This inspirational Christian book is loaded with great spiritual principles and precursors of success, offering an insightful thought provoking analytical approach to overcoming adversity. Who does not face adversity, or want less of it? Why aren’t more people living an abundant life filled with joy, peace, and the fruits of the Spirit? Why is the journey filled with testing? Are there spiritual principles that promote success and produce results? Does the Bible offer spiritual clues for earthly success? What does true success look like in spiritual terms and how should we define it or measure it in behavioral terms? These questions are answered.
God is in the business of helping people! His plans offer us a hope and a future. Many people believe this and instinctively know this to be true, yet sometimes we “shoot ourselves in the foot” and cheat ourselves out of God’s blessings. The author examines this issue and why some believers struggle with spiritual growth and de-velopment.
TURNING ADVERSITY INTO SUCCESS is about overcoming adversity, but it is also about life and
![death and the tenacious pursuit of honesty in asking tough, heart-felt questions of ourselves at the depest level of our faith. This book promotes discipleship and servanthood, offers hope and encouragement to believers, and it reaches out to and invites nonbelievers and seekers to Christ. You are sure to enjoy this author’s wit and humor and his frank, no-nonsense approach to overcoming adversity. This book could change your life!
Chapters 2 and 3 explore the questions “So, why is sin such a big deal?” and “Who’s going to make it?” What does biblical scripture tell us about the criteria for getting into heaven? There are intriguing and revealing scriptures that shed light on this important subject. This is not an easy subject to talk about but the fact is, people often wonder: who’s going to make the team and who is going to get cut from the team? These two chapters are written to help clarify conceptual questions of biblical theology that people have about the criteria for getting into heaven, while offering commentary on spiritual issues of repentance, redemption and whether salvation can be earned through a lifestyle that measures behavior on a comparative social scale, based on earnest effort, good deeds and the opinions that others have of us. Is making it into heaven anything like making the All Star Team in major league baseball? How can we evaluate our destiny? These chapters invite the reader to consider these important issues.
If your faith has not played a meaningful role in your life, or made much practical difference, this book will challenge you and help you turn that around. Productive faith is not meant to exist in a state of atrophy or be stored in a shoebox in the closet. Faith is something that we can develop and cultivate in life, just like maturity and wisdom. Your faith, applied even in small steps, can unlock earthly and heavenly doors that change the course of human events. Faith is the universal language that evokes God’s attention and it’s high on the list, right at the top, next to sincerity. When you reach out, he responds!
Overcoming adversity does not eliminate all of life’s pain, but an overcoming faith can turn your life around, turn death into victory, and empower you with inner strength that helps you overcome adversity. Sometimes we need to embrace adversity. The goal of successful living should not be the unconditional avoidance of adversity, pain or sorrow; it’s victoriously living through the storm while walking in faith, learning to overcome difficult things with God’s help.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR...
To those who are ‘turned off’ by religion: I’m right there with you!
If you hate the duplicity, hypocrisy, fraud and malfeasance that we sometimes see in organized religion, I empathize with you and understand your position. I have also felt revulsion to some of the abuses that have occurred in the name of religion. You are in good company. No one came down harder on religious hypocrisy and disingenuous church leadership than Jesus Christ. The word hypocrite or hypocrisy appears seventeen times in the New Testament, and in each case Jesus spoke about this issue by condemning it. Those who are turned off by religion don’t necessarily hate God. They may just hate the hypocrisy and duplicity they see in gilded religious church government run by imperfect people. Remember, faith is not synonymous with religion and spirituality does not make one religious.
One of the great benefits of Christianity is that our faith, hope and future is not based on what we have done or earned in this life but rather on God’s grace and gift of salvation through Christ. You don’t earn salvation, you receive it through repentance and by inviting Christ into your life.
Injustice, hypocrisy and duplicity are thriving in our world today. Human behaviors that are manifested throughout the world by greed, selfishness, political corruption, indifference and all manner of evil acts, all serve to graphically portrait humanity’s fallen state. These conditions of human weakness and failure represent the very reasons for why we all need a Savior who has power to forgive sin and change our hearts, our thinking and our behavior. When you look at religion, don’t focus on the failure of hypocrites who need forgiveness themselves; focus on your own destiny. If you look hard enough you will find hypocrisy and failure in everyone. I have more than my own fair share of both. I disappoint myself more often than you will know. The possibility that I could disappoint you or someone else is extremely high. What makes faith special is not imperfect people, but an august Savior who helps us overcome our own failures. You will only be judged on the merits of your own relationship, or lack of it, with God. If you don’t have a solid relationship, it’s time to change that. You owe it to yourself to carefully study and weigh these issues.
