One day an elderly pastor confides in his parishioners that he's feeling a bit lonely and depressed. So one of the parishioners suggests to the pastor that he buy a pet. Thinking this a grand idea, the pastor hurries into town and after much deliberation, buys a parrot. Unfortunately not five minutes after arriving home, the parrot starts hurling a string of expletives at the pastor. After about an hour it gets to be too much, so the pastor walks up to the parrot, slaps him on the beak, and yells, "QUIT IT!" But this just makes the parrot madder and he starts swearing at the pastor in even more colorful language. Finally the pastor has had it and says, "All right, that's it. Grabbing a blanket, the pastor throws it over the parrot's cage and screams, "Now, SHUT UP!" Well, this really irritates the parrot and he starts clawing and scratching at the bars of his cage. Finally the pastor removes the blanket. Immediately the parrot starts right in on the pastor again. By this time, the pastor is so infuriated that he grabs the parrot by the throat and throws him into the freezer. Well, the parrot starts swearing and thrashing about so loudly that the pastor is considering killing the bird. Just as he's thinking this, it gets very...very quiet. At first the pastor just stares at the refrigerator, but then he starts to think that the parrot might be seriously injured. He becomes so worried that he runs over to the refrigerator and throws open the freezer door. The parrot climbs out of the freezer, flaps the ice off his wings, and says, "Awfully sorry about the trouble I've caused you father. In the future, I'll do my best to improve my vocabulary." The pastor is astounded. He can't believe the sudden transformation that has come over the parrot. Finally the parrot turns to the pastor and says, "Um....by the way, what did the chicken do?"
A Season of Hope
Help For The DepressedJoyce Meyer said…Many people, including Spirit-filled Christians, not only have had bouts with depression, but major problems with it. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, the joy of the LORD is inside you. Many believers know this but don’t have the slightest idea how to tap into it or release it. We need to experience what is ours as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ. It is God’s will for us to experience joy!
Psalm 40:1-2…I waited patiently and expectantly for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit (a pit of tumult and of destruction), out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings…
In the world we cannot live without DISAPPOINTMENT, but in Jesus we can always be given RE-APPOINTMENT!
Philippians 3:13…But one thing I do (it is my one aspiration): forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead…
Isaiah 43:18-19…Do not (earnestly) remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert…
1. There is Much Power in Rejoicing
Acts 16:25-26…About midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God…Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s shackles were unfastened…
Philippians 4:4…Rejoice in the LORD always (delight, gladden yourselves in Him); again I say, REJOICE!...
Thanksgiving doesn’t just come in November, for the Christ-Follower it is EVERYDAY!
James said: COUNT IT ALL JOY…
Can you hear the LORD say: don’t you understand how expressing joy will change your circumstances…
Remember my sermon series back in 2005: Count Your Blessings Not Your Sufferings!
Psalm 32:11…Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you (uncompromisingly) righteous (you who are upright and in right standing with Him); shout for joy, all you upright in heart!...
Colossians 3:16-17…Let the word (spoken by) Christ (the Messiah) have its home (in your hearts and minds) and dwell in you in (all its) richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom (in spiritual things, and as you sing) psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with (His) grace in your hearts. And whatever you do (no matter what it is) in word or deed, do everything in the name of the LORD JESUS and in (dependence upon) His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him…
Psalm 42:5…Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God…
2. Don’t Flirt with the Devil
A young girl was walking along a mountainous path. Making her way up the mountain it became very cold. While on her journey a snake approached her. The snake said, “please pick me up, I am cold.” The girl said, “I can’t do that.” The snake said, “Oh, please make me warm.” She gave in and said, “You can hide inside my coat.” The snake coiled itself and became warm. The girl thought everything was okay. Suddenly the snake bit her. She dropped the snake and said, “I trusted you; why did you bite me?” The snake said, “You knew what I was when you picked me up.”
That little story applies to OH SO MANY THINGS…
We need to resist depression immediately
1Peter 5:8,9…Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring (in fierce hunger), seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith (against his onset – rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined), knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world…
Romans 8:1…Therefor, (there is) now no comdemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit…
3. Recognize the three greatest causes of depression: Rejection, Failure, and Comparison
When people reject us, Jesus takes it personally.
Luke 10:16…He who hears and heeds you (disciples) hears and heeds Me; and he who slights and rejects you slights and rejects Me; and he who slights and rejects Me slights and rejects Him Who sent me…
Romans 12:21…Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good…
No person has truly failed until they stop trying…
Romans 5:20…Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound…
Jesus was pretty abrupt with Peter when he began to compare himself with John…
John 21:22…Jesus said…If I want him to stay (survive, live) until I come, what is that to you? (what concern is it of yours?) You Follow Me!...
Proverbs 14:30…Envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones…
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As graduation day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.
Angry, he rose his voice to his father and said "with all your money, you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still gift-wrapped Bible, just as he had left it years ago.
With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt.7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words
"PAID IN FULL".
How many times do we miss God's blessings because we can't see past our own desires?
How many times do we wallow in depression when His Word is there for us to stand upon, when He offers us what we need and we get angry and turn our backs on Him because we can’t see past our wants or hurts…
Rejoice, Resist, Recognize…
One day an elderly pastor confides in his parishioners that he's feeling a bit lonely and depressed. So one of the parishioners suggests to the pastor that he buy a pet. Thinking this a grand idea, the pastor hurries into town and after much deliberation, buys a parrot. Unfortunately not five minutes after arriving home, the parrot starts hurling a string of expletives at the pastor. After about an hour it gets to be too much, so the pastor walks up to the parrot, slaps him on the beak, and yells, "QUIT IT!" But this just makes the parrot madder and he starts swearing at the pastor in even more colorful language. Finally the pastor has had it and says, "All right, that's it. Grabbing a blanket, the pastor throws it over the parrot's cage and screams, "Now, SHUT UP!" Well, this really irritates the parrot and he starts clawing and scratching at the bars of his cage. Finally the pastor removes the blanket. Immediately the parrot starts right in on the pastor again. By this time, the pastor is so infuriated that he grabs the parrot by the throat and throws him into the freezer. Well, the parrot starts swearing and thrashing about so loudly that the pastor is considering killing the bird. Just as he's thinking this, it gets very...very quiet. At first the pastor just stares at the refrigerator, but then he starts to think that the parrot might be seriously injured. He becomes so worried that he runs over to the refrigerator and throws open the freezer door. The parrot climbs out of the freezer, flaps the ice off his wings, and says, "Awfully sorry about the trouble I've caused you father. In the future, I'll do my best to improve my vocabulary." The pastor is astounded. He can't believe the sudden transformation that has come over the parrot. Finally the parrot turns to the pastor and says, "Um....by the way, what did the chicken do?"
