VIDEO Refusal to Panic – Faith vs Fear

Refusal to Panic

Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? Matthew 8:26

Many of the storms in the Bible were occasions for God to teach us about faith. Just as the weather changes from sunny to stormy, so some of our days are bright and happy; while others are dark and tempestuous. Our Lord is the same in every condition, and all the winds and waves are under His control. In Matthew 8, the disciples woke Jesus during a storm on the Sea of Galilee. They were terrified. After rebuking the storm, Jesus rebuked His disciples, saying, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “Faith is the refusal to panic. Do you like that sort of definition of faith? Does that seem to be too earthly and not sufficiently spiritual? It is of the very essence of faith. Faith is the refusal to panic, come what may.”

If you’re in a boat and the waters are raging, remember—the Savior is aboard. He wants you to trust Him, and faith is the refusal to panic.

This agitation and alarm always carries with it a lack of implicit trust and confidence in Him. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

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Faith vs Fear – What Does The Bible Say? – Fear Not God is With Us – Jesus Christ

Finding the Way Home

[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:4

Sometimes this journey through life can be so difficult that we’re simply overwhelmed, and it seems there’s no end to the darkness. During such a time in our own family’s life, my wife emerged one morning from her quiet time with a new lesson learned. “I think God wants us not to forget in the light what we’re learning in this darkness.”

Paul writes this same thought to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 1), after describing the terrible difficulties he and his team endured in Asia. Paul wants the Corinthians to understand how God can redeem even our darkest moments. We’re comforted, he says, so we may learn how to comfort others (v. 4). Paul and his team were learning things from God during their trials that they could use to comfort and advise the Corinthians when they faced similar difficulties. And God does that for us as well, if we’re willing to listen. He will redeem our trials by teaching us how to use what we’ve learned in them to minister to others.

Are you in the darkness now? Be encouraged by Paul’s words and experience. Trust that God is right now directing your steps and that He’s also stamping His truths on your heart so you can share them with others who are in similar circumstances. You’ve been there before, and you know the way home.

Father, help those who are hurting today so they may see and know Your loving presence in their darkest hours.

Never forget in the light what you learn in the darkness.

By Randy Kilgore 

INSIGHT

The Greek word for comfort (paraklesis) means “to come alongside and help.” Jesus is called our parakletos (advocate) in 1 John 2:1. The Holy Spirit is another advocate or comforter (John 14:16–17). Paul asserts that God is “the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). The triune Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is there with us in our pain. By saying God is the “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (vv. 2–3), Paul reminds us that coming alongside to help each other is a family duty and privilege (v. 4).

To whom can you be a parakletos—a comforter—this coming week?

K. T. Sim

Setting Boundaries Against Temptation

2 Timothy 2:20-22

Do you have a sin that you simultaneously hate and love? You really want to overcome it, but as soon as you’re tempted, the anticipated pleasure erases all your willpower. These love/hate temptations are what cause us the greatest struggle, but sometimes part of the problem is our lack of boundaries.

Although we’ll never be totally free from temptation, we can take steps to protect ourselves—namely, we can establish practices and boundaries to guard us from wandering into a danger zone. When Scripture addresses this topic, it presents two contrasting instructions.

Flee lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace (2 Tim. 2:22). The goal isn’t simply to resist temptation, but to move as far as possible in the opposite direction, toward godliness.

Submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7). Trying to withstand temptation is futile unless we first commit to living obediently before God. With submission comes the power to resist.

Don’t conform to the world, but be transformed by renewing your mind (Rom. 12:2). If we fill our head with the ideas and priorities of the culture, we’ll be easy targets for temptation. But Ephesians 6:17 calls God’s Word our “sword of the Spirit”—a weapon we can use for defense against the enemy’s attacks.

God showed us the boundaries behind which we are safe. He’s warned that if we toy with our cravings and place ourselves in the way of temptation, we will fall. So draw near to God (James 4:8) and the protection of His Word, wisdom, and power.

Gift of Labor

“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)

When God first created man, He gave him work to do. Although “the LORD God planted a garden” for man (Genesis 2:8), it was up to man to take care of it if he would continue to eat its fruits. Thus, having to labor for one’s living is not a divine punishment for man’s sin as people sometimes interpret it, but rather a divine benefit for man’s good.

