A Biblical Perspective on Fear

Is it a bad thing to have fear? Is it proper to have fear? Look for a moment at the following verses in Psalm 112.

Psalm 112:1, 7
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

Notice that this whole psalm is speaking of a person who fears the Lord. Then, notice how v. 7 gives us one of the life results of the person who fears the Lord: he is not afraid of evil tidings or bad news.

Fear is proper when directed toward God. The point this psalm is making is that if an individual is going to receive God’s benefits, he must live with a proper reverence and awe of Him. It is important, therefore, to constantly marvel at the attributes and works of God. Praise God for them in your prayer life. Meditate upon them throughout the day. Proper fear of God can only result from proper thoughts about God and much time spent meditating upon Him as a person.

One of the benefits for the individual who fears God is that he/she is then able to stop fearing the stuff of life that could happen. Sometimes, Christians are very pessimistic, almost expecting bad news to come. It is like we are afraid that somehow, in order to experience a dynamic Christian life, something terrible has to happen like it did to many of the great men and women of the Bible. Other times, we are simply paranoid about the future. We fear a substantial loss of money, or an accident, or a family crisis, or a health issue, etc. Instead of seeking first Christ’s kingdom and letting Him concern Himself with the rest of our lives (Matthew 6:33), we seek first our kingdom.

The message I gleaned from these two verses in this psalm is that if I find myself fearing bad news, I am not properly fearing God. I am not meditating upon Him enough. I am not depending upon Him. We should ask God to help us fear Him, and then trust Him to take care of the things that we might be tempted to fear.

Establish My Works

In reading through the psalms the last few days, I came across this prayer of Moses:

Psalm 90:17
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

This verse warrants careful observation. It contains the words of a man who fought and fought God's will at the burning bush because, in his pride, he felt he was not able to obey (Exodus 4:10-18). Yet, God used him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt en route to the Promise Land.

On the other hand, Moses was also the one who, in pride, hit the rock when God told him to speak to the rock (Numbers 20:7-12). Because of that, Moses would never actually enter the Promise Land himself.

This psalm may have been written before Moses struck the rock. Nevertheless, his words here contrasted with his actions in the two instances noted above make an important point: man is unable to accomplish anything of any lasting value for the Lord unless God Himself "establishes" that work. In other words, the works we do for Christ mean absolutely nothing without God giving them value. Moses could try to avoid God’s will or change God’s will, but God would have none of it. Moses needed to be in God’s will and submitted to it in order to have God’s power on his life. Just as dynamite has no power until it is touched by the flame, so we have no power unless the flame of God touches upon our lives and works and makes them powerful for Him. And then, things will be as they should be, and He gets all the glory, not us. We must quit trying to live a successful Christian life by ourselves, because our flesh and judgment are often weak.

May my prayer be today, "Lord, establish my works!"

Please pray for me

Hey everybody, i would really really REALLY appreciate your prayer right now. My life is really coming under spritual attack right now, so please pray that i would stay strong and fight the good fight. Satan busted out some heavy stuff today and i came under attack like i never have before. I will not give in to it, but i need your prayer! Thanks you.
Dan

Forgive others

Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking,be put away from you, with all malice:And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Just think about those verses. When someone does something to you and hurts you we are to forgive them. We are to love them and forgive them just as God forgives us everytime we do something wrong against Him. Don't stay mad at them and hold a grudge against them. You can't grow in Christ when you are bitter at someone. Also if you dont forgive others God wont forgive you.


Matthew 6: 14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

College

I’d like to ask you to please pray for me this semester while I’m away at college. Please pray I’d do well in my classes and have fun, but most importantly that I’d trust God while I’m there rest and rely on Him for my strength. I know college is going to be really busy and I want to make sure I keep God first.

I’m so thankful for all the promises of God and who He is. Something I’ve been reminded of a lot this year is to know God, and how knowing Him brings so much peace. If I am truly focused on God and resting in Him, I can’t be worried at the same time. God promises so much to me! He is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower (read Psalm 18 for more). He says to me, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” I'm glad I have the privilege to serve such an amazing God!

