GOD SPECIALIZES IN THINGS THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE!
CONTENTS
EVERY DAY
AFTER THE FUNERAL
THE
POSITIVE POWER OF PRAYER &
THE
NEGATIVE POWER OF
BLASPHEMY
NO PURPOSE IN
LIVING
NO PEACE
A TROUBLED MIND
NO PEACE ANYWHERE
REASONS FOR WANTING TO SUICIDE
HOW
THE LORD JESUS SUFFERED
THE POWER TO
ENDURE
PAUL’S
SHARE OF SUFFERING
THE PROBLEM OF SIN
PROMISES
CLAIM
THE PROMISES, PERSONALLY
THE
TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND
AM I GOING TO HEAVEN,
OR NOT?
JESUS
BECAME OUR SUBSTITUTE
EVERY DAY
throughout the world, 10,000 people attempt suicide.
1,000 succeed! 9,000 don’t succeed!
If you are thinking of joining these tragic statistics,
I ask you to wait a minute.
What’s the big hurry?
Just give me 30 minutes of your precious time, to go
through this booklet with me.
I’ve got some idea of how you feel.
A number of times I felt like “finishing it all” too.
But I’m so glad I didn’t, because I found the solution!
But your case is different?
Yes, I know! It must be!
Your problem is probably
unbearable.
And that’s the main reason why many try to make a “quick
escape.”
But suicide, I assure you,
is not an escape
at all.
You might succeed in killing your body, but you cannot
kill
your mind.
And if I am not mistaken, your real torment is in your
mind.
So wait a moment!
“Don’t jump out of the frying pan into the fire.”
There is a solution, even though you can’t see it at
present — and even though you can’t believe there is
another way out.
You may be weary, discouraged, broken-hearted,
pressurised,
rejected, weighed down and depressed.
I know how you feel. And I care for you. And I want to
share with you the love of Someone who cares for you
more than even your mother does. Have you heard of
Jesus? You must have heard of Him. But maybe it never
occurred to you that He is standing near you, right now,
to hear your cry, to hear your groans, to share your
sorrows. And not just to hear, but also to come to your
aid.
Of course, Jesus is not a big servant waiting to fulfil
our every selfish want. But He is waiting to help every
one who is in real trouble, everyone who has a genuine
need. The Bible says:
“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)
And that’s true! So many have found it to be true,
especially in times of desperation. And there’s a little
rhyme that puts it this way —
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?
Jesus specializes in things thought impossible
He can do just what no other friend can do.
It’s true! The Lord Jesus Christ says to everyone who is
weighed down with problems:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and
I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND
REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”
(Matthew 11:28-29)
You need rest, my friend, and surely you are longing
for rest! Isn’t that why you were thinking about “ending
it
all”? But if you committed suicide, your mind would not
be at
rest,
but rather, in a far worse
state
of
regret,
and
torment.
But Jesus offers you rest. And He is waiting to come
into your situation to do a miracle. He can sort out the
problems. He can sort
YOU
out too. And He can take care of those pressures that
are bearing down upon you at this very moment.
You may say you don’t believe. Yes, I can understand
that too. But if I’m not mistaken, you are also feeling
very confused, and you don’t know
WHAT
to believe. Isn’t that so? So don’t rely on what you
don’t know, or on what you
DON’T
believe. Go by the facts! The Bible, which is no
ordinary book, says:
“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow,
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet
your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not worth much more than they?”
(Matthew 6:26)
You
are much more
precious than
a bird!
“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.”
(John 3:16)
God
says:
“Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously
look
about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
surely
I will help you.
Surely
I will uphold you
with My righteous right hand. Look, all those who are
angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; those who
contend with you will be as nothing, and will perish.
You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not
find them, those who war with you will be as nothing and
non-existent. For I am
YHWH*
your God, who upholds your right hand, and
who
says to you, ‘Do
not fear I will help you’.”
(Isaiah 41:10-13)
(* YHWH – pronounced Yahweh – is the original Name of
Almighty God, the Eternal One, as written in the Hebrew
Bible.)
In spite of such encouraging words, you may still be
saying, “I’d be better off dead. I’m not afraid to die.”
And yet you have been hesitating, because you know
suicide is the last resort. It means you have given up
all hope. Well, if you decide to suicide, how do you
know you will “rest in peace”, and not “toss in
torment?” You know you won’t be able to change your mind
later! It’s irreversible!
You think death would “end it all”? No way!
God says, “It is appointed for men to die once, and
after this comes judgment.”
(Hebrews 9:27)
So don’t for one moment think that suicide will solve
your problems, or give you relief. It would only
increase your torment.
It would be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
You may say that hell couldn’t be worse than your
present position! But you are very wrong there. You have
a big problem now, but it is for a short time. But
suicide will mean a big problem for you for a
very
long time.
AFTER THE FUNERAL
THE LORD JESUS told the authentic account of a rich man
who, after living sumptuously on earth, died. And in
torment he lifted up his eyes, and cried out for water.
And many a soul who thought they would “end it all,”
pulled the trigger, swallowed the poison or tablets, or
set themselves on fire -- and a little later lifted up
their eyes in Hell, and cried out, “What have I done?
Why did I do it?”
God forbid that this should be
your
fix, my sad reader. Can you imagine it? Your death scene
is past. A coffin is brought and your body is laid
quietly in it. The mourners stand around and shake their
heads. Some in tears. Friends offer words of regret and
sympathy. Then the coffin is carried away in a funeral
procession to the lonely City of the Dead.
The grave is opened; your body is lowered into the cold
bosom of the earth. The clods of earth are thrown in,
while the minister pronounces the words, “Dust to dust,
ashes to ashes.”
Your family returns home. There is a new-made grave in
the cemetery; but a vacant place around the dining table
and a familiar voice unheard. Gradually the tears of the
weeping ones will stop, the bleeding hearts healed, and
you largely forgotten.
But is this all? Oh, no! “In hell he lifted up his
eyes.” Imagine the surprise: “This is Hell, and I am
here! I often heard of this place and tried to believe
it did not exist, but now I am here. O that I had my
life to live over. See this smokey, dark, dingy,
horrendous realm! Where is the Purgatory that I was
told about? I have been deceived! O that I had the false
teachers in my hands who taught me there was no Hell!
They have caused me to lose my soul. Oh! If I had only
believed the Bible and not listened to men.
“I am in Hell! in Hell! in Hell! These dark flaming
caverns of despair are to be my home
forever.
This is Hell! This is Hell! I am in Hell! Did I think it
was so near? Oh I just left my home on beautiful earth a
few minutes ago and now I am in Hell. Oh, is this real?
O that this were only a dream and I had another
opportunity to go back to my former life! Oh how I would
now serve God; but my harvest is past, my summer is
ended, my career on earth is over. I am lost! Lost for
ever!”
Lost to earth’s pleasure that once your soul won.
Lost earth’s fond friendship to sorrow alone.
Lost amid ruined hopes ever undone;
Lost! the enchantment is over.
Lost where the billows of torment ever roll,
Lost where God’s wrath-flame envelopes the soul;
Lost where no gleam of hope comes to console,
Lost in eternity’s gloom.
