you were ordinary. I might agree with you. But I know something about you. You're a king's son, you're a king's daughter. You have royal blood flowing through your veins. You have the DNA of Almighty God. You are wearing a crown of favor. It's time for you to reign. You haven't missed your chance, you haven't made too many mistakes.
Your obstacles are not too big. Get your passion back, get your fire back. You wouldn't be hearing this if God wasn't about to do something unusual, something unprecedented. You're on the verge of seeing favor that you've never seen. I know a man who lives in another state. He would come to Houston several times a year for cancer treatment at MD Anderson. This had been going on for six years. He was told that the cancer was incurable. The only way he could stay alive was by taking the treatments. They never complained. When I'd see him out in the lobby, he would always tell me how blessed he was to be here. The last time he came for treatment, his doctor, one of the leading cancer specialists in the world, said, "In all my years of practice, I have never seen this, but this disease that's supposed to be incurable is slowly fading away, and you don't need to keep taking this treatment."
God has the final say. We need you. It's time to reign. That sickness cannot stop you. It may be reigning over you now, but a turnaround is coming. You're about to reign over it. You're going to reign over the depression, reign over the lack, reign over the injustice. The reason the enemy is fighting you is because there's a calling on your life, there's an assignment for you to fulfill. That's why, at times, like with Joash, you'll encounter difficulties that have nothing to do with you. You didn't choose what family you would be born into; you can't help that there's dysfunction, people that don't like you, or you came down with an illness. It's about the calling on your life. If you weren't a king's son, a king's daughter, you wouldn't have that opposition. The fact that you have forces trying to stop you is a sign that you have an awesome destiny. The enemy wouldn't be fooling with you if you weren't a threat.
Like with Joash, there were people and forces trying to keep you from your throne. The good news is the forces that are for you are greater than the forces that are against you. You are not fighting by yourself. The Most High God, the creator of the universe, is fighting for you right now. He's pushing back forces of darkness. He's making crooked places straight. He's equipping you, empowering you, breathing in you. Joash was only seven years old; there wasn't any way he could take the throne on his own strength, his own ability. God fought for him. God is not going to let you miss your destiny. What He has purposed, no person can stop, no bad break, no sickness, no injustice. It may be unfair; you don't understand it, but your time to reign is coming. God has not forgotten about you. He has seen everything you've been through: the hurts, the struggles, the lonely nights. The scripture says He's collected all your tears. He is not going to just bring you out; He's going to bring you out better than you were before.
Raised in a very rough environment, her mother and father weren't around. At 15, she was living on the streets. She got into drugs and all kinds of harmful things. She ended up in prison. She had such low self-esteem, didn't feel any sense of value. It seemed unfair; she had had all these bad breaks, no one to give her guidance and watch after her. In prison, she started watching us on television. She had never had anyone speak faith into her and tell her who she was. She heard me talking about how we are children of the Most High God, how He has handpicked us, called us a masterpiece, and she gave her life to Christ right there in the prison. Against all odds, a few years ago, she was released from prison. Today, she owns her own business, she's happily married, she has children. She said, "I used to be homeless, but now I own a beautiful home. I lend; I don't have to borrow." She volunteers here at Lakewood. She never dreamed she would be this blessed, this fulfilled. You may have been through some bad breaks, but that didn't stop your destiny. God knows how to get you to where you're supposed to be. Instead of thinking of all the reasons it's not going to happen, turn it around. "Father, thank you that it's my time to reign. I may not see a way, the conditions may not look right, but I believe what you said. I'm going to reign." Jehoiada went out and got five armies to help this one little boy become king. When it's your time to reign, the Jehoiadas are going to show up. God has already lined up the right people that will go out of their way to help you, people that will use their favor to push you into your destiny. Sometimes we have people conspiring against us, but when it's your time, God will cause people to conspire for you. Those co-workers that get together try to make you look bad, maybe family members that leave you out, don't worry. God knows how to turn the tables. He knows how to cause people to be for you and not against you. When we were trying to acquire the Compaq Center, we were one vote shy. We needed 10 votes from the city council members, but we only had nine. We had worked on this for two years. The main vote was just two days away. It looked like it was not going to work out. A young Jewish council member, a man that had been against us the whole time, received a phone call from an older Jewish woman that he hadn't spoken to in over 20 years. He knew her growing up and had great respect for her. She told him, in no uncertain terms, that he was to vote for Lakewood having the Compaq Center. Because of that lady, he changed his mind. His vote gave us this facility. What's significant is I don't know who the lady is. I never asked her to call, but when it's your time to reign, God will make things happen that you can't make happen. He'll have the Jehoiadas show up, people that you don't even know, to put in a good word for you. I believe you're about to see God do some of these unusual things: favor that catapults you ahead, good breaks that you didn't see coming, healing when the medical report says that it's not possible. Joash, his grandmother Athaliah was still on the throne. These five armies all gathered at the temple, and they brought Joash out. Verse 11 says Jehoiada put a crown on Joash's head. They anointed him, and everyone started shouting, "Long live the king."
When Italia heard all the noise and commotion, she came running out. When she saw Joash, this little boy wearing the crown, and realized who he was, she nearly passed out. She not only lost the throne but her line.
Don't worry about people that are against you. God knows how to fight for you. Someone may be on your throne, so to speak. They've manipulated things at work to get that position, seems like they're holding you back. God is a God of justice. He knows how to move people out of the way, how to vindicate you, how to promote you. You keep doing the right thing and trust God to fight your battles. It'll not have to manipulate things; doors will open that no person can shut. People that were against you will either change and be for you, or like this lady, they'll take over on it.
