Rick Warren: Every Pastor Needs A Mentor

Every pastor needs a mentor. No matter what stage you are in your ministry, you need someone to coach you. All sorts of organizations use the mentoring process to make people better at what they do. In medicine, doctors mentor younger doctors. In music, musicians mentor other musicians. Why? It works. We learn best when we have people who can speak into our lives and ministry. Proverbs 19:20 says, “Get all the advice you can and be wise the rest of your life.”

I will always need a coach – no matter how old I get or how successful I become. Lebron James is one of the best basketball players on the planet. He still needs a coach. You will never get to a point in your life when you can say, “I’ve learned it all. I don’t need anybody else to help me.”

A mentor brings out the best in you in three areas: your roles, your goals, and your soul. Mentors give us perspective. They help us look at ourselves and our ministry from the outside. We don’t always see what we’re doing outside of our own perspective. We see from our own limited focus. We need somebody else in our life to say, “Have you thought about…? What about this? What about that?”

Saddleback would not be where it is today without men who’ve poured their lives into me – people who’ve made me look at my ministry in a different light. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisors they succeed.” What God has done through Saddleback over the past 30 years hasn’t happened because I’m smart. It’s because I’ve had great mentors and advisors. They are people I’ve bounced ideas off of and gotten feedback from.

What do you look for in a mentor? Let me suggest three qualities –

1. Someone who has the character and values you admire. You want to find a mentor who is the kind of person you want to be.

2. Someone with the skills and experience you want. Look for another pastor who has the particular ministry skills you want to improve upon. Maybe it’s preaching. Maybe it’s leadership. Maybe it’s a pastor who has successfully navigated through a building campaign. Find someone who is good at something you want to be good at.

3. Someone you trust. If you don’t trust your mentor, you’re not going to learn anything from him. Just because a mentor has a lot of knowledge doesn’t mean you’ll click with him. To make a good mentoring experience, in time you’ll need to be able to open up to the person you choose.

Ask good questions. Once you pick the right mentor, you’ll need to make the most of the time you have with that person. Neither you nor your mentor have unlimited time. What can you do to maximize your time with your mentor? Ask questions. Before you meet with your mentor, spend some time thinking about questions you want to ask. Think about what issues you’re dealing with in your ministry. Think about what areas of your mentor’s ministry you’d like to learn from. Be specific.

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One of my mentors was a guy named Billy, who had a mentor himself. Billy went to a large church in Texas and put himself under the pastor. At the end of six months, Billy went to him and said, “I’ve watched your teaching for six months and I’ve never heard you preach a dud. God speaks through everything you teach. Every time you teach there’s power, practical information, and good insight. I would like to know how you stay fresh. What’s your secret?”

The man told Billy, “About 35 to 40 years ago, I made a commitment to stay fresh, so I could feed other people. To do that, I read through the New Testament once a week.” Billy sat there dumbfounded, trying to think up an intelligent follow-up question to ask. “What translation do you read it in?” Billy asked. The Texas pastor said, “Usually in the original Greek.”

Billy later told me that he could have been with the guy for five or six years and never found out the secret to his freshness and spiritual depth if he hadn’t asked the question. Anyone – at any time – can be a mentor if you learn to ask questions. Everyone has a reservoir of knowledge, skills, and experience they can share. A wise person will learn to draw them out.

If I were to sit down with you, I’d learn some things that would make me a better pastor. I’m sure of it. You’ve had experiences that I haven’t had – and vice versa. Be prepared with standard questions to ask every time you get around someone you might learn from. Questions like –

• How do you handle stress?
• What have been the greatest successes in your life?
• What were the causes of those successes?
• What were the greatest failures in your life?
• What would you do differently if you were starting over?
• What kind of books do you read?
• How do you manage your time?
• How do you manage your money?
• What have been the greatest lessons you’ve learned?
• What have been the greatest surprises in your life?

Successful people give off clues. Look for those clues. Pull them out and learn from them

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Joel osteen: Refuse to worry Video Sermon

  

Video Sermon of Joel Osteen: Refuse To Worry

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How To Encourage Yourself

Do you want to be successful?

You’ve got to learn how to encourage yourself.

Because there are days when you won’t receive any encouragement from anyone else, you’ve got to do it yourself.

There’s this one passage in the Bible that I love so much. It says, David encouraged himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:6)

Let me tell you the Bible story behind this verse.

David and his men—600 of them—went away to work and left their wives and children in their camp called Ziklag. Three days later, tragedy struck. The Amalekites, sworn enemies of Israel, attacked and burned the entire village to the ground—and taking all the women and children with them as slaves.

When David and his men arrived, the Bible says his men “wept until they could weep no more.” Can you imagine 600 men crying at the loss of their wives and children? Can you imagine 600 men weeping over a pile of burning rubble that was once their home?

You think that was bad? It got worse. The Bible says that these men—once upon a time fiercely loyal to David—wanted now to stone David to death. 

I’ve noticed that when things go wrong, human beings want to look for someone to blame. We always want to look for a scapegoat to vent our rage.

Imagine you were David.

You just lost your family. Your kids were taken away from you. Your home is now but ashes under your feet. You now own nothing except the clothes that you’re wearing. And the friends that you thought were friends now want to kill you. 

This is what you call an Impossible situation. 

In other words, it’s a Ziklag…

Are You Going Through A Ziklag?

Are you going through an Impossible situation?

Then you’re going through Ziklag right now. 

Perhaps you lost your job.  Perhaps you lost your possessions. Perhaps you lost your friends. Perhaps you lost a loved one. 

In Ziklag, you have a choice: You can do what the 600 soldiers of David did or you can do what David did.

The 600 men wept and found someone to blame. (Because hurt people hurt people.)

But I love what David did. In the midst of an impossible situation, he did the impossible. What was that? The Bible said, “David encouraged himself in the Lord.”

Let me explain what that meant…

Getting Encouragement From Within

Normally, we get encouragement from people around us. 

