December 20, 2008

You Are Equipped ~ by Joel Osteen Pt. 2 of 3

Wow! This is a powerful message given by Pastor Joel Osteen titled, 'You Are Equipped'. It's true, if you walk in love and are sincere in your efforts, God will take care of the rest. There is nothing to be feared if you put your trust and faith in God. For God is in control. This is a three part message, with each segment lasting 10 minutes. I have typed a transcript for my international readers who need to use Babel Fish to translate. Enjoy!

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I remember growing up I used to go to the beach and play football with a bunch of my friends. Back then I would put on that Hawaiian tropic oil all over me to keep from getting a sun burn. Now I'm already kind of fast, but with that oil on nobody could tackle me. Big guys twice my size, they would grab me and I would slip right out of their hands. I had an advantage, I was all oiled up. That's the way it is with you, when you walk in your annointing, things that should bring you down won't. Maybe you get laid-off from the job, you should be discouraged, you should be down, but you stay in faith and you end up getting a better job. Maybe a relationship comes to an end, it was unfair, you should be bitter, you should be upset, but you stay in faith and God opens up another door.

When you face tough times you have to remind yourself... I've been annointed for this. I am not going to get negative. I am not going to lose my joy. I am going to stay full of praise. I know that God is in control and I believe that He can take what was meant for my harm and turn it around and use it for my advantage. Many of you when you look back on your life, you can think I shouldn't be where I am today. How did I make it through those difficult times? How did I make it through the loss of my loved one? How did I make it through that sickness? It was the annointing that God put on your life. He gave you strength when you didn't think you could go on. He gave you joy when you should have been discouraged. He opened up a door when you didn't see anyway out. Now you can look back and say with me, "Where would I have been if it had not been for the goodness of God in my life."

When I first started ministering I didn't really know if I could do this. There were times I was tempted to be discouraged. My personality is to try to please everyone. I would hear one complaint, one criticism and I'd think oh no I have to change. At times it felt like so much was coming against me and I was so tempted to give up. But one night I had a dream. It was very clear, very vivid. I knew it wasn't a normal dream. This has only happened twice in my life. In this dream, I was running through this large field. These planes were flying very low overhead, dropping bombs all around me. It was like it was right out of a movie scene. These bombs would hit so close and I would brace, just waiting for the scrap metal to hit me. They must not have been but 15 feet away. The noise was deafening. I thought it was the end, but everytime somehow those bombs would miss me. This happened four or five times. In my dream, I was so amazed to still be alive. I ended up running to this little house and hiding in a room so afraid. I could hear the soldiers going by me and I hope they wouldn't see me and I hoped they wouldn't check in there. But then my worst nightmare came true. They burst through the doors, they had their guns drawn pointed right at me. I thought that's it, I'm done, it's over. But much to my amazement, they turned around and went out. It was like I had been invisible to them. And I woke up and felt a peace like I'd never felt before. And deep down in hear I heard God say to me so strongly, "Joel, things may be exploding all around you, but I've got you in the palm of my hand." He said, "If you will keep your trust in me, no weapon formed against you will ever prosper."

Now everytime things come against me, I just remind myself I AM annointed. This is NOT going to stick to me. God is guiding and protecting me. Right now in your life, God is going before you making your crooked places straight. He's making your rough places smooth. You may be in a difficult time, but it's not the end it's only the beginning. A thousand may fall at your side, 10,000 at your right hand but God says it's not going to harm you. I've equipped you. I've empowered you. You are annointed.

You may feel like you are in a dry season. You haven't seen a lot of God's goodness. But if you'll get your joy back. If you'll start speaking words of faith. God promised He'll annoint your head with oil and your cup will run over. Some of you need some fresh oil. It starts with your attitude. Don't go around complaining. Don't go around focusing on the negative. Put on that attitude of praise. You may have some big problems, but let me tell you we serve a BIG God and the good news is He has already equipped you with what you need to overcome.

I saw something fascinating about a little fish. It's called a moses soul. It's a little flounder that's found over in the Red Sea. Also in those waters are large sharks. These sharks would typically like to eat this kind of fish. But back in the early 1970's a group of researchers noticed something interesting about this little moses soul. All the other fish in this category, the same size and weight, would be eaten by these sharks. But they found that these sharks would not eat that moses soul. The reason why they discovered, the moses soul has a unique defense system. When it senses any kind of danger, it releases poisonous toxins from its glands. These toxins literally cause the sharks jaws to freeze. It showed a picture of this shark with its mouth open and the little moses soul was right in the middle. All the shark had to do was bite down and there was dinner. The only problem was, it couldn't do it. God put something in that little fish to protect it. As long as it was around, the shark could not close its mouth. The shark had to get away for a few minutes before the jaws would be released.

I was thinking when that little fish is in the sharks mouth his blood pressure doesn't go up. He doesn't run and call 911. He doesn't get depressed and say just my luck that preacher told me it was going to be my year of Jubilee. I should of known it was going to be the sharks year of Jubilee. No that little fish goes about his business, he knows he's annointed. He knows he's special. God ordained before the foundation of the world that that little fish would be protected from that type of enemy. So he just rest in who God made him to be.

If you can ever get a revelation that you are a child of the most high God. You don't have just a unique defense system, God's breathed His very life into you. He's crowned you with His glory and honor. He's surrounded you with His favor like a shield. He said when the enemy comes against you one way, He will defeat them and cause them to flee seven different ways. When those thoughts come telling you, you're never going to come into your season. You're never going to be well. You're never going to rise up any higher. Do you know how to release the poisonous toxins to defeat the enemy? You start speaking God's word. I know that I am more than a conqueror. I am the head and not the tail. I am a VICTOR and not a victim. People might say, "I heard you weren't feeling well?" and you say, "yes that's true but I know that God's restoring health unto me." They say, "I heard they may lay people off in your office?" and you say, "yes but I know if one door closes God is going to open up another door."

If you'll stay in faith like that, meditating on God's word, speaking His promises. Just like that shark, the enemy cannot harm you. God always causes you to TRIUMPH!

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