Fear has gripped mankind like a mass epidemic. Failures of the past, problems today and the uncertainties of the future, all bring fears inside us.
One man’s fear may not be another mans’; meaning, the fear of one who has fallen into a furnace of fire is blazing fire and the fear of one who has fallen into a lion’s den are lions. Perhaps one who has fallen into the fiery furnace may not understand the difficulties of the one fallen into the lion’s den. He may thus say,” That’s nothing so painful, look at my condition.” People near and dear to you may not understand the fear or problems that are troubling you. They may ridicule you, but remember Jesus loves you and He wants to deliver you from the fears and worries that are destroying your life today.
Many of the prominent characters in the Word of God, the Holy Bible had fears in their hearts because of the problematic circumstances in their lives. Abram, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua and Gideon in the Old Testament and Joseph, Mary, Peter, Paul and John in the New Testament were fearful because of certain difficulties that they faced. Though the circumstances bringing fear in each of their lives were very different, God’s promise to all were the same-”Do not fear, I am with you.”
Is there fear in your heart today? Are you troubled because of trying situations in your life?
God’s promise to you is the same, as it was to them- -“Do not fear, I am with you.”
Jesus Christ loves each one of us so He wants to give us the peace that passes all understanding. He wants to comfort us in our painful circumstances. He says,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”(John14:27)
We can perhaps say that a new born child does not have any fears. He cries when he has a need and when that need is met, becomes quiet. But different fears begin to take shape in this child when he grows in wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Many circumstances in life bring bodily pain, weakness, despair and mental agony. This in turn brings about several fears in our life. When these fears begin to control our mind, we become weak bodily and mentally.
What then is the remedy to these fears that threaten to destroy our lives?
Believing firmly in Jesus Christ and His promises are the only way to rid ourselves of fears that often grips our lives.
I hope that as you read this book, your faith in Jesus Christ and His wonderful promises rises to a level where you will actually be delivered from the fears that are troubling you today.
I do not know what fear is troubling you today. I am penning some of the fears that often trouble people. Perhaps one of these fears have been troubling you lately.
Will I fall sick? Will my sickness aggravate? Will I die?
What of my children’s future?
Will I keep failing in all the ventures I undertake?
Will I get the job that I have applied for?
Will I pass/excel in the exams that I have appeared?
Will my earnings/bank balance get depleted?
Will the witchcraft and sorcery that people are doing against me destroy me?
Will I get the right share of property?
Will my spouse be unfaithful again?
Will I remain childless?
Will my spouse die and I be left alone?
What of the alcoholism, smoking, dirty habits of my spouse?
Will my house be burgled?
Fear of the night, fear of travel.
Fear of people.
This is an unending list. If the fear/fears that are troubling you today is not on this list, you can write it down here and then proceed with your reading.
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Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is mighty to deliver you from all these fears. He says,
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”(Isaiah 41:10)
When I was a child, I was very fearful of the night times and darkness. Till around 16 years of age I suffered greatly because of this. I had to have someone in my room as the night approached. After the lights were switched off, great fear came upon me and I could not sleep properly. I felt like something would come out of the darkness and attack me. Often I would just look into the darkness and lie awake all night. For almost 10 years, the devil tormented me in this way. My Lord and Savior Jesus miraculously delivered me from this satanic torment when I was 16 years old. Praise the Lord.
I believe that if I had sufficient knowledge of and faith in the Word of God, then I would not have had to wait so long a time for my deliverance. In Psalms 91, verses 5 and 6 we read,
“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.”
But do you know for whom God has given this wonderful promise?
In the same Psalm, we read from verse 1 onwards,
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”(Psalms 91:1-4)
To have continual protection from God from the viles of Satan, you must continually dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest in His shadow. Are you living like that?
You may ask, what do I mean by saying,
“Continually dwelling in the shelter of the Most High and resting in His shadow?”
“How will such a person be living?”
Well, in brief, such a person will have accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, will have taken water baptism by immersion after accepting Jesus, is filled with the Holy Spirit, is worshipping God in spirit and in truth, is regularly reading, meditating and living the Word of God, is not yoked together with unbelievers, is partaking of the holy communion and praying and fasting regularly to conquer his fleshly and worldly desires.
Are you living like this?
If not, you need to take a new decision in your life this day itself.
A youth once consulted a spiritist fortuneteller ( a medium ) to know his future. The lady told him that in 6 months time, he will make a great fortune by gambling and in 1 years time his money will have multiplied several times and he will build for himself a palatial house. But she also told him that after 2 years, he will die suddenly as a result of an accident. The youth was overjoyed at the sudden prospect of growing rich and he occupied himself with playing cards and gambling in a big way. In 6 months time, he was a rich man. In another 6 months his wealth grew to such an extent that he built himself a palatial house. It was then that he suddenly remembered the third thing that the spiritist had told him i.e. he will die after another year of building the house.
Fear gripped him soon and his mind was filled with thoughts of death always. He couldn’t eat or sleep well because of his fears. His mind was tormented continually with thoughts of accidents. Just after 5 months of building his house, suddenly one day he passed away from this world because of a severe heart attack.
In the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, in the book of Leviticus, Chapter 19 and verse 31, the Bible says,
“Do not turn to mediums or seek out separatists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.”
In Chapter 20 and verses 6 & 7, the Bible says,
“I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and separatists to prostitute him by following them, and I will cut him off from his people. Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.”
Some people can predict your future with the power of the devil. But according to the Word of God, going to such people to know your future is a sin. God hates such things as is written in the verses above. You may come to know certain things about your future through such people, but if you receive a prophecy of death, you may not be able to free yourself from that bondage. Several people are gripped with fear after visiting spiritists and often this can lead to premature death, like it happened in the case of the youth described above.
If you have visited such people to know your future, do repent of that sin to God immediately before you proceed with your reading.
Most of us are eager to know about our future. A few of us desperate. What will tomorrow bring? Will there be blessings coming my way or will I suffer loss? These thoughts keep plaguing many minds.
To know their future, people run to & fro, searching for those who can predict their future. Some consult astrologists; some read their horoscopes carefully. There are many who claim they can predict ones future. Some read the lines on the palms, some look at the furrow lines on the forehead; others look at the position of the stars and predict the future. (The Bible does not approve of such methods of predicting the future)
In 1990, while traveling from Haryana to Mumbai by train, a fellow traveler began predicting the future lives of our co-passengers by reading their palms. People surrounded him like bees in a hive, eager to know their future. Finally he turned around and asked me, “Don’t you want me to predict your future, show me your right hand.”
