Participants: Bill Santos
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201220
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00:02 >>Bill: One Sabbath morning, a mother said to her ten-year-old son:
00:06 "Billy, I'm not feeling well enough to go to church today, but I do 00:11 want you to go on as usual. and then you can tell me all about it. 00:13 " Obediently, Billy carried out his mom's wish. 00:18 When he returned home, his mother asked: "Well, Billy, how was church? 00:21 " "Fine," Billy responded. 00:23 "Where did you sit? 00:25 " Mom asked. 00:28 "O, I think I sat in about the same place we always sit. 00:30 " Billy's answer was just vague enough to make mothers suspicious. 00:34 "What was the sermon about," she asked. 00:38 Again as 10 year-old boys will do, Billy fumbled a bit for an answer. 00:44 But, finally, he said: "Oh.Uh. Let's see. O yes I remember now. 00:48 It was something about 'Keep your shirt on and you will get a blanket. 00:53 '" That did it. 00:55 Billy's mother called the pastor and asked him what the sermon text was. 01:00 He answered, "It was. 'Be Patient and the Comforter Will Come! 01:17 ANNOUNCER: It has stood the test of time. 01:20 God's book: the Bible, 01:24 still relevant in today's complex world. 01:28 It Is Written, 01:31 sharing the messages of hope around the world. 01:58 "Be Patient and the comforter Will Come. 02:02 " Actually, that's a pretty good verse to remember these days 02:03 because we live now in a tough and tense world that often "stresses us to the 02:07 max. 02:11 " Desperately, we need the strength and comfort that God alone can give. 02:17 A few years ago, Statistics Canada published the following 02:20 facts about stress levels in Canada . In 2008, 21% of males and 23% of 02:27 females aged 15 or older reported that most days were quite a bit or 02:33 extremely stressful. 02:36 Both male and female seniors were less likely to report daily stress 02:41 than were Canadians overall. 02:44 Overall, females were more likely then males to report that most days were 02:49 quite a bit or extremely stressful, particularly at ages 15 to 24 and 35 to 02:54 44. 02:58 Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova 03:02 Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories were 03:07 significantly less likely than Canadians overall to report that most days were 03:13 quite a bit or extremely stressful. 03:18 Only Quebec residents reported higher levels of stress than did Canadians 03:20 overall. 03:23 Also according to Stats Canada . Stress is a common aspect of life and 03:28 can have negative consequences for health. 03:32 These consequences include direct impacts on mental health and the 03:37 onset and progression of physical illness. 03:40 In addition, stress may also influence health indirectly through health 03:45 behaviours such as smoking, drug use, and excessive eating and 03:49 alcohol related behaviours. 03:53 Canadians who were physically active in their leisure time reported 03:56 lower levels of stress. 04:00 Seniors who perceived low levels of stress were about twice as likely to 04:04 be in good health as were those with high stress level 04:09 We have our Medical contributor Dr. Viriato Ferreira with us - Doctor 04:15 talk to us about this link between health and stress, I read one report that 04:21 says . Approximately half of all diseases can be linked to stress-related 04:29 origins, including ulcers, colitis, bronchial asthma, high blood pressure and 04:34 some forms of cancer. 04:37 What's the link? 04:41 Thank you Bill. 04:43 Many studies show that stress is potentially very serious to our health and 04:48 I am sure that most of you out there have experienced stress in your lives but. 04:52 before I continue let us first define what stress is. 04:55 First of all let me tell you that our bodies are wired to react to events 04:59 that make us afraid, angry or sad. 05:02 Let's just imagine the following scenario: It's late and you have just 05:07 parked your car in what you thought was a deserted parking lot. 05:11 You get out of the car and notice a group of young guys walking towards you. 05:14 How would you feel? 05:16 How would you react? 05:19 Would you run or would you get back in the car and try to get away from 05:22 thereasap? 05:24 How fast would your heart be beating at that moment? 05:27 Pumping like crazy, isn't it? 05:30 What you have just experienced is a normal response from your body 05:34 commonly known as a "fight-or- flight" reaction to fear. 05:39 Our bodies are wired for that, to protect us against threats from 05:42 aggression. 05:44 What I have just described may be a rare type of scenario but that doesn't 05:49 mean that life is free of stress. 