Todays Word, Eph 1

Ephesians 1 (New King James Version)
Ephesians 1
Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Redemption in Christ

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both[a] which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who[b] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding[c] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Today's Scripture

Colossians 1:3-14 Niv.

3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. 7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[c] behalf, 8and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[d] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption,[e] the forgiveness of sins.

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Today's Word from Joel Osteen " A Vital Neccessity."

A Vital Necessity

Today's Scripture

"Set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God.” (I Chronicles 22:19 AMP).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

What things do you consider a vital necessity in your life? What can’t you live without? Most people would immediately think of food, water, and shelter, but in reality, we can’t really live unless our minds and hearts are set on seeking the Lord. Sure, you can exist without seeking Him, but you are called to more than just mere existence. You are called to live…to thrive…to enjoy your life abundantly! The good news is that you have complete control over what you set your mind and heart on. You decide what you think about. I encourage you today; set your mind and heart on seeking the Lord! Write down your favorite scriptures and commit them to memory. Whenever you can, think about those verses. Meditate on God and His infinite love. Make a habit of seeking Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. When you require the Lord as a vital necessity, you will truly enjoy living the abundant life He has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, today I choose to set my mind on You. I seek You with my whole heart. Show me your love and character today. Show me Your ways that I may walk and live closely with you. I love you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen Ministries, 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027.

Copyright © 2007 by Joel Osteen Ministries

Today's Word from Joel Osteen " Embrace Your Season."

Embrace Your Season



Today's Scripture



“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria



God has ordained seasons in your life. It’s easy to get frustrated when our dreams aren’t coming to pass on our timetable. When that happens, we have to submit our plans to Him and trust that He has a better plan. Understand that in God’s Kingdom, every season is not harvest. There are plowing seasons. There are planting seasons. There are watering seasons. And sure, we would love for every season to be a time of increase, but without the other seasons, we wouldn’t be prepared. It’s during the plowing seasons when God’s bringing issues to light that we need to deal with. He’s getting us prepared for promotion. If you’re not making as much progress as you would like, the key is to not lose any ground. Don’t go backwards. Hold your position by keeping an attitude of faith and expectancy, even when it’s hard. Keep plowing by speaking the Word daily. As you do, you’ll pass the test, and God promises your due season is coming!



A Prayer for Today



Father in Heaven, thank You for Your faithfulness in all seasons of my life. I trust that my time is coming, and I choose to remain faithful. I submit my ways to You today and trust that You have the best plan for my life. I love You and praise Your name today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.



Joel Osteen Ministries, 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027.


Copyright © 2007 by Joel Osteen Ministries

21 or Over. 72 Man refused alcohol because he wouldn't confirm he's over 21

Man, 72, refused alcohol over age

Staff say all customers are asked for proof of ageSupermarket staff refused to sell alcohol to a white-haired 72-year-old man - because he would not confirm he was over 21. Check-out staff at Morrisons in West Kirby, Wirral, demanded Tony Ralls prove he was old enough to buy his two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Mr Ralls asked to see the manager who put the wine back on the shelf.
The grandfather-of-three said he had refused to confirm he was over 21 as it was a "stupid question." Mr Ralls, a retired insurance firm regional manager, said he expected the store manager to resolve the situation but he was disappointed.

"I felt like saying 'What do I look like? Are you a fool?' It's bureaucracy gone mad
"He picks up the wine and, in the manner of a child taking home his ball, says 'Well, we won't serve you'."
The pensioner abandoned his shopping on the conveyor belt and left the store - but not before demanding a complaints form and phone number for Morrisons' headquarters.

Mr Ralls said: "It is bureaucracy gone mad. If the check-out lady, who was about 40, had asked me with a twinkle in her eye perhaps I would not have been so tetchy. "But she asked me the question with a perfectly straight face and I said I wouldn't dignify the question with an answer.
"And if the manager had explained that all the staff had to ask everyone because they had previously been fined, but said I was clearly over 21, it would have been fine - but he showed no sense of humour."

Mr Ralls added that he felt embarrassed to return to the supermarket and wanted an apology for "the stupid and unnecessary confrontation." He added: "I applaud any efforts to stop kids being served and standing on street corners getting drunk. But this was just totally stupid."

A Morrisons spokesman said: "We take our responsibility with regard to selling alcohol very seriously and all our stores operate the Task 21 scheme, which addresses the difficulties our staff face in being able to determine if a customer is legally old enough to buy alcohol.
"To further limit any element of doubt staff at the West Kirby store are required to ask anyone buying alcohol to confirm that they are over 21."

Today's Word from Joel Osteen." God-Ordained Moments"

God-Ordained Moments

Today's Scripture

"For I know the plans I have for you,”declares the Lord”, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

God created every one of us to be successful. Before the foundation of the world, He laid out an exact plan for our life. And in this plan, He has marked moments that are going to come across our paths. These moments are not ordinary. They are destiny-altering moments. They are designed to thrust you years ahead. It says in Ecclesiastes that “time and chance come together for every person.” That means you’ll have opportunities to meet the right people, opportunities to advance in your career, opportunities to fulfill your dreams. God has already pre-arranged times of increase and blessing. You may not be seeing a lot of good breaks right now, but let me encourage you; there are seasons of favor and seasons of increase marked for your future. There are God-ordained moments planned out for you. Don’t miss these moments! Don’t stop believing, and don’t get distracted by what’s going on in the world around you. Focus on removing the clutter from your life so that you can hear the still, small voice. Approach today with an attitude of faith and expectancy. As you do, you’ll embrace the God-ordained moments that are ordered for you!

A Prayer for Today

Father God, thank You for ordering my steps. Thank You for making a way when there seems to be no way. I choose to step out today with faith and expectancy so that You can move in my life. I trust You with my destiny and thank You for fulfilling every desire of my heart today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen Ministries, 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027.

Copyright © 2007 by Joel Osteen Ministries

Today's Word from Joel Osteen. "Seasons of Sowing."

Seasons of Sowing

Today's Scripture

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:5).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

The Scripture talks about seasons of sowing and reaping in your life. In Psalms, it talks about sowing in tears and reaping in joy. That verse is saying that the sowing seasons are usually the most difficult. It’s hard to keep a good attitude when all your friends are being blessed, but you’re not. You may feel like they don’t work as hard as you do. You may feel like they don’t give like you do or don’t deserve the blessing. That’s a time of testing. It’s hard to go through disappointments and stay positive and hopeful. These are seasons of sowing. If you’ll do the right thing even when it’s hard—when you sow in tears—you will always reap in joy! I’m asking you to have a new attitude toward what God has placed in your heart. It may be taking a long time, but God still has a plan to bring it to pass. Don’t give up. Your time is coming. It’s never too late! God is saying, “This is your season. Keep your faith stirred up.” Keep sowing because in due season, you will reap the bountiful harvest with a song of joy in your heart!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You and sow into the lives of those around me. I ask for Your strength today to do Your will and keep a good attitude. Help me recognize my season of sowing so that I can be ready in the time of harvest. I love You and bless Your holy name today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen Ministries, 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027.

Copyright © 2007 by Joel Osteen Ministries