MY FATHER'S BAD CHOICES HURT ME AND I WISH THAT GOD
WOULD HAVE GOT ME OUT OF IT, BUT HE DIDN'T, HOWEVER, AS SOON AS I
WAS OLD ENOUGH TO START MAKING MY OWN CHOICES,
EVERY GOOD CHOICE THAT I MADE STARTED REVERSING
THE RESULTS OF EVERY BAD CHOICE THAT HE MADE.
DID YOU HEAR ME?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SO, INSTEAD OF SPENDING THE REST OF YOUR
LIFE BEING MAD AND BITTER BECAUSE SOMEBODY DIDN'T
TREAT YOU RIGHT AND SPENDING ALL YOUR LIFE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHY, WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE ALL THAT WITH GOD AND TRUST HIM
TO DO SOMETHING ELSE THAT I KNOW THAT HE DOES AND THAT IS HE
WORKS GOOD OUT OF ANYTHING IN OUR LIFE, NO MATTER HOW BAD IT
WAS, IF WE TRUST HIM TO DO IT.
SO, TWO THINGS I KNOW ABOUT GOD, GOD IS GOOD, THE DEVIL'S BAD,
GOD IS GOOD.
AND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR LIFE, IF WE TRUST GOD, HE
WILL TAKE IT AND WORK SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF IT FOR OUR BENEFIT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE GOOD FOR GOD TO GET GOOD OUT OF IT, AMEN?
AND SO, MY DAD HURT ME, JUST LIKE MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN HURT,
MANY OF YOU'VE BEEN MISTREATED AND CHANCES ARE YOU MAY
BE AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE WORLD AND THERE'S A LOT OF MEAN PEOPLE
OUT THERE THAT ARE VERY SELFISH AND SELF-CENTERED.
AND TO BE HONEST, WE HURT OTHER PEOPLE TOO SOMETIMES AND WE
DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT WE DID IT OR IT'S MAYBE ON A DAY WHEN WE
REALLY JUST DON'T CARE ALL THAT MUCH BECAUSE WE'RE GOING THROUGH
SOMETHING OURSELF AND WE'RE NOT BEING SENSITIVE TO THE WAY OTHER
PEOPLE FEEL.
AND SO, EVERYTHING DOESN'T ALWAYS GO THE WAY THAT WE WANT
IT TO GO IN OUR LIFE BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE GOD BAD.
SO, WE CAN SUFFER BECAUSE OF OUR OWN SIN.
WE CAN SUFFER BECAUSE OF SOMEBODY ELSE'S SIN, OR A LOT
OF TIMES, AND THIS IS JUST A LOT OF IT, WE JUST SUFFER BECAUSE
OF THE SIN PRINCIPLE THAT'S IN THE WORLD.
I MEAN, THEY'RE JUST--I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT WE CAN IMAGINE
THE DIFFERENCE THERE WILL BE IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF HEAVEN
COMPARED TO THE ATMOSPHERE THAT WE LIVE IN HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE EVEN UNDERSTAND THE PRESSURE THAT WE'RE UNDER
AND THE OPPRESSION THAT'S AROUND US.
LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING, IF YOU WORKED IN SOME WORLDLY
PROFESSION AND YOU WORK WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT ARE UNBELIEVERS AND A LOT OF GOSSIP,
AND A LOT OF CRITICISM, A LOT OF COMPLAINING,
AND MURMURING, AND GRUMBLING, AND FAULT-FINDING AND, YOU KNOW,
A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT DRUNK THE NIGHT BEFORE,
AND NOW THEY'RE AT WORK AND THEY'RE MAD 'CUZ
THEY DIDN'T GET ANY SLEEP, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH--
IF YOU WORKED THERE FOR FIVE YEARS AND YOU CAME TO WORK FOR
ME--I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS I TELL OUR EMPLOYEES,
AND THEY ALL RECOGNIZE THIS, JUST THE ATMOSPHERE BECAUSE
EVERY PLACE YOU WORK, THERE'S A CULTURE.
AND SO, WE HAVE BUILT A CULTURE IN THE JOYCE MEYER MINISTRY OF
BEING POSITIVE, AND BEING ABLE TO TRUST EACH OTHER, AND HAPPY
PEOPLE, AND WE DON'T PUT UP WITH STRIFE.
