How To Stop Worrying And Start Living Order Printed Copy
- Author: Dale Carnegie
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About the Book
"How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" by Dale Carnegie offers practical advice and techniques for overcoming worry and stress in order to live a more fulfilling and positive life. The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on the present moment, finding constructive ways to deal with problems, and cultivating a mindset of optimism and gratitude. Through real-life examples and exercises, Carnegie helps readers break free from the cycle of worry and take control of their mental well-being.
Richard Wurmbrand
Richard Wurmbrand (1909 â 2001) was born in 1909 in Bucharist in the country of Romania. He was the youngest of four boys born in a Jewish family. He lived with his family in Istanbul for a short time. When he was 9, his father died and the Wurmbrands returned to Romania when he was 15.
He was sent to study Marxism in Moscow. When he returned, he was already a Comintern Agent. A Comintern Agent was a member of the Communist International Organisation which intended to fight:
Like other Romanian Communists, he was arrested and released several times.
He married Sabina Oster on 26th October 1936. Wurmbrand and his wife went to live in an isolated village high in the mountains of Romania. But, as a athiest there was no peace to be found in his heart. So one day, when his heart was in a state of turmoil he cried out:
âGod, if perchance you exist, it is Your duty to reveal yourself to me.â
Shorthly after he prayed that prayer, he met a German carpenter in his village who gave him a bible. The carpenter and his wife had been praying earnestly that God would bring a Jew to his village, because the carpenter wanted to bring a Jew to Christ, because Jesus was a Jew. So the carpenter gave him a Bible to read. Wurmbrand said, when he opened that Bible he could not stop weeping. He had read the Bible before but it had meant nothing to him. This time when he opened the Bible he could barely read it because of the copious amount of tears that filled his eyes. Sometime later he found out the carpenter and his wife had been praying earnestly for him. Wurnbrand said that every word that he read were like flames of love burning in his heart. He realized for the first ime in his life that there was a God of love who loved him, even though he had beeen living a bad life and had nurtured a hated towards the concept of a âlovingâ God.
The Power of Intercessory Prayer
But now for the first time he knew that Jesus had suffered at the cross of Calvary for his sins and he was loved and accepted of God. Richard and his wife became believers in Jesus the Messiah. All the hatred that he had formerly held toward God was washed away under the blood of Christ and Richard and his wife Sabrina were born of the Spirit. That is the power of intercessory prayer!
Richard prepared himself for the ministry. He was ordained as an Anglican minister in 1938 at the start of world war 2. Both Richard and his wife were arrested several times. They were beaten and hauled before a Nazi court. They suffered under the Nazi regime throughout world war 2. But Richard said, it was only a taste of what was to come.
Russian Troups Enter Romania
Towards the end of world war 2, Richard Wurmbrand became a Lutheran and he pastored a Lutheran church in Romania. But, the same year, 1 million Russian troups entered and occupied the entire territory of Romania.
Within a very short space of time the Communists took over Romania. The reign of terror began. Out of fear 4,000 priests, pastors & ministers became Communists overnight. They confessed their allegience and loyalty to the new Communist Government because they all feared for their survival.
Romaniaâs Resistance
Harsh persecutions of any enemies of the Communist government started with the Soviet occupation in 1945. The Soviet army behaved as an occupation force (although theoretically it was an ally against Nazi Germany), and could arrest virtually anyone at will. Shortly after Soviet occupation, ethnic Germans (who were Romanian citizens and had been living as a community in Romania for 800 years) were deported to the Donbas coal mines. Despite the Kingâs protest, who pointed out that this was against international law, an estimated 70,000 men and women were forced to leave their homes, starting in January 1945, before the war had even ended. They were loaded in cattle cars and put to work in the Soviet mines for up to ten years as âreparationsâ, where about one in five died from disease, accidents and malnutrition.
Once the Communist government became more entrenched, the number of arrests increased. All strata of society were involved, but particularly targeted were the pre-war elites, such as intellectuals, clerics, teachers, former politicians (even if they had left-leaning views) and anybody who could potentially form the nucleus of anti-Communist resistance. The existing prisons were filled with political prisoners, and a new system of forced labor camps and prisons was created, modeled after the Soviet Gulag. Some of the most notorious prisons included Sighet, Gherla, PiteĹti and Aiud, and forced labor camps were set up at lead mines and in the Danube Delta.
