Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Peace and Comfort During Difficult Times
    Peace and Comfort During Difficult Times
    Peace and Comfort During Difficult Times
    Ebook174 pages2 hours

    Peace and Comfort During Difficult Times

    By Anne Kaestner

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Let’s face it, we are all living at a very stressful time! Just listening to the evening news at night is discouraging. We hear about wars and rumors of war, as well as weird weather conditions, such as famines and earthquakes. The Lord Jesus Christ prophesied all of these would occur (Matthew 24:6-7) in the years preceding His return to earth. But upsetting events are not limited to media headlines. Each of us has our own private collection of miseries as well. And suddenly your normal routine of life takes on a depressing slippery slide into an emotional abyss. Life is hard! How do you pick up the pieces when your home is destroyed by a tornado? Or when your baby gets sick or injured? Or your loved one is missing and you don’t know whether they are alive or dead? Such events not only cause emotional turmoil, they can also result in physical pain as well. We all know what stress does to the human body. And have you noticed how many new sleeping drugs there are on the market? Worry filled sleepless nights can result in a domino effect that affects work productivity, our relationships with others, and even our financial stability.

    So, where do you go when the crisis becomes more than you can bear? Some people will take their troubles to the bottle and become drunk. Others will pig out on food. And, unfortunately, we have too many people who think they can bury their troubles in illegal drugs. But is there any other alternative? This book says there is! It is filled with true life anecdotes about real people who suffered conflicts of immeasurable grief and rose above them with a peace and inner joy that seems unfathomable to the normal human mind. The chapter entitled “When Death Strikes The One You Love” deals with subjects such as the death of an only child, a mother, and a spouse. “Why Do Christians Have To Suffer” talks about unyielding physical and emotional pain. Chapter Three is “Dealing With Discouragement.” It answers the question “If God is love, why is He allowing so much sadness in this world?” The chapter entitled “The Fear Of Death” discusses a diagnosis of terminal cancer. And “Protection In Christ” is about fear for personal safety.

    Yet this book is not limited to the big disasters of life. It also deals with the little problems that can ruin your day. They may seem unimportant to others compared to the more serious group, but even a number of small events sometimes seem to blow up out of all proportion. For example, finding a doctor with dedication and compassion, instead of one who blames you for your troubles. Or dealing with an irritating “know it all” who thinks he or she has the answers to all your problems. These subjects are covered in the “Job’s Comforters” chapter. And the last two chapters, “The Mattress Etc.” and “The Joy of Trusting Jesus Christ” provide real life examples from the author’s personal experiences of how, when we put out trust in the Lord, He will turn even the annoyances of life into blessings that bring great joy. For, “...we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 KJV).

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAnne Kaestner
    Release dateApr 23, 2014
    ISBN9781311866424
    Peace and Comfort During Difficult Times
    Author

    Anne Kaestner

    Anne Kaestner is co-founder of Bible Believers Fellowship, Inc. with her husband Eric. She is the Vice President and Executive Director. Anne also functions as Secretary of the Corporation, and is involved in all major Executive decisions. She attends all Board of Directors meetings, as well as any initial and/or important meetings with professionals hired by the Corporation, including legal, banking, and accounting services. Anne runs the office and is also in charge of personnel. Aside from all of this, she has pioneered our efforts to purchase, at a drastically reduced price, the numerous Christian role model books that we distribute free of charge in correctional facilities nationwide. Anne is in charge of spiritual and doctrinal matters, as well as most written communication. Except for an occasional inmate testimony, she does all of the writing for our publication “The Good News Letter,” most of our mass produced literature, and most of our ebooks. She is in charge of all counseling, the majority of which she handles personally. She is actively involved in researching information that will assist us with our newsletter articles and similar literature, including our “Answers To Your Questions” series. Besides this, she personally reads any and all books and screens all videos that we purchase for distribution. And she was the original liaison between the video suppliers and this ministry. She arranged for the BBFI imprint in our role model books and worked to ensure that we receive copyright clearance on all the Christian videos that we distribute to prisons and jails.

    Read more from Anne Kaestner

    Related to Peace and Comfort During Difficult Times

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jun 16, 2023

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Aug 7, 2020

      Greetings in the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In your July issue of JOY! you asked what we are grateful for. I’m grateful for the fact that Jesus Christ saved me and my family. My third born son suffered severe burns on his body, and my last b

      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Dec 29, 2023

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jul 21, 2023

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Jun 15, 2020

      A lot of people are asking why the world is the way it is. What’s going on? What on earth is God doing? Most of these people have never considered God before, but are questioning now that there is this terrible international crisis that is killing th

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Aug 26, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      8 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Apr 22, 2019

      The Bible in a Nutshell is amazing! I have just received a ‘Bible in a Nutshell’ book as a gift from my mom. Wow, wow, wow – what a treat. I can’t put it down and have learned so much from it. What a treasure. Thank you for producing such a valuable