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The following Rapture commentary on this website page/site is additional information which is not part of the book Turning Adversity Into Success. The book is not about the Rapture, however, the spiritual principles found in the book, which deal with faith, obedience, readiness, desire, and commitment to overcome adversity, are directly related to who will enter heaven, and who will not. In this regard, overcoming adversity holds nexus to salvation and the Rapture because these gifts of God, while freely offered, are conditional in nature, and they come with terms and conditions...that people often don’t want to acknowledge. Marriage would serve as an aphorism of this truth.
Marriage is a holy institution. But imagine if your spouse, while proposing to you, asked you what’s the minimal standard of faithfullness I need to show you and maintain before you will divorce me? How many sexual affairs and other women can I maintain before you will denounce me, and walk away from me? We would never ask such a horrible thing to the woman we would propose to, but there are those who have such a mind-set with God. What’s the least I can do, and still make it into heaven?
If one never meant to keep their vows from the very beginning, or never even tried to, whatever we would end up with might be called different things, but it would not be a real marriage. Our relationship with Christ is allegorically represented by this principle of truth. This truth, by the way, applies to both salvation and the Rapture and it is emphasized throughout scripture. Jesus said: Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, will enter into heaven (Matt 7:21). We are judged by the sincerity of our hearts. For this same reason, not everyone will be Raptured, but rather those who are ready, willing, and prepared.
Rapture Analysis and Commentary by Mark Malmin
The Rapture of the Church Bride and the Second Coming are two completely separate biblical events.
Many Christians are in a state of atrophy and slumber, unprepared for the Rapture. Jesus warned his
disciples this would happen, that many would wax cold, and that many would not be ready for his return. Two will be working in the field; one will be taken, the other left behind (Matthew 24:40). Most church pastors have failed to prepare Christians for the Rapture, or even teach on the subject. This is both a leadership failure within the Church, and an individual discipleship failure because we should seek truth on our own independently, and not simply allow ourselves to be spoon fed by our pastors, preists, or spiritual leaders. Many are called, but few are chosen (Matt 22:14).
The Rapture portrays the greatest wedding banquet-celebration creation has ever known, the marriage of the Lamb, which takes place in heaven while the earth goes through the worst tribulation and suffering the world has ever known, or ever will know (Matt 24:21). The Second Coming represents Christ’s return to earth at the end of the 7-year tribulation, to judge the earth and establish his millennial Kingdom. Most believers will miss the Rapture and enter into the tribulation because they were not spiritually ready. The various excuses for not wanting to attend the wedding banquet are depicted in Matthew 22:2-14 as both a choice, and a state of mind-I’m too busy right now. In Matthew 25:5-10 the groom comes to snatch the bride, but only those who are ready enter into the marriage, and the door is shut. The issue of readiness is mentioned repeatedly in scripture. Revelation reveals persecution of Christians in the tribulation, but other scriptures show Christians escaping tribulation (Luke 21:36; Rev 3:8,10). Both of these scriptural scenarios will prove true: some Christians will be Raptured, and some will go through the tribulation.
So, why are some more ready to enter into the marriage feast than others? For years the global Church has adopted and preached an evolving social gospel message that plays both sides of the fence, to make people feel comfortable, inclusive, accomodated, and offer them what they want to hear: an unbalanced gospel of tickle my ears, we’re all under grace, so make me feel good, and preach about God’s love and forgiveness, rather than a gospel that also makes people feel convicted of their sin. The true transformational gospel of repentance, accountability, and holiness that prepares people for heaven is discarded. Under this popular ‘make me feel good’ theology that promotes lukewarmness and perverts grace, the strait and narrow way Jesus spoke of (Matt 7:14) is exchanged for the wide roadway and false theology that all roads lead to heaven.
