Shalom Aleichem...
Reflections is a weekly Christian Teaching Ministry. Each week we will talk about the Bible and lessons we can put to use in our daily life. We will try to, on a weekly basis, provide to you stories, thoughts, and just easy ways to live your life on a straight path.
THIS WEEK'S TEACHING....February 28, 2022
We conclude this week with our look at Faith and Belief....
Faith & Fear Part 2 - Our Scripture this week....Psalm 31...As you should always do, have your Bibles open to this Scripture as you read todays teaching.
Anxiety disorders have surpassed depression and alcoholism as the #1 mental health problem in America.
Anxieties stem from 3 basic fears - fear of death, fear of man, and fear of failure.
Psychologists believe that anxieties arise from a state of disconnection. The primary disconnection is from God followed closely with being disconnected from the Body of Christ and other meaningful relationships.
Jeremiah 6:14 – They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.
John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
“A middle aged man feels called to switch careers, to do something bold for God – but fear holds him back.
A woman feels trapped in a marriage that is painful and abusive – but fear keeps her from acknowledging reality and seeking help.
A long time Christian has a hard time loving God because she is afraid He will do bad things to her. When life goes too well for too long, she gets nervous. She is waiting for the other shoe to drop.
A young woman feels pressured by her parents to follow a course for her life that she does not want – but fear prevents her form speaking the truth.
An elderly man is afraid of dying. He has never told anyone this – he is afraid of what others might think of him if they should find out.
A successful businessman risks financial security and market share every day. He never thinks of himself as fearful – he is a high adventure, fearless paragon of courage. But he has not risked emotional intimacy or authentic self-disclosure since he was a child. He cannot risk losing control or displaying weakness – he is too afraid.”
Parents keep a vigil in a Pakistan hotel wondering if they will ever see their missionary children again.
A young mother watches her children play and wonders if she will survive what biological warfare might cost her family. The fear she faces every day is overwhelming.
A nation trying not to be a victim of terror can’t decide what to listen to – the call to normalcy or the warning against the possibility of more attacks.
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?? Then REMEMBER:
1. God Is Our Refuge – vs. 1-8
We find refuge in His righteousness
“deliver me in your righteousness.” (Vs. 1, NIV)
We find refuge in His Name
Proverbs 18:10 - The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.6
With God as our refuge, there is security
2. Fear Is Not Ignored - vs. 9-13
While the first part of this Psalm is comforting, it doesn’t eliminate the fact that life happens. And life is not always pretty. We can’t expect that life with God will provide us with constant happiness. We still must be honest about our fears.
3. God Is Still There - vs. 14-18 - “My future is in your hands.”
We can’t expect God to deliver us from every bad situation but we can expect Him to deliver us from the fear that threatens to consume us.
Isaiah 41:13 - 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.
4. Sometimes The Only Thing Left To Do Is Worship - vs. 19-22
5. God Is Our Hope - vs. 23, 24
It is often said that fear of God has no place in the Christian’s life for, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears (for himself) is not perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).
But there are many commandments to fear in the New Testament; for example, Romans 11:20, “They [the Jews] were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud but fear.” Similarly, Hebrews 3:12 warns against unbelief (although the word “fear” is not used): “Take heed, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God.” (Other texts admonishing fear: 1 Peter 1:17; 2:17; Philippians 2:12-13; Luke 12:5; Isaiah 66:2; Acts 9:31; 2 Corinthians 5:11; 7:1; etc.)
Fitting the Pieces Together
But we shouldn’t get the idea that the writers of the New Testament are taking sides here, some in favor of fear (Paul, Hebrews) and some against (John). For even though Romans 11:20 admonishes fear, Romans 8:15 says, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship.”
And even though Hebrews 3:12 admonishes fear of an unbelieving heart (which is the same as saying the fear of God who requites unbelief with punishment), Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Therefore, the problem is not so much a disagreement between the authors of the New Testament books, but rather the problem is how the same author can say on the one hand, “Fear!” and on the other hand, “Have no fear! Be confident.” The solution will, I think, be found in the suggestion that a sober fear of God will motivate us to trust his mercy shown in Christ and this “trembling trust” will then gradually remove the fear that drove us to it as we see more clearly what out Lord has done for us.
How Only Perfect Love Casts Out Fear!!
We think we will be better Christians when we stop fearing—that may be quite false. We will be better Christians when we love God the more for his perfect love. The perfecting of love necessarily drives out fear, but the driving out of fear does not necessarily mean that love is being perfected. One may wish to be rid of fear in the same way he wants to be rid of a bad conscience and he may use all the same deceptive means to shed this discomfort (e.g., alcohol, drugs, or more commonly, the elimination of all the commands in the Bible to fear God and to love him with your whole heart.
