Faith In Depression

Depression has nothing to do with a disconnection to God. God holds me in the palms of His hands and nothing can ever take me out.  I believe I have victory over all things in Christ and my belief in God is not diminished by my depression.

There are many verses of God's promises of taking care of me. I have read and reread them many times. I can recite many from memory.

Is my depression then a lack of faith? Am I grieving the Holy Spirit because I am depressed? Is my depression a matter of my old nature? Is my depression a matter of self-pity?

Can my depression be a Spiritual heaviness, or a burden for a Spiritual reason? Is my depression a way for God to help me see something I couldn't see otherwise while full of joy and gladness?

I have not the answer to those questions. They tend to be the same questions I ask myself each time depression comes over me.

I cannot say how my depression comes and goes. There lacks any pin-point key to why or when it comes or goes.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, even go through depression and emerge on the other side. God hasn't gone anywhere. He hasn't lost any power. He hasn't suddenly become incapable of helping or saving.

I am a frail human. I am a tender sheep. I am a timid lamb. I need leading. I need protecting. I need feeding. I need a strong, reliable Shepherd.

I have all these in Christ Jesus.

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters." Psalm 23: 1&2

Headed for Hell Fire

Hello, I'm Susan Estes. For all of you who knew me when I was using drugs and alcohol and who cannot understand what has got into me, I want to say He's Jesus, my Lord and Savior.

You may have the notion I 'cleaned' myself up and 'got religion' and that's why I gave up drugs, drink, & the crazy life. You may think I claim I'm going to Heaven by my change of life.

Nope--I couldn't have cleaned myself up enough. I was headed for Hell Fire, not because of the drugs, alcohol, or promiscuity. I was headed to Hell Fire because in the Garden of Eden Adam defied God's ONE rule. Adam's ONE sin sentenced ALL people to Hell Fire. God told Adam "There's ONE tree in Eden you are NOT to eat from. When you eat it you will surely die." Adam chose the fruit of death for all people. Adam killed everyone. Adam sent me to Hell for eternity.

For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

Just because I quit the drugs, alcohol, and the crazy life, doesn't make a bit of difference to purge me of the inherited sin of Adam. ONE sin killed me forever. ONE sin keeps me out of Heaven. I can't do a thing to keep me out of Hell Fire. I will never get to Heaven.

As for my believing Jesus--He SAVED me from Eternal Hell Fire. Jesus came to DIE to pay the death sentence brought on by Adam. ONE sin killed me--ONE death saved me.

God said ALL who look at Jesus hanging on the cross 2000 years ago, dying in their place will be saved. I did and I do. I cried, "God forgive me because I know Jesus did that for me. God thank you for making a way for me to escape eternal Hell Fire. Forgive my sin and save me."

That's why I'm a CHRISTIAN. I am saved for eternal Heaven because I feared eternal Hell Fire. I cried to God for forgiveness from being a sinful descendant of Adam.

THAT is what makes me right with God and ONLY that. Jesus loves me and died for me while I was STILL a druggie, drunk and crazy. He died for me without first asking me to clean myself up. And I am not a druggie, or a drunk, or a suicidal crazy anymore because I love Jesus more.

"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" 1 John 5:13.

Not Blind Faith but True Faith

"We walk by faith, not by sight" 2 Corinthians 5:7

If you have plans today and something happens that rips your agenda to shreds, learn from Jesus that interruptions in our plans, no matter how terrible they appear, are not always disasters.

A good example of a disaster in a ministry is Paul and Silas getting arrested, beaten and thrown into prison. But before the night was over, they had helped a man find his way to Jesus and planted the seed of a church in Philippi.

Of course, the best example is Jesus Himself. What looks like absolute destruction of everything when He died at the cross, ultimately brought about the culmination of the salvation God planned before the foundation of the world.

Do not let the trouble of your day stop or hinder you from doing good work for God. Do not let daily troubles stop or hinder you from encouraging others. Do not let the problems you face today stop or hinder you from praying.

Prayer doesn't mean getting God to do something for us, though that is an okay thing to ask for if it is in His will & nature, but prayer is to get us into conversation with Almighty God so we can 'see' by faith what He is already doing.

Maybe your day will not be a horrible disaster but do not let even the small interruptions bother your faith in Christ Jesus.

Walking in faith does not mean we are stumbling around not seeing where we are going but that we are following the One who knows where we're going and we trust His leadership.

And God is always working. Amen