You Can Overcome!

December 10, 2009 by bonlou

Do you have problems?  Does fear and worry seem to follow you around all day long?  Does the future seem scary?  Do you face trials that seem overwhelming?  If you answer “yes,” to any of these questions I want to encourage you today that you can overcome!

How do I know that?  Well, I know because of the written Word.  Yes, the Bible clearly states that we will have trials and temptations.  Look at James.

Jas 1:2-4 NASB Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (4) And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

God tests our faith by trials to see if we are genuine. We get through them and as a result we have more endurance and our faith grows which helps us to work toward perfection and completeness.  Of course, we will not be perfect and totally complete until we are in Heaven. 

When anxiety and fear raise their ugly heads in your life, God gives you choices. What do you do?  Do you give in to it? Or do you resist the temptation to sin and set your mind on things of the Lord? 

Col 3:2 NASB Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

When you are worried, stop doing that, and think about Bible verses.  Meditate on them.  Read some of the Psalms.  Get your mind on things above and off from your feelings, and fears.  This needs to become a new habit.

We can take comfort in the fact that God will not allow us to undergo a trail or temptation that is too great for us.  He is still there, Sovereign, and in control.  He is our Heavenly Father, loving and kind.  He only allows anything into our lives that will be good for us in the end.  It may not seem that way now, but someday we will see the purpose.

1Co 10:13 NASB No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

“As a ground of encouragement to those who are in temptation and trial. God knows what they are able to endure; and he will sustain them in their temptations. It matters not how severe the trial; or how long it may be continued; or how much they may feel their own feebleness; yet He who has appointed the trial is abundantly able to uphold them. They may, therefore, repose their all upon Him, and trust to His sustaining grace.”  (Barnes commentary)

Remember, that others have survived the same trials and temptations that you are experiencing.  You are not different.  You are not the only one who feels the way you feel. It might not seem that way, but it is true.

God still loves you no matter how you feel.  We sometimes get caught up in our feelings and forget the facts.

Rom 8:35-39 LITV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (36) Even as it has been written, “For Your sake we are killed all the day; we are counted as sheep of slaughter.” Psa. 44:22 (37) But in all these things we more than conquer through Him loving us. (38) For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

No matter what we go through God is there with us and His love sustains us.  That allows us to be “more than conquers through Him loving us.”  That means to over-conquer, to conquer completely without any real threat to personal life or health.  NOTHING can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.  That is an amazing statement. 

Whatever is going on in our life right now we know that God is totally in control. He is raising us up because we are His own children.  Sometimes He allows bad things to come our way in order to test and train us.  We are slowing becoming more and more like Christ as we journey through this life.  We face our trials and we grow in Him.  We learn many lessons and depend on Christ alone to sustain us.

1Jn 4:4 LITV Little children, you are of God and have overcome them, because He in you is greater than he in the world.

Yes, we can be overcomers!  God is greater than the evil one who is in this world.

Again, I ask, “Are you overcome by the trials in your life?”  Seek God and obey the things you learn in the Word.  You will overcome!  You have God on your side!  What a Wonderful Savior!

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, Faith, Health, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Day by Day

December 7, 2009 by bonlou

See more from Cyberhymnal here!

To think of the agony this woman must have gone through as she watched her own father drown.  So many times tragedies bring out the most beautiful inspiring songs.  The words to this hymn are very inspiring and uplifting to all who are down but love the Lord.–Bonnie  
P.S. If you click on MIDI below you can hear the music too.  
“As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Deuteronomy 33:25

Lina was the daugh­ter of Jo­nas San­dell, pas­tor of the Lu­ther­an church in Fröd­eryd. At age 26, she ac­com­pa­nied her fa­ther on a boat trip across Lake Vättern to Gö­te­borg, dur­ing which he fell over­board and drowned be­fore her eyes. The tra­ge­dy pro­found­ly af­fect­ed Lina and re­port­ed­ly in­spired her to write hymns. Known as the Fan­ny Cros­by of Swe­den, she wrote 650 hymns. She mar­ried Stock­holm mer­chant C. O. Berg in 1867, but con­tin­ued to in­i­tial her hymns “L. S.”

Lina Sandell (1832-1903)
 Words: Kar­o­lina W. San­dell-Berg, 1865 (Blott en dag, ett ögon­blick i sän­der); trans­lat­ed from Swed­ish to Eng­lish by An­drew L. Skoog (1856-1934). Music: Blott en Dag, Os­kar Ahn­felt, 1872 (MI­DI, score).

