A (6:22)
Sometimes when there's a big boxing match the day before, the two fighters will come out at a press conference and they'll stand toe to toe with their faces just two or three inches apart. And they'll look each other in the eye and just stand there and stare and stare, trying to intimidate each other. They're saying, I'm bigger, stronger, tougher, meaner. You're not going to defeat me. Well, when you face an enemy, something that's trying to keep you from your destiny, a sickness, a bad habit, an unfair situation, Unlike those two fighters, you don't stand toe to toe to look that enemy in the eye. That enemy is not at your level. It may have a big bark. It may seem tough and big, like you can't defeat it. No. The truth is it's no match for you. For you to look that enemy in the eye, you need to look down under your feet. You are more than a conqueror. Greater is he that's in you than he that comes against you. The enemy has limited power. God has all power. If God be for you, who dare be against you, Quit telling yourself, I'll always struggle in this area. I'll never lose this weight. I'll never get out of debt. No. Change your perspective. You are not weak, defeated, inferior. You are full of can do power. The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you. Now, some of you need to start putting some things under your Feet. God said, I have given you power to tread on all the power of the enemy. Think of that word tread. One translation says to trample. If you will see these obstacles as being under your feet, as being already defeated, then a new boldness will rise up. Your faith will activate God's power in a new way. I know this lady. She was diagnosed with cancer and she's in her early 30s and has always been as healthy as can be. When she got this news was such a shock to her. Normally she's very outgoing and happy but her whole personality had changed. She got very depressed. All she thought about was how bad it was and how she might not make it. Instead of looking down at the cancer, she was looking up to it. She had made it huge. In our mind, the first place we lose. The victory is in our own thinking. If you see the obstacle as being too big, it will keep you defeated. That's why when David faced Goliath, even though Goliath was practically twice his size, much bigger, stronger, had more experience, more equipment, the first thing David said was hey Goliath, I will defeat you and feed your head to the birds of the air. That's one of those enemies David looked down on by faith. He saw it as being smaller. If David would have just looked at it in the natural and thought about how much bigger, how much more experience he would have never had the courage to face Goliath. David understood this principle. He knew how to see his enemies as being under his feet. I told this young lady, you've got to change your perspective. You've got to start looking down at that cancer in the natural. It may be huge but switch over to your eyes of faith. You and God are a majority was never meant to be a stumbling block. It was meant to be a stepping stone. You got to shake off the self pity and like David, put on a new attitude. Cancer, you will not defeat me, you are under my feet. I will fulfill my destiny. I will live out my days in good health. I am a victor and not a victim. She changed her outlook. She got her fire back, her passion back. She started fighting the good fight of faith. Today she is four years cancer free. She's so happy. A couple years ago she got married. It wasn't a stumbling block, it ended up being a stepping stone. But had she not seen the obstacle as being under her feet, I don't believe it would have turned out that way. Because if we let life overwhelm us, we go around worried, stressed out in self pity, that not only affects Us mentally, it affects us physically. It weakens our immune system. It won't fight off sickness and disease the way God created it to. The scripture says the joy of the Lord is your strength. Joy is an emotion and yet it creates something physical. It creates strength. When you're in tough times, you got to shake off the worry, shake off the self pity, shake off the disappointment, get your joy back, have the right perspective. That enemy, that sickness, that obstacle, it is under your feet. It's not going to defeat you. It's going to promote you. 2nd Samuel 22:40 says, you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have put my enemies under my feet. Friends, God knows every battle that you will ever face, every temptation, every obstacle. He has not only put it under your feet, but he's armed you with strength for that battle. He's already equipped you. Quit telling yourself this is too much. I can't handle it. No. The greatest force in the universe is breathing in your direction. Tap into that power. Start declaring, I am well able. I can do all things through Christ. I am strong in the Lord. When you do that, something's happening on the inside. You're getting stronger. Your immune system will work better. You'll have more energy. You'll make better decisions. We've all