God is truly in control... if God is God, then nothing happens apart from His knowledge and permission... while it is difficult to imagine why God allows some painful things to happen, His character, revealed in the Bible and through the testing of generations, leads us to the conclusion that He is willing and able to sustain you during the worst of times. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead (2 Corinthians 1:8,9).

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There is an eternal life to come. What we suffer now is nothing compared to the Glory He will give us later (Romans 8:18). He will keep you strong right up to the end, and He will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns (1 Corinthians 1:8).

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The story isn't finished yet... time after time, the Bible records hopeless situations that ultimately ended in victory. Think of Jobs sickness, Josephs betrayal by his brothers, David's adultery, and the many who were healed in mind, body, and spirit. But Joseph told them, Don't be afraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you? As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people. (Genesis 50:19,20).

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God has not given up on you! Don't give up on Him. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11).

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There is likely purpose in your pain... ask God to reveal His purpose in allowing this difficulty in your life... thats a legitimate question to ask... often, the answer comes in the process of dealing with your circumstance. Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything (James 1:2-4).

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You are loved! Even the most unlovable person in the world is actually loved so much by God, that He let His Son die a terrible death to restore their relationship... God does love you! He sees your pain and weeps with you. He has sent Me to comfort the broken-hearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent Me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lords favour has come, and with it, the day of Gods anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory (Isaiah 61:1-3).

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Your Prayers are heard. You parents if your children ask you for loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him? (Matt. 7:9,10)

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You are not facing this alone. For God has said, I will never fail you. I will never forsake you. That is why we can say with confidence, The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Hebrews 13:5,6)

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Others have made it through you can too... Try to connect with others who have gone through similar situations... You will find hope, strength and encouragement. A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

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Reach out to someone else who's struggling... place your focus on someone else and invest your life in him or her... You may discover that your peace of mind is found in being a source of hope for another. All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:3,4).

Jesus never told us to predict a day or hour when He would return, but He did tell us to be aware of the times in which we live and to always be ready for His coming. We may not be able to know the exact place on God's prophetic timeline, but there are many things taking place that indicate we are in a time like no other.

The world is not doing well-iniquity and lawlessness abound. kingdoms rise against kingdoms. the financial security and stability of the world continues to stagger and shake under the weight of debt and greed. all creation groans. people's hearts fail them because of fear. Israel faces its greatest opposition and threat to its existence since it became a nation in 1948. opposition to and persecution of the body of Christ continues to intensify.

What are we to do and how are we to live in the light of all that is taking place around us? Look up! God has a plan and He is working out His plan. The coming of the Lord is drawing near. He is not a long way down the road, or just over the next hill. rather, He is close, even at the door.

Here are four things God wants us to be doing as we await the sound of the trump of God and our gathering together unto Him.

Guard your heart:

In Matthew 24: 12 Jesus tells us that in the last days sin will cause the hearts of many to grow cold. Place around your heart the shield of faith and fight the good fight of faith against every doubt that comes against the Word of God and the character of God. Keep within your heart your passion and zeal for the ways of God and the presence of God. Let His fire burn within you as a holy flame, causing the glow and glory of His face to shine upon you.

Come together with other believers:

In Hebrews 10:25 we are told to gather together with other believers, especially as we see the day of Lord approaching. This is not the time to isolate and separate yourself from other believers. You need their love, support, encouragement, and prayers. and they need yours.

Make Christ known:

In Matthew 24: 14 Jesus tells us that before the end comes, the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the world. We are not to lose focus. We are here on assignment from God. He has called us to proclaim the Gospel and to make Christ known in our generation. The Gospel message is God&.rsquo.s message to a lost world, and it is only through the Gospel that the lost can be found, the blind can see, and the dead can be made to live. There is still time to be saved.

Be full of hope:

In Titus 2:13 we are reminded that as believers we are to live in hope. This hope isn't based on what the world will do, on what the financial markets will do, or on what political leaders will do. Our hope is based on what God will do. Our hope is so great and so sure that the Scriptures call our hope the "blessed hope." What is this blessed hope? It is the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ! Think of it, as a believer, you will see Jesus. not as your judge to condemn you, but as your Savior to receive you and bring you into His everlasting kingdom, so you shall forever be with the Lord!

'Yes though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me. Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me' Psalm 23: 4

The psalmist David said he walked THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death. That's what You must do in ALL the situations and circumstances of this life. You must remember You are just passing through.

When You feel as if You're stuck in a situation that will never change, You must allow God to guide You through it. When the devil says, "You're trapped", boldly say to him, "wrong ! I'm just passing through !"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace, BUT God brought them safely through the fire (see Daniel 3).

God's Word says He will provide that same protection and deliverance to ALL who put their Faith and Trust in Him. So believe it as You walk through the valley of Your own situation.

Father, we thank You for our protection, and Pray that we will cling to You in our valleys, we put ALL our Trust and Faith in You Father, in Jesus' Wondeful name Amen.

Jesus-

His shed blood means...

We can live each day in His forgiveness.

His resurrection means...

We can walk constantly in newness of life.

His presence means...

We can know His victory in each situation.

His love means...

We will never face anything alone!

His day of victory makes all our days complete!

Praying His Very Best is Yours this Easter Season

For in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28

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Jesus came into this world before we were living in it.

He gave His life before we had ever committed a sin...

