Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. The Lord can sustain you and give you strength when you finally let go of the burden, which has made you weak. The Lord is not going to carry your burden around, but He will carry your burden away. The scripture says, “Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.” Sounds like many of you quote that scripture after leaving the doctor’s office. What do you do with a bad report, which is cast upon you? Do you walk around worrying about it until it destroys you? Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. If He can carry the sin of the world to the cross, He can carry your burden away. The Lord is stronger than our own self will. When we are weak, He is made strong in us. When the Bible says that we can do all things through Christ, that includes giving Him our burden. Remember, His burden is light.
by Ward W. Bond, PhD
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. The Lord can sustain you and give you strength when you finally let go of the burden, which has made you weak. The Lord is not going to carry your burden around, but He will carry your burden away. The scripture says, “Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.” Sounds like many of you quote that scripture after leaving the doctor’s office. What do you do with a bad report, which is cast upon you? Do you walk around worrying about it until it destroys you? Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. If He can carry the sin of the world to the cross, He can carry your burden away. The Lord is stronger than our own self will. When we are weak, He is made strong in us. When the Bible says that we can do all things through Christ, that includes giving Him our burden. Remember, His burden is light.
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by Ward W. Bond, PhD
“Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:11 I recently wrote a post called ‘Cancer and the Mustard Seed.’ In that post I wanted to show people that as much as we view faith as something big, the Lord said if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains. In this case, big doesn’t mean size, but power. In Romans 8:11, this scripture can’t explain that power any easier. Just think about it. If the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you, don’t you think that power can accomplish everything you desire it to accomplish? If the same power that raised Christ from dead lives in you, it means your cancer can be healed. It means He supplied you with faith for a new job. It means He can heal every disease from arthritis to depression to fibromyalgia and more. It means you have a foundation for your faith to stand upon. You stand upon the rock, the power, the name of Jesus. When you’re saved, He lives in you. He’s never gone from you. If you ever feel like Christ is not near, it’s usually us that separates ourselves from the Lord. How many of you are dealing with a situation that makes no sense at all? You were in God’s will and everything you held dear has been turned upside down or removed. You’re wondering what you did wrong or why someone else did you wrong? You ask, ‘Why didn’t the Lord prevent this? I believed I was in the Lord’s will?’ Then you keep your mind on the never-ending merry-go-round that not’s so merry. Stop the mind games, it’s an open door for Satan to keep you from passing the test. In times like these, we must go deep into the power that lives in us. You know the same power that raised Christ from the dead that lives in you? Why do I keep repeating that scripture? Because we all need to hold onto it and never let that scripture leave us! We accepted Christ as Savior, and we must allow Him to be our daily foundation, the rock in which our whole life must be based upon. The Christian life isn’t the easy life. You get saved and then expect life to be rosy, but the battle actually begins. The Lord will refine us with His fire to mold us and remove the rough edges, polishes us up to the point He can see His reflection in us. In James 1:2-4, “My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.” You know Psalms 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I will not lack anything.” But fear not! The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you! You are walking around with a constant power supply that never runs out! When you feel overwhelmed, tired, whipped, or exhausted, His power is there. Even in our toughest times we can tap into Christ in an instant and He will never leave you or forsake you because He lives in you! Life is full trials, tribulations, but life is full of victories too. You are victorious! At this very moment, maybe you are going through a test, trial or tribulation and you want it to end. It’ll end when you tap into the power that lives within you, the power of Christ and allow Him to have His way. Victory is always on the other side.. When you realize the power that lives in you gives you faith to stand and say, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13) So you see His power is the power that does it all. He heals, redeems, vindicates, blesses, provides, protects, refines, polishes, strengthens and moves mountains. He's your all in all because He's in you! You can all things because you are never alone. Tap into the power within, He’s waiting. by Ward W. Bond, PhD
Gail MacDonald once wrote, “If there is a beginning point in spiritual development, it is the choice one makes to become useful to God and, therefore, to others. I have a right to make this choice because I begin with the assumption that having been made by God, I am alive for a purpose.” You have purpose, tremendous purpose to be used by God to show the world His love. You need to realize that you can achieve the impossible, because all things are possible for those who believe. Do you believe that the Lord can do mighty things in you and through you? You should believe that. Never say you are not worthy of the calling God gave you. The Apostle Paul was far from being a saint, but the Lord took him and used him for His glory. He can use you too. Make it a priority in your life to become useful. The Lord can use you to do mightier works than Christ ever did. You are alive for a purpose, and Lord says, "together we can do this!." by Ward W. Bond, PhD
