22/11/23

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

Today’s Scripture
Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today you and your family have been saved, because you are a true son of Abraham.”
Luke 19:9, CEV

REACH OUT
It’s easy to look at someone like Zacchaeus, a dishonest and despised tax collector, and make judgments, to find fault and condemn, and stay away. But Jesus came down to lift, to heal, to restore every person. Jesus called Zacchaeus out of a huge crowd of people and said, “I want to go to your house for dinner.” The religious leaders and the priests said, “Why would Jesus go to this crook’s house when He’s in the midst of fine, upstanding people like us?” They believed God was holy and righteous, but they didn’t believe He stoops to notorious sinners. Jesus didn’t say a word of condemnation to Zacchaeus because he was off course, but He loved him and brought salvation to him and his family. Since God stooped down for you, why don’t you stoop down for someone else? Why don’t you reach out and love them? There’s enough judgment in our world today. There’s enough criticism and faultfinding. Let’s be lifters. Let’s be encouragers. Let’s help someone else experience the God who stoops.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You for freely giving me Your mercy that I might freely give it to others. Thank You that I can stoop to lift the fallen, to restore the broken, and to heal the hurting. Help me be willing to love people who are messy and not turn away from them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

I preach the gospel of grace because the good news of Jesus changes lives. The gospel is the good news that the moment you receive Jesus into your life and make Him your Lord and Savior, all your sins are forgiven and you receive the gift of eternal life.

You are justified and made righteous through your faith in Jesus Christ. Your righteousness is a gift from Him. In Christ you now have perfect standing before God, paid for by the precious, eternal blood of His Son.

There is no more judgment, punishment, and curse for you because the full judgment, punishment, and curse for all your sins fell upon our Lord Jesus at the cross. He paid it all!

This is what happened to Neil from the United Kingdom when he came to understand that he had become the righteousness of God in Jesus:

“While reading a book by Pastor Prince, I was delivered from a forty-year addiction to pornography. In the past, I had tried to break free from this addiction by my own power and in my own strength, but failed every time.”

“Throughout that time, the devil used this addiction to heap fear, guilt, and condemnation on me. This fear and shame kept me from asking for help from the pastors of the various churches I attended over the forty-year period. I had even held leadership positions in some of these places.”

“Through reading Pastor Prince’s book, I got a fresh revelation of who I am in Christ—I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus—and how there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. It was through this fresh revelation that the grip of this addiction was broken off my life forever.”

“I now wear a ring on my left middle finger to remind myself that I am righteous, as righteous as Jesus, that there is no condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus, and that I am perfect and holy in God’s sight. Every time the devil tries to tempt me to view pornography, I just have to look at the ring to remind myself that I am the righteousness of God in Christ, and the temptation loses any hold on me.”

21/11/23

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Luke 3:22, NIV

GOD’S PLEASURE
After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, God the Father spoke from heaven and said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” It’s interesting that Jesus had not started His ministry yet. He had not healed anyone, not spoken the Sermon on the Mount, not turned water into wine. Yet His Father said, “I am well pleased with You.” God was pleased with who He is and not with what He could do. Jesus’ value didn’t come from His performance. It is because He is the Son of God.

God doesn’t base your value on what you do, on how well you perform, on how talented you are, or on how many people look up to you. It’s based on the fact that you’re His child. He breathed life into you. He made you in His own image. There’s nothing you can do that will make you more valuable. No matter how good you perform, no matter how successful, it doesn’t change how God sees you right now.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You that my value is based solely on the fact that I am Your child and that I am valuable right now no matter what I’ve done or how I feel. I declare that nothing I ever do, or ever achieve, or ever overcome will make me any more valuable. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

SECTION TWO

You need the truth of God’s Word to uproot any wrong belief. This is why it’s so important to get into His Word and take time to meditate upon verses that reveal God’s unwavering and unfailing love for you.

For instance, if you find your mind drifting into anxious thoughts over the smallest things, I encourage you to memorize and quote today’s scripture: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isa. 26:3).

Whenever I feel stressed or worried about something, I pull away from life’s hustle and bustle and simply meditate on God’s promises. Sometimes I like to drive to a quiet park, and as gentle anointed music plays in my car, I feed on and speak His Word, allowing it to permeate my spirit: “God’s Word declares, ‘You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.'”

And I tell the Lord, “Yes, Lord, it is You who will keep me in perfect peace. Perfect peace comes from You. I just need to rest in Your grace and keep my mind on You. I don’t need to think about what to do about this challenge. As I trust in You and keep my mind stayed on You, You will lead me and guide me. Lord Jesus, my trust is in You and You alone.”

What am I doing here? Instead of allowing stress and worry to get to me, I’m training my heart to see how God sees my challenges. The bigger God becomes in my heart, the smaller my challenges become. In fact, many times when I just relax and keep my mind on the Lord, His peace and wisdom begin to flow in me, and the challenge that I was previously so worried about becomes minute and inconsequential in the presence of Almighty God.

Are you faced with an insurmountable circumstance today? Learn to see what God sees by meditating on His Word, and let His peace drive out your anxiety. Let His wisdom direct your paths.

20/11/23

“One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.John 6:8–13″

When Jesus saw the five loaves and two little fish, unlike His disciples, He didn’t see the naturally impossible demand placed on Him—to feed 5,000 men (not including the women and children) with a boy’s small lunch. He saw the supernatural supply in His Father’s kingdom.

