ANXIETY, WORRY & STRESS - NYOBS 67.02

Anxiety, Worry & Stress

There are Invisible Chains of infirmity that you can’t see, but the bondage is ever present.

Invisible War PMS

• Anxiety, Worry & Stress does not discriminate based on geography, race, gender or age. It permeates your entire body like yeast in bread, it affects you Physically, Mentally and Spiritually; so you’re a MAN with a different kind of PMS.
• Wikipedia describes Stress as a Physical, Mental or Emotional strain or tension. - It can cause us to do things that we would not ordinarily do or even cause our system to shut down completely.  Stress is caused by either Processive Stressors which causes the “Fight or Flight” reaction or it is caused by a Systemic Stressor which causes automatic physiological reactions; unchecked these two Stressor can rule our lives.
• Materialism is a big troublemaker.  We purchase a Corvette or a Boat which we can manage, but then we get hit with the taxes, insurance and the operational cost required to maintain this lifestyle.  This leads to living paycheck to paycheck and barely making ends meet.
• I didn’t have enough time to get it all done, I felt so tired and overwhelmed that my mind would just go blank. -  I was restless, taking deep unfillable breaths and my chest tightened up; my mind was churning and my mood swings were moving from just being irritable to outright anger; I was STRESSING OUT.
• There are invisible chains of infirmity that are not physical.  You can’t see them, but the bondage is ever present.  Maybe at work you really need more salary or maybe a little less workload. -  You lack support and have conflicting demands. – You don’t have control of the situations and when you get home at night you just can’t “TURN IT OFF”.
• This invisible infirmity can move around your body exhibiting a Pounding Heart - Shortness of Breath – Fatigue – Dizziness – Hot Flashes – Sweating – Upset Stomach – Diarrhea – Twitches and Depression - Headaches, Back and Muscle Aches, Chest Pains, Upset Stomach, Nausea, Dizziness, Sadness, Depression, Panic Disorders, Stress, Fear, Paranoia, Rage and maybe even cause you to exhibits Different Personalities.
• Maybe you need companionship or the need for more patience or you are in sorrow or sickness, you need finances, in tribulations, distressed, chastised, dishonored, the butt end of mean spirited reports, have sleeplessness and heaviness of spirit and the list just goes on and on and I’m sure that you can add some of your own to this list. – NYOBS 54.11 – IN THE PITS
• Satan wants to persecute our very soul; to crush our spirit cause anxiety, worry, and stress to consume our lives. – Stress has been labeled the SILENT ASSASSIN that can create blood clots that lead to heart disease. Worry produces headaches, stomach ulcers, sleep disorders and chronic depression. - When we are operating in Anxiety, Worry and Stress we are doing Satan’s work for him; he comes to kill, steal and destroy. – You can never worry yourself into a longer life, but you can worry yourself into bad health & death.
• REMEMBER THIS, whether we are on the mountain top or down in the valley, whether lacking in patience, or in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in violence, in wounds, in imprisonments, in labors, in sleeplessness, by dishonor, by evil report; as chastened, as sorrowful, as poor, as having nothing. - In all of that, we are still God’s Witness’, His Evangelist, His Ministers; His children.  – HOLD THAT THOUGHT -

Psalm 143:3 – Satan persecutes the soul – Crushes the life
³ For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. (NKJV)

1 Peter 5:8 – Satan seeks to find someone he MIGHT devour
⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he MAY devour. (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 6:4-9 – Invisible War comes against God’s people
⁴  But in all things we commend ourselves as MINISTERS OF GOD: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
⁵ in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;
⁸  by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known;
⁹  as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. (NKJV)

John 10:10 – Satan comes to kill, Steal and destroy
¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (ESV)

Stress Results

·         This Word Study is focusing on "THE RESULTS" of Anxiety, Worry and Stress. - Not so much on what caused it - It focuses on how to avoid it – Anxiety is a crippling disease that plunges our very thoughts into darkness.

·         There is a story in the Bible about a Master of the house who gave assignments to his servants… One of the servants thought that the Master was mean spirited and abusive and he was afraid of the Master… We won’t debate here whether the servant was right or wrong in his description of the master, but we must clearly see the RESULTS and the EFFECTS of what he worried about and what he stressed over.

·         Instead of plugging into the Master’s program and trying to improve on what had been entrusted to him, the servant’s “thoughts” caused him TO HIDE what had been given to him and in the end, no one benefitted.

