Tag Archives: Joyce Meyer

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Worthy of Trust

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“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead” (Hebrews 11:1).

Frequently, individuals make gifts of property or stocks and bonds to the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. I am notified by our legal department that the papers have been received, confirming our ownership. Then, on the basis of their word, I consider the value and the potential sale of these properties in light of our budget for this worldwide ministry.

Can you imagine? I make decisions involving literally millions of dollars based upon a word or a memo. I do not see the stocks and bonds. I do not visit the property. I do not even see the papers. But I can take the word of my associates, whom I have learned to trust, and, predicated on their recommendations, I can determine how many missionaries we can send to the field.

That is what faith is all about. I have faith in my beloved colleagues because they have demonstrated themselves to be trustworthy. How much more should I have faith in our loving, holy, gracious, God and Father who has demonstrated His faithfulness and trustworthiness innumerable times? How much more should I believe His holy, inspired Word – His many promises?

However, God’s promises do not become reality unless we act upon them, claiming them in faith, any more than the word of my associates would be of any value unless I acted upon that information.

Vast resources of heaven are available to us. We appropriate them by faith. Consider the following illustration: Suppose I have $1,000 in the bank. I go to the bank with a check for $100 in my hand. I hand it to the teller, get on my knees and begin to beseech the teller to cash my check for $100. This would seem unusual to the teller and to all who might observe me for that is not the way to cash a check. Rather, I place it before the teller with the assurance that I have ten times the amount of the check on deposit and therefore without any hesitancy can expect my check to be cashed.

So it is with the bank of heaven. I know that the promises of God are faithful and true. God does not lie. God is worthy of my trust and, therefore, whatever He promises, He will perform if only I will trust and obey him.

Bible Reading: Psalm 11:89-96

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will claim the promises of God by faith with the joyful assurance that whatever God promises, He is faithful to perform. I will claim His supernatural resources for supernatural living.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Follow God With Boldness

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. . . the righteous are bold as a lion. —Proverbs 28:1, NKJV

God has uniquely created you and gifted you to fulfill His purpose for your life. It may be something others regard as “important,” or “cool,” or it may be something other people don’t find impressive. For example, we live in a society that esteems being a doctor more highly than being a janitor; some believe leading a Bible study is somehow better than being a stay-at-home Mom, but really, what matters is that you do what God is calling you to do. Regardless of your chosen profession or how you choose to spend the time God gives you upon this earth, the only way to find joy and satisfaction is to live your life according to His will.

The Holy Spirit leads us into the will of God. I have discovered that boldness is necessary in order to be led by the Holy Spirit, because He may not always lead us to do what everyone else is doing. Some insecure people tend to feel “safer” doing what others do. They are fearful of standing alone or going against the crowd. But sometimes God calls us to do something new or different, and we need to be willing to “break the mold” and do whatever He asks. This is one way we honor God and express our love for Him.

Any time we step outside the boundaries of what other people say is permissible or “right,” we risk being judged or criticized. Insecure people will usually give in to the expectations and demands of others rather than face disapproval and possible rejection. We must be secure in God and not allow such things to keep us from following the Holy Spirit and fulfilling our God-given purpose.

Do you really believe you are doing what God created you to do or have you allowed other peoples’ opinions to cause you to hold back? Great joy and many good things are waiting for you as you move forward with courage into all God has called and created you to do!

Love God Today: What is it that you sense God is calling you to do, but have lacked confidence to do in the past? Break the mold, and be bold!

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Whose Perspective Is It?

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But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ. —2 Corinthians 11:3

When encouraged to think positively, people often retort, “That is not reality.” But the truth is that positive thinking can change your current reality. God is positive, and that is His reality. It is the way He is, the way He thinks, and the way He encourages us to be. He says that all things can work out for good if we love Him and want His will in our lives (Romans 8:28). He says we should always believe the best of every person (1 Corinthians 13:7).

It has been said that 90 percent of what we worry about never happens. Why do people assume that being negative is more realistic than being positive? It is a simple matter of whether we want to look at things from God’s perspective or Satan’s. Are you doing your own thinking, choosing your thoughts carefully, or are you passively thinking about whatever happens to just come to your mind? What is the origin of your thoughts? Are they agreeing with Scripture? If they are not, they didn’t originate with God.

Thinking negatively makes you miserable. Why be miserable when you can be happy?

Lord, I ask You to make Your Word come alive to me so that I can see life issues from Your perspective. I want my thoughts to be in line with Yours. Amen.

