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OVERCOMING
anxiety, sorrow, grief, despair & loneliness
by: Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
 HELP
TO OVERCOME ANXIETY, SORROW, GRIEF, DESPAIR
1
Peter 5:7 - (kjv) - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you.
He
said: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of
Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is
light." (Matthew 11:28-29)
Anxiety,
loneliness, grief, despair and sorrow all go hand in hand.
The loss of a loved one through death is nearly always
a very traumatic experience. The feelings of loss, anxiety,
fear, despair and grief can overtake a person almost
completely.
Loss
of a spouse or parent, through a divorce, can be even more
shattering. And the loss of a friend, lover or business
associate through other agencies of disruption, tends nearly
always to leave people with hurt feelings, a wounded spirit and
scars. People become filled with fear and anxiety while they
try to deal with their grief, sorrow and pain.
MY
PEACE I GIVE TO YOU - LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED
"Peace
I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afrad." (John 14:27-31)
The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me for He hath anointed Me to preach
the gospel to the poor, He hath sent Me to heal the broken
hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."
(Luke 4:18)
DEALING
WITH ANXIETY
GRIEF & LONELINESS
The
hurt and lonely feelings that people feel after being jilted or
dumped and the end of a relationship can be devastating and bring
feelings of grief and depression.
Loneliness
& fear can bring such despair to people
The
feelings of being shut out, isolated, abandoned or discarded can
bring such a loneliness and fear that people don't know what to
do. It is not only the victim who suffers, however. In
the long run, nearly everyone involved in a split, including the
children, relatives and friends of the parties can be emotionally
damaged. The damage can last for years and develop into
feelings of hatred, depression and loneliness. It becomes
hard for some people to love and trust again after being hurt by
divorce, separation and relationship breakups.
How
do we cope with these feelings of grief, loneliness, abandonment,
fear, pain and anxiety?
The
Bible, that true time tested 'Book of Books' gives us good advice
for all of life's problems. There is an answer to the
frustrations, upsets and turmoil that often inflict great pain and
sorrow. We need only to turn to God's Word to find solace,
comfort, hope and strength! Christ, indeed, is the answer!
For
over 45 years as a pastor I have counseled thousands of people who
are emotionally shattered! I have been sharing the gospel of
Jesus Christ for over 45 years - 22 years as a pastor - and
constantly have to counsel and give spiritual guidance to people.
I have discovered that there is nothing that can compare with the
Bible in times of stress, depression, anxiety and broken wounded
people.
The
late Dr. Jim Tanasiuk shared with me how the gospel helped his
patients. After surgery his patients would often ask for
sleeping pills. He usually replied, "Have you read the
Bible?" If they indicated that they had not, he would
get a Bible out of the nightstand, saying, "Why not read a
portion from the Holy Scriptures and if you are still awake when I
make my rounds later tonight I will give you a sleeping
pill."
"Usually,
when I come by a half hour later, most of them are already
asleep", said the good doctor. He had learned about the
peace that God gives through His Word, for his godly parents,
Dorothy and William Tanasiuk,
The
Bible says: "Be careful (anxious) for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which
passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
Being
anxious about 'whatever', causes anxiety attacks. Anxiety
attacks are the root cause of so many other psychological, as well
as physical problems.
And
old gospel songs says: "Take your burdens to the Lord and
leave them there. If you trust and never doubt, He will
surely bring you out. Take your burdens to the Lord and
leave them there!" The Bible states: "Commit thy
way unto the Lord, trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to
pass." (Psalms 37:5)
Jesus
said: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not
as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let mot your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
"These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might
have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be
of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
WHY
COULD JESUS MAKE SUCH A STATEMENT?
The
answer: "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for He is our
peace..." (Ephesians 2:13, 14)
Jesus
said, "Let not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God,
believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions:
If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am,
there ye may be also." (John 14:1,2)
His
disciples were troubled at the thought of Jesus leaving them, but
He calmed their fears by telling them that He would return for
them when the time was right. He also stated: "...and
lo I am with you always, ever unto the end of the world.
Amen." (Matthew 28:20)
"And
I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter,
that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, Whom
the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither
knoweth Him, but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you and shall
be in you."
When
you are alone, frightened and full of despair, Jesus promises that
he will not leave you comfortless. You can be reassured that
someone cares, because Jesus will not abandon you.
"I
will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.
Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye shall
see Me: because I live ye shall live also." (John 14:16-19)
Jesus
said that He and His Father would come to us in the Person of the
Holy Spirit. (John 14:21-23) How can that happen? God
is triune and omnipresent at all times!
There
is nothing more comforting, beautiful and powerful than to be
filled with the blessed Holy Spirit of God. The sweet peace
and the presence of Jesus Christ, which the Holy Spirit brings to
a believer is undeniably greater and more wonderful than any human
experience. He is in us, with us and around us - in good
times and bad times, in sorrow and joy and in sickness and health!