* * *
Dear reader, you may say you don’t believe in life after
death; you don’t believe your soul will live on; you
don’t believe in prayer.
Then let me give the following testimony by a scientist,
DR. N. J. STOWELL.
THE POSITIVE
POWER OF PRAYER &
THE NEGATIVE POWER OF BLASPHEMY
I WAS ALMOST a devout atheist. I didn’t believe that God
was any more than a conglomeration of everyone’s mind
put together; and the good that was there, that was God
as far as I was concerned. As for the real, all-powerful
God, existing and loving us all, with power over
everything, I didn’t believe that.
Then one day I had an experience that really set me
thinking. I was in a large pathological laboratory and
we were attempting to find the wave length of the brain.
We found more than the wave length of the brain; we
found a channel of wave lengths, and that channel has so
much room in it that the different wave lengths of each
individual brain is further separated in identity than
the fingerprints on each individual’s hand. This is a
point we should remember; God can actually keep a record
in Heaven; a record of our thoughts as individuals just
as the FBI can keep a record of our fingerprints.
We wanted to make an experiment to discover what took
place in the brain at the moment of transition from life
to death. We chose a lady whose family had sent her to a
mental institution, but who had been discharged. The
doctor could find nothing wrong with her other than the
fact she had cancer of the brain. This affected the
balance of her body only. As far as the alertness of
mind was concerned, and every other way, she was
exceptionally brilliant. But we knew she was on the
verge of death, and she was informed in the research
hospital that she was going to die.
We arranged a tiny pickup on her head to ascertain what
took place in the transition of her brain from life to
death. We also put a very small microphone, about the
size of a quarter (small coin) in her room, so that we
could hear what she said if she had anything to say.
Five of us hardened scientists, atheists (perhaps I was
the hardest and most atheistic of the group) were in an
adjoining room with our instruments prepared to
register and record what transpired. Our device had a
needle pointing to zero in the center of the scale. To
the right the scale was calibrated to 500 points
positive. To the left the scale was calibrated to 500
points negative. We previously had registered on this
identical instrument the power used by the fifty
kilowatt broadcast station in sending a message around
the world. The needle registered 9 points on the
positive side.
As the last moment of the woman’s life arrived she began
to pray and to praise the Lord. She asked the Lord to be
merciful to those who had so despitefully used her. Then
she reaffirmed her faith in God, telling Him she knew He
was the only power and that He was a living power. She
told God He always had been and always would be. She
told Him how much she loved Him.
We scientists had been so engrossed with this woman’s
prayer that we had forgotten our experiment. We looked
at each other and saw tears streaming down scientists’
faces. I had not shed tears since I was a child.
Suddenly we heard a clicking sound on our forgotten
instrument. We looked and the needle was registering a
positive 500, desperately trying to go higher, only to
bounce against the positive 500 post in its attempt.
By actual instrumentation we had recorded that the brain
of a woman alone and dying, in communication with God,
registered more than 55 times the power used by a fifty
kilowatt broadcast station in sending a message around
the world.
After this, we decided to try a case very unlike the
first one. We chose a man lying in the research
hospital, stricken with a deadly social disease. His
brain had become atrophied to the very point of death.
He was practically a maniac. After we had set up our
instruments we arranged for one of the nurses to
antagonize the man. Through her wiles she attracted his
interest in her and then suddenly told him she didn’t
want to have anything more to do with him. He began to
verbally abuse her and the needle began to register on
the negative side. Then he cursed her and took the name
of God in vain. The needle began to click back and forth
against the 500 negative post.
By actual experimentation we had registered what
happened in the brain when the brain broke one of God’s
Ten Commandments -- “Thou shall not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain.” We had established by
experimentation on the positive power of God and the
negative power of the adversary. We had found that
beneficial truth is positive, and that non-beneficial
things covered by the “Thou shall nots” of the Ten
Commandments -- are negative in varying degrees.
If we scientists can record these things, I believe with
all my heart that the Lord God can keep a record of our
thoughts.
God had given us many great and wonderful things. The
greatest and most wonderful of these is His only
begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who gave His life and blood
that we might be cleansed from our sins and be healed of
diseases, and that we might have everlasting life. Just
before Jesus ascended to Heaven He said, “But ye shall
receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you.”
Previously, He commanded His followers to tarry until
they were endued with power, and He had promised to pray
to the Father that He would send another Comforter, the
Holy Spirit, even the Spirit of Truth.
It is this Presence of God in us that gives us power,
the extent of which we have no conception.
* * *
My weary friend, there is power available to you, that
can change your whole life. But a decision to commit
suicide would rob you of that power, and would cause
your spirit to vibrate with remorse, for God has said,
“You shall not kill.” And just because it is your own
body and soul you want to murder, does not give you the
right to do so.
But you say you can’t take any more; you can’t endure
any more, you can’t hope any more.
I know how you feel. And Jesus knows. He really does,
for He also suffered — all types of pressures. The Bible
says:
“For since He Himself (Jesus) was tempted in that which
He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those
who are tempted.”
(Hebrews 2:18)
He is able to come to
YOUR
aid too, my friend!
I know of some people who planned to kill themselves
when the going became too tough. One friend thought he
would “end it all” and fired a bullet into his head. But
instead of killing himself, he blew his eyes out. He
lived. And now, although blind, he is glad he did not
succeed in his attempt, for he has found a new purpose
for living.
Other people have written their testimonies of how
desperate they had become, and of how, on the verge of
suicide, God saved them. I’d like to share some of these
testimonies with you.
NO PURPOSE IN LIVING
by Nishi Sharma
of Nigeria
“THERE is no purpose in living.” I told myself. “Life
has no meaning for me. What is the use of living? I WILL
KILL MYSELF.”
You see, although I had a good job in Nigeria and all my
needs were met, I could not find satisfaction in life.
But that day, when I tried to kill myself, something
happened to me!
Our parents taught us at home what the Hindu Books say.
However, when I grew up I began to ask many questions. I
asked, “Why should I suffer in this life for what I did
in a previous life, as the religious Books say?”
You see, my parents told me, “You can do nothing that
will take away your present suffering. You can do
nothing to overcome your trouble in this life. What
happens to you in this life was decided before you were
born. It was decided by what you did in your previous
life.”
“All that you can decide now is what will happen to you
in your next life. What you do now will decide whether
you should suffer in the next life, or experience
happiness,” they told me.
“I do not believe that is true,” I said to them. “How
can you prove that is the truth? If there is a God, I do
not believe He would arrange things so that what happens
in this life is out of my control. That would not be
right. If there is a God He would be fair to me.”
So that was the time when I tried to kill myself. But do
you know, as I was about to die, I cried out, “God, if
you are there, save me from death, and show me a purpose
for living.”
Now as I did this, I suddenly realised God was there!
Yes, I really knew that God was there with me!
So now I did not want to die!
However, I managed to turn on the radio. Now as I did
so, I heard a man say, “I know that God is alive. God
has forgiven my sin, because I believed that Jesus
Christ, God’s Son, died to save me from the punishment
for my sins.”
Then the voice went on. “So I asked God, ‘Please give me
Your Spirit.’ Since that day my life is changed. I can
now say ‘No’ to wrong desires. I have found a purpose
for living. I now explain to other people how to
experience a changed life.”
