TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.’ ”
(Exodus 6:6, NIV)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
When the Israelites were in slavery, they were forced to make bricks all day long. They were given quotas that were almost impossible to meet. And at one point, Pharaoh got upset and had the supervisors take away all the straw they needed for bricks.
They had the same quota, but they had to go find their own straw. No doubt they prayed, “God, please give us straw. God, You know these supervisors are going to get upset. We’re not going to make our quotas.” They had been pushed down for so long. They had such a limited vision when they were praying for more straw.
In effect, they were praying to become a better slave. God said, “That’s too small. I don’t want to make you a better slave. I want to take you totally out of that bondage. I created you as the head and not the tail, the victor and not the victim.”
Today, don’t just pray for improvement in your difficult situation, pray for deliverance from it! See beyond your circumstances and let Him lead you out into the place of victory and abundance!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, today I release a slave mentality. I pray and ask for Your complete deliverance from every form of bondage in my life. Help me to think the way You think and see the way You see. Thank You for freedom all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen
Third installment:
How many women came to the tomb Easter morning? Was it one, as told in John? Two (Matthew)?Three (Mark)?Or more (Luke)?if you read these four gospels parallel to each other you will see that they vary. But why should it be so? arent we taught that the bible is the word of God himself? inspired unto to men to write? but why would a God give different discriptions of the resurrection of his son on which he, being all knowing, knew that in the later years the faith of christian would be based on;death being conquered finally as we are told? why are the accounts different?
This shows you, that these errors and contradictions are borne of men not a deity you call God with all his marvelous traits.The bible is a farce written to control the masses. there was no jesus!
Jesus was there, but the stories and the conclusions drawn therefrom are unfortunate, just as with Mohammed
Joel and victoria osteen are just con artists who know the truth but would rather perpetuate this lie,because they know if they can get many agreeing to one thing, then there is power.they found it easier to just pick on the story which has already been planted into peoples mind and are just exploiting it to get all the positive energy that the christians agree with for their prosperity.Your thoughts and words are powerful and they are using you the christian to agree to give a positive energy of prosperity and wealth for them.You can get the same energy of prosperity even when you channel your thoughts intosomething different. the more,the powerful the energy.This is the gift nature has given us.we are more powerful than we know,but they wont let u see that unless through a god figure
YES, YOU ARE RIGHT TO SAY THAT WE ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN WE KNOW. THIS IS BECAUSE WE (HUMAN BEINGS) ARE CREATED IN GOD’S IMAGE WHO IS THE ALMIGHTY GOD. WHAT YOU HAVE SAID IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE BASIS OF JOE’S MESSAGES.
YOU SAY THAT THE POSITIVE ENERGY TO ACHIEVE PROSPERITY AND WEALTH IS A GIFT FROM NATURE AS IT CAN AS WELL BE SAID TO BE A GIFT FROM GOD. THE TWO SAYINGS ARE THE SAME AND ONE. ACCORDING TO THE OXFORD DICTIONARY GOD IS DEFINED AS “THE CREATOR AND RULER OF THE UNIVERSE AND SOURCE OF ALL MORAL AUTHORITY; THE SUPREME BEING.” NATURE IS DEFINED AS “THE PHYSICAL FORCE REGARDED AS CAUSING (CREATING) AND REGULATING (RULING) THE PHENOMENA OF THE WORLD (UNIVERSE).
IN CHRISTIAN PARLANCE WE SAY GOD WHILE IN CIRCULAR PARLANCE WE SAY NATURE.
IT IS A FACT THAT MAN HAS A HUGE CAPACITY TO ACHIEVE THINGS BUT ONLY A FRACTION OF IT IS USED. JOE IS TRYING TO CREATE AWARENESS OF THIS POTENTIAL SO THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE OF IT TO ACHIEVE THEIR PURPOSE IN LIFE. MAN (WOMAN) COMES INTO THIS WORLD FOR A PURPOSE BUT VERY FEW PEOPLE DO ACHIEVE THIS BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OF THEIR POTENTIAL. WHY SHOULD WE CONDENM A PERSON WHO IS TRYING TO CREATE THIS IMPORTANT AWARENESS. MY ADVICE TO YOU IS THAT IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE CHRISTIAN WAY OF DOING IT, DO IT THE CIRCULAR WAY. YOU BE MORE USEFUL THAN BEING A CYNICAL.
Fair enough, if they are teaching your about your true potential as a human being, why do they perpetuate the lies in the bible? Cant they just teach you the truth? why does it have to be prayers through a Jesus Christ who never existed? that is where i have a problem with their message of self awareness.
