Joyce Meyer, Treating Yourself Right. Video sermon. Tells his life story to help others
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading Bible teachers and a New York Times bestselling author. Her books have helped millions of people find hope and rebirth.
Bible teacher and author
Joyce Meyer preaches on a wide range of topics, including the power of thoughts and words, the importance of right thinking, the human state of mind and relationships. Her sermons are more like a sincere conversation with the audience - she speaks openly about her life, shares her experiences, tells what God has taught her so that others can apply this knowledge and revelations to their lives.
Every year, Joyce hosts over a dozen major conferences in the United States and abroad, where he teaches people how to learn to enjoy life every day. For thirty years, she has also hosted an annual women's conference attended by 200,000 women from all over the world. In addition, Joyce hosts a television and radio program called Joyful Life, which is broadcast worldwide to an audience of approximately 4.5 billion people.
"Hand of Hope"
The purpose of the international mission "Hand of Hope", which is an important part of the Joyce Meyer Ministry, is to meet the basic needs of those who suffer and confirm the truth of the gospel with real deeds. With the Hand of Hope mission, Joyce travels extensively around the world, carrying out various programs to help people in dire need of a particular area.
Her hometown of St. Louis, where Joyce opened the Dream Center, which provides assistance to residents of disadvantaged areas of the city, does not remain without attention. Dave and Joyce opened this center in 2000, and to this day it is an integral and important part of Joyce Meyer Ministries.
Tells his life story to help others
For years, Joyce has been bringing the world a life-changing gospel message and how God has changed her life. Having been sexually abused as a child and endured many hardships later in her life, Joyce learned to overcome adversity by applying the truths of God's Word, and now helps others learn to do the same.
Joyce is a vivid example of how much Jesus Christ can change a person and his whole life.
We all want great things to happen in our lives, but very often we wish it all happened now, immediately, and not a moment later. When it doesn't, we are tempted to ask the question, "When will God, when?" Most of us need to grow in trust in God instead of constantly living with the question “when?”. If you do not have joy and peace, then you do not trust God. If your mind is in constant confusion, you do not trust God.
The tendency to know everything that is going on around you can harm your Christian life. Sometimes full knowledge produces discomfort, and even pain.
I spent a good part of my life impatient, constantly frustrated and frustrated, just because there was something in my life that I knew nothing about. God had to teach me to leave many things and no longer think that I must know absolutely everything. I eventually learned to trust the One Who Knows All and accepted that many questions I may never get an answer to. We confirm our faith in God when we refuse to worry and worry.
God wants us to live by discernment, the ability to recognize and operate knowledge received through revelation from Him, and not from our head. It is very difficult to recognize anything if we are constantly trying to understand absolutely everything with our mind. But when we make up our minds and say, “God, I can’t understand this, so I completely rely on You and believe that You will send me Your revelation that will set me free,” only then do we find inner peace, despite the fact that we still don't have an answer.
Trusting God does not require, and does not carry with it, the need to know how and when God will accomplish what is to come. We talk very often; “God is never late,” but He is also never in a hurry. Why? Because He uses the times of waiting to increase our faith, make certain changes, and grow our lives.
Wait with patience
We spend a huge part of our lives waiting, because change is a process. Many people desire change in their lives, but they don't want to go through the process of waiting. But the truth is that we have no choice - we will have to wait. The whole question is, will our expectation be right or wrong? If we are in the wrong expectation, our life will look insignificant. But if we are in the Divine expectation, we will become patient and the time of waiting will not be a heavy burden for us. The ability to expect, as well as everything else, needs practice and more practice. When we allow God to help us in all situations of our lives, we develop patience, which, by the way, is one of the main qualities of a Christian. Patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Gal. 5:22).
Patience develops only in trials, so we should not run away from the difficult situations of life, “but let endurance, steadfastness and patience carry out their actions and do solid work, so that you can be [human beings] perfectly and completely developed [without defect], without any lack” (Eng.) (James 1:4). The Bible says that as we develop patience, we will feel satisfied and lack nothing. Even our relationship with God involves progressive change. My relationship with God now is completely different from what it was at the beginning of my Christian life. They are not as emotional as then, but nevertheless they are much better. All the changes I've gone through have made me more mature, stronger, and more rooted.
We learn to trust God by going through many situations that require trust in Him. Seeing God's faithfulness again and again, we already refuse to trust ourselves, and completely put our trust and trust in Him.
When we look at life in this way, then it is easier for us to understand the important role that time plays in the process of teaching us to trust God. If God answered all our questions immediately, then we would never have spiritual growth and development. Time and faith always work in the same team.
Agree with God's timing
God puts hope and dreams in us to produce something in our lives, but He doesn't always let us see and know. exact time fulfillment of His plan. Confusion due to not knowing God's exact time very often forces us to create our own "programs and projects." There are times when we are ready to give up and give up everything if we are not informed how long we will have to wait. But when we agree with God's timing, we have the greatest opportunity to learn how to live in hope and be content with life while God works on our problems. We know that God has a wonderful plan for our lives, and when we trust Him, we sink into complete world and happiness.