So then I said to myself, “That man on the radio seems
to really have something to live for. I will try to
speak to God as he did.”
So I spoke to God at that moment myself. Thank God, as I
did so, I knew that God was hearing me speak to Him. So
I also said to God, “Please God save my life from
death.”
God heard this cry also, for my life was saved from
death, and my life has been changed since that day. So
now I tell other people what God can do for them also.
NO PEACE
BY PAUL SURENDRAN of INDIA
ELEVEN YEARS ago I asked a sadhu, “What must I do to be
saved?” He answered that there is only one God for every
one of all religions, and since man is a sinner by
birth, and in deeds, and in nature, he needs to be saved
by all of those. So the gods who are incarnated of all
religions have taught us to do good works. Although
there are many ways, all aim to get to God. So if you
worship all of them and follow them, you will get
salvation.
Because of the sadhu’s kind and loving words, I started
to worship the gods and give them alms. But there was no
experience of salvation. The nature of my sins such as
drunkenness, adultery, stealing, and hatred never left
me.
Because of my transgression against the government, I
was put in jail. Even in jail I used to pray to all gods
for peace. Even then I had no peace in my life. I lived
a life like a sheep without a shepherd.
When I came back from the jail, I visited many holy
places in Kerala. In 1962, December 28 at 3.00 pm, I
bought some poison to bring an end to my life, because I
had no peace. And I cried, saying, “God, if you exist,
you show me before 6.30 p.m. today, or I will die.”
But before 6.00 p.m. one man came to me. He did not know
that I was going to commit suicide. He told me that
there is only one God for me; but because of my sins I
had gone away from God and have had no peace.
He said, “You will not get salvation with your good
works. But God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, so
that you may be forgiven from all your sins and have
fellowship with Him. Jesus, being a sinless person, died
and shed His blood for your sins. He was placed in the
tomb, but rose again from the dead and went to heaven.”
Then again he said, “If you confess your sins and
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved.”
Immediately I repented of all my many sins. I prayed
like this: “God, I am a sinner, and I believe that Jesus
died for me on the cross. Please forgive my sins and
come into my heart.”
Then the Holy Spirit came into my spirit and dwelt
there. He forgave all my sins. I felt an inspiring
fellowship with God. Then He gave me grace to live a
holy life, and fellowship with God became a daily
experience. Now I have freedom from all the sins to
which I had been a slave before. I tasted and saw that
the way to be saved is through Jesus Christ; as the
Scripture says;
“He who believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he
who does not believe on the Son shall not see life; but
the wrath of God abides on him.” (John
3:36)
A TROUBLED MIND
BY PETER THOMSON
OF U.K.
“I WILL KILL MYSELF,” I said. Yes, I tried twice to kill
myself. But both times I failed! Both times they brought
me back to life again!
One day I asked myself, “What causes my mind to be
troubled and makes me want to kill myself?” I told
myself, “It must be evil spirits that cause my mind to
be troubled like this. It must be evil spirits that seek
to make me put an end to my life.”
So one night I went out in my car with guns and knives.
I said, “I will drive fast. I will drive as fast as I
can. Maybe I can then escape from these evil spirits
that cause so much trouble to my mind.”
But then, that night I started to attack some people
with a knife. You see I got the idea that these people
planned to kill me. So I started to fight them with a
knife in my hand.
For doing this I found myself in prison for four years.
In fact I was put in Broadmoor Prison.
However, while I was in prison someone said to me, “Did
you know that there is Someone concerned about your
life? God is interested in your life.”
Now when I heard this, I decided, “If it is true that
God is interested in my life then I should read the
Bible, and see what it says.”
Then one day I asked God, “Please forgive me for all my
sins. I believe that Jesus Christ, Your Son, died to
save me from the punishment for all my sin. Please give
me the power of Your Spirit to help me say, ‘No’ to all
my wrong desires.”
Do you know, when I did this, my life was changed! So
now my mind is no longer troubled! Now I do not want to
kill myself, but I want to fulfil God’s plan for my
life.
NO PEACE ANYWHERE
BY A. STEPHAN, of MADRAS
I’M FROM Madras state in India. I have four brothers and
one sister. My father is a Hindu temple priest. My
mother is a very religious lady. India has many
religious teachers and philosophers (searchers for God).
My mother taught me many things about gods and I always
tried to please her by accepting her teachings. At the
age of fourteen, I went all over Madras worshipping at
pilgrim centers with Mother. We offered prayers and
sacrifices. By doing this we thought we would get
remission for sins and happiness for life.
Finally I went before a Hindu god in the temple, kneeled
before him and searched for peace -- but finding none, I
stole some money from the temple and left my parents’
house and went to a friend’s house.
When the money was gone I went back to my parents --
without peace and with empty heart and pockets. I led a
life of loneliness and distraction. I thought there was
no peace in the world for me. I decided that peace would
come only through death. I had tried to buy poison at a
shop but was refused because of my youth. Suicide seemed
the only way to peace.
That evening at 5:00 p.m., I put a rope around my neck
to hang myself. At this point I began to weep with tears
streaming down my face. I said, if there is any God in
this world let Him speak to me saving me at this hour of
my death. I was challenging God, believe me.
Before this I had never heard of the Bible or read about
Christianity. No one had ever told me. I prayed with a
sincere heart and with an aching heart and with tears.
At that dark moment, on the verge of death a sweet voice
said to me,
“There is a peace for you, there is peace for you!”
Then I took my knife from my pocket and cut the rope
from my neck and fell to the ground. I looked around and
no one was there. I walked along the street.
In the evening a young boy came up to me and asked, “Why
are you sad?” I told him my story. He told me about
Jesus Christ. I asked him, “Who is Jesus? He cannot save
me. My father is a temple priest, we have millions of
gods and they cannot give me peace. How, then, can this
Jesus forgive my sins?”
He talked with me a long time. Then he asked me, “If you
die tonight where will you be?” This struck my heart and
I was not able to answer -- I did not know.
He said if you want to go to heaven peacefully you must
accept Jesus Christ into your heart. He is the way, the
truth, and the life. This is the only way to heaven and
peace. He told me of his experience with Jesus; how he
used to be a very bad boy, and how he had become a new
person in Christ.
He then told me the story of Sadhu Sunder Singh, and Dr.
Singh the great Christian leader in India. I heard of
the new life they found in Christ. That evening I boldly
accepted Jesus Christ — asking Him to come into my
heart.
He actually came and literally gave me new birth. He
came into my heart relieving my burden of sin,
forgiving me. The Spirit of the living God came and
changed me. I found rest in my soul. My heavy burden of
sin was taken away from my heart and life. The heaviness
also rolled away. Oh, I was so happy with inner tears of
joy that
night. I began to pray deeply because I had found my
Saviour for whom I had been searching for such a long
time.
I then gave up my cinema, drinking, smoking, and using
dirty words. Everything instantly changed when Jesus
came. I had no desire for these things anymore. I wanted
to worship God. I was hungry for reading the Bible so I
could learn more about Jesus, my Saviour.
I returned to my home and my father asked me where I had
been. I told him my story. He kicked me and beat me and
threw me into the street. My friends scolded me
shamefully for accepting Christ. They now were bitter
enemies to me. My own mother took a broom and beat me.
