Six Ways Jesus Fought Depression

 Six Ways Jesus Fought Depression

And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. (Matthew 26:37)

The Bible gives us an amazing glimpse into the soul of Jesus the night before he was crucified. Watch and learn from the way Jesus fought his strategic battle against despondency or depression.

He chose some close friends to be with him. “Taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee” (Matthew 26:37). 

He opened his soul to them. He said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Matthew 26:38). 

He asked for their intercession and partnership in the battle. “Remain here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). 

He poured out his heart to his Father in prayer. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). 

He rested his soul in the sovereign wisdom of God. “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). 

He fixed his eye on the glorious future grace that awaited him on the other side of the cross. “For the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). 

When something drops into your life that seems to threaten your future, remember this: The first shock waves of the bomb in your heart, like the ones Jesus felt in Gethsemane, are not sin. The real danger is yielding to them. Giving in. Putting up no spiritual fight. And the root of that sinful surrender is unbelief — a failure to fight for faith in future grace. A failure to cherish all that God promises to be for us in Jesus. 

In Gethsemane Jesus shows us another way. Not painless, and not passive. Follow him. Find your trusted spiritual friends. Open your soul to them. Ask them to watch with you and pray. Pour out your soul to the Father. Rest in the sovereign wisdom of God. And fix your eyes on the joy set before you in the precious and magnificent promises of God.

DO NOT REVENGE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JULY 09, 2025. 

SUBJECT: DO NOT REVENGE!

Memory verse: "Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.” (Romans 12 vs 17.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 38 - 42:

5:38: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’

5:39: But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

5:40: If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tonic, let him have your cloak also.

5:41: And whoever compels you to go a mile, go with him two.

5:42: Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants borrow from you do not turn away.

INTIMATION:

To revenge is to take an action in return for an injury or offense; to retaliate or get even for a perceived wrong. In our fallen world, it is often deemed acceptable by some to tear people down verbally or to get back at them if we feel hurt. The Lord Jesus Christ, in His teaching, admonished us not to revenge or get even with our offenders. In God’s kingdom, revenge is an unacceptable behavior, as is insulting a person, no matter how indirectly it is done. No Christian should seek to get even with someone who has wronged him. 

It is not the place of any Christian to seek revenge. A true heart is not one of malice or hate. Hearts of malice and hate identify those individuals who are of the world. Wrong that is committed against another originates from Satan. Disciples of Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Retaliation against those whom Satan uses to promote his work is not a Christian principle. Rise above getting back at those who hurt you. Instead of reacting angrily to these people, pray for them. Jesus encourages us to pay back wrongs with a blessing, such as praying for the offenders. 

In this day of lawsuits and incessant demands for legal rights, Jesus teaching or command sounds almost impossible. When someone hurts you deeply, instead of giving him or her what he or she deserves, Jesus says do good to them and never revenge. Instead return good for evil. Why do we need to forgive our enemies or do good to those who hurt us? It’s because: (1) Forgiveness may break a cycle of retaliation and lead to mutual reconciliation. (2) It may make the enemy feel ashamed and change his or her ways. (3) By contrast, repaying evil for evil hurts you just so much as it hurts your enemy. Even if your enemy never repents, forgiving him or her will free you of a heavy load of bitterness. 

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the believers in Rome, recounted and reemphasized Christ’s teaching, he says, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12 vs 17 - 21.)

These verses summarize the core of Christian living. If we love someone the way Christ loves us, we will be willing to forgive. If we have experienced God’s grace, we will want to pass it on to others. And remember, grace is undeserved favor. By giving an enemy a drink, we’re not excusing his misdeeds. We’re recognizing him, forgiving him, and loving him in spite of his sins—just as Christ did to us.

Forgiveness involves both attitudes and actions. If you find it difficult to feel forgiving toward someone who hurts you, try responding with kind actions. If appropriate, tell this person that you would like to heal your relationship, lend a helping hand, send him or her a gift, smile at him or her. Many times you will discover that right actions lead to right feelings.

Again, in the course of our lives’ travails, we can never know God’s intentions for any happenings or circumstances we face in life. All things are known to Him, even the end is known to Him from the beginning. And only the council of God stands as He does His pleasure: “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46 vs 10.) 