The book of Genesis tells us the story of Joseph, who for many years waited for the fulfillment of a dream that God had given him. Joseph was wrongly accused and sent to prison before the God-determined time came for what God had shown him in his dream to happen.
Exodus 13:17 tells us that God led Israel the longest and hardest way to the promised land because He knew that these people were not ready to enter the promised land at the moment. It took time to prepare, and the Israelis had to go through serious trials. They lost a lot of time trying to understand and know God's times and seasons. Although during this period, God still never let them down and always took care of them, showing what He wants from them.
The same thing happens in our life. Many years passed after God showed me my calling in February 1976, and before I began to notice how much of what the Lord had called me began to be fulfilled. God's preparation time requires us to simply follow His directions and do what He tells us to do...without asking questions or trying to figure things out.
Learn to rely on God
Proverbs 16:9 says this: "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord guides his way." Proverbs 20:24 “Man's steps are directed from the Lord; how can a man know his way?” When God directs our steps, He often leads us in a way that we don't think makes any sense to us. We cannot always understand everything. If we try to find the cause of everything, we will end up in confusion, confusion and suffering. But there is a better way. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” As simple as it all sounds, yet so many people keep making the same mistake of trying to explain everything themselves. Most people spend almost their entire lives taking care of themselves, but when we accept Christ as our Savior, we must learn to trust Him with our lives and trust that He will take care of us. When we do this, then we can say with the Psalmist Psalm 30:15-16 “But I trust in You, Lord; I say: You are my God. My days are in Your hand."
1 Peter 5:5 says, “God opposes (resists, confuses, and strikes) the proud (arrogant, haughty, arrogant, presumptuous, boastful), but gives grace (favor and blessing) to the humble.” Anyone who thinks that he is the full owner of his life, and can do whatever he wants out of himself, is on the verge of a serious revelation, with which he will sooner or later have to agree. Jesus said: “Without Me (having nothing to do with Me) you can do nothing” (John 15:5) Submission and humility is what attracts the help and protection of God into our lives. When we humble ourselves by saying, "God, I don't know what to do, but I'm depending on You," God comes to our rescue.
God will not allow us to be successful in anything until we fully learn to rely and trust in Him. But when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, in due time he will lift us up (1 Peter 5:6). The "required time" is God's time when He knows we're ready, not when we think we're ready. The sooner we understand and accept this, the sooner God can bring His plans to fruition in our lives.
From sowing to harvest
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "To everything there is a season, and a season for every purpose under heaven." This indicates to us that we do not all live in the same season and time. You should not be jealous of someone who enjoys harvest time while you are still in the season of sowing. Remember that at one time they also went through the season of sowing, just as you are going through now. The results they are enjoying now should be your inspiration. Understand and believe: everything that God does is the best thing you need in the current season of your life.
The time of sowing means the time of study and knowledge of the will of God. Every time I choose the will of God over my own will, I am planting a wonderful seed that is sure to bring a harvest into my life. If you want to be victorious, you cannot be victorious by acting in this world according to your feelings. James 1:21 tells us how we should act and what our actions should be: “Laying aside all filthiness and excess of wickedness, receive in meekness the implanted (rooted in the heart) word, which is able to save your souls.”
Your soul is your mind, your will, and your emotions. When the Word of God penetrates them, takes root, and begins to change your mind, it begins to heal your emotions and redirect your will to do God's will, not our own. To live from one's own soul is equal to being in the desert. But when my flesh is finally crucified and I leave the interests of my soul and move to do the will of God, that is just the moment of entering the land of promise. The Land of Promise is knowing who you are in Christ Jesus, knowing how to fellowship with Him, enjoy His presence, and be in a state of rest, peace, devotion and joy.
There is a waiting period between the time of sowing and the time of harvest. After the seed is sown, heat, moisture and soil pressure break down the seed coat and the first crack appears. Then, through this crevice, the root offspring appears and begins to make its way into the soil. It takes a certain time for all these processes to occur in the soil. Without being able to see what is happening in the soil, it may seem to us that absolutely nothing is happening. These are the laws and ways of life. After we sow the seed of obedience, we very often do not feel that anything is happening, but nevertheless, so many internal processes that we are not able to see take place during this time. And just like the seed that one day breaks through the soil and a beautiful green sprout comes to the surface, our seed of obedience produces the beautiful manifestation of God in our lives.
When harvest time comes, the dreams and desires of our hearts begin to manifest, become visible. The shell is broken, and the most beautiful dreams that were hidden in our heart, one after another, come true. You suddenly notice that your children are changing, in your family one by one they are being saved. Prosperity, favor, promotion, respect, and other good things manifest and become visible. At harvest time, more than ever, you hear the Word from God, you enjoy His presence, and you are led by His Holy Spirit. Blessings start to follow you everywhere. Joy and indescribable peace become your constant mood.
