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 IN JESUS' NAME.
GOD BLESS YOU. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU TODAY
ABOUT INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY. WE ALL HAVE THINGS
THAT COME AGAINST US IN LIFE, PEOPLE THAT DON'T
LIKE US, WE'RE DEALING WITH AN ILLNESS, WE LOST
A BIG CLIENT AT WORK. IT'S EASY TO LIVE WORRIED,
WONDERING HOW IT'S GOING TO TURN OUT.
BUT DAVID SAID IN PSALM 27, "IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE,
GOD WILL HIDE YOU. HE WILL PLACE YOU OUT OF
REACH ON A HIGH ROCK." IT DOESN'T SAY WE WON'T
HAVE TROUBLE, DIFFICULTIES MAY COME, BUT THE PROMISE
GOD GIVES US IS HE'S GOING TO HIDE US.
YOU COULD SAY HE'S GOING TO MAKE YOU INVISIBLE
TO THE ENEMY. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY
TIMES TROUBLE HAS COME BUT IT COULDN'T FIND YOU.
SICKNESS HAD YOUR NAME ON IT BUT WHEN IT SHOWED UP,
YOU WERE INVISIBLE. THAT CALAMITY, THAT ACCIDENT
WAS SENT TO TAKE YOU OUT BUT WHEN IT ARRIVED YOU WERE
NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. YOU DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT IT. YOU WERE JUST GOING ABOUT
YOUR DAY, BEING YOUR BEST, AND FORCES THAT SHOULD HAVE
STOPPED YOU, ENEMIES THAT SHOULD HAVE DEFEATED YOU,
TROUBLE THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED YOU GREAT HEARTACHE,
DIDN'T HAVE ANY EFFECT ON YOU.
WHY? YOU WERE INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY.
THAT'S WHY WE CAN LIVE FROM A PLACE OF FAITH, A PLACE OF
TRUST. NOT WORRIED, "WHAT IF MY
COMPANY DOWNSIZES AND DOESN'T NEED ME, WHAT IF MY
CHILD GETS OFF COURSE, WHAT IF I GET THIS VIRUS?"
NO, TURN IT AROUND, "FATHER, THANK YOU THAT I AM
INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY. THANK YOU THAT MY CHILDREN
ARE INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY. THANK YOU THAT MY HEALTH,
MY FINANCES, MY MARRIAGE, MY DREAMS ARE ALL INVISIBLE
TO THE ENEMY." DAVID KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE
TO HAVE OPPOSITION, PEOPLE TRYING TO STOP HIM.
IN 1 SAMUEL 23, HE WAS LIVING ON THE RUN FROM KING
SAUL. HE HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG, HE WAS ONE OF SAUL'S
MAIN ARMOR BEARERS. HE WOULD PLAY MUSIC FOR
SAUL WHEN HE WASN'T FEELING WELL BUT SAUL WAS JEALOUS
OF DAVID. HE WAS SO OBSESSED WITH
GETTING RID OF HIM, THAT'S ALL HE COULD THINK ABOUT.
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, BEING GOOD
TO PEOPLE, THE FAVOR ON YOUR LIFE WILL STIR UP THE
JEALOUSY IN OTHER PEOPLE. DAVID WAS IN THE DESERT,
HIDING IN CAVES, DOING HIS BEST TO NOT GET CAUGHT.
SAUL HAD THE MOST SKILLED SOLDIERS, HE HAD GROUPS THAT
WERE SPECIFICALLY TRAINED IN TRACKING PEOPLE, LIKE A NAVY
SEAL TEAM. DAVID WAS A SHEPHERD, HE'D
BEEN TAKING CARE OF SHEEP, A TEENAGER.
HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.
HE WAS OUTNUMBERED, THEY HAD MORE EQUIPMENT, MORE SKILL.
IT SEEMED LIKE HE WOULD BE EASILY CAPTURED.
BUT VERSE 14 SAYS, "SAUL HUNTED DAVID DAY AFTER DAY,
BUT GOD DID NOT LET HIM BE FOUND."
GOD KNOWS HOW TO MAKE YOU INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY.
HE KNOWS HOW TO HIDE YOU FROM TROUBLE, HIDE YOU FROM
AN ACCIDENT, HIDE YOU FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO
BRING YOU DOWN. A FRIEND OF MINE WAS
INVOLVED IN A SITUATION THAT WAS VERY BIG IN THE PRESS.
AT ONE POINT IT WAS THE HOTTEST NEWS STORY AROUND
AND PRACTICALLY EVERY REPORTER WAS TRYING TO GET
TO HIM. BUT THE PRESS WAS VERY
NEGATIVE TOWARD HIM AND HE WANTED TO STAY OUT OF IT.
FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS, HE HAD TO TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH
TO ANOTHER CITY. THE PRESS WOULD GET WORD OF
WHEN HE WAS GOING TO BE AT THE AIRPORT.
THEY WOULD ALL SHOW UP. HE SAID, "JOEL, IT WAS THE
MOST AMAZING THING. I WOULD GET OUT OF MY CAR,
ALL THESE CAMERAS WERE LINED UP ON THE SIDEWALK WAITING
FOR ME, I WOULD WALK RIGHT PAST THEM, NOT ONE OF THEM
RECOGNIZED ME." THEY NEVER GOT A SHOT OF
HIM. ONE DAY A REPORTER CAME TO
HIS HOUSE, HE ANSWERED THE DOOR.
BUT THE REPORTER DIDN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE HIM AT HIS OWN
HOUSE. HE SAID, "IT WAS LIKE GOD
WAS MAKING ME INVISIBLE TO THE WRONG PEOPLE."
GOD KNOWS HOW TO PROTECT YOU.
JUST AS HE CAN MAKE BLIND EYES SEE, HE CAN MAKE SEEING
EYES BLIND. HE CAN MAKE YOU INVISIBLE
TO PEOPLE AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WANT TO HARM YOU.
DAVID SAID IN PSALM 31, "YOU HAVE NOT HANDED ME OVER
TO THE ENEMY, BUT YOU HAVE KEPT ME IN A SAFE PLACE."
WE ALL HAVE THINGS TRYING TO STOP OUR DESTINY,
BUT LIKE WITH DAVID, GOD HAS PUT YOU IN A SAFE
PLACE, HE'S NOT GOING TO LET YOU BE FOUND. YOU MAY
HAVE DIFFICULTIES NOW, IN YOUR HEALTH, YOUR
FINANCES, YOUR MARRIAGE. YOU COULD LIVE WORRIED,
PANICKED, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?
BUT WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN A SAFE PLACE, WHERE GOD HAS
YOU HIDDEN, THEN YOU CAN LIVE IN PEACE.
WHEN TROUBLE COMES, YOU DON'T FALL APART, GIVE UP ON
YOUR DREAMS, YOU KNOW GOD HAS MADE YOU INVISIBLE TO
THE ENEMY. SAUL WAS SO FRUSTRATED HE
WENT BACK HOME. SOME OF DAVID'S OWN MEN
TURNED ON DAVID. THEY SENT SAUL THE DETAILS
OF WHERE DAVID WAS HIDING. THEY GAVE HIM THE EXACT
LOCATION, HOW TO GET THERE, WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.
ALL THIS INSIDE INFORMATION. SAUL WAS THRILLED.
HE HAD HIS MEN GO DO SURVEILLANCE, STUDY HIS
MOVEMENTS, FIND OUT WHEN DAVID SLEEPS, WHEN HE EATS,
WHERE HE GETS HIS FOOD. HE WENT OVERBOARD, TO MAKE
SURE THIS TIME THEY WOULD CATCH DAVID.
SAUL AND HIS MEN TRAVELED A GREAT DISTANCE, THEY ARRIVED
TO WHERE DAVID WAS HIDING. BUT JUST AS SAUL WAS ABOUT
TO ATTACK, A MESSENGER CAME RIDING UP AS FAST AS HE
COULD WITH AN URGENT MESSAGE.
IT SAID, "SAUL, HURRY HOME, THE PHILISTINES ARE
ATTACKING OUR CITY." SAUL AND HIS MEN TURNED
AROUND AND LEFT, THEY NEVER DID CAPTURE DAVID.
GOD KNOWS HOW TO KEEP YOU IN A SAFE PLACE.
EVEN WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S TOO LATE, HE KNOWS HOW TO
DISTRACT YOUR ENEMIES. HE KNOWS HOW TO CHANGE
PEOPLE'S PLANS, HOW TO TURN THAT TROUBLE, TURN THE
SICKNESS, TURN THE OPPOSITION.
I CAN IMAGINE SICKNESS COMING LOOKING FOR YOU.
IT HAS ALL THE DETAILS, KNOWS WHERE YOU LIVE, WHERE
YOU WORK, THE ENEMY'S DONE HIS SURVEILLANCE.
WHEN THAT SICKNESS COMES TO THE DOOR, YOU MAY ANSWER BUT
LIKE MY FRIEND, YOU'RE INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY.
IT HAS TO GO BACK, "SORRY, I COULDN'T FIND THEM."