·         Anxiety Worry and Stress can cause you to lose out and not be a part of what the “Master” is doing.

Matthew 25:24-25 - Effects of Worry & Fear – No productivity
²⁴  He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
²⁵  so I was AFRAID, and I went and HID your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ (ESV)

Luke 21:34 - Cares of this life can come upon you like a trap
³⁴ But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and CARES of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a TRAP. (ESV)

Psalm 127:2 – It is vain to eat the bread of anxious toil
² It is in VAIN that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of ANXIOUS toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (ESV)

Proverbs 12:25 - Anxiety weighs a man’s heart down
²⁵ Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. (ESV)

Proverbs 15:13 – Sorrow can break the spirit
¹³ A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. (NKJV)

Proverbs 17:22 – A broken spirit can sap life from the body
²² A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. (NKJV)

Matthew 13:22 - The CARES of the world CHOKES the word
²² As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the CARES of the world and the deceitfulness of riches CHOKE the word, and it proves unfruitful. (ESV)

Traveling Companions

·         Worry can be spiritual conflicts, but that does not mean we are lacking in spirituality, it’s just the way we are WIRED.  - Many factors play a part in shaping how we think. -  It includes the way we were raised – Personal Experiences – Bad Choices and Subconscious Emotions.

·         Worry dwells on the past and the uncertainty of things in the future. – It’s this LACK OF HAVING CONROL that keep us from living in the moment. – For the Believer it actually implies that we don’t trust God. – When He says “Do not fear”, it is for our own wellbeing; our own protection.

·         While some Worry is constructive, some can be exaggerated, irrational and excessive, stealing our joy, zapping our strength, altering our perceptions of life and interfering with our decisions.

·         The natural traveling companion of Worry, Anxiety and stress is FEAR which takes on many forms particularly that of fear of the FUTURE.  – This is especially true when you have lost your job; this produces financial woes for the future.  Then there is heath issues and WHAT WILL HAPPEN to your family.

·         When I sold Real Estate, I was taught that the purchase of a home brought Worry, Stress and Anxiety EQUAL to that of Divorce and division of the family; the FEAR of the FUTURE.

·         God knows our emotions and you will notice that time and time again the most frequent Bible COMMAND that we see is “DO NOT FEAR”.

·         Worry is a form of Fear – Being Overlooked - Being a Failure – Not Attractive Enough – Of Being Alone – Of Being in Poverty – No Justice – No Hope – If we worried about only the things that we have control over, we would reduce our anxiety and stress by 90%.

·         The next traveling companion is DEPRESSION. – Most people who struggle with anxiety also struggle with depression. – Today we see the stress of finances, separated families, turmoil in our workplace and turmoil around the world.  Our entertainment is packed with violence, sex and sexual perversion and loaded with things of the occult.  These things weigh down our spirits. – A heaviness producing depression. – The more we take God’s values out of our culture, the more we become fearful, anxious, stressed out, worried and depressed.

·         Did you know; The English word “Worry” comes from the Anglo-Saxton word that means “TO STRANGLE” – In the Bible the word “merimnao” is interpreted to mean “to be anxious” but it is also interpreted “TO BE TORN APART”.  The very life of our emotions is being strangled and Torn in different directions. - God want to exchange this spirit of heaviness for a garment of praise

Genesis 50:21 - DO NOT FEAR
²¹ So DO NOT FEAR; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 1:21 - Do not fear or be dismayed
²¹ See, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. DO NOT FEAR or be dismayed.’ (ESV)

Psalm 34:4 – God will free us from our Anxious Fears
⁴ GOD met me more than halfway, he freed me from my ANXIOUS FEARS. (MSG)

Isaiah 61:3 - Exchange spirit of heaviness for garment of praise
³ … to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the GARMENT OF PRAISE instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness. (ESV)

We are all Wired differently

·         My Father built me a Lionel Train Table in our basement when I was about 8 years old.  I was so fascinated with it, that FOR YEARS while the family was upstairs I would spent most of my time in “SOLITUDE” learning to WIRE remote controls, construct and paint. – This would form the basis of me becoming a Television Engineer where once again I worked in SOLITUDE, designing, constructing, WIRING and remote controlling transmitters.

·         I say this because today at social gatherings, with the way that I am WIRED, I find myself standing off by myself, and when I am at large social events I feel an “overwhelming” emotion to withdraw. – While I can interface easily with people, I prefer not to, unless it is in a classroom or Church environment. – Why do I do that?  

