God’s Purpose in the Storm

When you gaze the storm afar off, you may say what a wonderful sighting.
But you can't see how wonderful it is when you are underneath the storm.

Supporting Scripture: Psalm 119:67,71; Psalm 57:1; 2Corinthians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Romans 8:28-29

Violent storms have devastated our world in recent times. Tragic images of destruction flowed across your television screen and mine. As I watched the news reports with sadness and compassion, I was reminded of other storms—the quieter storms that trouble people in their
everyday lives. These trials may bring no rain or winds but the danger is just as great.What is God’s purpose in personal storms?

This subject quickly brings to mind the familiar words of Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” These powerful words are misunderstood and misquoted when people claim that “everything works for good.”

It does not! Almighty God causes everything to work together for good, for those who love Him. Therefore it is very important how you and I respond to the circumstances we face.

What about you, my friend? How do you behave during the storms of life that have nothing to do with weather?


Scriptural Principles:

1 God commands our attention through cleansing.
Six simple words help us understand God’s purposes for the storms of life.The first is cleansing. God oftentimes sends the storms when you and I are not walking in His will. If you are rebelling against His plan for you, then you can count on the coming of some kind of storm.The psalmist wrote, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your Word” (Psalm 119:67). Four verses later, the psalmist added that the storm helped him to learn obedience. If some troubling crisis in your own life drives you to depend more upon Him, wouldn’t you agree that the crisis turned out to be a good thing? We must understand that sometimes God sends the storm because He loves us. It is painful and we suffer, but the end result makes the suffering worth every tear we shed.


2 God wants us to walk intimately with Him in companionship.
God blesses us so often and so graciously that His very blessings become distractions to us. It is easy to be so involved with our gifts that we forget the Giver. Sometimes when a storm comes God will use it to help us return to a loving relationship with Him.When you turn from Him, you will experience a “divine loneliness,” an emptiness that will cause you to seek Him more intimately. If it takes a storm for you to recognize your need for God’s companionship, He is willing to send it. David wrote,“In the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, until destruction passes by” (Psalm 57:1). You and I may not like the dark clouds, but God loves us enough to bring us home through them. He longs for the intimate friendship that difficult times make possible.


3 God is reshaping us to the likeness of His Son by conformity.
Romans 8:29 tells us that in using all things to work together, God’s great goal is that we “become conformed to the image of His Son.” Conformity explains His purpose for all of the storms in your life. We are poured into the mold of worldliness by the books we read, the television shows we watch, and the friendships we cultivate. God wants to mold us into the shape of His own Son. We are influenced most by the person upon whom we gaze most often. It could be a movie star or a sports hero. The human imagination is one of the most powerful aspects of our identity. If I want to resemble the Lord Jesus Christ, I will gaze upon Him.The storms help to shape us, and cause us to take our eyes away from the world and place them upon Him.


4 God wants to do something special with us through comfort.
The Lord wants to use you every day of your life “so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4). We will not have that comfort to give unless we have first received it ourselves. God’s storms prepare us to support His other children when they are battered by storms of their own.When our hearts are broken, our hands become stronger through comforting others. He props open the doors of our hearts, and we become more sensitive and compassionate to those around us in difficult circumstances. Then we become living, caring tools in the hands of a loving God who wants to bless everyone who needs to be blessed.

Remember, the deeper the valley and the darker the storm, the greater blessing we will become to others. Ours is an awesome God with awesome purposes for you and for me.


5 God helps us determine what we believe about Him through convictions.
When the storms of life come, we discover exactly what kind of faith we have. It’s not difficult to have conviction when the the sun is shining, but what about when a crisis arrives? Storms reveal our doubts, but they also deepen our dependence.When we have no refuge in this world, trusting in Him teaches us how present, powerful, protective, and providing He is when we need Him the most. We emerge as changed people, more trusting and faithful when the next storm appears on life’s horizon. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 how he learned, through terrible trials including beatings, stonings, and imprisonment, that God’s grace was sufficient for Him in any crisis. The times of torment served not to diminish his faith but to make it stronger. Can you say that about the storms of your life?


