We have to do our part to develop the gifts God has given us. When you get into an environment where your gifts can grow, those seeds of promise will come to fruition.
>> VICTORIA: JUST WANT TO
ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY THAT YOU
HAVE THE POWER OF THE LIVING
GOD ON THE INSIDE OF YOU.
DO YOU EVER GET TIRED
OF HEARING THAT?
I DON’T EITHER, AND I THINK
WE CONSTANTLY NEED TO BE
REMINDED THAT GOD’S POWER
LIVES IN US.
YOU SEE, YOU’RE EQUIPPED THIS
MORNING, AND I WANT
TO ANNOUNCE THAT.
YOU’RE EQUIPPED FOR YOUR
UNIQUE ASSIGNMENT.
GOD HAS LEFT NOTHING OUT THAT
YOU’RE GOING TO NEED FOR
ANYTHING THAT HE’S CALLED YOU
TO DO, AND NOT ONLY HAS HE
THOUGHT ABOUT YOU, I LIKE
WHAT CINDY SAID, THAT HIS
THOUGHTS FOR YOU,
HIS PLANS FOR YOU ARE GOOD.
SEE, HE THOUGHT ABOUT US.
HE KNEW OUR ASSIGNMENT,
AND HE PUT EVERYTHING IN US
THAT WE WOULD NEED,
EVERY GIFT, EVERY TALENT,
OUR PERSONALITIES,
OUR DISPOSITIONS.
EVERYTHING IS JUST RIGHT,
AND THEN HE DID SOMETHING
ONE STEP GREATER.
HE PUT HIS POWER IN US.
HE PUT HIS POWER IN US.
SEE, YOU HAVE THE LIVING GOD
ON THE INSIDE OF YOU IF YOU
ARE A BELIEVER TODAY.
SO I DON’T WANT YOU TO FEEL
ORDINARY, BECAUSE WE ALL DO.
SOMETIMES IT’S JUST
AN ORDINARY LIFE.
WE GO TO WORK.
WE COME HOME.
WE EAT DINNER.
WE DO IT AGAIN.
WE GET UP IN THE MORNING.
WE GO MOW THE LAWN.
WE DO THIS, WE DO–
IT CAN FEEL ORDINARY.
BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU
SOMETHING.
GOD DIDN’T SAVE YOU, HE
DIDN’T CALL YOU, HE DIDN’T
CHOOSE YOU TO BE ORDINARY.
HE CALLED YOU
TO BE EXTRAORDINARY,
AND YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND,
BECAUSE YOU HOUSE
THE LIVING GOD,
YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARY.
YOU’RE SET APART.
YOU’RE CALLED BY GOD,
AND HE HAS ASSIGNMENTS
FOR YOU TO DO.
YOU SEE, IT’S SO INTERESTING
BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE
DON’T RECOGNIZE THE CALL
OF GOD ON OUR LIFE.
THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND
THE CALL OF GOD.
OR LIKE I SAID,
WE MAY FEEL ORDINARY.
WE WONDER IF WE’RE
ACCOMPLISHING WHAT GOD EVEN
WANTS US TO ACCOMPLISH.
SEE, SO OFTEN, WE DETERMINE
THE POWER OF GOD WITHIN US BY
WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND US.
“YOU SEE, IF I WAS MAYBE
DOING A LITTLE BETTER,
IF GOD LIKED ME A LITTLE MORE,
THIS WOULDN’T BE HAPPENING.”
OR “MAYBE IF I COULD JUST GET
A LITTLE CLOSER TO GOD,
I WOULDN’T BE GOING
THROUGH THIS TRIAL.”
BUT CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING?
THAT’S THE WAY MAN LOOKS
AT THINGS.
IN FACT, GOD TOLD
THE PROPHET SAMUEL,
HE SAID, “YOU’RE GOING
TO ANOINT THE NEXT KING
OF ISRAEL, AND I WANT YOU
TO KNOW THIS ONE THING
ABOUT THIS ANOINTING.
YOU’RE GOING TO ANOINT THE
MAN THAT I CALL, BUT I DON’T
WANT YOU TO BEGIN TO LOOK FOR
WHAT YOU THINK WOULD BE
THE KING.
