Today's Word with Joel Osteen - January 1, 2014 [Devotional]

Email ^ | 1/1/15 | Joel Osteen

[Vision]

Just do it!

Today's Scripture

“Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.” (I Chronicles 28:20, ESV)

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

Fear not. That is the message David had for his son, Solomon. For many years, David wanted to build a temple for the Lord. But God told Him that specific job belonged to his son, Solomon. Solomon was young and inexperienced, and even though he knew he had a mandate from God, he was intimidated by the prospect of building a great house of worship, one that would be a dwelling place for the Most High. You can probably understand his apprehension.

But his father David had some good advice for him. He told his son, “Forget your fear. God is bigger than your problems. He is bigger than the temple you are going to build. He is bigger than any adversity that you might face. So just get busy and do your part and God will do the rest.”

Perhaps as this new year approaches, you have some changes that need to be made. Maybe you need a renovation in your marriage, finances, health, or emotions. Whatever your individual needs may be, notice the words of David, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Fear not, be not dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you.”

A Prayer for Today

God, I’m excited to see what You have planned for me this year. Whatever I face, I will not be intimidated. I will begin this year by seeing myself as You do — happy, healthy, and prosperous. Thank you for the gift of another year. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

[Elsie]

Go ahead defend those insane comments.

Hitler LOVED kittens!

He had LOTS of them; had cute names for all he owned; was well read on the subject of feline health and taught the subject to any who would listen. (Who wouldn't?!?!)

If he was posting on FR about Kitties; would we be scolded for pointing out his other; ahem; less popular character traits?

[PapaNew]

Who was has talking to when he said this? Any idea? Try Nicodemus the Pharisee.

[bobby.223]

Kitties!!!!! That is all you have? Can you believe the weak ridiculous excuses and comparisons the sheep that follow that fraud osteen kid come up with?! Good Lord! Okay, go ahead, one more time......please explain to us all here the “obama is a Christian” and “obama is doing a good job” insane comments by the false teacher osteen. obama is a marxist Kenyan born muslim who has done everything in his power to destroy our Country and the kid osteen thinks he is “doing a good job”!!!!!!???? Tells one a lot right there doesn’t it? Or how about his queer support in Houston? Or how about the “I don’t know” answers given to Larry King? Well, you easily fooled sheep just continue to send your money into this charlatan. after all, you folks have to keep osteen and his wife living like kings and queens right?

[Elsie]

And He said WHOEVER - not YOU...

[CatherineofAragon]

Oh, that’s good. 1931, huh? I guess there’s nothing new under the sun...it just gets worse.

[CatherineofAragon]

Well, you’ve been shown to be wrong Scripturally about Jesus never condemning anyone. You have God in the flesh mistaken for a namby-pamby, mealy-mouthed, scared-to-offend person.

Bring anyone to mind?

BTW, would you care to answer those questions I put to you?

.....No? Didn’t think so. Congrats, PapaNew, you’re as good at dodging uncomfortable questions as your friend Osteen,

[wardaddy]

Lol

Nice saying

And so true

[Elsie]

Nope...

On LDS!

[wardaddy]

That took me a second ...lol

[PapaNew]

I said the only people Jesus condemned were the legalistic, self-righteous Pharisees. As usual, you and your ilk get the facts mixed up. You also mix up your personal preference and personal opinion with sound Scriptural doctrine.

I also said Joel has a John 4 ministry as a friend of sinners, like Jesus.

What's your ministry Catherine?

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners, and eats with them Luke 15:1-2.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him Mark 3:2.

And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him Luke 6:7.

Any of this sound familiar Catherine? It didn't matter to the Pharisees that Jesus was blessing and healing people and it doesn't matter to you modern-day Pharisees either. Jesus broke their law, just like Joel breaks yours. That's all that mattered to them and all that matters to you.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity… And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore you be witnesses unto yourselves, that you are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill you up then the measure of your fathers Matt 23:27-28,30-32.

Have you not read, rather,

speak evil of no man Titus 3:2.

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life Titus 3:3-7.

Catherine, I exhort you to stop accusing, attacking, and condemning not just any man, but especially those of the household of faith.

Speak evil of no man (Titus 3:2) AND touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm (1 Chron 16:22; Ps 105:15).

Hope you're listening. Over and out.

[CatherineofAragon]

Heck, maybe you ARE Osteen.

Joel....?

[Elsie]

 

"I Don't Know..."

