I wanna talk to you today, about increasing your capacity to receive. God has all kinds of great things in store for you. He has favor in your future, that you have never imagined. Hes got good breaks, new opportunities, the right people. God wants to take you to places that you ve never even dreamed off. But here is the key, God is limited by our capacity to receive.
For instance if you have a 1 gallon bucket, but I have 50 gallons to give you. The problem is not with the supply, the problem is you do not have the capacity to receive, if you get rid of the small container and get something larger, God can give you more. It’s the same principle with God. If we think, we have reached our limits, if we think the economy is too bad and we are gonna have a down year, if we think, we will never get well, like what the medical report says, Ever afford a house that we really want, its not that God has the resources, its not that he has the ability, the fact is our container is too small. Our thinking is limited, we have to enlarge our vision and make room for something to happen. Our attitude should be yes the economy is down, but I know God is still on the thrown. I know he has promotion & increase lined up for me. I know his favor surrounds me like a shield, I know wherever I go, goodness & mercy will follow me and so Im expecting for an extraordinary year. When you have that kind of an attitude, what do you do?, you are increasing your capacity to receive, thats when your going to see God show up and show out in unusual ways.
For some people, they go around with a small cup so to speak, others have traded in their cup and they’ve got a bucket, they are doing Ok, they are surviving and not planning on going much further & still others they’ve traded in the bucket they’ve got a barrel, there is one other group, this group is very unusual, these people believe for far and beyond favor. They believe that God is going to prosper them, even when there is a recession. They believe that their children will be mighty in the land. They are expecting for explosive blessings. They know down deep, supernatural increase is coming their way, so they don’t have a cup, they don’t have a bucket, they don’t have a barrel, they ve been coming to church too long, they’ve got a barn, they’ve got a whole warehouse. They are expecting God to open the windows of heaven, expecting supernatural opportunities, exponential increase.
It says in Psalms, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it”. My question is “Do you have your mouth open wide?” what are you expecting. Well Jeba, I don’t think, I will ever meet my sales goals, this year, with the economy like it is. I don’t think I will ever get promoted, I am not that qualified. I don’t think I will ever get well. The problem is, your mouth is barely open. You are not expecting good breaks. You are not expecting increase. You are not expecting God to show up and turn it around and unfortunately you wont be disappointed.
The scripture says, Jesus said it, according to your faith it will be done with you. He might as well as said, if you have a cup, I will fill you with a cup level of blessing. You got a bucket? I will fill you with a bucket level of blessing, if you got a barn, in other words, if you will take the limits off of God, if you will believe for supernatural opportunities, if you will go out each day, expecting for far and beyond favor, you wont be disappointed.
Psalm 37:19 says, Even in famine, the righteous will have more than enough. When you have your mouth open wide, you are not expecting to pay your monthly mortgage payment. You are believing to totally pay your house off. To live totally debt free, that’s barn level living,
Let me ask you a question, do you go out each day knowing that favor is already in your future, or have you got stuck in a rut. This is what happened to the people of Israel, they were headed towards the promise land, they had big goals, big dreams, but along the way, they hit some set backs, had some disappointments, they got so discouraged, they gave up on their dreams, and just settled where they were. One day, God said to them, you have dwelt long enough on this mountain, I believe that God is saying that to each one of us. You’ve been where you are long enough. Some of you have held that cup, year after year, its how you were raised, its all you have known.i am asking you to increase your capacity to receive, that means your going to stretch your faith, your going to start thinking bigger, believing bigger, you are going to go beyond barriers that have held you back,and your going to give room for God to do something new. I've learnt that you ve got to give God permission to increase you. You’ve got to give God permission to prosper you.
