Bishop T.D. Jakes, senior pastor of the Potter's House, delivered a message of hope and encouragement to tens of thousands gathered at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, to kick off MegaFest 2015.
"It means something to look at your life and make sense out of chaos, the bad things, the hurtful things, the painful things," Jakes told the cheering crowd. " In retrospect, I realize that it was all pushing me to an expected end. I now understand that even when I thought I was in decline, that God was taking me like a bow and arrow-- he was only pulling me back to shoot me that much further forward."
The megachurch pastor and business mogul extended a message of hope to those gathered, reminding them that "the only reason we have steps is to get us to a higher level."
"If you've been in a decline and feel like everything is going wrong, and you've been pulled back in every area of your life, let me tell you about God's bow: when he releases you, you will go higher and further than you've ever been before," he said.
Jakes, who recently released his latest book, "Destiny: Step into Your Purpose", also encouraged attendees to take comfort the reality that God has a plan and purpose for their lives, even if it may not be instantly apparent.
"I believe that we are created for purpose, that God just didn't get bored and make you by accident," he asserted. "You may be a result of an unsavory situation - whether didn't know your mother, didn't know your father...don't know who you are, don't know what your last name is, don't know where you came from, everybody left you, you were raised by wolves - God still got you here because He has a plan and purpose for your life."
Addressing the thousands gathered to hear him preach, Jakes asked, "Wouldn't it had been nice if I had this years ago when I was younger and stronger?"
He continued, "God didn't give me this place then, because I was not ready to fill it." As we ask God for more blessings, we must also understand that God knows what's best and has to build our foundation before filling us further.
Bishop Jakes reminded attendees that two fish and five loaves was enough to fed 5,000 people, once the bread was broken. "Your blessing is in your breaking," he said.
MegaFest is a five-day Christian conference featuring actors, singers, comedians, chefs and prominent Christian speakers.
This year's event featured Hollywood producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, director and actor Tyler Perry, comedian Sheryl Underwood, rapper MC Lyte, and speakers Joyce Meyer and Christine Caine, Devon Franklin, and others.
According to the Christian Post, Dallas might also be the host city for MegaFest 2017 and has been preselected as a contender for the family-friendly event two years from now.