One of my brothers took a knife and tried to kill me. I
fled for my very life. I was not able to take clothes or
food. At the age of fourteen I was nothing, but I was
thought of as a baby. That evening I walked fourteen
miles along the river, drank water from the river, and
fell asleep under a tree.
After three days of wandering and having no place, I
prayed that the Lord would show me the way. I went back
to my home. Some people criticised me because I had
become a Christian. My sister was so ashamed in the
community that she committed suicide. My two brothers
were sick and in the hospital. My mother was bitten by a
poisonous snake and was near death. My father was
shouting to the Hindu gods.
I was trying to tell them of my happiness in Jesus in
the midst of this situation. My towns people blamed all
that trouble on me because I had become a Christian.
They said that their Hindu gods were against them, and
would destroy them -- and all sorts of things. My loving
Saviour, Son of the living God would never have done
this. Then the people came against me, so I fled from
that place.
A kind man took me to Kerala where I learned a new
language. I was called to serve my Saviour. I learned
three more languages besides my own. I am rejected by my
former friends, but in my heart I have found the living
God through Jesus Christ. There is joy and peace in my
heart which has been given to me by the living God who
lives inside me.
I now travel all over India leading others to this peace
which I have in my heart. I lost my family but was
adopted by others. Someday soon I shall go to heaven and
live in peace with Him forever. I pray that my enemies,
whom I love, will find peace according to Romans 10:9.
My hope is that you who read this story will find the
love flowing through it to you. He loves you. Christ
died on the cruel cross so that we might be presented to
the living God with our sins forgiven. Loving us, and
being without sin, He took our sin upon Himself and died
in our place.
By accepting Him into our lives, we may stand boldly
before God with our sins covered by the blood. We are
then guiltless in God’s sight. I know He lives because
He lives within my heart.
ARE YOU THINKING OF SUICIDE?
Reader, you may feel that your case is quite different
to those in the foregoing testimonies. You may feel that
those people didn’t have a good enough reason to kill
themselves.
Well, they may feel like that about you also. Your
reason may not sound good enough to them. Of course,
they, and I, are not in your shoes. I admit that. Your
problem must be very acute, otherwise you would not
think seriously about “ending it all.”
WHAT
REASONS FOR WANTING TO SUICIDE?
What is your reason, my poor depressed reader? Would it
be one of the following reasons? Put a mental tick
against the reason or reasons you feel are driving you
to kill yourself.
1 Terrible Disappointment
2 Fed up with Yourself
3 Financial Troubles,
Poverty
4 Rejected or Deserted
5 Unfulfilled Love
6 Failure in Exams, or
Career, or Objective
7 Great Loneliness
8 Cornered by Multiple
Problems
9 Sickness or Incurable
Disease
10 Old Age
11 Broken Marriage
12 Pressure from Relatives
13 Unemployment and
Hopelessness
14 Oppression or Depression
15 Guilt or Fear
16 Barrenness or Childless
17 Evil Spirits
18 Persecution
19 False accusations
20 Any other reason ?
If your reason is not included in the list, then analyse
what your reason is, and then place it as No 20 on the
list.
All these are very real causes. But there is a solution
for every one of them. Now, I may be able to give you
advice, but I may not be able to provide the
solution. But I know someone who will. JESUS! He has
promised to give you rest. He has promised to take your
burden, and He has promised to give you living water to
quench your dry, parched and weary soul.
Now don’t say, “Oh Jesus is God, how would He know what
I am suffering?”
He knows very well, for He became a man, and as man,
suffered more than any other man ever did. And the
suffering of the Lord Jesus was much more than the
physical crucifixion He endured. He suffered most in
the soul and in the spirit, when He became the “Lamb of
God who takes away the sins of the world.”
Consider what He endured, and you must admit that He
should be qualified to understand
you
and
your problem.
HOW JESUS THE
MESSIAH SUFFERED
He was Reviled
“And while being reviled, He did not revile in return;
while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept
entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.”
(1 Peter 2:23)
Deserted
“Then all the disciples left Him and fled.”
(Matthew 26:56)
Conspired Against
“So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.”
(John 11:53)
Tempted
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold
fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest
who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who
has been
tempted in all things as we are,
yet without sin.”
(Hebrews 4:14-15)
Betrayed
“Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of
Man with a kiss’?”
(Luke 22:48)
No Home
“And Jesus said to him,
‘The foxes
have
holes,
and the birds of the
air have nests; but the Son of Man
has nowhere
to lay His head’.”
(Matthew 8:20)
Despised and Rejected
“He was
despised and forsaken of men,
a man of
sorrows, acquainted with grief, and
like one from whom men
hide
their face.
He was
despised, and
we
did
not esteem
Him.”
(Isaiah 53:3)
“He came to
His
own, and those
who were His
own did not receive Him.”
(John
1:11)
Falsely Accused
“Now
the
chief
priests
and
the
whole Council kept
trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus,
in order
that
they
might put
Him
to death.”
(Matthew 26:59)
Labelled a Heretic and Criminal
“They answered and said to
him,
‘If
this Man were
not
an evildoer, we
would
not have delivered Him up to you’.”
(John
18:30)
Heavy-Hearted
“Then He
said
to them,
‘My soul is deeply grieved
to
the point
of death; remain here
and keep watch with Me’.”
(Matthew
26:38)
Persecuted
“And all in the synagogue
were filled with rage as they
heard
these things; and they rose up and cast Him
out of
the
city, and led
Him
to
the brow of the hill on which
their city had been built, in
order to throw Him down the cliff.”
(Luke
4:28-29)
Smitten by God
‘‘Surely our griefs
He
Himself bore and our sorrows He carried. Yet we
ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten
of
God, and afflicted.”
(Isaiah 53:4)
Pierced
“But He was pierced through for our transgressions.”
(Isaiah 53:5)
Crushed
“He was crushed for our iniquities.”
(Isaiah 43:5)
Scourged
“The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him. And by
His scourging we are healed.”
(Isaiah 53:5)
Beaten and Spat upon
‘‘Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their
fists; and others slapped Him.”
(Matthew 26:67)
Punished for the sins of the whole world
“But YHWH was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to
grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering
... By His knowledge the Righteous One, My servant, will
justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.”
(Isaiah 53:10, 11)
(Y H W H are the Hebrew letters for Yahweh, the Name of
the Eternal One.)
Killed
“Therefore let all the House of Israel know for certain
that God has made Him both Lord and Christ -- this Jesus
whom you crucified.”
(Acts 2:36)
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and
riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and
blessing.”
(Revelation 5:12)
Jesus did not shirk from suffering -- what had to be
endured, He was willing to endure -- especially His
torturous death by crucifixion. He could easily have
escaped that, but He didn’t even try. With the cross
looming up before Him, Jesus said to His disciples:
“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say,
‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I
came to this hour. ‘Father, glorify Your Name.’ There
came therefore a voice out of heaven: ‘I have both
glorified it, and will glorify it again’.”
(John 12:27-28)
“And He went a little beyond them and fell on His face
and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let
this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You
will’.”
(Matthew 26:39)
“Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the
joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God.”
(Hebrews 12:2)
WHY DID JESUS SUFFER?
