Bad Things Are From God Or Evil ??

How do you know if something bad that happens to you-

- is from God,

- or from the devil?

To be honest-

- we don't always know where some of the hard times come from that invade our lives.

I doubt if Job realized in the midst of his suffering that God and Satan were engaged in a massive spiritual battle for his soul.Job 1:6-12.

Sometimes it's clear!

However; in my own ministry, for example, I've sometimes faced difficulties that could only have come from Satan, because they were clearly intended to stop the preaching of the Gospel.

I've faced other situations, however, that were clearly from God-

- because they led us into new and unexpected paths for the preaching of the Gospel.

Sometimes, however, the origin of a particular problem was unclear.

The real issue is this:

When hard times come into our lives, how should we react?

Should we panic,

- or get depressed,

- or spend time blaming ourselves or others?

No!

Instead-

- we should respond in faith,

- praying for God's will to be done,

- and for Him to help us overcome all evil for Christ's glory.

Every obstacle is an opportunity-

- for God to demonstrate His love and power.

But hard times also can strengthen us as we rely on God-

- no matter where they came from.

Ask God to make this true in your life.

"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4.

This Life Is Not All !!

One of the Bible's greatest truths is that-
you and I weren't made for this life alone.

We were made for eternity-
- an eternity with God in heaven forever.

And down inside, most of us sense this, even if we don't know much about God.
As the Bible says, "He has also set eternity in the hearts of men." Ecclesiastes 3:11.

But how do we know heaven isn't something we just dreamed up?
One reason is because of God's promises.

From one end of the Bible to the other-
God tells us that we were created in His image.
And because of this we have an immortal soul or spirit that can never die.

The Psalmist declared, "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6.

Most of all, however, we know heaven is real because of Jesus Christ.

He came from heaven for one reason:
To make it possible for us to go there.

Because we are sinners, heaven's door is closed to us.
But on the cross Jesus Christ took away all our sins, and now our sins can be forgiven and cleansed, and we can have the privilege of entering heaven.

But we also know heaven is real because Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

This life is not all!

Put your faith and trust in Christ today-
- for He alone is "the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." John 11:25.

We Reap What We Sow !!

"Honor your father and mother".Ephesians 6:2.

 This is God's first commandment with a promise!

God doesn't say to hounour good parents only.

Honour your parents who produced you!

Perhaps the toughest stage of life is parenting our parents!

It's a role-reversal both parent and child would rather avoid.

The Bible clearly teaches us to honour our parents.

That means caring for them especially when they are old.

few thoughts:

The greatest gift you can give your aging parents is time.

If physical distance is great, take time to call or write on a regular basis.

Be prayerful and sensitive when parents can no longer care for themselves or their home.

Be honest in helping them think about where they'll live--be it a retirement center, a nursing home, or with you.

As you face these tough decisions, be motivated by love, not guilt.

Do what they most need, not what you most want.

Honouring our parents sometimes means parenting our parents!

Remember!

We reap what we sow.

One day we hope that our children will have learned from us how to care for us when we are old.

Feeling Bogged Down??

Most of the people are driven by lust because they do not know God!

God's people know God and therefore they have another passion:
-to present their bodies to Him for His purposes!

Real Christians are different from others-
- not merely in degree but in kind!

They have God and others do not.

Because they have God-

- they have a bent toward blamelessness,
- a proclivity toward purity and holiness!

And when they fail in that pursuit-
- they know it,

- they feel it and

- they deal with it.

Though they know what it is to be holy-
- they cannot be holy by direct effort.

That's a job for God!
And it takes a lifetime!!
 
What God wants is for us to give Him our bodies-
- so we can begin the process right now!

Read Romans 12:1-2.

"God, who calls you, is faithful;' Paul assures us, 'he will do this'.1 Thessalonians 5:24.

Prayer is a privilege !!!

It's really encouraging to have a God you can pray to-
- anytime, anywhere, for any reason.

But-
- prayer can become meaningless and ineffective when we take it for granted.

You'd prepare yourself; you'd be respectful and thoughtful and take it very seriously.

Prayer is conversation with God.
But don't forget who God is.

"For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God." Deuteronomy 10:17.
 

When you come into His presence, remember that:
"Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary." Psalm 96:6.
That's nothing to be taken lightly.

However, don't be afraid to come before God.
 

Hebrews 4:16 says " Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God gives one of the keys to privileged prayer:

A humble heart!
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven." 

What attitude do you bring before God?  Do you take Him for granted and treat prayer like a nice way to get something good?
Or is it serious business for you?

Jesus told a story about two men praying in the temple.
Read Luke 18:9-14; then describe the prayers of these two men.

What's the attitude of each heart?
Which one was more pleasing to God?
Which prayer sounds more like yours?

Don't be afraid to come to God in prayer.
But don't take Him lightly.

Prayer is a privilege we enjoy-
- because Jesus died to give us a relationship with God the Father.

Because of Jesus, 1 John 5:14-15 says "this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

How are you going to pray today?
When you do, pray with humility and confidence, seeking God's will.
And ask Him to show you how to become intimate with Him but never take Him for granted.