Just
the thought of the RETURN of JESUS CHRIST, is enough to put our
hearts at ease and fill us with hope, comfort and joy! That
He will return is a certainty, even though "we know not the
day nor the hour"!
The
Bible says, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these
words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
With
St. John, the beloved apostle - we say: "Even so, come, Lord
Jesus." (Revelation 22:20) Hallelujah and Praise the
Lord. Amen!
PEACE
IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM
"But
the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for
the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night,
Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the
disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying,
It is a spirit, and they cried out for fear. But straightway
Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I; be not
afraid." (Matthew 14: 24-27)
Jesus
had "constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go
before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes
away." (verse 22) These disciples were in God's will,
when trouble came to them. They were obeying Christ's
command when the storm came suddenly, seeking to destroy them!
But
before that could happen, Jesus appeared in their darkest hour -
the fourth watch of the night - with deliverance from heaven!
They had rowed all night and had gotten nowhere, when Jesus came
to them "walking on the water". They became
frightened, supposing that they had seen a ghost.
JESUS
spoke to them, saying, "Do not be afraid. Everything is
alright! I'm here to save you. Be of good cheer, it is
I."
Here
is an amazing truth. Although Jesus is presently seated at
the Father's right hand, He is still with us in the Person of the
Blessed Holy Spirit. All we must do is trust Him to keep His
promise, namely, "never to leave us or forsake us", and
to be with us "always, even unto the end of the world."
(Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)
That
is why, we as Believers, can smile through our tears when we are
mourning the death of a loved one. And we can still sing and
praise God, when our hearts are hurting because of some tragic
events, and it seems like the 'bottom has fallen out' from beneath
our feet.
We
know we can call upon the name of the Lord and He will hear and
answer our prayers, because He is God and can be trusted. We
run to Jesus with our problems, and He smoothes out the troubled
waters and brings a calm into our hearts and lives!
He
said: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of
Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is
light." (Matthew 11:28-29)
MESSIANIC
PROPHECY: Fulfilled by Jesus
In
the Nazareth synagogue, where Jesus had been brought up - Jesus
read Isaiah's messianic prophecy, declaring its fulfillment in
Himself. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the
meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them
that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord..." (Isaiah 61:1,2)
The
Bible records: "And He began to say unto them, This day is
the Scripture fulfilled in your ears." (Luke 4:21) He
declared that He was Messiah, the Christ and Son of God. He
had come to preach the Gospel, to heal the sick, wounded and
broken hearted and to set the captives free!
As
Messiah, He was proclaiming that the 'Gospel Age' had begun, and
all Satan's slaves could go free! There would be deliverance
from sin, sickness, fear and the powers of darkness. Blind
eyes would be opened, deaf ears unstopped and those bound by demon
spirits would be liberated.
The
acceptable year of the Lord was the spiritual fulfillment of the
'year of jubilee' which the Hebrews had celebrated every 50 years,
as a type of the coming 'Dispensation of the Holy Spirit' and
God's grace, through the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST - His Son - on
the cross for the salvation of the world.
When
Jesus read from Isaiah 61, He did not read the last clause of
verse 2, which speaks of the Messiah coming with "the
vengeance of our God." That is reserved for the great
'day of judgment' which is also called, 'the day of the Lord'.
(Joel 2:11,31; Acts 2:20; Malachi 4:6; Jude 6, Revelation 6:17;
Revelation 16:14)
In
order for us to understand what happened in the synagogue that
day, we refer back to the 'Year of Jubilee'. "And thou
shalt number seven Sabbaths of year unto thee, seven times seven
years, and the space of the seven Sabbaths of years shall be unto
thee forty nine years."
"Then
shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth
day of the seventh month, in the day of the atonement shall ye
make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land."
"And
ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout
all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof, it shall be a
jubilee unto you, and ye shall return every man to his possession,
and ye shall return every man unto his family. In the year
of this jubilee, ye shall return every man unto his possession.
Ye shall not therefore oppress one another, but thou shalt fear
thy God: for I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 25:8-55)
Each
year on the great 'Day of Atonement', the high priest had the duty
and privilege of entering into the very 'holy of holies' - where
the presence of God dwelt - with the blood of a sacrificial
animal. In that August Presence, he was obliged to sprinkle
the blood upon the mercy seat of the 'ark of the covenant', for
the atonement of the sins of Israel.
Every
fiftieth year, the 'Year of Jubilee' was ushered in by the blowing
of the trumpet proclaiming freedom for slaves and prisoners, the
canceling of all debts and the return of properties to the
original owners.
