Replies to post #276 on CHRISTIAN ROCK CAFE

[shaneyboy]

(II chron 16:9) I really like this verse, to me it says God's desire is to use his people as a light to others that his power is strong and alive, (real) in their lives. I think we all know how you are suddenly placed under the microscope when you lean on God for your strength.

[shaneyboy]

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God 9Ps. 42:1). Some of the most godly men through the ages have suffered from depression. A list of these men would include Elijah, David, and from more recent times Martin Luther. They all resolved their inner emptiness through a close walk with God.

[shaneyboy]

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that i desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart fail: but God is the stregth of my heart, and my portion for ever. (Ps.73:25,26).---- It is natural for all of us at one time or another to experience problems. There are times when our physical and emotional capabilities do not sufficiently cope with every problem. During these times God wants to show me His great stregth. Acknowledging Him as "the stregth of my heart," as David did in this psalm, I know I can depend on Him. The heart is the seat of the mind, emotions, and will. If I turn my heart over to God, He will be my portion forever."

[shaneyboy]

DRAW CLOSE TO GOD... You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. (Isa.26:3).------ A lack of internal peace characterizes the depressed person. One way for him to gain this peace is to "stay" his mind on God. Anxiety is really a lack of faith. It is a fear of the unknown. It is frequently a fear of finding out the truth about our unconcious motives, desires, and temptations. If we really trust and depend on God, He will relieve our fears of the unknown; if we draw close to Him, we can depend on Him to love us in spite of our faults and to help us gradually overcome them. We will thus become more and more like His Son, Jesus Christ. We will be participating in His sanctification of us, and our minds will be kept, by Him, "in perfect peace."

[shaneyboy]

Draw Close To God ___ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often i wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!(Matt. 23:37)________ One of the keys to dealing with our various emotional states is to recognize that Christ really is for us,that he wants to see us find happiness in life. If we recognize this we are freed to open ourselves to the good things He has for us. During a hailstorm, a mother hen-at the risk of her own life-instinctively opens her wings for her young chicks to run under, in order to save thier lives. In this precious passage of scipture, Christ shows His tremendous love for us humans by alluding to his own approuching death on the cross for our sins, comparing it indirectly to a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings to protect them. Surely Christ stands ready to love us and protect us if only we will let Him. He gives us that choise. The Jews He witnessed to in Jerusalem that day chose to reject Him, but we (whether we are Gentile or Jewish) can choose to accept His intimacy and His protection from eternal damnation as well as from the hell of emotional pain in this life.

[shaneyboy]

Draw Close To God____For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, Abba, Father (Romans.8:15)._______ The depressed person feels as though he is in bondage. He is in bondage to his depression. God has reminded us the He is our Father, and He wants us to talk to him about our fears. To some extent our perents may have accepted us conditionally. We may, at times, have feared thier rejection if we did not live up to thier expectations. In that sence, we were in bondage to them. Thier rejections lowered our self-esteem. Our heavenly Father, on the other hand, is perfectly loving. If we have turned toward him, we are adopted into his eternal family. He accepts us unconditionally, as only God can; and we are no longer under a "spirit of bondage again to fear," as we were with our imperfect human perents.

[shaneyboy]

Draw Close To God____He that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with HIm also freely give us all things? (Rom. 8:32)._______ Persons who have had a lifelong habit of handling problems by becoming depressed, angry, or worried need to learn more satisfactory and effective ways of handling thier problems. It is helpful to recognize that our heavenly Father, who was willing to spare His own Son's life for us, stands willing and ready to give us "all things." The phrase "all things" can definitely include eventual victory over a depressive life style. The fruits of drawing close to God and yielding to His Spirit are love, joy, and peace; they replace our human tendency toward bitterness, depression, and anxiety.

[shaneyboy]

#8 Draw Close To God____Is any thing too hard for the Lord? (Gen. 18:14a).____When individuals say, "I can't," what they usually mean is, "I won't." When anyone says he cant get over his depression, he might well encourage himself by recalling this rhetorical guestion which God asked of Abraham. For the Christian can do all things, including getting over depression, through Christ who strengthens him. Nothing is too hard for the Lord!