And rightly so. Because we’re the Body of Christ.

When I feel burdened, the first person I go to is my best friend—who happens to be my wife Marowe.  She’s not a preacher. If given a choice not to shop for a year—or to speak in public—she’d choose not to shop for a year. (Okay, maybe one week…) But she’s my encourager. She’s the builder of my faith. When I tell her my burdens, she doesn’t even say anything. She just listens—and I feel my burdens are lifted up from my shoulders.

And I’m spoiled. God gave me the most fantastic friends on planet earth.  They’re my Super Friends, my Avengers Team. When I’m going through my struggles, I share it with them—and when I do—I don’t feel alone anymore.

But I believe there are times when we go through Ziklag. Ziklag is a place where even the family and friends that we depend on aren’t there. Perhaps because they’re busy. Or because they’re faraway. Or because they themselves are going through some struggle—and they’re not there for us.

And that’s where you have to learn how to go to God directly.

Ziklag is the place where your relationship with God goes to a whole new level.

Ziklag Is A Furnace…

Let me warn you…

Ziklag is a burial place and a birthplace. It’s where boys are buried and kings are born.

Ziklag is a furnace. If you are made of wood, you will be pulverized. If you are made of gold, you will be purified.

Ziklag is a rock. You can be crushed under the weight of the rock or you can stand on top of the height of the rock—and see the world in a whole new perspective.

Ziklag is a sword. It can kill or it can cut. It can kill your soul or it can cut the cancer in your soul.

In Ziklag, David had to learn a very important life skill, a life skill you need to win permanent victory: You need to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord. Do not wait for others to encourage you. Do not wait for your spouse to encourage you. Do not wait for your friends to encourage you. Do not wait for your leaders to encourage you. You need to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord.

How To Encourage Yourself

       I don’t know what David did specifically. The Bible doesn’t say what he did. 

But I have a guess.

Because I’ve been through Ziklag many times. And I know how I encouraged myself. 

I believe David went back into his own history to remember those special times when he saw God intervene in his life. Like when God rescued him from the bear and the lion. Or when God rescued him from Goliath with a stone and a slingshot.

       I have those special stories too. I dig deep and remember them….

       Like the day God called me to preach when I was twelve…

       Or the day God rescued me from my addictions…

       I even remember the small miracles in my life.

       Let me tell you one of them…

Recall God’s Interventions

       Twenty-five years ago, I attended a graduation ceremony in PICC. Not as a preacher but as a photographer. My cousin was graduating and I volunteered to take his pictures. To do that, I borrowed a friend’s expensive camera, complete with a long lens that the paparazzi use. I went up in the balcony and took lots of photos.

       It was a long graduation ceremony.

By the time it was over, it was evening.

After the ceremony, I congratulated my cousin and walked back to my borrowed car. (Borrowed camera, borrowed car… You get the picture how poor I was then?) But when I rode the car, I noticed that my bag was light. I looked inside it. To my horror, I saw that the long lens was gone!

       I knew that long lens was expensive—more expensive than the camera itself. And I was a poor missionary. I stepped out of the car and looked back at gigantic PICC. Where will I look?

       I remember praying, “Oh God, you’ve got to help me!” Immediately, I felt peace. I knew God was in charge.

       I walked back to the building, taking a shortcut through the grass. Picture this: I was walking on grass in the dark. And that was when I felt an inner nudge to stop walking. 

       And I did. At that exact spot, I felt the same nudge to bend over and reach down. In that darkness, I stooped down and held something round. I lifted it up—it was the camera lens!

       The grounds of PICC are massive and covered with darkness. It was literally like finding a pin in a haystack.

I remember that day and tell myself, “If God guides me for a something as small as a camera lens, I believe God will guide me for the bigger things in my life.”

God allows Mt. Tabor experiences in our lives to ready us for Mt. Calvary experiences. In Mt. Tabor, Jesus showed Himself with brilliant light beside Moses and Elijah to Peter, James, and John—because he knew that in a few days, they’ll experience the horrific sight of him hanging on a criminal’s cross. When they start doubting, “Did I follow the wrong guy?” they can look back that once upon a time, they saw a glorious Jesus.

Which reminds me of a very important point in the story of David and Ziklag…

God Will Return What Was Stolen From You

David wasn’t only seeking for Encouragement. He was also seeking for Enlightenment. He asked God, “Can I pursue the Amalekites? Can I overtake them?”

God told David, “Pursue the Amalekites. You shall be able to overtake them.” So David rallied his men and they chased after the Amalekites. They found them in the middle of a party, drunk and distracted. They attacked them, defeated them, and took back their wives and children. They also brought home the spoils of war—the wealth of their enemy.

When you experience loss, I believe that if you “encourage yourself in the Lord”, you’ll experience what David experienced: God returned to him what was stolen—plus interest!

What kind of interest? The Old Testament says that the thief, once caught, should return seven times what he has stolen. (Proverbs 6:30-31) 

Have you lost anything? 

Whenever I lose money in business, I ask God to return it to me sevenfold. It happens.

If you go to the courthouse of men, they may punish the thief and ask him to return what he has stolen. But if you go to the courthouse of God, claim in faith that God Himself will see to it that what was stolen from you shall be returned sevenfold.

Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one. Perhaps a parent just passed away. Perhaps you experienced a miscarriage. And there’s a deep wound in your heart. Believe me, God will not only return this person to you sevenfold, but eternal-fold. Be patient. In Heaven, you’ll be reunited with your loved one forever and ever and ever…

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Video Sermon of Morris Cerullo in Puerto Rico

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Morris Cerulo

Morris Cerullo (born October 2, 1931) is an American Pentecostal Televangelist.