@Zagaze Religion flourishes on man’s weaknesses. One such weakness is that Man doesn’t believe in himself. So if there can be a Jesus out there who convinces man that through him(Jesus) man can do the impossible, man will then bring out his inherent potential. Religion then founds itself around a man who claims to be more connected to the supernatural than all of us.
@Mano Mambulwa unfortunately religions, especially those from the Middle East do not base their image of God on the dictionary definition. The God definition you have quoted from the dictionary is different from the one Christians, Jews, Moslems follow. For most of them God’s is attached to the Israelites. God has to be the God of Moses, God of Abraham. Abraham, Moses? These are but some people’s ancestors they aint…
They aint my ancestors. However, your attempt at showing the universality of the supernatural is commendable. You are one of those Christians trying to use reason to explain existence but watch out Religion usually fights reasoning so you may find yourself alone. Unless you join Zagaze. I know that most Christians and moslems wouldn’t agree with equating God to Nature.
What’s really laughable about black people is that they do not for once sit down and ponder how this relates to them as a people I mean as a Black Afrikan People. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with not believing in religion as an Afrikan its just impossible for us to be Atheists, our rich spiritual culture ingrained in our DNA by ancestors wont allow it…the oxygen we breath and the plants must have been created by a far superior force. As Afrikans will should attain to be Spiritual its far greater than the man-made religions and its 100% incompatible with religion.
May the bless you for the message today Joel and victoria osteen!
TB JOSHUA IS AFRICA’S EBOLA IF YOU ARE NOT INFECTED YOU WILL BE AFFECTED.
The con-man tb joshua is not a miracle healer he is just a thieving crook with a bible in the hand.
May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you in JESUS’ name, Joe and Victoria. Amen and Amen to your uplifting message today.
…the prayer applies to Africans in general and Zambians in particular……
Glory be to HIM AMEN
Praise the lord
Today’s message is very ironic indeed…this relates to our people who are chained by belief and blind faith to this foreign religions like Christianity and Islam. They are incapable of thinking for themselves and only refer to the self contradictory book of lies called the Bible.
Christianity is only a mere 2000 years old and Islam is 1500 years old, Afrikan cultural has been in existence far longer than these religions.
Black people WAKE UP!!
“They MIS-EDUCATE YOU and YOU LOVE THEM MORE THAN YOU LOVE YOURSELF & YOUR RACE, I say you are an ignorant fo*l, when you believe in things without physical proof, you need to WAKE UP, and STAND UP!!”
Malcolm X
Zagaze, Higher Taller, Mwina Zed and Jay Jay, you are wrong to consider the Africans who believe in Chritianity or Islam as being inferior simply because these religions originated from regions outside Africa. The origin of something does not make it wrong or right, superior or inferior. It is the validity which gives value to something. English is of value, we use it regardless of its origin. Western medicine is beneficial, we use it. Western engineering and technology to name but a few things of foreign origin which are used by Africans for their benefit and value. It would be illogical and backward to refuse to use Western technology and other things for fear of being considered inferior.
What should be appreciated is that God is universal and internal.
@ MANO MAMBULWA
Instead of “internal”, try “eternal” to make sense.
Zagaze, the scriptures differ, because they were written by different people. They each tell the story from their own perspective. Ok.
so you agree with me that scripture as you call it is a work of man and had no involvement of God writing it isnt it, hence the differences as you put it. then why do you say it is God speaking when you, yourself know it was written soley by men and what they thought a God would say and do? So if i write a book today about our ancestors like chief monze the rain maker and the deity he prayed to i would not be considered a pagan or evil isnt it? I mean what would make my writings any different from those of the alleged writers of the gospels of luke,mark, john, matthew?
God is a SUPREME BEING and Creator of all things and all human beings. There is no God for Europeans, Asians or Africans. He is a God of all and all human beings are created in His image. They are all endowed with same capacity and ability. The fact that God is called many names does make him different. There is harm is saying the God of Abraham as there would be no harm in calling Him the God of Mandela or Nyerere, or the God of Jay Jay as they are all and sac God’s children.
By the way Joe’s messages are not intended for the African audience only. It is for all those who believe in God regardless of their colour and origin.
BY THE WAY JOE’S PRIMARY AUDIENCE IS NOT OF AFRICANS. HIS PRIMARY AUDIENCE IS AMERICAN BUT THANKS TO TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY AFRICANS HAVE BECOME PART OF HIS AUDIENCE NOT BECAUSE OF THEIR BEING AFRICANS BUT BECAUSE THEY EQUALLY GOD’S CHILDREN. AND WHAT SHOULD BE NOTED IS THAT NOT ALL WHITES ARE BELIVERS OR CHRISTIANS.