[shaneyboy]

#9 Trust God___ God is not man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: has he said, and will he not do it? or has he spoken, and will he not make it good? ()Num. 23:19).___ When a person becomes depressed he often finds it difficult to believe that anyone is genuinely interested in him. One's confidence in others (including God) often becomes shaken. God wants to reassure us that He is actively at work in our lives even though we may not be aware of his faithfulness to us. He won't lie to us. He will make His promises good. But many chronically depressed Christians fail to responsilbly handle thier interalized anger and refuse to do what they need to do to get over thier depression. They blame God for not making thier depression disappear, though in reality the responsilility is thier own.

[shaneyboy]

#10 Trust God___ The Lord is my shepperd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul 0Ps. 23:1-3a).___ This is one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. God has used it through the centuries to comfort many hearts, to restore many souls. If I will trust God, He will shepherd me, lead me beside still waters, and restore my soul. What a tremendous comfort!

[shaneyboy]

#16 Trust God___ And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and make fat your bones: and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters will not fail (Isa. 58:11).--- God promised the children of Israel that He wouold satisfy their "soul in drought." He can satisfy our soul today when we are in the drought of depression. He can make us like a well-watered garden or a perennial spring of water.

[shaneyboy]

#17 Trust God___ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (jer.29:11). --- In this verse God was speaking to his children (Israel) while they were captives in Babylon. Today. He can encourage us when we are captives of depression. We can be assured the He wants us to experience an abundant life of joy and peace.

[shaneyboy]

#18 Trust God___ For behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and you will be tilled and sown (Ezek.36:9).----Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness often pervade the life of the depressed person. The depressed person can be encouraged if he will notice in the Scriptures the nimerous times that God has helped those who have felt hopeless and helpless.

[shaneyboy]

#20 Trust God___ Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord.---When one feels that depression is beyond what he can overcome, he needs to realize that God can overcome anything. No man can permanently concuer depression by his own might or power; he must rely on God's Spirit for strength and guidance.

[shaneyboy]

A Hundred Years From Now ... it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house i lived in, or the kind of car i drove... but the world may be different because i was important in the life of a child. - writen on my morning cup of coffee. =o)

[shaneyboy]

#21 Trust God___O wretched man that i am! who will deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom.7:24). --- Often those people who struggle with emotions that are difficult to handle can identify with this verse. They are confused as to the way out of this emotional entrapment. It is important for them to remember that there is a friend who will help. The victory can be won through Jesus.

[shaneyboy]

#22 Trust God___ I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me (Phil. 4:13. --- Seventy-five percent of people who are significantly depressed feel they will ever get better. They are wrong. We can overcome depression through Christ. Sometimes the answers are not simple, but there definitly is hope. This verse proves that for the Christian there is no such thing as "cant." We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. It also show that we must participate with God. He won't make our depression go away automatically, but will give us the strength to do what He wants us to do. Passive Christians wait around for God to make their depressions go away without participating with God through responsible action-and then they wonder why they remain depressed for years and years.

[shaneyboy]

#23 Trust God___ Casting all your cares upon him; for he cares for you (I Peter 5:7). --- The depressed individual may feel that no one cares. God cares and longs for the individual to know that He does. He desires that we turn over our anxieties to Him, believing He will help us. We should let God "worry" about the things we tend to get anxious about, for He won't develop ulcers or depression.

[shaneyboy]

#24 Depend on God ___ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good i find not (Rom. 7:18). --- A legalistic attitude can add to an already existing depression. God desires for us to realize that the Christian life is a supernatural life and can be lived only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

[shaneyboy]

#25 Depend on God ___ And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most glady therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (II Cor. 12:9). ------------------------------------------------------------- The depressed person often has feelings of inadequacy out of all proportion to reality. He needs to realize that God's strength is "made perfect in weakness." Many Christians become discouraged by what they regard as their uncorrectable defects. They frequently even become angry at God for not making them perfect. In order to keep the apostle Paul humble, God gave him a physical defect (probably an eye disorder). Three different times Paul prayed in faith for God to heal him, but on all three occasions God said no. Paul resolved his inferiority feelings by depending on God to make the right decision, even though that meant he would be left with his infirmity. Paul turned his gloomy attitude to joy, deciding to glory in his infirmities, so the power of Christ could be demonstrated through him.

[shaneyboy]

# 26 Accept Christ as a New Resourse ___ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Cor. 5:17). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The realization that Christ died for our sins and the acceptance of Him as our Savior can give us a tremendous resource for dealing with problems (including depression). When we accept Christ and turn from sin, we become new in our spirit. The Holy Spirit of God comes to indwell in us. He desires to transform our mind, emotions, and will over a period of time. It may not emmediately relieve depression, but it gives us a highly effective new resource for dealing with the depression.

