(Billy Wilson:)  Welcome to World Impact. I'm Billy Wilson and today, World Impact is in Utah. We're going into the Rocky Mountains, just outside of Salt Lake City. Today we're going to be talking about mountains. We're going to be talking about valleys. There are famous valleys all over the world. There's Death Valley. There's Shenandoah Valley. There's the Valley of Jezreal in Israel, and today we're going to be looking at eight Biblical valleys and how God can take those occasions in your life and turn them into places of victory. The truth is we're not always on the mountain. At times in our life, we have valleys, and God proves that He is not just the God of the mountains or the hills, He's also the God of the valleys and the difficult times in our life. Today we're going to be specifically looking at valleys and how you can turn your valley into victory. One of the ways that can happen is 
is by praying, by seeking God in the midst of your valley. If you're going through a valley today, as you watch this program, I want you to call me at 1-800-95-SHARE. Whatever your difficulty you can share it with our prayer counselors and we will pray for you. Or you can go to our website from anywhere in the world and leave your prayer request, tell us your story and we will lift you up before God. We believe that the supernatural God we serve is not just the God of the mountains. He's the God of your valley. I want you to stay with me, now. We're going up into the Rockies. You're going to see some of the most amazing scenery in all of the United States and I'll be sharing with you a message, "Victory in the Valley." 

(Announcer:) There is a Chinese proverb that says, "First you eat bitterness, so that you may taste sweetness later." And some Jewish homes maintain a tradition of serving something bitter and something sweet at mealtime, to reflect that life is made of both hardship and joy. But if life serves both, what defines each person must be what they do with their portion. Sometimes this is clearly seen in the realm of sports. Michael Jordan was initially cut from his highschool basketball team. Roger Federer was rejected from the Swiss Armed Forces due to poor physical condition. Vince Lombardi began coaching football only because he needed a steady job to marry his girlfriend. Babe Ruth was an orphan. Pele grew up in poverty in South Palo, playing soccer with his socks stuffed with newspaper instead of a ball. Bethany Hamilton won the NSSA National Competition two years after losing her arm to a shark attack. For Pistol Pete Maravich life revolved around basketball. But when he was forced to retire due to injuries, he looked for meaning in Yoga, Hinduism, and even the study of UFOs. Eventually he found peace embracing faith in Jesus Christ, saying, "I want to be remembered as a Christian, a person that serves Jesus to the utmost, not as a basketball player." A Tibetan mountain climber Ganpo, one of the first to climb Mt. Everest at night, is credited with saying, "No one lives on a mountains top. You have to come down. Life is lived in the valleys where the plowing and the work is done."
(Billy Wilson:) Today on World Impact we're talking about valleys and how God gives us the victory in the valley. In 1 Kings chapter 20, verse 27 through 30 it says, 
What an amazing account of how God chooses the battlefield to be a valley, to prove to the Syrians or Aramains that He is not only the God of the mountains, He's God of the valleys. I believe many times God chooses the place of our battle to show us that He is God. To prove both to our enemies and to our heart. Many times, the place God chooses is a place that is a valley. Now on today's teaching I want to talk about valleys in our life and how God turns our valleys into places of victory. God is not only a God of the mountains and a God of the hills, He's also God of the valleys. Specifically I'm going to look quickly at eight valleys in our life and how God turns those low places into places of victory and triumph. First of all, valleys should be a place of courage. There's a valley in the Bible mentioned that is called the valley of Elah. This is the place where Goliath challenges the armies of Israel. In 1 Samuel chapter 17, verse 2 it says,

David's defeat of Goliath in the valley of Elah proved that in our valleys we can have courage. Despite the overwhelming odds against him, David faced his enemy, ran toward him with faith and absolute courage. Many times we are in a valley because of our fear. We're afraid of what's going to happen. We're worried about tomorrow and it plunges us into an emotional and spiritual valley. I believe God says, "Rise up, face your giant, and have courage." Even in the valley, God can turn it into a place of victory. The second valley I want to talk about today is the fact that valleys are a place of hope. And this place is called the valley of Achor. It's mentioned in Joshua chapter 7:26. 
And then in Hosea 2:15 it says, 

Now this valley is mentioned these two times in the Bible in very different circumstances. God says the valley of Achor will become a door of hope. The valley of Achor is where Achan is killed because he sinned against God and taken something from the accursed city of Jericho and hid it in his tent. He and his family are slain and they are buried in the valley of Achor. This is a valley according to the Hebrew meaning, which means trouble. It is a place of trouble. Sometimes in our lives we are in a valley of trouble and yet God's promises, even when we're in trouble. Even when the trouble has been caused by our own failure and our own sin, God can turn our trouble into a place of hope, into a door into a hopeful future. So today God, I believe chooses our valleys to be places of victory, a place for courage, and a place for hope. 

