Thank God For Stress – Part Two
Jesus said don’t “have an anxious mind.” Take these steps to renewal. First, some physical ones and then some spiritual ones.
Sometimes a chemical imbalance exists, causing a person great stress and anxiety. Often this requires good medical attention and proper counsel. A person with extreme stress and anxiety should start at this point. This field is a marvelous modern arena of healing and renewal. Then – – –
* Aerobic exercise is expedient. Some seem to think it is the panacea. However, exercising the major muscle groups reduces the stress level and helps clear the mind. Get your heart rate up to a level suitable for your age group and physical condition. Twenty minutes a day three times a week will not build physical stamina, but it will help maintain your level of physical fitness and relieve stress.
When you exercise vigorously your body produces and releases a group of hormones known as endorphins. These are natural pain-killers and mood-elevating chemicals that are associated with feelings of happiness. Put your endorphins to work for you.
* Calm yourself by eating foods high in complex carbohydrates found in grains, beans, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables. They have a calming effect because they increase levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain, which helps you feel more relaxed.
* Establish a quiet time during the day. A minute vacation can help clear the mind and relax the body. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, relax your shoulders. Deep breathing increases oxygen in your brain and body, helping to relax muscles and calm you. Flood your mind with Scripture promises. Simply thinking about your work won’t help.
Now some spiritual solutions.
* Confess all the sin in your life. Make sure nothing stands in the way of a close personal relationship between you and the Lord. Throw overboard what doesn’t belong on board.
* Explain your stress to God in detail, just like He doesn’t know about it. Believe me, He does.
* Believe that He is right now working out the answer. Don’t simply believe He is going to. Accept the fact that He is already at work on the project and the project is you.
* Search the Scripture. Make it a point not only to study the Scripture daily, but add this additional discipline. Memorize a new verse every day and go back and review all previously memorized. Then you can truly say, “Thy word have I hidden in my heart.”
In considering your stresses, all of them, consider the application of these steps.
Perhaps you have lost some of your life’s joy, have become more edgy, dissatisfied, and critical without realizing the reason to be you have gotten away from the Word. Return to reading it daily. Remember: “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3) Now comes the hard step. Apply these concepts.
Thank God For Stress – Part One
Jesus said don’t “have an anxious mind.” (Luke 12: 29)
Is that your personal profile? Does the concept of an anxious mind describe you? Are you stressed out?
If so, welcome to the human race, where everyone seems to lose. Speaking here in America, the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health of England said, “The whole Western world is under stress. It is one of the fastest growing diseases in the world.”
In studies made by the American Academy of Family Practitioners done over the last ten years, they concluded that two-thirds of all patients seen by general practitioners have problems that are stress-related.
Stress is a good God-given ability. Normal stress is motivating. It is a stimulus. If it were not for stress your heart wouldn’t keep beating overnight. You wouldn’t even wake up in the morning. Stress does that.
Dr. Hans Selye, director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine and Surgery at the University of Montreal and the father of some of the most extensive research on stress said: “Stress is the spice of life.” Stress is what keeps your heart beating, your lungs breathing, and your stomach digesting while you sleep. He adds, “Complete freedom from stress is death.”
Stress is good. It becomes bad when it develops into distress. The load in life is good. It is the overload that is bad. The overload can cause anxiety, depression, migraine headaches, peptic ulcers, strokes, and heart attacks.
Rudyard Kipling wrote about the ship “Dimbula.” Kipling wrote as though the ship were alive and had a personality. After 16 days of a stormy voyage this statement was made by Dimbula, “Now we have a great ship.”
“My master has taken me through the rough spots in which everything seemed to be coming apart, and I have become what I have been made to be.” This conclusion follows.
“Because I have a master, I am a ship.”
When you have Jesus as your Master and obey Him then and only then you can become the ship you were made to be. In dealing with stress remember:
“Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?” (Luke 12:24)
“If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Luke 12:28)
“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” (Vs. 16)
The Psalmist said it well: “He restores my soul…”
We often need God to bring back the springtime to our souls.
Pause and acknowledge your stress to the Lord, and ask for His renewal.
Jesus Has A Need Only You Can Meet
Jesus Christ had a need on the great day of His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. There was only one person who could meet it. Jesus needed a simple donkey. Yet, that donkey was essential to the plan God laid before the foundation of the earth.
The owner of the donkey sent it “immediately” (Mark 11:3). Such should be our response.