Are you tired of waiting for "harvest time" in your life? You are confused and cry out to God, "When will God, when?" Then you just need to understand and accept that God's timing, for the most part, remains a mystery. God does not do His work according to our time, although His word says that He is never late. Habakkuk 2:3: “for the vision is still of a certain time, and speaks of the end, and will not deceive; and even if it slows down, wait for it, for it will certainly come true, it will not be canceled. God always works at the right time.
Our job is not to ask “when?” but to set our minds that we will not give up, we will not quit the race until we cross the finish line and enter into a life of the radical, unsurpassed blessings of God. The more you trust Jesus and constantly follow Him, the more life you will have in you. Trust in God brings life. Faith brings rest. So stop trying to explain everything and let God be God in your life.
2 years ago
How would your life change if you knew Jesus was coming today? He wants us to be ready to meet Him at any moment! Website: http://joycemeyer.ru Facebook: https://facebook.com/joycemeyerministriesrussian VKontakte: https://new.vk.com/jmmrussia Instagram: https://instagram.com/joycemeyerrussian
10 hours ago
#joycemeyers2019 #joycemeyer #God Learn how to turn off the negative thoughts in your head, trust God (even in your pain), and become spiritually renewed. joyce meyers 2019, joyce meyer, joyce meyer 2019, joyce meyers, joyce meyer sermons, joyce meyer sermons 2019, joyce meyers 2018, joyce meyer right and wrong mindsets, joyce meyers 2019 sermons, Pastor, New, Sacermons, Bishop, Bible, Preacher , Teaching, ministry, god
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We can't help but have feelings, but we can control them with our thoughts, words, and attitudes, and in today's program, Joyce talks about how to do that. Website: http://joycemeyer.ru Facebook: https://facebook.com/joycemeyerministriesrussian VKontakte: https://new.vk.com/jmmrussia Instagram: https://instagram.com/joycemeyerrussian
5 years ago
http://www.joycemeyer.ru/ Joyce Meyer preaches on a wide variety of topics, including the power of thoughts and words, the importance of right thinking, mental states and relationships. Her sermons are more like a sincere conversation with the audience - she speaks openly about her life, shares her experiences, tells what God has taught her so that others can apply this knowledge and revelations to their lives.
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Are you enjoying every day of your life? Or do you think that you will be happy when you reach your goal, when you get what you want? Jesus came to earth to "give us life and abundant life" (John 10:10) or, as the King James Bible says, "to rejoice in life." And if you are not enjoying life yet, then it's time to start! In Joyce Meyer's Joyful Life, she reveals the truths of God's word in the relationship between people and God.
9 months ago
Want to give up? Don't - God has a solution! Today Joyce talks about how to get God's grace to keep moving forward when you feel like giving up. Website: http://joycemeyer.ru Facebook: https://facebook.com/joycemeyerministriesrussian VKontakte: https://vk.com/jmmrussia Instagram: https://instagram.com/joycemeyerrussian
3 years ago
Faith is like a muscle: it only grows if you exercise it regularly. Joyce teaches how to use faith in your daily life. Website: https://joycemeyer.ru Facebook: https://facebook.com/joycemeyerministriesrussian VKontakte: https://new.vk.com/jmmrussia Instagram: https://instagram.com/joycemeyerrussian
4 years ago
Understand how much Christ loves you and believe that it is normal and even godly to love yourself as you have become in Christ. Website: https://joycemeyer.ru Facebook: https://facebook.com/joycemeyerministriesrussian VKontakte: https://new.vk.com/jmmrussia Instagram: https://instagram.com/joycemeyerrussian
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We need to stop being offended if we are to experience peace and joy and be strong. Website: https://joycemeyer.ru Facebook: https://facebook.com/joycemeyerministriesrussian VKontakte: https://new.vk.com/jmmrussia Instagram: https://instagram.com/joycemeyerrussian
3 years ago
Joyce teaches you how to start your day on a positive note and reduce the number of bad days—days that the enemy ruins for us. Website: https://joycemeyer.ru Facebook: https://facebook.com/joycemeyerministriesrussian VKontakte: https://new.vk.com/jmmrussia Instagram: https://instagram.com/joycemeyerrussian
PREFACE.
We all serve the All-Knowing God, who constantly keeps us in His field of vision. Nothing can surprise God. He knows in advance everything that will happen. Psalm 139-1 says that He knows our thoughts before they enter our heads, and our words that we have not yet spoken. Most of us need to develop our ability to trust God and silence the ever-growing question "when?"
I pray that your spirit will be filled with peace as you yourselves rest in the Lord, trusting that, as King David said, "my days are in his mighty hands" (Ps. 30:16, author's paraphrase) .