Now consider, my dear reader, and answer me! Why did
Jesus suffer all this? Was He being punished for His
sins? No! For He had no sins.
Was He seeking to attain “masterhood”? No! He was
already the Master! Was He simply setting an example of
endurance? No! He was indeed setting an example, but
much more than that, there is one main reason why He
suffered so much -- it was to save YOU!
The Apostle Peter explains:
“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just
for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God.”
(1 Peter 3:18)
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ
also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to
follow in His steps,
WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS
MOUTH;
and while being reviled, He did not revile in return;
while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept
entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously, and
He Himself bore our sins
in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and
live to righteousness;
for by His wounds you were healed.”
(1 Peter 2:21-24)
“He was pierced through for our transgressions; He was
crushed for our iniquities.”
(Isaiah 53:5)
Christ died for the sins of the whole world. But if YOU
were the only person on earth, He would have come and
suffered especially for you — because He loves you with
an everlasting love, and He wants to redeem you, to save
you, and to bring you to the Father with great joy.
You may be saying, “Oh, Jesus could withstand the
pressures because He was God. It was easy for Him.”
But when Jesus became a man, He suffered as a man. He
didn’t claim exemption from the pressures, or a
reduction of the sorrows because He was the Son of God.
No ! But He set an example, suffering the problems you
and I face. And as MAN He showed us the way out of the
problems.
THE POWER TO ENDURE!
He received strength to endure to the end. But where did
He get the strength? From God the Father. And He teaches
us also to receive the strength from the same source.
Jesus promised:
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you.”
(Acts 1:8)
(The Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter, or the
Helper. The word in Greek is parakletos meaning
“one called alongside to help.”)
Jesus also said: “If you then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more shall
your Heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
(Luke 11:13)
And the Lord Jesus invites
all
to come to Him, and receive the living water of God:
“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus
stood and cried out, saying, ‘If any man is thirsty, let
him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the
Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow
rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the
Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive;
for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not
yet glorified.”
(John 7:37-39)
So the power
of God
flows from “the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev.
22:1), by the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God), unto all
those who call upon Him; and it keeps on flowing, as we
obey Him.
God has demonstrated His power and help in the lives of
millions of people who have called upon Him. And
He will demonstrate it in your life too, if you ask Him.
One example of the power of God in a person’s life is
the man called, the Apostle Paul.
PAUL’S SHARE OF
SUFFERING
Paul says of himself: “In far more labours, in far more
imprisonments, beaten
times without number, often in
danger of death.
Five times I received from the Jews
thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was
beaten with rods,
once I was
stoned,
three times I was
shipwrecked,
a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been
on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers
from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from
the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the
wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false
brethren; I have been in labour and hardship, through
many sleepless nights, in
hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and
exposure
. . .
“In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was
guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize
me, and I was let down in a basket through a window in
the wall, and so escaped his hands.”
(2 Corinthians 11:23-27, 32, 33)
Tell me, where did Paul receive strength to endure so
much, and refuse any thought of “ending it all”? (Of
course, Satan must have tempted Paul at times to find a
way out of the troubles. But Paul did not take up any
such temptation, because he had a source of power, and
knew that power would support him in all the trials. He
explains:
“And because of the
surpassing greatness of
the revelations, for this reason, to keep me
from
exalting
myself,
there was given me a
thorn in the flesh,
a
messenger of Satan to buffet me -- to keep
me from exalting
myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times
that it
might depart from me. And He has said to me,
‘My grace is sufficient for you for power is perfected
in weaknesses’.
Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my
weaknesses, that the
power of Christ
may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with
weaknesses,
with
insults,
with
distresses,
with
persecution,
with
difficulties,
for Christ’s
sake;
for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
That’s amazing, isn’t it?
He was
well content
with his
share
of troubles. He
was
intent on
enduring
it all, not
ending
it all.
Satan must have tried to tempt the Lord Jesus also, to
suicide, for if he could get Jesus to “end it all” then
he (Satan) would prevent the world receiving the
salvation that would become available through Jesus’
death on the cross.
On one occasion the devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of
the temple, and tempted Him to throw Himself down to
prove He was the Son of God.
(Matthew 4:5-7)
Jesus refused, saying, “You shall not tempt the LORD
your God.”
Yes, Jesus was tempted, just like you are! Scripture
says:
He is ... “One who has been tempted in all things as we
are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with
confidence to the throne of grace, that
we may receive mercy
and may
find grace to help in time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:15-16)
What a wonderful promise.
There
is the
solution
to your problem -- draw near to the throne of grace.
In other words, call from the depths of your heart, to
the God of Grace who is merciful, understanding, loving
and longing to be your Helper. He is longing to meet
your need -- to untangle the knots in your life -- to
unravel the mess or the situation you find yourself in.
And be sure God does not put you through a psychiatric
session and then charge a cash-down fee for the service
rendered.
No! He asks you to simply come, and let Him take control
of your life. He invites you to come to the life-giving
water and drink:
“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you
who have no money come, buy and eat; come, buy, wine and
milk
without money
and without cost.”
(Isaiah 55:1)
And He simply asks you to TRUST Him -- to have faith in
Him -- to believe that what He has promised, He is able
also to perform.
(Romans 4:21)
Here is a promise that is very precious to me, for it
came home to my soul in a time of great depression, when
I felt like “ending it all?”
And the promise is for YOU too, if you will call on and
trust in the Lord Jesus.
“O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And your foundations I will lay in sapphires.
Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies,
And your gates of crystal,
And your entire wall of precious stones.
And all your sons will be taught of the Lord;
And the well-being of your sons will be great.
In righteousness you will be established;
You
will be far from oppression, for you
will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you.
If any one fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.
Whoever assails you will fall because of you.
Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the
fire of coals.
And brings out a weapon for its work;
And I have created the destroyer to ruin.
No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper;
And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will
condemn.
this is the heritage of the servants of YHWH.
And their vindication is from Me, declares YHWH.”
(Isaiah 54:11-17)
Maybe some reader is saying “But I once called on God,
and He didn’t answer my prayer.”
Let me ask you; Did you call on God in the Name of the
Lord Jesus? Did you ask believing, or did you ask in
such a way that showed you did not really expect an
answer?
Jesus said, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will
do it.”
(John 14:14)
The Name of Jesus is not a magic formula, but it
represents His great authority. To ask in His Name means
that you believe in that Name.
Another Scripture verse says :
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for
he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that
He is
a rewarder
of those who
seek
Him.”
(Hebrews 11:6)
Many people doubt God -- they doubt His love, they doubt
His power, or they doubt His existence. No wonder they
don’t receive an answer to their vague, unbelieving
prayers.
Another point to remember, my friend, is that the
ways
and the
times
of the Lord are perfect. He answers in His own way, and
in His own time -- not that He loves to keep people
waiting for an answer, but because He knows the best
time, and the best way. So don’t expect Him to fulfil
your prayer in the way you dictate. Leave it to the
Lord. It may well be that God has been keeping you
waiting, allowing you to come to the end of yourself --
to come to a point of desperation where you will call
upon Him from the depths of your heart; so that you will
then trust in the Lord, and in nothing else.
Maybe the following word is for you, at this very
moment:
“For a brief moment I forsook you,
But
with great compassion I will gather you.
