“David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him…But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (I Samuel 30:6).
What would you do if your entire family was killed? If the people who were once your friends and supporters turned their backs on you? If your town – including every familiar landmark, every favorite hang-out spot, and every park, business and beautiful tree – was destroyed?
You’d probably feel pretty lost. Lost, abandoned, hopeless, worried, depressed – you name it, and you’d probably feel it.
I know I would. My family members are my greatest earthly supporters. My friends are often my words of wisdom when I can’t speak. And my hometown? God bless it and its one, lonely gas station. I thank Jesus every day that I grew up where I did.
I’ve written about Joel Osteen and how I subscribe to Today’s Word With Joel & Victoria once or twice here at Mental Health Notes. I love Joel Osteen. I don’t care what anyone says about him. I love him.
While just about every email I get inspires, encourages, and enlightens me in some way, sometimes one has a message that sticks with me for so long I feel the need to share it with you all.
Wednesday’s Today’s Word, “Encourage Yourself,” had one such message. The message was about encouraging yourself with the knowledge that no matter who is and isn’t in your life, and no matter where you are, God will remain faithful.
Family members are going to die. Friends will come and go. And, although you’ve planted your roots there, sometimes your hometown becomes unrecognizable.
Feelings of loss, abandonment, hopelessness, worry, and depression are inevitable at certain points during our lives. When therapy isn’t enough, and when medications won’t fix everything, maybe it’s time to seek little – or a lot – of help from above.
Air is currently rockin’ out in the This Is Why I ROCK! series here at Mental Health Notes. If you have a mental illness and are still living the life you love, head on over the the official announcement post and enter!
may I please have all comments and books on Joel Osteen
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Browsing the top podcasts on iTunes I spotted Joel Osteen, and I knew what kind of a podcast it was before I even read the category. I assumed that a ridiculous percentage of fanatical listeners would give this a rating of five stars. I was right again. It is notably significant when there are so few “middle of the road” ratings of anything, regardless of subject or content. It reveals much about the collective reviewers’ discerning taste (or lack thereof). If the iTunes podcast ratings were a restaurant guide like Zagats, and the rating for any restaurant was 99.99% five stars, I’d be very suspicious of what the chef has been putting in the soup.
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I too was inspired by Joel. I was told about him by my sister. I have told lots of people about him. I wish I had not. I am a Christian and believe in the bible. I believe that Joel is an inspirational speaker…that is all. As a minister, you can not leave out the plan of salvation…you can not leave out the fact that the Bible says that if you do not believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God…that he died on the cross to save us from our sins and that you have to repent and bring him into your heart…You will not go to heaven. Hell exsists…it is spoken about in the bible hundreds of times. Being an athiest, a muslim…and truly being one of those or several others that leave Jesus Christ out as mentioned above…means you go to hell. Fact. Not telling people…hundreds of thousands of people, millions of people…you are not teaching biblically. You are also making it ok to be a muslim or athiest or whatever…if your heart is good…pure. That is not the way it works. Yes…Joel makes people feel good…but good doesn’t get you to heaven…never did and never will. Joel’s excuse is always…”I don’t know”…or he doesn’t have enough information about the subject. If he doesn’t know…he aught not be preaching in a church in a Christian Umbrella. Sounds new age cultish to me…and I am saddened. I saw the Larry King interview and his retraction…also saw others…even his mission statement does not tell the truth about salvation. Look…God gave his only begotten son to DIE in torture on the cross to save us all from our sins. That should be inspiring. To Joel…it isn’t…obviously…he finds it a downer. Well…one day…soon…Jesus will be coming to a town near you…special feature…full screen…and people that don’t believe it or haven’t repented and meant it…will not go up to Heaven. Those mislead by Joel’s hush hush about HELL…will be left here…and possibly not ever hear the words that are the truth. Sad. I am so shocked at what I have heard Joel NOT say or say in general without committing…just really hurts me that I passed his name along to others. I would hate to think I had mislead many…now, that is one heck of a price to pay. Wouldn’t you say? God bless you all!
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Dear Joel,
You are such an inspiration in my life.I enjoy listening to your sermons every morning. I have missed your daily devotions.I hope you will send me emails again.i cannot go to sleep unless i read my daily devotions. I love you Pastor Joel and i hope to hear from you soon as god’s holy blessings continue to flow in your life.
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@ Mira – You can visit his website to subscribe to the daily emails. Enjoy!
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I love this minitery. I want to subscribe to all that will make me fulfilled in life. God bless you Pastor Joelosteen
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I love this minitry.I want to subscribe to all of His messages that will make me fulfilled in life. God bless u Joelosteen
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@ charles – Thanks for your kind words about Joel, I’m sure he would appreciate them. I’ve edited your comment so that it didn’t include your personal contact information for the public to see. Thanks again :)
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pastor joel osteen. their is a lot of teaching to the body of christ concering prosperity. I believe
the people of god must know that they need a vehicle to get them the things that they want out of life.Please I’m not sayin as a beliver in christ that what I’m doing is the best thing for every one. there is one thing for sure. their is no man that I have seen on tv that
is any more encouraging than you when it comes down to god’s people. from the heart.
charles battle.
charles battle 330
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@ peter horden – That’s great :) It’s also great that you let the encouragement flow through you and into someone else.
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Joel has helped to keep my eyes on the lord he reminds that God is still on the throne regardless and the trials come for a way to train us.
We Guys to encourage us I love in South Africa and there is no one here. I find the encouragement is coming out of me now I train users on PC and office packs networks, I am able to encourage the Trainees they have done better then ever so you can tell they can do better and they will when you show you can be better
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