Jesus said it like this, "You cant put new wine on old wine skin". He says, you cant go to a new level, with an old way of thinking, many of you are expecting God to do something new. When you hear this truth, that its gonna be a great year, that God has got more instore, something resonates on the inside, that’s your spirit person, coming into agreement with God. And very often our natural mind, will allow us talk us out of it. Your mind would say, its not going to happen for you. Your not going to have a great year, you know what the economy is like or your not going to get well, you saw what the medical report says. Your not going to get married, you’ve been single so long, just accept it. No, get rid of that old wine skin. Trade in that small container for something larger. This is a new season, whats happened in the past is over and done. You may been through some disappointments, tried, failed, it didn’t work out, that’s ok. God is still in control. Get a new vision for your life. Have the attitude, this is my year to go to a new level, this is my year to be totally healthy, this is my year to meet the person of my dreams.
If you will open your mouth wide, God says I will fill it. But it starts here, right here with us, with our capacity to receive, we cannot go around thinking thoughts of mediocrity, and expect to excel. We cant think thoughts of defeat, barely get by, help me to survive, and at the same time, expect God to fill us with abundance, the 2 don’t go together, get rid of that cup, trade in that bucket, throw away that barrel, and come over to the barn level, it says in Psalm 115, "The lord your God shall increase you and your family more and more." Increase has always been on Gods mind. His dream, is that we never get stuck at that one level. In fact Jesus said, he came that we might have life to the full, in abundance , till it overflows, you need to get that on the inside. Here is where im headed, 3 places, to a full life, to a abundant life an overflowing life. If you will stay in faith, no matter what container you put out there, God will cause it to overflow.
//Joel Osteens Story,
//I remember when I wrote my first book, your best life now,
It says in proverbs 29:18, if people cant see what God is doing, they stumble, in other words, if you don’t have that vision for increase, if your not expecting favor, if your kind of just satisfied with what you are, then you will live below your privileges. But if you will get a vision, not of only who you are, the child of the most high, but a vision of what your entitled to, and you go out expecting for supernatural opportunities and favor, it goes on to say, if you can see what God has revealed, you will be the most blessed, notice not average blessed, not good enough blessed, as the child of the most high, you were entitled to be the most blessed.
Well you say, Jeba, I never get any good breaks, I will not be able to pay my house off. Never get out of debt, never get well, No your vision is limited, Im trying to tell today to understand, the great things God has in store, the amazing places he is going to take you. The incredible opportunities he has in your future, because I know, if your vision increases, then your capacity to receive increases, and that’s when the most high will pour out blessings, to where you say, I am not a little blessed, im not average blessed, I have to say, I am most blessed.
Well if you say, Joel, are you one of those prosperity ministers. No I am not a prosperity minister, but I can tell you this, I am not a poverty minister. I cannot find one place in the scripture, where it says, we have to drag around defeated, depressed, barely making it, always just scrapping by, it is just the opposite, you remember those three things, the abundant life, a full life, and an overflowing life, you and I are supposed to be examples of what it means to live for the true and the living God, everywhere we go we should be so blessed, we should look so good, so sharp, we should be so kind, so friendly, so generous. People may say, what is it with them, they always look good, they are always friendly, they are always in a good mood, People should want what we have.
If I bought my 2 children up here, today, with their clothes are ragidy, holes in their pants, nothings ironed, hairs messed up, long dry faces, first thing you will think, is what kind of a father is he?. Why would he let his kids go around like that. It’s a poor reflection on me. It’s the same principle with our God, it doesn’t bring him any honor, when we supposed to go around defeated, depressed, barely getting by, no matter where you are, no matter what level your at, you need to put your shoulders back, hold your head up high, put a smile on your face, carry yourself with confidence, you are a child of the most high God. You may have only one suite, one dress, one outfit, you need to clean it, iron it, and wear it like your on top of the world.
It says here, in Romans 5:17, we are terrained in life as Kings, when God looks at us, he doesn’t see us defeated, barely getting by, just take the left over positions, not at all, God sees you as a King, he sees you as a Queen, you have his royal blood flowing through your veins, you and I are suppose to reign in life, you know what that word, reign means?. It means your time in power. God said, we are terrained, how long? In life,that means, as long as your live, that is your time for power, you don’t have a 2 year term like a Mayor, a 4 year term like a President, your term is to reign Every single day, to be victorious, to rise to new levels, to accomplish great things And on those days, where you don’t feel like a king, you don’t feel like a queen, if you could remember to just reach down and check your pulse, and as long as you feel something beating, you can say, what do you know, its still my time to reign. Let that be a reminder to put on a new attitude, and sometimes you have to do this by faith, you may not feel victorious, it may not look like your blessed, but I like what somebody said, you've got to fake it until you make it, by faith you need to walk like a king, talk like a king, think like a king, dress like a king and smile like a king. Don’t go by what you see, go by what you know, there is royalty in your DNA, you have the blood of a winner, you were created to reign in life.