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Christ’s Delivery

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Alistair Begg

He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Mark 16:9

Jesus “appeared first to Mary Magdalene,” probably not only on account of her great love and persevering seeking, but because, as the context intimates, she had been a special trophy of Christ’s delivering power. Learn from this that the greatness of our sin before conversion should not make us imagine that we may not be specially favored with the very highest grade of fellowship. She was one who had left all to become a constant attendant on the Savior. He was her first, her chief, object.

Many who were on Christ’s side did not take up Christ’s cross; she did. She spent her substance in relieving His wants. If we would see much of Christ, let us serve Him. Tell me who they are who sit most often under the banner of His love and drink the deepest from the cup of communion, and I am sure they will be those who give most, who serve best, and who abide closest to the bleeding heart of their dear Lord.

But notice how Christ revealed Himself to this sorrowing one—by a word: “Mary.”1 It needed but one word in His voice, and at once she knew Him. Her heart expressed allegiance by another word, but her heart was too full to say more. That one word would naturally be the most fitting for the occasion. It implies obedience. She said, “Master” [KJV]. There is no state of mind in which this confession of allegiance will be too cold. When your spirit glows most with the heavenly fire, then you will say, “I am your servant. . . . You have loosed my bonds.”2 If you can say, “Master,” if you feel that His will is your will, then you stand in a happy, holy place. He must have said, “Mary,” or else you could not have said, “Rabboni,” “Master.” See, then, from all this how Christ honors those who honor Him, how love draws our Beloved, how it needs but one word of His to turn our weeping to rejoicing, how His presence makes the heart’s sunshine.

1) John 20:6  2) Psalm 116:16

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The family reading plan for July 15, 2014 * Jeremiah 11 * Matthew 25

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Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Spiritual Authority

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Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [continually recognizing their authority over you], for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account [of their trust]. [Do your part to] let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you [either]. —Hebrews 13:17

Our modern society is absolutely filled with rebellion, and rebellion keeps us from hearing God. I have observed that many, many people have trouble relating to authority. This is true in marriages, families, schools, businesses, civic activities, and throughout our culture. submission to spiritual authority is practically nonexistent.

Often when a pastor tries to bring some kind of correction, people tend to become upset and want to leave the church—and that is not right. Paul corrected people often; that was part of his job as a spiritual leader and it remains a responsibility for spiritual leaders today. Paul said: “Not that we have dominion [over you] . . . but [rather that we work with you as] fellow laborers [to promote] your joy” (2 Corinthians 1:24). If we will understand and believe that spiritual authority exists to promote our joy, we will embrace it and when we do, our joy will increase—and so will our ability to hear God’s voice.

The spirit of rebellion that is at work in the world today is the spirit of the antichrist according to 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8, one that is willing to submit to no one. People today say they are demanding their rights, but in reality they are often only resisting any authority but their own.

God’s word for you today: Be submissive to authority as a service to the Lord, and He will bless and prosper you.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Why Does God Wait So Long?

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All things are possible with God. —Matthew 19:26

When God came to Abraham and told him that He was going to bless him, Abraham said to God, “That’s fine, but what I really want is a son.” God said, “I am going to give you what you ask for,” but He didn’t give it to Abraham right away. The Word says, Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5). Actually, twenty years went by from the time God promised Abraham that he would have a child to the time that child was born. In fact, Abraham was already old when God first gave him the promise of a son.

By the time Abraham fathered that child, his wife had already gone through the change of life. She had a barren womb. So Abraham and Sarah not only had a prayer request, they also needed a miracle.

Isn’t it interesting that sometimes when you ask God for something, He lets it go so long, the only thing that can possibly produce what you asked for is a miracle? Why does God do that? Because He likes to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9).

When Martha and Mary sent for Jesus to come and minister to their brother, Lazarus, who was gravely ill, why did Jesus wait two days longer, until Lazarus had actually died and was buried, before He went and raised Lazarus from the dead? It was because Jesus already knew what He was going to do for Lazarus.

If something is dead—a dream, a desire, a want, a need—it doesn’t matter to God how dead it is. God can still bring it back to life in His timing because our God is an awesome God. Nothing is too hard for Him. That is why He is never in a hurry and why it seems as if He often waits until nothing will work but a miracle.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Passive Minds

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Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]. —Ephesians 4:27

Perhaps the best way to interpret these words of the apostle Paul is to say it this way: Don’t give the devil an opportu¬nity. There are many ways we actually give the devil an opening to pounce on us. One of those ways involves being passive.

