Go On Worry, Prove It Doesn’t Work – Part Two

Simply stated, Jesus said, “Don’t ever worry.”

Worry is an attitude of mind that affects the body physically. Emotional instability causes physical deterioration. Jesus understood the destructive power of worry, and he knew that this negative mental attitude was detrimental to health.

Worry will fatigue every neuron in your psyche.

When you worry your adrenal gland is functioning so rapidly that your bloodstream cannot throw off the excess adrenaline.

Some medical authorities say that worry places more stress on the heart than any other stimulus, including physical exercise and/or fatigue. Some estimate that worry causes two-thirds of today’s physical illness. It contributes to high blood pressure, heart trouble, kidney disease, goiter, arthritis, headaches, and strokes. It can cause excessive perspiration, muscle tension, hyperventilation, abdominal pain, “butterflies,” nausea, and a quivering voice.

People who don’t know how to win over worry lose the battle for life. Worry results in phobias, neuroses, psychoses, psychophysiologic disorders. 

Worry in the extreme causes abulia — the loss of will power. Abulia is a word for a nervous breakdown.

Worry is like a soft bed, it is easy to get into and hard to get out of. 

Once a positive or negative pattern of thought is established, and this is often done early in life, it becomes instinctive to maintain it.

How then can we win over worry?

“Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established…” (Proverbs 16:3)

“Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (II Cor. 12: 9b) Accept your limitations and liabilities and resolve to use them to the glory of the Lord.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (II Tim. 1:7) Analyze your thoughts.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” (Psalms 42: 5)

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you”(Isaiah 26:3).

“Casting all your care on Him, for He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7). Worry, in effect says, “You lied, God.”

Settle the issue of eternity by placing your faith in Christ. Cast the care of your eternal destiny on the Lord. If you have never done this, don’t worry about it, just do.

Go On Worry, Prove It Doesn’t Work – Part One

A confluence of negative and troublesome issues have resulted in an outbreak of worry for many. None can be helped by worrying about them.

Jesus Christ knows human nature. He knows your tendency to worry. He is aware of your proclivity to be pessimistic and look on the dark side of most things. Knowing this He addressed the subject by posing a practical question showing the futility of worry: “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6: 17). In other words, worry changes nothing. Therefore, it doesn’t help.

Modern day behavioral psychologists have studiously observed people who worry and concluded the following:

• 40% of the things we worry about never happen.
• 30% have already happened.
• 12% relate unnecessarily to our own health.
• 10% pertain to miscellaneous minutia.
• 8% need our undivided attention and worry prevents this.

Mark Twain once wrote: “I am an old man and I have seen a lot of troubles, but most of them never happened.”

The Authorized King James version translates the Greek word  MERIMNAO “take no thought.” The Greek word has two parts which are MERIM, meaning “mind” and NAO, signifying “to divide.” Thus, the word speaks of a divided mind. That is what worry is, a divided mind. It means to fall to pieces. Oldtimers used to say, “I just fell to pieces.”

The reason MERIMNAO is translated “take no thought” in the AKJ and “worry” in the NKJ is because word meanings tend to change. To “take no thought” is what worry is, therefore it is so translated.

“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)

Worry divides our MIND, our UNDERSTANDING; therefore, we end up wishy-washy and confused.

Worry divides our DISCERNMENT; therefore, our observations and conclusions are cloudy.

Worry divides our FEELINGS and as a result our emotions are unstable.

One friend said to another, “No wonder you are always tired. You do everything three times. You worry about it before you do it. Then you do it. Then you worry about having done it.”

Worry is irreverent, for it fails to recognize God who gave us life as the one who sustains life. It is irrelevant in that it does not change anything.

It is irresponsible because it uses up time and burns up  energy without using it productively.

Worry is a medallion worn by those who have not yet concluded, “Jesus Christ will take care of me.” Prove you do believe He will by not worrying.

Faith, Your Structure for Life

Everything is going to be OK. In truth, I must say, they are not going to be. The good old days for which some of us long are gone and won’t return. We have set in motion conditions to keep things from being OK. That is a gloomy resolve, but even if it is wrong, as I would like it to be, it is good to be prepared.

Discipline often has collateral disciplinary effects. There were God fearing Jews among those deserving the discipline of exile who were also exiled.

Often the perimeter of discipline deserved by some inflicts some who don’t deserve it. No, things are not going to be OK, but you can be OK. Following is insight regarding how you can be OK in a not so OK world.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11: 1) This is the starting point for ensuring you are OK even when things aren’t.

Faith is the “substance” on which believers stand. Our word substance is made up of two words meaning: “to stand” and “under.”  Substance is that which stands under us.  It is the superstructure of life. There will be times like there have always been when we don’t understand why things are like they are. That is when faith kicks in and sustains us. I’ve been there, haven’t you? Remember that the next time you are tempted to say, “Why God, why?” Faith worked then, it will work when….

Skeptics scoff at the idea of faith, yet they eat in restaurants, fly on planes, drive in the rain, undergo surgery, and take prescribed medicine. They drive an automobile and there is no way to prove the brakes will work the next time they are needed. We live by faith. It is the object of our faith that counts.

