“IT’S STILL GOING TO HAPPEN.” NOW YOUR PART IS TO RISE UP. GET YOUR PASSION BACK AND START BELIEVING AGAIN. THIS IS A NEW DAY. GET READY

28/09/24

GOSPEL CORNER

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

Today’s Scripture
So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.
Ezra 5:2, NKJV

RISE BACK UP
In the book of Ezra, fifty thousand Israelite men had returned to Jerusalem from exile under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua to rebuild the temple. But opposition had arisen after the completion of the foundation, and for sixteen years all construction was halted until the prophets Zechariah and Haggai showed up. Despite year after year of discouragement, delay, and opposition, when the prophets said it was time to start rebuilding, Zerubbabel stirred up his faith. He got in agreement with God, got his passion back, and rose up to lead the people.

Perhaps today you’re facing some delays, opposition, and setbacks to your dreams and desires. There are times when it seems as though the enemy gets the best of us and the bottom falls out. You’re right where Zerubbabel was. But God has not changed His mind. He’s saying, “It’s still going to happen.” Now your part is to rise up. Get your passion back and start believing again. This is a new day. Get ready. What didn’t work out the first time is about to happen.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You for the dreams and the desires You put in my heart. Thank You that the setbacks and opposition do nothing to change Your mind and that a breakthrough is coming. I believe that it’s time to rise up and begin again. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

[Would you agree with me that more Christians today know about the Ten Commandments than about the new covenant of God’s unmerited favor? For that matter, if you walked down Times Square in New York City and started to interview people at random, most would probably have heard about the Ten Commandments, but know nothing about the new covenant of grace that came by Jesus Christ.

In fact, the world identifies Christianity with the Ten Commandments. Isn’t it sad that the world knows us by the laws that are obsolete and not by the unmerited favor that Christ died to give us?

It is no wonder we are losing a whole new generation of young people to the world! The law holds no appeal or attraction, and the Bible itself calls the law obsolete (Heb. 8:13). If we keep on shoving the Ten Commandments down the throats of our young people, don’t be surprised when they are turned off by legalistic forms of Christianity.

More importantly, don’t forget that the strength of sin is the law. The law has no power to stop sin. The law will not impart to them their precious identity in Christ, which will give them the strength to abstain from premarital sex, prevent them from getting into drug abuse, and stop them from losing their sexual identity. Only God’s own sacrifice on the cross can give them their new identity as a new creation in Christ Jesus!

Young people, when you catch a revelation of Jesus and just how precious you are in His sight, your lives will be supernaturally transformed. You will stop being harassed by suicidal thoughts. You will stop wanting to put yourselves at risk to “fit in” or to get the attention that you crave.

Young ladies, you will come to see and value yourselves differently as you learn to value yourselves in the same way Jesus values you. Overflowing with Jesus’ perfect love for and acceptance of you, you will not be under the illusion that you need to give your bodies away to find acceptance and love from some guy. You will love yourselves as Jesus loves you!

Young men, you will develop supernatural self-control to manage your raging hormones. You will do it not by your own willpower but through Jesus’ power flowing through you. You will learn how to flee youthful lusts. You will know that being “cool” means respecting the opposite sex, and not putting yourselves and your girlfriends at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and having unwanted pregnancies.

Young people, when you know that Jesus has an awesome destiny laid out for you, the desire to be involved in gangs and destructive activities such as alcohol and drug abuse and promiscuity will dissipate in Jesus’ unmerited favor and love for you. Supernaturally, your desires for the things of the world will disappear as they get replaced with the desire for Jesus!

That’s the power of God’s grace (unmerited favor) and His unconditional acceptance of us through the cross. What the law could not do, God did for us by sending His own Son, Jesus Christ!