Elevation with Steven Furtick - It Had To Happen

Episode Date: August 23, 2024

When a crisis occurs, often our first reaction is to question God and ask why it had to happen. But what if there’s a better way to respond? Discover how learning the right response to a situation is often more important than learning the reasons behind it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life.

Enjoy the message. All right, look at this from Acts Chapter 27. I preached this passage back in 2013, and this is the sequel. Back then, I did a message called It Will Happen. Touched somebody say, It Happens. however you want to take that. It's a message about faith and fear. I'm going to get back into it today and share with you another level of it.

And let me read Acts chapter 27, 20. Paul is in the middle of a miracle, but he's also in the middle of a mistake. And sometimes the two are the same thing. That's about perspective. Sometimes the two are the same thing. Well, the Bible says in verse 20, Acts chapter 27, when neither sun nor stars appear, for many days. And the storm continued raging, because it was one of those things that wouldn't let up.

It was not the kind of trial that you go through and just get through it. It's like when you don't see any end in sight, it was that kind of thing. So what happened was they lost all their hope, and they quit believing that they could be saved, that it could be different, that they could be delivered. And right at the time that they started to let go of their hope, God spoke to Paul in a powerful way. And of course, Paul was that great missionary who took the gospel to the Gentiles. And so it was a good thing for them that he was on board. Touched somebody, say, you ought to be glad you're sitting next to me.

Because any boat that I'm on is better because I'm on it. Come on now. Come on now. So the Bible says after they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said, Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have spared yourselves this damage and lost. But now I urge you to keep up your courage because not one of you will be lost. Only the ship will be destroyed.

Here's how I know. Last night, an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I served stood beside me and said, said, do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar. In other words, you can't go down in this battle because I got a bigger one ahead of you. And God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith that it will happen, just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island. So three and a half years ago I preached a message called It Will Happen, and today I want you to announce my sermon title, look at your neighbor and tell them neighbor. Tell them neighbor.

It had to happen. Father, I thank you for your word. I pray that it would go forth in clarity now to bless the people that you've brought here to hear it. Not only would they hear it, God, but I pray that they might apply it so that it can strengthen their lives. In Jesus' name, amen. On your way to your seat, touch your other neighbor that you hadn't talked to yet and tell him it had to happen. Because Paul, as spiritual as he is, is apparently not above telling someone I told you so. Because he had warned the sailors who were on this ship that was headed to Rome.

They were trying to get to Italy. And Paul was on there for preaching the gospel. He didn't do anything wrong. but sometimes the reason that you go through things isn't because of something wrong that you did. You know that, right? Even as a Christian. And sometimes the things you go through are directly connected to something you did right. And you can't always know the reason.

And that's difficult for me. I always want to know the reason. And I feel like I'm really good at dealing with resistance if I know the reason for it. And even with people, I'm kind of saying. skeptical. I don't always take people at face value for what they say they want in a relationship. And I probably shouldn't be so paranoid. Holly tells me I should trust people more, but I think she should trust people less, so we just balance each other out. I really do. I think you should trust people less because people will say that they want to be your friend for this

reason, and sometimes there's a deeper reason. I know you can't go through life living like that. You should assume the best about people and all of that, but I don't sometimes. Sometimes I But I get in situations where I'm like, hmm, I wonder what the real reason, even with my kids, you know, if they're too nice to me, you know, if they hug me a little too tight, if they come running a little too fast, hey, daddy, I know that behind the affection is an ask. It happened today. I was coming out to preach. I heard a noise in the bathroom back in my green room and I was in another room and I knew

it was Elijah because I heard the pop of the product, my hair product. And I said, who's in here? And I knew it was him. I was messing with him. And he said, it's me, Daddy. I just came to say I love you. And I said, and to use my hair product? I know where you're really in here.

You want my product. And he said, and because I love you. And I said, well, mostly because you want my product. And he said, why can't it be both? Pretty good. Why can it be both? And for me, I hear Paul, he's on a ship that he doesn't believe he rightfully belongs on, taking as prisoner for a crime that he didn't commit, being accused of things that he didn't do.

