PERSONAL STRUGGLES

A Better Life than this? Today we live in a world that is constantly seeking for happiness. Everyone has a mania about being happy or high and it has become a national hobby with us. It is also a billion dollar business. Everywhere we turn someone has something that will make us happy. If we drink a certain beer, buy a certain car, wear a certain pair of pants, dab ourselves with a certain perfume, or brush with Ultra-Bright we are going to be happy. Sometimes our search for happiness costs us or hurts us badly. Seeking happiness, some turn to heavy drinking and lose their dignity or more, some turn to dope and drugs and lose their life, some seek happiness in a few minutes of fun and games with sex and lose. Yet Satan continues to help the happiness sellers package their fun in brightly colored, eye-appealing packages that make us want them desperately. Satan somehow convinces us that if we just had: a souped up car, a new dress, a good-looking boy or girl friend, lots of money, popularity, a sex life, a good figure, we would be happy. The truth is, Satan has sold us a bunch of garbage. Peter said that those who turned to worldly things for happiness were like dogs turning to his own vomit and pigs wallowing in the mire (II Peter 2:21-22). The things that Satan claims will make you happy just will not do it. Thank God there is a better way to find real happiness. Isaiah talked of a better way of life in Chapter 40:31. listen to his advice, "But those who look upon the Lord, will renew their strength they will mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not grow faint." Isaiah calls us to the eagle way of life. Two young men climbing a hill one day found a young eagle and brought him home with them. The little eagle was placed in the chicken house with the rest of the chickens. Try as he could the little eagle just could not become a chicken. He tried enjoying pecking around in the dirt, eating worms and the garbage the farmer threw out. He even tried walking around cackling, chickens never fly. He tried spending all day tail in the air, nose to the ground, eating dirt and getting dirty. One day as he was getting more and more frustrated with his inability to be a chicken, he was startled by a barking do-a. The little eagle flapped his mighty wings to ward off the dog and found to his amazement that he had soared into the pure fresh air above the yard. His wings carried him lip to the highest trees and on into the air, to the highest mountain peaks, he never wanted to be a chicken again. Are you an eagle or a chicken? Satan's life is one for chickens. Full of dirt, walking, picking up worms and garbage thrown to you. God made you, he is your creator. He knows what will make you happy. He wants you to find real joy and happiness in life, and he made it available to you. What kind of happiness does God offer to you? In John 3:16 we discover that God loved us enough to send His only son, Jesus, to save us from our sins. God chose you to be happy, to be the one to whom He could give His most prized possession as a gift. That love God has for us ought to really make us happy. In John 8:35-36, Jesus said, "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." Happiness is being free of guilt, pain, worries, problems. Jesus wants to set you free of all these. He came to take our burdens away. To be free is to be happy. In John 10:10, Jesus said He had come to give us life and life abundantly. The word "abundantly" means fully packed, stamped down and running over. Imagine a life filled with so much happiness and joy that you just bubble over. Those were the promises God made to you. Why be a chicken when you can be an eagle. Why walk when you can fly. Why eat dirt when you can sail in the pure fresh air of the mountains. Never knock the way of life Jesus has offered to you unless you try it first. You might be surprised what you will feel, when you soar on wings like an eagle. Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Secret Of Personal Contentment at home Click to View Perhaps no other era in the history of America has known more unrest than our present era. So many people appear literally sick at heart and soul. People fear disease, poverty, social disbandment, disaster from the elements, invasions from foreign nations, invasions from outer space, big bombs, little bombs; families are torn asunder; children are in rebellion. It's no wonder that nervous tension has become more common than the common cold. Drug companies are becoming wealthy selling pills to relax people. Yet, when these same people become relaxed, they often turn to "pep" pills to pull themselves back up so they can go to work next week. Thus, life becomes a real rat race between pill bottles and liquor bottles. In fact, dependence on drugs and alcohol constitutes one of our nation's major health problems. There is no doubt about it, the intellectual climate of modern man presents a real paradox. The so-called miracles of modern science may have helped us live longer, and even more comfortably; but, science has not been able to help us live more contentedly and better. Today there are millions of people suffering from severe mental depression. All of us have come to realize that suffering humanity is searching for a contentment which the world cannot give them through tranquilizers nor scientific technology. Mankind searches for a peace free of conflict, but where will they ever find it? The great Apostle Paul knew the real secret of contentment. In Phillipians, 4:11-13, he clearly states his contentment and its source: "Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. In this passage, Paul expresses a confidence that most people only wish they had. He said, no matter the circumstances around me, if they be terrible or good, I have learned to be, not self-sufficient, but Christsufficient! Paul knew that he could not be emotionally self-sufficient by an act of his own will. Instead, he said, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Have you ever wondered why people have so much difficulty finding contentment as Paul found it? I am certain that so many can't find it because they seek it in the abundance of worldly goods, which is the wrong place. Jesus said: "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). While Christianity does not plead for rank poverty, it does plead for two things: 1. The realization that it is not in the power of the material things we own to bring real happiness. 2. It pleads for concentration upon the things which a person can take with them when they die. You can find the true contentment which Paul found. If you would find it, you must understand these two things: First, you must recognize that contentment is found internally and should not be greatly affected by outward circumstances. Jesus said: "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (Matthew 6:25). The second thing you must do is to make an honest self-appraisal and be willing to accept what you appraise yourself to be. I am sure that such an honest appraisal will cause you to realize at least four things: Without God you are lost! Without God your life is meaningless and useless. You really have a desire to seek God and please him; when you frustrate this desire, your life becomes frustrated like a round peg forced into a square hole. Finally, when you realize that your life is at variance with God, if indeed it is, then you will know why you are so discontented. Indeed, you can stand justified before God and find the secret of contentment, for Paul said: "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2). Why should you cringe in fear and discontentment when by living God's way you can be free? Resolve now to discover the absolute will of God and then obey it. Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Facing Death with Hope! Click to View The life of the Apostle Paul was bound up so with Jesus that he could announce "for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). This actually became his theme for living, as well as for dying. Since living was Christ for Paul, Christ was the beginning of life for him. He could recall the experience on the Damascus road as a time of great change. Christ spoke directly to him, challenging him to be a witness of what he had seen and heard, to be an apostle, and a missionary of light to the Gentiles (Acts 26: 14-18). Paul had surrendered completely. Christ was the continuance of that life. There had not been a day that he had not lived in the presence of his Lord. A quote from Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me". The dynamic, motivating force in his life was the Saviour. If Christ were taken out of his life there would have been nothing left. Christ was also the end of life. In the Roman prison as he was writing the letter to the Philippian Christians, he faced realistically the prospect of death. He felt that he was moving toward the goal that Christ had set for him, yet in life or in death, he was ready for whatever the Lord willed. Paul explains this dilemma as he faces life and death in Philippians 1: 23,24. He is caught between two desires. For him, death would be gain; but his work of teaching was still needed. Roy Loren expresses well Paul's feelings. Death for Paul was a certainty, not uncertainty. It was conscious existence, not unconscious oblivion. It was far better, not dreadful or tragic. It was a beginning, not an ending. It was a commencement and not a ceasing to be. His greatest desire was to depart and be with the Lord. This word depart can mean that as a tablet dropped into the water dissolves, so in death life disappears, but is not destroyed. The form of life changes. It can also refer to the lifting of an anchor so that the ship can move out. We can watch the ship across the horizon until out of sight. So, in death, we move out from one shore to another. Alfred Lord Tennyson expressed this idea in a poem he requested be placed at the end of his works: Twilight and evening bell And after that, the dark ! And may there be no sadness of farewell When I embark. For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place, The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar. It can further be used for the striking of a tent, loosening the pins and ropes in order to break camp. When our pilgrimage is over here we will leave behind our earthly tents and move on to our heavenly home. (II Corinthians 5: 1). In the spring of 1870 as Robert E. Lee lay dying, the final words he uttered were typical of his long military career. "Strike the tent". He realized the time to move on had come. With this kind of thought the child of God does not fear death and can even look forward to it. During World War II, the Royal Air force of England sacrificed many pilots in the process of defending their country. Yet instead of reporting that they were "killed in action", the notice always read, "posted to another station". And this can be true of the Christian. Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Click to ViewUnderstanding death and human suffering Click to View Why did God Kill My loved one? Why did God allow my husband to die? I prayed for him. Why did God no answer my prayer? Why did God take my child whom I loved? Why would God be so heartless and cruel? How could a loving God do such a thing? Why does God allow suffering? Does God even exist? Why??? I have heard these kinds of questions many times. Someone gets sick and dies, and the surviving loved one goes on a "Hate God" rampage! You have no more of a right to get angry at God when your loved one dies, then when you stub your toe. Stated differently, it is as logical to get angry at God for stubbing your toe, as it is to be angry at God when your loved one dies. First lets clear a few things up. Life on earth is not predestined where God chose before the earth was created who would live, and when and how they would die. Fate and predestination are both false doctrines of Calvinism. Second, God did not make your loved one sick, neither did he kill him as a direct act. (Although God does chasten his children when the sin in various ways: Heb 12:4-14.) The fact is, some bad things happen by chance, others because of another's sin, or because of our own sin or carelessness. When a sky diver's parachute doesn't open, we realize that mechanical things don't always work the way they should and sometimes people die as a result. When a person talks on a cell phone while driving, drinking a cup of coffee and glancing at the paper in the passenger side of the front seat, and they run into the back of a parked truck, we realize that our own careless can kill us. When an innocent person is shot by a bank robber, we realize that another's sin can kill us. When we have certain allergies, and are stung by a bee or eat a peanut, we realize that our genetic code can kill us. When we by chance, come in contact with a contagious disease, we realize that such encounters can kill us. When we smoke 1 pack of cigarettes per day and die of lung cancer at 35, we have committed a form of suicide, where no one is to blame but ourselves. When people ask, "Why would God allow my husband to die of a disease at age 40?" they are asking the wrong question. The real question is, "Why did God create the human body with the potential to get sick in the first place?" People die of disease, because God created us that way at the beginning. All men are in a kind of "life lottery", where we really don't know how we will die. God knows, but that doesn't mean he is specifically picking on you or your family. All men are in the same state. Every man that eats a deadly poison dies, but not every one who is stung by a bee dies. Most smokers die of a smoking related disease 10-40 years before they would have, had they not smoked, but a tiny percentage are apparently unaffected. Aids kills most homosexuals stone dead, but some people are immune to the aides virus. So the real question is not why we died, but why God allowed to even get sick as a function of the human body! But does God care when we are sick or grieve the loss of a loved one? What an offensive thought! How dare you! You have sinned for even thinking this and are in need of repentance! Yes you are grieving right now, but how dare you blame it on God and think he doesn't even care! Remember, God originally provided a perfect home of eternal life in paradise in the Garden of Eden and MAN'S own sin got him kicked out. Have you ever sinned? Jesus, on the other hand, never did sin, but He died for our sins. God gave his only son in death, so we might have life! What we see in this world is not eternity but a temporary state of things. When Stephen was being stoned to death in Acts 7:56 by the future Apostle Paul, he cried out to Jesus, not for himself, but for those who were sinning against him. Notice however, that Stephen saw Jesus STANDING at the right hand of the Father. Normally, Jesus would sit on his throne, but just like us, he was "standing on the edge of his toes" in concern for Stephen! Its ok to grieve, but don't blame God. We live in a world where sometimes things just happen. But what about your prayers? You prayed for God to heal your loved one of Cancer and he died instead! First realize that ALL healing ministries on the TV are fakes and frauds and do not represent Christianity. They are nothing more than paid commercials and money drives that prey on the hopes and fears of sick and grieving people giving Christ's name a black eye. God answers prayers with: Yes, No, Wait, or something else. Why do you get angry when God says, "No, I will not answer your prayer...your loved one will die?" You had enough faith and you prayed perfect prayers, but sometimes God SAYS NO! Other times God might extend life, but sooner or later, WE ALL MUST DIE. Are you praying for eternal life on earth? Hezekiah was very sick in 1 Kings 20 and likely prayed to get better. God answered, NO: "Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live." (v1) Hezekiah, however prayed again and this time God answered: "I will add fifteen years to your life" v6 God still answered NO, but gave an extension of life to the sick man. How do you know God didn't answer your prayer by giving your loved one a few extra months, he otherwise without your prayer, wouldn't have gotten! God loves you and cares for you, but we all must die. Set your hopes on what is above, not the earth. 2 Cor 4:16-18 "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." Steve Rudd Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Why Does God Allow Suffering? Click to View Click to Viewsee also: Why did God Kill My loved one? The I can remember a lady years ago who gave up her faith in God because her son was killed by a train on a snowy night. She kept saying to me, "How could God allow this to happen? If there is a God, he is either indifferent to us or just doesn't care." I am reminded of another story of a young grain farmer who spent his last dollars on seed for a crop which was wiped out by drought and hail. He missed church for 3 months blaming it on God. The preacher came and said to him, "Son, God knows that, while it is impossible to grow good grain with a drought, it is also impossible to grow good men without a drought. God's object is to grow men not grain!" Insurance policies usually have a clause describing "acts of God". These are all the natural disasters that inflict pain and suffering on man. Why does God always get a bad rap when thinks go bad and we praise ourselves when things go good? When we get a promotion, it is because of our hard work, education and superior intellect. When we get fired, we are under the curse of God. There are many positive aspects of suffering that we overlook. Proverbs 30:8 "Give me neither poverty nor riches...Lest I be full and deny thee and say, who is the Lord' Or lest I be in want and steal and profane the name of my God". It is my judgment that Canadians are rarely in "need". (Most of us suffer from a serious case of "want", however) We are so rich and well fed that most of us have said, "who is the Lord?" If calamity occurs in our life, it can bring us back to our sense of what is really important and what is not. Diamonds must be treated roughly to make them shine. The more they are cut, pounded and ground, the more they sparkle! Someone said, "If life is a bowl of cherries, why am I always down in the pits?" Well we pray our hardest when we are in the pits don't we. We've all heard of people who suddenly "get spiritual" and uncharacteristically pray to a God they have ignored when tragedy strikes. One man said after suffering a lengthy debilitating injury, "I've learned more about praying to God in these last 6 weeks than in 40 years as a Christian." 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." People who have endured hardship are God's healing messengers when others experience the same! God allows suffering because the planet earth is not man's final eternal home. "If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth." He are earth bound with a heavenly destination. The suffering of this world makes us long for our eternal dwelling with God in the heavens. Even with all our prosperity in Canada, heaven is beyond our wildest dreams! "God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all we ask or think." Ephesians 3:20 Suffering in this life helps us focus on and long for the next! We need to remember that we live in a physical world with physical laws. We stub our toes, cut our fingers, break our legs, catch the flu, get into car accidents. Some things just happen by the very nature of our physical existence. No one is to blame. But if blame is to be laid, let's not rule out the actions of the Devil, who afflicted Job with great tribulation, tempted Jesus to sin, and prowls about like a lion seeking someone to devour! If you want to blame suffering on someone, why blame the loving God who asks us to "cast all our anxiety on Him for He cares for you" and let the devil get off scott free? Some of the choicest and beautiful wood is from trees that are exposed to regular violent storms. Outside they look knurled and worn, but inside is a cabinet makers delight! May the "Great Carpenter" make me into fine furniture for his Palace! Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Can you minister to someone who is suffering? What qualifies a person for ministering to a sufferer? Formal training can be an invaluable aid, but one can lack academic credentials and still have a wonderful minstry of helping broken hearts. Divine training is the fundamental requirement. A verse which has served as a beacon says: "The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary." (Isaiah 50:4). How does the Lord train us for comforting the afflicted? He uses our own experiences. Years ago, Dr. Edgar N. Jackson, whose writings on the subject of grief show remarkable insight, suffered the unexpected and tragic death of a son. Out of his own experience, he was able to help other people face their grief and to comprehend the tragedies which strike suddenly. The Apostle Paul was able to comfort others who were afflicted because he had received comfort from God in his own afflictions. (11 Corinthians 1:3-4). The Lord can use you as a minister to the sufferer. Often a close neighbor or a good friend or fellowbeliever may help a distraught person more effectively than a minister or professionally trained counselor. The greatest ministry is that which flows from heart to heart, from friend to friend. Now let's look at six practical suggestions for helping those who are suffering: 1. Go to that person. Your presence can help. How long you stay with the persons depends on how close the two of your are, on how many others are there to help, and on whether you are a relative or an acquaintance. Use discretion so that your presence does not add another dimension to the person's worries. Do not become a hindrance by being in the way. There is a time to leave! If you are unable to control your emotions, wait. Nothing is more upsetting to a bereaved family than for a visitor to lose his composure. Your presence should exude calmness and confidence. A brief visit is helpful, since it identifies you as an ally in facing tragedy. 2. Pray with that person. Your prayers can help. Prayer is appropriate when someone is sick or facing tragedy. The content of the prayer will vary according to the situation, but it ought to be an affirming prayer. Affirm faith in God and his benevolent concern. The prayer should be a petition for help, for comfort, for strength, for courage, for understanding and for grace on behalf of the sufferer. 3. Listen to that person. Your listening can help. While your own experiences may form an understanding background, it is inappropriate to compare or to contrast your experiences with theirs. They may think that you are minimizing their tragedy. Be a perceptive listener. Receive his injured, shattered experience with due respect. A person can be helped by having someone to listen as he verbalizes his doubts, his frustrations, his anxieties. Do not be judgmental or harsh toward even the most outrageous complaints. The sufferer may simply be revealing his bewilderment. Be the shoulder to cry on, the one he can talk with. (Romans 12:15). 4. Talk to that person. Your conversation can help. In form, your speech should be simple and direct. Remind him of the Christian hope. This is not a time for sermonizing; neither is it a time for avoiding the questions which are paramount to the sufferer - questions about God and his purpose toward us. Talking with a person about these matters can be difficult. One remembers Job's three friends who spoke so assuredly, but so wrongly, thus adding affliction to a good man's troubles. 5. Help that person. Your activity can help. Be practical in serving. Does coffee need to be made? Do outof-town people need a place to stay? Should food be brought in? Are there others to be notified? Do dishes need to be washed? Is there laundry to be done? Does the yard need tending? Look for these needs and fill them. 6. Remember that person. Your continuing concern can help. During the first days of a tragedy, many people are interested. After a few weeks, the sufferer appears forgotten. Drop by to visit the person a few weeks after his initial sorrow. Whatever you do, let it come naturally as an expression of true love and concern. Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Bible help to Overcome Personal Depression! Within the Pages of the Bible are the answers to man's most pressing needs. At this moment, you may be very discouraged about life. Life may now appear to you as an endless, tragic treadmill, not really worth living or having. Perhaps you are saying, right now, life holds nothing for me, it is only a bum rap, a lousy trip. Nobody loves me; nobody cares if I live or die. In the midst of your despair, and your doubt, and frustration, and hopelessness, I want you to realize that Jesus Christ offers to you another view of life; a view that is truly beautiful. Jesus has some special words for us: He said, "I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). With these words, Jesus lifts life above the physical realm and assures us that the abundant life has a divine and eternal quality. The Bible tells us that we were created in the very image or likeness of God, and you can be sure that if God made us like himself, then our lives must have tremendous meaning, destiny, and purpose. Jesus came to give each of us a good life. And you can enjoy the benefits of that abundant life right here on the face of this earth. Life can have many beautiful moments which you can and should enjoy and cherish. It is very true, of course, that life has it's high and it's low points. Being moody and despondent on a temporary basis is a natural part of every personality. However, please don't allow your deep and despondent moods to control your very being. I know that you may be tempted to blame yourself unduly for all the things that ever go wrong. You may want to punish yourself and others for the deep personal problems which you encounter. However, the abundant life which Jesus gives prepares our hearts with a mature love which can endure pain and suffering. The Apostle Paul says that this mature love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails . . . " (I Corinthians 13:7,8). Please listen to me very closely. It is important that you understand this. God really cares for you. In John 3:16, we read, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life". There are Christian people who really care for you too. We care whether you live or die. We want you to experience and enjoy that abundant life in Christ. We want to introduce you to that love that never fails. John also tells us in I John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear . . .". This love really can be yours and you can have and enjoy a life that is meaningful and purposeful. If you would enjoy life, then serve the giver of life - God. Again, the Apostle John says in I John 5:3,4, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith". Depression has become our nation's number one emotional illness, and it is increasing steadily. Rising suicide rates, especially among the young, show the final end to which depression takes people. Broken, unhappy homes and wasted lives are often the result of unfettered depression. Some depression is good because it tells us we need to stop and take stock, have a rest, or perhaps have a physical examination to see if there is a medical problem that needs to be cared for. However, depression is most often the result of a selfish, self-pitying, ungrateful heart. The wise Solomon said: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7. In discussing depression, we must believe fully that God has a remedy for every problem and that we can-go to Him for help. Here are some positive, Biblical steps to take to overcome depression: Recognize that God created you in His image and therefore you are good. He wants you to be happy. He gave His only begotten Son so that you might have eternal life (John 3:16). Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." Believe that God is faithful to do what He has promised for you. Look for His abundant life. God has promised to meet our every-need (Phil. 4:19; Eph. 3:20; Matt. 7:11). It is not ours to worry about food, clothing and shelter. God has promised that if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He will add these material things to us (Matthew 6:25-33). Let His spirit dwell in your richly, causing you to have a song in your heart, an attitude of thanksgiving and a submissive spirit (Eph. 5:19-21). No misery or depression can exist in such a heart. Practice thanksgiving and praising the Lord for all things. To praise the Lord when things are going against your will is to show a submissive spirit. Be thankful in everything (I Thess. 5:18). , Think on positive things, things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report (Phil 4:8). Realize that all things do work together for good to them that love the Lord (Romans 8:28). Do not dwell on past unhappy experiences, bad news in the world today, or ways in which life seems to have cheated you. Think about all the ways life has been a blessing to you. Have a forgiving spirit. Bad feelings or unforgiven hurts toward your fellow beings can cause you to feel very depressed. Telling others you are sorry you have wronged them or that you have forgiven them for something they have done to you in the past can often be the most therapeutic means of bringing about a peaceful heart. Try giving yourself away. Luke 6:38 tells us how richly we will be rewarded if we give of ourselves. One of the best rewards will be freedom from depression. Gal. 6:2 tells us to help bear one another's burdens. Finding some hard physical work to do, for ourselves or for others, is often the very best medicine needed for depression. Plan with God's help and prayer not to be depressed. Live one day at a time instead of taking on your whole future life at once. Let God's spirit rule your life. Ask your Christian friends to pray with you and for you about your depression. Hebrews 13:5,6 say, "Let your life be free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never fail or forsake you"'. Hence we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?" Remembering this verse, we can "Rejoice in the Lord always," as Paul suggests in Phil. 4:4. Click Your Choice Back to START Bible Help to Overcome Loneliness! Click to View A friend told me recently, "I visited a lonely old lady just the other day. She was in a rest home, the victim of a stroke. For her, life had become bitter and frustrating. She complained because she felt her friends and family had almost deserted her. Nothing that was done for her was quite right. She felt all alone". Now this picture is not uncommon in these times. Even in areas of vast population, there are many people who are lonely. Perhaps at times, it is almost a certainty that you and I will experience this feeling of helplessness that we call loneliness. Many years ago in the period of the Divided Kingdom of Israel, during the reign of King Ahab and his queen Jezebel, there lived a Godly man by the name of Elijah. Yet after Elijah fought against the evils of his day, and particularly after his contest on Mount Camel with the 450 false prophets of Baal, he felt that he must be all alone and he wanted to run away. He did so, and then he sat down in a cave and cried out, "I, even I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away" (I Kings 19:10). Now God's question to Elijah has meaning for us today. "What dost thou here, Elijah?" (I Kings 19:9). Of all people in the world, what are you doing here? The courageous prophet sulks alone in a cave, feeling sorry for himself and longing to die. His mood has changed from triumph to despair. Since loneliness is part of each person's experience, what are the cures for it? May I make these suggestions? 1. Realize that such times of loneliness are common to all people, but they should be temporary. The psalmist asked himself, "Why art thou cast down, oh my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?". And then immediately he comes back with the answer, "Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance" (Psalm 42: 5). 2. Remember that God is always available to help you overcome loneliness. One of the verses that has helped me puts it this way, "But I trusted in thee, 0 Lord. I said, thou art my God, my times art in thy hands" (Psalms 31:14,15). If God is directing your life, you will not have any real cause to worry or be alarmed. "In nothing be anxious", wrote the Apostle Paul, "but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7). 3. Decide to get busy helping others. If Elijah had answered the question "What doest thou here?, he would have had to say, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing". That was why he had time to feel sorry for himself and be lonely. God involves us in good works to our great advantage. Help those who are sick or shut-in. Call a person on the phone to cheer him up. Mail a card of sunshine to a friend. You and I are in the world to serve, to live, to help, and when we are doing this we just don't have time to feel sorry for ourselves. That's the way God answers our problems of loneliness. Once, Sir Winfred Grenfall, a famous surgeon of England was asked what was his-most thrilling experience. He related an experience involving the invitation he received to deliver the graduating speech to four hundred nurses of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Just prior to the time of his graduation message, he learned that eight nurses were desperately needed in Labrador to work in his hospital. He decided to make a plea. "Yet all I have to offer", he told the graduates, "is clothes, room and board, and work. You will be giving one year of your lives for God". When Dr. Grenfall asked for volunteers there was a murmur that went up over the whole crowd. Then he raised his hand for silence and asked, "Are there eight of you who will give one year of your life to my Master?". A moment later about three fourths of that class of nurses stood up. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus said, "Inasmuch as you did it unto one of these my brethren, even these last, you did it unto me". These suggestions will help overcome loneliness. Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Living With Physical Illness Your interest in the subject of "Living With Illness" indicates that you, or some person close you, may be facing some serious illness; that you may be wondering why you or your loved one is suffering with the illness; and that you may want to know how to live with such a problem. As to why you have this problem personally, the exact reason may not be easy to determine. Illnesses are caused by many factors: gems, conditions with which people are born, traumas (such as broken bones), psychological mechanisms, sin, and so on. Sometimes we human beings so live as to bring some illnesses on ourselves. Sometimes for no known reason, they just happen. The concern now is not so much why the illness. Doctors can often discover reasons. But your immediate problem should be: what can I do now? The following suggestions may be helpful: Follow as exactly as you can the doctor's orders. Search your heart in the light of the New Testament to be sure you are a child of God as He instructs you to be. Read the message entitled "What Must I Do to Be Saved?" under the topic Salvation Pray for God's power and strength to help you bear the burden you feel. Live one day at a time. Don't let yourself be ungrateful and grieve over the past, or impatient and fret about the future. Fill every hour with gratitude to God for whatever degree of health you or your loved one has. Thank God for every improvement you may see. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians, Chapter 5, verse 20, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ". You may be surprised at how much you have to be thankful for. Think about other people who are less fortunate than you, and do something each day for them: call them, write them, make something for them, etc. 6. Read your Bible daily and see how God has always cared for His children and planned for them to live with Him eternally in heaven after this short life, filled with trouble. In James, Chapter 4, verse 14, the scriptures say, "For what is your life? It is a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away". Heaven, the eternal home God has for man, is really where we belong, and there, no pain and sickness will ever be. As we read in Revelation, Chapter 21, verses 1 through 4: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away". In the beginning of this message we posed two questions about human illness. One was in regard to how we may effectively face such a problem. We hope that this recording has been useful in helping you to find a solution. The second question had to do with why God allows such trouble to happen to us. A discussion of this question is in the message entitled "Why Does God Allow Trouble?" You are also invited to read that message if you are concerned about this question. Click Your Choice Back to START Bible Help to Fight Temptations! Only one has ever walked upon the earth who never sinned; no one has ever walked upon the earth who was never tempted. This fact is our greatest source of strength when we must face temptations- knowing that Jesus was tempted and that He understands. In Hebrews Chapter 2, verse 18, the inspired writer said, "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to assist them that are tempted". In Chapter 4, verse 15, he said, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin". There is a beautiful song that asks the question, "Does Jesus care when I've tried and failed to resist some temptation strong? When for my deep grief I find no relief, though my tears flow all the night long?". Then it answers, "O Yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, the long night dreary, I know my Saviour cares". He cares because he knows what it's like; He has been there, and He strengthens me in my hour of trial. The temptation of Jesus was not an accident; it was on purpose. It was real! He was not ptay-acting. He was not fighting a sham battle. In Matthew Chapter 4, verse 1, we are told that "Jesus was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil". And when he was tempted, he was subjected to every type of temptation. In First John Chapter 2, verse 16, we learn that "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". Jesus was subjected to each of these areas of temptation. In the account given in Matthew Chapter 4, verse 1 through 11, Jesus faced and conquered every temptation by the use of God's Word. In each instance, he said, "It is written!". When we fortify ourselves with a knowledge of God's Word, we have built the best defense against temptation. In Psalm 119, verse 11, the psalmist said, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee". In 1897, Charles M. Sheldon published a book entitled "In His Steps". It became the most widely-read religious novel of all time. The characters in the book were challenged to ask the questions, "What Would Jesus Do?" as they were confronted with the questions, problems and temptations of life. To ask this question sincerely, and to be guided by its answers when we must face temptation is our way to victory. What would Jesus do? The Bible says "For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that he should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously; who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed". First Peter Chapter 2, verses 21 through 24. We learn from this, and the other passages already mentioned, five key facts about temptation: 1. First - that temptation is not sin, but rather it is the giving in to temptation which becomes sin. Although it is not right to needlessly expose ourselves to unnecessary temptation, we should no more feel guilty because we are forced by circumstances to face temptation than Jesus did. The Bible says that he "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4: 15). 2. Second - we learn that temptation is not irresistible. Jesus is our perfect example to prove for all times that regardless of how powerful the temptation may be, it is possible to resist it if we really want to do so strongly enough. The Apostle Paul said, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10: 13). 3. Third - we learn from this same passage that temptation is universal. In Paul's own words it is "common to man". The temptations which you may now face are not unique. The same kind of temptation has been faced and successfully overcome by thousands of other people and this passage points out that we are merely fooling ourselves if we believe it cannot be overcome in our own lives as well. 4. Fourth - we learn that a knowledge of the word of God and a love for it are the keys to resisting temptation in our lives just as it was in the life of Jesus. 5. Fifth - our efforts to resist temptation will always be rewarded if we respond in keeping with the teachings of the scriptures. The Bible says, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4: 7). If you are facing some special temptation at this time, think over these basic teachings of the Bible and realize that, with God's help, you can overcome this problem. One of Satan's most effective methods is to make us feel that the situation is hopeless, when in reality it never is. Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Bible help to Overcome Worry! Even one of our Lord's most faithful followers, Martha, was a worrier. She became filled with anxiety about her household task and her sister's failure to help her with these chores. Martha felt Mary was shirking her duty. This irritated her so much that she complained, "Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me". (Luke 10: 40) How many of us today are Martha's in the words of the Bible, anxious and troubled about many things. Gently Jesus rebuked her, and pointed out that Mary had chosen the better part that can never be taken away from her. She had left all to follow Him. (Luke 10: 41-42) So deep are the problems of our times, that this has been called the age of anxiety. Probably no sin is so widespread, yet our Lord commanded us, "Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on" (Matthew 6: 25). Many people who are careful in telling the truth, who would not think of murdering anyone, or of using God's name in vain, are still guilty of worry and fretfulness. Countless hours are lost through anxieties. LL/ damage their health, shorten their lives through anxiety. In addition, they make their lives miserable, by being chronic worriers. Worry is deceptive. It always assigns to itself the highest and purest of motives. Long after any good can come from our abnormal concern, It lingers, much like the smile of the Cheshire Cat. One false or inadequate remedy Du P- for anxiety and worry has been to tell ourselves that because all Of our worries are just in the minds, efte need only to relax and the problems will go away. One widely repeated phrase has been "every day and in every way, I'm getting better and better". But this is a very inadequate remedy. While much of our problem$ is in our thinking, and thought control is an effective Bible principle, we must realize that we also have real problems as human beings, and just dismissing them from our minds will not make them go away. Another false remedy is to think that if God is with me everything will be all right. This is naively. The Bible makes clear to us that there is no immunity from pain, suffering, and death promised the Christian. This takes a shallow view of faith. The Bible does not promise the believer all sweetness and light, but it does enable to us have peace of mind amid the varying circumstances that confront us. Then what can we do about anxiety? What we need to do is, to turn to God for help, and to place our confidence in Him. Against the background of Jesus' teaching on worry and anxiety, we have His marvelous admonition, "but seek you first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be yours as well, therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself, let the days own trouble be sufficient for that day" (Matthew 6: 33-34). Jesus advises us to take each day in its turn, face its problems honestly, and not worry about tomorrow. So many of our worries are about little things. Things that do not really matter. Other worries are about things we cannot help, we must learn to accept. God helps us to develop the ability to discern between the essential and the non-essential, and He will lead us to trust His care and provision, #S He cares for the birds, the grass of the field, and the short lived flowers, He will also care for us. (Luke 12:22-31) When we come to see things from God's perspective, we can learn to say with the Apostle Paul, for "whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's" (Romans 14: 8). If our faith depends on each days headlines, we are bound to be anxious about tomorrow's world. But if our faith is placed in our all-loving, all-knowing, all powerful God, who taught us to cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. (I Peter 5: 7), we will know peace of mind. Placing our lives at His disposal, we know that He works in everything for our good. (Romans 3: 28). Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA