Word for Today, Thu, 06 May 2004: No Need to fear
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
Many people become fearful, almost to the point of paralysis
simply because they are not sure of the unknown - what is there,
what will happen. The Bible frequently reminds us that there is
no need to either worry or fear. Jesus reminds us in Matthew and
elsewhere that God provides for the flowers of the fields and the
birds of the air, and most certainly provides for us. The
apostle Paul reminds us that we don't even have to fear death
because we can be sure we will die, but we can be equally sure
that the power of death has been removed - at least if you have
accepted God's free gift of forgiveness and salvation which Jesus
Christ Himself secured for anyone who will surrender to His will.
Do you believe this? If so, then you are a child of God and this
message is for you. If you don't know for sure, then why don't
you become sure? Don't trust in things you can't be sure of,
trust in the only trustworthy thing there is, the truth of God.
Don't even trust me, test it out and make sure I'm telling you
the truth - I am, for I can personally attest to being free of
paralyzing fear. I know whose I am - I belong to Jesus Christ.
You can be equally sure, for all that's required is to accept Him
and believe. It's a gift, nothing else is required, but the gift
must be accepted. If you accept and believe that Jesus is the
Christ and that He came to live among us as God's Son to seek and
save the lost (that's you and me), then let go of those fears and
relax, you have the assurance of salvation.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
Read Proverbs 31 to find out what the Bible says about the
importance of mothers and their role in the home.
____________________________________________________________
NEIL ANDERSON'S DAILY IN CHRIST
from Freedom in Christ Ministries
May 6
FREE FROM THE FEAR OF DEATH
O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
(1 Corinthians 15:55).
Most phobias can be reduced to a fear of man or death. Death
looms over many as the ultimate fear-object. The fact that death
is imminent is clearly established in Scripture: "It is appointed
for men to die once and after this comes judgment" (Hebrews
9:27).
But Christians need not fear death. Jesus removed death as a
legitimate fear-object by taking away its power when He died for
our sins. Jesus Himself said, "I am the resurrection and the
life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and
everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John
11:25, 26). Even though we will eventually die physically, we
will continue to live spiritually.
Every child of God is spiritually alive, and even physical death
cannot separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38). Paul says,
"For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians
1:21). Why? When we physically die, we will receive a resurrected
body and be far better off than we are today. Try putting
something else into Paul's formula; for instance, "For me to live
is success." Then to die would be what? Loss! "For me to live is
a good physical body." Again, to die would be loss.
I often ask people, "What is the worst thing that could happen to
you?" "Well, I could die," they answer. To which I respond, "Then
you have nothing to fear, since the Bible says death may be the
best thing that could happen to you!" The ultimate value is not
physical life but spiritual life. If our life is hidden in
Christ, then we won't suffer loss when we physically die. We can
only gain. We can say confidently with Paul, "O death, where is
your sting?" The person who is free from the fear of death is
free to live today.
Thank You, Lord, that You have freed me to live fully in the here
and now. I leave the time of my departure in Your hands.
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--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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