Monday, August 24, 2009

All Things

It tickles the Devil for God’s people
to blame their troubles on him
.”
The word of the Lord to me, August 23, 1981

It is now about six in the afternoon as I write this, August 23, 2009. It was about this time of day, late in the afternoon of August 23, 1981, when I decided to do a study of the Scriptures concerning the attitude of righteous people toward their suffering. My family and I had not long returned from our usual early afternoon prayer meeting, and I had sat down to spend some time researching what David, Moses, Peter, and others said about the difficulties they faced. I wrote down many of their thoughts on suffering and pondered over them.

As the afternoon drew to a peaceful close, I completed my study, put down my pencil, and began to close my Bible. Then Jesus spoke to me, very plainly and very calmly. He said, “It tickles the Devil for God’s people to blame their troubles on him.”

I was astonished at what I instantly understood – its breadth, its depth, its height, its beauty, and its revelation of my heavenly Father’s love that I could hardly take in. I looked down at the several pages of righteous thoughts that I had written down during the previous two hours, and I understood them for the first time. I had felt them before; I had known they were right thoughts. But now, it was as if I could have written them myself. Now, I had fellowship with whoever it was who had thought those thoughts before me. Now, I understood what those righteous men and women had been saying! I was overwhelmed with the power of the truth that Jesus had just spoken to me.

I remember getting up from my study desk and walking in somewhat of a daze out my front door and standing on the porch at the top of the brick steps. I remember staring out at the huge, old, oak tree in the front yard of the house across the street. The word of the Lord had come to me, and suddenly, I was seeing this entire universe in a new way, a holier way, the right way, the way men of God over the millennia had seen this world after God spoke to them!

It had been my habit, picked up from other believers, no doubt, to blame the devil for everything that “went wrong” in life. But now, all I could see was the love of God in everything concerning me. I understood how perfect my heavenly Father was. I knew, I knew it deep in my heart, that every single circumstance in my life had been designed for me by my loving heavenly Father – designed just for me, to perfect my faith and to help make me more like Him. I saw my Father’s love everywhere I looked.

In a way, it was as if all my life previous, I could only speak of our “God”. Now, I thought of God more as “daddy”. I felt Him more than I thought of Him. He was no longer somewhere else, and I had to reach Him. Now, he was everywhere, and I could never be anywhere but surrounded by Him and His love. As David once said, “If I make my bed in hell, you are there.”

Glory

I think that the first thing I fully comprehended when the Lord spoke to me that day was exactly why it “tickles” the Devil for us to blame him for our troubles. It pleases Satan for us to blame him for our trials because as long as we are blaming him, we are not looking for our heavenly Father’s purposes for our suffering. And as long as we are not seeking Him to discover His wise purposes in our sufferings, we can never come to know Him.

To have faith in Satan as having power to determine any of the circumstances of our life is to honor him with glory that belongs to no one but God. To teach, as I once did, that “the Devil might get you if you sin” is to say that the Devil is the one who punishes us for sin, not God. To think those kind of foolish thoughts elevates Satan in our hearts to a position of power that is not his. It glorifies him as a god, the god of all the bad stuff in this life, doing war with the God of all the good stuff, and the God of all the good stuff can never quite keep up with all the bad stuff that the Devil, does. What foolishness!

Shortly after that wonderful, life-changing experience, I went to work on a book about it (All Things), and I asked some people I knew who were suffering to read the manuscript before its publication. The hope that it brought to those who were going through hard times and the peace that it brought to those who were dying let me know, if nothing else did, that the message Jesus gave me needed to be proclaimed.

As long as God’s people have trials to face, they will need to be reminded – and convinced – that their heavenly Father loves them. Nothing accomplishes that so well as for them to be taught that because God alone is God, “all things are working together” for their good. If Satan were in charge of anything concerning us, Paul could not have written that Scripture.

6 comments:

  1. Hey Pastor John,

    The book, All Things is what I have been reading. I was at the Curtsingers the other day while they were at the beach. I was cleaning and the Lord was reminding me about the story of Joseph, and how Joseph had to overcome the spirit of righteous indignation. Well, this made me think about all this stuff at work and so on, and I was asking God, "what are you trying to tell me?"

    I was upset wondering why, but at the same time feeling angry with the managers, and then I started thinking, "well Lord you did this, you allowed it." And even with another woman going downstairs to take the job I could have done, I thought, "didn't she know I wanted that job, and that I couldn't do the other job?"

    But really it doesn't matter! It's not about them. It's about God and what he's doing. When I thought this, I couldn't be upset with anybody anymore. And I became glad that the other lady has a job that won't be so hard on her now.

    I felt led to read All Things again. So, one morning about 5:30, I got Greg off to work and started reading the story about Joseph in there. Oh my, my! God is good! All I could do is cry and thank God for the sweet feelings and the love I felt from God. God was putting Joseph through those things to perfect him and preserve life.


