With a heart to share Christ and love people, Joyce’s messages help people in all walks of life to grow in their faith, learn to study the Bible, find healing from the wounds of life, get answers to life’s questions and encounter the love of God in a powerful way.
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ministries we need to live ready we need
to live fill up with the power of God
full up on the Word of God our faith
needs to be sharp and we need to have up
that shield of things be ready all the
time
if you thought Jesus was coming back
next Friday
man would you be busy and active in this
next week
Matthew chapter 25 is one of the best
chapters in the Bible I think to read if
you get a lazy spell and you want to get
jolted out of it now you know some of
you don’t have a problem at all with
laziness but you’ll just have to bear
with me because many other people do and
you know you might be a hard worker
physically a hard work and think well
I’m not lazy but I’m asking you are you
spiritually lazy there’s a difference in
being lazy about doing your work and
lazy about exercising your faith or lazy
about the things of God that you need to
attend to waiting on God is not a
fleshly activity but it is you’re
spiritually active when you’re waiting
on God I’m trusting you got them I’m
waiting on you I’m exercising my faith I
don’t want to move in the flesh here I
trust you
Matthew 25 verse 1 then the kingdom of
heaven shall be likened to 10 virgins
who took their lamps and went to meet
the bridegroom five were foolish and
five were wise when the foolish took
their lamps they did not take any extra
oil with them the lazy Christian won’t
do anything extra
come on night those of you laying in bed
right now watching me
yeah you know you didn’t even get out of
bed you already had it set on the right
station
and you were sleeping still in your eyes
you got that remote and what sure hope
joins has got a good word for me today
come on I know well I have a happy happy
happy so happy to do it
if it will finally get you out of bed
and motivated to start exercising your
faith to be the kind of person that God
wants you to be so you can make a
difference in somebody else’s life
somebody helped me so I can help you and
I want to help you so you can help
somebody else we’re not supposed to just
take everything in and do nothing you
got a war against laziness do the extra
might be a little harder to find the
scripture yourself than to call a friend
ask them where it’s at
come on you’re laughing too much there’s
something wrong with this when you laugh
that much I get concerned you know what
if you find out where it’s at you won’t
forget the next time
but the wise took flasks of oil along
with them and also they had their lamps
that had oil in them when the bridegroom
while the bridegroom lingered and was
slow in coming they all began nodding
their heads we all get tired of waiting
and they fell asleep but at midnight
there was a shout behold the bridegroom
go out to meet him then all those
virgins got up and put their own lamps
in order and the foolish said to the
wise give us some of your oil because
our names are going out I can just hear
them right now sister
I’m out of oil can I have some of yours
but the wise said there won’t be enough
for us and for you go to the dealers and
buy for yourselves and while they were
going to do what they should have done a
long time ago the bridegroom came and
they missed out on the whole thing
Alleluia look at verse 13 watch
therefore give strict attention be
cautious and active for you know neither
the day nor the hour when the Son of Man
will come we need to live ready we need
to live full up with the power of God
full up on the Word of God our faith
needs to be sharp and we need to have up
that shield of faith be ready all the
time
if you thought Jesus was coming back
next Friday
man would you be busy and active in this
next week
come on just think about the things that
you’ll probably do this next week that
you wouldn’t do if you thought Jesus was
coming back in a week I’m making
everybody nervous you know we have to
live ready you know I know different
people have kind of bent in different
directions and I’m not one who’s given
much to being overly concerned about
when Jesus is coming back I don’t get
into all the post-trib pre-trib mid-trib
we’re going to be here for the
tribulation aren’t we going to be when
is Jesus coming you know I believe we
should know the signs of the times and
we they’re everywhere
so whenever he’s going to come we’re a
lot closer to it now than we were a
while ago and I every day we live we’re
getting closer but I just believe we
should live ready I don’t think we
should have to get ready I think we need
to live it ready if you walk in your
Authority and know who you are in Christ
at all times then when the devil comes
after you don’t have to get all in a
dither trying to take authority I take
authority over you you’re not gonna do
this to me
you know what I found if you just walk
in love he can’t touch it he’d come
against you but he’s not gonna win
I mean stirred up on fire hot with love
first Timothy 6:12 says we got to fight
the good fight of faith faith is a fight
sometimes first John 5:4 for whatever is
born of God overcometh the world and
this is the victory that overcometh the
world even our faith now we’re going to
go somewhere that I’ve never tried to go
in a meeting
so we’ll see what happens because I want
to try to teach you today that although
we can use our faith to get the things
that we want and need what are you
supposed to do when you don’t get what
you want
have faith in God constantly it’s our
faith that pleases God and if we want to
be pleasing to God then we have to learn
to just stay in faith no matter how long
it takes no matter what it looks like no
matter how it feels if it’s fair if it’s
not fair if it seems just or unjust if
God vindicates us in two days if it
takes them 20 years come on my father
sexually abused me and it was fifty five
years before I saw the vindication but I
eventually got to lead my dad to the
Lord and I baptized him
