Transcript
Joel Osteen (0:00)
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Unknown Speaker (0:31)
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Unknown Speaker (1:01)
The nights before Christmas. Despite last minute stress, few were delivering except Walmart Express stockings were hung by.
Victoria Osteen (1:07)
The fireplace of care, knowing in about.
Unknown Speaker (1:09)
An hour stuffers would soon be there onto the road. Walmart Express Delivery we went chock full of wondrous things in the Saint Nick of time scent.
Unknown Speaker (1:17)
Let's go get Express Delivery in as fast as an hour even on Christmas Eve. Orders must be placed by 4pm local time on 1224, subject to availability. Fees and restrictions apply.
Unknown Speaker (1:26)
Express Delivery to y'all and to all. Good night. Welcome to your Walmart.
Victoria Osteen (1:32)
Hi, this is Joel in Victoria. Thanks so much for listening to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. We believe you're going to have an awesome 2024 healthy, productive and favor filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes and if you're ever in our area, please stop by be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. I'd like to start with something funny and I heard about this couple that lived out in the country. They had been married 50 years and never had an argument, not one. Somebody asked the secret of their success, the man explained as they were leaving the church, going on their honeymoon, the wife's horse refused to go. She got off, looked the horse in the eyes and said that's one. He went a little further, stopped again, she got off, looked the horse in the eyes and said that's two. He went a little more, stopped a third time. This time she got off, pulled her revolver out and shot the horse dead. Her husband said, what in the world are you doing? You can't just shoot a horse. She looked at him and said, honey, that's one. All right. That is not advice. That's a joke. Here we go. 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 by this I know we've all come through challenges and difficulties that should have stopped us. The problem seemed too big. The obstacle looked insurmountable. Somehow we made it through. We've seen doors open that shouldn't have opened, promotion that we didn't deserve. People for no reason went out of their way to be good to us. That wasn't luck. It wasn't just a good break. That was the hand of God pushing back forces of darkness, protecting us, healing us, promoting us. David said in Psalm 41, by this I know the Lord is on my side. He has not let my enemies triumph over me. When David looked at where he was and thought about what it took to get there, the rejection, being left out by his father, King Saul, trying to kill him, people slandering him. He recognized the whole time it was God behind the scenes, fighting his battles, not letting those enemies defeat him. It gave him a confidence, a boldness. He knew the Lord was on his side. All of us have some of these. By this I know that sickness could have been the end. But by the grace of God, you're still here, healthy and whole. You can look back and say, like David, by this I know the Lord is on my side. He didn't let that sickness defeat me or the divorce. The breakup could have left you sour, bitter, lonely. But God not only restored you, he brought somebody new, somebody better than you've imagined. Now you're happy. Whole loving life. You can say by this I know the Lord is on my side. He turned my mourning into dancing. A young lady showed me pictures of a car she was driving. Somebody pulled in front of her on the freeway. She lost control of her car. It flipped over and rolled three times. There was nothing left of the car. Look like any way someone could survive. She smiled and said, joy. I came out without one scratch, without one bruise. The police couldn't believe it when they saw the car. They were expecting a fatality. They had to use the jaws of life to get her out. An officer said you were one very lucky young lady. That wasn't luck. That was the goodness of God. Those were angels protecting her, keeping her from dashing her foot against a stone. Now she can look back and say, by this, I know the Lord is on my side. The things that should have stopped you, the people that came against you, the accidents, the rejection, the tough childhood, the addiction that was passed down. Other people were defeated. Other people got knocked down. But look at you. You're still standing, you're still blessed, you're still victorious, you're still happy. Just the fact that you're here, that's a sign the Lord is on your side. When you look back and see how you outlasted the opposition, how you raised that child on your own, how you put yourself through college, how you broke the addiction, rose out of the dysfunction, how you came through the cancer treatment, how you encouraged yourself when nobody else was around. Other people would have given up, others would have complained, been discouraged, missed their destiny. But not you. You're still going strong. When you know the Lord is on your side. It gives you a boldness, a confidence. You don't fall apart. When you face opposition, your attitude is you are messing with the wrong person. I may look ordinary, but I have a secret. The most high God, the creator of the universe, is on my side. How do you know he didn't let your enemies triumph over you? You didn't make it through all those challenges on your own. That was God fighting your battles, breathing in your direction. You didn't break that addiction by yourself. You