Chapter 1. EXPECTATION AND TRUST."I trust in You, Lord, I trust in You and am confident in You; You are my God. My days are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute and persecute me." Psalm 30:15, 16
In this passage of Scripture, the psalmist says that he trusted God, knowing that He would deliver him and do it at the right time. Only those who trust Him can say: "What is to happen and when is up to You" (retelling).
I learned that if we want to trust God, we need to take into account the fact that some of our questions may remain unanswered. We must give God the right to set the time, we must believe that if we are not able to answer all questions, He is able. He knows what and when in our life should happen. We all long for the most amazing things to happen in our lives, and right now, not later!
But as we become more mature Christians, we will learn that it is much more important for us that what we want be done not now, but at God's appointed time. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." We can have faith now, but the fruits of faith do not always appear now, immediately.
When we trust God in something, most often we do not know how and when He will do what we need to fulfill our desires. We often say, "God is never late," but it is also true that He is never in a hurry. Why? Because the time that we spend waiting, He uses to strengthen our faith, for our education.
Recently, a family that supports our ministry found itself in a difficult financial situation as they had to pay unexpected taxes. The due date was April 15th. Trusting in God's promise and expecting a miracle from Him, they gave a special donation to our Life in the Word ministry. On April 14, they received the money they needed. The question may arise: why did God not give the money on April 1 or 5?: Why does God sometimes wait until the last day or the last minute?
The reason is simple: He teaches us lessons in trust! Trust cannot be inherited from parents; he can only learn! We learn to trust God as we go through trials that make us trust Him. Convinced again and again of God's faithfulness and trusting only in Him, we cease to trust ourselves and gradually enter into God's rest.
Looking at life from this perspective, it's easy to see how waiting for God's appointed time teaches us to trust Him. If He would grant our every request immediately, we would not change or grow. Expectation and trust are twins. They work hand in hand.
Chapter 2Leviticus 26:4 says, "I will give you rain in due time." Galatians 6:9 says that "by doing good and doing noble things, we must not be discouraged, discouraged, and weary, because in due time and at the appointed time we will reap the harvest, if we do not relax, we are not timid, and we do not weaken. ". In 1 Peter we are advised to "humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may lift us up."
What is "your time"? I am sure that these words speak of the time when everyone who is involved in some situation is ready for its resolution and when this coincides with the overall plan of God. God has a plan for each individual, but He has a general plan for the whole world.
I remember a time when I was extremely frustrated that literally nothing was happening in my ministry. I knew that I was given the anointing to preach God's Word, but I never got the chance to do so. It felt like I had been waiting for so long. I felt ready to take on the task. I cooperated with God. He did in me great job, and now it was completely incomprehensible to me why the matter was not moving forward. I remember asking God, "God, what are you waiting for now? Am I not ready yet?" He answered me like this: "You are ready, but the others who will participate in your ministry are not yet. I am still working on them, and you will have to wait a bit."
You see, God does not pressure people, does not push them, does not require anything from them, does not manipulate them, and does not force them to do something. He leads, directs, induces and proposes, and it depends on each individual whether to submit his will to God or not. Some will need less, and some more time to put themselves in God's hands.
Therefore, if God is preparing a group of people for a common cause, some may be ahead of others in the process of preparation. This creates certain difficulties, since in the initial stage of the process, the members of the group themselves most often do not know either God's plan, or even each other.
This situation is a perfect example of this. A man asks God for a suitable spouse. God, of course, is preparing such a spouse, but often the one who asks gets tired of waiting, because he does not know what is happening "behind the scenes." Perhaps he is praying to God to give him a mature Christian as his wife, acting in the gifts of the Spirit, called to the ministry, etc. However, he will have to wait a little while until his "special order" is completed, because this takes time. Mature believers cannot appear overnight. However, God has a person he needs.
Dave "got" me very quickly, and only because he did not demand anything special from God. He only asked God to give him a wife who would suit him and who needed help. He prayed to God about this for about a year. We met, met five times and got married. At the time of the first publication of this book in 1994, our family history was 28 years. Dave, as he himself claims, knew from our first meeting that I was meant for him, but he was in no hurry to propose to me, because he did not want to frighten me away.
Only three weeks after his marriage, he came to the conclusion that I really needed help, because I had a lot of problems. Very soon, he received an answer to his prayer, but he had to endure a lot while I grew in God and overcame everything that remained in me from my sad past (as a child, I constantly experienced sexual abuse and received severe moral trauma).
God knew that Dave was a mature enough believer to endure all the hardships he had with me; so He quickly answered Dave's request. He was strong enough to help someone who had a lot of problems. Dave was ready for God to use him, and God did. If Dave had not been able to endure the difficulties ahead of him, or if he had asked God for a more perfect wife, he would have to wait until the right time came and I as a person would not become the person that Dave wanted me to be.
In other words, it is very important to understand that while we are waiting for the fulfillment of our requests, God is also working on those people who play a certain role in the fulfillment of our prayers. Only faith can shorten the waiting time.
