Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘fear’
Fighting The Enemy In Your Mind
The most dangerous battle ground on earth is the human mind. Each day is a war zone. Satanic attacks must be met with God’s help and every thought must be captured and yielded to Christ. The victory or defeat of your Christian life hinges on your thought life. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We all face different “fiery darts” but we all…
Read More5 Things Every Church Member Can Do For Their Church Today
I rarely post on the Lord’s day, but this Sunday is an unusual day for many churches and church members. Social media has been filled this week with updates, instructions, and explanations from pastors and Christian leaders about the current pandemic and the varied responses. These are challenging days for those who have been called to guide God’s people in a church, school, or ministry. They are challenging days for us all! Perhaps your church is not meeting this week as normal – or perhaps it is. Either way there are a few things all of God’s people can do for the work of God where they are… Pray for your pastor. All who lead need divine wisdom. This is…
Read MoreDealing With Fear
What is ahead? As I write these words the news is filled with stories related to the Coronavirus that is sweeping the globe and the downturn of financial markets. Mix in the political climate and uncertainty about the future and you have a recipe for anxiety! Perhaps your fears are more connected to personal issues, but we all deal with fear at times. Remember this: God is not the author of fear and never puts unnecessary anxious care in the hearts of His children. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fears may be rooted in circumstances, others, the devil, or your own…
Read MoreWhat to Do with Your Emotions
Emotions are a gift from God. They are also marred with the sin nature of Adam. When they are under God’s reign they feel as He feels, but when they are “out of control” they are both deceptive and destructive. The longer I work with people, the more I come to see my own depraved heart, I am convinced that emotions are the devils playground. For some reason – perhaps because he knows how susceptible we are to suggestion – much spiritual warfare takes place at the soul level. In our emotions. Think of it. Depression. Anxiety. Fear. Anger. Guilt. Envy. Jealousy. Pride. Hatred. Despair. All emotions. Many times those who are most careful to avoid sins of the flesh…
Read MoreMy Struggle with Doubt and the Victory I Found
It was the darkest time of my life spiritually. Like many believers, I struggled through a period of tremendous doubt about my salvation. There were many factors that contributed to my lack of assurance. Because I had trusted Christ as my Savior as a young child my memories were not extremely clear. And a “changed life?” I was no drug addict or criminal at five years of age! Had I believed enough? Did I truly understand? Could I have failed to pray the right prayer? Everything reproduces after its own kind: questions only lead to more questions. Well do I remember the day Dr. Frank Sells said in my hearing, “Drive a stake a mile deep in the ground about…
Read MoreA Message Christian Young People Desperately Need
It is my privilege to speak to young people on a regular basis. I have to admit that they are my favorite group to preach to! You always know where you stand with teenagers. My heart is always stirred as I look into their faces and consider the potential in every one of their young lives. More and more as I look into the eyes of Christian young people I see a sense of apathy. Resignation. Defeat. Could it be that the enemy has successfully convinced an entire generation that their world is too far gone? Their lives too insignificant to impact 7 billion people? The condition too bad for them to make a difference? The devil is a liar.…
Read More“At the Gate of the New Year”
It is Christmas, 1939, in London, England. King George VI addresses the British Empire as he does every year at this time. In his speech he quotes a beautiful poem that his daughter has just given him. The powerful words would continue to be connected to the Royal Family for years to come. They are inscribed on the gates of the chapel at Windsor Castle: And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known…
Read MoreA Remedy for Every Fear
Google the word phobia. Fear has reached epidemic proportions. Millions of Americans live in fear every day. Worse, many believers have become content with allowing fear to control their lives. The first mention of fear in the Bible is in Genesis 3:10. Adam and Eve had sinned against God and, because of their sin, are afraid of the very presence of God. Fear comes because we are now living in a fallen world. We view everything, including God, differently than the Lord intended when He created us. From that moment, fear became part of life in a broken world. Fear is a reality as long as we “live outside of Eden.” I am glad God’s Word on the subject does not end…
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