I DON’T WANT YOU TO LOOK
FOR THE MAN THAT’S THE RIGHT
HEIGHT, THE MAN THAT’S IN A
CERTAIN POSITION, THE MAN
THAT HAS THE TALENTS
THAT YOU THINK WOULD MAKE
A GOOD KING.”
HE SAID, “BECAUSE I DON’T
LOOK AT THINGS THAT WAY.
THAT’S THE WAY YOU LOOK
AT THINGS.”
HE SAID, “YOU LOOK
FROM THE OUTSIDE.
YOU RESPOND TO LIFE FROM
THE OUTSIDE, BUT SEE,
I AM A GOD OF THE INSIDE.”
MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTSIDE,
BUT GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART.
SEE, YOU’RE QUALIFIED TODAY
BECAUSE GOD CHOSE YOU
TO BE QUALIFIED.
HE LOOKED AT YOUR HEART AND
HE SAID, “THAT’S MY CHILD.”
YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE ABOUT
THAT IS THAT GOD IS THE GOD
OF SECOND CHANCES.
GOD IS ALWAYS INSIDE OF US
WORKING FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
HE’S WORKING ON OUR THOUGHTS.
HE’S WORKING ON OUR ACTIONS.
HE’S WORKING ALL THE TIME.
GOD NEVER SLEEPS,
HE NEVER SLUMBERS.
HE’S ALWAYS AT WORK IN
THE HEART OF A BELIEVER.
DAVID SAID IT LIKE THIS.
HE SAID, “YOU TEACH ME WISDOM
IN MY INNERMOST PARTS.
THAT’S WHERE YOU’RE
SPEAKING TO ME, GOD,
IN MY INNERMOST PARTS.”
YOU SEE, GOD COMMUNICATES
WITH US IN OUR INNERMOST
PARTS, AND I WANT TO REMIND
YOU TODAY THAT YOU HOUSE
THE GREATEST POWER
IN THE UNIVERSE.
I DON’T WANT YOU TO NEGLECT
OR NOT PROTECT WHAT’S
ON THE INSIDE OF YOU.
YOU’RE NOT ORDINARY,
YOU’RE EXTRAORDINARY.
YOU WALK WITH HUMILITY
BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE GOD THAT
YOU SERVE, BUT HE HASN’T MADE
YOU LIKE ANYBODY ELSE.
HE’S SEPARATED YOU.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO GET
THIS IN YOUR HEART TODAY
BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE
REALIZE WHAT WE CARRY, WE’LL
PROTECT WHAT WE CARRY.
WE’LL ACKNOWLEDGE
WHAT WE CARRY.
WE’LL ALLOW WHAT WE CARRY
TO TEACH US WISDOM
IN OUR INNERMOST PARTS.
WE’LL UNDERSTAND THAT WE
DON’T HAVE TO REACT TO THE
BOSS WHEN HE’S PUTTING US
DOWN, WHEN HE’S TRYING TO
MAKE US FEEL LESS THAN.
WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THE
CRITICS DON’T HAVE TO DEFINE
US, BECAUSE GOD IS TEACHING
US ALL THE WHILE IN OUR
INMOST PARTS.
I WANT TO JUST USE ONE
OF THE GREATEST MOTHERS,
SINCE IT’S MOTHER’S DAY,
RIGHT?
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ONE
OF THE GREATEST MOTHERS
IN THE BIBLE.
IN FACT, THIS MOTHER WAS THE
FIRST MOTHER THAT GOD LIVED
IN, THE FIRST MOTHER
THAT GOD LIVED IN.
HER NAME WAS MARY.
YOU KNOW MARY.
YOU KNOW THE STORY OF MARY.
SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF JESUS.
SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL.
SHE WAS ABOUT TO GET MARRIED
TO THE MAN OF HER DREAMS.
NOW, SOMEBODY MIGHT NOT THINK
SHE WAS ANYTHING SPECIAL
IF THEY LOOKED ON HER
FROM THE OUTSIDE.
