Do You Want Happier and Healthier Life?

MY SOUL THIRST FOR GOD

Emeritus Professor Everett Worthington from Commonwealth University working together with researchers from Harvard University, Everett examined the impact of hope on nearly 13,000 people with an average age of 66. The study will be published at Global Epidemiology Journal with the title, “The Role of Hope in Subsequent health and well being for older adults: An Outcome wide longitudinal approach”. They found those with more hope throughout their lives had better physical health, better health behavior, better social support and a longer life. Hope also led to fewer chronic health problems, less depression, less anxiety and a lower risk of cancer.

If we pause for a while and take a look from the Bible, especially Psalm 42, we will realize that the research actually confirms what the Bible said about the need of having true hope in life. Hope from God is powerful beyond what we can think and understand about the future. Hope in Christ is a belief that God who is sovereign in the past, present and future will always lead us in better way.

Just as the deer pants for streams of water, the writer is longing to come to God’s temple at Jerusalem, but he can’t. At that time, Saul the King of Israel wanted to kill David. So, David ran away from Jerusalem where Saul lived. David found himself in very bad situations from time to time, but he always got his hope from God. David desires to come to God by remembering God’s goodness. David put his hope in God alone.

Why did the writer of Psalm 42 find unceasing encouragement in God? The author finds hope in God because God can change any situation to save him. God could refresh the Psalmist’s terrible life from depression to a peaceful and contented life. God can refresh our lives and give us hope just as He did for David and countless other Christians down through the years. God’s reason for creating us is for fellowship with Him. That is why God has placed a thirst within our hearts – a desire that only God can satisfy. Let’s be content with what we have and not live our lives constantly longing for what we don’t have. Put your hope in Christ and you will receive salvation, peace and joy. Amen.

HOPE FROM GOD IS POWERFUL BEYOND WHAT WE CAN THINK AND UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE FUTURE
Jeffry Sudirgo

WHEN WORRIES CHAIN YOUR LIFE

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WHEN WORRIES CHAIN YOUR LIFE

Matthew 6:25-33

Do you ever feel life is unfair? Do you ever worry about future things that are uncertain? In the book Preliminary Exploration of Worry: by Borkovec, it says: worry is a primary cognitive characteristic of anxiety and has been described as ‘a chain of thoughts and images, negatively affect laden and relatively uncontrollable’.

Research by Hirsch and Mathews in 2012 about A cognitive model of Pathological Worry (NCBI US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3444754/ ) gives the conclusion that repeated cycles of negative thoughts including factors processing biases, misdirected control and verbal encoding will lead to general anxiety disorder (GAD).

Actually worry is not a new problem in modern days. Far back, about 2000 years ago, people in Jesus’ time worried much about their life. Some made money their god and others made themselves as an idol. A lot of people worried to the point of suffering (until) they couldn’t sleep and were filled with hate, hurt, stress, depression, finally Today, we would call it GAD (General Anxiety Disorder).

What Jesus told them is how to stay worry-free and get a blessing from God. There are two things we should know about God’s heart. First, because we are precious in His sight (Matthew 6:26) and second is God has a good plan for us (Matthew 6:30). God values our life more than luxury things in the world. Jesus Christ wants, all of us to stay free of worries because the reality of our future world is in His powerful hand. We can plan to do something in the future but we can’t determine what will happen tomorrow. A fortune teller can’t even be sure about details in the future, but God can!

The Bible is not only theories about good living but it is about life with Jesus Christ! Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6a). If life is doubtful for us and we feel sour with heavy burdens, remember that JESUS is the one, who can make the blind see, lame walk, deaf hear, dumb speak, sick be healed and the dead raised to life!

If unhelpful worries chain your life, remember Jesus Christ. The Bible said “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34). Amen.

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL BRING ITS OWN WORRIES

SIGN OF LIFE

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SIGN OF LIFE

(II Peter 2:6-9)

Do you know where the lowest place on earth is? It is located about 1300 feet below sea level. Yes, it is Dead Sea in the Middle East! This place is the silent witness which shows God’s anger to those who like to embrace violence and sadistic manner as their life style. Many years ago, the Bible says two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, and about 10 surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality. People from Sodom and Gomorrah were typically people who wanted to do whatever they liked to do, lustful and lawless. This is about the exact opposite of people defined by the fruit of the Spirit including love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, etc.

From the Bible (Genesis 19:24) we know that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and sulferic rain called brimstone, earth quake, avalanche, asphalt and other mineral components.

Do you know why Dead Sea is so salty? The water is around 10 times saltier than usual sea water. It’s the world’s deepest hypersaline place which contains crystallised sodium chloride. There are 21 minerals contained in the Dead Sea, and 12 kinds of them cannot be found in any other sea or ocean in the world.

If we remember the prophecy of God through Ezekiel 47:8-9, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever ther river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.“; then today we will know that this prophecy is in process of fullfilment.

Today, medical research has proven that salt from the Dead Sea can cure psoriasis, rheumatism, and even rhinosinusitis. Did you know that thousands of year ago, Egypt used asphalt from the Dead Sea for mummification? They used potash element for soil fertilizer.

The Dead Sea has receded quickly. Scholars predict that by 2036 the level of the Dead Sea will have dropped by another 25 meters. Earlier we said that there is no fish or creature can live inside the Dead sea, but God has transformed the elements of this deadly sea into useful minerals for health and even for life.

What can we learn from the Bible and the facts of the Dead Sea? God’s Word is true! The Scripture will be fulfilled. What goes from God’s Word will not return empty, but it will be accomplished and the purpose will be achieved according to God’s will.

God can change even a curse into blessing! Do not let your future being determined by what some horoscope or ouija board says. Do not let your mind deceive you with worries and anxiousness about things ahead.

Let’s put our lives under the care and control of The One who can change curses to blessings, and death to life. If God can change the Dead Sea to bring useful things for many people, the same God can change and bless everyone who comes to Him!

People who let God be involved in their work, school, family and even their whole life; will not lack God’s providence. Amen.

GOD CAN CHANGE EVENT CURSE TO BLESSING !