Explore every episode of the podcast Peggy Joyce Ruth

You are what you think spiritually, emotionally, physically, and in every other way. The thoughts you hold in your mind will eventually become who you are in every area of life. That is why it is so important to watch over your thought life. The Word says to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. We cannot let our thought life run out of control and do nothing about it. We must first make a decision to seek God until we receive answers.  

Rejection is one of the deepest wounds a person can endure, and rejection is the root of many of the other issues we face. 

Today we will be looking at:
1. What is rejection? 
2. What part does the mind play in rejection? 
3. What are some of the causes of rejection? 
4. What are the ways in which rejection manifests?

There is a great difference between soulish love and God's love. Operating in agape love is what causes the spiritual gifts to work as God intends. Many people walk in a soulish or intellectual faith or in a soulish or intellectual love, but according to 1 Corinthians 13, the love we must walk in is the agape kind of love that comes only from God. Otherwise, we become a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal, and nothing works as intended. When we choose to walk in agape love, everything begins to flow as the Holy Spirit intends. 

Don't fall into the pit of depression. Psalm 34:19 tells us, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." The Lord has a plan to deliver us from all the afflictions of the enemy. But first, we must train our senses to know what is coming from God and what is coming from the enemy. When we take in the thoughts of the enemy, even subconsciously, we begin to sink lower and lower. God wants us to walk in the truth of His Word every day. When we do that, we will truly become more than conquerors in Christ. 

Symptoms are rarely the problem. The true root of the issue is hiding behind the symptoms. If we want true freedom, we are going to have to deal with the root of the issue, not just the symptoms. Many times, in medical science and psychology, they do not know the root cause. So they endlessly treat the symptoms. But God, being a God of mercy, wants to get to the root cause and uproot it from our lives. 

Fear hides and takes on different forms to remain hidden, but we must recognize its consequences. When we see the results of the thoughts we are taking in, we won't continue to fall for the traps of the enemy. Fear is the number one enemy of our faith, and its main fruit is that we forget how big our God is. 

Fear hides and takes on different forms to remain hidden, but we must recognize its consequences. When we see the results of the thoughts we are taking in, we won't continue to fall for the traps of the enemy. Fear is the number one enemy of our faith, and its main fruit is that we forget how big our God is. 

Blessings come as a result of obedience. The world chases after material blessings, prestige, and fame, which keep us in a state of strife. But God's blessings don't come from pursuing the blessing. They come from pursuing and believing God. It is better to believe God first and then receive the blessing. If we need the blessing before we believe, our faith will be inconsistent and scattered. But if we learn to believe and obey God, the blessings will come from behind us and overtake us. 

It's not how we start that counts; it's how we run and finish the race that matters. God has a proper time for everything, and our faithfulness to God matters even when it looks like God is not answering our prayers. God has created a time for everything under the sun. Certain things will never work in life until we seek God and get in His timing.

Are you not reaching for the higher things in God because you never realized you have been given a choice? Many times we think things have already been determined by God. But in truth, He is waiting for us to make a choice, and then He will help us get to the higher place by faith. 

It's our choice where we want to be with God, but we have to determine in our hearts to reach to the highest point. You won't get to the highest point accidentally. It takes intentionally believing God to reach the highest point on the measuring stick of faith in each area of life. 

Every good and perfect gift comes from above, but it is how far we reach out in faith that determines what we receive. There is a measuring stick that determines how successful we will be in different areas of faith. Don't expect God to move you to a place you are not reaching for in faith. 

This is a foundational teaching every believer needs to hear. God's character is love; Satan's character is fear. It is truly that simple. Jesus must reveal God's nature to us so that we can overcome and destroy the works of the enemy. Moses understood the ways of God, while the children of Israel only understood His acts. To truly know God's character, we must intentionally choose to go deeper with Him so that God's ways and character are revealed to us. 

From the Archive: Does God send evil? Does He allow evil? Does he use it to teach us a lesson? Or does He give Satan permission? These are questions that we have to get settled deep within us to truly know who God is. 

From the Archive: Does God send evil? Does He allow evil? Does he use it to teach us a lesson? Or does He give Satan permission? These are questions that we have to get settled deep within us to truly know who God is. 

Nothing can truly fill you except God. There is a thirst inside each person, and often we try to fill that void with everything but God. Those things only offer temporary satisfaction, but the things of God last and satisfy forever. 

For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. -Colossians 1:16-17. Angels are created beings, but with a different purpose than man. God's angels are much more powerful than the devil's demonic forces. We need to partner with God's will and Word to see His angels active in our lives. 