Jesus had the authority to command the donkey, but He gave the owner a free will to choose. He does the same for us.
Today Jesus has a need. He needs you to take a stand for Him. He needs for that to be consistent and continual. He has given you the free will to give Him what He needs, you. In turn He has promised to be with you and bless you. His commitment to us is consistent and continual.
For sometime I carried in my wallet a little verse often read as a reminder of His presence.
“The light of God surrounds me
The love of God enfolds me
The power of God protects me
The presence of God watches over me
Wherever I am, God is!”
I have a newspaper clipping that reminds me of an occasion when I took it out and reread it. It tells of a Delta 727 carrying 133 passengers, and a Cessna narrowly avoiding a mid-air collision approaching the Memphis International Airport. The report describes the two planes engaging in “evasive action” resulting in them missing each other by 200 feet. The report describes the pilot of the 727 making a nose dive to avoid the collision. All shook up physically and emotionally, I re-read my poem. Whew!
When you have your near misses in life, in whatever form they may come, you can be sure He is with you.
The Word of God still applies that ancient directive to folks like us: “The Lord has need …” How will you respond?
One of the most joyous days in a person’s life is when it is realized the Lord has need of them. That gives a sense of personal importance, a sense of self-worth.
As it was said of Jesus we need to confirm: “Lo, I came to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10: 5, 7)
In our former home town of New Orleans a walk along the docks is always refreshing and enlightening. Occasionally a person will try to stowaway on a ship to go to another country. Once I saw a sign there stating: “Stowaways will be prosecuted on the other side.” That is to be true spiritually in the judgment.
Instead, when you arrive on the “other side,” may you be greeted with, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
Rock of Ages
“We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26: 1b – 4)
In using the illustration of a city of his day, Isaiah likens it to our relationship with the Lord.
It is a “strong city.” Such a city was secured by its walls. If you trust Him you have the security He offers.
For the protection of the city walls to be yours, you must enter. (Vs. 2) Two traits are essential for entry.
Character. It is described as “righteous.” Scripture says, “There is none righteous…?” It is only possible by applied righteousness which in reality is acquired righteousness, acquired from Jesus. When a person trusts in and commits to Jesus as Savior, the righteousness of Jesus is credited to that person.
Commitment. One must “keep the truth.” Live by it. Keeping the truth is like a sailor who keeps a ship. In times of trouble the ship keeps the sailor. You keep the truth and the truth keeps you.
Our Lord gives “perfect peace.” (Vs 3) Our word “peace” is derived from the Latin PAX. In Greek and in English the word means to agree. When we agree with God, peace prevails. It is inner harmony. It is “perfect,” meaning it can sustain any test. It is perfect because it is His.
Until such an agreement is reached, there is no peace. Anxiety, fear, worry, depression, and a lack of contentment prevail. Peace is inner harmony. Transfixation: “whose mind is stayed on thee.” (Vs. 3)
Our deep space probes have an on-board guidance system. It is housed in the missile on a gyroscopically stable platform. This sensitive guidance device is pre-programmed in advance of launch. It is locked on to a specific target in space, such as a star. No matter what the missile is doing or what tasks are undertaken by it, this device stays fixed on the target. It is guided by the object it is locked on to. So our minds must be fixed on Christ.
Trust: “he trusts in You.” (Vs. 3b) This means to rely on Him.
If our minds are “stayed on Him” and our trust is strong in Him, He will “Keep” us. That means He will sustain and maintain us.
Our Lord gives power. “YAH is everlasting strength.” (Vs.4)
JAH is short for Jehovah and the name Jehovah speaks of God’s eternal
nature. By using the name Jehovah along with Lord, these two names emphasize His eternal strength. He is the One who always has been and always will be, the eternal God.
It is He who is our everlasting strength. The expression “everlasting strength” means He is “the Rock of Ages,” really the ageless Rock This speaks of His unchanging consistency. In a world of relativity He is the ultimate absolute. He doesn’t change. Now it simply remains for you to accept these principles and to apply them.
Pray, “Rock of Ages … let me hide myself in thee.”
The Helper 3/21/99
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever;” (John 14:16).
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).
Jesus Christ has left you a legacy. He has provided a very special gift, a heritage, for all who commit to Him.
On the eve He was ending His earth walk He shared news of this gift with those who shared this walk for three years. In the upper room He related the nature of the gift. He said:
“I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16).
