Joel Osteen already pastors the largest church in America and his motivational messages broadcast into more than 10 million homes every week.

Now, the charismatic preacher from Lakewood Church is getting ready to let the masses see how he walks out his faith in a new reality TV series that will inspire people to help people.

Osteen is joining forces with Survivor producer Mark Burnett on the prime-time network show that will begin airing in 2012. Burnett told TMZ the premise of the show is that ordinary people will give up several days or longer to go on a mission with Osteen. The missions aim to “start fixing things.”

“A big part of our ministry is we’re blessed to be a blessing to somebody else,” Osteen told FOX 26 in Houston. “The thought is people would give up their time and not necessarily know where they’re going that day, but show up, load up in planes and head out and make a difference in the world. We’re going to be ambassadors of goodwill, hope and faith, and have fun along the way.”

This isn’t the first time Osteen has been approached about a prime-time show. Lakewood spokesperson Don Illof told the Houston Chronicle that just about every Hollywood studio has pitched show ideas to the Osteens over the years. The difference with Burnett seems to be relationship. The Osteens are friends with Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, who are professing Christians.

“When you talk reality TV, on one end there’s Extreme Home Makeover, and on the other end there’s Jersey Shore. We’re on the Home Makeover end,” Iloff said.

The program doesn’t have a network or a name yet, but the episodes will reportedly focus on service projects like Generation Hope in Washington, D.C. Generation Hope is a movement of the next generation to awaken, unite and mobilize young adults to bring hope to the hurting and lost world by tangibly serving the community.

“We do these projects without the cameras rolling,” said Iloff. “But Jesus said, ‘Let your light shine. Don’t hide it under a bushel.’”

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” —Romans 1:17

It is one thing for us to believe it once and be electrified and be thrilled, to have our world turned upside down, but quite another to keep believing it. The devil will come alongside and tell you that it can’t be true, and he appeals to our natural reasoning. He appeals to what we know to be true about ourselves, that we are sinners. If he can, he will bring us right back to our bondage.

It was Martin Luther who rediscovered the Pauline doctrine of justification by faith. Luther was a very conscientious person. He had a sensitive conscience and was known to go to confession not only every day but sometimes two or three times a day, because after spending an hour confessing his sins, he would come back an hour or two later remembering there was a sin he didn’t confess.

But during these days he was also reading Romans, as well as Galatians and certain of the Psalms. Here he had a breakthrough, largely from Romans 1:17. When Luther saw that what Paul was saying was that faith alone pleases God, and it satisfies, to use Luther’s term, “the passive justice of God,” his world was changed. He, in fact, woke up the world by his own world being turned upside down. He did not know that he would turn the world upside down by simply trying to save his own soul. The interesting thing is that Paul too rediscovered this teaching. Paul realized that Abraham saw it long before, and David saw it.

The principal thing that we are to see is that we are justified by the combination of two things: what Jesus did  for us and our own faith in Him. Or, to put it another way: His faith and our faith. These two things must come together.

The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. —Psalm 37:31

During boot camp the new soldier is issued a weapon. The drill instructor orders him to take it apart, then put it back together. It never leaves his side. It lies beside him at night, his arm wrapped around it in his sleep. In the morning, he starts all over again, taking it apart, putting it together, and carrying it until it becomes a part of him.

When the enemy comes, it is too late to go looking for your weapon. When the enemy runs toward your foxhole with a hand grenade, it is too late to consult the training manual. You must be ready to react immediately and automatically.

When the devil comes, it is too late to start looking for your Bible. You should have been eating and sleeping with the Word—taking it apart, examining it, studying it, carrying it with you, and practicing its precepts. When the devil comes, your training will take over. When you have no strength or presence of mind to fight, the Word you have hidden in your heart will rise up and drive the enemy back.

Jesus, continually fill me with a hunger and
thirst for Your Word. Help me know how
to fight the enemy at every
point of attack. Amen.

Judge Robert Wiggins dealt a major setback to New York Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg on the same-sex marriage front this week.

In response to the flagrant violations of the New York state constitutional and legal procedures, Liberty Counsel filed suit in the New York Supreme Court against the Act, which Cuomo signed into law on June 24.

The state asked the court to dismiss the case, but Judge Wiggins on Monday afternoon sided with Liberty Counsel on the Open Meetings complaint, ruling that the case may proceed to trial. Liberty Counsel represents New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms and several other plaintiffs.

New York law requires that a bill be printed and in its final form on the desks of the legislators three days prior to a vote, unless an emergency exists. Cuomo ignored the provision and declared an emergency, stating that waiting three days would deprive same-sex couples of marriage.

In his decision, Judge Wiggins said the Cuomo’s cite is disingenuous. As he sees it, the review of such concept-altering legislation for three days after generations of existing definitions would not so damage same-sex couples as to necessitate an avoidance of rules meant to ensure full review and discussion prior to any vote.

“This is a victory for the people of New York and a setback to the political arm-twisters who tried to thwart the open meetings process,” says Mathew Staver, founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “Discovery will show that the arm-twisting and closed-room deals to force passage of this same-sex marriage law were defiant violations of the Open Meetings law.”

The judge also wrote that “although the disregard for the statute seems evident, the court feels constrained to not rule on the governor’s certification of necessity.” However, on the Open Meetings complaint, Judge Wiggins wrote that “clear arm-twisting by the executive on the legislative permeates this entire process.”

The court noted that New York law requires every meeting of a public body to “be open to the general public,” with few exceptions, none of which apply here. On this significant aspect of the complaint, the court allowed the case to proceed to trial.

Liberty Counsel will now pursue discovery on the Open Meetings violations, including the depositions of Cuomo, Michael Bloomberg and the president of the senate.

