God Used 'Dead' Lazarus, Why Can't He Use You?

Joel Osteen at Hillsong Conference

Lakewood Church Pastor Preaches Message of Encouragement and Hope in Sydney, Australia

By Nicola Menzie , Christian Post Reporter

Pastor Joel Osteen speaks Tuesday,
July 2, 2013, at the 2013 Hillsong
Conference in Sydney, Australia(Photo: screen grab)

Lakewood Church pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen, and their two teen children, visited the Hillsong Conference in Sydney on Wednesday, and the Texas megachurch preacher delivered the same message of hope, perseverance, and positivity that has brought him worldwide fame.

The Osteens delivered messages of encouragement at length between pauses of worship conducted by Lakewood Church worship leader and Grammy Award-winning artist Israel Houghton and the New Breed and the Osteen children, Jonathan and Alexandra.

Similar to the messages preached at his Houston congregation and found in his best-selling books, Pastor Osteen spoke about getting over setbacks in life, and faithfully giving God their best and expecting blessings in return.

Remembering to Show Gratitude for Answered Prayers

Steve Diggs

Here’s an understatement: Life is busy. If you are like me, the 168 hour week you are presently experiencing is only about half of what you need. Sometimes busyness and tight deadlines cause me to perform in a less than considerate way. I rush out in the morning without kissing Bonnie. I don’t engage in meaningful conversation with friends. I forget to pet the dog.

And, sadly, sometimes I forget to thank God.

There have been so many desperate moments in my life (as I would suspect there have been in yours) when I was left sucker-punched and gasping for air. In the Retooled and Refueled Seminar I speak of the time we learned that our daughter, Megan, had a growth on her spine. The day that we learned that our largest client had filed bankruptcy and the future of our firm was in some question. The doctor’s visit that began with the words, “This isn’t going to be a very pleasant meeting.” Stop for a moment and force your mind back to a similar situation in your own life. Maybe you don’t have to think very hard. Maybe your immediate response is, “Steve, I’m in the middle of one of those moments right now! And, frankly, it doesn’t feel like a moment—it feels like an eternity.”

Faith Outside the Box

Betsy St. Amant

I grew up in the church—literally, I was there every time the doors were open for most of my childhood and beyond. There are so many blessings that come from a strong Christian heritage—but there are many challenges as well. Challenges that stem from routine and absorption, rather than life and certainty. I knew what I believed—I just had no idea why.

You see, as a Christian from a young age, I knew all the buzz words, the lingo, the native language of “church-ese”. I knew all the popular Bible verses and hymns by heart, which is fantastic in one sense, but devastating in another. When we get too familiar with something, it loses its impact. And the life-giving words tended to fly over my head and miss my heart completely.

Incredible Hulk Talking Points

Written by Chante Truscott

Take today’s next step: Encourage someone today, become a mentor! 

“With dawn about to break, Paul called everyone together and proposed breakfast: ‘This is the fourteenth day we’ve gone without food. None of us has felt like eating! But I urge you to eat something now. You’ll need strength for the rescue ahead. You’re going to come out of this without even a scratch!’” (Acts 27:33-34, The Message)

They cannot see, they can barely hear, and they have endured a very traumatic ordeal. Since they were involved in a storm, food was scarce and everyone on board was near death from starvation. They have no energy to eat and feel beaten down and abandoned by God.

God did not intend for them to remain in the boat. But they had to go through the storm and the shipwreck in order to realize how strong they really were. The storm and the accident almost killed them but God had other plans. He had plans to use that storm and accident to propel them into their destiny.

The Hour To STAND!

by Jeanniene Lee

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth...(Ephesians 6:11,13, & 14).

After you have done all to stand, this is the hour that you must stand your ground like never before. The Bible has much to say about standing. We are exhorted to stand still, to stand fast, to stand fast in faith, to stand fast in the Lord; and, then after we've done all, just stand!

"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord..."
(Exodus 14:13).

Transition Takes You Higher

JOY STRANG

168

5

0

Reddit

72

(Justin Hobson)

Nothing in life is certain except for death, taxes—and change. God never changes, but we do. Through sanctification we are transformed from sinful, carnal creatures into the image of God’s Son.

Becoming like Jesus requires a lot of change—and often involves difficult periods of transition.

Transition can take many forms. It can be like the transition during labor—intense pain followed by a clear reward. Or it can be like the momentary transition that takes place when you switch gears in a car to face the challenge of the road ahead.

For an instant you are between gears and though the engine is roaring, you have no control. You may not know what the road ahead is like or whether you even want to move to a higher level. But when the shift occurs, you are connected once again with the power of the engine and are translated into a higher level of operation—the next gear.

