You can’t move forward if you stay focused on your past. Let go of past mistakes and regrets and press forward to the amazing future God has for you!
>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: THANK
YOU, LORD.
HALLELUJAH.
WE LOVE YOU, LORD, AND WE
COME INTO AGREEMENT WITH
JEREMIAH 29:11, AMEN?
AMEN.
YOU MAY BE SEATED.
IT IS GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE,
AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERY
ONE OF US THIS MORNING THAT
WE HAVE TO RESOUND A GREAT,
BIG YES TO ALL OF GOD’S
PROMISES.
AND THAT SHOULD BE OUR GOAL
FOR 2016, IS TO SAY, “YES,
GOD, TO EVERY PROMISE YOU
HAVE IN MY LIFE.
YES, GOD, FOR EVERYTHING THAT
YOU WANT TO DO IN MY LIFE.”
SEE, OUR YES GIVES GOD
PERMISSION TO BRING FORTH HIS
PROMISES IN OUR LIFE.
OUR YES INVITES THE PROMISES
INTO OUR LIFE.
GOD WANTS US TO RESPOND WITH
A YES IN CHRIST.
IN 2 CORINTHIANS 1:20 IT SAYS
NO MATTER HOW MANY PROMISES
GOD HAS MADE, THEY ARE YES IN
CHRIST.
GOD’S PROMISES STAND FIRM.
THEY ARE YES AS FAR AS HE’S
CONCERNED, BUT LISTEN TO THE
REST OF THAT.
IT SAYS, “AND SO THROUGH
HIM,” THROUGH CHRIST, “THE
‘AMEN’ IS SPOKEN BY US.”
GOD HAS ALREADY SAID YES, BUT
GOD WANTS OUR RESPONSE, WHICH
IS AMEN.
NOW THE WORD “AMEN” IN THE
HEBREW AND THE GREEK BOTH
TRANSLATE INTO “SO BE IT.”
THE PROMISES OF GOD, OUR
RESPONSE SHOULD BE, “SO BE
IT.”
NOW IT’S 2016 AND USUALLY WE
SAY, “YES, GOD.
YES, GOD.”
SEE, THAT SHOULD BE OUR
RESPONSE.
EVERY GOOD THING, “YES, GOD.”
EVERY PROMISE YOU HAVE FOR
ME, “YES, GOD.”
HEALING IS MINE.
JOY IS MINE.
PROVISION IS MINE.
EVERYTHING I NEED IS IN YOU,
IN CHRIST, AND I AM GOING TO
RESOUND A GREAT, BIG YES.
YOU’VE RECEIVED AN INVITATION
BEFORE TO A WEDDING OR SOME
GREAT, GRAND CELEBRATION,
AND WHEN YOU GET THAT
INVITATION, YOU OPEN IT UP,
AND IT TELLS YOU WHO’S
INVITING YOU, AND WHERE IT’S
GOING TO BE, AND WHAT TIME
IT’S GOING TO OCCUR,
AND THEN THERE’S R.S.V.P.
AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR
INVITATION.
THAT R.S.V.P., AS YOU KNOW,
MEANS “PLEASE RESPOND.”
SEE, THE HOST HAS ALREADY
PREPARED A CELEBRATION.
THEY’VE COUNTED YOU IN.
THEY’VE ALREADY PREPARED FOR
YOU TO BE THERE, BUT THEY
WANT TO KNOW ARE YOU GOING TO
SHOW UP.
ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE PART IN
WHAT THEY HAVE ALREADY
PLANNED?
SO R.S.V.P., PLEASE RESPOND,
AND IN MUCH THE SAME WAY
THERE IS A “PLEASE RESPOND”
ATTACHED TO GOD’S PROMISES.
SEE, GOD HAS ALREADY PREPARED
SOME AMAZING THINGS FOR YOU,
BUT HE NEEDS YOUR RESPONSE.
SEE, THE AMEN IS SPOKEN BY
YOU.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO
GOD’S PROMISES?
ALL GOD’S PROMISES ARE YES,
BUT TO RECEIVE THOSE PROMISES
WE HAVE TO SAY, “AMEN.”
WE HAVE TO SAY, “YES, GOD.”
WE HAVE TO SHOW UP.
I WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND OF
MINE THE OTHER DAY, AND HE
SAID, “I HAD THIS DESIRE IN
MY HEART TO DO SOMETHING, AND
I JUST FELT SO EXCITED ABOUT
IT.”
HE SAID, “I PRAYED ABOUT IT.