Without showing him my hand, I smiled and said, “I know my future very well. There’s nothing new that you can say.” He looked displeased and left me to attend to others who flocked to him.
When I was studying in the 8th standard (long before I knew Christ) a man once took my hand and began reading my palm. “I don’t see you studying farther than 10th standard. Very bleak job prospects too. May be a job just enough to earn a livelihood! ”he said shaking his head in dismay.
Time itself is witness to the lies that he said. I finished my Post Graduation in Medicine and by the Grace of God have completed 17 years of fruitful work as a doctor.
Are you really eager to know your future?
If you were taken to a place with a flower garden and a field on fire standing side by side, which would you choose to behold? Flowers are beautiful to behold, to touch and we enjoy smelling their sweet fragrance.
But, what about fire? Some of us are afraid even to look at blazing fire from close quarters. That’s because we know that fire can hurt our bodies if we go too close.
Let me again ask you. Imagine the place with flowers and fire to be 2 lands where you can set up home and live.
Will you prefer to live in a land full of flowers or will you prefer a land with fire every where?
Without answering, we all know the answer to this, if one is of a sound mind. We know that fire can harm us, so our decision to stay away from such a place.
Have you ever seen a fire that keeps burning and does not die nor can be put out?
You may most probably reply in the negative. In 1990 during the Gulf war, certain oil rigs that were destroyed kept burning for several months. But finally they were put out and they died.
Some forest fires kept burning for several months in America and Australia last year. They caused a lot of destruction but finally these fires subsided.
To know about a fire that burns continually we need to read a few verses from the Bible.
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “ their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:43-48)
In these verses, twice Jesus Christ very clearly mentions of the place where the fire does not go out but keeps burning continually. That place is called HELL.
A place of eternal torment, pain and weeping. Merely mentioning “HELL” brings fear to many.
In stark contrast to this place of eternal torment ,the Bible mentions about a place of eternal peace, comfort and rest. That place is HEAVEN.
There is no death, sorrow, pain or worry in Heaven. Only peace, joy and satisfaction.
What after death on earth? is a question that plagues many minds continually.
Some say there is reincarnation, but there is no proof or basis for that. Others say the wicked will suffer torment. Still others say that all created beings will return to their Creator and be with him. All these suppositions have no basis.
The Bible is the place where we find the answer to the question - What happens after a person dies on earth?
Those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and live according to His Word will gain entry into Heaven after they die and that will be their eternal home, but those who reject Jesus Christ and the salvation that he freely offers will suffer eternal torment in Hell after they die.
A servant of God named Lester Sumrall, while attending his Church in Tennessee, was shown a vision by God as people praised and worshipped the Lord Jesus.
Thousands of people were walking on a road going in one direction. People from many nations were walking together. He saw Americans, Indians, Australians, Japanese and Chinese walking together.
Then the Lord spoke to him, “These people are on the road of life, walking towards eternity.”
Never having seen a movie before, this servant of God was excited seeing all these people from different countries.
“Would you like to see their end?” the Lord then asked him. When he replied positively, in the vision, the Lord took him above these people walking on the road to eternity. After walking for some distance, many people left this main path and walked on to another path.
“Where are they going?” The servant of God asked the Lord. The Lord said, “These are the righteous. They are going into eternal life. They are leaving the life on earth and entering in to my life.”
The people who did not turn to this path from the main path kept walking and reached the end of the path which now ended in a bottomless pit. There was blazing fire in the pit. People falling into the pit screamed and abused and blasphemed. Unbearable pain caused them to pull out their hair and they dug their nail into their flesh and blood flowed out.
The servant of God who saw this vision was greatly troubled witnessing the torments of HELL.
Heaven and hell are not just fanciful stories dear friend. They are realities.
Any person who dies on earth, goes to their eternal home, either in Heaven or in Hell. Every person who lives on earth has 3 distinct parts - Body, Spirit and Soul. After death, the body disintegrates when buried or is burnt. The Spirit and Soul live forever. The soul is the part of a person called mind or intellect or decision making part.
Life in Heaven or Hell is the eternal future of every person born on earth.
For which life are you (or have you been) preparing yourself?
Eternal joy in heaven or eternal torment in hell? Whether you believe it or not, this is the future of every person who has been born or will be born on earth. This is not my personal opinion; it is the truth that is mentioned in the ‘Word of God” - “The Bible.”
Pastor Daniel from Nigeria died in a road accident on November 30th 2001. For 3 days he was kept in a mortuary. God raised him up from the dead miraculously after that. The Pastor describes what happened between his death and being raised up.
As he was being transported in an ambulance, he died and 2 angels carried him to a very beautiful place. The angels told him that that place was Paradise.
There he saw a great throng of people worshipping God in unison and he too worshipped. He did not feel like leaving that place where there was total peace and joy. But the angels told him that he had to see other places too. They took him to the place of torment called Hell. People in hell were in torment physically and mentally. They spoke to him about their eternal sorrow. There seemed to be no end to their pain and grief.
Heaven and Hell are realities dear Brother, dear Sister. Just to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of today and tomorrow, do not lose your place in heaven. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, these all take away the love of the Father from within us. So Beware.
From the beginning of creation, man has been in contact with earth and the first heaven i.e. the sky (Mathew 6:26)
The 2nd heaven (Psalm 19) which has the sun, moon and stars came in the reach of mankind with the wisdom God gave him. Space shuttles and rockets have helped mankind explore these realms. The 3rd heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2) is the place where God has his throne; where God, the angels and the saints abide. Man cannot get there with his human wisdom. Entry into the 3rd heaven is only through believing in the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all sin.
Some Bible scholars interpret 3 heavens in another way. Heaven itself has 3 sections one above the other according to some.
Sadhu Sunder Singh describes this is his experiences of the heavenly realms.
Saints in the highest section of heaven (3rd heaven) are the one who have lived very close to the Lord while on earth. They have sacrificed much on earth for the Lord and thus this is their great reward.
The saints in the lowest section of heaven (1st heaven) cannot bear the great glory that surrounds the saints in the highest section of heaven (3rd heaven) and so the ones who visit them from the 3rd heaven have a veil over the face as Moses did when he came face to face with Israelites after being with God for 40 days.
The city of New Jerusalem is situated in the 3rd heaven according to the Bible. This beautiful city is not only the abode of God but also of the believers who have lived a life faithful to God and obeyed His Word on earth. The Bible describes this city in detail in its last book, the book of Revelation.
A Christian doctor named Richard Eby met with an accident and suffered terrible head injuries. His skull had many fractures and his brain suffered concussions. Lying unconscious in the ICU,the Lord took him in the spirit to heaven and showed him the glories of that divine place.