And I hear when he's talking, I kind of hear two things. I hear faith, it will happen, and I hear frustration this didn't have to happen. And I hear both. Because watch, he says, if you would have taken my advice, you would have spared yourself, this damage and loss. In other words, the reason we're about to wreck is because of a decision that you made, but if we stay too long in the reason, we're going to drown, because what matters at some point, you have to get past at some point trying to figure out why it happened. And this is difficult. This is difficult for those of us who want to know a reason, even

pastorally when I call someone and maybe they've gone through a loss of tragedy and I say, I was just calling to pray with you, there's a temptation for me to try to give them a reason for why it happened. And when I was a rookie pastor before I became the sage of wisdom that I am before you today, can you feel me rolling my eyes at myself in sarcasm? I would always feel compelled to give them a reason, but God is going to use this for good. You know, Romans 828, 828, Jeremiah, 29, 11, every little, Every little coffee cup verse I could spin out at them just as fast as I could.

You know, there's a reason from that. And I realized at some point during giving people reasons, sometimes people don't need a reason when they're in the middle of a storm. They just need a reassurance that God will not leave you alone in it. So please, when someone that you love is suffering, don't be so quick to give them a reason. Don't be so quick to point your finger. Well, the reason your kids are rebelling is because, no, no, now's not the time for that.

People don't need a reason when they're going through a great time, great trial. What they need is someone to reassure them that God is with you, and so am I. And here's Paul standing in the middle of a storm. And the reason it's happening is because of their dumb decision. Have you ever had to go through a storm because of somebody else's dumb decision? This is an awkward moment in my sermon because if you agree too much, the person next to you is going to know. Paul says, if we would have done it this way, oh yeah, because not everything that happens to you happen because God wanted it to happen to you. And certainly not everything that happens to you happens because the devil did it.

Because if the devil did it, then God had to allow it. Sometimes I think we got the wrong word. Sometimes I think they both start with the letter D and we get confused. Sometimes it's not the devil, it's a decision. It's just too crowded in church today. I need to free up some seats for the next week, so I don't want you to have to sit in parking or anything like that. It's sometimes, and so Paul says, Paul says, this didn't have to happen like this. And those are the hardest for me.

Really the hardest for me is when I feel like this was avoidable. And when I feel like I could have avoided it, but yet it's inevitable. And that's the tension, isn't it? I was talking to one of my best friends the other day, and I said, a year from now, we were going through something and we were talking through it and something that we couldn't understand. And I said, a year from now, we will understand why this had to happen. And he said, do you really believe that? I said, yeah, I believe that in time, God will show us. He said, no, no, not that part.

Do you really believe it had to happen? Because what he was doing, he was reverse engineering all the decisions that led to it. And what I kind of wanted to say to him that I wasn't smart enough to say in the moment, but I've thought about it for a few weeks now and I want to tell you. I've come to the place in my belief system where I no longer try to figure out whether God did it or the devil did it because it has to pass through the same hands before it gets to me. And I've read enough of the Bible to know that God will use other people's bad decisions to get me to my destiny. And I've seen enough play out to know that Joseph at the end of his life was only able to look at his brothers and say,

don't even worry about it because you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Which one was it? Evil or good? It was both. Why can't it be both? Why can it be an attack from the devil that God used and put to good usage and repurposed in order? order to accomplish. That's what Paul is saying. He's saying, it didn't have to happen. I don't want you to blame this on God. We could have avoided this. You didn't have to date him. Your mom told you he was crazy, and you wouldn't listen to anybody. But if we stay stuck in the reason, we'll miss the revelation. Because Paul says, you know, there's a reason this happened and it could have been avoided. But last night, while the storm was raging, last night I was all alone, and God showed up and reminded me that his purpose is still intact even if the ship goes down.

It had to happen. It had to happen. And God doesn't tell Paul a whole series of explanations. He doesn't give him a reason. He gives him a revelation. Revelation is more powerful than reason. You can't fight the devil with the reason. because sometimes you don't know the reason.

Sometimes you have to go back to who God showed you that he was. And God is very tactical in this, so he will create a situation for a revelation. Can I preach about this for a minute? So he will let Lazarus die, and he loves Lazarus. And when they tell him that Lazarus died, he'll say, I'm glad it happened. Jesus actually said, I'm glad he'd die. Why? Because now we've got a situation.

And the situation is what enables the revelation. It's not just true because it rhymes. It's true because it's true. Up until this point, they knew him as healer. Now they needed to know him as resurrection. And so he said, I'm glad it went wrong. I'm glad it went poorly. Paul said, we must run aground on some islands.