To be passive is the opposite of being active. This can be a dangerous problem because it means you aren’t on guard, you aren’t actively standing up, and you aren’t alert. One of the devil’s most deceiving tricks is to get you to do nothing and to feel content about it.

I have found a wide variety of definitions for the word passive, but I describe it as a lack of feeling, a lack of desire, apathy, laziness, and lukewarmness. It is what John referred to when he wrote to the church at Laodicea: “I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!” (Revelation 3:15).

It reminds me of something someone told me years ago. “I’ve been a good Christian today,” he said. “I haven’t hurt anyone or done anyone any harm.” In a moment of insight, I said, “But have you done any good for anyone?”

He stared at me for several seconds before he said, “I guess I never thought of it that way. I was so concerned about not doing anything wrong, that I never thought about doing anything good.”

That’s one of the tricks the devil plays on our minds. All we need to do is read the Bible to find out what God says. Paul wrote to Timothy: “That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-¬control” (2 Timothy 1:6–7). Paul told his young disciple to shake himself up and do something—which is good for us to consider, as well. Paul urged us to get moving and start using the gifts God has given us.

The devil knows that inactivity, laziness, or failure to exercise our will for doing good can throw us into ultimate defeat. As long as we move against the devil, we can win the battle. When we do nothing, we become his prime target. It’s when we get stirred into action, and passionate about faith, and zealous to follow God that we can destroy all the devil’s influence.

Peter wrote to the persecuted believers of his day: “Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined]” (1 Peter 5:8–9a).

I stress this because I see many believers who don’t feel passionate about anything, so they don’t do anything. They attend worship services and praise the Lord if they feel like it. They read their Bibles if they have the energy and time. If they don’t feel like doing something, they just don’t do it.

That’s not God’s way. We need to stir ourselves up—the way Paul urged Timothy. I’ll use myself as an example to illustrate what I mean. I don’t really enjoy physical exercise that much, but the more I exercise, the easier it gets and the better I feel. It was pretty tough when I first started the program. In fact, it hurt. I was sore. I ached all over, and I wanted to quit. I’d been so inactive (passive) for so long about physical exercise that it was painful! And my physical condition only worsened as long as I did nothing about it. But exercising consistently eventually paid off.

Let me encourage you to stir yourself. Get active. You don’t want to give place to the devil by doing nothing. If you make the effort to praise and to read the Bible, you give God the opportunity to bless you. If you don’t make the effort, you are inviting the enemy into your life. Get moving! Start today.

God, help me to stir myself up, especially on those days when I don’t feel passionate. Help me remember that it is an act of the will that You honor. In the name of Jesus, help me to stay vigilant and active—and that means being victorious, as well. Amen.

From the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Practice the Presence of God

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And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. —Exodus 33:14

This was God’s reply to Moses when he asked about the particulars of the mission he had been given and how he could get to know God better. God simply assured Moses that His presence would be with him and give him rest. This was considered by God to be a great privilege. To Him, it was all that Moses needed.

What was true for Moses is true for you. As much as you would like to know God’s plans and ways for you, all you really need to know is that His presence will be with you wherever He sends you and in whatever He gives you to do.

So when you get concerned that things aren’t going the way you think they should, just remember that God’s presence is with you and enjoy the rest He promised to give you.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Enjoy Whatever You Are Doing

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And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you. —Deuteronomy 12:7

I used to hate waiting in the airport, but Dave always wanted to arrive early. I finally changed my mind. It is amazing what happens when you decide to enjoy God every day. It is easy to get so caught up in all your responsibilities that you forget to enjoy what you are doing.

You can get so busy raising your children that you forget to enjoy them. You can get so caught up in cleaning your house, trying to pay for it, and remodeling it, that you forget to enjoy it. But you can learn to enjoy God so much that no matter what you do today, you can truly say, “I enjoyed it.”

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Daily Battles of the Mind

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Did you know that we are in a war every day? We see the casualties everywhere—people falling from disease, divorce and tragedy. Looking around at all the suffering, we may think the battles in hospitals and divorce courts are being lost. But in reality, we’re losing the advanced and more important conflict—the battle in our minds.

Each day our minds are bombarded with a constant stream of nagging thoughts, suspicions, doubts and fears. While any one of these can cause defeat and devastation, we are often plagued by more than one…filling our daily lives with mental combat against an array of aggressors.