6 God wants to rescue us from our own disobedience through change.
How terrible a crisis will it take for God to get your attention? Look at the New Testament example of Paul. Did Paul turn to God when he witnessed the tragic stoning of Stephen, a loving and obedient Christian? No, for Paul persisted in attacking the church. It took blindness and helplessness during a journey to Damascus, when Paul finally saw Christ face to face. A terrible, humbling calamity was required for Paul to change into someone who could be useful to the Lord—and how useful Paul became! The intensity of the storm and the depth of the valley is based on the intensity and depth of your rebellion against God.

The deeper the hole you dig for yourself, the deeper He must reach to rescue and bless you.


Conclusion:

My friend, I want to challenge you to hold these six words close to your heart in the coming days: cleansing, companionship, conformity, comfort, conviction, and change. It could be that a storm of some kind will appear in your life. How will you respond?

Could this storm have risen because you have strayed from God? Is there some sin that needs to be cleansed? Is your faith strong enough to walk with Him even in the midst of dark times?

You can be certain that whatever storm you may face, God has a purpose for it, and His purpose is loving and just. In the end, you will be able to say that because He is so good, the storm that He allows to happen is good as well.

Confidence in Troubled Times

Supporting Scripture: Psalms 103:19; 23:4; 37:4; 139;Matthew 6:8; 28:18-20; John 14:6; 15:4; Philippians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Hebrews 13:5; Romans 8:28-39


Do you ever feel that life is one challenge after another? Perhaps you are one of thousands who struggles to keep your home, feed your family, or stay employed. Or maybe your battle involves your health, your marriage, or a rebellious child. Whatever form it takes, hardship comes to every life sooner or later. You and I live in a fallen world. Even as believers, we have no guarantee that our lives will be easy.

However, we don’t have to be anxious in the midst of difficulty. The Word of God gives us four
foundational truths that can help face troubled times with confidence.


Scriptural Principles:

1 God controls our circumstances.
Psalm 103:19 says, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty reigns over all.” This promise is the basis of our confidence in troubled times. We can be sure that the Father will bring good even out of negative experiences in the lives of those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).

Many people think that the Christian life is supposed to be trouble free. But the Bible never promises a comfortable life. Instead, the Father’s goal for us is to learn how to depend on Him and become more like Christ (Rom. 8:29). To learn how to rely on God,we must first realize how much we need Him. That is one reason why He allows difficulty in our lives. Other people have a limited degree of freedom to sin against us, and the Father also permits disease, natural disaster, and other tragedy. Despite this, we can have confidence based on two facts: (1) nothing can happen to one of God’s children unless He allows it; and (2) if the Lord allows adversity, He will bring good out of it somehow.


2 God will meet our needs.
Romans 8:31-32 says, “If God is for us,who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but
delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” In other words, since the Father allowed Jesus to be sacrificed on our behalf,we should not doubt that He will provide for us.

Although we have the freedom to pray about everything, Scripture tells us that God knows what we lack before we even ask (Matt. 6:8).

Philippians 4:19 says,“My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ
Jesus.” Notice that this verse does not promise that we will get all we want from God. In fact, if the Lord gave us all we desire, we would certainly regret some of our requests. Our heavenly Father knows what to withhold and what to give us.

Why does God allow some prayers to go unanswered? There are two primary reasons: He wants to teach us to depend on Him, or He has something better for us. Remember that the Father’s ultimate purpose is to conform us into the image of His Son, not to grant our wishes or make our lives comfortable.

But we can learn how to be content in every circumstance, trusting God to supply us with all we
truly need (2 Cor. 12:9-10).


3 God is always with us.
In Romans 8:35-39, Paul writes that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. The problem comes when you and I rely on our feelings instead of on the truth of God’s Word. Certainly, there are times when we might not sense His presence.And when the Father doesn’t answer in our timing or He doesn’t answer as we expected, we might wonder if He even hears our prayers. But if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, the Holy Spirit is living within you, and He is aware of your every thought (John 15:4).

