Encouragement

Explain God

Leave Your Past Behind - Joel Osteen

Facing Failure - Jim Reeve

Principles for Successful Ministry - T. L. Osborn

Explain God: From the eyes of an 8 year old

"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way He doesn't have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers."

"God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off."

"God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have."

"Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind, like His Father and He told His Father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K."

"His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important."

"You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time."

"You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God. Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway."

"If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids."

"But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.

And.that's why I believe in God."

Attributed to Danny Dutton of Chula Vista, CA, for his third grade homework assignment.

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Leave Your Past Behind

God has something wonderful planned for you in 2003!

To experience it, there’s one thing you’ll need to leave behind…your past!

As we prepare for the upcoming New Year, you and I have a great opportunity – we can forget the hurts and mistakes of the past and start fresh in 2003!

As a Christian you’re not just turning the page on your calendar, you’re starting a new year full of promise and new opportunities, because our God is the God of new beginnings! God said, “My plans for you are good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God is trying to do something new in your life right now. He wants to restore to you what the enemy has stolen. He knew you would have setbacks in you life. God knew that people wouldn’t always be fair. He knew that there would be times of abuse and pain in your life.

But I want to encourage you today and let you know that God has something better in store for you. So don’t let the enemy keep you focused on past disappointments, failures and mistakes.

God doesn’t care where you’ve been, as much as He cares about where you’re going!

The Bible says, that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful to FORGIVE us.”

You don’t have to pay God back for your past sins, mistakes and failures. That’s what grace is all about. It’s a free gift. You are free to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness. We are free to quit remembering what God has already forgotten. Do you believe it? King David did! He speaks for all of us in Psalm 103 when he says, “God will remember our sins no more, forever.”

The Apostle Paul agreed with him when he says, “There is no condemnation when you’re in Christ Jesus.” So don’t spend one more day focusing on the past, that’s the work of the enemy.

Make a decision today to stay focused on God and the abundant life He has promised you.

Friend, God is on your side. He wants good for you, not evil! God knows your hurts and pains better than anyone. He wants you to rise out of those ashes as a champion! The great prophet Isaiah put it this way, “God wants to give us beauty for our ashes.” (Isaiah 61:3)

Ashes represent what’s left over after everything’s been burned up. They represent our broken dreams, our disappointments, our hurts, our pains, and even our personal failures.

Still God promises to give us beauty for our ashes. But an exchange has to take place. You can’t hold on to the ashes and have something beautiful at the same time!

You’ve got to lay aside the ashes and accept the beauty. Accept God’s promise that “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.”

Accept that God makes us the head and not the tail, to lend and not borrow. He desires for us to be the VICTORS and not the victims!

Listen to what God says, “Arise from the depression in which the circumstances have kept you. Rise to a new life.” (Isaiah 60:1)

Today, make the conscious decision that by God’s grace you’re going to let go of the past. Receive the new thing that God wants to do in your life today.

And when you face disappointment in life, just hold your head up high knowing that God is still a good God and desires good things for your life. I know that God still has a great plan for your life, a plan that only you can experience. A plan to prosper you in every area of life.

God’s lesson from My Life

This really hit home for me several years back…

My Dad suffered from high blood pressure most of his life. Toward the end of his life it had destroyed his kidneys and he had to go on dialysis.

Our Family prayed and prayed that God would heal his kidneys, restore his health and give him more years. Many people in our church family and people all over the world were praying for my dad.

Daddy was a great man of faith. He knew God’s Word. He was doing his best to stand strong. But in spite of all of our prayers, in spite of all of our believing, Daddy went to be with the Lord in January of 1999.

That was great disappointment in my life. My dad and I were very close. We were, I would say, best friends. I’d worked with him at the church for 17 years, day in and day out. And I lived close to my parents. Daddy would come by. We’d go out to eat, go see a ball game, and go ride our bikes.

So naturally I was devastated. I thought, “God how am I ever going to get over this? God how am I going to go on with my life?” I was so tempted to get down and discouraged and just get negative and say, “God how could you let this happen to me? We were praying. We were believing.”

I was at a point of decision. I was at a crossroad in my life. Was I going to go on, knowing that God had a bright future in store for me? Or, was I going to shrink back and stay focused on that disappointment?

I remember during that time I was praying one morning asking God about all of this. And the Lord spoke to me so clearly, not out loud but right down in my heart. God said, “Joel, just because your dad has died doesn’t mean that My plan for your life has died.”