Transition can also be a time that seems as if it will never end—a long, dark night of the soul when all around you seems dim and you lose sight of God’s promises to you. In this season, you may lose your sense of God’s presence and feel that He has abandoned you.

Don't Look at the Storm

"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:30-31)

If there's any way the devil can get your eyes away from the Word, he'll do it. He'll cause trouble. He'll make the circumstances around you pitch and roll like a rowboat in a hurricane. 

He'll do anything he can to get you to concentrate on the realm of the physical senses and the situation around you instead of on the promise of God--because he knows that if he doesn't, you'll take that promise and beat his brains out with it.That's what he did to Peter. When Peter first jumped out of the boat that day in response to Jesus' word, what happened? He walked right across that water without a problem. His whole being was fastened on that word Jesus had spoken to him, "Come!"

GOD HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL

When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. Proverbs 10:25
Throughout the Bible, God reveals that He is always in control over His vast universe and even our seemingly insignificant lives. Here is a true-life story from a member of the persecuted church:

“I was the only convert of a man who died thinking he was useless to God. Both our crimes were for violent robbery and we actually shared a prison cell together.
“He told me about how—by mistake—he had been placed into a cell with a group of Christians. They were singing hymns at night and praising God together. He saw them as a soft touch and robbed them of their food parcels. He even beat them to show who was boss. For the first time in years he felt powerful again. But somehow they were not afraid of him and repeatedly shared their faith in Christ.

THREE FOLD PREPARATION

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11

In the 1980’s, an Open Doors co-worker visited Pastor Tu in Vietnam—leader of the fastest growing house church network at that time. It was reported to the pastor by a member of his house church that the authorities were threatening to imprison him. Pastor Tu told our colleague, “I know it is coming. I have prepared my people for my imprisonment. I am ready for prison.”

Shortly after that, Pastor Tu did spend three years in prison. When he was released, he found his house church network had grown three hundred per cent in his absence.

I received a Christmas card from him the following year that read: “…God greatly gives our church 20,203 more new believers this year. Hallelujah!”

The pastor’s comment to our colleague reveals three areas of preparation for coming storms:

When You Face Trials

By Suzie Eller


"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3 (NIV)

I planted them at the same time. In the same way. With the same tender love and care. Every time I watered one, I watered the other. Everything was the same ... almost.

One red begonia flower was planted between a crepe myrtle tree and a hydrangea bush, tucked under the protection of the sloping roof. The other flower was planted next to the concrete sidewalk and had no shelter from the pounding rain or scorching sun.

At the end of the summer I was surprised by what I saw.

The little flower tucked under the tree and bush, with just the right amount of filtered sunlight and water, had not grown.

Riding Out Life's Difficulties

"He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed." - Psalm 107:29 NIV

If you're past the age of 10, you've probably already figured out that life is not free of challenges. Difficulties, pain in relationships, and even tragedies are part of every day life. As a matter of fact, Jesus told His disciples, "Take courage. There are many storms in this life. (Here's the good part...my emphasis added). But take heart, I have overcome the world." Wow. Now, that's a scripture to hang your hat on!

Whenever you face a storm, your first urge may be to scream, "Why?" Certain storms do come into our lives because of our own sin, but many challenges occur when we're right in the middle of God's will. We're not doing anything wrong. We're doing what God wants us to do. Certainly, that was the case for the disciples. Jesus told them to get into the boat and row across the Sea of Galilee. They were obeying Jesus when they suddenly found themselves in a horrific storm. It was so bad, they didn't even know if they'd survive. But here is the important message from that event - they did survive. With the help of Jesus, they survived.

WHERE Is Your Faith?

Written by Marilyn Ehle

Has your world shattered and left you with no hope for your marriage? Come talk to a mentor. 

“As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples.”  (Luke 8:23-25)

FAITHFUL PERSEVERANCE

“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved." Hebrews 10:38-39

Alice Yuan continues her testimony we began yesterday:

“The second trial came from the Communist party. Every day for nineteen years, I had to report to the police station, where for six hours, they put pressure on me. They said that I would never see my husband again, that I should divorce him and that I should give up my faith. With God’s help I kept going. Praying with my eyes closed, I endured the interrogations every day.

“The third trial consisted of the hard work. After I had been pressured by the security police for six hours, I still had to work for eight hours to earn a living. I had to push handcarts filled with building materials. The carts were much too heavy. I was completely exhausted and was already tired before I started. In the winter, it was even worse. Sometimes I had to shovel cement up onto a floor above my head. The work was dirty, hard and cold, but I achieved my quota. The others were surprised and wondered where I got the energy from.

Sinking in the Storm?

But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying,

“Lord, save me!”  Matthew 14:30

Jesus sent His disciples away so He could be alone.  He put them into a boat and commanded them to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while He went up the mountain to pray. 

