Be the Miracle

“...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...” (Hebrews 12:1–2, NKJV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria It’s easy to be tempted to go through life competing with everyone around us when we see someone who’s more talented, better looking or has more gifts. Instead of running our race and being comfortable with who we are, oftentimes, we feel inferior and think, “I’ve got to catch up to them.” The problem with this unhealthy competition is that it’s a never-ending cycle. There will always be someone ahead of us. But, it’s a very freeing thing when you realize, “I’m not competing with you. I don’t have to have as big a house as my neighbor to feel good about myself. I don’t have to keep up with my co-worker. I don’t have to be a certain size. I don’t have to have as many Christmas lights outside. No, I understand that I’m not in competition with my friend, my neighbor or my co-worker. Instead, I’m...

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NIV) Did you know that it is God’s will for you to be joyful always? He wants you to be happy and carefree. He wants you to love your life no matter what your circumstances look like. In fact, when you have joy in the midst of difficult circumstances, that is evidence that you have faith and trust that God will bring you through. Joy is strength. When you have His supernatural joy, you can stand strong no matter what’s going on around you. You might say, “I’m just not a real jovial person. I’m more serious. I never laugh much.” And of course, God made us all differently, but you can train yourself to laugh more. One article said that the average child laughs over 200 times a day, but the average adult only laughs 4 times a day. What’s happened? We’ve allowed the pressures of life, stress and more re...

"Suppose a white man should come to me and say, Joseph, I like your horses. I want to buy them. I say to him, No, my horses suit me; I will not sell them. Then he goes to my neighbor and says, Pay me money, and I will sell you Joseph's horses. The white man returns to me and says, Joseph, I have bought your horses and you must let me have them. If we sold our lands to the government, this is the way they bought them."   (Chief Joseph, an Apostle of The Great Lion) The way you treat your neighbor will determine the kind of reputation you will have. The Great Lion always said to treat your neighbor as you would want them to treat you. So often we see in this culture people cheating others to get ahead. They might lie to them about a business deal and then take more than agreed upon. Chief Joseph, was one of the great apostles of the Great Lion. He had a hard time dealing with some new people that came to visit the land he was living in. They were very dishonest and mov...

"When an enemy comes in, like a flood the Great Spirit  shall raise up a barrier." (Isaiah 59:19 ASLAN version) No matter what enemies you face you can know that Aslan is on your side. Today you can hold to the fact that you are protected by a flood of power. Some of you may be going through a mountain of debt, a struggling relationship, or lost purpose. All the enemies are telling you, "This is where you belong. You have seen your best days."  Know this, when those thoughts come in Aslan will come in like a flood. He will give you a flood of peace, a flood of favor. You can know without a doubt that things will shift. They will shift for the better. Why? The Spirit of the Great Lion is moving. The Great Spirit has given you favor that you cannot even imagine. So get ready, get prepared not for a trickle, not for a stream, not just a river, but a rushing flood of favor to come your way. A rushing flood of good breaks that will thrust you years ahead from wher...

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria “When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ ” (John 6:12, NIV) The Bible tells of a time when Jesus fed a crowd of five thousand with only five loaves and two fishes. He blessed it and multiplied it. That day, everyone had more than enough to eat, and there were still twelve baskets full of bread and fish left over. That’s because we serve a God of abundance! Then Jesus told the disciples to collect all the leftovers “so that nothing is wasted.” With God, nothing is ever wasted. He’ll never waste an experience; He’ll never waste a hurt; He’ll never waste a dream; He’ll never waste even a single piece of bread. If you’ve felt like you’ve wasted years of your life in the wrong job, hanging around the wrong people or doing the wrong things, God will gather those years and restore them to you. He’ll take those experiences that the enemy meant for your harm...