may have done your part, but it was God keeping it from stopping your purpose. You didn't meet that person that you fell in love with by accident. Wasn't a coincidence that they came across your path. She could have been five minutes later and you'd never seen her. He could have changed his mind, done something different that day. God ordered your steps, and now you're blessed with someone to love. Every challenge God has brought you through, those victories were designed as fuel for your faith. So when you face new challenges, you can look back and say, God, you did it for me back then. I know you'll do it for me now. You have a history with God. You've seen him make a way where you didn't see a way. You've seen him have you at the right place at the right time. When you've made mistakes. You've seen him show you mercy, turn it around when you didn't deserve it. Big and small. We've all seen the hand of God. When you're tempted to get discouraged and think the problem is too big, it'll never change. You'll never get well, never meet the right person. You need to go back and get some fuel. Remember what God has done. Think about the times he's shown out in your life. When you go back over your history and see how God has never left you, how he kept you from the accident, brought the right person, led you to that house where things fell into place. Then when thoughts whisper, it's not going to work out, this is as good as it gets. Just smile and say, I'm sorry. You're too late. I have a history with God. I've already seen his goodness. I've already seen him turn my child around. Already seen him heal my loved one. I've seen him promote me, take me where I couldn't go. I've seen him bring me through loss and give me beauty for ashes. When you look back at your history, it will give you fuel for your destiny. Genesis 24 Abraham was old and close to death. He told his assistant to travel back to his hometown to find his son Isaac, a wife. They were living in Canaan. Abraham wanted Isaac to marry someone from his original home. This assistant felt all the pressure. He thought, how am I going to know if it's the right girl? He said to Abraham, I'll go, but what if I can't find a young lady that will come back with me? Abraham said in verse 39, you will find the right one for the Lord in whose presence I have walked will send his angel with you and make your mission successful. Abraham was saying, don't worry, I have a history with God. I've seen his faithfulness down through the years. He gave my wife and I a baby when we were way too old. He provided a ram in the bush when I needed a sacrifice. He showed me mercy when When I made a mistake and had a baby out of wedlock. He'd seen God's goodness again and again. It gave him a confidence. He said it with boldness. It will happen. I have walked with God. When you look back over your life, you will see these times like with Abraham, where God brought a promise to pass that seemed impossible. He made a way when you didn't see that way. He brought your child out of trouble. Now they're doing great things. When you think about the faithfulness of God, it'll give you a confidence. You'll say, it will happen. My children will be mighty in the land I will live and not die. I will lend and not borrow. I will fulfill my destiny. How can you be so sure? You have a history with God. You didn't get here by yourself. God was directing your steps behind the scenes. You couldn't see it, but God was pushing back opposition. He was favoring you. He was dealing with those enemies. That's why they couldn't defeat you. That's why you had a baby when the expert said you couldn't have one. That's why that company called and offered you the position. You didn't go after it. It came after you. That wasn't good luck, that was a good God. Instead of wondering if it's going to work out, living stressed over your finances, worried about your children, have a new attitude. The Lord in whose presence I have walked. The Lord who has defeated my enemies. The Lord who has restored and vindicated me. The Lord who has promoted and prospered me. He will make my mission successful. God has not brought you this far to leave you. He's defeated enemies for you in the past. The good news is he's still on the throne. He's going to do it again in the future. Think about all the circumstances that could have brought you down. Look at all the people that could have held you back. They told you what you couldn't become, tried to discourage you, push you down. But you just kept on keeping on. Now they're nowhere to be found. You're still going strong. By this you can know the Lord is on your side. You could have been discouraged. You could have believed what they said. But God didn't let their negative report take root. He didn't let their prophecy come to pass. Instead, he spoke new words into your spirit. No weapon formed against you will prosper, he said. When the enemy comes against you one way he will defeat them and cause them to flee. Seven different ways. When we were trying to acquire this place, the former compact center, the company we were up against was the largest taxpayer in Texas, a huge real estate company. It was David versus Goliath in the natural. We didn't have a chance. But I've learned you and God are a majority. He can make things happen that you couldn't make happen. We needed 10 votes from the city council members, but we only had nine. The night before the final vote, a young Jewish council member that had been against us two years suddenly changed his mind and voted for us. And we got the building. We couldn't believe it.