Early life and ministry
Cerullo, whose evangelistic ministry is based in San Diego, California, was born in Passaic, New Jersey to a Russo Jewish/Italian family. His parents died in an automobile accident when he was only two years old. By virtue of being of half Jewish parentage, he was then raised in an Orthodox Jewish orphanage in nearby Clifton, New Jersey, in which he recalls being led out of by heavenly messengers. This experience then led him to a receiving Jesus Christ as his Savior at age fourteen. From this experience he then begin preaching the gospel at the age of sixteen after claiming to have seen a vision from God, in which he witnessed people suffering torments in Hell. He then later attended and graduated from divinity school in New York State in 1953, and began ministering with the help of his then soon-to-be bride Theresa.





Power of Prayer
There are many claims that people at his rallies were healed of serious medical conditions by the power of prayer. After the prayer many people came forward giving testimony of miracles that they feel have happened to them or to those they have brought with them to the meetings. His posters for a London appearance featured abandoned canes and wheelchairs.

Schools of Ministry
For many years Morris Cerullo conducted repeated “Schools of Ministry” in several countries like Mexico, Brazil, The Philippines, Korea, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, Netherlands and many others. During these “SOMs” one of the days of the conferences he would preach in an open air crusade, or a large theater/arena, and lead people in a commitment to Jesus Christ and then would pray for healings to happen in the crowd. He would have the school of ministry students test the genuineness of the reports from the people’s testimonies. After the large mass meetings he would charge the “SOM” school of ministry students to reach out to their countryman with the same message being inspired by the results of the public rally. Cerullo often stated that not he, but Jesus Christ was the healer. He would encourage faith in, as he would say, “the written and the living word of God.”

Personal
Morris and Theresa Cerullo recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary and are the parents of three children, David (b.1952), Mark (b.1960) and Susan (b.1961). Cerullo still travels as a missionary in 2009. Cerullo and his son David, who serves as Inspiration Network’s CEO, were both featured in a May 23, 2009.

Heritage USA
In 1990, Cerullo purchased, from the United States Federal Bankruptcy Court in Columbia, South Carolina, the assets of Jim Bakker’s bankrupt ministry, PTL.[citation needed] These assets included the Heritage USA Christian theme park in Fort Mill, South Carolina which he purchased in partnership with Malayan United Industries (Berhad). After a dispute with his business partners over his issuance of discount cards to the theme park, the Malaysian entity bought out Cerullo’s interest in Heritage USA.

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The Keys to Church Growth

The key to church growth lies in our ability to motivate and activate the general membership to reach the lost in an avenue in which each feels comfortable. Very few churches have even come close to achieving this. We have a pastor system among our preachers and a passive symptom among our members. How can we activate the entire church to be evangelistic? Answer this question and you hold the key to church growth in your hand!

A. The process of church growth as a whole can be divided into four steps.

THE FOUR "E'S" OF GROWTH:

1. Evangelize the lost
2. Edify the new convert
3. Equip the willing
4. Entrust to the faithful

Every specific method of evangelism can be placed into one of three pigeon holes. Every Christian's conversion can be categorized into one of these holes:

1. children of members
2. mass media approach
3. personal approach.

The mass media approach employs newspaper advertising, radio and TV programs, mail drops, correspondence courses, Bible Call recorded messages, gospel meetings, etc. The personal approach employs a personal invitation to those with whom we have developed a relationship, such as neighbors and friends. It also includes the invitation of persons contacted during door-to-door canvassing, random telephoning, and in the parks and shopping malls.
I believe we must place most of our emphasis in the personal approach category. Placing the emphasis on mass media approach hampers our goal of activating all the members to reach the lost because the members are not required to do anything personally. They are content to just supply the money and rely upon the preacher. On the other hand, the personal approach is wholly dependent upon individual effort. Success will be limited unless the individual is doing his part.

Generating Contacts (Luke 14:23)

Luke 14:23 tells us to go into the highways and hedges and COMPEL the lost to come to the great feast. Most churches need to place more emphasis in this area of work. Many churches have a number of members capable of teaching the gospel. Unfortunately, the talents of capable teachers are often not utilized because of the lack of effort in contacting people and locating those who want to study (seekers). The shortage of seekers can cause capable soul winners to become idle. We must recognize our deficiency in this area and put much more emphasis on contacting and finding seekers.
It is my opinion that mass media methods such as mail dropping and newspaper and handbills on windshields should only point in one direction the correspondence course. I suggest, for example, that church services not be advertised at all. Replace these advertisements with an enrollment coupon for a correspondence course or a number for a Bible Call messages.
The personal invitation avenue of contacting seekers contains the most potential for new contacts. It is powerful but often neglected. Three basic categories of the personal invitation approach are: first, personally inviting those we know our friends, family, neighbors, and fellow-workers. The key here is conduct or letting your light shine. Second, personally inviting anyone we run into during the normal course of the day. The key here is alertness to opportunity. Third, aggressively inviting unknowns by phone, door-to-door contacts, contact in the parks, etc. The key here is boldness.
The focus of most personal invitations is best directed toward the Bible discussion groups in the home. (Also called cottage meetings or Luke/Acts readings. ) Begin by personally inviting those you know. However, before long this avenue will be exhausted and you will be forced to invite those you don't know. In order to have continued success, a change in lifestyle will be required so that you automatically and instinctively invite everyone you come in contact with. At this point you are only interested in the names and phone numbers of persons interested in Bible study.

Cultivation Studies (John 4:7-42)

Cultivation studies are an important intermediate stage between the point of contact and a one-on-one Bible study. This stage is often overlooked. Bible correspondence courses, Bible discussion groups, Jule Miller filmstrips (Nos. 1, 2, and 3 only), and the 2-minute Bible Call messages are all examples of cultivation studies.
Once we find a seeker, we need to cultivate their interest in the gospel. At this stage you are not trying to convert them but you do have two very important objectives. First, develop their thirst for more Bible study. Second, allow a cold contact to become a warm contact by letting them develop a personal relationship of trust toward you as a person and a Bible teacher. The account of Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4 is an excellent example of the principles behind a cultivation study. Jesus discussed spiritual things in such a way as to develop her interest and trust in him as a person and teacher.
All efforts to contact people should be directed toward only two Bible study programs: the correspondence course and the Bible discussion group. It simplifies things for a local church to have only one main program in each of the two areas of contacting people mass media/correspondence course and personal/Bible discussion groups.
It may be that a person is contacted through the Bible Call number advertised in the personal column of the newspaper. They then enroll in the correspondence course offered daily on Bible Call. After completing the course, they check on lesson four that they want to attend the Bible Discussion Groups. After they have attended a number of these small group studies, set up the Jule Miller filmstrip study and show lessons 1 through 3 only. Now you are ready for the next stage of development the conviction studies. Now, for the first time, your primary motive is for them to be converted to Christ.

Conviction Studies (Acts 24:25)

Cultivating their interest may require several months. You have developed a relationship with the seeker. They trust you as a teacher and respect you as a human being. Now, your purpose is to convict them to bring them to a point of decision about becoming a Christian be it positive or negative. A good example of this kind of study is when Paul tried to teach Felix about righteousness, self-control and judgement in Acts 24:25. Paul brought Felix to a point of decision. Felix replied, Go away for the present and when I find time I will summon you. Ever heard that before?
Although a number of conviction study sequences are available, such as Ivan Stewart's, Charles Goodall's Same Hour Of The Night, Bradford/Nerland question/answer series, and the McDonald system, there is very little available to choose from. Much more thought and energy needs to be put into this important area. I am amazed at how few evangelists have tried to develop their own study sequences. It is like a salesman who never develops his own sales pitch. The main thing to keep in mind with whatever you use is that the entire church is going to be taught how to use it. Some of the basic subjects addressed in most study sequences are: the Bible and authority, covenants, the New Testament church, denominationalism, the need and plan of salvation, and what it will cost to become a Christian. There is a need to have both a single and multilesson series prepared.

Grounding Studies (Matthew 28:18)

The fourth stage is most commonly called follow-up. We all know that we neglect follow-up, but when are we going to start doing something about it? We are losing souls every year. It is like someone who smokes. They say they should quit and know it harms their body, yet they keep smoking year after year. We know the virtues and importance of grounding studies yet we keep neglecting them. An example of this kind of study is found in Acts 14:21-23 when Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith. Another example is in Acts 15:36 where Paul said, Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word to see how they are. Matthew 28:18,19 says we are to make disciples (conviction studies), baptize them, and teach them to observe all I have commanded you (grounding studies).
The best way I have seen to follow-up a new Christian is by using a combination of two methods. First, have a rotating new converts class on Sunday morning. The one we had in Lethbridge, Alberta, had about 30 lessons. By rotating, I mean that if a babe in Christ enters the class at lesson 20 they will continue through the end of that series of classes (lesson 30) and up through lesson 19 in the next series. After completing the 30 lesson series they will join the regular adult class. The 30 lesson series is taught in a cycle over and over. Every cycle has one teacher and an apprentice. During the next cycle the apprentice becomes the teacher and a new apprentice is selected. Great experience for the men! Watch it spark life into the church.
The second follow-up method has the babe in Christ studying one-on-one with someone every week ideally, with the one who taught him the gospel. This develops a close friendship and provides an opportunity to give him the personal attention he needs at first. The revolving class and the one-on-one studies will provide for almost every need of a new convert. Generally, the revolving class has doctrinal lessons while the one-on-one lessons are exhortational. The kind of follow-up I have suggested here is a big project but one that is long overdue in every church.

Training Studies (2 Timothy 2:2)

This is the stage where you teach them to fly on their own, take the training wheels off, and where you produce producers. Most Christians are capable of teaching the gospel after receiving some training; therefore, everyone who is going to be involved in teaching the lost and grounding the new converts needs to go through some kind of training. Both men and women should be involved in the training studies. (Remember, most of the new converts are women. So train the women to convert and ground other women.) Some of the men who progress through the training studies are the evangelists of tomorrow! It is the church's job to train men for full-time service.

FOUR GENERATIONS OF 2 TIMOTHY 2:2

1. Paul: The things you learned from me
2. Timothy: "you"
3. Faithful men: Entrust to faithful men
4. Others: Who will in turn teach others

Training studies can be broken into two basic levels:

LEVEL 1:

Train Christians to teach the gospel to the lost; then train them to ground the new converts they have led to Christ. Prepare the outlines for the conviction study sequence and the grounding lessons. Make these outlines available at the building or some other central place that has 24-hour access.

LEVEL 2:

Every growing church will need to develop new leaders. Now you instruct mature Christians to TRAIN younger Christians to teach the lost and the new converts. This is exactly what 2 Timothy 2:2 says to do, The things you (Timothy) have learned from me (Paul) entrust to others, who will in turn be able to teach others also.

Summary

At the outset, we asked how we can motivate the general membership to reach the lost. As you can see, it is hard work and will require us to change the way we have been doing things. Church growth can be broken down into two parts:

Part 1. Three C's before baptism:

1. Contact them
2. Cultivate their interest
3. Convict them

Part 2. Three T's after baptism:

1. Teach them (grounding)
2. Train them to ground others
3. Train them to train

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Benny Hinn: Preaching the miracle of money

Evangelical faith healer Pastor Benny Hinn claims he can cure the sick, make the crippled walk and rid terminally ill patients of cancer.

But Hinn’s supposed spiritual powers were no match for Brisbane’s peak-hour traffic.

The multi-millionaire was 50 minutes late for his Australian “miracle crusade” after his limo became stuck in traffic on a notorious stretch of the Gateway Arterial Freeway.

When Hinn eventually arrived at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall, in Brisbane’s north, he wore a white shot silk suit. Standing in front of a 350-piece choir, the televangelist, whose sermons are broadcast in 192 countries, strutted the stage, his brass buttons flashing and Madonna-style microphone headset firmly in place.

