That Moment when Faith overcomes Fear

What does it mean to risk everything, believe everything about Jesus? A question and thought that I have pondered at length upon recently. What does it mean to you? And certainly what does it mean to me?

Would you and I be absolutely sure we could risk everything, our reputation, our comfort, laying it all on the line for Jesus - holding nothing back - Nothing! - makes you wonder eh?

It's that very moment when our fear is overcome by our faith, that moment when we, often in a fraction of second have to decide are we willing to risk everything and everyone for Jesus.

Wherever and however it happens for you depends entirely on your own set of circumstances - maybe at a gathering when you are called upon to 'make a stand', when your whole Christian faith is put on the line.

When you are maybe friendless and on your own away from any Christian reinforcement or backing . When you realise that your faith isn't just a belief IN Jesus, but actually your faith is founded entirely in a strong belief in what He said and did.

It's at that moment when your faith is at the crossroads - do you truly believe the words of Jesus and allow them to transform your life and speak out for Him, being prepared to lay it all on the line for Him?

Jesus didn't come to earth that we could 'escape' into our own little igloo of safety. No, God makes us all warriors for Him - He tells us so in Ephesians when we need to put on the whole armour He gives us to counteract the firey darts of Satan. The darts of self-doubt and fear are just two the self-destroying arrows that can wither up our faith in the face of persecution and ridicule.

The very thing that Satan sends to destroy us can be the very things that exists in our every-day lives, our self-respect and reputation.

But once we are aware and our belief in how Jesus actually lived and we embrace Him and His example fully into our lives then Satan's greatest attack can become our faith's greatest advantage.

Once we have truly grasped, through God's amazing grace, and shape our lives around the very truth of Jesus, then our faith explodes in us like a tornado and fear really has no part at all within us.

Paul himself experienced that explosion of faith over fear when he had the Damascus road incident that changed his life forever.

Reading in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, Paul recounts just a few of his experiences where his fear has been overcome by faith - he says that he has 'become a spectacle to the world' more or less like a show in some amphitheatre. He continues when he says "we are looked upon as fools on account of Christ and for His sake."

Paul understood entirely what lay before him - he would be looked down on. His reputation and well-being was certainly on the line and yet he believed entirely what Jesus said and the example that Jesus left us. To count this life as nothing compared to what is ahead of us.

No one said pursuing our calling and walking with Jesus would be easy. Not one time has God promised us an easy ride through our walk with Him. We are called to stand up for Jesus no matter the cost to us personally.

So where does that leave us in this world when we are told over and over again "Don't say anything about Jesus - you may offend someone" - Our answer should be "stand and be heard in the name of Jesus - don't let anything silence you"

We mustn't be and we can't be intimidated by evil in any guise. We are swamped with 'political correctness' in today's world but we can't be thwarted by this or any other disguise that is thrown our way.

We must stand up for Jesus - even in the small things - maybe even in the saying of grace before a meal, the mentioning of Jesus and what He has done for us at every opportunity and letting people know that God is alive and loves them.

In Jesus we should and can and must be bold and unafraid - that is exactly what He needs from us - we need to proclaim the truth of Jesus everywhere and every way we can. Proverbs 28:1 says "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion"

I was reading recently of the story behind the hymn "Stand up for Jesus" which was written by George Duffield in 1858.

Shortly after preaching at a hugely successful mission in Philadelphia, the evangelist and abolitionist Dudley Atkins Tyng visited a barn on his farm. Stretching out his hand to pat a mule that was working a machine shelling corn, his sleeve caught in the cogs and tore off his arm.

Hours later he was discovered, slowly bleeding to death. In his last moments, he whispered to George Duffield "Tell them to stand up for Jesus."

You know the message hasn't changed for us - we need to stand up for Jesus no matter the cost, be it our reputation, our job, even maybe our family.

This is something that I have personally been convicted about so much recently. How am I at REALLY standing up for Jesus. Am I prepared to give everything for Him?  Are you?

Lord: give me a love for others

Even when things look their blackest, when others forsake and things go pear-shaped in your life we have an answer, we have a rock and we have a fear-defeating spirit we can tap into at any time.

That blows me away when I think of that - it really does!

I think back on my own life and family and some of the worst times in my life and how I have survived and been blessed by God. True! it often hasn't been a bed of roses, life has been hard and even cruel, tragic and tearful and yet here I am praising God for even those terrible times.

Probably one of the hardest things to overcome is the death of a child or spouse - The closest I have come to that horror is the death of my little sister at just one year old.

It had such a tragic effect on my Mum and Dad and to the day they died they never forgot her and we all grew up knowing that a tragedy of immense proportions had happened to our family.

We were reading just today in Psalm 49 of how death finds everyone no one is exempt and no matter how may riches we may have, they will not mean a thing when it comes to that final day. All our riches, family, friends and accumulated 'things' won't actually mean a thing.

Another loss that I guess we all have felt is when family or friends forsake us for no apparent reason. We go through the same universal stages of grief that we experience when someone dies.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book "On Death and Dying" asserted that there were five stages of loss and grief. Now whether you believe her or not at least the first two stages are worth looking at, for I feel we can all learn something from her finding that can help us in our Christian walk.

First we have DENIAL - "They haven't left us - they will be back" symptoms. Often we are unable to take it in. This happened to me with our immediate family - it was a slow but distinct withdrawal of affections - a very cooling attitude at first then nothing.

