Gospel Corner

16/04/25

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Daniel 3:17–18, NIV

Calmed
We love that the three Hebrew teenagers wouldn’t bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol. But can you image the anxiety they faced knowing they were about to be thrown into a fiery furnace? They had to understand that God is in control, that nothing could happen to them without His permission. They made the decision to cast their anxiety upon God and trust their lives in His hands unconditionally. They received the peace that passes understanding and weren’t worried or panicked. They were calm in the midst of chaos. Not only were they not burned in the fire, but they came out without even the smell of smoke.

You may be in what feels like a fire now. Cast the care, cast the anxiety, cast the worry. God has you in the palms of His hands. He has it all figured out. Defeating anxiety requires trust. When you cast the anxieties on God and leave them with Him, you’ll not only have supernatural peace, but you’ll see God do supernatural things. When God brings it all together, it will be better than you’ve ever imagined.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for Your promise to be with me through the fire and flames. When I am attacked with anxious thoughts, I choose to trust in You and believe that You have it all figure out. I believe I will come through without the smell of smoke. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

Today I want to show you the difference between a blessed man and a cursed man. The Bible is amazingly clear on how you can be a cursed man and what a cursed life looks like. God’s Word also shows you a picture of a blessed man and how you can be that man.

Let’s start with how one can be a cursed man. Jeremiah 17:5 tells us that when a man “trusts in man” and not in the Lord, he becomes a cursed man.

A man who “makes flesh his strength” is also cursed. In this context, “flesh” can be paraphrased as “self-effort.” In other words, we can read verse five as “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes self-effort his strength.”

My friend, there are essentially two ways to live this life. The first is for us to depend and trust entirely in the Lord’s unmerited favor, while the other is to depend on our efforts, and strive and struggle for success.

We can never bring about good success that comes from God by depending on our self-efforts. No matter how we strive and struggle, we cannot work for our own righteousness or attain our own forgiveness. Any success that we may achieve is only partial success.

On the other hand, God’s kind of success is complete, whole, and permeates into every facet of our lives—spirit, soul, and body. God’s Word says, “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Prov. 10:22).

God never gives us success at the expense of our marriage, families, or health. Like I always say to the business people in my church, don’t use all your health to chase after wealth, only to spend all your wealth later to get your health back!

Health and wholeness in your physical body are part of God’s blessings. If you are constantly under tremendous stress and have regular panic attacks because of the nature of your work, then I would encourage you to take a step back and seek the Lord’s counsel. Stress robs you of health, whereas good success from the Lord causes your youth to be renewed.

When you depend on your efforts, you can struggle for many years and get only a certain measure of success. But when you depend on God’s unmerited favor, you can experience accelerated blessings and promotion that years of striving and struggling can never achieve.

Look at the story of Joseph from Genesis 39. He was nothing but a lowly prisoner. Yet, within an hour of meeting Pharaoh, he was promoted to the highest office in the entire Egyptian empire.

Beloved, even if you are down and out (like Joseph was) at this point in your life, the Lord can promote you supernaturally in an instant when you choose to put your eyes on Him!

Gospel Corner

15/04/25

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
“Touch not my anointed ones.”
Psalm 105:15, ESV

Your Defender
You may be in a situation where there’s a lot of negative chatter, people trying to push you down, to discredit you. You don’t think it’s ever going to change. But you are God’s anointed. Your time is coming. God has heard every negative word spoken against you. He’s seen every person who’s tried to make you look bad. Vindication is on the way, promotion is coming, new levels are coming. The Most High God is going to make things happen that you couldn’t make happen. He’s going to settle that case. He’s your defender.

Now quit living upset. Quit fighting those battles, trying to win somebody over who’s never going to be for you. Your goal should not be to try to change their mind or to try to convince them to like you. Just run your race with purpose, with focus, and with joy. Stay on the high road, be your best, and let God defend you. You’re going to live so much freer and enjoy your life so much more if you leave those issues in the hands of God.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the anointing You have put on my life. Thank You for being my defender, my vindicator, and my promoter in situations where people are coming against me. I declare that I am going to leave these issues in Your hands and live free. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

SECTION TWO

There is a beautiful story of a Moabite woman named Ruth in the Bible. In the natural, Ruth had everything against her.

She was a poor widow, and she was a Moabitess, a Gentile in the Jewish nation of Israel. But even after her husband died, Ruth remained with her mother-in-law Naomi. She left her family to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem, and made Naomi’s God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—her God.

Now, because of their poverty, Naomi and Ruth could not afford to buy grain, and Ruth had to go out to the field to perform the menial task of gleaning whatever the reapers had left behind. I want you to notice that Ruth was depending on the Lord’s favor for she said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor” (Ruth 2:2).

