Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

I am proud of God's Word because it is the power God uses to save everyone who believes. God tried to save the Jews first but when they did not listen he offered the privilege to the Gentile. The Word of God shows how he makes people right with himself and that begins with faith. The scripture says "But those who are right with God will live by trusting in him." ~Habakkuk 2:4.

The Bible also says "God shows his anger against all the evil and wrong things people do. By their own evil lives they hide the truth. God shows his anger because some knowledge of him has been make clear to them. Yes, God has shown himself to them. There are things about him that people cannot see - his eternal power and all the things that make him God. But since the beginning of the world those things have been easy to understand by what God has made. So people have no excuse for the bad things they do. They knew God, but they did not give glory to God or thank him. Their thinking became useless. Their foolish minds were filled with darkness. They said they were wise, but they became fools. They traded the glory of God who lives forever for the worship of idols made to look like earthly people, birds, animals and snakes."

"Because they did these things, God left them and let them go their sinful way, wanting only to do evil. As a result, they became full of sexual sin, using their bodies wrongly with each other. They traded the truth of God for a lie. They worshiped and served what had been created instead of the God who created those things, who should be praised forever."

"Because people did those things, God left them and let them do shameful things they wanted to do. Women stopped having natural sex and started having sex with other women. In the same way, men stopped having natural sex and began wanting each other. Men did shameful things with other men and in their bodies they received the punishment for those wrongs."

"People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking and to do things they should not do. They are filled with every kind of sin, evil, selfishness and hatred. They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying and thinking the worst about each other. They gossip and say evil things about each other. They hate God. They are rude and conceited and brag about themselves. They invent ways of doing evil. They do not obey their parents. They are foolish, they do not keep their promises and they show no kindness or mercy to others. They know what God's law says, that those who live like this should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil things, they applaud others who do them."
This describes so much of what we see in the world today but it was taken from Romans 1:18-32.

It is frightening how things that have happened in the past repeat themselves no matter who makes up the culture or what society is involved. Humans are inherently evil, it is not a learned behavior. Children don't have to be taught to lie or be selfish, it comes naturally. It is a behavior that can become a way of life. As parents, we have to be mindful and consistently discipline to correct these bad habits so they don't destroy the life we have guided. We do this by using our knowledge of what is best for them through God's word.

What happens when children become adults and no longer have parents that constantly correct their behavior? God should be in their lives and the relationship they have with him should govern their behavior as it does our own. It should be our desire to behave as God has instructed in the scriptures only driven by the love we feel for him. By doing so, we teach our children to love God and to obey his commandments.

What happens when we decide that we have no interest in obeying his word? He tells us that he will turn his face from us but will continue to let us choose our own path. Once we know him or about him, we will make the choice our conscience dictates to either follow him or not. But, if we follow the evil desires of our own hearts we are also choosing death. It is such a frustrating time for parents when they see their child making mistakes and having to pay the consequences for their actions. It can be just as painful for the parent to go through the emotion of disappointment in the child as it is for the child to bear what ever punishment they have earned.

This is what God must feel when we stray from his commandments. When we choose to follow our own fleshly desires instead of what we know, through his word, is right and good. I believe the situation is similar for God to see us suffer the consequences of our choices when we choose what is sinful. All he can do is respect our choice, turn away and let the consequences happen. We often blame God for bad things happening in our lives when it is actually the consequences of our own bad choices.

What if we haven't done anything wrong, why then do bad things happen? People have a hard time understanding why bad things are allowed to happen to good people. The sad fact of the matter is evil exists in this world and there will be no end to it as long as people are caught up in the lies of Satan and his cohorts. When God gave man free rein to choose good or evil it created a world where all is not fair. Satan doesn't care what is fair or right because he is evil and only does things that serves himself no matter who it effects, even good people.

We must depend on God to judge and punish others because he is righteous and his justice will be served but in his time and in his way. We may not always understand why it doesn't happen as quickly as we like. Sometimes justice may have to wait until the offender goes before the throne of God himself, but rest assured in the knowledge that justice will be done.

Another reason bad things happen, as we have seen in Job, sometimes they happen through no fault of our own and are merely tests of our faith. If things are good for too long a stretch we can become lukewarm and need to be jolted back to God. That's the sad thing about human nature, there are times when we get so comfortable that we are no longer thankful or remember to praise God for what we have in life. Often we need a reminder that we are so blessed to have what we do, many have much less. It's good practice to start your morning prayer with thanks and praise to God for all the kindness and provision he has shown to you and your family members.

