FAITH, accompanied with Hope, Prayer, and Love, OVERCOMES FEAR!

Isaiah 41:10, NKJV

It has been said, there are “365 ‘fear nots’ in the Bible.” Though there are many “fear nots” in God’s Word, e.g. Isaiah 41:10; 35:4; Daniel 10:19; Jeremiah 10:17, etc., Satan, the Enemy of our souls, delights in using fear to cripple us. However, we don’t have to succumb to it. The Lord tells us, “Fear not, for I am with you…,” because He knows there are many kinds of fears we face in this life. 

Whereas some may fear snakes or storms, others are afraid of flying or facing the unknown. One of my fears is jumping from high altitudes. Though I have not had an opportunity to do so yet, I have attempted jumping from a tree. One time, some international friends and I were at a campsite playing some outdoor games. One of events, intended for building trust, was climbing up a tree and going for a free-fall and letting your friends catch you. That was a tough one for me, even though it was just jumping from a tree branch approximately ten feet up. After contemplating for a while, I decided to go for it. Of course, I was still afraid even as I stood on one of the tree limbs ready to face my challenge of the day.  However, as soon as I jumped off the tree, my fear vanished.   

The experience of jumping off a tree proved to be safe and secure and taught me an important lesson: “Faith overcomes fear!” To demonstrate my faith, I had to trust that those many friendly and strong arms below could catch my heavy-set body and not let me fall on the ground. The Charles Stanley Life Principles Bible gives this commentary to the phrase, “Do not fear, for I am with you,” (taken from Isaiah 41:10):  

“At some point, each of us will face circumstances that cause anxiety. When we do, we must remember we are God’s children. We have power to overcome fear when we apply His Word to our lives—remembering that He is always with us and He will never fail or forsake us.” 

Fearful situations cause some anxiety and to overcome them, we must choose to have faith instead of surrendering to them. To develop faith that eliminates anxiety, every Christ-follower needs an intake of God’s Word through reading or hearing it daily (cf. Romans 10:17).  When David faced Goliath, he did not do it in his own strength for the two were no match to each other. Instead, David faced him with faith in the power of the Lord. He recalled that God had delivered him from the lion and the bear and he believed that He could deliver him from this giant of a man that everybody in Israel dreaded.  

As David came face to face with Goliath, we also encounter our “Goliaths.” At such times, the devil would rather keep us in his den of fear so we do not effectively execute God’s plan or work with the power of the Holy Spirit. One of the best ways to defeat him is to use “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Consequently, the Word of God liberates us to do great exploits for Him without any hindrance. Let us, therefore, learn to retrieve the memorized Word of God which can create faith in us and thus providing a haven for us from the devastating effects of fear.

To counteract any fear encounter, we must trust God with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding (cf. Proverbs 3:5-6). For instance, when fear knocks at the door, we must let faith answer the door. In other words, when we encounter a fearful situation, we should not be anxious about it but rather trust the Lord to handle it for us. A man of faith put it this way: “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety”—George Mueller. 

“Let faith arise,” is an exhortation we find in Chris Tomlin’s song titled, “I Lift My Hands” (2011). It is also an important truth for conquering fear.  Along with letting faith arise, we must fall in love with the Lord for “perfect love casts out all fear” (cf. I John 4:18). King David, “a man after God’s own heart,” faithfully prayed and he gave this testimony: “I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4, NIV).  The sooner we also prayerfully identify our fears, the better off we will be in facing them by seeking God’s overcoming power. An Anglican prayer for dealing with fear goes like this: “Draw us into your love, Christ Jesus. Deliver us from fear.” 

