Would just like to share this message from Pastor Rick Warren, “The Answer is Easter.”

He gave this message less than a year since the tragic event in the life of his son who had suffered from mental illness.  Pastor Rick Warren is living out the hope of the resurrection. He shares that Fridays are characterised by pain and suffering, Saturday is doubt and confusion, and Sunday is victory and joy. We need to keep our eyes on the promises of God in His Word on our Fridays and Saturdays.

Praise God also for His victory in the life of the sharer, David Mandani (from 43:05). Some highlights of David’s message:

“Remembering the promises of God not only carried me through the darkest days of my life but it also transformed my life… In 1992…I was diagnosed with schizophrenia…struggling with …hallucinations and delusions about what was real. One week, my mind became increasingly filled with irrational beliefs, both paranoid and grandiose…That evening, I found myself in a locked psychiatric unit in a hospital. That night I felt my mind and my future was gone…

Even though my mental illness caused great devastation to my family, my friends, and community, we didn’t talk about it. The stigma, the shame, and the many misconceptions about mental illness we all held were enormous barriers that kept me from getting help… That sad season of my life was marked by isolation, dark days, and great suffering… I take medications and have used medical therapies but I know that it was God’s love and power that gave me resilience to get through my recovery.  Both my church and the promises of God’s Word brought me great comfort when I could not see my way out of the darkness…Because I knew God’s promises, I felt God’s presence; I entrusted my entire life including my disease to Jesus.

So many of the negative predictions people had made about my life never happened. Because of my illness, I was told that I would never finish college but God gave me the grace to complete graduate school.  I was told I would never hold on a job but God gave me a great vocation for my life.  I was told I should never have kids or even get married but God gave me a loving wife and two incredible kids…”

David went on to encourage anyone struggling with any kind of illness whether physical, emotional, mental or any other kind of hurt…, God has the power to help that no one else can offer. “Pastor Rick says that God loves to turn crucifixions into resurrections.”  David says that his true identity is in Christ, not in his illness.  He is part of God’s family. God has a purpose for his life greater than his illness. That is his source of significance and confidence.  His brain doesn’t always work right but God always works right.

David concludes, “If you are going through dark days right now, I want you to hear me loud and clear. Do. Not. Give. Up.  Easter shows that with God, no situation is hopeless.”