With an attitude of gratefulness it is much easier to stay within the perimeter of God's commands. I do this by writing in a journal each evening going over the day in my mind and writing down significant events and emotions I'd felt. It makes it easier to express gratitude and renews appreciation for the gifts he has given me. Ending with prayer is a wonderful way to end the day, you will find yourself drawing closer to God day by day. Soon you will be rewarded with a closer more intimate relationship with the Lord our creator than you have ever had before. Going to church for fellowship maintains your walk with him but it cannot replace experiencing a personal relationship one on one, that's where I find my comfort and strength.

If you have fallen away or are on the wrong path, consider these things and know that forgiveness is there for you, if you will only turn from sin and ask for forgiveness. Everyday is another chance to make things right, you do not have to continue as you are. If he can accept and forgive Paul, a murderer of Christians, he can forgive you too. All you have to do is ask, be sincere, refrain from your sin in the future and walk in the light from here on forward.

For those who don't know him: Ask him into your life with a sincere heart and he will come. Knock at his door and it will open, seek and you will find him. Be prepared to put God before all things and he will give you all that you need. It is never too late. There is nothing you could have ever done that he cannot forgive. All things become new to those who choose to walk in the light, only through Christ the Lord. For he came to save us from ourselves and Satan, not to condemn us. Please, offer him your heart and let him save you too.

What Are The Seven Deadly Sins And Their Meanings?

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone enjoys the abundance of a wonderful harvest and being around family and friends. Thanksgiving is near and dear to my heart because it involves God in my life. I am so thankful for all that he has given me throughout the years, not just today.

I am thankful for my family both near and far. I wish I could be with all of them at the same time, but we all live so far apart and in so many directions that it is not possible. I want them to know they will be with me in spirit at my Thanksgiving table this year. I am thankful for my little grandsons, they help to keep us grounded about what is important in life. Their healthy curiosity and innocence in a crazy world is refreshing. I am thankful for my friends they help to reinforce my faith in humanity. I am thankful for those of you who read my articles, tweets and blogs for taking the time in your busy days to stop long enough to read them. I hope they add something to your life and you enjoy them. I am thankful for my little four legged friends for calming me when I am frazzled. Just petting them brings me comfort, they greet me a the door with tails wagging, always glad to see me.

Thanksgiving allows us all to stop and take a break to remember and appreciate all that we have been given in this life. Time goes by so quickly, it is getting almost impossible for people to slow down. It seems life demands so much of our time we hardly ever stop without being so tired we can't think. Will you join me and make a conscience effort this holiday to slow down? Try to remember what is important and prioritize our schedule to allow us a few moments each day to give thanks. May God bless you all.

Thank you everyone for being in my life, Happy Thanksgiving!

A Joyful Life

Recently I took the opportunity to re-evaluate my life and where I spent my time. I must say that I got caught up in the election process and was thoroughly disappointed with the outcome. But after much prayer time, what I had to realize was that my allegiance is with God the almighty and not with the government, no matter who is president.

My life and my business decisions will ultimately be governed by my beliefs. God is number one in my life and I need my life to reflect that fact.  I had to decide what actions I needed to take to confirm that outcome and consider it my responsibility as a Christian.

The most stunning revelation was that I had let myself be drawn into the cesspool of politics and the evil that dwells in that arena. I know by the signs indicated in the Bible that we are, in fact, experiencing the end times. I also believe that we are under judgment as a nation. The majority of people that dwell in the US are no longer allowing God to lead them but have succumbed to greed, sins of the flesh and laziness.

It is so easy to get swept up into these things when the culture celebrates immorality, selfishness and wastefulness. It becomes more difficult to remain in God’s values thereby achieving happiness. The culture teaches that having more, bigger, better or newest gadget brings happiness. They seduce our children and teens with television ads that tell them being skinny and dressing provocatively makes them desirable, as if they aren't desirable or interesting in modest clothing. They teach having the newest coolest things gets us the attention we want and brings happiness.  If that was the case why are so many Americans on anti-depression medication?

So, what really makes us happy? What brings a joyful life? I think the answer is TIME. It seems to be the one thing we cannot buy, replace, or store up for later use. We only have so much allotted to each of us. What we do with it is what determines if we can ever be happy.

If it was up to the government we would all be running to work every hour we could and spending it making money to buy all the things we think we fancy. A nice car, new clothes, gourmet food, the latest electronic gadget, a night on the town, an exotic vacation and a big house in a coveted neighborhood, then we could be happy. If we just had these things or maybe a job making even more money, we would be even happier.

God tells us a different story. Jesus walked the earth; he didn't drive or fly anywhere. He spent his time with common men and women, teaching God’s truth to the masses. He worked in his father’s carpenter shop as he grew up. He spent time on a fishing boat to get away from the crowds. He often went into the desert or the garden to pray to God for direction. He never owned a house, yet he loved his friends and spent time with them often. He sent his disciples out to teach and spread the gospel without as much as a change of clothes or shoes. God provided all they needed everywhere they went.

You don’t read about healthcare plans, pensions or retirement in the Bible. He tells us we are more valuable than the sparrow in the field and yet they are taken care of. They don’t want for food or water and are clothed in gorgeous colored feathers. But we spend our entire lives building false security in houses, land or storing up of money.

The times we live in reflect the insecurity we have here on earth. A stock portfolio can be worth less in economic declines and can be totally wiped out quickly if we don’t know when to sell. The housing crisis of 2008 cost people thousands of dollars as the prices dropped they lost equity and sometimes their entire home and savings.

So, where do we spend our time that would be most beneficial to us? We must sow seed to bear fruit, we must build our treasure in heaven and not on earth where it can be wiped out with the fluctuations of the economy or destroyed in a natural disaster or war.

We must ask ourselves, what do we really need to survive? Air to breathe, water to drink, a little food to eat, a place to rest our tired bodies and someone to love, those are the necessities in life. How hard is it to obtain those things? It’s really not that hard. But we don’t stop there. We pursue comfort and convenience most of the time. We are always looking for an easier way to do everything. We, as a culture, have exaggerated our needs to reflect our extravagant wants. Why? Because we were sold a bill of lies, that we can buy happiness. But chasing money inevitably costs us our happiness. We must put God first and all of the necessities of life will be given to us. It is God's promise and the way to a joyful life.

Living a simple life can provide us with all the things we require without taking all of our time. If we downsize our homes, stop buying all the newest gadgets, turn off the television set and spend time with the ones we love, doing things together and doing things for others brings the satisfaction that will ultimately make us happy. We just have to take the time to stop. Stop running, we are so busy we have no time to reflect or to think about what we are doing or why. We feel like we have to fill every hour of everyday with activity or entertainment. How much time do you spend in reflection and quiet thought? How much time do you spend with God?

Time is a gift from God but strangely we don’t know how much time any of us has so, we should not waste our time chasing after the luxuries of this world. We were not created or put on earth for the purpose of acquiring things but to acquire the knowledge of who our creator is and pass that message on to others. It is imperative for us to know our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, if we are to return to him and spend eternity with him. There is no way to our creator except through Jesus Christ our Lord. When was the last time you spoke to someone about him or shared the message of salvation? When was the last time you listened for his voice? When was the last time you asked for his guidance?

I encourage you to re-evaluate your life to see just where most of your time is being spent. Is it chasing a dream lifestyle of comfort and luxury here on earth or are you investing your time here on earth to build treasures in heaven by feeding the hungry, clothing the downtrodden, bringing comfort to those less fortunate? Are you spending time in God’s word to acquire the wisdom to spread God’s message to others? These are questions we should all be asking ourselves as we move into Thanksgiving and begin the holiday season. We need to remind ourselves what is really important instead of putting on our boxing gloves to go shopping on Black Friday.

Election Results

It is hard for me to accept that we are going to have to bear four more years of the Obama administration. I am disappointed to say the least. It is almost as if we just witnessed Eve biting the apple once again. The only difference is we already know what the consequences are. I fear we will be thrown out of our "Garden of Eden" with the blood of the innocent aborted babies on our hands.

It seems we are a divided nation, about half the population either does not believe in God or does not follow his commandments and principles. The other half are very strong in their beliefs and are willing to stand for them and God. The stock market reflected our disappointment and I fear many companies will be closing their doors because of the added burden of Obama's healthcare mandate.

It is a sad day in the history of our country when the tax burden outweighs the benefits of self-employment. Regulation and taxation of small business has become an unbearable burden and has weakened our economy. With Obama in office for another four years it is best for us to prepare for the inevitable collapse of our economy. You can not run a business, much less a government, without a budget. The unlimited spending this administration has demonstrated in the past will continue and nothing will change for the better now. I fear for the erosion of all of our rights, religious as well as the right to arm ourselves. I believe we should prepare for the battles ahead to hold on to those and all of our constitutional rights. I ask for prayer for our country. Pray, all of us should continue to pray that God hear us and hope he does not turn his face away from us as a nation. I fear what will happen if he does.