The circumstances of life we face can be God’s design to cause His plans and purposes in our lives to be accomplished. God has ordained our pathways from the beginning for His predetermined purposes, and these include the  circumstances and trials we face in life. 

The story of Joseph in the Bible is a clear example of God’s use of our travails in life for the fulfillment of His ultimate plan (Genesis 37, 39 -  50). Although Joseph’s brothers had wanted to get rid of him, God used even their evil actions for His purpose. He had sent Joseph ahead to preserve their lives, save Egypt, and prepare the way for the beginning of the nation of Israel. 

God is sovereign. His plans are not dictated by human actions. When others intend evil toward you, remember that they are only God’s tools. As Joseph said to his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50 vs 20.) It is for this reason we should not avenge, for man’s cruelty can be God ordained pathway for your lifting.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of love that I may love as Christ loved us and gave His life of inestimable value for our lives that are completely worthless as sinners. Give me the grace to overcome evil with good, and never revenge or get even with another, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Saving Faith Loves Forgiveness

 Saving Faith Loves Forgiveness

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Saving faith is not merely believing that you are forgiven. Saving faith looks at the horror of sin, and then looks at the holiness of God, and apprehends spiritually that God’s forgiveness is unspeakably glorious, beautiful. We don’t just receive it; we admire it. We are satisfied with our new friendship with such a great, forgiving God.

Faith in God’s forgiveness does not merely mean a persuasion that I am off the hook. It means savoring the truth that a forgiving God is the most precious reality in the universe. Saving faith cherishes being forgiven by God, and from there rises to cherishing the God who forgives — and all that he is for us in Jesus. This experience has a tremendous effect on our becoming forgiving people. 

The great act of purchasing our forgiveness is past — the cross of Christ. By this backward look, we learn of the grace in which we will ever stand (Romans 5:2). We learn that we are now, and always will be, loved and accepted. We learn that the living God is a forgiving God. 

But the great act of experiencing our forgiveness goes on forever into the future. Our joyful fellowship with the great God who forgives lasts forever. Therefore, freedom for forgiveness, flowing from this all-satisfying fellowship with the forgiving God, lasts as long as we do. 

I have learned that it is possible to go on holding a grudge if your faith simply means you have looked back to the cross and concluded that you are off the hook. That’s why I have been forced to go deeper into what true faith is — not just a relief that I’m off the hook, but also a profound satisfaction with all that God is for me in Jesus. This faith looks back not merely to discover that we are off the hook, but also to see and savor the kind of God who offers us a future of endless reconciled tomorrows in fellowship with him. Satisfied fellowship with such a forgiving God is crucial for our being forgiving people.

GOD’S GRACE MANIFESTS AT HUMAN IMPOSSIBILITIES!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JULY 08, 2025.

SUBJECT: GOD’S GRACE MANIFESTS AT HUMAN IMPOSSIBILITIES!

Memory verse: "Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” (Genesis 17 vs 17.)

READ: Genesis 18  s 8 - 14:

18:8: And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

1&:9: Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife? So he said, “Here in the tent.”

18:10: And he said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life; and behold Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)

18:11: Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

18:12: Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

18:13: And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’

18:14: Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

INTIMATION:

When we come to the point of human impossibility, God’s grace is manifested. God delivers to man such things that are impossible with man through His grace (unmerited favor of God to man to achieve the impossible). God loves us and sees our situation. Nothing is difficult or impossible with God. All He demands from us is our trust and faith in Him. When faced with an impossible situation, seek His grace to come to your aid. 

The passage we read today is about Abraham and Sarah whom God gave a child at old age. It seemed incredible that he and Sarah in their advanced years could have a child. He questioned the possibility of childbirth simply because in human ability such would be impossible for both him and Sarah since they were old. But the point is that the promise was to be the work of God, not man. It would have been impossible with man, not with God. 

In this event, therefore, both Abraham and Sarah would understand the grace of God as God worked directly in order to make it possible for Sarah to have a child. The child was given through grace, not through the works of man. Abraham, the man of God considered righteous because of his faith, had troubles believing God’s promise to him. Despite his doubts, however, Abraham followed God’s commands and received the seemingly impossible promise by God’s grace.

