Fear not as men fear
Feb 23
"Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread" (Isaiah 8:12,13).
The Power of the True Gospel
Nov 25
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." (Revelation 14:6-7) When the Lord Jesus returned to heaven after His resurrection, He left the disciples with the Great Commission to "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Unfortunately, over the centuries, there has developed much misunderstanding concerning the content of the gospel ("good tidings") and many have preached "another gospel" (Galatians 1:6) which can never save. This false gospel wears many faces, but inevitably, at its heart will be found the false hope of evolutionary humanism, glorifying man instead of God, worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator (Romans 1:25).
The futility of unbelief
Nov 23
"Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?" (Jeremiah 5:22) Jeremiah, warning his Jewish countrymen of their imminent exile into a pagan land, reminded them how futile it had been for them to rebel against their Creator (v. 19). He did this by noting one of God's mighty works of providence. The earth is dominated by water, which covers over 70 percent of its surface. If the earth were completely smoothed out, the waters would be almost two miles deep all around the globe. In the primeval creation, water was present everywhere, and the earth was "without form" (Genesis 1:2). But then God had energized the universe's gravitational forces, and the waters soon had a "surface," with this "sea level" controlled ever since by gravity and the configuration of land surfaces established on the third day of creation week. Let the waves of the sea become ever so violent; all they do is abrade more sand from the rocky shores and still further stabilize the sea shore with the beaches so produced.
"Make it as sure as you can!"
Oct 21
"Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch." (Matthew 27:65, 66) Pilate had endured many strange experiences leading up to the crucifixion of Christ. Both he and some close to him (v. 19) had wanted to release Him, finding no fault in Him (v. 23). But, for political expediency, willing to pacify the Jewish leaders and quell a potential riot, Pilate had agreed to the execution. But once Christ was dead and in the grave, Pilate's troubles did not end. Perhaps we are justified in reading a tone of sarcasm and impatience in Pilate's words. "Make it as sure as you can." What is there to fear from a dead man? Guard the tomb if you want. But just perhaps Pilate was hounded by unexplained doubts; maybe a guard could prevent the bizarre fears from becoming reality.
Moved with fear to make preparations
Jul 15
"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith" (Hebrews 11:7). The little phrase "things not seen" is used three times in the New Testament, and interestingly enough, these refer to the past, present, and future works of God with respect to the things that are seen.
English