WHEN YOU KNOW GOD HAS YOU IN A SAFE PLACE, INVISIBLE
TO THE ENEMY THEN YOU CAN LIVE AT PEACE. YOU'RE NOT
AT RISK, OPEN GAME, ANY MOMENT SOMETHING BAD CAN
HAPPEN, GAD HAS YOU HIDDEN, WHERE YOU CANNOT BE
FOUND. MANY THINGS THAT WERE SENT
TO STOP YOU, TROUBLE, CALAMITY, BAD BREAKS,
THEY HAD YOUR NAME ON THEM, THEY HAD YOUR ADDRESS,
THE REASON THEY COULDN'T STOP YOU IS THEY COULDN'T
FIND YOU. GOD HAD YOU IN A SAFE PLACE.
WHEN YOU MAKE THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHEN YOU STAY UNDER THE
SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH, THE SCRIPTURE SAYS HE COVERS
YOU WITH HIS WINGS. HE'LL HIDE YOU FROM THINGS
THAT COULD HAVE BROUGHT YOU DOWN.
SEE, THE ENEMY HAS SCHEMES AND STRATEGIES TO TRY TO
KEEP YOU FROM YOUR DESTINY. PEOPLE WERE SET IN MOTION,
HEADED YOUR WAY TO CAUSE TROUBLE, THE PROBLEM WAS
THEY COULDN'T FIND YOU. THEY SHOWED UP BUT YOU WERE
INVISIBLE TO THE TROUBLE, INVISIBLE TO THE SICKNESS,
INVISIBLE TO THE LAYOFF. GOD PROTECTED YOU AND YOU
DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT. "JOEL, IT DIDN'T WORK FOR
ME, I MUST NOT BE INVISIBLE, I HAD AN ACCIDENT, I GOT
LAID OFF, I CAME DOWN WITH THIS SICKNESS."
YES BUT THAT SICKNESS COULDN'T FINISH YOU OFF,
THAT ACCIDENT COULDN'T TAKE YOU OUT, THAT LAYOFF DIDN'T
STOP YOUR PURPOSE. WHEN TROUBLE CAME GOD PUT
YOU IN A SAFE PLACE. THAT DIFFICULTY IS NOT HOW
YOUR STORY ENDS, GOD HAS THE FINAL SAY.
HE'S NOT ONLY GOING TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT'S TRYING TO
STOP YOU BUT HE'S GOING TO BRING YOU OUT BETTER.
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, GOD SENT PLAGUES ON PHARAOH AND
HIS PEOPLE FOR NOT LETTING THE ISRAELITES GO.
THE FINAL PLAGUE WAS THE FIRST BORN OF THEIR CHILDREN
WERE GOING TO BE KILLED. GOD TOLD THE ISRAELITES THEY
HAD TO PUT BLOOD ON THE DOORPOST OF THEIR HOUSE.
WHEN THE DEATH ANGEL CAME, AS LONG AS THEY HAD BLOOD
OVER THEIR HOUSE, THEY WERE INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY.
THERE WAS NO HARM TO THEIR FAMILY.
THAT NIGHT, THOUSANDS OF LIVES WERE LOST.
THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF GRIEVING, GREAT SORROW.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS NONE OF THE ISRAELITES LOST THEIR
LIVES, YET THEY WERE LIVING NEXT DOOR TO THEIR
OPPRESSORS. IT WASN'T LIKE THEY WERE
HUNDRED OF MILES AWAY, THEY WERE ALL IN THE SAME AREA.
WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE? ONE HAD THE BLOOD, AND THE
OTHER DIDN'T. ONE WAS UNDER THE SHELTER OF
THE MOST HIGH, COVERED BY HIS WINGS, THE OTHER WASN'T.
WHEN YOU KEEP THE BLOOD OVER YOUR HOUSE, WHEN YOU HONOR
GOD, YOU STAY CLOSE TO HIM, YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE, HE
HIDES YOU WHEN TROUBLE COMES.
HE MAKES YOU INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY.
WHEN CALAMITY SHOWED UP AT YOUR HOUSE, LIKE WITH THEM,
IT PASSES YOU BY. WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO HARM
YOU, WHEN SICKNESS, WHEN EARLY DEATH COMES, THAT MAY
HAVE BEEN SENT FOR YOU. SCHEMES AND STRATEGIES THAT
HAVE YOUR NAME ON THEM, STAY IN PEACE.
YOU'RE COVERED BY THE BLOOD. YOU'RE UNDER THE SHELTER OF
THE MOST HIGH. THINGS THAT TAKE OTHER
PEOPLE OUT, CAN'T TAKE YOU OUT.
TROUBLE THAT DEFEATS OTHERS WON'T STOP YOU.
