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ment and all the other ever-present
problems of this hectic modern-day
life- but no answers. "('Jo hope.
With these pressures, sorne find it
extremely difficult to recognize the
presence of a real God who does
have the answers and final solution
to life's cares.
Source of Real He lp
All these poor, unfortunate poten–
tia! suicides don't know how to gel
real help. But there is a source of
absolute power, a source of com–
plete confidence and faith that
would see them through every con–
ceivable problem lo the day of their
natural death. That Personage is
Jesus Christ.
When he was a human being
walking this earth, he was the kind
of person who knew how to deal
with practica! people problems. He
knew just the right antidote for all
the physical, mental, emotional and
psychological problems plaguing
the people of his time.
Jesus was strong and forceful
when he had to be-but also meek,
Jowly, humble, gentle, the Lamb of
God, a very real friend in time of
need- not a trigger-happy, shoot–
from-the-hip type who would jump
clown your throat at the slightest
provocation.
Jesus said: "Come unto me, al l
ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and l will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for
1 am meek and lowly in heart: and
ye sha/1 find rest
unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden
is light" (Matt. ll :28-30).
At the outset of his ministry in a
small Jewish synagogue in Naza–
reth, Jesus Christ forcefully recited
his commission of compassion-his
absolute unwavering intention to
relieve human suffering. He said:
"T he Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to tbe poor; he
hath sent me to
heal the broken–
hearted,
to preach deliverance to
the captives ... to set at liberty
them that are bruised " (Luke
4 : 18) .
This he did at every turn of his
ministry. He once said: "I am the
good shepherd, and know my sheep,
and am known of mine" (John
l0: 14). Jesus Christ pictured him-
18
self as leaving the 99 dwelling safely
in the sheepfo1d arid going to search
in a ravine or desert for that one
poor lost Jamb (Matt. 18:11-14).
Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.
He is willing to buy back each one
of us as his own purchased posses–
sion. One of the proverbs says,
"The way of transgressors is hard"
(Prov. 13:15). We have sinned and
brought upon ourse lves the
wretched side effects that are the
automatic products of transgressing
God's laws (see 1 John 3:4, Rom.
6:23). Sin is the real source of sui–
cida! thoughts.
.,,
Why do people in free
and prosperous
countries hate
themselves and their
lives so much
that they seek and all
too often find in
suicide the final
solution?
''
But Jesus Christ is God-not a
mere, mistake-ridden, human go–
between. He is perfect, eterna!, liv–
ing Spirit personality who is even
now at the right hand of the Father
to plead our cases before God. The
apostle Paul wrote, "For we have
not an high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our
infin:nities; but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without
sin" (Heb. 4: 15).
Jesus Christ talked to his disci–
ples about daily problems. 'Take
no thought for your life, what ye
shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor
yet for your body, what ye shall put
on. ls not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment? "
(Matt. 6:25).
Christ wasn't telling them it was
wrong to meet these needs. He was
telling them it was wrong to lust
after these things and overly con–
cern themselves with thoughts of
physical welfare.
Christ said in another place,
John 10: lO, that the very reason he
carne to this earth was that we
might have life, not death, and that
we might have it more abundantly.
Again he said, "Beloved, 1 wish
above all things that thou mayest
prosper and be in health, even as
thy soul prospereth"
(lll
John 2).
Jesus Christ meant what he said!
He wants us to have an abundant
life. There is absolutely nothing
wrong with the wealth and prosper–
ity with which many nations have
been so bountifully blessed.
The re l s Ho p e
Can you imagine it? Life, the most
precious, wonderful, exhilarating,
thrilling possession of each human
creature- Iife, with its marvelous
opportunities, its challenges and
adventures, its sorrows and joys, its
successes and its failures-and,
above all, its awesome potentiaJ for
the future-life cast worthlessly to
the ground by suicide!
How far we have departed from
God! Many is the suicide victim
who tried religion! He heard all the
wonderful things about "salvation,"
"sanctification" and "deliverance."
He heard all about Jesus Christ as
his personal Savior, and about the
happiness he was supposed to expe–
rience! But still he committed sui–
cide!
Why!
Because he didn't hear the plain
truth of Almighty God! What he
heard was without the real power to
change his life! He wasn't able to
find that happiness he sought.
You either have the truth, or
you do not. You are either in real
contact with the real God-or you
are not! lt 's t ime you knew where
the only source of peace and hap–
piness is to be found-knew
where true security and safety are
to be found for you and yours–
knew where God is doing his work
and how you can .have a fulfilling
part in it!
Jesus carne preaching the mes–
sage of the kingdom of God! He
foretold our days-tellíng exactly
how this pulsating time of history
The
PLAIN TRUTH