Successful People Learn How to Overcome Adversity

“Sometimes the worst things that come at you are opportunities to grow. If you can interpret the pain as dues you are paying to get to the other side —  be it happiness, a promotion, a greater sense of compassion, or whatever it is that we desire or require — that will help you have the guts to hang on.”

– Bill Boggs in his book, Got What it Takes? : Successful People Reveal How They Made it to the Top

Are there areas of your life that seem difficult or do you have a problem that you don’t know how to solve?  When have you been caught between a rock and a hard place? Read the Scripture below. How did Paul deal with the rocks that came along during his journey through life?

2 Corinthians 12:7, 9-10 (The Message)

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

Can you learn to take your limitations in stride? Are you willing to let Christ take over when you are at your weakest?

The Lord answered his (Paul’s) prayer, not by removing the thorn, but by giving grace to bear it, and by the assurance that Paul’s sense of weakness, caused by it, fitted him to receive the divine strength —  his infirmities fit him to enjoy the power that Christ bestows. What was true of Paul is true of every saint. It is when we feel our weakness that God strengthens us.

the above is from Barton W. Johnson’s Bible Commentaries

The apostle gives an account of the method God took to keep him humble, and to prevent his being lifted up above measure, on account of the visions and revelations he had. We are not told what this thorn in the flesh was, whether some great trouble, or some great temptation. But God often brings this good out of evil, that the reproaches of our enemies help to hide pride from us. If God loves us, he will keep us from being exalted above measure; and spiritual burdens are ordered to cure spiritual pride. Prayer is a salve for every sore, a remedy for every malady; and when we are afflicted with thorns in the flesh, we should give ourselves to prayer.

If an answer be not given to the first prayer, nor to the second, we are to continue praying. Troubles are sent to teach us to pray; and are continued, to teach us to continue instant in prayer. When God does not take away our troubles and temptations, yet, if he gives grace enough for us, we have no reason to complain. Grace signifies the good-will of God towards us, and that is enough to enlighten and enliven us, sufficient to strengthen and comfort in all afflictions and distresses. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Thus his grace is manifested and magnified. When we are weak in ourselves, then we are strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; when we feel that we are weak in ourselves, then we go to Christ, receive strength from him, and enjoy most the supplies of Divine strength and grace.

the above is from Matthew Henry Concise Commentaries

Many Christians are dealing with abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks, family dischord, financial problems, death of a loved one, or other personal hardships.  Quit focusing on your problems and let Christ’s strength move in on your weakness.

Isaiah 43:1-4 (The Message)

But now, God’s Message, the God who

made you in the first place, Jacob,

the One who got you started, Israel:

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.

I’ve called your name. You’re mine.

When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.

When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.

When you’re between a rock and a hard place,

it won’t be a dead end—

Because I am God, your personal God,

The Holy of Israel, your Savior.

I paid a huge price for you:

all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!

That’s how much you mean to me!

That’s how much I love you!

I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,

trade the creation just for you.”

Many people have concerns about the images children – especially girls – see, and the things they think about. Especially because a recent study showed that girls are hitting puberty at an incredibly early age, something which will have many far-reaching social consequences.

Thankfully, such children don’t have to go through life worrying. While it’s normal, and okay, to be concerned, we can be certain that if we cast our cares on Jesus, He will help us through.

This problem can seem especially daunting, of course. Children don’t develop extremely complex comprehension of things quickly. One could say that God, in His love and wisdom, allowed children to enjoy the fun of childhood longer, so their minds could develop before their bodies underwent a change. Even if the more extreme findings from the early 1800s aren’t typical, there has certainly been a decrease in the age of puberty over the last few decades.

Mankind consistently messes up the perfection of God’s system through sin, and this is no exception. Whether its chemicals, the many images Hollywood and Madison Avenue throw at our children, or a combination, mankind has warped things to the point that it’s hard enough for young adult women, let alone girls, to understand the simple truth.

What is that simple truth?

God knows you’re beautiful. He made you, and He loves you, just the way you are. You are a champion in His sight.

Different societies have different images of beauty. But, all focus on the outside. The Bible tells us that “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) When children hit puberty, they begin to look more and more on the outward appearance of things. They won’t just think of a boy or girl as a nice playmate, or a good friend. They’ll start to think of how cute they are. Their hormones will take control. When they haven’t mastered the art of resisting those many impulses that cause them to act before thinking, problems surface.

They not only start to think about others in a different light, they begin to think of themselves that way. They may play grownup or teenager when little, but the ability to comprehend all that is involved in real life is limited. It’s like a three-year-old who pretends to cook dinner. They may throw something into a play oven, then get it out, without any comprehension of cooking time, recipes, or anything else that goes into making a meal. Let alone the mess that can result when they fix breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day, only to leave Mom with much more work when she comes downstairs.

We can see, then, that the problem of girls hitting puberty as younger ages is a big one – not only for the girls, as there will be those who reach it at the age they were meant to, but also for boys. And, this hasn’t even mentioend the parents!

So, what is the solution? The solution is the focus on the fabulous princess that God wants every girl to be – and the wonderful prince He wants every boy to be. Fabulous and wonderful not for what is on the outside, but for what is on the inside.

See, everyone has an internal monologue, which tells them things about themselves and the world. It can send positive or negative messages. The Psalmist may have hidden God’s Word in his heart, that he might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11), but God’s Word also has plenty of verses we can teach young people to hide in their hearts so they can learn to enjoy life and be free from the temptation to look like some Hollywood supermodel – someone who has likely been photo cropped, anyway, so doesn’t even look like that.

Consider verses such as Philippians 4:8 (things to think on that will help them: true, honest, just, lovely, etc.), Galatians 5:22-23 (Fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, etc.), Romans 8:1 (“There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” – which deals with sin being taken away, but which can help those who try to condemn themselves for not being good enough for something), all of Psalm 139 (such as being fearfully and wonderfuly made), and so on. So many thoughts can be part of girls’ and boys’ lives, thoughts which can build them up, as we are taught to edify one another.

How to Have that Perfect Relationship with God

That Holy Spirit guidance is there so that we may have life, and lfe more abundantly. (John 10:10) God wants us to have a good self image – but He wants us to have the right self image. An image based on the inside, which is the most important. It’s the part that is ultimately going to matter.

It’s true, of course, that we all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. He can’t have that perfect relationship with us because of that sin, so we can’t go to his perfect Heaven when w4e die, and we keep turning from Him here – as noted, messing up His perfect plan.

Thankfully, as quoted in Romans 8:1, there is a way for you to have no condemnation in you. You don’t have to be condemned for that sin, separated from God’s perfect love forever in a horrible place of suffering.

He reconciled Himself to each of us while we were yet sinners; He died for us before we could do anything for Him. (Romans 5:8) Then, the third day, He rose fromt he dead. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, etc.) He defeated sin and death, because He – jesus Christ – is God in the flesh. He was able to take our sin away, and make a way for us to have that perfect relationship with God again.

We just have to receive that forgiveness. He sees each person – you – as a wonderful person, beloved of God. And, all you need to do is believe with your whole heart that He has saved you from your sin, and call on Him to forgive you. It is by grace you are saved through faith – and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It’s as easy as AB: Admit you’re a sinner, Believe Jesus Christ – God in flesh – died for your sins, and rose fromt he dead, and Choose to repent – turn from those sins and invite Him into your heart to make you new on the inside.

Dealing With Problems Once You’re Saved

of course, teens, tweens, and everyone has temptations. Even Christians can fall for those negative thoughts if they’re not careful. That internal monologue needs to be closely guarded.

There are resources out there which can help. There’s a great book called “Before You meet Prince Charming” for girls, which can help them to see and learn to focus on that wonderful beauty they have – the ministry which promotes this, “Tomorrow’s Forefathers,” has a number of good resources. There are probably a number of local ministries, such as “Stealing Hollywood,” which help girls to understand these things.

The most important thing to remember, though, is that a positive self-image starts by realizing that you are someone special for your inward beauty. Kindness, gentleness, long suffering, and so on are fruits of the Spirit for a reason – they help to build in us the kind of people God wants us to be. People who care about the heart of others, and who want to make a difference in the world by putting God first in their lives.

Because when we start to see God as the ultimate goal, and Christ as the way, then we start to see how those things of the flesh really don’t matter in the long run. Oh, they’re wonderful tools to provide pleasure for a time, between a married couple.

But, that same married couple will grow old together, become wrinkled, feeble, and son on together, and lose the outward things of youth. However, if a person has placed his or her trust in Christ, their joy, kindness, peace, love, and so on will be forever. Because while those crushes of youth will fade, there is nothing which can separate us from the love – deep, unconditional love – of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

The recent announcement that Wal-Mart would tag clothing with the RFID chip, and the chip’s use for other purposes, has raised concerns among privacy advocates, as well as questions about whether the RFID chip might be the Mark of the Beast, as discussed in Revelation 13. Perhaps not as many have heard of RFID specifically – indeed, my fingers seem to want to type RDIF. (Relax, Dude, it’s Friday?) However, the notion of chip implants for numerous purposes is in the news a lot.