His spiritual body rejoiced in heaven. The doctor who was later miraculously healed by the Lord found his spirit in heaven very different from his earthly existence. In the spirit realm in heaven nothing is destroyed or rusts or decays. Everything is new, fresh and pure. He tells of walking through a garden and seeing angels singing heavenly songs, some playing harps, others just singing. He stepped on the grass but saw that not one blade of grass was destroyed. The grass was visible through his spiritual body as if it had entered his body. The flowers and the whole atmosphere exuded the presence of God.
He heard heavenly music which had no equals on earth. Angels and saints worshipped, praised and glorified God.
Not everyone has an experience like this, but these are the foretastes of the glory to be revealed to those who are faithful to Jesus. Some people say there is no hell and no heaven. Everything ends with death on earth. This is not true. Believe it or not, Hell and Heaven exist.
Many preachers these days do not preach about Hell in the church. They dont want to bring discomfort to the people in the church. But Jesus, in his ministry on earth, preached more about Satan and Hell than any other topic. You must be knowledgeable about Hell and Heaven.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks about the Rich Man and Lazarus. In Chapter 16:19-31, Jesus spoke about the final state of the Spirit and Soul of both. This is not merely a story that Jesus said. It is a reality. Those who reject Jesus and his offer of salvation through him go to the eternal place of torment called Hell. At the White Throne judgment, we read that Hell too is finally thrown in to the Lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14)
The Old Testament saints (i.e. up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) after death went to the place of rest called ‘Paradise.’ They could not enter heaven as Jesus’ blood had not yet been shed as the perfect sacrifice to relieve mankind of eternal death. We read Jesus telling Nicodemus,
“No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-the Son of Man.” (John 3:13)
Not only that, we read in Ephesians 4:8-10, that Jesus delivered these Old Testament saints from Paradise and took them to Heaven. In Luke 16, Jesus said that Lazarus’ spirit and soul went to Paradise (Abraham’s bosom) and that of the rich man went to Hades, the place of torment.(v. 23-25)
In Hades, the spirit of the rich man suffered pain, thirst and sorrow according to these verses, while in Paradise Lazarus had peace and joy.
Read carefully what the rich man says,
“So he called to him, `Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “ (Luke 16:24)
Every person who does not accept Jesus as his Saviour will suffer thus according to the Bible.
We read in the Bible,
“As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Romans 3: 10-12)
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. “(Romans 3:23)
If you die in your sinful state, you will finally become prey to the fire in Hell according to the Word of God.
When I was doing my post graduation in Medicine in Gulbarga, the summers were very hot. The temperatures rose to 45 - 50 degrees C. The thirst was bad too. Even after drinking 3-4 liters of water every day the thirst remained. Sitting in front of the cooler or table fan gave only temporary relief.
If we cannot tolerate the heat and thirst on this earth, just think of how hell will be.
Unbearable thirst but not a drop of water.
Unbearable pain but not a thing to relieve it.
Unbearable sorrow but not a word of comfort.
Dr. Jack Hydes, former pastor of first Baptist church in Hammond, Indiana, one night was awakened from sleep by the piercing scream of his sister. He ran upstairs to her bedroom and there she was sweating and in hysterics. He shook her but he couldn't get her attention. So he had to slap her. He said “What’s wrong, did you have a dream?" She said "No, no dream “He said “Did you have nightmare? " She said” No, it was real “He asked what happened?” She said “I just got back from hell; after a few miles of the glittering lights and all that deceives mankind there was nothing but desolation. There is hopelessness. You walk towards the gates of hell knowing that you will never again be free. I got to the gates of hell and the keeper said " Stand there ".She stood outside hell and saw the people whose face were twisted and tongues were thick, eyes bulging, hands split and dropping blood . And she said " Sir, Please let some air come in " and he said " no air in hell " .Then she said " kind Sir, let them have a drink of water " and he said " no water in hell " Then she said " If that's true let them die ", and he said " no death in hell " She said " My God, how long will they suffer?” And he said “forever and ever” .Hell has no exit and there's no death." Yes, hell is a place where there are no exits .It’s a place where there is agony of body and spirit. There is pain and suffering .People that reach there have to endure the wrath of God.
Is this going to be your future?
Our loving God says,
“See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction” (Deuteronomy 30:15)
Which will you opt for?
If heaven is to be your eternal home, you have to confess your sins to God and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Some say, “I have no sin.” “I have not sinned.”
The Bible says,
“If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:10)
If you have not yet confessed your sins to God and accepted Jesus as your Savior, you can do it now by praying this prayer.
Dear Father in Heaven,
I confess that I am a sinner and that I will perish in my sins if I do not accept Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Forgive me all my sins and unrighteousness and wash me with the blood of Jesus and make me a new person this day. I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your son and He died on the cross at Calvary for my sins and that He was resurrected and ascended to heaven and sits at your right hand with all authority given to Him by you. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and let Him guide me through your Word to live a life, holy and pleasing to you.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
After you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you must live for him. The triune God [God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and The Holy Spirit] loves you.
How can you live for Jesus?
You must read and mediate on the Word of God-The Bible. Not only read and mediate, you must follow the Apostolic doctrines that are mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible and live according to them.
The Bible says, you must be born again with water (the Word of God) and Spirit (the Holy Spirit of God) to enter the kingdom of God.
You must take baptism in water by immersion after accepting Jesus as your Savior. By this you are fulfilling all righteousness, you are obeying Gods Word and you are identifying yourself with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
To live a strong Christian life, you need the infilling of the Holy Spirit (Baptism in the Holy Spirit)
Pray to God everyday to fill you with His Holy Spirit i.e. the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind.
You must conquer the lust of the flesh, the lust of eyes and the pride of life by regular prayer and fasting. Overcome satanic attacks using the Word of God with faith against him. Prayer and fasting are very important here too.
You must separate yourselves from idol worshippers and worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth. Regularly partake of the Holy Communion to proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes again.
The Lord Jesus says,
“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. “ (Revelation 2:10)
Your eternal future is in your hands. If you reject what you have read here, the loss is no one else’s but yours. If you accept it, heaven will rejoice about you. God has prepared a wonderful future for you in Heaven.
The Bible says,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)
Believe in Jesus, dear friend.
Receive him into your heart. Live for Him. It will be the greatest blessing of your life.
A Christian named Rebecca Springer, was taken to Heaven in the spirit when she underwent a period of great physical and mental stress in her life.
