The Flesh in Conflict with The Spirit of God

The Flesh in Conflict with The Spirit of God    5-22-22       Kelly Durant

Romans 8:5-10 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

2. There are some new high tech toy devices out that can monitor your heartbeat, body activity and temperature all day long. That would be a cool gift, right?  They seem good for those that need to monitor their health, especially for those that have issues. I was thinking about this, brainwaves have already been read and images printed of thoughts so how amazing it would be in the future if there was a monitor that could take a record of when a person was thinking thoughts of the flesh, or thoughts of the spirit. What would your monitor read throughout the day? What do you think, do, and say all day long that you may not be aware of? Are you more “in the flesh” or “in the spirit”?

We must dig deeper as to what it means to live carnally minded or spiritually minded. To be spiritually minded means to have peace and be full of love with no appetites to sin for the fact that God’s spirit is with you! (Romans 8:10). It means you will not be living with conflict in your head over your personal desires or issues with other people, but rather you live in the spirit praying over everything having the assurance God is in control handling everything! You feel good, you love everyone, and God’s love flows through you like a fountain. But people that are not fountains are drains! People in the flesh are like a dark energy sucking the joy, spirit, and life out of you just by their actions, words, and intentions. 

The people that live only for the flesh, or in the flesh, live restless and without peace.  They are as the living dead even though they are still in their flesh body and they are tortured with pride, appearances, lust, envy, addictions, frustrations, and anger. Let’s examine further what is in the mind of a carnal person and then contrast that to the life of a spiritual person. 

3. Sometimes we forget how mentally tortured others can be! Can you feel or read people’s thoughts or faces, and pick up on the body language which reveals attitudes? Does this awareness of people seem evident to you? Typically there is a reaction from a carnal person when visiting a church, or when near a person of God, that I, or any observer, can see. 

When the carnally minded person steps into the church he automatically gets uncomfortable and on the defensive because he notices that he is not glowing with happiness from the Holy Spirit as the other people.  His carnal mind is in the dark to notice that it is a wonderful day and that it is a great to be with others who praise the Lord; that it is a special time to give and receive love exchanging words of encouragement with others, thanking God to be alive worshiping Him in appreciation. Instead his/her mind is full of frustrations, self-centered emotions and animosities due to the carnal-ness, which is programmed to function only around his pride, jealousy, anger, and envy. He/she is basically like an animal or beast that only seeks to gain something. He/she is unaware how obvious his/her emotions and intentions are to discerning Spirit filled Christians around him/her. 

Th carnal person isn’t touched by the music or preaching either because that is just taking up his time interfering with him being able to mingle and talk to others about the business deals he/she would like to do with the people there.  Do you get the picture of what is in the head of those with carnal mindsets? I know that most of us often forget that not everyone has good intentions. Christians can often be naïve forgetting how others in the flesh are. 

4. It really is a case study to observe the unsaved carnally minded person surrounded by holy loving Christians! You subliminally perceive the confusion on their face as they try to rationally comprehend how a Christian could come week after week to church just for God and not for a personal gain; not for something monetary for himself. What is his conclusion? That the church people are really crazy, ignorant, and manipulated fools! The carnal mind finds no explanation for those who find pleasure in just the simple worship of God, in Bible studies, and fellowship with another spiritual people! They burn a fuse in their minds!

For the spiritual person, you I hope, fellowship, prayer, Bible study, worship, and a Biblical message recharges their spirit battery and energizes their faith! They get empowered and full of the spirit! But for the carnal person visiting these spiritual things just burns their fuses in their carnal minds and bothers their spirit! They are in shock at what they observe, and they fear getting asked to participate in something since they don’t understand how it works or how to control it. Only those living in God’s spirit get energized by the things of God and only by becoming loving in living in God’s spirit will one ever have peace and please Him!

As mentioned in verse 6; the unconverted unspiritual carnally minded people are living in death and to them feeling dead is normal! The outlandish unsaved carnally person has always been very public making a ruckus to try to awaken a feeling of some kind in their bodies with the hope they could get rid of that empty and dead feeling with stimulations. How sad it is to see that people are preprogramed for self-destruction and death without God in their lives! Without God we are dead spiritually and this invokes a premature physical death! Jesus wants to save everyone from what is destroying them, physically and spiritually!

5. Every generation seems to have a portion of rebellious youth that have always craved excitement and had an appetite for death and destruction! This excessiveness may even be from being possessed by a demon or from the influence of demons and from bad friends, or the media/movies.  It reminds me of these verses where a youth had a demon and his parents felt helpless. Mark 9:21-23 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”. Jesus freed him from the demons! Today suicide tendencies are on the rise and this is from people wanting their dead feeling to stop and they wish to feel something, even if it is pain! Only Jesus can stop self-destruction!

We know zombies have been popular in the media. They are meaningless ugly fictional carnivores, mass invasions of the dead, and what a waste of time! Well even from the trash of Hollywood a few good things can be found, this actually portrays an excellent analogy to the condition of people in the world today, insatiable, destructive, carnal, and worthy of being terminated! But despite how horrific people are, God still gives them a chance to have a new spirit! So if Jesus had the patience to be crucified in order to save ‘whosoever’, how much more we all need patience with those who have not come to live in God’s spirit yet!

Many people are dead in the spirit and the fruit of all of what they do is destructive. They live at war with those that are living in the spirit. Those of us who know God and are spiritual try to warn them, stop them, and save them at all cost, but they must choose it. 

6. After having to face the reality that we live in a society surrounded by a vast majority that are carnally minded, how should we respond? Change begins with you and me, you can choose to include Jesus in every thought, in every action, and living in the Spirit! Romans 8:10 makes it clear, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness”.