THEY COULD’VE SAID,
“SHE’S JUST A GIRL.
SHE HAS A LOT TO LEARN.”
BUT YOU SEE, GOD WASN’T
LOOKING AT MARY’S OUTSIDE.
HE WASN’T EVEN LOOKING
AT MARY’S PLANS.
HE WAS LOOKING AT MARY’S
HEART, AND HE HAD A UNIQUE
ASSIGNMENT FOR MARY.
YOU SEE, THAT’S SO
INTERESTING BECAUSE GOD
WASN’T CONCERNED
ABOUT MARY’S PLANS.
GOD WASN’T CONCERNED THAT SHE
WAS ABOUT TO GET MARRIED.
THE INVITATIONS WERE
ALREADY OUT.
THE CATERERS WERE COMING.
THE VENUE WAS ALREADY
PAID FOR.
YOU SEE, HE WASN’T LOOKING
AT ALL THAT.
HE WAS LOOKING AT HER HEART,
AND HE HAD A SPECIAL
ASSIGNMENT FOR HER.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN
INTERRUPTED BY GOD?
WELL, MARY WAS INTERRUPTED.
THE ANGEL CAME TO HER
AND ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WAS
A HIGHLY FAVORED WOMAN
AND THAT SHE WOULD GIVE BIRTH
TO A SON.
SHE SAID, “HOW CAN THIS BE?
I’M A VIRGIN.
I’VE NEVER KNOWN A MAN,”
AND HE SAID, “THE HOLY SPIRIT
WILL COME UPON YOU,
AND GOD WILL EMPOWER YOU
TO BRING FORTH THIS SON.”
YOU SEE, THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE,
YOU KNOW YOU GOT GOD
ON THE INSIDE OF YOU,
HE EMPOWERS YOU
SO YOU CAN BRING FORTH
THE THINGS ON THIS EARTH
THAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO,
THE PLANS THAT HE’S
ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
SEE, I DON’T KNOW HOW IT ALL
WORKS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU
THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WORKING.
HE’S ALWAYS WORKING,
AND, YOU KNOW, MARY,
INSTEAD OF GIVING A LOT
OF EXCUSES, SAYING,
“CAN WE DO THIS
A LITTLE BIT LATER?
IT’S KIND OF INCONVENIENT,
GOD.
I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
MAN A LONG TIME.
YOU DON’T KNOW.
ALL MY GIRLFRIENDS GOT
THE MAN OF THEIR–I’VE BEEN
WAITING FOR THIS MAN
A LONG TIME.”
MARY SAID, “BE IT UNTO ME
AS YOU SAID.”
SHE LITERALLY MADE A DECISION
THAT SHE WAS GOING TO EMBRACE
THIS SEED THAT GOD HAD JUST
PLANTED, THE SEED OF PROMISE,
AND THAT SHE WAS GOING TO
ACCEPT IT, NO MATTER IF IT
INTERRUPTED HER PLANS OR NOT.
NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT IT
WAS, SHE SAID, “I’M GOING ALL
THE WAY WITH GOD,” AND I LOVE
THAT ABOUT MARY, AND AS I WAS
READING THE STORY ABOUT MARY,
I JUST WANT TO GET TO SOME
PRACTICAL THINGS THAT MARY
DID, AND I THINK THESE THINGS
CAN HELP US.
WE’VE HEARD THEM BEFORE.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT
MARY JUST HAD IT EASY.
“OH, MARY, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS
CHOSEN BY GOD TO HAVE
THE SON OF GOD.
SO I’M SURE, YOU KNOW, SHE
HAD EVERYTHING SHE NEEDED.”
BUT I CAN TELL YOU,
IT WAS ROUGH?
IT WAS ROUGH TO BIRTH
THE PROMISE OF GOD.
IT WAS ROUGH TO DO WHAT GOD
HAD CALLED HER TO DO.
BUT GOD SAID SHE WAS FAVORED
AND HIGHLY BLESSED.
