This went of for weeks and eventually we all loosened up. I know that I grew greatly from this teaching. I can now recognise and evaluate my feelings; from this I can respond, take action, cope. Also, it helps me work out appropriate boundaries.
Jesus Is Here To Help
We all have feelings all the time. As the circumstances of our lives change so do our feelings. But mostly there are many things going on in our life, each with its own set of feelings. Does this make a mixed stew of feelings, emotions and pressures within us? Yes, often.
What then happens? Either we blow up. Or we shut down .. Unless we are able to identify and manage all these emotions.
Definition: "manage": to handle or direct with a degree of skill.
Our inner life becomes more critical to us as our world and our life-in-the-world become more complicated, more challenged. Thankfully Jesus is here to help; He makes available skills which we can learn:
"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" (Ephesians 6:11).
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts - and be thankful" (Colossians 3:15).
"You have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance" (1 Peter 1:2).
Feelings and emotions are part of life. In the 1700s J.S. Bach, who loved Jesus and wrote rich Christian music, described many of his fellow churchgoers as "careless, muddled spirits".
In our own modern societies, depression, anxiety and stress are epidemic.
Many doctors agree that a majority of patients in hospitals are there for psycho-somatic reasons, people get sick if they have not learned to deal with the emotional part of their life.
Anger
Have you noticed? Practically everybody is angry - there are so many causes - everybody can give you ten good reasons to be angry. We have to learn to live with all of them, and also to manage our anger.
We are:
• Angry at fast rising prices
• Angry at proven lies from governments and other leaders
• Angry at the damage to our children from school curriculums and screen time
• Angry at unreliable and uncertain financial systems
• Angry at supply chain problems
• Angry at all the advertisements everywhere
• Angry at threats to international trade
• Angry at threats of more pandemics
• Angry at threats of world wars
• Angry at the traffic
In particular I am shocked and angry at our seeming powerlessness before the shrinking of democracy. Our Western governments used to serve the people; this is the core of democratic rule, that the people are always more important than the government and no government person or law is more important or powerful than any citizen. Now our governments seem to follow their own ideologies without our agreement and are making us into fearful compliant servants.
Unforgiveness
Our need to forgive is important to God, it is front and centre in Jesus' teaching. Forgiveness lifts us over the barriers between our self and a righteous relationship with God.
Jesus taught us to pray to Our Father: "Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive those who sin against us" (Matthew 6:12).
He said: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15).
Woken By Jesus
This morning (my last for this time camping by the sea) I awoke at 4 o'clock singing this song in my heart. My felt emotion was joy:
Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return,
And come with singing unto Zion;
And everlasting joy shall be upon their head.
They shall obtain gladness and joy;
And sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return,
And come with singing unto Zion;
And everlasting joy shall be upon their head.
(Ruth Lake, from Isaiah 51:11
KJV).
Remember, Jesus is here to help us. He gives us His peace (John 14:27).
We are children (1 John 3:1) of Jesus' New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6). Israel understood their Covenant as "hesed", which in English is "lovingkindness" (175 times in the NASB) or "abounding in love" or "everlasting love".
Our New Covenant will last forever and it is always for us. God undertakes to care for us
(Luke 12:22-32). We can be encouraged (Hebrews 6:18). Jesus and our Father God are
bigger than the world and its troubles (Psalm 8:3–4; Luke 12:7), and our future
is more wonderful than the politicians or business tycoons can imagine
(Ephesians 3:20).
Cleaving To Jesus
Jesus wants us to "cleave" (cling, hold tight), to Him always; this is confirmed by many Bible writers (John 12:26, 15:1-17; Acts 11:23; Hebrews 10:39). I often remember Matthew's last thought from his Gospel, Jesus assurance: "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20) - and so many Psalms! Jesus is right here with us, right now! In every event in our life, He has been present; Jesus is here to redeem us from everything. He will lift our spirits and bring His joy and peace as He did for the eight of the Apostles who died as Martyrs, and for so many since then. Dietrich Bonheoffer was hanged in the closing days of WWII. Bonheoffer said: "Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life", he knew this to be true because he lived it.
Jesus told His disciples: "the one who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13). I believe this may be one of our Saviour’s most profound commands to us.
New Testament writers use powerful language when encouraging us to keep a close relationship with Jesus, the Amplified Bible translates this as "cleave" 16 times. Those verses are among my favourites, I am encouraged and I do cleave. There are times when I hang on to Jesus with everything I have .. He always responds with love and reassurance. For such devotion to Jesus we need a clear mind (2 Timothy 1:7) and a clear heart (Psalms 24:4).
We are not a product of our past. Often it is past events which fuel our negative feelings and emotions. As Christians we are a product of Jesus and His completed work, "a new creation" in Jesus:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
".. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it .." (Colossians 3:9-10 Message).
"What Am I Feeling?"
"What am I
feeling?" We can ask our self this question and then look to Jesus for His
clarity and help.
One of the first Bible verses our children learned at Sunday School - then often spoke around our house: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Remember Paul's words as he ends his letter to the Ephesians: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Ephesians 6:12-13).
We are alive in Jesus, spirit to Spirit with Him, we can stand, we can be strong and courageous, we can live life to the full. So lovely.
Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Favourite Bible Verses
Our Father speaking to us about Jesus: ".. Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5).
"He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:10-11).
Nehemiah praying to God about his people: "They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them .. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them" (Nehemiah 9:17).
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 5:6-11).
Jesus is with us. Hallelujah. Amen.
Permalink: https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2023/09/what-are-you-feeling.html
Cleaving To Jesus
Jesus wants us to "cleave" (cling, hold tight), to Him always; this is confirmed by many Bible writers (John 12:26, 15:1-17; Acts 11:23; Hebrews 10:39). I often remember Matthew's last thought from his Gospel, Jesus assurance: "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20) - and so many Psalms! Jesus is right here with us, right now! In every event in our life, He has been present; Jesus is here to redeem us from everything. He will lift our spirits and bring His joy and peace as He did for the eight of the Apostles who died as Martyrs, and for so many since then. Dietrich Bonheoffer was hanged in the closing days of WWII. Bonheoffer said: "Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life", he knew this to be true because he lived it.
Jesus told His disciples: "the one who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13). I believe this may be one of our Saviour’s most profound commands to us.
New Testament writers use powerful language when encouraging us to keep a close relationship with Jesus, the Amplified Bible translates this as "cleave" 16 times. Those verses are among my favourites, I am encouraged and I do cleave. There are times when I hang on to Jesus with everything I have .. He always responds with love and reassurance. For such devotion to Jesus we need a clear mind (2 Timothy 1:7) and a clear heart (Psalms 24:4).
We are not a product of our past. Often it is past events which fuel our negative feelings and emotions. As Christians we are a product of Jesus and His completed work, "a new creation" in Jesus:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
".. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it .." (Colossians 3:9-10 Message).
"What Am I Feeling?"
One of the first Bible verses our children learned at Sunday School - then often spoke around our house: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Remember Paul's words as he ends his letter to the Ephesians: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Ephesians 6:12-13).
We are alive in Jesus, spirit to Spirit with Him, we can stand, we can be strong and courageous, we can live life to the full. So lovely.
Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Favourite Bible Verses
Our Father speaking to us about Jesus: ".. Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5).
"He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:10-11).
Nehemiah praying to God about his people: "They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them .. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them" (Nehemiah 9:17).
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 5:6-11).
Jesus is with us. Hallelujah. Amen.
Permalink: https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2023/09/what-are-you-feeling.html