SICKNESS THAT SHOULD BE THE END, CAN'T TAKE YOUR LIFE.
YOU'RE IN A SAFE PLACE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE
WORRIED, FEARING WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN, FEARING GETTING
CANCER, FEARING BEING LAID OFF.
"JOEL, WITH THIS PANDEMIC, I'M WORRIED ABOUT MY
BUSINESS, WHAT IF MY FINANCES GO DOWN."
THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR DOORPOST.
YOU BELONG TO THE MOST HIGH. NOW GET IN AGREEMENT WITH
HIM. "LORD, THANK YOU THAT MY
FINANCES ARE INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY.
THANK YOU THAT MY INCOME, MY BUSINESS, MY SAVINGS, MY
PROPERTY ARE ALL IN A SAFE PLACE."
I KNOW THIS COUPLE THAT OWN A BUSINESS.
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD GO
DOWN. THEY'RE IN THE SERVICE
INDUSTRY. WITH PEOPLE NOT BEING OUT,
HAVING TO STAY HOME, ALL THE FACTS SAID THEY WOULD HAVE
AN OFF YEAR. BUT THIS COUPLE HAD A
DIFFERENT APPROACH. THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT WHEN
TROUBLE COMES GOD WILL HIDE YOU.
THAT HE CAN MAKE YOU INVISIBLE TO WHAT'S GOING ON
AROUND YOU, INVISIBLE TO A DOWN ECONOMY, INVISIBLE TO
AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SAYS LACK AND NOT ENOUGH.
INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING, THEIR REPORT WAS, "FATHER,
THANK YOU THAT EVEN IN FAMINE WE WILL HAVE MORE
THAN ENOUGH. THANK YOU THAT THE ECONOMY
IS NOT OUR SOURCE, BUT YOU ARE OUR SOURCE."
I TOLD AT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR HOW WE WERE GOING TO
SEE OVERFLOW, ABUNDANCE, RUNNING OVER BLESSINGS.
IT SEEMED LIKE AN ODD TIME BUT THEY DARED TO BELIEVE
FOR AN OVERFLOW YEAR. THEY SAID THIS JULY, IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC, THEY HAD THEIR BEST MONTH EVER.
BROKE ALL THE RECORDS GOING BACK OVER TWENTY YEARS.
THEY WERE SO EXCITED, THEN AUGUST BEAT JULY, THEN
SEPTEMBER BEAT AUGUST. THEY KEPT INCREASING,
DEFYING THE ODDS. THEY CAN'T EXPLAIN IT.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. WHEN COMPETITORS ARE GOING
DOWN, THEY'RE GOING UP. HOW COULD THIS BE?
THEY ARE INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY.
WHEN YOU HONOR GOD, WHEN YOU KEEP HIM FIRST PLACE, WHAT
LIMITS OTHERS, WON'T LIMIT YOU.
NOW YOU HAVE TO GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH.
YOU CAN'T GO AROUND WITH A DEFEATED MINDSET.
"JOEL, THIS SOUNDS GOOD BUT I'M AFRAID MY CHILDREN ARE
GOING TO GET OFF COURSE. THIS SICKNESS RUNS IN MY
FAMILY, I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO GET IT."
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, "WHAT YOU FEAR IS GOING TO COME
UPON YOU." QUIT LIVING OUT OF FEAR AND
START LIVING OUT OF FAITH. "FATHER, THANK YOU THAT MY
HEALTH IS INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY, THAT I WILL RUN AND
NOT BE WEARY, THAT WITH LONG LIFE YOU WILL SATISFY ME."
FAITH AND FEAR HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON.
THEY BOTH ASK US TO BELIEVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T SEE.
WHICHEVER ONE YOU GET IN AGREEMENT WITH IS THE ONE
THAT'S GOING TO COME TO PASS.
"I'M AFRAID I'M NOT GOING TO GET WELL."
YOU'RE USING YOUR FAITH IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
TURN IT AROUND. "FATHER, THANK YOU THAT
YOU'RE RESTORING HEALTH BACK UNTO ME.
THIS TROUBLE MAY HAVE COME, I'M DEALING WITH THIS
ILLNESS BUT LORD THANK YOU THAT YOU ARE HIDING ME, THAT
YOU ARE PUTTING ME IN A SAFE PLACE, THAT THE NUMBER OF MY
DAYS YOU WILL FULFILL." A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T
REALIZE IT BUT WE'RE USING OUR FAITH FOR THE NEGATIVE.
WE'RE EXPECTING DEFEAT, SICKNESS, TROUBLE.
