Archive for the ‘Others’ Category

The Bible tells us that Daniel had an excellent spirit. If you study his life, you’ll find that he chose excellent friends. Do you know who he hung out with? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – the three Hebrew teenagers who refused to bow down to the king’s golden idol. It’s no wonder Daniel was a person of excellence. His friends were people of courage and integrity, people who wouldn’t compromise.

One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is to make sure the people you are choosing to spend time with have qualities that you want. Whether you realize it or not, the people you spend time with are rubbing off on you. Don’t think you can just sit in the lunchroom every day and listen to gossip and people badmouth the company and not be affected by it. Whether you join in or not, that poison is going inside of you. If you stay there long enough, more often than not, you’ll become a gossiper just like them. What’s the solution? Find somewhere else to eat lunch. Sit at a different table. Go outside. Yes, people may talk about you, they may think you’re odd, but you need to just rise above it. You have a destiny to fulfill. You are going places. You have to set yourself up for success by keeping that poison out of your life.

Psychologists tell us there is something called the “law of the group,” which means we associate with people according to the way we see ourselves. Have you ever noticed how, most of the time, people who gossip find other people who gossip? Negative people gravitate toward other negative people. Complainers seem to always find the other complainers. That’s where that saying “birds of a feather flock together” comes from. We find people just like us. Knowing this, I encourage you to evaluate your friendships. If your friends are all negative, tend to compromise, or settle for mediocrity, it’s time to get some new friends. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 13:20 that if you spend time with wise people, you will become wise. In the same way, if you spend time with victorious people, you will become victorious. If you spend time with successful people, you will become successful. So choose your friends carefully so you can set yourself up for success and be equipped to move forward in the destiny God has prepared for you!

by Joel Osteen

Remain in HIS Blessings :]

As believers, we have to have a made-up mind. If we want to see God work in our lives, we can’t go back and forth on what we believe. If you leave church on Sunday all excited and feeling confident that God loves you, but by Tuesday you’re wondering if He’s there or how He feels about you, that’s being double-minded. When you’re double-minded, the Bible says you’re unstable.

God wants us to be stable and secure in His love for us. Sometimes we have to choose to believe His Word even when we don’t feel it. We have to know He loves us even when the pressures of life make it difficult to feel that love. Life will try to put a spirit of heaviness on you. Circumstances will try to bring you down, but God wants to take you up higher. He wants to do things that no man can do. He wants bless your life. But it all starts when you come into agreement with Him. You have to get up every morning and say, “God, I know You are for me; You’re not against me.” You have to have a made-up mind!

Today, no matter what you are facing, no matter what you are feeling, choose to believe God’s Word. Know that He loves you and wants the best for you. He is working in your life and taking you one step at a time. Let His love build confidence and security in You because He is faithful, and He will finish the work He started in you!

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does (James 1:6-8, NIV).

by Victoria Osteen.

Remain in HIS Blessings:]

I heard a story about a little girl who was carefully saving her allowance money so she could buy something special at the toy store. She didn’t have much, only a few dollars, but one day her daddy took her to the store. She was overwhelmed by endless aisles filled with games, dolls, and trinkets. Finally, a particular item caught her eye, and she knew it was exactly what she wanted—a lovely strand of white, plastic pearls. She made her purchase and immediately went home to show off her treasure. She was so proud of that necklace. She wore it every day for several weeks. Her father saw this as an opportunity to teach her about trust, so one day he asked her, “Honey, will you give me your pearls?” “No, Daddy, I love my pearls!” she replied. “I can’t give you my pearls!” Her father didn’t mention the pearl necklace for several days, and then he asked again, “Sweetie, do you trust me?”

“Yes, Daddy.” “Will you give me your pearls?” And again she answered,” No, Daddy, I can’t give you my pearls!” Several more days passed, and the father went a third time to his daughter. “Do you trust me? Will you give me your pearls?”

Finally, with tears welling in her eyes, she reluctantly took off her beloved plastic pearls and handed them to her father. “Here, Daddy. You can have my pearls.” Immediately, the father pulled from his pocket a small blue box and handed it to his daughter. Her eyes grew wide with excitement as she opened it to find the most gorgeous strand of genuine pearls. As he fastened the pearls around her neck, the father said, “I had these special pearls for you all along; all you had to do was trust me.”

Is there something you are holding on to today that is keeping you from God’s best? If you’ll trust Him and let go of what’s in your hand, an exchange will take place. God will let go of what’s in His hand for you—peace, strength, wisdom, favor, and more. He’ll give you exactly what you need.

Remember, God is taking you on a journey of faith. Be open to seeing things from a new perspective. Don’t settle for second best when God has so much more. All you have to do is learn to trust in Him!

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all of your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).

