WEBVTT - God's Hand Is Outstretched Toward You | Joel Osteen 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:02.920 What a joy to be with you today. We're praying 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.480 for you and your family. I know God has great 0:00:05.519 --> 0:00:08.280 things in store. You wouldn't be alive if there weren't 0:00:08.360 --> 0:00:10.880 more victories in front of you. So now that we 0:00:10.920 --> 0:00:13.120 love you, we're praying for you. Hey, I hope you'll 0:00:13.119 --> 0:00:15.280 stay tuned to the very end. We've got some special 0:00:15.320 --> 0:00:19.520 resources to help you stay encouraged and inspired. Well, God 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:22.400 bless you. It is always a joy to come into 0:00:22.440 --> 0:00:25.080 your homes. We love you, and we're believing that you're 0:00:25.120 --> 0:00:27.639 going to have a blessed, prosperous year, that you're going 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:28.520 to see God's. 0:00:28.240 --> 0:00:29.480 Goodness in new ways. 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:32.479 If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by. 0:00:32.360 --> 0:00:32.959 And see us. 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:34.960 I promise you will make you feel right at home. 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:37.320 But thank you for tuning in. Thanks again for coming 0:00:37.320 --> 0:00:40.280 out today. I like to start with something funny each week, 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:42.559 and I heard about this lady. She was on an 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:45.839 airplane reading her Bible, and the man sitting next to 0:00:45.880 --> 0:00:48.680 her said, you don't believe all that stuff in there? 0:00:48.680 --> 0:00:48.960 Do you? 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:51.280 She said, of course I do. It's the Bible. 0:00:51.840 --> 0:00:54.360 He said, well, what about that God that got swallowed 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:57.120 by a well? She said, you mean Jonah. Yes, I 0:00:57.200 --> 0:01:00.640 believe that too. He said, well, how could he possibly 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:03.880 live all that time inside of a well. She thought 0:01:03.880 --> 0:01:06.319 about it a moment, said, I don't know. When I 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:08.399 get to heaven, I'll have to ask him. 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:09.399 He kind of. 0:01:09.480 --> 0:01:12.480 Said sarcastically, Well, what if he's not in heaven. She 0:01:12.640 --> 0:01:16.880 smiled and said, then you're gonna have to ask him. 0:01:16.920 --> 0:01:19.679 All right, hold up your Bible. Say it like you 0:01:19.800 --> 0:01:22.840 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it 0:01:22.840 --> 0:01:25.319 says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:28.520 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:01:28.600 --> 0:01:32.000 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:36.080 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:40.080 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:01:40.880 --> 0:01:43.759 I want to talk to you today about the outstretched 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:48.320 hand of God. As believers, you and I have an advantage. 0:01:48.880 --> 0:01:51.760 We don't have to go through life just depending on 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:55.760 our own talent, our own ability, our own strength. The 0:01:55.800 --> 0:02:00.000 scripture talks about how God's hand is outstretched toward us. 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:04.760 That means there is a supernatural power behind every believer. 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:09.520 God's outstretched hand will help you accomplish dreams that you 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:13.440 thought were impossible. His outstretched hand will cause you to 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:16.880 get well, even when the medical report says there's no way. 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:21.280 The outstretched hand of God will help us to prosper, 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:25.160 even when the economy is down. Now, all through the day, 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:28.560 you need to imagine, not that God is mad at me. 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:32.200 I've made so many mistakes. I'll probably never get out 0:02:32.200 --> 0:02:32.880 of this problem. 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:34.519 No, get a new perspective. 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:38.839 Imagine God's hand is outstretched towards you. 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:39.880 It is a. 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:45.200 Hand of healing, a hand of favor, a hand of restoration. 