Do you know the difference between a promise in the Word and a conditional covenant? There are very few promises in Scripture that are not conditional. Meaning there is something each of us must do to see God's promise come about in our lives. The question becomes, how do we meet the conditions? 

We can miss God when we have a preconceived idea of how God will do something. Very seldom, if ever, does God do something our way. His ways don't align with our reasoning, but when we learn to trust God with all of our heart, peace comes. God always comes through, but have you noticed He seems to work differently each time?

What are we supposed to do to enter into the deeper things of God? We start out trusting God, but get lost between point A and point B when God comes through. Our thinking needs to be reprogrammed to believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that God will do exactly what He has promised. 

Passive faith does not deny the truth. It is quick to say – ‘Yes, I believe the Word’, but passive faith too often believes that God can, but not necessarily that He will. Passive faith is a bigger enemy of victory in our lives than doubt itself. Faith can become such a common word that it loses its significance. The Lord wants us in ACTIVE faith and not PASSIVE faith.    

How do we turn loose of fear and the world's thinking, and securely grab hold of God's promises? We must become like a child. We cannot approach Psalm 91 or the promises of God from adulthood. We are not to become childish but childlike. As adults, we wrestle with the knowledge of good and evil because of Adam and Eve's choice to sin, but to receive only from the Tree of Life, we must again become like children.

When we let offense set in our hearts, it can become deadly. How you handle opportunities to be offended will determine whether you continue to grow spiritually. Offense can trip us, cause us to stumble, and ultimately entice us into sin. Offense is something we need to eliminate. Ask the Lord if there is any area where you have been offended, and if there is, repent until you feel that area is cleared up. 

It is time to overcome the past disappointments in your life. Peter 2:6 tells us, "He who believes in Him will not be disappointed." Subconsciously, we can become disappointed with God, and it sets us up to stumble. God wants to deal with all the areas of disappointment. The first step to getting rid of the disappointment is to actively trust God again in the same area where we have been disappointed. 

Pride is the covering that keeps deception hidden in our lives. If we are going to stay out of deception, everything in our lives must be backed up by the Word of God. We cannot live our lives based on someone else's word or beliefs. Truth must become personal to us as we humbly search out the Word. In the end, everything we believe and live by must line up with the Word of God. 

Do you know the fullness of God's love? 1 John tells us that God is love. He wants His love to be tangible in our lives. We can miss the fullness of God's love when we fall for the world's substitute. When Jesus healed the multitudes, the Bible says He was moved by compassion. God's compassion is greater than the "love" or empathy we are used to. We often mistake human empathy or sympathy for love; however, Jesus' compassion is so much more than the world's empathy.  

Jesus came to carry our load. Often we are carrying weight that Jesus promised to carry for us. Sin, sickness, and everything that came as a consequence of sin fell on Jesus at the cross. We don't need to keep paying for things Jesus paid for on the cross. Jesus died so that we might live. He carried what we deserved in order to break the power of the curse so we can live a life of freedom. 

Once you receive wisdom, guard it. Even godly wisdom can become corrupted. The Word tells us these 4 things can corrupt wisdom: pride, sin, alcohol and drugs, and compromising the Word.

What is wisdom? There is a godly wisdom and a natural worldly wisdom. James 3:15 says the world's wisdom "is earthly, natural, demonic." The world's wisdom sounds good; there is a seduction to it, but it leads to a demonic end. True wisdom comes from above and is more precious than gold. 

Unfortunately, today there seem to be so many people serving the great I was. But that is not how God revealed Himself to Moses. God revealed Himself as the great I AM. God is working and moving NOW in the present, not just in past history. The problem with faith is that God confirms His Promise to us after we step out in obedience, not before. So we will never fully see the result of God's Promise until we fully step out in obedience to His Word. 

The potential of the anointing in our lives is limitless, but we must protect what God has given. Humility before God is the key to protecting the anointing. We cannot operate in the anointing and do it our own way. Samson failed to seek God in his years of strength. It took him being imprisoned before he cried out to God. We can save ourselves a lot of trouble by crying out to God and seeking Him every step of the way. 

It's important that we don't waste what God has given us. When we don't value the anointing and call God has put on our lives, we end up taking what is most important for granted. Whatever we take for granted, we waste. God has put His anointing on us for a purpose to see His kingdom grow throughout the earth. 

The anointing is the supernatural ability to fulfill your God-given assignment. In the Old Testament, the anointing would come on a prophet or leader for an assignment, but might not remain. But now, since the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit has been poured out on all flesh, and we have received the Holy Spirit inside of us when we are born again. The anointing is a gift from God. A precious gift, we must learn to walk in and steward.  