·         My Wife gets so worked up just thinking about a PET scan that it just drains her physically and emotionally and her WIRING brings on a panic attack with tears. - I would stand outside the door and sing along with her as she sang and prayed. – What’s up with that?

·         My God fearing friend Marcus had high anxiety and feared going into a machine that did CAT scans.  He would have to face the wall and with his eyes shut be led backward to the table and sing songs to the Lord to just get through it. – It was not a lack of spirituality, it was just the way he was WIRED. – Why was that?

·         In my high school years, while in downtown Atlanta in the 50’s with no cell phones, I had stayed late for a Junior Achievement Meeting and the buses had stopped running. -  Strangely, I found myself alone and on foot, observing people standing in the darkness of doorways smoking. -  I became terrified as I hastily walked for over five miles to get home. Although I have never been attacked, beaten up or robbed, sixty years later, my WIRING still causes me to avoid going out at night. – What’s up with that?  

·         Sometimes the mind will JUST NOT RELEASE folks from their fears. – Our bodies are WIRED with “Fight or Flight” responses which is sometimes wrongly diagnosed as a medical or a MENTAL condition, and yes, there can be medical conditions that causes these emotions such as hormone imbalances, blood sugar issues, and thyroid and heart conditions and there are also genetic conditions that run in the family that will strike without warning.  – But why is this?

Romans 12:2 – You are wired up in knots and must be RE-WIRED
² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)

The SIN Question

·         The question must be asked; is Anxiety, Worry or Stress considered SIN? - Is it a mental illness or a weakness to be delivered from? – Are we operating in SIN when we worry?

·         YES and NO; It was in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve made a decision to rely on their own understanding instead of the Word of God and thus brought forth the sinful nature that makes us prone to worry and to stress out over things.

·         NO, it’s not a Sin: a burst of anxiety is GOOD and can be very beneficial in order to respond effectively to a situation – Anxiety is an EMOTIONAL response of the mind that creates a PHYSICAL response in the body. – There is nothing wrong with realistically acknowledging the problems in your life; to ignore them would be dangerous and foolish. Some forms of Anxiety are not sin because of their nature.  The NATURE of anxiety in obtaining stuff is different from the anxiety of striving to advance the Gospel of Christ.

·         Jesus charged the Disciples to not be anxious about how long they will live or what they will eat or wear or what would happen in the days ahead. - In effect He is saying in general to NOT worry about Basic & Elemental things; to worry about NOTHING. – He said that Worry will not add even an hour to the length of your life, in fact it can shorten it.

·         Jesus used the word slave as a Metaphor; paraphrased He said, you will either be a slave to things of God or a slave to worrying about STUFF; you can’t serve two masters. – The root cause of worry is the question of TRUST.  Do you trust the Master to take care of the servant or do you reject His promises and rely on your own understanding? – This is what produces Anxiety, Worry and Stress.

·         YES, it is a Sin; PROLONGED anxiety, worry and stress is a SIN is because God said to “STRESS NOT” and “WORRY NOT”. – When God speaks, it’s not a suggestion; it is a COMMAND and in many places we are told to NOT be anxious about anything, and NOT to fear. – It is wrong to become immobilized with Fear, Worry and Anxiety to the point that we cannot function.

·         Sometimes stress comes as a result of SIN in your life; guilt in your conscious is trying to get your attention. - THINK ABOUT THAT -

·         The American Heart Association says prolonged anxiety can harm your physical health.  - With anxiety and stress comes high blood pressure and increased heart rate and with that comes an increase of hormone levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol. – High blood pressure is the leading cause for heart disease, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

·         Worry is a rocking chair that is always in motion, but goes NOWHERE. – If Jesus had told the Disciples about High Blood Pressure they would not have understood what He was talking about, so He said it in Seventh Grade Hebrew… Do not be anxious, worry or stress out about anything. The only prolonged anxiety that is excusable is the activity of seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteous.

·         God knew we would have Anxiety and stress so He gave us the gift of the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit to comfort us; which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. – It’s not pick and choose; it’s all ONE FRUIT.

·         The reason we become anxious is because we view our situations from our own point of view; we are relying on our own strength rather than relying on God. – He says to cast our cares on Him. – There is a story of a young servant that feared for his life, till his EYES WERE OPENED into the spiritual realm and he saw that he was surrounded with HELP.