The
'Year of Jubilee' could not begin, however, until the 'Day of
Atonement' had been fulfilled. Innocent blood had to be shed
at the altar and sprinkled on the mercy seat in God's presence,
before freedom could ring out in Israel for the prisoners, slaves
and financially strapped people! Sins had to be atoned for,
before jubilation could come!
Standing
up in the Nazareth synagogue, Jesus pronounced Himself the
Messiah, which meant that He had to fulfill the 'Day of
Atonement', shedding His blood as the perfect 'Lamb of God', -
before the Gospel Age could begin by the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit.
50
DAYS AFTER HIS CRUCIFIXION, Jesus poured out the 'gift of the Holy
Spirit' upon 120 praying disciples in the Upper Room in Jerusalem,
and the Gospel Age - the 'Dispensation of the Holy Spirit' - had
begun. Sinners were saved, broken hearts were mended, the
sick and diseased were healed and great blessings of peace and joy
filled their hearts!
How
long will 'the acceptable year of the Lord' continue? The
Bible gives us the answer. UNTIL JESUS RETURNS!
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise
is unto you and your children, and to all that are far off, even
as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:38-39)
"For
as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the
Lord's death til He comes." (1 Corinthians 11:26)
So
long as God is calling sinners unto Himself and we are partaking
of the holy communion - emblems of Jesus' broken body and shed
blood - that is the duration of the 'Dispensation of the Holy
Spirit' known as the Gospel Age of the 'Acceptable Year of the
Lord'!
Jesus
Christ is the "same yesterday, today and forever"
(Hebrews 13:8), therefore, He is still forgiving sinners, giving
joy, peace and new life to those bound by fear and torment.
He is still healing broken hearts, broken spirits and broken
bodies and freeing Satan's slaves by His life-giving blood, the
authority of God's Word and the power of the Holy Spirit!
He
is still liberating the captives through His servants and
handmaidens, who preach His glorious gospel. The 'Year of
the Jubilee' is still here. The Gospel Age is not yet
finished. It will not be over til Jesus returns!
WHAT
TO DO WHEN WE LOSE A LOVED ONE THROUGH DEATH
There
are no easy solutions or quick fixes when it comes to bereavement.
It is proper to grieve, but, "not like the heathen who have
no hope". (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
I
believe that God heals our broken hearts through His Word, the
presence of the Holy Spirit and the passage of time. We have
hope beyond the grave, for our trust in in Jesus Christ, Who has
"abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel." (2 Timothy 1:10)
When
the emptiness, sorrow and pain lingers on, my ONLY ADVICE is to
cast yourself upon the grace of God and allow Him to be your
burden bearer. Ask the Holy Spirit to be your counselor and
peace giver! Here is what the disciples of John did after
his terrible martyrdom. "And his disciples came, and
took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus."
(Matthew 14:12)
In
reality, that is all you can do. Loved ones and friends are
great, but only Jesus Christ can heal the wounds of death! TRUST
HIM AND HE WILL DO IT.
Jesus
stated: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My
word, and believeth on him that sent Me, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death
unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son
of God: and they that hear shall live.
"Marvel
not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in
the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; that they
have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have
done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John
4:24,25,28,29)
Verses
24 and 25 deal with sinners "dead in their trespasses and
sins", who are able to repent, call upon the Lord and be
saved. Verses 28 and 29 however, deal with those who have
passed away - the righteous and unrighteous. They will hear
the voice of God, and come forth in either the first or second
resurrection. All will be raised from the dead to receive
their just rewards!
St.
Paul exults: 'O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is
thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of
sin is the law. But thanks be to God, Which giveth us the
victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthian
15:55-57)
One
day soon, in the fullness of time, Jesus will return to rapture
His Church and judge the living and the dead. We will see
Him face to face and "tell the story, SAVED BY GRACE"!
We will then, have fought our last battle with the devil, the
world and the flesh!
What
a day that will be. In the meanwhile, we have a job to do
for Jesus. May we not fail Him, is my prayer. God
bless you, my friend reading these lines. He loves you and
is calling for the lonely, discouraged, bereaved and weary soul to
come to him.
Jesus
said: "Come unto Me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) And that is
what this world needs - God's rest and peace!
Answer
His call now my friend. I sincerely pray that you will.
links
to addictions, grief, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks
 Grief
recovery programs
Grief
resources & information on death, sorrow & loss
Anxiety
- information & resources for anxiety, fear, phobias
ARE FEAR
& ANXIETY
CONTROLLING YOUR LIFE?
by: Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
HOW
TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION, FEAR & ANXIETY
The
Bible says, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but
of love, power, and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
FEAR
- MANKIND'S GREATEST FOE
"So
first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing to
fear is fear itself - names, unreasoning, unjustified
terror." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
The
deacon, Phillip, broke tradition by preaching in Samaria, among
that city’s Jewish-extracted, mixed-race population.