didn’t happen quickly but it happened
and you know what even if he would have
never received Christ my position was to
still be believing even when he died the
only thing that can in faith is
manifestation come on now so it’s
interesting that in the Bible we have
what’s called the faith Hall of Fame and
I’ve been reading this last couple of
days and I have to tell you that I am
just absolutely amazed all over again
you say well why have you never gone
through this in a meeting because uh
sure’s lock the doors
because not one of these people who are
here in the heroes Hall of faith got
what they were believing for now I mean
I don’t expect you to clap and cheer so
just you don’t need to but they died
still believing and the Bible says that
they obtained a good report and they’re
our example today and not only that the
Bible says that they were sustained and
controlled by their faith I love that
can I tell you something and if you’ve
got enough experience with God you’ll
agree with me so if you haven’t enough
experience with God then I want you to
say a hearty Amen when I say this yes
getting what we want is the coolest
thing but
that’s not where I wanted the amen
but to be honest even if you’re not
getting what you want and you have real
faith to you you’re just as happy as if
you had it
and I’ve just come to the conclusion
that if I don’t share this not only with
you and with all the people that are
watching around the world by TV then I’m
not doing you a favor because I am NOT
going to sit here and tell you that if
you exercise your faith that you are
going to get everything you want in life
I’m sorry but I’m not going to tell you
that because I don’t believe that the
Bible says that because there are times
when we pray amiss Jamis force says you
have not because you ask not or you do
ask and you don’t receive because you’re
asking with a wrong purpose and an evil
selfish motive or you ask amiss just
because we want it doesn’t necessarily
mean that it’s in God’s plan for us to
have it right now or maybe not ever but
I’ll tell you one thing and you listen
to me if you really know God if you
really know who he is and you know his
character and you really know that God
loves you then even if you don’t get
what you want you will trust God that he
has something better in mind
now this is when faith gets good God if
you don’t give it to me then you’ve got
something better in mind and I’m just
not smart enough to know how to ask for
it
can we move over into that kind of faith
today what we’re not just trusting God
for something but we’re going to say I’m
going to trust you all the way through
I’m gonna die believing I am going to
trust you God that you’re good and
everything in my life will work out good
if I keep my confidence in you can we
trust God for that today
I want you to come into a new level of
peace and joy and I tell you when you
start living in that kind of faith I’m
not saying that it doesn’t hurt when we
don’t get what we want but trusting God
really trusting God gives you so much
peace but choice is not fair it’s not
right
trust God trusting God if it’s taking
longer than I thought then there’s
something that you’re doing that I don’t
understand and know about God’s ways are
greater than our way
so now Hebrews 11 now faith is the
assurance the confirmation the title
deed of the things we hope for being the
proof of the things we don’t see in the
conviction of their reality
faith perceiving as real fact what is
not yet revealed to the senses so get
that faith makes it real to us in the
spirit even though we don’t have it in
the natural verse 4 prompted by faith
Abel brought God a better and a more
acceptable sacrifice than Cain so faith
can cause you to give your very best
where fear will cause you to hold back
the best and give what you’re
comfortable with
mmm verse 5 because of faith Enoch was
caught up and transferred to heaven the
Bible says that Enoch walked with God
and he was not for God took him a bit I
was exciting Oshin where’d he not go
verse 6 without faith it’s impossible to
please God but those who come to him
must believe that he is and that he is
the rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him
god is good prompted by faith night and
week i want to just call your attention
to the fact that these were people
prompted by faith Noah being forewarned
by God concerning events of which as yet
there was no visible sign took heed and
diligently and reverently constructed
and prepared prepared an ark for the
deliverance of his family God told him
about a flood that was coming and you
have to understand they didn’t know what
rain was and it took him a hundred years
to build the ark and everybody thought
he was stark raving mad not just you
ain’t thinking think with me
we can’t even hardly get through lunch
at work if we’re being made fun of and
not part of the group well I know I
probably shouldn’t sit there and listen
to the dirty jokes but you know I just
lonely oh don’t you sit there look like
that
he was laughed at made fun of for 100
years and he did it how by faith I trust
you God I trust you
I trust you hey listen when I stepped
out to do what I’m doing back in 1976 I
lost all my friends God asked to leave
my church everybody thought I was stark
raving mad you think you’re going to do
what and half the time I thought I would
start raving men but I’m still here amen
and Noah built the ark by faith and he
didn’t drown urged on by faith verse 8
Abraham when he was called obeyed and
went to a place where he was destined to
go even though he did not know our
trouble his mind about where he was to
go I love that think about this
Abraham had a family had a home had a
tent had cattle and God said um I can’t
do what I want to do with you here
you’re going to have to leave this place
and go somewhere else okay God where do
you want me to go well you pack up
everything and start moving and then
I’ll tell you come on I mean do we
really think that that was just like oh
okay
sure no problem why didn’t God him have
to do that maybe something that Abraham
didn’t even understand the time a lot of
times when God asked us to do something
