“And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
For, Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.”
Genesis 37:5-8
Joseph’s brothers already hated him because he was the favorite son of their father. But once Joseph began to talk about his dreams, once he began to talk about his future, their hatred for him increased and they began to question him by asking him “Shalt you indeed reign over us? Shall you indeed have dominion over us?”
Josephs brothers were not so concerned about who he was, as a seventeen year old dreamer. Their concern was over who he was going to become. They were not afraid of his present, they were afraid of his future. And they wanted to stop him from becoming who God said he would become and going where God said he would go. They wanted to stop him from entering into his destiny.
If there is anything Satan desires to do today it is to keep you from entering into your destiny. He wants to keep you from your future!
Satan does not care if you live in your past. It is not even your present that is Satan’s greatest fear, it is your future. He does not want you to have what God said you would have, do what God said you would do, go where God said you would go and become who God said you would become. He wants to keep you from your destiny. He wants to stop you from your future.
Everything that the Body of Christ is going through, everything that your family members are facing, everything that you as an individual may be fighting is because of your destiny.
The trials, the tests, the afflictions and even the setbacks are nothing more than an attack from the enemy to keep you from possessing what God has promised you.
Let’s face the truth; Satan has launched an all out attack against God’s people. The attack that many people are under is the greatest attack they have ever experienced but the good news is regardless of how severe the attack is—IT WILL NOT WORK! Whatever weapon the enemy may have formed against you, it will not prosper.
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”
Isaiah 54:17
In fact, what the enemy thought would destroy you is going to make you better. What the enemy meant for evil against you will turn to your good.
Regardless of what you are going through if you stay faithful, God will turn it around and good will come out of what looks bad.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
The attack against you, your finances, ministry, and even your family will not prosper and not only will it not prosper in the end it will backfire! The word backfire according to Webster’s dictionary means to have a result opposite of what was expected.
That is exactly what is going to happen in your life. The devil’s plan is going to backfire and what the devil thought would destroy you is only going to make you stronger. What the devil thought would make you lose faith is only going to make you have faith. In fact, what the devil thought would cause you to curse God is going to cause you to praise God.
What the devil thought would be a stumbling block is going to become a stepping stone. Your haters are going to become elevators that will lift you to a higher place of blessings and glory.
Look at what happened at the cross.
The devil thought the cross would be the end for Jesus. But instead, what looked like an end became a new beginning. The cross could not hold Him! The grave could not keep Him! Death could not handle Him! Three days after He was crucified He arose from the grave conquering death and hell. If satan would have known what was going to happen at the cross he would have never have crucified the Lord. His plans failed! His attack did not prosper and in the end not only did his attack not prosper, it backfired!
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1 Corinthians 2:7-8
The reason you are in the battle you are in, the reason you are under the attack you are under, has nothing to do with your present. It is about what you are getting ready to have. It is about where you are getting ready to go and who you are getting ready to become. The battle is for your future!
Maybe you are like so many others. You love God with all your heart. You have an unshakeable faith in God. You have received some great promises from God and you know that God has His hand upon you for a special purpose. Yet, nothing seems to be happening. In fact, at times it seems things are going right the opposite of what God promised you.
You love God. You believe that God will do everything that He promised you, yet hell is hitting you at every corner and you just simply do not understand what is going on. You do not understand the battles, test, and trials that you are going through. You do not understand the attack you are under.
Some of God’s people have been under such a demonic attack that if they shared what they were really going through, many of their so called “Christian friends” would run from them.
I have learned over the years, each person’s battle may be different and the level of warfare that a person will go through will depend upon the call of God upon their life, but every person will face some level of spiritual warfare.
In 1990 God warned me in a dream of an attack that I would go through. God showed me a huge dog that had the teeth of a lion. The dog was in position to make an attack against me. Just as God showed me, within a few days I was attacked by the forces of hell.
For one year I fought the greatest battle of my life. Satan did everything he could to destroy my ministry and even to kill me. God seemed a million miles away. The enemy told me that I was not called to preach and that I was not even saved! I could not put into words the torment that I went through for one solid year!
To be honest, there were times I felt that my battle would never end. But God gave me a promise as a fifteen year old boy and He showed me a glimpse of my future. I knew what I was going through was not what God previously had showed me.
If you are going through a trial or test, if hell is hitting you with everything that it has to hit you with. If the enemy is telling you that where you are at, is your end and that you will never come out of what you are in, then stop and ask yourself a question. Is the place where you are at the place that God showed that you would go? Is what you are going through what God promised you?
You will not remain where you are. Hell does not have the power to hold you from your destiny. Satan is not in control of your future. The power of hell is going to be broken and you will be freed from the attack you are under. You will fulfill your destiny. What you are going through is only an attack from hell trying to keep you from going forward.
Some people would have you believe that what you are going through is because of sin. They would have you believe the spiritual attack you are under, the physical attack you are under, the attack against your finances, health or family is because sin is in your life. Next time somebody tries to tell you this, tell them, “No, my friend, I am not going through what I am going through because of sin. I am going through it because of destiny!” Tell them sin is not my problem. I am a person of destiny!
