Posted in Christian Living, Panic Attacks, tagged Agoraphobia, anxiety, fear, nerves, Panic Attacks, peace with God, stress, victory on September 29, 2016| 1 Comment »
Now you can read my book Panic Buster for free. I would welcome any comments or questions you may have as you study through this helpful book. May God bless you as you do so.
This book is in the .pdf format. You can read it with Adobe Reader. Please click on the link below to read. Or, you can right click and download.
Posted in Bible Study, Christian Living, tagged anxiety, Christian depression, emotions, feelings, moods, Panic attack, sin, Worry on February 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Spiritual Depression: #6 “Feelings,” a sermon by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
My thoughts:
In 2 Timothy 2:1:6 Paul tells Timothy to “stir up the gift of God.”
This sermon was very good and it pointed out many ways I could pursue the subject of feelings and the Christian. But, I think I’ll focus on Christian people who have panic disorder and how feelings come into play with them. I was once one of those people so I can identify with that.
What do we do with our feelings? If you have panic attacks you know feelings play a very important part in them. In my book, Panic Buster, I talk about that “first feeling.” That is the feeling you get that alerts you that you might be going to have a panic attack. For me that first feeling was a rapid and strong heart beat I became so aware of. It made my mind race and think the “what if” thoughts. I could not get my mind off of my feelings. First the rapid heart rate, then the sweaty palms, then the weak legs and so on. These were not good feelings; and guess what? They were controlling me. My feelings were taking over my mind and I was on my way to a full-blown panic attack. Feelings! It seemed they were my worst enemy!
I never really did understand my feelings back then. I didn’t know they could not be trusted. I didn’t know they were controlling me. Now, in looking back, I can see it clearly. My feelings took over and caused me to be an unproductive Christian person. I was at their beck and call. I was their slave. I was a slave to fear!
Feelings aren’t bad really. God created us with feelings, and God even has feelings. He can be angry, loving, kind, and jealous. These are all feelings or emotions. He made us that way. It is only when our feelings get out of control that they are bad.
So my take-away from this sermon is that we need self-control over our feelings. The good new is we as believers have the Holy Spirit living in us therefore we can have self-control because it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He supplies it.
Gal 5:22-23 NASB But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Do you realize a believer has a big edge over an unbeliever in conquering panic attacks? That’s right! We are not the same at all. They do not have the Holy Spirit in their lives and the power He supplies. They are left to their own resources to battle fear. It is a losing battle! I know I tried it before I was a Christian, and I hit bottom. We have been blessed with the power which comes from on high. It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Isn’t that wonderful? If you suffer from anxiety, stress, and panic attacks and are a Christian than you have hope. You can get better!
It was after I became a Christian that I began to get well. I read and studied my Bible. I learned what the God of all creation was telling his children and there were many lessons for me. I put them to work in my life and I did get well again.
If there is any sin in our lives we must admit it, confess it to God, and turn from it. We need to hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Mat 5:6 KJV Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
What does this mean? We need to desire deeply to please God. And, the only way we can do that is by studying the Word and then obeying it. Do you know that worry is a sin? Again, here we need self-control over our thoughts and feelings. The person who has panic disorder worries. Worry won’t help anything and is in fact a waste of time. It makes us more anxious and contributes to take us down the road to more panic attacks. So, this is a sin that we must confess, and repent of. Seek God’s face and turn from your sin and you can again have self-control over your feelings.
Learn to enjoy your feelings! There are many good ones.
Posted in Anxiety & Stress, devotional, Spirituality, tagged anxiety, anxious, fear, peace, renewed mind, stress, Worry on February 7, 2015| 1 Comment »
Dread
Does the word dread ever enter your mind or conversation? It does mine. Sometimes when I’m tired I dread having to go to the store for groceries, or I dread the housework facing me that day, or I dread an appointment; especially the dentist or doctor. Sometimes I even dread having to get up and start my day. I thought to myself, “Why do I dread things?” “What is dread anyway?” So, I looked it up in the dictionary and here is what I found: Dread: “To be in terror of; fear greatly. Fearful anticipation.”
Wait a minute! Fearful anticipation! What? I thought fear was out of my life. I didn’t know that dreading something was being fearful. So, is it sinful to dread things? I don’t want to sin against God!
I looked up “fear.” Here are some synonyms for fear: anxiety, dread, panic, trepidation, worry, stress. Oh no! I’m not liking what I’m reading! What does the Bible say about anxiety?
