Well, God bless you. Always a joy to come into your homes and, if you’re ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we’ll make you feel right at home. Thanks so much for tuning in and thank-you again for coming out today. I’d like to start with something funny and please don’t be offended, they’re just jokes. I heard about these 3 people: a Russian, an American and a Blonde. They were talking together. The Russian said proudly; we were the first ones in space. The American said well we were the first ones on the moon. The Blonde said, that’s nothing, we’re going to be the first ones on the sun. The American and the Russian laughed, and they said, what are you talking about? You can’t go to the sun. It’s too hot. You would burn up. The Blonde said no, we’re not that dumb. We’re going to go at night.
(Audience laughing)
Hold up your Bible. Hold Say it like you mean it. 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. I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever living seed of the word of God. I’ll never be the same, never, never, never, I’ll never be the same, in Jesus’ name. God bless you.
If you’d like to open you Bibles to the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11. Hebrews 11, in Verse 1. While you’re turning, remember there’s some other great services. 1:45 our Spanish speaking service. 7 Tonight, Nic and Summer have a great young-adult service right here; if you’re young or young at heart, you’re welcome to come back. Wednesday night Pastor John Grey. So, always have something good for you here at Lakewood.
The last thing I always ask is, please stay until the end of the service, unless you’ve got to go catch a plane or go to work or something. Thankyou in advance for doing that.
I want to talk to you today about it’s already yours. The Scripture tells us how God has already blessed us, already forgiven us, already favored and approved each one of us. He’s not waiting to do it, He’s already done it. There are blessings with your name on them. Promotions, good breaks, houses, contracts. As far as God is concerned, they already belong to you.
The real question is: when are you going to go get what’s already yours?
When our daughter Alexandria was about 10 years old, she came into the kitchen one afternoon, and she said Dad I’m going to go to the movies and go eat lunch with my cousins. I need money. I said okay there’s a $20 bill on my dresser back in my closet. Why don’t you get that? She gave me a hug, thanked me and headed toward the back door. I said, wait a minute. Aren’t you going to go get the money? She smiled and said I already got it. I knew you’d say yes.
(Audience laughing)
Can I tell you, God has already said yes to you being blessed. To you being healthy and whole.
(Audience clapping)
Yes to you accomplishing your dreams. Why don’t you have the boldness like Alexandria and go get what already belongs to you? As a father, that made me feel good. That warmed my heart to know that she knew I wanted to be good to her. She felt so loved that she would go in and take it knowing I would say yes.
What if we believed that our Heavenly Father loved us so much, that we had such a boldness, such a confidence that we would go get what already belongs to us? There’s favor with your name on it. It’s already yours. The Solomon said God has crowned you with favor. It doesn’t say He’s going to do it one day. He’s already done it. Are you bold enough to go and get your crown and start carrying yourself like a King, a Queen? Confident, secure. Knowing that you’re one of a kind. A masterpiece. Wonderfully made.
Don’t go your whole life with your crown on a shelf thinking oh I never get any good breaks. I’ll never get ahead. God has already said yes. Get rid of that defeated mentality. Go get your crown. You have the favor of God. Blessings are chasing you down. Goodness and mercy follow you everywhere you go. And when you have this boldness to go where you go you’ll have this new level of your destiny.
God told Jeremiah, before you were formed in your mother’s womb I accepted and approved you. Some people go their whole life trying to gain approval so they can feel good about themselves. They think if they work hard enough, have enough success, move into the right neighborhood, convince a certain person to like them then they can become happy.
The good news is you’ve alreadybeen approved. Quit trying to work for something that you already have. You’re not waiting to get it. If you get good enough, if you lose 20 pounds, if you have the right friends. No, God has already approved you. Just like He did with Jeremiah, He looked at you and said that was good, another masterpiece. And don’t like insecure, intimidated, trying to live up to people, trying to convince them to be your friend. If they don’t want to be your friend, let them go. It’s their loss, not yours. You don’t need their approval; you have almighty God’s approval.