      5 min read

    • Article

      Overcoming Thoughts Of Suicide

      Jun 8, 2018

      Today’s contributor shares spiritual ideas that enabled her to help a friend struggling with the question of whether his life was worth living.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Nov 19, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      8 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jun 24, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Apr 22, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Mar 8, 2024

      Send your letters to editor@joymag.co.za Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Feb 9, 2024

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      11 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Jun 12, 2020

      This lockdown has really shaken a lot of people and caused them to stop relying on themselves and the things of this world. Jesus is our only hope and I am so grateful that I know Him as my Lord and Saviour and best friend and protector. I have peace

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Sep 23, 2022

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Oct 2, 2020

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      8 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Oct 28, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Apr 5, 2024

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      10 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jul 22, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      9 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Sep 29, 2023

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      8 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Sep 24, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Check Your Heart

      Sep 23, 2022

      How would you react if I told you that I had a heart condition? You would probably feel sorry for me. But the truth is, I do have a heart condition… and so do you! The older I grow, the more I realise the value of self-examination and reflection. As

      2 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Mar 18, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Oct 27, 2023

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Nov 25, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      8 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Feb 11, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Sep 4, 2020

      In your July issue, JOY asked the question whether readers think that abortion is justifiable after a woman has been raped and has fallen pregnant. My answer is that I do not believe it is justifiable under any circumstances. The child did not commit

      6 min read

    • Article

      Mary-Frances O’Connor: ‘People Struggle To Understand Grief, But It Is A Byproduct Of Love’

      Mar 5, 2022

      Mary-Frances O’Connor is an associate professor at the University of Arizona, where she leads the grief, loss and social stress (Glass) lab, investigating the effects of grief on the brain and the body. Why do humans grieve? One of the earliest thing

      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      May 19, 2023

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      WHO’S In The NEWS?

      Oct 27, 2023

      Survivalist and author Bear Grylls recently shared that he was baptised in the Jordan River, the same location where Jesus Christ was baptised. Grylls, best known for starring in the show, “Man vs. Wild” is outspoken about his Christian faith. Grylls

      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Peace and Comfort During Difficult Times

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Peace and Comfort During Difficult Times - Anne Kaestner

      By Anne Kaestner

      Co-Founder of Bible Believers Fellowship, Inc.

      Copyright Page

      Copyright 2014 by Anne Kaestner.

      Published by Bible Believers Fellowship, Inc. at Smashwords.

      Cover design by Eric Kaestner with suggestions from Anne Kaestner.

      Smashwords Edition License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this ebook and did not purchase it, please go to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

      Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Bible.

      EPUB ISBN – 9781311866424

      Table of Contents

      Title Page

      Copyright Page

      Dedication

      Introduction

      1 - When Death Strikes The One You Love

      2 - Why Do Christians Have To Suffer?

      3 - Dealing With Discouragement

      4 - The Fear Of Death

      5 - Protection in Christ

      6 - Job’s Comforters

      7 - The Mattress, Etc.

      8 - The Joy of Trusting Jesus Christ

      About Anne Kaestner

      Other ebooks by Anne Kaestner

      Connect with Anne Kaestner

      Dedication

      All books are dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in so many ways.

      Introduction

      Let’s face it, we are all living at a very stressful time! Just listening to the evening news at night is discouraging. We hear about wars and rumors of war, as well as weird weather conditions, such as famines and earthquakes. The Lord Jesus Christ prophesied all of these would occur (Matthew 24:6-7) in the years preceding His return to earth. But upsetting events are not limited to media headlines. Each of us has our own private collection of miseries as well. And suddenly your normal routine of life takes on a depressing slippery slide into an emotional abyss. Life is hard! How do you pick up the pieces when your home is destroyed by a tornado? Or when your baby gets sick or injured? Or your loved one is missing and you don’t know whether they are alive or dead? Such events not only cause emotional turmoil, they can also result in physical pain as well. We all know what stress does to the human body. And have you noticed how many new sleeping drugs there are on the market? Worry filled sleepless nights can result in a domino effect that affects work productivity, our relationships with others, and even our financial stability.

      So, where do you go when the crisis becomes more than you can bear? Some people will take their troubles to the bottle and become drunk. Others will pig out on food. And, unfortunately, we have too many people who think they can bury their troubles in illegal drugs. But is there any other alternative? This book says there is! It is filled with true life anecdotes about real people who suffered conflicts of immeasurable grief and rose above them with a peace and inner joy that seems unfathomable to the normal human mind. The chapter entitled When Death Strikes The One You Love deals with subjects such as the death of an only child, a mother, and a spouse. Why Do Christians Have To Suffer talks about unyielding physical and emotional pain. Chapter Three is Dealing With Discouragement. It answers the question If God is love, why is He allowing so much sadness in this world? The chapter entitled The Fear Of Death discusses a diagnosis of terminal cancer. And Protection In Christ is about fear for personal safety.