By Victoria Osteen

Remain in HIS Blessings:]

 ACROSS 
1 the best of ___ and the finest of wines (Isa 25:6)
5 the idolaters and everyone who loves and ___ falsehood (Rev 22:15)
10 I had rebuilt the wall and not a ___ was left in it (Neh 6:1)
11 who is praised by all the churches for his ___ to the gospel. (2 Cor 8:18)
14 After an ___ of several years I came to Jerusalem (Acts 24:17)
16 know that you have no authority to impose ___ , tribute or duty on any Ezra 7:24
18 Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the ___ of the world! (John 1:29)
19 the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to ___ out the land (Josh 14:7) KJV
20 Adam and Eve probably did not have one
22 “Teacher, what good thing ___ I do to get eternal life?” (Matt 19:16)
23 to another faith by the ___ Spirit, to another gifts of healing (1 Cor 12:9)
24 they consult a wooden ___ and are answered by a stick (Hos 4:12)
26 The ___ of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you (1 Thess 5:28)
28 But the meek will ___ the land and enjoy great peace (Ps 37:11)
31 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and ___ not on your own (Prov 3:5)
33 Do not touch my anointed ___ (Ps 105:15)
34 such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ___ (Gen 41:19) KJV
36 Those who see you ___ at you, they ponder your fate (Isa 14:16)
38 No widow may be put on the ___ of widows unless she is over sixty (1 Tim 5:9)
39 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the ___ (Gen 48:16) KJV
41 the ephod, close to the ___ just above the waistband (Ex 39:20)
43 His face ___ like the sun, and his clothes became as white (Matt 17:2)
45 cups shaped like almond flowers with ___ and blossoms (Ex 37:19)
46 seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and ___ mate (Gen 7:2)
48 If the ___ wishes to redeem the animal, he must add a fifth to its value (Lev 27:13)
50 Men of all ___ came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom (1 Kings 4:34)
51 from merchants and traders and from all the ___ kings (1 Kings 10:15)
53 others asked, “How ___ a sinner do such miraculous signs?” (John 9:16)
54 When the disciples saw this, they were ___ . “Why this waste?” (Matt 26:8)
55 The Danites answered, Don’t ___ with us (Judg 18:25)
DOWN 
1 See, I will send my ___, who will prepare the way before me (Mal 3:1)
2 A few days later King ___ and Bernice arrived at Caesarea (Acts 25:13)
3 last letter in Hebrew
4 Then they ___ in his face and struck him with their fists (Matt 26:67)
6 exalt him that is low, and ___ him that is high (Ezek 21:26) (KJV)
7 chore, job
8 A mocker resents correction; he will not ___ the wise (Prov 15:12)
9 yet at the ___ of water it will bud and put forth shoots (Job 14:9)
12 a wedding took place at ___ in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there (John 2:1)
13 I the LORD search the heart and ___ the mind (Jer 17:10)
15 God gave unto them Saul the son of ___ (Acts 13:21) KJV
17 ___ though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps 23:4)
21 unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been ___ with (Jer 3:2) KJV
22 neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat ___ grapes, or dried (Num 6:3) KJV
23 remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many ___ (John 12:24)
25 I also want women to ___ modestly, with decency (1 Tim 2:9)
27 who ___ to be Jews though they are not (Rev 3:9)
29 took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ___”!” (John 12:13)
30 Bathsheba bowed, and did ___ unto the king (1 Kings 1:16) KJV
32 Picnic pests (Prov 30:25)
34 seven thin ears and ___ with the east wind sprung up after them (Gen 41:6) KJV
35 The LORD is ___ to anger, abounding in love (Num 14:18)
37 they that use this world, as not ___ it (1 Cor 7:31) KJV
40 Then will the lame leap like a ___ (Isa 35:6)
41 The LORD descended to the top of Mount ___ and called Moses (Exod 19:20)
42 the 8^th letter of the Greek alphabet
44 The word of the LORD that came to ___ son of Beeri (Hos 1:1)
47 He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of ___ ago (Mark 6:15)
49 anyone who says to his brother, ___ ,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin (Matt 5:22)
52 have them shut the doors and ___ them (Neh 7:3)

Remain in HIs Blessings :]

As a child, I really enjoyed cycling. My memories of my first cycling lessons were on a very small rented bicycle. But my dad had a bigger utility cycle which was our main means of transportation to anywhere. At the time, a motorbike was too much of a luxury to ask for.

As a family, we would all ride on that cycle to every possible Church meeting. Being the child, I would sit on the top tube of the bicycle frame and hang on to the handlebar as my dad rode miles down the streets with my mom seated on the rear luggage carrier. I watched my dad manoeuvre around every pothole possible to make our ride comfortable. (At which, he was not very successful given that they were not very good tarred roads) The joy in serving the Lord kept us motivated.