0:02:46.240 --> 0:02:49.360 You may have some obstacles in your path. Maybe you're 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:53.720 facing a sickness, an addiction. Perhaps another person is trying 0:02:53.760 --> 0:02:56.799 to hold you back. Do you have to realize there 0:02:56.919 --> 0:02:59.919 is a force that is for you, that is great 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:03.160 than any force that will ever be against you. Your 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:06.080 attitude should be I am not settling where I am. 0:03:06.560 --> 0:03:09.520 I know I have an advantage as a child of 0:03:09.560 --> 0:03:13.040 the Most High. I know God's hand is outstretched towards me. 0:03:13.880 --> 0:03:16.600 You're saying, I know favor is on its way. 0:03:17.120 --> 0:03:18.600 I know healing is coming. 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:22.000 I know God is fighting my battles for me. When 0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:25.120 we release our faith like that, the creator of the 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:29.240 universe breathes in our direction. The scripture says here in 0:03:29.320 --> 0:03:33.800 Isaiah fourteen twenty seven, the Lord of Host has purposed, 0:03:34.400 --> 0:03:36.120 and who can annul it? 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:37.360 I love that. 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:40.920 It's saying God has a purpose for your life. He 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:44.440 has already planned out your days for victory. He's got 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:47.840 a comeback already lined up for every setback. He's got 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:52.080 a solution for every problem. The right people, the right breaks, 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:55.880 the right opportunities, all your days have been written in 0:03:55.960 --> 0:04:00.280 God's book. Notice it says who can annul it? God 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:01.600 is saying who can. 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:02.280 Stop my plan? 0:04:02.920 --> 0:04:06.560 Sickness can't stop it, The economy can't stop it, A 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:09.840 bad break can't stop it. An accident can't stop it. 0:04:10.120 --> 0:04:14.000 God has preordained you to be victorious. You need to 0:04:14.040 --> 0:04:16.839 get this on the inside. Does it matter what it 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:19.880 looks like in the natural. No matter how many setbacks 0:04:19.880 --> 0:04:23.160 you've been through or how many obstacles are in your path. 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:27.080 Right now, the Most High God has destined you to 0:04:27.120 --> 0:04:29.920 live a life of victory. And some of you today 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:33.119 you need to get a new vision. At one time 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:36.520 you were excited about your future. You had big goals, 0:04:36.600 --> 0:04:40.440 big dreams, but you went through some disappointments. Life didn't 0:04:40.480 --> 0:04:43.240 turn out like you to hope, and now you've just settled, 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:48.039 you're not expecting God's favor. But understand, God's plan for 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:52.760 your life didn't go away just because you had some disappointments, 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:56.680 just because somebody treated you unfairly. God didn't write us 0:04:56.720 --> 0:05:01.039 off just because we made some poor decisions. God knew 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:04.000 every mistake we'd ever make. He knew every person that 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:06.960 would do us wrong. And the good news is none 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:10.680 of that stopped God's purpose for your life. Nothing can 0:05:10.680 --> 0:05:13.840 annul it. No matter what has happened in your past. 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:17.000 God still has a bright future in store for every 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:19.280 one of you. And if you will get your hopes 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:22.560 back and get your vision in line with God's, then 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:24.680 the rest of your life is going to be the 0:05:24.680 --> 0:05:27.880 best of your life. It goes on to say, my 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:32.599 hand is outstretched, and who can stop it? God is saying, 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:36.120 as long as my hand is outstretched, you are headed 0:05:36.120 --> 0:05:39.680 for victory. As long as I've got my hand stretched out, 0:05:40.160 --> 0:05:44.240 then I have favor that nobody can stop. I have promotion, 0:05:44.800 --> 0:05:49.080 I have increased, I have supernatural breaks that cannot be 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:52.159 held back. If you will get in agreement with God 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:55.520 and get up each day knowing that his hand is 0:05:55.560 --> 0:05:58.719 outstretched towards you, then you might as well get ready. 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:02.520 It's just a matter of time before you see explosive blessings, 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:04.520 blessings that thrust. 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:05.240 You to a new level. 0:06:05.680 --> 0:06:07.800 It's just a matter of time before you get the 0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:10.799 break you need, the right person comes across your path. 