Stressed
Out
Scripture: (Matthew 24:6 KJV)
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for
all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
This past week you may have
experienced some of the most intense stress of your life. I have heard people
say so many things, like: what next? If it is not one thing it is another. How
much more can we handle? I sought God this week for the right words to give you
and He led me through some prophecy to an ancient secret that will bring us
great relief to our present stresses. First I have to tell you that I have never
been a deep student of prophecy. I do not know why but I was just never led in
that direction. I do remember reading the book of Revelation over and over again
trying to discover the deep truth that lies within its words. I also turned to
some contemporary books on the subject of stress relief and discovered that the
techniques they teach go back to the ancient revelation that I will teach you
today.
First I want to
ask you if you are ready? Are you ready for what may come next? Are you ready
for anything? I am going to suggest that you read the 24th chapter of
the book of Matthew this week then let me know if you are indeed ready?
Sometimes it takes tragedy for us to realize just how fragile and precious life
is. No matter how bad things may get in the future please never forget that God
is still in control. At times like this it is easy to ask those questions of
God’s whereabouts. Yet we need to know that our ways are not God’s ways and He
alone knows the end of things even before the beginning of them. Right now we
need to, stronger then ever, cling to the knowledge that all things are even now
working together for the good of those who love the LORD. Right now I want us to
take a quick overview of this 24th chapter of Matthew and then we
will further discuss this stress relief technique.
Jesus is talking
to His disciples and giving them a snap shot into the future. He begins by
telling them of how Jerusalem was soon going to be destroyed. Some things are
impossible to believe until they happen. Throughout history prophets have been
giving people pre-warnings of coming destruction. Most of the time no one would
believe that destruction was possible let alone probable. After His disciples
ask Him to explain, Jesus goes on to give one of the most dramatic pictures of
the coming end in all of human existence. In verses 7 through 14 He tells of the
wars and rumors of wars. He talks of diseases and starvation and earthquakes all
over the place. He goes on to talk about the persecution and death that will
come upon God’s people. Jesus forewarns us of the coldness of people’s hearts.
He tells us of all the false prophets that will lead many straight into hell. He
tells of betrayal and the sin and the hatred that will be in the world as the
end nears. He then tells us that he who endures unto the end, the same shall be
saved. Jesus then goes on to explain that first, the good news of this
salvation of God will be spread around the entire world, to all nations, and
then shall the end come.
Let me just ask
you; where do you think we are along the timeline of life? The gospel of Jesus
Christ is now being broadcast around the world through television and radio in
just about every language known. We have experienced more persecutions and
deaths of Christians in the last 100 years then in the whole 2000 before that.
In the last five years there have been more earthquakes and tornados and natural
disasters then in the entire history of record keeping. As we become more
technologically wise and modern medicine thrives, diseases continue to mutate
and are increasingly becoming immune to treatments. While we are sitting fat and
happy here in our homes children are dieing of starvation throughout the far
reaches of the world. If I continue to go on I might just begin to get a little
depressed and distressed and even down right stressed. It is all coming about,
just as the word of God has showed us that it would. So how are we supposed to
deal with this? How can we handle any more? What are we to do? If you will read
this 24th chapter of Matthew you will discover how we are instructed
to be faithful and ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man
cometh. Are you ready? If the end were to come today do you know where you would
be spending eternity? I want you to be sure of your salvation. I want you to
know that by trusting in the price that God paid upon the cross all of your sins
have been forgiven and by His resurrection power you are born again unto eternal
life in Christ Jesus. All it takes is saying yes LORD. Just ask Jesus into your
heart and know that eternity is assured. Now I know that many of you have
already asked Jesus to be your LORD and Savior and you know that you have a home
in heaven. For both the long time believer and the one who just now while
reading this has said yes in his heart to Jesus, God has got something special
for you today.
I discovered it
as I read the 15th verse of this 24th chapter. Let’s read
it together. (Mat 24:15 KJV) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
readeth, let him understand:) Now let’s go back into the book of Daniel and
discover the root of this prophecy.
(Daniel 9:24-27 KJV)
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish
the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision
and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that
from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto
the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the
street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after
threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the
people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;
and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war
desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one
week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation
to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate,
even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the
desolate.
Now I do not have
time today to even begin to explain this prophecy yet perhaps by going right now
to the end of the Bible and the book of revelation you will see the salvation of
God. (Revelation 19:20 KJV) And the beast was taken, and with him the false
prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both
were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
So before you go
worrying that God is not in control I want you to know that God saw all of this
even before the foundation of the earth and He has the ultimate victory in store
for us. He also has the perfect answer for your present stress and fears. God
knows that you worry and have fears. God knows that you will grieve and that
there will be times of sorrow. God knows that in this world there will be
tribulation but He wants you to know that you can be of good cheer for He has
overcome the world. Let me show you how I discovered this mystery of stress
reduction that is taught in the Bible. It was as I was researching this message.
I first knew that God wanted me to teach on stress but as the events of this
week unfolded prophecy became a major focus of mine. Yet even before Tuesday
Matthew 24 was going to be my starting point. I just never realized that I would
be going back to the book of Daniel, and it was there that I found my answer.
Daniel was one young man who experienced a lot of stress. Yet he was so centered
that it would seem that nothing could shake him. I looked at his life and found
the key to overcoming stress when he was being plotted against and soon was
going to be thrown into that lion’s den. Now at first the simplicity of this
truth might bother you. You my be looking for some type of eastern religion deep
breathing exercise or some yoganic positioning, I have tried all of that and
trust me it is all empty and just plain expensive. Look at this great spiritual
exercise that Daniel practiced. As we utilize it in our own lives with all the
stress of the coming end we will be able to remain centered and faithful always
being ready. (Daniel 6:10 KJV) Now when Daniel knew that the writing was
signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward
Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave
thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God. Do you desire to be stress free? Do you desire to be more focused and centered in every area of your life? Do want true lasting Peace? Then simple get upon your knees, put your face to the ground and seek the face of God. Call onto Him and he will show you great and wonderful things that you knew not. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for the presence of God in your life. You can find that hush, that peace in the midst of the storm as you learn to move your center into relationship with Christ in prayer. Pray that God fill you with His Holy Spirit to the overflowing and go forth in that blessed assurance that victory is yours in Christ Jesus name AMEN AND AMEN!