Joyce Meyer said, “Well, what’s wrong with me? Why are you this way and I’m still this way?” God does different things in different people, but it’s helpful to understand the process. The bible teaches us to sit. Interestingly enough, the bible only has one thing to say about lying down and that is get up. I did a search today and I looked at the word “laying” and the only thing it tells you to lay down is your life. You don’t lie down because that lying down represents giving up, quitting, not going to do anything anymore. I want to give you an example tonight and I’ll just have to be silly, I guess, but you know I really can’t do much from here. You can say it sure does feel good. Well, you’re still just wasting your life. You’re doing nothing. You’re going nowhere. There’s no way that from this position I can run. Joyce Meyer Ministries reminded us of how many of you understand that? Is everybody smart enough to know that?  See, I just… I was thinking about it today and I thought this is what a lot of Christians look like because we want all these victories, we want all this prosperity, and we want good health, and we want big ministries, but half the time we’re lying down, depressed, discouraged, despondent, bad attitude, hands hanging down, heads hanging down, everything lying down. I might just preach from the floor tonight. Might be good. Go to John 5, verse 1: later on there was a Jewish festival for which Jesus went up to Jerusalem. vs. 2: now there is in Jerusalem a pool near the sheep gate. This pool in the Hebrew is called Bethesda and it has five porches alcoves, doorways:. vs. 3: in these lay a great number of sick folk–some blind, some crippled, some paralyzed and shriveled up– waiting for the bubbling up of the water.

Joyce Meyer Online – Everybody say: My behavior is very important. My behavior is very important.: Say: How I treat people is very important to God.

John: Out of a heart of love we want to honor people but to go one step further, if we honor the elderly, if we take care of our parents when there’s no benefit in it for us…

Joyce: Or maybe they haven’t even treated us all that well and now God’s asking us to take care of them.

John: There’s no benefit. God says there’s a reward. This is what people have got to understand, is that our reward comes from God and God will reward us not only in the life to come but now in this life as what Joyce Meyer Ministries taught us. That’s the thing I discovered. No matter what people did in the bible, even if it looked like it was totally no good for them, if they honored in a situation, a reward may come from another avenue, it may come from another venue. In other words, let’s say your mother has not been kind to you but in her elderly age you do what God says — the whole book of Timothy… Not the whole book but many parts of the book of Timothy is about honoring — you decide to honor her. Well, your reward is not gonna come probably from her but it’s gonna come maybe from another venue. – Joyce Meyer Online.

Joyce: She might not even appreciate it.

John: She may never even show you she appreciates it. What you did is you honored God by honoring her. That’s the thing that we’ve got to remember that Jesus said: “if you do this to the least of these — the least — you have done it to me.” So, it’s the audience of one. You say, “okay, God, I’m gonna honor you because this is what you asked me to do.” And if you honor God, what did God say he would do? “I will honor you.” Now, the way he honors you will probably come not from that mother but it will come from another different avenue. This is why there are people who live an honoring life where they honor people but it doesn’t look like they’re getting anything back directly from those people, but if you look at their life, it’s extremely blessed, they’re prosperous, their finances are good, their children are happy. It may come from all different kinds of areas but these are the rewards that God promises when we honor.

Joyce Meyer – How I treat people is very important to God.: When I’m wrong, I’m wrong, when I’m wrong, I’m wrong,: And I shouldn’t make excuses for it.

Joyce Meyer said that it’s only our stuff that has changed, and if we start expecting god to do something, we’re going to see him move in a mighty way because expectation has a lot to do with faith and believing. How can we say we’re in faith and have a negative attitude? How can we say we’re in faith and be hopeless and depressed and discouraged and downtrodden all the time?

I’m not saying that those things don’t attack us. That’s why we need each other and that’s why the actual gift of edification and exhortation is so important in the body of Christ. The devil tries to lie to everybody and everybody needs to be encouraged. Everybody needs to be encouraged. Prisoners of hope. I made my mind up a few years ago: I’m going to be a prisoner of hope. I’ve wasted enough of my life being negative and critical and disappointed and always looking at something wrong. Even just the things that the devil comes against us with – the attacks of the devil – we might as well learn to be happy while those things are going on. I don’t want to be discouraging to you, but even when you get rid of the problem you have, you’re just going to get another one. - Joyce Meyer Online.

