How Is the Best Way to Pray (Part 2 of 2) Recalling the word pray as P-R-A-Y is the easiest way to remember what to include on how to enjoy a more effective prayer life. We should do each of these things in our prayers to God: P (Praise)R (Repent)A (Ask)Y (Yield) In Part 1, we learned that without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and without accepting the totality of the word of God, the Holy Bible, as the inerrant and true word of God, He is under no obligation to answer an unbeliever’s prayer…unless it’s the unbeliever’s prayer of salvation, where an unbeliever is asking Jesus to come into their heart to become converted. God is ALSO under no obligation to consider the prayers or answer the prayers of a Christian who does NOT repent. All scripture is God-breathed. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” In Part 2 of How Is the Best Way to Pray, all 4 letters of the acrostic P-R-A-Y are explained in detail to help you enjoy a more fulfilled prayer life. If you have missed other messages, you can click here to hear them, and feel share to share this podcast or any of the messages in my podcast series. Popular Resources:  How a Christian Can Know If He or She Is Really Saved
. Click here to read the article.Why Self-Help Books Don't Really Help. Self-help books don’t work for any extended period of time because self-help books TELL someone WHAT to do but do not GIVE someone the POWER to change. To access Holy Spirit power, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Learn more by clicking here.
Help Others Learn About the Implications of Eternity. Your generous giving funds our ability to help bless others by delivering these messages. We are only limited by our resources. When you give, you actually start a ministry of your own because your donation helps us spread the Gospel (Gospel means Good News) that allow us to fulfill Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 using electronic media. You can click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you in advance for your donation.If You or Someone You Know Is Not a Christian If you feel a stirring or prompting in your heart that you have not felt before or maybe have ignored before, it could be God asking you to accept his Son as your Lord and Savior. If you reject the prompting of the Holy Spirit, you remove yourself from the only force (the power of the Holy Spirit) that can lead you to repentance and restoration to God.Because there is no second chance to accept Christ if you die before you accept Him, invite Him into your heart now, proclaim Him your Lord and Savior, and ask forgiveness of your sins. It’s the most significant decision that you can make about where you are going to spend eternity. How To Make Life Work When Life Does Not Want to Work. To receive tips on ways to make life work when life doesn’t want to work, click here to subscribe to our free newsletter.Click here if you have a prayer request for you or someone you know.Email me: john@treasuretop.com Blessings to you and your loved ones, Pastor John Haggard

How Is the Best Way to Pray? Before we can answer that question, we must first set the foundation of belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior by accepting the word of God, the Holy Bible, as the inerrant word of God.If someone does not accept the truth of scripture, God is under no obligation to hear or grant any prayer of an unbeliever.“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This means that God’s word is ALIVE today, right now. Learn more about how the Bible is satisfying Learn more about how the Bible is satisfying in its contents, is a mirror, is water to those who are thirsty, is meat for our strength, is like a hammer to break us, is honey for our delight, and is above even His name. Simplest way to think about the word PRAY Think of the word PRAY as an acrostic with the letters, P-R-A-Y. PRAISEREPENTASKYIELD If you have missed other messages, you can click here to hear them, and feel share to share this podcast or any of the messages in my podcast series. Do you feel something moving in your heart? If you are not a Christian but you are feeling a prompting in your heart, it may be God who is asking you to accept his Son as your Lord and Savior. Accept Jesus into your heart NOW, proclaim Him your Lord and Savior, and ask forgiveness of your sins. There are no second chances to accept Christ IF YOU DIE before you accept Him. Do it now if He is prompting you. Popular Resources:  How a Christian Can Know If He or She Is Really Saved. 
Click here to read the article. Why Self-Help Books Don't Really Help Self-help books don’t work for any extended period of time because self-help books TELL someone WHAT to do but do not GIVE someone the POWER to change. To access Holy Spirit power, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Learn more by clicking here.
 Help Others Learn About the Implications of Eternity Your generous giving funds our ability to help bless others by delivering these messages. We are only limited by our resources. When you give, you have a ministry of your own because your donation helps us spread the Gospel (Gospel means Good News) that allow us to fulfill Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 (to go out and make disciples) using radio, television, YouTube, social media, and the internet. Please prayerfully consider a donation in any amount, and you can click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you in advance for your donation. How To Make Life Work When Life Does Not Want to Work To receive tips on ways to make life work when life doesn’t want to work, click here to subscribe to our free newsletter. Click here if you have a prayer request for you or someone you know. Email me: john@treasuretop.com Blessings to you and your loved ones, Pastor John Haggard

