Where the Blessing Is (— Joel & Victoria Osteen)

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Where the Blessing Is

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity…for there the Lord has commanded the blessing…"
(Psalm 133:1-3, AMP)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

So many people today desire God’s blessing in their lives, but did you know He commands blessing when we are at peace with the people around us?

As believers, we are called to work together in unity so that we can fulfill God’s purposes. We are called to serve one another in love and serve together in the house of the Lord. Is there someone in your life that you don’t quite get along with? The Bible says to pray for that person and go out of your way to be a blessing to them. It isn’t easy, but the reward is eternal. His blessing is everlasting.

Make the decision today to live in peace and unity with your brothers and sisters in the Lord. Look for common ground. Even if the only thing you can agree on is Jesus, focus on that. Focus on the love you have for God and for seeing people come to know Him. Live together in unity so that the world will see your love. Open the door to see His blessing in every area of your life.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, search my heart today and see if there is anything that is keeping me from walking in unity with other believers. I choose love today. I choose peace today. I choose unity today. Help me to be an example of love to those around me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

A Mark of Honor (— Joel & Victoria Osteen)

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A Mark of Honor

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"It is an honor for a man to cease from strife…"
(Proverbs 20:3, AMP)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Oftentimes, challenges are merely distractions meant to keep us from pursuing our destiny. Maybe someone in the office isn't as friendly to you as you'd like. Maybe you have a neighbor who always parks in front of your house and blocks your mailbox. Those things may be frustrating, but they have little significance when you look at the big picture. You can't allow the little things to open the door to strife in your life.

In the Bible, just before David fought the giant Goliath, his brother Iliab tried to confront him. David knew that arguing with Iliab wasn't even worth his time and strength. He knew his real battle was with Goliath, and he didn't want to be distracted. He simply "turned away" from Iliab and kept his focus on what he was called to do. In our own lives today, most frustrations aren't worth our energy. When we avoid strife, it is a mark of honor.

Today, I encourage you to turn away from strife. Keep your focus on what God has called you to do. As you do, you will live in honor, and you'll move forward in the destiny He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for Your hand of victory in my life. Give me the wisdom and courage I need to walk away from strife so I can focus on the destiny You have prepared for me. I love You and bless You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

To Him Be the Glory Forever!

²⁹ for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.(Romans 11:29)

⁴ Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. 

 ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:4-6, 9, 14, 16-19, 21, NIV)

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.(Romans 12:9, NIV)

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.(James 4:13-17,NIV)

³⁵ “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” ³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.(Romans 11:35-36, NIV)

 

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The Greatness of His Favor (— Joel & Victoria Osteen)

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The Greatness of His Favor

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus"
(Ephesians 2:4-7, NKJ))

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Oftentimes, people set their focus on what God has done in the past—how He parted the Red Sea or stopped the sun for Joshua or fed thousands of people with just a little boy's small lunch. Yes, God has performed many amazing miracles throughout history; and it's important that we give Him praise, but at the same time, we also have to look forward to what God wants to do in our lives today.

In today's verse, Paul says that "in the ages to come" God would do things that exceed anything He's ever done before. I believe that the "ages to come" is this day and time we're living in right now. God wants to outdo Himself in our generation! Remember, God is a God of increase. Where you are today is not where you are supposed to stay. He has greater levels of His favor and blessing in store for your future. Dare to dream big! Dare to keep a God-sized vision in front of you! Dare to take hold of every spiritual blessing He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for showing me Your love. Today I open my heart and mind to You so that I can see the greatness of what You want to do in my life. Use me for Your glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Before Creation (— Joel & Victoria Osteen)

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Before Creation

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight"
(Ephesians 1:4, NIV)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Did you know God had a plan for you before the foundations of the earth? He created you to be holy and blameless in His sight. Why? He chose you to be His ambassador, His representative on the earth. God created you to reflect His glory. He created you to reflect His character, His righteousness, His holiness. Think about that for a moment. Part of your purpose on this earth is to be a representative for the King of kings and the Lord of lords. That should make you want to walk a little differently. It should make you want to talk differently. It should make you think a little more carefully about the places you go and the things you do.

Are you representing God's holiness today? Remember, God will equip you to do whatever He's called you to do. If there are things in your life that you need to change, God wants to empower you to overcome those things. Receive His strength and might today so that you can walk in holiness as His ambassador and live the destiny He has prepared for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me today. I ask You to search my heart and remove anything that is displeasing in Your sight. I accept Your holiness today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

John Chapter 16, (this Tai New Version is originally from NIV, and from valuable sources the NASB, KJV, and AMP.) THE DISCIPLES' GRIEF WILL TURN TO JOY

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16

¹ “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. ² They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. ³ They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. ⁴ I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

 ⁵ “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. ⁷ But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; ¹⁰ in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

 ¹² “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

¹⁶ “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

¹⁷ Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

 ¹⁹ Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? ²⁰ I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ²¹ A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²² So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. ²³ In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ²⁴ Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

 ²⁵ “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. ²⁸ I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

 ²⁹ Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. ³⁰ Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

 ³¹ “You believe at last!” Jesus answered. ³² “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

All Things Are Possible (— Joel & Victoria Osteen)

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All Things Are Possible

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’ ”

(Matthew 19:26 NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Are you facing something today that seems impossible? With man it may be, but with God, ALL things are possible. If you seem to be in an impossible situation, get “with God!” Sometimes it’s so easy to focus on our problems and try to solve them in our own strength. But remember, the battle belongs to the Lord. He has a plan for your victory. He has a plan to give you a way out. He is making the things that seem impossible, possible. You can trust Him today. The Bible says that He has plans for your good, not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Start believing and confessing today, “I am with God, and with God all things are possible!” Are your bills piling up? With God, all things are possible. Do your relationships need healing? With God, all things are possible. Is there sickness in your body? With God, all things are possible! As you meditate on God’s Word, His power is activated in your life. He will strengthen you and lead you forward into that place of victory He has in store for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for making a way where there seems to be no way. I choose to trust You, and I believe that all things are possible! Show me Your power today. Work through me to encourage those around me to trust You more in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen