Fighting the battles of depression and addiction

Fred R. Coulter—July 31, 2021

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services!

Today we're going to cover a couple of very interesting things to start with.

Have you been mystified over why they're asking people to wear masks again? Well, they haven't told you the truth! Does that sound familiar? You can't expect any truth out of Washington D.C., whatsoever, because they're al dedicated to lies and hatred!

I'm going to have this special interview that you can request. I'm not going to put it online, I'm not going to read directly from the principles involved, but it's #1) a good reporter and #2) vaccine scientist. Here's what's happening:

What you heard Fauci say is the 'nasal titers'…

That is when they put that long stick up in your snout to try and measure what sort of viruses you have.

Sidebar: did you know that there were virtually no deaths from flu, because most of the Covid-19s were flu and not the Wuhan Virus.

Here's what a titer is:

…precisely what one would see if 'antibody dependent enhancement'…

Keep that in mind because that's a special process that happens with those who get the vaccine.

What is 'antibody dependent enhancement'? Briefly, it's that the vaccine causes the virus to become more infectious than would happen in the absence of vaccination!

That's what they're saying, you've got to have your mask—2-6, whatever you want. The man who gave the report is Dr. Malone, so he answers the question:

So the mutations is another misleading set of statements from Dr. Fauci….

They're not mutations into the Delta Virus! The thinj is, they knew this would happen all along!

The escape mutants that are escaping vaccine selective pressure are most likely developing in the people that they vaccinated; not in the unvaccinated. That's just another convenient lie!

'Oh, you've got to get vaccinated! You don't want to protect other people!' Well, you have to stay away from the vaccinated because they may infect you!

But 'antibody dependent enhancement' can be influenced by escape mutants, but I suspect [it's] what the data are suggesting, if they're validated.

So, I only have this MBC News report from an unnamed government source. But if it's easy enough to get 'titers' in patients that have been vaccinated vs those who have not been vaccinated… in this case 'Delta Variant.' If those data are verified that the 'titers' are higher in the blood with those who have been vaccinated compared to those who have not been vaccinated, that would be the smoking gun to demonstrate 'antibody dependent enhancement' of virus replication…

Long words; it means that when it reaches a certain point, the vaccine isn't working, especially Pfizer, and that's why they've a re-call on Pfizer. It starts repeating the infection again at a lower level, but repeating again.

So, that's where we're at, is these preliminary signals being disclosed by unnamed government officials…

Do you know why they don't want their name out there? Because they're releasing the truth, and the word is that you never say the truth! The word is that you have to lie and cover up the lies.

suggests that we're there in the worst case scenario that the vaccine community has been warning about since the beginning of the outbreak, because it's been the history of all other Coronavirus vaccine development programs in humans and in most of the animals.

Just to let you know, we've sent out over 500 vaccine exemption letters with 69 pages of documentation. I haven't had one call back and say they were turned down. If you don't have yours, you call the office and we'll get it to you.

If you want this whole report, then you will have to request it. That's why I only read the pertinent excerpts, and this is a by a vaccination expert scientist whose worked on them. That tells you where we are.

*****

One other thing, when you get your book God's Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days don't faint! You can see that it's a very 'thin' book! (joke)

But I've learned one thing: you cannot ground the brethren in Truth with booklets. Booklet's have a place, and all of those who make the terrible mistake of saying—and that's almost every splinter group of the Churches of God—that Herbert Armstrong restored all things and we don't need to do anymore investigation. That sets everyone up for a fall!

Herbert Armstrong did not restore all things! He was not Elijah! You need to understand that. That's not to put him down. I'm sure he's going to be in the resurrection, but he made a lot of mistakes, and it affected everyone in the Church. Those things need to be discussed. I can tell you for sure, the biggest errors were:

  • everything is government and hierarchy

That's completely wrong!

  • he never understood about love or grace

Love was only outgoing concern. What is that? Armstrong never understood grace; he said that grace was forgiveness of sin.

I can tell you that I verified all of that. What I just told you, based on all the publication so of Worldwide, that is a true statement! If you doubt it, all those who think that Herbert Armstrong restored all things, go to the Herbert Armstrong website and see how much you can find on love and grace, and on forgiveness! You're not going to find it.

Likewise with the Holy Days; the Holy Days are the most important thing that tells us what God is doing. We have all of it there in the God's Plan for Mankind Restored by His Sabbath and Holy Days book.

We made it very simple for everybody. All of these pages that goes through the messages are transcripts. And we have two CDs that we're putting in the book to be mailed out by Unit Packaging in Michigan. Each message has a transcript.

I know that when Jonathan was being called, when he went through God's Plan, he said that was the thing that really tipped him completely toward God. I answered every question that even the world asks:

  • What about people that die in war that were innocent and never did anything?
  • What about those who died in the Holocaust?
  • What about those who died in the Flood?
  • What about stillborn babies?
  • What about abortions?

All answered!

  • Who is a true Christian?
  • What does God want us to do?
  • How do we get in contact with God?

All there!

I can tell you briefly what grace is; but you must experience this through prayer and study. It is found in Eph. 2, and this is the introduction to my message today:

Ephesians 2:13: "But now in Christ Jesus… [that's us] …you who were once far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who has made both one… [Jews and Gentiles] …and has broken down the middle wall of partition" (vs 13-14).

The middle wall of partition is resurrected again not only in Judaism, but in Catholicism and partly in Protestantism, because those are the traditions of men that separate from God.

Verse 15: "Having annulled in His flesh the enmity, the law of commandments contained in the decrees of men…"

Not of God! The big sin of Protestantism… I'm going to do some segments on Church At Home and I want them to go out to the world, but the world cannot take an hour and a half message. So, I'll give it to them in 3-4 half hour segments.

The biggest sin of Protestantism and Catholicism is that the Law has been done away or altered by decree of the Catholic Church, which is Sunday, and the Protestants still keep. Any Protestants out there listening, you are another Catholic. A Catholic is only a 'Christianized pagan'!

"…so that in Himself… [God the Father] …He might create both into one new man, making peace; and that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, having slain the enmity by it. Now when He came, He preached the Gospel—peace to you who were far off and to those who were near" (vs 15-17).

Here is the key, and the whole foundation of grace; v 18: "For through Him we both have direct access by one Spirit to the Father."

When you pray and say, 'Our Father…' your prayer is going directly to God. Do you understand that? God has opened the way for us, through His grace, to have direct contact with Him through prayer!  Plus He's given us His Holy Spirit! That's what grace is all about! Grace is not merely the forgiveness of sin; it's the whole relationship between each one whom God calls and gives His Spirit to; between each one and God Himself through Christ. That's what grace is all about!

Verse 19: "So then, you are no longer aliens and foreigners; but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of the household of God…. [think about that]You are being built up on the foundation…" (vs 19-20).

We have to grow in grace and knowledge! That's why we have Sabbath services every week. Think about how good the Sabbath services are, especially when you have a bad week. You need Sabbath services every week, especially in this world.

Verse 20: "You are being built up on the foundation… [growing in grace and knowledge] …of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone in Whom all the building… [the whole plan of God] …being conjointly fitted together is increasing into a Holy temple in the Lord; in Whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit" (vs 20-22).

That's quite a statement! That's what grace is all about! Now then, we're going to talk about how to heal a broken heart!

Luke 4—Jesus came into Nazareth, and they gave Him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Here's what Jesus read and let's see how He emphasized it. Think about this: No one would ever have dared to read it like Jesus did; and they really didn't believe it when He said it.

Luke 4:18: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; for this reason, He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal those who are brokenhearted… [we'll focus on that] …to proclaim pardon to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth in deliverance those who have been crushed."

Sounds like society today. If you want to see a lot of people like that, go by the homeless section in your town. Drive by and ask yourself: How would I like to live out there?

Jesus also told us what to do. This is what we're going to do, and everyone is going to experience a trial that will seem like you can't bear anymore. Why does God do that? There is no other way to test your resolve against the pull of human nature, and your drawing to God than to have trials that bring you down to the very lowest!

Matthew 11:28: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are overly burdened, and I will give you rest."

We have to come to God! What was Jesus' life like? Think of everything that He went through and we do it at every Passover! Everything He suffered and brought down to the very lowest; yet, had no sin, no evil, perfect, God in the flesh! He said, 'No one takes My life from Me, I lay it down!' He knew what was going to happen because He gave all the prophecies of it.

Verse 29: "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (vs 29-30).

The trial is heavy, but the solution lifts it so that the burden is light. That's how God works it. We're going to spend a lot of time in the Psalms because you read through the Psalms, and as you do, you'll come to different places where you wonder: How did David ever make it? Read some of things that we're going to read here. Everyone has to come to that hopeless point! Everyone does!

Notice how David felt! He cried out to God and said; Psalm 13:1: "How long will You forget me, O LORD? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my heart, having sorrow in my heart daily?…." (vs 1-2)—broken heart!

  • you are saddened
  • you are burdened down
  • your mind is on the problem

And it comes in many, many ways!

  • brings depression
  • brings unforgiveness
  • brings bitterness
  • brings sorrow
  • brings self-pity
  • brings disillusionment
  • brings sickness

Brings a lot! Do you know why? Look at it today!

  • more drugs
  • more suicide

Yet, people are not recovering the way that they should! Why? Because they don't really know how to turn to God! Some few Protestants have some good things that help them. That's true, and have to give them credit for it.

But what they need is the true God and the true Word of God and how to live their lives and come out of it.

"…How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, 'I have overcome him'…" (vs 2-4).

Think of that in relationship to our battle with Satan the devil and the world.

"…and my foes rejoice when I am moved. But as for me, I have trusted in Your mercy… [you have to come to God and trust in Him] …my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD because He has dealt bountifully with me" (vs 4-6).

Look at what he was going through! Just imagine all the tears and suffering and everything he went through.

God is giving us eternal life, which is worth everything! It's not just so you can be better as a human being in this life. That's part of it, but that not the whole work. It's eternal life!

This also a prophecy of Christ; Psalm 41:1: "Blessed is he who considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble."

What did Jesus say about our day? There's going to be more trouble than there has ever been!

Verse 2: "The LORD will watch over him and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and You will not deliver him over to the will of his enemies."

Keep that in mind. Stay close to God and you're not going to be delivered to your enemies.

Verse 3: "The LORD will strengthen him upon his sickbed; You will sustain him in all his sickness. I said, 'LORD, be gracious unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You'" (vs 3-4).

We're not told what sin he sinned! Remember that this applies to Christ in carrying all the sins of the world.

Verse 5: "My enemies speak evil of me, saying, 'When will he die, and his name perish?' And if he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood; his heart gathers iniquity to itself; he goes out and speaks of it. All who hate me whisper against me; they plot evil against me. They say, 'A wicked thing is poured out upon him, and he who lies down shall rise no more.' Even a man, my close friend in whom I trusted… [this is a prophecy of Judas] …who ate of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me" (vs 5-9).

What happens when someone really close to you turns against you? You don't expect it! You never thought it would happen! I know what that's like, and a lot of you do, too.

Verse 10: "But You, O LORD, be gracious unto me and raise me up, so that I may repay them. By this I know that You delight in me because my enemy does not triumph over me. And as for me, You uphold me…" (vs 10-12).

All of this tells us what David went through. How did he suffer all of these things? Remember, he was a fighting man! Fighting and warring all the time! The enemy was on every side!

Psa. 31—here's what you do. You don't go in a corner and have a little pity part or a big pity party and feel sorry for yourself. That's just your mind on yourself. You've got to get your mind on God!

Psalm  31:1: "In You, O LORD, have I taken refuge, let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness." Let it be because of You, God!

Verse 2: "Bow down Your ear to me; deliver me quickly; be my strong Rock, a fortress of defense to save me; for You are my Rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name's sake lead me and guide me. Pull me up out of the net that they have hidden for me, for You are my strength. 'Into Your hand I commit My spirit… [a prophecy of Christ; this also tells you what He experienced] …You have redeemed Me, O LORD God of Truth'" (vs 2-5).

All of these things tell us all the emotions. When all of those things come upon you, you get depressed; sometimes you wonder :

  • Where is God?
  • Why are these things happening?

I have often wondered about a lot of those things. But what I've learned is that down through time staying close to God, He brings me out of it. I do down in time and later I can look back and see that God was right, and it was good, and I understood it! But the most difficult thing to understand is when you're down you're brokenhearted! Like we read there, David had to say, 'Save my soul, O God.'

I know what that's like! I look back and I look at the things that happened after that, and it was really God intervening in everything.

You look at some of these Psalms and it makes me wonder about David's days being depressed and down and happy and joyful. No in between! That's why he was a man after God's heart. Remember that out of these things we get correction, and correction is good. It's a blessing to the one whom God corrects.