Some Christians may think they are going to be Raptured because their denominational doctrine suggests this, or perhaps because they think this automtically happens if they believe in Jesus, but such superfical qualifying standards do not define the love commitment necessary for one yearning to meet their Savior, nor do they comply with scripture. If Jesus isn’t more important than everything else in life, and you are not beside yourself waiting to be in his presence, then maybe you are not in a state of readiness for marriage. After all, the bride’s Rapture is all about the marraige of the Lamb and the Church, but the bride needs to earnestly want to be with Jesus. If the bride is content for Jesus to delay his coming, or she is otherwise not looking forward to her own wedding, then there arguably exists a readiness issue, which demonstrates the bride is not truly ready to meet the groom. This describes most Christians today.
When the Rapture does occurs, there will be confusion, fear, and deception over the event, and many
within the Church will argue and deny that the Rapture has occurred. For a more in-depth analysis and exegesis of this subject visit:
www.RaptureAnalysis.com
After the Rapture
If we had the opportunity, what would we say to our friends and family if they missed the rapture? Would it help to understand how or why this happened? More importantly, if you were left behind, is there anything you could do to make things right?
I have some thoughts to share about this difficult subject. This not easy to talk about because it is so very personal, and it makes some people uncomfortable. The truth often does that. A few of you will know exactly what I am talking about, and some of you will need to give this further study and reflection. You may not be a student of this subject, but presupposing for just a moment that you believe God will allow righteous people into heaven, then it would be logical to believe in the Rapture, a biblical event that describes how this will occur. For those who seek heaven, the Rapture is not an event anyone would want to miss.
On that Feast of Trumpets day [for which ‘no man knows the day or the hour’- a Jewish biblical idiom] He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will ‘gather’ together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matt 24:31). The word ‘gather’ used in the King James Bible is synonymous with the original Latin and Greek translations. The word ‘rapere’ used in Latin means: to snatch, grab, or take away. The Greek word ‘harpazo’ means: to seize, carry away by force, snatch out or away, or claim for one’s self eagerly. The derivative word ‘rapture’ also comes from Latin: raptūra, raptus, rapt; and from the French: abduction, carried away, rapt. This lexicon is consistent in contextual compatibility with: to take away, carry away, gather, pluck, grab, harvest, seize, snatch, rapture.
Rapture theology comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. The church (bride) meets Christ in the air and is translated to heaven for the marriage feast of the Lamb. This allegorical wedding is also depicted in Matt 22:1-14/Matt 25:1-10; Rev 19:9. Most Christians will miss the Rapture-wedding feast. Why? Sadly, there is a list of lukewarm ‘I’m too busy’ folks who don’t want to go to the wedding feast (Matt 22:1-14) …thus, worthiness becomes a factor (Luke 21:36). Only those who are ‘ready’ will enter this open door before it shuts (Matt 25:10). Readiness is repeatedly emphasized in scripture. If you haven’t been eagerly anticipating Jesus’ return, as a bride would yearn for her groom, you certainly won’t be looking for him; if you are not looking for him, you won’t be ready for him. For the unprepared, who are not ready, the Lord comes ‘like a thief in the night,’ snatching away loved ones who are ready. Readiness, worthiness, and desire, are heart issues (Jeremiah 17: 9,10). Two shall be working in the field; one shall be taken, the other left behind (Matt 24:40). Left-behind Christians will experience regret (Matt 25:11,12).
World events reflect what the Bible describes as the ‘beginning of sorrows’. Global pain will increase with frequency and intensity from economic mismanagement, lawlessness and terrorism, famine, disease, pestilence, and earthquakes, producing a 7-year period of Tribulation with great loss of human life.The last 3-1/2 years is often referred to as the “Great Tribulation.” It will be unlike anything the world has ever known. v21 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matt 24:21) All Christians will suffer persecution. This Tribulation will end when Jesus returns to judge the nations and establish his millennial kingdom. This depicts the Second Coming, wherein ‘every eye shall see him’ (Rev 1:7) through the medium of modern live TV satellite technology.
America has strayed from God, and lost her moral compass. Humanism has become popular, producing social liberalism and moral equivalency. This allows people to live any way they want, do anything that they choose, and still argue they are moral and good. As a nation we have abandoned the sagacious value of church we once embraced. Sunday church attendance in America has been replaced with NFL football. Sunday worship no longer occurs in church; it occurs in sports stadiums. During the August Olympic games in Rio, a TV announcer of a Brazilian soccer game described the famous Maracanã stadium as a ‘cathedral of holy ground’ for the home country. When professional sports teams offer 27-million-dollar salary contracts to 19-year old kids, do we wonder why parents and kids all around the world worship sports?