(Audience clapping)
There is a freedom when you realize I’m not waiting for it, I’m not hoping to get it, I’m not trying to talk people into it. I have already been accepted, approved, redeemed, and forgiven. The creator of the universe calls me a masterpiece. Paul said in Ephesians that God has blessed us. Again, past tense. He’s not thinking about it. He’s already done it.
Now, you may not feel blessed. Your checking account may not say you’re blessed. Business may be slow. It’s easy to say when I see it I’ll believe it. But faith is just the opposite. You’ve got to believe it and then you’ll see it. Instead of talking about how bad it is, start declaring I am blessed, I’m prosperous, I am the head and not the tail, Ilend and I don’t have to borrow. You have to talk like you’re blessed. Think like you’re blessed. Walk like you’re blessed. Act like you’re blessed. Live like you’re blessed. That’s what activates the blessing.
Not dragging around, somebody asks you how you’re doing, and you say I’m just hanging in there, It’s reallyreally bad but I got the joy of the Lord.
(Audience laughing)
No, you’ve got to notify your face. Put a smile on. Lift your shoulders back. Hold you head up high. Walk with confidence. You’re a child of the most high God. You have royalty in your blood. You were created to reign in life. And you’ve got to go do your part and go get what’s already yours. Go get your dreams, go get the abundance. Go get your health. Go get the victory. Go get what has your name on it.
But Joe I’ve been praying for favor. I’ve been asking God to bless me. Well, here’s the key: you don’t have to pray about something that you already have. Just start acting like it’s true.
(Audience clapping)
I don’t always feel anointed, but I know that God has already anointed us. He’s already equipped and empowered us. Have you ever prayed God please give me your anointing? I always say God thank-you that I am anointed.
(Audience clapping)
Thank-you that I am well able. You may not feel blessed, or confident or strong or talented. But don’t fall into that trap. Don’t go through life with a ‘poor old me’ mentality. Get in agreement with God. God says you are blessed; you are strong; you are talented; you are victorious. Not, going to be one day. Not, in the sweet by and by. God has already blessed you. He’s already made you more than a conquer. He’s already crowned you with that favor.
God said to the Israelites in the Book of Joshua, how long are you going to wait before taking possession of the land that I have given you? God had already promised them the land. It had their name on it. God was saying, when are you going to get what’s already yours?
My question: How long are you going to wait until you put on your crown of faith? How long are you going to wait before you start believing you’re blessed, healthy, strong, talented, equipped, one of a kind? This is your time. This is your moment. The prophet Joel said, wake up the mighty men, wake up the mighty women. That’s who I’m looking at. You’ve got to shake off the doubt, the fear, the intimidation, and go get what belongs to you. Just like the Israelites, God has putpromise in your heart.
He’s spoken in dreams to you. Maybe things you haven’t told anyone about. It seems so big, so unlikely. You don’t thinkyou have the talent or the connections. You may not, but God does. He’s already put your name on that dream. Your name is already on that song, that movie, that book you’ve been wanting to write. Your name is already on that business, that charity that you’ve been wanting to start. Couples that’s been believing for a child be encouraged; there’s a baby that’s already got your name on it. Single people, there’s a husband, a wife,which has your name on them.
David said, God has blessings stored up for those that love the Lord. You have no idea the amazing things God has stored up for you. They’re already yours. My challenge is, don’t leave them stored up. Be bold and believe that you’re highly favored. Believe that you’re well able. Believe that you’re well able to be all that God’s created you to be.
This is all that Abraham had to do, 20 years before he had a child. God said, Abraham I have made you a father of many nations. God said it in the past tense. I have made you, like it had already happened. At that time, he didn’t have one child; Abraham could have said God what are you talking about? I’m not a father; I don’t have any children. In other words, Joel I’m not blessed, I’m not healthy, I’m not strong. He could have talked himself out of it, but he chose to believe.