Oskar Ahnfelt (1813-1882)

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Power;
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
Ever to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.

Монгол хэл | Svenska

 

08/07/2007 06:40:13

Posted in American culture, Christian, Faith, Hymns, inspirational, Worship | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

What are You Thankful For?

November 20, 2009 by bonlou

Psa 100:1-5 NASB

A Psalm for Thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
(2)Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
(3)Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
(4)Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
(5)For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? 

I’ve been rolling that around in my head the past week or so.  There are so many things like family, friends, my home, my husband, good health, enough money. These are all very special but they aren’t the most important things.

I have to reach back 35 years to grab onto the one thing I’m the most thankful for.  My life as I had planned it had vaporized. There I was a desperate, helpless, wretched person.  I had hit bottom.  

 I had lost my job, my new car, and everything that was dear to me.  Material things were all gone.  I only had a few pieces of clothing left to my name.  I did have a roof over my head, but that even leaked. I didn’t have any direction in my life.  I was very ill and didn’t know what was causing all those spells where I’d become so afraid that I thought I would fall down and die, which made me even more afraid. 

I was afraid I was going crazy. Fear had taken control of me.  My body was wracked with anxiety.  I’d think about all the unusual symptoms I had, like when my heart would race, and I’d feel dizzy and out of control.  I knew it wasn’t normal, but I didn’t know what it was.  The fear of the unknown haunted me daily.  How much longer could I hang on? 

I had tried to find the answers.  I tried to hid my fears in alcohol. Yes, it did take the edge of panic off, but it was only a temporary fix.  The fear would return the next day.  At one point I turned to astrology.  I plotted my horoscope and tried to find something good to look forward to.  That didn’t do it. 

I was afraid of telling a doctor how I really felt and avoided them like the plague.  I was sure if I told the truth they would lock me away somewhere and throw away the key.  If I did confess a bit of my maladies to the doctor I’d get a prescription for some kind of medication.  I was afraid of that too.  When I tried it, I got bad side effects and so I’d quit it.  I was getting nowhere fast.  I felt like I merely existed, dredging through each long miserable day. 

By this time I was at home all the time.  I listened to the radio for company and somehow found a Christian station.  I listened to it with interest for several months.  I heard the gospel message given a number of times and was curious, but that was all.  I tried to read a Bible but couldn’t understand it.

One day as I sat on the couch I glanced over at the coffee table and noticed a Sunday school paper someone had sent me in the mail.  Out of boredom I picked it up and read.  There was a true account of a man who was a Christian.  He had turned his back on God at some point and things in his life went steadily downhill.  He lost his wife, his family, his home and job.  He had hit bottom.  I could identify with some of that!  Then, this man woke up one day and realized how he had turned his back on God.  So, he repented of his sinful ways, confessed to God, and came back to him.  It wasn’t long and his life was turned around.

Hum!   I wondered, is that what I’m doing wrong.  That article really got my attention.  My eyes were opened and I realized for the first time that I needed God in my life too.  I had tried so many years to control everything, to figure the angles, and come out on top.  It was hard and didn’t work. I knew in my heart that I too was a sinner and that I needed someone bigger than myself.

I prayed and talked to God.  I told Him I knew His Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to die for our sins.  That we are all sinners, and that I was certainly one.  I asked His forgiveness and said I’d change my ways.  I told Him that I also knew that Jesus rose again from the grave and was alive in Heaven with Him now.  I asked God to allow Jesus to come into my life and in fact take the reins of my life as I could not do it any more.  I simply gave up, stepped down off the throne of my life and let Jesus take that place as Lord.

So, there you have it.  That day in my life is what I’m the most thankful for.  The day that changed my life.  I became a brand new person on the inside.  I was adopted into God’s family and received the Holy Spirit to live in me to help me with my life.  What a glorious day that was!  God in His mercy reached down to me, a wayward sinner, and took me in His arms and gave me a second chance at life.   I’ll be grateful for eternity!

I just want to add that things haven’t been all rosie since that day.  I’ve had my trials and disappointments.  I’ve been ill a lot of the time, but my Lord has gone with me through everything and I can give Him all the glory and honor for getting me through it all.  Without Him I shudder to think where I would be right now.

I’d like to hear what you are most thankful for this year.

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Gospel, Health, inspirational, Praise, Testimonies | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments »

When is Sin not Sin?

November 8, 2009 by bonlou

When is sin not sin?   I’d like to read your comments on this question.  What do you think?

Update: Nov. 13, 2009
I have only had one comment so far on this. I’m wondering where is everyone? Maybe I didn’t write it correctly. What I’m asking is: When do you think it is okay to sin? Is there any time or circumstance when it would be okay?