Ruth was confident that God would give her favor even though she was a foreigner and had no connections with anyone in the field. She didn’t even know whose part of the field she would be able to glean in.

Look at the Bible’s account of what happened next: “And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.” Of all the spots in the field that Ruth could have wandered into, her “hap” was to come to the part of the field that belonged to Boaz, who was a man of great wealth, and who also happened to be Naomi’s relative.

“Hap” is an old English word and it means “to happen” to be at the right place. However, in the original Hebrew text, the root of this word is the word qarah!

When Ruth trusted in God’s unmerited favor, she qarah-ed or happened to come to the part of the field that belonged to Boaz. To cut a long story short, Boaz saw Ruth, fell in love with her, and married her.

Ruth was possibly at the lowest point of her life just before she met Boaz. All the natural factors were against her. But because she put her trust in the Lord, who put her at the right place at the right time, her situation was turned around completely.

In fact, she became one of the few woman to be mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5, which states that “Boaz begot Obed by Ruth.” What an honor to be included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Talk about being at the right place at the right time!

My friend, no matter what natural circumstances may be against you today, have confidence in the unmerited favor of Jesus and He will give you what I call “qarah success.” He will cause you to be positioned at the right place at the right time to experience His protection and success in your relationships, career, and finances.

Gospel Corner

14/04/25

In Genesis 41:38–41, we see how when Pharaoh saw that the Spirit of God was in Joseph and that there was none who was as wise and as discerning as Joseph, Pharaoh placed him in charge of the whole of Egypt.

My friend, I want you to note this: Joseph knew that God was the source of his wisdom. When Pharaoh said, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it,” Joseph immediately replied, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Gen. 41:15–16).

Joseph knew that his wisdom was a result of the Lord’s unmerited favor and would not take any credit for it. Clearly, here was a man who understood grace, and could be trusted with increase, promotion, and more good success.

Observe the wisdom of Joseph in action. Joseph did not just interpret Pharaoh’s dream. He went on to advise Pharaoh on how to take advantage of the seven years of abundance to prepare for the seven years of famine that were revealed in his dream.

Did you notice how Joseph’s wise advice led to the creation of a position of influence for himself? That is how the wisdom of the Lord operates.

Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.” Joseph knew that his wisdom was a gift from the Lord. He knew that he did not earn it and that it flowed from the Lord’s unmerited favor toward him.

The Lord’s ways are amazing. See the extent of Joseph’s promotion in Genesis 41. In the space of less than an hour, he rose from a lowly prisoner to the highest possible office in all of Egypt.

That, my friend, is the unmerited favor of God! No striving, no self-effort, no compromises, and no manipulation, just pure grace and grace alone made all the difference in Joseph’s life!

Remember that when the Lord is with you, you are a successful person. If you feel like you are in a prison now, stuck in a hopeless situation where you don’t know what to do, ask the Lord for wisdom.

The Bible says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). To ask the Lord for wisdom is to say, “I can’t, Lord, but You can. I give up on my own efforts and depend entirely upon your unmerited favor and wisdom.”

As you receive His wisdom, riches and honor, as well as long life, will follow after you. Run to Him right now!

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13/04/25

Gospel Corner

What is the value of seeing Jesus? How does this put money in your bank account and food on your table? How does this help your children in their studies?

Believers who have asked me these questions think that they are being pragmatic, but they don’t realize that miracles happen when they keep their eyes on Jesus. Look at what happened to a fisherman called Peter, who was one of Jesus’ disciples, in Matthew 14:22–33.

When his boat was in the middle of a lake, the most practical thing for a seasoned fisherman to do was to stay in the boat. Science tells you that when you step out into the water, you will sink!

But the greatest miracle that Peter experienced happened one night when he stepped out of his boat in the middle of a storm at Jesus’ word. That night, the winds were boisterous, but as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he did the impossible—he walked on water.

Jesus was walking on the water and when Peter looked at Jesus, he became like Jesus and did the supernatural. God’s Word declares that “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Beloved, as Jesus is, so are you in this world. When you keep your focus on Jesus, you are transformed into His image from glory to glory.

You are transformed by beholding, not by working. When you see that Jesus is above the storms of your life, you will effortlessly rise above those storms.

No amount of self-effort could have helped Peter walk on water. When he did, it happened simply because he was looking at Jesus.

Let me share with you a testimony from a lady in our church. She went for a mammogram one morning and the doctors found some lumps in her breast. They told her to return to the clinic in the afternoon so that they could perform further tests to determine if the lumps were cancerous. But this lady was fresh from hearing me teach that as Jesus is, so are we in this world.