I know we don’t like to hear that, but you know what? Paul said: I have learned how to be content whether I am abased or abounding. I think if we can just keep a solid full level of hope and joy whatever is going on, we’re not even going to be touched by it, we aren’t going to care that much. It’s really not our circumstances that steal our joy; it’s our attitude toward our circumstances that steal our joy. Amen? Amen!: If you’ve got your mind made up that you just cannot be happy until your circumstance changes, you know what? I could probably just prophesy to you today: your circumstance won’t change and you’ll never be happy because our joy cannot be based on our circumstances.

Joyce Meyer Ministries – Even if you never get an opportunity to “preach” to somebody, if you live right, in front of them, loving them, when their need gets great enough.

Joyce Meyer Ministries teaches us that we just have to have hope. The believer’s number one job is to believe. That’s why we’re called believers. Stay positive, expect, be full of hope and happy anticipation. Do you agree with me that a lot of people are trying to have faith and they don’t even have hope? How can you say you’re believing God if you’re all depressed and down in the dumps? “Well, I’m just believing God. I’m so worried, I’m just sick, but I’m believing God.” Go to Psalm 27:13. What are you believing? What are you expecting? Psalm 27:13: [what, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! verse 14: wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. How many of you see that proper waiting on God is waiting with a heart full of hope? It’s waiting with a heart of expectancy.

It’s not waiting with some gloomy attitude. Go to Isaiah 40. A very familiar scripture. Isaiah 40:31. But they who wait upon the Lord shall change. Uh-oh.  Uh-oh. Let’s read it in the amplified: but they who wait for the Lord who expect God, look for God, who hope in God: shall change and renew their strength. Man, that gets me excited! They who wait upon the Lord with a hopeful, expectant attitude, believing God that something is going to change, they shall change. Isaiah 40:31: and renew their strength and power; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Joyce Meyer wants you to remember, the next time somebody says to you: what are you doing?, don’t say: I’m just waiting on God. Say: I’m waiting on God! I’m waiting on God and I’m so excited to see what God does! God is good. He has a good plan for my life. I can’t even imagine all the good things that God has prepared in my future. There is no way I would give up! I’m not about to give up. If I gave up, I’d miss all those good things that god has for me.

Joyce Meyer Online – Which it will eventually — then you’re going to be the first person they’re going to come to because they know down deep inside that you have the answer they’re looking for because they see your joy.

I’D BE FREEZING BUT I WASN’T ASKING HIM FOR ANY OF THE COVER, NO SIR! I WOULDN’T ASK HIM FOR ANY COVER, SO I’M COLD, THE SIDE OF MY BODY IS ASLEEP, I HAVE NO SPACE, AND DAVE IS SNORING. SO YOU TELL ME, WHO WAS WISE AND WHO WAS FOOLISH? (vs. 26) WHEN YOU’RE ANGRY, DON’T SIN; DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON YOUR WRATH. VERSE 27: LEAVE NO SUCH ROOM OR FOOTHOLD FOR THE DEVIL [GIVE NO OPPORTUNITY TO HIM]. IT’S PRETTY AMAZING, ISN’T IT, THAT THE BIBLE TELLS US PLAINLY THAT WHEN WE STAY ANGRY, WE’RE OPENING A DOOR FOR THE DEVIL. WHEN WE STAY ANGRY, WE ARE OPENING A DOOR FOR THE DEVIL. I SAID: WHEN WE STAY ANGRY, WE ARE OPENING A DOOR FOR THE DEVIL. DON’T BE PHONY ABOUT IT, EITHER. DON’T PRETEND LIKE YOU’RE NOT ANGRY IF YOU ARE. I KNOW HOW WE ARE. - JOYCE MEYER ONLINE

JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES: WHEN WE COME TO CHURCH, WE PUT ON OUR CHURCH FACE. YOU CAN FIGHT WITH SOMEBODY ALL THE WAY TO THE CHURCH DOOR AND WHEN YOU GET TO THE CHURCH DOOR: PRAISE THE LORD! (laughing) GLORY TO GOD! WE KNOW ALL THE “CHRISTIANESE.” THANK YOU, JESUS, HALLELUJAH! WHOO! (laughing) DEPENDING ON WHICH CHURCH YOU’RE FROM, YOU MAY DO A LITTLE MORE OF THAT OR LESS THAN OTHER PEOPLE. (laughing) YOU KNOW HOW IT IS. MAN, I USED TO DO THAT. I LOOK BACK NOW AND I REALIZE HOW CARNAL I WAS. I HAD A CALL ON MY LIFE AND WAS TEACHING A HOME BIBLE STUDY BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?  IF I WOULDN’T HAVE LET GOD WORK IN MY LIFE, I STILL MIGHT BE TEACHING THOSE 10-15 PEOPLE, MAYBE, I DON’T KNOW, BUT I SURE WOULDN’T BE HERE TODAY. WE HAVE TO GROW UP IF WE WANT GOD TO BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING HE WANTS TO DO IN OUR LIVES. AMEN? (applause)

Joyce Meyer Online – They see your peace, they see your lifestyle. And I really believe that one of the biggest problems we have today is people are just going to church but not living the Christian life.

(announcer) JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES TOUCHES THE WORLD THROUGH BOOKS, TELEVISION, RADIO AND HUMANITARIAN OUTREACHES AND NOW JOYCE WANTS TO FOCUS ON YOU.

(woman) IT TOUCHES YOUR HEART, IT CHANGES YOUR LIFE.

(man) TO ALL THE GUYS, “COME.”

(woman) IT WAS MORE THAN I COULD EVER EXPECT.

(announcer) IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO REALLY EXPERIENCE GOD IN YOUR LIFE, THIS IS YOUR TIME.

(man) AND NOW IT’S OUR SECOND TIME HERE; WE LOVED IT SO MUCH THE FIRST TIME, WE HAD TO GET SOME MORE OF IT.

(announcer) FOR THREE DAYS, JOYCE MEYER SPEAKS FROM HER HEART AND HER LIFE. BE PART OF AMAZING WORSHIP AND BEGIN TO LIVE A LIFE YOU ACTUALLY ENJOY. THE JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES 2008 CONFERENCE TOUR. ADMISSION IS FREE, SO BRING A FRIEND, BRING YOUR FAMILY AND WE’LL SEE YOU AT A CONFERENCE NEAR YOU. MEMPHIS, TN, FEDEXFORUM MARCH 27 – 29 WITH WORSHIP BY HILLSONG’S DARLENE ZSCHECH. DALLAS, TX, REUNION ARENA APRIL 17 – 19 WITH WORSHIP BY MATT REDMAN.

(Joyce) YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT TIME AND I CAN’T WAIT TO

SEE YOU THERE!

(Joyce) EARLIER YOU SAW HOW THARINA’S LIFE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED BY THE WORD OF GOD AND HOW SHE NOW HELPS OTHERS OVERCOME THE SAME ADDICTIONS SHE STRUGGLED WITH FOR YEARS, BUT THARINA HAS GONE BEYOND HELPING ONLY THOSE SHE KNOWS PERSONALLY. SHE’S BECOME A PARTNER WITH OUR MINISTRY AND IS ABLE TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF MILLIONS AND SHE’S INSPIRED HER CHURCH DAY CARE CLASS TO DO THE SAME.

Joyce Meyer Ministries  –  If we could just get everybody who claims to be a Christian to actually get out there and turn their light on, it wouldn’t be long and the darkness that we experience in the world would be dealt with.