Let's think about the term "in due time" when it comes to finances. In verse 2 of 3 John it says, "Beloved, I pray that you will be healthy and prosper in all things, as your soul prospers." The phrase "how your soul prospers" tells us that God places the level of prosperity in direct proportion to the level of maturity. "How your soul prospers" refers to the speed with which we allow God to bring our mind, will, and feelings into line with His will.
Maturity is a process that takes time. How long this takes depends on God's plan and how we interact with that plan. God will not give us prosperity if we are not ready for it, because He loves us too much. He tells us in Galatians 6:9, "Let us not lose heart in doing good; for in due time we shall reap, if we do not faint." "In due time" is when God is sure that we are ready, not when we think we are ready.
Too much blessing can make a person arrogant. This is why the Bible teaches us not to put a new believer in a position of leadership: because he is not mature enough, a high position can make him presumptuous (1 Tim. 3:6).
There is a time for everything in our lives, and when we "step in step" with God, this provides us with the security we need. I pray that I will act in accordance with the perfect will of God and in His appointed time - not ahead of Him and not one step behind Him.
Chapter 3. APPOINTED TIME.In the Acts of the Apostles (1:6-8) we read that the disciples asked Jesus questions about last days and he told them that it was not their place to know the times and seasons which the Father had determined by his own authority and by his choice.
You see, the disciples still believed that Jesus would create an earthly kingdom.
They asked when He would restore the State of Israel. Jesus never succeeded in convincing them that He was going to establish a spiritual kingdom and that His kingdom would exist within them. The Bible warns us that knowledge without wisdom is dangerous. If Jesus had told the disciples when He would establish His kingdom, it could have ended in disaster, for they did not even understand what His kingdom was.
Very often we want to know when this or that event will happen, but God cannot reveal it to us, because we do not have sufficient wisdom to properly dispose of this knowledge. The book of the prophet Habakkuk (2:3) says: “For the vision still refers to a certain time and speaks of the end (fulfilment) and will not deceive or disappoint; canceled and carried out no later than the appointed day. The fulfillment of the vision will not be delayed a single day.
The "appointed time" means that God knows when something should happen. We must humble ourselves and our ideas before the wisdom and power of God and trust Him if He says He will do everything in time.
The term "appointed time" also means that this time is determined for some reason. It can be compared to an appointment. You can't meet a person earlier than he has appointed you, and there's nothing you can do about it. God has determined for each event its time, i.e. different issues of our life will be decided in His appointed time. And we just have to calm down and wait patiently, because one way or another everything will happen at the appointed time, and not before.
Chapter 4The time when God calls a person to some work, gives him the anointing, and then separates him to do this work, is divided into three large periods. Very often, these periods are quite long, especially if God intends to use this person in a special way. Being used in a special way does not mean becoming world famous; it only means that this person will influence a significant number of people. In this and the next two chapters, we will consider each of these three points (calling, anointing, and election) separately.
When God calls someone, it can be both a surprise for a person and something that has long been known. I once read how one of the US presidents said in his interview that already in his early youth he wanted to become the president of America and "just knew" that one day it would happen.
My calling came to me unexpectedly. One morning, as I was making my bed, I suddenly heard the voice of the Lord telling me, "You will preach My Word everywhere and your teaching will be spread by audio cassettes." Although the voice was not audible, it sounded very clear and loud enough inside me. And from that moment on, I "just knew" that this was my purpose, and I felt a great, often all-consuming desire to preach God's Word.
Never before had I known that I was called by God to preach the Word to people. If, however, to look back, then along the road of my life you can see signs that led in this direction. I have always had the ability to express my thoughts clearly and understandably, both verbally and in writing. Already in high school, many people were looking for my help in solving their problems. And even then I felt the desire to help people put their lives in order. On the day of high school graduation, I was asked to address the graduates with a parting word that would call them to great things. After graduating from high school, I considered the possibility of becoming a psychologist, the essence of which is to help people.
As the years went on, I got closer and closer to the Lord, but along with that I suffered from a number of serious problems that were related to my past. By this time we already had three children. I remember how, after returning from Sunday evening services and putting the children to bed, I waited for the house to plunge into absolute peace and quiet. And then I lay down on the sofa and in this silence repeated the words of the sermon I had heard - only now it was not the pastor, but I was standing in the church at the pulpit. Then I did not understand why I do this, but now it can be easily explained.
Regardless of whether your calling is revealed to you suddenly or gradually, from the moment you are called, you enter a period of preparation.
Chapter 5During the period of preparation, the anointing will be gradually and in due course released in you. The anointing is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, enabling us to accomplish what we are called to do. The Holy Spirit teaches, corrects, sanctifies, strengthens and helps us. He molds us into vessels that are suitable for the use of the Master. And this process can take many years.