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria “ ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace’...” (Haggai 2:9, NIV) God wants to amaze you with His goodness! We are living in a day where God is increasing His favor. Maybe you have seen God’s goodness to a certain degree in the past; but in reality, you haven’t seen anything yet! God has favor in your future that will supersede anything that you’ve seen! The scripture talks about how the glory of the latter day will be greater than the glory of the former day. That means what God did for your parents or grandparents, He’s going to surpass in your generation. The blessing and favor of past generations were good, but we serve a God of increase! He has greater things in store for your future! Today, get your hopes up! Enlarge your vision. Be expecting God to bring opportunities across your path. Be expecting to meet the right pe...

“...Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5, NLT) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Scripture says that joy comes in the morning. When you wake up each morning, God sends you a special delivery of joy. It comes knocking at your door. When you get up in faith and make the declaration that “this is going to be a good day,” do you know what you just did? You just answered the door. You just received the gift of joy that God sent to you. The problem is that some people never answer the door. Joy has been knocking for months and months, years and years saying, “Come on! Let me in! You can be happy! You can cheer up! You can enjoy your life!” Why don’t you make up your mind to answer the door for joy! Decide to wake up every morning and say, “Father, thank You for another beautiful day. I’m going to be happy. I’m going to enjoy this day. I’m going to brighten somebody else’s life. I am choosing to answer the door and receive Your gif...

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might...” (Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV) When you do something to the best of your ability because you want to honor God, it opens the door to His blessing. That means it will be easier, it will go better, and you will accomplish more. That’s why no matter what we do, we should give it our best. This is especially true even in the little things. For example, when you’re doing the dishes or mowing the lawn, don’t drag around sour and frustrated. Mow with enthusiasm! Mow like you’re on a mission from God. With every step, thank God that your legs work. Thank Him that you’re healthy and strong. At the office, don’t just do enough to get by. You’re not working unto people; you’re working unto God. Do it with your whole heart. When you volunteer at church, don’t wake up and think, “Awe, man. Why did I volunteer? I want to sleep in!” No, serve Him with all your heart because that’s what honors God. Whe...

“To discipline a child produces wisdom….” (Proverbs 29:15 NLT) So often people think discipline is punishment, to discipline your children you punish them for their wrong doing. This is not really the case. The root word of discipline is disciple. What is a disciple? A disciple is a follower, someone who follows a particular way of life. That is what you as a parent really are; you are making disciples of yourself. Our children today, especially those in the inner city, lack anyone they can really follow. When you as the parent decide that you are going to have a plan in place to help your child grow you are disciplining them. You are guiding them.  You have a routine that will set them up for success. Think of a professional athlete.  His coach sets up the plan for him to follow a strict nutrition, fitness, and study plan in order to master his craft.  The same goes for you as a parent. What do you want your children to be like In ten years? Start thinking abou...

“But the Glorious One said, ‘Son, you are welcome.’  But I said, ‘I am no son of yours, but a servant of Tash.’  The Great Lion responded, ’Child, all the service done to Tash,  I count as service done to me.'  Then he breathed upon me and took away my fear.”  ( Lewis ) One of the great things about knowing the Great Lion is that he can reveal himself in many ways and many forms. Some religious denominations are very exclusive and rigid about who can come to the Great Lion.   The truth is all are welcome, no matter what you have done, where you have been, or the family background you come from. Even more so, it doesn't matter who you serve.  There will be those in The Great Lion’s country who never knew the Great Spirit or The Great Lion personally, but but knew him by their hearts pursuit of good.  They may even have been serving another god or been in another religion. It doesn't matter, the Great Lion calls to them. Their hearts were see...

I Persevere I persevere I am still. I stay quietly focused on the task at hand. I know the outcome I desire. I stay the course. I do not quit. I persevere I am not like most people. I am stronger than most people.  I am accepted, approved, self-disciplined, and favored. I continue when I am tired. I know when times are hard; I am close to my victory. I persevere I focus on the big picture.  I am full of hope and in my future I will prosper. I persevere I am able to believe the impossible.  I take charge of what I expect in my future. I work with excitement.  I expect miracles because I have the power to be the miracle. My reward is to see the future I dream about.  I continue despite being tired. I focus on the big picture. I am the miracle. I persevere