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:13.760 Just a matter of time before your health turns around, 0:06:14.240 --> 0:06:15.840 that sickness leaves. 0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:18.560 Your strength is restored. How could this happen? 0:06:19.000 --> 0:06:23.280 God's hand is outstretched towards you, and nothing can stop it. 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:26.320 In other words, when God gets ready to bless you, 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:32.200 no obstacle, no sickness, no person, no government, all the 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:36.200 forces of darkness cannot stop it from happening, we should. 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:36.720 Have the attitude. 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:40.040 The economy may be down, but I'm not worried about it. 0:06:40.320 --> 0:06:43.640 I know I have an advantage. God's hand is outstretched 0:06:43.640 --> 0:06:47.080 toward me. He is supplying all of my needs. He's 0:06:47.160 --> 0:06:50.479 prospering me, even in a recession. I am blessed in 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:53.480 the city and blessed in the country. Why the hand 0:06:53.600 --> 0:06:54.120 of God. 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:55.920 A friend of. 0:06:55.880 --> 0:07:00.240 Mine told about this man. He knows business associate. He 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:03.039 was living a perfectly healthy life. Everything was going great, 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:06.520 but one day he started having these unusual headaches. 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:08.120 And he began to get a little disoriented. 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:10.600 Finally he had to go to the doctor and they 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:13.200 checked him in the hospital and ran some test and 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:16.360 long story short, they discovered that he had a large 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:20.480 tumor in his brain. And this top neurosurgeon, one of 0:07:20.560 --> 0:07:22.840 the best in the country, said, all we can do 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:23.680 is operate. 0:07:24.120 --> 0:07:25.520 All we can do is try. 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:27.920 To remove it. They didn't give him a lot of hope. 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:31.240 He got that bad news on a Friday. They scheduled 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:34.200 the operation for first thing Monday morning, and they wanted 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:37.040 him to stay in the hospital and just relax and 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:40.520 not take any chances. But this man was very determined 0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:43.640 to go home over the weekend. They tried and tried 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:46.040 to talk him out of it. He said, no, I've 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:48.320 got to go home because I watch a young minister 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:51.360 on television and I need to make sure I watch 0:07:51.440 --> 0:07:54.080 him this week. They said, when we have televisions here. 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:56.520 That wasn't good enough. He wanted to watch in his 0:07:56.560 --> 0:08:00.160 own home. Well, that week, on the program I'm made 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:03.920 the statement it doesn't matter what the medical report says. 0:08:04.280 --> 0:08:08.040 God can turn the situation around. When he heard that 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:12.239 something leaped on the inside. He said I knew at. 0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:13.840 That moment God had touched me. 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:17.160 He went back on Monday and had the operation, or 0:08:17.200 --> 0:08:19.800 when he woke up, the first thing the surgeon said 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:23.000 to him was, I want to know whose prayer list 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:26.440 are you on. He went on to tell how he 0:08:26.480 --> 0:08:28.800 didn't have this massive tumor. It was just a little 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:31.480 bit of blood. He said, Listen, I've been doing this 0:08:31.600 --> 0:08:34.440 long enough to know the difference between what I see 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:37.079 on the X rays and what I saw in person. 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:42.080 What is that God's outstretched hand releasing healing, doing what 0:08:42.240 --> 0:08:43.600 medical science cannot do. 0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:49.240 You may be facing a sickness today, maybe it's something 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:51.600 you've had for a long time, but you need to 0:08:51.640 --> 0:08:59.480 imagine right now, God's hand is outstretched towards you, releasing healing, health, wholeness, restoration. 