To many people are living below their privileges , its because their vision has been clouded, by past mistakes, disappointments, how they were raised, they don’t feel like royalty, they don’t think they will be successful, really accomplish what Gods, put in their heart, but I believe today, as I am speaking faith into you, something is happening on the inside, new seeds are taking root, strongholds that may have kept you back for years, even right now are being broken, you need to rise up and say that’s it. Im not settling where I am, I know, that’s its still my time of power, yes I may have taken a break for a little while, but ive got an announcement, Im still coming back, im gonna start stepping up to who God created me to be . When you really understand your God given position, the fact that you were created to reign, its still your time of power, those negative mindsets, cannot stand, as you renew your mind, a transformation is taking place, your vision is increasing today, I believe even right now, you are making room for God to do more, the good news in God is ready to pour out more, it doesn’t matter what has happened in the past, what matters is your future, don’t live below your priveledges, you are not created to be average, God put a crown of favor on your head, he has destined you to do great things, you may not have seen it yet, but if you will stay in faith and make room for it, the most high says, you are going to be most blessed, your going to have the most peace, the most friends, the most fulfillment, the most resources, the most wisdom the most opportunity, most blessed means, you will not lack in any good area.
Some of you today, you’ve got to give God permission to increase you, You have given, you have served, you have honored him. The only thing, that is holding you back is a limited mindset, maybe you have tried and struggled, and it didn’t work out, I don’t know, I talked to people, they don’t feel or deserved to be blessed, because of past mistakes, you got to shake all of that off. Dare to believe, get rid of that cup, get rid of that bucket, get rid of that barrel, God has a barn load full of blessings, instore for each one of you.
Joels Father - John Osteen.
This is what my Father had to do. Daddy was raised in a extremely poor environment, that’s all he had ever known, he developed this limited mindset, really it is a poverty mentality, it had been engraved in him, he loved God and he was a good person, early on he didn’t have any vision for increase, he thought barely getting by and struggling was his life, he didn’t want to complain about it and so he accepted it. When he first started pastoring, this was more than 60 years ago,
My daddy, his capacity to receive was limited, he had embraced that little cup for so long, he could not fathom having a bucket, or a barrel, much less a barn, here God was trying to do something new. God was trying to expand him, but he had that old wine skin. One gentleman handed him the cheque of 1000$, daddy took it by the corner, the very tip, like there was something wrong with it, like it was poison, he said oh no brother, I could never receive this for myself, I must put it in the church treasury, he walked over and when he dropped it in the offering plate, right when he let it go, he felt sick to his stomach. Why was that?.
God has put something on the inside of everyone of us, that says, we are supposed to be blessed, we are supposed to rise higher, we are supposed to leave an inheritance, to our childrens children. My father eventually learned this truth. He shook of that poverty mindset, and he began to increase his capacity to receive. He inherited a cup, he got rid of it and put a bucket . God filled it up. He put a barrel out there, God increased him. He developed this more than enough, barn level mentality. We wouldn’t be here today, if he was willing to breakout of the cup.
Your relatives may have handed you a cup, maybe your parents, the people you grew up with, handed you that cup but, that does not have the limits for your life. You need to draw the line in the sand, where I am is not where I am staying. I may have been handed this cup, but im trading it in, not for a bucket, not for a barrel. I am going for the Gold. I have my sites set on that barn. And now as you increase your capacity to receive, God is going to open up supernatural doors. He is going to give you new ideas, he is going to bring talent out of you, that you’ve never even had. Don’t live with a narrow vision. Don’t think that you have reached your limits. You would not be alive if you’ve not had increase in your future. Get rid of that old wine skin. You may have victories in your past. But you haven’t seen anything yet. You haven’t touched the surface of what God has in store. He has levels of blessings in your future, that are going to amaze you.