She saw little children playing gleefully under wonderful trees in Heaven. She observed that every one there wore white dresses. Great and beautiful mansions never seen on earth built for the believers were located in one section. The streets were paved with gold. There was peace and joy everywhere.
She was taken to the river of life. As she swam under water, there seemed to be no difference between water and air. Swimming under water seemed like walking on land. She could hear,breathe, talk and laugh under water too. Swimming in the river of life refreshed her spiritual body and mind greatly like no other comparable experience on earth.
The fleeting pleasures of this world are insignificant compared to the glories of heaven that God will give to his faithful. Prepare yourself for these great riches dear friend.
A servant of God named Rasmussen describes a vision that he saw during the days that he was consecrating himself for the work of God.
He saw himself standing in an open field which had just been harvested. The night air was calm. Stars shown brightly in the sky. He praised God for the peace. Then he heard some voices coming from a distance. He could not hear what was being said. When he listened carefully, the voices seemed to be calling for help -”Please save us” “Please save us”. As he went closer and closer to the place where the voices came from, the voices grew louder. People were screaming for help. The voices reverberated in his head. When he came very close, the scene that he saw shocked him. A pit so huge that no one could measure, with blazing fire rising up and going down in it. Immunerable people screaming because of unbearable pain.As the fire rose, they rose up with the fire, when the fire went down they too sank with it.
Suddenly he noticed that he too was standing at the edge of the pit. He could fall into it any moment. He cried out loudly, “Lord. Save me.” “Lord, save me.” The Lord took him up in His arms and placed him back in the place where he stood at the beginning of the vision.
He asked the Lord, “Dear Jesus, what must I do to escape that awful experience?”
The Lord told him, “Believe in me, live for me and follow this person whom the Father has appointed to be your Counselor to lead you till eternity.” When he looked before him, he saw a great and mighty Godly form walking ahead in front of him. He ran ahead to keep pace with him; looking back he asked the Lord; “Who is that dear Jesus?”
To that, Jesus replied, “He is the Spirit of truth; he will lead you into all the truth.”
Servants of the triune God can prophecy about your future by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. That is compatible with the Word of God (1 Corinthians Chapter 14).New Testament prophecy is intended by God for 3 main purposes.
“But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.”(1 Corinthians 14:3)
If any servant of God prophesies to you, you can always check whether the prophecy is fulfilling these 3 things.
The Word of God says,
“Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.”(1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21)
If the prophecy that you hear brings fear, despair and spiritual decline, there is a good chance that what you heard was only human thoughts and not exactly from the Sovereign Lord.
So as Paul writes to the Thessalonians,
“Test everything. Hold on to the good.”(1 Thessalonians 5:21)
Has the fear of death gripped you in your young age itself? This is what God has to say to you!
“For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.”(Isaiah 41:13)
Serve the Lord Jesus with all your heart, with all your strength, with your entire mind and with all your spirit, then the promise that is written below will become a reality in your life.
“With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalms 91:16)
If you desire to live a long life, you must obey the Word of God.
“Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”(Psalms 34:12-14)
Are you willing to do this?
Obeying the call of God, Abram set out from the Ur of the Chaldeans to the place God was to show him. When he was fearful of certain circumstances in his life, God told him,
“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”(Genesis 15:1)
To that Abram replied,
“O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”(Genesis 15:2,3)
Abram had fears that he would remain childless and that Eliezer, his servant would become his heir, so God strengthened him by telling him this.
“This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir” (Genesis 15:4)
Are you in despair at this moment for not yet having a child? Hold fast to the promises of God and pray to Him continually. God will surely answer your prayers.
A God fearing man will see his grandchildren according to Psalms 128.
Psalms 127 and verse 3 says,
“Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.”
If you are faithfully worshipping the Lord in spirit and in truth, children are a heritage and reward from the Lord .The psalmist, remembering the compassion of our Lord, sings like this in Psalms 113;
“He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.”(verse 9)
The Word of God mentions these regarding the family life of certain women.
“Now Sarai was barren; she had no children.”(Genesis 11:30)
“Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren.”(Genesis 25:21)
“When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.”(Genesis 29:31)
“A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless.”(Judges 13:2)
“He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.”(1 Samuel 1:2)
“But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.”(Luke 1:7)
God did great miracles in the lives of all these women. To Sarah, God gave Isaac, to Rebecca God gave Jacob and Esau, to Rachel God gave Joseph and Benjamin, to the Manoah family God gave Samson and to Elizabeth God gave John .
So if you are despairing today that you do not have a child, remember what the psalmist says in Psalms 42;
“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”(Psalms 42:11)
Some fear that they will always remain childless; there are others who are always fearful about the future of their children. Their health, their education, their marriage and so on and so forth. To all who harbor such fears, God has the same answer:” Do not fear, I am with you.”
If you want your children to be really blessed, you i.e. parents yourselves must be living really close to God.
The Bible says,
“Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.”(Psalms 112:1,2)
“Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.”(Psalms 25:12,13)
Solomon, son of David said,
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”(Proverbs 22:6)
If the parents are not living according to the Word of God, the children are the ones who suffer greatly. Some parents do not guide their children in the right paths because they themselves have not known the right paths. When the children should study, they are allowed to watch dirty programs on television and while away their time.
If you, the parents are truly dedicated to living the Word of God, God will never leave you nor forsake you in whatever difficult circumstances your children are in .Whatever be the problems that your children are going through, God will Himself see to it that you are surely delivered from it.
In the Bible, we read of a woman named Hagar who faced a very difficult situation in her life. She and her only son were sent away from home. She wandered in the wilderness with her son. The little bread and water that they had got over soon. She knew that her son would die soon. Not wanting to see the death of her son, she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob.”
And then the Bible says,
“God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. (Genesis 21:17-19)
Like Hagar, are you distressed about the future of your son or daughter? Jesus tells you, “Do not fear, I am with you.”
E.V. Hill, pastor of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist church in Los Angeles for 41 years was a well known preacher and teacher .He was born in poverty in Columbus. His mother was a very poor woman. And when he was one and a half year old, his father died. His mother was a believer and had faith in God and always encouraged him that God would do great things for him.
In those days it was unheard of that Negro boys finished high school but his mother declared that her boy was going to high school. People cautioned his mother not to get too big headed but she had faith in God and so he finished highs school. After his graduation, his mother got up in the prayer meeting and said “My son was going to college" but no one in the church would believe it or encourage her. They said they didn't have any money, neither she nor him. So he can't go. But his mother took him to the bus station, bought him a ticket, and gave him a suit and a couple of pairs of jeans and shirts; gave him 5 dollars and said “Now go and the Lord will make a way.”