If you died tonight, why would God let you into Heaven? To answer that question, let’s look at two statements that don’t make sense to most people: 1: You cannot be GOOD enough to get IN to heaven 2: You can’t be BAD enough to stay OUT of heaven. Statement #1. Our own goodness or righteousness is not good enough or righteous enough to get us into heaven. Neither our goodness nor our righteousness can overcome the stain of sin that is on us in order to make us saved for eternity in heaven.   The Old Testament says that compared to the perfect righteousness that God expects, our righteousness is like an unclean, filthy rag. “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Isaiah 64:6 NASB). When Isaiah wrote those words, he was speaking to a group of religious Jews, but his words apply to us today as well because sin exists in every person in the world today. In the New Testament, in the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul says the same thing that Isaiah said: “as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one (Romans 3:10-12 NASB). It’s only by the saving grace of God that we are saved and can go to heaven. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8 NASB).   The gift of grace comes from God; we can’t earn it or deserve it. And we don’t come about grace naturally. It is God who imputes grace to us, and it is God who saves us. Grace is unmerited favor by God. God wants a relationship with us; that’s why He formed us. But because God is sinless, and because there is no sin in heaven, we cannot go to his heaven in a sinful state. That’s why He sent his son, Jesus Christ, to earth…to make us worthy before God by paying for our sins – past, present, and future. Christ became sin for us on the cross so that as believers we are called saints and cleansed of all sin. It does not mean that Christians won’t sin, but we will sin less, and we will not remain in the continuation of the same sins if we are truly converted as Christians.   A. W. Tozer, a preacher and writer, once wrote, “God wants us to worship Him. He doesn’t need us, for He couldn’t be a self-sufficient God and need anything or anybody, but He wants us. When Adam sinned it was not he who cried, “God, where art Thou?” It was God who cried, “Adam, where art thou?”   Statement #2: You can’t be BAD enough to stay OUT of heaven. A lot of people think there is NO WAY a good God would ever let them into heaven, because of something terrible they have done to someone else or to themselves. The proof, that no matter how bad you have been you could still get in to heaven, is illustrated by the person who wrote down the words of God as inspired by the Holy Spirit. This person wrote about half of the New Testament, was a murderer of Christians. We’re talking about the Apostle Paul.   If Jesus Christ can convert a murderer of Christians into a Christian, couldn’t He do the same thing in your life no matter what you have ever done?  That’s the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Today’s podcast answers more questions about If you died tonight, why would God let you into Heaven? If you have missed other messages, you can click here to hear them, and feel share to share this podcast or any of the messages in my podcast series. If you are not a Christian but you are feeling a prompting in your heart, it may be God who is asking you to accept his Son as your Lord and Savior. Accept Jesus into your heart NOW, proclaim Him your Lord and Savior, and ask forgiveness of your sins. There are no second chances to accept Christ IF YOU DIE before you accept Him. Do it now if He is prompting you. Popular Resources:  How a Christian Can Know If He or She Is Really Saved. 
Click here to read the article.Why Self-Help Books Don't Really Help. Self-help books don’t work for any extended period of time because self-help books TELL someone WHAT to do but do not GIVE someone the POWER to change. To access Holy Spirit power, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Learn more by clicking here.
 Help Others Receive Breakthroughs It’s your generous giving that funds our ability to help bless others by delivering these messages. When you give, you have a ministry of your own because your donation helps us spread the Gospel (Gospel means Good News). We are listener-supported and rely on donations from people like you that allow us to fulfill Matthew 28:19 on radio, television, YouTube, social media, and the internet. Please prayerfully consider a donation in any amount, and you can click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you in advance for your donation. How To Make Life Work When Life Does Not Want to Work To receive tips on ways to make life work when life doesn’t want to work, click here to subscribe to our free newsletter. Click here if you have a prayer request for you or someone you know. Email me: john@treasuretop.com Blessings to you and your loved ones, Pastor John Haggard

What’s the Big Deal about Easter? Why Does the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Really Matter? Three Things We Should All Know #1: The word of God is applicable to our lives in today’s times The writer of Hebrews in Chapter 4 verse 12 (NASB) wrote, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart”. This means the word of God is ALIVE TODAY, ACTIVE TODAY, and APPLICABLE TO OUR LIFE RIGHT NOW. The word of God did not die when the writing of the Bible concluded. #2: If Jesus Christ had not been raised from the dead Then Christianity would be dead, your faith would be worthless, and your life would be over the moment you die. The Apostle Paul who wrote this first letter to the Corinthians in the church at Corinth: “…and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, IF in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (1 Corinthians 15:14-18 NASB). In this passage we learn of 5 disastrous consequences if there were no resurrection: Preaching Christ would be senseless.Faith in Christ would be useless.All the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars.No one would be redeemed from sin.All former believers would have perished. #3: The resurrection proves that Jesus was who He said He was. There are at least 11 post-resurrection appearances recorded in the Bible, and the one thing about Jesus’ resurrection is, His is the ONLY permanent return to life; everyone else who had been raised to life in the Bible died again. Jesus rose, and never died again. Whether you consider yourself to be a Christian or not, what I am about to say has eternal implications for everyone: we will all die a physical death, but that is not the end of the story. We actually have two lives, one on earth and one in eternity. The question is, which eternity are you going to live in…heaven or hell? Today’s podcast answers more questions on What’s the Big Deal about Easter. If you have missed my other messages, you can click here to hear them, and feel share to share this podcast. Bonus Did you know - Jesus Christ prays for you if you are a Christian! “Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25 NASB). Intercession means to pray on behalf of. How awesome is that to have the Son of God pray for you! If you feel a prompting in your heart Jesus said, “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44 NASB). This verse means that it is GOD who draws someone. No one can save you. No pastor, no preacher, no magic phrases of words of “say this and be saved.” Even you can’t save you. No one can save you except God. If you feel a prompting in your heart, it may be God who is asking you to accept his Son as your Lord and Savior. Accept Jesus into your heart NOW, proclaim Him your Lord and Savior, and ask forgiveness of your sins. There are no second chances to accept Christ if you die before you accept Him. Do it now if He is prompting you. Popular Resources:  How a Christian Can Know If He or She Is Really Saved Click here to read the article. Why Self-Help Books Don't Really Help Self-help books don’t work for any extended period of time because self-help books TELL someone WHAT to do but do not GIVE someone the POWER to change. To access Holy Spirit power, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Learn more by clicking here. Help Others Receive Breakthroughs It’s your generous giving that funds our ability to help bless others by delivering these messages. When you give, you have a ministry of your own because your donation helps us spread the Gospel (Gospel means Good News). We are listener-supported and rely on donations from people like you that allow us to fulfill Matthew 28:19 on radio, television, YouTube, social media, and the internet. Please prayerfully consider a donation in any amount, and you can click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you in advance for your donation. How To Make Life Work When Life Does Not Want to Work To receive tips on ways to make life work when life doesn’t want to work, click here to subscribe to our free newsletter. Click here if you have a prayer request for you or someone you know. Email me: john@treasuretop.com Blessings to you and your loved ones, Pastor John Haggard

Today’s podcast is the conclusion of the series How to Survive Spiritual, Physical, Mental, Social, Emotional, and Financial Bankruptcy.  If you missed the other messages in this series, you can click here to hear them, and feel share to share this podcast or any of the messages in my podcast series.  What Happens When Experiencing Financial Bankruptcy? Experiencing financial bankruptcy can profoundly impact one’s individual's spiritual well-being, often leading to a profound period of introspection and re-evaluation of one's values and life priorities. This challenging time can become an unexpected journey towards spiritual growth and renewal. As material possessions and worldly status are stripped away, the essence of one's faith and personal beliefs may come to the forefront. Content in All Circumstances The Apostle Paul speaks to the strength found in faith from being in Christ, strength that allows one to be content and resilient in all circumstances, underscoring the spiritual empowerment that comes from reliance on God's strength: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13; NIV). How Do We Get into Heaven? Faith brings salvation. "'...for Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?...'" (Romans 10:13; NASB). To enter heaven, we must first admit that in our spirit, no matter how wealthy or poor we may be in the material world, in the spiritual realm we are absolutely totally bankrupt and a beggar before God. Popular Resource: How a Christian Can Know If He or She Is Really Saved Click here to read the article. Help Others Receive Breakthroughs It’s your generous giving that funds our ability to help bless others by delivering these messages. No one can be saved without first hearing the Gospel, and your donation helps us spread the Gospel (Gospel means Good News). We are a listener-supported, non-profit ministry, and we rely on donations from people like you that allow us to remain on radio, television, YouTube, social media, and the internet. Please prayerfully consider a donation in any amount, and you can click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you in advance for your donation. How To Make Life Work When Life Does Not Want to Work To receive tips on ways to make life work when life doesn’t want to work, click here to subscribe to our free newsletter. Click here if you have a prayer request for you or someone you know. Email me: john@treasuretop.com Blessings to you and your loved ones, Pastor John Haggard