The 10,000-strong crowd reacted. Young children, teens, adults and the elderly rose to their feet. They wept, rocked and chanted, cried silent tears, spoke in tongues and smiled as the Californian preacher, who lives in an $8 million waterfront mansion in Orange County, performed a 20-minute rendition of the hymn I Love To Praise Him.

In a roped-off section of the entertainment centre, faithful in wheelchairs, unwell elderly and other infirm waited for a “miracle”.

Kelly Smith, a paraplegic, travelled from Ipswich. The 43-year-old recently suffered two strokes and a blood clot, and her husband Gavin has cataracts on his eyes.

“We’ve tried everything,” Ms Smith said. “Feng shui, wind chimes, crystals and positive thinking. We really wanted to give this a go.”

Nearby sat seven-year-old Bernie Hudson. The bright-eyed Cairns local, who was born with spina bifida and now suffers scoliosis, begged parents Ken and Karen to bring her along. She sat in her small wheelchair and waited, excited about the possibility of being able to walk.

“She gets up every morning at 5.30am to watch Benny’s show This Is Your Day!” Ms Hudson said.

“She watches the pastor healing other people, and thought maybe he could do something for her.”

But business comes before miracles when Pastor Hinn is in the building, it seems.

After an hour of songs, Hinn preached a recurring topic. Gold and silver. Silver and gold. The flamboyant non-denominational preacher, who receives an estimated $A110 million in donations per annum, used scripture to encourage crowd members to give. “Do you know how much gold the children of Israel gave Moses to build a tabernacle?” he asked. “Fifty thousand ounces of gold, 150,000 ounces of silver. In today’s prices that’s over 40 million US dollars in gold alone. I don’t know how much that is in Australian dollars, but that’s a lot of gold . . . and God blessed them.”

Hinn, who owns a $36 million private jet, continued in the same “rich” vein. For 90 minutes he talked dollars. The term “wealth transfer” was uttered 20 times in 10 minutes. “Gold” and “silver” was said 35 times in six minutes alone.

The man believed to be the world’s richest evangelist, who has repeatedly refused to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, continued his focus on the almighty dollar.

“If God tells you to give $5000, obey him,” Hinn said.

“If God speaks and says give $10,000, obey him. Do not argue with God.”

Yet, as he talked of God’s love, the pastor couldn’t hide his quick temper. The 56-year-old became angry when a crying child interrupted the sermon.

“People came to hear God’s word, not children crying,” he snapped, singling out a distressed mother. “Do something with that baby.”

Seconds later Hinn’s security guards, former gridiron players in pinstripe suits and dark glasses, distributed donation envelopes to the crowd.

What’s your view on Benny Hinn? Perth student Amy Andrews, 25, gave $1000 and pledged to donate more.

“Pastor Hinn says the more you give, the more wealth and love you receive,” she said.

Then came the healing – a surprisingly hands-off affair administered by Hinn’s Australian volunteers.

People were stripped of canes and Zimmer frames, those in wheelchairs helped to their feet. One man, in his late 50s, cried with what looked more like pain than relief.

For Ms Smith, the Friday night event was a disappointing affair.

“There was too much talk about money, about the more you gave the more God loved you,” she said.

“I feel drained, let down and let’s face it, I still can’t walk.”

Hinn held two more miracle crusades in Brisbane yesterday. He flew to Auckland for the New Zealand leg of his world tour last night.

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The Osteens on the Power of Positive Believing (Part 1)

CBN.com – How would you like to attend a church with 8,000 people? Pastor Joel Osteen has four services that large every week at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Lisa Ryan recently visited Joel and his wife, Victoria, in Houston to find out what draws the crowds.
Pastor Joel Osteen makes you feel good. He’s positive. He is encouraging. That’s what draws some 30,000 people a week to Lakewood Church in Houston. It’s also why Osteen’s new book, Your Best Life Now, is on the New York Times bestseller list.
Osteen’s father, John, founded Lakewood in 1959. He pastored the church for 40 years until his sudden death in 1999. Joel never wanted to preach. He never went to seminary. He loved running Lakewood’s TV ministry – from behind the scenes. When his father died, Joel sensed an overwhelming call to the Lakewood pulpit.