Psalm 6:1: "O LORD, rebuke me not in Your anger, nor chasten me in the heat of Your fury. Be gracious unto me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled" (vs 1-2).

  • Don't you feel that way sometimes? You get so sad that it's just kind of like it's in your bones, too!
  • Why? It affects everything!

Verse 3: "My soul also is exceedingly troubled; but You, O LORD—how long? Return, O LORD, return; deliver my soul; save me for Your mercy's sake, for in death there is no memory of You; in the grave who shall give You thanks?"

Notice how low David was; v 6: "I am weary in my groaning; all the night I make my bed to swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief… [can't cry anymore] …it grows weak because of all my enemies. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer. Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly dismayed; let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly" (vs 6-10).

Because God can turn it around, and will! That's why Christ is going to return. That's going to be an awesome thing, the return of Christ! That's going to be something! This world is going to be absolutely startled, shaken! They are going to believe that aliens from outer space are coming to take over the earth! That's why they will fight!

What you always need to do is—regardless of how depressed you are, how brokenhearted you are, how difficult it is—you need to get on your knees and pray to God, and look to God to deliver you! Look to God to help you! He will!

  • you have His Spirit
  • He hears your prayers
  • He is for you
  • God loves you

All of those things are true!

Psalm 30:1: "I will praise You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up and have not allowed my foes to rejoice over me."

  • God will lift you up
  • God will strengthen you

Verse 2: "O LORD my God, I cried to You, and You have healed me. O LORD, You have brought up my soul from the grave; You have kept me alive, so that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praises to the LORD, O you saints of His, and give thanks to His Holy name…" (vs 2-5).

Verse 10: "Hear, O LORD, and be gracious unto me; LORD, be my helper."

When you get to this point, the tears are rolling down and everything like that.

Verse 11: "You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have torn off my sackcloth and have clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever" (vs 11-12).

There are a lot of things also that go into being depressed and being down and having difficulty. The #1 thing in the world today is drugs! Whenever anyone is involved in drugs, in order for them to overcome, they not only need God, and prayer, they also need to cleanse and rebuild their bodies. That's the only way they're going to get rid of the cravings of addiction.

If you've been on drugs, you need to go online and find all the things that you need to do to supplement your diet to build up your body, to help cleanse all of the things of the drugs out of your system. You need to do things to resist the pull to go back to it.

One thing I did when I quit smoking some 60 years ago, I got these small juice cans—tomato juice, pineapple juice, grapefruit juice—and whenever I got a craving for a cigarette I would drink one of these juices. What that did for my body—and it will do for anyone—is that if your body is craving something and you give it something, it will be satisfied.

Instead of giving it the drug, you give it some of the juice. I would drink 6-8 cans of those a day to start out with. You know, when you're smoking almost a pack a day, that's a lot. Likewise with drugs, alcoholism, you've got to do something that your body is going to accept that will heal it, but also satisfy the craving so the craving won't come hard against you and make it almost impossible for you to overcome.

So, that will help! I've recommended that to a lot of people who have had various addictions and problems with alcoholism, smoking, and so forth, and it always works.

(break@40:05)

How to overcome depression and fight battles; what we need to do.

Rom. 8—always remember this section of Scripture so that regardless of what happens, you know that it will work out for good in the long run; sometimes even in the short run. This applies to every difficulty, every problem, everything that comes along:

Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God… [love is the powerful connection] …to those who are called according to His purpose… [which you have been] …because those whom He did foreknow…" (vs 28-29).

Does He foreknow us before the resurrection? Yes, indeed, He knows us now! He has His spirit in us now!

"…He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His own Son… [Isn't that amazing? The hope out there is fantastic!] …that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren. Now, whom He predestinated, these He also called…" (vs 29-30).

We've all been called of God! Think about that! Think about all the world out there, all the people out there, and God has chosen us along with all the others that He chooses!

"…and whom He called, these He also justified… [forgiven our sins, made us in right standing with Him] …and whom He justified, these He also glorified" (v 30).

That's a prophetic perfect, meaning that it's as good as done, but it's yet to happen.

Verse 31: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

What can be against us? Nothing! It's not like in the world, we know that a martyrdom is coming! They think that they're getting rid of us, but what they are doing is the finishing work for the resurrection!They don't know that!

I wonder if we're going to be able to this: When those who beheaded Christians are confronted with the resurrected Christians in the Kingdom and will say, 'Do you remember me?' That will be quite a thing!