Just before he boarded the bus, she said, “I’ll be praying for you.” After his travel he had just 1.8 dollar left and he had to pay money to catch the bus to the campus. He went to the Registrar’s office and got in line. The first thing he saw was a sign that said $ 83 cash, cashier's cheque or money-order .The devil said “Now, which one do you have?” But then he heard his mother's voice saying “I’ll be praying for you “. And the devil said, “Don’t be stupid, get out of the line” But he heard his mother's voice again saying “I’ll be praying for you ". So he just stayed in the line and the line got shorter and shorter .When he had just one person in front of him, the devil asked “What are you going to do now with just 1.58 dollars?”
But then again he heard his mother's voice saying “I’ll be praying for you “. With that assurance he moved on .He was just about to step up, when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a man called Drew asked him “Are you Ed Hill?” And he said “Yes Sir.” The man said: “Get out of line." The man asked “Son, didn't you get our letter? We have been trying to contact you. We are giving you a 4 year scholarship. It will pay your tuition, room and board and give you $ 35 a month for spending money. His eyes filled with tears but he could still hear his mother's voice saying “I’ll be praying for you."
Our God is God of miracles. He is the one who rewards those who have faith. The poor woman had faith and God honored her faith.
If you parents are living close to God, God will do great miracles for your children. So be cheerful. He has planned a great future for your children. The Word of God says,
“This is what the LORD says he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. (Isaiah 44:2)
There are several promises in the Word of God (The Holy Bible) regarding healing of sicknesses which have been included therein by our loving Heavenly Father for us to believe in them and receive divine healing.
Are you suffering from sickness today?
Are you weak and tired?
Are you in pain?
The Bible says, Jesus carried all your infirmities on the cross.
Jesus has the power and authority to heal you, if you believe in him.
In Matthew Chapter 14 & verse 14 we read,
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick”
Will you submit yourself into the loving arms of the Saviour Jesus Christ? He will not only heal you, but give you new strength. He will renew your body and mind in a way that you have never known before.
Once you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can approach the throne of grace with confidence and pray and receive healing from him.
One of the important verses regarding healing of sicknesses is found in the book of Exodus.
“If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).
The Israelites were delivered in Egypt from Pharoah and his armies by God and as they traveled through the wilderness they reached a place called Marah where God performed a miracle for them by turning the bitter water there to sweet. It was here that God gave them this great promise of healing and health.
Yes! He is truly the God who heals you.
Can you confess that with your mouth?
There is great deliverance for your body by confessing God’s promises of healing. So confess these healing promises audibly as you read them.
In Matthew chapter 8 we read,
“When he came down from the mountain side, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them” (Matthew 8:1-4).
Dear Brother, Dear Sister,
Jesus is eager to heal you. Believe in him. Once my 2 year old daughter suffered greatly because of incessant vomiting. She became very weak and tired because of this. The medicines that we gave her had very little effect. As she lay very tired one night, God reminded me of a wonderful promise from His Word.
Believing that promise in my heart and keeping her condition in my mind, I confessed that single promise one whole night in prayer to God. And God did a wonderful miracle. He healed her totally and gave her new strength.
That promise is found in Psalm 46.
“God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day” (Psalm 46:5).
What I believed and confessed with my mouth was this,
“God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day”
In Psalm 103, we read
“Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3)
There are numerous sicknesses that afflicts human beings while they live in this world and it is only Jesus who can heal them of each and every one.
We read in the Word of God,
“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.” (Mathew 4:23,24).
Did you notice?
He healed every disease and sickness among the people.
However great your sickness be, Jesus is able to heal you. Believe in him.
Once when Jesus came to Capernaum, a centurion came to him and told him of a terrible sickness that his servant was suffering from.
We read,
“Lord”, he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him”. The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” “When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” “Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.” (Mathew 8:6-8, 10, 13).
Jesus is willing and ready to honor your faith too. Believe firmly in Him as the centurion did.
In the Gospel of Luke Chapter 4, verse 40 the Bible says
“When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.”
When you pray today, believe that He will touch you with His nail pierced hands. His touch will remove every trace of sickness from your body and you will be free.
The Bible says,
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36)
Yet another promise of healing is found in Psalm 107:20
“He sent forth his word and healed them”
You may have heard of and seen missiles and bombs destroying buildings and cities. But here is a weapon, sharper than any double edged sword, able to destroy disease germs and bondages of sicknesses put on you by the enemy.
This unfailing weapon called “The sword of the Spirit” is the mighty “Word of God”.
Our loving Heavenly Father says,
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10, 11).
Praise be to the Lord who sends his Word and heals us.
Many years back, I suffered from severe tonsillitis for 6 yrs. Atleast twice a year this sickness used to trouble me and when it happened, I found it very difficult to swallow food and even water for atleast a week. I used to sit up all night with fever. My throat used to dry up and I would walk here and there in my room, not knowing what to do. Medicines only had a temporary effect on my sickness but no cure. My medical college professors said that it was due to allergy that this happened.
In 1992 I suffered greatly because of this ailment. I did everything that I could. I had my medicines regularly, I prayed with fervour. Those were the days when I had started learning the Word of God and knowing of what faith in God can do for me. I used to hear a lot of Christian Radio Programmes. One evening someome gave me an audio cassette titled “Living stone and success”. The preacher spoke authoritatively from the Word and then said that he was going to pray for the sick and that those who needed healing may come forward.
I thought in my mind, “It’s true that this message was preached 10 years ago. But if God healed people then, he was able enough to heal me now”
The preacher said, “Lay your right hand on the part of your body that is sick and now let’s pray!”
Quickly I laid my hand on my throat and cried out to God, “God, have mercy and heal me;I am suffering greatly”. “Be healed in Jesus Name”, the preacher said as he prayed. Suddenly I felt a warmth come all over my body. All the pain in my throat vanished. All the fever departed. I felt a new power surge through my body. I knew God had healed me. I praised him loudly, giving thanks for his wonderful love.
It’s been 10 years since the Lord healed me of tonsillitis and till today it has never recurred. Great is his faithfulness.
Do you know why I write this testimony? As I believed and received healing, today you too must believe and receive.
Healing is your’s because God says it is yours. Believe in Him.
We read of another great promise of healing in Isaiah chapter 53, verses 4 and 5
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him,and afflicted.But he was pierced for our transgressions,he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,and by his wounds we are healed.”
Did you observe ?
Jesus took up your infirmities,
Jesus carried your sorrows,
Jesus was pierced for your transgressions,
Jesus was crushed for your iniquities,
Jesus took the punishment to bring you peace,
By Jesus wound’s you are healed.
