WEBVTT 00:00:00.010 --> 00:00:03.049 You and I are going to have a good heart -to 00:00:03.049 --> 00:00:09.089 -heart talk about nerves. Your nerves and my 00:00:09.089 --> 00:00:12.990 nerves. And you want to know something? There 00:00:12.990 --> 00:00:18.190 never was a time when more people talked about 00:00:18.190 --> 00:00:25.949 their nerves than today. When I go into a miracle 00:00:25.949 --> 00:00:31.320 service, I find that not only a half dozen prayer 00:00:31.320 --> 00:00:34.679 requests from folk saying, please pray for my 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:42.060 nerves, but I find literally scores of both men 00:00:42.060 --> 00:00:47.100 and women requesting prayer for a nervous condition. 00:00:47.820 --> 00:00:51.100 Someone saying I am near a nervous breakdown. 00:00:52.460 --> 00:01:00.119 Please pray for my nerves. And so, for two days, 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:02.280 you and I are going to look this thing directly 00:01:02.280 --> 00:01:08.319 in the face regarding our nerves. First of all, 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:11.159 before I begin, I want to call your attention 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:16.659 to a familiar verse in God's Word as found in 00:01:16.659 --> 00:01:20.540 the 23rd chapter of Proverbs. The seventh verse. 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:24.900 Oh, sure. You know it from memory. You've heard 00:01:24.900 --> 00:01:28.140 sermons preached on it. I have preached on it. 00:01:28.299 --> 00:01:30.519 One of the very first sermons I ever preached 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:38.260 was on this portion of the Bible. And yet, I 00:01:38.260 --> 00:01:43.859 admit to you that only recently I have discovered 00:01:43.859 --> 00:01:49.260 that these words are so profound that the human 00:01:49.260 --> 00:01:54.920 mind has not yet been able to comprehend the 00:01:54.920 --> 00:01:58.780 full extent. of its meaning, that seventh verse. 00:01:59.659 --> 00:02:08.280 For as a man thinketh, so is he. There was a 00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:11.819 day when I was young and inexperienced, dumb, 00:02:12.020 --> 00:02:18.479 had not lived too long. I thought I understood 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:22.000 those words perfectly and was foolish enough 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:28.370 to use them as a text in a sermon. Today, I hesitate 00:02:28.370 --> 00:02:32.050 to even preach on that one verse of scripture. 00:02:32.349 --> 00:02:37.150 It's so profound. I wish I understood it fully 00:02:37.150 --> 00:02:43.210 that I might give it to you. As a man thinketh, 00:02:43.210 --> 00:02:48.270 so is he. I am convinced with all of my heart 00:02:48.270 --> 00:02:56.719 that the mind can absolutely rule. can govern 00:02:56.719 --> 00:03:00.860 the body. All right. Now back again to our little 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:05.319 talk on this thing of nerves. Little lady, prepare 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:09.319 yourself for a shock. Gentlemen sitting there, 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:13.319 you are disturbed over the nervous condition 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:17.259 in your body. I'm going to say something that's 00:03:17.259 --> 00:03:20.199 going to be very surprising to you. There is 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:25.629 nothing. Absolutely nothing the matter with your 00:03:25.629 --> 00:03:31.990 nerves. The trouble is elsewhere. In that moment, 00:03:32.030 --> 00:03:36.610 I think I saw a woman just get up from her chair 00:03:36.610 --> 00:03:41.349 and almost take issue with me. That's right. 00:03:41.870 --> 00:03:43.810 There's nothing the matter with your nerves. 00:03:44.270 --> 00:03:50.199 Not really. Your trouble is elsewhere. Now just 00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:52.879 stay with me before you draw your own conclusions, 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:59.039 and let's examine the nerves. We find that each 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:04.960 nerve is a thread of living tissue, and that 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:08.620 these little fibers connect the brain cells with 00:04:08.620 --> 00:04:12.800 virtually every cell in the body. They resemble 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:15.639 the electric wires in your telephone or radio, 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:19.699 except... that they are composed of soft tissue 00:04:19.699 --> 00:04:24.240 instead of metal. And each one consists of a 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:29.879 central core surrounded by a membrane, thus resembling 00:04:29.879 --> 00:04:34.379 the wire in its insulating covering. Some of 00:04:34.379 --> 00:04:39.720 these nerves carry impulses from the brain to 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:43.519 the various organs and tissues while... Others 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:47.319 carry messages from these to the great central 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:54.519 office. The nerves are only a means of communication. 00:04:55.180 --> 00:05:03.439 They do not govern anything. The nerves in your 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:13.639 body do not govern anything. of communication. 00:05:15.139 --> 00:05:18.480 Since this is their duty, and since they only 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:21.259 carry messages in one direction or the other, 00:05:21.819 --> 00:05:24.439 just as do the wires that connect your telephone 00:05:24.439 --> 00:05:28.839 with the main office, it is wrong to speak of 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.079 these conditions of which you are complaining 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:37.319 as nervous. In fact, if the nerves really become 00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:41.319 damaged from any cause such as an accident or 00:05:41.319 --> 00:05:46.000 disease, We have a definite paralysis as the 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:50.720 result. These so -called nervous troubles are 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:56.459 not of nervous origin. To find their source, 00:05:56.579 --> 00:06:02.220 we must trace them back. Now then, if we follow 00:06:02.220 --> 00:06:06.459 a nerve from its beginning, perhaps at a cell 00:06:06.459 --> 00:06:11.339 in the skin, we find that it ends in a brain 00:06:11.339 --> 00:06:14.759 cell. But we must not jump to the conclusion 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:18.420 that these disagreeable bodily conditions are 00:06:18.420 --> 00:06:22.019 due to trouble at that point. When these little 00:06:22.019 --> 00:06:28.040 central organs are affected, we also have some 00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:31.680 definite form of paralysis, either of motion 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:35.500 or sensation, determined by which group is involved. 00:06:36.180 --> 00:06:40.889 And these brain cells are definite organs that 00:06:40.889 --> 00:06:44.470 play a part in the body function. But they are 00:06:44.470 --> 00:06:50.550 not the real beginning of the trouble. The brain 00:06:50.550 --> 00:06:56.410 has been well likened to the central office of 00:06:56.410 --> 00:06:59.930 a telephone or telegraph system. We might go 00:06:59.930 --> 00:07:05.430 a little further. Each brain cell appears to 00:07:05.430 --> 00:07:09.629 be a minute telephone apparatus. through which 00:07:09.629 --> 00:07:11.790 messages are sent to the different parts of the 00:07:11.790 --> 00:07:15.269 body or through which cells are received from 00:07:15.269 --> 00:07:20.509 the stomach or the liver or the finger or toes. 00:07:21.790 --> 00:07:26.910 So far, we are dealing merely with a mechanism 00:07:26.910 --> 00:07:30.990 that we're using all the time. But remember, 00:07:31.149 --> 00:07:35.230 it is purely a mechanism and should be so recognized. 00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:40.339 Now, in all these so -called nervous conditions, 00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:44.920 the machinery is found to be perfect. And so 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:50.279 the trouble must be back of that. Here we come 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:58.180 now to that unseen worker within, the mind. The 00:07:58.180 --> 00:08:05.579 mind which governs the central office. It's the 00:08:05.579 --> 00:08:10.839 mind that uses this wonderful mechanism to control 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:16.519 the body. Therefore, we see immediately that 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:23.379 the mind controls... Your body controls my body. 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:27.600 We must realize that any of these so -called 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:32.019 nervous conditions, from which the simplest case 00:08:32.019 --> 00:08:35.379 of fidgets to the most pronounced... hysteria 00:08:35.379 --> 00:08:41.779 is caused by some state of mind that is interfering 00:08:41.779 --> 00:08:44.600 with the orderly control of the affairs of the 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:50.019 body. If we understand this point, we shall at 00:08:50.019 --> 00:08:56.360 once see how to deal with these conditions. That's 00:08:56.360 --> 00:09:00.580 the reason I'm taking you into this thing in 00:09:00.580 --> 00:09:04.519 the most minute details. It's the only way you 00:09:04.519 --> 00:09:10.240 can be helped. No doctor can help you when it 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:14.720 comes to this thing that you call nerves. You 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:20.759 have to govern the thing yourself. You have to 00:09:20.759 --> 00:09:26.580 control your own mind. And it's your mind that 00:09:26.580 --> 00:09:31.720 governs this thing that you call nerves. Now, 00:09:31.820 --> 00:09:35.799 here we go. Still with me? Oh, sure. This will 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:38.340 mean much to you if you follow me both today 00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:44.220 and tomorrow. Your hand trembles, and you say 00:09:44.220 --> 00:09:48.299 that you are nervous. For some reason, you are 00:09:48.299 --> 00:09:52.679 not exercising a normal control over the muscles. 