Right then and there I made the decision that I was going to rise up out of those ashes. I made the decision that I wasn’t going to stay focused on the past. I made a decision that I was going to fulfill God’s destiny for my life.

You may not know it, but I’d never preached before Daddy died except one time. But I believe because I didn’t stay focused on the past, and because I was willing to let go of that disappointment, God began to do a supernatural thing in my life. He enabled me to preach and teach His Word with Spirit-led power and conviction.

I can truly say today God’s done more than I can ask or think. God is faithful to His Word. He’s given me beauty for those ashes. And in the process, God has shown me a series of principles in the Bible that will help you discover and experience, firsthand, His destiny for your life.

You may be at a crossroad, just like I was. You may be at a point of decision. You have the chance to go forward with your life and experience the bright future God has in store for you.

Instead of looking at how big your problems are, you’ve go to start looking at how big your God is.

Choose the good life God has for you. You can experience the abundance of God in your life. It is a new day. God has a new beginning just for you.

Joel Osteen, is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church, TX, USA

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Facing Failure

What tests are you going through right now? Is your life a mess? Do you feel like a victim? Nobody’s life is a chain of unbroken victories. The best of champions fail—sometimes frequently. We all make mistakes.

Learning how to handle failure is one of the most important life skills we can learn. The only difference between successful people and failures is learning how to turn every failure into a learning experience—a stepping stone to future success.

Your test can become your testimony; your mess your life’s message. It is possible to move from victim to a victor; from being overcome to an over-comer. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received when going through the hardest time of my life was “When you’re going through hell, don’t stop!”

Although the reasons for failure are numerous some of the most common causes are:

Not planning ahead. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Remember Noah had to start building the ark long before it stared to rain.

Thinking we have “arrived.” In other words, the man who gets too big for his britches will be exposed in the end. One common denominator of successful people in all walks of life is that they never stop learning, growing, and trying new things.

Fear of taking risks. I believe fear of failure to be one of the leading causes of failure. We are so worried about what others might think of us if we fail that often we don not even try. Remember where the fruit is…out on the limb.

Quitting too soon. I believe it is always too soon to quit. Failure is never final. The current chapter of your life does not have to be the final chapter. What looks like your tombstone may be a stepping stone to something bigger and better. Remember, an oak tree is simply a little nut that refused to give up its ground.

Whether or not these are the causes of the failures currently plaguing you, learn from your experiences. At least you now know what does not work! Thomas Edison said, “Don’t call it a failure. Call it an education.”

Failure has its benefits. It shows us what does not work and can lead us to be more creative. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of ideas, and he went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland!

Sometimes failure forces us to reevaluate our lives. It can help us keep things in proper perspective. Proverbs 20:30 notes, “sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways” (TEV).

To become successful start accepting responsibility. Successful people don’t waste time blaming others. Be quick to share the credit and accept the blame. In 1974 after an 88 game winning streak, UCLA basketball lost to Notre Dame in a game they had led by 11 points. The next day headlines read, “Coach Wooden says, ‘Blame Me!”’ John Wooden was a winner.

Start focusing on the future. Do you know what you can do about your past? Absolutely nothing – except perhaps learn from it. Do not let the past spoil the present and pollute the future.

Keep pressing on!

Jim Reeve, is the senior pastor of Faith Community Church, CA, USA

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Principles for Successful Ministry

There are three principles that help believers succeed in accomplishing the desire of God’s heart: to help a hurting world know Jesus. These principles are found in Luke 4 -- the voice of the Good News, the validity of our message, and the value of humanity.

The voice of the Good News

Jesus read from the book of Isaiah: ‘“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me or heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD’” (Lk. 4:18,19). Then He said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk. 4:21)

When Jesus spoke, things happened because “His word was with authority” (Lk. 4:32). When a person is cognizant of the power of God at work in him as he speaks, people take notice. They bring their needs to him, and he can minister to them. We have been commissioned to preach the Good News -- the Gospel. We do not have bad news for our world. The voice of the Good News is the voice that triumphs!

Our message is unique. We can proclaim to the would that through Jesus, God not only forgives our sins, but blots them out forever. That’s the sweetest message in the world. Our God heals diseases and gives us creative ideas to solve our problems.

The gospel message consists of God’s creation, Satan’s deception, Christ’s substitution and our restoration. The world needs to hear that message. People will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ if we tell them why and how.

