SEEING MY PROBLEMS THROUGH GOD'S EYES

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.
1 Peter 4:12-13 (TM)

1. GOD USES PROBLEMS TO DIRECT ME
We make our own plans, but the LORD decides where we will go.
Proverbs 16:9 (CEV)

Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.
Proverbs 20:30 (GN)

You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.
2 Corinthians 7:9 (TM)

Question to ourselves:
Where is this problem leading me?

2. GOD USES PROBLEMS TO INSPECT ME
But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.
Jeremiah 17:10 (NLT)

Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; but God probes for what is good.
Proverbs 16:2 (TM)

Don't forget how the LORD your God has led you through the desert for the past forty years. He wanted to find out if you were truly willing to obey him and depend on him.
Deuteronomy 8:2 (CEV)

Question to ourselves:
What does this problem reveal about me?

3. GOD USES PROBLEMS TO CORRECT ME
God corrects all of His children, and if He doesn't correct you, then you don't really belong to Him... God corrects us for our own good, because He wants us to be holy, as He is.
Hebrews 12:8-10 (CEV)

Consider yourself fortunate if God All-Powerful chooses to correct you.
Job 5:17 (CEV)

...it was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your laws.
Psalm 119:71 (LB)

Question to ourselves:
What is this problem teaching me?

4. GOD USES PROBLEMS TO PROTECT ME
And at this very moment, God deeply desires to lead you from trouble.
Job 36:16 (CEV)

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good...
Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

Questions to ourselves:
How is this problem protecting me? What is the problem preventing from happening in my life?

5. GOD USES PROBLEMS TO PERFECT ME
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share His eternal glory in union with Christ, will Himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation.
1 Peter 5:10 (TEV)

We can rejoice when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it...
Romans 5:3-4 (LB)

Question to ourselves:
How is this problem making me more like Christ?

HOW TO BE A SERVANT FOR JESUS, OUR LIVING SAVIOR

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

1. JESUS HAS GIVEN ME SPECIAL GIFTS TO SERVE IN GOD’S KINGDOM

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)

2. A FAITHFUL CHURCH ACCOMPLISHES MUCH WHEN EVERY MEMBER IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN MINISTRY

God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. 25He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. 26If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.
1 Corinthians 12:24-26 (CEV)

3. WORK HARD AT USING YOUR SPECIAL GIFT TO ENLARGE GOD’S KINGDOM

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Romans 12:11(NLT)

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 11It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
1 Corinthians 12:7, 11 (NLT)

Every man and woman in Israel whose heart moved them freely to bring something for the work that God through Moses had commanded them to make, brought it, a voluntary offering for God.
Exodus 35:29 (TM)

And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Acts 20:35 (NLT)

4. BEING A SERVANT INVOLVES DEVELOPING A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
JOHN 14:19-21 (NIV)

WHAT HAPPENS TO CHRISTIANS WHO DIE?

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died (fall asleep NIV) so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NLT)

1. “THOSE WHO FALL ASLEEP” REFERS TO THOSE CHRISTIANS WHO’S BODY HAS DIED
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:59-60 (NIV)

Jesus answered, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." 12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
John 11:11-15 (NIV)

2. WHEN THE BODY OF A CHRISTIAN DIES, THE SPIRIT GOES TO BE WITH JESUS IN HEAVEN.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Acts 7:59 (NIV)

Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.
Luke 23:46 (NLT)

Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.
Luke 9:28-31 (NLT)

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” 43And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke23:40-43 (NLT)

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Philippians 1:21-23 (NIV)

When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of everyone who had been killed for speaking God's message and telling about their faith. 10They shouted, "Master, you are holy and faithful! How long will it be before you judge and punish the people of this earth who killed us?" 11Then each of those who had been killed was given a white robe and told to rest for a little while.
Revelation 6:9-11 (CEV)

3. WHEN THE LORD COMES AGAIN, HE WILL GIVE ALL SAVED CHRISTIANS, DEAD & ALIVE, AN IMMORTAL BODY THAT WILL NEVER DIE (spirit & body reunited)
16With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. 17Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever.
18 Encourage each other with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (CEV)

WHAT SIGN WILL SIGNAL JESUS RETURN

Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
14When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come.