ON MY FATHER'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY THERE'S A LONG
HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
MY FATHER STRUGGLED WITH IT MOST OF HIS LIFE.
I COULD ACCEPT THAT AND THINK THAT'S MY LOT IN LIFE,
BUT I HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
"LORD, THANK YOU THAT MY HEALTH IS INVISIBLE TO THE
ENEMY. THANK YOU THAT HEART DISEASE
CAN'T FIND ME. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE MAY
KNOCK AT MY DOOR BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO RECOGNIZE ME.
THIS IS A NEW DAY. I'M SETTING A NEW STANDARD.
THE ENEMIES WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST WE WILL SEE NO
MORE." DON'T GO THROUGH LIFE
EXPECTING THE WORST, ANTICIPATING BAD BREAKS.
"THIS VIRUS IS SPREADING EVERYWHERE, I'LL PROBABLY
GET IT TOO. WITH ALL THESE NEGATIVE
INFLUENCES, MY CHILDREN WILL PROBABLY GET OFF COURSE."
ZIP THAT UP. YOU HAVE THE BLOOD ON YOUR
DOORPOST. YOU BELONG TO THE MOST HIGH
GOD. THESE THINGS MAY COME, BUT
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO STAY. THEY'RE GOING TO PASS ON BY.
WHY? YOU ARE INVISIBLE TO THE
ENEMY. TROUBLE MAY HAVE BEEN SENT
YOUR WAY BUT IT CAN'T FIND YOU.
SICKNESS MAY HAVE SHOWN UP BUT IT'S NOT PERMANENT.
GOD HAS YOU IN A SAFE PLACE. NOTHING CAN SNATCH YOU OUT
OF HIS HANDS. ENEMIES MAY BE LOOKING FOR
YOU, PEOPLE AT WORK AGAINST YOU, YOUR DREAM SEEMS
IMPOSSIBLE; DON'T WORRY, GOD HAS YOU OUT OF REACH.
HE'S NOT GOING TO LET YOU BE FOUND.
WHEN MY FATHER WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD AND I STEPPED
UP TO PASTOR THE CHURCH, I WAS VERY INSECURE.
I HAD NEVER MINISTERED BEFORE.
THOUGHTS TOLD ME THAT I WASN'T QUALIFIED AND NOBODY
WAS GOING TO LISTEN. EVERY WEEK IT WAS AN ACT OF
FAITH TO GET UP IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.
BY THE GRACE OF GOD THE CHURCH BEGAN TO GROW, PEOPLE
STARTED WATCHING AND LISTENING IN NUMBERS THAT
WE HAD NEVER SEEN. I WAS AMAZED AT WHAT GOD
WAS DOING. WITH THE GROWTH AND THE
NEW NOTORIETY, THERE CAME OPPOSITION; PEOPLE THAT
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND US. IT WAS SOMETHING I HAD
NEVER DEALT WITH. THIS WAS FOUR OR FIVE YEARS
IN AND IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY WEEK THERE WAS SOMETHING NEW
COMING AGAINST US, SOME GROUP THAT DIDN'T AGREE,
SOME PERSON WRITING AN ARTICLE.
I WAS TEMPTED TO LIVE WORRIED AND WONDERING IF
WE WERE GOING TO MAKE IT. I FELT LIKE WE WERE ALWAYS
ON THE VERGE OF ONE BAD BREAK FROM BRINGING US DOWN.
ONE NIGHT DURING THAT TIME I HAD A DREAM.
IN THIS DREAM I WAS OUT RUNNING THROUGH AN OPEN
FIELD. THERE WERE THESE PLANES
FLYING VERY LOW OVERHEAD, JUST THIRTY OR FORTY FEET
OFF THE GROUND DROPPING BOMBS ALL AROUND ME.
ONE WOULD HIT TWENTY FEET AWAY, I WOULD BRACE, WAIT
FOR THE SHRAPNEL, I KNEW IT WAS THE END.
IT WOULD EXPLODE, MAKE THIS DEAFENING SOUND, BUT NOTHING
WOULD HARM ME. I WAS AMAZED AT HOW I DIDN'T
GET HURT. THIS HAPPENED A HALF A DOZEN
TIMES. EVERY TIME THE BOMB WENT OFF
BUT IT DIDN'T AFFECT ME. FINALLY, I RAN TO THIS SMALL
HOUSE, LIKE A CABIN OUT IN THE WOODS.
I WAS SO AFRAID. IT HAD TWO SMALL BEDROOMS,
I HURRIED TO ONE AND SHUT THE DOOR.
