The No. 1 Reason Depression Is on the Rise - MICHAEL SNYDER CHARISMA NEWS

What I am trying to point out is that we have become a deeply lonely nation, and some are describing this as "a public health crisis." (Public Domain)

The No. 1 Reason Depression Is on the Rise

 5/5/2017 MICHAEL SNYDER  CHARISMA NEWS

Do you ever feel like you have been completely abandoned by the world? Do you struggle with feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression? If so, you are far from alone. Thanks to technology, Americans are more isolated than they have been ever before, and as you will see below, this is really starting to cause a major national crisis.

Humans were designed to be social creatures, and researchers have found that a lack of interaction with others can cause major mental, emotional and social problems. Not only that, it can also lead to premature death. We actually have a need to love others and to be loved by them, and if those needs are not met, the consequences can be quite dramatic.

Unfortunately, our society has evolved to the point where we hardly interact with one another anymore. First of all, the size of the average household has declined from about 4.5 people to about 2.5 people over the past 100 years, and we lead the world in the number of one person households.

So for most of us, the number of people that we interact with in our homes is quite limited.

For children, at least there is quite a bit of interaction with others at school, but once you become an adult, things are very different.

Most adults get up in the morning and drive by themselves to work. Even if you take mass transportation, it is very rare to actually have a meaningful discussion with anyone. I remember the days when I would take the Metro into Washington, D.C., every morning, and most of the time, there was complete silence even though the trains were usually completely packed during rush hour. Most people would either close their eyes, read a book or spend the entire trip staring into their phones.

I have to say that cellphones have probably done more to damage real human interaction than almost any other invention in human history. So many people just walk around like zombies obsessively staring into their little phones while life goes on all around them. And it is the worst with young people. For some of them, it is virtually impossible to get them to put those things down long enough to have a real conversation with them.

Once most Americans get to their places of employment, there is some human interaction, but it is generally limited to topics related to work. Yes, people can build some very deep and meaningful relationships at work, but these days, that is fairly rare.

At the end of the day, most people get back into their vehicles and head home. Perhaps a stop is made for a quick shopping trip, but randomly engaging other shoppers in conversation is not something that is typically done.

In the evenings, the vast majority of us spend several hours staring into our flickering television sets, consuming whatever "entertainment" the corporate media giants have concocted for us. Like the cellphone, the television has been one of the worst things to ever happen to human interaction. In the old days, families would sit out on their front porches and get to know their neighbors, but these days a lot of people don't know their neighbors at all.

What I am trying to point out is that we have become a deeply lonely nation, and some are describing this as "a public health crisis."

Truly, a public health crisis is in the making. Transcending all demographics, loneliness is an epidemic which is literally killing us.

After 35 years of multiple studies, Brigham Young University researchers have found that loneliness and isolation increase the likelihood of premature death by 32 percent (on par with the risk of obesity). In our ever "connected" world of the internet and social media, reaching out to someone is as easy as tapping a few buttons, but the amount of people that say they have no one to talk to has tripled in the last 20 years.

In addition to greatly increasing your risk of dying early, loneliness has a whole host of other negative health effects as well.

Research indicates that perceived social isolation (i.e. loneliness) is a risk factor for, and may contribute to, poorer overall cognitive performance, faster cognitive decline, poorer executive functioning, increased negativity and depressive cognition, heightened sensitivity to social threats, a confirmatory bias in social cognition that is self-protective and paradoxically self-defeating, heightened anthropomorphism and contagion that threatens social cohesion.

I don't know what all of that means, but it sounds really bad.

Sometimes I wish that scientists would just speak to us in plain English.

Loneliness is particularly chronic among the elderly. The following comes from the New York Times:

"The profound effects of loneliness on health and independence are a critical public health problem," said Dr. Carla M. Perissinotto, a geriatrician at the University of California, San Francisco. "It is no longer medically or ethically acceptable to ignore older adults who feel lonely and marginalized."

In Britain and the United States, roughly one in three people older than 65 live alone, and in the United States, half of those older than 85 live alone. Studies in both countries show the prevalence of loneliness among people older than 60 ranging from 10 percent to 46 percent.

If you have a parent or a grandparent that is living alone, please visit them on a regular basis.

You may never know how much it means to them.

Of course loneliness is a big problem on the other end of the age spectrum as well. The following comes from U.S. News & World Report:

American Freshman Survey collected responses from about 153,000 full-time, first-year students at more than 200 four-year public and private institutions in 2014. An increasing number of students—now 38.8 percent—said they spend less than five hours each week with friends, while just 18 percent said they spend more than 16 hours weekly with friends. It's the opposite of the picture student responses painted in 1987, when two-thirds said they spent more than 16 hours each week socializing.