In
an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a
moment,
But with everlasting loving-kindness I will have
compassion on you.
Says YHWH your Redeemer.
For this is like the days of Noah to Me
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Should not flood the earth again,
So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
Nor will I rebuke you.
For the mountains may be removed and the hills may
shake,
But My loving-kindness will not be removed from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken.
Says YHWH who has compassion on you.”
(Isaiah 54 :7-10)
THE PROBLEM OF SIN
It may be, on the other hand, a problem of sin in your
life --
sins that you are hanging onto;
sins which
you may be enjoying; sins which you are determined to
pursue, that are the hindrances to the Lord’s power and
answer in your life. The Bible says:
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot
save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have made a
separation
between you and your God, and your sins have hid His
Face from
you
so that He does not hear.”
(Isaiah 59:1-2)
Don’t call on God and expect
to continue
any
sinful
ways. God wants to be totally involved in your life. He
wants to cast your sins into “the depths
of
the
sea”,
and to make you a new person. He is not standing by to
merely help you over the present difficulties, and
to
make it easier for you to continue the old
life,
independent of Him.
In fact, your first and greatest need is not
to get
relief from the problems weighing you down. Your
greatest need is to get the terrible burden and guilt of
sin completely removed.
And you can have your sins forgiven and the guilt
removed; by coming to the Lord in repentance, asking for
His mercy. The Lord Jesus died for you -- to save you
from your sins. So why don’t you accept His pardon, and
receive His salvation without further delay?
PROMISES
Here are three promises you can claim right now:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
righteous to forgive us our sins
and
to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.”
(1 John 1:9)
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time
Christ died for the ungodly ... but
God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:6-8)
“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.”
(John 3:16)
Below, I am quoting a word, a promise, from the Heavenly
Master, to anyone who has any of the problems we have
listed below -- 1 to 20. I urge you, friend, to claim
the promise for yourself. Make it personal and call on
the Lord and see if He will not answer. If you are
sincere,
He
will surely hear, and He will answer in HIS OWN
WAY
(God does not always answer in the way we
expect,
because His ways are higher than our ways -- He knows
the best way in your situation.) So trust Him for it!
But please be clear -- the promises given in the Word of
God can only be claimed if you hand over your life to
the Saviour. God does not intend to give you temporary
relief. He wants to do a miracle in your life, and to
make you a new person.
“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new
creature; the old things passed away: behold, new things
have come.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
You can become a new person if you give your life to the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Now here are some Scriptural words and promises: First a
promise for all situations:
“Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain
you.”
(Psalm 55:22)
1. IF YOU HAVE A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT
“Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) will not be
disappointed.”
(Romans 10:11)
“Now to Him who is
able to do exceeding abundantly
beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power
that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus to all generations
forever and ever.”
(Ephesians 3:20-21)
2. IF YOU ARE FED UP WITH YOURSELF
“Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; neither
feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; but you
will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of
your widowhood you will remember no more.”
(Isaiah 54:4)
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot
deny Himself. “
(2 Timothy 2:13)
3. IF YOU ARE IN FINANCIAL TROUBLES
“And we know that God causes all things to work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are called
according to His purpose. ... What then shall we say to
these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He
who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for
us all, how will He not also with Him
freely give us all things?”
(Romans 8:28, 31, 32)
“Wait
for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take
courage: Yes, wait for YHWH.”
(Psalms
27:14)
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that though
He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you
through His poverty might become rich.”
(2 Corinthians 8.9)
4
IF YOU’VE BEEN REJECTED OR DESERTED
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no
compassion
on the
son of
her womb?
Even these may forget, but
I will not forget you.
Look,
I have inscribed
you
on the palms of My hands. Your walls are continually
before Me.”
(Isaiah
15-16)
“Let your way of life be free from the love of money,
being content with what you have; for He Himself has
said,
‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you’.”
(Hebrews
13:5)
5 IF YOU HAVE UNFULFILLED LOVE
Sometimes a person is deeply in love with some one, but
for any one of a dozen reasons, marriage, or living in
close proximity to the loved one, is not possible.
Sometimes the heart pain is so acute, that the person
would like to die. Reasoning does not prevail
--
love is stronger.
With this problem, as with many others, time heals the
wounds. In the meantime place your confidence in God,
and ...
“Pursue spiritual love.”
(1 Corinthians 14:1)
Then in due time you will experience the joy of the
Lord, as expressed by Isaiah:
“And the ransomed of YHWH will return, and come with
joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their
heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and
sighing will flee away.”
(Isaiah 35:10)
“Love
is patient,
love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and
is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not
seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into
account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in
unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things.”
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
6 IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM GREAT LONELINESS
“God makes a home for the lonely.”
(Psalm 68:6)
“All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and the
one who comes to Me,
I will certainly not cast out.”
(John 5:37)
“And
I will be a father to you;
and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says YHWH the
Almighty.”
(2 Corinthians 6:18)
7 IF YOU HAVE FAILED IN EXAMS, CAREER OR OBJECTIVE
The LORD says; “I will go before you and make the rough
places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze, and
cut through their iron bars. And I will give you the
treasures of darkness, and hidden wealth of secret
places, in order that you may know that it is I, YHWH,
the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.”
(Isaiah 45:2-3)
8 IF YOU ARE CORNERED BY MANY PROBLEMS
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver,
I have tested you
in the furnace of affliction.”
(Isaiah 48:10)
“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.”
(1 Peter 1:6-7)
9 IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM ACUTE SICKNESS
OR INCURABLE DISEASE:
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders
of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing
him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer
offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and
the
Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins,
they will be forgiven him.”
(James 5:14-15)
“Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look
about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,
surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My
righteous right hand.”
(Isaiah 41:10)
10 IF YOU ARE DEPRESSED ABOUT OLD AGE
“Let
not
your heart be troubled; believe in God,
believe
also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling
places; if it were not so, 1 would have told you; for
I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a
place for you, 1 will come again, and receive you to
Myself; that
where I
am, there you may be
also.”
(John 14:1-3)
“Be patient,
therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.”
(James 5:7)
11 IF YOUR MARRIAGE HAS BROKEN DOWN
The LORD says: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble,
I shall
rescue you, and you will honor Me.” “Blessed
be YHWH, who daily bears our burden;
the God
who is our salvation.”
(Psalm 50:15, 68:19)
12 IF THERE IS UNBEARABLE PRESSURE FROM RELATIVES
The Lord says: “I, even
I, am He who comforts you,
who are you that you are afraid of man who dies; and of
the son of man who is made like grass, that you have
forgotten YHWH your Maker, who stretched out the
heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; that you
fear contin-ually all day long because of the fury of
the oppressor, as he makes ready to destroy? But where
is the fury of the oppressor?” (Isaiah
51:12-13)
“Let your way of life be free from the love of money,
being content with what you have, for He Himself has
said,
I will never desert you,
nor will I ever forsake you, so that we confidently say,
The Lord is My Helper. I will not be afraid;
what shall man do to me?”
(Hebrews 13:5-6)
13 IF YOU ARE UNEMPLOYED AND FEEL EVERYTHING IS
HOPELESS
“Do not be anxious then, saying, What shall we eat? Or,
What shall we drink? Or, With what shall we clothe
ourselves? For all these things the Gentiles eagerly
seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things. But
seek first His Kingdom
and His righteousness;
and
all these things shall be added to you.