 

 

Posted in Bible Study, Christian, Faith, Scripture | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

Sin is a Choice!

November 6, 2009 by bonlou

1Jn 3:5 NASB  You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

So many times I’ve thought about how Christ died on the cross to forgive me of my sins.  What a wonderful thought it is to know that the God of all creation would actually forgive ME an unworthy, selfish, rebellious sinner.  It has always boggled my mind that he would do that for me.

But, the above verse tells us He actually not only came to bear our sins on the cross and forgive us of our sins, but to “take away sins.”  Did you get that?  He came to take them away!  That means we don’t have to sin any more!

Wow! What a revelation that was to me!  When we become a Christian we become a new creation in Christ.  Our old self is recreated.  We are brand new.  Yes, we still have our old bodies, but we are new inside, in our spirit.  

Sometimes, I’ve written a long email to someone.  I’ve spent an hour or more and looked up scripture and pasted in several quotes.  Finally, I’m almost finished and I either hit a wrong key, or my computer acts up, and in a blink of an eye that email that I’d spent so much time on completely disappears.  Something has taken it away, and it can never be found or recovered again.  I simply have to start all over again! 

I think when Christ takes away our sins it is something like that.  He actually takes them away never to come back to us.  Those sins are gone!

In the Old Testament there is a good example of the meaning “take away sins.” 

Lev 16:21 LITV  “then Aaron shall lay his two hands on the head of the living goat, and shall confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions, and all their sins, and shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send it by the hand of a chosen man into the wilderness.”

This sin offering was laid upon the head of the scapegoat.  The goat then was sent away forever with the sins upon him.  Get the picture?  That is what Christ did for us on the cross. He took our sins away forever.

But, you say, “Wait a minute, I still find myself sinning at times.  I thought you said our sins were taken away.”

Those sins were taken away when we became a born-again Christian.  We were sanctified, made righteous and holy in God’s sight.  But, we still have our old flesh that we live in as long as we are in this world, and our righteousness will not be complete until we get to Heaven.  In the meantime, we are striving to become more and more like Christ.  We do not have the disposition to sin anymore.  We really don’t want to sin, but sometimes in a weak moment we do.

Yes, we do fall and sin at times, but it is not our way of life now.  If you are a true Christian you will see that your life has been transformed.  You are not the same person as you were before.  When you do sin, you will feel it in your spirit and not be able to live with it.  You will confess it and repent of it and get right with God.  That is what a true Christian does.

On the other hand if you call yourself a Christian but you still live your life the same way as before you got saved then you need to question if you are truly a Christian.  It is impossible for a true believer to continue to live in sin.  Your conscience won’t let you do that.  You are a NEW creation. 

2Co 5:17 LITV  So that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!

Here again the scripture says, those old things have “passed away.”  They are gone, “taken away,” by Christ. 

The bottom line is this:  Once we are a true Christian we do not have to live in sin anymore!  Isn’t that great?  Sin does not have to control us anymore!  Now, we have a choice.  Before it wasn’t up to us as the devil controlled us, but now, God has given us a choice.  We can choose to reject sin in our lives! 

The way we do this is by living close to God.  We obey the scriptures.  We ask God to allow the Holy Spirit to give us the courage, and strength we need to overcome any sin that keeps us from living the way we should.

Posted in Bible Study, Christian, devotional, inspirational, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, Scripture | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments »

How Faith and Christianity help Depression

October 26, 2009 by bonlou

How Faith and Christianity help Depression
by Christine Howell

Depression can be a feeling of hopelessness that ranges from a minor inconvenience in the Christian life to life-threatening. Throughout the ages even mature Christian leaders have lived with and wrestled with the pain of depression.

Jesus is uniquely able to help us with depression. The gift of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit provides strength and healing to a degree not available to those who are not His. Even so, belonging to Jesus’ doesn’t mean we will automatically be free from the clutches of depression, much to the surprise of many who call on His name with the expectation of smooth sailing ahead.

How can faith in Christ help us in overcoming depression? There are several ways.The cause of depression can be due to a sinful lifestyle or other disobedience to the will of God. Jesus has an easy solution to this one. Submit and obey. When we line up with the understood will of God and do what He says, this depression will lift.

When depression is caused by stressful life situations such as marital strife, financial ruin or the loss of a job, Jesus is available. He will help us to understand that the eternal transcends the temporal and that problems, as difficult as they may be, are not a sign that he’s abandoned us. In the midst of severe stress He offers a spiritual peace that is deeper than the peace the “good times” offer.