Those numbers are absolutely staggering. Because so many of us are feeling so lonely and so isolated, it should come as no surprise that depression is at epidemic levels in this country.

In fact, the number of Americans who have been formally diagnosed with depression is increasing at a rate of about 20 percent a year, and at this moment approximately one out of every six Americans is on an anti-depressant or some other sort of psychiatric drug.

According to the New York Times, more than 30 million Americans are currently taking antidepressants, and each year more than 250 million prescriptions for antidepressants are issued.

As technology takes over our lives, the trends I have discussed in this article will likely accelerate even more, and our need for real human interaction will become even greater.

So make it a point to reach out and love those around you, because our world is becoming a very cold place.

Michael Snyder is the founder and publisher of End Of The American Dream. Michael's controversial new book about Bible prophecy entitled "The Rapture Verdict" is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.

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Don't Throw in the Towel! - J. LEE GRADY CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Don't Throw in the Towel!

4/19/2017 J. LEE GRADY  charisma magazine

Are you sitting on the bench? Or are you out of breath because you are lugging 50 pounds of shame and failure? (Getty Images)

I have a friend who is a respected Christian leader. But like all of us, he wrestles with his own sins, weaknesses and trials. People associated with his ministry have disrespected him, his family has suffered, and he has struggled with health problems. He has also carried loads of shame since his childhood because of sexual abuse.

My friend recently admitted that he has occasionally asked God to take his life because he was so discouraged. When I prayed with him, I saw a vision of a huge arena. I could see athletes running while the crowd cheered, but my friend was sitting on a bench next to the track. Then I saw Jesus walk over to him, grab his arm and beckon him to get in the race.

My friend turned a spiritual corner after I shared this vision with him. His hope was renewed, and he decided to run the race of faith again. But there are many Christians today who have pulled out of the race because life got too tough. Some were instantly broadsided; others gradually slowed down until they quit.

The apostle Paul wrote to a group of people who were thinking of quitting the race. They were Jewish Christians who faced intense persecution. Using imagery of an athletic arena, Paul said to them: "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1).

Are you sitting on the bench? Or are you out of breath because you are lugging 50 pounds of shame and failure? Have you disqualified yourself from the race? Here are six of the most common reasons Christians throw in the towel:

1. Depression or discouragement. When we face stress, tragedy, disappointment, failure or prolonged delay, we will lose hope if we don't stay close to God and cling to His promises. We must remember that the darkness never lasts. "Weeping may last for the night," Psalm 30:5 says, "but a shout of joy comes in the morning."

Charles Spurgeon wrote: "There are no immortal sorrows for immortal saints. They come; but, blessed be God, they also go." No matter what obstacle you face, it will not stand in front of you indefinitely. No matter how heavy and dark the cloud is over your head, the sunshine will soon break through. Though you may not see a light at the end of the tunnel, you must keep pressing forward. You will outlast your problem.

2. Shame or self-loathing. The miracle of grace says all your past sins have been blotted out. If you have trusted in the blood of Christ, heaven has purged all record of your failures. Yet many Christians cannot forgive themselves for their weaknesses, and they imagine that God is still angry with them because they still struggle with temptation. And the devil is eager to remind us of what we once were!

Go back to the cross and give God your doubts, fears and shame. Stop punishing yourself. Trade your sinfulness for His righteousness. Jesus knows you cannot live a sinless life apart from Him—so He chose to live His perfect life through you.

3. Sinful habits. If you struggle with a life-controlling problem, you cannot overcome it alone. You must open your life to mature Christians and confess your weakness. Paul told the Hebrews: "Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble" (Heb. 12:12). Athletes don't rehabilitate themselves—they ask for help. You cannot run the race when sin has crippled you. Be transparent and let the right people pray with you.

4. Distraction. The key to winning a race is focus. Paul emphasized this when he told the Hebrews to fix their eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:2). Our focus cannot be on a pastor, a celebrity preacher, a pet doctrine, a church, a denomination, a political party, spiritual gifts or emotions. If you put your trust in any of those things, you will not be able to finish the race. It was Jesus who started His work in you, and only He will complete it.

Regaining your focus is not difficult. Simply set aside some time to pray, and cast your cares on the Lord. Read the Psalms. Listen to praise music. Spend time in God's Word each day. Spurgeon said: "A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't." If you soak your mind in Scripture, you will find unusual grace to press forward, even when all hell is raging against you.