Therefore
do not be anxious for tomorrow;
for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own.”
(Matthew 6:31-34)
14 IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM OPPRESSION OR DEPRESSION
“To grant those who mourn in Zion; giving them a garland
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of
praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the
planting of YHWH, that He may be glorified.”
(Isaiah 61:3)
“And
the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension,
shall guard your hearts
and your minds
in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:7)
15 IF YOU ARE WEIGHED DOWN BY GUILT OR FEAR
“Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you.
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed
and dishonored;
Those who contend with you will be as nothing, and will
perish.
You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not
find them.
Those who war with you will be as nothing, and
non-existent.
For I am YHWH your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you’.” …
“Fear not, for you will not be put to shame;
Neither feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced.”
(Isaiah 41:10-13; 54:4)
16 IF YOU ARE CHILDLESS
“Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no
child. Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud,
you who have not travailed; for
the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than
the sons of the married woman, says YHWH.’’
(Isaiah 54:1)
“For behold, the days are coming when they will say
blessed are the barren,
and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that
never nursed.”
(Luke 23:29)
17 IF THERE ARE EVIL SPIRITS TROUBLING YOU
“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God
is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble’.
Submit therefore to God.
Resist the devil
and he will flee from you.”
(James 4:6-7)
“But the Lord is faithful, and He will
strengthen
and protect you
from the evil one.”
(2 Thessalonians 3:3)
18 IF YOU ARE PERSECUTED
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake
of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed
are you when men
revile
you, and
persecute
you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely,
on account of
Me.
Rejoice, and be glad, for
your reward in heaven is great,
for so they persecuted the prophets who were before
you.”
(Matthew 5:10-12)
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses
surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance,
and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us
run with endurance
the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the
joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God. For
consider Him
who has endured such hostility by sinners against
Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose
heart.”
(Hebrews 12:1-3)
19 IF YOU ARE FALSELY ACCUSED
“Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you,
and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on
account of Me.”
(Matthew 5:11)
“If you are reviled for the Name of Christ, you are
blessed, because the Spirit of Glory and of God
rests upon you.”
(1 Peter 4:14)
20 ANY OTHER REASON
“The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will
bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the
glory forever and ever. Amen.”
(2 Timothy 4:18)
“And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your
feet.”
(Romans 16:20)
God says,
“Call to Me, and I will answer you,
and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you
do not know.”
(Jeremiah 33:3)
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble.”
(Psalm 46:1)
Claim the
Promises, Personally
The foregoing promises and words of encouragement are a
few of the hundreds given in the Bible. But the promises
do us no good unless we personally claim them and
believe that what God has promised, that He will also
do. The old hymn puts it this way:
Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
And there’s another little song that says:
To get a touch from the Lord is so real,
To get a touch from the Lord is so real,
If you draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to you,
To get a touch from the Lord is so real.
The question is, beloved reader, do you want the
Heavenly Master to touch you, and to set you free from
your despair? If you do, call upon Him, and submit your
whole life to Him, and you will find it’s
real!
And soon you will be singing …
Shackled by a heavy burden,
’Neath a load of guilt and shame;
Then the Hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me! Oh He touched me!
And, oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened, and now I know,
He touched me, and made me whole!
This song reminds me of the poem that describes the
touch of the Master’s Hand that makes all the difference
in the world.
THE TOUCH OF
THE MASTER’S HAND
BY
MYRA BROOKS
’Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To
waste much time on the old violin
But
held it up with a smile;
‘What am I bidden, good folks,’ he cried,
‘Who’ll start the bidding for me?
A
dollar, a dollar, now two, only two,
Two
dollars and who’ll make it three?
Three dollars once, three dollars twice;
Going for three, but no !’ —
From
the room far back a gray haired man
Came
forward and picked up the bow;
Then
wiping the dust from the old violin
And
tightening up all the strings,
He
played a melody pure and sweet,
As
sweet as an angel sings.
The
music ceased and the auctioneer
With
a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, ‘What am I bid for the old violin?
And
he held it up with the bow,
‘A
thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two,
Two
thousand and who’ll make it three?
Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
And
going, and gone,’ said he.
The
people cheered, but some of them cried,
‘We
do not quite understand --
What
changed its worth? Swift came the reply,
‘The
touch of a Master’s hand.’
And
many a man with a life out of tune
And
battered and torn with sin
Is
auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd,
Much
like the old violin.
A
mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A
game, and he travels on,
He
is going once and going twice,
He’s
going and almost gone.
But
the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The
worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By
the touch of the Master’s hand.
IF ANY MAN IS IN CHRIST HE IS A NEW CREATURE
CHECK YOURSELF
Am I going to Heaven — or not?
Tick below the item or items upon which you are basing
your hopes for reaching Heaven after you die.
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1 Trying to Keep the Ten Commandments
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2 Gifts to Charity
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3 Doing my Best
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4 Leading a Good Life
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5 Doing Good Works
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6 Trying to Obey the Golden Rule
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7 Tithing, or Giving Money to God
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8 My Church Membership
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9 By regular Church Attendance
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10 My Prayers
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11 By Fasting
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12 My Baptism
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13 Taking Holy Communion
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14 Because I was born of Christian Parents
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15 My Confirmation
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16 Doing Penances
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17 Extreme unction
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18 Membership in a lodge or fraternity
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19 By fulfilling Pilgrimages
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20 By Religious Observances
Now check the explanations of the Items you have ticked
and find out whether you are on the way to Heaven.
If you have ticked :
--
No. 1 – This will not get you to Heaven. The Bible
states unmistakably:
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh
be justified in His (God’s) sight: for by the law is the
knowledge of sin.”
(Romans 3:20).
“That no man is justified by the law in the sight of
God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith.”
(Galatians 3:11)
No. 2, 3 or 4 – This is basing your hopes on something
which, according to God’s Word, will never save you.
“Not
by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved
us.”
(Titus 3:5)
No. 5, 6 or 7 – By trusting in these things you will
never see Heaven’s golden streets, for the emphatic
declaration of God is:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not of works,
lest any man should boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8.9)
No. 8, 9, 10 or 11 – Trusting in these things means you
are bound for Hell, not Heaven. Although these things
are all good in themselves, and although they might seem
to you to be sufficient to save you, yet God declares in
His sacred Word:
“We are all as an unclean thing and
all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags:
and we all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities like the
wind have taken us away.”
(Isaiah 64:6)
No. 12 or 13 – Don’t be deluded; baptism and communion
are for those who are already saved, for those who are
true believers.
(Acts 2:41; 1 Cor. 11:2 23-32).
These ordinances cannot save any one and were never
intended to do so.
No. 14 – Don’t rest your soul on a false hope. Children
born into Christian houses need to be saved like anyone
else, by receiving Christ personally. This is stated
plainly in John 1:12, 13.
“As many as received Him (Christ), to them gave He power
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
His Name; which were born
not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of the man
but of God.”
“Not of blood” means “not of one’s parentage.” One must
be born of God to be saved.