Many have developed a mind-set that it is vain and useless to serve God; what profit is it for us that we have kept his commandments and walked mournfully before the Lord of host? (Malachi 3:14,15) The pursuit of earthly success and liberalism has made America lose her need for God. Catastrophic failure, here, is not a singular event, however; it’s a slow metastasizing disease of indifference that leads to spiritual infidelity and readiness failure.
Jesus said in the last days evil would abound and many would wax cold (Matt 24:12). v37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. [Verses 37-42 refer to the Rapture and those left behind / not the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the 7-year Tribulation]
World leaders will attribute the sui generis recondite biblical Rapture of some 74 million people [about 1% of the world’s population] to an extra-terrestrial abduction, based partly on NASA, NSA and military intelligence assessments. This will be likened in magnitude to the combined historical shock of Pearl Harbor, the NY World Trade Center attack of 9/11, and the ISIS attacks upon Paris. The biblical explanation of the Rapture will be completely discounted as a false narrative, based partly on the sheer number of Christians left behind, including respected church pastors from all around the world. Ensuing progressive world economic instability, fear, collapsing food production, disease, crime and terrorism will produce a new survival strategy, wherein the world will unite behind a single World Ruler. He will subsequently be given power for 42 months to rule all nations, and to implement the mark of the beast-[microchip] (Rev13:5,7,16,17).
If you have been lukewarm or indifferent in your heart toward Jesus, not fully surrendered to him or walking in obedience to his commandments and words, now would be the time to completely turn that around. The stakes are eternal. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Matt 16:25). Simply believing in Jesus is not enough, for even Satan believes. Will you stand with Jesus if it cost you your life? That’s what this is really all about. The tribulation will separate the committed from the uncommitted. Jesus died to pay for mankind’s debt of sin. Seek the Lord while he may still be found. Invite him into your heart; make him your Savior. Jesus offers eternal life but his offer has time limitations, and it comes with terms and conditions. If you are not willing to give Jesus your all, then you are not worthy to be his disciple (Luke 14:26,27,33). There is no halfway deal or limited partnership with Jesus; he represents an all or nothing proposition (Matt12:30). Only committed followers of Jesus who overcome adversity will enter heaven (Rev 3:11,12 / Rev 21:7).
There will be Great Tribulation that comes to the world, just as depicted in scripture. Are you right with God? We are invited to ask, seek, and knock on heaven’s door for answers and for help. What did Jesus say about heaven? Who makes it into heaven, and who gets cut from the team? There will be no untested people in heaven (Proverbs17:3).
Mark Malmin
How could the principles of this book help you?
Turning Adversity Into Success deals with life and death spiritual matters. The stakes are high. The book explores man’s most difficult weaknesses and spiritual failures: the difficulty we all experience with being honest with ourselves and with God, acknowledging our fears, our lack of knowledge, our duplicity, and how to go about overcoming adversity. Understanding our failures makes success possible. Those who never examine their own failure will almost certainly repeat it in cyclical ways. There are some things in life where we shouldn’t cut corners or take short cuts; spirituality is one these areas.
Success always requires tenacity, hard work, courage, faith, and a willingness to go through the eye of the storm to pursue victory. Life is a battle and anyone who tells you that success of any kind is simple if you just follow a five step program is misleading you. There are conceptual critical thinking strategies and principles for spiritual success, and this book explores such strategies, but nothing in life is easy, or comes without hard work, effort, or testing. Achieving success, by virtue of overcoming adversity, does not eliminate life’s pain, nor is success simply about feeling happy.Doing the right thing inherently produces adversity and maintaining the course will produce varying degrees of suffering.
Those who ask, seek, and knock on doors, looking for truth, will find it. This reflects a spiritual principle of biblical truth. It’s also a wonderful promise. I hope the book will challenge you to think earnestly about the quality and nature of your faith and spirituality and your eternal destiny. If your faith is rock solid, then the book will challenge you to become even more committed to serving others. True success in life incorporates helping others to succeed. We are granted an enormous amount of self-ruling power by virtue of free will and choice. The decisions we make today influence life right now and in eternity.
Successful people practice critical thinking and they ask hard questions. I hope this book challenges you to ask hard questions of yourself and of God.
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