Psalm 91 – Who to Trust in Times of Crisis, Worry, and Fear
Christian Response to Corona Virus Panicdemic
For many of us, we are not concerned about what the corona virus will do to us as much as what the panic surrounding the corona virus will do to us. Panic in any herd of animals can be devastating but panic among humans is made worse by the fact that, while animals react instinctively, humans react by “thinking” and “reasoning” which is drastically skewed by their fear and irrationality. And then the toilet paper disappears. When no one within a 50 mile radius of us is sick we feel comforted by knowing that we have toilet paper. The Canaanites had Asherah poles to worship and ward off evil and we have stacks of toilet paper rolls to serve the same purpose. So what is a Christian to do in the face of such fear and irrationality?
1. Trust God
Psalm 56:3 – When I am afraid I will trust in You.
Romans 8:35-39 – Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Peter 5:6-11 – Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Isaiah 26:3 – You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Psalm 94:19 – When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.
Psalm 91 (The Amplified Bible)
1. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].
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- I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!
- For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
- [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.
- You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,
- Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.
- A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.
- Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.
2. Repeat Step 1
Trusting God won’t stop the craziness around us, but it will provide us with peace in the midst of the storm. And in that peace we can help those around us, meeting their needs as God has commanded us. (Titus 3:14) Of course, we must also do the things that we were taught as children concerning good nutrition and hygiene and health practices, but ultimately our lives rest in the hands of God and not our own hands – no matter how often or how well we wash them.
Purim – A Time to Celebrate the Lord’s Deliverance
Happy Birthday, Texas
Religious Fervor
The chilling truth as to why we can’t understand religious extremists.
Click the start arrow on the video or the link below to view the video.
Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate: Only Love Can Do That
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate.
So it goes.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! That exclamation rings with hope for a new year full of new beginnings. There’s a spirit of optimism that things left undone in the old year can be tackled in the new with renewed strength and vitality. There is also the anticipation of new adventures and new horizons to be explored. However, why do we wait until January 1st for a rebirth of all things hopeful. The fact is that God is all about rebirth and restoration. We know that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. Old things have passed away and everything has become new. However, that spirit of newness is not limited to the point at which we were born again. It can be a daily experience if we trust what he has said in Lamentations 3 – His mercies are new every day. That spirit of optimism and hope can be ours on January 1st and every other day of the year – on the day we are reborn into the family of God and on every other day of the year. Great is God’s faithfulness. We will hope in Him today, tomorrow, and the day after that because His mercies are new every day and His steadfast love never ceases.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV)
Baseball – America’s Pastime
Baseball – America’s Pastime
That’s quite a claim in the middle of football season and yet, here we are about to begin the 6th game of the 2019 World Series and the excitement is growing with each outing. (I fully expect tonight’s game to be the final game of this World Series with the Astros “taking back” what they owned just 2 years ago.) Baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie were touted as America’s favorites in a Chevrolet ad campaign in the 70’s. And we all agreed – except for the grumpy Ford owners – that these things represented America. In so many ballparks a new symbol of our country has emerged as the song “God Bless America” has become as common as “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” This practice took hold after 9-11-2001 and has continued to this day. Perhaps, as we watch the Astros win this year’s Series, we could pause to thank God for allowing us to live in a country that gives us such events and we could also pause to ask God to truly Bless America with an outpouring of His Spirit on our nation.
Now . . . . Play Ball!
Life in the Midst of Autumn
Often we feel like Autumn – dying; shedding leaves; cold; dull brown instead of vibrant green with life. In the Autumn periods of life we may question why our Creator is allowing us to wither and die on the vine. God has not abandoned us, but is rather supporting us through this time. He knows that Winter is coming and He is preparing us for the harsh brutality of the next season in our life. Sounds depressing? No! Three reasons come to mind. The first and most obvious is that Spring is coming (after we have endured the cold times) when we will once again enjoy the warm sunshine of His love and His Spirit flowing through our spiritual hearts. The second is that the slow progression of Autumn allows us time to rest gently in His arms before we experience the worst of the trials ahead. And third, there is a beauty in Autumn that always draws us in. We stop and reflect on the changing of the colors and that pause alone – that pause to soak up the richness of the season – that pause alone causes us to look to the One Who created the seasons. We look to One Who provides beauty in each season of life. We look to the One Who walks with us through each season of life knowing that in Him we run, we dance, we play, we sing, we hope and in Him we crawl, we sway, we mourn, we cry, and we even share our deepest despair. May we enjoy the beauty that is Autumn and may we rest safely in the arms of the One Who will surely sustain us in the Autumns of our lives.
From The Back Porch 