Anxiety & Worry

[WillowBean]

New to the forum. A little background... I was never raised in a strong Christian home, however, through friends I joined bible studies and church groups and developed my relationship with Jesus. I went through a spell in my early twenties where I rebelled and now have been trying to revive my relationship with Christ. Now that I am much older, I look back to the particular church groups I grew up with and a lot of what was pounded into my head in those young years is now giving me great anxiety. I was urged to read the Left Behind series and attended several bible studies where the end time were preached in a very scary manner. I have recently become consumed with reading articles on the internet where people try to link events of today to propecies of the end times. There are people writing about conspiracy theories. I'm becoming very anxious and worrisome.
My question is.. is this the feeling of the Christian community as a whole? How can we decide ourselves that the events happening today are the events described in the bible? Have people over the past thousands of years not tried to do this very thing during their times? What makes now different?

Since trying to revive my relationship with Jesus, I have gone back to my roots and attend United Church services. I feel at home here. Belonging to the more "charasmatic" and forward thinking churches that I attended with friends growing up are not a good fit for my spirtural journey at this time. At my church you rarely hear of people focusing so much on the "end times" like I've been reading. So with different denominations believing and focusing on different aspects, how can we discern who is right and who is wrong?

 

[Spunkn]

Matthew 6:25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

People in Jesus's day thought they were living in the end times. I'm sure it's continued throughout history until today. The truth is we really don't know when it will happen. We can guess, and speculate and there are some things we can check.

The main difference I can think of now is Israel is now a nation again. That was a major prophecy that had to take place. One of the others is the rebuilding of the temple. There's some other stuff, I can't think of all the details off the top of my head. The "rapture" if you believe in it, could happen at any time.

But you shouldn't be worried about it. God is in control. It shouldn't cause you to worry and be anxious every day. God's plan will happen regardless of what we do.

Focusing on end times is not so much wrong, as it is unhealthy. We shouldn't be focused on it every day because God tells us no one except Him knows when the time is. We should spend our time we have focusing on Him, being an example to others, witnessing, and fulfilling God's purpose for our lives. We can't change the future, only God is in control of it. So I would say a church that is -overly- focused on end times is not a healthy one.

 

[quitespirit]

Why are you worried and anxious about the end times? If you believe in pretribulation, than you believe that any believers at the time of the judgments will be taken up into heaven. What worries you? I think it would be helpful in knowing what truth to speak to you to think through what exactly is upsetting you. If you identify what is causing you to worry you may well be able to pray about it and speak truth over it- and learn to not allow your thoughts and feelings to master you in this area.

I enjoyed the Left Behind series. As a believer I was able to read it without fear because I know that I will not taste of God's wrath because our sins are paid for, there is not wrath to be poured out on me.

 

[SoldierOfSoul]

There are so many different interpretations for End Time prophecy that I have come to the conclusions that no denomination or view is completely correct. But I do believe that as the time nears and when we are in the End Times Christians will come to a fuller understanding of all prophecy.

 

[disciple1938]

I have recently become consumed with reading articles on the internet where people try to link events of today to propecies of the end times. There are people writing about conspiracy theories. I'm becoming very anxious and worrisome.

Three things: Philippians 4:6-7
Isaiah 26:3
2 timothy 1:7

 

[faithink607]

the best end times teachings that i have heard are from a church here in reno nv. it is called harvest family fellowship. they have a web site with all the sermons to view.

I was really confused about the end times at one point, but Steve Hadleys sermons really put it in perspective in a way that was really easy to understand. everything is from the bible and he always backs up his ideas and scripture with scripture. its really awesome. must check it out.

 

[hedrick]

My question is.. is this the feeling of the Christian community as a whole? How can we decide ourselves that the events happening today are the events described in the bible? Have people over the past thousands of years not tried to do this very thing during their times? What makes now different?

No it's not. Jesus was pretty clear that the end would come as a thief in the night, and that no one including Jesus himself knows when it would be.

It's easy to understand why Christians want to know answers to things that aren't specified in Scripture. Most theology is not directly present in Scripture, and can reasonably be argued with. It's good to think about the implications of our faith, as long as we don't confuse our speculations with the Gospel, and allow it to separate us from other Christians. Unfortunately this happens very commonly, and you can see in Paul's letters that it happened even during his time.