05:53 On the contrary, we undoubtedly face multiple demands each day, such as 05:58 a huge workload, making ends meet, taking care of our family, or just making 06:01 it through the morning rush hour. 06:05 The difference is that our bodies treat these so-called minor hassles as 06:10 threats and as a result we may feel as if we are constantly under assault, 06:16 with potentially serious consequences for our health.Let's have a quick 06:19 look at why. 06:22 When we encounter perceived threats,our brainsets off an alarm 06:26 system in the rest of the body. 06:30 This system prompts our adrenal glands, located atop our kidneys, to 06:33 release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. 06:38 Adrenaline increases our heart rate, raises our blood pressure and boosts 06:42 energy supplies. 06:46 On the other hand, cortisolincreases blood sugar in our bloodstream, 06:51 enhances our brain functions and mkes us more alert. 06:54 However, cortisol also slows down some unnecessary functions that 06:59 would be non-essential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. 07:05 It slows down the immune system, slows down digestion and it also 07:08 slows down growth. 07:11 And there is more! 07:13 When we are stressed,messages are sent to other regions of the 07:16 brain that control the way we feel and how motivated we are. 07:20 But you may ask: "if this is normal when does it become a problem? 07:26 The beauty of this in-built stress response system is that it is 07:31 usually self-regulating which means that after the threat is gone, adrenaline 07:36 and cortisol levels drop, our heart rate and blood pressure return to the 07:41 initial levels, and other systems resume their regular activities. 07:45 But when the stressors of our life are always present, leaving us 07:50 constantly feeling stressed, tense, nervous or on edge, that 07:55 fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. 07:59 The less control we have over potentially stressful events and the more 08:03 uncertainty they create, the more likely we are to feel stressed. 08:07 It comes to a point where our bodies become so sensitive to even 08:12 stressful events that even the typical day-to-day demands of living can 08:18 contribute to us feeling stressed or anxious. 08:21 But Bill's question was if this can affect our health? 08:26 . 08:28 Research shows that stress puts us at increased risk of numerous health 08:31 problems, including, Heart disease, Cancer, Sleep problems, Digestive 08:36 problems, difficulties with memory, worsening of Asthma or Eczema, 08:41 Depression and many others. 08:44 In fact, the list is endless. 08:47 Let's have a look at a few of these starting with heart disease. 08:50 Adrenaline raises the blood pressure which hardens our arteries. 08:53 Over an extended period of time, this puts extra stress on the heart and 08:58 may increase cholesterol deposition inside the arteries. 09:02 High adrenaline may also make the heart more likely to beat fast and 09:07 irregularly, giving what we call "arrhythmias". 09:10 The blood may also becoming stickier and form clots more easily which 09:15 could end up in a heart attack or a stroke. 09:21 In fact, about half of the heart attacks occur within 24 hours after a major 09:26 stressful event, which is quite scary! 09:29 Let's look at another one - Cancer. 09:33 Continued stress lowers our bodies'natural defenses against infection 09:37 and cancer and this may let some cancer cells go unchecked and start 09:41 multiplying. 09:42 But stress can also lead to poor sleep. 09:47 In fact, it is the commonest cause of insomnia and also of lack 09:49 of sexual interest or impotence. 09:53 As you can see, stress is a serious matter and if you suffer from it you 09:57 should seek help. 09:59 Medication may have it's place in treating it for a short time but the best is 10:03 to go to the root of the problem and deal with it. 10:06 If you are stressed you should try these: Eating a healthy diet and getting 10:11 regular exercise and plenty of sleep. 10:14 This really helps. 10:16 Learn to un-focus on the problem. 10:19 Often time will help solve it. 10:24 Foster healthy friendships and last but not least. have a sense of humor. 10:28 But let's get back to you, Bill. 10:31 Thank you Dr. Ferreira. 10:33 Health Canada's website says the following are signs that you are over 10:36 stressed, they may include . Feelings of irritability, sadness or 10:39 guilt. 10:41 Change in sleep patterns. 10:42 Change in weight or appetite. 10:46 Difficulty in concentrating or making decisions. 10:49 Negative thinking. 10:51 Loss of interest, enjoyment or energy in something you used to 10:54 enjoy. 10:57 Restlessness I think I am over-stressed! 11:03 I asked Dr. Leader to join us to help us with some very practical things we 11:06 can all do to help cope with the stresses in our lives, recognizing that 11:12 everyone is different but there must be some things we can all do to minimize 11:17 the negative impact stress has on our lives, Dr. Leader thanks for 11:22 joining us! 11:25 Thank you Bill. 11:28 Without stress, life would be boring; we'd become lethargic and have little 11:32 or nothing to live for. 11:35 There'll be no challenges, no obstacles to overcome and no satisfaction at 11:39 having faced and overcome challenges and surmounted obstacles. 