FINALLY I WANT TO SAY THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD FOR ALL.
what proof do you have that there is only one God for all humanity?
@ zagaze
And what proof you have to the contrary?
142 – well my reason for such an assertion would be based on your bible again. I deter from using any other sources of information because i know you will disregard them and so i choose to argue in the circumference of your awareness.
There are literally two Gods in the bible – one of the old testament and one in the new testament. the old testament god believes in slavery, the superiority of one group of people unlike the new testament god who is more aware, more alive to the fact that people are different and should be treated as such. but again the bible says God never changes, it would therefore mean that if he held a view that a certain group of people should be slaves, he can not change that later; unlike the case in the bible. only conclusion is that there are two gods already
All Christians out there should not bother whether Joel and Victoria are genuine, but just listen to the word, it does not matter who delivers it. Even when Jesus spoke about the Pharisees, he said do what they say but do not imitate what they do. Please listen to the message regardless of the character of who delivers it, as long as it is in line with the bible.
i want to forget that useless god i had been so much brainwashed into believing in, since i was just vulnerable innocent child.The god that is never there when needed, the One that never answers prayers, the very god that millions of other blindfollowers believe in, the non exisiting “muzungu god” who’s “only son” never really knew his biological deadbeat father. the baastárds god.
It seems you do not believe in God out of frustration. Time will come when, like the biblical prodigal son, you will go back to him. Like the biblical father, God is waiting with open come to welcome you. He loves you and he has a place for you in his heart.
If Mary was Jesus’ mother, God was Jesus’ father and Mary and God weren’t married, does that mean Christmas is a Christian celebration of a bastard’s birth? Jesus is an illegitimate offspring of unmarried parents therefore he’s a bastard.
According to Deuteronomy 23:2, “A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall not enter into congregation of the LORD.” Presumably “God” the father and Jesus are now excluded in heaven.
Man created God for one sole purpose: to answer some unanswered questions of man such as where we came from or how the universe was created. Man created so many gods to answer all of his needs: the Greco-Roman gods, Aztec gods, Mayan gods, Norse gods, Egyptian gods and many more. One of those gods was the god of the Jews, which became the Christian God to the Christians and Allah to the Muslims.
Today, the gods of the Greeks, Aztecs and the Egyptians are considered mythical. People today consider those gods as false because of their mortal imperfections: shallow and can easily be fooled by their own creations. Unlike those gods, the gods of the monotheistic religions, like the Christian God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, omnibenevolent and eternal.
Omniscience
It is taught that god is Omniscient or all knowing. It is said that god knows all things that he alone knows what the future might bring beyond this Earth of ours. With this knowledge and power which we will discuss later, he created the whole universe.
According to the Book of Genesis, God created the world in six days, and in this world he made a paradise called Eden. In this paradise, God put all the living things including a man named Adam and a woman named Eve. It was “all good”, god claimed. However, in the middle of Eden is the Tree of Knowledge. Due to man’s weakness to temptation, Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree and gained the knowledge of what is right and wrong exchange for their mortality.
Now, if god is really all knowing, how is that god didn’t foresee that man someday will eat the fruit of the forbidden tree? And why the hell god put that damn tree in the first place?!
Omnipresence
It is said that God is all present, watching like a Big Brother in the television show with the same title. Is he really everywhere or always present? In your closet? Under your bed? With you in the toilet, watching while you pee or poop?! EWWW!!!
When Adam and Eve we’re being tempted by the devil disguised as a serpent, where was God that time? Sleeping? Watching DVDs? Why didn’t this god stop the devil while it was in the process of tempting his beloved species? If he really is everywhere or all present, why did this god just let that happened? After “our first parents” disobeyed him, this god exiled Adam and Eve?
God is just a product of man’s intellect.
god “dies” when a man use his science and his common sense.
Good day! ^_^
So far, there has never been any verifiable evidence for the efficacy of prayer. The scientific studies done to investigate the power of divine intervention in the recovery of dead or dying patients have mostly shown that prayers have no effect whatsoever. It doesn’t matter what religion the patient or the praying persons has, prayer has never been proven to work.
To those believers who say that we should just respect each other’s beliefs, I ask with sincerity: Did the conquistadors and priests respect the beliefs of all the indigenous people of the world? Hell, no. They demonized the native peoples’ beliefs, destroyed their sacred objects and places of worship, rápéd their women (hint: “missionary position”), and took their lands, all in the name of a god which in all likelihood does not exist.