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Welcome to "ComfortForToday.com." I am Doreen Palmer, and my husband and I bring these programs to you each week to offer comfort in these difficult days in which we live. If you enjoy these programs, we would love to hear from you. Our address is 27 Dominion Gardens Drive, Georgetown, Ontario L7G 6B2. Or, if you have a computer, you may write to us at .

As we look back upon the events of the past year and look forward to another year of global unrest and terrorism, we become more acutely aware of our own fears for the future. We feel very insecure and discontented with life.

The article we are going to consider today was first published in 1987 in a weekly newspaper column called "Hope for Tomorrow" and is now #37 on the website ComfortForToday.com. As you listen to this article today, you will realize that our discontent lies deep within ourselves, that our lack of internal peace is only triggered by threats of war and terrorism--the problem lies much deeper than external circumstances. We need to be able to find contentment in the midst of tragedy and evil gone rampant.

But, you say, how can I find peace within myself when all seems to have gone wrong?

First of all, we must get our priorities straight. What is most important to us? Is it things of this world or are we preparing for the afterlife? On the answer to this question lies the solution to whether we will ever find contentment in this world or whether we won't.

The article I am about to read is called:

The Answer to our Discontent

There is a spirit of discontent in our generation. We are all looking for some solution to the problem.

We work very hard to get enough money to buy that new car; we have it for a few weeks and then think it is a larger home we need. After many years of much toil and self-sacrifice, the new home is built. It is very beautiful, but it is not long until the discontent settles upon us again and we plan a long vacation.

It takes many years before we realize that the steps we have taken to climb the worldly ladder aren't giving us the joy we expected. Even that promotion at work with its large increase in income and prestige hasn't erased the nagging discontent.

It is very difficult to find the cause of our discontent. We live in a land filled with churches and if they were the answer, we could understand what we must do. In truth, the answer does lie there, but because their message has become so distorted, we have become confused.

Christian terminology is meaningless to many, and is even being used by non-Christian groups to confuse us. Words such as 'born again', 'exorcism' and 'tongues' are also used by Satan-based cults which quote the Bible to their own ends. But Satan quoted scripture to Jesus to throw Him off His real mission in the world, so times have not changed much.

We are hungry people. Like the crowds which pressed toward Jesus that day when He fed the 5,000, we too press toward Him not knowing we do so. It was Jesus the people wanted to hear, and it was Jesus they knew could heal them. It is none other than the resurrected Jesus alive in our world today who can satisfy the deep hunger inside us.

Many years before Jesus was born, Isaiah predicted a child would be born (Isa.7:14) who would be called "Immanuel". Later, Matthew relates how God told Joseph that Mary's child was to be this "Immanuel which means God with us." (Matt.1:23).

History proves the Bible stories; the Bible stories prove history. Even our calendar years date from the birth of Jesus, this being 1996 years since then. The course of history was changed by it, yet we have trouble believing that God Himself took the form of the man who got tired, hungry and experienced suffering on a cross.

When His body was resurrected, He left His Holy Spirit behind as a Counsellor, Comforter, Guide and Teacher--a Holy Spirit, the opposite to the un-holy spirits of the dark world.

John, one of Jesus' disciples and author of the books by that name tells us that the Word (Jesus) was God (John 1:1). Jesus said in His prayer for all believers who would come after Him, "that I myself may be in them"(John 17:26 NIV).

Our human understanding has difficulty comprehending the mystery of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit-- three and yet one. But as we read the Bible and are given the light of His understanding, we realize that Jesus left the world only in a physical sense, but the risen Christ is still present among us! This is the "Immanuel, God with us."

The reason our churches have failed to penetrate our society is their failure to acknowledge this real presence as they meet together. Jesus said, "Where two or three come together in My Name, there am I with them" (Matt.18:20 NIV). Many churches teach this, but do not act as if they believe it. If they truly believed that Jesus is present, many sermons would be scrapped and the worship altered.

Jesus' Spirit will dwell within us if we ask Him. Only then can we be rid of our discontent. He takes away our seeking after worldly goals and gives us new values. He gives more peace and joy than gaining wealth or climbing the social ladder.

That is the end of this article, but now I shall read to you another article by an unknown author called "The Journey of Life."

THE JOURNEY OF LIFE

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, and then another. Then we are frustrated that our kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

Someone once said that for a long time it had seemed that life was about to begin--real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to go through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. But these obstacles can control our life.

Remember that time waits for no one. Stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, summer, fall, or winter. Until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

But to be happy right now..

You need to invite Jesus to make life's journey with you....

Then you will have happiness in this life....

Knowing that this life is not your final destination....

Your destination is heaven!

So if you have not invited the Spirit of the resurrected Jesus to live within you and asked Him to forgive you for all the mistakes you have made, let this be the day. Do not be afraid of Him or of what He might ask you to do. He loves you and will never ask you to do anything you cannot do, but will make it all a celebration of joy.

Let us listen now to "A CELEBRATION OFJOY" by Jeremy Sinnott of the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship.

BLESSING: And now may the Lord bless you and keep you, and may His face shine upon you and give you peace.