So how do you know if you have God’s spirit in you? After receiving Jesus, I know most of you pray and have asked the Holy Spirit to be in you but you must repeat that prayer daily! We need renewing! Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (washing and renewing means repeating the process) You and I have to get renewed minute by minute and we have to practice seeing through the eyes of holiness. If we could just learn to practice 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing”, we would have Jesus spirit guiding us in all matters to respond correctly to all situations.

7. At any moment the enemy can temp anyone of us with some random divisive accusatory thought.  For example, you may see your brother or sister in church and the enemy may lie to you, ‘Oh, they act like a saint in church, but I bet they are a devil in their home’! No evidence, no reason, it’s just a bad intrusive thought. So, remember the verse in James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. This formula really does work, just resist the temptation to dwell on things you perceive to be negative taking you to a dead end since the things of negativity are depressing. 

If the devil can’t get you depressed because you are too busy loving and helping people, he’ll get you dirty fighting with the world’s carnal people; he also tempts you to fight with the saints! The flesh and the Spirit are at war all day long!

Don’t you want to see everyone in the world saved by Jesus, blessed and happy? Only you can make the connection with God and have a new glorious fulfilled lifestyle living in the Spirit. You and I can reach this holiness purity by living in the Spirit of God, in wholesomeness and love, working at it daily, dying daily to our sinful nature, filling our hearts and minds with God’s word! The demons and the angels are always speaking, choose the Holy Spirit’s voice and read God’s Word!

8. Ever since I began this life in the spirit, I can personally testify it is the best way to live! I would not trade this life of being blessed with love and peace, life and hope, of being dead to the rule of sin for nothing! Sure, the devil tries to trick me again, as he does you at times, to think that sin is delicious, but since I you and I already have had a taste of that before we know it is not true, and we reject it!

Jesus transforming spirit transformed our lives, we already have learned that sin and carnality is a mental torture and a life of death! A life of death means you feel guilty and ashamed, even suicidal, always fearing the future judgment and condemnation of deserved reattribution for your wrong! That is the flesh, and we don’t want it! So let the light of the Spirit in and the darkness will flee! 

We please God by cultivating our spirit with His Spirit and then escape condemnation and death. Life and death cannot occupy the same time and space! Seek the Spirit of God and unexplained emotions will confirm in your spirit that with Jesus all things will conduct you into His life of love and righteousness! Rom 8: 10 ‘And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.’ This is life! Live it to the full! Pray to be filled with Jesus and the Holy Spirit!

How To Live Unhappy! Or happy!

How To Live Unhappy! Or happy!   Major Kelly Durant  9-1-13, Re: 5-15-22

1.John 10:9-11  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

2. It may sound crazy to you, but there are people in parts of the world who will argue that giraffes do not exist. Did a grandparent or a friend ever tell you crazy stories about crazy people?  If a person lives geographically landlocked, or in a poor village, they have never seen one and if they have never been to the zoo or if they have no trust in outsiders who speak things contrary to their ideas, then to claim there is an animal like a giraffe is just too crazy for them.

For many people, a person with a new concept or a new discovery is seen as stupid in their view and discredited for claiming something they never heard of as really existing! How many of you here have seen a real live giraffe anyway? If you haven’t, do trust they exist because others have seen them, or because they are in books or in pictures? 

How many of you know people that are not happy in life? Usually they have never seen true happiness, or they refuse to see or admit that happy people exist! These are the non-believers, like people who do not believe in giraffes because they have not seen one for themselves. They are like a blind person leading other blind folks. 

Discontentment, or unhappiness, is a curse on humanity within all cultures and classes of people today! Many people of the world deny that God’s love exists, and that happiness is real! The unbelievers have never experienced the overflowing of the joy of the Holy Spirit! Just because they are miserable doesn’t mean the rest of us are, but they really think that! In their darkened minds they cannot understand joy, so happiness is foolish to them! Everyone is a hypocrite to be happy in their mind because they think others fake their happiness! But that’s not true if they have Jesus! 

3. All people everywhere are always limited to judge others and their selves only by their own experiences and knowledge in life, and most of the time this is very narrow scope! Most people copy others, and if the norm in a culture is always to complain, always to blame others, and always to be unhappy about something, then for them that is just life! And if you are happy with the little that you have and are different, then you are taken as a traitor to the culture, race, or social class where others think you belong! 

Think of it this way, when I say the word light, what comes to mind? The sun, light bulbs, and the colors we see from sight, right?  Actually, this part of light that we see is only a tiny fraction of what light really is! There exists infrared light, x-rays, and a whole spectrum of light that we do not perceive unless we study about it and observe the effects of it. This is the same with our minds and hearts, our fallen human brains exist in a darkened deceived state unless we bring clarity to them with Jesus teachings and way of life about being free from evil deeds and being happy.     

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

4. Today my point is actually how to live happy, not unhappy! To be unhappy just comes by default in our human nature! Jesus came to save us from those who steal and kill and Satan knows how to steal and kill your dreams and happiness in your mind and heart whether it happens in a body experience from outside sources or not. 

Jesus’ solution is to give life abundantly, and how you interpret abundant, or life to the full, determines whether you will experience it or not! What is Jesus’ life to the full?  I cannot explain it but when I take time to pray and read God’s word I feel like I am alive and full of life and I am rejuvenated. Feeling good about life does not come from some momentary stimulation and excitement: life comes from life and the source of that is God’s Holy Spirit though His Word!

John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Basically, people who live in, for, and with Jesus moment by moment are people full of life and happiness and peace despite the conditions around them.

5. If you want to know how people full of life with Jesus can have a supernaturally strange happiness and peace consider the martyrs. It is recorded that while waiting to be fed to the lions or burned at the stake, they would sing hymns. So impacting was their love for each other, and joy to die for God for the Roman audience that these Romans actually lost their appetite to see them be killed in these horrific manners! Remember Rome converted but it took almost 300 years!