·         Worry chokes out the full potential of our Fruit; the Holy Spirit provides us a way TO ENDURE the stuff that tries to worry us… Every person that has accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah has also been given the gift of THE HOLY SPIRIT to be their helper.

Galatians 5:22-23 – Fruit - love, joy, peace, patience
²² But the FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(ESV)

Luke 8:14 – Worry chokes out your FRUITS potential
¹⁴ And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are CHOKED BY THE CARES and riches and pleasures of life, and THEIR FRUIT DOES NOT MATURE. (ESV)

Matthew 6:24-33 – Don’t be anxious – God has got this -
²⁴ No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
²⁵ Therefore I tell you, DO NOT BE ANXIOUS about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
²⁷ And which of you by BEING ANXIOUS can add a single hour to his span of life?
²⁸ And why ARE YOU ANXIOUS about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
³¹ Therefore DO NOT BE ANXIOUS, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

(ESV)
Matthew 6:34 – Do not be anxious about the future

³⁴ Therefore DO NOT BE ANXIOUS about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be ANXIOUS for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (ESV)

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything
⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (ESV)

Luke 12:22 - Do not be anxious about your life
²² And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. (ESV)

Luke 12:25 – Being anxious will NOT lengthen your life
²⁵ And which of you by being ANXIOUS can add a single hour to his span of life? (ESV)

1 Peter 5:7 – Cast Anxiety, Worry and Stress on Jesus
⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

(NIV2011)

2 Kings 6:17 – The spiritual realm surrounds us with HELP
¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD OPENED THE EYES of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (ESV)

2 Chronicles 32:7 - There are more FOR us than are against us
⁷ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. (ESV)

Matthew 6:24 – You are either a slave to STUFF or to God
²⁴ No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. (HCSB)

1 Corinthians 7:33 – Anxious for the Worldly Stuff
³³ But the married man is ANXIOUS about worldly things, how to please his wife, (ESV)

2 Corinthians 11:28 – Anxious for the Church
²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my ANXIETY for all the churches. (ESV)

Let it Go

·         When we are in submission to God’s Word, we are not leaning on our own understanding, but ADAPTING our lives to His concepts where we WILL find rest.  We are to extend our arms and hands, palms down and RELEASE all our cares, anxieties and worries to the Lord. – LET IT GO - Then turn our palms upward and receive the RE-WIRING, the restoration of our mind, body and soul, receiving His Comfort, Gentleness and Peace. – RECEIVE –

·         Life is choice driven; we can totally ignore “God’s Will” for our lives and live out a life punctuated with Anxiety, Worry and Stress or we can spend the same amount of time in the Bible STUDYING and LEARNING how to ADAPT our life to Go with the Flow of God’s Word and enjoy His peace.

·         No Spin Zone – I must qualify this by saying that NOT everyone that reads God’s word can fully receive His benefits, only those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior will receive the FULL blessings from God. – Believer vs; Make-Believer -

Matthew 11:28-30 – Come to me and I will give your rest
²⁸ Come to me, all who LABOR and are HEAVY LADEN, and I will give you rest.
²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST for your souls.
³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (ESV)

Psalm 91:1 – We can REST and dwell in the shadow of God
¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will REST in the shadow of the Almighty. (NIV2011)

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Do not lean on your own understanding
⁵ TRUST in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)

Psalm 23:1-6 – Goodness and Mercy shall follow me
¹ The LORD is my shepherd; I SHALL NOT WANT.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
³ He RESTORES MY SOUL. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they COMFORT ME.
⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; MY CUP OVERFLOWS.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (ESV)

Psalm 91:2-11 – Thousand troubles may come, but not near us
² I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
³ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but IT WILL NOT COME NEAR YOU.
⁸ You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
⁹ Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—
¹⁰ no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. (ESV)

James 4:3 - You do not receive, because you ask wrongly
³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (ESV)

Philippians 4:19 – God will supply every need from His riches
¹⁹ And my God will supply EVERY need of yours according to HIS riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

Ephesians 3:20 – He is able to do abundantly more that we think
²⁰  Now to him who is able to do far MORE ABUNDANTLY than all that we ask or THINK, according to the power at work within us, (ESV)

Stress Management

·         I think it is interesting that Jesus who was all man and all God, had the same emotions that any human would have.  -  Scripture reveals that He was in charge of ”MANAGING” a successful growing ministry that touched thousands of lives each day through His TEACHINGS and HEALINGS as well as taking on the forces of Evil DEMONS . - He not only dealt with FOOD and SHELTER for Himself, but also for the Twelve Disciples 24/7 and sometimes that extended to the need of food for the thousands that came to hear Him.