Several songs especially those linked with Scripture encourage us to overcome fear. May the following lyrics of Tomlin’s song encourage you to deal with any fear you might have right now:

Be still, there is a healer
His love is deeper than the sea
His mercy, it is unfailing
His arms are a fortress for the weak 

Let faith arise
Let faith arise

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart, these things I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

Be still, there is a river
That flows from Calvary's tree
A fountain for the thirsty
Pure grace that washes over me

So let faith arise
Let faith arise
Open my eyes
Open my eyes

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart, these things I remember
You are faithful, God
You are faithful, God, forever

(You may listen to Chris Tomlin’s song here: http://tinyurl.com/y9ngvfls)

Hymn Story on "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" by William Petersen

Music teacher A. J. Showalter of Hartsville, Alabama, finished his classes for the day and returned to his rooming house. There he found letters from two former students. Amazingly they each told a similar story. Both former students had lost their wives, and both wives had died the same day. Showalter began writing letters of sympathy and condolence to the men. 

As he began writing, a Scripture verse from Deuteronomy came to his mind, giving the assurance of God’s “everlasting arms” supporting us.  

Then he wrote a third letter, this one to a hymnwriter in Pennsylvania, Elisha Hoffman. He even suggested the wording of the chorus. When Hoffman responded quickly with three stanzas, Showalter composed the music.  

The theme is simply this: With God’s arms beneath us and his love surrounding us, we can find strength in even the most sorrowful situations.

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 33:26-27; Psalm 57:1; Psalm 91:2, 1 John 1:7

Themes: Trust, Comfort, Security

 Lyrics of the Hymn:

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.  

Chorus:

Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms. 

O, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

O, how bright the path grows from day to day,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.  

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

ELISHA ALBRIGHT HOFFMAN (1839–1929) 

Reference for the Hymn Story:

Petersen, William. The Complete Book of Hymns (p. 105). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

God’s Shining Lights!

A historic solar eclipse just swept across the U.S. mainland from Oregon to South Carolina. It was quite a phenomenal event. The last time something like this occurred was 99 years ago. At various viewing points on the path of “totality,” hundreds of thousands of people got to see the total eclipse of the sun. 

Today’s eclipse reminds me of our responsibility as Christ-followers to let our light shine before others. To effectively do this, we must guard against anything that would seek to “eclipse” God’s light from shining through us. “To eclipse,” according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, is “to obscure or darken,” or “to reduce in importance or repute.” 

Through His words in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus informs His disciples that in the same way that we don’t light the lamp and hide it under the table, but instead light it and put it on the table for all to see, they are to let their light shine with no hindrance whatsoever. They are, therefore, not to allow anything to obscure or reduce the state or level of the importance of their shining light. Instead, they are to heed these words of Jesus:

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:6, AMPLIFIED BIBLE)

Personal Application Questions (PAQs):

1. What is hindering my witness as a follower of Christ?

2. What are some specific steps I can take to let my light shine brightest?

References:

1.     Matthew 5:14-16, Amplified Bible 

2.     Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary definition of “eclipse”:  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eclipse. Retrieved on 21 August 2017.

Being a Good Neighbor to All Through our Philosophy of Giving (cf. Luke 10:25-37)

A parable may be defined as a story with a hidden meaning or point. We may also refer to it as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” Oftentimes, in the New Testament, Jesus uses a common or familiar story to answer a question or to convey an important message. In the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, the robbers, the religious leaders (the priest and the Levite), and the Good Samaritan are the key characters. Jesus shares the parable as a reply to the question, "Who is my neighbor?" (v. 29).

The actions of the characters in the Good Samaritan's story teach us three key philosophies of life, namely the attitude of the takers, the keepers, and the givers. The robbers beat up the man because they consider what the man has as theirs and so, by force, they take them from him. Likewise, the religious leaders pass him up because they are the keepers in the sense that they prefer to keep their resources to themselves rather than provide a solution to the matter. However, the attitude or philosophy of giving that the Good Samaritan exemplifies contrasts with the philosophies of taking and keeping that the robbers and religious leaders in the story demonstrate respectively.  