In The Salvation Army we don’t drink, but most of you have at some time or another had a few, or you have been around relatives that have had lots to drink, and they are loud and laughing and appear happy, right? That is how the disciples were described to be when they were full of the Holy Spirit!

Acts 2: 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

I wish all of us could be as carefree as the drunken! Wouldn’t it be great if everyone before coming to church would be all prayed up, full of God’s word, and spirit to the point that each of us would appear happy as if from strong drink? I long for the day that all believers will live happy and shine their smile and laughter to everyone around them instead of the typical serious dry scolding faces that displays they want it known they have an issue and are unhappy over something. Satan’s controlled people are miserable and want you miserable too! We are not cursed with misery and guilt like they are.

6. The formula for unhappiness is the same as it has always been, a focusing on the getting of ones’ own needs met above the priority of taking in and the living of God’s words that give life. James 4:1-3 4 From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. God answers prayer but not for greedy, only the needy!

Unhappy people are discontent because they want more out of life than what they should have because they compare their lives to the people of the world. They want the pride of having more money or fame or power than others, and they are so selfish, and lust driven that they do any and all business transactions in a self-serving manner trying to fill the void in their empty souls with some momentary gain or stimulation. How conflictive these selfish people are! 

7. Reserved, or introverted people who seek illusive happiness usually work within systems that permit rewards and promotions but they often are so competitive they become miserable because someone else in that corporation or institution got something that they didn’t.  In the end, it is a lust or greed for the pride of recognition that eats at people’s souls for an authoritative position, be it in a job, sports team, political party, school, or even a church.

Other more extrovert personalities with the adventure gene may revert to illicit sex or illegal drugs to try and stimulate their way to happiness. This path never works as it leads to guilt, depression, and hopelessness. Sad to say, I know this from personal experience! The big lie from all the glamourized life-styles of the rich and famous is that they are happier than the rest of us! But the contrary is reality!

When they asked Howard Hughes (the former billionaire a few decades ago owned American Airlines, Hollywood film companies, and many corporations if he was happy with his millions.  He replied, “Well a million is not worth what it use to be”! In other words, the wealthiest man on the planet who led an extravagant lifestyle like no one had ever done before him was very unhappy because he wanted more! He actually developed an obsessive–compulsive disorder and lived as a recluse suffering in physical pain.

8. So in life everyone pursues happiness, right? It is in fabric of the American expectation. "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is a well-known phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence. These are "unalienable rights" that all human beings have been given by their Creator. A true statement, but only walking with Jesus’ gate will get you there!

The problem with the illusion of happiness is so many people commit atrocities seeking it disregarding the damage done to those around them. The imbalance of wealth and poverty today is horrific with multi-billionaires hoarding their money while 1/3 of the people of the world suffer grave hunger.  So many divorces happen because someone demanded the ‘right to be happy’ (but they were the problem!). Sexual freedom for the pursuit of happiness has prompted not just divorces but the spread of HIV and other STDs to the point that 50% of the populous here, in many countries, are affected!  Happiness was the pursuit of power for Hitler, Lenin, Mao, and other dictators who combined killed well over 100 million people in the past 100 years! The pride of power is extremely cruel! 

The personal pursuit of happiness has no limits to its deception and damage so it is inherently Satanic as Jesus points out in the verses of John 10:10. According to the world’s standard, happiness will involve doing something criminal and illicit such as stealing and killing in order to get ahead in wealth or power. 

9. What do people in power do for their happiness?  They mismanage other people’s money for personal gain (corruption), and they eliminate the competition by character assassination, (if not by actual murder). Sound like mafias, dictators, and politicians, right? It is the philosophy of life for those without Jesus and it is spreading misery!

Jesus’ answer is profound and amazing, the anecdote to this destructive behavior is the pursuit of Jesus way of life which brings on real happiness and it involves doing the diametrically opposed action, that of loving God and your neighbor as yourself!

There have been times when I have prayed with someone to accept Jesus and I have felt so happy that I thought I was drugged, and it was like a shot of endorphins to the brain, and I just wanted to explode with good feelings and laughter! The other person felt it as well! Have you ever felt so happy that you have felt your entire body, your chest and brain feel like they going to overflow? That is the Holy Spirit! Some people get the Holy Spirit bumps (chicken skin) too!

10. Let’s review what kills our happiness. How does Satan ensnare with his thievery and murder? 1. Comparing yourself to the wealthy (privileged class) people of the world. (Many of which have gained wealth by illegitimate means and exploitation, so they are guilty of stealing before God and men) 2. Desiring more than what you need (Jealous and greedy people cause others to suffer as they try to get something by abusing you, they are guilty of coveting) 3. Pursuing destructive and addictive passions (this includes the bottomless pit of the consumption of drugs, alcohol, illegitimate sex, etc.) 4. The lust for power (Power usually involves war and maybe murder so the positions in high places can be available for a new group of prideful ambitious ones) 5. Pride: Demanding worship of yourself and demanding your way only (This leads to many sins being committed to protect a person’s image, and the manipulation of others with much abuse, humiliation, and cruelty taking place)

Take note that people who commit grave sins against God and humanity pursuing their own joys and passions suffer from fear and guilt, whether they will admit it or not. To cover up their immature actions they destroy others around them. And they destroy their selves as their guilt leads to paranoia and depression which usually leads to drug addictions, and then physical illness from bodily abuses takes hold. It’s unhappiness!   

11. Don’t let Satan rob your joy! People who live with demons that have moved in while they keep pushing the limit of what they would try to obtain some satisfaction in life are fatally sick and unhappy! Have you ever walked into a room where a sick person is and then you start feeling sick as well? This is how Satan spreads his discontentment, through the deception of others who are overtaken with his devices. We as Christians do not go with the flow, we go against the flow, the current, the culture, and the trend to be full of your own self and self-pity because we have the victory in Jesus! 