I WENT TO GOD ABOUT IT.
I TOLD SOME PEOPLE ABOUT IT.
I WAS JUST SO EXCITED.”
HE SAID, “AND YEARS WENT BY,
AND NOTHING EVER HAPPENED.”
HE SAID, “BUT IT WAS STILL
THERE.”
HE SAID, “BUT I’D SHOW UP TO
GOD EVERY DAY, AND I’D DO
WHAT I KNEW TO DO.
I’D COME TO CHURCH.
I’D PRAY.
I’D PRAISE.
I’D TELL GOD HOW AMAZING HE
IS, BUT THE YEARS WENT BY,
AND IT DIDN’T HAPPEN.”
HE SAID, “I SAW NOTHING
HAPPEN, BUT I JUST KEPT
SHOWING UP.”
YOU SEE, HE KEPT COMING WITH
HIS YES, “WHATEVER IT IS,
GOD.
WHENEVER, GOD.
I’M SHOWING UP.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IN
MY LIFE?
I WANT TO BE A PART OF IT,
GOD.
I WANT TO JOIN IN.”
SEE, WHEN YOU SAY YES, YOU
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING?
YOU’RE STRENGTHENING
YOURSELF.
YOU’RE SHOWING UP TO GOD, AND
YOU’RE STRENGTHENING
YOURSELF.
YOU’RE DEVELOPING YOURSELF.
YOU’RE GROWING.
HE TOLD ME LATER, HE SAID,
“VICTORIA,” SAID, “WHAT I WAS
PRAYING FOR, IT DID FINALLY
COME TO PASS.”
HE SAID, “WHEN IT CAME TO
PASS,” HE SAID, “I WAS
AMAZED.”
HE SAID, “I WAS ELATED.
I WAS SO EXCITED.”
HE SAID, “BUT I REALIZE NOW
IF THAT WOULD HAVE COME TO
PASS SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE, I
WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN READY.”
HE SAID, “I HAD SOME THINGS
THAT NEEDED TO BE WORKED OUT
OF ME.
I WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
HANDLE, BUT NOW IT’S SO
SWEET, AND NOW I KNOW HOW TO
HANDLE IT.”
LISTEN, DON’T CHANGE YOUR YES
TO A NO BECAUSE IT’S TAKEN A
LONG TIME, BECAUSE YOU DON’T
SEE HOW IT’S GOING TO WORK
OUT.
GOD’S DELAY IS NOT HIS
DENIAL.
IT’S PREPARING YOU FOR WHAT’S
TO COME.
GOD IS WORKING IN YOU AND
WORKING SOME THINGS OUT OF
YOU SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE HOLD
OF THE PROMISES.
IN GENESIS IT TALKS ABOUT
ABRAHAM, AND WE ALL KNOW
ABRAHAM.
HE’S THE FATHER OF OUR FAITH.
GOD USED ABRAHAM IN MIGHTY
WAYS.
BUT WHEN ABRAHAM WAS YOUNG,
HE WAS WITH HIS FAMILY, HIS
FATHER, HIS MOTHER, ALL OF
HIS RELATIVES, AND GOD CAME
TO HIM.
GOD SENT HIM AN INVITATION,
AND GOD SAID, “ABRAHAM,
HERE’S AN INVITATION, BUT YOU
GOT TO GO.
YOU GOT TO LEAVE YOUR FAMILY.
YOU’VE GOT TO LEAVE YOUR
SURROUNDINGS.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU KNOW
YOU’VE GOT TO LEAVE, AND I’M
GOING TO TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE.
IN THE MIDST OF ALL THAT, I’M
GOING TO MAKE A GREAT NATION
THROUGH YOU.”
SEE, HE GOT THIS INVITATION,
THIS PROMISE FROM GOD.
BUT BEFORE ABRAHAM COULD
RECEIVE THE PROMISE, HE HAD
TO SAY YES TO GOD.
EVEN WHEN HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT
IT WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, HE
HAD TO SAY YES TO GOD.
HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE THAT?
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT, “I
DON’T KNOW HOW THIS THING IS
GOING TO WORK OUT.
I CAN EITHER STAND HERE, OR I
CAN SAY YES TO GOD.
I CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH MY
YES”?
WELL, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT
ABRAHAM HAD TO DO, AND I
BELIEVE THAT SHOWS US THAT’S
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
HE DIDN’T KNOW WHERE HE WAS
GOING.
GOD MADE SOME BIG
DECLARATIONS.
