Help From Heaven | Joel Osteen

God bless you. It's great to be with you today, and I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week, through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can come visit us in person. We'd love to have you be a part of one of our services. I'd like to start with something funny. I heard about this man that was very stingy with his money. Just before his death, he made his wife promise that she would have him buried with the $50,000 he had saved. His wife reluctantly agreed, and at the funeral, right before they closed the casket, she snuck in this small wooden box. Her friend said, surely you didn't just bury the money. She said, of course I did. I'm a Christian. I can't lie. The friend said, you mean you just buried $50,000? She said, yes, I did. I wrote a check. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I will be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk to you today about help from heaven. We all face challenges that we don't see how we can overcome. We don't have the finances for our dreams or our health isn't improving. Maybe a child is still off course. It's easy to get discouraged and feel alone and even helpless. That's the way David felt. He was hiding in a cave trying to survive. King Saul was chasing him through the desert. Saul had a whole army coming after him. David was by himself. He had no weapons, no protection. What made it worse is David had done no wrong. He had been good to King Saul. He played the harp when Saul was depressed. He was Saul's armor bearer. But Saul became jealous. He couldn't stand the favor on David's life.

Now he was making David miserable. Have you ever been good to someone, but they turned on you? You did your best at work, but people tried to push you down. You worked hard for a dream, but something unfair happened. Now you feel stuck. David could have been bitter, angry. God, why did this happen? This could have been the end of David where he faded off into the sunset. But David knew a secret. Sitting in that cave, he wrote this passage in Psalm 57. He was honest. God, I'm overwhelmed. Everything has come against me. I don't know how I can go on. He went on to say, David understood that he wasn't fighting on his own, that it wasn't just up to him, but help from heaven was on the way. He had seen this when he faced Goliath, a giant twice his size. He didn't have a chance. The odds against him, but help from heaven came. God breathed on his slingshot, gave him supernatural ability, and he brought the giant down. He should have been stuck out in the shepherd's fields where his father left him. Didn't call him in when the prophet Samuel came to choose one of the sons as the next king. David was overlooked.

Left out, didn't have a fair shot, but help from heaven came. The oil wouldn't flow to one of the other sons. Samuel couldn't anoint them. Why is that? There are heavenly forces fighting for you. Angels God has on assignment to assist you. What you're up against may be too much for you, but these powerful warriors will push back what's trying to stop you. They are dispatched with healing, freedom, and breakthroughs. When you run out of options, you don't have the strength, the experience. You could live worried. No, have a new perspective. Help from heaven is coming. Miracles are being set into motion. See, we look at things in the natural. Joel, this is what I have. These are my options. Here's the medical report. Here's the family I come from. What you can't see is what heaven is about to do. Jesus said to Peter, it's dangerous to see things only from a human point of view. It's interesting that Jesus used the word dangerous. That's a strong word. He could have said it's not good,

it's unwise, it may limit you. But the reason he said dangerous Is if you only look at what you're up against from a human perspective you can miss your destiny You can think man, I'll never get well Joel saw so much bigger this addiction stronger. I don't have a chance No, instead of giving up. Why don't you look up help from heaven is on the way You are God's most prized possession He chose you before you could choose him. He's planned your days and ordered your steps Crowned you with favor. He goes before you making crooked places straight. He has his angels watching after you You're not doing life on your own. All of heaven is fighting for you When you can't figure out what to do how to work out. That's when you have to do like David It's okay to be honest God. This child is breaking my heart This medical report doesn't look good this jerk at work I mean this person at work's getting on my nerves, but God I want to thank you that help from heaven is on the way That you're fighting my battle Sustaining me providing protecting bringing victory David said I will lift my eyes to the heavens from whence my help comes Talked to a man after service last week and asked him how he was doing Seemed like he was fine look successful and content, but he put his head down for a long time He finally looked up and said Joel. I'm going through hell. He lost a family member tragically and dealing with an illness He said I feel so lost so alone so overwhelmed big tears running down his cheeks There's a lot of pain in the world a lot of sadness. The scripture says God collects your tears He knows the pain and the unfair things and these times we don't have any good options There's no way out But can I encourage you when hell comes against you heaven comes to rescue? You are God's property You belong to the most high He has you in the palm of his hand He's not gonna leave you defenseless When forces come to try to stop your destiny bring trouble loss looks like you're stuck Heaven doesn't stay silent