In Hebrews 13:5, our Savior promised, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” His
presence can comfort us, heal us, transform our circumstances, and bless us in countless other ways. For instance, Scripture says that God already sees believers as glorified—holy and without sin—just as we will be in eternity (Rom. 8:30).

The promise of God’s presence is exclusively for those who have accepted His Son. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).Apart from accepting the gift of forgiveness through the death of His Son, sinful humanity can not access the presence of Holy God. That’s why the only person who can say “The Lord is always with me” is the one who has confessed Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior.


4 God loves us with an eternal love.
If you were to ask the average person,“Do you believe God loves you?” few people would be sure. But the Lord does love His creation because His very nature is love (Rom. 8:35-39). He loves us even when we sin although He despises our ungodly behavior. In love, He will discipline us to keep us from hurting or destroying ourselves.

In the key passage, every single verse is an expression of God’s love. In verse 28, His love causes all things to work together for good for our sakes. Verse 29 says, in love, He foreknew and predestined us to become like His Son. In verse 30, God predestined, called, justified, and glorified us because of His love. Verse 31 says no one can successfully come against us because of our heavenly Father’s loving protection. In verse 32, He gave His only Son out of love for us. Looking at verses 33-34, we see that God justifies us and saves us from condemnation because of love. In verse 35, Paul asks, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” and ultimately concludes that nothing can (Rom. 8:39).

In short, this passage teaches believers that no matter what we face, we can come out richer spiritually than when we started. If we will surrender ourselves to Almighty God, He can use any situation or circumstance for our good.


Conclusion:

Are you facing a problem that is beyond your control? Does it disrupt your peace and challenge
your trust in God? Consider this—the Father loved you so much that He sent Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for your sins. If the Lord was willing to offer His only Son on your behalf in order to free you from the power of sin, surely He will provide everything else you need.

When unexpected tragedy or hardship comes your way, remember that your heavenly Father is in control of all that happens to you.

He will provide exactly what you need, when you need it. The four foundational truths in this message can transform the way you respond to difficulty. Place your trust fully in the Lord, and you will have confidence in every circumstance you face.

Confronting Closed Doors

Supporting Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:8-9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:2-3; Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 64:4; Acts 16:5-13


We’ve all experienced it: cherished plans that must be abandoned. Doors suddenly close before our eyes, and we ask God why He would allow these disappointments. Then we respond in one of two ways. We make matters worse with the wrong response, or we trust God and move on with new reasons for hope.

In Acts 16, the apostle Paul saw his hopes fall short not once but twice. He had carefully planned
for his second missionary journey, but God seemed to be closing doors. Paul and his companions were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” (Acts 16:6). Again at Bithynia, “the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.”

Why would the Holy Spirit forbid Paul to preach? This passage teaches us how to confront a
situation where God closes doors we wish to open.


Scriptural Principles:

1 Who is responsible for our closed doors?
There are several reasons why our desired plans may suddenly be cut off. We could simply be the victim of circumstances; the place and the time could be wrong. Then again, another person or group may close the door. We could be hindered by the work of Satan. Of course, sometimes it is God Himself who is intentionally moving to prevent us from some action that we are eager to take.

2 God closes doors to protect us from our own mistakes.
Why would God close a door and disappoint us? There are many sensible reasons. The first of these is that He loves us and wants to protect us from our own ignorance. When our plans fall through, it is an important opportunity for relying upon our faith in God. After all, we don’t have all the information, but we know that He does. If we knew the plans He has for us, we would realize our mistaken perceptions.

3 God closes doors to redirect us.
Another reason God might close a door is to send us in a different direction. We cannot see the future, and have no way of realizing a greater opportunity than the one we desire. The story of Paul shows that God is capable of moving you through another door for greater service and fruitfulness in your life. The apostle had planned to visit small towns in Asia, yet God redirected Paul’s steps into the European continent through the gateway of Macedonia. This redirection would have a profound impact upon world history.