As you confess these healing promises, you can receive peace, healing and comfort from the Lord. The Bible says,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
He is an unchanging God
His love for you is great. He wants you to be healed and living a healthy life. So trust in Him and His promises.
In 1996, for 3 months I suffered greatly from a chest ailment. It all started with an allergy to petrol fumes. On inhaling that I used to feel breathless and a tightness in the chest. This increased rapidly with allergy to other smells too and day in and day out I used to feel breathless. To add to this I had a problem of acidity in my stomach. I did not have peace of mind and had very little sleep. I could not work properly at the clinic and could hardly preach. The suffering was terrible. I got some relief from my chest problem on having medicines but the medicines increased the problem in my stomach. This made me quit taking medicines. I prayed and fasted but to no avail. The problem persisted and increased. After one month of suffering thus, one night as I prayed, the Lord spoke to me saying, “You will suffer from these sicknesses for 3 months. After that I will heal and deliver you totally.”
Another 2 months of suffering! I became dejected, but there seemed to be a glimmer of hope. I waited expectantly for the next two months to get over.
The sickness had started on September 16. I kept praying and reminding God often, “Lord remember your promise, You must heal me on December 16th”
The next two months were difficult to get through. It was by sheer grace that I made it to December 16th.
Here was the day that I waited for so anxiously. December 16th came and went but I did not receive the healing.
On 17th I was at my wits end. Anger and grief flooded me.
I told the Lord, “Look Jesus, you said 3 months and now my condition is just the same!”
That night as I sat to pray, I heard the still small voice of the Lord say, “You have forgotten to praise me all the time that you were sick” It was around 11.00 p. m. that I heard the Lord say that. I started praising him, one by one for everything and everyone that my mind focused on. I kept praising him till late at night and went to sleep praising Him.
In the morning when I woke up, God had worked another great miracle in my life.
Healed and Delivered from 3 months of bodily suffering and mental agony. All gone, when praise ascended to heaven. Praise the Lord!
Dear Brother, Dear Sister, Praise the Lord for a while each day. Give him thanks for sometime everyday.
Praise Him from your heart. Give thanks to your Master and King.
He loves to hear you praise him. It brings glory to him and victory to you.
In Psalm 147, verse 3, the psalmist says,
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Are you broken hearted? Are you tied up with a problem that people cannot redeem you from?
In Luke chapter 7, a few verses from verse 11 speak of Jesus’ compassionate nature for the broken hearted
“Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out , the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry” (Luke 7:11-13).
Jesus will comfort you from the mental agony that you are going through today. He says,
The Apostle Paul writing to the Philippians says,
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.” (Philippians 4:6,7).
Jesus will heal your broken heartedness. That is His promise. He will bind up your wonnds. That is his word for you.
Once Jesus told his disciples,
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me” (John 14:1).
Yes! Believe in Jesus. Believe in God the father. Believe in His Word. That will bring healing.
My wife came to know Christ through the healing that she received from Him.
She had experienced the love of God in a great measure from her childhood onwards. Abundant blessings materially and physically and great peace of mind were gifted to her from God. Her friends and teachers were always eager to know the secret of her all round success.
As she grew up she often used to ask God, “God, why is it that others around me do not experience this great peace that I have? God what is your intention regarding this world filled with unrest and sorrow?”
To her persistant questions to Him, God decided to show her what will happen if he removed his abundant love upon her life.
On March 13th 1983, almost suddenly her mother fell ill. Her life which was a bed of roses till then fell apart almost immediately. She hoped that everything would comeback to normal but things started worsening. She cried to God but he seemed to keep very silent. Every new day brought new troubles. She lost her peace of mind. She felt as if her prayers would never be heard by God again. She started experiencing throbbing headaches.
She wondered, “Is this God’s wrath upon me?” “Perhaps I am very sinful in God’s sight” “Why is God allowing all this?”
She used to vomit all the food that she ate. This made her very weak and tired.
She couldn’t concentrate on her studies. The medicines that she took made her more weary. One evening, after a few months of bodily and mental agony, her friend called her to play.
She thought in her mind, “I’ll play as much as I can today and then die.” For 2 full hours she played badminton. After that her condition worsened. She couldn’t breathe properly. She could not bring words to her mouth to express herself. She felt as though her head would burst any moment because of the headaches. Her surroundings seemed to be blurring. Clutching the walls, she climbed the stairs to her 2nd floor flat with much difficulty and flung herself upon the bed. Death seemed to be very close to her. Panting heavily and suffering greatly, her thoughts shifted once again to God. She said to herself,
“If God heals me now, I will know that he exists, otherwise I will believe that what I thought of him till today was all a lie.”
While she lay thus, her eyes fell upon a new testament lying close to her on the bed. She reached out and opened it. The verse that she read made her laugh inside her.
It said
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18).
All these days she was crying for a healing which never came and now this verse was promising someone coming close to comfort.
Her eyes fell on another verse, It said,
“You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:14).
She read the verse more carefully. Who is this who promises to give anything? What is this name that promises this? When she read a few more verses she knew that it was Jesus, the son of God who promised to give anything that was asked in his name. Till now in her life she had never asked anything in Jesus’ name. She had known God and prayed to him, but due to the lack of knowledge of the Word, never known that Jesus was the cornerstone of her faith and that it was Jesus’ name that mattered most. A new hope sprung up in her. She said to herself,
Jesus says, “If I ask anything in his name, he will give it to me”
“Dear Jesus, she cried, my body and mind need healing. Kindly let this headache go away. I cannot bear it anymore. Kindly heal me dear Jesus.” Time seemed to stand still.
Then she said, “I have done what I had to do, now you must do what you say dear Jesus.”
She started counting the moments in her mind. As she counted to 5, she heard a clicking sound on the right side of her head and the headache disappeared immediately. A great change came over her body and mind. She felt like a new strength coming into her body. Her whole being was flooded with his presence.
Her heart swelled with praise and gratitude towards him. She praised and thanked God for his loving kindness.
That very evening, she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour.
Thus she realized a great truth that day, that the King of kings and Lord of Lords still lives and has all authority with him to heal and deliver.
Yes! Even today there is deliverance in the name of Jesus. Whatever you ask the Heavenly Father in Jesus’ name will be given to you. That is his promise.
We are going to pray now. Let us seek his mercy together.
In Mark chapter 10, verse 41 onwards we read like this
“Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see”. “Go”, said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately be received his sight and followed Jesus along the road” (Mark 10:46-52).