Since we fail to identify the battlefield, we also fail to correctly identify our foe. We tend to believe people, money, religion or “the system” are our problems. In an attempt to defend ourselves, we build strongholds in our mind. Strongholds are areas of thinking not based on truth but lies. Instead of protecting us, they actually imprison us. Unless we renew our mind, we risk continuing to believe those lies and making important decisions based on deception.

Let me give you an example of how strongholds of wrong thinking can destroy a marriage. Mary and her husband, John, are not enjoying a happy marriage. There is strife between them all the time. They are angry, bitter and resentful. Now their two children are starting to show signs of being affected by all the dissension at home. One of the kids is even developing stomach problems brought on by stress from the conflict.

Mary’s problem is that she doesn’t know how to let John be the head of their family. She is bossy—she wants to make all the decisions, handle the finances, and discipline the children. She wants to work so she will have her “own” money. She’s independent, loud and demanding. Mary knows her attitude is wrong and wants to change. She’s been in counseling and is constantly asking people to pray for God to help her. But she hasn’t seen any improvement. Why? Mary has trouble controlling her actions because she has trouble controlling her thoughts. She has a hard time knowing what thoughts to control because of the strongholds in her mind—strongholds that were built very early in her life.

As a child, Mary had an extremely domineering father. For years she suffered helplessly as her father mistreated her and her mother. He was disrespectful in all his ways except toward Mary’s brother who could do no wrong. It seemed as if he was favored just because he was a boy. By the time she was sixteen, the strongholds in Mary’s mind were firmly established. The stronghold of lies went like this: “Men really think they’re something. They are all alike, and you can’t trust any of them. They will hurt you and take advantage of you.” As a result, Mary’s mind was made up: “When I get away from home, nobody is ever going to push me around again!”

Before Mary can ever have victory in her life and peace in her marriage, she will have to tear down the strongholds that are ruling her thinking. Do you see yourself in Mary’s life? Many of us have given in to deception at one time or another. How can these strongholds be torn down? We must be willing to receive the light of Truth in our minds. Our search for Truth begins in God’s Word, which says that the Truth will set us free (see John 8:32). This means we can be free from bondage, sin and strongholds in our minds. But just searching for Truth won’t set us free. We must be courageous enough to also believe the Truth.

Even when the Truth illuminates what’s inside of us, it’s sometimes hard to accept. It’s a painful process to face our deceptions and deal with them. It’s so easy to allow our past and how we were raised to negatively affect us for the rest of our lives. Our past may explain why we’re suffering, but we must not use it as an excuse to stay in bondage. You may have some major strongholds in your life that need to be torn down. Let me encourage you by saying, “God is on your side.” There is a war going on, and your mind is the battlefield. But the good news is that God is fighting on your side!

This article is taken from Joyce’s audio teaching, Battlefield of the Mind.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – When Fear Comes

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When I am afraid, I will trust in you. —Psalm 56:3 NIV

I have heard that there are 365 references in God’s Word to “fear not”—one for every day of the year. Fear not means to resist fear and not let it control your actions.

The only acceptable attitude God’s children can ever have toward fear is, “I will not fear.” If you let fear rule in your life, it will steal your peace and joy and prevent you from fulfilling your destiny.

Are you confident in God? Do you believe right now, no matter what comes against you, victory is yours through Christ? Form a habit of saying out loud several times a day, “I will not fear.” If you do, then it will be one of the first things coming out of your mouth when fear does come.

Power Thought: I will not fear. I trust You, Lord.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Let God Comfort You

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement). —2 Corinthians 1:3

We all want to be accepted, not rejected. But most of us have felt the isolation and emotional pain that come from feeling rejected. It hurts! The good news is that we can do something about it.

Years ago, I experienced a situation that brought back the old pain of rejection I had lived with before I began learning how to let God heal my heart. I reached out to someone who had hurt me greatly during my childhood. Instead of offering an apology, this person blamed me for something that wasn’t my fault! I wanted to retreat into a corner and nurse my wounds.

The emotional pain I suffered was intense. I wanted to hide and feel sorry for myself, but I now know how to respond differently. I know how to let God love me, comfort me and heal me through the power of the Holy Spirit. I asked Him to heal my wounded emotions and enable me to handle the situation as Jesus would have handled it. As I kept turning to Him, I felt almost as though soothing oil was being poured over my wounds.