I COULD HEAR THESE SOLDIERS COMING, THEIR FOOTSTEPS
GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER. I WAS HOLDING MY BREATH,
THINKING, "PLEASE, LORD, DON'T LET THEM FIND ME,
PLEASE LET THEM PASS." THEN MY WORST FEARS CAME
TRUE. I HEARD THEM ON THE FRONT
PORCH. THEY CAME IN THE HOUSE,
LOOKED AROUND THE FRONT ROOM, THEN THEY CAME TO
MY ROOM. THEY OPENED THE DOOR AND
I WAS STANDING THERE. MY HEART SUNK.
I THOUGHT, "OKAY, I'M DONE." THEY LOOKED RIGHT AT ME, FOR
ABOUT TEN SECONDS, JUST A FEW FEET AWAY, THEN TURNED
AROUND AND LEFT. IN MY DREAM, I REALIZED
THEY COULDN'T SEE ME. I WAS SO AMAZED AND SO
RELIEVED. AS THEY WERE WALKING DOWN
THE ROAD, I WOKE UP. I HEARD GOD SAY DOWN IN MY
SPIRIT, "JOEL, DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHO'S COMING AGAINST
YOU, HOW BIG, HOW IMPORTANT, HOW INFLUENTIAL.
I HAVE YOU IN HIDDEN IN A SAFE PLACE."
THAT'S WHAT DAVID SAID, WHEN TROUBLE COMES, GOD WILL HIDE
YOU. I LOOK BACK OVER THESE LAST
TWENTY YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN PASTORING, THERE'S BEEN A
LOT OF CHATTER BUT NONE OF IT STOPPED MY DESTINY.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE AGAINST ME AREN'T
EVEN AROUND ANYMORE. WHAT YOU'RE UP AGAINST IS
NO MATCH FOR OUR GOD. HE CONTROLS THE UNIVERSE.
HE KNOWS HOW TO HIDE YOU. YES, IT MAY GET ROCKY FROM
TIME TO TIME, BOMBS GOING OFF AROUND YOU SO TO SPEAK,
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HARM YOU.
ENEMIES KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR, DEBT, TROUBLE,
SICKNESS, CALAMITY, STAY IN PEACE, YOU'RE INVISIBLE
TO THE ENEMY. IT MAY SHOW UP BUT IT'S
NOT GOING TO FIND YOU. THAT SICKNESS CAN'T TAKE
YOU OUT, THAT BAD BREAK CAN'T STOP YOUR DESTINY,
THAT TROUBLE LOOKS PERMANENT, BUT IT'S ONLY
TEMPORARY. THINGS ARE ABOUT TO CHANGE IN YOUR
FAVOR. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO PETER.
IN ACTS 12, HE WAS ARRESTED FOR SHARING HIS FAITH AND
PUT IN PRISON. KING HEROD ORDERED SIXTEEN
SOLDIERS TO GUARD HIM. HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE
DIDN'T ESCAPE. HE HAD HIM CHAINED BETWEEN
TWO SOLDIERS IN HIS CELL. THE NIGHT BEFORE PETER WAS
TO GO ON TRIAL, HE WAS ASLEEP, IN PRISON, THE OTHER
GUARDS STANDING OUTSIDE HIS CELL, WHEN AN ANGEL
APPEARED. HE WOKE PETER UP AND TOLD
HIM TO GET DRESSED, THEY WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE.
SUDDENLY THE CHAINS FELL OFF HIS FEET. THE ANGEL
SAID, "COME WITH ME." THE PRISON DOORS OPENED
OF THEIR OWN ACCORD. THEY WALKED PAST THE FIRST
SET OF GUARDS, FOUR MEN, NOBODY SAW THEM.
THE SECOND SET NOBODY, SAW THEM, THE THIRD, THE FOURTH.
THEY WENT BY SIXTEEN SOLDIERS, WHO WERE
DILIGENTLY WATCHING, ORDERED BY THE KING AND
YET NONE OF THEM SAW PETER. GOD KNOWS HOW TO MAKE YOU
INVISIBLE TO YOUR ENEMIES. HE DIDN'T SAY WE WOULD NEVER
HAVE PROBLEMS, BUT HE DID PROMISE WHEN TROUBLE COMES
HE WILL HIDE YOU. HE WON'T LET THE
CIRCUMSTANCES STOP YOUR PURPOSE.
HE HAS ANGELS WATCHING OVER YOU RIGHT NOW, PROTECTING
YOU, GUARDING YOU. HE KNOWS HOW TO OPEN DOORS
THAT YOU CAN'T OPEN, HOW TO GET YOU OUT OF PROBLEMS THAT
LOOK IMPOSSIBLE, HOW TO BLIND THE EYES OF THOSE WHO
ARE TRYING TO HOLD YOU BACK. WHAT YOU'RE FACING MAY LOOK
PERMANENT, LIKE PETER, YOU DON'T SEE A WAY OUT, THE
ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT GOD IS
UP TO. THAT'S WHY WE DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR.