Remember Moses. He felt he was called to lead his people out of slavery. Setting to work with great zeal, he killed an Egyptian who pushed around an Israelite. As a result, he had to spend forty years in the wilderness, becoming a shepherd, learning the ways of God, and humble himself. He gained experience. A person without preparation, experience and humility cannot feel the difference between when he is driven only by personal zeal, and when the time appointed by God comes.
The portions of the anointing will be poured out upon us according to how well we do in the preparation process. Remember Joseph, whom God called to become the ruler of Egypt in order to save many people from starvation. As a boy, he had dreams about this and, in the heat of delight, told about them to his brothers. They, in turn, were not happy that they would have to bow to their younger brother, and sold him.
Joseph, of course, did not mean anything bad when he told the dreams. He was a good boy, but he obviously lacked the wisdom not to tell his dreams. God allowed difficulties to enter his life. These were the times that helped him gain wisdom. Joseph's experiences prepared him to fulfill his calling. He experienced betrayal not only from his brothers, but also from friends, whom he trusted. He was slandered, unjustly convicted and punished for what he did not do, and he had to wait many years before he saw the fulfillment of his dreams.
We all have experiences like this in our lives that help us grow and change. They prepare us for the service of God and train us to endure under any conditions. These difficulties in our lives are created not by God, but by Satan. The devil does everything to destroy us, and God turns it all to our advantage. Joseph knew this well, as evidenced by his words to his brothers: "The evil that you plotted against me, God turned into good" (Genesis 50:20; the author's paraphrase).
When God called me to preach His Word, my family and friends rejected me, and I felt very alone and resentful. I was treated badly, they did not understand me, and they spoke badly about me. To tell the truth, at that time I was brash, impulsive and unwisely zealous, i.e. was herself. We can only add that everyone who goes through the period of preparation suffers from this.
If you think you don't have these problems, I want to warn you: you're going to get a lot of unpleasant revelations about yourself! And until you "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God," your appointed time will not come (1 Peter 5:6).
Today, I can look back and clearly identify the milestones associated with the milestones of my personal development, each of which brought a new measure of anointing.
Bible Lessons at HomeAt one of the early stages, God told me to leave my well-paid job, as it was required to prepare for the ministry. I carried out His order, but as a result, our income decreased by 50 percent. God has always provided for our needs, but in general these have been "bad years".
I started giving Bible lessons at home, and this went on for about five years. For the first two and a half years I preached once a week, but so many people began to gather that I had to hold classes twice - in the morning and in the evening. And although the lack of money weighed heavily on Dave and me, I did not receive a single cent for these lessons.
The people to whom I preached, and there were about 25 of them in each lesson, opposed the very idea of any donation in my favor, although they saw our rather deplorable financial condition. This attitude hurt me, but at the same time it cleared my motives. I continued to teach and didn't do it for the money. At times I had to suppress indignation and indignation, but in the end I realized that everything that happened was predetermined by God. He did not want me to know who and how will provide us with everything we need. He wanted to make Himself my only source, and so I had to wait, going through difficult situations that one usually wants to avoid.
Many do just that. Although they are called, they are nevertheless unwilling to endure the hardships of the preparatory period, and therefore do not become chosen from among those who are called. Matthew 20:16 says, "Many are called, but few are chosen." I have heard a preacher interpret this scripture thus: "Many are called, but only a few are willing to take responsibility for their calling."
2 Timothy 2:15 gives us an explanation of the responsibility we have: “Study, be conscientious, and strive to present yourself to God as a worthy (tested) worker, blameless, right interpreter and presenter (correctly practicing and skillfully teaching) word of truth."
During the years that I taught the Word to twenty-five listeners in the living room of my house, God taught me so much about my ministry.
Put it on the shelfThen there was a year during which absolutely nothing happened in my ministry. God spoke to me and said, "Don't teach any more lessons; I'm doing something new." And I suddenly lost the slightest desire to conduct these homework! Shortly before that, we had a baby. My heart told me what I had actually heard from God. This was confirmed by the circumstances.
And only one thing prevented me from being obedient. People finally started to give us a small donation every week. Usually it was 15 - 50 dollars, but a significant amount was collected in a month. Now, in order to move on to the next stage of preparation, I had to give up this source of finance.
Having made this great sacrifice of obedience, my flesh was expecting something out of the ordinary; but nothing happened this year! I never got a chance to preach! In many ways, this year has been the most difficult of my life. I was tormented by questions: maybe I misunderstood God? Maybe the whole vision is just a figment of my imagination? Will I see my dream come true? But God kept answering the same thing: "Stop and know that I am God" (Ps. 45:11).
