THERE'S SOMETHING I DO SOMETIMES,
I'M NOT GONNA DO IT TODAY, BUT YOU'RE JUST GONNA
TO HAVE TO USE YOUR USE YOUR IMAGINATION.
IF I BROUGHT TEN CHILDREN UP HERE, ON THE STAGE,
DON'T KNOW 'EM, BUT I STARTED HANDING OUT MONEY,
THERE WOULD NOT BE ONE OF THEM THAT WOULD REFUSE TO TAKE IT.
THEY WOULDN'T BE SUSPICIOUS.
NOT ONE WOULD TELL ME THEY DON'T DESERVE IT.
ARE YOU THERE?
AUDIENCE: YES.
JOYCE: AND THEY WOULD RECEIVE IT, AND I'VE WATCHED 'EM DO IT,
THEY RECEIVE IT WITH JOY.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND I BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD LIVE
A MORE EXCITED LIFE, AND ENJOY OUR LIVES MORE,
IF WE LEARN HOW TO RECEIVE FROM GOD,
ON A DAILY BASIS, EVERYTHING THAT HE'S TRYING
TO GIVE US.
IS ANYBODY HOME IN THE HOUSE TODAY?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: OH, MY GOODNESS, RECEIVE THE GOODNESS OF GOD.
ASK HIM, "GOD, BE GOOD TO ME, TODAY."
AND TELL HIM, "I KNOW I DON'T DESERVE IT."
AND THAT'S THE REALLY GOOD PART, "I DON'T DESERVE IT,
I COULD NEVER DESERVE IT, BUT YOU ARE GOOD."
WHEN JEHOSHAPHAT WAS IN THE BATTLE AND ALL
OF THESE DIFFERENT ENEMIES WERE COMING AGAINST HIM,
AND HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND HE ACTUALLY SAID TO GOD,
"WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND EVEN IF WE DID,
WE'RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO DO IT, BUT GOD,
OUR EYES ARE ON YOU." YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW
WHAT TO DO, YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW
THE ONE WHO KNOWS WHAT TO DO.
AND THEY STOOD, AND THEY WAITED ON GOD.
AND WHAT DOES THE WORD WAIT MEAN?
TO WAIT EXPECTANTLY, EXPECTING SOMETHING GOOD
TO HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT.
AND AS THEY WAITED, GOD SPOKE, "THE BATTLE'S NOT YOURS,
BUT MINE." AND THEN, HE TOLD
THEM WHAT TO DO, "GO OUT TAKE YOUR POSITION,
STAND STILL, SEE THE SALVATION
OF THE LORD WHICH HE WILL WORK FOR YOU TODAY."
WELL, JEHOSHAPHAT'S POSITION WAS TO BOW DOWN,
PUT HIS FACE ON THE GROUND, AND WORSHIP.
BUT WHILE HE DID THAT HE SENT OUT SINGERS TO SING
AND WHAT THEY SANG WAS, "OH, GIVE THANKS UNTO
THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD, FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER!
OH, GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD,
FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER, OH, GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD
FOR HE IS GOOD, FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: THEY WERE EXPECTING GOD TO DO SOMETHING,
THEY WERE EXPECTING GOD TO DELIVER THEM FROM
THEIR ENEMIES, AND THEY WEREN'T PARTICULARLY
WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY DESERVED IT,
THEY JUST WANTED TO BE DELIVERED.
AND GUESS WHAT?
THE ENEMY GOT SO CONFUSED, THAT THE BIBLE SAYS,
THEY KILLED EACH OTHER.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: COME ON, YOU WANT TO CONFUSE THE DEVIL?
JUST GO AHEAD AND BE HAPPY WHEN YOU HAVE NO REASON TO BE.
JUST GO AHEAD AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE WHILE YOU HAVE A PROBLEM
THAT GOD'S WORKING ON.
YOU CAN'T SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS, BUT GOD CAN,
AND WHATEVER YOUR PROBLEM IS, HE'S WORKING ON IT RIGHT NOW.
WHILE YOU'RE IN HERE HAVING A GOOD TIME,
GOD IS BUSY WORKING ON YOUR PROBLEM.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: TO RECEIVE, TO ACT AS A RECEPTACLE,
AND JUST TAKE IN WHAT'S BEING OFFERED.
"GOD, I RECEIVE YOUR FAVOR, TODAY."
FAVOR IS SO MUCH FUN.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: FAVOR IS GETTING THE BEST TABLE
IN THE RESTAURANT, FAVOR IS A CLERK PULLING
OUT A COUPON THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED,
THAT GIVES YOU $20 OFF YOUR PURCHASE.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT GOD GAVE YOU A LITTLE
WINK AND SAID, "I'LL GIVE YOU FAVOR."
COME ON.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: STUFF LIKE THAT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU ALL THE TIME,
AND THAT'S WHAT BECOMES THE FUN PART OF YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST THEES AND THOUS, AND THOUS,
AND YA KNOW, TRYING TO SOUND RELIGIOUS WHEN YOU PRAY,
MAKING SURE YOU FOLLOW ALL THE LAWS, AND RULES,
AND REGULATIONS.
UGH!
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I LOVE IT WHEN SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW--
WHEN THEY START TO PRAY, THEY BECOME A TOTALLY
DIFFERENT PERSON.
"OH, THOU HOLY...[DRAMATIC]"
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND I'M NOT MAKIN' FUN OF ANYBODY,
BUT I'M JUST SAYIN', JUST BE WHO YOU ARE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]