FUN THINGS TO DO DURING BORING SERMONS

~ Pass a note to the organist asking whether he/she plays requests.

~ See if a yawn really is contagious.

~ Slap your neighbor. See if they turn the other cheek. If not, raise your hand and tell the preacher.

~ Devise ways of climbing into the balcony without using the stairs.

~ Listen for your preacher to use a word beginning with 'A' then 'B and so on through the alphabet.

Osteen Willing to Vote for Candidate of Different Faith

STEFANIE SCHARTEL 

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Joel Osteen speaks at A Night of Hope with his wife, Victoria, at Yankee Stadium. (Joel Osteen Ministries )

For televangelist Joel Osteen, faith isn’t the primary determinant when it comes to voting for a president.

Appearing Tuesday night on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, the Lakewood Church pastor said he would have no problem voting for a presidential candidate who holds a different set of beliefs than his own—and that includes Mormon Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

“That would not stop me from voting for somebody,” Osteen said. “I would look at the total candidate though—you know, what's their experience, what's their education, what do they stand for? I don't think I would vote for somebody just because they're a Mormon or anything like that.”

When Morgan asked about backing a Jewish candidate, Osteen didn’t think twice: “Sure, I could vote for a Jewish candidate—that's how our faith was started. They're God's chosen people in Scripture.” But as Morgan posed the hypothetical question of voting for a Muslim candidate, Osteen was a bit more hesitant.

Joel Osteen Puts His Popularity Down to 'Reaching the Unchurched'

Joel Osteen delivers a message to tens of thousands of people at the Nationals Park baseball stadium for the Night of Hope event on April, 29, 2012, in Washington, D.C.

By Stoyan Zaimov , Christian Post Reporter

July 9, 2012

Lakewood Church Pastor and best-selling author Joel Osteen has tried to explain his popularity in a recent interview by suggesting that it is due to his ability to reach those who have no experience with church, among other factors.

The Texas megachurch pastor, who has the largest congregation of any church in America at 40,000 weekly worshippers, shared his views in a recent interview with Cleveland.com in preparation of his next "Night of Hope" event scheduled for July 13 in Cleveland.

Joel Osteen's Night of Hope Draws Tens of Thousands in Ohio

By Anugrah Kumar , Christian Post Contributor

July 15, 2012

More than 14,000 people heard pastor and preacher Joel Osteen's inspiration-filled message at the Quicken Loans Arena facilities in downtown Cleveland, Ohio – the venue for the "Night of Hope" event.

Osteen, the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas – the largest in America – told the crowd in this Ohio city on Friday night that each day comes as a gift from God, who should be thanked for what's right in their lives.

"God has you on this planet for good reasons, and not just to occupy space," Cleveland.com quoted the 49-year-old pastor as saying. "Somebody is in need of your talents, your skills, your gifts. Stop criticizing yourself, because when you do that, you criticize God's creation."

Receive the Man of God

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." (John 13:20)

I can't tell you how many born-again, Holy Ghost-filled Christians pick their pastor apart on Saturday night and then expect him to pray the prayer of faith for them Sunday morning! They'll constantly make critical comments about the evangelists and preachers that God has sent to minister to them and then wonder why the rain of the Spirit has all but dried up in their churches.

Most of those folks would never dream of criticizing the ministry of Jesus. Yet, according to the Word of God, that's precisely what they're doing. You see, Jesus said, "He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me."

I know ministers fail sometimes. I know they make mistakes. Jesus knew they would too. But, even so, He said, "If you receive them, you receive Me."