Angels are dispatched Miracles are set into motion. God is fighting for you Turnarounds are coming things that you couldn't make happen Looks like you're at the mercy of the medical reporter that child's too far off course now The addictions too strong or stay in peace. You have a defender a way maker a healer a provider a Chainbreaker help from heaven is on the way. I Was watching this old Western movie and this army had dwindled down to nothing They'd been battered and bruised and lost many men and now they're running out of supplies all beat up on their last leg There was an enemy army on the other side of the mountain much bigger much more equipment. They were about to attack It was a very emotional scene as they were coming to the end and they were saying their goodbyes Preparing to either be captured or killed it already accepted defeat wasn't any way out but way off in the distance One soldier saw this dust billowing from a army approaching these horses coming full speed They were confused because the enemy army was in the other direction They got their binoculars focused in When they saw the flag they realized it was an ally army coming to rescue them In a few minutes, they heard the bugles playing they couldn't believe it They started shouting the Calvary is coming. The Calvary is coming. I mean one moment. They were discouraged Thinking they were done preparing to surrender now, they're excited. They got all this power force and backup When that enemy army came it was like surprise We are not who you thought we were we're bigger stronger more powerful. They easily defeated the opposition Well sometimes in life like that man said hell has come against us We're dealing with a sickness Family trouble or business had a setback and we end up bruised kind of alone We're suffering from battle fatigue We've stood strong we fought well But now we don't think we have the strength to keep pursuing the dream The passion to keep fighting for our marriage the endurance to keep believing for our healing. We're tired What you can't see is the Calvary is coming

There are forces that have your back when you run out of options out of strength heaven is on the way and Angels are en route to assist you, to push back darkness, to open doors you couldn't open, to bring healing, to bring breakthrough. It's interesting that it's called the Calvary, reinforcements and backup. When heaven comes, it's because of what happened on Calvary. It's because Jesus gave His life, defeated the enemy. Now He has all power. That phrase, the Calvary is coming, of course in the natural it means backup and soldiers, but when we say the Calvary is coming, I'm talking about heavenly forces, the Most High God fighting for you. On your own, you may be outnumbered. What you're up against is bigger, more powerful, but I've got my binoculars. Through my eyes of faith, I can see dust in the distance. I can hear the trumpets blowing. What is that? The Calvary is on the way. That sickness should take you out, but healing is coming. That bad break should keep you in debt, but abundance is coming. That family member running with the wrong crowd should stop his purpose, but breakthrough is coming. Backup forces are headed your way. Angels with the favor of God on assignment to assist you, to strengthen you, to fight for you. If you could see into the unseen realm, you would see these powerful warriors working on your behalf, pushing back what's trying to stop you and breaking through what belongs to you. When thoughts tell you, no, you're stuck, it's too much, you're too tired, you fought too long, just look up and say, Father, thank you that the Calvary is coming. Thank you that help from heaven is on the way. Heaven's help is supernatural. It's good breaks chasing you down, healing, the right people showing up, freedom from bondages, generational limitations being broken. 2 Kings chapter 6, the king of Syria found out that the prophet Elisha was telling the Israelites battle plans of the Syrian army. Every time they made a move to attack the Israelites, Elisha knew it and went and told the commanders. They were always one step ahead of the Syrians. Well, this king was furious. He sent a whole army, thousands of soldiers and horses to capture one man, Elisha. That's how powerful you are. The enemy knows it. The question is, do you know it? Do you realize who you are and what you have? That because you belong to the most high, his favor is on your life, that there are heavenly forces backing you up. The army snuck up at night and surrounded Elisha's house. The next morning, Elisha's assistant went out and when he saw thousands of troops and horses, he panicked, ran back in,