THERE ARE A LOT OF NEGATIVE THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN,
ACCIDENTS, SICKNESSES, TROUBLE, BAD BREAKS, WE
COULD GO AROUND WORRIED, STRESSED, BUT WHEN YOU KNOW
GOD HAS YOU HIDDEN. THAT'S HE'S PUT YOU IN A
SAFE PLACE, THAT BECAUSE THE BLOOD IS OVER YOUR DOORPOST,
BECAUSE YOU BELONG TO HIM, HE'S MADE YOU INVISIBLE
TO THE ENEMY, HE HAS A HEDGE OF PROTECTION THAT
NOTHING CAN CROSS WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION.
A THOUSAND MAY FALL AT YOUR SIDE, TEN THOUSAND AT YOUR
RIGHT HAND BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO COME NEAR YOU.
WHY? YOU'RE IN THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH.
HE HAS YOU COVERED. HE'S COVERED YOUR HEALTH,
COVERED YOUR MARRIAGE, COVERED YOUR CHILDREN,
COVERED YOUR FINANCES, COVERED YOUR DREAMS.
IN 2 KINGS 6, THE SYRIAN ARMY HAD COME AGAINST THE
ISRAELITES, BUT EVERY TIME THE SYRIANS WERE ABOUT TO
MAKE A MOVE GOD WOULD TELL THE PROPHET ELISHA AND HE
WOULD TELL THE ISRAELITES. THAT WAY THEY ALWAYS STAYED
ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE ENEMY. WHEN THE SYRIAN KING FOUND
OUT WHAT ELISHA WAS DOING, HE WAS FURIOUS.
HE SENT A GREAT ARMY WITH THOUSANDS OF HORSES,
THOUSANDS OF CHARIOTS TO GO SURROUND ELISHA'S CITY AND
CAPTURE HIM. WHEN ELISHA SAW THEM COMING,
HE HAD NO CHANCE IN THE NATURAL.
IT WAS HIM VERSE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS.
HE COULD HAVE PANICKED, BEEN DEPRESSED, BUT HE UNDERSTOOD
THIS PRINCIPLE. THAT GOD CAN MAKE YOU
INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY. THAT PLANS THAT WERE SENT TO
STOP YOU, STRATEGIES DESIGNED TO KEEP YOU FROM
YOUR DESTINY, CANNOT STAND AGAINST OUR GOD.
HE KNOWS HOW TO PUT YOU IN A SAFE PLACE, HOW TO HIDE
YOU FROM TROUBLE. IT MAY COME BUT IF YOU'LL
STAY IN FAITH, IT'S NOT GOING TO TURN OUT THE WAY
IT LOOKS. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SICKNESS
IS PERMANENT, IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR CHILD WON'T FULFILL HIS
DESTINY, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT DEBT WILL LIMIT YOUR FUTURE.
BUT DON'T JUDGE YOUR SITUATION TOO SOON.
WAIT TILL YOU SEE WHAT GOD IS ABOUT TO DO.
ELISHA PRAYED SOMETHING INTERESTING.
HE DIDN'T SAY, "LORD, DELIVER ME, LORD, STOP THIS
ARMY, LORD, PROTECT ME FROM THESE PEOPLE."
HE SAID, "LORD, PLEASE MAKE THEM BLIND."
HE WAS SAYING, "LORD, MAKE ME INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY."
WHAT A POWERFUL PRAYER. WE SHOULD PRAY THAT EVERY
DAY. "LORD, MAKE MY FAMILY
INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY. MAKE MY HEALTH, MY FINANCES,
MY DREAMS INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY."
THE VERSE GOES ON TO SAY, "AND THE LORD DID WHAT
ELISHA ASKED." WHEN YOU ASK GOD TO MAKE YOU
INVISIBLE HE'S GOING TO DO WHAT YOU ASKED.
DON'T GO TO GOD COMPLAINING, TELLING HIM EVERYTHING
THAT'S WRONG. "GOD, THESE PEOPLE AREN'T
FAIR; I'VE GOT THIS PROBLEM AT WORK, MY CHILD WON'T DO
WHAT'S RIGHT." TRY A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
"FATHER, THANK YOU THAT I AM INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY.
THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE ME HIDDEN, THAT I'M IN A SAFE
PLACE." THE SYRIAN CAPTAIN KNOCKED
ON THE DOOR, AND SAID, "WE'RE HERE TO SEE ELISHA."