SO I GUARANTEE YOU, SHE WAS
FAVORED AND HIGHLY BLESSED,
NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT IT
WAS, NO MATTER HOW MANY
BATTLES SHE HAD TO FIGHT,
NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES
SHE HAD TO TALK
HERSELF INTO IT,
BECAUSE GOD SAID SHE WAS
BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED,
AND GOD SAYS YOU ARE BLESSED
AND HIGHLY FAVORED.
YOU ARE BLESSED
AND HIGHLY FAVORED.
YOU MAY BE GOING THROUGH SOME
DIFFICULT TIMES RIGHT NOW.
YOUR PLANS MAY BE
INTERRUPTED, BUT I WANT YOU
TO HEAR THAT LOUD AND CLEAR.
GOD CHOSE TO LIVE IN MARY,
AND GOD CHOSE TO LIVE IN YOU.
GOD CHOSE TO LIVE IN YOU.
THAT’S POWERFUL,
THAT’S POWERFUL.
BECAUSE MARY FULFILLED HER
ASSIGNMENT AND BROUGHT
FULFILLMENT TO
THE SCRIPTURES, GOD CHOSE
TO LIVE IN HIS PEOPLE.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS A
FORESHADOWING OF WHAT GOD
WANTS TO DO IN THE EARTH.
HE WANTS TO LIVE
IN HIS PEOPLE.
BUT AS SOON AS MARY ACCEPTED
THAT SEED OF PROMISE,
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT SHE
IMMEDIATELY WENT TO HER
COUSIN ELIZABETH’S HOUSE.
NOW, HER COUSIN ELIZABETH WAS
MARRIED TO A MAN NAMED
ZACHARIAH, AND THEY WERE
PROMISED, EVEN IN HER VERY
OLD AGE, THAT SHE WOULD
HAVE A BABY.
SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH HER
BABY WHEN ELIZABETH GOT
THERE, AND WHEN ELIZABETH SAW
MARY, THE SCRIPTURE SAYS
THAT “SHE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN
TO ENCOURAGE MARY.”
SHE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN
TO SPEAK FAITH INTO MARY.
NOW, WHERE AM I GOING
WITH THIS?
‘CAUSE, SEE, THAT WAS
A LONG TIME AGO.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I
BELIEVE GOD IS SHOWING US,
ONE THING HE IS SHOWING US.
WHEN HE PUTS A SEED OF
PROMISE IN YOU, YOU NEED TO
PROTECT THAT SEED OF PROMISE.
YOU NEED TO GET IT INTO AN
ENVIRONMENT THAT IT CAN GROW.
YOU NEED TO GET INTO A GOOD
CHURCH, WHERE THE PEOPLE KNOW
WHAT GOD DOES AND THEY CAN
SPEAK ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOUR
HEART BECAUSE THAT’S EXACTLY
WHERE GOD HAD MARY GO.
HE HAD HER IN AN ENVIRONMENT
WHERE THAT ENVIRONMENT KNEW
THE POWER OF GOD.
YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING,
AND THIS IS JUST A SIDE NOTE,
BUT I DON’T KNOW IF YOU ALL
FIND THIS AS INTERESTING AS I
DID, BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT
MARY WAS AT ELIZABETH’S HOUSE
FOR THREE MONTHS.
YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING
BECAUSE WHEN A WOMAN
GETS PREGNANT,
THAT 12-WEEK PERIOD
IS VERY CRUCIAL.
MANY TIMES YOU CAN MISCARRY
BEFORE THAT 12 WEEKS.
IN FACT, YOU KNOW, SOME
PEOPLE DON’T EVEN LIKE
TO ANNOUNCE THAT THEY’RE
PREGNANT UNTIL AFTER THE 12
WEEKS BECAUSE THAT KIND OF IS
A SAFE ZONE, AND, YOU KNOW,
“OKAY, IT’S PROBABLY
GOING TO BE OKAY,”
AND I GET TO THINKING,
“ISN’T THAT INTERESTING,
THAT GOD HAD HER THERE
FOR 12 WEEKS?”
SEE, HE DIDN’T WANT HER
TO MISCARRY THIS SEED.
SEE, HE WANTED TO KEEP THAT
SEED IN AN ENVIRONMENT
THAT IT COULD GROW
IN A STRONG FOUNDATION.
