MOVING FORWARD - pastor mike landry

I read a recent study that offered some practical tips on how to best relieve stress. I thought you’d be interested in the findings like I was. At the top of the list was simply to read a book.

On March 29, 2009, the Telegraph (UK) reported,

“researchers found that stress levels and heart rate showed a 68% reduction in measurable stress after reading from a book. After achieving a high stress level through exercise and mental tests, just six minutes of reading slowed the heart rate and decreased other measures of physical stress in the muscles. Reading reduced stress to levels even lower than the baseline before the high stress was reached.”

That’s amazing! But I have to admit that I think they’re on to something. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve curled up with a good book after a stressful day and come up refreshed. Reading a book has a way of distracting me from the things that stress me. In fact, reading renews my perspective and often births in my mind creative options in dealing with the things that cause me stress.

I read all kinds of books - Fiction, nonfiction, mysteries, biographies, histories, self-help, and theological ones. But my favorite book is the Bible. It has a way of burrowing down deep in me and rooting out those things that stress me out. Maybe that’s why the Bible says,

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb 4:12 HCSB)

I don’t need any other studies to tell me that reading, especially reading the Scripture, is a healthy habit. I just need to keep on doing it. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a shot…you won’t regret it. Wondering where to start? Read through the four gospel accounts in the New Testament. Those four books will introduce you to a character that you won't ever forget.

Oh, by the way, the study also listed some other things that weren’t quite as effective in reducing stress levels but were worth noting:

• Listening to music reduced levels by 61 per cent.

• Having a cup of tea or coffee reduced levels by 54 percent.

• Taking a walk reduced levels by 42 percent

• Playing video games reduced levels by 21 percent but still left the volunteers with heart rates above their starting point.

Labels: Bible, reading, stress

HE IS ALIVE!

"When you were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self, God made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all our sins. He canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross." Colossians 2:13-14 (NCV)

"For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:10-11 (HCSB)

GO TELL SOMEBODY!

Labels: alive, cross, Easter, Jesus

The day after. What looked to be a journey of new hopes and dreams have now been destroyed. Everybody is gone. There’s no more laughter. You just can’t feel any worse than this.

The day after Good Friday has no semblance of being good. Jesus has been murdered. He’s gone! His followers are now in hiding and wallowing in a great deep funk. Now what are they suppose to do? Is life even worth living without Him? Those were just a few of the questions being asked. And it made them even more depressed the more they thought about it.

Some were saying that He still might come back…you know, like be raised from the dead. Those who said that were just living in denial of what had happened – right? But didn’t Jesus even say he would be killed and raised from the dead in 3 days? Ahhh, he couldn’t have meant that…or could he?

Labels: death, depressed, Easter, Good Friday, Jesus

Think about it – Good Friday is associated with the day that Jesus Christ was falsely accused, tortured, and condemned and executed on a Cross. What in the world could be so GOOD about that?

While you’re thinking, let me give you three reasons.

1. Good Friday is the day God shouts out, “You are extremely valuable to Me.”

Jesus said that the reason He came to earth was to die for us and rescue us from our sin. (Mark 10:32-34) The Psalmist said, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) Good Friday is GOOD because it is the day when God demonstrates how valuable we are to Him by paying the supreme sacrifice to redeem us.

2. Good Friday is the day God shouts out, “I love you.”

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave is only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Good Friday is GOOD because it demonstrates the depth of God’s love for us.

3. Good Friday is the day God shouts, “Enough is enough.”
The reason Jesus had to die was because of our sin and how it separates us from God. Death is the mandatory sentence for sin. When Jesus hung on the cross, He said “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Literally those words mean, “It is now paid in full.” Good Friday is GOOD because it is the day when the debt was fully paid for our sin. All that’s left is for us to accept the payment that was made on our behalf.

GOOD FRIDAY was really a GOOD FRIDAY!

I just received an emergency email from a good friend of mine in Moldova requesting prayer. Valeriu Ghiletchi was just elected to the Parliament of Moldova. He is an evangelical Christian and former president of the Moldovan Baptist Union. This is miraculous in and of itself since the country’s leaders are predominantly communist.

Valeriu desires to use his influence as a follower of Christ among those who are the most influential in Moldova. The recent developments are alarming but could also prove to open doors that would never open under other circumstances. Please pray! Below is the email I received

Dear friends, Street protests erupted today in Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova. The demonstrations are a result of the huge disappointment that many people felt after the announcement of the final election results. The President and Parliament buildings have been vandalized. At this moment the Parliament building is under fire. The situation is out of control. Police withdrew from these buildings. Political leaders of the opposition met with the power, but so far the conflict has not been resolved. I addressed the protesters a public message in which I invited them to pray, have peace and faith in Christ. Our churches are engaged in prayer today. Toma Magda, the European Baptist Federation President, who is in Moldova these days, and myself urge you to pray for peace and stopping of violence. Pray also for me, so I can play a peace making role and be a witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in these crucial days for our nation. Valeriu Ghiletchi