Jesus didn’t die for us to be miserable

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Jan 5, 2018
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I was watching a Joyce Meyer video today and she said something that really resonated with me that I wanted to share. She said ‘Jesus didn’t die for us to be miserable’. How true is that. We go through life worried, anxious, etc. and what for? What was the point of Jesus going through all that if we’re just going to be unhappy. I hope this message lifts your spirits. God bless.
 

danja

Senior Member
Nov 28, 2014
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#2
Amen,This is very encouraging
 

NotmebutHim

Senior Member
May 17, 2015
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#3
No, we don't HAVE to be miserable, but Jesus DID say that we would have trouble, face temptations, deal with rejection and with disappointments in this life.

We still find joy in Him though, because He has overcome the world. It's important to remember that joy and happiness are not the same thing.

:cool:
 
Dec 28, 2016
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#4
The disciples flogged numerous times, with John(according to history) being the only who died of natural causes. Paul was beaten five times, imprisoned, shipwrecked, mocked, ridiculed, &c. Beheaded by Nero. Look at all the CHRISTians martyred during the many Roman Inqusitions for crying out loud.

But God wants us to live in lavish homes, drive luxury cars, fly in multi-million dollar private jets, have our 'best life now'.

Apparently those disciples who were crucified, beheaded, speared through, the other CHRISTians who had to hide in caves, who were martyred for the cause of the Christ didn't get the memo.

Phillipians 1:29?
 
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kaylagrl

Guest
#5
I was watching a Joyce Meyer video today and she said something that really resonated with me that I wanted to share. She said ‘Jesus didn’t die for us to be miserable’. How true is that. We go through life worried, anxious, etc. and what for? What was the point of Jesus going through all that if we’re just going to be unhappy. I hope this message lifts your spirits. God bless.
Just to let you know a lot of people are probably going to tear you up over Joyce Meyer. Had to warn you. Doesn't matter whether what she said is right or not to some people.
 

Shamah

Senior Member
Jan 6, 2018
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#6
James 1:2, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.”

Isaiah 60:1-4, “Arise, shine, for your light has come! And the esteem of יהוה has risen upon you. For look, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. But יהוה arises over you, and His esteem is seen upon you. And the nations shall come to your light, and sovereigns to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around and see: all of them have gathered, they have come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are supported on the side.”


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]יהוה [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]is good; Blessed is the man that takes refuge in Him!”[/FONT]
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#7
The disciples flogged numerous times, with John(according to history) being the only who died of natural causes. Paul was beaten five times, imprisoned, shipwrecked, mocked, ridiculed, &c. Beheaded by Nero. Look at all the CHRISTians martyred during the many Roman Inqusitions for crying out loud.

But God wants us to live in lavish homes, drive luxury cars, fly in multi-million dollar private jets, have our 'best life now'.

Apparently those disciples who were crucified, beheaded, speared through, the other CHRISTians who had to hide in caves, who were martyred for the cause of the Christ didn't get the memo.

Phillipians 1:29?
A lot of those old boys missed the memo.......... but if I just had 1/10 of the riches Abe had, I wouldn't complain a bit. (To name but just one of the many rich people God kind of smiled on.)
 
Dec 28, 2016
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#8
Just to let you know a lot of people are probably going to tear you up over Joyce Meyer. Had to warn you. Doesn't matter whether what she said is right or not to some people.
I am not tearing anyone up, and I am not saying you're accusing me of doing this, either. But she teaches a false doctrine...really, doctrines. First off, she pastors a church, and that's unbiblical. She teaches the Christ suffered in hell, iirc. Then she's all in the prosperity 'gospel'. She needs to be avoided at all cost...avoided like the black plague.
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#9
I am not tearing anyone up, and I am not saying you're accusing me of doing this, either. But she teaches a false doctrine...really, doctrines. First off, she pastors a church, and that's unbiblical. She teaches the Christ suffered in hell, iirc. Then she's all in the prosperity 'gospel'. She needs to be avoided at all cost...avoided like the black plague.
That's news to me. What church does she pastor?
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
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#11
No Joyce Meyer fan - but I agree, no need to go around all grumpy and miserable.
 
Dec 28, 2016
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#12
That's news to me. What church does she pastor?
This is all I could find, and its from wiki, so buyer beware...

"Within a few years, Meyer was the church's associate pastor. The church became one of the leading charismatic churches in the area, largely because of her popularity as a Bible teacher. She also began airing a daily 15-minute radio broadcast on a St. Louis radio station.

I don't know why it was bolded.
 

Angela53510

Senior Member
Jan 24, 2011
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#13
I was just reading an excellent apologetic book by Tim Keller last night, “The Reason for God” and he said the exact opposite. Jesus suffered terribly at the cross, and yet, we are above that? Oh right, because the resurrection brought heaven to earth. NOT!

