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10 Spiritual Tools for Coping with Chronic Pain

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"); By Maureen Pratt

document.write(curPage.Body); Chronic pain can make us feel isolated and helpless, especially if its cause is an illness or physical condition for which there's no cure or effective medical treatment. At times of deepest despair, finding ways to nurture our spirits can help us not only cope with the pain, but also discover nuggets of grace, comfort, and productivity that can move us through and beyond the helplessness and hopelessness we feel. Here are ten spiritual tools that can help you get started toward peace in spite of and in the midst of pain.



Maureen Pratt is a speaker and author who focuses on spirituality, faith and wellness. Her most recent book is "Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness" (Doubleday Religion). Her website is www.maureenpratt.com.

Check below the item upon which you are basing your hopes for reaching Heaven after you die.

1. Trying to keep the Ten Commandments.
2. Gifts to charity.
3. Doing one's best.
4. Leading a good life.
5. Good works.
6. Trying to obey the Golden Rule.
7. Tithing, or giving money to the Church.
8. Church membership.
9. Regular church attendance.
10. Prayer.
11. Fasting.
12. Baptism.
13. Holy Communion.
14. Born of Christian parents.
15. Confirmation.
16. Penances.
17. Extreme unction.
18. Membership in a lodge or fraternity.
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Now proceed by checking your answer with Scripture to find out if you are on the way to Heaven.

EXPLANATIONS: If you have checked ...

No. 1 - You are definitely not on the way to Heaven. The Bible states unmistakably:
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his (God's) sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:20.
"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11
RETURN

No. 2, 3 or 4 - You are basing your hopes on something which, according to God's Word, will never save you.
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" Titus 3:5
RETURN

No. 5, 6 or 7 - You will never see Heaven's golden streets, for the emphatic declaration of God is:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9
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No. 8, 9, 10 or 11 - You are bound for hell, not Heaven. Although these things are all good in themselves and although they might seem to you to be sufficient to save you, yet God declares in His sacred Word:
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isaiah 64:6
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No. 12 or 13 - You are utterly mistaken and deceived. Baptism and communion are for those who are already saved, for those who are true believers, (see Acts 2:41, I. Cor. 11:2,23-32). These ordinances cannot save anyone and were never intended to do so.
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No. 14 - You are resting your soul on a false hope. Children born into Christian homes need to be saved like anyone else. This is stated plainly in John 1:12,13.
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." "Not of blood" means not of one's parentage. One must be born of God to be saved.
RETURN

No. 15, 16, 17, or 18 - You should wake up before it is too late. None of these things are even mentioned in the Bible. They are mere inventions of men, and it is nothing short of ridiculous to hope to reach Heaven by any of these means.
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THEREFORE the inescapable conclusion is that the way to Heaven is not found in any one or in any combination of the items listed. Even if you did all of these things, you would still fail in your attempt to enter Heaven's gates at last.

What then is the divinely ordained way of salvation? The Bible gives a very definite answer. The one and only means of spending eternity with God in Heaven is FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ALONE.

It was because man could not save himself by any means that God sent His only begotten Son to die as a substitute for sinners. If man could have achieved righteousness in some other way, then obviously the Saviour need not have died.

When the Lord Jesus died on Calvary anf rose again on the third day, He finished the work necessary for salvation. Now all that God requires is that we should feel our need of Him and trust Him as our Lord and Saviour.

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:31

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36

In short, man is a sinner and cannot reach Heaven by so-called good works, good character, personal effort, or merit of any kind. His only hope of salvation rests upon the finished work of Christ upon Calvary's cross. Thys when the sinner trusts the Saviour, he is saved and, on the authority of God's Word, is bound for the promised land - Heaven.

WHAT I MUST DO TO BE SAVED

I. RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE LOST.

No one will make an effort to escape danger until he recognizes the fact that he is in danger. God's word shows the danger of being lost.
"For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." Ecclesiastes 7:20
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23

II. RECOGNIZE THAT JESUS DIED AS YOUR SUBSTITUTE.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." II. Corinthians 5:21
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" Galatians 3:13
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." I. Peter 2:24

III. REPENT TOWARD GOD, WITH GENUINE SORROW FOR THE FACT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER.

"And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:" Matthew 3:2,7,8
"I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:3
"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." II. Corinthians 7:10

IV. ASK GOD TO SAVE YOU, TO FORGIVE YOUR SINS FOR JESUS' SAKE, AND TRUST (BELIEVE) WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT HE WILL.

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:31
"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:8-10,13

V. WHEN SHOULD YOU BE SAVED?

"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" II. Corinthians 6:2

VI. WHAT CAUSES ONE TO BE LOST?

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36

Would you like to tell us of your profession of salvation or do you need any further help? Please feel free to write us and we try the best we can to help you.