(Ross Parsley:) New Life Church had become a ministry that God seemed to bless with influence, when everything went terribly wrong. It sent shockwaves through us. 
(Television Interview with Ross:)There has been some admission of indiscretion. 
(Ross:) Everyone wanted to know what had happened. We did the only thing we knew to do. We persevered. We prayed. We worshipped. We trusted in something bigger than ourselves. We followed God. And then along the way, we found a new leader, an ally and a friend. And then the unthinkable happened. 
(Policeman:)The Colorado Springs communication center received a call on an active shooter at New Life Church. We were attacked. We lost two of our own and the future never seemed more uncertain. 
(Jon Egan:)When the shooting happened, I was just convinced that we were done. The biggest disaster that our church has seen in the history of our church, and then the shooting happens. And I was just convinced, my faith was at an all time low, and I just felt like we would not recover from this one. 
(Ross:) It wasn't until after the shooting that the song really became the anthem of our church. 
(Jon:) The Wednesday night after the shooting, just a few days after it, we had this family meeting where we did overcome, we sang overcome at the end of the night. 
(Ross:) I will never forget the experience of singing that song with thousands of other believers. I've never had a worship experience like it. I don't think I ever will have. 
(Jon:) And the faith that came into the room, was unlike anything I have ever seen. 
(Ross:) And at that moment, that guitar rift comes in and the entire crowd just erupts.
(Jon:) We were undone. I mean. I was crying. I look back at Jared on drums who's crying. Ross's emotional singing. It was just a phenomenal experience to see that we were living in the truth of God. We were living in the promise of God that He will pull us through, that He will never leave us, He will never forsake us. 
(Ross:) It was a group of people that had decided that they weren't going to be defeated, that they were going to survive, that the family was going to be strong together. And by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimony, we were going to overcome. 
(Billy Wilson:) Thank you for joining us on this World Impact program from the beautiful mountains of Utah today. You know I appreciate very much you allowing me to be in your home, and in your life speaking God's word to you and your family. We're asking people all over the world to join us in prayer for this ministry, but to also join us financially. In fact we're asking you to help us cover the earth with the knowledge of God's glory in the 21st century. Habbakuk said, "The knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." God wants to cover this globe with the knowledge of His glory. And at our ministry we're pursuing a strategy of using relational networks and also media, to cover the earth in our generation. For 21 dollars a month you can help us with this 21st Century strategy. Go to the website right now, worldimpact.tv. Say Billy I want to help you cover the earth for the glory of God, with 21 dollars a month. Join us today and help us share Jesus with our generation. 

(Billy Wilson:) Today, we're talking about victory in the valley, how that life is not always filled with mountain tops. How that there are many times severe valleys in our spiritual walk and in our journey. In the first part of our teaching I talked about two valleys that God turns to our good and makes us victorious. One is the valley of Elah, which could have been a valley of fear, but David turned it into a place of courage. The other was the valley of Achor, which was a place of trouble where Achan failed God and God promises He would turn the valley of Achor into a door of hope. God can take even our troubles and give us hope out of the midst of them. I want to continue now, on these eight valleys, that I believe God wants to give us victory in, in our spiritual walk with Jesus Christ. The third is the valley of Dry Bones, or when every thing seems dead around us. We read about this in Ezekiel 37, verse 1 and 2. 