So before she returned to the clinic for the biopsy, she actually wrote on her medical report, “Does Jesus have lumps in His breast? As He is, so am I in this world.” That afternoon, she went for further tests and guess what! The doctors told her that there must have been a mistake—they could find no lumps!

Do you know why? Because as He is, so is she!

In fact, it is the most practical thing you can ever do. Keep your eyes on Jesus and you will become more and more like Him—full of health, strength, wisdom, and life!

You have just seen the power of looking to Jesus. If you think that simply looking to Christ is impractical, I am challenging you today to see that it is not.

Gospel Corner

12/04/25

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.
Psalm 51:1–2, NLT

The Mask of Shame
Psalm 51 is the psalm in which David admits and repents of sins that he had covered up for over a year. He not only took off the mask of pretending he had done right, but under that mask was a mask of shame. “I can’t believe I did this. What is wrong with me? I’ll never become what I could have been.” The mask of shame will keep you from your destiny. Voices will constantly whisper, “You should feel ashamed and unworthy of being forgiven. Look what you did. You can’t take that mask off. You’re showing God that you’re sorry. You’re paying Him back for your sins.” No, the price has already been paid by Jesus. You can’t pay God back, and you don’t have to live guilty and condemned.

You may have issues that you’re not proud of, that you’ve covered up. It’s time to take off the mask of shame. No matter what you’ve done, God has mercy for you. He didn’t disqualify you. Acknowledge what it is and ask God to forgive you and cleanse the guilt away.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for Your unfailing love and great compassion that blots out the stain of my sins. Thank You that I can come to You for forgiveness and mercy and for truth in my heart. I ask for a clean heart and to walk in the joy of my salvation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO
There was once a boy named Sorrow. His mother gave him that name because she bore him in pain. You can imagine that with a name like that, it’s quite likely no one liked him.

So do you know what Sorrow, otherwise known as Jabez in the Old Testament, did? He called on the God of Israel to BLESS him!

“Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory.” That’s asking God for provision and increase.

He also asked for God’s hand to be with him so that he would be blessed in all that he did and be protected from harm. God not only granted Jabez his request, but He also considered Jabez more honorable than his brothers!

Today, do the honorable thing—ask the Lord to increase and enlarge the favor, wisdom, abilities, and opportunities for growth you currently have to a whole new level. Ask Him for divine wisdom to protect you from making unwise decisions that lead to painful consequences.

Gospel Corner

11/04/25

I believe that Jesus is doing a great work in your life right now. Maybe you can’t see it because there’s something that you have done in your past that you just can’t seem to shake off, that seems like weights around your feet holding you down.

Beloved, today is the day for your breakthrough. Learn to see what God sees by fixing your eyes on Jesus.

You need to understand that what you see or how others see you is not as important as how God sees you. Many people think that God sees them in their sins and is just waiting to pounce on them to punish them. This wrong belief produces wrong living.

If you see God this way, you can’t help but be in constant fear, insecurity, and anxiety over your past sins. Today, make a decision to turn your eyes to Jesus, for He has already made you, the believer, righteous with His blood!

In fact, the more you behold Jesus, the more you are transformed “from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). Fixing your eyes on Jesus is the greatest holiness.

Many think they have to do more in order to be more holy, accepted, and loved by God. The truth is, when you behold Jesus more and see His love, His forgiveness, His abundant grace, and His gift of righteousness purchased for you with His own blood, you will be transformed supernaturally.

Holiness is a by-product of seeing Jesus in His grace. When you see Jesus and receive His love and grace every day, your heart is transformed inwardly.

This is not outward behavior modification. This is real change that is sustained by a heart touched by His grace and by an emancipated conscience that is forever freed from guilt.

This is when that addiction begins to drop from your life. This is when that fear begins to dissolve in His perfect love, and that condemnation arising from your past mistakes is cleansed by His precious blood.

What a life! This is the life that God wants you to experience. Can you see it? Can you see what He sees?

GOSPEL CORNER

10/04/25

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.
Psalm 40:2–3, NLT

Solid Ground
A difficult, dark time in your life doesn’t have to keep you from your destiny. You may be in the pit as David said he had been, but you need to get ready, because you’re coming out. That depression is not the end, the sickness is not the end, and the addiction is not the final chapter. The person who walked out on you is not the end. If they left you, you didn’t need them. If they walked out, they were not a part of your destiny. God has somebody better. He wants to put a new song in your heart.

