Joyce Meyer

Caught in the Mire of Deceit

Introduction:

For anyone who believes the Bible, it is a no-brainer that Joyce is a false teacher, being that she is a woman preacher and "pastor" and therefore overtly disobedient to the word of God. For the Scriptures explicitly forbid her to do what she does (1 Corinthians 14:34-35; 1 Timothy 2:11-14; 3:2; Titus 1:6). She admits on her website that she "entered full-time ministry" as "an associate pastor in a church in St. Louis, Missouri", and that "Joyce considers herself a practical Bible teacher". "Joyce was ordained over 25 years ago. She has a worldwide congregation". "She also preaches occasionally at the St. Louis Dream Center church, an inner-city outreach of Joyce Meyer Ministries." (www.joycemeyer.org/AboutUs/FAQ/faq.htm)

Moreover, besides promoting Joel Osteen's folly via selling his book, Your Best Life Now (https://shop.joycemeyer.org/eStore/Products/JMM/Clearance/Default.aspx?CurrentPage=6), here are a few examples of Joyce's false doctrine further proving her Satanic connection (hard copies on file of all web pages).

I. Loved By All People

In the "List of Confessions by Joyce Meyer" the very first "confession" reads,

Joyce writes this as if it is a good thing. It reveals she desires to be a friend of the world. James 4:4 says,

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Jesus said,

Jesus also said,

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. (John 15:19)

Joyce Meyer is of the world, and is therefore of the devil, since "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." (1 John 5:19) Joyce is no exception to being under his sway. If she was saved, she would be an exception to this (Colossians 1:13), but she is not saved. She is deceived (2 Timothy 3:13; Revelation 12:9), but nonetheless condemned (Revelation 21:8; 22:15). She claims to believe in Christ, but she does not (Titus 1:16), and is therefore under the wrath of God (John 3:18, 36).

I do all my work excellently and with great prudence - making the most of all of my time.

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. (Proverbs 27:2)

I know God's voice, and I always obey what He tells me.

I do not think more highly of myself than I ought to in the flesh.

I have plenty of money to give away all the time.

I never get tired or grow weary when I study the Word, pray, minister, or praise God; but I am alert and full of energy.

in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often . . . Who is weak, and I am not weak? (2 Corinthians 11:27-29)

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, . . . (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

III. Utter Hypocrisy

Joyce's idea of salvation is one in which one can play the abject hypocrite and still be on their way to heaven. In talking about her "christian" past, though she supposedly received Christ at the age of nine (Never Give Up!, p. 157), several times over she unwittingly admits she was an utter hypocrite, yet supposedly walking with God and saved the whole time. One place she writes,

When I first began my walk with the Lord, I was a chief worrier. I worried about and tried to figure out everything. I had to have everything in a certain place in my mind. I had become addicted to worry and reasoning because it gave me a feeling of being in control. And when I was in control, I felt comfortable.

Every time I accepted one of Satan's lies, I gave place to him in my thinking (see Ephesians 4:27). Over the years, this allowed him to develop a stronghold in my mind. Webster's II New College Dictionary defines a stronghold as "a fortress; an area dominated or occupied by a special group." Mental strongholds can be built out of either good thoughts or bad thoughts. In my case, my thinking had become dominated by worry and reasoning. I discovered that the only way to destroy a stronghold of lies is with the truth. (www.joycemeyer.org/NR/rdonlyres/D0B0EFF5-A9CF-41C1-9D95-6F74F2006264/0/WhereMindGoes.pdf, bold added)

It is sin to worry (e.g. Philippians 4:6) and it is not trusting nor believing in Christ (Isaiah 26:3). Joyce admits here to being "dominated" by sin (worry). She writes, "Every time I accepted one of Satan's lies" which was all the time, because she admits, "I worried about . . . everything". Therefore, she admits she was constantly worrying (sinning), not trusting Christ, and believing (thus following) Satan's lies continually. That describes someone who is still caught in sin (as in John 8:34), ensnared in darkness (as in 2 Timothy 2:26), and devoid of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). She claims she was walking with the Lord, but she was not.

In another place Joyce writes,

Although I appeared to function normally in society, I had multiple inward problems and complicated personality disorders. There were several things going on in me at the time that prevented me from receiving and experiencing the righteousness, peace and joy of God's kingdom (see Romans 14:17). But Jesus came so that we could have and enjoy kingdom living.

I was bitter about my past and had a chip on my shoulder, which caused me to have the attitude that everyone owed me preferential treatment. I was full of self-pity, especially if things didn't go my way. I was controlling, manipulative, fearful, insecure and harsh. I was just plain hard to get along with and often downright obnoxious. I was judgmental, suspicious and very negative. I experienced a lot of guilt and condemnation. I had a shame-based nature; therefore, everything I attempted was poisoned. Since I didn't like who I was, I spent many years trying to be like someone else. I'm sure you get the picture - I was quite a mess!