 

 

 

 

 In case you don't recognize the title of this post, it is part of President Hinckley's answer to a reporter's question that appeared in the August 4 1997 issue of Time magazine. The reporter referenced the King Follett discourse. The answer supplied and the manner in which it was delivered caused the reporter to draw some false conclusions about a very important doctrine.

In that discourse, the prophet Joseph Smith said, "If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His power, was to make himself visible—I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man." (See also D&C 130:22)

The article referred to Lorenzo Snow's couplet, "As man is now, God once was; as God now is, man may become." The reporter said, "God the Father was once a man as we are. This is something that Christian writers are always addressing." President Hinckley was then asked, "Is this the teaching of the church today, that God the Father was once a man like we are?"

The bothersome reply

"I don't know that we teach it. I don't know that we emphasize it. I haven't heard it discussed for a long time in public discourse. I don't know. I don't know all the circumstances under which that statement was made. I understand the philosophical background behind it, but I don't know a lot about it, and I don't think others know a lot about it."

The reporter wrote, "On whether his church still holds that God the Father was once a man, he sounded uncertain." That's an unfortunate conclusion. Of course I wasn't at the interview and neither were you but I'll bet the reporter mistook careful thoughtfulness for uncertainty. This doctrine is indeed deep territory and not something that is taught outside the LDS Church.

An earlier and similar interview

The San Francisco Chronicle, published an interview with President Hinckley in April of 1997. The reporter asked, "There are some significant differences in your beliefs. For instance, don't Mormon's believe that God was once a man?" President Hinckley responded, "I wouldn't say that. There is a little couplet coined, 'As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become.'"

He then said, "Now that's more of a couplet than anything else. That gets into some pretty deep theology that we don't know very much about." The reporter pounced on this. "So you're saying that the church is still struggling to understand this? " President Hinckley responded, "Well, as God is, man may become. We believe in eternal progression. Very strongly."

President Hinckley's response

President Hinckley said in October 1997 General Conference: "I personally have been much quoted, and in a few instances misquoted and misunderstood. I think that's to be expected. None of you need worry because you read something that was incompletely reported. You need not worry that I do not understand some matters of doctrine.

"I think I understand them thoroughly, and it is unfortunate that the reporting may not make this clear. I hope you will never look to the public press as the authority on the doctrines of the Church." And there lies the whole point of my post today. Some members did indeed become a little concerned by the exchanges they read in the press reports of those interviews.

Does the Church still teach this?

I know this is old news but it still bothers some people when they discover the anti-Mormon attacks floating around on the Internet. President Hinckley was right. We really don't know much about how our Heavenly Father became a God. The idea that he passed through a mortal probationary state like you and me is certainly not documented in any scripture of which I know.

However, it is still taught. In the Gospel Principles manual in the chapter on exaltation we read, "Joseph Smith taught: "It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the character of God. . . . He was once a man like us; . . . God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 345-46)."

Summary and conclusion

I don't know why this should bother anyone. The doctrine is true. Joseph Smith knew a whole lot more about this than I do. President Hinckley also knew a whole lot more about this doctrine than he was willing to share with reporters who did not have the background to understand it. It must have been difficult for President Hinckley to hold back and not teach it in those interviews.

It didn't bother me when I read the interviews back in 1997 and it doesn't bother me today. However, I know it does bother some people. We each have trials of our faith. I have never depended on an intellectual understanding of the gospel in order to accept it and live it. There are some things that just can't be fully comprehended without the temple, prayer and faith.

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There are some things that just can't be fully comprehended without the temple, prayer and faith.

[PapaNew]

Tell you what, Catherine, I’ll be Joel if you’ll be the daughter of Caiaphas, the high priest for Jesus trial.

[CatherineofAragon]

Do I need to pick some some kohl for my eyes? I can stop by the cosmetics counter today.

[Gamecock]

[CatherineofAragon]

Helllloooooo!

[Ciexyz]

Happy New Year, Vision. These words of the devotion spoke to me. I was led to open this thread and I have not opened a Joel Osteen thread for quite awhile.

[Ciexyz]

Vision, you have posted these devotionals for years for the edification of those who want a religious devotional. You are to be commended for your faithfulness. The Catholic threads have the same dislaimer. The purpose I believe is to prevent some poster from jumping all over another poster with theological objections when all the regular readers want is to read a little scripture. I will pray for you, Vision.y

[Elsie]