Complexities Today As we navigate through the complexities of the world we live in today, it's evident that the world faces significant social and emotional challenges, contributing to a sense of deepening malaise. Global political unrest and economic uncertainties intensify feelings of anxiety.  The digital age, while offering unprecedented connectivity, has also led to issues of social isolation, digital addiction, and a crisis of misinformation, further complicating our social fabric and emotional well-being.  The Good News The good news is that even amidst these challenges, all Christians have a power that is greater than any world power and greater than any political regime. It’s the Holy Spirit power that enters every person who becomes a Christian. As Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NASB). No Worry We don’t have to worry. Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB) reminds us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Part of the deepening malaise and what one can do about it are covered in this latest podcast, How to Survive Social & Emotional Bankruptcy – Part 3 in the series How to Survive Spiritual, Physical, Mental, Social, Emotional, and Financial Bankruptcy. On this podcast, we learn about two other forms of bankruptcy, Social and Emotional. If you missed the other messages in this series, you can click here to hear them, and feel share to share this podcast or any of the messages in my podcast series.  Popular Resource: How a Christian Can Know If He or She Is Really Saved. Click here to read the article. Help Others Receive Breakthroughs It’s your generous giving that funds our ability to help bless others by delivering these messages. We are a listener-supported, non-profit ministry, and we rely on donations from people like you that allow us to remain on radio, television, YouTube, social media, and the internet. Please prayerfully consider a donation, and you can click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation in any amount. How To Make Life Work When Life Does Not Want to Work - To receive tips on ways to make life work when life doesn’t want to work, click here to subscribe to our free newsletter. Email me: john@treasuretop.com Blessings to you and your loved ones, Pastor John Haggard

Spiritual, Physical, Mental, Social, Emotional, and Financial Bankruptcy On this podcast, we learn about two other forms of bankruptcy, Physical and Mental. If you missed the first message in this series, How to Survive Spiritual Bankruptcy, you can click here to hear it. Physical & Mental Bankruptcy In the previous message, we learned that the level of spiritual bankruptcy in one’s life is directly proportionate to his or her view of God. Because one’s view of God will determine how one lives their life. One of the main reasons we see bankruptcy of all kinds is the unwillingness of people to accept the truth of the word of God. The attitude is, “It’s my life, and I’ll live it the way I want to.” When there is the unwillingness to be held personally accountable for one’s actions in life, this is a sign that someone is not truly converted as a Christian, even though they may think they are. Such rebellion leads to self-destruction. Non-believers do not have the Holy Spirit power in them, which is the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. More Reasons Why Learn more reasons in this message about why there is rampant Physical & Mental Bankruptcy and what you or someone you know can do to survive it. Popular Resource: How a Christian Can Know If He or She Is Really Saved Click here to read the article. Life Change Moments For ways to help you break through troubled times, Join me at TreasureTop.com for ways help you make life work when life does not want to work. Help Others Receive Breakthroughs It’s your generous giving that funds our ability to bless others by delivering these messages. We are a listener-supported, non-profit ministry, and we rely on donations from people like you to help us remain on radio, television, YouTube, social media, and the internet. Please prayerfully consider a donation, and you can click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation in any amount. How To Make Life Work When Life Does Not Want to Work To receive tips on ways to make life work when life doesn’t want to work, click here to subscribe to our free newsletter. Email me: john@treasuretop.com Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor John Haggard

How to Survive Spiritual Bankruptcy There has never been more Spiritual, Physical, Mental, Social, Emotional, and Financial Bankruptcy in modern times than there is right now. My new series may be one of the most important messages I’ve ever preached. Because the world is in such a massive and horrific meltdown, it will take several messages spread out over several weeks. Spiritual Bankruptcy Celebration This seems hard to believe, but Spiritual Bankruptcy is actually celebrated by millions of people who define it as their best life now, even though they do not call it Spiritual Bankruptcy. It’s a way of life embraced by a new world order that is largely based on current trends of this world. One of the main reasons we see Spiritual Bankruptcy in such large numbers of people today is largely embraced by this one truth that is actually not truth at all. Have you heard this statement: “Whatever is someone’s truth is their truth, and it’s none of your business?” That statement says that no matter what someone is facing in life, what they FEEL is truth is their truth.  More Reasons Learn more reasons why there is rampant Spiritual Bankruptcy in today’s message and what you or someone you know can do about it. Life Change Moments Learn More About Life Changing Moments to Help You Break Through Troubled Times Join me at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that can help you make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Receive Breakthroughs We are a listener-supported, non-profit ministry, and we rely on donations from people like you to help us continue to be able to deliver our messages through radio, television, YouTube, social media, and the internet. Please prayerfully consider a donation, and you can click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation in any amount. How To Make Life Work When Life Does Not Want to Work To receive our free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t want to work, click here. Email me: john@treasuretop.com Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor John Haggard