As the disciples made their way across the Sea of Galilee, a great storm arose, and the ship was being battered by the wind and the waves.  To make matters worse, it was in the darkest part of the night.  They were scared ... they were exhausted from countless hours of rowing … they were feeling alone and abandoned because Jesus wasn’t there with them. 

Then, lo and behold, Jesus comes to them walking on the sea!  At first, they thought He was a ghost.  I mean, who would have thunk it?  Jesus, walking on water?  Who can walk on water?  God can. 

Jesus Calming the Storm – Bible Study Lesson

BIBLE SEO

Mark 4: 35-41
Matthew 8:23-27
Luke 8:22-25

How do you feel if you are in the middle of life threatening storm ? How will you react to the situation? Where would you go for help? Let us look at how the disciples of Jesus reacted when they were faced with such storm. Jesus calming the storm is one of the most dramatic miracles of Jesus Christ. This incident is mentioned in Mark, Matthew and Luke. But we will be mostly focusing on gospel of Mark.

Q. Mark 4:35 starts with ‘that’ day. Which day is he talking about?

• The day started with chapter 4, when Jesus started teaching the crowd. He taught them lots of stories and parables and performed many miracles.

Dealing with Despair: Dark Moments of the Soul

Written by Mike Woodard

I picked up the bottle of iodine, focusing on the skull and cross bones symbol. I did not have a cut that needed disinfecting. I was hurt on the inside. I had just returned to my room from a meeting. A long time friend had said something that cut deep. Holding the bottle, the thought that came to my mind was, “I could drink this!”

The thought was serious, but just for a moment. I was hurt, tired, and so discouraged that despair seemed to rush in. I’ve never forgotten that moment and have never told anyone until now. Maybe it is so vivid because my normal view of life is optimistic. I often tell people, “I don’t have problems, I have opportunities…”

Despair can have many sources and can be more profound combined with other factors. A friend’s 18 year old daughter attempted to take her life. The combination for her was the knee operation that took her out of her last year of high school sports, the friend who had criticized her harshly, a broken relationship, alcohol, and physical/emotional tiredness. Late one night, after everyone went to bed, she picked up her pain medication and downed the whole bottle. Fortunately for her and my friend, despair did not win. Others are not so fortunate.

Beginning Again: I turned my life around
Do you need a fresh start in life?: Talk to a mentor

Despair is dangerous and can be deadly. I remember reading once, “People can live weeks without food, days without water, minutes without oxygen, but not a moment without hope.” On a personal level I have found it helpful to identify factors that contribute to despair and also cling to the things that give me hope.

Some of these factors may seem insignificant. I have found when I’m hungry and tired I’m more prone to lose perspective. The best thing I can do is eat and sleep.

I know that when I have emotional highs from lots of people contact or events, this can result in my emotional bank account being over extended. When that happens I can expect an emotional low to follow. When I know and anticipate this cycle I find I’m much more able to deal with it. Despair is held at bay.

Another warning signal of emotional tiredness can be emotions being closer to the surface. This can show up through angry “blow ups” or tears. You might even think, “Wow! Where did that come from?” These all give despair a foothold.

Another fertile soil for despair to take root in is the words of trusted friends. Words of close friends can be so powerful either for good or bad. I don’t care much about what people say who do not know me, but the words of my trusted friends carry significant weight. This is why divorce can be so profound. The person who knows you the best has just said, “I do not value or want you.” Wow! That is painful! Despair is swift and can be suffocating.

Hope becomes an antidote to despair. A variety of things can bring hope. Perspective can bring hope. The following story illustrates this point…

On a foggy morning in July 1952, Florence Chadwick waded into the chilly waters off Catalina Island. Her goal was to swim the Channel to the coast of California. The numbing cold of the water hit her right away, and she could barely see the boat that accompanied her in the dense fog. Several times during her swim, a rifle was fired to keep sharks away. She swam for 15 hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer encouraged her to keep going, saying she was very close to land. Florence was no stranger to long distance swimming. She had been the first women to swim the English Channel in both directions. But this day, as she neared the coast of California, all she could see was the fog. She was exhausted, and began to feel discouraged, thinking she was not going to be able to make it… Florence gave up, just a half mile from her goal! In the interview after the swim, she was quoted as saying, “I’m not excusing myself, but if I had only been able to see the land, I might have been able to make it.”

What was it that caused Florence to give up that day? Was it the cold water, exhaustion or fear? No, the reason she failed to reach her goal was the fog. Two months later, she swam that same Catalina channel and set a new speed record in the process.

I need fog clearing moments, times when I take stock of my life and circumstances. Sometimes this comes through stopping activity and taking stock or it might involve finding an objective listener who can help you clear the fog. This might mean a trip or two to a councilor or a wise, trusted friend.