Somebody say it had to happen. It had to happen. And sometimes when you ask God for a reason, he will bypass the reason and give you a revelation. You still belong to me. You're still my child. See, I don't operate by reason. If I operate by reason, sometimes I'll be up, sometimes I'll be down. I operate by revelation.

I know he is good and he does good. I know he's with me. I know he's for me. I know he'll never leave me nor forsake me. That's my revelation. Somebody say, I got a revelation. And so when you get in trouble, you don't need a reason. You need a revelation.

Elijah looked at me the other day, and I was telling him to do something, and he's 11 years old. And so he is being visited by demons of 11-year-oldness. And he's coming up to me talking about, Dad, I'll do it if you tell me the reason. He said, I'm not the kind of person who can just do something without knowing the reason. Do you ever see The Simpsons? I know you don't watch TV. You read the Bible all the time. When Homer grabs Bart around the neck.

And I knew I probably couldn't do that when he said, he said I need a reason. And I looked back at him. And the only thing that came to me was I looked at him. The spirit of Star Wars came on me and I said, I am your father. You don't need a reason to do it, boy. You need a revelation of who I am. How big... See, sometimes in your life, you won't.

know why. But if you know who... So look, high five somebody say, I got a revelation. And Paul says, we're going to make it, but the boat isn't. The boat has to break, but we're going to make it. We will suffer loss, but we will not lose what's most important. That's the promise. All right.

So you know what's amazing about this story? It happened just like Paul said it would, and they all got to the shore. And they got to that island. That island, look at this in Acts 28, verse 1. Somebody say it had to happen. That's the word for you today. It had to happen. When they got there, the Bible says Acts 28, verse 1, once safely on shore, we found out that

the island was called Malta. Malta means refuge. So the grace of God does not always prevent the consequence, but it gives you a place to land. And so we must run aground on some island. And when we got there, we found out the island was called Malta. And it must be a relief now that we're no longer on these open seas because they spent weeks thrashing around, wondering if they'd ever see dry land again. And then they get to the place.

The Bible says in verse two that the islanders showed us unusual kindness. Islanders is a kind term. The actual word that is used here from Luke who wrote the book of Acts is barbarians. And he called them that because they didn't speak his language. Malta is an unfamiliar place. And it's an unfamiliar place, not only that, but they built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Now imagine this. Can we empathize with Paul for a minute? because he survived a shipwreck only to shiver in the cold of an unfamiliar island and an unfamiliar language. And he survived, but now the place where he is is unfamiliar to him. I mentioned that because many times in my life I have found myself on Malta.

Have you ever been to Malta? Oh, sure you have. Sure you have. It's that place. I'm going to show it to you. I'll show you in the map here in my Bible. Look, that's where Paul started. That's where the wind blew him around for like several weeks.

And that's Malta, where they landed. Look, you see that? That little tiny island called Malta. A little... See how small Malta is? See how tiny it is? How small it is? How strength...

That's where Paul was going. And that's where the wind blew it. That's where Paul had always wanted to visit Rome, where he would stand trial before Caesar and be used as God's great spokesman, the most powerful place in the world in his day. And that's... Have you ever ended up somewhere you never planned on being? That's what I'm trying to say.

Have you ever been to Malta? I need somebody over here in this section who's been to Malta. Now Malta is the place you didn't plan on staying. Malta is the season you didn't plan on experiencing. Malta is the layoff you didn't see coming. Malta is the relationship you didn't see ending. Malta is the emotional place you never thought you'd experience. You saw other people depressed.

You never thought you'd be depressed. You saw other people's kids act crazy. You thought yours would act right. Malta is that place where you're 28 and single. Malta is that place where someone who was there for you is no longer there for you. Have you ever been to Malta? What is somebody as important as Paul doing somewhere as small as Malta? Let's find out.

