The Yoke Destroyer is On the Way!

Post by Joel Osteen on August 15, 2015

 

In Isaiah chapter 10, the Israelites were facing the Assyrian army. They had gone through all kinds of heartache. They had lived out in the wilderness and were mistreated and taken advantage of. Now, they think, "Here we go again. This is the way our life is always going to be. One struggle after another." They had been wearing this yoke of bondage for years. So much so, that they had gotten comfortable with it.
But verse 27 says, "It shall come to pass that the burden will be taken off of your shoulders, the yoke removed from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed." God was saying to them, "This is a new day. You're not going to continually struggle. You're not going to live defeated. I'm not only going to remove the burden, I'm going to destroy the yoke."
From that day forward, they stepped into a new level of their destiny. What they used to struggle with wasn't a struggle anymore. That constant pressure to overcome enemies was lifted off of them. God gave them favor to conquer opponents that were much bigger and more powerful. Instead of being looked down on and mistreated, they were respected and given what belonged to them. What happened? The yoke destroyer showed up.
God is saying the same thing to us that He said to them. "You've struggled long enough. You've dealt with that addiction long enough. You've been under those family problems long enough. I am going to take away that burden. I'm not only going to remove the yoke, I'm going to destroy the yoke." In other words, it's not going to come back. That depression is not going to harass you your whole lifetime. That addiction that keeps getting passed from generation to generation, the buck stops with you. That sickness that looks like it's going to be the end; no, this is a new day. The yoke is being destroyed. The burden is being removed.
Maybe you've been living with a yoke your whole life. It's been passed down to you. Maybe you don't realize it. You can't seem to get ahead. You're struggling in your marriage. Your children won't do what's right. You struggle with low self-esteem. That's all you've known. But God said to the Israelites, "I have seen the affliction of My people, and I am coming down to deliver them." God sees every yoke, every unfair situation, everything that you struggle with. He doesn't just sit back and say, "Well, too bad." No, He says, "I'm coming down to do something about it." You don't have to worry, the yoke destroyer is coming.  God is saying, "I'm coming down to put an end to that struggle. I'm shifting things in your favor. I'm delivering you from addictions. I'm removing the burden and setting you free to walk into the fullness of your destiny!" Get ready because the yoke destroyer is on the way!

Words of Encouragement

Joel Osteen Ministries

 

When you go through a disappointment or something unfair happens, instead of getting discouraged say, “God, I know what was meant for my harm, You’re going to use to my advantage. You said You’d give me beauty for ashes.” Stay in faith knowing that He has something better in store.

Victoria Osteen

1 hr ·

The other day, I was in the customer service line at a store waiting to return something I had purchased. The woman in front of me was taking a really long time, and after a few minutes, I started watching more closely to see what was happening. She was standing there digging through her purse, pulling papers out and getting more and more frustrated. One employee came over, then another. I could see that this woman was trying to return something, but she didn’t have her receipt. She was doing everything she could to get her money back; she talked and explained, but it was no use. She ended up packing up her things and walking out the door. When it was my turn, I walked up to the counter, handed the clerk my receipt, and asked for a credit on my credit card. Everything went through just fine, and I received my refund without a problem.

The difference between me and the woman in front of me is that she was pleading her case, and I was presenting mine. She had no proof that she had purchased that item from that store. She had no evidence, and therefore, no entitlement to what she wanted. Now, on the other hand, I had proof of my purchase. I was operating according to the guidelines set forth by that company. I presented my case and received what I was expecting.
It works the same way when we go to God. We don’t need to beg Him for anything. We don’t need to plead with Him—“Oh, please God…I’m a nice person…I went to church…etc.” He’s already set up a policy in His Word so that we can receive from Him. Philippians 4:6 says “Don’t be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In other words, bring your proof; bring the Word of God! That’s your evidence. It’s powerful when we come to God with His Word on our lips!
If you’ve been busy pleading your case, if you’ve been telling God how unfair things are or begging for things to change, switch over today and begin to present His Word. Say, “Father, You said in Your word that no weapon formed against me shall prosper…You said You would make my enemies be at peace with me…” Declare His Word; present your case. I believe you will see things turn around and experience His favor on every area of your life! ‪#‎blog‬

Waer The Armor

Wear The Armor, Recognize the Enemy

God dispenses seasons by which our purposes are regulated. That is, to every season He has appointed a certain thing to come to pass in your life. Understanding the times and seasons of God is vital to understanding the context of our destiny. Within the grand scheme of God’s season falls your individual mandate.