we don’t understand it’s like why would
you want me to do that why couldn’t I
have went in ministry and everybody
Clapton’s here for me I’m after all I
was just being a sweet little girl
trying to do the right thing and I lost
all my friends and got kicked out of my
church what I got for coming up higher
with God was loneliness and rejection
but it put me in a place where I got to
know God really well
I didn’t have anybody else a lot of
Abraham’s family if you study history
where Idol worshipers and what God
wanted to do with him he couldn’t do
unless he got him out of there go to a
place that I will show you
so he went prompted by faith he dwells
as a temporary resident in the land
which was designated in the promise of
God even though he was a stranger in a
strange country verse 10 for he was
waiting expectantly and confidently he
was waiting what with faith he was
waiting with faith times I was aching
tired of waiting on God waiting waiting
reading reading when God went why is
nothing happening to me but if we wait
with faith and wait confidently we can
say I don’t care what I see or feel I
believe that God is working I believe
that God is working Sara verse 11 who’d
already had the change of life and was
wrinkled everywhere you could be
wrinkled says that she received physical
power by faith to give birth to a child
Wow verse 13 these people all died
controlled and sustained by their faith
but not having received the tangible
fulfillment of God’s promises oh wait a
minute Sara didn’t have a child yes she
did but they were believing for
something far beyond that they were
looking forward to the Messiah that we
now trust and enjoy they were looking
forward to going into that Promised Land
and they traveled all their life to get
there and never entered in but they died
in faith and now they’re in the Hall of
Fame and you know I’m not gonna have
time to do this justice I may have to go
ahead and again some other time but if
you go over to the next page verse 17 by
faith Abraham when he was put to the
test offered up his child as a sacrifice
because he believed that even if God let
him kill
Isak that God was able to raise him from
the dead Abraham had so much faith he
said death can’t even stop God death
can’t even stop it prompted by faith
verse 21 Jacob when he was dying blessed
each of Joseph’s sons verse 22 actuated
by faith Joseph when nearing the end of
his life referred back to the promise of
God how the Israelites came out of Egypt
and headed for the promised land and he
gave instructions concerning his bones
he said you take my bones with you when
you go because dead are alive I’m going
to end up in the promised land
come on is anybody here at me today what
do we have to be afraid of even if we
don’t get everything here we’re gonna be
here at the let’s say you live to be old
a hundred years and then you’ve got
eternity having everything you could
possibly ever want no more crying no
more tears no more sadness no more night
God Himself will be our son we will know
him even as he knows us and you know
what you won’t need in heaven faith
because you’ll have it all stay with me
when Moses was born and they were
killing all the children his mother had
enough faith to say I’m gonna hide him
and send him off on the water and just
trust God and you know the story
Pharaoh’s sister found him and raised
him as her own son which was exactly
what God wanted because it put Moses in
exactly the position he needed to be in
Moses when he was grown and he saw the
oppression of his people the Bible says
in chapter 25 I love this because he I
mean in verse 25 because he preferred to
share the oppression the suffering the
hardships and to bear the shame of the
people of God rather than to have a
fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life he
walked away from that great position he
did that by faith sometimes you got to
go into things by faith sometimes you
got to walk away from things by faith is
anybody listening today
and on and on it goes
motivated by faith he left Egypt
verse 28 by simple faith and confidence
in God he instituted the Passover urged
on by faith verse 29 the people crossed
the Red Sea
I wonder how Moses felt when the Red Sea
was in front of him and the Egyptian
army was behind him and God said go
forward
excuse me God are you not seeing what
I’m seeing here come on sometimes you
got to put your toe in before the water
parts you’re not hearing me maybe you
got to get a little more committed than
what you might be now and then this
thing just goes on and on and on and on
verse 32 I’m just about done and what
shall I say further for time would fail
me to tell of gideon barak samson
jephthah david samuel and all the other
prophets who by the help of faith
subdued kingdoms administered justice
obtained promised blessings closed the
mouths of lions extinguish the power of
raging fire verse 39 it says it again in
all of these though they won divine
approval by means of their faith did not
receive a fulfillment of everything that
had been promised them now I know some
of you’re thinking well this is kind of
a bummer it’s exactly why I’ve never
bothered to share the whole thing in a
meeting because even as a preacher I’m
not too thrilled about everybody going
so why are you doing it because I want
you to know that faith is not just to
get what you want
faith is to take you through the times
when you don’t get what you want and let
me tell you something God will always
take care of you we may not get every
single solitary thing that we want but
God will always take care of you he will
take care of you and they didn’t
understand why they didn’t get the
fulfillment but verse 40 says because
God had us in mind and had something
better and greater in view for us so
that they these heroes and heroines of
faith should not come to perfection
apart from us before we could join them
so God actually asked them to make the
sacrifice to keep trusting him and not
see the fulfillment of their dreams so
he could leave the door of grace open
for us Gentiles to be gathered in and we
can all march him together when Jesus
comes back amen
you