LISA RYAN: It is amazing that your church has grown in the last six years from 8,000 to 30,000 people. How do you account for the growth that you’ve had? What draws the masses?
JOEL OSTEEN: I don’t know if it’s one thing, but I just think people respond to hope and encouragement and that atmosphere of victory in the celebration we have each week. There are so many things pulling us down during the week. They want to come and get something to lift them up.
LISA RYAN: I was amazed to see how much family has rallied around you in the last six years. It’s not just Joel Osteen. Your entire family has rallied around this.
JOEL OSTEEN: That’s right. My brother Paul, he came back. He left from being a surgeon for 17 years in Little Rock. He came back home and he shares up there. He and my sister Lisa, they alternate on Wednesday nights. And, of course, Victoria’s involved in all the services. You saw my mom up there. We just believe it’s not a one-man show. We’re all called to do this.
VICTORIA OSTEEN: I love the fact that we’re still just normal Joel and Victoria and our children and our dog, and we can still have fun. That is miraculous to me. God is wonderful. He has a good life for people, and I don’t think He wants us to be burdened down. I think our marriage is stronger than it’s ever been. I think we’re stronger than we’ve ever been. We’re just pushing forward.
LISA RYAN: With a church the size of yours, how do you meet the individual needs of people?
JOEL OSTEEN: The key, we believe, is to get more people involved. We have about 3,000 or 4,000 volunteers. We try to get everybody involved like that, and we have a lot of organization in terms of hospital ministries and care groups and cell groups.
LISA RYAN: Joel, before your father’s sudden passing, did you have a desire to preach or be in the pulpit or pastor?
JOEL OSTEEN: I never had. My daddy tried to get me up to speak for the 17 years that I worked behind the scenes, but I never had the desire. Naturally, I was nervous and kind of shy. I just didn’t want to do it. When my father died, it sounds kind of simple but I just had the desire to step up and pastor the church. It was what I was supposed to do. I just took that step of faith. Looking back now, I don’t even know how I preached back then. I didn’t know how to preach, necessarily, but God just gives you the grace to do what you need to do.
LISA RYAN: [to Victoria] Did you believe that this was something he could do? Did you encourage him?
VICTORIA OSTEEN: Yes, but I am Joel’s biggest fan, and I’ve always been Joel’s biggest fan because I, being his wife, know what’s inside of him. I could see more than he could see. We can’t always see what we can do, but someone who’s close to us can.
LISA RYAN: Did you have an inkling when he walked into your family’s jewelry store 17 years ago that this was the man for you?
VICTORIA OSTEEN: Not at first, but after awhile. It wasn’t that it wasn’t love at first sight, but I was just cautious. It didn’t take long to realize. What I did know about him was that he was everything that I wanted in a man. He came from a good family. He had great character. He was kind and he was considerate, yet he was strong. After 17 years, going on 18 years -- and that’s thrilling for a wife to say -- he still surprises me. He still excites me. My respect level -- and I’ve always said this -- goes up, up, up every year, and I love that.
LISA RYAN: [to Joel] Your book is doing extremely well. It’s been on the New York Times bestseller list. You’ve sold over 1.5 million copies, soon to be 2 million. Why did you decide to write a book?
JOEL OSTEEN: I just wanted to get the message that God had put into my heart into another form, because I knew the print media would reach a different group of people.
LISA RYAN: You talk about the power of thoughts and words. How do you stop the runaway thought life?
JOEL OSTEEN: I don’t think it’s enough just to get rid of those thoughts. You need to replace them with something else to dwell on. I like to replace them with what God says about me or with God’s Word. I think the first thing to do is to be aware that you can choose what you’re thinking about and that your life is going down the path that you’re thinking. So many people are looking at what’s wrong, and I try to encourage them to look at what’s right in their life. A lot of people have it a lot worse than you do. So, it’s just a matter of choice.
LISA RYAN: There are always critics whenever there is any success. Your critics say that you’re light on theology, that it’s a simplistic, merely motivational message. How do you respond to that?
JOEL OSTEEN: I made a decision when my father passed away that I was going to be who God made me to be and not try to preach like my father or somebody else. I feel like what’s come out of me is the gift God has given me just to encourage people, to help them know that there’s a better life. I don’t argue when people say that my message is simple, but I believe Jesus’ message was simple. Jesus didn’t go around condemning people. The Bible says it’s the goodness of God that leads people to repentance.
LISA RYAN: Some people would say that it’s just positive thinking. Is there a Biblical foundation for positive thinking?
JOEL OSTEEN: Well, I think there is. It’s more than positive thinking because it’s backed up well by the Bible. It’s faith-based, positive thinking, but there are principles -- I’ll be the first to admit -- that will work for anybody if you put them into practice. People sometimes say, 'Well, Joel, you’re so positive. You’re too positive.' But you know what? The Bible says, 'Rejoice in the Lord always.' Paul said, 'I’ve learned how to be content in every situation.' That tells me that even in the tough times, I can say God’s got better days ahead and I can be positive even in those times.
LISA RYAN: What’s in store for the next generation of Lakewood?
JOEL OSTEEN: That we would really be able to help change the culture and not just a Christian or a church group of people. Let’s start affecting our whole city, and maybe we can affect the whole nation, the whole world. I’d like to affect it with the fact that God is a good God and He’s on your side and He’s got a good plan for you and when you put your hand in His, great things can happen.

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Joel Osteen: The Power of Positivity (part 2)

  CBN.com – It's not easy pastoring 30,000 people, but Joel Osteen does it with a smile on his face. In the second part to this special interview, Lisa Ryan caught up with the busy Texan to talk about his positive preaching style and Lakewood's new church home.

Joel Osteen (preaching): I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. God has put gifts and talents in you that you probably don’t know anything about.
Lisa Ryan (reporting): Joel Osteen is called “The Smiling Preacher” – and no one wonders why. His brand of preaching is upbeat, full of hope and victory. Does it work? The 30,000 people who attend Lakewood Church in Houston think so. As do the millions who tune in to catch Osteen on TV.
Osteen’s father, John, founded Lakewood in 1959. He pastored the church for 40 years until his sudden death in ’99. Joel never wanted to preach. Never went to seminary. He loved running Lakewood’s TV ministry – from behind the scenes. When his father died, Joel sensed an overwhelming call to the Lakewood pulpit.





