Hope for Troubled Hearts

“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).

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Say It Isn’t So!

Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?” Mark 12:24 ESV1

Read Matthew 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27 & Luke 20:27-40

It might be possible for any person to use the Bible to defend any position he/she may hold. For many points of view, one would have to ignore much of the Scriptures to accomplish such a task. But it is a very real possibility as well as a significant danger for any of us, even those who are devoted Christians, to take Scriptures out of context and attempt to bend them to our purposes.

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Life After Death

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” Luke 24:5b-6a ESV1

Life after death is usually in reference to where one will spend eternity. But in the context of Easter, it takes on a little different meaning. Easter is the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection–His return to life after His death–to a restored human body that walked again on Earth for a short time and then ascended into Heaven in bodily form.2

As we approach the Easter season, we are reminded of Jesus’ death. The horror of crucifixion becomes more vivid in our imaginations. And the enormity of our sin and the greatness of God’s gift is refreshed in our memories. Taking time to remember Jesus, His sacrifice, and His conquering of sin for our sake is a significant part of this season. Likewise, rejoicing over the fact that death could not keep Jesus’ body in the grave and that Satan has lost his power over humanity is of utmost importance. But we will miss the full extent of this celebration if we never consider our own personal Easter stories. But I must ask: Do you have an Easter story?

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