When God says you’re blessed, don’t try to figure it out. Just agree.And say, God I agree withyou, I am blessed. God calls you prosperous. Don’t go check your bank account. Don’t go check the stock report. Just say, God I agree withyou. I am prosperous.
God says He is restoring health back into you. You will live and not die. The medical report may say just the opposite. That’s ok; that’s just how Abraham felt. Just say, God if you say it then I agrees. I am strong. I am healthy; I will live and not die.
When you get in agreement with God, that’s what allows Him to release the blessings that have been stored up. The Scripture puts it this way: all of God’s promises are Yes and Amen. God says, yes you’re blessed, yes you’re healthy, yes you’re strong, yes you will accomplish your dreams. And I’ve learned that yes alone is not enough. If you want it to become a reality then you need to add an Amen to it.
Amen means be it unto me. God, I agree. Let it happen. It’s got to become personal. It’s got to take root in your spirit. It’s one thing to know that God can bless,it’s another to say I am blessed. It’s one thing to know that God can heal, yes God can restore, but it takes on a new meaning when you say I am healed, I am restored; I will live and not die.
It’s one thing to know that God made you, but it does something different when you say I am a masterpiece. I am one of a kind. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. God says yes. Make sure you add your Amen to it.
This is what Abraham did. He got in agreement with God. Some 20 years later, the promise came to pass. And I wonder, how many blessings that have been stored up for us that we missed out on? How many dreams that have our name on it but because we get discouraged, it’s taking so long, we settle where we are, we don’t see them come to reality?
My father used to tell about this big warehouse he imagined up in heaven. You walk in, and you see acres and acres of boxes up on shelves. Everywhere you look as far as you can see, there are rows and rows of boxes. You walk over closer, and you notice every individual box has a name on it. Out of curiosity you ask St Peter what are all of these boxes? What are all of these? St Peter says these are all of the unclaimed blessings that people never picked up.
There’s a box of favor that has Bill’s name on it, but he never got it. He never believed. There’s a box of forgiveness that has Shannon’s name on it. She never received it. She went through life beating herself up, thinking she was washed up. Look at that box, that’s got the business Carlos dreamed about. He never thought he had what it took. Look at that box, it’s the promotion that Julie wanted, but she let her friends talk her out of it. That box is the husband Deborah prayed about, but she gave up. That box is the baby the couple wanted, but they got discouraged. Boxes and boxes of favor, promotion, healing. Friends don’t leave your boxes up on the shelf.
Go get the healing. Go get the children. Go get the dream. Go get the victory. It has your name on it.
(Audience clapping)
When you rise up with the boldness and say God, I know you love me, I know you want to be good to me. God, I thank you for bringing my dreams to pass. Thank you that I live healthy and whole. That I’ll live debt free. That you’ll bring in the right people to cross my path. Lord, thank-you for giving me the desires of my heart.
When you believe like that, its puts a smile in God’s face. The Scripture says it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. There’s nothing that brings him any more joy than to see you flourish and become who you were meant to be. But sometimes a religious spirit thinks, I can’t ask for too much. I can’t ask for my dreams. That’s not right. I’ve got to stay humble.
No, you are not inconveniencing God by believing big. He’s the one that put the dream in your heart. God never created you to reach a certain level and then get stuck. He created you to excel, to take new ground for the kingdom, to set new limits for your family. Take the limits off of Him.
Get rid of little dreams, little goals. God wants to show you the greatness of His power. There’s something else coming. Here it is.
God wants to show you the greatness of His power. He’s not limited by your circumstances. He’s not limited by your education, by your background, by your talent. He’s limited by your thinking. If we think I’ve gone as far as I can, nothing good is in my future, I don’t deserve it, I’ve made too many mistakes, that will keep us from the fullness of our destiny. You have to enlarge your vision. Make room for God to do something new. He’s about to rain down favor. Rain down promotion. You’re going to see an abundance of his goodness. He’s going to take you somewhere you’ve never been. He’s going to be show you something you’ve never seen. It’s going to be exceedingly above and beyond.