Faith can bring hope, ultimate hope. King David once stated, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Confidence that there is a God who loves me and has a good plan in the mist of pain, and hurt is a profound defense against despair. I was once removed from a position of leadership suddenly without warning. I was flooded with deep emotions at the unjustness of this decision. As my mind was reeling trying to make sense of this I remembered the words of a friend. In describing a similar set of circumstances she was buoyed by the understanding that God was not wringing his hands in heaven. He had a plan. Those words hit me. A significant sense of confidence settled in. Confidence that God loved me and even in this he had a plan for a way through. There was still pain, confusion and hurt but knowing God’s love and presence provided a foundation to handle the pain.

A person cannot live long with despair. Dealing with despair takes two forms, prevention and long term cure. Prevention is the strategy of dealing with conditions that lead to despair which can include simple things like enough rest or talking out discouragement with a trusted friend.

Prevention involves finding a foundation that gives hope; especially in the mist of circumstances that are despair producing. God can provide that foundation. His love can hold you in the midst of any storm. His wisdom can guide you through it and his strength can steady you as you move forward. Despair need not overtake you. Why not open the door of your despair and invite God into it. Ask him to walk with you. Don’t try to live independently from him. He invites you to share the journey with him. Why not choose God as your foundation today?

If you would like to invite God into that place of despair today why not pray this prayer right now:

Dear God,
My despair is overwhelming. I don’t know what to do. I need your strength to anchor me and your wisdom to guide me. I need you to give me a firm footing as I work through this. I invite you into my life right now. Forgive me for living independent from you. I need you. Come into my life and bring me hope today. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer let us know. A mentor can help you in this new journey of faith.

If you have a question first, click here.

gotquestions  http://powertochange.com/discover/life/dealingwithdespair/

What do you do when a friend disappoints you?

By Olivia Yao, Three Moons | Yahoo! SHE

Sometimes it can come as a shock when a friend lets you down. You begin to question your entire relationship, you start to wonder if she really was your friend to begin with, and you look back on the history of your friendship and hyper-analyze what went wrong.

When an officemate or group mate lets you down, it is frustrating and maybe even infuriating, but when it’s a friend—someone you are so used to confiding in, someone you feel so safe with—it feels like a deception. The wounds cut deep and you don’t know how you’re going to handle it. At the same time, you don’t know how your friendship will weather the storm.

Thinkstock Photo

What you can do

1. Let yourself be angry.
Sure people will tell you to be brave, to be strong, and not to be angry, but imagine bottling up all those negative emotions and not letting them out? All the repression will one day make you explode, giving you a headache, or worse, a heart attack! Or you might one day be calmly going about your business when something takes you by surprise, making you snap. You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you? So let your anger out the safest way you know how—write and tear up the pages afterwards, take a kickboxing class, go swimming, running, or punch your pillows. Just make sure you don’t hurt yourself or anybody else in the process.

2. Reflect on what happened and why.
Former guidance counselor Nympha Banzon suggests thinking about the situation after you have let off steam. It’s possible that you also played a role in this. Try to see what happened from a neutral perspective. It might help if you write about how you feel, then try taking your feelings out of the equation and be as objective as possible.

3. Put yourself in your friend’s shoes.
Banzon says that if you try to see what happened from your friend’s perspective, you may be able to understand her and eventually, even forgive her. If you are really good friends, you might not even find this difficult. Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment at this point.

4. Make a list of all the reasons why you love your friend
Yes, this must be the hardest thing to do at this point, but remember that you have already let all your anger out. So you should be able to recall why she was your friend in the first place. This will make it easier for you to forgive her and rebuild your ties.

5. Talk to your friend.
Good friends are hard to come by, and if you can get past this disappointment, it could actually make your friendship stronger. But first, you have to get the unpleasantness out of the way and talk to each other. Banzon says to explain how you feel and why you are disappointed and hurt. When you talk, remember not to assign blame. At the same time, it would be a good idea to approach the situation by saying how you feel instead of dwelling on what she did. For example, you can say, “I felt bad when…” instead of “You hurt me when…”

6. Watch your reactions.
Remember that you’re in a very sensitive place right now and your friend probably is too. If both of you want to work it out, you’re well on your way to patching things up. But remember to also watch what you say. If you think it won’t improve matters, or if it will hurt her even more, hold your tongue. Only speak up if it will help your friend and your circumstances.

7. Move on.
According to Banzon, this is the last step you must take. Get past the hurt and the pain and get on with your life. If you’ve fixed things with your friend, good! If you can’t seem to see eye to eye, then maybe it’s time to let go. Just don’t hold a grudge because that would hurt you more than it hurts your object of hatred. Who knows? Maybe all you need is time to make everything right again.

http://ph.she.yahoo.com/what-do-you-do-when-a-friend-disappoints-you-.html;