Fear Is and Fear Is Not In Part 1 of this message, we learned that not all fear is bad. And some fear is F-E-A-R, False Evidence Appearing Real. And we learned that there is self-preservation fear that kicks in when someone is trying to cause bodily harm. To conquer fear, we learned in the last message that Step 1 is to determine who is going to be the ultimate authority in the first pole position in our lives...is it God or is it idol worship (anything other than God that takes first position in our lives). Living Life In Order of Priority We also learned that we should prioritize our lives by ranking what is most important in the following order: 1) faith, 2) family and friends, 3) fit (job or occupation).  What We Learned in Steps 2 & 3 Step 2 in Part 1 of this message is Understanding The Power of Prayer, and we learned the chief part of thankfulness that God requires of us: “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High; And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.” (Psalm 50:14-15) Step 3 in the last message is Rely on the Word of God for Wisdom, Instruction, and Discernment. We reviewed the importance of Proverbs 1:7 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Learn Steps 4-7 on How to Conquer Fear in this podcast: Using the Word of God Against Fear, Knowing the Enemy’s Weapons, Using Spiritual Weapons, and Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing. If you missed Part 1 of this message, you can listen to it here. Learn More About Life Changing Moments to Help You Break Through Troubled Times Join us at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that can help you make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Receive Breakthroughs We are a listener-supported non-profit ministry, and we rely on donations from people like you to help us continue to be able to deliver our messages through radio, television, YouTube, social media, and the internet. Please prayerfully consider a donation, and you can click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation in any amount. How To Make Life Work To receive our free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t want to work, click here. Email me here. Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor John Haggard

How to Conquer Fear (Part 1) Gallup Poll A Gallup poll conducted in October of 2023 says that personal safety fears are at a three-decade high in the United States. "Forty percent of Americans, the most in three decades, say they would be afraid to walk alone at night within a mile of their home. Additionally, half of U.S. adults worry about having their car stolen or broken into, while 44% worry about their home being burglarized when they aren’t there. More than 3 in 10 worry about getting mugged (37%) or being attacked while driving (32%)." Types of Fear Not all fear is bad. Some fear is good. Some fear is productive. And some fear is of God Himself. God has put in all of us the good part of fear which is the self-protective kind of fear, to help protect us and to serve us. The Fear You Should Be Afraid Of In Matthew 20:28 (NASB), Jesus speaking to his disciples on what it means to be a disciple says, "“And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" [emphasis mine]. God is the one who destroys in hell; persecutors can only harm or kill the body. Steps to Conquer Fear Listen to today's podcast to learn the first three steps on How to Conquer Fear including the power of prayer and the word of God to serve as your fortress. Learn More About Life Changing Moments to Help You Break Through Troubled Times Join us at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that can help you make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Receive Breakthroughs If you’d like to help be responsible for more people hearing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and what life in eternity will be like, click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation in any amount. How To Make Life Work To receive our free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t work, click here. Email me at john@treasuretop.com Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor John Haggard

If God Is Good, Why Is There Suffering? (Part 3 of 3) This message concludes our 3-part series If God Is Good, Why Is There Suffering? If you missed Parts 1 and 2, be sure to listen so that you can better understand why God allows us to suffer and to understand the good news that we have to look forward to in our suffering. One of the reasons that God allows suffering is to reveal our spiritual condition. Another reason is that God uses suffering to humble us. Charles Spurgeon once said, “You have two choices: you can either be humble or humbled.”A benefit we receive when we go through hardships and feel God's comfort is that we become better equipped to comfort others. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NASB) says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”Another reason God allows us to suffer is that He uses hardship to draw our attention away from this world and toward the next. The Bible constantly reminds us to look forward to the world to come rather than get sucked into the fleshly desires of this world. God's reign is eternal, and this world and all that is in it will eventually end.  As Jesus declared in John 18:36, “…“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”  Learn more reasons about why God allows us to suffer on this podcast. Join us at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that can help you make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Receive Breakthroughs If you’d like to help be responsible for more people hearing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and what life in eternity will be like, click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. How To Make Life Work To receive our free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t work, click here. Email me here. Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor John Haggard

If God Is Good, Why Is There Suffering? (Part 2)? In Part 1 of this message, we learned that the first step of interpreting scripture is to read scripture in CONTEXT, not in isolation out of context, which is known as PRE-TEXT. Pre-text is taking a sentence here and there out of Scripture and then trying to expand its meaning to suit the topic being discussed instead of focusing on the totality of the Word of God to determine what God is saying. God warns us not to ADD TO or TAKE AWAY from His word: "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” ((Revelation 22:18-19 NASB). If you did not hear Part 1 of this message, I encourage you to listen by clicking here because understanding truth versus opinion is critical to understand answers to questions like If God Is Good, Why Is There Suffering? What Does Jesus Know About Our Suffering? In Revelation 2:9-11 Jesus says: “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty but you are rich. Do not fear what you are about to suffer….Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” What Jesus means by rich is those who have inherited the kingdom of God in Heaven when they die. How Suffering Began in the World The world today is under a curse due to sin, which includes suffering and death (Genesis 3:16-19). Sin was introduced into the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God which then caused death to befall all of their offspring as well as themselves, and that includes you and me, many generations later. Why Did God Allow Sin to Enter the World? Learn why on today’s podcast. Learn More About Life Changing Moment to Hel You Break Through Troubled Times Join us at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that can help you make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Receive the Word of God If you’d like to help be responsible for more people hearing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and what life in eternity will be like, click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation in any amount. Free Newsletter To receive our free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t work, click here. Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor John Haggard

