A beautiful flower

“‘But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.'” – Judges 5:31

“It [MHAPS] was experiencing high need with around five to seven new clients walking through its door every week in October- November last year, but that has now doubled to 10-15,” it says in the article called “Mental health woes double.” (Northern Advocate, Friday, June 3, 2016)

Mental Health Advocacy and Peer Support (MHAPS) helps people with mental health issues and is a non-government organisation.

People “‘just can’t deal with it anymore,'” said the manager of MHAPS.

People have to deal with four main things:

Post-quake stress,

Insurance woes,

Relationship issues and

Service cuts.

There are doors and there is one door. In John 10:9 the Lord Jesus Christ says:

“I AM THE DOOR.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is the door into the true church. I have access through Him to God Himself.

Where would I be if I would not know that and believe it? Would I be perhaps belong to those people who would walk through the doors of MHAPS?

DEPRESSION: Global Crisis

Let us think about the LOVE of God, His FAITHFULNESS, His RIGHTEOUSNESS and His JUSTICE.

If you would be asked to describe the love of God, His faithfulness, His righteousness and His justice or if you would asked to give a definition of those terms, what would your answer be?

Think about it for a moment, before reading on.

Here is the answer of a well-known Bible character:

1.  “Your love , O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
2.   your faithfulness to the skies.
3.   Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
4.   your justice like the great deep.” (Psalm 36:5+6)

That is what David says about the love of God, His faithfulness, His righteousness and his justice.

PART ONE

THE CROSS

“The LORD

Psalm 27:1

Intr.:

is

a.  my light and

b.  my salvation –

End:

whom shall I fear?

PART TWO

The LORD

Intr.:

is

c.  the stronghold of my life –

End:

of whom shall I be afraid?”

At the moment the poor are in the news here.

THE CROSS

MESSAGE IN THE MAKING

“Oh, the joys of those

Psalm 41:1-3

Intr.:

who are kind to the poor!

a.  The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble.

b.  The LORD protects them

c.  and keeps them alive.

d.  He gives them prosperity in the land

e.  and rescues them from their enemies.

f.  The LORD nurses them when they are sick

g.  and restores them to health.”

End:

In Mark 14:7 the Lord Jesus Christ says: “‘The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want.'”

WELL

“FOR WITH YOU IS THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE.” – Psalm 36:9

“You must speak my words to them, …” We find those words in Ezekiel 2:7. But the people are in revolt, they are rebellious, they are obstinate and stubborn.

Some people are listening and some people are not listening.

A. SOME PEOPLE ARE LISTENING

a.  Nehemiah 8:3:

b. First Kings 4:34:

c.  John 10:27:

“My sheep listen to my voice.”

B. SOME PEOPLE FAIL TO LISTEN

a.  Second Kings 21:9:

b.  Isaiah 66:4:

c. Daniel 9:6:

Ezekiel 2:5 says, “And whether they listen or fail to listen – for they are a rebellious house  – they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

A beautiful flower

“The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” – Psalm 25:14