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:03.040 When you believe, nothing can stop it. If it's not 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:05.720 your time to go, you're not gonna go. If you 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:07.080 have not fulfilled your. 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:09.160 Purpose, nothing can annul it. 0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:12.680 You need to start talking to yourself all through the day, 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:16.360 over and over in your mind. Healing is flowing into me. 0:09:16.720 --> 0:09:21.320 I'm getting stronger, I'm getting healthier. My youth is being renewed, 0:09:21.360 --> 0:09:24.880 my strength is being restored. This sickness didn't come to stay, 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:29.000 it came to pass. When we release our faith like that, 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:32.720 it's just like we're reaching up our hand connecting to 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:33.560 God's hand. 0:09:34.160 --> 0:09:37.880 The good news is there is healing in his hand, there. 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:42.080 Is restoration, There is supernatural power in God's outstretched hand. 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:45.959 I think about how when Moses was leading the people 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:48.600 of Israel, he came to a dead end at the 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:51.440 Red Sea. They had nowhere to go, looked like it 0:09:51.520 --> 0:09:55.480 was over. We all face situations in life where we come. 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:57.079 To the end of our own ability. 0:09:57.520 --> 0:10:00.079 In the natural, we don't see any way out that 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:02.760 men with a medical report or maybe a dream has 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:05.760 died some kind of setback. But if we can just remember, 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:10.720 God's hand is still outstretched toward us, and God told Moses, 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:15.319 do what I'm doing. Moses, stretch forth your hand, hold 0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:19.480 out that rod as an act of faith. Moses stretched 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:24.000 out his hand representing God's outstretched hand, and that's when 0:10:24.000 --> 0:10:27.240 the water's parted and the people went through on dry ground. 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:36.760 What am I saying? 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:41.480 When we stretch out our hand, when we release our faith, 0:10:42.000 --> 0:10:45.439 that's when supernatural things are going to happen. I can't 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:48.520 tell you how many times Victorian I. When we were 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:52.200 trying to acquire this facility, we would walk around the 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:56.400 building at night when nobody could see us. In the natural. 0:10:56.480 --> 0:10:59.720 We didn't have a chance. All the odds were against us. 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:03.440 It was David verse Goliath. But we'd go around with 0:11:03.520 --> 0:11:07.000 our hands outstretched, saying, Father, thank you that you are 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:09.600 turning things in our favor. Thank you that you are 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.920 fighting our battles for us. Thank you that you're giving 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:18.200 us the breaks that we need. What happened, our outstretched 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:22.280 hands connected with God's outstretched hand, and he made a 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:25.360 way when it looked like there was no way. You 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:28.440 may be struggling in your finances. You need to stretch 0:11:28.480 --> 0:11:31.680 out your hand toward that business, stretch out your hand 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:34.800 toward that house you're trying to sell, or maybe just 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:37.880 stretch out your hand toward your checkbook and say, Father, 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:40.880 as an act of my faith, I am stretching out 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:44.679 my hand, believing that I'm connecting with your outstretched hand, 0:11:45.040 --> 0:11:49.400 knowing that right now you're releasing supernatural increase, supernatural promotion. 