Jerry Rose, is an Ordained Minister, author and host of a nationally syndicated daily television show “Among Friends” and Founder President of the “Total Living Network.” For the last many years he has been a Christian broadcaster serving with CBN and launching Chicago's first Christian television station WCFC TV38. He was born in 1941. The delivery was normal but he was not .His digestive system was dysfunctional and the doctors told his mother there was no way that they could save him. He couldn’t digest even the simplest of foods. It is only a matter of time before he would die of starvation. But his mother clung to her simple faith. She fervently prayed for her first born. His father was not a Christian but did believe in the power of prayer. Now when he saw his infant son dying slowly, he wanted to believe strongly. He was only 6 weeks old when he lapsed into a coma. When his mother saw what had happened she screamed. She cried and just held his little body close to her. A family friend was at the house and ran down the street to call a local preacher lady who went and told her that “Jerry was in a coma, come pray for him.” And in a short time two women came running to their house. They stood by the little child and the preacher lady laid her hands firmly on the child praying fervently to the Lord to do a miracle. She did not pray that he would come out of the coma only, but prayed for complete healing, total healing to the body. Suddenly the child opened his eyes. His mother picked him up, fed him, hoping desperately for a miracle. The ladies who came to pray, later left the house. And the child's parents waited a long time to know whether their prayers had been answered. And the answer came. There was great rejoicing in the house because the baby had dirtied the diaper for the first time. He had fully digested the food, he was healed totally. What a great miracle? Our Lord is a healer. He says “I’m the Lord who heals you and I heal all your sicknesses."
When you pray to Jesus for healing, people may discourage you or mock you. They may say that there is no meaning to all this; nothing will result from this. But do not lose heart. Do not listen to them who undermine your faith.
Cry out to Jesus like the blind beggar Bartimaeus. The merciful Lord will honor your faith in him.
If you are suffering from bodily or mental sickness you can pray this prayer for healing.
Prayer
Loving Heavenly Father,
I come into your holy presence believing in your promises; have mercy on me and heal me. If there is anything in my life displeasing to you, kindly forgive me the same. Wash me with the blood of Jesus and make me pure, O Lord. I believe that you are the Lord who heals me and that you are all powerful to heal all my sicknesses. Send your Word and heal me now O Lord. Bind my wounds and heal my broken heart dear Lord.
I believe that by Jesus wounds I am healed. Because of your great love and mercy for me, kindly heal me and glorify yourself dear Father.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
After Jesus healed the man lying by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years, he said to him
“See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (John 5:14).
Be faithful to God after your receive your healing. Live a holy life according to the Word of God.
There is a great lack of peace all around us; in homes, in societies, in cities, in states, in countries chaos is reigning at present. Wars are raging all over the world. But in the midst of all this, for the child of God, God has a special promise. He says,
“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:7)
Yes, it is only Jesus who can give you true peace.
In August 1998, one Sunday as we were returning after worship, we were involved in a terrible accident.4 of us (me, my wife and 2 kids) and a servant who got in with us near the prayer hall traveled in our car towards the house that we stayed in. It had been raining and the roads were wet. As we were nearing the house where we lived I had to cross the main road to the right to go towards the gate of the house. A bus had stopped at the bus stop near by and I overtook it and so also the driver of the jeep like vehicle behind us. As I showed the signal to cross right, slowed down and finally crossed the middle of the road, the vehicle behind us slam banged into our rear sending our car hurtling across the road. I lost control of the car during the impact and the front of the car crashed against the concrete wall near the gate. The noise was loud and the shrieks of the women and children in the rear seats still reverberates in my ears often.
But even though the accident was bad, none of us were hurt except for minor bruises. As we were hit by the other vehicle and I saw my car heading for the crash I had great peace in me and an unmistakable feeling passing through my mind that Jesus was in control.
The police arrived. The paper work and inspection took time. It was a new burden. A new time of testing. A lot of conflicting thoughts passed through our minds. Our finances were not in good shape for this accident to have happened now.
What about our travels now? To the children’s school, to the clinic, to the church! What an anticlimax to the message “Rejoice” that I had preached that day.
Jesus was extra kind to us that afternoon as we prayed. His loving words to us were “Do not fear, I am with you”
The Holy Spirit comforted us. The financial part seemed to become a burden almost suddenly. Our prayers were fervent from that evening. Perhaps I should put in some extra work at the clinic, we thought. The Holy Spirit thought otherwise. “Take a week off from the clinic and spend time in prayer” He said. That would sound preposterous to an unbeliever or a recent convert; but for us, it was His command, so we obeyed; “Trust in me”, said Jesus.
The workshop people made an estimate of around Rs. 18000/- for the repairs. We submitted that to the Insurance office praying every now and then that when they sent their inspector, he would approve of the estimate.
We decided not to go for the case; considering the hassles but settled for a certain agreement with the owner of the other vehicle.
The days rolled by. Jesus comforted us with his love and kind promises.
But salaries were to be given, rents paid, household expenses to be met. More over there were certain bills of the chemicals purchased at the clinic to be paid.
We needed a miracle financially those days. Times were trying. The Holy Spirit was ever encouraging us, building up our faith.
And then the day came when the insurance people were to give us the bank check for the repairs of the car.
It was around 3.30 pm as we traveled to the office by auto. Again our prayers were with a cry in our hearts. Perhaps we will get the full amount (18,000) or may be slightly less, was the thought in my mind. At 4 pm, I sat in front of the manager. He wrote a cheque of Rs. 11,625/-; my heart sank.
“But this is so less” I complained, already feeling the pain.
“The workshop people have given an over estimate to cheat you, the manager said”.
We showed the check to the workshop manager and he said, “This is absurd. The insurance people have cheated you. You should take this up in front of the consumer forum”.
One can imagine the crisis that we landed in. Not to speak of the mental agony of all this. And to add to the sorrow, the owner of the vehicle that hit our vehicle went back on his promise and did not give the amount that he had agreed to give.
The words that echoed in our minds and hearts through all those painful days was “Trust in Jesus” And it was really wonderful of Him to lead us gently through all that. All bills, rents, salaries, the extra workshop expenses were met at the exact time that they had to be given. And the miracles were occurring everyday. As much money was needed each day came to us through clinic earnings (after I rejoined) and through other means but we did not borrow. God especially arranged for a man to give us money regularly every fortnight. It was just like the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness. The manna came everyday except the Sabbath. Not that they went hungry on that day. The food was already provided on the previous day.
Whom can you trust for a miracle each day for 40 yrs. and more?
The one and only JESUS CHRIST.
This accident could have made a wreck of us mentally but for the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding us continually
“Fear not, I am with you”.” Do not despair”.” Cheer up”.” There is a blessing coming”.” I have loved you with an everlasting love”.
