Posted on 12/03/2001 1:19:02 PM PST by RnMomof7
Reasons Believers in Christ Need Not to Be Afraid
November 27, 2001
John Piper
We will not die apart from God’s gracious decree for his children.
James 4:14-15, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
Matthew 10:29-30, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.” (See Job 1:21;1 Samuel 2:6; 2 Kings 5:7)
Curses and divination do not hold sway against God’s people.
Numbers 23:23, “There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel.”
The plans of terrorists and hostile nations do not succeed apart from our gracious God.
Psalm 33:10, “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.”
Isaiah 8:9-10, “Take counsel together [you peoples], but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.” (See 2 Samuel 7:14; Nehemiah 4:15)
Man cannot harm us beyond God’s gracious will for us.
Psalm 118:6, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 56:11, “In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
God promises to protect his own from all that is not finally good for them.
Psalm 91:14, “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.”
God promises to give us all we need to obey, enjoy, and honor him forever.
Matthew 6:31, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
God is never taken off guard.
Psalm 121:4, “Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
God will be with us, help us, and uphold us in trouble.
Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:13, “For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’”
Terrors will come, some of us will die, but not a hair of our heads will perish.
Luke 21:10-11, 18, “Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘. . . there will be terrors (!) and great signs from heaven. . . . and some of you they will put to death. . . . But not a hair of your head will perish.’”
Nothing befalls God’s own but in its appointed hour.
John 7:30, “So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” (See John 8:20; 10:18)
When God Almighty is your helper, none can harm you beyond what he decrees.
Hebrews 13:6, “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”
Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
God’s faithfulness is based on the firm value of his name, not the fickle measure of our obedience.
1 Samuel 12:20-22, “And Samuel said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. . . . For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake.’”
The Lord, our protector, is great and awesome.
Nehemiah 4:14, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.”
Trusting firm promises with you in fragile times,
Pastor John
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So I thought it would be good to take courage in the word of God and His promises to us.
May God bless the reading of His word!
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.
21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Mt 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mt 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Joh 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear* my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
8085. *shama`Ps 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.shama` shaw-mah'
a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of
attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):--X
attentively, call (gather) together, X carefully, X certainly,
consent, consider, be content, declare, X diligently, discern, give
ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen,
make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a)
proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a)
sound, X surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
Hard words that cause the chaff to blow away and the tares to be exposed. Only the power of God will be able to preserve the saints. A verse for very sober consideration (THE reason why I hope the pre-Trib group is right):
And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.And people wonder why my flesh trembles for fear of the Lord.
Psalm 119:38 Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You.
Looks like thats the key. That was the gospel in the OT, thats the gospel now, and that will be the basis of the salvation in the future. A healthy reverence for God. Not terror-- for indeed, because of the work of Christ, we are secure-- but reverence.
Very likely has begun Woody...read some of the FR posts..the wheat and the chaff are already being seperated
Isaiah 45:23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.
Romans 14:11 For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."
Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
Those that refuse to bow now had best fear the wrath of a Holy God..they will bow later..
People should consider that the Word is meant to divide:
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to "set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and "a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'
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