Some say they are looking for God in their own way, but there is a problem with that. The problem is they will never find Him. You see, man must not look for God in his way. People must look for God in God’s way (Acts 17:22-32; John 14:6-12; Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 14:12).
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Man isn’t qualified to consider a relationship with God because of sin (Romans 3:10-12; Isaiah 59:1-3). But by the grace of God, a plan has been created and if man will accept God’s terms, he can be with God (Ephesians 2:1-22; James 4:6-10). If you want to find God, give up your way and be open to what God has to say. I ask you to read the story of the man who allowed Philip (a teacher) to instruct him in the way of Christ (Acts 8:26-39). Also a jailer who listen to Paul teach him how he could come to know God (Acts 16:29-34). Finding God begins with being taught the word (Romans 10:1-17, 6:17-18). So if you are open to being taught, you can find God (John 8:31-32, 6:45; Acts 17:10-12).

Many people are hurting from the problems of life, and they are going in the wrong direction to solve them. God doesn’t protect man from all the struggles of life, but He is a great help with its burdens (Psalm 34:1-22). Now a person may say, “I tried God and it didn’t work.”

Sounds like you went about it wrong because it does work (Matthew 6:33). Perhaps you thought God was going to move on your time and do things your way. And when that didn’t happen, you threw up your hands and stomped away (2 Kings 5:10-12). God is able to help man. But man must be willing to help himself (Matt 7:7-8).

It all starts with coming to God with a sincere heart and being willing to accept His word (James 1:20-22). Too many people don’t do this! They go to church for a few Sundays. say a few prayers and set a time limit for God to work in their lives. Plus they never repent or conform their behavior to what God wants.
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Well, God isn’t a slot machine, and He will never response to man on man’s terms. Man must drop his personal thoughts, open the Bible and do things God’s way. You ready to start?

​If you believe that God exists, don’t you think that He would want to communicate with you? If man is the handiwork of God, it seems reasonable to believe that God would provide information so that man can know Him. I say this because of the Bible which is available to man. Nothing tops the teachings of the scripture.

One guy said that man doesn’t need the Bible. He believed if man would love others, life would be great. That is indeed true. But what this fellow failed to grasp is he confirmed the Bible teachings. The value of loving others is taught by the Bible.

The man didn’t produce something better, but he confirmed the values that the Bible has already taught (Matthew 4:4; John 15:12-13:17; Luke 6:31-36; 1 John 4:7-21; Matt. 25:34-40). The Bible is here among us, and it is waiting to be read. In the Old Testament one can learn how God was among the Jews. That part of the bible is history; but the new testament is that for which Jesus died and it will be our standard on Judgement Day. John 12:48.

In the years gone by, we saw the Michael Jackson trial and also observed the problems with Penn State. Valuable lessons are to be learned from each case and they are:

• Do all you can to avoid becoming addicted to prescription drugs, drinking, smoking, overeating, insomnia, etc. etc. (1 Corinthians 6:12, 9:27).
• Never allow yourself to desire money to the point of becoming unethical (1 Timothy 6:6-10; Proverbs 15:27; 2 Cor. 8:21).
• Say no, when asked to assist in wrong doing (1 Tim. 5:22).
• If you see someone attacking a helpless soul, do something to stop the attack or call authorities (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15). Don’t place a friend above what is right (James 4:4; Galatians 4:16). Doing things not appropriate is always forbidden (Colossians 4:5).
• Don’t be a part of any group that has a code of silence protecting themselves and caring nothing for the helpless and innocent (Prov. 6:16-17).
• Make sure that when you do something that you do all you can and leave nothing undone (Matthew 27:65; Acts 20:26-27).
• The bigger they are, the harder they fall and great will be that fall (Psalm 38:35-36; Matt. 7:26-27; Gal. 6:7-8; Prov. 26:27).

Remember these things.

“Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not; for such is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mark 10:14). In Genesis 42:22, Reuben, a brother of Joseph, said, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the child?” These two verses speak of the value of children, the innocent ones who depend upon adults to care for them.