The people that are not going through anything are the people that are not going anywhere. Have you ever thought “I do not know why Sister So and So is not going through anything?” The reason she is not going through anything is because she is not going anywhere. Do not get upset that others seem to be trouble, trial and test free while you are in the battle of your life. Everybody is not going to go where you are going. That is why you are going through things that others are not going through.
Some people are at the same place today they were ten years ago and in ten more years they will be at the same place that they are today. They have experienced no new anointings, revelations, or truths. And they will not experience anything new from God in the future. But you are different. Something inside of you is telling you there is more, and because you are determined to receive all that God has for you, you are going through things that many around you are not going through.
You are in the battle you are in because of your future. You are going somewhere and satan is afraid of where you are going.
Israel went through the fire and through the flood before they ever entered into the wealthy place that God had promised them.
“…we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.”
Psalms 66:12
Before the children of Israel entered the land that God promised them, before they walked into their destiny they experienced great afflictions and went through many trials. But God fulfilled His promise and brought them out of their affliction and into the wealthy place just like He said He would.
Just as God brought Israel out, God will bring you out! Your battle will not last forever! Your affliction is almost over! God brought Israel out of Egypt, Joseph out of the pit, the three Hebrew children out of the fire and Daniel out of the lions den! And He will bring you out of what you are in. Your battle will not last forever!
Your battle will come to an end and when it does you will never fight the same battle again. After Israel came out of Egypt they never went back. Once Joseph was delivered from the pit he never returned. Once the three Hebrew children came out of the fire they never went back into the fire and once Daniel came out of the lions den he never returned back into it!
When God brings you out, you are coming out for good. You will never fight the same battle again. You will never go through the same trial or affliction again. When God says it is over, it is over and it is over forever!
“…He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.”
Nahum 1:9
As I have already stated, before Israel entered into the wealthy place that God had promised them they first went through the fire and through the flood. If they had not been on their way somewhere they would have never had to go through anything. But after the flood and after the fire they entered into their wealthy place. A place of enlargement, abundance and overflow.
The fire could not stop Israel. The flood could not keep them from what God had promised them. What you are going through will not be able to hold you back from what God has promised you. Your battle will not be able to keep you from your destiny.
You will win the battle you are in and step into the greatest season of your life. The battle is for your future. If you did not have a future you would not be fighting the battle you are fighting.
If David had not been destined to be king of Israel he would not have had to run from Saul for nearly seventeen years. If Joseph had not been promised the palace, he would have never have had to go into the pit and then into the prison. If the disciples in Mark chapter four had not had the promise that they would “go to the other side” they would have never had to go through the storm.
After David was delivered from Saul he became king of Israel just like God had promised. After Joseph went into the pit and then the prison he entered into the palace just as God had said. After the disciples went through the storm they went to the other side just like Jesus had told them.
The devil is afraid of your future and wants you to stay in your past. If he cannot keep you in your past, he will try to get you “locked” in your present. He will do everything within his His power to keep you from entering into your destiny, from stepping into your future.
The good news is you do not have to let your past stop you. Move out of your past. If Jesus can forget your past, you need to forget it. Forget your mistakes and your failures. Mistakes are correctable and failures are not final. Move on. Your future is calling you and it is time to move forward.
Your past cannot hold you. Neither can your present hold you. It is time to move into the next level of your destiny. It is time to possess all the promises that God gave you. It is time to lay hold to everything that God has for you. It is time to move into your future!
Regardless of what people may be telling you. In spite of the battle you may be fighting, or what the devil is telling you at the present time, the truth is, your future is better than your present.
A change is coming. Things will not remain as they are. You are on the edge of a breakthrough. You are about to experience a divine turn around.
You may not understand what is happening at the present time. You may not understand the battle that you are in, but something deep inside of you is telling you “Everything is going to be alright!” In fact, something is telling you, your greatest days are ahead!
You do not have any evidence that things are changing. In fact, things in the natural may seem to be getting worse, but your spirit is telling you a change is coming. Your spirit is telling you, you are getting ready to experience something that your eyes have never seen and that your ears have never heard! Your spirit knows what your mind does not know. That is why you believe your greatest days are ahead, in spite of what is going on around you.
“…Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit…”
1 Corinthians 2:9-10
Once you decide to move into your destiny, once you decide to step into your future, all hell will break loose.
One of my favorite sayings comes from Dr. Mike Murdock, “An increase of demonic activity against you is a sign that satan has discovered your purpose and you are about to walk into the greatest season of your life.”
When you begin to move into your destiny, when you begin to step into your future, hell will attack you from every angle. Not only will hell break loose against you, but people who have been your friends for years will walk away from you and some may even turn against you.
As soon as Jesus got to the place where He was about to go to the cross, which was the next level of His destiny, the crowd left Him. Peter forsook Him and Judas betrayed Him.
When you are about to walk into the next level of your destiny, when you are about to step into your future, all kinds of crazy things will begin to take place in your life. You will begin to fight battles with demonic spirits that you have never had to fight before.