HE SAYS, “I’M GOING TO MAKE
YOU INTO A MIGHTY NATION.
THROUGH YOU YOU’RE GOING TO
SEE A NATION THAT’S MIGHTY.”
WELL, LISTEN, AS ABRAHAM WAS
WONDERING, TAKING SOME TWISTS
AND TURNS WITH GOD, THEN GOD
SPEAKING ABOUT THIS MIGHTY
NATION, HE’S SAYING, “I’M
GETTING OLD.
MY WIFE’S WOMB IS, LIKE,
REALLY OLD.
I MEAN, SHE CAN’T EVEN HAVE A
BABY.
GOD, I DON’T KNOW, BUT I’M
GOING TO SHOW UP EVERY DAY,
AND I’M GOING TO SAY YES.”
HE’D COME OUT OF HIS TENT,
AND HE’D LOOK AT THE STARS.
HE’D THINK, “MAN, I CAN LOOK
AT MYSELF, OR I CAN LOOK AT
MY GOD.
I CAN CONSIDER MY
CIRCUMSTANCES AND WHAT’S
CAPABLE IN MY OWN ABILITIES,
WHAT’S NATURAL, WHAT CAN I
DO, OR I CAN STEP OUTSIDE MY
TENT, AND I CAN LOOK UP AT
THE STARS, AND I CAN SAY,
‘GOD, IF YOU FLUNG THE STARS
INTO EXISTENCE, THEN YOU CAN
DO WHAT YOU SAID YOU CAN DO.
GOD, IF YOU’VE SAID IT, I’M
GOING TO BELIEVE IT.
SO I’M SHOWING UP, AND I’M
GOING TO GET INTO YOUR
PLAN,'” AND DO YOU KNOW
HE WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE
THE PROMISES OF GOD
IN HIS LIFE?
NOW ABRAHAM IS THE FATHER OF
OUR FAITH.
HE SHOWED GREAT FAITH.
HE SHOWED A GREAT, BIG YES,
AND THE SCRIPTURE TALKS ABOUT
THIS, AND THIS IS WHAT I
REALLY WANT YOU TO CATCH
TODAY.
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT WHEN
ABRAHAM SAID YES, THAT
FAITH TO SAY YES.
SEE, FAITH IS JUST A SIMPLE
YES.
YES TO GOD.
WITH THAT YES, THE BIBLE SAYS
IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
THAT MEANS HE WAS IN RIGHT
STANDING WITH GOD.
THAT MEANS WHEN HE CAME TO
GOD, HE COULD PARTAKE OF WHAT
GOD HAD FOR HIM.
HE DIDN’T HAVE TO COME GUILTY
AND CONDEMNED.
HE WAS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF
GOD, AND THROUGH THAT
RIGHTEOUSNESS, THROUGH THAT
YES, THAT GAVE HIM ACCESS.
IT GAINED HIM ACCESS TO THE
GRACE OF GOD.
NOW THE GRACE IS WHAT KEPT
ABRAHAM ON TRACK.
THE GRACE IS WHAT KEPT
ABRAHAM’S YES STRONG.
SEE, ABRAHAM COULDN’T HAVE
DONE IT IN HIS OWN WILLPOWER.
ONLY ABRAHAM COULD HAVE SAID
YES, THEN HE SHOWED UP, AND
IN HIS ACCOUNT WAS THE GRACE
TO BRING GOD’S PROMISES TO
PASS.
ABRAHAM COULDN’T HAVE BROUGHT
GOD’S PROMISES TO PASS IN HIS
OWN STRENGTH, AND THAT’S THE
THING.
IN HIS OWN BODY, HE WAS OLD.
HE DIDN’T KNOW WHERE HE WAS
GOING, BUT IN THE GRACE OF
GOD THE PROMISES CAME TO
PASS, AND THE BIBLE TALKS
ABOUT BECAUSE OF
ABRAHAM’S YES, IT CAME
DOWN THROUGH THE BLOODLINE
AND JESUS SHOWED UP ON THE
SCENE, WHICH CHANGED
EVERYTHING FOR YOU AND I.
SEE, IT SAYS IN ROMANS 4,
“THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WE HAD
GAINED ACCESS BY FAITH, BY
OUR YES, INTO THAT GRACE OF
GOD.”
HOW ARE WE GOING TO KEEP THIS
YES STRONG?
BY SHOWING UP.
