Be Not Afraid

This first time I saw this cartoon, the door was labelled “June.”

This year, 2020, has been hard, unexpectedly hard. And there is every reason to be concerned about what is beyond the 2021 door.

But God tells us, over and over: “Be not afraid;” “Do not fear.”

We are guaranteed trouble. At the same time, we, believers in Christ, Christ-followers, are guaranteed the Lord’s presence and help.

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. (Isaiah 41:10)

God has given us a Savior, Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11) 

God has given us all things. (Romans 8:32)

God has given us the kingdom.

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32) 

Trust God and press on

He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. (Psalm 112:7) 

Doxology

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24–25)

Happy New Year!

At Christmas we, of course, rejoice about Christ’s birth. God with us. The eternal Word made flesh.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) 

For believers, those who have repented, believed, and received Christ as Lord and Savior, God gives us hope.

God’s hope is guaranteed, just not yet seen. God’s hope is something He promises and will fulfill. What He promises are facts.

God’s gift of hope

God’s hope is a very big present that we must unwrap and learn to rely on. His hope includes:

Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) 

The hope of righteousness. (Galatians 5:5)

Our living hope. (1 Peter 1:3)

Our sure and steadfast hope, an anchor of our soul. (Hebrews 6:19)

Our hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:7)

And more!

Unwrap your present!

No matter how dark the days, we are sealed by God for glory. As the days darken, let us focus on the brightness of our guaranteed eternal future. Let us practice putting our attention on God’s unseen yet promised gifts. Let’s practice rejoicing.

Let us rejoice in hope. (Romans 12:12)

Merry Christmas!

Time’s Up!

Many activities have time limits 

I remember teachers saying:  “Time’s up. Close your booklets. Put down your pen. Hand in your exam.”

Fans watch the clock count down to the end of the game.

People watch the ball marking the time left to the new year.

Spiritual time limits

Salvation

Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. (Hebrews 3:7-8)

When people die, the time is up to come to belief in Jesus Christ. If someone doesn’t believe, they die in their sins. Period. The time is up.

Unless you believe that I Am, you will die in your sins. (John 8:24)

For unbelievers, time is running out. Jesus said the fields are ripe for harvest. We need to feel urgency for those who aren’t in God’s kingdom. 

Beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.  (Matthew 9:38) 

And we ourselves must go as directed, and speak as prompted.

Christian Walk

During our lives, there are also time limits.

For us, if we hear His voice calling us to repent of some sin or directing us to some action, we need to hear Him and obey. We can harden our hearts against our Lord’s call, which is sin.

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17) 

Let’s don’t become dull of hearing. (Hebrews 5:11)

Pray

Father, please make us sensitive to Your voice. Please help us listen. Please help us know the right thing to do, and do it!

~~~

See also The Last Knock. 

God Keeps His Promises

God, through His word, has made many promises. Some of His promises are for the whole world, some are for Israel, some are for the nations, some are specific for those who reject Him, some are specific for those who believe.

All, ALL, of His promises have been or will be fulfilled.

We rejoice that Almighty God has made promises we rely on.

When we praise God that His promises will be realized, those promises include hard times and judgment.

I see in my own life that rejoicing about His judgment is harder than rejoicing about His blessings.

Yet, both judgment and blessing are part of His glorious plan to sanctify us, and to have Jesus Christ reign over all.

I am determined to praise Him no matter what.

He is worthy to be praised. (Psalm 18:3)

God’s Light in a Dark World

The world is increasingly dark. We rejoice that the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that His light shines in the darkness. We rejoice that we, believers, have been rescued from darkness to receive light and life in Him, and to walk in His light.

God is Light and Life

God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life. (John 8:12) 

It is the Spirit who gives life. (John 6:63)

Believers, Christ-followers, are light

He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13)

You are the light of the world.  (Matthew 5:14) 

God gives us light

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105) 

You light my lamp; The Lord my God illumines my darkness.  (Psalm 18:28) 

In Your light we see light.  (Psalm 36:9) 

Children of Light have responsibilities

You are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth).  (Ephesians 5:8–9) 

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) 

Press on!

The darker it gets, the more it matters that we walk as children of light.

Remember we are God’s beloved children, walking in His light and with His resources. 

Press on!

Prepare to Praise!

You may—or may not—be pleased with the election results at federal, state, or local levels.

Either way, praise God!

Determine now to praise Him, He who is worthy of all praise.

God is Sovereign

Remember, God is sovereign over the affairs of men. 

The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. (Daniel 4:25) 

He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’  (Daniel 4:35) 

Determine Now to Praise Him

God told Habakkuk He was bringing the Chaldeans to judge Israel. In advance, Habakkuk reviewed the upcoming invasion and vowed to praise Almighty God in the wake of the disaster.

Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:18) 

If you’re happy with the election outcome, praise God. If you are devastated, praise God.

Aids to Praise 

You might recite one or more of the Psalms that focus on praise, such as Psalm 8, 65, 75, 100, 111, or 146. 

You might pick one or more posts from the two Praise series on this site. (Praise A to Z, Volume 1 and Volume 2).

We are responsible

Now, even more than ever, we have opportunities and responsibilities to honor God. Decide to live as God’s beloved children.

Prayer

Almighty God, You are all-wise, all-holy, all-powerful. We praise You that You are at work in this world, fulfilling Your righteous plan. Help us walk in a manner worthy of You.