Cornelius’ household were the first Romans to accept the gospel
- two years later - when ‘Shimon bar Yonah’ (St. Peter)
preached to them.
A
number of recent news stories highlighted the growing fear by many
people, due to the increase of terrorism, world disasters, wars,
tsunamis, terrorist attack, earthquakes, world viruses and
diseases.
FEAR
IS A UNIVERSAL ENEMY
Fear
and anxiety are universal enemies and certainly not a new enemy.
Fear had its beginning with Adam's rebellion and fall, in the
Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve had disobeyed God's
directive to them, fear entered their hearts.
"And
Adam said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid,
because I am naked, and I hid myself." (Genesis 3:10)
IN
THE LAST DAYS "MEN'S HEARTS WILL FAIL THEM FOR FEAR"
That
the slavish tentacles of fear are spreading and increasing in
intensity is also prophetical. Jesus declared that in the
last days "men's hearts" will fail them for
fear...." (Luke 21:26)
THE
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IS HEART DISEASE
The
leading cause of death is heart disease. People are
suffering from strain, anxiety and stress is adversely affecting a
large number of men and woman. Alcohol consumption, drug
abuse and anxiety attacks are increasing, all contributing to
heart disease.
CANCER
IS #2 LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH. FEAR IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR
Cancer
is the #2 killer and medical science believes "fear" is
a contributor - because it constructs the vessels carrying blood
to affect areas.
Cigarette
smoking is a major cause of heart disease and sickness, why why do
people smoke? Often, because they are uptight, nervous,
anxious and afraid!
FEAR
& DEPRESSION ARE THE GREATEST "ENEMIES" AMONG US
Fear
is "the enemy" among us and is taking a tremendous toll,
psychologically, economically, domestically and physically.
As well as politically, both nationally and world wide.
FEAR
DESTROYS RELATIONSHIPS
Fear
is our "greatest enemy" and it hinders growth in
business, impedes academic progress, breaks up families and keeps
people out of church.
Fear
is often the cause of strife, worry, bitterness, resentment,
jealousy and hatred. But fear can be conquered and driven
out of our lives!
Many
years ago, USA President Herbert Hoover stated: The dominant
emotion everywhere in the world s FEAR.
Many
years ago, USA President Herbert Hoover stated: "The dominant
emotion everywhere in the world is FEAR. This applies to
every part of human activities - finance, industry, farmers,
workers, thinkers and government officials."
THE
ATLANTIC CHARTER - USA President Roosevelt
The
Atlanta Charter, drawn up by US President Theodore Roosevelt and
Britain's Sir Winston Churchill is still heralded as one of
history's greatest documents, championing the common liberties of
mankind.
Freedom
from fear
Freedom of speech
Freedom from want
Freedom of religion
It
contained four essential freedoms: freedom from want,
freedom from fear, freedom of speech and freedom of religion
New
York City's Dr. David Mitchell declared, humans are born with only
2 fears, sound of a sudden noise, and unexpected removal of
support or falling!
There
are however many unreal, imagined and unreasonable fears which
plague mankind. These we must reject in order to enjoy good
mental health and peace of mind.
Neurologists
believe that the lower central part of the brain called the
thalamus is the center of all emotions; this is where fearful
thoughts issue from. The nerve center is also where
affection and love are born.
It
is therefore important that we sort out our thoughts and allow
only those that are sane, sensible, wholesome and truthful stay in
our minds.
The
Bible says: "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he".
And
St. Paul admonished: "Whatsoever things are true, honest,
just, pure, lovely and of good report...think on these
things." (Philippians 4:8)
PHOBIAS
- THERE ARE MORE THAN 40 DOCUMENTS PHOBIAS
There
are more than 40 phobias that harass humanity today - from
ailurophobes (the fear of cats) to zoophobia (the fear of animals
in general). And there is healing for everyone - through
faith in Jesus Christ - and some old fashioned common sense.
JESUS
CHRIST CAN HEAL YOUR FEARS & PHOBIAS - IF YOU TRUST IN
HIM
The
Bible says, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but
of love, power and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
President
Roosevelt stated: "The only thing we have to fear, is fear
itself", and the Bible says, "....perfect love casts out
all fears." (1 John 4:18)
WHAT
IS THE OPPOSITE EMOTION OF FEAR
What
is the opposite of fear. It is FAITH. Faith brings us
peace and tranquility!
Jesus
said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as
the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
The
Bible says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom
also we have access by faith in to this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.: (Romans 5:1-2)
Since
perfect love removes all fears, it is good to know that God is
love and His love has reached out to us through the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ on the cross for us!
And
because He rose from the dead and is not only the testator but the
executor of His own will - through the Holy Spirit - we are
assured of His total peace and healing for spirit, soul (mind) and
body.
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