00:09:53.820 --> 00:09:59.679 There's a state of indecision. A state of indecision 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:05.480 in your mind. That's right. This state is in 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:09.320 the mind, not in your nerves. In other words, 00:10:09.379 --> 00:10:14.559 so -called nervousness is a partial loss of control 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:19.820 or an irregular control in the central office. 00:10:20.139 --> 00:10:23.600 And the central office is your mind. When this 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:26.960 becomes complete, we had a condition known as 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:30.669 hysteria. We all know people who become hysterical 00:10:30.669 --> 00:10:34.629 on the slightest provocation. Oh, the very minute 00:10:34.629 --> 00:10:36.450 that something happens to them, that upsets them. 00:10:37.690 --> 00:10:40.789 They become hysterical. They begin to shake. 00:10:40.850 --> 00:10:44.009 They begin to tremble. They simply let their 00:10:44.009 --> 00:10:47.269 feelings take charge of them. And they give up 00:10:47.269 --> 00:10:52.610 all self -control. This, then, gives us the clue. 00:10:53.799 --> 00:10:59.860 Nervous diseases are not nervous at all, but 00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:08.139 are varied degrees of emotional outbreaks. That's 00:11:08.139 --> 00:11:13.200 it. Now, let us follow this a little further. 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:18.879 If you can imagine... A train dispatcher sending 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:22.899 a rapid succession of contradictory orders over 00:11:22.899 --> 00:11:27.399 the wires. You can see what would happen. Traffic 00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:31.259 would be disrupted. At places, it would stop 00:11:31.259 --> 00:11:34.340 entirely, for engineers would refuse to move 00:11:34.340 --> 00:11:37.919 until the old man made up his mind what he wanted 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:45.259 done. Sure. Now listen. Your stomach are some 00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:49.259 other organ in your body. behaves in just exactly 00:11:49.259 --> 00:11:54.179 this same way if you allow a similar condition 00:11:54.179 --> 00:11:58.379 to possess you. The cells of your stomach are 00:11:58.379 --> 00:12:04.340 intelligent, and they are accustomed to obeying 00:12:04.340 --> 00:12:09.740 orders. If the orders cannot be understood, the 00:12:09.740 --> 00:12:14.440 digestion may stop entirely. Now, what do you 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:19.639 do? You blame your nerves. You send down a dose 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:23.299 of pepsin instead of getting back to the real 00:12:23.299 --> 00:12:30.100 trouble. The upset mental condition. And start 00:12:30.100 --> 00:12:36.779 correcting your mental condition instead of blaming 00:12:36.779 --> 00:12:40.639 it on nerves. When your nerves had nothing to 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:45.720 do with that upset stomach whatsoever. It was 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:51.879 the distress of mind. Therefore, the thing to 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:57.139 start correcting is the mind. Do you see it? 00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:59.759 Oh, I do hope you're following me. This may mean 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:05.139 much to you. We know definitely what will interfere 00:13:05.139 --> 00:13:10.580 with the normal action of the subconscious. Any 00:13:10.580 --> 00:13:13.960 negative state of mind, such as a strong dislike 00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:21.840 or a hatred or maybe a habit of condemning others 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:30.039 or an intolerance or any other idea of this kind 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:35.100 will have this result. A woman very recently 00:13:35.100 --> 00:13:41.990 made an admission. She said, you know, I was 00:13:41.990 --> 00:13:45.610 on the verge of a nervous breakdown. And she 00:13:45.610 --> 00:13:50.049 said, I hate to admit it, but I can lay my finger 00:13:50.049 --> 00:13:54.110 right to the cause of that nervous breakdown. 