woke Elisha up. Sir, we're surrounded. There's no way out. Everywhere I looked, I saw the Syrian army, not hundreds, but thousands. He was so distraught, so upset. Elisha said, don't worry. There are more for us than there are against us. His assistant thought he must still be asleep. He's groggy. He doesn't understand. No, Elisha, there are two of us. There are thousands of them. This is why Jesus said it's dangerous if you only see things from a human point of view, because the assistant was correct. They were surrounded. It was two people, verse 20,000, but Elisha understood that when the enemy comes against you, heaven shows up. God doesn't stay silent. You may be outnumbered in the natural, but in the unseen realm, there are more for you than there are against you. While you were sleeping, the cavalry showed up. God is watching over you. Nothing happens and he doesn't see. When Saul's chasing you, you're hiding in that cave, so to speak, you can say like David, I know help from heaven is on the way. Elisha didn't condemn the assistant. Man, you need to have more faith. Why are you always doubting? He simply prayed. Lord, open his eyes and let him see. He went back out and looked a second time. This time he could see into the unseen realm. He didn't just see the army that was surrounding them. He saw a heavenly army, hundreds of thousands of these powerful, warring angels dressed and ready for battle, chariots of fire all across the mountainside. He thought he was surrounded. The fact is the enemy was surrounded. You may feel like you're surrounded today, and what you're up against is bigger, stronger. It's closing in. But what you can't see is the forces of heaven are surrounding what's surrounding you. It feels like that trouble, that death, that cancer has you surrounded, but the Calvary has shown up. That cancer is surrounded by the forces of heaven. Your child is surrounded by angels. Your business is surrounded by the favor of God. He's your protector, your shield, your healer, your provider. No, having faith doesn't keep us from trouble, but when trouble shows up, heaven comes down. God dispatches these warring angels to watch after you, protect you, to push back the darkness. Now, Elisha prayed that God would make this enemy army blind to who he was. The Syrian commander

knocked on the door, said, we're here looking for Elisha. Elisha said, I'm so sorry he's not here. You've got the wrong house. In fact, you're in the wrong city. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to Elisha. One lie after another. Sometimes you have to lie in faith. I don't know if that's in the Scripture, but anyway, this commander said, thank you so much. He followed Elisha all the way to Samaria to the Israelites' camp. When they arrived, Elisha prayed, now God, open their eyes. Suddenly they realized they were in Samaria, captured by the Israelites. The Scripture says, the trap the enemy set for you, they will fall in themselves. God knows how to turn things in your favor. I know this mother that was so concerned about her son. He'd grown up in church, had great parents, but after college he started running with the wrong crowd and got involved in drugs, struggled with addictions. He ended up selling drugs. His life was spiraling out of control. This mother had done everything she could, prayed, stood in faith. She got him into recovery at one point, but he wouldn't stay there. This had gone on year after year. Now she was tired, run down, didn't know any more she could do. God sees these times. You feel helpless, alone. You don't have any more options. Stay in peace. The Calvary is coming. Like with Elisha, angels have been dispatched to push back the darkness, to rescue your child, to bring your healing, the freedom, the breakthroughs. You're not fighting on your own. Heaven is fighting for you. God is concerned about what concerns you. A child that keeps you up at night, the medical situation, the struggle in your business, thoughts whisper, man, you're on your own. Nobody cares. Just get through it. No, God knows everything you're going through. He feels the pain. He sees the lonely nights. He's

going to step in and do things that you can't do. One night, this young man was in another country. A drug deal had gone wrong, and he owed this man a lot of money and wasn't able to pay. And these people were after him. His life was on the line. He was hiding in a bathroom in this old downtown warehouse. He locked the door, got behind a stall, hoping that he wouldn't be found. Hour after hour went by, he was so afraid. He knew if he was caught, it wasn't going to be good. Three in the morning, he heard rumbling outside the building, people talking, all this commotion. His heart was beating so fast. He knew they were closing in. The warehouse door flung open. He could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer, people calling his name, where are you? Where are you? Then the moment came he feared the most. They started pulling on the bathroom door, trying to break the lock, working, working. Finally, one of the men stepped back and kicked with all his might. The door came crashing open, slammed against the wall, sounded like an explosion. He thought, oh, man, I'm done. This is the end. He had accepted his fate was sealed. As he was sitting there braced for the harm, they opened the stall and said, we're with Teen Challenge. We heard you were in trouble. We came to rescue you. This young man was a part of Teen Challenge many years earlier. It's a ministry for young people. Somehow they had gotten word in this foreign country that he needed help. They got him out of there and saved his life. Today he's free and clean, fulfilling his purpose. What am I saying? When you don't see a way out, help from heaven is coming. God knows how to speak to the right people. He knows how to keep you hidden from the enemy, how to rescue you from trouble, turn your sickness around,