·         He would get so tired, overworked, exhausted and stressed out that He would withdraw to a quiet place to talk with God about His day. - So when we are stressed out, we should follow the example that Jesus set and take some time out to talk to God about what’s going on in our life. – This does not mean that God doesn’t already know what’s going on in our life, it is just confirming that we want God to be a part of our decisions.

·         Now Get ready to GET UPSET, according to the scriptures, Jesus got STRESSED OUT. - He had the same emotions as you and me.  If you did not know that He was the Son of God you would think He was having an "Anxiety Attack" in the Garden of Gethsemane, and appears to almost "Lose It" before the arrival of the soldiers. – In the end, He does not SIN and submits to the Will of God. – This extreme example is good news for all of us; we can stress out, then LET GO and LET GOD.

·         Now you might not buy into all of this, but if you will just search out the scriptures for yourself, you will see how many times Jesus controlled and managed His ministry, balancing His time by telling those who He had just healed to TELL NO ONE and how many times we find him withdrawing to find some rest, even on a BOAT.  So we are encouraged to put ourselves in “TIME OUT” and maybe this gives us an excuse to “BUY A BOAT” and get out on the water. - It’s in the Book -  

Luke 5:15-16 - He would withdraw to desolate places and pray
¹⁵ But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.
¹⁶ But he would WITHDRAW to desolate places and PRAY.

(ESV)

Matthew 14:23 – Jesus often went by Himself to share with God
²³ After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to PRAY. When evening came, He was there ALONE.

(HCSB)

Luke 6:12 – Shared His thoughts with God sometimes for hours
¹² During those days He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God.

(HCSB)

Luke 22:41 – Jesus withdrew from the others to pray
⁴¹ Then He WITHDREW from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to PRAY,

(HCSB)

Matthew 15:21 - Jesus withdrew to a quiet place
²¹ And Jesus went out thence, and WITHDREW into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. (ASV)

Matthew 14:13 - Jesus withdrew to a desolate place by Himself
¹³ Now when Jesus heard this, he WITHDREW from there in a boat to a DESOLATE place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. (ESV)

Mark 3:7 Jesus withdrew to a boat to get His needed rest
⁷ And Jesus with his disciples WITHDREW to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and from Judaea, (ASV)

Matthew 14:13 – Jesus withdrew on a boat with just Him & God
¹³ Now when Jesus heard this, he WITHDREW from there in a BOAT to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. (ESV)

Matthew 8:24 – Jesus sought peace and sleep on a boat
²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the BOAT. But Jesus was sleeping.

(NIV2011)

Matthew 16:20 – Manage the situation – Tell no one – Need time
²⁰ Then he strictly charged the disciples to TELL NO ONE that he was the Christ. (ESV)

Matthew 17:9– Tell no one, I need to manage my time
⁹ And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “TELL NO ONE the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” (ESV)

Luke 8:55-56 – Tell no one – Keep it quiet for right now
⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat.
⁵⁶ her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to TELL NO ONE what had happened.

(NASB)

Luke 9:21 – You know some things but Keep it quiet, tell no one
²¹ Jesus then warned them to keep it quiet. They were to TELL NO ONE what Peter had said. (MSG)

Matthew 8:4 – I’m glad I could help BUT don’t tell anybody
⁴ And Jesus *said to him, "See that you TELL NO ONE; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." (NASB)

Mark 7:36– Don’t tell anyone – I need to manage my time
³⁶ And Jesus charged them to TELL NO ONE. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.