The fact that God’s Word told of microchip technology – as well as webcams and other things – over 1900 years ago isn’t the only thing that makes many wonder about chip implants. Privacy advocates also warn that they could lead to an Orwellian society in which everything is monitored.

A look at both sides reveals this to be a fascinating new technology. It’s not all horrible, as it has great uses. Still, in the wrong hands, it will, someday, led to great troubles. As we’ll see, the Mark of the Beast is clearly not the same as the RFID chip as used in 2010. However, because it could be used for evil rather easily, it is definitely something that – like the above webcams and satellites – could be used for evil purposes. However, there is a way to escape such a fate.

What Is the Mark of the Beast?

First, a look at Revelation 13 shows what the Mark of the Beast will be:

16 And he [note: the false prophet] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast [the antichrist], or the number of his name.

This Mark is used for control and identification. The world ruler in this period will have great power. However, he won’t be just any ruler – he will eventually proclaim himself God (Dan. 9:27, 2 Thes. 2:4, Revelation 13, etc.) Indeed, that verse in Second Thessalonians says the ruler, known as the Antichrist, will exalt himself “above all that is called God, or that is worshipped.” He will force and demand worship. This is unlike God, as the Lord Jesus Christ lovingly lets us choose whether or not we wish to serve Him. He simply lets us know there can be severe consequences to our choices if they are poor ones.

In the beginning, though, this ruler will be just a great man – some will call him the greatest leader ever. He will unite many behind his global agenda. He will bring peace. In fact, he will likely be responsible – though maybe behind the scenes – for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple in Jerusalem. In the middle of a seven-year period, though, he will break a covenant with the Jewish people, and wage war against them. (Dan. 9:27)

His mark is one of control. Note that nobody may buy or sell without it. They will be forced to declare allegiance to the Antichrist and his government. Either he, or his realm, will suffer a deadly wound which will be healed.

Rev. 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon [the devil] which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
…
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

You can read all of Revelation 13 on your own, but notice that the one who sets up this image will also be the one implementing the Mark of the Beast. Through holograms, computer animation, or some other means, the image will speak.

We see, then, that the Mark of the Beast will be much more than just an ID tag. Oh, it will most likely contain that. It’s quite possible that it will contain all vital information. At the rate things are going, it could contain an internet connection!

People have worried many things were the Mark in the past – Bar codes, credit cards (VI is 6 in Latin, and the number of the Beast is 666), tattoos, and so on. The reason people believed things like credit cards were the Mark is because they twisted Bible prophecy to their own era. That’s normal – the Thessalonians did the same thing. Believers were confused because they thought they were supposed to all disappear in the twinkling of an eye, instead of dying one by one. Paul had to comfort them that those who trusted Christ as Savior and then died were in Heaven; (1 Thess. 4:13-18)

This doesn’t mean the mark won’t be like any of those. Each of those places us closer to the Mark. The Mark isn’t RFID in the way it is being used now. However, the RFID chip, like a credit card, is an ID that means people are more accustomed to these things.

it is a sign of the times. In other words, we probably know now how many of those things in Revelation chapter 13 occur.

We must read the Bible literally. Sometimes it’s hard, like before satellites, webcams, and the like, Rev. 11:9-10 (all the nations of the world looking on two dead bodies) was hard to understand. Like the Mark of the Beast, though, it will happen. Something will be put into people, to cause them to be monitored, to swear allegiance to the Antichrist, and so prevent them from buying or selling anything without it.

Still, privacy experts are worried. So, what is RFID, and what isn’t it?

The RFID Chip and Other Implants

Despite the typo I mentioned, RFID is not a typo for Relax, Dude, it’s Friday. It stands for Radio Frequency Identification. An RFID tag is used to monitor an item, animal, or person by using radio waves. It can be used to track and identify merchandise. However, it can also be used to monitor animals – such as finding lost pets – or humans. The FDA has approved one – called Verichip – for use in humans; and it has raised even more alarms.

It can be read from farther away than traditional bar codes. (A funny sounding term when one considers those haven’t been around for that many decades.) This leads to numerous concerns, such as identity theft. It also could be monitored if a tracking device such as a GPS system were placed inside of one.

There are, of course, benefits to RFID chips as well. At times, mankind has invented things and even put them into mass production without considering all the possible drawbacks or increasing safety first – people died on rare occasion from shocks caused the earliest lights, for instance.

While there are safety concerns, proponents of the chips, if they were honest, would likely acknowledge the potential problems, and promise to solve those, as was done with electricity. After all, microchip technology does allow things to be identified faster than ever, monitored for problems easier than ever, and so on.

However, problems with insulating electrical wires enough are technical in nature. It’s easy to fix a light switch when you have the technology. It’s impossible for people to fix human nature totally – sure, they can make things better, but imperfect people can’t lift other imperfect people above the level of imperfection. They can’t make people perfect.

Since people can’t become perfect on their own, there will always be people out there who can use microchip technology for their own, evil ends. Some of these can easily become leaders of entire nations. In other words, the RFID Chip as it is being used now is not yet the Mark of the Beast.

However, it’s easy to see how it can be. It’s easy to see how something that is meant only for identification can rob a person of liberty, and be used to control everything he or she consumes. It’s quite possible that the information on a chip can be programmed, so that a person’s identify can be changed or wiped out.

And, given human nature, it’s only a matter of time before someone does just that.

What’s better, though, is knowing how to avoid the pain and suffering. God has clearly wanred us that this Mark will be used as a sign of worship to the Beast, the devil. And, He has provided a way to avoid it.

Rev. 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

How to avoid that terrible fate?

q. Remember, this world is not our home. We will spend forever in one of two homes, Heaven or Hell. The verses above describe Hell. The Bible tells us many times what Heaven will be like. It is a place where nobody has seen, heard, or imagined the wonders. Just picture a world with no suffering, no pain, no death, where everyone is peaceful – including the animals!

Heaven will be filled with the most joyous things, and most amazing sights and sounds. It will be like a person, totally blind from birth, suddenly seeing perfectly. Our finite minds can’t grasp the wonders that await us.

The way to avoid the Mark now is to simply “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31) We are in the Church Age, and have not yet seen the worst that mankind will do. That may be hard to believe, with the increase in violence, hatred, lawlessness, and so on. But, it will continue to get worse.

Right now, though, you can put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you for your sin. We don’t all commit every sin. There are some who have never stolen, for example, but who haave told lies. No sin can enter into the presence of God. So, God Himself, in the form of a man, Jesus Christ, came to this world to die on the cross, and to rise from the dead. He took your sins and mine on Himself (2 Peter 2:24), taking the punishment so we could go to Heaven.

And, the wonderful thing is, He will come live in you right now, and guide you through the many problems of life. He does that through the Holy Spirit, which is another way God manifests Himself.

All if takes to do ths is to receive Him by simple faith: believe that He died for you and rose from the dead, that He took the punishment for your sins, and repent of them. That means agreeing with God that you need Him to save you, and invite Him to do so; invite Him to come live in your heart to change you on the inside.

One day, He which letteth (the Holy Spirit) will be taken out of the way, and the “man of lawlessness” (the Antichrist) will be revealed. (2 Thess. 2:7-8) If that time has come by the time you read this, you may still receive Him by faith, like above, but things will be a lot tougher. You may well be one of those who is beheaded in the end for the cause of Christ. However, you will be sure of going to heaven, and in the meantime, you can trust in God to guide you through things. It’s just that His Holy Spirit will not be able to indwell believers in the end, since He will have left the earth. Instead, He will be on believers to guide them, just as He was in the Old Testament.

Thankfully, we know that at that time, if you endure to the end, you will be saved.

Key #7 to Happiness – The Quality Giving of Your Money

I have learned that money is not fun for most people because most people do not realize that you have to understand it and if you are negative about money, or are consumed by it, you are never going to be happy or have a lot of it.  Your financial plans are never going to succeed.

And it does not matter if you make $20,000 per year or $100,000.  The principal still applies.

If you find yourself searching for more happiness, stability and growth in your financial health, consider what the Bible has to say about money.  There is a wealth of information found there, as well as a number of valuable lessons.

And what about happiness?  Is it possible to find it in the midst of financial turmoil or the everyday mundane living of life?  Oh, yes, I believe it can and countless scores of other people do also.

What I have for you today are three Keys to the Quality Giving of Your Money.  They work because they are personal.  And when you dealing with your own finances, you must make it personal or it will never work.

Key #1 Help Others by Helping Yourself

Money should not be your master and it should not control you.  Effective Christian financial planning uses the tools provided by God as a way to meet your needs – not the “gotta haves”. There is only to be one master and that is God, not Mammon (who was the god of money).

So what do you do when the ends do not meet?  Or you have nothing extra to give?  The first thing is to take a look at your monthly expenses and figure out ways to reduce them.  Live simply.

Are you always on the lookout for ways to save money?  Do you have a personal spending plan (budget) and are faithful in its execution?  Do you tithe?  Helping yourself by being able to say yes to all three of these questions will ensure you continue to be able to help others and happiness will reign.

Key #2  Do Your Finances Reflect Your Faith?

In today’s modern world, the idea of tithes and offerings to God in Christian finances has fallen by the wayside.  Many are struggling financially, and the idea of relinquishing some of your financial wealth or possessions simply does not seem like good financial sense.

However, it is not about the giving his own money to the Lord, but rather an act of returning it to the original owner.  All things exist through His grace, and therefore in truth, the wealth that you have, you keep only as a steward upon his behalf.  When a Christian chooses not to tithe and give offerings, he is in fact stealing from God.

Will a man rob God?  Yet ye have robbed me.  But ye say, ‘Wherein have we robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings.  Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessings that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  Malachi 3:8-10

Aside from not stealing from God, the passage in Malachi quoted above provides a very real incentive.

Whatever is returned to God, he will return back yet again in good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom.  For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38

Wow, sounds like an incredible recipe for happiness to me!

Key #3 You Cannot Out-Give God

God gives us life. There cannot be any more giving than that, but he took it a step further and not only gave life to US, but gave US HIS own life so that we could be saved. This is the ultimate in charity – and no one can top it.  So forget trying to give more than God because you cannot. Instead, concentrate on giving out of obedience and a right heart (motives).

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7

Happiness and gratefulness abound.

Key #4 Have A Proper Perspective

When someone has a need I want to be able to help them up.  It could be time, or stuff, or money.  Whatever it might be, having the options available to bless someone else is a great position to be in.

Have you not seen or helped others who were in some pretty desperate situations?  It always makes me more grateful for what I do have.  This, my friend, is where joy, happiness, and contentment come to reside in your life and begin to consume you – no matter what financial situation you are in.

When I become a giver, I can look and see that my situation is not as bad as I thought it was.

When you are focused on somebody else, your own personal financial plan becomes a whole lot easier to manage.   Incredible benefits all around.

Take Some Action

Now, take these Keys to the Quality Giving of Your Money and do something.  Do you want the joy and happiness you seek?  Take action.  Information without implementation is just plain ‘ole entertainment.  And I know you are reading this simply to be entertained.  If so, you had better ask for your money back.

As Frederick Douglas once said, “It is time to start praying with your legs.”

Keys to happiness exercise:

• Ask God for help (ask Jesus into your life if you have not done so already)
• Start tithing 10% of your income
• Pray to God to help you let go of the obsession of money
• Give to someone in need (pray first) do it without trying to get recognition for it. God will know and love you for it.

Previous Happiness Lessons:

How to find Happiness – 15 Lesson Series – Overview

How to find Happiness – Introduction

How to find Happiness – Key #1 – A relationship with God

How to find Happiness – Key #2 – Being Thankful

How to find Happiness - Key #3 – Learning How to forgive yourself

How to find Happiness - Key #4 – Learning How to forgive others

How to find Happiness – Key #5 – Living in the present

How to find Happiness - Key #6 – Overcoming fear

Do you need Christian Financial Planning?  Providing answers to Christian finance questions

Shining Perspective

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:26

I’m waiting on the Lord. Tomorrow I may receive an immense blessing or it might not go the way I hoped. I’ve struggled through the waiting process, but God has kept me busy throughout. This past week has been one of extremes. I found myself rocketing full speed up mountaintops to reach a state of indescribable joy, only to come barreling just as swiftly down to the valley below. Every day has been this way. It is in times such as these I find I am so grateful for the stability that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Whatever state I find myself in I know I can find comfort, rest and strength in Jesus. I’ve been weary and physically exhausted as sleeplessness is something that regularly afflicts me. This past week I had the privilege of not only watching thousands of people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but I also had the honor of meeting a few of them and learning their stories. What amazing moments of pure joy. I also have the pleasure of teaching Sunday school and I’m not sure there is anything better on this earth than seeing the light go on in a child’s eyes as they get the lesson and it becomes real to them.

At the same time, I experience trials just like everyone else and sometimes they threaten to consume me. They knock me down, they test me in ways I never thought I’d be tested and I often fail in them. If there is one thing that I have learned it’s that success comes out of failure just as new life comes out of death. I have also learned that as much as I get scared of failure, my biggest fear really lies in this question: Am I missing the fullness of what God has for me?

In the light of a new day I may have to deliver a big disappointment to my six year old, maybe the biggest of his young life. I also might be stepping into a blessing I never saw coming. Whatever answer I receive and no matter what happens every day I find myself in the same situation.

The bible makes it clear, if there is one thing we are all doing in this life it is waiting on the Lord. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…” Psalm 37:7. “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” Jude 1:21. “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes…” 1 Corinthians 4:5

God in His mercy is faithful to remind me what I receive as I wait for the Lord: “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 “but those who hope 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 “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18

Why is the sky blue? It’s among the most asked questions children have – almost a generic one to show the curiosity of young people and the joy of learning that comes when youngsters are encourged.

Some may not think of light scattering through the atmosphere as the primary answer, of course. Some may first think of jokes, like Lucy’s in one Peanuts comic where she said crabbily, “Because it isn’t green.”

Others may think poetically about the sky, as it reaches up to infinity. Oh, sure, the atmosphere only goes so far, but even it goes much farther than we can imagine, or see, thinning until it is merely a few molecules per square mile.

And yet, the same sky – blue, thanks to the light scattering from the sun – reaches all the way down to the ground.

Isn’t it amazing? We don’t think about it, because we’re used to thinking of the “sky” as way up there. But, if we put on that same childlike faith that kids have, we realize that just sitting up on an adult’s shoulders feels like we’re “way up there.” And, we’re actually walking around in a sky that begins way down at our feet. Good thing, too, or the atmosphere wouldn’t allow us to breathe, if it started only a few dozen feet up.

Why is it down that far? Why are we allowed to breathe in that sky that starts not somewhere many feet up, but right down at the ground? becuase of an unseen force called gravity.

It’s important to remember why the sky is blue, of course. And, it’s also important to remember other great things as school starts back up.

1. Learning should be fun.

Not every part of learning – or anything – will be fun. Even a great athlete like LeBron James has parts of the sport he doens’t like – same with pretty much every NFL player by the end of training camp.

People dream of being like them in some way, though, because they do something that their fans think would be lots of fun.

In the same way, we should get through the boring stuff like those NFL drills, with an eye toward the big picture. We will gain so much knowledge, and hopefully the wisdom to use it.

After all, think about how cool it is to muse about the sky like I just did – and to consider that you’re in the sky right now, in some ways. Not high up, but you are in the atmosphere.

2. The sky and space are like life

That unseen force holding us down, which he need to rely on, is the same one holding that atmosphere we need so much. That force is gravity.

It doesn’t end there, though. There is an invisible force lovingly guiding each of us, too – one who wants what’s best for us, and who knows even better than we do. But, He’s not just an unseen force.

Shien a flashlight on a far wall. Where is the light? Int he flashlight? Ont he wall? Actually, it’s everywhere on a straight line between the flashlight and the wall – we just need a special instrument to see it. Just like that instrument we need to see God – faith.

Like the sky, God’s love is unfathomable, reaching out beyond what we can perceive, except that His love is many times greater than that. It is infinite, just as space is. Space, with a few atoms of hydrogen per square light year at times – but still, atoms of some element, just like the sky has. That’s right; particles and waves exist out in space, so space is not completely empty. The atoms and electrons spread to unimagined thinness and heights, and then the particles and electromagnetic waves still keep going. And, other particles and waves come at us from the deepest reaches of space.

They are drawn by an invisible force called gravity. Gravity, which we rely on by faith, unthinking, to hold us down, to keep us from flying into space. Just as we must rely on God to help us, and to save us.

Because you see, gravity does something else wonderful for us. It not only keeps that atmosphere on the ground, preventing it from fleeing away and stopping all breath. It keeps enough atmosphere down on the ground, so anyone can breathe in it.

In the same way, God, in His love, doesn’t expect us to reach out to His unfathomable heights. He reaches down to us. In fact, He came down to us, in the person of Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins, and rise fromt he dead, so we could get to Heaven, and also so we could enjoy life more abudnantly here.

3. God wants you to breathe freely

God doesn’t force you to come to Him. Just like He doesn’t force people to breath ehte atmosphere. A person could live their whole lives breathing something in a spacesuit. The question is, why? It would take so much effort, and there wouldn’t be the joy of living and breathing freely. Plus, the body would die anyway, so all that work would be for nothing.

God has something better for you, though. He has verses like Philippians 4:8, Galatians 5:22-23, the Commandments, and so on, that help us to make this world a better place. They’re not rules that we’re forced to follow; they’re rules He set up to lovingly guide us, and make the world better for us – and for others.

He lovingly reached down and tdid that, because we couldn’t reach up to Him. But, we have a problem. We dont’ always keep His commandments.

He made a way to reconcile Himself to us, though. He came to this world, int eh person of Jesus Christ. he lived a perfect life. He could do that becuase He was God in flesh. God the Father God the Son, and God the Spirit are all God – just as ice, water, and water vapor are all H2O. He was perfect, because He had to be to take our punishment – He didn’t have to be punished for His own sin. He died on the cross for you, me, everyone, and rose fromt he dead. He’d defeated death and sin.

Now, each person must simply receive Him by simple faith. Call on Him to forgive you, for all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom. 10:13) He has allowed you, by grace alone, to not only get to Heaven and have eternal life, but to have it here on Earth, also.

4. God can change things with you putting your whole trust in Him

Things can be very tough at school. You may wonder if you’ll ever rise up above al lthe gossip, mean talk, and superficial lifestyles people have. Well, on our own, we can’t, but God promises in his Word, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13)

So, trust Him to help you show His love through your actions, and your words, and you will make a difference. People will see something different in you, and will ask why – then, you can tell them how to have Jesus in their hearts (through the Holy Spirit) as well. But, you need Him as your Savior first, before you can help anyone else to do so.

He loves you, and wants you to live for Him, though. Not becuase you have to, but because He wants you to admit you’re a sinner and seek forgiveness for your sins, a change in your heart, so you can show others His great love.

Because, there’s a world of hurting people out there, many at school. People who are waiting to be told all about Christ’s love.

William Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.Today I invite you to consider yourself as an actor in a play.

Consider yourself up on stage in front of thousands of people who have come to hear you speak. For some, this is a terrifying thought while for others, it is electrifying. No matter how you feel about it, if you are a Christian, then that is a pretty accurate analogy for the life you are living.

Jesus said,

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a [basket], but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.

MATTHEW 5:14-16 AMP

Have you ever seen a play or watched a movie and witnessed the lack of chemistry and harmony between the actors? It’s horrible! It’s a big waste of your time because without harmony, the movie is dull, lifeless, and boring. You lose interest. You almost want to laugh at the actors attempts because they seem fake, forced and phony. Unfortunately that is the way that many people view Christianity. Many of us do not get along, we argue and treat each other with contempt, we run each other down. When we try to put up a ‘united front’ it seems anything but genuine.

But as part of this elaborate play, we have each been given specific roles and part of our job is to help one another to fulfill their roles, too. We are supposed to be working together as a team in perfect harmony. The Word says,

But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

1 JOHN 1:7 AMP, EMPHASIS MINE

The roles we play are not purely for entertainment. Your ability to effectively carry out the role our Creator has given you could be the difference between someone else having eternal life or eternal death. The Lord has the right people in the right place at the right time. He handpicked you out of the crowd. He saw you as noble, courageous, strong, brave and capable…even when you were just a random member of the crowd. You didn’t realize you were special. You didn’t know you had such a significant role to play. In fact, you are still learning how critical your role is to this play. With each scene you are slowly understanding that God is relying on you in order for this play to be glorious. This is your destiny.

Believers have no right to fade into the background. You are the LIGHT of the WORLD!

Sometimes this information is a lot to take in. Sometimes it is difficult for me to believe that God really does have a very specific plan for my life. When I look back over the years, I can see all that has happened has led me to the point where I am now, and it gives me confident hope for tomorrow. It is often times difficult to believe the incredible glory that is within our hearts. That’s because we’ve all made so many agreements with lies over the years, and only the Word of God can unveil the truth (see 1 Corinthians 2:10). My earnest prayer is that God has prepared your heart to receive the truth. The truth is this: you are much more than meets the eye. You could have been born anywhere in the world at any time in history, but God specifically chose you, your parents, your siblings, your place of birth, and your moment in time. You were handpicked for such a time as this. The time is NOW. It’s not a myth and it is not a fantasy. Before you were born you were destined to be like Jesus. Let’s read Romans 8:29-30 in The Message translation:

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

(EMPHASIS MINE)

Amen! God already called you by name. He already set you on a solid basis with Himself. He already established you and He has already glorified you! Praise God!

Here’s a question for you: what if the life we are living has already happened?

There is no beginning or end aside from God. Jesus said He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (see Rev 22:13). Many people believe the book of Revelation is written in past tense because the events have already occurred. Perhaps he simply had a vision about the future…but there is no future in eternity. I often speak of God’s existence outside of the confines of time. Since both the end and the beginning starts and ends with Him, He is able to see the “timeline” of humanity in its entirety. Therefore He has already destined us to be like Jesus. He has already called us by name. He has already justified us, we are already righteous through Christ Jesus and He has already glorified us – He has already completed the glorious work He began before the foundation of the world.

Wow. What does that really mean to you? Being like Jesus?

Is life really just a sum of day-to-day responsibilities?

Is that all?

What does God really expect from us? What does it really mean to be pre-destined to be like Jesus??? I’m so excited to explore this further!

Making friends is on many minds, especially for people moving to new places, or going to a new school or college, as many will soon. How does one do it? And, how does one go from mere acquaintance to “best friend forever“?

I remember, years back, a story of a child who came home from Kindergarten, and announced they’d made a really nice friend, and played with them for a few straight days. When asked their name, the child replied, “I don’t know, we haven’t gotten that far yet.”

Sometimes the easiest things in the world are the things we make look the hardest. Sometimes, we get so bogged down by rules, such as finding out everything about someone, and calculating – usually subconsciously – if we want to spend time with them, we forget to actually try to make a friend.

On the other hand, the opposite can also be true. We decide we’re going to just “hang out” with someone, and they end up leading us down the wrong path because we know nothing about them, and they are actually living a life that’s a bad influence on us, when we should be the leader in a situation.

So, how do we strike a balance?

It’s not like Kindergarten, where you just start playing together, or middle or high school, where you can join a club or watch sports – even if you and your new friends can only commiserate on how bad the team is. It’s not like college, either, where your dorm leader has fun activities and you can sit around and laugh about answers to questions like, “If you were a tree, what kind would you be?”

Or, is it? As noted, we often make things too hard. Yes, some cities have more hurried people who appear less friendly, but there are ways to do it without being led astray by the wrong kinds of friends.

First, Decide Who You Are

It would be easy for me to write, “You have to be a leader.” It’s harder for some people, though. Some are naturally shy and need to really work at it. Some suffer from heartbreak that causes them to be in a shell. Some have difficulty even knowing how to begin a conversation, because their brains are wired differently; I have a very good online friend with Asperger’s Syndrome, for instance. One great uncle, as well, has always had trouble meeting new people.

Still, while everyone’s friend making style is a little different, the Bible says, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Prov. 18:24) We can turn to the examples above, from school, to consider not only how to go about finding friends, but also, how to cultivate that friendship with the One who will always be faithful, Jesus Christ.

The Kindergarten Connection

It’s easy to walk up to someone and say, “Do you want to play?” Or, just start playing ball or something with them as they are playing. Kids are often much more open to this than adults. Most kids don’t go through hundreds of scenarios and try to pick up dozens of cues. Sometimes, of course, they might wonder how – or if – some other kid will play with them. But, this is where it’s important, as adults, to encourage children to talk to kids who are shier, who are challenged in some way, or something else.

Adults don’t have playgrounds, or play kickball or hopscotch; about the closest is when great joy causes one to start skipping, which can be good exercise. Even if we did, kids don’t develop into BFF just by playing together, though it can start like that.

Children go from playing together to sharing things about each other. They realize they have common interests. They show compassion when each other is hurting. Even if that is just a shoulder to cry on, sometimes that is the best thing there can be. And, that’s the important thing to take from the “Kindergarten Connection.” Like my initial story, don’t worry about walking up to someone and learning everything before you make a decision. Get involved at a church, volunteer, do something that interests you. Go to a neighborhood meeting – or, if there’s no association, form one. If you’ve moved into an area, have a “Good Neighbor” cookout and invite those on your block. (It’s not hard – just go around with invitations telling them you will have, for instance, burgers and chips, they can bring their own food, and you’re doing it to meet your new neighbors. In an apartment, you can still hang out in the lobby a little and greet people. You don’t have to have a one-hour conversation at first – this is that first recess where you play together.) One interesting idea: Iintroduce yourself at the end – so people recall your name.

Even if you’re not as outgoing as some of these, this site for shy kids and this one on socializing provide other good, encouraging ideas, which can be analogized to adult life, if you’re an adult.

That’s the way it happens in higher levels of school, too – clubs, sports, and other interest groups are formed, because older kids and young adults can handle more structure than little kids, who need time to be kids, too. We think it’s harder because we had good friends where we lived before – and we go from having one or more to having none. Whereas, kids realize they’re starting from scratch, and just figure someone will come along. Or, we’re like the one who takes the lead, and starts doing something, and we join in with them.

Think of it as constant networking and building relationships. You won’t build one with everyone, just like you didn’t become best friends with all 20 Kindergarten classmates; you may have had too different of a personality than a few, you never connected with a few, and one or two might have scared you. You might not have found that BFF till classmate number 2 or 8 or 19 – or maybe it was even someone in a different class! The point is, keep trying those interest groups. Will you find people who aren’t interested? Sure. But, when you start jumping rope on the playground, you don’t have hundreds of kids flocking to you, either. It’s usually just a few at most. However, one or two winds up being one you play with more often. There’s a lot of trial and error. Maybe one group won’t provide a BFF, but it will lead to one, or some other activity will.

Of course, it will then take a while till your new friends learn about you – and maybe even longer till you find someone you can confide in. The wonderful thing is, though, that Jesus knows all about you, and is ready to be the best possible friend right away.

What a Friend We Have In Jesus

The fact He calls His disciples friends shows that He is ready to be the best possible friend right away; but it’s not the only reason. He is God in flesh (John 10:30, etc.), and he created the world; by Him all things continue to exist. (John 1:1-3, Col. 1:16-17, etc.) he created the entire world; each of us, in fact. And yet, He wants to be friends with us.