5. Persecution. It's easy to serve God when everybody thinks you're wonderful. But how do you respond when family members and co-workers speak against you because of your faith or your moral convictions? Persecution can tempt us to deny Christ or to make moral compromises. But you must remember that when you suffer for His name's sake, you will be blessed. Peter said when we are persecuted, "the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" (1 Pet. 4:14).

I will tell you what I told my friend last week. Jesus is calling you back in the race. Don't just sit there and let the devil win. Put one foot in front of the other, focus on Jesus and trust Him to give you the strength to run.

J. Lee Grady was editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project, a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. Author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, he has just released his newest book, Set My Heart on Fire, from Charisma House. You can follow him on Twitter at @LeeGrady or go to his website, themordecaiproject.org.

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Destroying the Lie That Plunges You Into Depression - R. LOREN SANDFORD CHARISMA MAGAZINE

This lie's cycle only brings you further and further into despair. (Pexels)

Destroying the Lie That Plunges You Into Depression

 3/28/2017 R. LOREN SANDFORD  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

By the time I reached adulthood, I had become convinced that God couldn't bless me because I had all the wrong feelings.

Because I suffered from depression and couldn't feel all those positive, joyful emotions no matter how hard I tried, and because I could not generate an emotion of expectation that God would do great things for me, I believed God couldn't favor me. Everything I heard all around me in renewal circles reinforced that sense. I was told repeatedly by many well-meaning people that my emotions were all wrong and that as long as I felt that way, hurting and depressed, I was expressing unbelief. If I had the wrong feelings, God's work in my life would be restricted. I would reap destruction.

To counter this, we were taught to confess this and confess that, as if our words could create the reality that our inward faith could not. At root, the question wasn't, "How can I trust the Father who loves me?", but rather, "How can I get God to move on my behalf?"—as if He really didn't want to and had to be coerced.

This was the dark place where I lived imprisoned for more than five decades, believing that because I couldn't seem to feel the way I was supposed to feel, God withheld blessing. It would be difficult to express how much energy I invested in trying to push all that hurt aside so I could keep it under control, function in life and do what I had to do.

Looking back, I realized my feelings had never had anything at all to do with God's ability or willingness to bless and prosper me. What counted was His love, not my emotional condition or any failure of mine.

I realized, even in the face of my failure, that my Father God had given me a wonderful wife. Together, we had produced three awesome children, all of whom serve the Lord today together with their spouses. We bought our first home because of a miracle of provision. I planted our first church in the panhandle of Idaho and pastored it for eleven years. These miracles of provision had nothing to do with what I felt or didn't feel.

God's love and favor would not be held hostage by my human condition. Through it all, I confessed all the wrong things, felt all the wrong things, feared all the wrong things, and lived day to day in clinical depression. There are no wrong feelings in faith, only wrong actions. God's love passes understanding and will not be held hostage by my emotional state or my limited, fleshly ability to believe.

Looking back on all this, I know beyond a doubt that faith can never be defined as a measurable quantity, so that if you have enough of it, then God has to move, and if you don't have enough of it, then He doesn't have to move—or won't.

Can you imagine the God who defines Himself as love saying, "Well, you need five pounds of faith for Me to move, but you have only four and a half, so I can't do anything for you"? The real effect of my lack of faith was only to plunge me unnecessarily into depression.

Faith lies in the act of obedience, in the position in which you place yourself in response to the call and command of God. Fear becomes unbelief and lack of faith only when acted upon. Depression constitutes unbelief only when you obey the urge to isolate from others, choose to abandon your calling in life, or both.

The quality of my life and destiny in the Lord through all those years of clinical depression stood because most of the time I determined to refuse to act on fear, depression and negative feelings. I chose instead to obey God no matter what I felt. Certainly I failed—and often— but God continued to bless me even when I stumbled.

Stop being imprisoned in a form of salvation by works in which you strive to generate a set of feelings you call "faith." Rather, choose to act in obedience, regardless of the condition of your heart, and to seek rest in a revelation of the true nature of the Father who loves you beyond your capacity to understand.

Striving will always bring the disappointment so many of us feel. Grace brings the revelation of who our wonderful Trinitarian God really is. Therein lies freedom and a depth of satisfaction that goes beyond words. 

R. Loren Sandford is an author, musician and the founder and senior pastor of New Song Church and Ministries in Denver, Colorado. He has a bachelor's degree in music and a master of divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. In addition to pastoring, Sandford has an international teaching and worship ministry. Married since 1972, he and his wife, Beth, have two daughters and one son. They live in Denver, Colorado. This passage is an excerpt from his book, Yes, There's More.