Joel (preaching): There is a place that God has specifically designed for you where all your needs will be supplied, where you’ll be happy and fulfilled, and where you’ll be using your gifts and talents to the full.
Lisa (reporting): Osteen’s new book, Your Best Life Now, is on the New York Times Bestseller List and has sold nearly two million copies.
Lisa: You talk in your book about having a good self-image. Is it selfish to want to have a good self-image?
Joel: I don’t think so. We are made in the image of Almighty God. [Yet we] go around not feeling good about ourselves with that weak-worm-of-the-dust mentality. So many people even talk about themselves: “You know what? I’m unattractive, my mind’s so slow, and I can’t do this.” And you know what I tell them? “God didn’t make a mistake when He made you. You need to see yourself as God sees you.”
Lisa: You spend an entire section of the book talking about letting go of the past. Is anyone too broken or too wounded to be healed?
Joel: I don’t think so. In a big church like our’s, we deal with people that have lost their children or [went through] some kind of accident -- things like that. You gotta say, “I don’t know why that happened to me, but I’m going to trust You that You’re in control anyway.” That’s what I try to encourage people with. You can live your life angry, bitter, mad at somebody or even guilty, not letting go of your own mistakes, but you won’t receive the good things God has in store.
Lisa: You talk about the benefits of adversity. How does that work for our good?
Joel: The Bible talks about how God uses difficult situations to develop our character and get us stronger. The death of my father is probably the biggest thing that I ever faced. Daddy and I were best friends. I worked with him all the time, and I thought, “How am I ever going to make it with my father gone?” But out of that darkness, out of that disappointment in my life, that’s what God used to push me into another level of victory or another level of ministry that I never knew I had.
Lisa: You say in your book that happiness is a choice regardless of our circumstances.
Joel: I see so many people say, “Well, Joel, I just don’t have a good job, or my marriage is not where it’s supposed to be.” Really it’s excuse after excuse to not be happy. To me it’s a waste. I’m going to look at what’s right and not what’s wrong in my life. I’m alive, I’m healthy, and you know, a good thing to remember is somebody’s got it a lot worse than we do.
Lisa: Do you think God is more concerned with our happiness or our holiness?
Joel: I think He’s really more concerned with our holiness. I think we need to live a holy and a Godly life. But I think when you do that, I think it all works together. You may never get to that perfect world that you’re waiting for where everything’s going to be perfect and you got that much money and your house paid off.
Lisa: Like the Walgreen’s commercial.
Joel: I know, yeah. (laughs) And you’re waiting for it, then it never comes. What a disappointment to not enjoy every day while you’re in the process of God changing you.
Lisa (reporting): Eight thousand people in a service would be plenty for most folks. But when Lakewood moves into Houston’s Compaq Center – they’ll have room for a few more.
Lisa: Joel, how many seats can you fit in here?
Joel: There’s gonna be about 16,000.
Lisa: Oh my goodness, and you’ll have no problem filling that on a Sunday.
Joel: Well, I hope not, I really feel good about it.
Lisa: Well, you’re not only doing this here, but you’re taking Lakewood on the road to other venues like this around the country, aren’t you?
Joel: We are. We’re going to do 22 different nights this year, all across America. Finally we decided to lease the big ones and thought if no one shows up, we’ll turn the lights off on top, but God just does more than we could ask or think and the places have all been full, so we’re excited about it.
Lisa: Did you ever dream that Lakewood Church would be in a facility like this?
Joel: I never did. And I grew up here, coming here as a big Rockets basketball fan, I had seats over there, sec. 104, row 5, and I saw Akeem, Larry Bird, and all those guys play here... I don’t say it arrogantly, but I believe one day they’ll be 100,000 people coming between four to five different services, and not for our glory, but I just believe church can impact the whole city, can impact the culture, so we’re just gonna believe for big things.

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PRACTICES OF A POWERFUL CHURCH

Text: I Thessalonians 5:23-28

INTRODUCTION:
"Such and such church is a great church!" Have you ever heard someone say something like that?
1. What is a great church? Large or small does not necessarily determine whether a church is great or not.
2. Some people believe that a church must be large in order to be great. Others believe that a church must be small to be great. A great church can be small or large.
3. Every church that is in love with Jesus Christ and obedient to Him is a great or powerful church.
4. Every Christian who is right with God longs to be a part of a powerful church.
5. The four practices of a powerful church are:
(1) The members live godly lives,
(2) The members pray for their spiritual leaders,
(3) The members are friendly to one another,
(4) The members study their Bibles.




I. THE PEOPLE LIVE GODLY LIVES (I THESS. 5:23-24)
How often the testimony of a church has been compromised and destroyed because the members lived impure and ungodly lives. In order for a church to be powerful, them members must live godly lives. How do people live godly lives? The apostle Paul gives the answer to this question in these verses. Let us give heed to what he says and pray that God will perform these things in our lives. As we consider how people may live godly lives, let us note the possibility of godliness (5:23) and the power for godliness (5:24).
A. The Possibility of Godliness (5:23)
The good news is that it is possible for us to live godly lives and to honor the Lord and enhance the testimony of our church.
B. The Power For Godliness (5:24)
Godliness can be a reality because of the fact that God can perform it in our lives. He empowers us for godliness.
That God is "faithful" means that He can be trusted or relied upon concerning all that He has said.

II. THE PEOPLE PRAY FOR THEIR SPIRITUAL LEADERS
(I THESS. 5:25)
Praying members are essential to a powerful church. One particular area in which the members of a church are to pray is for their spiritual leaders, especially the pastor.
A. The Statement of His Request (5:25)
The affectionate address, "brethren," is placed first in the sentence for emphasis.
Paul requested that the praying for him be motivated by the ties of Christian brotherhood.
B. The Substance of His Request
In order to understand Paul’s request for the prayers of his Christian brethren, we will consider his request for prayer in some of the other epistles.
In Romans 15:30,31 he asked for the prayers of his readers: "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may be delivered from them that do no believe in Judea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints."

III. THE PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER
(I THESS. 5:26)
The formation of cliques can be the death of a congregation. God’s people need to be friendly and open to one another. This takes some effort, but it is effort that will be rewarded.
A. The Imperative of Friendliness
The word "salute" means "to greet, to bid welcome." It conveys the thought of extending friendly greeting to others.
The greeting was to be extended by means of a "holy kiss."
A kiss upon the cheek was a common form of oriental greeting among friends. Our handshake serves the same purpose.
"Holy" denotes that it is be an expression of Christian love toward fellow Christians.
B. The Inclusiveness of Friendliness
"All the brethren" gives the extent of the greeting. All the members of the congregation are to be greeted in a friendly and loving manner.
C. The Impact of Friendliness
Growing churches are known for their warmth of fellowship and genuine concern for people.
Note the commandment of Jesus: "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you" (Jn. 15:12).

