Tag Archives: Fear

Hope for Troubled Hearts

Posted on by

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.” John 14:1 ESV1

Read John 14:1-3

I have heard it said that there are at least 365 admonitions in Scripture to not fear. Supposedly, Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor during the Second World War, searched the Scriptures for these exhortations, memorized them, and meditated upon one of them each day. Evidently, Pastor Wurmbrand found 366 such Scriptures—one for each day of the year including Leap Day. It was Leap Day when he was captured by the Communist Regime and imprisoned for his faith.

Over the last few years, as I have been reading and studying Scripture, I have been searching for all the verses that command us to be fearless. I want to make a Fear Not calendar to encourage and empower myself and other Christians so that we might valiantly face the challenges that arise before us. I found one such verse at the beginning of John 14. The words of Jesus are:

“‘Let not your hearts be troubled’” (John 14:1a).

Continue reading →

Trying to Stay on the Fence

Posted on by

They loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. John 12:43 ESV1

Read John 12:42-50

Sitting on the fence is a common English idiom to describe the actions or thoughts of one who is indecisive or refuses to choose between two opposing sides. This inability to decide is usually due to a lack of courage. When one weighs the options and the potential losses involved in making a firm commitment to either side, sitting on the fence often seems like the safest place. However, assumptions often do not agree with reality.

Continue reading →

To Fear or Not to Fear

Posted on by

“Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into Hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!” Luke 12:4-5 ESV1

Read Luke 12:13-21

We all fear something. That which we fear has the power to influence our characters and determine our destinies. Jesus emphasized this truth in the context of the next parable we will examine.

Continue reading →

The Thing About Judging

Posted on by

“Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure, you use it will be measured to you.”  Matthew 7:1-2 ESV1

Read Matthew 7:1-14 & Luke 6:37-38

To the rational mind, racism, sexism, and all forms of prejudice are senseless. After all, who of us chose the color of his/her skin? Which of us decided before our birth which gender we would be? Who among us had any input on who his/her ancestors were? Did any of us get to vote for the color of his/her eyes, or height, or body structure? Who got to pick his/her personality, strengths, or weakness? Though it is not rational, most of us harbor some kind of prejudice. Why is that?

Continue reading →

Am I a Hypocrite?

Posted on by

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven. Matthew 6:1 ESV1

Read Matthew 6:1-6 & 16-18

When we begin reading Matthew 6 our ears are perked up and our senses are heightened. Matthew 6 is the continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount which began in Matthew 5. Because of His teaching on some serious subjects presented in a surprising way, this sermon convicts the hearts of all who seriously read it. We expect to continue to be convicted in Matthew 6, but when Jesus teaches here on giving and praying, it is easy to let down our guards and assume He is speaking to someone else. After all, who of us has actually sounded a trumpet to draw attention to our giving (see Matthew 6:2) or has stood on a street corner loudly praying to get others to notice us (see Matthew 6:5)?

Therefore, we often miss what Jesus is teaching us here, specifically and personally, about hypocrisy. At this point, instead of looking around at the other guy, I believe Jesus is calling us each to honestly and prayerfully ask ourselves the question, “Am I a hypocrite?” If I were to ask myself that question, I must truthfully say, “Yes, I think I am. At least, I have that tendency.”

Continue reading →