One fine day, I got a little over-ambitious and I decided to try and ride my dad’s large wheeled cycle (like the one in the picture, a brand called HERO, if anyone can remember from the good ol’ days).

My legs barely reached the ground but I managed to set the cycle into motion and jumped on it. After a few minutes, I realized that if I could not stop the cycle if I wanted to because my leg could not reach the ground and the cycle had picked up a little pace by then. I somehow managed to slow down a little and lunged at a pole at the side of the road. I held on to it while I was still seated on the cycle and I stayed there that way

A few people passing by were willing to help me get off the bike but I refused to up until my dad arrived on the scene, who was resting as he had come back from work for his lunch break. This whole incident had me badly shaken and I began to cry. Soon my dad was on the scene and his large arms rescued me. For a long time after this entire episode, I was scared to try cycling again, till one day when my dad sat me down and said, “Son, you will have many scary moments in life but that does not mean you should give up.”

What he said rings true even today. There are many scary and hurtful moments in life that keep knocking at our doors. That does not mean we should give up. We have to keep at it.

Have we not noticed that from toddlers to grownups, people trip and fall? And they fall more than once but the secret behind their success story is simple. They keep getting back up. How then can we quit from getting back up in our walk with the Lord?

“The secret of a standing man is that he got back up from where he last fell.”

Dear friends, it’s a simple success secret, it is to keep getting back up.

Keep getting back up till you can stand tall.

Keep getting back up till you begin to walk.

Keep getting back up till you are not afraid.

Keep getting back up till you can run.

And keep getting back up till you see Jesus face to face.

There is a relentless God searching for a relentless generation.

Keep getting back up.

By Shyju Mathew.

Remain in HIS blessing:]

A while back, I was playing basketball with our son, Jonathan. For years we’ve played one on one, and that day for the first time, he beat me fair and square, 15 to 14. But at one point during the game, he got around me and went up for a shot. I stumbled and lost my footing, but I regained it, and he didn’t see me. I came in from behind him, jumped as high as I could, timed it just right, and blocked his shot. I mean, I swatted that ball out of the air. I felt like I was Shaquille O’Neal! I was so proud of myself!

A couple of days later we were at the gym playing with some friends. Jonathan said, “Hey, Dad! Tell everybody what happened the other night.” My mind immediately went to the blocked shot. I said, “Oh, yeah. Jonathan went up, and he didn’t see me. I timed it perfectly…” He said, “No, Dad. I meant tell them how I beat you for the first time.”

I had to laugh because at that moment, I didn’t remember my defeat. I remembered my victory. The first thing that came to my mind was not that I lost the game, but it was the fact that I had done something good. A lot of people today do just the opposite. Even though they win the game, they remember all the mistakes they made. They never feel good about themselves because they’re too busy pushing themselves down.

We have to decide that we are not going to go through life being against ourselves. We need to be our own biggest fan! Instead of staying focused on your defeats, failures, or shortcomings, focus on your good qualities. Of course, God is always at work in our lives to help us improve. We need to cooperate with Him, but let’s remember our victories and downplay our defeats. Let’s stay focused in the right direction and keep an attitude of faith which opens the door for God to do great things in our lives!

Remember the wonders He has done… (I Chronicles 16:12, NIV).

By Joel Osteen.

Remain in HIS blessings:]

Worry is Like a Rocking Chair..

You might be rocking away, and it might feel like you’re getting somewhere; but in the end, you are exactly where you started.

With the state of the economy and the unemployment rate, it’s easy to worry.

Most of us remember the first time we heard officially on the news that our economy is in a recession. But did you know that the next morning, the birds still woke up and sang? They didn’t fall off their branches in unbelief and start flying around here and there worrying, stopping their song.

No, the little birds sang and the big birds sang, and it was like a beautiful symphony.

You might be thinking, “Joel, that’s great, birds singing and all; but come on, our economy is in a crisis.”

Listen to what Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure to his stature or to the span of his life? And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will he not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore, do not worry and be anxious, saying, “What are we going to eat? Or “What are we going to have to drink? Or, what are we going to have to wear? But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things taken together will be given to you. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own.” (Matthew 6:26-30, Amplified)

Friends, nothing is new under the sun. They might not have had economists back then with the term “recession”, but there have been many who’ve gone before us that worried about what to eat, drink, wear, where to live, where to send their kids, how to pay for this or that; but God lovingly reminds us that He takes care of the flowers in the field and the birds in the air. How much more valuable are we to Him?

Jesus made it so clear about worrying. How many more days to our life will we added by worrying? Are you going to grow taller? Are you going to grow smarter? Are your problems going to disappear? Worrying does us no good! But what does us good is when we magnify God and not our problems. The Bible even says, “Do not fret, it only leads to evil.”