Have people been cheating you lately? Take heart, even in such a circumstance God’s faithfulness will stand you in good stead. He says,
“Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.”(Isaiah 51:7,8)
In the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, in the book of Daniel, we read of the Hebrew youths Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who defied the kings’ order of worshipping his idol and thus were thrown into the fiery furnace bound with ropes. But King Nebuchadnezzar who ordered that they be thrown into the fiery furnace was astonished at what he saw after they were thrown in. We read in Daniel 3:24, 25,
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Did you notice? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were thrown into the fire were walking around in the fire with Jesus unbound and unharmed. They were already unbound while walking in the fire.
The prophet Isaiah writes God’s words to us,
“In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.”(Isaiah 54:14)
When God called Ezekiel to be a watchman of Israel, He told him,
I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house.”(Ezekiel 3:9)
Satan uses several strategies to put servants of God into despair. He knows that if he can wound them mentally, God’s work will not progress as intended. When Nehemiah started building the broken walls of Jerusalem, his enemies came and mocked him. The Bible says in Nehemiah Chapter 4:1-3,
“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?” Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”
Hearing the bitter words of the enemy, Nehemiah prayed fervently to God. He guarded the walls day and night. When the enemy taunted him again, Nehemiah trusting in God, told the people,
“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”(Nehemiah 4:14)
In the book of James, Chapter 4 and verse 7 we read,
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Are you being hindered by satan in the work that you are doing for God? Do not fear, it will not last for long. If you are living in submission to God, with faith you can subdue your enemy and carry on with the great commission that God has given you. God will remove every obstacle satan has placed in your path. Remember his promise;
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”(Matthew 16:18)
James Salter was a missionary for God, in the Belgian Congo. His task in the Congo was to help the Congolese build an economy to teach the people trades as well as to get them saved and filled with the Spirit. Traveling in the Congo was a hazardous experience. The paths through the jungle were so overgrown with grass at times that the missionaries were not able to follow them very well. There were lions, elephants, dangerous bugs and snakes. One morning Salter woke up to find that he had slept with a snake all night. He knew that because the snake had left its skin behind. In an article he wrote, many years after his first trip, Salter said “I shall never forget our first night on the Congo River .We looked for a place to camp and we came across some fire smoldering. There were large pots on the fires and inside there were human bodies cooking. Human bones were on the ground .We had settled on the site of a cannibal feast. As we cycled through the villages, the cannibals would come running after them calling to each other " Come along, there is some white meat here on the bicycles" .But there are no cannibals in that place now because of the labor of Salter and his friends. There are 28 churches there and they have their own pastors now. Praise the Lord.
When the apostle Paul traveled to Rome, the ship that he was sailing in was struck by a hurricane wind “the northeaster”; when everyone thought that the ship and all in it would be destroyed by the hurricane, God told his servant Paul,
“Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.”(Acts 27:24)
God’s love for us is great. He knows our sorrows, our pains, our worries and our fears. David, the king of Israel has sung like this,
“Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.”(Psalms 20:6)
How wonderful this statement is. David had many enemies. Goliath, Saul, the Philistines and even his own son Absalom. Even though all of them fought against him, they did not prevail against him. God gave David grace to defeat all his enemies.
In Psalms 34 and verse 4 we read,
“I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”
Are you afraid that sorcery, witchcraft or blackmagic done against you by others will destroy your life? Perhaps you are afraid that curses uttered against you by people will destroy you. The Word of God says,
“There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, `See what God has done!”(Numbers 23:23)
The term “Jacob” here refers to God’s people, the Israelites. Some of the characteristics of these people who were redeemed by God from Egypt are described in Numbers 23.
1. They were a people blessed by God. (indicates they were chosen by God)(verse 8)
2. They were a people who lived apart i.e.they had no part with the heathen nations (indicates separation) (verse 9)
3. No misfortune was seen in Jacob, no misery was observed in Israel.(indicates God’s redemption) (verse 21)
4. The LORD their God was with them ( indicates the Presence of God).(verse 21)
5. The shout of the King was among them (indicates godly worship) (verse 21)
6. They had the strength of a wild ox.(indicates the power of God) (verse 21,22)
If New testament believers have to have a victorious Christian life, the above mentioned characteristics are essential in their lives. If you have Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you must separate from idol worshippers and unbelievers (not follow their practices because they are contrary to the Word of God) and worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. The Bible Says,
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”(2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
If you are truly living a life according to the verses mentioned above, no divination or sorcery or witchcraft or blackmagic will work against you.
Just check your life and see whether you are living like that? If yes, then the Lord gives you this wonderful promise,
“In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.”(Isaiah 54:14,17)
Be hopeful. God will fight for you against your enemy Satan. He will be a shield and buckler for you. He will save you from the viles of the wicked one.
A group of dangerous men once set out to kill a very humble and faithful servant of God because he had been preaching to them to change their wicked ways. Living in a very small house, he could hear the shouts of the men coming to attack him. He fell to his knees and prayed fervently to God to save him from those wicked men. He continued in prayer even though they were getting close to his house and could attack him any moment.
When the men approached the house, they were amazed at what their eyes beheld. There was a great ring of fire burning all around the house and huge men in white shining garments with drawn swords standing in front of the house; they could not approach the house because of the blazing fire. After much time had passed, each one went away dismayed because they could not do anything. The servant of God continued with his prayer and praises.
Praise God. He protects his children by sending angels and with a wall of fire. The Bible says,
“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”(Psalms 34:7)
“And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, `and I will be its glory within.”(Zechariah 2:5)
Once the Syrian army came to capture the prophet Elisha. They surrounded the city of Dothan at night. When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.
The prophet Elisha told him,
“Don’t be afraid,”. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:16,17)
Jesus protects and delivers his children wonderfully. Covering us with His blood, by sending angels and with a wall of fire.
If you are being tormented by thoughts of fear from the enemy, Jesus has this to say to you,
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”(Deuteronomy 31:6)
God knows all about the fears in our minds. He is able enough to deliver us from all these fears.
He says, “Do not fear, I am with you.”
You can pray this prayer for deliverance from the fear / fears that are troubling you today. May the Lord God Jesus richly bless you.
Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven,
“I praise and glorify you for your promises and assuring verses that say “Do not fear.”
Kindly deliver me from this fear (tell God your fear) that is troubling me today.
I believe that if your Son Jesus Christ sets me free, I will be free indeed.
Deliver me from this fear O Lord, by the blood of Jesus and by your Word.
Fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit, O Lord.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
