FEAR IS OVERCOME BY THE POWER OF GOD!

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“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control.” —2 Timothy 1:7 I did a little medical research on fear, and I discovered that fear has been associated with a wide variety of illnesses and diseases including heart disease, hypertension, digestive tract diseases, ulcers, head aches, even skin disorders. Studies demonstrate that fear can cause a decreased immune response, which can lead to frequent infections and even the development of dread and deadly disease. Excessive fear, anxiety, and worry can kill you. A time or two in my life I’ve been in the presence of someone who had a heart attack because of fear. Fear can lead to irrational phobias and unusual obsessions. It can crush your spirit, ruin your disposition, and your relationships. Fear can consume your mind, obsess your thought life and control your body. It can shut you down. Fear is a chain that can hold you back from becoming all that God wants you to be and to become. And therefore we must overcome our fears. The way to overcome our fears is in the exact way that the Apostle Paul tells us here in 2 Timothy 1:7. Don’t be consumed, controlled, chained by a spirit of fear but overcome with “power, love and a sound mind.” So ask God to give you the power of the Holy Spirit to resist the temptation to dwell on your fears and have an unshakable faith. Trust in the character of God. He is the great I AM which means “I am everything and anything you need.”   FEAR IS OVERCOME BY THE POWER OF GOD!

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

A Purpose for Pain

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.”

Psalm 119:65–68

There are many in our day who repeat the error of Job’s friends and teach that every problem and every pain is the result of failure in the life of a Christian. While there are certainly consequences for sin, and God does chasten His children, pain in life is not always the result of wrong doing. But whatever the source, whether it is a rebuke for wrongdoing, or a result of living in a fallen world, it is important that we respond properly to the hardships of life.

Many people become bitter and angry at God for what they endure. They forget that the good things they have enjoyed are not a result of their merit, but of God’s grace. Job expressed this truth during his time of great loss and tragedy. “But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).

Charles Spurgeon, who knew firsthand a great deal about both physical and emotional pain wrote, “There is not one moment of your life in which you can do without Christ. Therefore be always at His door, and the wants which you bemoan shall be remembrances to turn your heart unto your Saviour. Thirst makes the heart pant for the water-brooks, and pain reminds man of the physician. Let your wants conduct you to Jesus, and may the blessed Spirit reveal Him unto you while He lovingly affords you the rich supplies of His love!”

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Let every hardship and trouble drive you to seek God’s face and follow His Word more.