Sometimes it's so hard to wait for God's appointed hour. At that time, I did not yet know everything that I am now telling you about. When we look back, we understand how all events are interconnected, however, at the time when we go through them, we do not have such an understanding. Sometimes God seems to "put people on a shelf" and leave them there for a little while. At such moments it seems that nothing is happening, but in fact a lot is happening in the spirit. This is a time of growth, "tuning" and purification. This is the time when faith is strengthened in what is not visible to the eye.
next five yearsToward the end of this year of waiting, Dave and I began attending a new church that had just opened in the suburbs of St. Louis. It was a small church, for about 30 people, but nevertheless, we had a strong testimony in our hearts that God wanted to see us in this particular church. Some time later, I was given the opportunity to hold women's meetings on Thursdays at our church, which was called Life. This was the next phase of my ministry that was ordained by God, as the appointed time had come.
God blessed this undertaking, the number of visitors began to grow rapidly and reached 400 people a week. I ended up working in the church as an assistant pastor. In the same church, I was ordained and became a teacher in the church's Bible school. The church sponsored my first radio program, which aired in the city of St. Louis.
During these five years of work in the Life Church, I have learned many useful lessons. One of them was submission to superiors. A person who does not have experience of working under someone else's leadership cannot become a leader himself. Remember, submission is not just an action, it's an attitude. It is not enough just to carry out the instructions given to you; an attitude of obedience must be born in your heart, especially if you are such a wayward and stubborn person as I was.
After some period of time, I learned to work with people and perform various functions of service. I also learned a lot about waiting. God put various dreams and desires in my heart, but since the appointed time had not yet come, I had to wait patiently, learn more and grow more intensively.
I remember these years as an amazing time when laughter and tears, joyful excitement and disappointment succeeded each other. During our time at Life Church, pastors Rick and Donna Shelton and I became close friends and are great friends to this day. We have grown together in the Lord.
I realized that people who grow spiritually together are more devoted to each other; they develop a deep relationship that lasts for many years.
When the number of members of the Life Church increased to 1200 people, the church was preparing to move into a beautiful new building. Our lives were full of victories and joyful excitement, and then God spoke again.
Chapter 6. ELECTION."Life in the Word" beginsRemember the first time God spoke to me? The calling came to me while I was making my bed. The Lord said, "You will preach My Word everywhere and your teaching will be spread by audio cassettes." To some extent, this vision was fulfilled during the preparation period, but by and large, its implementation was still ahead.
One day while I was praying, the Lord specifically pointed out to me one particular passage of Scripture: Philippians 2:16. It says, "Holding (before the world) and offering (to all people) the Word of Life..." That day I was given a dream that all of America would listen to my radio program.
At that time, no radio station broadcast my program. I have traveled a little for the purpose of preaching the Word, but not far. My heart longed for more, but it seemed to me that God could fulfill all these desires through my ministry in Life Church, which brought me much joy. But God had other plans.
Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord guides his way." I had a plan, and it seemed to me that it was according to the plan of God, but God said to me: “Here I have done everything that I wanted to do through you. Let your ministry now spread to the north, south, east and west.” I sensed in my spirit that I was about to begin holding Life in the Word meetings outside of the church. For a long time I resisted this thought, but in the end I clearly felt that it came from God. I also knew that if my decision was wrong, I would lose everything that was the last ten years of my life. I was scared!
Finally, I finally obeyed God and left my job in the church. During this transitional period, God showed me that He is now choosing me—separating me to fulfill my calling. Everything I've experienced so far has been wonderful, but it was just preparation. With each step along this path, the burden of responsibility increased, but with it, God's anointing also increased.
Acts 13:2 tells how, while the saints were worshiping together, the Holy Spirit commanded them to separate Paul and Barnabas for the work to which He had called them. So far, their ministry has also brought good results. However, the day came when God said, "The appointed hour has come..."
I want to assure you that at the appointed time of God you will see the realization of that dream and that vision that God has put in you. If He has called you, that call will find its fulfillment at His appointed time. Engage with God along the way, and remember that calling, anointing, and election can take many years. Be faithful in little things. Your days are in His hands.
Impatient people most often do not wait for the completion of great undertakings, because great things take more time than small ones. What is assembled hastily, to the liking of the impatient, but it is not strong and durable. If people are willing to wait for the appointed time of God, then what they expect will be strong and durable.
From time to time we see the appearance of "stars" in the ministry - people who seem to come from nowhere and almost overnight become world famous. This is usually because they are lucky enough to meet people with the ability to "open doors". Rarely their "flight" lasts long. Most often, they begin financial troubles or appear moral issues because they did not have to endure the hardships that build the character of a minister.
If a person manages to somehow avoid difficulties and gain success in a very short time, you should not expect lasting results. Mark 4:5, 6 says that the seeds that sprout in one night dry out in the hot rays of the sun. When we finally gain the ability to cherish the time that passes in waiting, God zealously takes up the work. And although we do not see what is happening "behind the scenes", this is what makes us truly happy.
