>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: AMEN
AND AMEN!
YOU MAY BE SEATED.
THANK YOU FOR BEING IN THE
HOUSE OF THE LORD TODAY.
THERE'S A STORY IN THE BIBLE
ABOUT A WOMAN WHO WAS SICK
FOR 12 LONG YEARS.
SHE HAD A CONDITION THAT
CAUSED HER BODY TO LOSE
BLOOD, AND IT LEFT HER FRAIL
AND WEAK.
SHE WENT TO ALL THESE
DIFFERENT DOCTORS, BUT NO ONE
CAN HELP HER.
SHE SPENT EVERYTHING SHE HAD,
BUT INSTEAD OF GETTING
BETTER, THE BIBLE SAYS SHE
GOT WORSE, BUT ONE DAY, SHE
HEARD THAT JESUS WAS IN HER
TOWN, AND SHE GOT UP OFF OF
WHERE SHE WAS, AND SHE GOT
OUT INTO THE CROWDED STREETS
WITH HER FRAIL BODY, AND SHE
IS DESCRIBED TO BE THE WOMAN
WHO HAS PUSHING THROUGH THE
CROWD, TRYING TO GET TO
JESUS.
NOW, THERE WAS A CRUSHING
CROWD THAT DAY, AND SHE WAS
ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE TRYING TO
GET TO JESUS.
SHE MADE HER WAY TO JESUS,
AND SHE TOUCHED HIM THAT DAY,
AND SHE WAS MIRACULOUSLY
HEALED.
JESUS HAS POWER TO HEAL YOU.
JESUS HAS THE POWER TO
DELIVER YOU.
JESUS HAS THE POWER FOR
ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED IN
YOUR LIFE, AND SO MANY OF YOU
ALREADY KNOW THIS STORY, AND
IT'S A MIRACULOUS STORY, BUT
WHAT I WANT TO LOOK AT IS
WHAT SHE WAS SAYING TO
HERSELF AS SHE WAS DRAGGING
HER WEAK BODY THROUGH THE
CROWD.
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT SHE WAS
SAYING, "IF I COULD ONLY
TOUCH THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT,
I'LL BE HEALED!"
THAT YOU GOT TO GET
THE PICTURE OF THIS.
THIS WOMAN WAS VERY ILL IN
HER BODY.
SHE HAD LITTLE STRENGTH.
SHE WAS FRAIL.
THERE WAS PEOPLE EVERYWHERE,
AND SHE CONTINUED TO SAY TO
HERSELF, "IF I CAN ONLY GET
TO JESUS.
IF I CAN ONLY GET TO JESUS."
YOU SEE, SHE HAD TO NOT ONLY
PUSH THROUGH ALL THE PEOPLE
THAT WERE ON THE STREETS THAT
DAY, BUT SHE HAD TO PUSH
THROUGH THE CROWDED THOUGHTS
IN HER MIND, THOUGHTS THAT
SAID, "YOU'RE NEVER
GOING TO GET WELL.
WHY DO YOU THINK JESUS CAN
HEAL YOU?
NO ONE ELSE HAS BEEN ABLE TO
HELP YOU ALL THIS TIME."
SHE HAD TO PUSH THROUGH THE
OPINIONS OF THE FRIENDS THAT
MAYBE SHE HAD BEEN AROUND,
LIKE, "DARLING, MAN, YOU'VE
TRIED SO HARD.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST GIVE
UP?"
SEE, NOT ONLY DID SHE HAVE TO
PHYSICALLY FIGHT THAT DAY,
BUT SHE HAD TO MENTALLY FIND
THE THOUGHTS TO KEEP HER
WORDS GOING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
THOUGHTS CREATE WORDS.
SHE HAD TO FIND THE RIGHT
THOUGHTS SO SHE COULD GET THE
RIGHT WORDS OUT OF HER MOUTH,
AND THOSE SIMPLE WORDS WERE,
"IF I COULD ONLY GET TO
JESUS.
IF I COULD ONLY GET TO
JESUS."
YOU SEE, WHEN SHE RELEASED
THOSE WORDS, SHE WAS
RELEASING HER FAITH.
THOSE WERE FAITH-FILLED
WORDS.
THOSE WORDS GAVE LIFE TO HER
BODY.
SEE, SHE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A
CHANCE, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT
SHE CONTINUED TO SAY TO
HERSELF, SHE GOT TO WHERE SHE
NEEDED TO BE, AND THAT WAS
AT THE VERY EDGE OF
JESUS' GARMENT.
