Bad Things Happen to Whom?

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Have you heard the expression, "Bad things happen to good people?"  I don't buy that expression.  I don't go along with that.

I don't know who said that, but someone doesn't know what they're talking about.  In fact, talking like that can actually cause bad things to happen.

God made us in his image.  God speaks things into existence.  So people also have some power to speak things into existence.  If you go around saying "bad things will happen," you'll have bad things happen.

Let's look at an example of something bad that happened.  Joseph was the favored son of his father Jacob, and was the son of Jacob's old age.  Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors.  Joseph told about his dreams that God had given him. (book of Genesis)

Joseph's brothers hated him and sold him as a slave to Ishmeelites, who sold him into Egypt.  The brothers tried to make Jacob think Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.

Joseph did a good job for his master in Egypt, but was falsely accused of desires against his master's wife.  So, Joseph went to prison in Egypt.

And yet, Joseph had done nothing wrong.

So, is this the time to say, "Well, bad things happen to good people?"  No it is not.

Joseph was a God-fearing man.  He had put his faith in God.

God had let some things happen to Joseph for a purpose.  In the dreams God had given Joseph, Joseph was in a position of authority.  Joseph didn't doubt that God would promote him.

And Joseph wasn't disappointed.  He was called on to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, which Joseph did, and then Pharaoh promoted Joseph to second in command of Egypt.  He went from bottom of the barrel to top of the heap.

When seven years of famine came, Joseph and Egypt were ready, and Joseph nourished his people, the Israelites, when they moved to Egypt.

So, this is not bad things happen to good people.  This is God providing for his people with a savior.  In this case, Joseph.

There is a similar saying, and this saying is correct, "Time and chance happens to them all." (Eccl 9:11)

There have been things that didn't go the way I had hoped they would go.  Shall we then say, "Bad things happen to good people?"  No, let's say instead, "Time and chance happens to everyone," and "the Lord will bring me through and promote me, I say by faith."

"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." (Psa 138:8)

"He that has begun a good work in me will perform it..." (Phil 1:6)

"I'll hold tightly to what I've been saying..."

(Heb 4:14)

I do not accept the bad things that have come my way from Satan and his demons.  I reject all of that in Jesus' name, and my God will turn it around so that it's all beneficial to me, and not an inconvenience, I say by faith.

Every cent of money that God means for me to have, he will put into my hands.  I call myself a prosperous man, in Jesus' name.

All things work together for good for me because I love God... (Rom 8:28)

A book I recommend on this subject is, "God's Creative Power Will Work for You," by Charles Capps.  (www.CharlesCapps.com)

Another good book along these lines is "How God Taught Me About Prosperity," by Kenneth E. Hagin.  (www.Rhema.org)

Last I checked, both of those books were very reasonably priced.

Dr. Norvel Hayes also teaches along these lines.  (www.nhm.cc)

Let's look at another example.  Jesus came along and taught the people.  He healed the sick and raised the dead.  He cast demons out of people.

He did nothing but good.  Then he was falsely accused, and wrongly sentenced to death.  He died by crucifixion.  The third day God raised him from the dead.

Is this bad things happen to good people?  No, it's God providing for his people a savior.  In this case, Jesus.

Joseph saved people from starvation.  Jesus saves people from hell, if they'll accept his free offer of salvation.  Surprisingly, some don't accept, and go to hell, where they immediately see that they made the wrong choice.

Well, maybe it's not so surprising.  Satan and his demons are making it their business to try to persuade as many as possible not to become Christians.  They want you in hell.

Also, people can sometimes get so far into sin that there's just no getting back out.  That's why God tells us, "Now is the day of salvation..."  (2 Cor 6:2)  Get right with God now.  If you put it off until tomorrow, you might not have the opportunity tomorrow.

We are told, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

Chapter 2

You'd probably get more out of it by actually reading the above Hagin book, but I'll briefly summarize it.

Hagin was doing the work God called him to do as a Bible teacher.  But he was not prospering financially.  He found a verse of scripture in Isa 1:19 that says, "If you're willing and obedient, you'll eat the good of the land."

Hagin was holding meetings at the time, two meetings a day I think, but he fasted one meal a day and did extra praying about this financial problem.  He reminded God that we're supposed to eat the good of the land.

On the third day, the Lord showed Hagin how he wasn't entirely willing because of wrong talking.  He had been around people who had talked like this:  "I don't want any of this world's goods."  And Hagin may have said that himself.  (Some people think you're more spiritual if you don't have much materially.)

So Hagin got willing right away.  Then the Lord showed Hagin he hadn't been using his faith right.  He had been using faith for other things, but not for finances, and now he needed to start using his faith to solve the financial problem.

The Lord gave Hagin a plan.  The Lord said, "I don't want you to pray about finances anymore, not like you've been praying.  Here's what I want you to do.  (Step 1)  Claim whatever it is that you want or need.  (Step 2)  Say, "Satan, take your hands off my finances."  (Step 3) Say, "Go ministering spirits and cause the money to come."

Hagin asked the Lord what he meant about the ministering spirits.  The Lord said, "Haven't you read in the book of Hebrews about the ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation?"  (The ministering spirits are the angels.)

So, Hagin saw that he could give his angels tasks to accomplish.

The Lord told Hagin after he did that to just stay in faith, and not even think about it.  Or, if he did think about it to say, "Thank God for it, it's working."

Hagin started doing that and started prospering financially.

Charles Capps had been a failing farmer in England, Arkansas.  For two years he didn't have enough income to pay for his driver's license.

Then a Christian man came by his house and had a couple of books with him, one of which was, Kenneth E. Hagin's  "Right and Wrong Thinking."

As Capps thumbed through the book, he realized, "Oh that's what I've been doing wrong."  What he had been doing wrong was talking wrong.  Remember what I said about speaking things into existence?

When it's time to plant seeds, farmers have to choose how deep to plant the seeds.  At that time, Capps said a foolish thing.  He said, "Well, it probably doesn't matter how deep I plant the seeds.  I'm probably going to get rained out anyway."

Can you guess what happened?  That's right, he got rained out.

When Capps got his talking straightened out, and started confessing over himself God's promises about prosperity, he started prospering.

You'll find lists of such promises in my book, "Your Abundant Success Lasting Forever."

Capps went fishing and was catching a lot of fish.  Another fisherman saw it and asked him, "What are you catching them on?"  The other fisherman thought the key might be in which bait was best.

Capps answered, "Psalm 1:3, Whatever he does will prosper."  That doesn't answer the bait question, but actually, it was a good answer because Capps faith at work was more significant than the bait.

Capps said the Lord told him, "I've told my people they can have what they say (Mark 11:23), but instead, they are saying what they have."

Chapter 3

Norvel Hayes is both a businessman and a Bible teacher.  Hayes had a restaurant that had shut down, and wasn't bringing in any income.

The Lord told Hayes, "Son, your problem is that you're not laughing at the devil."  Hayes drove over to the restaurant.  He didn't really feel like laughing, but he forced himself to laugh.  He commanded the restaurant to reopen and make him a lot of money.

Not long after, he met an unemployed cook that he hired.  The restaurant reopened and made Hayes a lot of money.  Hayes did what the Lord said and laughed at the devil.

David spoke words of faith when he went up against the giant, Goliath.  Goliath scorned the young man.  David answered, "God will give you into my hand."  And that's just what God did.  David knocked Goliath down with a sling shot, and then killed Goliath with Goliath's own sword.

God wants us to speak good things into existence.  Don't you remember that scripture, "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  (Matt 16:19)

I think most Christians are quite lax about this.  We're supposed to be speaking things into existence.  We're supposed to be binding and loosing.

You can say, "I bind all powers of the enemy that would come against me or hinder me in any way, me and my family, in Jesus' name."  "I loose ministering spirits to help me with everything that I'm doing, in Jesus' name."  "Ministering spirits, fight for my finances, in Jesus' name."

We Christians have the name of Jesus to use like a legal power of attorney.  That's how we cast out demons from people--in Jesus' name.  (See Mark 16:17,18, and Luke 10:19)

In the Bible there's the woman who kept on bleeding.  She said, "If I can just touch the border of Jesus' garment, I'll be healed."  She went to where Jesus was and touched his garment and was healed.

Jesus told her it was her faith that healed her.  (She expressed that faith with her words.)

Kenneth E. Hagin was born with an "incurable" heart defect.  Hagin learned to use his faith and got healed of it.

Then the Lord told Hagin, "Now go teach my people faith."  So Hagin taught faith for about seven decades and wrote about a hundred books, most of which were best-sellers (they sold over a million copies).

I met a young man in Los Angeles, a Christian.  I tried to give him a good little book from one of the better teachers.  He wouldn't take it.  He said, "I just get it all from the Bible."

Well, of course we should be studying the Bible.  But in Ephesians 4:11 it says God has given us teachers.  Hagin is one of those teachers.  I'm one of the teachers.

If God thought it was important to give his people teachers, wouldn't it be wise for us to try to listen to the best of the teachers?

People don't always get everything just by reading the Bible.  As a youth, I had read in the Bible about binding and loosing, but I don't think I really saw how to apply it until one of God's teachers came along and explained it.

The Bible says, "In a multitude of counselors there is safety."  (Prov 11:14)

Scriptures quoted are from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version, and the New Testament, Hoehn version, copyright 2011.  Both are available as ebooks for the Kindle reader at Amazon.com

The Lord bless you.  Frederick Hoehn.

www.FredHoehnMinistries.com

___1 John chapter 1

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life,

2 (For the life was made clear, and we've seen it, and testify, and show you that eternal life, that was with the Father, and was made clear to us.)

3 That which we've seen and heard we tell you, so that you also will have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things we write to you, so your joy will be full.

5 This then is the message that we've heard from him, and tell you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and don't do the truth,

7 But if we walk in the light, like he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we haven't sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

___1 John chapter 2

1 My little children, these things I write to you, so you won't sin.  And if any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

2 And he is the payment for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that says, "I know him," and doesn't keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.  By this we know that we are in him.

6 He that says he lives in him ought to walk like He walked.

7 Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment that you've had from the beginning.  The old commandment is the word that you've heard from the beginning.

8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness has past, and the true light now shines.

9 He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10 He that loves his brother lives in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.

11 But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and doesn't know where he's going, because that darkness has blinded him.

12 I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.

13 I write to you, fathers, because you've known him that is from the beginning.  I write to you, young men, because you've overcome the wicked one.  I write to you, little children, because you've known the Father.

14 I've written to you, fathers, because you've known him that is from the beginning.  I've written to you, young men, because you're strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you've overcome the wicked one.

15 Don't love the world, nor the things that are in the world.  If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passes away and its lust, but he that does the will of God lives forever.

18 Little children, it is the last time, and as you've heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists, by which we know that it is the last time.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out, so that they'd be made clear that they were not all of us.

20 But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things.

21 I haven't written to you because you don't know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

22 Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ?  He is antichrist that denies the Father and the Son.

23 Whoever denies the Son doesn't have the Father, but he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 Let that therefore live in you that you've heard from the beginning.  If that which you've heard from the beginning remains in you, you'll also continue in the Son, and in the Father.

25 And this is the promise that he has promised us, eternal life.

26 These things I've written to you concerning those who try to seduce you.

27 But the anointing that you've received from him lives in you, and you don't need any man to teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you about all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, you'll live in him.

28 And now, little children, live in him, so that, when he appears, we'll have confidence, and not be ashamed in his presence when he comes.

29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that does righteousness is born of him.

___1 John chapter 3

1 Look at what kind of love the Father has loved us with, that we should be called the sons of God, therefore the world doesn't know us, because it didn't know him.

2 Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doesn't yet appear what we'll be, but we know that when he appears, we'll be like him, for we'll see him as he is.

3 And every man that has this hope in himself purifies himself, just as he is pure.

4 Whoever commits sin also violates the law, for sin is the violation of the law.

5 And you know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him there's no sin.

6 Whoever lives in him doesn't sin, whoever sins hasn't seen him, nor known him.

7 Little children, let no man deceive you, he that does righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous.

8 He that commits sin is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, so that he'd destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, for his seed remains in him, and he can't sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this, the children of God are made clear, and the children of the devil, whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, nor he that doesn't love his brother.

11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love each other.

12 Not like Cain, who was of that wicked one, and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

13 Don't be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

14 We know that we've passed from death to life, because we love the brothers.  He that doesn't love his brother remains in death.

15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life living in him.

16 By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and won't show compassion on him, how does the love of God live in him?

18 My little children, let's not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart doesn't condemn us, then we have confidence toward God.

22 And whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love each other, as he gave us commandment.

24 And he that keeps his commandments lives in Him, and He in him.  And by this we know that he lives in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

___1 John chapter 4

1 Beloved, don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

3 And every spirit that doesn't confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of antichrist, about which you've heard that it would come, and even now already it's in the world.

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world, therefore they speak about the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are of God.  He that knows God listens to us, he that is not of God doesn't listen to us.  By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love each other, for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God.

8 He that doesn't love, doesn't know God, for God is love.

9 In this, the love of God was made clear toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, so that we would live through him.

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love each other.

12 No man has seen God at any time.  If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we live in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.  God is love, and he that lives in love, lives in God, and God in him.

17 In this our love is made perfect, so that we'll have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws out fear, because fear has torment.  He that's in fear hasn't been made perfect in love.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

20 If a man says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he that doesn't love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he hasn't seen?

21 And we have this commandment from him, that he that loves God should love his brother also.

___1 John chapter 5

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone that loves him that fathered loves him also who was fathered by him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments don't cause grief.

4 For whoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world:  our faith.

5 Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 He's the one that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood.  And it is the Spirit that testifies, because the Spirit is truth.

7 For there are three that testify in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.

8 And there are three that testify on earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater, for this is the witness of God that he has testified about his Son.

10 He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself, he that doesn't believe God has made him a liar, because he doesn't believe the record that God gave about his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that has the Son has life, and he that doesn't have the Son of God doesn't have life.

13 I've written these things to you who believe on the name of the Son of God so that you'll know that you have eternal life, and so that you'll believe on the name of the Son of God.

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us,

15 And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we requested from him.

16 If any man sees his brother sin a sin that's not to death, he shall ask, and he'll give him life for those who don't sin to death.  There is a sin to death, I don't say that he should pray for it.

17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not to death.

18 We know that whoever is born of God doesn't sin, but he that's begotten by God keeps himself, and that wicked one doesn't touch him.

19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, so that we'll know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, in his Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God, and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.  Amen.