Some depression results from the lack of accepting the circumstances we find ourselves in. The key to finding help is in developing the willingness to say yes to Him when the time comes for us to share in His sufferings or tolerate life’s unpleasantness.

Another form of depression originates with a physical problem.   Some Christians believe that medical intervention in depression is wrong and that it illustrates a lack of faith or trust that God can and will heal. Other Christians believe that medicine is a gift from the Father and should be enjoyed to the fullest.   If the problem is a physical one which can be diagnosed by testing then medication might very well be the solution.  If you are suffering with depression make sure you go to a physician and have a good physical to rule out any physical cause before you beat yourself up with not having enough faith.

Jesus Christ helps us cope with depression. He is qualified to identify the origin and perfect treatment in every case. Just as Jesus physically healed people in a variety of ways that are uniquely personal and unwaveringly accurate, so He treats depression in His people today.

Christine Howell is a writer who regularly writes about Online Degrees and college related topics for Online College Guru, an online college directory and comparison web site.

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Faith, Health, inspirational | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear!

October 24, 2009 by bonlou

I came across this scripture one day and was delighted to be reminded of it’s meaning.

This can be an encouragement to those who battle fear in their lives on a daily basis.

God’s Word is Truth and when we find these gems we must hang onto them.  We must meditate on them and allow them to nourish us.  The Word is food to our soul.

1Jn 4:18 NASB There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

“There is no fear in love” That would indicate that fear and love cannot occupy the same place.  They cannot co-exist.

“but perfect love casts out fear,” What is perfect love?  Or should I say, who is perfect love?

1Jn 4:16 NASB We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

“God is love” The Bible is clear that God is love.  He is the very essence of love. 

So, from this we can conclude that God casts out fear.  It is interesting if you look at some of the commentaries on this.  One said this means “drives out fear, or to turn it out-of-doors.”  We can say God will take our fear and throw it right out the door!  How about that?  I like that idea!

You see fear and love cannot exist together.  When we are Christians, we have God in the form of the Holy Spirit actually living in us.  God is love so they cannot occupy the same space.  Now, which is stronger?  Do you think worldly fear is stronger than God’s love? Who will be the victor in this battle?

Here are two versions of 2 Timothy 1:7. 

2Ti 1:7 LITV For God did not give a spirit of cowardice to us, but of power and of love and of self-control.

2Ti 1:7 KJV For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

You would think that the opposite of fear would be peace.  I thought that for years.  I was full of fear and I wanted peace.  So, in my mind they were opposites.  But, let’s look at this verse.  God did not give us the spirit of fear or cowardice, but of power and of love.  There it is; not fear but love.  The opposite of fear is love.  The power comes with this love in the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Here is what Dr. Jay Adams says: “The enemy of fear is love; the way to put off fear then is to put on love…Love is self-giving, fear is self-protecting.  Love moves toward others; fear shrinks away from them.  But…we must remember that love is the stronger since it is able to ‘cast out’ fear.  In dealing with fear nothing else possesses the same explusive power.”  (Wayne and Joshua Mack, The Fear Factor, Hensley Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2002, Pg. 23)

God’s love is mighty.  I’m so fortunate to have Him fighting on my side.

You can begin today to take fear in hand and with God’s help throw it out the door. 

Look for someway to turn your thoughts from yourself and toward others. 

  • Make a phone call to check up on someone who has been ill. 
  • Visit someone who needs encouragement from another Christian. 
  • Send someone a card. 
  • Take time to pray for others not just yourself.

There are many things you can do that involves giving of yourself.  Pray about it and allow the Lord to put something on your heart that you can do, then do it. 

Just one reminder, what ever you do, don’t do it in a selfish manner.  Don’t do it just so you can get rid of fear.  Do it out of God’s love for one another.  Do it with a servant heart and attitude.

If you take this challenge, I’d love for you to write in and let us  know what you did to begin to cast out fear and put on love.

I must make this one disclaimer:  If your fear and anxiety are caused from a true physical problem such as low blood sugar, thyroid disease, or something else physical, then those problems need to be addressed also.

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Health, inspirational, Panic Disorder Support, Scripture | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

New Free Ebook

September 30, 2009 by bonlou

Fear of Fear” by Bonnie Lord is my latest ebook available online. If you’d like to get a free copy, click on the icon in the box toward the bottom of this blog site. Read more about it on the  Ebooks page

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Panic Attacks | Tagged , , , , , |

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