(ESV)

Luke 22:42 – Jesus agonizing over what was coming
⁴² saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

(ESV)

Luke 22:44 – Jesus is Stressing Out – Seeks God’s Will
⁴⁴ And being in an AGONY he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (ESV)

BUY A BOAT

·         This is an excellent opportunity to do what Jesus did; go tell your wife that you THINK God wants you to BUY A BOAT with a couple of fishing poles… If you are in total overload, then get a JET SKI… If you have friends who are also stressed; get a 100 foot, 5 bedroom triple decker HOUSE BOAT with a Water slide so that everybody can commiserate. – Think about it, God, a Boat and some Water; sure seems right to me… sort of…

Walk in the Word

·         I want to give you some encouraging scriptures to ADAPT and RE-WIRE your thinking, to readjust your PMS; Physically, Mentally and Spiritually;

·         Lovingly I say this, we don’t receive what we need because we simply “Ask Wrongly”. - The reason that I have taken so much time to look up the scriptures and print them here, is because I know that most folks simply WON’T, and it is so important that we READ FOR OURSELF what God has ALREADY promised.  – Take a look at the familiar 23^rd Psalm, it promises that your cup will overflow.  – IT’S IN THE BOOK -

THE DARK SIDE

DOWNCAST

Psalm 42:5
⁵ Why, my soul, are you DOWNCAST? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (NIV2011)

EXHAUSTED

Matthew 11:28-30
²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are HEAVY LADEN, and I will give you REST.
²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find REST for your souls.
³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (ESV)

TIRED

Isaiah 40:30-31
³⁰ Even youths shall faint and be WEARY, and young men shall fall
³¹ but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (ESV)

BURDENED

Psalm 55:22
²² Cast your BURDEN on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (ESV)

BROKENHEARTED

Psalm 34:17-19
¹⁷ When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to the BROKENHEARTED and saves the crushed in spirit.
¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. (ESV)

CRUSHED

Proverbs 17:22
²² A joyful heart is good MEDICINE, but a CRUSHED spirit dries up the bones. (ESV)

TROUBLED

John 14:1
¹ Let not your hearts be TROUBLED. Believe in God; believe also in me. (ESV)

Luke 10:41-42
⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are ANXIOUS and TROUBLED about many things,
⁴² but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (ESV)

TRIALS

James 1:2-3
² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet TRIALS of various kinds,
³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (ESV)

SHAKEN

Psalm 16:8
⁸ I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall NOT BE SHAKEN. (ESV)

Psalm 55:22
²² Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be SHAKEN. (NIV2011)

FEARFUL

Psalm 34:4
⁴ I sought the Lord, and HE HEARD ME, and delivered me from all my FEARS. (NKJV)

Hebrews 13:6
⁶ So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not FEAR; what can man do to me?” (ESV)

Isaiah 41:10
¹⁰ FEAR not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (ESV)

CARES

Psalm 94:19
¹⁹ When the CARES of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. (ESV)

ANXIOUS

Philippians 4:6-7
⁶ do not be ANXIOUS about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

Matthew 6:34
³⁴ Therefore do not be ANXIOUS about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (ESV)

Matthew 6:25-27
²⁵ Therefore I tell you, do not be ANXIOUS about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
²⁷ And which of you by being ANXIOUS can add a single hour to his span of life? (ESV)

Proverbs 12:25
²⁵ ANXIETY weighs down the heart, but a kind word CHEERS it up. (NIV2011)

Isaiah 35:4
⁴ Say to those who have an ANXIOUS HEART, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” (ESV)

1 Peter 5:6-7 ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
⁷ casting all your ANXIETIES on him, because he cares for you.(ESV)

THE BRIGHT SIDE

FRIEND

John 15:14-15
¹⁴ You are my FRIENDS if you do what I command you.
¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you FRIENDS, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (ESV)

UN-FORSAKEN

Hebrews 13:5
⁵ Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise FORSAKE thee. (ASV)

NO CONDEMNATION

Romans 8:1
¹ There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

FAMILY

Galatians 4:5
⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (ESV)

HEIR

Galatians 3:29
²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, HEIRS according to promise. (ESV)

Romans 8:17
¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—HEIRS OF GOD and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (ESV)

BELONG

1 Peter 2:9
⁹  But you are a CHOSEN race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (ESV)

HIS WORKMANSHIP

Ephesians 2:10
¹⁰ For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them. (ASV)

ACCEPTED

Romans 15:7
⁷ Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. (NLT)

PRECIOUS

Isaiah 43:4
⁴ Because you are PRECIOUS in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. (ESV)

BLESSED

Ephesians 1:3
³ BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

(ESV)

Psalm 23:5 - My cup overflows with blessings
⁵ You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with BLESSINGS. (NLT)

RIGHTEOUS

Matthew 5:6
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS, for they shall be satisfied. (ESV)\

SET FREE

Romans 8:2-3
² For the law of the Spirit of life HAS SET YOU FREE in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
³ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, (ESV)