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22, ESV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Throughout life, there will always be something that will try to take our joy. If it’s not a grumpy sales person, it’s a family member aggravating you, traffic is backed up, your flight is delayed, or your spouse is taking too long. Don’t go the next 20 years allowing the same people and the same circumstances to frustrate you. Change your approach. What’s upsetting you now doesn’t have to upset you anymore. You can choose to keep your cool and stay calm and steady. Remember, a relaxed attitude is going to lengthen your life. The next time you’re tempted to be upset, ask yourself, “Is this really worth giving up my joy over?” If you’ll make this decision not to give away your joy and live each day happy, God promises you’ll be strong; you’ll have more peaceful relationships, and you’ll accomplish more. He says a joyful heart is good medicine! Hold ...

“A wise youth harvests in the summer…”  (Proverbs 10:5 NLT) How you spend your time will often determine the direction of your life.  Isn't it  interesting how the Creator talks about time management in today’s verse? It says a wise person harvests in the summer. Often times harvest doesn't happen until autumn. However, the wise person doesn't just wait until fall; they are on the lookout for the fruit of their labor. In the same way, we need to not just be waiting for the harvest date, but to be looking out for the fruit that is growing today. When we harvest in the summer, which means we are diligently at work. We are being our best, being the miracle for our world. We are not just sitting around. Take some of your money you earn and store it away, prepare for the winter in the summer.  How you spend your time will help you to overcome obstacles in the future. When you spend your time being prepared you will set yourself up for a life...

“Leave your simple ways behind and begin to live…” (Proverbs 9:6 NLT)                                                  So often we get stuck in a rut, always thinking, “When are things going to change? Why can’t I ever get ahead?”  The Creator refers to this kind of thinking as “simple ways.” Simple ways are thoughts and behaviors that we have that are opposite of  the resurrection power inside of us. We all still have simple thinking that holds us back. To leave your simple ways behind does not always mean to stop behaving in an immature fashion. It really means to get a bigger vision for your situation, turn it around, and think differently. Rather than always thinking and speaking how bad something is, start talking about what...

“The fears ….. will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted.” (Proverbs 10:14 NLT) Our life will always move to what we think about most, which is why it is so important to guard your mind. If you are not careful you can think about only negative things and you become a negative person. Have you ever been around that person who only has the news channel on in their house? They are always talking about how bad things are, how things just seem to be getting worse, the world is coming to an end. That person over time, if you take notice, will become a very cynical, negative person. Why? They were moving toward what they were watching and thinking about.  We also know those people who let their fears take hold of their life, “My car is going to break down this week, and I just know it”or“I knew we wouldn’t be able to go on that vacation, I just knew I would get downsized.” What happened? Your fears were fulfilled. ...

“As evening came, The Great Lion said to his followers, ‘Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” (Mark 4:35 NLT) In today’s story from the Great Lion, he was taking his followers across a lake, but at the same time there was a terrible storm. While the Great Lion was sleeping in the boat his followers got scared. They had never seen a storm like this before. Then he woke up and spoke to the storm, “Be still.”  Often times on the way to your goals you will face trials. In your marriage you may hit a rough patch. You may get a negative report from the doctor. “This is so unfair. How can this happen to me now?” That is merely a storm, but you have to remember the big picture. You are crossing over to a new level of your destiny. Your trials are not going unnoticed. Rather, you are seeing an opportunity to use the power to calm the storm. Speak to your trial by saying, “I will overcome this by the sacrifice of the Great Lion and the power of my testimony.” No weapon formed aga...

“Again and again he rescued them.” (Psalm 10:43 NLT) One thing that is certain in this life is that we will make choices that can set us back. We all have bad habits that turn into a character trait that begins to define us. Some of us it is a temper, others of it could be we tend to work too much. There are people who seem to always fall back into their addiction and it oppresses their very bein g. The Great Spirit is the giver of the second chance. Today’s encouragement says that He rescued them again and again. That means, no matter how many times you fall, how many times you mess up Great Spirit will rescue you. He will turn this situation into something positive. He will use it to show His power off in you. It may seem like you are miles away from Great Spirit, but that sometimes is when we realize how close He really is. You may struggle with discipline in an area of your life, but know this , you have been given a second chance. No matter what happens, you will be resc...