At first, you might wonder, “What can I have in common with Him?” It’s easy to do, and it’s one very big reason why we don’t pray like we should. But, God says in His Word that He understands our problems, and – while we pretend we can handle them all ourselves – He calls us to go boldly before the throne of grace for help with things (Heb. 4:15-16). He will give us wisdom whenever we ask for it (James 1:5), peace that passeth understanding (Phil. 4:7), and so many other wonderful things.

It’s easy to see, then, how Jesus is such a wonderful friend. He sticks closer than a brother – and a loving sibling is born to help in times of trouble. But, Jesus sticks closer, He will help us through anything. And, the wonderful thing is, He loves at all times.

That kind of love – unconditional love – is hard to find in this world. It’s the kind we want in a best friend forever. Best friends, after all, don’t just let us walk all over them or let us mess up our lives. BFFs are willing to come up beside us and lovingly say, for instance, “That’s not going to be very good for you.” They know us so well, and despite our faults, they love us – but they also love us enough not to let those faults drag us down. And, if someone snaps and says, “Who cares? I’m going to do what I want, and you’re not my friend if you try to stop me,” that BFF is there to support them if that bad choice (getting drunk, going out with a certain person, or whatever else that BFF knows is bad news) leads to horrible consequences.

See, we don’t always do what’s right. In fact, that was the whole purpose of Jesus’ coming to this world in the first place. God made this world perfect. There was no sin in it – no bad stuff. But, people chose to start sinning, and that sin had bad consequences. The worst was, it separated us from God.

God made a way for us to become His friends, though. He reconciled us to Himself, by taking the punishment for our sin. Each person has to pay a price for their sin – unless they let God Himself pay that price for them. What an awesome friend, who would take the punishment for our sins!

That price that was paid was the only price big enough – Jesus came to this world and died on the cross willingly, shedding His blood as he died. Then, on the third day, He rose from the dead. He was able to do this because he was God. And, he is just waiting for each of us to call on Him – each person just needs to repent and receive Him as Saviour. That means to choose not to be a sinner anymore, but to let Jesus change you on the inside. Because, as a true Friend, that’s His job.

In fact, once you have Him living inside you through the Holy Spirit, He will always be an ever present help in time of need. He will always guide you in the right direction, and away from thigns that might cause you pain – He’ll always provide a way to escape problems. And yet, if you rebel against Him, once He has sealed you with the Holy Spirit, he will always be there to lovingly welcome you back. Just like that best friend who, even if you refuse their advice with disastrous consequences – will still love you.

And, you can have such fun with Him, too. He’ll open your eyes to so many good things, and so much joy – why, the Apostle Paul mentions joy dozens of times in an epistle he wrote in prison, the Book of Philippians! Jesus came so we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

So, how do you get that friend, you ask? Remember that example, where the child just started playing with someone? It’s that easy. Just go to Him by faith. It’s as easy as ABC:

Admit you’re a sinner, that your sin – things you say, think, and do that displease God – keeps you from God’s perfect Heaven.

Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, lived a perfect life, then died on the cross, taking the punishment for your sins, and rising from the dead the third day. And, that this did all that was necessary to reconcile you with Him, and get you to Heaven.

Choose to receive Jesus Christ’s forgiveness on the cross for your sin, and allow Him to enter your heart and make you new on the inside, and to come live in you; let Him give you a heart that wants to follow Him, and not sin. You won’t stop sinning right away, but just like that friend who will always guide and help you, He will begin a work to help you grow closer to Him, and He will complete it, even unto the day of the Lord. (Phil. 1:6)

That’s all there is to it. You can call on Him right now, in fact; whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom. 10:13) Just call on Him to forgive you of your sins and save you from that horrible punishment, separation from God forever in a place call Hell; a place only meant for the devil and his angels, but where people go who reject His love and offer of friendship.

He is a faithful friend, though, who will never leve you nor forsake you. And, He wants you to keep drawing close to Him. Not only that, but He wrote His Word, the Bible, to tell you of His grace and mercy, and also of how badly He wants you to avoid His judgment. He also wants us to go out and tell others about His awesome friendship.

Remember, though, that it’s all by His grace and mercy. He is the Creator of the universe. He didn’t have to choose to make us friends. He did, though, because of His great love for each of us – for you, for me, for everyone.

And, He’ll be that shoulder to cry on, that one to confide in, that One who can help you through anything. He loves you more than you can imagine.

Key #2 to Happiness – Being Thankful!

I don’t think that we can be happy if we don’t have a sense of thanksgiving for the good things in our lives.  Being thankful takes effort.  Naturally, most of us focus on our problems, on what we lack and what ails us.  Let’s face it…every one of us has some areas of our lives that are difficult and confusing.  Some of these challenges are short term and some are life-long burdens.  Some are self-inflicted and some are not our fault.

No matter how positive any one of us may be, there are times when a problem gets the best of us.  I must admit, as I write this, I am preaching to myself as well as sharing my thoughts with you.  Last week at work, for example, I let some of the pressures get to me.  We were trying to keep an important client happy, and everyone (including my direct manager and even the President of the company) had a passionate opinion about what I should do.  Unfortunately, the client had totally different ideas and I was walking that thin line of carrying the burden of keeping everyone happy.  The pressure even affected my life at home.  (My wife would say it wasn’t that bad, but I can see the difference when I don’t have much time for her)

I realize that some of you have much more serious problems.  Some of you might have lost your job or you lost your dream home due to foreclosure…some of you might have been informed that you have some serious illness, possibly even a life threatening one.  A dear relative of ours is living through everyone’s worst nightmare – the untimely death of one of their children in their 20’s.   How can one ever get past such a deep tragedy?  Is it even possible?  A better question is – does God really know what’s going on down here?  Does He see the pain you’re in, the impossible boss, the rebellious spouse or child, the empty bank account, or worse?

These situations are taking you by surprise, but not God.  He tells us that He saw every day of our lives before the foundation of the world – that every day of your life has been recorded in His book.  (God says this right after He tells you that He has more good thoughts about you than there are grains of sand on all the seas of the world)  He has a plan for you that goes way beyond your life on this planet – He has great plans for you throughout all eternity!  Since everyone will have different assignments after life on earth, each of us has to be prepared differently.  God has a wonderful future designed for you!  So you don’t want to be fighting against Him.

Our disappointments, losses and pressures, if not checked, can consume us and make our lives a living hell.  The question is…can we find happiness even when experiencing serious problems?  The answer is yes.  One of the keys to happiness is making a conscious decision and effort to take our focus off our problems and focus of all the good things in our lives…being thankful for those.

Some of you might argue that there is nothing to be thankful for.  On the surface that might seem true…but you’d be surprised.  I admit that this is not always easy but try we must nevertheless.

Personally, when I struggle with problems, I bring God into the situation, eventually.  As a stubborn Austrian, of course, I usually try to handle the problem first by myself… you know, my way!  But without Him, the whole situation inevitably gets worse.  Yes, I usually attempt a fix the hard way but then after several setbacks, I let Him take over.  The earlier in the challenge I surrender the issue to Him, the less pain I experience.  Why is that so hard to remember?   I don’t know why I need to re-learn the lesson over and over again.

Frankly, giving Him our issues is the first thing we should do. Did you know that God actually loves to hear from us about our problems?  He wants to be involved.  He is an amazing God that heals, provides, protects, restores and so much more.  Below are some Bible verses…

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalms 18:2 (NKJV)

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;  Psalms 46:1-2 (NKJV)

You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me
up again from the depths of the earth.  Psalms 71:20 (NKJV)

As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him.  Psalms 103:13 (NKJV)

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.  Psalms 147:3 (NKJV)

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’  Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.  Isaiah 43:2 (NKJV)

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.  Matt 5:4 (NKJV)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  ”Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  ”Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matt 5:10-12 (NKJV)

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.  ”But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  ”Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Matt 10:29-31 (NKJV)

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  ”Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  ”For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matt 11:28-30 (NKJV)

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  2 Corinthians 4:8 (NKJV)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NKJV)

So let’s take some time and think about all the things that are good in your life…your health…your husband or wife…your kids… your job…the fact you live in America…that you have roof over your head…that you can see…hear…walk…talk…and that Jesus died for you.  If you’re having trouble with this, just take some extra time to think about it…it will be worth it.  It’s amazing how many things most of us can come up with.

It is important to write these things down as you come up with these items.  Then read them out laud several times per day.  It’s really amazing what just that little exercise will do help us experience happiness.  Here is what the Bible says about being thankful…

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.  Phil 4:6-7 (NKJV)

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.  Psalms 118:1 (NKJV)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thess 5:16-18 (NKJV)

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!  2 Cor 9:15 (NKJV)

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  Col 3:17 (NKJV)

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,  Phil 1:3-4 (NKJV)

Keys to happiness exercise:

• Ask God for help (ask Jesus into your life if you have not done so already)
• Write down 10 -20 things you are thankful for
• Read them every day for a week…maybe even twice per day
• Every time a thought about your problem seem to creep into your mind, remind yourself of one or more things that you are thankful for
• Ask others to pray for you
• Feel free to e-mail us with questions
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For related articles – Check out:

How to find Happiness – 15 Lesson – Overview

How to find Happiness – Introduction

How to find Happiness – Key #1 – A relationship with God

How to find Happiness – Key #3 – Learning how to forgive yourself

How to find Happiness – Key #4 – Learning How to forgive others

How to find Happiness - Key #5 – Living in the present

What to do when you’re sick

Don’t Worry

Salvation – What it takes to be saved

Answers for Living

May you find happiness and may God answer your prayers mightily – Amen!