Its like this little frog that I heard about, he was born in the bottom of the well, it was just a small circular well, like you will see in a typical rural area farm, and just he and his family live there, he was so content everyday, splashing around, to play in the well, he thought life is good. We've got all the water in the world to ourselves, it just doesn’t get any better than this. And as it got a little bit older, he noticed the light at the top of the well. He wondered what was up there. One day he got his confidence up. He climbed the side of the well. Very cautiously when he got to the top. He peeped over the well, low and behold the first thing that he saw, was a pond, he couldn’t believe it. It was thousands of times bigger than what he had. He hopped a little further, and he came to a Lake, he stood there in amazement, he hopped a little bit further, and he eventually, he came to the Ocean, he looked left and right, as far as he could see, from miles and miles, there was water. He began to realize how limited his thinking was. He thought he had it all, but all he really had, was a drop in the bucket, compared to what God wanted him to enjoy, and in the same way, Gods dream for your life, is so much bigger, so much better, than you could even imagine, if God showed you, what he had instore, it will boggle your mind.
But so many times its like this little frog. Our thinking is limited. We've been enclosed in our environment, all we've learnt is a certain level of living, a certain way of thinking, to often we get satisfied, this is just my lot in life, but could it be that God has oceans for you to enjoy, but your staying in a little pond, thinking that you have it all. Could it be that you have a cup mentality, yet God is standing over by a big barn that has your name on it. Im asking you to go a little further, than you used to going. Dare to do like that little frog, and look out over the edge. Get a bigger vision for your life. Believe for bigger things. Your best days are not in your past, they are still in your future.
It says in Psalms 35:27, let them say continually, let the Lord be magnified, who takes pleasure in the prosperity of his children. Notice, they were supposed to go around saying this. Let God be magnified, he takes pleasure, in prospering them. I believe that one reason, that they have say it all the time, that’s because when God hears something long enough, it gets down on the inside, we start to believe, and it starts to affect our vision. All through the day, they’ve heard themselves declaring favor over their lives. Saying God takes pleasure in the prospering me, they were saying in effect, I am coming up higher, im coming out of debt, new doors are opening, God is restoring my marriage, my health is improving, what were they doing, they were increasing their capacity to receive. We’ve got to do the same thing, speak that favor over your life. Somebody asked you how you are doing, no matter how you feel, you need to tell him, I am blessed and highly favored. And you might as well add, and im going to have a supernatural year.
Friends God takes pleasure in prospering you. Will you get this down in your spirit. God wants you to rise higher. Some of you are stuck in a rut. Maybe like my father, you come from generations of lack, defeat and constantly struggling. Your just about to accept, that’s the way its always going to be. Well you got to get rid of that old mindset. Make a decision today, you are coming out of the well, coming out of the pond, coming out of the lake, and you are headed straight towards the ocean, you are going to enjoy the fullness of what God has in-store. Remember you were created to reign. You are a king, you are a queen. And your time of power is still in session. And if you open your mouth wide, God is going to fill it. You may not see how it could happen, but that’s ok , God has a way. He has explosive blessings, that can thrust you to a whole new level.
One touch of Gods favor, can take you from the well, to right over the ocean, and if you will take the limits off of God, and make room for his to do something new, then your not going to have an average year, your not going to have a mediocre year, your going to have a supernatural year. Your going to see supernatural breaks, supernatural healing, supernatural deliverance, supernatural restoration, supernatural opportunities, supernatural connections, God is going to unleash supernatural increase in your life, when you look back, your going to be able to say, 2010 was my year to shine, it was a supernatural year. Do you receive it today...
I want to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life.
Say, Lord Jesus, I repented my sins, come into my heart, I make you my Lord and savior,
If you’ve prayed that simple prayer, we believe that you are born again. Keep God first place in your life, he will take you to places that you’ve never dreamed off.
