The Three Greatest Fears

                                                     When The Door Slams

"O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.                                                                                                               1 Corinthians 15:57-58  

        The Rapture of all believers has been described in many passages of Scripture. Because of that blessed hope, we can say with the apostle Paul, who was killed for his faith, "O death, where is your sting?"

        The three greatest fears humans have are the fear of failure, the fear of abandonment, and the fear of death. Faith in Jesus Christ and belief in God's Word can give us courage to face all three of these fears.

        Death came into the world as a result of sin. Romans 6:23, we read that "the wages of sin is death." The law of God shows us how far short of God's standard we fall and reveals the "strength" of our sinfulness. 

        Think about this: Christ brought victory over sin and death by His resurrection. Now our own resurrection is certain, whether it be by death or by the Rapture. The certainty of our resurrection, as believers in Christ, will increase our courage to be steadfast and immovable, and to keep abounding in the good deeds that further His Kingdom here and now on earth. Through Christ we can be courageous and steadfast, knowing that our labor is not in vain. 

        Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the strong man boast of his strength, and let not the rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for in these I delight," declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24) 

        Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Don not be wise in your own eyes, but fear the Lord and depart from evil. (Proverbs 3:5-7) 

Ask the spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                  Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

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Not Victims By Habit or By Denial

                                                     When The Door Slams

The night is far gone, the day of His return will soon be here. So quit the evil deeds of darkness and put on the armor of right living, as we who live in the daylight should! Be decent and true in everything you do so that all can approve your behavior. Don't spend your time in wild parties and getting drunk or in adultery and lust, or fighting, or jealousy. But ask the Lord Jesus Christ to help you live as you should, and don't make plans to enjoy evil.                                          Romans 13:13-14  

         Certain sins have a way of making themselves at home in our lives. We get so used to their presence, we often don't give them much thought. By habit or by denial, we continue to indulge ourselves-to make provision for the flesh.

        This passage confronts such an attitude head-on. It is high time for us to make a change. We are not victims of our habits; we have the power to throw them away and begin again. And we can protect ourselves from their hold on us by wearing the armor of God's truth.

        The apostle Paul reminds us that we are on a journey, and our destination is heaven. Knowing that we will meet our Savior face-to-face motivates us to delay the temporary gratification of sin. We may struggle with temptation to get drunk, or to satisfy our cravings or appetites right away and encourage others to do the same. Perhaps we are in the habit of lying when we make wrong or bad decisions about people or things, or pitting people against true authority figures. 

        Think about this: If we allow ourselves to fantasize about sin, we will eventually give in to it. We are encouraged instead, to "clothe" ourselves with loyalty to Christ and avoid sinful thoughts so one thing won't lead to another. Resisting sin is hard work. Sinful subconscious thoughts are natural. Developing loving motives and behaviors to let go requires the help of our Holy Spirit power. 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                    Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

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Life Is Like Combat

                                                     When The Door Slams 

Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, just as I do, and as Christ's solder do not let yourself become tied up in worldly affairs, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in His army.                                                                           2 Timothy 2:3-4

        Whether we are "blown away" by the circumstances of life has a lot do with our expectations. For example, If I believe that life owes me a living even if I don't work, I'm setting myself up for a disappointment. If I think I should never be sick, I am just another number on the doctor's report. If I expect life to be fair, I am hurt by the unfairness that I see.

        One of the reasons a soldier can be effective is that he or she receives training for real combat situations. In their training, soldiers are taught to expect difficulties and hardships. They learn ways to cope with them. Get ready for the hardships. Expect them, accept them, and endure them. Life is like combat. We will have battles to fight and hardships to endure. 

        We will be able to endure times of hardship if we have a single-mindedness or focus. The enduring soldier is one who is centered on the problem to be fought and not on the demands of civilian life.        What are your expectations for life? Are hardships part of what you are assuming will come? Are preparing yourself for those hard days?  

        Think about this: Hardships in life come to all of us. Our success in dealing with them depends on our expectations and our personal preparation for them. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                    Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

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Social Justice

                                                             When The Door Slams

LORD, WHY ARE you standing aloof and far away? Why do you hide when I need you the most? Come and deal with all these proud and wicked men who viciously persecute the poor. Pour upon these men the evil they planned for others! For these men brag of all their evil lust; they revile God and congratulate those the Lord abhors, whose only goal in life is money.                                                                                                                                                                        Psalms 10:1-3   

        Psalm 10 is a beautiful psalm of social justice, written by King David. David saw how the evil people of his world-like the evil people of our day-were constantly looking for ways to take advantage of the helpless. He pleaded with God to deal with the wicked and protect the helpless. 

        Think about this: We have all wondered at times why God allows so much suffering, especially by the innocent and helpless. Why doesn't He stop it right now? Why does He seem to be far away during times of tragedy and abuse? 

        Like David, we may long to call on God to arise from His throne to lift His hand in judgment upon the wicked and to defend the humble. Most of the cruel and malicious people in our world have sociopathic personalities. They renounce God, resent authority, and live in complete denial of the consequences of their behavior.

    In His timing, God will grant our prayers for social justice. He will punish the unrepentant evildoers of the world, and help the humble and poor. 

God grant me the serenity to bear the social injustices I cannot change, the courage to help change the social injustices I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                      Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.                                                                                                                                                                       Never Rest Ministries