Ministry News

Joyce Meyer Tells Life Lesson From Brother's Tragic Death

Details: Tuesday, 22 February 2011 16:14

joycemeyer Popular Bible teacher, author and television host Joyce Meyer opened up about the recent tragic death of her younger brother during the C3 Conference at Fellowship Church in Dallas last week.

While delivering her message on the life of self-pity versus the life of diligence and faith, Meyer told the gathering of church and ministry leaders how she learned that her brother was dead when Los Angeles authorities called her in late December.

They informed her he had been dead about 30 days but that they had only just found his body in an abandoned building in the city. About a week ago she received his cremated ashes and the handful of personal effects found on him.

"My personal effects and his personal effects are sadly different. How one's life turns out is not dependent on what people do to us or what they don't do for us," she told the attendants. "There is no man on earth or devil in hell who can keep you from the very best God put in you."

Comparing her life choices with her brother's, she illustrated her point that a person's determination by faith to follow God's plan, not circumstances, allow him to reap God's promises. For many years growing up, Meyer suffered from sexual abuse by her father. It wasn't until she was much older that she knew God was calling her to preach, she said. Meanwhile her brother David joined the Marine Corps and started using drugs, later becoming dependent on them and ultimately quitting a rehabilitation program with the Los Angeles Dream Center.

Her response to sexual abuse could have been like the paralytic's in John 5, she said, who lay by the healing pool for 38 years waiting for a touch from God. He could have at least wiggled to the edge of the pool, she pointed out.

Meyer noted that both she and her brother came from the same bloodline, same family and, in some aspects, went through their own unique struggles. While she eventually took responsibility for her behavior, she said her brother always ran from his.

She said she wasn't bringing up the story of her brother to bring disrespect, but she believed he would have wanted her to speak about him to teach others "a lesson."

"I think sometimes God has a miracle for people but He sees if they're going to wiggle first," she said. "Next time you're having a pity party and want to give up, I hope the Holy Ghost whispers in your ear, ‘Wiggle!’"

Source: The Christian Post

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Comments

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-1 #29 sunanda roychoudhury 2012-02-24 11:02

arn't we our brother's keeper? didn't jesus lay down His life for us? I expected that joyce would follow Jesus's and laid her life for him.Did she pray for him? like st.Monika did for her son?

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0 #28 Mary Sparks 2011-10-14 09:04

I just found out today about Joyce's brother, David and am so sorry. I have prayed on and off for him for many years. I had an acquaintace I worked with many years ago who knew him. She needs prayers along with her children who are now grown.
I am thankful to the Lord for you Joyce and your family.

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0 #27 debbie morris 2011-04-21 17:14

My Love and Prayers are with Joyce, I've been heart sick since I saw just the other day about her brother David. My daughter and I were at her yearly women conference in 1998 were her brother had just reunited back with her and was going through his new spirtialy live and all the stories she shared, stories about his baptism and the ring they got him and how he worried about all his new clothes they got for him and him worried about taking care of them. She has away of sharing her life and family that it just touched my heart about her and David , like you're just apart of it which gave me hope for my brother. Joyce you have so much heavy spritial war upon you,I will always keep you close in my prayers. Thank You for all the blessing you bring, You have changed my life and help me understand so much more about God and myself and others. God Bless you and your family

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0 #26 PATRICK MAGEE 2011-03-29 18:23

Dear Joyce,
Thanks for the article on your brother's tragic demise.
I hve gone thru my struggles of a similar nature.
I am now involved in my local church as a leader on the team.
I am also serving Evangelism Explosion as an Implementation Field Worker, teaching and training Pastors and lay leaders witnesssing as a way of life. We are training them to train others who will train others. We want to preypare an army of evalgelists who are available for the Holy Spirit to use them in these last days as in Mt24:14
I am earnestly seeking partners who will partner with me either as intercessors or financial sowers.
Please respond
Thanks and God bless you
Patrick

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0 #25 John Andersen 2011-03-28 03:58

I have a similar story with a brother. I received his ashes by US Postal Service. People ask me to explain why. I say it is grace. It is grace that I am who I am. And it is grace that gave me the will to be who I am. There is no other rational explanation.

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+1 #24 Valentina 2011-03-15 04:41

[quote name="Valentina"][quote name="Valentina"]I think that Joyce Meyer is so brave for talking about her brothers death and her childhood. By the way I love you Joyce Meyer and you inspire me so much and i fell so bad what you had to go threw when you were a little girl. I have a brother and he would never take drugs or drink. But im so sorry for the lost of your brother. And I was at your confrence in orlando on march 12th 2011 and you just inspired me so much.

I Love you so much Joyce Meyer!

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0 #23 Valentina 2011-03-15 04:39

[quote name="Valentina"]I think that Joyce Meyer is so brave for talking about her brothers death and her childhood. By the way I love you Joyce Meyer and you inspire me so much and i fell so bad what you had to go threw when you were a little girl. I have a brother and he would never take drugs or drink. But im so sorry for the lost of your brother. And I was at your confrence in orlando on march 12th and you just inspire me so much.

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+1 #22 Valentina 2011-03-15 04:32

I think that Joyce Meyer is so brave for talking about her brothers death and her childhood. By the way I love you Jooyce Meyer and you inspire e so much.

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-3 #21 rick Thorne 2011-03-06 03:09

READ ABOUT "LUKE WARM PREACHERS" destroying CHRISTIANITY...

GO TO
:http://web.mac.com/rthorne2/Site/LUKE_WARM_MINISTERS.html

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0 #20 Gloria 2011-03-04 00:17

Having watched (TV and in person) Joyce for 12 years, she preaches life happens. God places others into our lives that are "able" with His guidance to help us. The Holy Spirit speaks loud if we get quiet to hear him. There was a time when David, her brother came to the Lord and then we heard nothing as he obviously strayed. I lost a nephew to drugs after prison time, and his younger brother was hospitalized in icu 2 times with overdoses. Today he appears straight but I and his mother pray....he now has a daughter 18 months old. "only God," loving and faithful always is He. Praise Him forever, and pray as long as you have breath.

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