Mat 6:25-34 MKJV Therefore I say to you, Do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (26) Behold the birds of the air; for they sow not, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them; are you not much better than they are? (27) Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature? (28) And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, nor do they spin, (29) but I say to you that even Solomon in his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Therefore if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much rather clothe you, little-faiths? (31) Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what shall we be clothed? (32) For the nations seek after all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. (34) Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall be anxious for its own things. Sufficient to the day is the evil of it. (Emphasis mine)
In these verses I count the phrase “do not be anxious,” three times. Just think about it, these words came out of the lips of Jesus himself! Amazing! And, when He says something we can take it to the bank. This is a command! Do not be anxious! There is no other way to look at this than anxiety (and all those other terms we use, like dread, and fear) is sin. In these verses Jesus Christ has told us not to be anxious about anything: our life, our immediate needs, and our future. If I dread things then I am also being anxious, and anxiety is definitely sin. I need to confess to God that I have sinned and repent of it. Repent means to turn away from. I need to turn away from any dreadful thoughts and turn them over to God.
Doubt
Doubt and dread are first cousins. What is doubt? Doubt is to be unsure, or distrust, or something uncertain
or unsettled. Yes, when we are uncertain and unsettled in our minds about something than that thing becomes bigger than us and we begin to dread it. Our minds go over the situation time and again, and sometimes we blow it out of proportion. We doubt that we can do the thing that lies before us, or we feel it will make us feel uncomfortable, and we dread it more and more until we are paralyzed.
Jas 1:6 MKJV But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. (Emphasis mine)
Picture the waves of the sea crashing upon the seashore. The wind drives the waves against the shore and then back out to sea again to be driven in again. We are like a tiny boat on that sea and when doubt enters our minds we are tossed all about not being able to make decisions or function. We need an anchor. The Bible is our anchor and we can find our answers there. Don’t be tossed about by everything you hear or think. The mind is the devil’s playground, and dread and doubt can keep us from doing the work God has called us to. Satan is happy when we are full of worry and stress. Are you experiencing this? Is there something you know God wants you to do but you are full of dread when you think of doing it? Cheer up! There is an answer.
Discipline
So, what is the antidote for dread and doubt? It is another word that starts with “d.” It’s discipline. According to the dictionary discipline is, “training that develops self-control.” That’s it! We need to discipline or train our minds in order to be in control of our thoughts. “How do we do that?” you may ask. Let’s look to our anchor the Bible for the way out of the storm. Do you know that God loves us so much that He told us what to even think about? It’s true!
Php 4:8 NASB Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (Emphasis mine)
It’s right there in the Bible. We have to discipline our thought life. Think about what you think about! Examine your thoughts according to Philippians 4:8. Are you thinking rightly? Or, are your thoughts anxious? If you catch yourself thinking about something you truly dread, or perhaps a doctor’s report you are about to receive, then check out your thoughts. Are you blowing them out of proportion? Are they true? Or, are you jumping ahead to the “what ifs,” or “what might be.” These words are also a picture of Jesus. He is all of these things. Set you mind on things above.
Col 3:2 NASB Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
Our minds can be renewed. As we study, read the Word and pray God will renew our minds and it will change us. We don’t have to be the way we used to be. We don’t have to think all those awful thoughts that drag us down.
Rom 12:2 MKJV And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.
Deliverance
Deliverance is to “set free.” I like those words. If I can just get my mind to be rid of any fearful, dreadful, anxious thoughts, than I would not feel stressed and I’d be free!
2Co 10:5 MKJV pulling down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ; (Emphasis mine)
Let’s not be captives of our thoughts! Let’s be free! Who is in charge? You or your mind? Take control and set yourself free. God says in the above verse that we can take captive every thought. If He says we can than we can! With God’s help, prayer and keeping in the Word we can be disciplined and overcome dread and doubt.
How do we do this? Here’s how.
Php 4:6 MKJV Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. (Emphasis mine)
Checking your thoughts and then prayer. Ask God for help, and be thankful. Tell Him things that you are thankful for. He is waiting. He is right there all the time ready to help us if we will only call on Him.
If you change what you think about do you know what will happen?
Php 4:7 MKJV And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Isn’t that wonderful? We can have a peace which we cannot even describe. I know this is possible because I’ve had this peace. I still have to be careful every day and monitor my thoughts according to Philippians 4:8. I can’t let them get away from me. It is very easy to fall back into the bad thought habits that were once an everyday part of me. I must be on guard.
In summary we see:
Dread: It keeps us from doing God’s will in our lives.
Doubt: When we doubt we are not trusting. It is Satan’s tool to trip us up.
Discipline: Be aware. We need to break old bad thinking habits and acquire new ones according to the Word.
