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