JOYCE MEYER TELLS DON’T TELL ME YOU CAN’T ENJOY YOUR LIFE BECAUSE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE TOO BAD. PAUL WROTE “REJOICE IN THE LORD AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE” WHILE STANDING IN A PRISON THAT WAS BUILT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY SEWER, AND HISTORY TELLS US HE WAS PROBABLY STANDING IN HUMAN WASTE ABOUT UP TO HIS THIGHS. I STOOD IN THAT PRISON WHERE HE WAS AND I CAN TELL YOU IF HE COULD SAY “REJOICE IN THE LORD AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE” IN THAT PLACE,  WE CAN SAY IT JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE.  YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO. YOU HAVE A FREE WILL AND GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE. THE DEVIL COMES AGAINST YOU ONE WAY BUT HE HAS TO FLEE BEFORE YOU SEVEN WAYS. WHAT HE MEANS FOR YOUR HARM, GOD INTENDS FOR YOUR GOOD. LEARN THE SCRIPTURE. LEARN HOW TO TALK BACK TO THE DEVIL. (1 Peter 3:11) LET HIM SEARCH FOR PEACE. YOU CAN’T HAVE JOY IF YOU DON’T HAVE PEACE. THEN IT GOES ON TO TELL YOU WHAT PEACE IS: (UNDISTURBEDNESS FROM FEARS, AGITATING PASSIONS, MORAL CONFLICTS) AND IT SAYS YOU HAVE TO SEEK PEACE EAGERLY. NOW, I’M NOT DOING THIS THIS WEEKEND BUT I LOVE TO TEACH ON PEACE AND I LOVE TO TEACH PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE TO SEEK IT BECAUSE IT WON’T JUST FALL ON YOU.  IF YOU WANT TO REALLY HAVE PEACE, YOU MAY HAVE TO CHANGE SOME THINGS.  YOU HAVE TO CHANGE HOW YOU APPROACH SOME THINGS. YOU MAY HAVE TO BE WILLING TO NOT HAVE TO BE RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING. (Amen!)

COME ON! YOU MIGHT HAVE TO BE WILLING TO ZIP YOUR LIP A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE YOU’D LIKE TO. YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE THE LAST WORD. I FINALLY GOT SO FED UP WITH HAVING NO PEACE, I DECIDED I AM GOING TO HAVE PEACE IF IT’S THE LAST THING I EVER DO. I CANNOT LIVE LIKE THIS ANYMORE. I WILL NOT LIVE LIKE THIS ANYMORE!  I HAVE BEEN UPSET AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER ABOUT SOMETHING. I SPENT MY WHOLE LIFE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT SOMETHING I COULDN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT. DOES ANYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT COMMENT? (cheering) YOU CANNOT MAKE PEOPLE LOVE GOD. YOU CANNOT MAKE PEOPLE LOVE YOU. YOU CANNOT MAKE PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO DO. ONLY GOD CAN CHANGE A HUMAN HEART. I SPENT THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF MY MARRIAGE TRYING TO CHANGE DAVE. WHEN I WASN’T WORKING ON HIM, I WORKED ON MY KIDS. WHEN I WASN’T WORKING ON THEM, I’D PROBABLY WORK ON A FRIEND. I FINALLY FOUND OUT THAT DOES NOT BUILD GOOD RELATIONSHIPS. (laughing) MY HUSBAND WAS PROBABLY ON THE BORDER OF LEAVING ME WHEN I FINALLY FOUND OUT THAT THAT DOES NOT BUILD GOOD RELATIONSHIPS. GOD FINALLY TOLD ME: DAVE ISN’T THE PROBLEM; YOU HAVE SOME PROBLEMS YOURSELF. (laughing) JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES TEACHES US THAT GOD’S THE POTTER AND YOU DON’T NEED TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ON THE POTTER’S WHEEL, TRYING TO RESHAPE THEM AND REMOLD THEM.  IF YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME PEACE IN YOUR LIFE, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE, PRAY. (applause) COME ON NOW, THIS IS QUICK BUT GOOD BECAUSE I’M TRYING TO GET TO WHAT I’M REALLY TEACHING ON. (1 Peter 3:11)

Joyce Meyer Online – And then also in the secular community, sometimes they’re not quite sure what to do with you because you aggressively share that you’re a Christian.