11:46 In a way, it's stress that gets us out of bed every day-the pressure to pursue 11:51 our goals and shoulder our responsibilities. 11:55 Stress becomes a problem only when there is too much demand for the energy 12:00 supply that we have available. 12:03 But, everyone's stress point is different. 12:07 It is very important to lead a balanced life so that our energy supply 12:12 will consistently exceed the demands on us. 12:17 It is important to avoid the illusion of the "superman" or 12:20 "superwoman". 12:24 This person does not exist as a truly contented person. 12:28 It is very important to avoid the l ife-sucking/draining 12:33 impetus to be driven to achieve at all cost. 12:37 In the end it can cost that which is most precious to us, be it our 12:42 health, our family, our relationships, our relationship with God, our 12:47 job or our sense of who we really are. 12:52 The good news is, our God is our source of rest and respite, and the rest He 12:57 offers is an antidote to a lot of things, including burnout. 13:03 Here are some things you can do to cope with the stresses in your lives. 13:09 Pick four or five that most appeal to you and start incorporating same 13:13 into your lives: Go to bed at a regular time each night. 13:18 Get at least eight hours of sleep. 13:22 Eat a balanced diet, making the last meal of the day the lightest, 13:27 taken several hours before bedtime. 13:31 Learn to say "no" sometimes. 13:35 There's no law that says you must always say "yes" to the favours asked of 13:40 you. 13:41 There are many ways to graciously decline. 13:46 Learning the value of saying "no" sometimes will result in you feeling less 13:49 angry, and less hassled. 13:53 Ask for help. 13:56 Don't be a martyr. 13:58 Allow time for fun and connections with friends, and family. 14:03 We need to move away from the tendency to allow ourselves to get sucked in 14:08 to busy activities, important though they may be, but meaningless or far 14:13 less important when we face times of crisis. 14:17 Engage in a meaningful exercise program. 14:22 Have regular personal devotion. 14:25 Meditate on God's goodness, and see Him as the source of your 14:29 strength. 14:31 Prioritize things on your to-do list. 14:35 Everything does not have to be done today. 14:39 When you feel stressed, focus only on those realistic must-do-today 14:44 items. 14:47 Finally, get rid of perfectionistic tendencies for the sake of personal 14:50 peace and interpersonal connectedness. 14:55 Nurturing your personal relationships is more important than keeping a 14:58 sparkling clean house or other elements of perfectionism that drive a 15:03 wedge between you and others. 15:08 See, when you die, more important than how perfect you were, will be how 15:11 others felt treated by you. 15:17 You may add others but these are just a few ideas as to how you can reduce 15:22 the stress in your life. 15:25 You'll be amazed at the big difference putting just a few of these into 15:28 action will make in your lives. 15:32 Thanks for listening, Back to you pastor Bill. 15:36 Well thank you Dr. Leader. 15:38 Earlier I shared sobering statistics on stress with you for three reasons: 15:44 First, to help us see the enormity of the problem. 15:48 Second, to help us see that if we are experiencing 15:50 stress-related problems, we are not alone. 15:53 Third. and most importantly to remind us that there is hope. Look 15:58 at Luke 12: 22 - 31 . 17:30 Stress free living is part of what the Lord offers. 17:34 It's part of the gospel message. 17:37 I understand why the world is stressed out. 17:40 I understand why people are anxious. 17:42 I understand why they worry. 17:44 I understand why they have panic attacks. 17:46 It's frightening out there. 17:48 People live with anxiety. 17:51 They live with worry. 17:52 They live with stress. 17:54 But it's so common that we don't even talk about eliminating it. 17:56 The term is "to manage it." 17:59 The world will offer you cognitive behavior therapy, or a long list of 18:03 drugs. 18:07 But our compassionate God offers a far-better solution and that's the 18:12 elimination of your anxiety all together. 18:16 Stop being anxious, stop worrying, stop being afraid. 18:21 The word "worry" actually comes from an old German word, the English 18:28 word "worry", the old German word is wyrgan, it means to choke, or 18:34 strangle. 18:36 It's talking about mental strangulation through fear and anxiety 18:38 and stress and worry. 18:41 Now there are only two realms in which you can worry. 18:46 You can worry about the physical world, or you can worry about the spiritual 18:50 world. 18:52 You can worry about what is immaterial, or what is material. 18:55 You can worry about what is earthly and what is heavenly. 18:58 And so that is precisely what Jesus says you don't need to worry about. 