His reference was to the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ came to earth to seek and to save. He planted His flag of victory at a place called Calvary. There He won for us a victory. Our future is secure. Because our future is secure we can throw ourselves into the present. Death for the believer is behind us only life eternal is before us. Though the spiritual victory has been won there are still mopping up battles to be fought. To guide us into victory Christ has left us His Commander-in-Chief, the Holy Spirit.
We live in a spirit world. It is strange that there has never been a time when people believed more in the spirit world than today. Nor has there been a time when there has been more Biblical ignorance regarding it. The growing new age movement is based on belief in the spirit world. Satanism is predicated on it. Books on angels are among the most popular sellers. The entertainment fields of TV and movies thrive on it. The world of evil spirits has the most rapidly growing holiday in our era, Halloween. Yet, the church with the greatest heritage of belief in the Spirit world is basically mute on the subject.
There is a Spirit dimension to life. Though unseen it is as real as the physical world we see. Let me illustrate!
Most persons adhere to the long standing belief that there are four dimensions to an object: height, depth, width, and breath. Now physicists are telling us there may actually be as many as 26 physical dimensions to any object.
Along comes Mr. and Mrs. Flat and they see everything in one dimension —- flat. Therefore, they don’t see and consequently don’t believe in what is right above or below them. They don’t believe in height or depth. That doesn’t change the fact there is height and depth. They just miss out on it. Likewise, unfortunately many people are missing out on the spirit aspect of life. Christ said:
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me” (John 15:26).
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to call attention to Christ not to Himself. In that sense our mission is like His. If a person has an experience that leaves him or her talking more about the Holy Spirit or the experience than about Christ it is not of the Holy Spirit.
Such an experience is of the spirit, but it is not the Holy Spirit. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God” (I John 4:1). There are evil spirits in the spirit world that counterfeit experiences in order to confuse and deceive. If you were going to make a counterfeit $20.00 bill what would you make it look life? You would want it to look as identical to a $20.00 as possible to deceive. Satan causes some persons to be deceived by counterfeit spiritual experiences.
The mission of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ, not us, our experience, or Himself, but Christ.
The word translated “Helper” in some translations and “Comforter” in others is PARAKLETOS. It is a compound word one of which means “to cry [for help]” and the other means “to run.” The word pictures the Holy Spirit as one ready to run to help us when we ask for help.
The word was also used in a court of law to denote a legal assistant, the counsel for the defense, and advocate. It is used for one who pleads the case of another.
The reason modern translations use the familiar word “Helper” it the term PARAKLETOS literally means, “one call to assist another, one present to provide beneficial service.”
If you are a Christian you have already received this wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit whether you know it or not.
When Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the believer the Holy Spirit is imparted. Get this —-
It is not our attainment but because of Christ’s atonement that we have the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The fact every believer has the Holy Spirit is contrary to some teaching by some churches, therefore, it must be sustained by Scripture in order to be accepted. Consider:
“Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).
If you are His, you have received the gift of the Helper.
In dealing with a matter of belief Paul asked persons in Corinth: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19: 2). When they answered no Paul ascertained they had believed in John not Jesus. The test for them and for us is if you have believed on Christ as Savior you have the Helper.
The Holy Spirt was Christ’s birthday gift to the church. It is His birthday gift to every believer on the day of their new birth.
When we rely on organization we get what organization can do.
When we rely on education we get what education can do.
When we rely on eloquence we get what eloquence can do.
When we rely on the Holy Spirit we get what God can do.
(A.C. Dixon)
Unfortunately, if the Holy Spirit were to die 95% of the churches would go right on like they are. So would most believers.
The issue isn’t how much of the Holy Spirit we have. We have all of Him. The issue is how much of us does the Holy Spirit have.
Dwight L. Moody was the Billy Graham of his day. When as a young man he visited England he heard Henry Varley say, “The world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is fully consecrated to the Holy Spirit.”
Moody reasoned: “He said ‘a man.’ He did not say ‘a great man,’ nor ‘a rich man,’ ‘nor a wise man,’ nor ‘an eloquent man,’ but simply ‘a man.’ I am a man, and it lies within a man himself whether he will or will not make that entire and full consecration. I will try my utmost to be that man.” Moody did and was used of God in a wonderful way.
When Moody was at his height a group of ministers met in Philadelphia to consider inviting him to preach a revival in that city. A number favored the idea and shared what great things God had done through Moody. Finally, one who opposed the idea spoke up and said, “To hear you talk, one would think D.L. Moody has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit.”
A wise minister responded, “We did not intend to create that impression, but I do believe the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on D. L. Moody.”