A person not protected by God’s word who idolizes a star with fame and wealth who goes in and out of rehab centers, and in and out of prisons, could get the idea that to be cool on their level, one has to imitate their depression as well! Like with the music industry, you’re cool if you self-destruct!  Absurd right, but people worship it and imitate it! Corruption of the soul is a disease that rapidly spreads, just look at most singers and movie stars who degenerate into pathetic hedonism in just a few years! So many cases we have seen like this! What unhappiness, look and learn how not to be happy!

Don’t let anyone in your family, in your job, or in your world steal the joy of the Holy Spirit that God wants to give you day by day! You will have happiness if you live in God’s Word and obey his words knowing that your reward is in heaven for resisting temptations and living totally free from the snares and chains of our miserable unhappy enemy! A Holy life lived within the Holy Spirit is a life vibrating with the joy of the Lord and that is a strength that can even face death and die happy! Life is in Jesus! The more of Him, the more life and happiness you will find! Let’s pray…

Feel Weak? You Are Useful to God!

Feel Weak?  You Are Useful to God!                                               By Kelly Durant   5-19-13

1 Corinthians 1:26-28

²⁶ For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:²⁷ But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;²⁸ And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

2. How many of you have known of disabled people serving in The Salvation Army? I have! All people in life need to be used by God, we are inherently born this way! Everyone wants God to work through them! And He will if we step out by faith!

You have seen this video of the man with no arms and legs, Nick Vujicic, right? Imagine, with his condition, he does great things and is an inspirational speaker! Most people imagine that someone in his condition would never leave home! But he is full of life and inspired, happy and used by God, speaking in public places and travelling. What an amazing man of God used by God despite no arms and legs!

3. One of the first things I noticed and liked about The Salvation Army when I first got involved was that they had a variety of strange characters (even bearded ones, elderly ones) serving in disasters. Then, after visiting their churches, I saw many characters on fire for God out of rehab. No matter the age or health problems, people were serving others and each one was happy to help. I love seeing others get a second chance, how about you?

For example, with Hurricane Rita while in Lake Charles, right after serving in Katrina, I met a man that had metal rods in his entire back because all of the cartilage of his spine had degenerated. He walked rather straight like this (rigid). He had been through a rehab for heavily using cocaine and he said to not be depressed he would find ways to volunteer his time. In disaster service you can find people with all kinds of personal problems, but they are made happy while serving others, making new friends, and hearing about the gospel. God will use anyone willing, no impediments matter!

4. The way to be happy is to make someone else happy! You have heard that simple formula, right? But do you know what makes people happiest? It is to find out that no matter how ugly they may look, no matter how bad their physical problems, weaknesses, or handicaps, there is a God of love that loves them and can still use them despite their conditions and faults! No one wants to feel like life is over, that brings on mortal depression! 

I have always believed that God is a God who cares for the weakest of the weak, and in the world there are a lot of hurting and weak people! We are here as representatives of Jesus to help heal and give meaning and purpose to the lives of everyone we meet. That is what the kingdom of God is about! In the Salvation Army we, and it should be this way with any Christian, carry out activities in which everyone is valued and included with no discrimination of any kind. We must fight to maintain this standard!

5. But for work in society, you are discriminated against considering your past training, capacity, and education amongst other factors. We are an Army but of volunteers and we are made up of wounded healers; But the military Armies of the world, only accept young fit men and women to serve. These requirements exclude about 80% of the population! However, God’s word makes it clear He rejects no one, rather he specializes in the rejects!

When you look at the population at large in the U.S., the majority of the people are either weak, older, or disabled. Even worse they are often depressed and spiritually incapable, or unwilling to do anything for anyone else due to embarrassment, or impediments, from allergies or whatever, not to mention laziness or selfishness. In this country currently about 50% of the people get government support for being either retired or incapacitated somehow. That is a lot when you think about it!

So when we read… 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;…what can we conclude? 

6. That God needs on this earth a people group, an organization, a movement, (or a kingdom of God as Jesus frames it) that is made up of anyone who (whosoever will theology) will …may serve! And if you are not in such good shape mentally or physically, be happy and encouraged! God specifically wants you to serve and be of value! God loves and uses misfits!

When we consider the foolish things or people of the world, not many people here are scholars that can discuss the pious platitudes of philosophy or theology, so it is a comfort that God is not concerned about our education level, or even our physical condition, he just loves us and wants us to be useful and active for Him. In the end we are taking in breath from day to day to serve in the mission to win souls to Jesus, otherwise our lives are just wasted by not preparing for eternity. 

7. How can we not be proud of the Salvation Army for being willing to work with the lowest of the low, the homeless, the addicts, and the ones with HIV? In other countries our line of service includes taking into refuge homes orphans and prostitutes. Your upper class suburban churches do not make these types of people their specialty! But Christians should focus on the despised and the weak, which is where God’s blessings are at!

My wife and I visited several of the rich mega churches in Atlanta and some boldly proclaim they are called to reach the rich middle upper class baby boomers. Hispanics, blacks, and poor (sinners) seemed to not even be in their radar! What a poor and ignorant vision! Ultra-rich churches intimidate the weak and poor! When something is so big you lose the sense of family, I think it is time to break it down into more manageable groups as Moses did in Joshua 14:4-6. Delegation and division allows more attention to each one.

So when we read in 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: Can we not conclude that some Christians do not have the right focus since they are targeting the opposite people of the verses we are studying today? Is the exclusivity to one group the non-discriminatory attitude a Christian should have?  Obviously not! Too many people live in a comfort zone that has them stagnant being ineffective!

8. There is a serious problem within Christianity, too few Christians are actually reading the Bible and obeying what it says, to seek out the low base things of the world and then empowering them to serve in God’s Kingdom.