been to the post office before and seen the sign on the wall of the 10 most wanted under their pictures. It says armed and dangerous. Let me tell you, if the enemy had a post office, your picture would be up there. You are not a weakling. You are bad to the bone. You are a child of the most high God. He has infused can do power into you. You got to start seeing yourself as being armed and dangerous. When we get out of bed in the morning, first thing we should do is power up, get our minds going in the right direction. Remind yourself, I'm ready for this day. I'm equipped, I'm empowered. I've got my armor on, got my shoes of peace. Not going to get upset, not going to let people steal my joy. Not going to fight battles that aren't between me and my destiny. Got my helmet of salvation. I know I'm forgiven, I'm redeemed, I'm approved by Almighty God. I've been handpicked by the creator of the universe. Got my shield of faith. I'm expecting great things. I'm expecting to have an amazing 2012. Got my sword of the spirit, speaking God's word. I know every enemy is under my feet. I've been armed with strength for this battle. What are we doing? Powering up, Getting prepared for a blessed, victorious, faith filled day. I know some of you are up against things that could easily steal your joy. Maybe a challenge in a relationship, child not doing right, Unfair situation at work. You could live stressed, uptight. Not sleep at night? No. All through the day. Especially when you're tempted to worry, you need to remind yourself, this is under my feet. God is in control. It is not going to keep me from my destiny. Come back to that place of peace. Psalm 110 says, God will make your enemies your footstool. What do you do with the footstool you put your feet up on? Indicates a position of rest. When we face difficulties, too often we take matters into our own hands. We get all worked up. We think, they did me wrong, I'm going to pay them back, I'm going to straighten them out. Or the medical report's not good and we can't sleep at night. We're so uptight, so stressed out. No, if you want God to make your enemy your footstool, you have to be still and know that he is God. When you're living upset and trying to force things to happen, God is going to step back and let you do it on your own. It takes faith to say God, I know you're fighting my battles. I know you'll make my wrongs right. You promised it would work out for my good, so I'm going to keep my joy and stay in peace. When you put your feet up, so to speak, and rest, God will take those things that seem like they're over you, those things that are holding you back, and he'll bring them under your feet. He'll turn them around and make that enemy your footstool. When something's a footstool, you could say it serves you. It makes life easier. That's the way God is. When you stay in peace, God will take what's meant for harm and he'll use it to your advantage. Let's make it practical. Maybe at work this week or at the job site. Somebody is not treating you right, playing politics, not giving you the credit you deserve. Don't get upset. Just keep being your best each day. Stay on that high road. Your job is not to straighten people out. Your job is to stay in peace. When you're in peace, God's fighting your battles. When you're at rest, God will make your enemies your footstool. This is what happened with Joseph. He was betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, went to prison. For something that he didn't do. Joseph didn't get upset. He didn't try to pay people back, didn't hold a grudge. He stayed in peace, stayed on the high road. And God turned it all around. The people that did Joseph wrong ended up working for him. His brothers, the same ones that betrayed him, came back and bowed low before him. Because he stayed in peace. God made his enemies his footstool. Here's what I've learned. God can vindicate you better than you can vindicate yourself. If you will let God do it his way, it'll be bigger, sweeter, more rewarding, more honoring. God can take the very people that are trying to push you down, the people that are trying to make you look bad. He can use them to promote you. In the scripture, Haman tried to push down Mordecai, tried to make Mordecai look bad, disrespected him, didn't give him the time of day. But one day, the king told Haman to get a royal robe and put it on Mordecai and march him up and down through the streets of announcing to everyone what a great man Mordecai was. Think about it. Of all the people the king could have chosen to do that, it just so happened he chose Haman to honor Mordecai, the very one that was trying to make him look bad. That's what happens when you let God do it his way. That boss at the office, that's not giving you credit. Don't worry about it. You're not working unto people, you're working unto God. God is keeping all the records you don't know. Instead of you working for that boss, one day, that boss may be working for you. Stay in peace. God can make your enemies your footstools. Now, to all of our staff members, ignore what you just heard.