Every believer is the recipient of the Holy Spirit. Does He have a monopoly on you?
“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…” (I Corinthians 12: 13).
In considering this text it is important to note one little word first. It is the word “by.” It is not “of” or “with,” but “by.” Often persons of a certain persuasion will ask if you have been baptized “with” the Holy Spirit or if you have been baptized “by” the Holy Spirit. The Scripture does not use those words. It is the Holy Spirit who does the baptizing into the body of Christ.
“All” refers to every believer. Therefore what is spoken of here is universal among all Christians.
“All” were “baptized into one body.”
The word “baptized into” means identified with.
Matthew 10: 2 speaks of being baptized into Moses referring to those who followed him who became identified with him as a follower.
The “one body” refers to the “body of Christ,” as reference to the community of believers.
There is an obvious fact here. If this act is for all, that is, it is universal, it has to be initial. That is, at the moment of salvation.
To understand this consider all in this room were saved at 10:00 AM one morning. At that moment one segment of the crowd was baptized “by” the Holy Spirit, that is, received the Holy Spirit. Another segment didn’t receive the gift of the Helper until 6:00 PM that same day. That means part of the group was without the Helper for eight hours. The Scripture says “all” have the Helper.
Instant replay: If the act is universal it has to be initial.
The Helper is perpetually with you. He is there in one of three states. You alone determine which. Preferably:
I. YOU ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
Everybody is full of something. Some are full of football, some of bull. At this time of year some wives are “fed up with” basketball.
When drunk a person is under the influence of alcohol. The expression “filled with the Spirit” means to be under Christ’s controlling influence. The Helper is His advocate Who indwells every believer to advocate Christ’s cause in life.
Three things need to be noted regarding this text:
1. It is a command. It is in the imperative mood meaning do it. Anything short of being filled is sin, it is disobedience to the Word of God.
2. It is continuous action. It is in the perpetual present tense meaning “keep on being filled with the Spirit.” Let your continuous norm be being filled with the Spirit.
3. It is in the passive voice, meaning this is something God does for us but we must let Him.
You can tell if you are Spirit filled by whether you are bearing the “fruit of the Spirit” spoken of:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:23).
Are these traits characteristic of your life?
Observe the word “fruit” is singular and the result plural. The old English word “fruit” was used to speak of harvest. Therefore, there is one harvest and all of these traits are the crop.
We are commanded to be “filled with the Spirit.” One person responded “I can’t hold much, but I can overflow a lot.”
We are called to be consistent in Christ, constantly being filled. We are not to be spiritual chameleons. A chameleon is a lizard that changes colors depending on the color of the surface on which it is. If on green it turns green. If on brown it turns brown. Supposedly a chameleon crawled on a piece of plaid and exploded trying to conform. Many Christians do the same.
Are you living a Spirit filled life? If not there are only two reasons. One is:
II. YOU ARE GRIEVING THE HOLY SPIRIT
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).
“This is not a promise to be claimed. This is a command to be obeyed” Charles Spurgeon.
We grieve the Holy Spirit when He is leading us not to do something and we do it. Remember, He is Christ’s advocate. He is constantly advocating Christ’s cause in our lives. If He advocates us not doing a particular thing and we do it we grieve Him. He does not leave us. He is still in us but not being allowed to fill us, therefore, He is grieved.
Attitudes which we must put away in order not to grieve the Holy Spirit are identified for us.
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31).
Monitor yourself. If any one of those exist in your life you are not a Spirit filled believer. You are presently grieving the Holy Spirit. You can never be filled, that is controlled by the Holy Spirit, until you get all of these out of your life.
It is He who seals us “for the day of redemption.” That means He keeps us once we are saved. A seal was used by a monarch. When placed on an item that meant the item was
The POSSESSION of the King. Believers are Christ possessed.
It meant it was the PROTECTORATE of the King.
III. YOU ARE QUENCHING THE HOLY SPIRIT
“Do not quench the Spirit” (I Thessalonians 5:19).
We grieve the Holy Spirit when He is leading us not to do a thing and we do it.
We quench the Spirit when He is leading us to do a certain thing and we don’t do it. “To quench” means to “put out, cool down, or subdue.”
In either and both states He does not leave us. He is with us but not in control of us. When He is out of control we are out of control of Christ.
Let’s have a rerun on one phase of this message. If you are not living a spirit filled life you are disobeying the Lord. Isn’t this a wonderful time to begin to obey Him.