-Rachel :)

Press toward the mark

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We need to do what that verse says. We need to leave those things which are behind us. Even if we have fallen 7 times we need to just get right back up again and reach for the prize. Isn't it great that God is merciful and forgives us!

Psalms 26:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Psalms 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Jesus is my Best Friend

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. John 15:13-15

…A friend of publicans and sinners! Luke 7:34b

Jesus is my best-friend! He was a friend of sinners like me, and He died on the cross so that my sins could be forgiven! I have some great friends, and I am very thankful for them, but they can’t always be there when I need them. I am so glad that Jesus promises never to leave me or forsake me. He will always be there with me no matter what is going on! I can cast all my cares on Him, because He cares for me! Jesus is a friend who is always the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Other friends will let me down, but not Jesus…He will never be fair-weather. I praise Jesus for the friend that He is to me!

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

- Rachel

Prayer Request Update

This is what Miss Heidi said about the accident

Hey, Praise God no one was killed or anything like that. There is no life threatening injuries. Some people have to stay in the hospital overnight so they can keep an eye on them. Keep praying. The ones that are still in the hospital are Josh Ledgerwood, Lydia, Audrey Merrick, and Michelle Sekuras. They are injured.

And then this is what Miss Kat said:

Thank you for praying for them. Everyone is okay, just bruised a little. Audrey Merrick broke her pelvis in 3 places, but she will be alright after a few months and some physical therapy. Continue to pray for all of them as they heal and for the people working at camp. The accident has become a distraction to many of us and we have another week of camp to focus on.

Be thankful

I want to encourage you all to be thankful for what God has given you.

At Ironwood I was sitting by the big tree early in the morning waiting for everyone to come to go to the prayer chapel. No one was there yet. I sat there looking around and thinking. I was thinking.... God made everything is this world for us and it all is good. Isn't that great! God made everything for US! HE spent His time for us and sent His only Son to die on the cross for us and you know most of the time we don't even care! We go through our day not caring about anything , anybody but ourselves! We cant even hand out a track to the person standing next to us at work or at the grocery store. Its because WE DON'T CARE! You know what else.... we always want more things. There are people around the world that have much much less than us and they are happy for what they have. But no we have all this stuff and we want more!!! We have eternal life through Jesus Christ. That should be enough! So before you go through your day caring just about yourself or wanting that big screen TV think about what God did for us and what He gave us. This time do something for God. He has done everything for us... I think we can do some things for Him.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Wonderfully Made

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” ~ Psalm 139:14

“And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” ~ Genesis 1:31a

God created each of us exactly how He wants us to be! It’s so easy to be discontent or complain about how we’ve been made, whether it’s something insignificant we don’t like, for example our hair, teeth, or our noses, or whether there truly is something big that is “wrong” with us. However, God didn’t make a single mistake, and it’s sin to complain about how we’ve been created.

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” ~ Proverbs 31:30

“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; but I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

Praise God for how you’ve been made, and focus on what He is most concerned about – your heart!

~ Rachel

God Makes No Mistakes

This is something I have been thinking about lately, God makes no mistakes. Isn't that a great thought?! God does everything for a reason wether good or bad, and He has a purpose for doing it wether we know why or not. He knows what is ahead of us. So we need to not question what God does or is telling us to do. We need to just trust and obey Him and He will take care of us.

Psalms 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Keep it up

Hey everybody,
I just wanted to challenge all you guys (and gals) who went on the Mexico trip to continue to do the all the stuff you did down there. The same God who blessed and worked down in Mexico can do the exact thing up here. A couple of years ago Pastor Scott challenge all of the youth group to stay faithful to God and stay humble before Him and let Him use us, that year we saw over 40 people saved at one activity. God can do that again and He can do it with you. Don't let everything stop just because your back at home and not someplace foreign. Grab some tracks, go knock on some doors, serve whenever you can, don't stop the work that God started in your lives down in Mexico. Remain faithful and let God use you, share what God has taught you and be willing to be used.