ELISHA LOOKED SURPRISED AND SAID, "SIR, YOU'VE COME TO
THE WRONG CITY. ELISHA DOESN'T LIVE HERE."
GREAT MAN OF GOD LYING. YOU KNOW THE SYRIANS DID
THEIR RESEARCH. THEY TRACKED ELISHA, MADE
SURE THIS WAS HIS ADDRESS, CONFIRMED HE WAS HOME, HAD
PEOPLE THAT COULD IDENTIFY HIM.
DESPITE ALL THAT, THE CAPTAIN WAS CONFUSED.
HE SAID, "WHERE IS HE?" ELISHA SAID, "HE'S IN
ANOTHER CITY, FOLLOW ME AND I'LL TAKE YOU THERE."
ELISHA LED THEM TO SAMARIA, TO THE ISRAELITES CAMP.
THEN HE PRAYED THAT GOD WOULD OPEN THEIR EYES.
THEY REALIZED IT WAS ELISHA ALL ALONG AND THEY WERE
CAPTURED BY THE ISRAELITES. HOW MANY TIMES HAS TROUBLE
KNOCKED ON YOUR DOOR SO TO SPEAK, BUT WHEN YOU
ANSWERED, THE ENEMY DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU.
THE TROUBLE HAD YOUR NAME ON IT, THE SICKNESS WAS
YOUR ADDRESS. "ARE YOU SURE THIS IS NOT
YOU?" BUT GOD MADE YOU INVISIBLE
TO THE ENEMY. HE'S BEEN PROTECTING YOU
YOUR WHOLE LIFE. THERE ARE THINGS HE HAS KEPT
YOU FROM THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.
SCHEMES AND STRATEGIES THAT WERE MEANT TO STOP YOU BUT
THEY COULDN'T FIND YOU. YES, IN THOSE DIFFICULT
TIMES, IT WASN'T EASY BUT GOD HID YOU.
WITHOUT HIM WATCHING OVER YOU, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE MADE
IT THROUGH THE SICKNESS, THROUGH THE DIVORCE, THROUGH
THE TROUBLE. HE DOESN'T STOP EVERYTHING
BUT HE DID PROMISE WHEN TROUBLE COMES, HE WILL HIDE
YOU. INSTEAD OF LIVING WORRIED,
FEARFUL, EXPECTING THE WORST HAVE A NEW PERSPECTIVE.
BECAUSE THE BLOOD IS OVER YOUR DOORPOST, BECAUSE YOU
BELONG TO THE MOST HIGH, YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE.
GOD HAS MADE YOU INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY.
EVERY MORNING DARE TO DECLARE IT.
"FATHER, THANK YOU THAT MY FAMILY IS INVISIBLE TO THE
ENEMY. THANK YOU THAT YOU'VE COVERED MY CHILDREN,
COVERED MY HEALTH, COVERED MY FINANCES,
THAT YOU HAVE ME HIDDEN IN A SAFE PLACE."
IF YOU'LL DO THIS, I BELIEVE AND DECLARE, LIKE WITH
DAVID, WHEN TROUBLE COMES, GOD IS NOT GOING TO LET
YOU BE FOUND. LIKE WITH PETER, DOORS
ARE GOING TO OPEN YOU COULDN'T OPEN, PROBLEMS
THAT LOOK PERMANENT ARE ABOUT TO TURN AROUND.
GOD IS GOING TO PROTECT YOU, HEAL YOU,
FAVOR YOU AND TAKE YOU TO THE FULLNESS OF YOUR
DESTINY, IN JESUS NAME. IF YOU RECEIVE IT, CAN
YOU SAY AMEN TODAY? I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE JESUS THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE.
THIS IS HOW YOU PUT THE BLOOD OVER YOUR HOUSE.
WOULD YOU PRAY IT WITH ME? JUST SAY, LORD JESUS,
I REPENT OF MY SINS. COME INTO MY HEART.
I MAKE YOU MY LORD AND SAVIOR.
IF YOU PRAYED THAT SIMPLE PRAYER, WE BELIEVE YOU GOT
BORN AGAIN. WE'D LOVE TO SEND YOU SOME
INFORMATION ON YOUR NEW WALK WITH THE LORD.
JUST TEXT THE NUMBER ON THE SCREEN OR GO TO THE
WEBSITE. YOU CAN TAKE OUR NEW BEGINNINGS CLASS
AS WELL. I HOPE YOU'LL GET INTO A
GOOD BIBLE-BASED CHURCH AND KEEP GOD FIRST PLACE.
> JOEL: THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS
MESSAGE. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.