IF YOU'RE GONNA WORK FOR ME, AND YOU'RE GONNA CAUSE STRIFE,
YOU'RE NOT GONNA WORK THERE VERY LONG BECAUSE YOU CANNOT HAVE
STRIFE AND ALSO HAVE SUCCESS, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PASTOR MIKE SHEPARD DOES
IS HE DOES ROTATING TEACHINGS IN THE DEPARTMENTS
ON OUR CORE VALUES AT JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES,
WHICH IS IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT, DO IT RIGHT OR DON'T DO IT AT
ALL, BE AN EXCELLENT PERSON BECAUSE GOD IS EXCELLENT,
BE A PERSON OF INTEGRITY, KEEP YOUR WORD, DO WHAT
YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA DO, USE WISDOM WITH GOD'S MONEY.
THE MONEY THAT HE GIVES US, WE DON'T WASTE IT, WE USE WISDOM
WITH IT, AND WE KEEP THE STRIFE OUT OF OUR PERSONAL LIVES,
AND WE KEEP THE STRIFE OUT OF THE MINISTRY.
THERE IS NO BASIS FOR ME TO ASK GOD TO BLESS MY MINISTRY IF I'M
NOT GONNA DO THOSE BASIC THINGS THAT HE ASKS US TO DO.
LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING, SO MANY HOMES ARE FULL OF STRIFE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN COME TO CHURCH AND PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE,
GET YOUR CHURCH FACE OUT WHEN YOU HIT THE PARKING LOT, "PRAISE
THE LORD, THANK YOU, JESUS, GLORY TO GOD, WE'RE SO HAPPY,
YAPPY, YAPPY HAPPY," AND GET IN THE CAR AND FIGHT ALL THE WAY
BACK HOME.
WELL, THAT'S--YOU KNOW--
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: COME ON, I KNOW, DAVE AND I USED TO DO IT.
WE DID IT FOR YEARS.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: FIGHT ALL THE WAY TO CHURCH.
I MEAN, I CAN REMEMBER STANDING IN THE--RIGHT DOWN HERE WHERE
PASTOR CHARLES IS SITTING, THAT WAS MY SEAT AT THE CHURCH THAT
I WENT TO YEARS AGO.
AND I CAN REMEMBER HAVING MY HANDS LIFTED UP, MOUTHING THE
WORDS ON THE OVERHEAD THINKING, "IF DAVE THINKS I'M COOKING
HIM ANYTHING TO EAT TODAY, HE'S GOT ANOTHER THING COMING."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: [SINGING] ♪ I BRING THE SACRIFICE ♪
♪ OF PRAISE INTO ♪ ♪ THE HOUSE OF THE LORD ♪
♪ BOOP, BOOP, BOOP ♪ COME ON, HOW MANY OF YOU
KNOW THAT SONG, YOU KNOW?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: "NOW, GO AND HUG SOMEBODY AND TELL THEM YOU LOVE
THEM WITH THE LOVE OF THE LORD." AND I'M THINKING, "IF WE GO HOME
AND HE TURNS THAT STUPID FOOTBALL GAME ON ONE MORE TIME,
ONE MORE SUNDAY, THERE'S GONNA BE TROUBLE IN THE HOUSE."
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST A BUNCH OF PHONY BOLOGNA RELIGION.
IT'S NOT--I MEAN, ALL WE'RE DOING IS THROWING THE DOOR WIDE
OPEN TO THE ENEMY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO, THERE'S JUST OUR OWN SIN, THERE'S THE SIN OF OTHER
PEOPLE, THERE'S JUST THE SIN PRINCIPLE IN THE WORLD.
AND SO, WE JUST--WE DON'T EVEN BEGIN TO REALIZE--I MEAN, I JUST
CAN'T--I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA LEAVE BEFORE MY TIME BUT I CAN'T
WAIT TO GET TO HEAVEN AND JUST SEE HOW WONDERFUL IT'S GONNA
BE TO NOT HURT ANYWHERE, AMEN, NOWHERE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: I WALK 5 MILES A DAY AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT HELPS ME STAY STRONG.
AND MY DAUGHTER CAME OVER TO WALK WITH ME A COUPLE OF WEEKS
AGO ON A SUNDAY AND SOMETHING WAS BOTHERING HER, SOMETHING WAS
HURTING HER.
AND SHE SAID, "HOW ARE YOU TODAY?"
YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I'VE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS,
I'VE HAD BOTH HIPS REPLACED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SO GREAT TODAY, IF YOU WEAR SOMETHING OUT, YOU
CAN JUST GET A REPLACEMENT PART.