Five Things You Need to Do

  • Trust in God

Because God can make things happen that looks like there no way for anything to occur!

Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart…"

We're going to see that also applies to loving God. If you trust God, will you be loving Him? Of course!

"…and lean not to your own understanding" (v 5). That's probably why you got in trouble!

Isn't that true? Then you find that you got yourself in a trap that you can't get out of. Well, God will get you out of it!

Verse 6: "In all your ways… [everything you do every day] …acknowledge Him… [What will He do?]: …and He shall direct your paths."

Have you ever gone along and all of a sudden an idea is in your head. You find out later on that that was God leading you to think something, or do something you need to do. That will happen!

Verse 7: "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil."

Read the rest of Prov. 3 and you will see 5-6 things you are not to do!

Prov. 4:18 becomes very important, because if you're depressed or coming off addiction you've got to control your mind! You can't let external things be influencing you. Stop and think! I know of some people who watch television all the time. Stop and look at what they're putting in your mind. What is happening? If you want to know the truth of how bad it is, there is evil everywhere!

Proverbs 4:18: "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more to the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings" (vs 18-20).

Listen to the Word of God! Listen to the Proverbs. If you have trouble getting hold of your emotions, overcoming depression, you need to study the Proverbs over and over, because that will reconnect your brain synapses so that you won't have these disconnects because of the evil that has led you astray.

Verse 21: "Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart."

There's something very interesting about the heart. The heart has neuro cells like the brain. That's why you feel things from your heart. Sometimes you feel things from your heart, but your brain never even thought about them.

Verse 22: "For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh."

This is what every one of us must do, especially in this age. We have so much coming in, bombarded in. Take a look at television and see how quickly they flick from one scene to another. That messes up the brain! That's why kids need not be watching cartoons! It messes up the development of their brain, because it's focusing on too many things too quickly.

Verse 23: "Above all guard the door of your mind…"

Because everything you hear and see goes into your brain! When we get older, I don't know what happens, but call up a lot of these things we did when were kids.

"…with diligence…" (v 23). Don't let things come into your mind!

  • if it is something on television, turn it off
  • if it's something on the radio, change stations
  • if it's stupid music, eliminate it

Music is one of the worst thing to mess up the mind of young people today. But you've got to do with diligence! Why?

"…for out of it are the issues of life" (v 23). You whole way of life and everything you see, do and hear goes into your brain!

Here's what Jesus tells the Laodiceans; notice how this agrees with that verse.

Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock…. [that's the door of your mind] …If anyone hears My voice and opens the door… [open your mind to the Word of God, not to the way of the world] …I will come in to him…"—the Sprit of God is coming into you;

That's why you need to guard the door of your mind with all diligence; not half-heartedly, not part of the time!

"…and will sup with him, and he with Me" (v 20). How is He going to 'sup' with you? Prov. 4:23! That's quite an interesting connection!

Proverbs 4:23: "Above all guard the door of your mind with diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth… [deceitful thoughts] …and devious lips put far from you" (vs 23-24).

In other words, overcome the sin within! You do that by trusting God!

Verse 25: "Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left; remove your foot from evil" (vs 25-27).

All of that is how you guard the door of your mind and trust God!

  • You Have to Have Faith
  • You Have to Believe

You have faith in God, and you act on that faith! That's called belief! Jesus told the disciples to have faith from God, and more explicitly that meant have God's faith! In other words a gift of the Holy Spirit! If we're doing these things, here's what faith is going to produce, as well.

Romans 5:1: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we ourselves boast in the hope of the glory of God" (vs 1-2).

God says that if He is for us, nothing can be against us!

Verse 3: "And not only this, but we also boast in tribulations…" That's hard to come by!

I'm happy today! 'Why?' I got a big trial!

That's not easy to do! But Paul went through so much he could see the purpose of it!

"…realizing that tribulation brings forth endurance, and endurance brings forth character, and character brings forth hope…. [we're always hoping in God] …And the hope of God never makes us ashamed because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us" (vs 3-5).

We have to have faith and belief always! And that faith comes:

  • from Christ
  • from practicing
  • from keeping the commandments of God
  • from doing what is right
  • from being able to avoid the evil
  • from see the things that are coming along and don't let them take you down

He shows that you're going to be in contact with God through Christ up to this point.

Colossians 1:23: "If indeed you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast…"—not wavering!