Deliverance: Depend on God to set us free.
If you have trouble in this area I would suggest you take a 3×5 card and write out Philippians 4:8. Put it where it is easy for you to see or get too. You could place it on your desk, in your purse, on your visor in the car; wherever it is handy for you. It would also be a great scripture verse to memorize so you wouldn’t have to depend on finding your card. Also memorize Philippians 4:6-7
Posted in Christianity, Panic Attacks, tagged anxiety, Elisabeth Elliot, Faith, hope, Jesus, Joni Eareckson Tada, salvation, suffering on March 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »
How do you suffer? Perhaps you suffer because you have some form of physical illness. Or, you may suffer because you have anxiety, and panic attacks keep you from doing what you’d like to do. There are many ways we suffer, but have you every thought about why we suffer. Do you realize that Christians suffer and that we will keep on suffering until we reach heaven? That is the truth of the matter.
There are many reasons we suffer, but as believers we might wonder why God allows it. Doesn’t He love us? I believe that many people who come to Christ think they will get out of all the hardships of life. They think everything will be peachy if they raise their hand in a service and say, “I invite Jesus into my heart.” Sometimes that is what they are led to believe by the pastor. Yes, get Jesus and live your best life now! Things will be great!
I’ve sat in churches like that and I can remember the pastor leading us. He would say something like this:
“There may be someone out there right now who is hurting. They might be having trouble in their marriage. There is someone who is physically ill today but they are here anyway. Do you want to be well? God will heal you. There is someone who needs financial assistance. They need money for a bill they can’t pay. Receive Jesus right now and he will take care of all of your needs. If you’ve never invited Jesus Christ into your heart do so now and feel His comfort. With every head bowed and eyes closed raise your hand so that I can pray for you. Yes, I see that one. There is another, and yes, I see you too.”
On it goes till the pastor is satisfied that enough people have given their lives to Christ. This is sad because that is not how a person becomes a Christian and it gives them false hope. They think they have just received Christ and their lives will be so much better from then on. Sorry folks, but that is not the way it works. They are not taught the truths of the Bible. They go back out into the world and try to live right, but it doesn’t seem to work. That is because they are not truly saved, and they don’t have the power of the Holy Sprit working in them. They think they are saved, but they are deceived. These people need to hear the true gospel message, repent of their sins, and get saved.
If you are a true Christian you will still suffer. How do I know this? Because the Bible tells us so. Take a look at Philippians 1:29-30 with me:
For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me. (emphasis mine.)
Yes, you saw right. We will suffer for His sake. It says that this has been granted to us on behalf of Christ. That would indicate that it is Christ’s will for us to suffer and that we should think of this as a privilege. Have you ever thought of suffering for Christ as a privilege? I hadn’t.
Now let’s look at I Peter 5:10
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (emphasis mine.)
Again we see that the Bible says we are going to suffer, and the purpose of it is to perfect us.
Here is another interesting scripture on suffering: 2 Timothy 3:12
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (emphasis mine.)
The apostles all suffered persecution and were killed in many horrible ways. We too will suffer persecution if we live for Christ. In this country, at this time, it isn’t that bad. People may shun us and not like us if we stand for Christ. In fact, in some families if a person becomes a believer their family might turn against them. Sometimes, as in my case, I lost many of my old friends as they did not understand me anymore and we didn’t have much in common anymore. You might suffer persecution for Christ’s sake in the work place. But, in some countries, even today, people are being persecuted for Christ to the extent that they are killed. It is illegal in some countries to become a Christians and if one does they are thrown out of their family and can be killed for being a Christian. They can also be killed for attempting to spread the gospel. That is true persecution for Christ’s sake.
So, again, why do we suffer? Well, for one thing to identify with Christ and what He has done for us, and for standing up for the gospel. But, there are other reasons also.
Have you ever noticed Romans 8:28-29?
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God forknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Emphasis mine.)
When things are going wrong people are quick to quote Romans 8:28, but I seldom hear them add verse 29. Yes, all things do work out for good for Christians, but the reason is found in verse 29, and that is so that we might be conformed to the likeness of Christ. In other words, some of our problems and suffering are allowed to change us. We come to Christ with many rough edges that need to be smoothed off and our loving heavenly Father has to shave them off. Little by little we change as we go through the hardships that come our way.