    Even with everything we went through with our son, so many good things come out of it! I learned to appreciate my husband more, and how much he has helped me through hard times. During those times, for the first time ever, I felt like we were thinking the same things, feeling the same feelings. It was wonderful. And it made me to start thinking about the "1,2,3" message (God first, others second, and then myself).

    The "all things" message made me feel as if I am growing up and looking at life in whole different way. Even with the girls, I just wanted to be there for them. If it wasn't for the testimonies and the love from the people, I don't know what I would have done over the years.

    God is good! I hope this wasn't to long. I love you and appreciate all you do.

    Love,
    Donna

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  2. Hey John,

    This is one message I never get tired of (your blog Aug. 24th.) I was one who was going through a very hard trial when I read your manuscript on All Things (in 1985), and it changed my life forever. I remember reading in IThessalonians one night and praying to God for an answer to a very serious question, and I came upon chapter 5 verse 18. "In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." This was a new thought for me, but when I read the All Things manuscript I had no problem knowing it was God, not the Devil, doing these things in my life.

    I wish everyone could believe this message. It would change their lives forever, too. Just knowing it's God brings such relief to your soul! You can feel the mercy, the tenderness, the peace, and you know you can go through anything because He loves you, and all things are working for your good.

    Thank you John, and thank you Jesus!!!!!

    Sister Lou

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  3. John, your blog on All Things was beautiful! I love that message because it is so encouraging. Joseph David, Job, and others had to have known that message in order to get through the trials they went through. Because of "All Things", I understand those men better.

    Knowing that my Father has been in charge of every detail of my life, especially over the last couple of years has saved me and kept me going. It's given me peace that I couldn't have without knowing that every situation has been designed for my good. Your blog had a tenderness in it that really touched me and left me feeling encouraged and loved....thanks for writing it.

    Lee Ann

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  4. Pastor John

    The Blog on All Things is really good. I wish I could get my Aunt to understand this. She believes the Devil is in charge here on earth (Jehovah's Witness). I opened my heart to her the other day and told her my testimony about me getting sick and how it was an answer to a prayer that I had prayed and she said "oh Sheila I don't believe that." I was adamant though and wouldn't back down until she had to agree that I was a much better person for it.

    Now I am trying to talk to her about speaking in tongues but I'm not real good at this. She has her beliefs and wants scripture proof for what I tell her and well you know I just ain't good enough for that. All I can do is tell her my own personal experiences. She takes things very well but insists that the bible has to be our highest authority.

    Anyway, I am sure you've heard all this before.
    I'm just thankful that Jesus let's me FEEL this truth that you teach.

    Love ya,

    Sheila Durham

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  5. Hey,

    I love your testimony of what the Lord gave you on All Things! I just wanted to say thanks for passing it on. I know it has helped me and it has helped us to know how much God really loves us. For us to know that it is God in control of everything, the good and the bad, brings relief. You are not always peeking around the corner to see if the devil is out to get you. And when something does happen, you can go to God with it, and He has the answer for you. That's His purpose -- that you go to Him to find your answer. And if you do, you will find out just how much He loves you! 8-) I'd rather go to God and fear Him than live in fear of the devil.

    When I was first learning about "All Things", I asked the Lord a question. It was "Would God deliberately hurt you (and/or disappoint you) to get you to see something?" He answered me and said, "I will do whatever it takes to save you!" I had my answer, and that has saved me many times. Anytime something happens in that way, I know God is knocking on my door, wanting me to learn something. His purpose is to save me.

    Thanks again. If God's children could understand just this much, their whole lives would change.

    Amy

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  6. Bro John

    I feel like Lou in that the “All Things” message never will grow old. While I read the emails from the Blog, and the responses of Sis. Sheila , Sis Lou and Token this morning, the Lord brought to my mind the day Uncle Joe laid hands on Sis Lou and God healed her of cancer. When he laid hands on her, I was about 6 feet away, and it felt like a lighting bolt came out of his hand and hit me. When this happened, I knew I did not have to pray for Sis Lou to be healed because the power of God was so strong when it hit me, I knew she was going to be well.

    I feel like Token when she replied to Sis Shelia that her testimony was enough. What God has changed & done for her is what will last. While I was still going to the Pentecostal church, my dad told me I needed to read the manual they put out that gave you rules to go by. While I was studying the Pentecostal Church manual, God kept asking me if He told me it was ok to do something which the manual said not to do, would I obey Him? Then He asked me if the manual said it was ok to do something, but He said don't do it, would I obey him? What God was telling me was I would have to listen to His voice and obey Him, no matter what the manual said. Our testimonies come from hearing His voice and the response we have to it. That's what can't be written in the Bible. Many people read the Bible but don't respond. Sis Sheila responded, and now she lives. I am reaping the benefits of Sis Lou and Sis Sheila still living, and I love it.

    Thank you Bro. John for stirring up these feelings in me and reminding me of just how much God loves us when we love what He sends through your messages.

    Bro Jim Gregory

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