4 God closes doors through promptings of the Spirit.
Paul didn’t wait for God to explain His reasons. God owes us no explanations, but we owe Him immediate obedience. The Lord directs our steps through the simple promptings of the Spirit. How do we recognize that message? It is a strong, godly impression about what we should do. He sensitizes us over time so that we learn to recognize His voice. This is a part of growing in Christian maturity. By trial and error, we learn to trust Him by discovering what a mistake we make by ignoring His prompting.

5 God closes doors to test us.
God may also close doors in order to test us. Closed doors test us in two particular areas: faith and perseverance. In terms of faith, are we ready to trust in what God is instructing us? Will we rest on the principle that He always, with no exceptions, causes all things to work together for our good? It is a test of faith. In terms of perseverance, will we stand firm over time? Will we become discouraged in our faith and wander from our reliance upon Him, or will we redouble our resolve by drawing closer?

6 God closes doors to fulfill His timing.
We may never realize that a tremendous and exciting opportunity is just around the corner. Walking through the wrong door could cause us to miss something wonderful that was part of the Lord’s plan. Sometimes it’s all a matter of divine timing. The door we want to walk through is a good one, just as we thought, but the hour for walking through it was wrong, and God is working to equip us for a future opportunity.

7 God closes doors due to our disobedience.
We may have chosen the correct door, but prevented ourselves from walking through it. In other words, we may have become disqualified due to our own disobedience. God is always watching to see if we are willing to obey Him. He never uses servants who do things their own way. Therefore, if we fail to follow His guidance, He will close the door until we prove trustworthy, or He will direct someone else through it.

8 What are the wrong ways to respond when God closes doors?
There are several mistakes we can make when opportunities fall through. We shouldn’t try to force those doors open through our own strength. Don’t ask someone else to open the door for you rather than waiting upon God. It is a terrible mistake to become emotionally upset and give in to anger, then bitterness, then hostility toward God and life. Be wise and avoid the trap of looking for other people to blame.

9 What are the right ways to respond when God closes doors?
One of the greatest biblical principles is to wait upon God. How long? We should wait until we hear a clear word from Him. God “acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4). Therefore we should think positively as we wait.We should look for God’s purpose in these new developments in life. Why not ask Him to show us His purposes? He will often make the answer clear to us. As we wait and trust God, we can anticipate His wonderful answers and we can be faithful where we are until His will becomes known.


Conclusion:

Wherever you may be in life, you can be certain that God has the best in mind for you. You and I
are bound to run into many closed doors in life. We will be disappointed regularly because we don’t always know what is best for us. Why rebel against a loving God, and not trust His infinite wisdom?

Instead, we should wait patiently whether doors are open or closed. We should never run
ahead of God or behind Him, but keep in step with the Spirit, knowing that He is acting in our
behalf; He will work all things for our good.

When we accept unpleasant surprises in stride, our faith grows stronger, and our witness grows
more powerful. Then as our ministry multiplies, you and I can thank God for loving us enough to
open the right door at the perfect time, and with His blessings.

Exposing False Teachers

Supporting Scripture: Matthew 7:15-23;Ephesians 5:6; 2 Peter 2:2-3; Jude 4; Jude 12-13;2 Timothy 4:3-4; Peter 3:17-18.

The good news about Christ is the most amazing, wonderful, and liberating news that our world has ever heard. Is it any wonder, then, that God’s Word is the battlefield of Satan? The devil does his best to undermine the authority of the Bible at every opportunity. Jesus told His disciples that His Word and His church would prevail in the end. While the devil is already defeated, his teaching is still dangerous to us. How can believers identify and correct those who twist what Scripture says? The best way to guard against those who spread false doctrine is to know the truth. In 2 Peter 1:12 – 15, the disciple teaches that even though believers have been established in the truth, he considers it right to “stir you up by way of reminder.” Peter addressed this issue near the end of his life in his second letter.