SEE, THINK ABOUT
WHAT GOD SAID TO YOU.
THINK ABOUT THE DREAMS
HE’S PUT IN YOUR HEART.
THINK ABOUT HIM BEING
ON THE INSIDE OF YOU.
WHAT ENVIRONMENT DO YOU
PUT YOURSELF IN?
DO YOU LET PEOPLE
TALK DOWN TO YOU?
DO YOU PUT YOURSELF IN
AN ENVIRONMENT THAT GOD
WOULDN’T WANT TO BE IN?
ARE YOU CAREFUL?
DO YOU PROTECT IT?
YOU SEE, THERE WERE MANY
NAYSAYERS WHEN MARY
SHOWED UP PREGNANT.
SEE, SHE WAS A VIRGIN,
AND GOD DID AN IMMACULATE BIRTH
IN HER, BUT THE PEOPLE
DIDN’T RECOGNIZE IT.
I’M SURE THEY WERE SAYING,
“HMM, DID YOU HEAR
ABOUT MARY AND JOSEPH?
THE WEDDING’S OFF.
WHAT’S MARY BEEN DOING?”
BUT YOU SEE, GOD TOOK HER OUT
OF THAT ENVIRONMENT, AND HE
PUT HER INTO A PROTECTIVE
ENVIRONMENT, AND I JUST
WANT TO SUGGEST TO YOU
AND I TODAY THAT WE BEGIN
TO PUT WHAT’S IN US IN
A PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT.
IT’S NOT EASY TO BIRTH
THE PROMISES OF GOD.
LISTEN, MARY HAD TO GO
OUT OF HER WAY.
MARY HAD TO CHANGE HER PLANS.
MARY HAD TO DO SOME THINGS
THAT MAYBE A LOT OF PEOPLE
WOULDN’T WANT TO DO, BUT MARY
WAS WILLING TO SEE
THIS THING TO THE END.
IT ALSO SAYS THAT “MARY
TREASURED UP ALL OF THESE
THINGS AND PONDERED THEM
IN HER HEART.”
SEE, THAT TELLS ME THAT MARY
FOUGHT DISCOURAGEMENT,
THAT MARY FOUGHT THE CRITICS,
THAT MARY FOUGHT
THE HARDSHIPS BY PONDERING
ALL OF THIS IN HER HEART,
BY JUST IMAGINING AND
TALKING TO GOD ABOUT ALL THAT
WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN
AND ALL THAT WOULD HAPPEN
IN THE FUTURE, AND SEE,
THAT’S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE NEED TO NOT JUST RUN
AROUND TELLING EVERYBODY
OUR PROBLEMS, NOT JUST TRY
TO GET MAN TO FIX US.
“OH, CAN YOU HELP ME?”
NO, WE NEED TO PONDER WHAT
GOD HAS SPOKEN TO US.
GET HIS WORD.
BUILD A FOUNDATION OF TRUTH
SO THAT WHEN WE GO OUT TO
BIRTH WHAT GOD IS PUTTING
IN US, WE’LL WITHSTAND
THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE
OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
THIS IS MOTHER’S DAY, AND I
JUST WANT TO HONOR MARY.
I WANT TO JUST SAY, “MARY,
GOD SAW YOUR HEART.
YOU SAW IT THROUGH.
YOU FULFILLED THE
SCRIPTURES,” AND I JUST HONOR
THE FACT THAT GOD CHOSE MARY
AMONG ALL THE WOMEN.
SHE WAS QUALIFIED, AND CAN I
TELL YOU THAT GOD HAS CHOSE
YOU AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE,
AND HE’S QUALIFIED YOU?
HE’S CHOSE TO LIVE IN YOU
TODAY, JUST LIKE HE LIVED
IN MARY.
PROTECT WHAT HE’S GIVEN YOU.
BIRTH WHAT HE’S PUT IN YOU,
AND I BELIEVE YOU’LL SEE GOD
DO THE IMPOSSIBLE,
JUST LIKE MARY DID, AMEN?
AMEN, HE’S AN AWESOME GOD.