The TRUTH about GOD

Ok as promised...I am going to do my best to explain what I learned in church last Sunday because I just think it's VERY important and it's one of THE most - or quite frankly THE ONLY important thing that you'll ever know in your life. :) Do I have your full attention now? ;)

Truth #1 - God IS with me even if I don't SEE Him.

"This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" John 11:4

God is able to bring good out of any bad situation.

"And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

I know you're wondering...really Melissa...what does this even have to do with ME? Why are you telling me this? Well friends, this just solidifies what I've been saying all along in my blogs as you read them. This is what makes me a more POSITIVE person each day! GOD is able to bring GOOD out of ANY bad situation. And it's in those "bad situations" that you really begin to dig deeper into the Word of God (because quite frankly you are probably looking for answers) -- and discover His utmost LOVE. He truly can take any bad situation and make good out of it. Through fire (brings the community together when at any other time they probably wouldn't have that opportunity)...through disease (again, brings people closer together & we begin to CHERISH each day as if we have no tomorrow, making each day wonderful)...through tragedy, and yes, even death. God KNOWS what He is doing...even if WE don't have the answers. There is always an answer to what happens in our lives, sometimes we see it (even YEARS later in life) and sometimes we don't. But there is NO coincidence, only God. :)

"...give thanks in ALL circumstances...for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

This verse to ME means you give all of your confidence to GOD and in HIM - He is in control.

God's purpose for my problems...

To bring glory to HIM, to STRENGTHEN my character, to DEEPEN my FAITH.

These are all reasons why we go through troubled times. We may FEEL like God is punishing us, but our God is a loving, caring God. He does not punish us or take away just because we're doing something wrong. I felt that way for a long long time, but I truly feel now that God does not do that to us as human beings. He does not use difficult situations to punish us! He knows we're going to fail and that we're not perfect, why would He punish us for that? It's simple. He doesn't. ;)

Truth #2 - God does CARE: Jesus LOVES me!

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...NO, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither DEATH, nor LIFE, neither ANGELS nor DEMONS, neither the present or future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35, 37-39

Truth #3 - God is NOT mad at me!

"As Christ hung there, He was bearing the sins of the world. He was dying as a substitute for others. To Him was imputed the guilt of their sins, and He was suffering the punishment for those sins on their behalf. And the very essence of that punishment was the outpouring of God's wrath against sinners. In some mysterious way during those awful hours on the cross, the Father poured out the full measure of His wrath against sin, and the recipient of that wrath was God's own beloved Son...God was punishing His own Son as if He had committed every wicked deed done by every sinner who would ever believe. And He did it so that he could forgive and treat those redeemed ones as if they had lived Christ's perfect life of righteousness." John MacArthur: The Murder of Jesus, 219.

He's not MAD at us, just the opposite He LOVES us and He wants us to obey Him - after all He gave His son to die for us. I don't know ANY human being that would give their son to save all mankind, do you?

Truth #4 - Jesus is ALL-POWERFUL!

"I am the Alpha and Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Creator and sustainer of all things, He is the ruler over all principalities and powers, both visible and invisible, He is the mighty God, the Prince of Peace; He gives strength to the weary and binds up the broken hearted.

And I wrote down one last verse that I LOVE LOVE LOVE and it holds near & dear to my heart...

John 11:25 ~ "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection an the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'"

So...do YOU believe this? Do you believe in Jesus? Have you asked Him into your hear today? Have you asked Him to come into your heart & take over your life? He's simply waiting.

If you are already a Christian - are you letting Him take over your life? Are you giving Him your all? Are you letting His Word SPEAK to you? It is ONE thing to READ the Bible, a totally DIFFERENT thing to understand and let it move and touch you. Even through the rough spots - He's there waiting for you to come to Him. He loves us so SOOO much!