Isaac came forth as the result of God’s grace, not by the parental planning work of Abraham, and Sarah. The conception of Issac was miraculous in the sense that Abraham and Sarah were past the age of child bearing. Therefore, the promise was the result of grace. 

It is noteworthy that even people of great faith may have doubts. When God seems to want the impossible and you begin to doubt His leading, be like Abraham, focus on God’s commitment to fulfill His promises to you, and then continue to obey.

It was impossible for us to save ourselves from the clutches of sin and Satan, but God did the impossible. He sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins. He paid the wages we owed; He gave His life of inestimable value for our lives of sin that are completely worthless, that we may live. He saved us by grace through faith in Him. His grace is always available to the believer to do the impossible.

God is personally involved in the life of a believer, and nudges him or her to ask for His power to help, even in impossible situations.

Now, one may ask, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Asking the question this way reminds you of the obvious answer which is, “Of course not!” This question reveals much about God. Therefore, as a child of God, make it a habit to insert your specific needs into the question, such as, “Is this day in my life too hard for the Lord?” “Is this habit I’m trying to break too hard for the Lord?” “Is the communication problem I’m having too hard for the Lord!” Of course not! Then trust completely in His power (grace) to come to your aid in that specific situation.

Trust doesn’t come easy. Instances abound in the Bible on this: It wasn’t easy for Moses to believe that him and his people, the Israelites, would escape Egypt, even after God spoke to him from a burning bush. But he trusted God (Exodus 3 vs 1 -  4; 20). It wasn’t easy for David to believe that he would become king, even after he was anointed. But he trusted God (First Samuel 16!- 31). It wasn’t easy for Jeremiah to publicly buy land already captured  by the enemy. But he trusted God (Jeremiah 32 vs 6 - 15). It wasn’t easy for us to believe that God can fulfill His promises either, but we must trust Him. God, who worked in the lives of biblical heroes, will work in our lives, too, if we will let Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are God of the whole heavens and the earth. By You all things consist. There is nothing difficult or impossible with You. Endue me with the spirit of absolute trust and commitment to You in all things. Give me the grace to aid me in any impossible situation I find myself, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

When Another Christian Hurts You

 When Another Christian Hurts You

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24) 

What is the basis of our not holding grudges against Christian brothers and sisters who repent? 

Our moral indignation because of a terrible offense done against us does not evaporate just because the offender is a Christian. In fact, we may feel even more betrayed. And a simple, “I’m sorry” will often seem utterly disproportionate to the painfulness and ugliness of the offense. 

But in this case we are dealing with fellow Christians and the promise of God’s wrath against our offender does not apply, because there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “God has not destined [Christians] for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). It looks like they are going to get away with it!

Where shall we turn to assure ourselves that justice will be done — that Christianity is not a mockery of the seriousness of sin? 

The answer is that we look to the cross of Christ. All the wrongs that have been done against us by genuine believers were avenged in the death of Jesus. This is implied in the simple but staggering fact that all the sins of all God’s people were laid on Jesus. “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24).

The suffering of Christ was the real punishment and recompense of God on every hurt you have ever received from a fellow Christian. Therefore, Christianity does not make light of sin. It does not add insult to our injury. 

On the contrary, it takes the sins against us so seriously that, to make them right, God gave his own Son to suffer more than we could ever make anyone suffer for what they have done to us. If we go on holding a grudge against a fellow believer, we are saying in effect that the cross of Christ was not a sufficient recompense for the sins of God’s people. This is an insult to Christ and his cross you do not want to give.

GOD IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE BELIEVER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JULY 07, 2025. 

SUBJECT: GOD IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE BELIEVER!

Memory verse: “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” (Ephesians 3 vs 12.) 

READ: Ephesians 2 vs 14 - 18:

2:14: For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 

2:15: having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 

2:16: and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 

2:17: And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 

2:18: For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."

INTIMATION:

We were separated from God by our sins which was the consequence of the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, at the garden of Eden, and further worsened by our own evil tendencies. God, in His loving kindness, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for our sins. His death on the cross was accepted by God as the “Supreme Sacrifice” for our sins. Consequently, He abolished the separation between God and man through the gift of salvation by His death on the cross. We who were far off have been brought near in Christ Jesus by the blood of Christ.