The enemy, Satan, also has methodical, organized ways he attacks believers and we must be aware of not only our enemy, but the accusations and temptations he tries to lay across our path as a stumbling block. As a believer, you belong to the winning side, but you must know how to legally engage in combat.

“For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 [ESV]

When you do not discern the shifts of your seasons you will lack the understanding and instructions you need to unlock the blessings and experience victory over the enemy’s schemes. Just like God has blessings for you around the corner, Satan will bury traps and trouble in the same way. It is possible to be in a season that you are not cooperating with, but don’t be afraid – if you are seeking God, you will have the victory.
Pentecost (June 8th) has two main themes: harvest and revelation. Based on the prophetic timing of Pentecost, there are four areas that God is going to do something quickly, instantly and unexpectedly! This is the first thing that you need to know about in this season. This is what God has for you – suddenly!

1. Restoration (2 Chronicles 29:36)
   

2. Defeat Over Your Enemies (Psalms 6:10)
   

3. Deliverance (Acts 16:25-31)
   

4. Revival, Outpouring and Overflow (Acts 2:1-18)
   

The second very important thing you need to know about this season is you have a very determined, very experienced and well-organized enemy. If God has a suddenly moment for you, then you are also a target. Satan will try to prevent your suddenly moment from happening! He comes to steal, kill and destry. The suddenly moment God has for you is not just about you, but about His kingdom and the expansion of it. We will not be ignorant of the enemy’s methodology, and that’s what I’m going to share with you today.
God promises you defeat over all your enemies, every time. “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14, emphasis mine). You are going to have to fight, but you will never lose a battle – no matter how it looks in the natural.
Psalms 6:10 says it like this:

“Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed:
let them return and be ashamed suddenly.”

When we break this verse down from the original Hebrew, we find that the word “enemies” means “adversaries with hatred”, or “those that are hostile.”
We find that “ashamed” means “disappointed, delayed, confounded and dried up.”
Sore vexed means “to tremble inward vehemently and speedily; alarmed, agitated and dismayed.” The phrase “and let them return” means “to turn back and retreat” suddenly.
Make no mistake: Your enemies – starting with those who are hostile, going all the way to those who are filled with hatred towards you - will suddenly retreat, feeling disappointed and fearful.
The Word of God exhorts us in 2 Corinthians 2:11:

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (devices = purposes, disposition, thoughts).

You will never defeat an enemy you are not aware of. The Bible makes it clear that a battle line has been drawn between two kingdoms. One is the kingdom of God: the kingdom of light and righteousness. The other is the kingdom of the devil: the kingdom of darkness, evil, and all lies.
The human race is the subject of this great conflict, with each power seeking to possess the control over the human race. The impact of this battle is felt in every activity of the human race at every level, large and small. So what do we do in this fight?

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
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.”
(Eph 6:10-12 KJV)

In closing, there are 7 principles you must know:

1. There is an enemy.
   
2. The enemy is spiritual.
   
3. The enemy operates from the spiritual realm.
   
4. The first deception of the enemy is to make you think there is no enemy.
   
5. The warfare we find ourselves involved in is dangerously aggressive.
   
6. This warfare is a very determined, very experienced and well-organized enemy.
   
7. You are a target of this well-organized enemy.
   

As a believer, you belong to the winning side of this war, but you must know how to legally engage in combat. The exciting news is that our Lord Jesus Christ overcame the enemy and has given us the right to overcome him as well. This month, we are examining the strategies of spiritual warfare to methodical attacks of the enemy. You will recognize the depths of Satan while wearing the mighty armor of God!

Love Finds A Way

Love Finds a Way

by Joyce Meyer - posted August 14, 2015

But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any. Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated.
- Matthew 12:43–44
It is very important that we fill our lives with godly activity and make decisions to work for God, making a positive difference in the world. Many people don't realize that indifference is a decision. Right and wrong are not the only decisions we make. A decision to do nothing is still a decision, and it is one that makes us weaker and weaker. It gives the devil more and more opportunities to control us.
Empty space is still a place, and the Word of God teaches that if the devil comes and finds emptiness he quickly occupies the space. Inactivity indicates that we are in agreement with and approve of whatever is going on. After all, if we are doing nothing to change it, then we must think whatever is happening is fine.
We have taken various people on mission trips to minister to desperately needy people, but they don't all respond the same way. Everyone feels compassion when they see the terrible conditions in which people live while in the remote villages in Africa, India, or other parts of the world. Many cry; most shake their heads and think these situations are terrible, but they don't all decide to do something to change the conditions.
Trust in Him When have you seen a need and decided to do nothing? Don't settle for the status quo any longer. Trust God to show you what you can do to make a change.