What's interesting is Joash hadn't done anything significant. He hadn't defeated a Goliath, he hadn't parted a Red Sea, yet the people were celebrating him, shouting "Long live the king!" When it's your time to reign, you're going to see favor that you don't deserve, doors open that you couldn't open, promotion when you didn't have the experience. People are going to go out of their way to be good to you.
That's what happened with the Compact Center. I don't know how I had the faith to go after this. I had only been ministering for three years. I didn't have the experience, the qualifications, but deep down, I knew this place was supposed to be ours. The scripture talks about having the faith of God. Sometimes it's not even our faith; it's God giving us faith to believe for things that are way over our hand.
When the city council voted for us and we got the Compact Center, like Joash, it was simply my time to reign. I can't take credit for it; it was the goodness of God making things happen that I couldn't make happen.
You don't know what God has in your future. What I want us to see is these things don't always happen when you think they would. Joash was only seven years old, yet he had all these people fighting for him, protecting him, favoring him. It's because he was a king's son, and it was his time to reign.
It may look like you can't accomplish your dreams, you don't have the connections, the experience, you can't get well, your child is not going to get back on course, there's no sign of it. That's when God shows out the most. He's not waiting for the conditions to be favorable. The scripture says even in famine, the righteous will have more than enough.
Don't put your faith on hold, thinking when everything gets better, then you can be blessed. God is about to bless you in the famine, promote you in the pandemic, heal you in the struggle, free you despite what it looks like. This won't happen for everyone; it's going to happen because you're a king's son, a king's daughter. You're going to see these moments of favor where God catapults you ahead.
And yes, there are seasons of testing where we have to be faithful and do the right thing even though nothing is changing. At a certain point, God is going to say you've passed the test; now it's your time to be promoted, it's your time to meet the right person, it's your time to be healthy and whole, it's your time to see that business flourish. Don't get discouraged by what hasn't happened yet. You don't know what God has coming. One touch of his favor will put you ahead. Every day you do the right thing with a good attitude, you are passing the test. You're about to see what God was doing behind the scenes, getting things lined up for you to go where you've never dreamed.
I love the fact that Joash didn't go after the crown, but the crown came to him. God has blessings that are going to chase you down, increase that's going to come looking for you. This happened with David. He was a teenager out in the shepherd's fields when Samuel came to him. David wasn't seeking fame, power; he was seeking God. In the shepherd's fields, he was being his best when no one was watching. It looked like he was stuck, it was boring, lonely. None of the conditions said you're about to be anointed king, but one day, there was a knock on David's father's door.
Prophet Samuel came to Jesse's house to anoint David king. I wonder who's about to receive a knock. Who's about to show up at your door? Who's about to see a Samuel, an unexpected phone call, a divine connection, a good break that takes you from the background to the foreground, something that you didn't see coming?
Well, Joel and I don't think this could happen, not during a pandemic. God does things out of the ordinary when it doesn't seem likely, when you don't have the connections, when things have slowed down. Get ready for a breakthrough, get ready for something unusual.
"Well, Joel, you're just getting people's hopes up." You can't have faith if you don't first have hope. If you don't do your part, God will give it to somebody else. Why don't you step up to who you were created to be? You're a king's son; you're a king's daughter.
David said, "What would have happened to me if I had not believed I would see the goodness of God?" I'm asking you to believe that it's your time to reign. Believe that favor is on your life. Believe that something good is going to happen to you.
Samuel came to David, the least likely one, the youngest son, out in the shepherd's fields, an insignificant position. But when that one knock on the door came, David's life was never the same. After he was anointed, he went back to the shepherd's fields, and now it was different. When he saw Goliath, he picked up a stone, put it in a slingshot, and brought down the mightiest Philistine warrior. He became an overnight hero. When it's your time to reign, you will defeat big enemies with small resources. You don't have to have great talent, great influence, great experience. What you have, with God's favor, will bring down great giants, great obstacles. You and God are a majority.
Joash was seven years old when he became king. He did what was right. God crowned him at such an early age because God knew he could trust him. Joash tore down the pagan altars and put Jehovah first place. The same thing with David: the scripture says David had a heart after God. David wasn't perfect; he made mistakes, but he had a desire to honor God.
When God can trust you, when he knows he can count on you to honor him, to handle the influence, the resources, the right way, then there's no limit to where God will take you. You don't have to be perfect; we've all made mistakes. It's not so much about your performance; it's about your heart. Keep God in first place, do the right thing when it's hard, say no to things that are pulling you down. You're not just anyone; you're a king's son, you're a king's daughter. God is saying to you what he said to little Joash: it's time for the king's children to reign.
You are coming into destiny moments. God is about to take you where you can't go on your own. It's going to be unusual; it's not going to happen on a normal schedule. It's going to be sooner than you think. Whatever has been reigning over you—the dysfunction, the lack, the sickness—this is a new day. There's about to be a turnaround. This is your time to reign. I believe and declare every force that has held you back is being broken right now. Good breaks are about to find you; the right people are about to show up. You're going to reign over the sickness, reign over the depression, reign over the lack. Healing is coming, promotions, breakthroughs, freedom, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name. If you receive it, can you say amen today?
I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, "Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior." If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. Just text the number on the screen or go to the website. I hope you get into a good bible-based church and keep God in first place.
Thanks for watching this message. I hope you enjoyed it. We upload new videos every week to keep you inspired and encouraged, so don't forget to hit the like button and make sure you subscribe to our channel. Let us know in the comments below how this message has encouraged you. We would love to hear from you. We're praying for you and your family. We'll see you next time.