"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

-Ephesians 6:12-

http://warriorsofprayer.blogspot.com/2010/12/pictures-from-pit-lukisan-lukisan-dari.html

"Year 2011: God is doing exceedingly, abundantly, above all you could ask, think, or imagine in your life!"

It’s hard to believe that 2010 is almost over. So much has happened in our lives, in the ministry, and in the lives of those who are a part of this ministry. Since the beginning of the year, Joel has been declaring that 2010 would be an “Ephesians 3:20” year — that God would do exceedingly, abundantly, above all you could ever ask, think or imagine — and the testimonies have been pouring in!

Recently, in our women’s ministry at the church, one of our staff members shared her perspective on what it meant for her to have an Ephesians 3:20 year. She didn’t receive an unexpected amount of money. She didn’t win a trip or get a new car. In fact, this year she was facing a very difficult trial in her life. She shared that as she looked around at the prosperity of her friends and fellow church members, she asked the Lord, “Where is my Ephesians 3:20 year?” It didn’t feel like a year of blessing to her, it felt like a year of hardship. But the Lord spoke gently to her heart and showed her that because she drew close to Him during her time of difficulty, she received the true riches that will last through eternity. The insight she received from the Word of God as she studied and meditated on the scripture carried her through which is a testimony of God’s “exceedingly, abundantly, above all” blessing in her life. She is stronger in her faith, she is more alive in her love, she has peace that surpasses understanding and that is beyond what she could ever ask, think, or imagine!

This week, as you make the transition from 2010 to 2011, take some time to reflect on what God has done in your life this year. Maybe some things didn’t turn out the way you expected. Maybe some unfair things happened, but know this: God is at work in your life and He is drawing you closer to Him. You are here on purpose for a purpose, and if you look with your eyes of faith, you’ll see how He’s kept you and brought you through so much! Ask Him to show you how this year has been an Ephesians 3:20 year for you and then thank Him for His faithfulness in this year and in the years to come. Remember, God is working all things together for your good and He is doing exceedingly, abundantly, above all you could ask, think, or imagine in your life!

“And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart.” (II Corinthians 7:11, The Message)

-Victoria Osteen-

"Forget what hurt you in the past.. but never forget what it taught you"

” If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail"
-Abraham Mashlow -

” What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything."
- Vincent van Gogh -

"Why is it hard to be happy? Maybe we refuse to let go what make us sad.."

-Sifa-

"Love doesn't hide. It stays and fights. It goes the distance, that's why love is strong. So it can carry you all the way home."

-Angel-

Footprints

"Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrong doing. It does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres.. And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three, but the greatest is love."

-1 Corinthians 13-

"Fear not when men speak evil of you.. Fear lest you should do evil."

-Tante Abi's book-

"Men must set their minds on being honest & straight forward."

-Tante Abi's book-

"I thought we would be last, but we ended up being first.."

I've found that a lot of times life works out just like that. You may be headed somewhere in your life, and it looks like people or circumstances are pushing you back. It may seem like you're getting further and further away from where you want to be. But all God has to do is change the direction of the wind, and you'll be first in line. That's God's favor on your life. He can turn things around and make you first in line for a new job opportunity, a new home, a new relationship or a medical miracle. Today, you may feel like you're in the back of the line and nothing is going your way, but get ready because God is about to turn things around for you!

So the last will be first, and the first will be last (Matthew 20:16, NIV).

-Joel Osteen-

"Change Your Reality!!"

I was reading about this doctor in Europe. He had patients who were very sick. They had been treated through traditional methods but had not gotten any better. So this doctor gave them a very unusual prescription. He had them say three or four times an hour, "I am getting better and better, every day, in every way." Over the next few months, he saw remarkable results. The same patients who had not improved with traditional medications, all of the sudden, began to get better and better. What happened? As they heard themselves saying over and over, "I'm getting better. I'm improving. My health is coming back," those words began to create a new image on the inside. Before long, they started seeing themselves strong, healthy and whole. We see this principle all throughout scripture that once you get a picture of something on the inside, then God can bring it to pass on the outside.