Underground Church
Richard and his wife knew that Christianity and Communism were totally opposed to each other. They knew that a true follower of Christ cannot compromise. So they created an âUnderground Churchâ movement to preach the pure gospel of Christ and to reach out to the unsaved people of Romania and secondly to reach out secretly to the Russian soldiers. They secretly printed thousands of Bibles and Christian literature and distributed it to the Russian soldiers. Many of the Russian soldiers were convicted and they gave their life to Christ.
So the underground church grew. But, in 1948 the Secret Police arrested Wurmbrand and he was placed in solitary confinement for 3 years. He was then transferred to a group cell for the next five years. Whilst in prison he continued to win the other prisoners to Christ. After 8 years in prison he was released and he immediately resumed his work with the undergound church. A few years later, 1959, he was arrested again and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. However, after spending 5 years in prison an organisation called the Christian Alliance negotiated with the Communist Government and they managed to secure his release for a fee of $10,000. They quickly got Richard Wurmbrand out of Romania and took him to England, then to the USA.
In 1966, Richard was called to Washington DC to give his testimony before the United States Senate. He took off his shirt to show the Senate the scars and the wounds that he received whilst he served time in prison under the Communist Government in Romania.
The newspapers throughout the USA, Europe and Asia carried his story all across the world. Christian leaders called him the âVoice of the Underground Church.â
In 1967, with a $100 old typewriter and 500 names and addresses, Richard Wurmbrand published the first issue of THE VOICE OF THE MARTYRS newsletter. This newsletter was dedicated to communicating the testimonies and trails facing our brothers and sisters in restricted nations worldwide. Richard wrote:
âThe message I bring from the Underground Church is:
âDonât abandon us!â
âDonât forget us!â
âDonât write us off!â
âGive us the tools we need! We will pay the price for using them!â
âThis is the message I have been charged to deliver to the free church.â
Richard Wurmbrand and his wife travelled throughout the world to establish a network of over 30 offices. Their primary aim was to call Christians to shoulder their responsibility and to demonstrate the real substance of their faith by supporting their brothers and sisters in Christ who are being persecuted in heathen lands.
The VOICE OF THE MARTYRS newsletter continues to inform, and lead to action, Christians throughout the free world of the plight of those who suffer for their faith in Jesus Christ. Throughout their network of offices around the world, the newsletter is published in over 30 different languages. To this cause, VOICE OF THE MARTYRS presses on, serving in nearly 40 countries around the world where our brothers and sisters are systematically persecuted.
The writer of the Book of Hebrews brings a convicting word to the Christian church:
â Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them that suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.â
(Hebrews 13:3)
We have a responsibility to those who suffer for their faith in Christ.
Today, there is an estimated 200 million Christians in heathen nations who are suffering persecution for their faith in Christ.
Parable of an Unhealthy Soul
How do works of obedience relate to the free, unmerited gift of Godâs grace in the life of a Christian? This has been a recurring controversial and confusing issue since the earliest days of the church. If we are justified by Godâs grace alone, through faith alone, in Christâs sufficient substitutionary work alone, and not by any work of ours (Romans 3:8), then why are we warned and instructed to âstrive . . . for the holiness without which no one will see the Lordâ (Hebrews 12:14)? If our works donât save us, then how can our not working (like not striving for holiness) prevent us from being saved? Before we turn to the apostle Peter for help, hear a parable of an unhealthy soul. Diligence Reveals Real Faith There was a man who was forty pounds overweight. Despite knowing it was dangerous to his health, for years he had indulged in too much of the wrong kinds of foods and neglected the right kinds of exercise. One day, his doctor told him he was in the early stages of developing type-2 diabetes. Not only that, but his vital signs also pointed to high risks of heart attack, stroke, and various cancers. If he didnât make specific changes, his doctor warned, the man would surely die prematurely. So, the man heeded his doctorâs warnings. He made every effort to put new systems into place that encouraged healthy habits of eating and activity and discouraged his harmful old habits, preferences, and cravings. After twelve months, the manâs health was beginning to be transformed. He had lost most of his excess weight, felt better, had more energy, and no longer lived under the chronic, depressing cloud of knowing he was living in harmful self-indulgence. When his doctor next saw him, he was very pleased and said to the man, âWell done! You are no longer at heightened risk of premature death.