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What Elijah Can Teach Us About Hearing God's Voice - BEN WOODWARD CHARISMA MAGAZINE

These 6 steps will help you hear God clearly. (Micah H.)

What Elijah Can Teach Us About Hearing God's Voice

 7/14/2016 BEN WOODWARD  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

The SpiritLed Woman podcast is empowering women weekly to follow their purpose in Christ and boldly walk in faith. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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Elijah was a pretty incredible man. He was a prophet called by God to bring correction to King Ahab and his incredibly wicked wife Jezebel during a particularly rough period in ancient Israel. He saw many miracles in his life and was used mightily by the Lord to demonstrate the power of God to Israel.

But Elijah was also a man like us and there was a certain point when things got tough and he freaked out. At one particular point in Elijah's life, he had just called down fire from heaven and killed all the prophets of Baal. This had been a significant victory and an incredible display of God's power but immediately afterward Elijah is terrified and running for his life.

"And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." When he saw that she was serious, he arose and ran for his life ... " 1 Kings 19:1-3 (MEV)

It is often difficult to relate to an ancient story because they feel so distant from our current reality. But this response feels all too familiar. A major victory takes place and the right afterwards there is a dramatic failure. How many times have we seen people at the top of their game throw away everything senselessly? It happens so frequently that it has almost become expected. Elijah was having a crisis. Now that the major event was over, an event that could have led to his death, he doesn't know what to do anymore. He is a man without a mission and for someone with Elijah's personality, that can lead to major depression.

Adrenaline is an interesting chemical in our bodies. Without it, we can barely function on a daily basis. It is responsible for producing amazing feats of strength and courage in average human beings. But, when your body has to detox from all that adrenaline, things can get a little crazy.

Elijah was crashing hard and he had no idea what to do anymore. Even though he had just seen God send fire from heaven, he had no clear direction on what to do and that created a crisis. Without hearing God's voice, he could only react to his circumstances and he did—by running in fear.

Fear is not a good leader. It makes you question everything. It is a reactionary response, not an intentional choice. Very few wise decisions are made out of fear. If we are to be world-changing followers of Jesus, we need a better leader in our lives than fear.

When I was 14, I read a book about a man named Keith Green. He was a Christian musician who challenged the status quo, spoke the truth and impacted millions of lives. I wanted to be just like him. So I began to pursue a career in music. Initially, I had some success that allowed me to travel all over the world as a musician and singer. But year after year, my career did not "take off" like I thought it would. I kept forging ahead believing things would change, but it didn't.

I started to feel like a failure. In my 30s, I hit a point of crisis in my life. All of a sudden, I didn't know how to reconcile my current situation with what I thought my life should look like.

"God, I thought you told me to become a great musician and singer and prophetic voice to my generation? I thought my destiny was to be the next Keith Green? What happened? Did I miss it somewhere?"

I knew who God was, but I was struggling to hear His voice for my present circumstances. I had become so attached to what I thought I had heard in the past that it had become an idol in my life.

Increasingly, I would suffer from severe seasons of depression. I didn't want to feel the way I felt, but I didn't know what to do anymore. The more I was on stage, the harder I would adrenaline crash afterwards. I felt like I was going crazy. In the midst of all of this, I felt like I could no longer hear God's voice. I didn't know what to do anymore because all my dreams had died and there did not seem to be any way forward. To be honest, I was scared to listen to God's voice because it would probably mean I had to lay down the dreams I had spent 20 years of my life chasing.

I had made the dream of being a world-changing musician an idol. But now that it was probably never going to become a reality, I was paralyzed.

I wish I could say that this experience is uncommon. It might not be the dream of being a musician, but all around us are people struggling to deal with the death of their dreams. Some of these people have even been successful but now that the moment has passed, they don't know what to do anymore. In the midst of the pain of lost dreams, we have forgotten how to hear the voice of God and allowed fear to find a resting place in our lives.

We need to learn how to hear His voice for our future. God is speaking but our fear has disabled our ability to hear him.

I remember sitting under a tree one day when I felt like I had come to end of myself. I didn't know what to do anymore and I was complaining to God about it. I had allowed fear to cloud any view of my future. God may have spoken to me all those years ago, but now I needed to hear his present voice. God may have used the dream of being a rock star to get me moving, but now I needed a new word for a new season.

So I began to go on a journey to rediscover the voice of God in my life. I wanted to be able to hear Him in every situation, not just the "church related" ones. I wanted to hear him for my family, for my children, for my music, for my relationships, for all of my life. I began to ask the Lord to teach me how to be aware of His presence in the present. I knew that He was a good leader, but I needed to learn again how to be led by the leader within.