If God Is Good, Why Is There Suffering? One of the questions people ask is, “If God is a good God, why am I suffering” or “Why is my wife suffering? What did she do wrong to deserve this,” or “What did I do wrong to deserve this? I thought God was a good God.”  The World Is Under a Curse The world is under a curse due to sin, which includes suffering and death (Genesis 3:16-19 NASB), and that includes you and me.  Following their fall from grace (when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden by disobeying the command of God), Adam and Eve caused death to befall all of their offspring including themselves, and that death also includes you and me because we are all descendants of Adam and Eve.  What Specific Sin Was Committed That Affects Us Today? It's found in Genesis 2:16-17 (NASB) in the Old Testament: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” We know when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and consumed the fruit and disobeyed God, Adam and Eve did not actually perish. Genesis 5:5 says that Adam lived to be 930 years old. However, what DID happen was Adam's spiritual separation from God as a result of his transgression, known as the first death, and we are all inheritors of the first death. Jesus Knows What You Are Going Through Jesus knows what you are going through and understands what you are going through. In Revelation 2:9-11 Jesus says, “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty but you are rich” (“rich” means those who have inherited the kingdom of God, heaven, when they die because they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior)…"Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’” The second death is spiritual and eternal. Revelation 20:14 says, “And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” The Good News We have a lot to look forward to. For all believers, what we are living in now is not the end. We know that our time on earth is limited, and if we are suffering greatly, that too WILL END, if not in THIS life, then certainly in the next life. 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (NASB) says, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  THAT is GOOD NEWS! Learn More Learn more about the truth of God’s word on this podcast, and join me at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that can help you make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Receive If you’d like to help be responsible for more people hearing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and what life in eternity will be like 365 days a year, click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation in any amount. Free Newsletter To receive my free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t work, click here. Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor John Haggard

Can the Devil or Other Forces Make Me Do Something? (Part 2) In the previous podcast, we found out if the devil can make you do things and if the power of temptation can make you do things. We also found out if the power of other people can make you do things. And we answered the question if a demon can actually live in a Christian or an unbeliever. If you did not hear that message, I encourage you to listen by clicking here: This message will finish the 14 Facts Everyone Should Know about the Devil. Opinion Poll About the Devil Real Clear Opinion Research Poll that was conducted December 19 to 21, 2023, 1000 adults were asked “Do you believe in the Devil?” 70 per cent said “Believe” and 30% said “Not Believe.” The poll also found that 61% believe in ghosts and 57% believe in aliens. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 per cent. What Jesus Says Jesus calls Satan the father of lies. He tells the Jews who want to kill him: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires” (John 8:44 NIV). How to Loosen the Grip the Grip on Death that Satan Has The Apostle Paul, who wrote about half of the New Testament as the inspired word of God through the Holy Spirit, wrote in his first epistle (first letter) to the Corinthians: “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 NASB). Paul is saying that like the dead (those who are non-believers), the living will also exchange their imperfectness but instead the exchange will be for the eternal and perfect in Heaven (see 1 Corinthians 13:10). For those who belong to Christ (those who believe in and who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior), death’s power will be removed. This means that the believer will spend eternity in heaven whereas the non-believer will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire (the same thing as death). The Best News About the Devil Soon it will be over for Satan. His defeat is certain, and it’s imminent. How do we know that? Revelation 20:10 (ESV) tells us, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” What We Don’t Know What we don’t know is when the devil will be defeated once and for all, so in the meantime, we must be on guard with the full armor of God’s protection as spoken to us by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-13 (NASB): “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” Letter to the Devil In my message, I reference a Letter to the Devil, composed by and spoken by a pastor in Texas over 20 years ago, and when you hear it in this message, you’ll find a unique approach on speaking back to the devil any time that you feel like you are being attacked. If you would like to see me read the letter, click here. If you would like to print a copy the letter for yourself, click here. Learn More Learn if the devil is real or not on this podcast, and join us at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that can help you make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Receive If you’d like to help be responsible for more people hearing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and what life in eternity will be like, click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation in any amount. Free Newsletter To receive our free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t work, click here. Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor John Haggard