Three out of every four Americans see poverty as a big issue but Christians interviewed only showed 1 out of 2 believing it concerned them. However, about 83% of evangelical Christians claimed to be involved in helping the poor. What is wrong is that 2 in 3 Christians believe the government should take care of the poor, not them! (See Barna Research Group) But God called us to care for the widows & poor, and even give them a place to serve: The low are the despised, the rejected, the weak, these are the ones God can use! 

For the most part we can be proud of our churches as everyone who comes here regularly does what they are capable of doing, here or in the community, teaching, cooking, and sorting donated food for the poor, visiting the rest homes as well. But we have a long way to go yet to get the local community to do that as well! This community is a challenge, what can we do to get them more involved? Volunteers are always too few! 

I have often wondered; what do disabled or retired people do all day? Wal-Mart’s are full night and day, but in the daytime most beaches or parks are only full of tourists, so what is going on with people everywhere? Where are they all day?

9. You may know a few people who have government support, so tell me what do they do all day? God wants to use them for something good but I have a feeling many people are just deaf to this calling. They have ‘ears to hear’ but they do not hear how God loves them and wants them busy with things that make their lives and the world better. Those indifferent are wasting their time giving them a meaningless life. We must invite them to serve for the fact that God uses the weak. 

We should warn those who waste their time all day. Our society and Christian heritage was built with an attitude and spirit of great sacrifice but more and more people are failing to maintain the volunteer spirit of sacrifice and pureness having a love for God and a love for their neighbor in the community as they should. Being unproductive in the work of God is a sin, especially when you know you should be doing good, and you are not doing it.

Consider these verses that are basic warnings to the people (even Christians) that are excusing their selves for not giving their time in something for God because they think they are too busy or too old, too sick or too handicapped, or living in denial that they are just plain rebellious, selfish, and lazy. Not even pandemics should stop our service to God!

1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. I Tim 5: 12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. 13. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.  Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

10. Never think there is nothing for you to do for God! Invite your friends! Do you realize how many people have started coming to church because they first volunteered? I think I told you I came to know the Salvation Army by volunteering for disaster service. 

But people in these past few decades have become self-complacent, people with nothing to do are not giving their time for something noble. This is a sad new cultural trend! It is up to us to be salt and light and to teach others to serve God, and God wants those who are weak to serve despite anything.

Here is a truth: you cannot make yourself any better without first investing in someone else.   

In the end, everyone you know that is weak, everyone that seems not-so-pretty, to be of the nature most people would think they are nobodies, these are the very people God wants and uses! God specializes in using the low, the base, the ugly, the despised, and the not-so-bright. So, if you think you are not worth much, cheer up, you are very wrong, you are one of God’s chosen! Pray now to ask God how to serve Him. Then speak up and let’s get started!

Dreaming of Your Perfect World? Not in this life!

Dreaming of Your Perfect World? Not in this life! Re 5-1-22 Kelly Durant

A study of the life of Job, Elijah, John the Baptist    Jesus said: Matthew 21:44 “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” 

2. How many of you have sadly laughed when you have heard speakers, preachers, or read in books, that anyone with faith can speak into existence the dream reality they want! These erroneous ones claim that you can command God to give you the wealth and the material blessings you deserve! Just demand what’s yours from God! I pray the Holy Spirit protects you from such misguided ideas and theologies! Jesus had no place to lay His head and life here is not easy! 

Our reward is in heaven, so why should any of us worry so much about what we have while on earth? Everyone who has read the Bible knows well that Jesus was not rich! He exposed the rich young ruler as loving riches more than God’s will. Many parables of Jesus express that in this life we will have no security, and while building bigger barns we may die in the night! In the end we are all just unjust, undeserving servants and the perfect world we dream of is only going to be in heaven! Many people communicate with God according to their own ideas, premises, and demise of how they want the world to function around them, but this is not how God’s plans come to be a reality in our lives. This is my warning to you; life may not always be as you want it to be!

People, even believers, often forget how easily their selfish sinful human condition often influences their dreams and they live by their illusions to avoid the reality of seeing who they really are or in accepting their lot in life: It all is because of our fallen world. Throughout the Holy Scriptures it is clear, not one of us controls God, and God does not even control us if we don’t want to let Him! Did you pray for His will to be done in your life today? We pray, ‘thy will be done’, right? If so then this implies you leaving behind your plans, and your expectations and yes, your dreams as well! God provides for you and me, giving us contentment despite our surrounding conditions, as long as we worship Him and are obedient. Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. This includes what’s in our dreams in the future as well! 

3. Jesus said: Matthew 21:44 “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Jesus is the stone. It is God’s plan for you and me to die to ourselves, to become like a dead seed so that you and I may blossom back to live again. You and I are just worthless rocks, but if we willingly accept getting broken and smashed open, then the beauty of the crystals (like in the Brazilian stones) inside will show for others to awe and wonder at. Those who never want to accept God’s broken-ness through Jesus will one day be broken beyond recognition and usefulness; made powder in His judgment.

I am addressing this because too many people lately have a misconception of God, that God is there to serve you and me, and in their minds God should be providing for each of us our dream world. The ultimate dream world will only happen in heaven! In the meantime this world is headed for a crash course! God has us temporarily here in this terrible place to be learning how to love Him, His Son, and others, learning obedience by the things we suffer, just as Jesus learned. Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Everyone must willingly fall on the rock (Jesus) and be broken apart and get humbled and remade and reshaped in life. Actually, just living out life’s circumstances as you wind on down the road will be enough to break you! But all the lessons and suffering will all be for nothing and wasted unless you capture the soul reshaping lessons God has in it for you. 

4. Consider this, due to our mental blocks, due to our living in our own idea of what the world should be like influenced by media and culture, and due to our resisting of God’s breakings, many of us may actually be living in a bubble or in an artificial world. Ask yourself, am I honestly being sensitive and open to God letting His mysterious plans work in me? Have you signed a blank page for Him to fill in?