I know so many people who would go to a whole new level in life if they would just practice this principle. We all know people who are always tired and rundown. And what are they constantly saying? "I'm so tired. I just don't have any energy." They've talked about it so long that it's become a reality.

The more we talk about something the more we draw it into our lives. If you get up in the morning and just talk about how you feel, how you're tired and how you're not going to make it, you are digging your own hole with your words. Instead of talking about the problem, talk about the solution! That's why the Scripture says, "Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" Notice it doesn't say, "Let the weak talk about their weakness. Let the weak call five friends and discuss their weakness." "Let the weak complain about their weakness." No, it says in effect, "Let the weak say exactly the opposite of how they feel." In other words, don't talk about the way you are, talk about the way you want to be. If you get up in the morning feeling tired and lethargic, instead of complaining, more than ever you need to declare, "I am strong in the Lord. I am full of energy. My strength is being renewed. This is going to be a great day."

When you declare what God says about you, not only will it change how you feel, it will change how you think, and it will change how you act. It will change your reality! You won't go out with a weak, defeated, victim mentality. You'll go out with a victor's mentality, strong and well able to embrace the blessings God has in store for you!

-Joel Osteen-

"Don’t Let the Naysayers Talk You Out of Your Dream"

I have a friend who had a dream to start his own business. He had a plan, but he needed a bank to get behind him so he could get a loan to get the business off the ground. First, he went to his bank that he had used for many years, but they turned him down for the loan. They said his idea wasn't a good idea. He went to another bank and another. They all said the same thing, "It's never going to work." In fact, thirty-one banks told him "no." Thirty-one banks said, "It's not a good idea. It's never going to work." But when you're in circumstances like this, you have to decide, are you are going to believe the report of people or are you going to believe the report of the Lord? This man chose to believe what God had placed on the inside of him. All he had was $150. Really, he needed several hundred thousand dollars to get the business off the ground the right way, but he took what he had and bought a few supplies to do what he could to get the business started. His first client liked his work so much that they gave him a one-year contract. He took that contract to the bank. Thirty-one banks told him "no," but bank number thirty-two said "yes." Today, this man has a multimillion dollar, growing, successful business. What happened? He used what he had in his hand. When he recognized what he had and took a step of faith in spite of what his circumstances were saying, that's when God showed up and started breathing in his direction.

You may have a dream right now, but like this man, every voice is telling you, "It's never going to work. It's not a good idea. You don't have enough people behind you." No, God wouldn't have given you the dream; He wouldn't have put that idea in your heart without giving you the resources to see it come to pass.

Now is the time to look around because when God gives you a dream, He gives it to you in seed form. In other words, if you have a dream to have a big oak tree, God is going to give you an acorn. Everything you need to see that dream come to pass is within your reach right now. Don't just sit back and say, "Well, I don't have the connections, Joel. Everybody tells me it's not a good idea. All I've got is this little bitty 'acorn'." No, use what you have because God has already lined up the right people, the right breaks, the right resources. Thirty-one banks may have told you "no," but let me tell you, bank number thirty-two is coming. Thirty-one banks may have said, "Not a good idea," but bank number thirty-two is going to say, "Great idea. We're on board." Don't let people talk you out of what you know God placed in your heart because He is faithful, and He will fulfill every promise He has deposited inside of you!

- Joel Osteen-

"Again I say, Rejoice!"

Rejoicing is a supernatural force that opens the way for God to come on the scene. Not only will God fight our battles for us in the supernatural realm, but He will show up and fight our battles in the natural realm when we make the decision to rejoice..

But when you begin to rejoice, it makes everything clear. It brings life into focus and gives you the right perspective that God is on your side fighting your battles for you!