The result? Not only were the people fed till they were stuffed, there were also 12 baskets full of leftovers!

My friend, are you facing a situation of insufficiency today? Perhaps you can’t find enough time to get your work done, as well as spend quality time with your family. Why not put your time in Jesus’ hands and, as with the five loaves and two little fish, allow Him to multiply it? Jesus will give you the wisdom on how best to use your time.

Try it for yourself. Bring your little to Jesus! He will multiply whatever little you place in His hands with plenty left over!

20/11/23

She had been hemorrhaging continuously for 12 years. Medical science had no answer. Money to pay for expensive medication had run dry, very likely with all faith and hope that she could be made well.

And then one day, she heard of a travelling preacher, teacher, and healer. She heard about His compassionate touch, His kind eyes, and healing hands. She heard that everyone who came to Him to be healed was healed.

God is just as willing to heal you today. Just focus on His love for you. See His heart to heal you of your condition and faith will ignite in you, sparking off an explosion of healing in your body!

Suddenly, faith to believe that she would be next sparked on the inside. And when this woman touched Jesus with that faith, power left His body and healed her instantly!

What had fired up her faith? It was simply hearing about how good, kind, and loving Jesus was that led her to believe that He was both able and willing to heal her.

18/11/23

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
John 21:9, NLT

FRESH FISH ON THE GRILL
In John 21, Peter and some of the other disciples had fished all night and caught nothing. The next morning, they did not recognize Jesus on the beach when He shouted, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat.” When they did, they caught so many fish that they couldn’t pull in the net. Peter then realized it was Jesus, and when he got to the shore, he found Jesus was grilling fish. What Peter couldn’t catch all night, now he not only had a boatload of fish, but Jesus had already prepared breakfast for him.

When nothing is working for you and you’re tempted to wonder where God is, can I tell you that He’s cooking your fish? If you keep doing the right thing, God is not only going to give you an abundance, but you will come into some prepared blessings. Can you smell the freshly grilled fish? Promotion is waiting for you, the right people, the business, the healing. You’re about to see what God is cooking up for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You that You are not only the God of abundance but that You cook breakfast for us. Thank You for Your promise that as I keep doing the right thing, blessings are headed my way, tracking me down and overtaking me. I believe that I am coming into some prepared blessings. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

SECTION TWO

Many Christians make the mistake of thinking that God is too busy taking care of the “big things” to be interested in the little problems they are facing.

But God is not like that. He is not just God Almighty, He is also your heavenly Father who loves you! To God, whether it’s a new pimple on your face, a sore throat, or an aching back, no matter how trivial or commonplace it sounds, if it troubles you, He wants to take care of it!

If, as the Bible says, God bothers to keep track of how many hairs you have on your head, then there is no symptom, no discomfort, and no condition in your body that He doesn’t know of or care about. His love for you is all-encompassing, personal, and in-depth. There is nothing in your body or life too small that you can’t bring to Him and watch Him take care of!

17/11/23

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!
Exodus 12:36, NLT

FREEDOM PLUS
When God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery after 430 years, He didn’t just give them freedom from mistreatment. Psalm 105 says that God caused the Israelites to have favor with their oppressors, who loaded them down with silver and gold and clothing. Think about how strange that was. The people who had abused them all those years gave them their valuables. What was that? God paying them back. For years, they had been loaded down with burdens, oppression, and discouragement. But when God settled their account, they were loaded down with joy, gifts, and blessings.

There are seasons when you’re tested and treated unfairly, but your time is coming. God is not going to leave you at a deficit. Payback is coming. You’re not going to be loaded down with burdens, with lack, or with sickness, but with blessings, abundance, and good health. God is going to restore everything that was stolen—the joy, the peace, the health, the finances, the relationships, the dreams. Why don’t you stay in peace and let God make your wrongs right?

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You that You are a God of justice, and You keep the records. Thank You that the time comes when You say that enough is enough, that it’s payback time for what has been unfair. I believe that You will right the wrongs and bring me out loaded down with blessings. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

SECTION TWO

We know we can stay safe and protected when we don’t act presumptuously or irresponsibly but lean in to God’s wisdom. The Lord Jesus demonstrated this to us Himself.

When the devil tried to tempt Him to jump off the pinnacle of the temple, quoting Scripture to say that angels were supposed to bear Him up, our Lord Jesus responded by saying, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God'” (Matt. 4:7 NLT). Likewise, let us not test the Lord by making irresponsible and unwise decisions that ignore the written Word of God or the godly counsel spoken over our lives.

When you are led by His wisdom, the Lord can protect you from making unwise decisions. For example, someone may offer you “the investment opportunity of a lifetime.” On the surface, everything might seem to check out and it may appear to be a legitimate opportunity that is not to be missed. But before you rush to commit to anything, can I encourage you to first ask the Lord for His wisdom and leading?

There is a principle we can learn from in Isaiah 11, where it says of the Lord that “the spirit of wisdom and understanding” will rest on Him, and “He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear” (Isa. 11:2–3 NASB). You see, there is a discernment and wisdom from the Lord that goes beyond looking at the outward appearance of a matter.

When you call on Him, He will answer you and give you an answer of peace. If you don’t feel a peace to proceed, don’t allow anyone to pressure you into making a decision you will regret!