open doors that you couldn't open. Maybe you're in a situation like this mother. You prayed, you stood in faith, but it hasn't worked out. You're tempted to think you're stuck. You'll always be lonely, have family issues, can't get out of that financial strain. I've got good news, the Calvary is coming. Backup is on the way. Reinforcement is already in route. Things you can't explain, favor you didn't deserve. Healing that confounds the experts. Breakthroughs when it looked permanent. The right people suddenly finding you. Wasn't a lucky break, wasn't a coincidence. That was help from heaven. That was the most high rescuing, protecting, bringing you out of what should have stopped you. Luke chapter one, there was a man named Zechariah. His wife, Elizabeth had been barren for her whole life, not able to have a child. Now they were both way too old to have children. For many years, they had prayed and believed to have a baby, but it didn't work out the way they thought. They had accepted it wasn't meant to be. Well, an angel appeared to Zechariah and said, God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth will have a son. You are to name him John. They had given up on having a baby, but notice God heard their prayers.

All those prayers you prayed, but nothing happened. You think it's too late. That ship has already sailed. You don't know what God is up to. Sometimes God will wait on purpose where the odds will be against us in a greater way. So when he does it, everyone will know it's his power. It's his favor on your life. Zechariah said to the angel, I don't see how this can happen. I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. Notice he didn't call his wife an old lady. He's a smart man. Our wives are never old. They're well along in years. Zechariah doubted. Said that's not possible. That defies logic. He was telling the angel all the reasons it wouldn't happen. The angel said, Zechariah, I am Gabriel. I stand in the very presence of God. What he has spoken will come to pass. Zechariah was looking at it in the natural. Gabriel said, I've come from heaven. I have helped that you haven't seen. The most high God has given me his authority. We all face situations like Zechariah that seem impossible. It's too late to accomplish a dream. The problem too big.

I'll never meet the right person, never have a baby. We look at it logically. How can it happen? There's no way. But imagine Gabriel standing before you, this powerful, majestic angel. He says, wait a minute. I stand in the presence of almighty God. I carry the authority of the most high to release heaven's help, to bring about what he has purposed. All of heaven is backing up what God put in your heart. And you may be correct. It can't happen in the natural, but supernatural forces at work, help from heaven is coming to do what you can't do. Now don't talk yourself out of it. Gabriel told Zechariah, since you doubt it, since you're gonna go around speaking against what God has purposed, I'm gonna shut your mouth and you're not gonna be able to talk. For nine months, he couldn't speak. That's how powerful our words are. You can go around saying, I'll never get well. I can't break the addiction. We'll always struggle. You are stopping help from heaven. You are blocking the blessing. Do yourself a favor, zip it up.

If you can't be positive, be quiet. If you can't speak victory, then don't say anything at all. Nine months later, when the baby was born, Zechariah could talk again. Gabriel appeared to another woman around that same time, a teenage girl named Mary. He said, Mary, you found favor with God. You will conceive without knowing a man, give birth to a son. You were to name him Jesus. Mary answered back, how can this be without knowing a man? Gabriel said, the spirit of God will come on you and cause you to conceive. He was saying, don't worry, Mary, help from heaven is coming. Now she could have done like Zechariah. Doubt it, I don't think so. That's impossible. But Mary simply said, be it unto me, even as you have said. She said, in effect, let it happen. I'm a believer, not a doubter. God puts promises in all of our hearts that don't seem possible, that you're going to get well, that your children will be mighty in the land, that you will lend and not borrow. The question is, are you going to be like Zachariah, or are you going to be like Mary? Are you going to doubt, and I don't think so, or are you going to say like Mary, God, let it happen. Send heaven down. Fight my battles. Show yourself

strong in my life. Friends, you're not fighting alone. All of heaven is backing you up. It may look like that situation will never turn around. Nothing's improving. Can I remind you again that Calvary is coming? I can hear trumpets. I can see the dust in the distance. Help from heaven is on the way. God has heard your prayers. He sees you standing in faith, doing the right thing, and angels are on assignment right now. Dispatch with your healing, your freedom, your spouse. Miracles have been set into motion. Now, you do your part. Keep thanking God that he's working. Now, believe and declare, heaven is about to come down. Supernatural strength, healing, provision, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name. And if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. You can text the number on the screen or go to the website. But I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God in your heart first place.