A refusal to live by faith is modern man’s way of attempting to deny God. Man became the measure of all things. Everything outside man’s experience or understanding is denied. Yet, they don’t understand how a sheep, cow, pig, and goose can eat grass in the same field and one grows wool, another hair, another bristles, and the other feathers? Yet, we believe it.

The Greek word for substance, hypostasis, is a scientific term opposed to theory or hypothesis. It is used to describe a chemical which settles to the bottom in a test tube. It is the primary element in the formula. Thus, faith is seen as primary to all of life.

“Evidence” is another word in the text in speaking of faith. It means proof.  Our faith is in the unseen, but not the unknown.

Faith is like a title deed to a property you own though have never seen it. You know you own it because you have the title. Faith is the title to God’s promise.

A photon illustrates this. Scientists believe in photons. Yet, they have never seen one. They only exist when traveling at the speed of light, 185,000 miles per second. At that speed they can’t be seen or photographed, yet scientists believe in them.

We live by faith. By it we can live well even in a world that appears to be falling apart. Study Scripture to be sure it, not the news of the day, is your superstructure. Remember. . . .

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in the Lord, is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26: 3,4) Make that your resolve for life. There is still a lot of good news to come the way of the person of faith.

Comfort To Be Sought

 “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”  (Isaiah 40:1)

This Facebook Page was begun with exactly that in mind. There have been and doubtless will be a few occasions when it has been felt commentary on political issues was expedient.

This passage was written right after a dark time in the life of Israel. Because of their sin God had turned His people over to be exiled by the cruel Babylonians. This had happened to them because of their sin. God always disciplines sin. 

Chapter 40 of Isaiah relates to their return to their home land. Having just returned, the prophet is called to share with them a message of comfort. They needed it and God provided. I love the Authorized King James translation of the passage, “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people.”

During the long exile the Lord had been absent from them as they endured their deserved discipline.

In verse 5 assurance is given “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” Oh, glorious day. How we conduct ourselves, our efforts to call His people to repentance, and our personal devotion should be such as to not deserve the discipline of the Lord on America with the result that the glory of the Lord that once was evidenced in America might once again be ours. 

Note some of the promises God made to them as reason for comfort for them. To do so he uses the analogy of a shepherd and his sheep.

• “His reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” (verse 10)

• “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms.” (verse 11)

• “He will “carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” (verse 11)

We must find in our day reasons for comfort. List some things that comfort you. Write them down and thank the Lord for them.

I am comforted that there is a praying legion among us. Many people are praying that God will work so that there will be revival. In the life of our nation, as in the life of individuals, something of a dramatic nature will likely be needed causing a public need for the working of God in our lives. Though undesired, a traumatic event is often needed. If it results in a dramatic widespread revival, it will be worth it.

Then the comfort given Israel will be ours. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.

Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned.” WOW!

I am comforted that God’s children live in a bubble. It will not exempt us from difficulty, but it will ensure that the enabling presence of the Lord is with us.

May we so bear ourselves to our duty as to hear the lines from Handel’s Messiah  “Comfort, ye, comfort ye my people,” followed by the exaltation of . . . .

 “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord.”

The Prophets Have Spoken

It is over and the prophets have spoken. Several in virtual unanimity have foreseen that Trump would be retained as President. Several variances have been things such as there being a nationwide blackout associated with it. I don’t know why other than it makes it seem more ominous . Another variance was there would be a major food shortage and people should stock up on food. 

Based on an obsessive desire by some to know the future, prophets have made a profit in the lead up to the election. I have dear friends who have been confident in Trump’s reelection prophesied by people in whom they had great confidence.

Such expressions as “God has spoken to my spirit and assured me Trump will be our next president.” Some have assured their followers that as we have drawn nearer the confirmation of Biden as President God was simply delaying Trump’s triumph as a test of their faith. 

There are two schools of thought regarding the motive of modern prophets. One, they are under self-delusion and really believe God has spoken to them.

The other is they know they are deceiving people for profit.  An occasional luck guess by a charlatan keeps devotees committed.

Prophets have a ready made audience among people who have an interest in the future or those who want to know more than others. An inordinate interest in wanting to know the future is not a healthy thing. It detracts from the present. 

Scripture speaks regarding false prophets and notes  “You may wonder how you can tell when a prophet’s message does not come from the Lord.  If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and what he says does not come true, then it is not the Lord’s message. That prophet has spoken on his own authority…” (Deuteronomy 18: 21- 22) Another translation renders the text “whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not spoken it…” Having said “God told him” or “God revealed a thing” the prophet is saying his message is from God. It being false, that is, a lie it can’t be from God because God can’t lie and be true to His very nature. That is one of His characteristics.

Jesus said, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (I John 4: 1)

The elections having come and gone has given occasion to test the prophets’ message and find it false. Those who follow prophets proven to be false should dissociate from them lest they be further deceived.

There are two meanings to the word prophet. One foretells the future and the other meaning is to forth tell, that is share the Scripture. That is good.