THAT'S ALL SHE NEEDED, AND AS
SOON AS SHE TOUCHED HIM, THE
POWER LEFT HIM, AND IT WENT
INTO HER BODY AND HEALED HER.
YOU SEE, HER WORDS GOT HER
WHERE SHE NEEDED TO BE, CLOSE
TO JESUS, AND CAN I SAY THIS
TODAY?
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO
THE SAME THING AS THIS WOMAN
DOES.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUSH
THROUGH THE CROWDED THOUGHTS,
SELF-DEFEATING, LIMITING
THOUGHTS THAT LIFE WOULD TRY
TO TELL US, AND WE'RE GOING
TO HAVE TO ARRANGE OUR
THOUGHTS WHERE WE CAN SPEAK
THE RIGHT WORDS OUT SO THAT
WE CAN GET TO WHERE WE NEED
TO BE, AND WHERE WE NEED TO
BE IS CLOSE TO JESUS.
SEE, WE CAN'T ALLOW OUR
THOUGHTS TO PUSH US AROUND.
WE'VE GOT TO DECIDE THAT
WE'RE GOING TO PUSH OUR
THOUGHTS AROUND.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT SHE DID.
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING
BECAUSE, SOMETIMES WHEN
YOU'RE PHYSICALLY TIRED OR
PHYSICALLY SICK IN YOUR BODY,
IT'S HARD TO FIND THE MENTAL
CAPACITY TO ALMOST PRAY, BUT
THIS SHOWS US SO WELL THAT
SHE WAS ABLE TO ARRANGE HER
THOUGHTS WHERE SHE COULD JUST
UTTER THAT SIMPLE PHRASE OUT
OF HER MOUTH, AND THOSE WORDS
LITERALLY GAVE LIFE TO HER
SPIRIT.
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE
SPIRIT OF THE MAN SUSTAINS
THE MAN.
SEE, WHEN YOU UTTER WORDS OF
FAITH AND VICTORY, IT GOES
INTO YOUR SPIRIT, AND IT
CHARGES YOUR PHYSICAL BODY.
WORDS ARE POWERFUL.
WORDS ARE CONTAINERS OF
POWER, AND WE GOT TO
UNDERSTAND THAT WE GET TO
CHOOSE WHAT WE THINK, AND WE
GET TO CHOOSE WHAT WE SAY.
YEAH, ALL DAY LONG, WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE THOUGHTS
BOMBARDING US, YOU KNOW,
THOUGHTS OF ALL KINDS, NO
MATTER WHAT WE'RE DOING.
"THAT GUY OVER THERE
JUST YAWNED.
I THINK HE'S BORED."
"OH, SOMEBODY'S MOVING.
I GUESS THEY'RE LEAVING."
THOSE ARE THOUGHTS.
THOSE ARE THOUGHTS THAT'LL
COME TO YOUR MIND.
"I THOUGHT THAT PERSON
YAWNED.
THEY MUST NOT LIKE WHAT I'M
SAYING.
THEY MUST BE BORED."
WE ALL HAVE 50- TO 70,000
THOUGHTS COMING AT US,
ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS.
HOW MANY THOUGHTS A SECOND IS
THAT?
WE'VE GOT TO LEARN THAT WE
DON'T HAVE TO REST ON
SELF-DEFEATING THOUGHTS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO REST ON THE
THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS OF
OTHER PEOPLE.
WE CAN REST ON THE THOUGHTS
WE CHOOSE TO REST ON.
WE CAN ALLOW THOSE TO TAKE
DOMINION IN OUR LIFE, AND
THEN THROUGH THOSE THOUGHTS,
OUR WORDS WILL LINE UP.
IT SAYS IN GENESIS 1:3, THAT,
IN THE BEGINNING, GOD SAW
THIS EARTH.
IT WAS JUST DARK AND VOID.
HE LOOKED AT THE EARTH,
AND HE SPOKE THESE WORDS:
"'LET THERE BE LIGHT,'
AND THERE WAS LIGHT."
GOD SPOKE LIGHT,
AND THERE WAS LIGHT.
NOW, THE MOST AMAZING THING
ABOUT THAT IS, IS WHEN YOU
THINK ABOUT IT, THIS EARTH
WAS CREATED BY A WORD.
THE DNA THAT IS EMBEDDED IN
THIS EARTH WAS GOD'S SPOKEN
WORD.
THAT IS WHAT'S SUSTAINING
THIS EARTH.
SEE, GOD ESTABLISHED
SOMETHING THERE.
HE ESTABLISHED A PATTERN FOR
US TO FOLLOW, AND THAT IS
THAT OUR WORDS
CAUSE A RESPONSE.
OUR WORDS CARRY WEIGHT.
THEY CAUSE THINGS TO HAPPEN.
GOD SAID THAT YOU CAN CREATE
LIFE OR YOU CAN CREATE DEATH
BY THE MERE WORDS THAT COME
OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.
THE MOST INTERESTING THING IS
YOU CAN'T SEE THE WORDS
COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH,
CAN YOU?
BUT MY WORDS CAN CREATE
A REALITY THAT I CAN SEE,
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE
TO UNDERSTAND.
THEY MAY BE INVISIBLE,
BUT THEY ARE CREATING
AT ALL TIMES.
WE CAN'T THROW THEM AROUND.
WE JUST CAN'T TOSS THEM
AROUND LIKE THEY DON'T MEAN
ANYTHING.
NOT ONLY TO THE PEOPLE AROUND
US, OUR FAMILIES, BUT WE
CAN'T ALLOW WORDS TO BE
TOSSED AROUND IN OUR OWN LIFE
BECAUSE OUR WORDS HAVE A HUGE
IMPACT ON US, AND WHEN WE
BEGIN TO GET OUR WORDS ABOUT
OURSELVES RIGHT, WE'LL BE
ABLE TO GET THE WORDS ABOUT
EVERYONE ELSE RIGHT, BUT TOO
OFTEN, WE ALLOW OUR THOUGHTS,
SELF-DEFEATING, LIMITING
THOUGHTS, TO CIRCULATE ON THE
YOUTUBE OF OUR MIND, AND WE
DWELL ON THESE NEGATIVE
THOUGHTS, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY
NOT ONLY MAKE US UNHAPPY, BUT
THEY DON'T ALLOW US TO BECOME
EVERYTHING GOD WANTS US TO
BECOME.
THEY DON'T POSITION US FOR
SUCCESS.
SEE, WHATEVER THAT WOMAN WAS
FACING, SHE DID NOT LET IT
GET THE BEST OF HER.
THAT WOMAN, WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT IT, SOMEHOW, BY THE
GRACE OF ALMIGHTY GOD, HAD A
CHAMPION'S MENTALITY.
SEE, SHE HAD A WINNER'S
MENTALITY.
THAT WOMAN OVERCAME AND
OVERRODE ALL THE NEGATIVE
VOICES IN HER LIFE TO FIND
FAITH-FILLED WORDS.
YOU CAN TRULY SAY, "THAT
WOMAN WAS A CHAMPION."
AFTER 12 LONG YEARS OF NO
SIGNS OF ANY IMPROVEMENT,
THAT WOMAN FINALLY GOT TO
WHERE SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.
SHE GOT CLOSE TO JESUS, AND
SHE PULLED THE VERY POWER OUT
OF HIM BY WHAT SHE SAID.
JESUS RECOGNIZED IT.
HE SAID, "WHO TOUCHED ME?"
HE LOOKED AT HER AND SAID,
"WOMAN, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE
IN?
I MEAN, BECAUSE YOUR FAITH
JUST MADE YOU WHOLE.
IT PULLED THE POWER OUT OF
ME."
LISTEN, IF WE CAN STOP LONG
ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THE
THOUGHTS THAT ARE TRYING TO
LIMIT US, IF WE CAN STOP LONG
ENOUGH TO CHANGE THOSE
THOUGHTS AND SPEAK THE RIGHT
WORDS, WE'RE PULLING THE
POWER RIGHT OUT OF JESUS.
EVERY TIME YOU SPEAK
FAITH-FILLED WORDS, THE POWER
OF JESUS IS COMING INTO YOUR
LIFE.
YOU'RE GETTING CLOSER TO
WHERE YOU NEED TO BE.
GOD IS DRAWING YOU CLOSER AND
CLOSER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING
BECAUSE NO ONE WAS SPEAKING
WORDS OF FAITH OVER HER.
THE DOCTORS CERTAINLY DIDN'T.
THEY SENT HER AWAY.
NO, SHE DIDN'T GET TO COME TO
LAKEWOOD CHURCH AND HEAR JOEL
BLESS HER EVERY DAY.
NO, SHE HAD TO FIND IT WITHIN
HERSELF BY THE GRACE OF GOD,
AND SOME OF YOU, YOU PROBABLY
CAN SAY, "I'VE NEVER HAD
ANYBODY SPEAK ANYTHING OVER
ME THAT'S POSITIVE WORDS
OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
WHEN I GREW UP, MAN, PEOPLE
TALKED DOWN TO ME,
DISCOURAGING THINGS TO ME."
MAYBE SOME OF YOU ARE FACING
A SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE IN
THE MIDDLE OF A BUNCH OF
NEGATIVE PEOPLE WITH NEGATIVE
WORDS.
THAT LADY WAS, BUT, CAN I
TELL YOU, THOSE THINGS CAN
END TODAY BECAUSE YOU DON'T
HAVE TO WEAR ANYONE'S WORDS.
YOU HAVE THE FINAL SAY.
YOU CAST THE LAST VOTE.
YOU GET THE LAST WORD.
YOU CAN PUT A STAKE IN THE
GROUND RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU
HAVE THE POWER OF CHOICE:
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO ALLOW TO
THINK ABOUT AND WHAT YOU'RE
GOING TO ALLOW TO COME
OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.
IT'S REALLY NOT THAT
DIFFICULT.
IF YOU LISTEN TO THIS LADY'S
STORY, ALL SHE SAID WAS, "IF
I COULD ONLY TOUCH HIM.
IF I CAN--OH, THOSE THOUGHTS:
'BUT THE DOCTOR SAYS YOU
CAN'T--'
BUT IF I CAN ONLY TOUCH
HIM."
"MAN, MY BOSS IS BEING SO
MEAN TO ME."
"WELL, THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE
I'M THE HEAD, NOT THE TAIL."
"OH, MAN, THESE FINANCES
AREN'T LOOKING GOOD."
"THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
JEHOVAH-JIREH
IS MY PROVIDER."
"I MEAN, MAN, I'VE BEEN PUT
DOWN SO LONG, I DON'T EVEN
KNOW IF I HAVE ANY
SELF-CONFIDENCE OR
SELF-WORTH."
"THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
I'M MADE IN THE IMAGE OF
ALMIGHTY GOD.
I'M HIS MASTERPIECE.
I'M THE APPLE OF HIS EYE."
"MAN, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
YOU'RE NOT TALENTED ENOUGH."
"OH, NO, NO, NO.
GOD HAS FILLED ME WITH
EVERYTHING I NEED TO LIVE A
LIFE OF VICTORY.
I HAVE 'APPOINTED'
AND 'PURPOSE'
MARKED ALL OVER ME."
YOU SEE, WHAT WE HAVE TO
UNDERSTAND IS WE DON'T HAVE
TO HAVE A BIG, LONG VERSE.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE
TO KNOW WHERE IT'S FOUND
IN THE BIBLE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO KNOW HOW
THAT'S BEEN TRANSLATED INTO
GREEK OR INTO HEBREW.
WE DON'T HAVE TO KNOW ALL
THAT.
IT'S GOOD TO KNOW ALL THAT.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE,
BUT, LISTEN, YOU START WHERE
YOU ARE TODAY, AND THAT'S A
SIMPLE PHRASE, IS "I AM MORE
THAN A CONQUEROR.
GOD HAS CALLED ME TO TRIUMPH
OVER EVERYTHING THAT HAS COME
AGAINST US.
THE VICTORY THAT'S IN HIM IS
THE VICTORY THAT'S IN ME."
SIMPLE PHRASES WILL CHASE OFF
DISCOURAGEMENT.
THE ONLY WAY TO OVERCOME
THOSE NEGATIVE VOICES IS TO
CHASE THEM OFF WITH
FAITH-FILLED WORDS.
IF YOU'LL PUT THE RIGHT STUFF
IN, I WANT TO TELL YOU, THE
RIGHT WORDS WILL BE THERE
WHEN YOU NEED THEM, AMEN?
AMEN!
HE'S AN AWESOME GOD, AND HE'S
FOR US AND NOT AGAINST US.
> JOEL: THANKS FOR WATCHING
THE MESSAGE.
I HOPE IT
INSPIRED AND UPLIFTED YOU.
MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE TO
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THERE ARE
NEW MESSAGES EVERY WEEK.
WE LOVE YOU AND WE'LL SEE
YOU NEXT TIME.