P.s. on a less serious note sorry for any misspelled words up there, I'm a terrible speller :)

May it be my desire to be humble,
Dan

Please Pray for Ironwood!

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

I'm writing to ask you to pray for camp! Pray for safety and a lot of fun. Pray for unity as a youth group and that we would all have a good spirit. Most importantly, pray that God would change lives! Pray that He would save people. Pray for people individually who you know are going to camp. Ask God to search your own heart and show you areas you need to change. Pray that God would make us soft towards spiritual things, and that we would be willing to grow. Pray that as a youth group we would see Christ, that we would be excited about living a life that is holy and useable for Him!

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. - II Chronicles 7:14

But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. -Isaiah 66:2b

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. - Isaiah 57:15

Serving God is Exciting!

I had an incredible time in Mexico! God taught me so much and gave me a new perspective on so many things. I was looking foward to the trip for such a long time and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to go!

The believers in Mexico were so full of enthusiasm and joy. You could tell they were passionate about serving the Lord. It was so exciting to fellowship with the believers there. Even though we live in different countries and speak different languages, we serve the same God.

It was convicting to me to see how much they witnessed and shared their faith. They were not timid or bold, but excited to share the gospel with others.

The preaching during the week was also very good. One thing in particular that I was reminded of was to serve God no matter what – even if it is difficult, or if you don’t have much. The people in Mexico didn’t have all of the nice things that we do, and their church buildings weren’t very nice, and their hymnals were falling apart. It is easy to go on a trip like this for a week and when you are with your friends be all pumped up about serving God in an out of the way village in a church with a dirt floor, but I was thinking about the fact that if you were there as a missionary for years and years, without your friends to talk to, it would lose the glamour. I was reminded though that Christ will always give me the strength that I need to do His will, and there is true joy in serving God no matter how much or how little I have. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can to all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:11-13

- Rachel :)

Amazing Thought

I Peter 1:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

I have a challenge for you guys. It's been on my mind since the half-way party for Scripture Scholarship, but I've only just now have it coherent to blog. So here goes.

I, like most of the rest of you, am a second, or even third-generation Christian. My parents are Christians and my living grandma goes to church. So, I grew up hearing about how Jesus died on the cross for me. But it was never real. I knew it in my head, but it didn't mean much. Then, in Scripture Scholarship I memorized that verse and it really stuck out. Jesus-the Perfect Son of God- died an agonizing death for me! I can't believe it. I know the wickedness of my heart and the thought that a perfect God loved me enough to die for me blows my mind away. It's amazing. And since we have that knowledge, why aren't we telling people about it? Anyway, that's my testimony. I hope God uses it.
In His Hands,
Kayla

MEXICO

Hi everyone! We are back from Mexico now!! Thanks for praying for us.

Well Mexico was GREAT! I LOVE it there. My favorite part was probably passing out tracks and John/Roman Bibles. The people there were so kind and nice. If you gave them a track they didn't just throw it away they took and started reading it and said thank you. When you give someone a track here in the US they usually dont really care and dont want it or take it and just throw it away. BUt it was great to see everyone reading the things you just gave them. The first night we got there we invited people to a youth rally and we also gave them John/Romans. And when we were walking around you saw people everywhere reading what we just gave them it was so great! Another thing i liked was how the people at church are so welcoming and kind. We would go to church and they would shake our hand and talk to us as though they have known us for awhile. What really hit me was at most of the churches we went to there wasnt any air conditioning. All they had we a couple of fans or nothing. And what amazed me was the people didnt care the still went to church every time and served God no matter what. Another thing was when we went out passing out things people were usually in their yard as a family talking and stuff. I think that is great because you can get so close to your family and spend so much time with them. They werent consumed with TV and Internet or games they were happy with what they had. I think thats amazing.

