No to Suicide

August 27, 2020
1AM

was awaken by a commercial like dream about suicide (w/ theatrics and all). it broke my heart. and it lead me to prayer.

suicide. a silent killer in every household. you think everything was okay then suddenly it attacks.

suicide has killed more people than sickness and war... every hour.. everyday... every year. 

possible causes: burn out, left alone/behind, identity crisis, not loved, depression, no real communication with people, dead end and many many more. 

when i was a kid, i was suicidal as well. i felt left behind, i felt like i have no real friends, no real conversation with people, felt lonely and sad, burnt out by the quarrel of my parents, burnt out by being bullied in school, no rest, no haven, life with no direction and no meaning, felt like i have no future in life at all.. and many many more.

the appeal of suicide was real

i drank one glass of rubbing alcohol, i attempted to stab self in front of children to have friends, i attempted to stab my self at my room as well, attempted to hang self and many more.. but at the end of the day.. the pain i endured due to the attempted suicide did not change anything.. it just hurt me more..

and worse.. if it succeeded, it is one way ticket to hell like judas did.. and that place is more torture than the pain on earth.. (but of course, back then before i attempt it, i dont know that)

as the person attempting suicide
"what can i do then?" 

*1) talk to people

i know its hard, we tried talking to people, but we felt like others would just laugh at us and won't listen nor understand what we are getting through.. 

there are also moments when we thought what people would say would be cliches. because others who have told us the same things did not help us at all.

but remember, there are those who does really care and are willing to listen and help.

don't be afraid to share your story especially to dear friends who will lead you to God. you can also call suicide hotlines to help you out or to Churches with right doctrines to help you out. 

"Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." -matthew 11:28

relationship and not religion. intimacy and not routines. real help and real rest comes from the Lord. it is not found in religion though, but in real and deep intimacy with God :) 

*2) listen

i know it is harder to listen. especially as our mind is clouded with emotions and pain. but listening also helps... 

...especially to godly friends. friends who will pray for you, lead you to God, be with you in pain. won't drink nor have cigarettes nor have cocaine with you tho, but will stick and listen and advice you any time... mouthpieces of God sharing His Love to you.. for God Loves you dearly

3) seek God and godly friends

i was suicidal since nursery up to college days.. and the only One Who rescued me is God. The One Who keep me all together all those years..

it is when i was in college, that i met friends who lead me to God... they stick with me in hard times and with their help, i was able to have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus and was understand His Word through the Holy Spirit. 

my view life changed then and i found TRUE rest in Him alone.

not booze, not cigarettes, not cocaine, not riches, not entertainment..

nothing in this world can give us rest and satisfaction. but God alone. not religion, not routines. but real 1 on 1 relationship with God and also fellowship with fellow believers. :)

 
~~~~~~~~~~

as the friend or relative of the person attempting suicide (whether you know it or not)

*1) listen and be sensitive

listening is a very important skill that most of us are not exercising or not doing well. most of us humans like to talk. but only few listens. 

listening quenches quarrel. and listening saves lives.

and when i say listen, it is not only auditory, but also listen to the persons movement, mannerisms, behavior, and what they are going through.. in other words.. be sensitive or have empathy.

if you know a friend or relative is tired at work, you don't nag nor curse or say bad words to that person. and if ever we did it mistakenly, don't be afraid to apologize and make it up to the person.

be careful tho. even when a person laugh or smiles, it does not necessarily mean they are okay or fine. at times, those who jokes a lot and smile a lot, are those who are not speaking up with problems in their heart. 

have a meaningful conversation with people. stop harsh jokes, stop trash talking, stop cursing/saying bad words.. you don't know if the stranger you are cursing or hurting is having a bad day or not. instead be a blessing.. instead, listen.

*2) apart from God we can't help them

our help alone is not enough to help them. we will be burn out as well. we need a lot of patience. and a lot of care. and the Only One Capable of unlimited patience, care, Love, and Grace is God

He is also the Only One Who can truly help inside out :) grow your relationship with God and lead your friend/relative or even a stranger to Him :)


*3) don't give up on them as God did not gave up on you

there are moments they won't listen, nor would they share.

nonetheless don't give up on them.

keep them in prayer. and be there always ready to listen and help when they need help :) 

never stop praying for them :) alone we can't, but with God, we can :) grow and keep going in God :) 


~~~~~~~~

**there is more i want to say but i'll just leave this here. i also found this helpful: https://www.livingwaters.com/movie/exit-the-appeal-of-suicide/#help
(credits to living waters)

**if you need someone to talk to, can comment down below and i'll do my best to reach you out :)

28 (bente-otso)

=august 3, 2020=

=28 years old=

i'll try to keep this short :) [i have many things i want to say but i'll say only what is important :) you can comment down below for questions, clarifications, opinions, comments

or

for those who know me personally, PM me :)]

-MY STORY-
in my 28 years of life. since i was a kid. i lived in darkness, not because of the hardships i face, but because what i thought i know as right was not actually right.

even as a kid i was taught of many religious practices, superstitions and human morality [or what is right and wrong in human eyes].

sunday service. communion. rosary. saints sculptures/artifacts. all the religious stuff/practices. i was taught that we attend Church during sunday then what happens the rest of the week was fine as long as i confess my sin, ["God is loving and He forgives everything" or "pray 100 hail marys to be forgiven"] was taught that as long as i go to church and do good deeds i will go to Heaven. that all humans are children of God. was taught prayer and service as a routine [digging deeper is only for priest and pastor, a layman should just attend or come to church whenever and pray and thats it], taught stuff that was not in the Bible.  

jumping at the new year, eating 12 round fruits at new year, counting money at new year, feng shui, and many many more luck base teachings. was also taught that as long as i dont hurt others, whatever i do was right. [homosexuality was right, unforgiveness was right, passive aggresive was right, white lies were right, masterbation was right, porn was right, cursing or saying bad words was right. as long as i am not hurting others physically or verbally just to name a few] but in what basis? whose standard? human standard. i standard that is subjective or relative. standard that changes depending on who is who and what is what. standard that changes every year, every millennia. accepting what was wrong as right and what was right as wrong. no absolute truth. no black and white but just grey. that right and wrong was relative.

[but when i grow up i learned as i encountered God that most of these, if not all of these, was wrong.]

not saying that they intentionally teach me what was wrong. but they also thought it was all right as well. as the majority of human being believe it was right. 

in those 18 years of life. [until feb 2010] i claim i know God, that i love God. for it was what i was taught.

i remember being asked "have you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savor?" back in 2008/2009. and i just answered "yes, since birth" because i thought i did. i go to Church, attend Bible study and sunday school since grade 6, read and memorized Bible verses [reading without understanding fully and truly but just superficial meaning], pray the rosary in my elementary years [my mother is roman catholic, father is methodist by religion], pray memorized prayers.. all the religious stuff.. but then later i found out that i did not truly know God yet until i encountered Him february 2010

then as i get to know God. everything change.

i learned that many of the things taught as religious stuff or way of worship or way to know God are not in the Bible (rosary, praying to saints and so on).

that the Bible, God's Word, is the only basis of Truth and is our users manual (2timothy3:16-17) and not human knowledge/standard, which is actually sin, an act of rebellion (romans1:18-32). 

that digging deeper into the Word of God is not only for priests, pastors or leaders but for every believer (acts2:42, matthew4:4, 2timothy3:16-17).

that meeting together as believers/fellowship is not only limited to sunday alone (acts2:46)

that our only basis of Salvation is faith in Jesus Christ alone and not our own deeds (ephesians2:8-9, john14:6, acts4:11-12, isaiah64:6). that only those who accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior are given the right to be children of God (john1:12). 

and many more 

Christianity is not a ritual. not a religion. but relationship, deep intimacy, with God.

-THE REASON FOR THIS SPECIFIC BLOG/ENTRY-

a wake up call. we are having relaxed lives here on earth that we forgot about Jesus' 2nd coming and the Final judgement. we forgot that we are all sinners in need of saving and that apart from Jesus, we are all doomed for hell. [most even do not believe about Heaven or hell] we become relaxed that we sin knowingly and unknowingly. unforgiveness. homosexuality. stealing. curse/bad/foul words. idolatry and many more sins we accept as right but is not truly right in God's standard [idolatry also includes having own defintion of who God is, making our own gods "...for me god is.." not accepting His own description about Himself. also romans1:18-32.] 

Life does not end here on earth or when we die. life continues in eternity. and there are only two destinations: Heaven or hell

we need a Savior and that is Jesus alone. ourselves can't save us. our good works can't save us. 

"...we are all infected and impure with sin.
    When we display our righteous deeds,
    they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
    and our sins sweep us away like the wind..." isaiah64:6 [NLT]


we need Jesus. and only Jesus, to be saved. 

"...For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

‘The stone that you builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.’[psalms118:22]

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved...” acts4:11-12 [NLT]

"..God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it..." ephesians2:8-9 [NLT]

Receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior is not the end. but the beginning. we should continually grow in our relationship with God. with fellow believers. with the right doctrine/statement of faith until He comes. and fulfill the great commission (matthew28:18-20), bringing many to God, saving more souls before the coming judgement. His 2nd coming is near. we don't know when exactly He will come. but He commands us not to decipher when [because only God knows when and not man nor angels], but, to be ready until He comes. 

"...You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected..." matthew24:44 [NLT]

Receiving Him is a must. NOW. for we don't know what tomorrow will bring nor when Jesus will come. we must be ready. receive Jesus NOW :)

and as it is written as well, troubles and tribulation will come before His 2nd coming. more worse than coid19. that is why we must be ready. be ever growing in Him and Him alone. AGAIN. we can't save ourselves. WE NEED JESUS :) 

~~all verses copy and pasted from https://www.biblegateway.com/~~
#covid19
#Jesus2ndComing
#Salvation
#Only way to Heaven