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:53.160 You need to go around talking to yourself, Father, thank 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:56.680 you that your blessings are chasing me down and overtaking me. 0:11:57.160 --> 0:12:00.880 Thank you, that whatever I touch prospers and succeed. I know, God, 0:12:00.920 --> 0:12:03.000 You're causing me to be at the right place at 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:03.679 the right time. 0:12:04.200 --> 0:12:07.280 When you do that, that allows God to release what's 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:08.000 in his hand. 0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:11.320 Maybe you have a child that's not doing right. Just 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:14.320 stretch out your hand toward his room. Or maybe he 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:16.839 lives in another city, Well stretch out your hand toward 0:12:16.880 --> 0:12:19.880 his home. God you said, as for me and my house, 0:12:19.960 --> 0:12:22.440 we will serve the Lord. And as an act of faith, 0:12:22.480 --> 0:12:25.920 with my hand outstretched, I believe right now you are 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:30.560 breaking every negative influence, breaking every addiction, breaking every wrong habit, 0:12:30.800 --> 0:12:35.120 and you're releasing your favor, your increase, your promotion, your restoration. 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:37.760 Sometimes you just need to look in the mirror and 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:38.600 stretch out your. 0:12:38.480 --> 0:12:39.559 Hand toward yourself. 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:42.440 Just say, Father, as an act of faith, I'm stretching 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:46.400 out my hand declaring that I am blessed, I am prosperous, 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:49.800 I am anointed, I am appointed, I am approved, I 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:51.880 am forgiven, I am redeemed. 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:54.800 I am well able. When we release our faith like that, 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:55.800 we can just. 0:12:55.760 --> 0:13:02.439 Imagine God's outstretched hands is releasing favor, healing, restoration, whatever 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:06.360 we need. This is especially important when we're tempted to 0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:09.560 get discouraged when things aren't going your way, and those 0:13:09.679 --> 0:13:12.800 never lies come telling you that you're never gonna get well, 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:17.760 never accomplish your dreams. Don't drag around with your head down. Now, 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:20.680 that's when, more than ever, you need to look up 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:24.200 and through your eyes of faith, see God's outstretched hand. 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:27.480 If you get a negative medical report, don't dwell on it. 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:30.440 Look up and see that healing flowing into you. 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:32.840 If you face a red sea. 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:37.560 An impossible situation, don't sink into self pity. Oh I'll 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:40.040 never get out of this. No, look up and get 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:43.440 a vision of God turning it around. Whatever you need, 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:46.360 it's in God's hand, and the good news is his 0:13:46.520 --> 0:13:50.360 hand is outstretched towards you. This is what the mother 0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:55.320 of Moses did. She was facing an impossible situation when 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:58.560 Moses was born. The king ordered that all the male 0:13:58.640 --> 0:14:01.880 babies be killed. She could have easily thought, oh, just 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:04.240 my luck, wouldn't you know it? I have a baby 0:14:04.240 --> 0:14:07.959 and look what happens. No, she understood this principle. She 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:11.160 knew God's hand was outstretched toward her, and if she 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:14.760 would release her faith and connect with his hand, supernatural 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:18.440 things would happen. She hid Moses as long as she could, 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:20.880 but when he got too big, she put him in 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:24.320 that basket and sent him down the Nile River. And 0:14:24.320 --> 0:14:27.560 it just so happened that Faro's daughter went down to 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:30.720 the river to take a bath. God caused her to 0:14:30.760 --> 0:14:33.200 be at the right place at the right time. That's 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:37.240 what happens when we believe God releases favor. She heard 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:39.920 the little baby crying in the basket, and she opened 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:42.680 it up. She thought, Wow, what a beautiful little child. 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:45.360 I'm gonna take him as my own. She said to 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:48.320 her assistant, we need to find somebody that can nurse 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:51.760 this baby. The assistant said, I know just who to find. 0:14:52.120 --> 0:14:55.480 She went and got Moses's mother, and would you believe it, 0:14:55.600 --> 0:14:59.960 moses mother was able to not only raise her own child, 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:02.400 but on top of that, she got paid for doing it. 