It’s official. LeBron James has announced on ESPN he will sign with the Miami Heat. A story with a lot of speculation has finally ended. Now, one of the best NBA players today has his next few years set.

This is important, because in all this talk about his loyalty, when “King James” might win an NBA title, or whether Chris Bosh might have refused to join him in Cleveland or not, there are other things to look at in this story: things such as talent, money, loyalty, and the manning of life.

Really. Because, no matter what happened with him, there is a faithful friend to save you from the evils of this world, help you build Heavenly treasures that last forever, and, help you make the right decisions, no matter what.

1. Obviously, it means he’s got a lot of basketball talent. Top actors get millions of dollars for acting talent. Top athletes get the same for athletic talent. Their jobs, as entertainers, aren’t as crucial as many others, but they share one thing: In this society, they can earn tons of money based on the fact they’ve used their God-given talent to the best of their ability.

We don’t often think about actors and actresses making millions per role, because we only see them in movies or on TV. They’ve gotten their millions long before the movie or show we see. If it bombs, they can hide behind the character, or the script gets blamed. Athletes, on the other hand, do what they do thousands of times a season – shoot a ball, throw, putt, what have you. Their misses pile up more than that performer’s one big miss on the big screen or TV, which is surrounded by so much else.

Both, however, use abilities that aren’t their own. Sure, hours of practice a day pays off, and some have to work harder. But, most people couldn’t shoot a basketball while being guarded like even the worst NBA player, even practicing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most people couldn’t memorize every line flawlessly, doing all the proper inflections and really bringing a character to life, for months at a time. Yes, there are club pros in golf and local radio station voice actors who pitch great local businesses. But, these are far cries from Tiger Woods or Tom Hanks – or even the Maytag Repairman.

Jesus tells us to consider the gifts God gave us, and thank Him for them. None of us can add an inch to our stature by mere thought.(Mat. 6:27) We can’t just think and suddenly become talented. God gives some people those talents, just as He gives some people other gifts, such as teaching, or the ability to learn manual skills like plumbing, or complex math.

Every one of us has different skills. You have a special skill, even if you don’t quite know what it is yet. If you put energy into it, you can accomplish great things with God’s help. However, remember that this skill is something you were born with, something given by God. We need to be thankful for our skills.

2. LeBron will also get a lot of money. No, some people don’t get as much money as others for their skills. And, some are certainly more important than acting or athletic ones. However, the important thing is, God sees and understands what you are given. And, He will reward you in the end, if you use it for Him and build treasure in Heaven.

The old maxim is true that money doesn’t buy happiness. It can buy things that make us happy for a time. Still, in the end, those things will grow old, wear out, lose value, or even, possibly, be taken from us. However, Heavenly treasure will be forever new, and can never be taken away. This means that LeBron will get a lot of something that will one day have no value. But, he can use it to build rewards in Heaven by helping others.

However, God doesn’t care about how much money we have here on earth. He cares about our heart. He knows our hearts, and just wants us to give what we have for Him. He doesn’t care that we don’t have a lot – Jeuss said that s widow who gave a few little coins as an offering had given more than a rich person who gave millions.

Even when we mess up and go after our own desires, though, God will lovingly call us back to Himself, so we can choose to do that which is right. Because, He is always loyal to us, alwys faithful even when we’re not.

3. Loyalty was discussed during the debate over where LeBron would go.

We need to keep focused on the one who is always loyal and faithful, though. It’s easy to put our trust in people. However, God has given us His Word, that He had something special for us. He has a plan for each person’s life that is better than we could ever plan for ourselves. He has a plan for LeBron’s life. Whether LeBron followed God’s plan, I’m not sure; nobody can know his heart for certain but God Himself.

We know one thing, though. Since different people wanted different things, God’s plan went against some peoples’ idea of what he should do. That’s normal, and it shows that our ways aren’t always best. If LeBron doesn’t know God personally, God can use this to lovingly draw LeBron to Him.

When we don’t like what goes on in our lives, all we have to do is trust in God. He will always do what’s best for us. Each of us is where we are in life today, because God has put us there, or God – in His love giving us free will to choose – allowed us to get there so God could help us to learn more about His great love for us. That is the loyalty God has for us, always working to make things better in our lives, though we sometimes flat refuse and turn away from Him.

The awesome thing is, He can be loyal to all who have received Him at once, as He lovingly calls those who haven’t. Because, He has ways to work things for the best for each of us in the end. Romans 8:28 promises that “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.”

So, no matter what, God can work it for good, along with all the other things in life. Because, God is always trying to work things together for good, to those who love Him; even if our choices get in the way. The story of LeBron James is one of a person who has made a lot out of his God-given talent, using it to play a game. I don’t know if he’s doing anything for the Lord to earn eternal treasures in Heaven, or if so, what it is. Only God knows his heart, and whether His perfect will played any role in LeBraon’s decision.

Life, though, is all about putting others first, and using those talent to bring glory and honor to God by drawing others to His great love. Because, He is willing that none perish, but that all come to repentance. He will be loyal to all who come to Him by faith.

It won’t always be just what we want, but for those who receive Him, they will have a faithful Friend who will live in them and always work things together for good.

How do I have that in my life?

It’s as easy as ABC – Admit, Believe, Choose.

A. Admit you need Him in your heart and life to save you. See, all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each one to his own way. And, the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Is. 53:6) This means all of us have turned away from Him. Oh, we might not have meant to, but we do, because we choose our own way.

LeBron is just like you and I and everyone else in one important way. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) That means we’ve all fallen short of His mark, which is perfection. Whether he chose what God wanted, I don’t know, but each of us has sinned – that means we’ve fallen short of God’s standard of perfection.

We need saved from that sin, because only then can we have that relationship with God here, and be in His perfect Heaven someday; a place where there is no pain, no suffering, no tears. Nobody can do mean stuff there. No one can imagine the wonderful things that will be there. There won’t be any sin, though, so we must accept we need God to take the punishment for our sins, and change us on the inside. The wages – what we earn – of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal lie through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

Next is:
B Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. (Acts 16:31) That means to believe that Jesus Christ is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14; 10:30; etc.), and that He took your punishment for your sin when he died on the cross for you and rose from the dead. He shed His blood for you; because that was the only price high enough to cleanse this whole world from sin. He died for you, but then, He rose from the dead, just as He will raise us one day, some to eternal life, some to everlasting destruction.

You must believe that He took the whole punishment for your sins when He did that. There is nothing you could do, because none of us can achieve perfection. And, He has to make it perfect, or it wouldn’t be Heaven. If He let even one drop of sin into Heaven, there would be suffering somewhere, or pain, or something else bad. Then, it wouldn’t be Heaven. So, He has to keep all sin out.

Finally,
C. Choose to repent and receive Him as your personal Savior. That means that you need to choose to let Him make you new on the inside. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, all things are become new. (2 Cor. 5:17)

Once you have done that, you can know for sure you in his family (1 John 5:13), if you have received Him by simple faith. (John 1:12)

That’s how Jesus makes you fit for Heaven. He first changes you when you trust Him to save you by simple faith. You receive Him into your heart by calling on Him to save you and repenting – turning from your sin. Once you invite Him into your heart, Jesus lives in you through God the Holy Spirit. Then, He will help you grow to be more like Him; more loving, compassionate, and so on.

You can receive that now – while the prayer itself doesn’t save you, you can pray something like this, in your own words, and receive Him into your heart and life: “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I know I haven’t always done what’s right. I’ve tried my way, Lord, and I realize I need to trust You completely instead. I believe You died on the cross for my sins, and rose from the dead; You took my punishment for my sins, because I couldn’t get to Your perfect heaven myself. Lord Jesus, I invite You into my heart to live in me and change me on the inside, so I can follow Your perfect ways, and have a Friend to help me if I mess up. Thank you Lord Jesus, for hearing my prayer, saving my soul, and coming to live in my heart, In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

It’s not the prayer that saves. But, it’s your faith, which you can remember putting in Jesus easier when you have a time you know you prayed to receive Him.

And when you receive Him, He will never leave you, nor forsake you. (Heb. 13:5) He will help you to make all the right decisions, if you just trust Him, because He will always give wisdom to those who ask. (James 1:5)

The state of happiness can be illusive and even if achieved, it can be a hard thing to hold on to in this world – especially if we look for happiness in the usual places. 

I remember when I first came to the US from Austria.  More than anything, I wanted to prove that I could be a success.  Like many people around the world, for decades I had heard about how anything was possible in America.  Anyone who was willing to work hard could live the American dream. 

Well, it was true for me.  I quickly “fell” into an industry that I discovered I really loved – advertising.   I worked very hard and became one of the top ad sales people in the company.  I achieved what most people would consider great success…the American dream. 