Well, you say Joel this sounds good butGod’s got bigger things to deal with than me, my challenges, my goals. But understand you are God’s biggest deal. You are the apple of His eye. You are His most prized possession. He created you in His own image. He didn’t breathe life into the water, into the sky, into the trees. He breathed His life into you. He put his DNA on the inside. You weren’t created to be the average, the mediocre. You are royalty.
God has destined you to leave your mark on this generation. There are boxes on the shelf right now that have your name on them. They already belong out you. God’s waiting for you right now to come and pick them up. I’m asking you to start stirring up your faith. Start believing bigger. Start expecting God’s goodness. Start declaring God’s favor. It may not have happened in the past, but this is a new day. It can happen in the future. When you believe, new doors open.
(Audience clapping)
Promotion comes. The right people show up. When you believe, the angels go to work. God begins to fight your battles. Negative situations turn around. Whenyoubelieve, all things are possible.
If I had a $100 bill in my hand, that bill in itself doesn’t do me any good. In other words, I can’t wear the bill. I can’t eat the bill. I can’t drive the bill. It’s simply a piece of paper that’s hardly worth anything. But if I take that $100 bill to the store, I can exchange it for some groceries. I can exchange it for a new shirt. I can exchange it for gasoline for my car. It’s called legal tender. That piece of paper can be exchanged for goods and services. Hebrew 11 says faith is the substance of things hopeful, the evidence of things not seen. You could say, faith is the currency of heaven. If I need some groceries, then I need to take some cash down here on the earth. But in the unseen spiritual realm that cash is not going to do me any good. The substance I need for exchange in the unseen realm for God to work is faith.
The Scripture says Abraham believed and it was counted on to him His righteousness. The truth is Abraham wasn’t necessarily righteous. If you read the story, Abraham made plenty of mistakes. He had a baby out of wedlock; he lied about his wife, he told people she was his sister. He didn’t lead a perfect life. But, we see this principle at work. Abraham believed. He had faith. God said, in effect, Abraham you’ve got the faith, I’ll make you an exchange. I’ll give you my righteousness.
If we had to choose, and we don’t, but if we had to choose between being wealthy with money and being wealthy with faith I would always choose faith because when you have faith you’re connected to the hands that rule the world. You’re connected to the God that can make anything happen.
(Audience clapping)
When you have faith, God can rain down abundance, give you explosive blessings, blessings that thrust you to a new level. God can give you a compact center, like He did for us. He can take you where you could not go on your own. Faith is the exchange. When you say God I believe what you promised, that my children will be mighty in the land, I believe they will surpass anything that I’ve done. God says all right you have the faith, let me breathe on your children. Let me make it happen.
God, I believe you are greater than this sickness. Medically speaking I don’t see a way but God you have the final say. And you said the number of my days you will fulfill. You said when dark overtakes the righteous, then light will come bursting in. So Lord I believe you are my hero. God says all right you’ve got the faith let’s make an exchange. Let me heal. Let me restore. Let me do what medicine cannot do. God, I believe you can give me that property, that new building to expand my business. In the natural, I don’t see how but the God I know you can do anything. God says alright you have the faith, and then he opens some new doors. Let me arrange things in your favor; let me cause the right people to like you.
Faith is what you need to exchange for God’s goodness, for his blessing, for his favor. That’s why the scripture says without faith you cannot please God. It’s because when we don’t have faith, God can’t do much for us. It limits Him. Isaiah said that God is longing to be good to you. He wants to bring your goods to pass. But, he goes on to say you have to be looking for His goodness.
I believe today your faith is increasing. You know what’s happening? You’re getting wealthier. You’ve got more to exchange. Jesus said according to your faith it will be done unto you. And when you go to God believing big, believing for your dreams, believing that your problems will turn around, believing that He’s all-powerful, that’s not just being positive. That’s not just hoping that it happens. That’s deeper than that. An exchange is taking place. You’re trading your faith, the currency of heaven, which allows God to do some amazing things. But too often we go to God with our doubts, with our fears. God I’ve got this big dream, but I don’t know how it can happen. I don’t think it can happen,I don’t have the talent, I don’t have the connections, God I don’t have any good breaks.