Similarly, even in the new earth, when sin and suffering will be gone forever, there will still be work to do. “There shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him” (Revelation 22:3).

We don’t know yet what our assignments will be there, but they will somehow be commensurate with our faithfulness in serving the Lord here. “My reward is with me,” says the Lord Jesus, “to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).

It is, therefore, a God-given privilege to be able to do useful work, whether that work consists of preaching God’s Word or improving God’s world. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do” (whether being paid for it or not), “do it with thy might; for there is no work . . . in the grave, whither thou goest” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). As Jesus said, “The night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

No matter what the job may be that has been provided for us to do, it is important to remember and obey the admonition: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24) and “your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). HMM

His righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen

Acts 13:43-52

Acts 13:43

These earnest people wished for private conversation upon the gospel. Ministers are always hopeful of such hearers. We must not be backward in speaking to God’s servants concerning our souls.

Acts 13:44

So that there was much excitement. Those who speak slightingly of the power which draws large congregations should reflect that men cannot learn the gospel if they never hear it. What grand days we should see if almost the whole of our population would come together to hear the word of God.

Acts 13:48

The gospel dove being driven away from one place found a congenial nest in another. We cannot force men to be saved, and therefore we must carry the gospel to others when those reject it to whom we have presented it; by this means the eternal purposes of God will be fulfilled, and his own elect will be gathered in.

Acts 13:49, 50

These bigots imagined that the coming of new teachers into their city was a reflection upon themselves. Were they not both honourable and devout already? Therefore they joined the malicious Jews and chased Paul and Barnabas away. It is not often that we read in Scripture of women, and devout women too, opposing the gospel, yet it is no uncommon thing for formal self-righteous ladies to be very bitter against those who dare to differ from them.

Acts 14:1-7

Acts 14:1, 2

Like the dog in the manger, they would not allow others to feed upon that which they rejected themselves. If they chose to be unbelievers, why need they be persecutors?

Acts 14:3-7

However much they are harassed, they keep to their life work: nothing can stop them, not even the fear of a cruel death. Do we in like manner speak of Jesus in every company? If not, we fall short of our duty. Let us amend, and in every place show forth the Saviours love.

 

Now will I tell to sinners round,

What a dear Saviour I have found;

I’ll point to thy redeeming blood,

And say, “Behold the way to God!”

 

Holiness Is Really Not an Option

He that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. (Romans 14:18)

Many believers in our day seem to consider the expression of true Christian holiness to be just a matter of personal option: “I have looked it over and considered it, but I don’t buy it!”

But the Apostle Peter clearly exhorts every Christian to holiness of life and conversation: God’s children ought to be holy because God Himself is holy! I am of the opinion that New Testament Christians do not have the privilege of ignoring such apostolic injunctions.

There is something basically wrong with our Christianity and our spirituality if we can carelessly presume that if we do not like a biblical doctrine and choose to ignore it, there is no harm done. God has never instructed us that we should weigh His desires for us and His commandments to us in the balance of our own judgments—and then decide what we want to do about them.

We have the power within us to reject God’s instruction—but where else shall we go? If we turn away from the authority of God’s Word, to whose authority do we yield?

 

Out of Spiritual Death

“And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves” Ezek. 37:13

Indeed it must be so: those who receive life from the dead are sure to recognize the hand of the Lord in such a resurrection. This is the greatest and most remarkable of all changes that a man can undergo -to be brought out of the grave of spiritual death, and made to rejoice in the light and liberty of spiritual life. None could work this but the living God, the Lord and giver of life.

Ah me! how well do I remember when I was lying in the valley full of dry bones, as dry as any of them! Blessed was the day when free and sovereign grace sent the man of God to prophesy upon me! Glory be to God for the stirring which that word of faith caused among the dry bones. More blessed still was that heavenly breath from the four winds which made me live! Now know I the quickening Spirit of the ever-living Jehovah. Truly Jehovah is the living God, for He made me live. My new life even in its pinings and sorrowings is clear proof to me that the Lord can kill and make alive. He is the only God. He is all that is great, gracious, and glorious, and my quickened soul adores Him as the great I AM. All glory be unto His sacred name! As long as I live I will praise Him.