When things seemed dead, when all hope seemed lost, God says to Ezekiel, prophesy to the bones. Tell them to hear my word, and then prophesy to the wind. At the end of Ezekiel's prophesying God had brought the bones together and formed a fresh army in Israel. The dry valley, the place of death became a place of renewal. Many times in our spiritual walk with God, it feels like we've hit a dead place, a place that we need desperately a revival or renewal. Remember if you'll hear God's Word and respond to God's wind, He can turn your valley of death into a place of renewal. Fourth, I want to share that I believe God wants our valleys to be a place of victory, because we make them a place for preparation. The valley of Edom is a strange account in 2nd Kings chapter 3. Jehosophat and Ahab have coalesced or allied together to fight against the Moabites along with the king of Edom. Now they have gone with their armies into the desert, the valley of Edom, for seven days, without water. This is a terrible distraught situation. Jehosophat said is there not a man of God here, that we can hear from to tell us what we should do? Someone said, Elisha is nearby. So they got the prophet Elisha and he prophecies to them and he says this, a very strange prophecy in 2 Kings chapter 3 and verse 16, 

Elisha says carve out space in this valley according to God's commandment. I believe that God calls us when we are in a valley to make space for Him, to prepare ourselves for our next step. Now the truth is, that day they filled the valley with ditches and during the night God caused water to come into the ditches and filled them with water. Not only did He quench the thirst of the army, but He would use this water to defeat the Moabites soundly and give the victory. In fact the Moabits saw the water the next morning and they thought it was the blood of the armies of Judah and Israel and they attacked and they were soundly defeated. When you use your valley to prepare for the next step, you turn your valley into a place of victory. The fifth thing I want to share today about valleys is that valleys are a place of surrender. The Kedron valley is where the Garden of Gethsemane was. John 18, verse 1 says, that

The olive grove was called Gethsemane. It actually meant olive press. It was there that Jesus would surrender fully to the will of God. Your valley is meant to be a place of surrender, where the pressure of God's will causes you to surrender fully to Him and God brings out the best in your life. Surrender right now in your valley and it will become a place of victory. 

(Announcer:) In Junior College Kimberly Daniels was the fastest female sprinter in the nation, and became the fastest female sprinter in the military, anywhere in the world. However, her life spiraled out of control into prostitution and drugs. 
 (Kimberly Daniels:) The extreme transition from PreMadonna track star to drug addict and prostitute and being bound by every, because with drugs, everything comes, there was a lot of addiction in my life. But God totally set me free and it was bam! It wasn't five steps, ten steps. You know, God set me free. He took the taste out of my mouth. I got with my husband. We were separated 16 years. He was still doing drugs. The deliverance on my life was so strong that he immediately got set free, and neither one of us ever went back, and now we have churches full of people that are immediately set free. And when I say immediately set free, yes it's a work, you have to stay away from folk; but it's not like when I go by the crack house now, Ohhhh, you know I'm trembling like I got to have a hit. No, whom the Son makes free, is free indeed. That word make, literally means delivered. It's simple, it's not deep. My sheep know my voice. You know God's speaking to me while my children are cutting up in the house. God is speaking to me when I'm in the middle of a lot of traffic. God's not just speakin' to us when we are all caught up in this moment, which He does that. But God wants us to live a lifestyle of communion, communication with Him. So we need to practice not so much hearing from God, but we need to practice being sheep. And as we are sheep, we'll hear God's voice, because God is speaking to us every day. We have to get in place to hear Him.

(Billy Wilson:) Today on World Impact we're in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Utah. This is one of the prettiest places in our nation, and reminds of the majesty of the United States. Today we've come here in the mountains to talk about valleys. In fact the title of this show is "Victory in the Valley." The first part of our teaching, I've talked about a number of valleys that I believe God can turn into places of victory. Valleys of fear, that God turns into places of courage. Valleys of death that God turns into places of renewal. I want to continue now, with the last three valleys and places that I believe that God turns into decisive moments for our lives, and places of victory. The first is a valley of tears. A valley is a place for tears, but it's also a place for triumph. In psalm 84, verse 5 through 7 it says, 

The Hebrew word Baca means tears. God is saying when you come to the valley of tears, make it a place of springs. One version says, make it a well. In other words, when we're in a place that is so desperate, so deep, such a valley in our life, that it brings tears and continual crying to our eyes, dig a well. Because someone else is coming to that same valley. They're going to pass through some of the same moments of despair, and if you can find God's grace in your valley, you can help them find God's grace in their valley. So turn your tears into triumph in the valley. The seventh valley I want to talk about today, is the valley of the Shadow of Death. David said in Psalm 23, verse 4, 

David, I believe faced what all of face, and that is the valley of the shadow of death, where the coldness of death, overshadows are life, and where we must find God's comfort even in the shadow of our final enemy. David said, when I'm there, your presence, your rod and your staff comfort me. Your presence comforts me and your discipline comforts me. The fact that you're with me and that you would correct me, even in my moment of need, brings comfort to my heart. So your valley of despair, your valley of the shadow of death, can be a place of comfort and a place of victory. And finally today, I believe God wants us to turn our valley of decision into a place of victory. Joel in Joel 3:14 says, 

