Jack’s Winning Words 11/25/14
“You got to go through it to get to it.”  (Joel Osteen)  There may be mixed opinions with regard to Osteen as a preacher, but pay attention to the message rather than to the messenger.  We pray to God: “Deliver us from evil,” but there are occasions when the “tough times” of life, the evil times, have made us better, because of them.  God’s promise: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you!”  May this assurance be a comfort to you during difficult days.    ;-)  Jack

     FROM HONEST JOHN:  Of course, there would be no reason for us to pray "Deliver us from evil" if evil were not a threat to undo us....this is contrary to the Self Help plan espoused by Osteen and others.=====JACK:  I read the message to mean...Sometimes we have to go through life's shadows (Yea, though I walk through the shadow of death) until we can fully appreciate the glory of God.  If I had listed the quoter as "unknown" instead of "Osteen" would it have made a difference to you?====JOHN:  It might have...I was reading within the context of his preaching.

FROM TARMART REV:  From my daily post this morning on FB: "...as God tarries with us on the face of this earth, we are not to become weary, for He knows all about us and He has promised: “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you” and “When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT). "Blessed Assurance"!====JACK:  As the old spiritual goes..."I want Jesus to walk with me."

FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  I like Joel Osteen, and I think I would like him if I knew him personally too. I might attend different services; but that doesn't indicate anything about him -- just me. In the same way, "difficult times" say more about the one experiencing the difficulty than anything else. I know what has been and is difficult for me has seasoned me, matured me, and ripened me. We are all being prepared for something, or we wouldn't even be here. Jesus had His preparation and purpose; we have ours, and Joel Osteen has his. Just like the Resurrection cannot occur until after death, I don't think we can't truly experience the fullness of Life until we have experienced the fullness of death. In the meantime, we prepare for the eternal in the temporal. I don't know if this makes sense, but it seems that so much of everything in Life (and in the Bible) is a paradox.====JACK:  As I expected today, pro and con about Osteen.  It's the message!  Not the messenger.  I had a purpose in mind when I used the quote as I did. 

FROM IKE AT THE MIC:  What is your opinion about Joel Osteen?====JACK:  He's an effective preacher.  I have difficulty making a judgment about his beliefs without having the opportunity to meet and talk with him personally.  You, like Osteen, are a media personality, but there is more to both of you than what the microphone says.  I find Osteen to be somewhat fascinating.

FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  According to Sarah, my daughter, Joel Osteen's message was delivered a few weeks back. And as with her immediate response re "pixie dust" , she said,149"Hope! You gotta have hope/pixie dust!" And I agree that going through tough times (knowing that God is with you) does strengthen me. Not that I want to get much stronger. :)But in any case, knowing that I will not be "forsaken" is comforting.====JACK:  In my preaching, I always tried to give "someone" something to hang on to when they went home from church.  I found that a message like today's quote resonated with many people...people who are walking in "the shadows" and who are looking for something to give them hope.  If someone else is coming just to be entertained....too bad!

FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  What's the objection to Osteen as the messenger?====JACK: I'm not in the business of critiquing the messenger. I simply thought that the message was a good one, regardless of who spoke it.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I HAVEN[T HEARD OSTEEN PREACH OR READ HIS BOOKS, SO DON[T KNOW THE MESSENGER...THE SAYING HAS MERIT, HOWEVER. AS THE CRYSTAL PALACE PREACHER USED TO SAY "TOUGH TIMES DON'T LAST; TOUGH  PEOPLE DO". GOD HELPING US!! JUST HOME FROM CHICAGO WHERE I ENJOYED THE MOST AMAZING CONCERT BY THE CHICAGO CHORALE (DAUGHTER SARAH IS AN ALTO IN IT) AND CHICAGO SYMPHONY. ALL 2200 SEATS IN ORCHESTRA HALL SOLD OUT! ACOUSTICS ARE SUPERB, AND THE MUSIC WAS TOO!! NOW TO GEAR UP FOR THANKSGIVING... ====JACK:  I know you don't have time now (with 43 guests coming to your place for Thanksgiving), but later you might want to YouTube Osteen and give me your reaction.