Scriptural Principles:

1 A false teacher’s message deceives.
Peter warns us that false teachers are everywhere. How can we recognize them? There are several traits of a false prophet. The first is that he preaches a deceptive message. Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-23 that false teachers are ravenous wolves clothed as sheep, and that we recognize them by their works. These teachers come into churches with an agenda of their own, and they use deception to further that agenda. They will often mention “different views” about God’s Word. Ephesians 5:6 warns us,“Let no one deceive you with empty words”. Make no mistake about it, deception brings about the wrath of God.

2 A false teacher’s message denies the truth.
We can also recognize a false teacher by the fact that he denies the truth of the Word of God. They deal in half-truths, affirming some parts of the Bible while picking at certain other key sections of God’s Word. A false teacher knows that if he can undermine only one portion of the Scriptures, then it will be much easier to destroy our faith in the rest of it. All of our doctrine, the basis of our beliefs, is found in those Scriptures, so the false teacher attacks us right there at the source.

3 A false teacher’s message is sensual.
Third, the message of the false teacher is marked by sensuality. Peter writes, “Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned” (2 Peter 2:2). Why their sensuality? False teachers deny the authority of God’s Word and become permissive. They encourage others to do the same, living without moral restraints and counting on God’s forgiveness after the fact. Jude 4 reads, “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness.”

4 A false teacher’s message is motivated by greed.
Peter continues,“In their greed they will exploit you with false words” (2 Peter 2:3). Greed and sensuality are often connected. We notice that false teachers follow a particular pattern in taking advantage of people. They play to the emotions of their audience, then make their appeal for money. False teachers offer many unscriptural ideas about giving in order to get something from God. There is no guarantee of how God will choose to bless us, we can only obey His Word and trust Him.

5 A false teacher’s message is divisive.
Peter and Paul helped young churches grow during the first century. In many of these congregations they discovered trouble created by false prophets, who constantly sought to destroy the unity of the local church. These teachers ruined many friendships because they wanted to separate godly people from any opportunity to hear the truth. This still occurs in the modern church, as false teachers disrupt the fellowship at every opportunity. They challenge the teaching of Scripture by offering “new ideas,” that are permissive and sensual.

6 A false teacher’s message is exploitive.
False teachers want people to follow them because it feeds their ego. They find pride in being leaders. As they convince or persuade a few, they also continue to attract new followers. That involves exploiting other people by claiming a false authority. Inevitably they become involved in many kinds of personaldis obedience before God, because they now believe themselves to be above His divine authority. In the end, they destroy the credibility of the church.

7 We recognize a false teacher by his character.
What kind of fruit do false teachers produce? The false prophet is dictatorial, self-willed, and resistant to any form of authority, including the Lordship of Christ. We must observe the lives they lead and thecharacter they exhibit, and therefore recognize that they are teachers of a false gospel. Jude described themes “hidden reefs” (dangerous), “clouds without water,” (empty of refreshment), “trees without fruit, doublydead, uprooted,” and “wandering stars for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever” (Jude 12-13).

8 We recognize a false teacher by his followers.
What kind of people listen to and obey false teachers? If we pay attention to how they live, we can observe the fruits of hearing a false message. In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, we learn that many people will find false teachers to “tickle their ears” with a message they want to hear, and they will turn away from truth. “They will notendure sound doctrine,” Paul writes. (v. 3) People follow false teachers because the message is convenient and soothing to them. It becomes so comfortable that the truth seems unendurable to them.

9 We can protect ourselves from false teachers.
To be safe from false teachers, we must study the Word of God, which reveals His truth on every subject. We should be able to speak clearly the truth about Jesus Christ, His teachings, death, Resurrection, and return; we should know about the three persons of God—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and many other doctrinal issues. Second,we should also expose false doctrine and show its errors. Third, we should always be on the alert for false doctrine. Finally, when we encounter false teachers,we must separate ourselves from them.


Conclusion:

It matters what we believe; it matters to our families,the world around us, and to ourselves. What we believe determines how we live our lives. If we live by false doctrine, we ultimately face the consequences. Peter writes, “Be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:17-18). Are you on your guard? Are you a student of the awesome Word of God?