“When government operates in secret and freezes out the very people it is supposed to represent, the entire system fails,” Staver says. “The law should be set aside, and the process should begin again to allow the people a voice in the process.”

United States Supreme Court justices may get an eyeful on Wednesday as they make their way into the chambers. That’s because faith-based groups are joining forces to display a live nativity scene in front of the landmark building—complete with animals.

The display is part of The Nativity Project, a nationwide campaign to share the message of Christmas and confront the erosion and hostility toward public expressions of faith. Sponsored by Faith and Action and The Christian Defense Coalition, the live nativity scene will be on display beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, calls The Nativity Project a reminder that the U.S. Constitution provides freedom “of” religion not freedom “from” religion.

“By encouraging people of good will to publicly display nativity scenes all across America, we are not only supporting religious liberty and First Amendment freedoms but we are loudly proclaiming the powerful message of Christmas,” Mahoney says. “That timeless message needs to be heard now more than ever: ‘Peace on earth and goodwill toward man.’”

Mahoney’s hope and prayer is that many people will secure permits to display nativity scenes in front of public buildings all across the United States. He also encourages believers to put nativity scenes on the lawns of their homes.

The faith groups will meet at 109 2nd Street NE, right behind the Supreme Court, at 10:30 a.m. From there, there will be a processional featuring live animals and actors. The processional will pass in front of the Supreme Court and past the U.S. Capitol Building and end back at 109 2nd Street. Organizers expect the live nativity scene to be on the public sidewalk in front of the Supreme Court around 11 a.m.

Rob Schenck, president of Faith and Action, says the traditional creche, portraying Mary, Joseph and the Christ child, along with angels, shepherds, wise men and animals, remind us of what Christmas is all about.

“The fact that we have been granted a permit to hold this live nativity scene in front of the Supreme Court ensures the right for every American to set up these public displays in communities all across America,” Schenck says. “We like to refer to this effort as keeping Christ mass in the nation’s capital and throughout the nation.”

Former NFL player and current pastor Derwin Gray spoke in Monday’s convocation at Liberty University about “God’s dream” to see salvation for the world and unity in the church amongst different nationalities and races.

“At the core of the dream is you, me and humanity,” Gray said. “There has never been a moment where God has not thought about you or His purpose for you. That purpose is found in His story that is about His glory.”

Gray shared his personal story of salvation. As an NFL football player, one of his teammates was a Christian and consistently shared the gospel with him in the locker room after practice. Growing up on the west side of San Antonio, Gray said “football defined [him],” but after talking with his teammate, he realized “God’s dream” for his life was to know and love Him.

“I fell head over heels for Jesus because he was head over heels for me,” Gray said.

After playing five years with the Indianapolis Colts and one year with the Carolina Panthers, Gray began pursuing ministry.

As a new Christian he noticed that many churches were “segregated” and not multi-ethnic while the neighborhoods and cities had a diverse population. He said most churches in America are 95 percent mono-ethnic and segregation occurs 10 times more on a Sunday morning than any other time.

“God’s eternal dream is to see Jews and Gentiles as equals and a part of the same body,” Gray said. “In John 17, Jesus says the world will know my Father sent me by your unity.”

Gray’s desire is to live out this mission. In 2010 he founded and now pastors Transformation Church, “a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, mission-shaped community” located in Indian Land, S.C., just south of Charlotte, N.C. He said his desire for the church is to be biblically based and to live out God’s dream of unity amongst believers from “every fabric of society.”

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. —Romans 1:26

You thought that you were outwitting God. You thought that here He is trying to reach you, while you just say, “I’ll show Him. I’ll just enjoy living in sin.”

What Paul is saying here is that God has already begun to punish you. It is a judgment of God that you remain in sin. When you think that you’re getting away with it, that’s the worst thing of all that can happen. The worst sign of God’s judgment is that you’re able to sin and get away with it.

Nor does God give us a bold sign, telling us, “Here’s what I am going to do.” He just gives up. He doesn’t push us; He doesn’t hammer us. In effect, Paul is saying this: Is it sin that you want? Sin you will get. That’s the first way God punishes sin.

The second way is by exposure at the final judgment. Say you decide to live in sin; you’re thinking, at first, that something’s going to happen as a kind of warning from God, like thunder and lightening, but when it doesn’t come you think, I don’t feel a thing; I’m able to go on and do this. When a person does what is not right, he may say, “I don’t feel any different; I feel fine.” But how does God punish—by exposure at the final judgment. God “will give to each person according to what he has done” (Rom. 2:6).

A third way is that God’s Son, Jesus, took our punishment on the cross. Eternally speaking, there are two ways whereby God punishes sin: the fires of hell and the blood of Jesus. He who knew no sin was made sin.

Let this be what lingers in your mind. It’s not a question of whether your sin will be punished; it is the question of how. May God grant you to see why the Bible talks about “fleeing from the wrath to come.” (See Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7.)

In the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. —Luke 17:28-30

Peter tells us that God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, making them an example of the fate of those who choose to live immorally (2 Peter 2:6). He also describes how God delivered Lot, the only righteous man among them (2 Peter 2:7-8; Genesis 19:22). The destruction of the city waited until the righteous man had been removed.

The unlawful deeds of the wicked are thrust at us over the media our exploding technology has made possible. This is the most exciting time for the gospel in the history of the world. The greatest revival of all time has begun! Hundreds of thousands of souls will hear the Gospel and receive Jesus as their Savior. And when the entire end time harvest is gathered in, the righteous (those who have been saved by the blood of Jesus) will be removed before destruction falls.

In what ways do you see revival already breaking out in our day? Could Jesus bring revival to your town through you? Are you ready and prepared for all that he has for you?

Jesus, let revival begin today with me. Ignite me
and let me burn for You. Amen.