Here are 3 quick case studies of God’s servants in the Bible. These are 3 people of God that suffered tremendously and it cost them but they surrendered to accepting God’s will. These great men of God had to give up different things such as their position, wealth, health, freedom, and loved ones. They were glorious and superior to other men for a season but then they suffered some severe losses. The life of Jesus is paralleled in these lessons as well. He was glorious healing the sick and raising the dead, but look how He was hated and crucified in the end! How he suffered with only a lasting handful of followers when dying! But all of these and millions live eternally in glory because of Him being faithful!

5. What does everyone know about the Book of Job? That Job had incredible riches but lost them all suddenly, that the devil wanted to tempt Him to curse God and die, but in the end due to his faithfulness God, he got returned to Him double of what he lost! Not everyone in this life gets back the things they lose!

This is a great story with a great lesson on faithfulness but remember Job did not know how it was going to end: to him in the middle of the trial it was the very end! Job lived in his own perfect world where he loved God and God loved him back, and God permitted him to be superior to others. Everyone knew God favored him because he had great riches, and a big family and a perfect world!

Many people live in this type of modern illusive world where they think nothing will ever go wrong but when it does, what a faith crisis and dilemma it is! It can cause a complete nervous breakdown! Isn’t God supposed to provide and protect? He always does, God wins in the end but only if we are willing to give up our idea of what He should be doing and submit to learn humility and love.

6. Job’s friends could not console him in his extreme pain! He had boils all over his body, thieves had stolen all of his thousands of camels and animals, and the worst of it was it seemed God had abandoned him! He had done no sin, but he was put to the test. What poverty and horrible circumstances! His pain was unbearable! 

Listen to this cruel statement, Job 2:9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” When your or my world is coming apart what happens? Instead of getting support from those closest to us, we quite often get criticism and cruelty, and as the saying goes ‘people make firewood from the fallen tree’. Jesus had compassion on the broken ones, we should too!

Isn’t that what happened to Jesus? How can you or I expect any better in our life? Prepare yourself, life is long and you and I have no clue of what sickness, or loss of home, freedom, and wealth is to come. Just praise God to know that like Job that if you are faithful you will be blessed in heaven and maybe on earth as well: Blessings will happen beyond your own imagination and dreams one day!

7. Now take into account a man that was so close to God he called fire down from heaven on Mt. Carmel! Elijah was not only a righteous man but he must have been quite strong as well because he killed 450 evil Baal worshippers in one day! The evil Baal worshippers sacrificed to false gods and Elijah wanted justice.  

I Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 1 Kings 18:40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. Never forget despite its unpopularity, we play a role in stopping evil!

After this great moment he had to escape evil queen Jezebel’s command to kill him!  I Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

8.  God provided for him food by the ravens bringing it to him daily by the stream where he lived alone in the woods. Maybe in Elijah’s mind he was supposed to be the great new leader of Israel. He just proved how God is victorious so how did his world fall apart so quickly? Once again we see that God’s plans do not always happen within our ideas of expectations. God deals with all things His way 1 Kings 19: 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a [a]broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”.

Reflect on what we just read here in I Kings 19:4, a prophet of God is asking God to let him die! Have you ever felt that way that you want to just die?! I know I have about a half dozen times! I have prayed like Elijah on a few occasions when I have felt like life is enough already. I have complained, “Lord, these people in this place where you have me now are horrible and do not genuinely convert, they are two-faced, I have wasted my life, time, love and effort on so many unthankful abusers, I don’t want to live and keep on doing this anymore!”

But in the end God wins me back to the right compassionate attitude! Everything is a process and conquering evil takes much time so each of us must be patient when God has us in a time out. Jezebel was killed not long afterwards and Elijah lived to do more miracles! Encouragement comes, we have to pray and just wait!

9. Now the last person we will look at who reached the bottom and was disillusioned with reality and what should have been while rotting away in a shattered world was John the Baptist. He was truly brave and countered the corrupt system, even telling Herod it was unlawful for him to have his brother’s wife. In a time when the Romans would kill you for anything, he certainly had audacity to start up what would be considered a “holiness sect” today. He had a few faithful friends and followers in the desert who preached with him about repentance and holy living (as we Salvationists preach) and they water baptized as an expression of a desire to live for God with a clean spirit. Remember John made it known that Jesus would baptize His followers with ‘spirit and fire’! 

He was God’s man for that hour but his mission was short lived. Jesus even said that he was one of the greatest! Matthew 11:11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

But when John was in prison he was not living in the world he thought he should be living in! He asked himself, “Was Jesus real, was it all in vain?” Matt 11: 2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” What an absurd question! John saw the heavens open and the Holy Ghost spoke, Matthew 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John was human and became confused and discouraged in the loneliness and isolation. It can happen to anyone of us! John had no clue he was going to lose his head over an exotic dance as a revenge on him from Herod’s wife. An early promotion to glory in heaven was what God knew was best for him! We must all be willing to accept God’s will, and we must accept God’s will as in Romans 14:8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

10. I get encouraged when I read these types of stories of the lives of the people of God! No person of faith has ever had life easy, and if your life is easy, and you are not suffering persecution for Christ’s sake as most have, just accept it as a blessing because may happen one day! John Wesley, the first Methodist who preached over 40,000 sermons in his lifetime came to the U. S. in Georgia for a time, but he failed to convert anyone after a few thousand sermons in America and be able to start a mission! How discouraging after being so successful in England! Only after his death did his Methodists churches really take root in Georgia and everywhere else in the USA. I am sure he dreamed to see America convert to Christ, but he suffered sadly to not see his dreams come true! I can relate to his suffering as a disillusioned dreamer who has frustratingly not seen enough people in the world follow Jesus and obey His mission of love & salvation!