The spirit of discouragement
One of the spirits that you will have to fight is the spirit of discouragement. The enemy will tell you “that nothing has changed and that nothing is going to change.” The devil will try to make you lose hope and without hope you become miserable and then dis-couraged.
“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
1 Corinthians 15:19
“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick…”
Proverbs 13:12
I have learned over the years that sometimes when the spirit of discouragement comes against you, you have to do what David did. When David came back to the city of Ziglag and found the city burned with fire and all his wives and children had been taken captive, what did he do? He encouraged himself in the Lord!
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
1 Samuel 30:6
When you are in a battle for your future, if you have no one to pray for you, pray for yourself! If you have no one to prophecy over you, prophecy to yourself! If you have no one to encourage you, encourage yourself!
The spirit of deception
Another spirit that you will have to fight as you step into your future is the Spirit of deception. In fact, deception is one of the greatest tools that satan uses against God’s people to keep them from moving into their future and fulfilling their destiny.
Going back to the book of Genesis. What did satan use in his conversation with Eve? “Deception.” Satan said, “If you eat of this tree, you will not die but instead your eyes will be open and you will be like God.”
“And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:4-5
The devil deceived Eve, she partook of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and gave to her husband and you know the rest of the story.
If the devil can deceive you into believing that you do not have a future and that God did not mean what he said then he will stop you from stepping into your future.
As I already shared with you, I went through a season years ago when the devil tried to deceive me into believing that I was not called to preach. That I was not even saved. It was truly one of the greatest battles of my life. What was the devil doing? He was trying to stop me from my future. He was trying to keep me from entering the next season of my life. Which would be the greatest season I had ever known.
The spirit of distraction
If satan cannot stop you by discouraging you, or deceiving you, then he will try to distract you. One prophet recently announced that he had a word from the Lord. People came from far and near to hear what God was saying. The prophet said the word from God was simply “Watch for distractions!”
The devil wants to distract you from your calling, your ministry and your destiny. He wants to distract you from your future!
Your distraction may be a rebellious child, a bad relationship, somebody who has lied on you, past mistakes or a thousand other things. Refuse to be distracted. You will never reach your destiny if you become distracted.
Jesus was destined to go to the cross. Before He got to the cross, He was spit on, lied on, beaten and had to endure the mockery of an unjust trial.
How did Jesus make it? How did He survive all that He went through? How did He endure all that He did? He refused to be distracted. He knew the plan of the Father and His desire was to fulfill His Father’s plan. He refused to look to the left or to the right. He focused on the will of His Father and refused to be distracted.
“For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
Isaiah 50:7
“…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
Jesus knew on the other side of the cross there would be a resurrection. He knew He would be crucified and placed in a tomb. He knew the tomb would not be able to hold Him, that after three days He would rise again defeating death, hell and the grave!
Satan wants to stop you. He will use one of the spirits that I have written about or one of many other spirits to try to stop you from your future.
It is all about your future. The fight you are in is not over your present but over your future. You are about to see every promise God has given you fulfilled. You are about to experience your break through!
You are in the battle of your life because you are about to receive the greatest blessing of your life. Blessings are about to come into your life unlike anything you have ever known.
Satan is not afraid of your today he is afraid of your tomorrow. He is not afraid of your present, he is afraid of your future.
Pharaoh did not try to kill Moses as a little baby because of who he was at the time. He was just a little baby boy who looked and acted like all the other boys of his day. Pharaoh wanted to kill the baby Moses so there would never be a man Moses who would become the deliverer of Israel. It was Moses future that Pharaoh (a type of satan) was afraid of.
Why did Saul try to kill David who was just a young innocent boy who had a gift and anointing to play the harp? Saul wanted to kill David as a boy so he would not become a man. He wanted to stop him from being the next king of Israel. Saul was afraid of David’s future.
Joseph’s brothers did not try to kill Joseph as a seventeen year old boy because of whom he was or where he was at the time. He was just a dreamer who watched his father’s sheep. They were not afraid of who he was, they were afraid of who he would become. They were not concerned over where he was at the time; they were concerned over where he was going. Joseph’s brothers were afraid of Joseph’s future.
Why did satan try to kill Jesus as a little baby? Why did he move on Pharaohs heart to kill all the boys two years old and under? Why did he want to kill this little boy named Jesus? Jesus was not healing the sick, raising the dead, or casting out devils at the time. He was just a little child. Satan did not want to kill Jesus because of what He was doing at the time, he wanted to kill Him because he was afraid of what He would do when He became a man. He wanted to stop the cross. Satan knew if he could stop the cross there would never be a resurrection and without an empty tomb all mankind would be lost.
The battle is for your future. You are about to go where God said you would go, have what God said you would have and greatest of all “You are about to become who God said you would become.”
Your future is about to become your now. God is about to bring your future into your now and it is going to happen quickly! Do not be discouraged because of the battle you are in, because THE BATTLE IS FOR YOUR FUTURE!