Now, what I'm getting ready to say is important. I was born again and actively involved in church life. We attended church regularly and did church work. Our lives revolved around the church, but I was not getting victory over my problems. In fact, the really sad part was that I didn't even understand that I had a problem. I thought everyone else had a problem and that if they would change, I would be happy. (www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/Articles/art51.htm, under "Physical abuse", bold added)

Now, if that doesn't describe someone who is utterly lost in sin, what does? Yet, Joyce says, "I was born again." In other words, it's not enough to be born again (according to Joyce). Even though Paul wrote, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17), someone can be "quite a mess," engrossed in Satan's turmoil ("disorders," "bitter," "fearful," etc.), and yet be born again, according to Joyce. If that is truly God's salvation, who needs it?! Joyce even goes so far as to say she was prevented "from receiving and experiencing the righteousness, peace and joy of God's kingdom." That describes the lost, not the saved.

What is Joyce's message here? You can be an utter hypocrite, and yet be born again.

Immediately after the above Joyce writes,

In 1976 I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 speaks of receiving God's power to be His witnesses. Notice it does not say to do witnessing but to be witnesses. The Bible says we are to be living epistles and read by all men (see 2 Corinthians 3:2), light in a dark world, and the salt of the earth (see Matthew 5:13,14). Doing is a different thing than being. I had my outside polished up, but my inner life was a wreck. Quite often the inner turmoil exploded, and then everybody could see I wasn't quite what I appeared to be. (bold added)

In other words, she was an outright hypocrite, as Jesus said to the false teachers of His day,

For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. (Matthew 23:25)

Hypocrites do not have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to "to those who obey Him" (Acts 5:32), not to those who continually disobey Him (Romans 8:5-8).

Joyce writes likewise in her book, Never Give Up!, where, again, in the context of when "I really loved God,"

I was controlling, manipulative, selfish, and angry. I was frustrated, aggravated, upset, and generally hard to get along with. (p. 171-172)

Two paragraphs later she continues,

I want you to understand that my improvement was very difficult and extremely slow for a long time. I didn't make much significant progress until I learned how to break the cycle of guilt in my life. If I made a mistake on Monday, I spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and part of Thursday feeling guilty about what happened on Monday. So I ruined not only Monday for myself but also Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. By the time Thursday afternoon rolled around, I finally felt a little better because I believed I had suffered long enough to pay for what I did on Monday.

Then what do you think happened on Thursday afternoon, just as I was finally starting to feel good about myself again? I made another mistake on Thursday night. Then Thursday night was ruined, which led to my feeling bad on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In the course of an entire week, I had only a few hours of freedom from guilt. What a miserable existence!

We must realize guilt does not change us, but it does trap us in the cycle of sin and more guilt. The truth is, the guilt itself is sin because the Bible says whatever is not of faith is sin. (bold added)

Joyce acknowledges here she was thus sinning, walking in sin and unbelief, virtually all week. Yet, she claims during this time, "I really loved God" (p. 171). Scripture says,

This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. (1 John 5:3)

Keeping His commandments is believing them, and part of believing them is accepting His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Joyce unwittingly admits here she outright rejected His word, His commandments, on the forgiveness of God. Yet, she claims she believed in Him ("I really loved God"). Joyce speaks lies in hypocrisy.

In the same book and context as above, Joyce further writes,

I was a committed Christian; I already had a ministry; and I was teaching a Bible study. But I felt guilty almost all the time. I always had a vague feeling on the inside that something simply was not right about me. Over and over again in my mind, I wondered, What's wrong with me? (p. 174, italics in original)

Something was wrong with her. She was a hypocrite and still is.

In this same context, a little later Joyce writes,

The Lord then impressed upon me that I would be doing Him a favor to receive His forgiveness and simply let go of the guilt and get on with His business. (p. 175, bold added)

Doing God a favor to receive His forgiveness? What an idea of fiction! Elihu said,

If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? (Job 35:7, see also verse 8)

In other words, you don't give Him anything! Joyce flatters herself with empty words (2 Peter 2:18).

In the following chapter, Joyce again admits her wickedness, while yet claiming to be a Christian.

That intense guilt and shame rendered me unable to do much that would make a difference or amount to anything for God. It was an underlying pressure that drained me of the ability to enjoy anything I did.

People who struggle with toxic, poisonous shame are often cold and unfriendly. I was like that - extremely hard-hearted, cold, and unfriendly. (p. 184, bold added)

Unfriendly equals unloving, and all who are unloving are without God (1 John 4:20; 2 Timothy 3:3 "unloving"), for God is love (1 John 4:8).