Today, choose to rejoice! Not because you have adversity, not because of your difficulties, but because God is bigger and stronger than anything that could come against you! Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!

http://www.joelosteen.com/HopeForToday

"Let God Settle It!"

Every person on earth has experienced difficulty. We've all had times when we've been hurt, wronged or taken advantage of. But God is a just God. Hebrews 10:30 tells us that He will repay us the exact compensation owed to us. He is the one to settle and solve the cases of His people.

Do you need a case settled today? Maybe you've had unfair things happen. Maybe somebody stole your childhood or left you with a bunch of children to raise by yourself. Perhaps a business partner cheated you, and you lost a lot of money. You could easily be angry and bitter, trying to pay them back. But instead, be encouraged because God is a just God. He knows every person who has hurt you. He has seen every person who has violated you or left you alone and afraid. Nobody else may have seen it, but God saw it; and He knew it wasn't right. Today, He is saying, "I'm going to settle your cases. I'm going to make your wrongs right."

God promised in Isaiah that He would pay you back double for every unfair thing that has happened. That means every person who has lied about you or tried to make you look bad, let it go because double is coming. Forgive the people who violated you because double is on its way.

Friend, God never brings you out the same; He always brings you out better. He will make the enemy pay for bringing that injustice into your life. Do your part and let it go. When you choose to forgive, you are handing everything over to God. When you forgive, you open the door for His forgiveness and redemption in your own live. Today, choose forgiveness and let God be your vindicator. Let Him settle your cases because He promises to repay you double in this life!

http://www.joelosteen.com/HopeForToday

"Ketabahan itulah bertahan...
Kesabaran itulah menahan..
Berharap itulah menengadah..
Ketaatan itulah mempersiapkan diri untuk pergi atau melakukan..
Mendengar itulah diam dan tenang agar bisa mendengar..
Berapa lama, Tuhan, aku harus menanti??
Tidak apa-apa anakKu..Percayalah kepadaKu.."

-Quiet talks on prayer-

"When everything seems so wrong and difficult... Just believe in your faith.. believe in your good luck!!"

-Tante Abi & Yohard-

"Never let go your Dreams.."
-Yohard-

Years ago, when we found out that Victoria was pregnant with our first child, we were so excited. I remember coming out of the doctor's office and the first thing we did was call our parents, and everyone in our families. It was a great day! We were amazed that we were going to have a baby. We were so overjoyed with the news. We were on cloud nine as we left the doctor's office, giving each other high five's. But, seven or eight months later, when Victoria was carrying all the extra weight, uncomfortable, a little bit irritable, hurting in her back, not able to sleep at night, you know, it's kind of funny but we didn't call too many people during that time. She wouldn't give me any high fives any more. The excitement of conception had worn off and now we were "where the rubber meets the road." We were down in the trenches where we had to suffer some inconveniences. We had moved out of the fun, easy stage of conception and into the much more difficult stage of development. It wasn't as easy in this stage; there was some pain and discomfort. Did we do something wrong to bring this on? No, it's all just part of the process. Inside, where we couldn't see, the seed was growing and developing. Changes were taking place.

If you think about it, it's the same way in the spiritual realm. When you conceive a dream in your heart from God, it's so exciting. You want to tell everyone about it. When you first get a revelation of His promises, it's easy to stay encouraged and full of faith. But the real test happens in the next stage. Are we willing to fight the good fight of faith and go through the development process? Are we willing to keep a good attitude even when we're uncomfortable and things aren't going our way?

Today, remember that in the process of giving birth to your dreams, sometimes things are going to be uncomfortable. Sometimes things aren't going to go the way you planned, but remember, that dream is still growing inside of you. You are closer than you think. As you stay in faith and keep speaking God's Word over your dreams, you'll see them come to pass. It won't be long until you are holding that promise in your hands and giving all the glory to Almighty God!

-Illustration is taken from Joel & Victoria' Blog-

http://www.joelosteen.com/HopeForToday

"Wherever You Go, the Blessing Goes..."

-Joel Osteen-

Psalm 37 says, "Even in famine the righteous will have more than enough." Notice, it doesn't say "barely enough," it says "more than enough." Why is that? Because wherever you go, the blessing goes. Your spouse, your family, your company should be glad to have you because when you show up, the blessing of God shows up. Be encouraged today to keep being your best and following God's Word because there is a commanded blessing on your life. He wants to overtake you with His blessings and prosper you in every area of your life!

"All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 28:2, NAS).

"It involves effort, patient, open mind and forgiving to make your relationship last.."

-Yohard-

There are times when you get into a relationship and wonder if it will last. There are some indicators that your relationship will last. The main ways to know if your relationship will last are: communication abilities, major differences of opinion, and what type of honestly is there in the relationship.

So to begin with to know if your relationship will last is the communication abilities that your relationship began with and currently has. Communication is very important in any relationship. When two people can have open communication in the relationship it will have a better chance of lasting through time.

Good communication includes not jumping to conclusions, but talking to the other person in the relationship and getting the facts. No matter how great a relationship is it will not last if you cannot communicate between those in the relationship with an open mind and forgiving heart.

Good communication allows those involved in the relationship to overcome any hard times that may come to the relationship. With good and open communication you can know that your relationship will last.

Another way to know if your relationship will last is to consider any major differences of opinion. It is good for a relationship for those involved to not have every opinion the exact same.

How to know if your relationship will last is to look at the level of honesty in the relationship. Honesty is very important if you want a relationship to last. If you want to know if your relationship will last you will need to be sure and be honest with yourself and within the relationship.

Honesty within a relationship will allow those involved in the relationship to not have secrets or hurdles to hide from each other. When there are a lot of hidden issues in a relationship it typically doesn't last long. Be careful what you hide form the other person in the relationship.

This doesn't mean that every relationship will need to have every little detail told about. It just means that if there is something that is relevant to the relationship and those in the relationship, don't keep it a secret. Even if you think you are protecting someone.

If you are concerned about an issue in the relationship, take your time and be certain what you want to say. Or even wait until the other person brings it up. Being honest is talking about what goes on and not keeping information from those you care about. Be honest and the relationship will last.

How to know if your relationship will last can be hard sometimes. There are some major indicators that will help you to determine if your relationship has a good chance of lasting. First, what kind of communication is there in the relationship? Second, are there major obstacles because of differences of opinion? And third, is there honesty in the relationship, so that barriers are not made? Having a lasting relationship is important in lifes long journey, may you find lasting relationships and enjoy those you know.

"Love must be learned, and learned again; there is no end to it...."

-Katherine Anne Porter -

Our relationships are precious, valuable treasures from heaven, and we should handle them carefully, always looking for ways to build bridges to each other's hearts. I know that all of us desire to come up higher and one way we can take a step towards the next level is in our love for one another.

At one time or another, we have all faced the temptation to disconnect by giving someone the silent treatment. Sometimes when someone hurts or offends us, we can be tempted to disconnect. But one of the most common mistakes people make in relationships is to give the other person the silent treatment in an effort to pull back.

One of the most freeing experiences is to recognize that you are two different people who see things differently, and you can still love each other and stay connected. Just because you have a disagreement with your friends or family members does not mean there are not plenty of other areas on which you see eye to eye. It just means you have a difference of opinion. Having the same heart and the same goal is what maintains a good connection. There will be times when we do not agree on every decision or subject, but we should always believe in one another, support one another, and move forward through life together—connected.

-Victoria Osteen-

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

-Hebrews 11:1-

If you want to please God, You need faith. If you want God to answer your prayers, receive a miracle, healing, protection from enemies or even a blessing, God does reward those who seek him! - - Have Faith!

"Remember, YOU ARE PRECIOUS!"

-Yohard-

"If both you and your partner are working together to save your marriage, you will. If only you are working at it, God will!"

-Dan Douglass-