The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

We are living in a time of fear, people fear for their life, people fear the governments, people fear authority. One of the reasons people live in this crippling fear is because they dont really have faith in Christ. If you truly believe that Jesus saved your soul and has given you eternal life, then what do you really have to fear?

Jesus said “Dont fear them who can kill the body, fear the one who can destroy the body and soul in Hell “ (Matthew 10:28) What is Jesus saying here? Hes saying anyone can take your physical life, but nobody can destroy your soul except God alone! Yes we have a body and a soul, when you understand that we are more than just matter or molecules in motion, life takes on a deeper meaning

Now I know this is still frightening at the prospect of losing your life, however think about the 1rst century Christians. They were being persecuted, tortured, and killed for their faith on a daily basis, so this message would make great comfort for them. In fact many of them were recorded singing hymns and praising God while they were being burned at the stake or being fed to wild lions. Talk about real faith!

So back to the 21rst century now, the Pandemic doesnt seem so frightening compared to what our brothers and sisters endured during the 1rst century. Our life problems seem very shallow and indulgent , compared to the struggles our brothers and sisters used to have. Keep things in perspective! Jesus defeated the grave!

When you put your full trust in Jesus, the world seems alot smaller. Problems seem smaller, struggles seem smaller, fear seems smaller. Because you serve a big God who can do all thing, trust him and you will be safe in the arms of Jesus, Amen!

Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth. Proverbs 29:3 (NKJV)

When I read this Proverb, its reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son. One thing we see in the Prodigal Son story is we have free will to choose our path. We either choose to love the Father or leave him to live in sin. The Father doesnt force himself on anyone, because he loves us , he allows us to make these choices.

When we choose to repent and return to the Father, it makes all of Heaven rejoice. Understand God doesnt want to let you go, however because He does love you, he will allow you to go whatever path you choose.

We remember from the Prodigal Son story, the Son went and spent his inheritance on prostitutes or harlots, just as it states in this Proverb. But once the temporary satisfaction of sin is gone, he was left with the eternal reality of damnation. He went from once living like a King to now eating with the Pigs. 

However the good news is, because of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we can come back to the Father! Your sin can be forgiven, repent and receive Jesus! Come running back to the Father, and He will greet you with open arms! Amen!

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. Proverbs 28:26

Who do you put your trust in? Do you put your trust in yourself or Jesus? One of humanity’s biggest failures is they believe they can save themselves. This is our first issue, not recognizing our depravity as sinners. Secondly it’s our arrogance in believing there is no higher intelligence than ourselves.

Jesus said “There is Nobody good but God alone” (Mark 10:18) Anyone who believes they don’t need a Savior, is deceiving themselves. The Bible tells us “Anyone who says they have no sin, is a liar , and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8) We need to recognize we are all sinners and this is why the world needs Jesus Christ

That is the good news (the Gospel) that Christ paid the penalty for our sins so we can be reconciled back to the Father. Once you understand this, its puts life into a whole new perspective. Dont deceive yourself into believing your a “good” person and can earn your way into Heaven. You need a Savior, you need Jesus!

The next part is , once you understand that we have a Creator, who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, you realize its foolish to trust in your own heart. Why wouldn’t you turn to your Heavenly Father who is greater than all things?

But often pride strikes us down, even though we know its logical that God exists and we know the state of our depravity. We harden our hearts to reject God , we have become fools. But those who trust in Jesus will be delivered Amen!

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

One of the benefits of the “Church” or having fellowship with other Christians is learning from each other. One thing we should be doing in our Christian Walk is to continually learn more about God and seek Truth. Those who remain stagnant  in their learning, such as reading the Bible or having Bible studies together, you get dull.

The Bible tells us “To always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks” (1 Peter 3:15) Well if your not continually studying your Bible and working out theology in your head, when someone asks a question, you might not be prepared. Has anyone asked you a question about God and you didnt know what to say? This is what “Iron sharpening Iron” is all about, its about seeking truth and staying sharp

Think about sports, when a team goes into a game, what do they do all week? They are practicing plays, studying the playbook, studying film on the other team. Why wouldn’t Christians approach evangelism the same way? If your a Christian, and spend no time studying the Bible, praying, fellowshipping with others, seeking truth, when an Atheist challenges your worldview or position, of course your going to get destroyed, because your not prepared

YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other Social Media sites have become great resources in learning. There are alot of great teachers, ministries, and groups out there that you can learn from. Most importantly study your Bible because that is the source of truth in all things. When having discussions, it becomes pretty obvious  very quickly, whether someone knows their Bible or not.

Of course the second part of 1 Peter 3:15 is to do this with gentleness and respect. When having discussions with other people, its not about winning arguments, its about winning souls for Christ. Listen to people’s positions , even if you don’t agree with them. Then state your position, but give good reason why you hold that view. Remember that Apostle Paul said “If you dont have love, your just a noisy gong” (1 Corinthians 13:1)  Nobody is going to listen to you if you dont treat them with some empathy or respect. 

Jesus said “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32) Set people free by sending them to Christ , Amen!

Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1 (NKJV)

Many of us have great plans for the future, some even plan out their entire life. When we reach a certain age we will do this, and when we reach this age we will do that. However we dont even know if we’ll be here tomorrow. Currently under the world of Sin and Death, tomorrow is not guaranteed. God has never promised you will live 100 years in your mortal body

So when you understand this, this brings a whole new appreciation for life and a new perspective on your daily living. Many of us are so busy planning for the future , that we never live in the present. Many are planning for a future that will never happen. What if we lived everyday with great urgency? What if we lived as if the pages of our story do matter and will be recounted for?

Jesus echoed these words “Dont worry about tomorrow, for today has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34) This has been my daily motto to get through life. Sometimes when we think to far ahead we can get ourselves to overwhelmed. Focus on today, get through the problems of today, enjoy the moments of today, make the most out of today!

Now I know many will say “Yet but what about eternal life in Jesus Christ?” Yes Gods eternal Kingdom is coming and is promised through Jesus Christ. However were stil lstuck in the “Old Earth” right now. We dont have our resurrected bodies yet, so were on limited time currently. The Early Church lived everyday as if Christ was going to return today. Perhaps we could use there insight and zeal, to be better prepared when Christ does return.

Dont let today pass you by without trying to embrace it, without trying to make a difference in someones life, without thanking God that you made it another day! Amen!