Sadly, in this same context, Joyce teaches others to play the hypocrite. To those who "have suffered under the weight of shame" for most of their life, in other words, to those who have lived like her, she says,

You are a wonderful person, and if you have suffered under the weight of shame for most of your life, allow me to reintroduce you to yourself. You need to meet the real you because you have been deceived into thinking you are someone you are not. You might say you have been the victim of identity theft. You are a child of God. (p. 187-188, bold added)

What a lie! They too have not believed God and believed in His forgiveness ("under the weight of shame") and lived in wickedness, and Joyce calls them a wonderful person and a child of God. She is telling them the exact opposite of the truth. The truth is, they are an evil horrible person and need to become a child of God. Joyce flatters the sinner, teaches hypocrisy, and shuts up the kingdom of heaven against men and women (as in Matthew 23:13).

Joyce, and all who follow her, will be cut in two and appointed a "portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 24:51)

III. Blasphemy

Joyce writes,

Forgive God if you are angry with Him because your life didn't turn out the way you thought it should. God is always just. There may be things you don't understand, but God loves you, and people make a serious mistake when they don't receive help from the only One who can truly help them. (www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/Articles/art48.htm, bold added)

It is nothing but blasphemy to suggest to someone that they forgive God. "Woe to him who strives with his Maker!" (Isaiah 45:9). It is to accuse God of wrong. With the Lord Almighty, there is nothing to forgive. Paul wrote,

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, . . . (2 Timothy 3:1-2)

We've already seen "lovers of money, boasters, proud" applicable to Joyce. She is also a blasphemer. And, she is also a,

IV. Lover of Self

Joyce writes,

I also encourage you to look in the mirror and say out loud, "God loves and accepts you, and so do I." You may even try hugging yourself. This is beneficial to people who have lacked love and acceptance in their lives. (www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/Articles/art29.htm, end of #2, bold added)

Did you know that if you don't like yourself, you are never going to like anybody else, and you won't be able to help your spouse like himself or herself? (www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/Articles/art24.htm 2nd paragraph)

If you like yourself - even though others may not - you'll make it. (www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/Articles/art20.htm, 2nd paragraph)

This is another gospel (Galatians 1:8-9). It is the gospel of self-like/love, which is foreign to the Word. The Word teaches to deny self (Luke 9:23), and even to hate one's own life (Luke 14:26).

In Joyce's book, Never Give Up!, she writes,

You have a relationship with yourself. You are with yourself more than you are with anybody else; you can never get away from yourself. You cannot ever go anywhere in the world without yourself, no matter how hard you try. This is why valuing yourself, liking yourself, and feeling good about who you are is so important. (p. 23)

If it is so important, why doesn't God ever command us to like ourselves in the Bible? Because Joyce follows the doctrines of men (Matthew 15:8-9). "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39) is a command to love your neighbor. Loving yourself is a given (Ephesians 5:29).

In another place Joyce writes,

The Lord gave this Word to me as I was preparing for one of my conferences, and I believe He wants me to share it with you. He said:

"So many are in prison because they won't accept themselves. So many are so gifted and talented, but they won't express themselves because they fear rejection. They fear man. They fear what people will think. I want to love My people, but they hold Me at arms length and won't let Me really love them because they have been hurt by others. They fear I will reject them because of their weaknesses - like people have - but I will never reject them. Tell them I love them. Ask them to stop trying so hard to be acceptable to Me and to realize I accept them where they are. Tell them I don't want perfect performance from them. I want them to love Me and to let Me love them." (www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/Articles/art41.htm)

This is no word from the God of truth (Isaiah 65:16). People won't accept themselves? The God of truth says,

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it. (Ephesians 5:29)

What people won't accept is the Holy True God. Him they reject (Romans 1:30 "haters of God"). They seek only rebellion (Proverbs 17:11). Therefore, any complaint about themselves is a complaint against the Creator, as it is written,

Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" (Romans 9:20)

Joyce's demon says, "I will never reject them." The real God warns He will reject for eternity!

You reject all those who stray from Your statutes. (Psalm 119:118; see also Proverbs 1:20-32)

Jesus warned on the day of judgment that He will say to many,

depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. (Matthew 7:23)

And to those who failed to love His followers Jesus will declare,

Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire. (Matthew 25:41)

Joyce's demon further states, "stop trying so hard to be acceptable to Me". The true God commands just the opposite.