Well I want to encourage you all to just think how blessed you are by God. Some of you might be thinking that must be terrible that most of them dont have air or tv or games but you know I think thats a good thing. Because most of all that stuff is just destracting us from serving God. So think about what you have and how much time you are spending time with it. Serving God is the best thing ever!

Joyfulness

Rejoice always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:18

I don’t usually study my Bible topically, but a few days ago I decided to study the topic of joy. I went to look up verses on “joy” and “rejoicing”, and I was amazed at how many there were…over 400! (Bible Gateway makes topical searches very easy!) Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It should be continually increasing in my life as I grow in my sanctification.

Joy isn’t just a nice feeling when everything is going perfectly. Many people in the New Testament, like Paul, rejoiced even when things were extremely difficult. True joy is not fleeting, but is based on what I know to be true about Christ and His word. I can have joy because no matter what is happening, as a Christian, I have a different, eternal perspective. I have a personal relationship with the One who knows and is in control of all things!

What keeps us from having joy? Sin is one of them. David prayed in Psalm 51 that God would restore unto him the joy of His salvation. We can’t be joyful if our lives are full of sin. We also won’t be joyful if we aren’t spending time reading the Bible…God’s Word is a source of joy! Jeremiah 15:16 – Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.

There is joy in serving Jesus
Joy amid the darkest night
For I've learned the wondrous secret
And I'm walking in the light

There is joy, joy
Joy in serving Jesus
Joy that throbs within my heart
Every moment, every hour
As I draw upon His power
There is joy, joy
Joy that never shall depart

* Rachel *

I'm Saved!

I just started reading though Ephesians, and every time I read chapter 1 (I’d encourage you to read it), it just amazes me to be reminded of all Christ has done for me! I was chosen before the foundation of the world! I’m adopted! I’m accepted in the beloved! I am redeemed through the blood of Christ – my sins are forgiven! I have an inheritance! I have been given the Holy Spirit!

Do these things get me excited? I have to admit that they don’t always get me as excited as they should. I need to pray like Paul did at the end of chapter 1 that I would be illuminated to see spiritual truths. “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened: that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according o the working of his might power.”

My salvation is so amazing! I was dead in my sins, but now I am alive through Christ. My salvation is a gift from God. Christ died for my sins! Christ’s righteousness has been made mine! I pray that God would get me, and our entire youth group to see what we have in Christ – that we would rejoice in our salvation!

And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

~ Rachel

Favorite Verses?

I think that it would be cool if we had more posts on the blog with discussion. So, just to start out, what are some of your favorite Bible verses, and why? Just leave a comment with your answer - I think it will be neat to hear what everyone has to say. Also, if you've never posted on the blog before, this would be the perfect time to start! :)

- Rachel

Seeing Jesus

On the senior trip, Pastor Schaal read to us every night from a book called, “We Would See Jesus.” While I was on the trip and now as I’m reading back over it, I have been reminded of the importance of seeing God, and of having Him be my complete focus. I need to remember that my purpose is to know God, to love and glorify Him…to see Him! I need to make sure my focus is right, and that I am not allowing other things to distract me from seeing Him.

One specific area I had never thought much about before was how service for God can actually be a distraction to seeing Him. I am going to quote from the book because it says it better than I can, “To concentrate on service and activity for God may often actively thwart our attaining the true goal, God Himself. At first sight is seems heroic to fling our lives away in the service of God and of our fellows. We feel it is bound to mean more to Him than our experience of Him. Service seems to unselfish, whereas concentrating on our walk with God seems selfish and self-centered. But it is the very reverse. The things that God is most concerned about are our coldness of hearts towards Him and our proud, unbroken natures. Christian service of itself can, and often does, leave our self-centered nature untouched.”

While serving God is, of course, important, I can’t let service or anything else become more important than God Himself and my relationship with Him! The only thing I should glory in is that I know God! This takes time and effort…I need to take the time to spend in prayer, and in God’s word getting to know Him better and praying for Him to show me Jesus.

“Thus saith the LORD, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24

~ Rachel