Can the Devil and Other Forces Make Me Do Something? Have you ever wanted to know if the devil makes you do things? Or if the power of temptation makes you do things? Or if the power of other people make you do things?  Is the Devil Real or a Myth? A lot of people think the Devil is a myth. After all if you have not actually seen him, how can he actually be real? Things You Already Believe In That You Cannot See The wind. You can’t actually see the wind. One of the ways you do is that you see the effects of what wind does.Gravity. If there were no gravity, we would all be floating in space somewhere. So that means that gravity is very much real, but you can’t see it.Radio and television waves. Right now where you are, there are radio waves and television waves all around you; you can’t see them, but you believe in them because you canThoughts. Can you see anyone else's thoughts? Can anyone see your thoughts? The answer is, “‘No you can’t “see” thoughts,’” but you believe in them because you have thoughts, and so do other people.  Learn More Learn if the devil is real or not on this podcast, and join us at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that can help you make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Receive If you’d like to help be responsible for more people hearing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and what life in eternity will be like, click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation in any amount. Free Newsletter To receive our free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t work, click here. Blessings to you and your loved ones. Pastor John Haggard

Once a Year For many individuals and for those in business, there's a time set aside once a year when annual goals are formulated and then set for the next 12 months. But before goals can be achieved, they must be constructed properly. How to Use the Bible to Make SMART Goals Smart How rigid are you in terms of the goals you set in your life? You've probably heard the phrase, "It's already set in stone," which usually means either something physically has been permanently set in place like a building in concrete or it's a decision that someone has made, meaning there's no turning back. Is "What's Done" Really Done? Ever heard anybody say, "What's done is done?" That might be true in some cases with no way to reverse the course of action that was taken. In other cases, however, there is a guide we can use to serve as a preemptive strike before we are later forced to take corrective action or  live with consequences that could have been avoided. What The Bible Says "God can do anything far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams. He does it not by pushing us around, but by working within us, his spirit deeply and gently within us" (Ephesians 3:20-21 MSG). How Can I Learn More?  Listen to today's podcast. If you know of someone who struggles with forgiveness, feel free to share this podcast. It could save their life, literally. Need Prayer Or Know Someone Who Does? Click this link: https://treasuretop.com/contact/ You Can Be Responsible for Lost People Hearing the Word of God The cost to place messages on TV, Radio, YouTube, Facebook, and other media continue to rise, much like everything else. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift in any amount. No gift is too small. Click this link to Give: https://treasuretop.com/give/ How To Make Life Work When Life Doesn't Work Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here, and you can also view 1-Minute Life Change Moments by clicking here. Subscribe to the Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | iHeartRadio ⏐Amazon

This time of year there’s a lot of focus on New Year’s Resolutions because most of us would like to have a better year than last year. But why do most New Year's Resolutions never last? Why Say "Beware?" We need to understand what makes resolutions work and what makes resolutions fail. When we depend upon our own power to make New Year’s Resolutions work, have you noticed that at some point that power runs down, the batteries run down, and there is no more power left to maintain the New Year’s Resolution? Even the Energizer Bunny’s batteries eventually run down. They may last longer than other batteries as the ads claim, but they will run down eventually. Resurrection Power What we need is “resurrection power”, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and anyone can have that same resurrection power in the form of the Holy Spirit IF he or she has accepted Jesus Christ as one's your Lord and Savior. It doesn’t mean you are going to have a good day every day because life still throws us curveballs.  Recent Poll A poll taken recently by Forbes Magazine, when asked “What are your top New Year's resolutions for 2024, 48% said ‘improve fitness’; 38% said ‘improve finances’; 36% said ‘improve mental health’; 34% said ‘lose weight’; 32% said ‘improve diet’, down to 3% said ‘drink less alcohol’. Notice What Is Missing? Notice what is missing here? Spending time with God did not make the list. Now you see why we should “Beware of New Year’s Resolutions." Nothing mentioned in the Forbes Magazine poll mentions WHERE the POWER is going to come from to make New Year’s Resolutions WORK and LAST. How Long Does a New Year's Resolution Last? From the same Forbes poll when people were asked, "How Long Does the Average New Year's Resolution Last?" Forbes found 22% said 2 months, another 22% said 3 months, 13% said 4 months, 9% said 5 months, and when they got down to 12 months, you know what the answer was? 1%. Only 1% said their resolutions lasted 12 months. How to Learn More Learn how you can get the everlasting power to make New Year's Resolutions last, and learn the difference between what lasts and what does not last when making a New Year's Resolution on today's podcast. More Help Join us at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that help make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Hear the Good News If you’d like to help be responsible for more people hearing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and what life in eternity will be like, click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation of any amount. Free Newsletter To receive our free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t work, click here. Blessings to you and your loved ones, Pastor John Haggard

