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Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must first deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ( Matt. 16:24 )
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Fear Not!
“Fear not!” Always easier said than done, right!! Most of
us have heard these words throughout our life, while
we were having a panic attack over an upcoming test,
our first date, when we got laid off, or our bills began
piling up, or when our spouse left and wanted a divorce.
Whether you’re a Christian or not, the emotional side
of you sees these types of events as extremely traumatic,
which they can be! Why in the world would we listen to
anyone tell us to “Fear not?” Sounds Kind of Crazy!!
The only reason to listen is if you believe the Bible is
the inspired word of Almighty God. In Isaiah 14:9-13 we
read, “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its
farthest corners I called you. I said, “You are My servant;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do
not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am
your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.
All who rage against you will surely be ashamed
and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing
and perish. Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them. Those who wage war against
you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
Do not fear; I will help you!”
Comfort yourself with these words from the Master
because every believer is chosen. We are His chosen
people. Make it personal. Just think God has chosen
you! You are His treasured possession. Romans 8:29,
“For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be
conformed to the likeness of His son, that He might be
the firstborn among many brethren.
And those he predestined, He also called; those
He called, He also justified; those He justified, He
also glorified.” He loved you enough to cause Him
to give His only Son as a sacrifice for your sin. On
the cross Jesus took your faults, failures, sins,
sickness, and diseases to name but a few, and bore
them that through your repentance and salvation
you might be redeemed.
No matter what you’re going through right now, no
matter how intense a battle, God is with us. He is
with you in the midst of every situation, or torment.
Comfort yourself with the knowledge that you
are not alone.
Not only do we have His promise that He will be with
us, we also have His promise that during our trials and
tribulations when we need to rely on Him the most, He
will strengthen and help us make it through the trial
and will then also cause it to work out for our good.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love Him, who have been
called according to His purpose.”
God is faithful and His promises are true. They will
come not on our time, or for our purposes, but on
His time and for His purpose and glory. Through His
death and resurrection He assured complete victory
over sin, sickness, and death, and through His
Living Word we have His promised assurance that
He won’t let more come upon us than we are able
to bear. Wow! How reassuring!
The key is realizing that we need to lean not unto our
own understanding, but to lean on, and trust in
His love, His will, and His purpose. In Revelation
3:21 we read of another great promise and
encouragement that I have found helped me
tremendously when I had to overcome severe
depression, anxiety, a spirit of stupor, compulsive
thoughts, and just the struggles of everyday life’s
situations and struggles.
Rev 3:21 reads, “To him who overcomes, I will give the
right to sit with me on my throne, Just as I overcame
and sat down with my father on His throne, He who has
an ear, let Him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
May He who sits on the throne in Heaven, also set on the
throne of your heart!
Yours in Christ,
Brother Jay
Bye 4 Now!
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