Maybe my situation sounds familiar to you. Maybe you know what it feels like to be hurt, rejected, disappointed, or to experience some other painful emotion. It’s very hard to be your own comforter, and one of the best things you can do for yourself is to look to God for the comfort you need. Today’s verse promises that He is the source of all comfort, consolation and encouragement. When you need these things in your life, He’s the one who can provide them for you.

Love Yourself Today: Do you need comfort or consolation? Don’t try to take care of it yourself, but go to God and let His healing grace give you everything you need.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Stand with God

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And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. —2 Corinthians 9:8

When Mother Teresa (1910–1997) left for India to begin her mission work there, she was told she could not do it because she had no money and no one to help her. I was told she said she had three pennies and God, and that was all she needed.

All of us are familiar with the amazing work she did to help the poor in India. Her willingness to stand with God alone, having all her confidence in Him, allowed God to work through her in a remarkable way. She was a rare individual who knew how to work with people, but who believed that with or without people, she could do all God was asking her to do.

That is the kind of attitude I want to maintain. We need people, but we know it is God working through people to help us. We look to God to meet our needs, not people. If He decides to change who He works through, that should be no concern of ours. My confidence must be in Him more than it is in anything or anyone else.

Lord, I am not Mother Teresa, but I want to learn to stand with You. I look to You to meet my every need. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Please, Don’t Be Religious

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Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence. —Matthew 23:25

Jesus frequently chastised the religious leaders of His day because although they did lots of good works, they did them with wrong motives. An abundance of religious works does not always mean the person doing them is close to God. I believe that religious activity can keep us from having an intimate relationship with God and hearing Him speak to us.

Jesus died to open the way for us to have intimacy with God, and that should always come before any good works. It is actually possible to do religious things while our hearts are far from God. We should frequently do “motive checks.” God is more concerned with why we do things than He is with what we do when it comes to religious works. He said true religion is to visit, help, and care for widows and orphans in their affliction (see James 1:27). God wants us to genuinely love and care for hurting people much more than He wants us to try to impress one another with long, eloquent prayers.

Religious people do many things to enhance their reputation rather than to serve God. They may engage in all sorts of good works, but they rarely, if ever, engage in really sharing their hearts with God or allowing Him to share His with them. These people seldom truly hear God’s voice or enjoy deep communion with Him.

God’s word for you today: Focus on your relationship with God, not on being religious.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Focus Forward

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Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. —Philippians 3:12-14

If you have been miserable because of the things that have happened in your past, I encourage you to do as I did and set your focus in a new direction. Determine to be what God wants you to be, to have what God wants you to have, and to receive what Jesus died to give you.

When you feel discouraged, say, “I am not going to live in bondage anymore. I cannot do anything about what I have done in the past, but I can do something about my future. I am going to enjoy my life and have what Jesus died for me to have. I am going to let go of the past and go on pursuing God from this day forth!”

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Critical Mind

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[Jesus said] A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.—Matthew 7:18–20

Have you ever met someone who had “the gift of suspicion”? They are everywhere—even in church. Recently I heard a man commenting about such a woman in his church. He said she always seemed to think the worst of everyone. If someone did something generous, she would say, “What does he expect to get out of that? I suppose he wants us all to bow and thank him.”

On one occasion, someone commented about what a friendly, happy person an usher was. “That’s his public face,” the woman said. “He’s always smiling, but I’ll bet when he gets home and away from everyone else, he doesn’t smile like that.”

He went on to say if someone chided her for her critical attitude, the woman only responded by saying, “I just call things as I see them. You’re always trying to make things look better than they are.”

The man finally realized that it wasn’t good for him to be around her, and he began to distance himself from her as much as possible.

I believe this man made a good decision. I have discovered during my years in ministry that when someone with a critical spirit comes into a group or a meeting, it doesn’t take much for others to become infected with it. It reminds me of the saying about one bad apple spoiling the whole bushel.

Over the years, I’ve met people who were very much like this lady. They’re often tormented by their judgmental attitudes, critical spirits, and suspicious minds. They also destroy many relationships by their words.

Matthew 7:18 says these “bad fruits” tell us a lot about the “tree,” but that doesn’t give us the right to judge. We must remember that no one is perfect—each of us is a work in progress. While it may be wise not to be too closely associated with such people, we must be careful that we don’t judge them according to our standards and beliefs. We must pray for them and keep a godly attitude. Part of being a loving, caring Christian is to realize that people may not see things in this life exactly as we do. We are not all at the same level of Christian maturity, but we can be sure that God knows everything about each one of us. We must leave any judging to the only righteous judge—Jesus Christ.