Painful Reminders For some, the Holidays are a painful reminder of the past or maybe something that is going on in life right now. There is a solution. 1 of 3 Stages We are all in one of three stages of life...IN a crisis, coming OUT of a crisis, or about ready to go in TO a crisis that we had no idea was coming. The key to being able to get through what seems impossible to get through... is to be prepared. It doesn't mean we are going to win every battle, but we can win the war. What Others Say About You Does Not Matter A lot of people who are quick to tell you WHO you are…but what matters is what Jesus Christ says about WHOSE you are. Jesus said this about you in John 15:18-22 - “If the people of this world hate you, just remember that they hated me first. If you belonged to the world, its people would love you. But you don’t belong to the world. I have chosen you to leave the world behind, and that is why its people hate you." Why It Matters Jesus Came Christ came to earth the FIRST time to be sin for us, to pay for our sins, past, present, and future. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  From Guilty to Acquittal When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are judged innocent, guilt-free, no matter what you have ever done. Romans 6:22 says, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”  How to Learn More Learn more on today's podcast, and join us at TreasureTop.com for more messages and life hacks that help make life work when life does not want to work. Help More People Hear the Good News If you’d like to help be responsible for more people hearing the saving grace of Jesus Christ and what life in eternity will be like, click here to give a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your donation of any amount. Free Newsletter To receive our free newsletter on ways to make life work when life doesn’t work, click here. Blessings to you and your loved ones, Pastor John Haggard

Why Does It Matter Jesus Came to Earth? It matters because all sin must be paid for, and we are powerless on our own to pay for our own sins. The questions is, who is going to pay for your sin and my sin? Are we going to do it ourselves, or are we going to accept the free gift of salvation from Jesus Christ who died and paid the price for all of the sins of those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior? The Apostle Paul in Romans 6:23 (NIV) said, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If someone rejects the free gift of salvation that Jesus Christ offers and does not repent (repent means to turn away from one’s sins), when a person dies a physical death their next destination is Hell followed later by the Lake of Fire for eternity. What About Future Sins I Commit?  Learn about past, present, and future sins, and what you need to know about the two eternities in this podcast. Need Prayer Or Know Someone Who Does? Click this link: https://treasuretop.com/contact/ You Can Be Responsible for Lost People Hearing the Word of God The cost to place messages on TV, Radio, YouTube, Facebook, and other media continues to rise, much like everything else. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift. No gift is too small. Click this link to Give: https://treasuretop.com/give/  If you prefer to text, you can text the word Give to 844-553-1590. Our mailing address is: PO Box 210615, Nashville, TN 37221 How To Make Life Work When Life Doesn't Work Sign up for our free newsletter for life hacks by clicking here, and you can also view 1-Minute Life Change Moments by clicking here. Blessings to you and your loved ones Pastor John Haggard Treasure Top Ministries P.O. Box 210615 Nashville, TN 37221 Tel: (615) 987-4181

Why “Forgive Us Our Christmases?” The title for this message “Forgive Us Our Christmases” came from a sermon of 40 years ago preached by Adrian Rogers. The title probably reminds you, as it does me, of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9 which contains, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” So why would we also want to also pray “Forgive Us Our Christmases?" All About Me One reason we would want to also pray “Forgive Us Our Christmases” is to ask forgiveness for all of the Christmases where the focus was on ourselves instead of Jesus Christ. Things like “What am I going to get for Christmas?” or “What should I give my friend for Christmas?” If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “Nothing’s changed,” you know that refers to a repeat of events or circumstances that never seem to go away, generation after generation. An example of one thing that has never changed is the outright hatred of Jesus Christ. An early instance in the Bible that describes Jesus being despised or hated, particularly in relation to His arrival on Earth, is found in Matthew 2:1-18. These verses speak of King Herod's response to the news of Jesus' birth. Upon hearing from the Magi (those were known as the wise men from the East) that a new "king of the Jews" had been born, Herod perceived Jesus’ birth as a threat to his power. So in an attempt to eliminate this perceived threat, Herod ordered the massacre of all male children age 2 and younger. It’s another example of All About Me. How Can I Learn More?  Any time that someone has denied Christ, or been ashamed to share Christ, or been afraid to speak about Christ in the workplace for fear of losing a job or a promotion, or for fear of being harassed, just like the Lord’s Prayer “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”, we should also pray “Forgive Us Our Christmases.” Whatever we put first in our lives ahead of God is a sin. Listen to today's podcast, and if you know of someone who struggles with giving thanks, this podcast can help bring a new peace to their lives. Need Prayer Or Know Someone Who Does? Click this link: https://treasuretop.com/contact/ You Can Be Responsible for Lost People Hearing the Word of God The cost to place messages on TV, Radio, YouTube, Facebook, and other media continue to rise, much like everything else. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift in any amount. No gift is too small. Click this link to Give: https://treasuretop.com/give/  If you prefer to text, you can text the word Give to 844-553-1590. Free Newsletter for Life Hacks Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here, and you can also view 1-Minute Life Change Moments by clicking here.