Don’t get comfortable in the pit. Don’t let self-pity and discouragement steal your passion. You have to get your fire back. Every blessing that God promised you He still has every intention of bringing to pass. People can’t stop it, bad breaks can’t stop it, and mistakes you’ve made don’t have to stop it. Dreams coming to pass are in your future, with increase, abundance, promotion, health, and restoration. That’s what’s up in front of you. Solid ground is how your story ends.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that the pits I find myself in are only temporary stops along the way to my final destination. Thank You that I can sing a new song of praise because You lift me out of whatever holds me back. I believe that You’ll get me to where I’m supposed to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

Do you believe that our God is a BIG God of abundance and inexhaustible supply? He is the Possessor of heaven and earth. He is not El Cheapo. He is El Shaddai—the Almighty, all-sufficient and all-nourishing one!8

And in Christ, the abundance of God’s wisdom, favor, ability, strength, and creativity that you need for a successful family, career, and ministry, are yours to experience and enjoy.

I want to challenge you to break out of a mentality of lack by choosing to fix your eyes on an abundant God, who has put His unlimited resources at your disposal because you are His beloved child.

What is your lack today? Do you need a job? Do you need more time? Or do you just feel overwhelmed by the demands of family and work? Instead of seeing the lack, start seeing a BIG God providing for you out of His abundance, a job you’ll love, wisdom to manage your time and shalom-peace at work and at home.

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JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
Elijah was afraid and fled for his life.
1 Kings 19:3, NLT

Faith or Feelings?
In 1 Kings 18, the prophet Elijah had just called down fire from heaven and destroyed all the prophets of Baal. It was a huge, dramatic victory. You can imagine the excitement, the high he was on. But when Queen Jezebel heard about it, she threatened to kill him. Elijah was terrified and fled for his life. When he finally stopped to rest, he was so discouraged that he wanted to die. He let his feelings rule and tell him he was finished when, in fact, his greatest impact was still in front of him. God was about to have Elijah mentor Elisha, who would do twice as many miracles as him.

Emotions are great when they’re working for us, but they can change in a minute. If you’re depending on feelings to determine your mood, your faith, or your belief, you’ll live up and down. Don’t let them dictate your life. Don’t live worried over that illness, stressed over your work, or guilty over past mistakes. God has you in the palms of His hands. Put your hope back in the Lord.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that You have given me the power to rule over the negative emotions that come and try to overwhelm me. I come to You in faith declaring that I am finished with giving any room to negative thoughts and emotions. Fill me with Your joy and peace as I move forward in victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

SECTION TWO

When I talk about not worrying and keeping our eyes on Jesus, some people think that I am not being practical. Beloved, you can worry all you like about your current crisis, but it will not improve or change your situation one bit.

Please understand that I am not making light of what you are going through. I am just offering you the best solution I know that works. Your breakthrough will not come as a result of your struggling. It will come when you rest in the person of Jesus and His finished work.

Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on” (Matt. 6:25). Now, Jesus was not saying that these things—food, drink, and clothing—are not important.

In fact, He says that “your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” But what Jesus wants us to do is to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” and He promises that “all these things shall be added to you.”

Now, who is God’s righteousness? Jesus Christ. And who is the king of the “kingdom of God” that we are to seek? Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:16)!

Jesus was actually referring to Himself when He was preaching this. When you seek Him first in your life and make Him your priority each day, all these material provisions—what you will eat, drink, and wear—will be added to you.

God does not delight in taking things away from you. He delights in adding to you, increasing you, promoting you, and enriching you.

Psalm 68:19 says, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits.” The Lord loads us with benefits daily! That is how good our Savior is. His mercies and His unmerited favor are new every morning. That is the way to live and enjoy life, knowing that Jesus is with you and for you every step of the way.

Put Jesus first in everything that you do. Honor Him and give Him preeminence in your daily life. Partake of His finished work daily by reading His living words to you. Practice the presence of Jesus and be conscious that He is with you, the same way that Joseph in the Bible was conscious that the Lord was with Him. Jesus will bless the works of your hands, and everything you touch will indeed prosper and bring good success into your life.

Gospel Corner

07/04/25

Martha was busy serving Jesus while her sister, Mary, sat at His feet and drew from Him words of life. Martha didn’t like it that Mary wasn’t helping her, so she complained about it to Jesus. Who do you think Jesus defended? Mary!

My friend, many believers think that it’s better to give than to receive. Now, that’s true in our relationships with people. But when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, it’s better to RECEIVE from Him than to try to give to Him!

Jesus describes Himself as the “bread of life,” in essence telling us that He wants us to partake of Him and receive from Him all the nourishment, strength, healing, provision, and abundant life we can take!

Our Lord loves it when we take from Him. That’s why Mary pleased Jesus. Beloved, I encourage you to be a Mary today. Our loving heavenly Father loves it when we draw from His unending reservoir of strength, wisdom, favor, peace, and life!