Notice that this ties in with guard the door of your mind diligently!

  • You Have to Have Hope

"…and are not moved away from the hope of the Gospel… [see how faith and hope are interlocked together] …which you have heard, and which was proclaimed in all the creation that is under heaven; of which I, Paul, became a servant" (v 23).

We have to have that faith, which comes from God! Faith is actually a spiritual substance of the Spirit of God. IF we have the Spirit of God within us THEN we can have this kind of faith!

Hebrews 11:1: "Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for… [faith and hope connected] …and the conviction of things not seen…. [all things work together for good] …For by this kind of faith the elders obtained a good report" (vs 1-2).

This helps us to know and believe things God wants us to know!

Verse 3: "By faith we understand that the worlds were created by the Word of God, so that the things that are seen were made from things that are invisible.

Verse 6: "Now, without faith it is impossible to please God….."

That's why we go to God and ask God for faith, to help us with it! When we do, don't be surprised if you have a trial to see if you're going to believe! They happen that way.

"…For it is mandatory for the one who comes to God to believe that He exists…" (v 6)—that He is and also is everything He says He is!

Think about this: With God's Spirit, we have direct connection with God! With His Word, we have every word that God wants us to know! Isn't that an amazing thing? Especially for today? Yes!

"…and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (v 6). That ties right in with guarding the door of your mind!

So, we have trust, faith, belief and hope!

1-Timothy 1:1: "Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is our hope."

That has to come from Christ. Let's see what Paul said is the kind of faith that Christ gives us. He gives us the faith:

  • for salvation
  • for belief
  • so we can hope

Galatians 2:16: "Knowing that a man is not justified by works of law…"

We're not going to get into a detailed discussion of works and faith, but works of law in this case has to do with Judaism traditions.

"…but through the faith of Jesus Christ…" (v 16)—Jesus' own faith! That comes with the Spirit!

"…we also have believed in Christ Jesus in order that we might be justified by the faith of Christ…" (v 16). There it is again, Christ's own faith!

"…and not by works of law; because by works of law shall no flesh be justified. Now then, if we are seeking to be justified in Christ, and we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then the minister of sin? MAY IT NEVER BE!" (vs 16-17).

  • What happens here?
  • What is Paul talking about here?

When we have a trial and difficulty and we come close to God—through prayer and study—God is going to reveal in our mind sin, because it's there!

  • For what purpose?
  • so we can repent
  • something else takes place when we do that, and that helps us greatly

God writes into our mind and inscribes upon our heart, and that's why we are to diligently guard the door of our mind!

  • He writes what into our heart and mind?
    • His Word
    • His Law
    • His commandments
    • His love
    • His Truth

That's how we overcome!

  • You to Have to Have Love

We have trust, faith, hope and now love! Love is a great, important thing from God to us and from us to God!

This is a tool for us to overcome, and also a tool to be able to grow in grace and knowledge. This is the most important thing, the love of God; our love to Him!

The Protestants all claim this so-called 'unconditional' love of God. Well, it's not unconditional, because He has many conditions for it! But our love back to God is what God wants. Through these:

  • difficulties
  • trials
  • broken hearts
  • broken dreams
  • disappointments

all work together for good in the long run, when we get past them! Here's what we need to do, and this is something that we need to pray about every day! 'O God, help us to love You even more!'

Mark 12:29: "Then Jesus answered him, 'The first of all the commandments is… [the most important thing that there is] …"Hear, O Israel…. [put your name there] …Our one God is the Lord, the Lord. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…"'" (vs 29-30).

  • no reservations
  • no second thoughts
  • no holding back
  • no going against God

"'…and with all your soul… [you whole body, as well] …and with all your mind… [guard the door of your mind] …and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment…. [that's the way it needs to be] …And the second is like this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' …." (v 30).

It says in Matt. 22 that on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets! It's not the other way around.

Now you can see how much the Protestants take away from people. They don't bring this out that it needs to be that way. It is true that the Apostle John wrote more about the love of God and the Spirit of God than any of the other apostles.

Understand this, and every minister needs to understand this: the brethren are not the possessions of the ministry! They are the children of God, and our job is:

  • to teach
  • to love
  • to serve
  • to help them understand the way of God

1-John 4:4: "You are of God… [think about that; you belong to God] …little children, and have overcome them… [the false prophets and teachers out there] …because greater is He Who is in you… [Christ in you the hope of glory] …than the one who is in the world…. [Satan the devil] …They are of the world; because of this, they speak of the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God; the one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not of God does not listen to us. By this means we know the Spirit of the Truth and the spirit of the deception" (vs 4-6). There is a spirit that comes with the false religions!