Let's get real here. There are just some people in this world who are very difficult to forgive. We've all been done wrong for no apparent reason and the more you think about your situation the more bitter, unforgiving and angered you become. Peter asked Jesus how many times must we forgive? Peter said 7 times? Jesus said, 70 X 7! The point is not having to forgive someone almost 500 times, but to forgive to the point you are free. We're all human and sometimes we would rather punch people in the nose than to forgive them. The forgiveness is not necessarily for them, but it's for you. We are to forgive others who have sinned against us, the same way Christ forgave us and He forgave us by being nailed to the cross. If we do not forgive others, then Christ doesn't have to forgive you of your sins. Mark 11:26 says, "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Forgiveness isn't easy and that's why there is grace. by Ward W. Bond, PhD
Many Christians today lack the very thing that will help them to stand stronger in the face of adversity. That’s the foundation of Jesus Christ. Peter Wade once wrote, “The tragedy is that it is just as easy for Satan to deceive God’s people today as it was to deceive Eve. They go chasing after this man and chasing after this ministry, and forget what they have resident within. We must have something that lasts. It’s time we got back to the simplicity that is in Christ.” Too many times we have chased movement after movement seeking the next religious experience, all the while we are ignoring Christ. It is Jesus alone that we need to be chasing after. God never changes. We change because we take our eyes off the throne of God. You want the ultimate experience? Take God’s son, Jesus into your heart and let Him fill you with His spirit. While all the different religious movements come and go, the simplicity of Christ will still be here. God wants to instruct you and give answers to your questions. You cannot depend on another person to hear Him for you. Hearing the Lord’s voice becomes an everyday occurrence as you willingly spend time with Him and study His Word by meditating upon and memorizing Scripture. The voice of the Lord gently guides and encourages, giving hope. God leads; Satan drives. God convicts; Satan condemns and brings guilt. When God speaks, He does not use fear to motivate. If fear overcomes you, it’s the enemy speaking, not God. We must learn to identify His voice and to be sensitive to responding quickly. Remember, listening gets better as intimacy deepens. And know that even close relationships have times of silence. When God is silent, keep waiting in faith and do not allow the enemy to cause you to succumb to unbelief. The ability to communicate and listen increases with maturity. Take time to listen to the voice of the Lord, because He takes time listening to you.
Let’s talk about doubt and fear. What I call the twin enemies of faith. A simple, confident faith, living day by day, and casting its burden on the Lord, each hour of the day, will drive away fear, and deliver you from doubt. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by supplication and prayer, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. That is the cure for all fear, anxiety, and undue concern of the soul, all of which are closely similar to doubt and unbelief. This is the divine prescription for securing the peace, which passes all understanding, and keeps the heart and mind in quietness and peace. The devil's job is to unsettle your belief in Christ. You tell the devil, "It is written, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and that includes believing in my Savior!". Read the Word every day. Faith comes by hearing and reading the Word of God. Anytime doubt and fear rise up, it's make you lose focus. Have the mind of Christ, put on the helmet of your salvation and do not let the lies and deceptions of the evil one cause you to stray from the truth. God's Word never returns void and when you let doubt and fear in you are effectively voiding your prayers. You have the Word and the Word never fails!
The work of the ministry is to change unbelieving sinners into praying and believing saints. Prayer introduces us to a life of faith. Paul declared that the life he lived, he lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for him – that he walked by faith and not by sight. by Ward W. Bond, PhD
How many of you let thoughts race through your mind causing depression, stress, anxiety and emotional instability? Did you know your thoughts only have power if you give them power? Millions of Americans are taking prescribed medications to deal with depressive and emotional instability simply caused by the mind games they play. There isn’t a drug to erase our thoughts. There’s an old saying that 90% of the things we think of never happen, so why are we allowing our thoughts to control our destiny? We all live in a life that has many emotions and we are the ones who control those emotions. It’s time to get a grip on our thought life. The Bible tells us, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Take a look at the last two words, ‘sound mind’ which is also interpreted as ‘self-control’. We were designed to have free will and not created as robots. We have the power to ignore the thoughts in our head or to act upon them. Most people never act upon the thoughts; they just stick the memory bank on repeat until it drives them into emotional instability. Many think self-control is a physical action, but every physical action is linked to a mental action. Mentally we are always asking ourselves: What? How? Why? If you ask yourself these things, can you honestly give yourself the answer? If you can answer ‘What’, ‘How’, and ‘Why’ then you should stop the emotional mind games. The mind games are usually a result of the unknown or unanswered questions. We’ve all been hurt, taken advantage of, wounded, or self-diagnosing an undiagnosed condition and wonder if we are coming down with a dreaded disease and that’s just the short list. We trap ourselves in a mental cage with no bars! “Banish emotional stress from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.” Ecclesiastes 11:10 We must not let unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment live in our minds and even our hearts. Life is too short and those who hurt us usually don’t realize it or they are too embarrassed or prideful to make the wrong right. In life, we are not going to get everything and that includes an apology. The Bible also tells us “love doesn’t keep track of wrongs…”(1 Corinthians 13:5). Just reading that stings us all. Love isn’t all joy, happiness, flowers and candy. Love is the action that heals all wounds and it takes an act of love to forgive, stop resentment and bitterness from leading us down a self-destructing path. I write this article from personal experience. I know what it’s like to be wronged. For me, the thing that can be hard to overcome is why people just can’t apologize and make a wrong a right? This world is full of pride, self-centeredness, and self-agendas and it’s not going to change. What has to change is how we deal with the disappointments in life or what we perceive as disappointments. Some things we feel are disappointments can come from miscommunication in our lives and that’s when we have to ask ourselves some questions. Listen closely to the following words. “Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers. Commit your future to the Lord! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause. Wait patiently for the Lord. Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes. Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!” Psalm 37:3-8 In a world of mind games, you must seek the source of those thoughts. Are they real or they imagined? Let’s say the mind games you’re playing are coming from a past or recent hurt or betrayal. The above words direct you to one thing. To seek the high road and let go and let God. Move on. Don’t give another thought to your thoughts! We all deserve peace in our hearts and peace in our minds and it all comes down to us making the decision that we will do just that! Medication has its purpose, but it can’t cure mind games and in some cases medications can cause terrible thoughts in the mind, so read your labels and see what the side effects are. Maybe your mind is being controlled by a controlled substance and you need to seek a better way. Christian counseling is one way to receive the help you may need. The Bible says to seek wise counsel. In certain times in life, we are not to live it alone. Let me leave you with this scripture, "Resist the devil and he shall flee from you." James 4:7, the devil is the author of mind games and untrue thoughts. The Lord gives us the mind of Christ and when we desire to have the mind of Christ, we will know the thoughts which are true and those which are false. I pray this article will help you lead a much peaceful, happier life full of truth and freedom. by Ward W. Bond, PhD
In the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific some villagers practice a unique form of logging. If a tree is too large to be chopped down, the natives cut it down by yelling at it. Woodsmen with these so-called special powers creep up on a tree just at dawn and suddenly scream at it at the top of their lungs. They continue this for thirty days. The tree dies and falls over. The theory is that the hollering kills the spirit of the tree. According to the villagers, it always works. Today, husbands yell at wives, wives yell at their husbands, both yell at their kids. We yell at the telephone, the lawn mower, the TV and the newspaper and our pets. People yell at their cars a lot. We modern, urban, educated folks yell at traffic, umpires, our bills and the banks and machines--especially machines from iPhones to computers. Machines and relatives get most of the yelling. Don't know what good it does? As for people, well, the Solomon Islanders may have a point. Yelling at living things does tend to kill the spirit in them. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts. The Bible says, "You have been ensnared by the words of your mouth..." (Proverbs 6:2) and the Bible also says, we will sow what we reap. Yelling at our loved ones or other people does nothing more than show our insecurities and lack of wisdom. It also shows are lack of trust and faith in the Lord. We need to stop taking out our shortcomings, failures, frustrations on others around us. Eventually, we will kill the spirit in those around us and the spirit within us will reap the very thing we sowed in others. I encourage everyone to read a chapter of Psalms and a chapter of Proverbs every single day. You will learn how to handle yourself and anything that life throws at you. When you do that, the words you speak will one of love, encouragement and wise. Those around you will grow mightily and you will reap that benefits in which you plant in others. Rise up and walk. Those were powerful faith-filled words Peter spoke as he took the hand of the lame man. Rise up and walk. Four small words, which should ring in our ears, encouraging us and telling us that all things are possible, when we only believe. Maybe you need to rise up and walk and take the hand of healing before you. Maybe you need to rise up and walk and find help. The Lord doesn’t bless those filled with unbelief. He gives to those who rise up in faith. Ask, seek, and knock. Faith without works is dead. Are you one of those who never give up because you know the Lord will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory? We need to walk by faith and not by sight. In a situation where you desire to receive, rise up, reach out and walk. You’ve got nothing to lose. Arise and see your world change. It can happen, just got to believe.
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AuthorWard W. Bond, PhD is the daily TV host of Think Natural, a natural health program. See DrWardBond.com - He is an ordained minister and focuses on the faith and healing power of Christ. Archives
July 2018
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