Why wasn’t it as satisfying as I had imagined?  I started to realize that being a business success wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.  As I made more and more money, I was able to buy more and better things but I quickly came to the same conclusion that many before me have discovered – that happiness has little or nothing to do with how much money we have or the square footage of the house we live in. 

If you’re still on that path, let me save you some time.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have more than enough, however, worldly success will not give you happiness.  Just look at the many examples of people who seemingly have it all but are so unhappy they end up overdosing on drugs or self-destruct in other ways.  At the same time, some people who live in horrendous poverty, where the kids don’t even own a pair of shoes, seem to be happy.  So am I saying that you have to be poor to find happiness?  No, not at all.

So what are  the keys to happiness?   Well, I believe one of the first is a state of being and state of mind…the way we look at life, money, possession, family, friends and this world.  Discovering this key unlocks many other doors.

Over the next few months, we’ll look at the meaning and the keys to happiness not just in principles, we’ll also include exercises we can do to help us change the way we look at life and make us happier people in the process.  We’ll focus on one key lesson at a time and practice and meditate on it over and over for an entire week.

How to find Happiness – Key #1 – A relationship with God

How to find Happiness – Key #2 – Being Thankful

How to find Happiness – Key #3 – Learning How to forgive yourself

How to find Happiness – Key #4 – Learning How to forgive others

How to find Happiness - Key #5 – Living in the present

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A Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there!  May God bless you and give you wisdom and knowledge to bring your children up in His righteousness.

I know the gifts have probably already been bought but just wanted to guide each of you to this book – “52 Things Kids Need From a Dad” Check it out everyone for the men, dads, grandpas, dads to be in your lives!

Guys, remember your children a blessing, a gift from God.  He freely gave you His children because He trusted you to bring them up righteously.  Treat them as gifts and not burdens in your lives.

God Bless and have a great day, dads!

In His Holy Name, Mary Ludolph

The Gulf Oil Spill, which may become the largest man-made disaster in human history, is getting worse, as the news shows it’s now full of methane.

Pictures show things which appear to be out of the Book of Revelation, as the oily mess appears blood-like in color and texture. (It looks close enough to blood, the squeamish should be ready.) With devastation of almost Biblical proportions possible, including worst case scenarios involving billions of barrels , it makes one wonder if this is some kind of judgment.

God is a God of grace and mercy. He loves to pardon sinners who come to Him by faith and repent; He came to this world to seek and save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10) He is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Mercy is not getting what we deserve – grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Because of His love, God loves to shower those good things on us.

But, God also is a God of justice. We like it when other people get what they deserve, especially if they wronged us. Well, this latest Gulf Oil Spill is so bad, it’s almost certain to be a disaster of Biblical proportions by the end. This leads some to ask, is America being judged?

Let’s look at that dichotomy for a moment, the love of God as shows in His mercy, and in His divine judgment.

Not a Contradiction

It is certainly not a contradiction – a police officer or judge, for instance, can be very wise and fair, and good at tracking down and punishing criminals to the “full extent of the law,” he or she may “always get the bad guy,” but yet that same officer or judge can be a warm, loving family man who is lenient and merciful with his or her children.

The difference, of course, is the relationship. Oh, that person will provide discipline and correction when needed, but in a merciful, more gentle way because they are his or her children. That person lovingly nurtures them, as the Bible instructs fathers, and will not provoke them to wrath, as fathers are warned not to do. (Eph. 6:4)

God is just like that. He hates sin, and must punish sin, because He can’t allow it into His perfect Heaven. This is how much he loves us, and how His love includes punishing sin. Because, just as a loving judge punishes criminals partly with innocent family members in mind, so, too, does God punish sin so we won’t have to deal with it in Heaven. He keeps sin completely out of it.

There’s another reason Heaven will be so wonderful. It’s because God will wipe away all tears, there will be no suffering, no pain, no sorrow or death. (Rev. 21) Nobody can imagine the wonders that await us, because we are finite humans. Who knows, we might have senses we never felt before, just as the blind will see for the first time.

See, this world was made perfect – there was no decay, no death, no sin. However, when people sinned, they brought that into the world, and it spread like crazy. It was a catastrophe that touched the whole world. God had to judge that sin, but He consistently gives us a chance to repent. Indeed, He will put it off if enough call on Him with repentant hearts. He was willing to spare Sodom from judgment if there were only 10 righteous people in the city. (Gen. 18) And, wicked Nineveh was spared from destruction for 70 years, because they repented. (Jon. 3)

However, even before He judges something or somebody, He lets them realize the natural consequences of that sin, which can be enormous. Indeed, even secular researchers have shown that humans naturally repeat mistakes & don’t learn from disasters.

They don’t always understand that it’s our fallen nature, but it is – we are not perfect because of sin. Sin separates us from God, and it’s only by His grace that He loves us. He never stops loving us, even when we turn away from Him. In fact, as he suffered on the cross, being punished in our place, Jesus – God Himself ion flesh – called out for them to be forgiven. (Luke 23:34)

That part – allowing people to experience the consequences of sin – isn’t always God directly allowing disasters; it’s often just His removing His hand of protection. Because, this entire world is filled with awful things that could happen, but don’t

Divine Judgment or not?

So, did God allow this to happen as a consequence for sin? Is He judging America? Has He removed His hand of protection?

Nobody can claim to know God’s heart for sure, except by what it says in the Bible. It can’t be certain that God has removed His hand of protection from anything. However, we don’t have guidelines that tell us it is possible, and that tell us what to do.

God condemns those which call good evil, and evil good. This has happened quite often in our society, as our culture has so much hatred, greed, corruption, and so on in it. The Bible tells us that in the end times, “the love of many shall wax cold” (Mat. 24:12) It’s true – that deep, unconditional love that we should have for others has been replaced by a shallowness in many cases. We’re so busy with our lives, few people care about others anymore. However, others are supposed to be put ahead of ourselves and our feelings. That means we shouldn’t be offended at every little thing, nor should we be selfishly trying to get everything for ourselves. The “great love chapter” of the Bible, after all, tells us what love really is; among other things, it isn’t hurtful or selfish. It “seeks not its own,’ meaning it doesn’t keep trying to get; it’s all about giving. And, so on. (1 Cor. 13) We have refused to condemn sin.

We need to love all sinners, but sin separates us from God’s perfect love, and needs to be confessed and forsaken. At the same time, we need to love the sinner, and show them compassion and understanding. We need to help them do as Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery when he forgave her – “Go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10) And, if we sin, we need to confess and forsake it, because “We have an advocate with God the Father – Jesus Christ the righteous,” (1 John 2:1), who took the punishment for our sins.

Of course, we’ve had problems for centuries, in how we treated other human beings. We refused to show natives, Africans-American/blacks, and other minorities love and compassion. We were, at times, filled with hypocrisy, as individuals, state governments, and as a national government.

Yes, we built a great nation, but we confess that we are not a perfect one. We were still blessed richly, though, despite all of our problems, because we had enough people who insisted on following the Golden Rule with everyone, regardless of who they were – such people were just drowned out by the wicked. Just like today, those who insist on moral decency and common sense are drowned out at times.

The Conclusion:

It’s hard to say if God has removed His hand of protection on us or not. But, we know 2 things for sure about this situation.

1. The Gulf Oil Spill could be a foreshadowing of the prophecy of a third of the seas of the world turning to blood, and a third of the sea life dying (Rev. 8:7-9, which also mentions hail – which the evaporation could cause to look like bits of blood), and then everything in the sea dying (Rev. 16:3-4). Revelation tells us it will partly happen because of a comet or meteor, but the tidal wave caused by a meteor crashing into the sea would definitely cause this to spread a lot more than it is even now. In other words, we could be close to the end times, just based ont his alone.

2. Just as we, and other nations, have in the past called on God in repentance and prayer to forgive and save us, we can do it, too. Second Chronicles 7:14 is a great model for this type of national prayer of repentance, calling on God to forgive us.

Whether or not this is God lifting His hand of protection, we are getting closer and closer to the days prophesied many years ago in the Bible. Life won’t be the same. However, each person alive today has a future.

That future is with Jesus. Jesus is God in flesh – He and His father are one. (John 10;30, etc.) He came to this world because, while He is a God of justice, He is also a God of mercy. That same Jesus who cried out, while being crucified, “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they d,” died for you, and rose from the dead the third day. He took the punishment for each of our sins – mine, yours, everyone’s – because HE DOES NOT WANT YOU TO FACE JUDGMENT. (I normally wouldn’t type in caps like that, but something in my Spirit, which is how God indwells believers, is just thinking about how bad this *could* get, and crying out for people to come to Jesus, so He can lead them through this with the peace that passes understanding!)

He is a God of everlasting mercy, who doesn’t want to see people suffer. Like that policeman or judge in the first example, who doesn’t want his or her children to grow up to become hardened criminals, God knows what awaits those who reject his perfect love and goodness. It’s everlasting destruction from the presence of God. (2 Thess. 1:9)

I don’t know how bad the oil spill will get, but even if it’s not near the end, this is the time to make peace with God, because none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. You don’t have to do anything to make peace with Him, though. You don’t’ have to clean up your act and then come to Jesus – you can’t. It was “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) He gave us a free gift – the gift of life forever with Him. (Rom. 6:23) All we have to do is “call upon the name of the Lord,” and we’ll be saved.(Rom. 10:13) Salvation is “by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)

All you need to do to receive Him, and have Him in your heart to give you peace and to guide you through things and get you to Heaven someday, is to: A. Admit you’re a sinner, just like me, just like everyone, and that this sin keeps you from heaven; B. Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for your sins, took your punishment on the cross,and rose from the dead; and, C. Choose to turn from your sins (repent) and receive Him as your Lord and Savior; invite Him into your heart and life, making you new on the inside.