Verse 8: "The one who does not love does not know God because God is love."

That's a lot to meditate on when you get on your knees and you're studying and praying, asking God to help you. Go through some of this on your knees and ask God to open your mind even more.

Verse 9: "In this way the love of God was manifested toward us: that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this act is the love—not that we loved God; rather, that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (vs 9-10). That's how much God loves us!

  • He knows we're weak
  • He knows we're carnal
  • He knows we have difficulties

But He is there to help us!

Verse 11: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also are duty-bound to love one another."

That's the way it needs to be. Today we have many different means to be able to do that:

  • by telephone
  • by videophone where you can see each other

We can talk to each other even though we're scattered! Love each other. The same way when get together for Sabbath and Holy Days.

Verse 12: "No one has seen God at any time. Yet, if we love one another, God dwells in us, and His own love is perfected in us."

That's quite a statement! How is it perfected? By our heart, mind and emotions in loving God! In serving God!

Here's the key; all of these things work together! 1-John 2:5: "On the other hand, if anyone is keeping His Word…"

  • What does that tie together with?
  • What did Jesus say when He was tempted of the devil? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God!

Here's His Word, and this means all of it!

"…truly in this one the love of God is being perfected…." (v 5).

That's what God is doing! Whenever we have a trial or difficulty, or a down turn or trouble, we come to God because He loves us, we love Him and He will help us!

Verse 6: "Anyone who claims to dwell in Him is obligating himself also to walk even as He Himself walked." Ponder the path before your feet!

1-John 4:13: "By this standard we know that we are dwelling in Him, and He is dwelling in us… [by keeping His commandments, by loving Him] …because of His own Spirit, which He has given to us."

That is the power and vehicle, the way we express it to God, and God brings is back to us!

Verse 14: "And we have seen for ourselves and bear witness that the Father sent the Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God" (vs 14-15).

Do yourself a favor and look up all 3:16s and a number of other #16s and see what you come up with.

John 3:16: "For God so loved the world…"

1-John 4:16: "And we have known and have believed the love that God has toward us…. [something we have to know and believe down deep inside] …God is love, and the one who dwells in love is dwelling in God, and God in him."

When you face all the trials you go through by overcoming this way, God is going to help you in everything you do.

Verse 17: "By this spiritual indwelling, the love of God is perfected within us…"

How much does God want to perfect in us? That's why there's:

  • time
  • the Word of God
  • the Spirit of God

"…so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because even as He is, so also are we in this world" (v 17). What happens? Here is what comes out of all of this:

Verse 18: "There is no fear in the love of God; rather, perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment…." That's how you overcome:

  • the depressions
  • the difficulties
  • the things that come against you

that seem insurmountable!

  • take them to God
  • pray about them
  • study about them
  • ask God to help you

God will help you, and later on down the road and all of a sudden it will dawn on you that God heard! God answered!

Verse 19: "We love Him because He loved us first."

This is how you heal a broken heart; you heal it with:

  • love
  • faith
  • hope
  • trust
  • belief

Trusting God in everything, knowing that God is for us! IF God is for us, NOTHING can be against us!

Scriptural References:

  • Ephesians 2:13-22
  • Luke 4:18
  • Matthew 11:28-30
  • Psalm 13:1-6
  • Psalm 41-1-12
  • Psalm 31:1-5
  • Psalm 6:1-10
  • Psalm 30:1-5, 10-12
  • Romans 8:28-31
  • Proverbs 3:5-7
  • Proverbs 4:18-23
  • Revelation 3:20
  • Proverbs 4:23-27
  • Romans 5:1-5
  • Colossians 1:23
  • Hebrews 11:1-3, 6
  • 1 Timothy 1:1
  • Galatians 2:16-17
  • Mark 12:29-30
  • 1 John 4:4-6, 8-12
  • 1 John 2:5-6
  • 1 John 4:13-15
  • John 3:16
  • 1 John 4:16-19

Scripture referenced, not quoted: Matthew 22

Also referenced: Book:
            God's Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days by Fred R. Coulter (2nd edition)

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8/5/21

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