â The man continued in his new ways and lived well into old age. Question: Was the manâs health restored through his faith in the gracious knowledge provided to him pertaining to life and healthiness, or was it restored through his diligent efforts to put this knowledge into practice? How Faith Works Do you see the problem with the question? It poses a false dichotomy. The manâs faith and his works were organically inseparable. If he didnât have faith in what the doctor told him, he wouldnât have heeded the doctorâs warning â there would have been no health-restoring works. If he didnât obey the doctorâs instructions, whatever âfaithâ he may have claimed to have in his doctor would have been âdead faithâ (James 2:26) â that faith would not have saved him from his health-destroying ways. This parable, imperfect as it is, is a picture of the biblical teaching on sanctification. In a nutshell, the New Testament teaches that the faith that justifies us is the same faith that sanctifies us. This faith is âthe gift of God, not a result of worksâ (Ephesians 2:8â9). Itâs just that this saving faith, by its nature, perseveres, and works to make us holy. We passively receive this gift of faith freely given to us by God. But faith, once received, does not leave a soul passive. It becomes the driving force behind our actions, the way we live. By its nature, faith believes the âprecious and very great promisesâ of God (2 Peter 1:4), and the evidence that real faith is present in us manifests, over time, through the ways we act on those promises. The New Testament calls these actions âworks of faithâ (1 Thessalonians 1:3) or the âobedience of faithâ (Romans 1:5). True works of faith donât ânullify the grace of Godâ (Galatians 2:21); they are evidence that we have truly received the grace of God, and are themselves further expressions of grace. Now, let me show you one place where Scripture clearly teaches this. And as I do, imagine yourself as the unhealthy soul in my parable sitting in your doctorâs office â and your doctor is the apostle Peter. Dr. Peter has just examined your spiritual health and has some serious concerns. So, as a good physician, he gives you a firm exhortation. Escaping Through Promises [Godâs] divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3â4) Dr. Peter begins by telling you that God has granted to you all things. He agrees with his colleague, Dr. Paul, that God has granted you life, breath, and everything, including the day you were born, the places youâll live, and how long (Acts 17:25â26). God has granted you regeneration (Ephesians 2:4â5), the measure of your faith (Romans 12:3), spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7â11), and capacity to work hard (1 Corinthians 15:10). And God has given you his âprecious and very great promises so that through themâ you may escape the power of sin and be transformed into his nature. Everything, from beginning to end, is Godâs grace, since âa person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heavenâ (John 3:27). Make Every Effort For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:5â7) Notice Dr. Peterâs words: For this reason (because God has granted you everything), make every effort (act with faith in all God has promised you). In other words, prove the reality of your profession of faith, by doing whatever it takes to actively cultivate habits of grace, that nurture the character qualities necessary to live out the âobedience of faithâ through doing tangible acts of good to bless others. What Negligence Reveals For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. (2 Peter 1:8â9) âDiligence will reveal genuine faith because that is how faith works.â Dr. Peterâs prescription is clear and simple: if you cultivate these holy qualities, they will foster spiritual health and fruitfulness; if you donât, you will experience spiritual decline and demise. Diligence will reveal genuine faith because that is how faith works: it leads to action. Negligence will reveal your lack of faith because âdead faithâ doesnât work. Now, this is a warning, not a condemnation. Peter knows well that all disciples have seasons of setbacks and failure. But he also knows, with Paul, that some disciples âprofess to know God, but they deny him by their worksâ (Titus 1:16) â their profession of faith is not supported by the âobedience of faith.â Peter doesnât want you to be one of those statistics, so he ends his firm exhortation to you on a hopeful note. Pursue Diligence by Faith Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10â11) Just so youâre clear, Dr. Peter emphasizes the organic, inseparable relationship between Godâs grace and your âworks of faith.â He says, âBe diligent to confirm your calling and election.â You donât call yourself to Christ; Christ calls you by his grace (John 15:16). You donât elect yourself to salvation; God elects you by his grace (Ephesians 1:4â6). But you do have an essential contribution to make to your eternal spiritual health. You confirm the reality of Godâs saving grace in your life through diligently obeying by faith all that Jesus commands you (Matthew 28:20) â or not. âYou can confirm the reality of Godâs saving grace in your life â or not.â This is Dr. Peterâs prescription for your assurance of salvation: your diligent obedience through faith, your making every effort to pursue holiness, is evidence that your faith is real and that the Holy Spirit is at work in you to make you a partaker in the divine nature. This is why Scripture commands us, âStrive for . . . the holiness without which no one will see the Lordâ (Hebrews 12:14). Itâs not that our striving, our âmaking every effortâ to obey God, somehow merits us salvation. Rather, our striving is Godâs gracious, ordained means â fed by his promises and supplied by his Spirit â to make us holy as he is holy (1 Peter 1:16) and to provide us âentrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.â Godâs grace is no less gracious because he chooses to grant it not only apart from our works (in justification) but also through our diligent âworks of faithâ (in sanctification) â especially since these works are evidence that our faith is real. Article by Jon Bloom