I MEAN, THEY JUST--
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: MAN, THEY CAN REPLACE EVERYTHING TODAY.
I MEAN, YOU CAN GET YOUR SHOULDER REPLACED, YOUR ANKLE
REPLACED, YOUR KNEES REPLACED.
MAN!
YOU CAN GET HEART TRANSPLANTS.
IT'S JUST PRETTY COOL, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST--HOWEVER WHEN OUR
TIME'S UP, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
BUT ANYWAY, SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'VE HAD BACK PROBLEMS
DIFFERENT TIMES IN MY LIFE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO, YOU KNOW, YADA, YADA, THAT'S JUST PART OF LIFE.
AND SO, SOMETHING WAS HURTING HER AND SHE MENTIONED IT AND SHE
SAID, "HOW ARE YOU TODAY?
IS EVERYTHING OKAY?" I SAID, "OH, I DON'T KNOW.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING, ONE THING OR ANOTHER.
I DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO IT, I JUST KEEP ON GOING."
AND SO, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA BE LIKE TO HAVE
A GLORIFIED BODY AND TO NOT HAVE ANYTHING THAT HURTS, OR ANYTHING
THAT BOTHERS US, AND TO BE IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF TOTAL
AND COMPLETE LOVE AND TRUST.
SO, LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING, IT'S A LITTLE HARDER TO LIVE IN
THIS WORLD AND BE HAPPY THAN WHAT WE MIGHT THINK IT IS
SOMETIMES JUST BECAUSE OF ALL THE JUNK GOING ON AROUND US.
CAN ANYBODY SAY "AMEN" TO THAT?
AUDIENCE: AMEN.
JOYCE: I MEAN, IF YOU WATCH TELEVISION TODAY,
YOU BETTER DO IT WITH A REMOTE CONTROL IN YOUR HAND
SO YOU CAN FAST FORWARD PAST ALL THE STUFF THAT YOU DON'T WANT
TO POISON YOUR SOUL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD RESPONSE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
SO, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS WHY THINGS
HAPPEN TO US AND WE CAN ASK GOD FOR SOME EXPLANATION FOR SOME
THINGS BUT WE'RE NOT EVER GONNA GET THE ANSWER TO ALL
THOSE THINGS SO--.
SAY, "GOD IS GOOD." AUDIENCE: GOD IS GOOD.
JOYCE: "THE DEVIL'S BAD." AUDIENCE: THE DEVIL'S BAD.
JOYCE: "AND GOD WORKS GOOD OUT OF ANYTHING
IF WE TRUST HIM."
[AUDIENCE RESPONDS]
JOYCE: HOW MANY OF YOU BELIEVE THAT AND YOU'VE
EXPERIENCED THAT IN YOUR LIFE?
MAN, I'VE SEEN THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
OKAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME REASONS WHY WE SUFFER.
HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO AT LEAST ELIMINATE SOME OF THE THINGS
IF YOU CAN, AMEN?
1 THESSALONIANS 5:18, "THANK [GOD] IN EVERYTHING," WOW, "[NO
MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES MIGHT BE, BE THANKFUL AND GIVE
THANKS], FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOU [WHO ARE] IN
CHRIST JESUS [THE REVEALER AND MEDIATOR OF THAT WILL]."
YOU KNOW, BEING THANKFUL FOR WHAT WE DO HAVE REALLY HELPS US
GET THROUGH THE TIMES WHEN WE DON'T HAVE WHAT WE'D LIKE
TO HAVE.
I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN, BEING THANKFUL FOR WHAT WE DO HAVE
HELPS US MAKE IT THROUGH THE TIMES WHEN IT'S DIFFICULT
BECAUSE WE HAVE NEEDS THAT ARE NOT BEING MET YET.
OUR WORDS OF GRATITUDE--I WROTE THIS DOWN AND I COLORED IT IN
'CAUSE I SAID IT AND I LIKE IT.
OUR WORDS OF GRATITUDE IN THE FACE OF SUFFERING, ESPECIALLY
UNJUST SUFFERING, ARE A STRONGER PROOF OF OUR TRUST IN GOD MORE
THAN ANY OTHER THING THAT I KNOW OF.
WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING UNJUST, UNFAIR,
UNKIND, IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT, AND YOU CAN STILL THANK GOD ON THOSE
DAYS AND REALLY MEAN IT, THAT'S A VERY STRONG PROOF THAT YOU
HAVE YOUR TRUST IN GOD.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: PSALM 103:20 SAYS THAT "ANGELS HEARKEN TO THE WORD
OF GOD," THEY DON'T HEARKEN TO OUR COMPLAINING.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF ANGELS THAT YOU COULD PUT TO WORK IN YOUR
LIFE BY JUST COMPLAINING A LOT LESS AND GIVING A LOT MORE
THANKS.
WE'RE ALL SO MUCH MORE BLESSED THAN WHAT WE THINK THAT WE ARE
MANY TIMES, AMEN.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: IT WAS NEVER GOD'S INTENT FOR PEOPLE TO SUFFER.
WHEN HE PUT ADAM AND EVE IN THE GARDEN, HE HAD GREAT PLANS FOR
NOTHING BUT THEIR JOY AND GOOD DAYS.
WASN'T GOD THAT MESSED IT UP.
IT WAS PEOPLE THAT MESSED IT UP.
WE GOT TO QUIT BLAMING GOD FOR THINGS THAT HE'S NOT
RESPONSIBLE FOR.
DON'T EVER SAY, WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, "WELL, GOD DON'T YOU
LOVE ME?" DON'T EVER SAY THAT.
IN ROMANS 8, IT SAYS, "DON'T LET ANYTHING SEPARATE YOU FROM THE
LOVE OF GOD THAT IS FOUND IN CHRIST JESUS," NOT TROUBLE
OR TRIALS OR SEEMINGLY UNFAIR THINGS.
DON'T EVER SAY, "WELL, GOD DON'T YOU LOVE ME?"
THE VERY FACT THAT HE SENT JESUS TO DIE FOR YOUR SINS IS PROOF
ENOUGH THAT HE LOVES YOU TO LAST US A WHOLE ENTIRE LIFETIME.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE,
ESPECIALLY WATCHING BY TV, AND MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW
AS MUCH ABOUT THE BIBLE AS SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.
AND TO BE HONEST, WE'RE GLAD TO BE HERE TO PREACH TO THEM.
AND THEM BEING HERE IS IMPORTANT, BUT YOU ARE ALSO
IMPORTANT.
AND ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY I'M DOING THIS IS BECAUSE OF ALL
THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN REACH TODAY THROUGH
THE MEDIA.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IRREGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU'RE
GOING THROUGH, GOD SEES YOU.
HE KNOWS YOU.
HE CARES ABOUT YOU.
HE'S GOT A GOOD PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.
AND GOD IS NOT THE SOURCE OF YOUR PROBLEMS.
THE THIEF, SATAN, ONLY COMES TO KILL, STEAL, AND DESTROY, BUT
JESUS SAID, "I CAME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE
AND HAVE IT IN ABUNDANCE TO THE FULL UNTIL IT OVERFLOWS."
AND GOD WILL HELP YOU IF YOU WILL LET HIM.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: NOW, YOU KNOW, IF YOU RECEIVE CHRIST AS YOUR
SAVIOR WHEN YOUR LIFE IS IN SOME HUGE MESS, DON'T GET MAD
AT GOD IF HE HASN'T STRAIGHTENED EVERYTHING OUT IN TWO MONTHS
WHEN IT TOOK YOU 50 YEARS TO GET IT THAT WAY.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: LET'S AT LEAST GIVE GOD EQUAL TIME THAT WE GAVE
THE DEVIL.
COME ON.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SO, GOD'S ORIGINAL PLAN FOR MAN WAS NEVER THAT
HE WOULD SUFFER.
SO, LET'S STOP BLAMING HIM FOR IT AND LET'S REALIZE
THAT WHEN GOD GAVE MAN FREE-CHOICE, HE KNEW WHEN
HE DID THAT, THAT THE DOOR WAS BEING OPENED UP FOR THINGS
TO NOT ALWAYS BE THE WAY THAT HE WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE.
HOW MANY OF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?
THAT WHEN GOD GAVE US FREE-CHOICE, "I SET BEFORE
YOU LIFE AND DEATH, GOOD AND EVIL," AND BY THE WAY,
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CHOOSE, "CHOOSE LIFE."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
HE EVEN GAVE US A HINT ON WHICH WAY TO GO.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
AND STILL MANY OF US SPENT A LARGE PART OF OUR LIFE
MAKING WRONG CHOICES.