ANOINTED

1 John 2:27
²⁷ But the ANOINTING that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. (ESV)

FAVORED

Psalm 5:12
¹² For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with FAVOR as with a shield. (ESV)

Luke 1:28
²⁸ And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art HIGHLY FAVORED, the Lord is with thee. (ASV)

NEEDS

Philippians 4:19
¹⁹ And my God will supply every NEED of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

FULLNESS

Ephesians 4:13
¹³ Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the FULLNESS of Christ, (ESV)

LIFE

Colossians 3:4
⁴ When Christ who is our LIFE appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (NKJV)

WISDOM

James 1:5
⁵ If any of you lacks WISDOM, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (ESV)

SOUND MIND

2 Timothy 1:7
⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a SOUND MIND. (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 2:16
¹⁶ For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the MIND of Christ. (ESV)

STRENGTH

Philippians 4:13
¹³ I can do all things through Christ who STRENGTHENS me. (NKJV)

REFUGE

Psalm 46:1
¹ God is our REFUGE and strength, a very present help in trouble. (ESV)

Psalm 61:3
³  For you have been my REFUGE, a strong tower against the enemy. (ESV)

Psalm 9:9
⁹ The LORD also will be A REFUGE for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. (NKJV)

PEACE

Philippians 4:8-9
⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS.
⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of PEACE will be with you.

(ESV)

John 16:33
³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have PEACE. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (ESV)

John 14:26-27
²⁶  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
²⁷ PEACE I leave with you; my PEACE I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (ESV)

TRUST

Proverbs 3:5-6
⁵ TRUST in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)

GRACE

2 Corinthians 9:8
⁸ And God is able to make all GRACE abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (NKJV)

VICTORY

1 Corinthians 15:57
⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who giveth us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ. (ASV)

Stress Free

·         We see articles, books and products that promote a “Stress Free Life”, but that is a misguided view.  WE CANNOT LIVE A STRESS FREE LIFE. - Stress, Worry and Anxiety is just a part of our fallen human condition and God’s word tells us so. – It is virtually impossible to avoid stress, we will all have stress in varying degrees. – The issue before us is not the unavoidable tribulations that we encounter in life, it’s how we respond to them.

·         Troubles either make us stronger in faith, or angry & full of unbelief. – Faith or Fear -

·         The Apostle Paul handpicked by Jesus Christ after His resurrection was plagued with Anxiety, Worry and stress; why would we think that our lives would be any different.

·         In all of Paul’s afflictions including receiving a “Thorn in the Flesh” from Satan, God provided a way of escape for him to be able to ENDURE it.

2 Corinthians 1:8 – We will have troubles in this life
⁸  We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about THE TROUBLES WE EXPERIENCED in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.

(NIV2011)

Job 30:27 - The churning inside me never stops
²⁷ The CHURNING inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me. (NIV2011)

2 Corinthians 11:22-27 – Paul had Anxiety and Troubles
²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.
²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

(ESV)

2 Corinthians 12:7 – Thorn in the flesh from Satan - HARRASSED
⁷ So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a THORN was given me IN THE FLESH, a messenger of Satan to HARASS me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 10:13 – God provides a way to get through it.
¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to ENDURE IT.

(ESV)

2 Corinthians 12:10 - I am content with persecutions & calamity
¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am CONTENT with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (ESV)

Romans 8:28 - All things work together for GOOD
²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for GOOD, for those who are called according to his purpose. (ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         SOME stress, worry and anxiety is good as it helps us to face challenges, to achieve, strive and grow as a person, it does not mean that we are not trusting God or in some sort of spiritual misalignment, we are just functioning the way we are wired. – Stress seems to be intrinsically woven into the very fabric of our lives. - Our job is to manage the issues as they present themselves to us and to find balance. – We are to play by God’s rules.

·         Prayer enables us to connect with God; Jehovah Jireh, our provider as our partner. - Prayer is our refuge from the storms of life. – The more we meditate, the more we receive peace, comfort, advice and direction – Through prayer we TRADE our yoke of heavy burdens for an easy and light yoke. -  We are to TRUST in the LORD with all our heart, and not lean on our own understanding and in all our ways acknowledge him and He will make our paths straight.