Matthew 24:4-8, 14 (NLT)

1. THERE WILL BE MANY FALSE MESSIAH’S
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

1 John 2:18 (NIV)

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

2 John 1:7 (NIV)

2. THERE WILL BE WARS AND THREATS OF WARS
And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. 8And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.

Revelation 13:6-8 (NLT)

3. THERE WILL FAMINES AND EARTHQUAKES
There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

Luke 21:11 (NIV)

For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” 6So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NLT)

4. THE NEWS ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD WILL BE PREACHED ALL OVER THE WORLD
3And I will give power to my two witnesses. 7When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. 8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. 9And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them.

Revelation 11:3, 7-9 (NLT)

5. AFTER THESE THINGS, THE END WILL COME
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

Will you give God your very best?

HOW TO LIVE ON GOD’S VERY BEST (Part 5)

Nothing Compares To The Bible

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.
Amos 8:11 (NASB)

1. THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY BOOK GOD PROMISED TO INSPIRE
Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

2. GOD PROMISES TO BLESS THE READERS OF THE BIBLE
This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place.
3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
Revelation 1:1, 3 (NLT)

3. THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY BOOK THAT WILL LIVE FOREVER
The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”
Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)

I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.
Matthew 5:18 (NLT)

4. THE BIBLE IS ACCURATE
35The eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report. He saw it himself and is telling the truth so that you, also, will believe.
36-37These things that happened confirmed the Scripture, "Not a bone in his body was broken," and the other Scripture that reads, "They will stare at the one they pierced."
John 19:35-36 (TM)


5. THE BEST TIME FOR DEVOTIONS IS WHEN YOU’RE AT YOUR BEST
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 6For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 1:1-3, 6 (NIV)

Will you give God your very best?

HOW TO LIVE ON GOD’S VERY BEST (Part 4)

Keep Clean With SOAP

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
Psalm 19:9 (NASB)

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
John 15:3 (NIV)

1. TO KEEP CLEAN AND BE HEALTHY USE SOAP –
(method of daily devotional journaling)

We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.
1 Corinthians 8:1-2 (TM)

S = SCRIPTURE
O = OBSERVATION
A = APPLICATION
P = PERSONAL PRAYER

S = SCRIPTURE
Ask the Lord to bring home to your heart one particular scriptural text. Write it down in your journal.

O = OBSERVATION
Ponder what God highlighted for you and write out in manuscript form what you observe.

A = APPLICATION
Write out how you plan to put into practice the lesson the Lord Jesus has brought to your attention. How will I be different today as a result of what I’ve just read.

P = PERSONAL PRAYER
Write out your prayer. It could be to thank Him for giving you the power to apply what you’ve just learned.

For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
James 1:23-25 (NLT)

If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
John 13:17 (NASB)

Go the extra mile and take 30 seconds to write the Table of Contents entry on the first page of your journal. Include the title of your entry, Scripture reference, the date and the page of your journal entry.

2. THE BEST TIME FOR DEVOTIONS IS WHEN YOU’RE AT YOUR BEST

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 6For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 1:1-3, 6 (NIV)

Will you give God your very best?

HOW TO LIVE ON GOD’S VERY BEST (Part 3)

Spend Time With Jesus

Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)

The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
John 6:63 (NIV)

I focus on this one thing: 14I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)

1. DAILY DEVOTIONS CORRECT YOU TO WHAT’S RIGHT

Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
Psalm 119:37, 67 (NIV)

And He (Jesus) came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives.
Luke 22:39 (NIV)

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
Luke 5:16 (NASB)

2. WE NEED THE WORD OF GOD; A HOLY WEAPON TO WIN

And take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17 (NASB)

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John 14:26 (NIV)

"It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
Matthew 4:4 (NASB)

3. THE FIVE THINGS YOU NEED FOR YOUR DEVOTIONAL LIFE

1. Bible
2. Pen
3. Journal
4. Bible Reading Plan
5. Daily Planner

Bring Your Bible
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

Bring A Pen And Bring A Journal
"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.
Jeremiah 30:2 (NIV)

“When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. 20This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 (NLT)

Bring A Bible Reading Plan
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Isaiah 30:20 (NIV)

Bring A Daily Planner
"My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.
Proverbs 8:19 (NASB)