No. 15,16,17,18 -- Wake up before it is too late. None
of these things are even mentioned in the Bible. They
are merely inventions of men, and it is nothing short of
ridiculous to hope to reach Heaven by any of these
means.
No. 19, 20 -- these things may help you feel you are
doing something to earn salvation. But no matter how
many religious activities you engage in, they will not
give you a ticket to heaven. You cannot
earn
salvation.
For it is not “works of righteousness which we have
done.”
(Titus 3:5)
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest
any man should boast.”
(Ephesians
2:8-9)
Therefore, the inescapable conclusion is that the way to
Heaven is not found in any one, or in any combination,
of the items listed above. Even if you did all of these
things, you would still fail in your attempt to enter
Heaven’s gates at last.
What then, is the divinely ordained way of salvation?
The Bible gives a very definite answer. The only means
of spending eternity with God in Heaven is
by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and His redemptive
work on the cross.
It was because man could not save himself by any means
that God sent His only begotten Son to die as a
substitute for sinners. If man could have achieved
righteousness in some other way, then obviously the
Saviour need not have died.
When the Lord Jesus died on the cross at Calvary, and
rose again on the third day, He finished the work
necessary for salvation. Now all that God requires is
that we should acknowledge our need of Him and
receive
Him as
our personal Lord and Saviour.
Thus we read over and over in the Bible that the way to
Heaven is by
believing
in
the Son of God.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be
saved.”
(Acts 16:31)
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.”
(John 3:36)
“He who believes in Him is not condemned.”
(John 3:18)
In short, man is a sinner and cannot reach Heaven by
so-called good works, good character, personal effort,
or merit of any kind. His only hope of salvation rests
upon the finished work of Christ upon Calvary’s cross.
Thus, when the sinner trusts in the Saviour, he is saved
and on the authority of God’s Word, is bound for the
promised land -- Heaven.
Now the question is, “Will you accept God’s way of
salvation? Will you renounce the dead works in which you
are now trusting, and base your hopes for Heaven
henceforth upon the finished work of Christ?” The choice
is yours.
You may continue to rely on some of those 20 things
listed above. But if you do, you will go to a
Christ-less grave, and wake up in a lost eternity.
Or,
you may believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him
as your Saviour, and be saved for eternity.
IF YOU COULD TELEPHONE TO HEAVEN
and ask how to be saved,
you would receive the same answer the Bible gives !
God Has No Different Answer!
“God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life
... For God hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
Him ...
The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
(Romans 5:8; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:6)
“God has given to us
eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has
the Son has life.
These things have I written unto you that
believe on the Name of the Son of God; that you may know
that you have eternal life,
and that you may believe on the Name of the Son of God.”
(1 John 5:11-13)
JESUS BECAME OUR
SUBSTITUTE
By SIR
JAMES SIMPSON,
M.D.,
the inventor of Chloroform
WHEN I WAS a boy at school, I saw a sight 1 can never
forget — a man tied to a cart and dragged through the
streets of my native town, his back torn and bleeding
from the lash.
It was a shameful punishment. For many offenses? No;
for one offense. Did any of the townsmen offer to
divide the lashes with him? No! He who committed the
offense bore the penalty all alone. It was a penalty of
a changing law, for it was the last instance of its
infliction.
When I was a student at the university I saw another
sight I can never forget — a man brought to die. His
arms were tied; his face was pale as death — thousands
of eager eyes were upon him as he came from the jail.
Did any man ask to die in his place? Did any friend come
and loose the rope and say, “Put it around my neck; I
will die instead”?
No! He underwent the sentence of the law. For many
offenses? No! For one offense of robbery. He broke the
law at one point, and died for it. It was the penalty of
a changing human law in this case also; it was the last
instance of capital punishment being inflicted for that
offense.
I saw another sight I shall never forget -- myself a
sinner, standing on the brink of eternal punishment in
the lake of fire. For one sin? No! for many, many sins
committed against the unchanging laws of God.
I looked again, and behold, Jesus Christ became my
Substitute. He bore in His own body on the tree all the
punishment for my sins.
He died on the cross that I might live in Heaven. He
suffered -- the Just for the unjust -- that He might
bring me to God. He redeemed me from the curse of the
law. I sinned and was condemned to eternal punishment.
He bore the punishment and I am free.
The law of God required a perfect righteousness which I
never had. Again I looked unto Him and found that
“Christ is the end of the law to everyone who
believes.” The law required spotless purity, and I was
defiled with sin. Again I looked unto “Him who loved us
and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”
I was a child of Satan, a child of wrath; “but as many
as received Jesus, to them gave He the right to become
the children of God, even to them that believe on His
name.” And I found in Him not only my Substitute, but
the full supply of every need of my life.
I long for you to come to this Saviour also “for there
is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved.”
Call Upon the Saviour,
and Prove His Promise Now!
The Lord has said, “Call unto Me and I will answer you.”
(Jeremiah 33:3). That’s a big promise, and it covers
whatever problem you have!
But you may be saying, “What’s the catch? God isn’t
going to give me everything I ask for.”
It’s true, God is not going to give a person everything
he lightly or selfishly asks for. But His promise is
genuine to all who genuinely call upon Him. There
is
no catch. God wants you to call upon him for help, for
salvation and deliverance.
“Calling on God” is not simply asking Him to do the
miracle YOU
want to see done. It is calling upon Him
to take
over your situation. It is trusting Him to do
whatever
is best in His eyes. And it implies that we
are giving
our lives into His hands, so that He is able to
do in our
lives, whatever is needed. If we need to be
remolded,
then He must do it. If we need to be
straightened
out (and surely we all do need straightening
out),
then we must let Him do it.
The
miracle that we need most is not relief
from a certain
situation, but a certain change of heart.
In fact, God
says in Ezekiel 36:26-27:
“I
will give you a new heart and put a new spirit
within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from
your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. And I will
put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes and you will be careful to observe My
ordinances.”
God is seeking to rectify our lives, and He wants to be
totally involved with every part of our lives.
So my dear burdened reader, hand over your problem, and
your life to God, and call upon Him in the Name of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
But someone may be saying, “I don’t have faith to
believe. It is no use me calling to God.”
If that is so, then you must first ask God for the faith
to believe. Don’t worry about how you feel. Simply pray;
“Oh God, I am lacking faith. Please give me the gift of
faith to believe and to claim Your promises. I ask in
Jesus’ Name.”
If you are sincere, you will find God stirring your
heart and mind, and giving you the faith to believe.
Now don’t go on another moment in your burdened
condition. Call on the Saviour now! The following prayer
may help you to express your thoughts -- but pray
sincerely from the depths of your heart.
DECISION
PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
I come to You, just as I am, with all my confusion,
fears, burden and sins. I lay all this at Your feet, and
call upon You to save me right now. You know the deep
need of my life, and I ask You and trust You to save me,
and to make me a new creature in the Messiah, and have
Your way in my life.
I believe that the Lord Jesus is the Anointed One who
died for me, and that He rose again from the tomb. He is
the living Saviour, and I place my whole life and needs
in His hands, and I will trust Him as My Saviour and
Master from this day on.
Father, I claim Your promise to deliver me from
oppression, and to give to me the rest and peace that
You have promised.
I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank
You, Father. Amen
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