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From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2012 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Daily Hope With Rick Warren

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Hard Questions

Four Steps to Stop Worry

By Rick Warren — Aug 11, 2015

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT, second edition) It takes more than willpower to stop worrying. You already know that, because you’ve already tried it. You’ve thought, “I shouldn’t worry about this,” and yet you just keep on worrying about it. It’s going to take more than your willpower to stop worrying. It takes four things: Get to know God. Jesus says in Matthew 6:32, “People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things” (MSG). If you don’t have a relationship with God, you have every reason to worry. You’ve got to get to know God! As a believer, you have a heavenly Father who has promised to take care of you. You are God’s child, and children get special privileges. When you worry, God says, “You’re my child. Why are you acting like an orphan?” Put God first in every area of your life. Matthew 6:31-33 says, “Don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing …. Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to” (TLB). Any time you take God out of the center of your life and put anything else there — no matter how good it is — you’re going to worry. Live one day at a time. The Bible says, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NCV). If you’re worrying about tomorrow, you can’t enjoy today. You miss today’s blessings. It’s OK to plan for tomorrow, but you have to live for today. Also, when you’re always worried about tomorrow, the future gets overwhelming. But God will give you the grace and strength you need when you get there. Right now, you only need enough power for today. Trust God to care. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT, second edition). How do you do that? One way is to memorize God’s promises in the Bible. They’re like an insurance policy for believers. When you know something’s covered, you don’t worry about it anymore. Another way is to pray. If you prayed as much as you worried, you’d have a lot less to worry about. What’s the result of taking these four steps? Incredible peace of mind: “You will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand” (Philippians 4:7a TLB). Pray this prayer today: “Dear Father, I admit that I often forget that you are with me. I often forget what you’re like. Would you please forgive me for that? I need to get to know you better. I need to get to know your Word and your promises better. Help me to put you first in every area of my life. Help me to live one day at a time. Help me to not worry about tomorrow but instead focus on what you’re doing in my life right now. I want to trust in your promise to take care of every one of my needs — financial, relational, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional. Help me to trust you more and worry less. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Meditate On This

14 Aug

Meditate On …I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. John 17:4 Live In The Realm Of ‘Done’ Long before man sinned, God already had the provision. The Bible tells us that Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). This means that everything you need accomplished in your life has been accomplished. Long before you see your healing, know that God has already finished the work of your healing. If you are in lack, see that all the work for your provision has been finished. How do we live in the realm of “it is done?” Just look at Jesus. When He saw a man who was lame for 38 years, He said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk” (John 5:8). You don’t say that to the man unless you see the finished work. Another time, Jesus saw a man in the synagogue whose arm was withered and said to him, “Stretch out your hand” (Matthew 12:13). Jesus treated the man who was lame like he had a pair of strong, healthy legs, and the man whose arm was withered like his arm was whole. He walked in the finished work. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Father, I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” How could He say that to His Father when He had not yet been crucified? It was because He lived in the finished work—the realm of “done”. That’s the place of rest. And that’s where and how God wants you to live!

Today's Word With Joel & Victoria

Today’s Scripture “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Higher Thoughts God’s dream for your life is so much bigger than your own. He wants to bless you and enlarge your territory. His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours, and His plan is so much bigger than we can imagine. Choose today to focus on the good things God has in store for you. Don’t allow the circumstances of life to drag your thoughts down. Choose God’s thoughts by meditating on His Word. The Scripture says to “set your mind on things above.” Those “things above” are God’s thoughts and His ways. Having higher thoughts means thinking, “I am blessed and highly favored. I am above only and not beneath. I am the head and not the tail. I am a victor, not a victim. I am righteous, and my path shines brighter and brighter to the full day!” When you allow those higher thoughts to fill your mind, they will direct your steps. You will see yourself as an overcomer and live the abundant life God has in store for you! A Prayer for Today “Father in heaven, thank You for thinking good thoughts about me. Help me to focus on Your higher thoughts today. Empower me to obey Your Word so that I can live as an overcomer in every area of life in Jesus’ name. Amen.”