IV. THE PEOPLE STUDY THEIR BIBLES (I THESS. 5:27)
No congregation can be what it should be apart from a diligent study of God’s Word. Each member must take it upon himself to learn as much of the Word of God as he can. The Word of God tells us how to live in a manner that is pleasing to God and profitable for us.
A. The Propriety of Bible Study
Paul put these Christians under a solemn duty to read his epistle to the entire congregation.
The word "charge" carries the idea of "to put under an oath." The seriousness of the charge to read the epistle may be seen in the use of the phrase "by the Lord." Paul charged them by the Lord or in the Lord’s name to read the epistle to the entire congregation.
Paul wanted his readers to understand the instructions of the Word of God.
They could not do so without reading and studying it.
B. The Priority of Bible Study
A growing church gives priority to the Word of God.

V. THE PEOPLE APPROPRIATE THE GRACE OF GOD FOR THEIR LIVES (I THESS. 5:28)
The grace of God is essential for salvation and the grace of God is essential for Christian living. Salvation comes by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). The grace of God enables us to continue in the Christian life.
A. A Specific Grace. It is the "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." That is, this grace has its origin in the Lord Jesus Christ.
B. A Sustaining Grace. The Lord gives grace for every trial to those who humble themselves before Him. James 4:6, "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."
C. A Sufficient Grace. The grace of the Lord is sufficient for any need that we may have. II Corinthians 12:9a, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

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The ABC of Sermons

In the process of wrestling with God over Mission, Vision and Direction, I "fell into" a new sermon outline that has proved to be extremely helpful to me. And I love its simplicity. It goes like this…

1. Story-Opened
• Open with a story that has enough weight to carry the entire sermon. It can be the context of Scripture you are preaching, but doesn’t have to be. But the story must be "heavy" enough to thread through the entire sermon.
2. Head
• This is what some are thinking  now. The wrong frame of thinking in their heads that is producing the wrong beliefs and wrong actions.
3. Heart
• This is that God says we should be thinking and believing. The real Truth that will bring transformation to those who receive it.
4. Hand
• This is what we should do with this new revelation of Truth
• Many times I will break this up
• A challenge to those Outside
• A challenge to this Inside the Kingdom
5. Story-Closed
• I like to go back and tie a knot in the thread of the story that has been woven through out the sermon. And end it in a way that adds an urgency to the previous challenge.

I’ve been using this for several months now, and our other campus pastors and teachers have found it be very valuable to them. It really helps when studying, and delivering, it’s really easy to keep in your head, and helps to add content in the right places.
I pray it will be a tool that  you can use to impart real Truth and challenge to those you lead and pour into.

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That Glorious Union

Introductory Message:

 

We will attempt, and may I place great emphasis on the word "attempt", to exposit this great Letter of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesian church.  An attempt is the highest achievement that any mortal man can achieve when it comes to understanding or explaining the uncovered mysteries that are contained in the book.

 Ephesians is a complete book, in that it contains all the mystery concerning Christ and His church.  This book is also a convenient book, in that the mystery of the church, as revealed to the Apostle Paul, becomes very clear to the serious saint who will exposit it correctly.  But most importantly, Ephesians is a Christ book, in that we see our Lord as our heavenly bridegroom.  In this attempted exposition, we will enable ourselves to receive a more heavenly and spiritual understanding, if we look at this great masterpiece of scripture as:

 

1)  A Unrivaled Symphony

The aim of a symphony concert is, by musical standards, a progression of sound and intensity, until a pinnacle is reach near or at the end.  These progressions are called octaves.  Each musical octave contains eight notes and each note of the octave is sounded in a higher pitched note, with the eighth note being the highest.  As this progression of sound travels from octave to octave, each octave achieves a higher composition, and the ultimate goal is to reach what is called a crescendo, which is the culmination and combination of all the octaves at the end with an enormous increase and intensity of sound.  Now, in comparison, Ephesians is a heavenly symphony and our conductor is Jesus Christ himself.  There are sweet notes of salvation, sound notes of seperation, and safe notes of security. However, there is one striking difference in an orchestrated symphony and this heavenly symphony.  That difference is, that instead of building throughout the musical presentation to an ultimate end, Ephesians begins with a crescendo of out bursted sound and never comes back down the scale.  In essence, it begins with a crescendo and ends with a crescendo.  There are no dead notes, no flat notes and no skipped notes.  This book is a masterpiece from the Master Composer.  Only a perfect God could compose and conduct a perfect symphony.

 

2)  An Unveiled Shadow

In the canon of scripture, there are many shadows and types of Christ.  The Old Testament contains many pre-incarnate appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Through these types, we see glimpses of the shadow of our Bridegroom.  Now a shadow is only a representation and a promise that there is a substance that is producing the shadow.  For instance, the shadow of a dog cannot bite, but the substance of the dog can tear you up.  This book of Ephesians has seized the shadow, and traces the shadow back to the real substance.  In this book, we are looking at shadows of the Bridegroom any longer, we are beholding the substance.  This letter unfolds and unveils the mystery that the shadow produced and presents the promise and provision that only the substance can provide. While the shadow only contains a promise that there is a real substance, Ephesians reveals the substance, which not only fulfills the promise, but also contains the presence.

 

3)  An Unfolded Suitcase

 Many times, when I was preparing for a trip, I would wisely pack all the necessary items that would be needed upon arrival at my destination.  Contrary to the fact that sometimes I would forget to pack some necessary item, and suddenly and sadly discover this fact, Ephesians is a well planned, packed and performing of every essential item This book is a suitcase that has been packed with loving forethought and when opened and examined, contains all the faith, facts and fashion that we will need, not only for the journey, but also for the jubilee that we will be attending. In this wonderful and heavenly packed suitcase, there are no unwanted or unneeded items.  The essentials that we need in order to be washed clean, and all the clothing that we will desire to wear.  Another wonderful observation is that the items in this suitcase are not just thrown in randomly, but are neatly and timely placed and packed in the order that we will need them in order to function by faith. As we are brought together to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, through the exposition of the wonderful book, let us look on with excitement and expectation at the Unrivaled Symphony, the Unveiled Shadow, and the Unfolding Suitcase.

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