BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

James was saying, “God never, never, never uses anything destructive to teach us or make us more like Him.” As a pastor, James was giving his church a very simple test they could apply to anything they faced. Is cancer destructive? Then it fails the test. It doesn’t come from God. Is bankruptcy destructive? Then it fails the test. Is divorce destructive? It fails the test. Anything that comes to steal, kill and destroy isn’t sent by God (John 10:10). What Does Come From God? If God doesn’t give affliction, what then does He give us? James told us that, too: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). The word good in the Greek describes something that is improving, enhancing or upgrading. When you receive something from God, it doesn’t take from your life. It improves, enhances and upgrades your life. The word gift sounds singular, but in the Greek, it’s referring to something continuous or habitual. That’s how God gives: habitually, continually. The word perfect describes something that is completing or perfecting. In other words, if it comes from God, it completes us and adds to us. Finally, he says these gifts “cometh down” from the Father. This is the same phrase used by the early Greeks to describe a downpour or a thundershower. I grew up in Oklahoma, and we had downpours. If you were driving the car in the middle of a downpour, you couldn’t even see the taillights on the car in front of you. That’s how God is sending good and perfect gifts to us. He’s not sending a dribble here and there. When God sends you gifts, they come down constantly…consistently…a heavy, steady downpour of God’s goodness! Take It by Faith The next logical question is, If God is really pouring good and perfect gifts into my life, why am I not occasionally hit by one of them? Everything God gives has to be received by faith. You’ve got to put yourself in a position and use your faith to embrace what God is pouring all around you. If your mind is unrenewed and you’re thinking God has sent tragedies into your life, you’re probably not looking up at His goodness. If you’re looking down into the gutter, you will miss everything that God is trying to send into your life. You’ve got to look up, renew your mind and embrace His goodness by faith. Hebrews 2:1 puts it this way: “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Those words “let them slip” evoke the picture of God with good and precious promises trying to find someone who will play catch. God is throwing His gifts in our direction, and He’s waiting for someone who will reach out by faith and say, “I’ll take that one! I’ll take that one! I’ll take that one! I’ll take that one!” If you don’t take His gifts by faith, they will slip by you. Draw a Line You don’t have to question if something is from God. Religious thinking will try to tell you that through deep, dark, terrible circumstances, God is somehow trying to conform you into the image of Jesus Christ. But that’s an insult to the integrity of God. God can change you into the image of Christ without sickness and disease. He doesn’t need to bankrupt you to teach you a lesson. If it’s evil or destructive, you don’t even have to stop and ask yourself, Is God secretly doing this? No. He is not. He simply cannot. If what you’re facing fails the test of James 1:17, then you can know what to receive and what to resist. Like those early believers, you can draw a line. You can know how to pray. You can know how to win. V Rick Renner is a respected Bible teacher, prolific author and leader in the international Christian community. In 1991, Rick and his wife, Denise, moved to the former Soviet Union with their three sons, establishing churches, a Bible seminary, a pastoral association and the first Christian television network in the former USSR. For ministry materials or more information, visit renner.org. ********** ADVERTISEMENT ********** NOVEMBER Broadcast Calendar Featuring: Kenneth Copeland, Gloria Copeland, George Pearsons, Terri Copeland Pearsons, Paula White, Buddy Pilgrim Oct. 29-Nov. 2 Faith for Our Nation: The Impact of Your Vote George & Terri Pearsons, Buddy Pilgrim, and Paula White Sun., Nov. 4: Your Position in Prayer Kenneth Copeland Nov. 5-9 Faith for Our Nation: The 2018 Midterm Elections George Pearsons and Buddy Pilgrim Sun., Nov. 11: Take the First Step of Faith Kenneth Copeland Nov. 12-16 Back to the Basics of Faith Kenneth Copeland Sun., Nov. 18: Speak The WORD in Faith Kenneth Copeland Nov. 19-23 The Laws of Faith Kenneth & Gloria Copeland Sun., Nov. 25: Put Your Faith Into Motion Kenneth Copeland Nov. 26-30 Putting the Basics of Faith Into Action Kenneth Copeland Broadcasts subject to change without notice WATCH ON: dish® CHANNEL 265 Roku® apple tv® 4th Generation bvovn.com YouTube® KCM.ORG KCM APP PODCAST DAYSTAR Network Trinity Broadcasting Network SPANISH BROADCAST ENLACE or ES.KCM.ORG/MEDIOS kcm.org/watch/find-a-station ********************************************** BVOV : 11

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