James writes: “[My] brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge [of it]. One only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy [the one Who has the absolute power of life and death]. [But you] who are you that [you presume to] pass judgment on your neighbor?” (James 4:11–12).

Paul asks, “Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another’s household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and make him stand” (Romans 14:4).

Dear heavenly Father, forgive me for criticizing others. I know that You are the only one who is qualified to judge Your children. Help me remember that all of us, including me, must give account of ourselves to You—and only to You. Help me, Lord Jesus, to bear good fruit in my own life that will bring glory to You. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Give Yourself a Break

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Joyce meyer

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. —Philippians 1:6

If you find it difficult to like yourself, you are not alone. I struggled with self- rejection during much of my life and I have discovered many others also struggle with the same thing. But that is not God’s plan. He doesn’t want you to feel afraid and insecure . . . or to be consumed with achieving perfection in hopes of being considered valuable.

God is the only one who can perfect the good work He has started in your life, but it takes some time. And during the process He wants you to recognize you are making progress. So give yourself a break and say, “I’m okay and I’m on my way!”

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Follow God’s Priorities

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Joyce meyer

The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. —John 10:27

Many people try to feel spiritual by obeying religious laws. But they never get around to feeling good, because there is always one more law to follow. That is why God does not define our righteousness by our works, but by our faith in Jesus. We feel inner peace when we obey the voice of the Holy Spirit.

God may tell you that it is more important to give away your favorite personal possession, than to try to please Him by reading the Bible through in a year. He may say that it is more important to just remain silent, if He tells you to, than to volunteer for every activity at church. His ways are not our ways (See Isaiah 55:8–9), so learn to listen for His direction each day.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Open and God Will Teach You

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Joyce meyer

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity! —John 1:47

In some instances I think we need to open our minds. I think we should be single-minded (focused on the will of God), but not narrow-minded (unwilling to be open to new teachings).

There is a man in the Bible, in John 1:45–51, who Jesus had some very complimentary things to say about. His name is Nathanael. When we first meet Nathanael, Philip tells him that they’d found the Messiah and he was Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (v. 46). He was saying that he knew what the people were like in Nazareth and no Messiah would be born of that stock. To which Philip tells him simply, “Come and see!” (v. 46). In other words, don’t make a judgment before you’ve seen for yourself. So Nathanael went to see (v. 47).

God showed me that one of the reasons Jesus liked Nathanael so much was because even though he had a preconceived opinion that nothing good could come out of Nazareth, especially not the Savior, he was open-minded enough and humble enough to at least go see. I think a lot of people would get a lot further in their walk with God if they wouldn’t have so many preconceived ideas. What we all really need is to believe the Word of God.

You should read your Bible and see what it says. Be open to letting God teach you and to learning. It’s amazing what we could learn from God and other people He places in our paths if we didn’t already think we knew it all.

Trust in Him Don’t spend too much time listening to what other people say and miss out on the great blessings God has for your life. Let go of your preconceived notions and be humble enough to see for yourself. Trust God to teach you—and keep teaching you—through His Word.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Open and God Will Teach You

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Joyce meyer

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity! —John 1:47

In some instances I think we need to open our minds. I think we should be single-minded (focused on the will of God), but not narrow-minded (unwilling to be open to new teachings).

There is a man in the Bible, in John 1:45–51, who Jesus had some very complimentary things to say about. His name is Nathanael. When we first meet Nathanael, Philip tells him that they’d found the Messiah and he was Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (v. 46). He was saying that he knew what the people were like in Nazareth and no Messiah would be born of that stock. To which Philip tells him simply, “Come and see!” (v. 46). In other words, don’t make a judgment before you’ve seen for yourself. So Nathanael went to see (v. 47).

God showed me that one of the reasons Jesus liked Nathanael so much was because even though he had a preconceived opinion that nothing good could come out of Nazareth, especially not the Savior, he was open-minded enough and humble enough to at least go see. I think a lot of people would get a lot further in their walk with God if they wouldn’t have so many preconceived ideas. What we all really need is to believe the Word of God.

You should read your Bible and see what it says. Be open to letting God teach you and to learning. It’s amazing what we could learn from God and other people He places in our paths if we didn’t already think we knew it all.

Trust in Him Don’t spend too much time listening to what other people say and miss out on the great blessings God has for your life. Let go of your preconceived notions and be humble enough to see for yourself. Trust God to teach you—and keep teaching you—through His Word.