Typically, during the time of Jesus, Jews and Samaritans did not get along and so the Samaritan because of his gesture of love to someone of another race would be viewed as the “bad guy.” However, what he does in response to the needs of his neighbor defies the odds. Even though he does not know the man who falls among the thieves is not someone of the same race, he recognizes that he is someone in need of help. Unlike the priest and the Levite who pass the man up, the Samaritan reaches out and helps this man that the robbers beat up and left him for dead. The Good Samaritan's attitude of sharing shines. No wonder, he stops and attends to the man even to the point of incurring a personal expense.  

By his actions, the Samaritan knows how to treat his neighbor. The point of the story is not determining who our neighbor is, but being a good neighbor to all. Not only do this Samaritan’s actions earn him the adjective, "good," to his ethnic name, they also set him apart as a good example for us to emulate in our relationships with others.

At the close of the Good Samaritan’s story, Jesus asks the lawyer to identify the one who was a neighbor to the man who fell among the thieves and he rightly does it in his reply: “He who showed mercy on him” (v. 37). Furthermore, Jesus challenges the expert in the law with these words: "Go and do likewise” (v. 37). In other words, he is to go and show mercy to others in need of mercy whether they were Jewish or non-Jewish. From this challenge, we learn that our neighbor is anyone in need of our help regardless of their ethnic, religious, social or economic background. 

Sharing our Faith can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be so!

Sometimes we wish we didn’t have to use spoken words to share about our faith. Even though actions speak louder than words, we need to hear the words because they reinforce our actions. Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33, NIV). So, once we have in our hearts “set apart Christ as Lord,” we must be "prepared to give an answer to everyone" who asks us the reason for the hope that we have. However, we must “do this with gentleness and respect” (cf. 1 Peter 3:15, NIV). 

It is true that sharing our faith can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be so. Generally, there are two reasons that Christians give for not sharing their faith. First, they express fear in terms of being ridiculed or their message being rejected. Secondly, they say they don’t know what to say when they find themselves in a witnessing opportunity. These are both legitimate reasons for not witnessing. However, we can, with the Lord’s power, overcome them. 

The two inhibiting factors as far as witnessing is concerned are dealt with in God’s Words to the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah.  The Lord told Jeremiah, the prophet: “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth” (Jeremiah 1:8-9, NASB). Likewise, the Lord had these words for the prophet Isaiah: 

“I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
    the Lord of hosts is His name.
And I have put my words in your mouth
    and covered you in the shadow of my hand,
establishing the heavens
    and laying the foundations of the earth,
    and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

(Isaiah 51:15-16, ESV) 

For the two prophets, it was rather scary at times relaying God’s Word to the Nation of Israel, but the Lord assured them of His presence and power to help them. Specifically, He put His words in their mouths.  

To be successful in our witness, i.e. to faithfully share the Word and leave the results with God, we must depend on the power of the Holy Spirit as promised in Acts 1:8. John Stott put it this way:

“Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship [which begins with evangelism] would be inconceivable, even impossible.” (1990, p. 60) 

Action Points:

1.     To learn from five evangelistic principles found in Acts 8:26-40, read this article: http://samkirui.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-meaning-of-evangelism-and-five.html

2.     To trace John Stott’s whole quote and how the Spirit brought thousands from many countries to the Body of Christ consider reading his book, “The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church and the World (Bible Speaks Today),” published by Intervarsity Press in Downers Grove: Illinois.

Caring Civilizes and Redeems Conflict

“Now if your experience of Christ’s encouragement and love means anything to you, if you have known something of the fellowship of his Spirit, and all that it means in kindness and deep sympathy, do make my best hope for you come true! Live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and one spirit between you. Never act from motives of rivalry or personal vanity, but in humility think more of each other than you do of yourselves. None of you should think only of his own affairs, but should learn to see things from other people’s point of view”—Philippians 2:1-4, J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS).

This Pauline passage encourages us to be loving, humble, and united as Christ-followers. Though these are excellent ways to act toward each other, conflicts do arise between us as believers. The question then is, “What should we do during conflict situations?” In other words, “Should we stop caring when conflict intensifies?” One of the books, I read for “Personal Issues in Pastoral Ministry,” class, gives a great response that shows the role of care during conflict times:

“Conflict unaccompanied by caring is usually destructive. Conflict accompanied by caring can produce dramatic results of improved conditions and healed relationships. Conflict needs caring the way ammunition needs a cool head, the way a rushing river needs a dam, the way a powerful locomotive needs a track. The arrival of conflict should not signal the departure of caring. Caring civilizes and redeems conflict.” (Huttenlocker, 1988, p. 7).