This valley, is a low place in our life, a place where are emotions seem to almost shut down and where everything in our life comes to a creeping halt or a crawl. It's a place where we must make a decision. In many ways it's like a fork in the road, or a "T" in the road, where the road seems to end for a moment and the decision we make, will determine our direction for many days to come. Today you may be in a valley of decision. You may be in a moment of despair, and a moment when it seems like the road you've been traveling has come to an end. God invites you to decide for Him and His glory, and turn your valley of decision into a place of victory and deliverance. Now what happens in the valley. There are two things I want to share with you that I believe need to happen if you're going to make it through the valley and turn your valley into a place of victory. First of all, when you're in the valley, don't give up. Hear in Utah in 2002, the Olympic games were held, and not far from here in Salt Lake City, there was one of the most memorable stories of the games, happened in the short track skating races. And it was a young man from Australia called Steven Bradbury. He had won a bronze medal in years before, but really was not a champion skater. However, in the semi-finals, in his race, three of the skaters in front of him fell down during the race, and he came in second which advanced him  to the finals. He was in the shore track final and he was tracking along with all of the others, but was running last out of five. Suddenly on the last turn, everyone in front of him fell down and Mr. Bradbury went in first place and won the gold medal. This was the first gold medal in the Winter Olympics ever by a nation in the Southern Hemisphere and by Austraillia. It was an amazing victory that looked like it was going to be an amazing defeat. He did not give up. He kept on skating. When you're in the valley, don't give up. Secondly, when you're in the valley, get up. In fact, the other story I want to share with you today also happened in the olympics. In the 1972 Olympics Lasse Viren was a Finnish police officer turned long distance runner. He was in the twelfth lap of the ten thousand meter final, when he got tangled up with another runner and he fell. Most people would have simply given up. We was already 20 or 30 meters behind, but Lasse Viren got up, he caught up with the front of the pack, he passed them and he won the ten thousand meter race, and ultimately won the five thousand meter in the same olympics. So when you're in a valley don't give up, and get up. In other words, don't quit, continue on, even if you have fallen, even if you have failed, God can turn your failure, your moment of trouble, your moment of despair, your moment of fear, and even your moment of spiritual death, into victory. God wants to give you victory in the valley. 
(Song lyrics:)
We will overcome
by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of our testimony, 
everyone overcome;
We will overcome
by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of our testimony,
everyone overcome
We will overcome
by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of our testimony,
everyone overcome
Savior, worthy of
honor and glory,
 worthy of all our praise,
You overcame
Jesus, 
awesome in power forever,
awesome and great
is Your name, 
You overcame
Yeah, you overcame

(Billy Wilson:) Today we've been talking about what happens in your life when you go into a valley. God proves himself, that He's not only the God of the mountains, the God of majesty, the God of the high places of our life, He's also the God of the valleys, the God of the low places. When life hurts, when things are difficult, God is there. In fact, God delights in turning our valleys into places of victory. And He wants to do that for you today. As you watch this program, perhaps you're going through a valley in your life. Your emotions are down, your heart is down and even maybe your spiritual life is at a low ebb, I declare to you right now, in the name of the Lord, God can turn your valley into a place of victory and triumph and you'll always remember it as a place where God came through for you and showed Himself strong. If you'd like prayer, in the midst of your valley, I want you to call me in the United States at 1-800-95-SHARE, or go to our website, worldimpact.tv. Every week we hear from people, literally around the world, who are in deep valleys, many of them financial valleys, family valleys, all kinds of difficulties that are going on. And we take them before the Lord and we hear amazing testimonies of God's grace and power and how God is turning the valley into a place of victory. He can do the same for you. Right now, call 1-800-95-SHARE in the United States,  or go to our website, worldimpact.tv. You know, many times life is not on a mountain top. We find ourselves in valleys and many times it is a surprise that we're there. But in our valley. God can take our places of fear and turn them into courage. He can take our places of dryness and deadness and turn them into places of renewal. He can take our places of indecision and help us make the decisions that will determine our destiny for the rest of our lives. I pray you've made one of those decisions today, as you've watched this program. Thank you for joining me on World Impact. We're sharing Jesus with the world.