“...For God has appointed another seed for me...” (Genesis 4:25, NKJV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria In Genesis, Eve went through a great disappointment. Her son Cain killed her son Able which was the first murder in the Bible. I’m sure Eve, like any mother, was devastated and heartbroken at the passing of her son. But I love what Eve said in Genesis 4:25, “God has appointed another seed for me.” In essence, she was saying, “I don’t understand it. It doesn’t make sense, but I trust God. This is not the end. He has appointed another seed.” Friend, when you go through things that you don’t understand, it is not the end. Nothing is lost in the kingdom. God is going to appoint another seed, and that seed represents the future. It indicates what is coming. If you will let go of what didn’t work out, let go of the hurts and pains, then for everything you’ve lost, God will appoint another seed. You’ll give birth to more in the future than you’ve lost in the past....

"  Now therefore thus says the Great Spirit: Consider your ways  and  set your mind on what has come to you." (Haggai 1:5 AMP) Often times in order for us to see a miracle happen we need to first be the change. There are two types of faith, one is called delivering faith and the other is called sustaining faith. The first type of faith is when Great Spirit instantly changes your situation, you are healed, you get a sudden break. Delivering faith is when you do not have to go through the trial. A greater faith is sustaining faith, a faith that though you may go through a fire, a tough time, Great Spirt will make you fireproof and allow you to use power you never thought you had.  One of the first things we need to do to see this come to pass is to consider our ways and then set our mind to achieve it. I like what Great Spirit told some men who had a vision to rebuild the temple in Israel along time ago. He told them to first consider their ways. In other word...

"Too often, we complain, 'I don’t like this job. These people are so negative. Nobody has a good attitude.'Why do you think God put you there? That’s an opportunity for you to shine." (Joel Osteen, 2014) The Be the Miracle Movement. It is spontaneous. It does not just hit a particular group of people. It is moving through all of creation where the Holy Spirit needs to restore, revive, and make things new.I see it moving. There are places like Redding, California and Bethel Church that are seeing ordinary people use extraordinary power to heal, deliver, and bring a new presence to their city and culture.  There are people like Joel and Victoria Osteen and Rick Warren who do not take a salary, but teach people every day how to live on purpose. They send teams of people all over their cities and their world to do free neighborhood clean ups, trainings, and medical care. There is Pastor Tommy Barnett and his faithful Phoenix First Assembly which is labeled the Chur...

" Rejoice, O people of Jerusalem, rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rains he sends are tokens of forgiveness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as those of spring."  (Joel 2:23 TLB) Many people are waiting for their breakthrough, their turn around day, but one of the reasons they never see it is their thinking is limiting them. They are living in strongholds of self-defeat, self-hatred, and lack of vision of what the Creator can really do. One of the most powerful gifts given to us from the Great Spirit is the gift of forgiveness. When you forgive yourself for messing up your family, your finances, or making poor choices; you set your self up for Great Spirit to go to work.  When you let go of what is holding you back you are letting the Great Spirit bring rain. Rain is often a symbol of blessing. So when you forgive yourself, you can know every breakthrough you encounter, every time you receive double back for your trouble, you can know that thes...

"The  Great Spirit  will guide you continually,  giving you water when you are dry  and restoring your strength.  You will be like a well-watered garden,  like an ever-flowing spring." (Isaiah 58:11 NLT) We all go through dry seasons. Those tough times when everything seems to be going against us. We lose a job, the car breaks down, a family member deserts you. Maybe you just don't feel purpose where you are at right now. Even though it may seem dry, lonely, and lost you can know that the Great Lion is making a way where there is no way.  If you stay in faith, start speaking words of life over your situation you can know that Great Spirit will go to work. "Yeah, but I am so alone right now. Every door seems to be closing," you say. That may be true, but did you ever think that Great Spirit may be protecting you from something. Each day you declare new life over your situation it builds your hope that you know Great Spirit is guiding your way. ...