Other religions of the world are afraid of God. They don’t know who He is. But we can acquaint the world with Jesus and tell them that He came to show us what God is like. Jesus is the express image of God. When we present Jesus, we present the living God.

Jesus not only preached the Good News, He demonstrated it!

Paul said, “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (I Cor. 1:17 ). We are sent for the same reason. We should never forget how to talk to the unsaved. It is not wise to use “holy talk” with the unsaved. Christians have come up with their own vocabulary and lingo, and the unsaved cannot comprehend what is being said. The voice of the Good News is a simple message.

The validity of our message

The second principle to remember to have a successful ministry is the validity of our message. “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria ; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him” (Matt. 4:23-25).

Jesus not only preached the Good News, He demonstrated it. He said: “These signs will follow those who believe; In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sic, and they will recover” (Mk. 16:17,18). Miracles will follow ministry.

Redemption was not accomplished until Jesus paid the price. He called them and said, “Follow Me.” Soon a multitude was following Him. He demonstrated for three-and-a-half years that people could be like Him if they watched, studied and learned from Him. He wanted them to know that after He went back to the Father they would be able to do just what He did, only in a greater measure. In John 17:18 Jesus prayed, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”

The Holy Spirit was sent, and now His kingdom is at work in us! We are now His representatives -- His ambassadors. The same power that was at work in Jesus is at work in us. Let’s never forget the validity of our message.

Outside of Christianity, there’s not a representative of any religion who could lecture the people, and when he finished, his god or gods would descend and perform signs and wonders to validate what was said. The idea originated in the mind of God, and it is the platform on which the Christian message stands. We are able to proclaim the Good News of our Savior with power before the people; and when we are through, we can pray to our God. He will validate our message with signs and wonders following. They will know the truth of our message.

After hearing about Jesus, the people need a chance to experience His presence firsthand. If we preach the Jesus of the Bible, He will be everything we proclaim. God wants the world to know that Jesus is alive. But they won’t know it unless we tell them.

Because God validates the message of the Gospel with power, the people will be convinced that the Jesus in the Bible is truly God’s Son, that God has raised Him from the dead and that He is alive. He is the only Savior of the world.

The value of humanity

The third principle we must understand is that God values individuals. He believes in us so much that He has entrusted all of His work into our hands. I believe God has a specific purpose for every person, whether saint or sinner. God has a dream for everyone born into this world. We are all made in the image of God, even the rebels, the gang leaders, the homosexuals and the prostitutes. They were born with a gift to influence people and to lead people to Jesus, but no one has told them. So they use the gift in the wrong way and destroy people.

I realized at an early age that I had a destiny because somebody presented the Gospel to me when I was young, and I embraced it. People told me I was going to be a preacher someday. One day in the pasture, I fell down by a rock. I started crying, but didn’t know why. I had a thought: “How would you feel if you were going to be a preacher?” That is as much of a call as I ever had. As I thought about it, I got so intensely happy that my convulsive weeping turned into hilarity. I suddenly realized I had a destiny. I was made in the image of God, and I was valuable to Him.

Paul was a very wicked person. He was destroying the Christians. No one had told him he was born in God’s image, gifted and had a destiny. He was killing the very thing he should have been building. When he had an encounter with Christ, he realized his purpose in life was to be separated unto God so Jesus could be revealed through him. He was a changed man.

One night a crippled gang leader came to one of our meetings. He had a clubfoot and couldn’t walk, so his gang members carried him. But he had such charisma that people obeyed him, though he couldn’t even walk by himself. He was leader of a pickpocket gang. They had come to the meeting to steal from the congregation. He stayed and listened that one night, and the Word of God reached him and he was saved. He now pastors seven churches.

We need to see people as God sees them. Don’t just give monetary help to the beggars; that won’t change them. Give them the Gospel, and watch the Holy Spirit change their lives. Like Peter we should answer, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3: 6). They can rise up and walk with what we give them. They won’t have to bow or cower anymore. Jesus paid the supreme sacrifice for their souls, too.

The principles at work

These three principles must become a reality in our lives. May we be a people who never condemn or judge others - only help them. Yes, we are human; but God through us, is doing kingdom business. People will change when they hear the message, see it validated, and know they are valuable to God. Our destiny is to open the eyes of those around us and help them realize that they, too, have destiny. Let’s do it.

T. L. Osborn is a missionary-evangelist who has conducted some of the largest mass evangelism crusades in the world during the past 50 years.

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