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:07.280 Only God could orchestrate that. That was his outstretched hand 0:15:07.760 --> 0:15:13.600 releasing protection favor increase. Psalm one eighteen says there are 0:15:13.680 --> 0:15:17.400 shouts of joy and victory in the home of the Godly. 0:15:17.920 --> 0:15:21.760 The strong arm of the Lord has done amazing things. 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:24.480 I believe God is saying that to each one of 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:27.920 us in the coming days. You're gonna see the strong 0:15:28.360 --> 0:15:32.400 arm of the Lord do amazing things. That means God 0:15:32.480 --> 0:15:36.080 is gonna turn around situations that you thought were impossible. 0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:39.440 God is gonna help you break addictions that have held 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:42.760 you back for years. God is going to bring people 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:47.040 across your path supernatural opportunities that will thrust you to 0:15:47.080 --> 0:15:50.720 the next level. You're gonna discover talent on the inside 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:53.320 that you didn't even know you had. There are gonna 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:57.040 be shouts of joy and victory in your home. Why 0:15:57.280 --> 0:16:00.480 because of the outstretched arm of the Lord. Let that 0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:04.520 seed take root today. Remember a few years ago I 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:07.520 was doing a book signing in another state. There were 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.200 a few hundred people in the line, and this lady 0:16:10.240 --> 0:16:12.160 at one point came up. Looked to be in her 0:16:12.200 --> 0:16:14.680 mid fifties. There was a young lady next to her, 0:16:14.720 --> 0:16:18.240 maybe in her thirties, and they were both crying and crying, 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:20.000 and of course I didn't know what was going on. 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:23.440 The lady began to explain how this was her daughter. 0:16:24.160 --> 0:16:27.720 They had been estranged for twelve years. They had gotten 0:16:27.720 --> 0:16:30.840 at odds with each other. They wanted to make things right, 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:33.160 but there was just too much water under the bridge. 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:36.440 They had not spoken to one another in over twelve years. 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:40.120 But what they didn't realize was they both had been 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:45.320 watching our program on television and independently they decided to 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:48.240 come to the book signing that night. When they saw 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:52.960 each other, it was like God melted away all the unforgiveness. 0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:54.360 A healing began to. 0:16:54.320 --> 0:16:59.560 Take place, that relationship began to be restored. The mother said, 0:16:59.600 --> 0:17:03.680 with big tears coming down her cheeks, this is the happiest. 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:04.200 Day of my life. 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:07.439 God has brought my daughter back to me. What was 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:08.040 she saying? 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:12.120 The strong arm of the Lord has done amazing things. 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:15.480 Now there are shouts of joy and victory in her home. 0:17:16.080 --> 0:17:18.240 That's what God is going to do for each one 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:21.399 of us, says in Psalm one thirty eight. Though I 0:17:21.440 --> 0:17:25.040 am surrounded by trouble, you will bring me safely through. 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:29.720 Your fist is clensed against my enemies. Think about this. 0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:34.720 God's hand is open and outstretched towards you, but his 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:39.000 fist is clensed against your enemies. That's not just talking 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:43.639 about people. Sickness is an enemy. Depression is an enemy, 0:17:44.119 --> 0:17:47.919 Poverty is an enemy. You may be struggling with an illness, 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:51.439 but you need to imagine right now, God's fist is 0:17:51.520 --> 0:17:55.840 clensed against that cancer, is clensed against that heart disease, 0:17:56.240 --> 0:17:59.800 but his hand of healing is open towards you. God's 0:17:59.840 --> 0:18:04.720 fist is cleansed against that depression, it's clensed against that poverty. 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:09.160 But his hand of abundance, his hand of joy, his hand. 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:10.680 Of peace is open towards you. 