19:03 In verse 22 He says, "Don't be anxious for your life," and by that He 19:06 means what you eat, and your body, what you wear. 19:09 Stop worrying about that, the basics of life. 19:13 And then down in verse 32, "Don't be afraid on the spiritual level for 19:17 your Father has chosen gladly to give you the Kingdom." 19:22 You're left with nothing to worry about, nothing to be anxious about, nothing 19:26 to be stressed about, nothing to panic over. 19:30 Jesus does offer anxiety-free living. 19:35 When you come into His fold, God takes care of you and worrying about 19:39 everything, is eliminated. 19:41 The Apostle Paul said this in Philippians 4: 11 19:54 I know how to get along with humble means. 19:56 I also know how to live in prosperity. 19:59 In any and every circumstance I've learned the secret of being filled 20:04 and going hungry, of having abundance and suffering." 20:10 What's the secret? 20:12 Trusting God. 20:15 Sometimes we have a lot, sometimes we have a little, but you will 20:19 always have enough. 20:22 The Psalmist wrote, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." 20:27 He makes me to lie down in green pastures. 20:29 He leads me beside still waters. 20:32 He restores my soul. 20:35 He leads me through the valley of the shadow of death and out the other 20:38 side". 20:41 So if God gave us life, and He did, if God redeemed us and He did, if 20:47 God has a purpose for our life and He does, then He will provide what we need 20:51 to survive. 20:54 Look at the book of Haggai - chapter 1 beginning at verse 5 . 21:32 That doesn't sound like provision. 21:35 It's not. 21:37 "Thus says the Lord of host, Consider your ways", take a look at yourself 21:42 and ask why is it like this? 21:45 Why do you not have enough food? 21:48 Why do you not have enough drink? 21:51 Why are you not able to have the clothes to keep yourself warm? 21:54 Why is it that when you earn wages they disappear? 21:59 Verse 8, He says, 22:03 There's the issue. 22:26 There's the issue. 22:28 Why do I do that? 22:30 Because of My house which lies desolate while each of you runs to his 22:34 own house. 22:36 You're not taking care of My house, but you all take care of your house. 22:39 Back in verse 4 He says, 22:50 God made it all go bad. 23:13 God made it all go bad. 23:18 In Psalm 34: 10 23:26 Let's go back to Luke 12: 25 23:38 The New King James Version puts it this way . 23:47 You know what a cubit is? 23:50 It's a measurement from the tip of your elbow to the tip of your fingers. 23:55 Turns out to be about 18 inches, that's how they measured things in cubits. 24:01 So is it saying which of you by being anxious can add 18 inches to your 24:06 height? 24:07 I mean, who wants to go from 5'! 24:10 0" to 7'6", there's no point in that? 24:14 And whoever thought you could do it by worrying? 24:17 God takes care of those who belong to Him and are faithful to Him. 24:23 Seek the Kingdom, His Kingdom and all that that means, the whole of the 24:28 rule of Christ and let Him take care of everything else. 24:34 And you know what? 24:36 He will not supply in a meager way. 24:39 You'll inherit the land. 24:42 We do not need to worry. 24:45 And as long as we passionately pursue the Kingdom, He promises that 24:49 He will sustain us to the very end of His plan. 24:55 That's His promise. 25:01 Let us pray. 25:03 Father in heaven, I pray that you draw near to every single one right now 25:09 that is living in anxiety and in fear. 25:13 I pray that you sustain them and you provide for their physical as well as 25:19 their spiritual, in Jesus name, Amen. 25:43 >>Dave: God is great and beyond all human comprehension. 25:47 We are told that his eyes are even on the sparrow, therefore his eyes are on 25:51 us. 25:53 Pastor Bill has prepared a book that includes all of the messages in this 25:56 series. 25:58 The book is called "Fear not, for I am with you". 26:00 We would like to send it to you as our gift. 26:03 Here is the information you need to get your copy. 27:05 >>Bill: We've come to the end of this week's It Is Written program. 27:07 I'm so happy that you spent this half hour with us. 27:09 I hope you will join us again next week. 27:13 Remember to visit our web site w w w . itiswrittencanada.ca. 27:18 There you can see all of the programs, they have been archived there. 27:22 You can send in a prayer request and you can even make an online donation if 27:27 you feel so impressed to do that to help us keep this ministry on the air. 27:30 You can also watch our programs on our Youtube channel 27:33 www.youtube.com/IIWCanada and you can follow us on Twitter. 27:38 Well, the plan and the prayer is that we meet together again next week, 27:43 I hope you will join us. 27:46 Until then remember, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but 27:51 by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 27:58 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ |
Revised 2015-02-06