BY SIMPLY COMING TO GOD EVEN
WHEN WE DON’T UNDERSTAND IT,
EVEN WHEN WE DON’T KNOW WHAT
IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT WE
BELIEVE.
WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS
GRACE IN OUR ACCOUNT TO BRING
FORTH THE PROMISES OF GOD.
I HAVE A FRIEND, AND SHE HAS
AN AMAZING YOUNG SON.
HE’S IN COLLEGE, AND SHE
ADORES HIM, AND HE’S A GOOD
GUY, AND SHE’S SO FUNNY,
BECAUSE SHE HAS THE
FINANCIAL MEANS
TO HELP HIM.
SO SHE’LL GO CHECK HIS
ACCOUNT, AND WHEN SHE SEES
HIS BANK ACCOUNT GETTING A
LITTLE LOW, SHE’LL PUT MONEY
IN IT SO THAT HE’LL HAVE
PROVISION TO PAY HIS BILLS,
TO BUY GROCERIES, TO BUY HIS
BOOKS.
SO SHE’LL CHECK THAT ACCOUNT
OFTEN, AND SHE’LL SEE, YOU
KNOW, THE LEVEL OF HIS
FINANCES, AND SHE’LL ADD THAT
SO THAT HE’LL HAVE WHAT HE
NEEDS TO CARRY OUT HIS LIFE,
AND DO YOU KNOW IN MUCH
THE SAME WAY THAT IS WHAT
YOU HAVE?
YOU HAVE A HEAVENLY FATHER
WHO IS WATCHING THIS GRACE
ACCOUNT OF YOURS, AND HE IS
NOT GOING TO LET IT GET LOW.
HE’S NOT GOING TO LET IT RUN
DRY.
EVERY TIME YOU GO TO THAT
ACCOUNT, EVERY TIME YOU SHOW
UP AND SAY, “YES, GOD,” THERE
IS GRACE IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO
DRAW FROM.
THERE IS PROVISION.
THAT’S WHAT WE HAVE TO
UNDERSTAND.
IT IS GRACE THAT WE ARE
SAVED.
IT’S NOT OF OURSELVES.
IT IS A SIMPLE GIFT.
MY FRIEND GIVES HER SON A
GIFT.
GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THE GIFT OF
GRACE.
THAT’S WHAT’S GOING TO CAUSE
YOU TO GO THROUGH.
THAT’S WHAT’S GOING TO
STRENGTHEN YOUR YES.
THAT’S WHY YOU’RE GOING TO
BECOME EVERYTHING GOD’S
CALLED YOU TO BE, BECAUSE YOU
ARE SAYING, “I WANT TO GET IN
THE PLAN OF GOD.
MY R.S.V.P., GOD, IS YES,
YES.
MY RESPONSE IS YES.”
LISTEN, WHEN YOU GO TO THAT
PARTY, THAT HOST DOESN’T
EXPECT YOU TO FIND THE FOOD,
DOESN’T EXPECT YOU TO, YOU
KNOW, GET YOUR OWN
DECORATIONS.
NO, IT’S ALREADY PREPARED FOR
YOU.
YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOW UP AND
BE A PART OF IT.
SEE, GOD IS SAYING, “SHOW UP
AND BE A PART OF WHAT I WANT
TO DO IN YOU AND WHAT I WANT
TO DO THROUGH YOU.
BUT IT’S ONLY GOING TO TAKE
PLACE, THOSE PROMISES ARE
ONLY GOING TO COME TO PASS,
BY MY GRACE.”
SOME OF YOU NEED TO JUST SAY,
“OKAY, I’M GOING TO MY GRACE
ACCOUNT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I’M GETTING UP.
I’M COMING RIGHT TO THAT
ACCOUNT.
MAN, I WOULDN’T EVEN THINK
ABOUT GOING OUT TO
GET–WITHOUT GETTING MY GRACE
FIRST.
GOD, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT I AM
HERE.
I’M SHOWING UP.
YOU’VE GOT PROVISION.
YOU’VE GOT EVERYTHING I NEED.
ALL I HAVE TO DO IS HONOR
YOU, PUT YOU FIRST PLACE,
GIVE YOU THE GLORY, GOD, AND
YOU’LL DO WHAT I CAN’T DO.
YOU’LL GIVE ME THE GRACE TO
SEE IT THROUGH.”
AMEN?
AMEN.
2016 IS YOUR YEAR OF
UNMERITED FAVOR, OF GOD’S
GRACE IN YOUR LIFE, AMEN?
GRACE IN YOUR LIFE, AMEN?