 

[Ark100]

I was urged to read the Left Behind series and attended several bible studies where the end time were preached in a very scary manner. I have recently become consumed with reading articles on the internet where people try to link events of today to propecies of the end times. There are people writing about conspiracy theories. I'm becoming very anxious and worrisome.
My question is.. is this the feeling of the Christian community as a whole? How can we decide ourselves that the events happening today are the events described in the bible? Have people over the past thousands of years not tried to do this very thing during their times? What makes now different?

Since trying to revive my relationship with Jesus, I have gone back to my roots and attend United Church services. I feel at home here. Belonging to the more "charasmatic" and forward thinking churches that I attended with friends growing up are not a good fit for my spirtural journey at this time. At my church you rarely hear of people focusing so much on the "end times" like I've been reading. So with different denominations believing and focusing on different aspects, how can we discern who is right and who is wrong?

You should not be worried about anything. Why are you reading so much articles on the internet that gives you anxiety. Choose your battle wisely and don't fill your mind and heart with things that cause you grief.

A few yrs ago, I was on atheists site for a few weeks...and I felt myself asking questions as well in my mind why or how or if. Not anxiety but just not sure in a way. When you keep looking at those things, you get a lot of strange ideas and whats and ifs. God being so good and faithful steered me away from there and showed me He was as real as ever and His words are true.

No word of God (in the Holy Bible) will pass away without accomplishing what its meant to accomplish. Everything in the Bible is real and true and there is no lie there. Everything Jesus said is true and real and all the prophecies in the Bible will take place(if they havent yet) including the ones in Revelations.

I would advice you to stop worrying and looking up articles that does nothing to move to forward in christ and faith. Trust in the Lord, Keep serving God and stay close to Him. So what if the whole earth is collapsing? Even if they say the world will crash tomorrow, just take comfort in the fact that you know Jesus and He lives in you.

You can't change the world or what will happen, but the change is in you to make a firm decision to stick with Jesus firmly till the end for HE IS AWESOME AND NEVER FAILS!!!

 

[tbogunro]

You've actually given the answer of your anxieties. All I see in the post is what YOU observed by reading, listening, and researching others opinions. Also trust me you didn't revive anything, in fact Jesus Himself says no one can even come to Him unless God called them. Not only that but no one has the natural desire to seek God unless He gives them that desire. So the fact that you're developing a relationship with God shows that God was the one that initiated it in the first place, but you keep learning what others think and not LISTEN to the person that is calling you in the first place . You're not called into a religion but a RELATIONSHIP and every good relationship is based on COMMUNICATION. As long as you keep getting your ideas and perception based on others, then brace yourself for a life filled with uncertainty, worries, and fears. It's not wrong to see others people's view points but ALWAYS compare what the say to what your FATHER says. If you want to know what your father is saying, then STOP thinking the church members or those on the internet are the teacher. The Holy Spirit Himself says He is the teacher. Your job is to learn from Him through the word and anything else through others will either line up or not but either way NEVER base your insight on others. Jesus Himself is wisdom, so spending time with Him = REAL knowledge because He'll show you things and watch those anxieties, worries, and fears about the future begin to fade away because you know the REAL truth. Once again it's ok to learn from others but ALWAYS compare what the say with what God says and if it lines up, then continue learning.

 

[Hidden101]

The main difference I can think of now is Israel is now a nation again. That was a major prophecy that had to take place. One of the others is the rebuilding of the temple. There's some other stuff, I can't think of all the details off the top of my head. The "rapture" if you believe in it, could happen at any time.

Rediscovery and subsequent rebuilding of Babylon.

 

[insurchoftruth]

Romans 15:13, Psalm 121:7, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 62:8, 68:19, 2 Corinthians 1:3-11, 4:16-18, 7:6, 12:8,9,10, Psalm 43:5, Psalm 119:50, Psalm 34, Psalm 42:5, Psalm 86, Job 29:3, Isaiah 25:8, 30:18,19,20, 40:1, 41:10,13,14, Psalm 69, Psalm 13, Psalm 94:19, Lamentations 3:1-66, Psalm 56:3,8, Psalm 59:10, Psalm 54:7, Psalm 112:7, 116:3-9, Psalm 30, Psalm 31, Psalm 22, Psalm 94:17-19, Psalm 25:16,17,18,