Jesus was born of a woman, He was human. He was born as a Jew and was subject to God’s law and fulfilled it perfectly. Thus, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice because, although He was fully human, He never sinned; He ‘was without spots nor wrinkles.’ He, therefore, became a perfect Lamb for sacrifice for our sins. His death bought freedom for us who were enslaved to sin so that we could be adopted into God’s family.

Christ has destroyed the barrier that formally existed between God and us by that “Supreme Sacrifice” on the cross. Because the wages of sin had been paid for us, our separation from God has been abolished, and we are reconciled to God through Christ. This is true reconciliation. 

Because of Christ’s death, we are all one; our enmity against each other has been put to death; we can all have access to the Father by the Holy Spirit; we are no longer strangers or foreigners to God; and we are all being built into a holy temple with Christ as our Chief Cornerstone. 

When you read Leviticus 16 vs 1 - 25 in the Bible, you will understand the strict instructions God gave to the high priest regarding the necessary preparations for appearing before the Lord in the Holiest of all in the tabernacle. Aaron had to spend hours preparing himself to meet God. Now, the way to God has been opened to us by Christ. We can approach God anytime. What a privilege! We are offered easier access to God than the high priests of Old Testament times! Still, we must never forget that God is holy nor let this privilege cause us to approach God carelessly. Easy access to God does not eliminate our need to prepare our hearts as we draw near in prayer.

It is an awesome privilege to be able to approach God with freedom and confidence. Most of us would be apprehensive in the presence of a powerful ruler such as the president of your country. But thanks be to Christ, by faith we can enter directly into God’s presence through prayer. We know we will be welcomed with open arms because we are God’s children through our union with Christ. Don’t be afraid of God. Talk with Him about everything. He is waiting to hear from you. 

God’s loving concern does not begin on the day we are born and conclude on the day we die. It reaches back to those days before we were born and reaches ahead along the unending path of eternity. Our only sure help comes from a God whose concern for us reaches beyond our eternal existence. God is in His creation and close to every one of us. But He is not trapped in His creation—He is transcendent. God is the Creator, not the creation. This means that God is sovereign and in control, while at the same time He is close and personal. Let the Creator of the universe rule your life. 

Prayer is our approach to God, and we are to come “boldly.” Some Christians approach God meekly with heads hung low, afraid to ask Him to meet their needs. Others pray flippantly, giving little thought to what they say. Come with reverence, because He is your King. But also come with bold assurance because He is your Friend and Counselor .

The Bible makes it clear that your own body is God’s temple. Your spirit needs, and wants closeness with God. You want to know the living God personally, not as an idea or concept, not as a distant monarch. You can draw near to God through worship; prayer, praise, Bible study, and meditation. You need not live as a monk, but you probably need more prayer in your life. 

The habit of worship should be imbibed by us, not as a convenience to be wedged between sports and recreations. Instead, make worship your top priority. The Scripture says, “Pray without ceasing” (First Thessalonians 5 vs 17). Bible meditation may include verse memory, songs, and quiet personal reading. The Bible is the Word of God for you. Use it every day and you will draw nearer and nearer to God.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the privilege of easy access to You given to us in Christ Jesus. O God, I do not take for granted this privilege. I pray for the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to be with me always as I commune with You in prayers, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How Christ Conquered Bitterness

 How Christ Conquered Bitterness

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23)

No one was more grievously sinned against than Jesus. Every ounce of animosity against him was completely undeserved. 

No one has ever lived who was more worthy of honor than Jesus; and no one has been dishonored more. 

If anyone had a right to get angry and be bitter and vengeful, it was Jesus. How did he control himself when scoundrels, whose very existence he sustained, spit in his face? First Peter 2:23 gives the answer: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

What this verse means is that Jesus had faith in the future grace of God’s righteous judgment. He did not need to avenge himself for all the indignities he suffered, because he entrusted his cause to God. He left vengeance in God’s hands and prayed for his enemies: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). 

Peter gives us this glimpse into Jesus’s faith so that we would learn how to live this way ourselves. He said, “You have been called [to endure harsh treatment patiently] . . . because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

If Christ conquered bitterness and vengeance by faith in what God, the good Judge, had promised to do, how much more should we, since we have far less right to murmur for being mistreated than he did?