[shaneyboy]

#27 Learn to Rest in Christ ___ Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------One symptom of depression is boredom. The every-day things that one used to enjoy (job, recreation, etc.) become laborious and tiresome. In this verse the depressed person is invited to embark on a supernatural adventure-the adventure of learning from the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit those things which produce the internal rest that only God can give. Many Christians try to cover up their sad emotions by taking on more and more work. They become workaholics to avoid looking at themselves or their true feelings. They fool themselves into thinking these additional responsibilities are from God. Then they get angry at God for giving them such a difficult yoke and such heavy burdens.
In reality, the difficult yoke and heavy burdens are not from God, but are self-imposed. They are a choice, perhaps handed down from a legalistic, negavitistic church. They may even be a compensation for suppressed inferiority feelings and a fear of failure. God wants us to cast off our self-imposed difficult tasks and heavy burdens and replace them with His easy yoke and light burden. We don't need to waste our time doing twenty superfluous chores a day to prove our worth. It is better to do every day two or three things which God convinces us to do, and to do them well!

[shaneyboy]

#28 Enjoy Christ ___ For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death (Rom. 8:2, NASB). -----------------------------------------------------------------------Many of us regard God as a tyrant who puts us on a legalistic treadmill, demanding strict adherence to rigid laws. But God does not want us to be His slaves; rather His Spirit grants us a refreshing freedom. Gods principles are His gift of love to us. If we joyfully live according to Gods wise recommendations, then we will have love, joy, peace, and the other fruits of the Spirit. But if we self righteously and legalistically impose on ourselves rigid laws, thinking them to be from God, then we will suffer the concequences of the subtle form of "religious" sin. God wants us to enjoy "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," rather than to be bound by "the law of sin and of death."

[shaneyboy]

Focusing on Gods Word #29 Meditate on Gods Word ___ This book of law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is writen therein: for then thou shalt have good success (Josh. 1:8). ---------------------------------------------------------------To gain stability in life, nothing is more helpful than memorizing and meditating on Gods Word. God will slowly but surely chip away at problems in our life with His Word.

[shaneyboy]

#32 Meditate on Gods Word _____ I have written unto you fathers, because you have known him that is from the biggining. I have written to you young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides within you, and you have overcome the wicked one.---------------------------------------------------------------------------One way the evil one desires to render a Christian ineffective is through depression. The young men referred to in this verse are described as strong. They were strong because the Word of God was in them. The Word of God can also make us strong today and, thus, less prone to depression. We should memorize it, meditate on it, and- most importantly- apply it to our lives.

[shaneyboy]

#37 Recognise the Supernatural Power of God's Word __________ For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, because, when you recieved the word of God which you heard from us, you recieved it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe (I Thess. 2:13). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Word of God is not like the word of men. It is absolutely inerrant and supernatural. It can effectively work in us to overcome our depression.

[shaneyboy]

#39_ Recognise the Supernatural Power of God's Word _________ Through faith we understand that the worlds are framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Heb. 11:3). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------God created the whole universe by His spoken word. How powerful His spoken word must be: If one traveled across the Milky Way at the speed of light, he would be 100,000 yrs old on completing the journey. And the Milky Way is only one of billions of galaxies. If God's spoken word can create a universe, then His written word can overcome depression.

[shaneyboy]

#40 Hold Fast to God's Promises _____ Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it will be even as it was told me (Acts 27: 25). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When the apostle Paul said these words, the ship he was on was about to sink. The crew was experiencing extreme anxiety. Sometimes we need just to be patient and hold fast to the promises of God.

[shaneyboy]

#41 __ Fill Inner Emptiness with the Joys of Gods Word _______ The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever (Isa. 40:*, NASB). ------------------------------------------------------------=o)---------------------------------------------------------------------The depressed person feels an emptiness inside. God desires to fill that emptiness with His Word. His Word will "stand forever."

[shaneyboy]

#42 __ Fill Inner Emptiness with the Joys of Gods Word _______ Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of host (Jer. 15:16). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Word of God can literally give us joy that will help to counteract depression. Meditation on Scripture will result in a rejoicing heart.

[shaneyboy]

#43 __ Fill Inner Emptiness with the Joys of Gods Word _______ And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the sciptures? (Luke 24:32). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Scriptures are alive. If we regard the Bible as more than just a book to be studied, we will begin to really enjoy it and allow it to encourage us. It can "burn within" our hearts as it brings about healing.