I met with some smart people and they began to help me form a grid through which I could actually discern what was going on. One particular friend, John Houghton, is a certified coach that I had been meeting with. We had been walking through this journey together and his advice had been instrumental in helping me decipher what was going on and what to do next. One day, as we were talking, he gave me a simple grid that immediately helped me silence the noise and hear God's voice in any situation. It has become, for me, the noise cancellation tool that I needed to shut out the noise and hear the Lord's voice for my life, my family and my future.

That grid was a series of questions to help me discern what was going on so that I could listen to the leader within.

1. First things first, stop the noise.

You can't hear anything until you silence the noise in your life and listen. We live overstimulated lives and actually dialing down the noise to hear the voice of the leader within is vital.

2. Ask yourself, "What is actually going on?"

This requires you to be honest about the situation. Take a step back and get real with yourself. What is actually taking place right now? What are the key factors that I need to recognize in this moment? Sometimes having clarity about the reality of the situation can diffuse the fear. Am I making more of this than there actually is?

3. What am I feeling?

My emotions tell me a story about what's going on inside. I can't ignore them, but I can't let them rule my decisions. What are my emotions telling me? Our emotions typically give us insight into what core values are being affected in our lives. The stronger the emotion, the more the core value has been impacted. As a friend told me one time, emotions can have a seat on the bus, but they can't be allowed to drive the bus.

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4. What is true?

This goes beyond the "facts" about the situation. This is about deciphering the truth. What is true about myself right now? What is true about God? This is the moment that you ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind and allow the truth to penetrate your spirit. Where am I believing lies? What is the truth that will set me free?

5. What do I do now?

Once I have a better picture of what is taking place, now I can begin to ask the Lord what to do about it. This is the point where we can actually hear the voice of God speaking to us. This is the decluttered zone. This is the place of clarity.

6. Re-engage in the present.

Now that I have heard from the leader within, now I can re-engage in the process. A lot of people never make it to this point. They might get clarity and understanding about the situation, but they fail to apply it after everything is said and done.

Remember what the book of Proverbs told us?

"If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed" (Prov. 29:18, MSG).

This is a grid that helps me "attend to what He reveals". This grid helps me silence the noise, hear His voice and get the perspective and clarity I need to deal with any obstacle I face. It's not a fix-all, but it is a helpful tool to enable me to see and hear clearly.

Hopefully, it can help you do the same.

Is there anything you would add to this grid? Do you have a grid that helps you engage with the voice of the leader within?

Ben Woodward is a worship leader, speaker, author and songwriter from Australia. As you will find out by reading his book You Shall Know the Truth, he is passionate about helping people discover Jesus through worship and prayer. He lives in Kansas City with his wife, Kathryn, and three children, Eliana, Cohen and Paisley.

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If You Don’t Warn The People, Their Blood Could Be On Your Hands - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