This person didn't physically leave, they are still around. Sometimes I feel it would have been better for me to cope if they had left altogether, but they changed in their attitude and nature, isolating all around them, except their own family and pushing everyone else to the edge.

Then we have the ANGER stage and probably this stage is the one I want to spend a little time with. Anger with the person for leaving us or changing toward us is unfortunately normal and one where we are completely at odds with our Lord.

Anger needs to be replaced with love. A love far beyond our feeble minds to grasp and yet it's recorded in the Bible just how much Jesus loves us and He calls us to love as He does.

When I read that I found that impossible to take in. Love like Jesus does? I couldn't and I wouldn't.

I was content with my anger - it smothered my hurt and transferred it to the person that had pulled away from me - I was happy being the angry one - after all I had cause to be.

I struggled with their leaving me - I struggled with their absence of affection that friends and relatives share and I struggled with God when I have been prompted to try to make it right.

That's when the Holy Spirit convicts of things that are wrong in our life. I really didn't know what to do or how to react in this circumstance, all I knew I was overcome with emotion and yes! anger.

That's when I prayed "Lord: Give me a love for others."

We may not ever understand why these things happen to us - Why we are left when our child dies or why we lose our spouse or best friend. We may never understand why our friends or relatives pull away from us and become cold and distant.

Often after praying, the answer that seems to come back to me more that anything is "I don't want you to know WHY - I just want you to walk by faith and keep trusting me after all my grace is sufficient for you."

So here we are left with a plea to the Lord: "Please give me a love for others."

I have proven it over and over, A love the same as Jesus had? Impossible? I would have thought so but God has proven to me that we can indeed love as He does and He is so willing to move that love to us. An amazing gift and one where we can share with others.

God bless you this week as you come to terms with a love that passes our very understanding. A love so deep and true that enables us to love the unlovely things that happen to us. A love that crosses the boundaries of separation and abandonment.

Striding out with Jesus

Ever had a really good look at God - I mean a really good look?

He is the Architect of the universe!  Leaders of our world can never explain Him - they can't ignore Him  - there have been heaps of people trying to explain Him away but do you know what? - they can't do it and they never will.

He is the LORD and His ways are right - He is our God and His way is perfect.

I worship this God.  WHY? because when I am weak He is strong, When I fall He picks me up. When I cry He wipes my tears. When I am lonely He is my friend . When I am angry He holds my hand and sees me though it. When I fail Him, which in my life happens ALL THE TIME, He forgives and not only forgives He forgets.

How amazing is this God - this Holy one, this amazing and awesome creator of the universe.

None can fathom Him, none can explain Him away, none can explain how when I am so afraid and worried for the future He is my courage and boldness.

None can explain how I, a total wreck of a human being, can be so mercifully and miraculously saved from myself to be able to stride out purposefully with Him.

None can explain how my nervous and introverted nature can suddenly become bold enough to loudly extol His name and virtues to all I meet regardless of the consequences.

None can explain how God in his wisdom made this wimp into a warrior None can explain because I can't explain it myself.

All I know is that He did  and He did it with me - probably THE lowest and greatest sinner - I am gobsmacked by His mercy and grace.

None can explain to me how my broken spirit and life suddenly became mended with Him - How He found me buried deep in sin and wallowing in it happily and brought me to Himself, cleaned me and set me upon a pedestal of His making and made me clean in Him.

My mind just boggles when I think of what He has done for me- how through persecution and trials He is with me constantly holding my hand reinforcing His love and grace to me over and over again.

He shields and comforts me during troubles and trials, persecution and strife. No other friend can do what Jesus does - He died for me - for me the wicked and lowly, even though I mocked and scorned His name just like those who tortured and crucified Him.

Yes! How amazing is our God - I know that when I face death in the face He will be there to carry me home - I just know it - nothing can take that away from me.

His braveness, His boldness, His motivation  and His drive have indwelt my life and so often when I fail Him, worrying about trivia, I still know that God is my God who lives and loves for ever and ever.

To me Jesus is the first and last - the Alpha and Omega - the beginning and the end - nothing can or ever will replace God in this puny life of mine here on earth because I know when I meet Him face to face my whole eternity will be bound up and wound up in Him - a wimp into a warrior - an amazing and unexplained life in Christ.

So what do YOU really think of Christ? - Where are you RIGHT now in your relationship with God? Who is your God and who are you serving right at his minute?

When you cast your mind over what He went though while He was here on earth, no mind can ever really take it in.

He was ridiculed yet rose above it, He was deserted by all and yet stayed faithful to God, He was punched and slapped by holier than though hypocrites but never once said a word, He was scourged and flogged, broken and smashed yet carried that cross for you and me.

Can you explain such love? I can't - He rose again through the very love and grace that paid the penalty for my sin and yours. His very persecution and death brought power and reigns to bring that power and peace to this broken and rebellious world.

One day He WILL come back, One day He will reign supreme, one day EVERY knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord

Regardless of how many times people try to explain Him away - He is still here He is still King and one day every person who has ever lived will confess that He is Lord.

Let's purposefully today commit our lives to stride out with Him - Commit your life to Him and I can guarantee you will never be the same again - your life will change dramatically.

If He can change me He can certainly change you - God bless you as you stride out purposefully with Him today.