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if we repent truly and turn from
sin
(1
John 2: 1-2).
Once we have done this, we
must go on, " ... forgetting those
things [sins and mistakes] which
are behind, and reaching forth
unto the things [spiritual goals
and godly character] that are
before" (Phi lippians 3:13).
You may feel you made sorne
big mistakes in l ife. What 's
wrong with admitting you're not
perfect? No one else is either!
You can repent. God will forgive
you. Life is a learning matter.
Learn by your mistakes. Don' t let
them destroy you.
Right now maybe you or a
loved one is sick with a serious
illness. God can intervene and
heal. But if God doesn' t choose at
this moment to intervene to
restore full recovery, is this life
all there is? No, thank God there
is a resurrection of hope for all
who have been called and faithful
("Precious in the sight of the
Lord is the death of bis saints"–
Psalm 116: 15).
But there is more good news.
There is also hope for those who
never had their minds opened to
understand God' s ways. You
don't have to endlessly grieve
over the death of a young person
cut off early in li fe, or that of a
loved one who never had God's
calling to comprehend God's laws
and ways.
l f you really understand God's
great Master Plan, you know all
will be resurrected and given an
opportunity to repent, overcome
themselves and enter God's king–
dom. Our free reprint "Is This
the Only Day of Salvation?"
explains this great hope .
Tap God'a Splrltual Power
" Happy is he that hath the God
of J acob for bis help..." said
King David (Psalm 146:5).
God reveals bis hand is not
shortened that he cannot inter–
vene in our lives to help us with
our prob1ems.
lt
is our sins, our
lack of faith and willingness to
obey bis ways- it is our wrong
priorities that cut us off from
God and bis powerful help and
intervention- until we repent
{lsaiah 59:1-2).
30
God wants those he calls now
to start living by bis spiritual laws
of love to salve their present
problems and fears in life.
The apost le Peter taught
Christians to cast "all your care
upon him [God], for he careth for
you" (1 Peter 5:7).
The Bib1e reveals God is the
God of peace, the One who leads
and guides and heals bis people.
He is the God of wisdom and
understanding, the God of merey
and forgive ness, the God who
gives victory over death, who
offers hope to those who have
never known hope .
"J
[God]
dwell . .. with him who. is of
a ... humble spirit ... to revive
the heart of the contrite" {lsaiah
57:15, RSV).
These are the spiritual re–
sources and power that the god of
this world-Satan (11 Corin–
thians 4:4)-has blinded most of
humanity from understanding or
believing. And why? So they
won't grasp the great purpose of
their lives. So they can't experi–
ence the power of God to change
their lives according to God's
will. So they won't have real hope
and faith in this world of fai ling
hopes and immense difficulties.
We have our part todo. "Keep
thy heart with all diligence; for
out of it are the issues of life."
"A
sound heart [or mind] is the life
of the flesh ...." "He that hath
no rule over bis own spirit is like
a city that is broken down, and
without walls" (Proverbs 4:23,
14:30, 25:28). We must bui ld and
strengthen right character.
But the Bible gives us another
warning. " ... try the spirits
whether they are of God: because
many false prophets [influenced
by spirits from Satan] are gone
out into the world" (1 John 4:1 ).
How can you tell God's Spiri t
and teachiog from a false spirit or
teachiog? God's Spirit 1eads one
to obey God's laws.
It
leads one to
live the kind of lije Jesus Christ
Ji
ved!
We start to conquer fear and
worry by turning from the think–
ing and living that causes our
fears and worries. We then ask
God for forgiveness and merey
for our sins and weaknesses, ask-
ing him to "put a new and right
spirit within me" (Psalm 51:1O,
RSV). We then exercise that
spirit, develop that attitude–
which is the right way we shou1d
be thinking and living--even in
the face of difficulties or wrong
attitudes of others.
We bui ld confidence and faith
in God by drawing clase to God
in daily prayer and study of God's
Word. " Draw near to God and he
will draw near to you ... "
admonishes James 4:8 (RSV).
We must act on what we know
God wants us todo,
havingfaith
that God will work out what we
need in our lives.
This growth process is summed
up in
U
Peter 1:5-7. God inspired
the apost le Paul to write to
remind t rue Christians, "For God
hath not given us the spirit of
fear; but of
power,
and of
/ove
and of a
sound mind"
(11 Timo–
thy 1:7).
Ahead for You-Growing Falth?
We are nearing the end of this
age of human misrule. Satan
knows the end of his 6,000 years
of sway and deception is clase at
hand. Great difficulties and trials
are prophesied to try all humans
that dwell on the earth.
God has chosen to allow this
suffering to show rebellious man–
kind the horrendous end results
of breaking bis laws. But the good
news is, God reveals a way for the
world ultimately to escape these
afflictions and fears.
Before humanity wou1d destroy
itself from the earth, Jesus Christ
wi ll return to restore God's gov–
ernment on earth and usher in
world peace.
A
shattered earth
and broken humanity will need
heal ing of body, mind and spirit.
God will then fu lfill the proph–
ecy: "The Lord builds up Jerusa–
lem.... He heals the broken–
hearted and binds up their
wounds" (Psa1m 147:2-3, RSV).
Christ, then, as he does now, will
offer to yielded humans the ulti–
mate solution for fear and depres–
sion: " ... ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free"
(John 8:32), and " ... men ought
always to pray, and not to faint"
(Luke 18:1). o
The
PLAIN TRUTH