If You Don’t Warn The People, Their Blood Could Be On Your Hands Posted: 02 Mar 2016   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG Why are so few voices warning the people about what is coming?  We stand at the door of a period of distress that will be unlike anything that any of us have ever known before.  And even though the signs are all around us, very few individuals appear to be willing to stand up and sound the alarm.  Instead, there seems to be a large number of people that are quite eager to criticize the watchmen.   Earlier today, I was having a conversation with a very prominent voice in the alternative media, and we were reflecting on this.  There are so many individuals out there that love to shoot arrows at those that are sounding the alarm, and yet they are doing so little to make a difference themselves. It is easy to sit back on your sofa munching on potato chips as the world around you goes to hell, and it is easy to criticize those that have chosen to have the courage to stand up and warn the people. But it is not easy to stand up and say the hard things that need to be said in a society that does not want to listen. Yes, there are some watchmen out there that are doing a great job of proclaiming the warning message.  I have personally met a number of them, and I am proud to be their friends. Unfortunately, they are few and far between.  Most people either don’t believe that we are on the precipice of disaster, they don’t care enough to warn others, or they are too busy criticizing those that are trying very hard to warn others. And of course you don’t need a media platform to sound the alarm.  We all have family members that need to be warned about what is coming.  We all have friends that need to be warned about what is coming.  Each one of us is uniquely positioned to reach others that may not be able to be reached any other way. In the end, we all have a choice to make.  If we sound the alarm and people choose not to listen, the responsibility for failing to act falls on them. But if we know what is coming and we choose to do nothing to warn others, then we may end up being responsible for their blood.  This is a principle that we even seen in the Scriptures.  The following is what Ezekiel 33:1-6 says… Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 Son of man, speak to the children of your people and say to them: If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them and set him for their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword come upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet yet did not take warning. His blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning delivers his soul. 6  But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and a sword comes and takes a person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity. But his blood I will require from the hand of the watchman. Sadly, the few voices that are proclaiming the warning message in our society are being almost completely drowned out by everyone else. Just look at our political leaders.  None of them are warning the American people about what is really coming.  Yes, they are warning that some bad things may happen if the wrong candidate gets elected, but all of them are promising that they can get this country completely turned around if they are elected. Unfortunately, all of them are dead wrong.  None of them are going to be able to keep America from experiencing the great storm that is directly ahead of us. The mainstream media is even worse.  According to the mainstream media, everything is great and things are only going to get even better in the years ahead.  Of course the mainstream media is owned and controlled by the global elite, and just six giant media corporations produce more than 90 percent of the news and entertainment that we all consume. Perhaps most disappointing of all are the religious leaders.  You would think that if anyone should be “sounding the alarm” it would be them.  But instead, ministers all over this country have become absolutely terrified of offending anyone.  Church attendance has been declining for years, and most churches are desperate to do whatever they can to keep people coming back and putting money in the offering plate. So many preachers know what is coming, and yet they have willingly chosen to be silent.  They know that disaster is coming to America, and yet they have decided not to warn the people. Yes, there are some good churches out there, but in general the church in America has failed.  There is very little preaching about sin, repentance or the blood of Jesus anymore.  Rather, most of what is coming from the pulpits these days are just feel good messages that sound like they were directly ripped off from the self-help gurus. Sometimes I get frustrated because I wish that I could do a better job of warning the people.  My articles are far from perfect, but I work very hard on them.  And nobody can accuse me of not trying to sound the alarm.  I have written more than a million words on The Economic Collapse Blog, and I have written more than a million words on End Of The American Dream.  In addition, soon my wife and I will be doing a television show, and we will be posting the videos up on YouTube for free. I am just an ordinary guy that is trying to warn the people as loudly as I can from my little spot on the wall.  When I first started, my readership could have been measured with a microscope, but over time it has grown far beyond what I could have possibly ever imagined. People know that they aren’t getting the truth from the “leaders” of our society, and so they are seeking out alternative sources of information.  Thankfully, the Internet has allowed ordinary people like myself and others to get the warning message out. And of course the warning message is only part of my mission.  I also carry a message of hope, and that is going to be greatly needed in the days ahead. As things completely fall apart during the years to come, millions are going to give in to depression and despair.  Those people are going to need to know that there is hope even in the midst of all the chaos and all the darkness.  My wife and I seek to live in a constant state of “shalom” (the Hebrew word for peace), and we believe that the greatest chapters of our lives are still ahead of us.   Yes, we are heading for times that are going to be more challenging than most people would ever dare to imagine, but there is no other time in human history that we would have rather been alive for.  We boldly look forward to the future, and we plan to bring light to a world that will be drowning in darkness. This optimistic view of the future is going to be a central theme of my new book which should be coming out later this month.  The things that I am going to share about Bible prophecy, the book of Revelation and the challenging years ahead of us are going to really shake up a lot of people out there, and it will likely be one of the most controversial Christian books of 2016. But once again, someone needs to stand up and say the hard things that need to be said. I am sure that I will get some criticism for this article, but that is okay.  I just hope that I can inspire a few others to come up on the wall and help warn America (and the world) about what is rapidly approaching. It doesn’t matter if your voice is big or small. What matters is whether or not you are faithful with what you have been given. Let us sound the alarm while we still can, because time is quickly running out.

A 918 Point Stock Market Crash In Japan And German Deutsche Bank Denies That It Is About To Collapse - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

A 918 Point Stock Market Crash In Japan And German Deutsche Bank Denies That It Is About To Collapse

Posted: 09 Feb 2016   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

On Tuesday junk bonds continued to crash, the price of oil briefly dipped below 28 dollars a barrel, Deutsche Bank was forced to deny that it is on the verge of collapse, but the biggest news was what happened in Japan.  The Nikkei was down a staggering 918 points, but that stock crash made very few headlines in the western world.  If the Dow had crashed 918 points today, that would have been the largest single day point crash in all of U.S. history.

So what just happened in Japan is a really big deal.  The Nikkei is now down 23.1 percent from the peak of the market, and that places it solidly in bear market territory.  Overall, a total of 16.5 trillion dollars of global stock market wealth has been wiped out since the middle of 2015.

As I stated yesterday, this is what a global financial crisis looks like.

Just as we saw during the last financial crisis, the big banks are playing a starring role, and this is definitely true in Japan.  Right now, Japanese banking stocks are absolutely imploding, and this is what drove much of the panic last night.  The following numbers come from Wolf Richter…

• Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group plunged 8.7%, down 47% from June 2015.
• Mizuho Financial Group plunged 6.2%, down 38% since June 2015.
• Sumitomo Mitsui plunged 6.2%, down 26% since May 2015
• Nomura plunged a juicy 9.1%, down 42% since June 2015

A lot of analysts have been very focused on the downturn in China in recent months, but I think that it is much more important to watch Japan right now.

I have become fully convinced that the Japanese financial system is going to play a central role in the initial stages of this new global financial meltdown, and so I encourage everyone to keep a close eye on the Nikkei every single night.

Meanwhile, the stock price of German banking giant Deutsche Bank crashed to a record low on Tuesday.  If you will recall, Deutsche Bank reported a loss of 7.6 billion dollars in 2015, and I wrote quite a bit about their ongoing problems yesterday.

Things have gotten so bad that now Deutsche Bank has been forced to come out and publicly deny that they are in trouble…

Deutsche Bank co-CEO John Cryan moved to quell fears about the bank’s stability Tuesday with a surprise memo saying its balance sheet “remains absolutely rock-solid.”
The comments come as investors grow increasingly nervous about the health of European banks, which have taken a hit on the fall in energy prices and which face rising concerns over their cash levels.

Of course Lehman Brothers issued the same kind of denials just before they collapsed in 2008.  Cryan’s comments did little to calm the markets, and even Jim Cramer saw right through them…

“You know, Deutsche Bank puts out a note saying, ‘listen, don’t worry, all good.’ Reminds me of JPMorgan saying if you have to say that you’re creditworthy then it’s already too late.”

Another thing that Lehman Brothers did just before they collapsed in 2008 was to lay off workers.  We have seen a number of major banks do this lately, including Deutsche Bank…

Cryan, 55, has been seeking to boost capital buffers and profitability by cutting costs and eliminating thousands of jobs as volatile markets undermine revenue and outstanding regulatory probes raise the specter of fresh capital measures to help cover continued legal charges. The cost of protecting Deutsche Bank’s debt against default has more than doubled this year, while the shares have dropped about 42 percent.

The following chart comes from Zero Hedge.  Nobody on the Internet does a better job with charts than Zero Hedge does.  I would recommend visiting them right after you visit The Economic Collapse Blog each day (wink wink).  This chart shows that Deutsche Bank stock has already fallen lower than it was during any point during the last financial crisis…

Deutsche Bank is the biggest and most important bank in the biggest and most important economy in the EU, and it has exposure to derivatives that is approximately 20 times Germany’s GDP.

If that doesn’t alarm you, I don’t know what will.

The biggest financial bubble in the history of the world has entered a terminal phase, and the parallels to the last financial crisis have become so apparent that just about anyone can see them at this point.  Just consider some of the ominous warnings that we have seen recently…

Billionaire Carl Icahn, for example, recently raised a red flag on a national broadcast when he declared, “The public is walking into a trap again as they did in 2007.”
And the prophetic economist Andrew Smithers warns, “U.S. stocks are now about 80% overvalued.”
Smithers backs up his prediction using a ratio which proves that the only time in history stocks were this risky was 1929 and 1999. And we all know what happened next. Stocks fell by 89% and 50%, respectively.
Even the Royal Bank of Scotland says the markets are flashing stress alerts akin to the 2008 crisis. They told their clients to “Sell Everything” because “in a crowded hall, the exit doors are small.”

And let’s not forget that famous billionaire retail magnate Hugo Salinas Price has warned that the global economy “is going into a depression“.

The chaos that we have seen this week is simply a logical progression of the crisis that began during the second half of last year.  If you were to create a checklist of all the things that you would expect to see during the initial stages of a new financial crisis, all of the boxes would be checked.

In the days ahead, keep your eyes on Germany and Japan.

Yes, the Italian banking system is completely collapsing right now, but I believe that what is happening in Germany is going to be the key to the meltdown of Europe, and I am convinced that Deutsche Bank is going to be the star of the show.

Meanwhile, don’t underestimate what is taking place in Japan.

The Japanese still have the third largest economy on the entire planet, and their financial system is essentially a Ponzi scheme built on top of a house of cards that has a rapidly aging population as the foundation.