Let's find out. I love the Bible, man. The Bible says that Paul got to Malta. Survived the shipwreck. Have you ever survived anything? Have you ever survived anything? Have you ever gave up hope? And just when you gave up hope, hope didn't give up on you.

and grabbed hold of you in the depths. I've been preaching this all weekend, but I feel something special happening right now for somebody who is in an unexpected place, a strange place, a small place, a stuck place. The Bible says that those islanders were so kind to the prisoners,

276 of them in all, that they built them fire. And Paul was such a good dude that he decided to help. So they're building a fire and Paul doesn't want to stand over there like me at a Love Week event looking like some lazy preacher who doesn't know how to do anything. Paul grabs a piece of wood. Look, it's right there in verse 3. He gathered a pile of brushwood and as he put it on the fire trying to help, a snake came out. So let's go back to everything that's happened to Paul. He's imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He's shipwrecked because the sailors. are too stupid to follow his advice.

Now he's cold on Malta. You're talking about Malta? Stuck and stranded. Shivering and cold. Uncertained in an unfamiliar place. And just as he thinks he's made it to safety, he gets struck by a snake. This is almost comical.

Unless you've been there when, And just when you thought the fight was going to be over, here comes something else. Have you ever? And this snake simply trying to help them build where he never says it fastened itself to his hand. So this is not some quick little, this snake, what the people did because you've got to be careful about people. Let me tell you, you got to be careful about people. Because when that happened, people will always assign a reason to why you're going to. going through what you're going through.

Well, if I were her husband, I would have left to. People will say stuff like that. Not to you. They never say it to you. They just think it about you. They think that the reason bad things happened to you is because of something that you did. Well, the islanders are watching this guy who's got a snake on his hand, who just came crawling out of the sea with some seaweed around his ears, and he claims to be a preacher, and he claims to be a servant of God. And so if you're a servant of God, why isn't God protecting you? Has the death? The devil tried to convince you lately that if you really had a God, you wouldn't be going through what you're going through.

And so they stood back and said, this dude, when they saw the snake hanging from his hand, which means it was there for a minute. When they saw the snake hanging from his hand, they drew their own conclusions. He must have done something wrong. He must be a murderer. He must be out of the will of God. For though he escaped the sea, the goddess justice has not allowed him to live. I love the next verse because Paul preaches one of the most powerful sermons in the New

Testament. Watch this. When Paul saw him all looking, he knew he had a captive audience. Verse 5 says that when Paul saw him looking, he said, and this may not be in your Bible. I'm reading from the TSV, the Taylor Swift version. He said, players. gonna play play, play, play, play.

Play, play. Come on, y'all. Go back to 2014 with me for a minute. And haters going to hate, hate, hate, hate, hate hate, hate. Five times. That's a quintuplet in the New Testament. Heartbreakers gonna break, break.

We get the point, Pastor. You don't have to quote the whole chorus and the verse. Paul's response, that's the word. Response. Watch this. He didn't say a word. He didn't try to convince them that God was with him. He didn't feel sorry for himself. He didn't go on Facebook and write a response post. Watch what he did. He did what you've got to learn how to do when you make it through the storm and all hell breaks loose on the shore. Come on when they talk about you. When it looks. Like this is the end when you've been through it and it keeps coming.

The Bible said, Paul, shook it off. Touch seven people say shake it off. Shake it off right now before it gets in your system. Shake it off right now before it kills you. Shake it off right now while they're standing around watching you. You got to do it right now. Right now you got to shake it off. You don't take a vote from the island committee to see whether or not they think God is with

You. No. Paul said I got a revelation. God already told me I'm going to Rome, so I can't die on the Leave me or forsake me. I already know I'm more than a conqueror. I already know! So if I'm going to Rome, I can't die on Malta.

And when the shake fell off of Paul's hand and died in the fire, it wasn't a surprise to him. He knew it had to happen. It had to happen. Somebody say it had to happen. I had to survive. I had to make it. I had to get through it. God had to prove his power.

I'll feel your presence, Lord. For everybody who's been wondering why, you've been stuck on the Y land. You know what I'm saying? You've been so busy trying to figure out a reason, and God is trying to give you a revelation. Not just you, but everybody watching you. God wants everybody to see you shake it off. God wants everybody around you to see you trust him, though he slay you. And that's why the snake had to bite him.

Because faith doesn't prevent me from getting bit. Faith doesn't prevent me from washing up on the shore. What I love about it is that after Paul shook the snake off, the people stood back and watched to see what was going to happen next. Because that's what they do. They don't bring you an ice pack or an aspirin. Talk to me. They will stand there and watch you.