      Yet this book is not limited to the big disasters of life. It also deals with the little problems that can ruin your day. They may seem unimportant to others compared to the more serious group, but even a number of small events sometimes seem to blow up out of all proportion. For example, finding a doctor with dedication and compassion, instead of one who blames you for your troubles. Or dealing with an irritating know it all who thinks he or she has the answers to all your problems. These subjects are covered in the Job’s Comforters chapter. And the last two chapters, The Mattress, Etc. and The Joy of Trusting Jesus Christ provide real life examples from the author’s personal experiences of how, when we put out trust in the Lord, He will turn even the annoyances of life into blessings that bring great joy. For, ...we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28 KJV).

      Back to Table of Contents

      Chapter One

      When Death Strikes The One You Love

      The Girl Who Hated God

      In October of 1988, my husband and I were on vacation in Massachusetts and had gone to Salem for the day. That evening, we decided to eat dinner at a nice restaurant in the heart of the city. It was in the ladies room of the restaurant that I saw another customer, a woman in her early thirties. She had spoken to me first, complimenting me on a sweater I was wearing. Nevertheless, I realized that there was something desperate about her. I hadn’t intended to witness to her because she seemed unstable, but I offered her a little tract and instantly she became annoyed. Just tell me what that says, she replied, belligerently. I don’t want to read it. I began to relay the message of salvation but before I got any further than the love of God, she became even angrier. Don’t tell me that God loves me, she replied, her eyes blazing. I loved my mother so much and I prayed so hard that God would let her live and yet she died when I was twelve years old. If God loves me why would He let my mother die? Obviously this wasn’t a good time to answer such a complex question, so all I got out before being interrupted was, Because of eternity...

      The anger flashed in her eyes as I tried once again to tell her that God loves her, and when I tried to touch her hand in a comforting way, she became downright hostile. Don’t touch me, she screamed. I don’t want your filthy hands on me. Who wants your cooties? She looked like she was thinking about hitting me. But the more she grew angry at God and at me, the more hurt I could see in her. It was the pain talking. And the love of God welled up in me and I had the most incredible feeling of concern and compassion toward her that I knew was coming from the Holy Spirit inside of me. So, I stood my ground, and I decided that even if she had hit me, I would have just kept loving her, and telling her how much Jesus loves her. Eventually something broke, and she was nearly in tears. She stopped for a second and said, Give me a hug. I hugged her for only a couple of seconds when she pulled away again and reverted back to her anger. She ran out of the bathroom on the verge of tears. She’d been hating God so much that she couldn’t bear to hear how much He loves her.

      Many people fall into this category. God allowed someone they loved to die, and it made them bitter toward Him. They can’t comprehend how a God of love would take away the person who means so much to them, (Genesis 22:1-18). The problem is that most folk don’t understand God or eternity. For we humans only see the past and present, but we cannot see into the future. God sees the past, present, and future! He not only sees what we will become in Him, He also knows how our life, and our death, will affect others. Missionaries have been killed many times for this reason. I’ve been reading a book entitled John and Betty Stam. It is about a young missionary couple who were led by God to China. They were only 27 and 28 years old, and Betty had just given birth to a baby girl. Many times, when someone is strong in their relationship with God, the Lord prepares that person for death, by letting them know that He is planning on bringing them home to Heaven.

      Simon Peter knew that his departure was short to arrive (2 Peter 1:10-15), as did Paul (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Likewise, John Stam knew that God was about to call him home, and his young wife with him. It was certainly on his mind because he wrote an Easter article for a student magazine on the theme of ...unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds (John 12:24 NIV). En route to their place of execution, the Communist leaders who held the Stams, stopped off at a small post office with their captives. The clerk asked John where they were heading, and John responded, looking at the Communist soldiers, I don’t know where they’re going, but we’re going to Heaven. They went to their violent and bloody death with ...the peace of God, which transcends all understanding... (Philippians 4:7 NIV).

      Grandma’s Faith

      My paternal grandmother had that type of peace when she died. She was only twenty-four years old when she became widowed with two small boys and a third, my father, was on the way. She had been left nearly destitute during the Great Depression. In those days there were no government programs to provide money or food stamps for her. Her name was Anna Riccio. Her parents were immigrants to America from Italy, but she and her sons were born in the United States. Anna’s husband, Angelo, had left his farm in Calabria, Italy, and had traveled to the United States in search of a better life. He and Anna had married when she was only nineteen. Angelo learned English well enough to get a good paying job as a machinist, and things looked good for the family, especially when they discovered that their third child would be born close to Christmas. Then disaster struck and Angelo caught Spanish Influenza. But he worried about supporting his family, and continued to go to work even when he was desperately ill. Then he caught Pneumonia and died while still in his thirties. Anna had no one to turn to. Her mother had passed on several years earlier and her father and other relatives were as poor as she was. She tried to find solace in her religion, but that didn’t work either. The church soon discovered that Anna no longer had any money to pay tithes, and that she was so busy trying to support her family that she couldn’t get involved in fundraising activities. The final insult came when one of the nuns told Anna’s oldest son one day, Tell your mother that if she can’t afford to support the church, she can’t afford to be Catholic.

      No mother, no husband, no financial resources, no job, no government help, no relatives to turn to, no church. All doors seemed to be closing to Anna, but that did

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1