00:13:55.429 --> 00:14:01.570 My mother -in -law. I believe that. I believe 00:14:01.570 --> 00:14:10.050 that if you are living in the same house Mentally, 00:14:10.050 --> 00:14:12.330 oh, you may never have said anything audibly, 00:14:12.470 --> 00:14:20.029 but mentally, you cannot stand that person. Every 00:14:20.029 --> 00:14:23.389 time they open their mouth, every time they come 00:14:23.389 --> 00:14:28.009 into your presence, you can scarcely tolerate 00:14:28.009 --> 00:14:32.629 them. If that continues, and if the two of you 00:14:32.629 --> 00:14:35.070 continue living in the same house, you're going 00:14:35.070 --> 00:14:40.159 to find out. that you'll soon be saying to someone 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:44.860 near to you, my nerves are shot. I'm on the verge 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:48.139 of a nervous breakdown. You'll start going to 00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:53.620 your doctor for help. Your doctor cannot give 00:14:53.620 --> 00:14:57.639 you help. It's something that medical science 00:14:57.639 --> 00:15:02.559 cannot do for you. Because the real cause is 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:07.139 in your mind and your mind is governing your 00:15:07.139 --> 00:15:14.000 body. That's right. Fear acts in exactly the 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:19.940 same way. Fear acts thus. And since all these 00:15:19.940 --> 00:15:22.679 negative thoughts are founded on fear, we may 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:26.759 say that fear, known or unknown, is the cause 00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:32.340 of trouble. You may mention worry. Worry is an 00:15:32.340 --> 00:15:35.360 expression of fear and a very common one. And 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:42.139 so, the rule also holds good for worry. We find 00:15:42.139 --> 00:15:45.539 that most nervous patients are victims of worry 00:15:45.539 --> 00:15:52.679 because they fear some evil, some harm. All these 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:56.039 fears and negative thoughts may have been acquired 00:15:56.039 --> 00:15:59.399 through years of wrong thinking or they may be 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:03.179 suggestions from others that the mind has accepted, 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:06.320 which is very apt to be the case with nervous 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:10.440 children. And so it just comes to this. If you 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:13.960 are nervous or if you think that your nerves 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:16.299 are on edge and that you are ready to fly to 00:16:16.299 --> 00:16:21.940 pieces, you are really afraid of something. Your 00:16:21.940 --> 00:16:25.559 fear reaction to things, to people, to conditions, 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:30.899 starts the train of negative emotions that upsets 00:16:30.899 --> 00:16:33.379 your subconsciousness and so causes your troubles. 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:38.620 And this state should be remedied at once. For 00:16:38.620 --> 00:16:43.879 if it continues, it may lead to very serious 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:51.340 functional or organic troubles later on. But 00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:58.220 don't forget. That nervousness is an alibi for 00:16:58.220 --> 00:17:01.539 fear and a very convenient one for many people 00:17:01.539 --> 00:17:04.619 who develop a spell every time they are called 00:17:04.619 --> 00:17:08.339 upon to make a decision or to do something outside 00:17:08.339 --> 00:17:15.099 of their ordinary habits. The reason is the fear 00:17:15.099 --> 00:17:20.700 of doing or deciding and the nervousness is the 00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:25.789 excuse furnished Buy the subconsciousness for 00:17:25.789 --> 00:17:30.650 not doing what is required. Oh, I wish I could 00:17:30.650 --> 00:17:32.869 go on and on with this thing. I feel it's so 00:17:32.869 --> 00:17:38.630 important to literally thousands of people. Become 00:17:38.630 --> 00:17:42.849 an open channel for the inflow and the outflow 00:17:42.849 --> 00:17:46.710 of divine love. Let it radiate to everybody. 00:17:46.970 --> 00:17:51.529 And soon you'll find that something has happened 00:17:51.529 --> 00:17:56.029 to your nerves. Father, make this real to hearts. 00:17:56.470 --> 00:18:04.289 May our mind be stayed upon you and give us that 00:18:04.289 --> 00:18:07.670 complete confidence in a power that is greater 00:18:07.670 --> 00:18:14.950 than our own. For thou hast promised that thou 00:18:14.950 --> 00:18:23.569 wilt keep him in perfect peace. whose mind is 00:18:23.569 --> 00:18:30.769 stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. 00:18:30.890 --> 00:18:36.529 We claim that promise, and we commit ourselves, 00:18:36.869 --> 00:18:41.670 our minds, unto thee.