So what are we to do? Trust God, and just like the birds, praise Him. Keep that song of praise in your heart. When the praises go up, the blessings come down. His joy is our strength through the hard times. When you spend your time worrying, you’re not putting your faith out there.

Worry says, “I’m not going to get a job. I’m never going to get my retirement back.”

The garment of praise says, “Father, I thank you for the victories you’ve already brought me. Thank you for the favor. Thank you that you’re turning my situation around.”

One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t worry and praise at the same time.

You can’t say, “I know You’re on the throne, and You’re good all the time. You always cause me to triumph. You make a way when there seems to be no way,” and then worry and think, “I don’t know how this is going to turn around.”

Supernatural things will happen when we praise. Supernatural things do not happen when we worry. Worry does nothing but rob your joy.

You might feel like worrying is getting you somewhere, but it does nothing but zap your strength. We need our energy for the battles in life, and we need the knowledge of who God is during these difficulties to keep singing.

Suddenly, God can change your situation around like Paul and Silas when they were in prison. In the midnight hour, they were set free. But was it from them crying, fretting and wringing their hands, being in despair and complaining? No, they were praising God and the prison door went wide open.

No matter what the news report says about how many points the Dow Jones is down, each day, wake up with great faith and keep your joy and praise God.

And don’t forget to enlarge your vision. You can’t do that when you’re worrying. You might have lost a lot in the stock market, but God can cause you to make back everything you lost, plus more. There is no limit to what God can do. But what does limit Him is when we don’t believe, and we allow worry to rob our joy and faith.

This is what Scripture says in Jeremiah 33:11, “‘…Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before.’ says the Lord.”

That means when you wake up, praise God. Believe Him for restoration in your retirement and savings. Believe God for restoration in that business you lost. There is nothing too difficult for God to do. Everything that was stolen can be restored in your life. God always gives us double for our trouble, and He likes to outdo Himself. The question is do you believe He will?

Keep your hopes up. Don’t let worry have any room in your heart today.

Keep a song in your heart. And when you wake up in the morning and hear the birds singing, let it remind you to praise God during these difficult economic times. He has the whole world in His hands. In fact, He has you in the palm of His Hand. Nothing is a surprise to Him. If you will stay full of hope and praise, God will show Himself strong in your life, and you will not be disappointed!

By Joel Osteen

Remain in HIS  Blessings :]

One time in the Old Testament, King David was walking down the street and a young man started making fun of him, calling him names and even throwing rocks at him. He followed him everywhere that he went, just pestering him, wanting to pick a fight and trying to aggravate him. Finally, a man who was with David basically said, “Do you want us to put a stop to him? Do you want us to shut him up? He is a real pain.” I love the way David answered him. He said, “No, let him keep talking. Maybe God will hear him and bless me for it.” (See 2 Samuel 16:5-14)

When somebody is talking about us, instead of getting upset and trying to defend ourselves, we need to have the same attitude as David and believe God will hear what they’re saying and bless us for it.

Jesus said in Luke 6:35, “Love your enemies, and do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great.”

Every day I say, “God, bless my enemies, those people that criticize, talk about me, and try to make me look bad. God, give them a great day today.” When you do that, the more they talk, the higher you’re going to go. Sometimes I feel like I even need to thank my enemies! If it had not been for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. They meant their talk and criticism to bring me down, but God used it to push me up higher.

If somebody is trying to make you look bad by spreading rumors and telling lies, really, they have done you a favor. What they mean for your harm, God is going to use to promote you. I know this to be true because we have never tried to answer our critics. The more they talk, the more God promotes us. The more they talk, the higher we go.

Maybe at the office somebody is trying to make you look bad, talking behind your back, taking things out of context. It’s very tempting to be critical back and think, “Two can play this game. They said this about me. Well, let me tell you what I know about them.” No, don’t sink down to their level. Don’t let their poison cloud your heart. Learn to bless your enemies.

When we know that God is our vindicator and rewards us when we don’t take matters into our own hands, that takes all the pressure off. We don’t have to try to pay people back and get involved in battles that don’t really matter and set the record straight. Let God fight your battles for you. If you will stay on the high road, God will take what others mean for harm, and He will use it to your advantage.

When we learn to bless our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, we keep our heart free from strife and give God more room to bless us, promote us, and speak to us more.

Remember, don’t become weary in doing good. At the proper time, you’ll reap a harvest if you don’t give up. That means, keep doing good to others whenever you’re persecuted. Keep doing the right thing, even when the wrong thing is happening. Keep a good attitude. Keep praying for those who keep talking about you. Before long, you’ll see God’s blessings in greater ways, and what might have seemed like a stumbling block to you, God will use as stepping stone to thrust you higher.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:17-21

By Joel Osteen

Remain in His Blessings:]