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. -Revelation 2:4. Do you remember your first love? You couldn't eat. You couldn't sleep. You couldn't think or talk about anything else. That is how it should be with the Lord. The passion between the Lord and us is the foundation for everything. Don't ever lose what brought you to Jesus. 

Waiting is a hopeful anticipation and a deliberate alignment of our will with God’s perfect will. It is the beginning of our total dependency on God. Because He can do what no human can accomplish. Waiting shows God we are willing to be obedient and that we are sensitive to God’s guidance. 

But those who wait in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. -Isaiah 40:31

God revealed His covenant progressively throughout the Old Testament, and these agreements reached their ultimate fulfillment in the person of Jesus. Thankfully, our New Covenant is so special because it is sealed by the blood of Jesus, which creates a permanent bond between God and us. His blood gives us the ability to inherit all the promises of God, and boldness and confidence when we seek Him. 

Throughout the Old Testament, there was a progression of covenants with the Fathers of our Faith, leading up to our final covenant with Jesus.  Even though we don't think in terms of covenants much today in the Old Testament, a covenant, specifically a blood covenant, was the most powerful and binding agreement known to man. It was a permanent joining of two people, two families, or two groups of people. This is exactly how much God wants to be in covenant with us. 

If we don't have a revelation of our covenant with God, we will never have the boldness to operate in what has been given to us. A biblical blood covenant is a permanent, sacred union between two parties. We are familiar with temporary contracts today, but that is not how God does things. Our covenant involves His life and our life becoming one. And as believers, we are joined with God through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. 

Prayer should not be ritualistic or religious. It is a relationship with God, and prayer is the time we get in tune with the Master. Thankfully, Jesus does give us an outline in Matthew 6 for how to pray, but it is meant to be much deeper than just repeating the Lord's Prayer. Prayer is where the Father's heart and way of thinking overtake our own. It is a place where we find belonging in the Lord. Prayer is not a religious checklist, but an encounter with God and His Word that changes us. 

Many years ago, as a young mother, Peggy Joyce attempted to witness to her neighbor only to end up questioning her own faith. The next eight years were filled with paralyzing fears and depression. Most pastors and the psychological world had given up entirely, but God had a different plan. (Also available in book form, Tormented 8 Years and Back.)

The story of Jesus' birth is more than just an event that happened in history; the Christmas story is meant to change the world. It is good news! The message of Salvation was first laid out in the Christmas Story. Jesus, our Savior, was born for each of us. For the first time, peace and goodwill were brought to the earth. 

People with physical or emotional needs seem to be more willing or ready to turn to God, but people who have everything or have been able to solve their problems in and of themselves many times have no real reason to turn to God. They are seemingly satisfied and have no noticeable need. How does God reach the unreachables? 

Satan is the god of this world, and we must learn to overcome all of his schemes and assignments. At the root of all the enemy's schemes is fear. No matter what you are facing, it can always be traced back to fear. But Jesus told us, "Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." -John 16:33. If we are to be like Jesus, we must learn to be overcomers in this life.

Are you taking time to make your Thanksgiving personal to God? It is easy to go through the motions and give thanks, but in His Word, God instructs us to give thanks to Him. One of the most valuable things we can give God is our thanksgiving. It is a way we can give back to God what He has given us.  

Do you know our Thanksgiving Heritage in America? Jamestown and Plymouth were both early settlements. One town was only after gold and greed, and they paid the price. The other was sent on a mission by God and considered Him in everything they did. God blessed them every step of the way.

Do you have family members who are not born again? This teaching is to help you pray effectively for family members who have yet to know the Lord. Even if your children and grandchildren are grown and out of the home, your prayers still have authority in their lives. God wants to partner with us to bring our family into His kingdom. 

Do you have family members who are not born again? This teaching is to help you pray effectively for family members who have yet to know the Lord. Even if your children and grandchildren are grown and out of the home, your prayers still have authority in their lives. God wants to partner with us to bring our family into His kingdom. 

Are you aware of how the enemy attacks, and do you know how to respond? Most begin with a single thought that grows until eventually we end up overwhelmed, with out-of-control negative emotions. We must learn how the enemy traps us and how we can take our thoughts captive, bringing them into obedience to God’s Word.  

Many believers are unknowingly involved in witchcraft, yet God is calling us out of witchcraft and idolatry. Being ignorant of what God's Word says about the occult is not an excuse. We must partner with God to root out all occult practices from our lives. 

Are you aware of how the enemy attacks? It is vital to understand how the enemy attacks our thought life and how we can take our thoughts captive, bringing them into obedience to God’s Word.