What the resurrection did was use the perfect sacrifice for sin on the cross, to bring us salvation. Not happiness, health or wealth. Jesus didn’t die so we would escape the physical things of this world. He died because of his love. And that meant taking on our misery, and suffering. Jesus is “God with us” Immanuel - even in our worst sufferings. That is my hope. Not some fictitious “happy” world, where no one is miserable. It is eastern religions and the New Age movement that deny suffering and pain. In Buddhism, suffering is an illusion. Once you can totally live that, then you are enlightened.

That is also what Joyce and the other Word Faithers are doing. They are telling us to pretend that sorrow, death, pain and suffering do not exist. Or, if they exist, deny your feelings and be happy. This has nothing to do with Biblical Christianity. This world is a veil of tears. Our hope is in the next life. When there is a new heaven and earth, and sorrow and sighing are really gone, not just denied.

Jesus speaks of when he returns to earth as a palingenesis.

“I tell you the truth at the renewal of all things, (Gr. palingenesis) the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne.” Matt 19:28

Jesus insists HIS RETURN will be with such power that the very material world and the universe will be purged of all decay and brokenness. All will be healed and all the might-have-beens will be!

Embracingh the Christian doctrines of the incarnation and the cross bring profound consolation in the face of very real suffering. The doctrine of the resurrection can instill us with a powerful hope. It promises that we will get the life we longed for, but it will be infinitely more glorious than if there had never been the need for bravery, endurance, sacrifice or salvation.

This is the ultimate defeat of evil and suffering! It will not only be ended, but so radically vanquished that what has happened will only serve to make our future life with Christ and joy infinitively greater. Is this the “miserable” that Joyce is talking about? I didn’t think so!
 
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kaylagrl

Guest
#14
I am not tearing anyone up, and I am not saying you're accusing me of doing this, either. But she teaches a false doctrine...really, doctrines. First off, she pastors a church, and that's unbiblical. She teaches the Christ suffered in hell, iirc. Then she's all in the prosperity 'gospel'. She needs to be avoided at all cost...avoided like the black plague.

I don't agree with everything she says,but I didn't want the OP to be shell shocked. He's new and people can tear a subject up pretty quick here.
 
Dec 28, 2016
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#15
I don't agree with everything she says,but I didn't want the OP to be shell shocked. He's new and people can tear a subject up pretty quick here.
But he needs to know who he's listening to. We are to know those we labor with.

She teaches Jesus suffered in hell and ceased to be the Son of God whilst hanging on the cross. Two YUGE red flags there.
 

Marcelo

Senior Member
Feb 4, 2016
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#16
Salms 37:25
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

God promises us what you see above + eternal life if we are faithful to Him until the end. Do we need more?
 
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Miri

Guest
#17
I stopped going to a small group last year. It was held once a month and I
was testing the waters having been a couple of times.

The reason is, that we got in the discussion about joy and everyone except me,
said we should all go around as if we were the most happiest joyful people on the
planet, that if we don’t then we are not Christians.

I tried pointing out that even Jesus wept, also the psalms are full of David expressing
his emotions including despair and sorrow, that it’s okay to feel sadness. I was completely
shouted down with some saying the exact same thing as Joyce Meyer’s. I have to say she
does say a lot of good stuff, but sometimes she gets it totally wrong.

At the time I was going through a very difficult time with my aunt who I look after, also a friend
has been diagnosed with breast cancer, another couple I knew both were struggling with
cancer - she hasn’t got long now, he is in remission but all his nerve endings have been
destroyed. A lovely couple I’ve known from childhood. It’s just awful what they have
gone through.

Still another friend was in extreme difficulties, his wife had a massive stroke, she lived but
now lives in a care home. The husband was facing his first Christmas in 30 years apart from her.
So much sadness and lives destroyed by terrible things and this fallen world we live in.

All of the above are Christians. I know whatever happens I will see them again. But it’s still
sadness and distressing to deal with here and now.

Anyway after being shouted down like that and humiliated. I just thought you know what, how
can a person possibly be themselves in such a group, both receiving and giving encouragement
and prayer. You just can’t if everyone else expects you to stick on a Happy face all the
time and put on a “Sunday” face. So I left.
 
Dec 28, 2016
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#19
I don't agree with everything she says,but I didn't want the OP to be shell shocked. He's new and people can tear a subject up pretty quick here.
Say I fix you a chocolate cake. But I had mixed in some dog feces, just a little amount, and you ate it w/o me telling you. You couldn't taste it, but that hazardous material was in there. Now, if I had told you beforehand it was in there, you would have not even entertained the thought of eating it, not even one bite.

This is what Joyce Meyers does. She mixes dog feces in her sermons. That's what I am telling the OP. Avoid her at all costs.
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#20

While many people here seem to thrill at engaging in their games of finding things wrong with what some TV preachers say, my biggest deterrent to misery (yeah, ain't it strange to actually focus on the OP?) is to simply see the joy around me. Much of it comes from just looking at the world around me....... and most of isn't even people boasting "Holy, holy! I have the joy of the Lord."

In fact much of it comes from commercials put on by an organization many "Christians" bash, every chance they get......

These kids have been dealt crappy hands we can only imagine..... yet, almost all of them are happily living their lives.

[video=youtube;2yaT8pLykL0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yaT8pLykL0[/video]