Can you identify with this? I can. I suffered tremendously from panic attacks and agoraphobia for 20 years. I found Christ during that time and believe me I had many rough edges that needed smoothing. I continued to suffer, but I also turned to Christ for the answers. I studied my Bible daily. I learned many precious promises and I learned how to claim them in my own life. I learned how to apply my faith to my problems. I grew in Christ. Eventually, I no longer had panic attacks. I got my life back and it was so much better than before. God was good to me! The biggest thing I learned was not to depend on myself or others, but totally depend on Jesus Christ for everything. He has sustained me to this day! He will do the same for you if you turn to Him.
I will close with this quote from Elisabeth Elliot in her book, A Path Through Suffering. (Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, 1990), 197-198
We suffer that we may learn who God is; that we may learn to trust and obey; it is required of soldiers; it is the condition of discipleship; to prune us, shape us to Christ’s image; to qualify us for the kingdom, to strengthen our faith; refine and test us, grow us; produce endurance; character, hope, joy, generosity; so that Christ’s power can be manifested in us; we suffer for the sake of God’s people; that we may share in His sufferings, His glory, and identify with Him in the crucifixion.
Here is a wonderful video by Joni Eareckson Tada that you will enjoy. It really brings suffering home.
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Posted in Christianity, Faith, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, tagged anxiety, fear, John MacArthur, Panic attack, stress, Worry on November 27, 2012|
Wow! As I read this post, by John MacArthur, I thought about how much our God really does love us. He has made promises to us and He tells us in the Bible what He expects from us. If only we would listen, our lives would be so much easier. If He takes care of the birds, we can rest asured the He will take care of us too. Often I forget that I’m a child of the King and that I don’t have to live like unbelievers. Isn’t that wonderful?
One of the most hopeless aspects of unrepentant sinners’ lives is that they have no answer for anxiety. They’re forced to put their hopes in flimsy, fallible plans and institutions. They aren’t able to rest firmly in the unchanging promises of God—they have to ride out every wave of calamity, every unexpected disaster.
Click on the link below to read the rest of this post.
Our Father Overcomes Our Anxiety, Part 1.
Posted in Panic Attacks, Religion, Scripture, tagged anxiety, Christianity, John MacArthur, stress, Worry, WWJD on November 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »
I have to admit I sometimes get my mind too much on the temporary things of this world. I wonder what might happen if our economy gets worse. We are retired so I don’t have to worry if we’d get laid off, but I am concerned about our income. We’re on a fixed income and the future isn’t very bright right now. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of these posts by John MacArthur as he helps us see what is really important and why worry is not part of who we are as Christians. I hope you read them and learn along with me.
You probably remember the “What Would Jesus Do?” trend from the late ’90s. It seemed everywhere you looked, plastered across T-shirts, hats, jewelry, and all kinds of other merchandise, the WWJD slogan was a blithe, shallow reminder to live up to Christ’s moral code..
Click on the link below to read the rest of this article.
What Did Jesus Say About Worry?.
Posted in Christian, Faith, Panic Attacks, tagged anxiety, John MacArthur, panic disorder, sin, stress, Worry on November 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Here is an article by John MacArthur that I’d like to share with you. I know first hand how much trouble worry can add to a person’s life. I want to thank John MacArthur for writing this and sharing his wisdom on this issue as I know from sharing with people over the years that worry is a huge problem even among Christians. We can be conquers!
Worry is a common temptation for all of us. The source of the anxiety might vary from person to person, but no one is completely immune. For some, it’s even a favorite pastime, occupying large portions of their days by troubling over their doubts and fears about the future.
You can click on the link below to read all of this article by John MacArthur.
Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Christianity, Panic Disorder Support, tagged anxiety, Anxiety disorder, John MacArthur, Panic attack, stress, Support Groups on November 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Here is an article by John MacArthur that I thought might be of interest to you.
Anxiety, fear, worry, and stress are familiar words in our day, and familiar experiences to many. More and more we’re hearing of an extreme form of anxiety referred to as a “panic attack.”
Click on the link below to read the full article by John MacArthur.
There are many “gospel” messages being circulated today. In some circles one would believe that if we simply say “Jesus come into my heart,” we are saved. They do not teach the whole gospel.
Click on the “The True Gospel Message” tab on the top of the page.
In ABOLISH ANXIETY, I’ve written a devotional to guide you as you search for the inner peace we all desire. When times are trying we need to find that special calmness deep inside that only God can provide.
Click on “Free E-Book” tab at top of page.
Fear of Fear is another FREE ebook that you can download. This is based on my 5-part series of the same name.
1. What it Looks Like
2. Cause and Key
3. Blame the Devil?
4. Hope and Help
5. Take Action!
Click on the “Free E-book” tab at the top of the page.
hatchcreek.com Bible blog 