As Japan falls, that will be a signal that financial Armageddon is now upon us.
And after last night, it appears that moment is a lot closer than a lot of us may have thought.

3 Things to Not Say to Someone in Depression - ROSILIND JUKIC CHARISMA NEWS

Say this instead to someone fighting depression. (iStockPhoto)

3 Things to Not Say to Someone in Depression

1/24/2016 ROSILIND JUKIC   CHARISMA NEWS

Sometimes it's hard to be a Christian.

Christianity is a balancing act of being an example of Christ's life in us and honesty. It's not easy to balance these two things, because it's not sincere to act like we don't have real problems, but it is not a good testimony when the world doesn't see joy in our lives.

I believe Christians battle depression just as unbelievers do. The problem is when a Christian gives in to depression and stops trying to find God's strength to rise above it.

There are Christians who don't believe that Christians should fall into depression, and when they find a brother or sister in depression they pass judgement on them.

But last week in our Good Morning Girls' study we found Job in a depression. In the seventh chapter he says this, "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul."

During the day he was in unbelievable pain and at night he couldn't sleep because of his nightmares. He had lost all his children, all his wealth, and now his health is gone. How wouldn't someone in a situation like his not fall into depression?

Depression, in these circumstances, is a normal thing. What isn't normal is when we surrender to it.

And Job didn't surrender. He fought. He prayed. And in the end the Lord rewarded him.

How should we respond when a brother or sister is in a depression?

Here are three things you shouldn't say to someone in depression

1. "Get over it." I am convinced that if it were possible to just "get over" depression, most people would immediately get up and get out of it. The problem is that it's not that easy, and that is why so many people are taking dangerous psychosomatic drugs. Because they can't get over it. And it's an insult to them to insinuate that their pain isn't legitimate.

2. "You are in a depression because you've sinned." This is, in fact, what Job's friends were saying to him. But we see in the end that God told Eliphaz in chapter 42, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." Despite Job's depression, he remained righteous while his friends spoke wrongly of him and to him.

Even when it is clear that the depression is because of sin, we should always wait until the proper time to confront it because saying the right thing at the wrong time can close the door on an opportunity to help lead someone to a place of repentance.

3. "You don't have faith, and that is why you're depressed." There is a tendency in some circles to embrace the errant theology that if you are not rich, happy and successful you don't have faith; because these things indicate God's blessing.

I don't know, but I have seen a lot of unbelievers who live blasphemous lives and are rich, happy and successful, while many very dedicated Christians are poor, unsuccessful by the world's standards and are sometimes not very happy.

We see in the seventh chapter that Eliphaz had this belief system: Bad things = God's judgment, good things = God's blessing.

If only life were that simple!

But it's not.

When we face difficult circumstances our faith reminds us that God hasn't abandoned us, and He never will. Our faith reminds us that God will always turn things around for our good.

That is true faith!

So, what should we say to someone who is depressed?

1. "I am praying for you." Prayer is a powerful tool and these three words can mean everything! Our prayers can do one hundred times more for someone in a depression than anything we could ever say. And it is a comfort to them to know that you take their situation seriously enough to pray for them.

2. "Call me if you need someone to talk to." I am an external processor. Actually, there have been many times that I've solved my own problems just by talking about them out loud. One of the greatest comforts is knowing that we have someone we can talk to....who won't judge us.

We see that there were times when even Job realized that he had exaggerated or gone too far with what he said. And rather than his friends looking past that — knowing that he didn't always mean everything he said (such as in Job 6:26), they used his words against him. They were not trustworthy friends.

3. "God is with you, even if you don't feel Him right now." We all probably know this to be true, but there are some times when we need to be reminded that God hasn't abandoned us.

Have you ever had times when your brain knew that God was there, but your heart doubted it because you couldn't feel Him? Not in prayer, not in worship, not even when you read your Bible. It was like the heavens had turned to brass and God had turned His back on you.

But He hadn't turned His back on you. The heavens were not brass. This is why we don't listen to our hearts, but instead make a conscious choice to believe what His Word says. And a true friend will comfort us with those promises!

Depression isn't God's will, just as it wasn't God's will for Job to remain in his difficult circumstances. But sometimes depression is a normal reaction to hard times, and how we respond to a person in depression is very important!

Rosilind Jukic, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her Bosnian hero. Together they live with their two active boys where she enjoys fruity candles, good coffee and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. Her passion for writing led her to author her best-selling book The Missional Handbook. At A Little R & R she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. You can also find her at Missional Call where she shares her passion for local and global missions. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest and Google +.

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