Podcast Summary: Real America's Voice

Episode: When Everything's Against You – God Is For You
Host/Speaker: Pastor Jensen Franklin
Date: December 7, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Pastor Jensen Franklin delivering an uplifting and faith-filled message on the theme: When everything in life feels against you, God is still for you. Drawing on biblical stories, personal experiences, and passionate encouragement, Pastor Franklin explores how seasons of resistance, adversity, and challenge often contain God’s hidden blessings, purpose, and transformation. The talk includes memorable illustrations, humor, and concludes with a call to faith and worship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Scriptural Foundation – “The Village Over Against You”

[03:27]–[05:08]

• Pastor Jensen Franklin opens with Mark 11:2:
  “Go your way into the village over against you...” (KJV)
• He highlights the phrase “over against you” and reflects on how sometimes God directs us into situations or seasons that are literally "against" us.
• Quote:
  “Sometimes Jesus will send you into places and circumstances that will be against you. The devil didn’t send you; God allowed in his sovereignty for his disciples to go into a place called Against.” [05:08]

2. The Meaning of “Against” in the Life of Faith

[05:38]–[10:34]

• “Against” means facing opposition, resistance, or a fight.
• Pastor Franklin illustrates this with stories from Daniel in the Lions’ Den and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, emphasizing that God’s presence is often revealed in adversity—even if you can't feel or see Him at the time.
• Quote:
  “Sometimes you can be going through the fiery furnace in the place of against, and you don’t feel God and you don’t see God. But the fourth man is in the fire.” [08:01]
• He encourages the audience to look for “hidden treasures of darkness”—unexpected blessings tied up in these difficult seasons.

3. There Is Blessing in "Against"

[10:34]–[14:00]

• God may direct you to a place of hardship because He has “something tied up” for you, like the colt tied in the village for Jesus.
• Hard seasons produce testimonies and deepen your experience of God as healer, deliverer, and restorer.
• Biblical examples:
  • Jacob: “Everything is against me.”
  • David: “But God is for me.”
• Quote:
  “If God is letting you go through and everything is coming against you... you’ve got to know in that moment, God is for me. And when he has tried me, I will come forth as pure gold.” [13:30]

4. Great Blessings Are On the Other Side of Resistance

[14:00]–[17:16]; [20:37]–[26:01]

• The donkey, which Jesus rode into Jerusalem, was found in the place “against” the disciples. This fulfilled ancient prophecy and led to Jesus’ greatest triumphs.
• Adversity leads to God’s destiny for you. Enduring hardship faithfully results in praise and witness to others.
• Testimony time: If the mic was passed, many would recount blessings that came through their hardest trials—bankruptcy, sickness, loss, divorce.
• Quote:
  “Most of life is against you. Welcome to life. The alternative is die if you don’t like it.” [16:32]

5. Personal Story – COVID & Growth in Adversity

[20:50]–[25:50]

• Pastor Franklin describes how, during COVID lockdowns, preaching to an empty church felt demoralizing and “against” everything he valued. Compounding lawsuits and crises deepened the sense of adversity.
• But through broadcast and online ministry, their reach grew exponentially—to the point that even the President mentioned watching his sermons.
• “What the devil meant for evil, God used for good.”
• Quote:
  “He can use COVID. He can use anything to lift his name high.” [24:33]

6. Reflection on Life’s Dark Chapters

[25:50]–[27:17]

• The hardest chapters of life shape our identity and testimony.
• Don’t wish away the painful parts; without them, you wouldn’t be who you are.
• Quote:
  “If God would allow you to take out of the book of your life the ugly chapters... you would not be where you are and who you are without what you’ve been through.” [26:41]

7. Betrayal, Enemies, and God’s Purpose

[27:17]–[29:02]; [32:54]–[34:49]

• Jesus’s betrayal by Judas demonstrates that even what (or who) is against us can fulfill God’s plan for our lives.
• “You know what Jesus did to his betrayer Judas? He kissed him and called him friend.” [28:00]
• Sometimes, like Jesus, we have to “kiss and call friend” the very things or people that have brought pain, recognizing God’s hand in it.
• Pastor Franklin humorously admits:
  “I hate that verse. I don't want to love them, I want to hit them.” [28:00]

8. Our Response: Faith, Perspective, and Surrender

[32:54]–[36:49]

• In seasons where “everything is against you,” trust that God is for you and working “all things together for good.”
• Life’s blessings and possessions are temporary; our true treasure is in Christ and eternity.
• Quote:
  “You don’t own a thing that you’ll have 100 years from now. All you are is a steward.” [34:27]

9. Call to Action & Worship

[38:04]–[43:59]

• Pastor Franklin calls those feeling opposed or “in a place called against” to step forward and actively seek the treasures God has for them.
• Quote:
  “If you’re going through a season of against... get your spiritual treasure detector out... start searching for the blessings... why am I going through this?” [39:04]
• Congregational worship follows, with affirmations of trust:
  “He will never fail... I trust in God, my savior.” [40:44]

10. Encouragement & Closing Declarations

[45:03]–[52:22]

• A fresh word:
  “Tell them to get up now. Get up, get up, get up. If everything’s against you, God is for you and he’s working all things for his good. So get up, get up, get up. Get up out of that grave.” [45:35]
• Uplifting music and singing reinforce the message of spiritual freedom and victory.
• Pastor Franklin leads a closing confession and blessing:
  • “When everything’s against me, you are for me. You proved that when you went to the cross and washed my sins and forgave me. Took away my shame. The condemnation is gone.” [51:52]
  • “All things are working together for the good. Because I love you and I’m called to do your purpose. In Jesus name, Amen.” [52:22]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Sometimes Jesus will send you into places... that will be against you. The devil didn’t send you... God allowed in his sovereignty for his disciples to go into a place called Against.” [05:08]
• “You don’t feel God and you don’t see God. But the fourth man is in the fire.” [08:01]
• “God lets you go through a season where everything is against you. He sent them to ‘against’ to untie the colt that would literally take Jesus to his eternal purpose and place of destiny.” [14:00]
• “I thought it was against us. Then we started growing... what the devil meant for your evil, what you think is against you is not against you. The devil’s not in charge. Hell is not in charge. God is in charge.” [24:01–25:08]
• “Without what you’ve been through, you would not be who you are.” [26:41]
• “You know what Jesus did when Judas betrayed him? He kissed him and called him friend.” [28:00]
• “Sometimes the miracle is just to trust God through it all and say... you’re gonna get the glory God, you’re gonna get all the, even the things I don’t understand.” [32:54]
• “If you lose the house and you lose the car... that’s not your world. My world is Jesus.” [33:35]
• “Tell them to get up now. Get up, get up, get up... If everything’s against you, God is for you.” [45:35]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Scripture Foundation & Village “Against”: [03:27]–[05:08]
• Meaning of “Against”; Biblical Stories: [05:38]–[10:34]
• Hidden Blessings & Treasure Principle: [10:34]–[14:00]
• Personal Testimony – COVID & Challenges: [20:37]–[25:50]
• Reflection on Life’s Hard Chapters: [25:50]–[27:17]
• Betrayal & Loving Enemies: [27:17]–[29:02]; [32:54]–[34:49]
• Call to Action and Worship: [38:04]–[43:59]
• Encouragement & Closing Confession: [45:03]–[52:22]

Closing Tone & Takeaways

• Pastor Franklin’s message is passionate, encouraging, honest, and at times humorous—never shying away from life’s difficulty, but ever pointing to hope and purpose in God’s sovereignty.
• Listeners are urged to see obstacles and opposition as opportunities to encounter God’s provision, presence, and destiny.
• The episode ends with a call to spiritual action, heartfelt worship, communal affirmation, and a pastoral blessing.

“When everything’s against me, God is for me. And all things are working together for the good.” [52:22]