However, adults do behave badly and put children at risk. The Bible calls upon all adults to treat and raise their children in the right way. Which means, no murdering or injuring the child. Don’t teach your children bad habits by word or example. Also children need to learn, so educate your children in secular studies, and not only that but start bringing them to church so they can learn about the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4).
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And guess what? You will too!

​I’m not interested in excusing hypocrites because God condemns such deception (James 3:17; Matthew 6:5,16, 23:1-39; 1 Peter 2:1). However, when I hear someone refusing to visit church because of the hypocrites they claim are in it, I challenge them to tell someone in that church about the sin existing therein (Numbers 32:23).

Also inconsistency can be found in the lives of these accusers because they won’t refuse a blood transfusion if hypocrites are working at the hospital.

If they were drowning in the sea, they will not refuse a life line if there are hypocrites on board. Neither, will they refuse to work at a job, live in a neighborhood, or shop at a store with them.
 
God looks at the heart of man and not the outside (1 Samuel 16:7). However, that doesn’t give man the right to attend church looking like he is ready to feed the hogs or mow grass. When going on a job interview, date, party, wedding, funeral, etc, people prep up. Now cleaning up doesn’t have to be a tux or evening dress, but it does involve preparing. The same attitude should exist toward church services. It is a place of reverence, so it is special, and people should prepare themselves for such an occasion (Matthew 18:20; Exodus 19:10-15).

The mistake of believing in men to solve our problems was clearly seen during the past election (Psalm 146:3-5; Jeremiah 17:5-8). We now have people protesting in the streets and needing therapy because of the results of the election. No man brings blessings of prosperity to a nation—instead that is done by the hand of the Lord, and He does so because that nation is living right in His eyes (Proverbs 14:34, 11:11). Yes, when a man’s ways please God, He causes his foes to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7).
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God told the nation of Israel He will bless them around the clock, if they remain faithful (Deuteronomy 28:1-6). And that is what will happen in each case when people put God first and view the man as simply the instrument though which God works. So yes, we do need politicians because they will be the tool used by God to bring his wonderful blessings upon a nation. But we should never think that the blessings brought forth during a President’s four-year-term are the sole creation of the man alone (Daniel 4:28-37).

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God and man don’t see eye to eye. As a matter of fact, the ways of God divide households because one person lives by the law of the Lord, and the others don’t.

“Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36).

This isn’t said to alienate men from God, but to establish a point. The point is, no one can have a relationship with God if they don’t see things God’s way (Matt 10:38). All will die and after death, the Judgment (Hebrews 9:27.).
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Submitting to the word of God is the way men will be able to stand before God and see Him in peace (Hebrews 5:9; Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Peter 4:19).

​Many say, “I forgive, but I don’t forget.” Well, this so called forgiveness isn’t of any profit, and it’s certainly not the way the Lord does when He forgives. After a person has obeyed the gospel and is a Christian, God is willing to forgive those who will repent and ask His forgiveness (Isaiah 1:10-20; Acts 2:37-38).
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After that, God doesn’t keep the sin of man still on the books and neither will He bring it up again in the future. When God forgives, He forgets, and so should men (Hebrews 10:17). Yet, we still see those who hold grudges and refuse to give second chances to those who seek forgiveness. None can be forgiven of their trespasses if they refuse the same courtesy to others (Matthew 6:12, 18:21-35; James 2:13; Ephesians 4:31-32). We best get rid of all those grudges and start forgiving because the mercy we refuse to show today will be denied us tomorrow (Galatians 6:7; Proverbs 11:5; Numbers 32:23; Proverbs 26:27; Daniel 6:24).

The eyes of God are everywhere. He sees everything and in the course of a day, He sees some very wicked, messed up stuff (Proverbs 15:3; Psalm 94:9). With this being the case, it is amazing that some will do the wrong things without regard that the Lord is looking right at them and recording the deed (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Hebrews 4:13).

People who do stupid stuff like that are either ignorant of God’s presence or so corrupt that they just don’t care. (That is not right now). But after death they will care because they will stand before God condemned when He brings the evil deeds up again for account (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12; Luke 8:17; Romans 2:16).

God has the upper hand over man. Man will never out smart or escape from the clutches of his Maker (Psalm 44:21; Jeremiah 23:24).
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So the smart course is to do the right thing. Big brother isn’t watching—God is!