God says in effect, my words, not His: Show me the money. I work by faith. That’s the substance I need for the exchange. Here’s what I’m saying. It’s much better to go to God and say God I’ve got this big dream; it looks impossible to me, but God with you I know all things are possible. I know you can see a way where I don’t see a way. I know you can open doors that no man can shut. I know you’re supplying your needs according to your riches, not mine. I know you have blessings stored up for me, those that love the Lord. God says alright that’s what I’m looking for, that’s the currency of heaven, let me go to work.
I talked to a young couple a few years ago. They’d been trying to have a baby for a long, long time. They were very discouraged and about to give up. I told them what I’m telling you: There’s a baby that has your name on it. It’s already in the warehouse. God destined it to become yours, but you have to stay in agreement. Instead of complaining, one of the best things you can do is remind God what he said. God, you said in Psalm 113, that you would give the bearing woman a child and make her the happy mother of children. God you said the fruit of my womb is blessed. You said that children are a reward from the Lord. Well Lord, I want to thank you that the woman who has my name on it is coming in.
Some of you, there’s a business that has your name on it. You’ve been dreaming about it, you’ve been praying for it. It’s time to rise up and get what belongs to you. Father, you said that you would give me the desires of my heart. Lord, I want to thank you that the business that has my name on it is coming in. Maybe you’re in a legal battle. It doesn’t look good. You’re tempted to give up. No, Lord you said the strength of the ungodly is being cut off; the power of the godly is being increased. You said that when the enemy comes against me one way, you would defeat them and cause them to flee 7 different ways.
So, Lord I want to thank you; the vindication that has my name on it is coming in. I spoke on this subject several years ago. And I specifically mentioned that baby that has your name on it is coming in. There was a young couple in the audiencethat had been trying to have a child for many, many years. After all of the fertility treatments with no success, they were about to settle where they were and accept they could never have children. But, when I made that statement there’s a baby that has your name on it, something came alive in their inside. It came alive in their spirit. They left that day knowing God was in control and some day He would bring it to pass.
Four hours later, right after the service, they got a phone call unexpectedly from their business manager in another state, asking if they would be interested in adopting a baby that was about to be born. Years earlier, they had a dream that they had a blonde haired, blue eyed baby boy. Eight weeks later they were in the delivery room when their little babywas born. It just so happened it was a blonde haired blue eyed baby boy like they had seen in the dream. That baby had been stored up for them. It was on their shelf. You’ve got to go get what already belongs to you.
Don’t leave any packages in your warehouse. I don’t want to be greedy, I just want to have everything that has my name on it.
(Audience clapping)
Friends, healing belongs to you. Children that are mighty in the land belong to you. A beautiful debt-free house belongs to you. Joy, peace, happiness, abundance, lending and not borrowing, will happen to you. What would happen if we all go to God with the currency of faith, the currency of heaven? Faith, boldness, competence, expectancy. That’s what gets God’s attention. Knowing that He loves us, knowing that He wants to be good to us. That’s what causes God to do more than we can ask for. Faith.
Why don’t you stir your faith up? Remember, you’re not going to be blessed, you’ve already been blessed. You’re not going to have a crown of favor; you already have a crown of favor. Make sure you put it on each day. God says yes. Now add your Amen to it. If you’ll do this, I believe and declare everything that has your name on it is coming in. The health, the children, the contracts, the businesses, the houses. You need to get ready. You’re going to see God’s goodness in a new way. New opportunities, explosive blessings, you’re going to step into the fullness of your destiny in Jesus’ name.
I declare it, if you receive it then say Amen today.
(Audience clapping)
We never like to close our broadcasts without giving you the opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus. I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I’ll make you my Lord and Savior.
Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God in the first place. He’s going to take you places that you’ve never dreamed of.