Chapter 7If you've been waiting for something for a long time and don't see any progress, waiting is probably very tiring for you. I want to advise you to approach waiting in a new way. The Bible says in Mark 4:20-27 that we need to be patient, like a farmer who sows seeds and then waits for "the early and latter rain." The Word says that while he is waiting for shoots to appear, he gets up and lies down again, and eventually they appear, but he, the farmer, does not know how this happens.
Through this scripture, God taught me that while we wait for our dreams to come true, we should continue to live with what we have. You can focus all your attention on giving birth to something new, forgetting about what we have to take care of at the moment, and stop enjoying life.
I received a vision from God ten years before I began to feel its fullness, and I think that all these ten years I deprived myself of joy because I tried to achieve the fulfillment of this vision earlier than God intended.
Let's imagine a pregnant woman who already has five children. If she tried to give birth to a sixth child in the first month of pregnancy, it would look at least ridiculous. What if she tried so hard to have a baby that she completely stopped caring for the other five? It is not difficult to see the senselessness of such a course of events. However, very often in spiritual things people act in this way.
Enjoy what you have now while you wait for changes in your life! When the Bible says that the farmer gets up and goes to bed, I'm sure that this symbolizes his everyday, everyday life that flows while he waits for the shoots of his imaginary garden to sprout.
Once, in a crowded airport, a pastor met my husband and I. There were lines everywhere - at the escalators, in restaurants. It seemed that wherever we went, queues were waiting for us everywhere. I noticed that the pastor is clearly annoying this constant expectation. Suddenly he turned to me and said, "As you can see, I can't stand waiting very well."
If we do not learn to wait patiently, it will affect not only our behavior, but also our health. We spend most of our lives waiting for something, and if having to wait annoys you, it causes stress, which takes a heavy toll on your body. The pastor, who could not bear the wait, was seriously ill at the time, and this, according to the doctor, was caused by many years of stress. Start thinking about the process of waiting in a new way, and then it will not cause you so much trouble.
After all, you will agree if I say that in this life we spend most of the time in expectation, and not in receiving something. After we get what we expect, we begin to wait for something else. If you understand my point, you can realize that waiting is a major part of our life.
Let's say that when you get your next pay raise, you immediately start waiting for the next one. First you wait for the baby to be born, then you wait for him to grow out of diapers and start wearing pants, and soon after that you start waiting for him to be able to buy his own pants! First you wait until you can buy your own house, and then you wait until you can buy furniture for your home. Then you wait until you can hire someone to help you with housework and clean furniture. Do you understand what I mean?
Learn to enjoy waiting, realizing that it is waiting that will bring you the fulfillment of your dream. It would be more accurate to say this: the ability to wait is the way to make your dreams come true. The fulfillment itself, of course, comes from God, and the expectation is the "messenger". Often a person is waiting for something, but by the time the "messenger" finally knocks on his door, he is already waiting for something else, and, in all likelihood, when the realization of a dream appears on the threshold, he will not be at home.
Impatient people most often do not wait for the completion of great undertakings, because great things take more time than small ones. What is hastily assembled, to the liking of the impatient, but it
God is acting suddenly!
My daughter Sandra had some longstanding problems (though everyone has them). These were not problems of one or two weeks - she struggled with them almost all her life. But one night, in one of my meetings, God suddenly released her.
I think we were then in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I knew the Lord was going to do something special for her. The service has begun. Sandra looked at me and knew something was about to happen because I kept looking at her. Then God prompted me to pray for her. I asked her to come forward and said, "Well, that's it, now you will be free from these problems." Laying my hands on her, I really felt God's anointing and felt the strength that came out of me. Sandra immediately fell under the influence of the Holy Spirit and lay for some time, while God did His work in her. She did not understand then what had happened, but she knew that after a while she would understand.
Don't lose hope
Of course, the devil will try to convince you that you will remain with your problems for the rest of your life and that your cause is hopeless. He wants you to think, “I will never change. My circumstances will never change. I will never be different. My marriage will never be happy. My financial situation will never improve. I will never get smarter. I will always be disorganized. God does something for everyone but me. I'm the only one for whom He's not going to do anything."
Do you understand that the devil inspires you with such thoughts? He is a liar (John 8:44), so every thought he throws at you is a complete lie. Find out what God says about you in His Word, and then you will recognize the thoughts that Satan is forcing on you. If you're well versed in the Word, you won't believe these thoughts. We are used to complicating things, although in reality everything is much simpler. You can change suddenly! Your circumstances may change suddenly! And this is great news! I want to wake up every morning with the expectation that today God can do something suddenly!
You only have to wait
Look at what is written in the book of Acts 1:4: "... while he was with them and ate with them at the same table, he commanded them ...". What Jesus said next was not just a good suggestion. It was a command. He commanded the disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. You have to wait for God to act.
Perhaps you don't know much about what waiting is from God's point of view. Waiting for the actions of God is not a state of depression, not a depressed mood and a passive attitude when you do not want to take on anything. To wait for God to act means to do only what He tells you to do. And do nothing else until He tells you again.