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:15.560 Or maybe somebody is treating you unfairly, doing you wrong. 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:18.760 Stay on the high road. Be the bigger person. 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:22.280 You don't have to get even God's fist is cleansed 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:25.800 against them, but his hand of favor is opened towards you. 0:18:26.880 --> 0:18:29.560 I had this lady tell how her supervisor at the 0:18:29.640 --> 0:18:33.639 office was so insecure that she was jealous and just 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:34.880 intimidated by her. 0:18:35.160 --> 0:18:36.600 She wouldn't give her any credit. 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:39.560 She was always trying to put her down, make her 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:43.080 look bad doing something that annoyed her. This went on 0:18:43.200 --> 0:18:46.280 month after month. I told the lady what I'm telling you. 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:48.480 You got to stay on the high road and let 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:52.040 God fight your battles for you. This supervisor was a 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:55.199 relatively young lady. She was in a good position, a 0:18:55.240 --> 0:18:58.600 fortune five hundred company. It looked like this lady would 0:18:58.640 --> 0:19:02.159 be under her forever. But one day the CEO of 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:05.440 the company, the man that ran the whole business, came 0:19:05.480 --> 0:19:08.359 to this lady that I was talking to, and he said, 0:19:08.400 --> 0:19:11.520 we've been watching you and we are very impressed. 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:13.000 We want to offer. 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:15.880 You one of our positions as a senior vice president. 0:19:16.560 --> 0:19:20.480 That was like five positions over her old supervisor. 0:19:21.000 --> 0:19:23.440 Friends, God knows how to get you to where you're 0:19:23.480 --> 0:19:24.119 supposed to be. 0:19:24.680 --> 0:19:27.879 Nothing can stop it. If somebody is trying to hold 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:31.040 you back, don't worry about it. God can go over 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:34.119 their head. If they're trying to make you look bad. 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:37.200 Just keep doing your best. God is keeping the records. 0:19:37.400 --> 0:19:40.119 He's the one that brings promotion. He can either go 0:19:40.200 --> 0:19:42.600 over their head, he can move them out of the way, 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:46.159 or he can even change their heart and cause them 0:19:46.240 --> 0:19:48.760 to be good to you. That's what happened to this 0:19:48.800 --> 0:19:51.600 one man. He was trying to get his family over 0:19:51.680 --> 0:19:54.840 to the States. He's an American citizen, but his wife 0:19:54.880 --> 0:19:57.760 is not, and he was working on the visas and 0:19:57.800 --> 0:19:58.879 the proper paperwork. 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:01.840 He told how he went to the government office, but 0:20:01.960 --> 0:20:04.040 this man there was very rude. 0:20:03.760 --> 0:20:07.679 To him, not helpful at all, just made it very confusing, 0:20:07.840 --> 0:20:11.560 very difficult. After a few weeks he got his paperwork done, 0:20:11.640 --> 0:20:13.959 got it all know to rise. He went back and 0:20:14.000 --> 0:20:16.840 that man was just as rude to him, and some 0:20:16.880 --> 0:20:19.840 other authorities had already told him it should take about 0:20:19.960 --> 0:20:22.800 six months for the paperwork to go through, but this 0:20:22.880 --> 0:20:25.560 man said, no, no, no, we're all backed up. 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:27.879 It'll be at least five years. 0:20:27.880 --> 0:20:29.479 We're not going to get to your paperwork for a 0:20:29.560 --> 0:20:30.440 long time. 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:33.760 This man was just disheartened, so discouraged. 0:20:34.000 --> 0:20:36.320 He's tempted to get a little bit upset, but he 0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:40.360 just kept his cool. He understood this principle that God's fist. 0:20:40.280 --> 0:20:44.080 Is cleansed against our enemies. He blessed him and moved on. Well. 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:46.240 About three weeks later, he got a call back from 0:20:46.280 --> 0:20:48.960 that same man said, come on in, your paperwork has 0:20:49.000 --> 0:20:49.879 all gone through. 0:20:50.440 --> 0:20:52.320 He was so excited. It was a miracle. 0:20:52.560 --> 0:20:54.920 He went back and said to the man, I thought 0:20:55.000 --> 0:20:56.920 you said it was going to take five years. 0:20:56.800 --> 0:20:57.359 To go through. 0:20:57.920 --> 0:21:00.920 The man said, well, it should have, But ever since 0:21:01.000 --> 0:21:03.800 I met you, I can't get you off my mind. 0:21:04.480 --> 0:21:07.200 I go to bed thinking about you, I get up 0:21:07.200 --> 0:21:08.119 thinking about you. 0:21:08.480 --> 0:21:12.320 I eat lunch thinking about you. He said, I am 0:21:12.440 --> 0:21:14.359 so tired of seeing you. 0:21:14.359 --> 0:21:17.720 You are making me miserable, Take your paperwork and leave. 0:21:19.119 --> 0:21:20.960