The reality is the world will never be as you and I want it to be! All of us are subject to the will of God and often the evil ones in this world changes everyone’s plans! Having reviewed all this, don’t you agree that none of us should create in our minds dreams or plans for a perfect world, of a perfect Corps or church, of perfect leaders, or of a world getting better in general as it may not happen!

It is better to just not dream for anything! God will give you more than what you could ever dream of in heaven! Another reality on earth is that not all is suffering; there are happy fulfilling times as well! Many of them! 

How much obedience do you and I have, how much of our dreams are the dreams of the Lord? Are you letting God break you open so you are useful? The dreams in your mind for the future need to be laid on the altar of sacrifice! Are you willing to give up your world in God’s hands today? Every person of God, even Jesus, had to give up all, and now He and mega millions live in eternal glory! Come, forget the past and don’t worry about the future, confess your weaknesses, fears, and dreams, let God’s will be done in you!

Our reward is in heaven, so why should any of us worry so much about what we have while on earth?! Everyone who has read the Bible knows well that Jesus was not rich! He exposed the rich young ruler as loving riches more than God’s will. Many parables of Jesus express that in this life we will have no security, and while building bigger barns we may die in the night! In the end we are all just unjust, undeserving servants and the perfect world we dream of is only going to be in heaven.  KD

DEPRESSION?… If You Have It, Cheer Up! God Cures It! By Kelly Durant 4-24-22

Depression… If You Have It, Cheer Up! God Cures It!   By Kelly Durant 4-27-2014

1 Samuel 16:22-23

22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

2. Did you know some people that have been through hard depressing times can often make their selves into some of the funniest people? Not long ago many of the comedians and actors in America were from Jewish backgrounds and entertaining was their way of getting over all the suffering they felt inside.  Laughter is a good medicine and we all need it! Here’s a joke, but one person here didn’t laugh though.

A man one day didn’t know who loved him better his wife or his dog so he decided he would find out. He thought, well if I lock them up and wait half an hour, I’ll see who missed me the most. So he put them both in the truck of his car while they were screaming and barking at him but then they both became quiet. He opened the trunk and the wife red faced came out and started screaming and hitting him saying, “Don’t you ever do that again!” And she kept of raging but the man was relieved that the dog came out all happy wagging his tail happy to see him! He concluded his dog loves him more, ha!

“Depressed people can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, worried, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, hurt, or restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, have problems concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions, and may contemplate, attempt, or commit suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or aches, pains, or digestive problems may also be present” (the wiki-dictionary definition) The aged and even the young people today live more depressed, according to many research groups, than what they use to in past decades. When a person has a face that is not so happy and smiley, what should you do? You should pray for them & help them!

3. Trying times for people could be mental or physical. Pain in the physical body (20% to 40% of people suffer some type of chronic pain) or pain from a recent tragic event can cause depression.  Everyone in life will suffer a loss of a loved one, or a job loss, or suffer for a time over something but we need God and people intervening if something continues to linger or becomes chronic. 

I think all of us at some time or another are victim to hard times and been discouraged. This is normal and a part of what God wants every human to experience in order to learn to love and appreciate Christ’s suffering and have sympathy on others who suffer as well. Not all days are happy ones in our lives, but when a person seems to always be dry and down, always distant from others, always critical or down in mood, then we should ask ourselves if something deeper is happening inside and as a loving caring Christian try to help. Be careful though with some people it becomes a selfish game, they love the attention but also love their oppressive demon.

Depression should be looked at as a condition that is temporary and curable. People can be made happier by doing exercises, reading books, playing dominoes and socializing. The best cure to regain a lasting happiness is to rejuvenate faith in God and to be active serving others in the community. Just giving someone a handshake can even bring a smile on your face and theirs as well! As a matter of fact, right now, get up and shake someone’s hand right beside you! Do it, it’s okay! Feel the love!

God made us with different personalities, but to some degree each person chooses how they allow their selves to feel. When you and I wake up we can either complain about our lot in life, about how there is no money, or you & I can praise God that we are alive and that you are able to walk, see, and hear, and function normally to get things done! Here is a good verse to claim… 1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it

4. Today we will investigate Saul and David, did you know that both suffered from depression? The factor is they struggled to get over it, but they both had different ways; but only God’s way works. His way up is down, down to self.  When I was a kid and I would put all the toy soldiers in lines to fight, and I would always dream I was the king commanding all the men where to go.  Humans, even children want power and dominion over their worlds. Most people have the wrong idea in life that if they could be rich, and famous, or be a king or queen, then life would be wonderful! But that is only in fairy tales! Comparing yourself with others, coveting, lusting, envying, and all of your uncontrolled sinful appetites will kill you inside and depress you! Fight your carnality and realize that being king or queen is not so great really but a big headache!

What happened to King Saul? He was murderously jealous of David and miserable!  Notice that he was Israel’s first king, he was very tall, handsome, and everyone was his servant.  He should have been the happiest man in Israel with all his wealth, power, and blessings but he was not! His biggest problem was his pride and he was not willing to obey God all the way and the result was he started living depressed and everyone around him suffered. Who wants to be near a king in a bad mood? He might just cut off your head because you looked at him when he was upset over something! 

As we read in the verses of today in I Sam 16 we see that David with his lyre harp was selected to play for Saul to comfort him in his bad moods. How many of you listen to music? Music can be a great comfort when you are down, and I suggest you listen to positive music from good and/or preferable Christian bands. But not all music is good. It depends on the purpose of the music, if its message is bad or pointless and if the writer or singer lives in debauchery, if so, then probably it will depress you even more. David consoled Saul in song because his spirit was pure being a lover of God, whereas Saul had a spirit out of tune with God. Bad humored people like to sponge on the innocent as they are not willing to do the work their selves to be pure and they want an shortcut.