It’s not about specific words, but you can pray something like this right now to receive Him:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I can’t reach Your perfect Heaven on my own, because my sin separates me from you. I know You died for my sins, though, and rose from the dead. You took my place, You suffered my punishment on the cross. Lord Jesus, I turn from my sin, and I trust You to forgive me. I choose today to become a follower of You, and I invite You into my heart to make me new on the inside, so I can have a relationship with You. I accept You have done all that is needed to get me to Heaven, and I trust You as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

That’s all there is to it. If you prayed that and meant it, you are a child of His now, and nothing can take you away from Him. (Rom. 8:38-9, Eph. 4:30) Tell others all about His wonderful love and grace, in how He has forgiven them, too, and all they must do it turn to Him by faith for forgiveness. He never tells us in His Word to do anything but call on Him.

Find a good Gospel preaching church where the love of God is also shown, as well as the truth of God’s Word being preached. I recommend the “rapture ready” bulletin boards, too, as a good place to fellowship and learn about all the apostasy (false religion) that is out there.

Our nation has lots of problems. It may or may not be under God’s judgment; but soon, the whole world will be. It might still be quite a while from now. But, His return for us has always been imminent; even in the first century, people awaited that blessed hope of His Glorious Appearing.

We can look forward to that, too. The Gulf of Mexico, and life in that area, may be greatly harmed, but Jesus promises that “In this world, you will have tribulation; but, be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) And, He can help you to overcome, too.

Ever since the crisis over the flotilla trying to get through Israel’s blockade, tensions have been very high.  It appeared at times recently that there could be peace in the Middle East. However, real peace seems very far away at times, too.

Why is there such violence?

Four thousand years ago, the Bible says God told Abraham he would make him a great nation. (Gen. 12:1-3, Gen. 15, and others) Abraham “ran ahead” of God’s plan, you might say. God planned to bless his son through his wife, Sarah.  Abraham got impatient though, and he and Sarah’s servant, Hagar, produced a son, named Ishmael. (Gen. 16-17) Abraham later had a son through Sarah, though, named Isaac. (Gen. 21-22) When God blessed Abraham’s son, Isaac – the one he had with Sarah – it started 4,000 years of violence in the Middle East.

God said that Ishmael, too, would be a great nation, though, and live in the presence of his brethren. (Gen. 16:10-12) Obviously, as with Abraham, this means founder of a great people. God still blessed Ishmael’s descendants – but He prophesied correctly that they would not accept living in the presence of Isaac’s seed. “His hand wil be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” (Gen. 16:12) God is saying here that He knows there will be violence in that region – and there has been for thousands of years.

The Bible predicts correctly things will get more intense

That long ago writing predicting continued violence is helpful in understanding it, you say. But, it seems like things are getting more and more out of control

Yes, they are. I wrote in this blog about a lot of different prophesies dealing with the end times. But, here are just a few things which show how close we are to something major. Look at the following, which was only a few years ago, and compare it with prophecy:

Here are just a few signs – think about the world a couple years ago versus today

* Turkey was still alligned with the Western Nations, and was friendly to Israel
* Iran and Russia weren’t alligned as allies

Today: Turkey ajnd Israel are very hostile. The Bible predicts various nations which occupy modern Turkey (among others) will war against Irsrael. (Ezek. 38-39) Iran and likely Russia are also among those who attack Israel in this war.

* The U.S. was supporting Israel, selling them arms, standing up to Israel’s enemies, etc.

Today, there is great tension between the two. The Bible predicts in varous places that all nations would turn against Israel in the end times. And, that Jerusalem would be a “cup of trembling” which would crush all who tried to deal with the problem. (Zech. 12:2-3)

* Little to none of the One World Government stuff was being discussed in the open

The Bible tells of one final world empire with a world leader at the head (Daniel 7-11, Rev. 13, 17-18, etc.)

* There was no talk of a One-World Currency – now a lot of the world is calling for it
The Bible predicts a world economy will exist. (Rev. 13, 18)

* The RFID chip was in it’s infancy as far as usage in humans – now there are video ads promoting it

The Bible predicted 2000 years ago that technology would exist to put a mark in everyone’s hand or forehand, and nobody could buy or sell without it. (Reve. 13, etc.) While the RFID chip itself may not be the mark, it could still contain the mark later.

* Most countries in the world were financially sound

This isn’t just about a world government. The Bible clearly states (Rev. 6) that there would be great famine, disease, and other things that kill well over a billion people.

All this is not to mention all the earthquakes, volcanoes, and now the oil spill this year. Yes, there have always been natural disasters, but they are increasing in itnensity.

This is not to set a date or anyting. It is, however, stating that things are getting pretty bad. Bad enough that, even if this current crisis dies down, what Jesus terms birth pangs are increasing, and will continue to intensify. The economies of the world will one day get so bad that a one-world government is formed, and a world ruler will take over that will sign a peace treaty with Israel – a new one or strengthening a current one – for 7 years. Then, in the middle of that 7-year stretch, he will break the covenant, and go to war against Israel. (Daniel 9:26-27)

God warns us so we can escape

You know how you watch an action or horror movie, and if you know what’s going to happen, you want to yell “Get out of there!”? You think it at first, then the action gets a little tenser, you get more scared, and finally, if you’re in the theater, someone might actually blurt it out! Well, God knows how this will all end, too. And, He’s warning us the same way. “Get out of there!”

Only, He will be the one to get those out who have called on Him.

See, He gives people free choice, so we’re not mindless robots. He also knows people, because of their sinfulness, will lead this world to destruction, though. He made people perfect, but mankind chose to bring sin into the world, and it’s been getting worse and worse. That sin was like an infection that brought on all kids of natural disasters. And, it’s what causes all the man-made disasters, wars, and so on. Just like the tensions in the Middle east.

But, sin is a problem we all have. We don’t all go out and war against others, or steal, or really bad sins. However, we all sin, and come short of the glory of God.

Think of how awful that sin is. It’s what causes all the greed, corruption, war, hatred, and such in the world today. It will all, one day, be destroyed. Along with all those who practice it. Including us, unless we heed God’s waring to “Get out of there!”

We have to make a choice. A choice to let God cleanse us from our sin.

See, God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ. Anyone who believes on Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life. (John 3:16) that means they can be sure of it. They won’t perish – they won’t suffer for their sins, because Jesus has already done so. He went to the cross willingly, died for our sins, then rose from the dead, so we could be free from sin.

All anyone has to do is receive His free gift of eternal life. (Rom. 10:13, Eph. 2:8-9, etc.) That is done by simple faith, trusting Jesus to change you on the inside, making you a new creature. (2 Cor. 5:17) We are saved so we can do good works here on Earth, but remember, the only thing we’ll take with us to Heaven are the souls of others. God will make this world new, after the horrible wars and destruction that will be brought about in that final seven-year period.

But before that destructiveness gets too severe, God will not just cry “Get out of there!” (that’s what He calls us to do now, warn others) God will rescue us, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” (1 Cor. 15:51-52, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) as he will come down for us, to rescue us from this world, before His final wrath is poured out on the horrors of sin.

To escape that, you just need to call out to Him to forgive you and save you from your sins, trusting that He bled and died ont he cross for you, then rose from the dead, so you could get to heaven someday.

A Middle East war will come sooner, rather than later. Every prophecy of the Bible has come true, and we can see the signs now. That doesn’t mean it’ll be tomorrow for sure. But, it will come.

Will we be here for it? The Bible doesn’t say for sure.. But, we must be ready, because the Lord will come in an instant. In the meantime, we must bring others to Christ, warning them, in essence, to “Get out of there!” Because true peace in the Middle East won’t come till Jesus reigns over the world. (Rev. 20)

Step out on faith and let God

do a “New Thing” in your life!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”         Isaiah 43:18-19a (NIV)

Kairos Moments

As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1,

“to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

“The hour is the God-given moment of destiny not to be shrunk from but seized with decisiveness, the floodtide of opportunity and demand in which the unseen waters of the future surge down to the present.” (Os Guinness, Character Counts **)  Nothing is more critical than to recognize and respond to such a moment.

What Matters is Being Ready

A moment is all the time it takes for God to change things.  Philippians 2:13 (NIV) reminds us: “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

When God presents you with an exciting opportunity do you eagerly step out of your comfort zone and proceed with enthusiasm? Or like many people do you cower in fear and say to God, “Not me Lord, send someone else!” ?  How can God do a new thing today, if we are still hanging on to yesterday’s hurt, pain and disappointment?  We must declare as David did, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24)

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands;                                                   Psalm 31:14-15a (NIV)

Are you positioning yourself for a Kairos moment?

** click here for more information on writer and speaker, Os Guiness