Jesus is the greatest example for us when it comes to preventing, managing, and resolving conflict. When He clashes with the religious leaders of His day about working on the Sabbath or equating Himself with the Father (cf. John 10:30), Jesus elevates His care toward them. In His interaction with them, we see Jesus’ dynamic display of a superabundance of care toward those who hated Him and wished Him harm. Even at the cross, He prays for His enemies: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34, NIV). Likewise, we should continue to care for those who disagree with us and by doing so, we are leaving an open door for dialogue.

Acts 15:36-41 records a conflict that Paul and Barnabas have with each other over John Mark. Consequently, the two leaders choose to agree to disagree. The rift between them comes about because of the different views they have regarding how to deal with the failures of others. Barnabas patiently encourages others whereas Paul is rather impatient and acts in a rather dismissive way. In this instance, Barnabas “wants to give John Mark another chance and he wants to do it now. [But] Paul disagrees. The disagreement is so deep that it cannot be resolved, and these veterans whose friendship goes back at least 15 years…part company” (Piper, 1987, online article reference below).

Though Paul and Barnabas go their separate ways, what happens later in their lives and ministries is indeed encouraging. Paul makes this request to Timothy, his son in the faith: “Bring [John] Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11, NLT). What triggers this request might be a change of attitude in Paul’s life as a leader or it is possible that John Mark changed or proved himself and Paul saw him as an asset rather than a liability. Either way, Paul decides to give John Mark a chance. On one hand, Paul cares enough not to let the conflict he had with Barnabas over John Mark to define how he treats others. On the other hand, Barnabas works with John Mark and helps him as a leader and the investment he makes pays off in the end.

In summary, we must heighten our caring during times of conflict. This gesture is in keeping with what has already been noted, "caring civilizes and redeems conflict.” Amen!

References:

Huttenlocker, Keith (1988) Conflict and caring: Preventing, managing and resolving conflict in the Church. Newburgh, IN: Trinity Press.

Piper, John (1987) Barnabas: The weakness of a great leader. Retrieved from: http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/barnabas-the-weakness-of-a-great-leader

Peacemakers for the Prince of Peace!

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches about the values that characterizes His Kingdom through the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5. One of the beatitudes that identifies Christ- followers as God’s children who make peace says: "Blessed are the peace-makers, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NIV).

Peace-making is finding and fostering ways that promote peaceful-coexistence and a Christ-like identify through the practice of peace. “This commitment to peace is based on the belief that the real presence of Christ [the Prince of peace] is with all people [who believe in Him], resulting in a way of living which actively demonstrates the teachings of Christ” (Hockett, 2012, p. 8).  A commitment to peace-making results in a way of life that seeks to please God in a radically different way than the world exemplifies or expects. It is, therefore, sweeping in the sense that it is a positive and praiseworthy way of impacting the world around us.

Peacemakers for the Prince of Peace will say no to favoritism, tribalism, and other -isms of our day. Hockett who has done some research on peacemaking emphasizes that it “supports religious and political freedom, speaks truth in all occasions, commits to honesty in personal and public lives, and advocates for the humane treatment of all people” (Hockett, 2012, p. 8). The most important peace we can have is peace with God which makes it possible for us to pursue peace with all people. "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14, NKJV).

Personal Application Questions (PAQs):

1.      How is the peace that Jesus gives you as the “Prince of Peace” different from world peace?

2.      In what ways can you be a peace-maker and avoid being a trouble-maker?

Reference:

Hockett, E. (2012). Developing a Peace and Conflict Resolution Curriculum for Quaker Secondary Schools in Kenya. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 21(1), 6-23.