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If He did that much for us before we were born, think of all He desires to bless us with now that we are here!

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May your Easter be a time of fully enjoying His gift,

His blessings, and His love for you!

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He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32

Imam's Daughter Finds Prince of Peace

Subaidath is the daughter of an Islamic scholar and imam, who considered herself a staunch Muslim... However, there was one thing she lacked-peace of mind... One day she discovered a Christian tract in her school dormitory... When she read the Gospel for the first time, it resonated within her soul, but her heart was hardened... But a few nights later something unusual happened... Jesus revealed Himself to her in a dream, touched her with His nail-pierced hands, and said, "Do not be worried and upset. Believe in God the Father and also in me. for I am the Prince of Peace. I have been crucified, died, and resurrected to give you peace and eternal life."

When Subaidath told her family about her commitment to Jesus, they got extremely upset... When they recognized she would not change her mind, her father and brothers decided she must pay the ultimate price for dishonouring the family... They devised a crude electric chair... They stripped off most of Subaidath's clothing and forcibly bound her to the chair... But when her father flipped the switch to send high voltage through the chair, nothing happened... They tried different outlets and sockets, but it was as if the electricity refused to flow... Her father got so angry and frustrated he beat her once more and screamed, "You are no longer my daughter," then threw her outside the house, half-naked... with tears streaming down her face-filled with humiliation and pain-she ran to a Christian friend's home across town.

The following day, her friends asked their neighbours what they thought when they saw a half-naked woman run through the streets... One of the neighbours happened to see Subaidath that night, but he reported that he saw her wearing a beautiful white dress... She believes God hid her nakedness, clothed her in the white dress, just as He took away her shame and covered her with the righteousness of Christ... Subaidath remains a faithful servant of Jesus Christ and is active in the underground church.

Praise God that He 'seeks and saves that which was lost.' Please Pray for Muslims converting to Christ... Thank You myCBN Brother's and Sister's. God Bless You Always.

Jesus warned that, in the last days, the world would face unfolding trauma. There would be wars, earthquakes and many other disasters. Yet, to His disciples, He said, "Do not be terrified" (Luke 21:9). He also said that, because of world conditions, men's hearts would fail "from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth"(Luke 21:26 NKJV). Not only would actual events generate worldwide fear, but the ..expectation ..of difficulties would cause men's hearts to fail.

Today, heart failure is the number one cause of death in North America. Approximately every thirty-four seconds a heart stops beating and another person dies, usually suddenly. There may be many contributors to heart failure, but one major source is the inability to handle stress.

There are times when stress is unavoidable - the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, moving to a new home, severe illness, or going through a divorce - all take a toll. But most of the time accepting anxiety should not be so readily accommodated. The problem is that, just as death entered the world through Adam's sin (see Rom. 5), so the substance of death enters our personal world through our sins as well. Indeed, when we carry anxiety-related stress, we are carrying in our soul a container of death that, without fail, takes an ever increasing toll upon our lives.

Consider our world: War and terror attacks can occur at any time and anywhere. Our stock market and economy continues to bolt up and down, like a wild roller coaster. We have many unanswered questions about the future that are multiplied stress factors.

We also have personal situations. We worry about aging and our health. We have stress at our jobs and stress with a lack of jobs. Our homes should be a harbor of peace, yet they often are a place of strife and anxiety, especially as our children become teens. Someone once said, "A mother is only as happy as her saddest child." It is true for fathers also. We all carry people in our hearts, and as we love them their battles become ours, further adding to the burden of anxiety we carry.

If you want to know how stressed you are, look at your disposition when you drive. If you are always exceeding the speed limit, it reveals the lack of rest in your soul. That extra push on the accelerator is continually occurring on your heart throughout the day, not only when you are driving. Driving simply makes apparent the level of anxiety we have learned to live with.

Paul wrote, "Be anxious for nothing" (Phil. 4:6). Yet we seem to be anxious for everything. In fact, stress-related anxiety is so much a part of our lives that, somehow, it has escaped being identified as being sinful. We medicate it, but do not change the habits of fear that caused it in the first place. But anxiety is sin. At its core, it is a stubborn refusal to trust the goodness of God or rest in His power. Anxiety is a by-product of unbelief. It is a spiritual "terror attack" from hell that is silently killing tens of thousands every day.

God Is With Us

Certainly, I am not suggesting we become passive. However, I am saying we ought to abandon our fears and the stressful anxieties that come from not trusting in God. Our Messiah is "Immanuel," which means "God with us." Jesus promised to be with us, "even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20). At some point we must accept the wonder and power of Christ's promise. Those who ..believe ..enter His rest (Heb. 3). He is with us always! To mistrust this promise is to reject the very character of God's nature. This is not a minor issue.

Yet, even now Jesus says,

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).

Let us come to Him. Let us cast our burdens upon Him, for truly He cares for us. Let us break our addictions to stress. We don't have to be tied up in knots inside. The God of peace will crush Satan beneath our feet shortly (see Rom. 16:20). Anxiety is sin. Let us break the bondage of this sin and walk as sons and daughters of God, who are anxious for nothing.

Lord, forgive us for our sin of anxiety... we renounce fear... we declare that our souls are Your property, that You have promised to care for us... we believe Your promises... we come to You and entrust all that we are into Your love and care... in Jesus' Precious name Amen.