·         Prayer does not have to be complicated; just be succinct, get to the point – A Canaanite Woman came to Jesus asking for help for her demonized daughter and had the shortest prayer I know of; “LORD HELP ME” and she got what she came for. – A leper came to Jesus and simply said, IF YOU WANT TO, you can heal me… Jesus said, “I WANT TO”…

·         There are two rules to get set free - 1) Humble yourself before God - 2) Cast your cares on Him. – Then speak positive things out of your mouth - Sing Songs of Praise - Quote the scriptures to yourself and to God. – Your positive attitude will interrupt stress & depression - IT’S IN THE BOOK – Your beginning does not have to dictate your ending.

·         We are encourage to focus on one day at a time; to be realistic, that some distant troubles may never happen. - Get 8 or 9 hours of sleep; sleep deprivation can increase anxiety. – Listen to some easy listening music or some Praise and Worship music which in itself is a spiritual weapon. – Put a little fun in your life with some recreation – Take some walks; exercise. - Share your fears, worries and thoughts with someone; talk about it, this is a wonderful anxiety relief valve. – Take some kind of action to alleviate the issue. – If need be; see a Christian Counselor and lastly there are also Anxiety Centers that can be employed as well as a myriad of self-help books and time-management workshops.

·          When we let PROLONGED stress rule our life, we are moving into the area of SIN as this can take a toll on our heath and shorten our life. – We wind up doing the work of Satan whose work is to Kill, Steal and Destroy our life. – Anxiety, Worry and Stress is a long uphill battle that will not end well. - We are commanded to NOT be Anxious for anything, but in everything to be in prayer and make supplications with thanksgiving, letting our needs be made known to God. - It’s in the Book – GET RE-WIRED, ADAPT & GO WITH THE FLOW OF GOD -

1 Kings 8:56 – The Lord is Faithful
⁵⁶ Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. (ESV)

were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. (NIV2011)

John 10:10 - Satan comes to steal and kill and destroy
¹⁰ The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

(ESV)

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything
⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 7:32 - Be free from anxieties
³² I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

(ESV)

1 Samuel 17:47 – The Battle is the Lord’s – It’s a Done Deal
⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. FOR THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S, and he will give you into our hand.”

(ESV)

Psalm 34:4 – Seek the Lord and He will answer and deliver
⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

(ESV)

Isaiah 55:6 - Seek the LORD while He may be found,
⁶  Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.

(NKJV)

Matthew 6:33 – Seek God first and the rest will come
³³ But seek first the kingdom of GOD and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

(ESV)

Matthew 18:19 – When two agree, it will be done
¹⁹ Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

(ESV)

Joshua 10:24-25 - Our Enemies are placed under our feet.
²⁴ And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks.
²⁵ And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” (ESV)

Philippians 4:13 – We can do all things through Christ
¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (ESV)

Hebrews 13:6 - The Lord is our help; no need to fear
⁶ So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my HELPER; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

(ESV)

Isaiah 55:1-3 - Come, everyone who thirsts – buy without money
¹ Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
³ Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I WILL MAKE WITH YOU AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, my steadfast, sure love for David.

(ESV)

1 Peter 5:6 – RULE #1 - HUMBLE YOURSELF

⁶ HUMBLE yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

1 Peter 5:7 – RULE #2 - CAST YOUR CARES ON HIM
⁷ CASTING all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

(ESV)

Matthew 15:25 - Simply Pray - LORD, HELP ME
²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

(ESV)

Luke 5:12-13 – HE IS WILLING
¹² In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “IF YOU ARE WILLING, you can heal me and make me clean.”
¹³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I AM WILLING,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

(NLT)

Psalm 56:9 - GOD IS FOR US
⁹ Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that GOD IS FOR ME.

(ESV)

THE TAKE AWAY

Anxiety, Worry, Stress, Fear and Depression

John 10:10 - RE-WIRE ADAPT & RESTORE - Go with God’s Flow
¹⁰ Satan comes to WIRE us with Anxiety, Worry, Stress, Fear and Depression.  Jesus comes to RE-WIRE, ADAPT and RESTORE our PMS; Physically, Mentally and Spiritually.  To give us the ability to Go with His Flow of comfort, gentleness and peace and He gives it more abundantly than we can possibly imagine. (Paul’s Paraphrased Bible)

1 Corinthians 2:9 – YOU CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED
⁹ The Good Book says that no one has ever seen, heard, or even THOUGHT OF, the things that God has already prepared for those who have believed on the name of His only begotten Son; Jesus the Christ. (Paul’s Paraphrased Bible)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney