Christians get depressed too, and when they do, they pray.
Psalms 88:3 KJV For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
Psalms 88:4 KJV I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
Psalms 88:6 KJV Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
Jesus is the ultimate example of how to deal with sorrow and depression through prayer. I believe this Psalm foreshadows this very fact, as it was a heavy burden for Him to bear God's wrath on our behalf.
Psalms 88:7 KJV Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
Matthew 26:38 KJV Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Matthew 26:39 KJV And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
I like showing up to church early. Mary Magdalene did too.
John 20:1 KJV The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Show up to church early and you never know who you might meet. Some might argue that Jesus should have appeared to Peter first, but instead, He chose to reveal Himself to the women, particularly Mary Magdalene. Never underestimate the faithfulness of a woman.
John 20:14 KJV And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
John 20:15 KJV Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
John 20:16 KJV Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
I've witnessed, no pun intended, some running and shouting at church before. Perhaps there's something to it.
John 20:2 KJV Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
John 20:3 KJV Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
John 20:4 KJV So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
If you ever have doubts about your faith, always go back to the resurrection. For without the resurrection, our faith would be in vain. But with the resurrection, every doubt in the room disappears.
John 20:8 KJV Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
John 20:9 KJV For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
The relationship between the Father and the Son is distinct from our relationship with the Father through the Son. Jesus made this distinction clear by saying 'My Father' and 'My God,' rather than 'Our Father' and 'Our God.'
John 20:17 KJV Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
They didn't silence Mary. Instead, they recognized that there is a time and place for women to proclaim the Word of God.
John 20:18 KJV Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Now you know why believers gather on the first day of the week and exchange the greeting, 'Peace be with you.'
John 20:19 KJV Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit ordain, equip, and send. They also grant authority and discernment concerning church discipline. If an unrepentant church member remains obstinate in their sin, the church must not forgive but rather retain the sin. Forgiveness in such cases can only encourage further and greater sin.
John 20:21 KJV Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
John 20:22 KJV And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
John 20:23 KJV Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Jesus is Lord and God. To deny or reject this truth is to do so at your own peril.
John 20:28 KJV And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
John 20:29 KJV Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
People have a hard time believing that which is written, let alone the books that could have been written.
John 20:30 KJV And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
John 20:31 KJV But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Women are mirror experts.
Exodus 38:8 KJV And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Physical churches are built when the congregation pools their resources. A church built on usury, however, makes no biblical sense to me.
Exodus 38:25 KJV And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
Many prioritize and identify with the color of their skin. In contrast, the Bible prioritizes and identifies with the soul in Christ.
Song of Solomon 1:6 KJV Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
Father, when we are down, may we look up. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