Should fear play a role up to a certain point and never again in the Christian life? The point after which fear will have no proper place in the Christian’s life is the point at which his love is perfected. But none of us is yet perfected in love; none of us is without moments in which his delight in God fades and the “things which are seen” become deceptively attractive.
In these moments we are in need of a warning from Paul (Romans 11:20) or from Hebrews (3:12) or from Jesus (Luke 12:5). In these moments we ought not to be completely free from fear, because we are not completely controlled by love for God; that is, we are not living completely by faith. But the fear that we are to feel as Christians is itself a work of grace. It is a fear which casts us back into love for God and trust in his mercy, and thus destroys itself. Fear is the proper servant of love for imperfect saints.
The second line of “Amazing Grace” is not merely a once-for-all experience:
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed.
A little boy walked into his Dad’s den just as his Dad finished reading a book. The son asked, "What were you reading?’
The Father replied, "I was reading the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible."
The little boy curiously asked, "What’s it about?
His Dad replied, "It’s about God’s final battle against evil."
The little boy excitedly asked, "Who won?"
The Father stooped down to his boy’s eye level and said, "God did."
Remember family....We know Who wins:) DO NOT FEAR!!! This concludes our look at Faith and Belief in Jesus Christ. I pray in some small way it has helped each of you in your walk with the Lord:)
Next Week, we begin a new teaching series:)
DID YOU EVER WONDER???
In keeping with this weeks teaching....
The Bible mentions two specific types of fear. The first type is beneficial and is to be encouraged. The second type is a detriment and is to be overcome. The first type of fear is fear of the Lord. This type of fear does not necessarily mean to be afraid of something. Rather, it is a reverential awe of God, a reverence for His power and glory. However, it is also a proper respect for His wrath and anger. In other words, the fear of the Lord is a total acknowledgement of all that God is, which comes through knowing Him and His attributes.
Fear of the Lord brings with it many blessings and benefits. It is the beginning of wisdom and leads to good understanding (Psalm 111:10). Only fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). Furthermore, fear of the Lord leads to life, rest, peace, and contentment (Proverbs 19:23). It is the fountain and life (Proverbs 14:27) and provides a security and a place of safety for us (Proverbs 14:26).
Thus, one can see how fearing God should be encouraged. However, the second type of fear mentioned in the Bible is not beneficial at all. This is the “spirit of fear” mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV). A spirit of fearfulness and timidity does not come from God.
However, sometimes we are afraid, sometimes this “spirit of fear” overcomes us, and to overcome it we need to trust in and love God completely. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). No one is perfect, and God knows this. That is why He has liberally sprinkled encouragement against fear throughout the Bible. Beginning in the book of Genesis and continuing throughout the book of Revelation, God reminds us to “Fear not.”
For example, Isaiah 41:10 encourages us, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Often we fear the future and what will become of us. But Jesus reminds us that God cares for the birds of the air, so how much more will He provide for His children? “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31). Just these few verses cover many different types of fear. God tells us not to be afraid of being alone, of being too weak, of not being heard, and of lacking physical necessities. These admonishments continue throughout the Bible, covering the many different aspects of the “spirit of fear.”
In Psalm 56:11 the psalmist writes, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” This is an awesome testimony to the power of trusting in God. Regardless of what happens, the psalmist will trust in God because he knows and understands the power of God. The key to overcoming fear, then, is total and complete trust in God. Trusting God is a refusal to give in to fear. It is a turning to God even in the darkest times and trusting Him to make things right. This trust comes from knowing God and knowing that He is good. As Job said when he was experiencing some of the most difficult trials recorded in the Bible, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15 NKJV).
Once we have learned to put our trust in God, we will no longer be afraid of the things that come against us. We will be like the psalmist who said with confidence “…let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (Psalm 5:11).
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE...A TEACHING
Continuing in our journey through the Word of God....This week....
1 Samuel
Author:
Not stated however the prophet Samuel was probably involved in the writing. Some of the events however take place after his death.
Date:
Approximately 1100 to 1000 BC.
Synopsis:
An infertile woman, Hannah, begs God for a son and He blesses her with Samuel. Selfish choices such as one made by King Saul to offer a sacrifice he had no business in making is sometimes disastrous.
Verses:
1 Samuel 15:22 New Living Translation (NLT)22 But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED WEEK:)
Ho'omaikaʻi ka Pua iā kākou