5. So Saul was getting an external temporary daily fix for his depression. The bigger problem was that Saul did not choose to fix the deeper problem he had of not loving and obeying God. Many people today live on this same treadmill of masking pain and depression with outside sources. Drugs, sex, and rock and roll seem to be the most powerful stimulants people consume to overcharge their minds and spirits into numbness in order to forget their pain, mistakes, and depression. Only faith and prayer, caring friends, and hard work to change destructive habits can break these chains! 

The problem with this, living life as a partier, or as a publican as they were called in Jesus day, is that you have to keep repeating the cycle day after day to keep yourself in a continued state of distraction and that causes the mind, body and soul to deteriorate worse. The fear of publicans and sinners is the one of facing reality, of facing a dead silence of alone time with God, but the reality of our inadequacy is exactly what God wants us to face! Jesus was fun and the life of the party when with friends, but his joy was authentic showing others that they could be happier with a new life of obedience closer to God instead of by heavy stimulation. Satan wants to rob your body and soul.

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Repentance is important to God for you to be happy but few people really ask for forgiveness. King Saul would never let go and repent telling God he was sorry for his pride and let God pick up his broken world and put it back together. He was too proud. Saul condemned himself to a sad life because he would not rest in God’s southing light obeying and loving Him.  There are many rich and poor unrepentant sinners of today living sad broken lives. Only by letting God take the wheel can anyone ever get on the right road! Those of you that know my personal testimony know I know this personally!

I love this case, Luke 19:8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” When a person is truly sorry, thy make it right with God and the ones they have wronged! Zacchaeus got over his guilt, loneliness, and depression with Jesus touch! God’s love invokes action to do something!

6.  Now let’s look at David. Saul tried to kill him for years; now that is depressing! Saul was obsessed with looking for David to kill him chasing him all over the country with his men. It was in dark caves in depressed moments when many of David’s Psalms were written. 

David was for the most part obedient and happy but a few times in his life he did some horrible things that cost him some dark days and punishment. On one occasion he lamented for months over the sin of adultery and God forgave him but let his son die as a punishment. Many unpleasant things that happen in life have a reason and God wants us to learn from them to be humble and be broken and be remade in His image. 

Here is another bad moment for David.  He was trying to find a city to hide in and fear got the best of him as he thought King Achish there was going to kill him.. I Samuel 21: 12 Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? 15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

7. What this event with David proves is that any one of us when in a very dangerous and frightening situation might go crazy! Others may even see you as crazy when you are under extreme duress but what we learn later is that David got past this. David’s terrible dark moments were temporary because he sought God to be his comfort and salvation. The beautiful Psalms are a proof of the love he had for God and how much he trusted in Him to save him in all situations! They comfort all of us! Psalm 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

Over time stuff (or life) happens! We all have fears! Any person can lose everything overnight! The question is, are you and I working with God or against Him in all of life’s situations?  On another note, research proves that depression can be genetic and run in families, that some depression can be solved by prescription meds for control, or that some depression happens from our brains aging and not having the chemicals and bubbliness of a child anymore.

But with all this said, I am making a point that much of depression is determined by whether or not you are at peace with God or not! You may fear or be in bad circumstances, but God will take it away! Faith and trust in His Word is the answer.

8. It is amazing how some people, even ones with great physical limitations and handicaps can find ways to be happy, useful, and normal. However, it is sad that many so called normal people with many resources and opportunities available from God and in their community seem to live life frustrated and down. It all has to do with the vision and faith you have: to be used by God all the way being happy and fulfilled, or to just get by in life by doing things, “your way”.

There were two hobos talking in a back alley of a big city in the cold one night (they should have gone to the Salvation Army shelter, ha!) and the one said to the other, “I don’t care what anyone says, I did life my way! I did it my way!” The other thinks a minute and then says, “Well, if I could do it all over, I would prefer to do it Frank Sinatra’s way!” Ha! Well, the right answer is we want to do it Jesus’ way! No matter the conditions, Jesus comforts and provides and life abundant comes from him.

Some people older in life get depressed because they feel like no one really cares about them. They conclude that when they leave this world it will not matter and their life would have been without any significance. This sobering feeling provokes some older people (some young too) to be appreciative and become active in the lives of their families. Also, anyone can leave a footprint of being useful in a volunteer group in their community. All counselors advise helping others as a way to get out of depression! That is God’s formula, ‘to love God and others’ staying busy for Him!

9. As people we may suffer for a time due to our own created circumstances, from being disobedient to God, or just by being a victim of earth’s imperfect conditions.  But as Christians we are consoled, Psalm 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

Every person who reads the Bible, whether they have read it in its entirety or not, know they must read the Psalms for comfort of spirit. Millions of people for millennia have been comforted by the Psalms! David got his own spirit comforted by God and he was able to comfort others, in song, in poem, and in words. His comfort came even after months of depression, even after years of escaping death from King Saul’s army living in dark caves in the mountains of Israel.

Never allow yourself to be like Saul, a proud unrepentant angry jealous persecutor of the righteous. He never got his heart right with God, he just kept on making more and more mistakes until one day he lost a major battle and that depressed him so much he fell on his sword and took his own life! Live and die in victory, not depressed in shame!

10. Today is the day to ask Jesus in your life.  I will confess I have had moments down and depressed too! No one escapes the trials and pains that this life offers, but how you react to these tribulations is what makes all the difference in the world! Listen to praise music, start singing and shouting, reading God’s word and praying, and start looking for the humor and funny things in life’s awkward situations!

Take control and fight your own demons that lie to you about the past, present, and future!  Start reading the Bible (reading the Psalms in particular) and get out of the house and start doing nice and helpful things for others! Repent of your mistakes and make a plan of restitution to right the wrongs you’ve done! 

Count your blessings and there will be no time left for complaints! Ask God to take away your pride and realize that God forgives your weaknesses, fear, and craziness. In the end, God loves you and wants you happy! Psalm 40:2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. Psalm 144:15 Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord! Amen! Prayer…