Walk as children of light . . . finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8-10)

God condemns those who do not choose what is acceptable to Him, as it is written,

Therefore, I will number you for the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear. But did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight. (Isaiah 65:12)

So will I choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight. (Isaiah 66:4)

Finally, God does not accept people who hold Him at arms length as Joyce writes, and He most certainly wants "perfect performance," as it is written,

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

This is why we need a Savior (Romans 3:23).

V. Unforgiving

In Paul's list of last day vices in 2 Timothy 3:3 of those who have "a form of godliness" but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5), Paul lists "unforgiving" as one of the many vices of false Christians. Note what Joyce says in her book, Never Give Up!

I am continually amazed by the number of people I encounter who love God and are trying to move forward with Him while still harboring anger, unforgiveness, or other negative emotions in their hearts. Sometimes they are angry at someone for a situation or offense that happened many years ago. They often say, "Well, I have really tried to get over this, but I just can't." (p. 194)

Jesus said,

If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:15)

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:25-26)

If you do not forgive, you are not forgiven, and you prove yourself as one who does not love God; and you'll go to hell if you die in such a state (Matthew 18:23-35; Isaiah 66:24; Revelation 21:8). Jesus said,

He who does not love Me does not keep My words. (John 14:24).

VI. Slander

We've seen "lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers" (2 Timothy 3:2) applicable to Joyce. She is also a slanderer, a devil (2 Timothy 3:3, "slanderers," διαβολοι [diaboloi], devils). Speaking in the context of Abram in Genesis 12:1 and Joshua in Joshua 1:6-9 Joyce writes,

Both Abram and Joshua had to step out in faith and obedience to God and do what He had commanded them to do - even though they were afraid. (www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/Articles/art42.htm, bold added)

Nowhere does it say either one of them were afraid in those contexts. Joyce simply slanders them and adds to God's word (Proverbs 30:5-6).

VII. Psychobabble

The following quote is taken from Joyce Meyer's book, Never Give Up! In it she reveals how she is captive to empty psychological deceit (Colossians 2:8-10).

During the fall of Michelle's sophomore year in college, her life became overwhelming to her - even though nothing identifiable was wrong with her. In addition to anxiety, she struggled with everyday activities, she suffered a dramatic loss of energy, and her sense of hope for the future - and the present - took a major nosedive. Without intervention, Michelle's hope, energy, and coping abilities began to return as spring approached. By April of that year, she was her old self again.

Little did she know that depression would become the norm for her months at a time over the course of the next twenty years. At first she thought she simply struggled adjusting to school each fall, but even after she finished college and began her career, every autumn as the leaves fell to the ground, her moods and outlook on life plummeted too. Her symptoms grew worse with every passing year - to the point that she often wanted to die and be with the Lord and thought she had done so when she awoke in the middle of the night.

Michelle sought all kinds of help - counseling (both psychological and pastoral), doctors, nutritionists - but no one could help her. She eventually enrolled in a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and became one of the first people in the world to be diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder.

Thrilled to have a diagnosis, but deeply upset by the knowledge of that ongoing chemical glitch in her brain chemistry, she returned to her home and career in New York and tried to hold on to her life. For the next seven years, she and her doctor worked to find her the right balance of extending her day artificially by sitting for four hours a day under a very bright full spectrum light and taking antidepressant medication, which was extremely difficult for her to choose to do. Her Christian training and upbringing had taught her that her daily walk with God would give her strength, and that God could heal her depressions.

Today, Michelle knows the Lord saved her life. "I was so frustrated for so many years," she says. "I couldn't understand why God wouldn't give me relief . . . it seemed so little to ask. But God's ways aren't our ways, and His timing is often different than ours would be. But He does give us the strength to go through our afflictions and the insight to be able to use our suffering in constructive ways. Now I know that although God didn't heal me, He did save my life. Without His grace, I can say without hesitation that I wouldn't be here today." (p. 189-190, bold added)

Proverbs 12:25 says,

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression.

What's the answer? What's the solution?

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Isaiah 26:3 says,

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

A simple trust in Christ, belief in the Son (John 3:16), will remove anxiety and depression. Simply having the Spirit of God and walking by the Spirit will remove depression, since "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, . . ." (Galatians 5:22). It's quite evident Michelle does not have the Spirit of God, and is therefore not His (Romans 8:9).

It is no doubt true believers can sin and become anxious and depressed, but not as Michelle with no solution and no healing. How do true believers deal with anxiety or depression? With psych meds? With antidepressant medication? No. They turn to God and find help (Philippians 4:6-7), as the sons of Korah well illustrate:

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11, see also verses 5-10)

The sons of Korah found their help, hope, and solution in the Lord. God was the help of their countenance, i.e. their face. In other words, the Lord changed their face from sadness to joy, because their hope was indeed in God.

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