Here lately, I've been very depressed. I had a break through 2 Sundays ago. Sin causes depression. Life's storms cometo all of us and when we get steam rolled it because our faith is very weak. Sin separtes us from God. When God showed me th error of my way I repented and obeyed with what he showed me to do..My circumstances have not changed but I now have joy and peace in my heart rather than dread and anxiety.
I realize now how important it is to guard your faith. Feed on things that make your faith grow...primarily God's Word and obeying it.."Whosoever believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life." Your faith is the most important thing you have.
Paul talked about some deserting the faith or having your faith ship wrecked.My friends don't play with sin..it is a cancer to your faith. Feed your faith by pleasing God in everything you do, singing His praises, meditaing on His Word and obeying Him in the little things,
primarily God's Word and obeying it.."Whosoever believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life."
meditating on His Word and obeying Him in the little things,
God bless,
Chuck7
Brother, you are so right!............The onlyproblem I have with some pastors is thatthey preach John 3:16, but do not emphazise on the meaning of "believeth". Justbecause you say you believe does notgive you the freedom to act as you like and you are notgoing to perish and have everlasting life. A personcan not go to the convenience storeafter churchservices and buy a 6 pack of Beer because the pastor said that"Whosoever believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life".
To be a Christian and not perish and have everlasting life, means a True Loving Believer Of Christ and aTrue Obedient Follower OF Christ...........Amen
John 3:18
[18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
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Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.
Live Life in such a way that those who do not know Christ will come to know Him because they know you
Justbecause you say you believe does notgive you the freedom to act as you like and you are notgoing to perish and have everlasting life. A personcan not go to the convenience storeafter churchservices and buy a 6 pack of Beer because the pastor said that"Whosoever believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life".
To be a Christian and not perish and have everlasting life, means a True Loving Believer Of Christ and aTrue Obedient Follower OF Christ...........Amen
The school has really put the pressure on.At one point I was seriously thinking about taking a janitorial job..then the Lord led me to a fast.. shortly after ...I got my breakthrough.
2 Sundays ago I had to go to my classroom to do some catching up..I was really grieved and as I inserted the key into the door he spoketo my heart" Your not doing this for the principal..your doing it for the kids." From that point on the princpal has been a little dot in my life instead of a mountain..God has taken the principal's place.
My wife and I are both experiencing revival..and now when I choose to do an activity I think .Is this goingto help my wife and I's faith or hinderour faith ?
PS Since that time..I;m still in the same circumstances but there has been a change in my heart..no more dread, no more fear, no more hopelessness ..joy and peace have.
I've learned to value my faith more and to guard it with all diligence.
Sin will certainlycause depression, but it is not the only source for it. Cahrles Spurgeon and Martin Luther both, amomg others, battled it through their lives. It is a method of attack from the evil one, sometimes, and itcan be caused by fatigue, being overwhelmed with work, problems, etc., and unresolved or buried anger or guilt...fear as well.. There is also the chemical imbalances that can trigger it. Sometimes I wonder if the unbalances don't, sometimes have a cause first, which triggers the unbalances, but that is another discussion another day.
Just like many other obstacles we face, there are times when He allows us to encounter these difficulties for a season sometimes, and throughout our lives other times. Paul asked that his thorn be removed, but learned teht God's grace was sufficient. I truly believe that we can and do suffer needlessly at times directly due to our disobedience,and sometimes due to our ignorance. As the scripture says submit to God, and resist the devil. Paul did this and found out that he would have to continue , fora purpose, to carry on through it. I have learned that ,if I will take a problem to the Lord, have a submissive attitude to Him, acceptive of His overall purposes that may allow for something that I would rather not have to deal with..the attitude of Christ, that if this cup can be removed, yet nevertheless, not my will but thine be done..then He will remove it or will give us the grace that we need to continue. Although it may be burdensome, it may be the very dynamic that , as Paul learned,keeps us humble, reliant, and even motivates us to seek Him deeper, and we find some of ther gretest oppurtunities for growth and gaining insight. In either case, our submissiveness to God's wil and waysis crucial,as well as our resistance to what the devil will needlessly throw at us to hinder and hurt us. When we are disobedient, we are actaully doing just the opposite--we are resisting God, and submitting to the devil! We aal know where thatgets us. manytimes we want to blame our problems onteh enmey,when it is strictlt a case of our opening the door through our willing cooperationwith the world, the flesh and the devil.
Thanks to all for the testament, this is what makes coming to this forum
sohelpful tothose of us that only read. Much like motor's sermons and
Rebelsdaily verse, the positive influence IS THE BEST FOR US ALL.
Your are so welcome..
The replies are great..I
There is automatically much stress on teachers going back to work..that is to be expected..and after the 3rd week I began thinking of becoming a custodian..I knew I couldn't do this for 9 more years..1 teacher is quitting this week.
I'd been praying everyday..actually we've been doing that for years...When the weekends came I slept..fishing and hunting were no longer fun..I had to work on Sundays just to barely keep up. Being a man the principal picked 10 tough kids..usually we get 2 ..I was feeling wrung out ..As a last resort I started fasting..On day 7 ...this mountain was like an ant hill. I had learned my faith was being tried ...My circunstances hav enot changed but I can honestly say I have peace and joy..and today he is removing my toughest student. Both principals got back with me and told me they didn't even know I was stressed and that I had nothign to worry about ...
After prayer..the Lord revealed to me sin was the problem and how important it is to feed my faith and not to take it for granted. Obedience is how we feed our faith ..not just reading the Bible but doing it. I agree as Manuman..wearyness comes to us all even Jesus was a man of many sorrows..but sometimes we need ot examine our hearts ...
Today I am fine..this past weekend I was tempted to buy a beer coming back from hunting...I thought about my faith and bought a gatoraid instead..After the Bucs game I noticed some R rated movies....I told my wife "I don't think they will help our faith"..so we kept the TV off.
God bless each and weveryone of you,
Chuck7
Through all of this I have not mentioned once about losing ones salvation ..and I won't .I'm talking about good Christian quality of life..Faith helps us to recieve from God.
"It helps if you think about how blessed you are. Then the depressed feelings sort of go away. "
I hear ya sister..
My list sent as follows,
1. Prasing God...for a long time ..singing hymns
2.Playing nothing bu tth eKing James Bible in my truck
3. Praying and beleiveng every mornign with my wife.
4. having an attitude of thanksgivng.
AND STILL...when you dream of your job..and fear your boss and can't enjoy life..something is dead wrong. Most storms come and go..Depression isn't going anywhere and camps out. I began realizing the hunting vacation and nice paycheck was not worth dying early....I began looking at being a painter or custodian..I was on week 4 When i went ot the school Bible study I learned all of them was feeling the same way. We could hardly pray.
I faintly remembered some things I'd written on an 89 day fasting journal I'd written in 1997.they were
1..Daily I wrote..I've never been so happy in my life.
2. Love is no more a work but comes automatic,
3.Lust has flown away/
4.Witnessing was as easy as breathing.
So I set my self to fasting..on day 7 my mountain went to being the size of a grain of sand...All but one of the teachers in the Bible study expereinced the same thing..My situation has not changed but peace and joy are still residing in my heart. My only burden now ..are other unhappy folks..I grieve for them and try to help them.Manuman made reference about some godly men who have been sorely tried..and he is right.We can never put every situation in a box and a reason..The one lesson I've learned..Don't take your faith for grannit.. mispelledNurture it ..think before you do stuff.
God bless,
C7
Hebrews 11:6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Feeding your faith
Nurture it ..think before you do stuff.