And the Bible says that they were shocked because they expected him to swell up. You know you got some people that are surprised that you made it and surprised you're still happy. You know, they thought when they broke your heart you were going to quit. But look at you in church, worshiping God, serving God, believing God. Look at you. Look at you. So they're like, oh. Let's see what happens next.

Touched somebody to say, let's see what happens next. So they waited a long time, and then when they saw that he didn't swell up or turn into a walker, they changed their minds. This is why you cannot put your confidence in people. They changed their minds and said, he's a God. One minute, he's a murderer. Now he's a God. One minute, Hosanna, the next minute, crucify him.

That's why your response cannot be to people. Even when I preach, I love you, but I can't preach for you. I can preach to you, but I can't preach for you. Because the thing that I say that you need to hear might make you cross your arms and get an attitude. Well, sit back and take it, honey, because if God's sin it, I'm going to say it. All right, now watch this. Let's show you one more thing. So he shakes off the snake.

They think he's going to die. die. And a cool place to end the sermon, I think, but I want to give you something that will maybe help you. Let me just see from a show of hands. Is there anybody in here who has found yourself in Malta recently? It could be a season. It could be... Malta represents, yeah, that stuck place. I think these are the kinds of questions, generic questions that people ask, because we know that it's guaranteed to get 100% participation. I mean, who doesn't feel stuck from time to time. And that's kind of the point, isn't it?

Is that we all must go through Malta. And Paul at this point in the story has a decision to make. Misery or mission. Misery or mission. Because we already read that it was rainy and cold. We already read that it was unfamiliar. We already read that the man almost died. And now he has a decision to make, and so do you.

this season of your life. Paul didn't decide to go to Malta, but now he has to decide what to do while he's there. And he can sit and wait to get off this stupid island, or he can do on Malta what he did in Jerusalem. All right, so Paul, they think he's a god now, right? So they're like, They're like, hey, this guy's important. And apparently the chief of the island hears about it. And he wants to have dinner with this guy who can survive a snake bite. So your opportunities in life will be the byproduct of adversity that you go through. And he gets invited to the home of the official on the island because he was able to stand up under the trial.

You keep praying for the opportunity, but you don't want to stand up. up under the adversity. So somebody said it had to happen. I had to go through something. I had to prove perseverance. That's the only way my faith could grow to enable the opportunity. So there was an estate nearby. Look at this in verse 7.

There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, which is incidentally a baby name that is available to any of you who are looking for something to name your child that will get them beat up. This guy's important and he wants to see the guy who was able to stand up after the snake bite and survive the shipwreck. He welcomed all of them into the home and showed generous hospitality for three days. And I'm imagining Paul's thinking this is nice. But at some point during Paul's stay, he learns that Publius has a problem.

Touch somebody say Publius has a problem. And Publius' problem is about to become Paul's opportunity. Because Publius's father was sick in bed with the mob. to fever and it's bad. He's got temperatures and dysentery. And Paul, when he heard about it, went in to see him. Now, the way I picture it, and maybe I'm using too much imagination, but I imagine that they're sitting down to a meal and Paul sees somebody wheeled into the room and says,

who's that? And Publia says, it's my dad. And Paul says, what's wrong with him? And Publius says he's sick and there's nothing we can do about it. Imagine about right here is where Paul started smiling, which seems kind of weird, but maybe this is the moment that Paul realizes. There was a reason I went through the storm. There was a reason the hurricane hit. There was a reason the ship had to break apart.

There's a reason we had to run aground on Malta. Paul said, can I see him? Can we have a moment? And the Bible says that when Paul went in to see him, he prayed for him. And watch the next part. You're going to love this. You look kind of military. Can I use you for an example?

Sit out. Everybody sit down. Paul went in and prayed for him. And after prayer, somebody say it had to happen. Come on, Missouri, it had to happen. You had to be here at this sermon today. There's something God wanted to speak to you. You had to be here with the ZZ Top Beard Goatee.

You had to be right there in that section. And Paul put his hand on Publius' dad's head. And when he put his hand on his head, the Bible says he was healed, which is a miracle all in its own. But what made it even more amazing to me was to realize. that the same hand that the healing came through was the same hand that had a snake hanging from it just three days ago. Oh, come on, you all start praising God right now. What you went through that didn't kill you, that's... Let me have your chair, says, I can't keep the snake from biting me. Touch somebody, say it had to happen. The other day Abby came up to me and

She said, Elijah just bit me. I said, did you bite him back? She said, no, sir. I said, go upstairs and tell your brother, you can bite me again if you want to. But Danny said to tell you, if you bite me, I'm good parenting. But this is good preaching. Same hand that the snake bit became the hand that the healing came from. What did you go through, that you wish you wouldn't have gone through,

that you never should have gone through. I came to declare over your life. It does not matter the reason. What matters is your response. You're on Malta now. Malta is what you make of it. The Bible says after he laid his hands on that man's head, word got around the whole island.

This guy's got something. This guy's got something. This guy knows somebody. When he put his hand on the father's head, the Bible said the whole island came. And all of a sudden, now Publius had to turn his house into a church building and the whole island got healed. It had to happen. The whole island got healed.

I'm sorry I messed up your hair, but it had to happen. I feel like I got something on me right now to tell somebody. Release. It's about the release. When Paul was going through the storm, he said, we must run aground on some island. Somebody say it had to happen. And Paul thought he needed Malta. But it turns out Malta needed.

There's a purpose for it. I don't need a reason. I got a revelation. God is with me. He is good. He does good. It had to happen. I'm not saying God did it.

I'm saying he'll use it now. What are you going to do on Malta? That small place. You've been changing diapers, filler like nobody. appreciates you, that's your Malta. You've been praying for a ring and you can't even get a text back? That's your Malta. I never wanted to be on Malta, but Paul said, now that I'm here, who can I heal?

Matter of fact, y'all got any more snakes? I wish another snake would bite me because if that much power could come from the pain, who else can I heal? Who else can I heal? God, what did you bring me? This must be Malta. And while they were getting ready for a wreck, God was positioning them for a revival. This is the mistake that turned into a miracle, that turned into a mission.

And I want you to know today, whoever is for the 48 percent of you that God sent me to preach to who are spending three months on Malta right now. I want you to know that your supply is in your assignment. Did you get it over here? Your supply is in your assignment. He could have sat there on Malta moping about what he went through on the Adriatic Sea. But he turned it into a mission and the whole island got healed. Maybe what you went through wasn't even about you.

Maybe it's generational. That's what I told my dad before he died. I said, I know your life was hard. I know it was the living hell. I know your father abused you. I know you had to suffer through many things, but you broke it. You broke it. You had to go through it so I wouldn't have to, so I could preach, so I can stand.

Sometimes it's not about us. Paul decided to bite back. With his hand still swollen from the snake bite. Suck that poison out and turn it into power. I'm bit, but I'm not bitter. I appreciate that in three years. I preached that in bars and battles. But for now, God wanted you to know that it had to happen.

Even the rejection. My friend said, do you really believe that it had to happen? And I said, well, I don't know. But you know what? It made me who I am what I went through. It made me who I am. I want to look in the camera because we have 14 locations right now, and I want you to stand on your feet at every location.

and realize that healing is in your hands, that God brought you to Malta. And when you're in the middle of a storm, it seems like there's often no sense of guidance. And when your boat is being blown around and you have no control over it, it's a scary thing to be out on the Mediterranean Sea with nothing to look at for light. And to arrive at a cold place only to be met by the sting of a viper. I've been there before in my own life, but God sent me with a message for you. today, it had to happen. Because while the wind was controlling the boat, God was controlling the wind. I'm not saying he did it, but if God allowed it, you can accept it.

And if you can accept it, the very place where you were injured will be the very place that your purpose comes forth from. It had to happen. It had to happen. Even the mistakes. It had to happen. Because God needed me here in Malta right now. Father, I have declared your word to your people.

And you have promised your blessing upon it. Father, I pray that today would represent a shift in the perspective of everyone who has seen themselves. as stuck on Malta. Church, I want you to repeat this out loud after me. It's a paradigm shift. Say, I'm not stuck. I'm stationed. Now, clap your hands and give God praise that he's got you right where he.

Come on, he's got you right where he wants to. There is an assignment on Malta with your name on it. Even if they did it, God's going to use it. This is my Malta. And the Bible says in verse 10, that when they were ready, when the assignment was completed, they honored us in many ways. And when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. God said, if you'll do what I put you there to do, I will give you what you need for where I'm taking you.

Who is this message for? This is my Malta. This is my Malta. I'm done crying. I'm done regretting, I'm done wishing. Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry is because of you that this ministry is possible.

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