I guess putting on a brave face and holding everything in only works for so long. Eventually, the body receives the signal from the brain that things are very very wrong and stress takes its toll.
That’s where I am right now.
This is not going to be an “Everything is going to be fine” article. This is not going to be filled with Scripture that calms our nerves, although we should be reading our Bibles throughout the day.
This is simply going to be a piece on the need for us to pray for one another, and pray hard. Many of the brethren are depressed. Many feel helpless and hopeless at times. We know that God tells us not to feel this way. But we are in this flesh which wars against the Spirit.
Remember when Paul said this:
I’m using the New Living Translation of God’s Word here
Struggling with Sin
“So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
“I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin” (Romans 7: 14-25).
Not in our Glorified Bodies Yet
When we are faced with the unknown and stressed to the max; we so want to be strong and say that everything is going to be okay. We think of all of the ways that we can show our unbelieving family how we are strong because we are Christians.
The Gospel Which Saves Is Most Important
We don’t know what is going on in the minds of those who have no hope. We have hope and yet we are still battling anxiety and stress. What better time to ask the unbeliever if they are going to heaven when they die.
So, they may look at you as if you are crazy. Remember that this person’s eternal home lies in the balance. They may not know it, but you do. What do you have to lose? If you say nothing, the lost person has everything to lose.
You may be the only person who ever took the time to share Christ with this lost person. Have you ever thought about that? We have to lose the fear of rejection and tell people the truth. We have truth – God has given us truth from His word.
That is the main reason we need to Pray for one another
Brethren, we must pray for one another. We must be praying for our lost friends and family. We must be praying for God’s will to be done.
Prayer is so powerful.
People write emails to me about my articles and most of these emails end with “We are praying for you because we know that you are a target for the enemy.” I write back to these people and tell them how much I appreciate and covet those prayers.
From christianpost.com
As Philippians 4:6,7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Yes, those who follow that comforting admonition from Scripture will surely experience all the provision of God that is needed to face COVID-19 or any other troublesome issue that will come upon us in life.
Remember the words of the old hymn written by Civilla D. Martin that says:
“Be not dismayed what-e’re be-tide, God will take care of you.
Beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you.
“Through days of toil when heart does fail, God will take care of you.
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.
“All you may need he will provide, God will take care of you.
Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.”
Shalom b’Yeshua
MARANATHA!!
Reblogged this on El Noticiero de Alvarez Galloso.
IF you are a disciple of the Christ, God’s son, then Jehovah God WILL take care of you. But if you’re NOT one of Jesus’ disciples, then God, Jesus’ father, sees you as His enemy and He doesn’t take care of His enemies. He will destroy all of them in the final battle at the end of the tribulation which is just about to begin.
The words of a battle tested warrior…
We all must suffer for the Gospel of life. Jesus promised this to us. However we have the HOPE (assured expectation) of life eternal, no more pain, no more anxiety, and no more tears.
As for struggling with sin.. I’m glad all other believers struggle with sin. Because if they didn’t then there would be something wrong with me… Because I sure do much like Paul said in Romans 7..
The biggest spiritual battlefield is the one 3 inches behind our eyes.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:12-14
Keep in the fight, it’s time to take that hill!
Brian
For the life of me I cannot understand why ANYONE has any anxiety at all, when God offers to REMOVE permanently, all anxiety from us. See: Phillipians 4:5-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
It’s an exhortation not to be an anxious. Where does it say he will REMOVE permanently all anxiety? I’m not saying “No” you’re wrong, I’m saying yes, and…
I’m as cool as a customer when it comes to anxiety, for the most part. Certainly not over news and current events, as those normally don’t phase me. My Wife is a bit different and gets her share of angst over the news. She’s as TRUE and secure believer as there is and I do my part to cover her from the anxiety. And there are good reasons she reacts to things differently than I do.
Brother, only God knows the hearts of others and what they’ve been through. I would suggest to not berate brethren that are weaker than you in certain areas. It’s best to nurture and build them up. Again, I’m not saying you are wrong in substance, just delivery
Shalom,
Brian
Phil.4 is such a wonderful passage for anxiety. But, the struggle in Rom.7 is a completely different issue. It was caused by their idolatry to the law(works righteousness), while at the same time they wanted to live by faith in Jesus without works(faith righteousness). The first 4 verses in the chapter sets up the whole message Paul was conveying to them.
Paul plainly says he is writing to Israelites “who know the law”. Rom.7:1. It was not written to Gentiles because we have never been in that covenant. Eph.2:12. Gentiles have never been accountable to God for keeping the law. And we have never been counted Biblically as being among those “who know the law”.
So Rom.7:18 is addressing the sin the Israelites who continued to trust in the law were guilty of. Idolatry of the law. They were known as the circumcision. Paul spoke earlier of these in Rom.2:25-29. This is the sin in the flesh Paul was speaking of that was literally in their flesh. Because they believed that circumcision and keeping the law(works) made them right with God. But, Paul was telling them that being right with God only comes through faith in Jesus as Messiah without works. And until they trusted fully in Jesus and were dead to the law(vs.4) they would struggle between trusting in what Paul called the sin that was in their members and in their flesh(circumcision, works). And faith without works in Jesus as Paul was teaching them.
So he said “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” He is saying here that when they were keeping the law for righteousness it brought forth fruit unto death. And that this is why they must “become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”
So by appealing to this passage as you do you are mistaking bad behavior as the sin Paul is referring to. But, Paul is talking about idolatry here. It was their trust in circumcision and the keeping of the law for righteousness which made the law an idol to them. And made them idolaters. This is why Paul concludes by saying that they could only be delivered from this “law of sin and death”, the law of Moses, by the “Spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus”. Rom.8:1,2.
Even so… Maranatha!!
FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD.
Amen! I too struggle with the same things .however in the end,I know it’s all good !!
Reblogged this on My Logos Word.
Your CENSORSHIP (as found in COMMUNIST countries) is getting VERY OLD! What are you so scared of? It is as though any comments that do not agree with your world view are something for you to be SCARED of. Or is it that Satan doesn’t want comments such as mine to be read by people because he doesn’t want to see any truth posted anywhere. That goes against his purposes. So you’re either scared, a communist, or working for Satan. WHICH IS IT???
I’m a child of God. Blood bought and born again destined for eternity in heaven with my Lord Jesus. Who and what are YOU?
One of Jehovah God’s ministers.
Geri;
Please, quote all the scriptures that cause you to believe you will ever be in heaven, and the ones that show that you are annointed with God’s holy spirit. I am very curious.
A blessed post and blessed song of worship, thanks