Browsing Tag:

Fear

In Blog, Ten Commandments, Theology on
November 8, 2021

In Vain

One of my favorite TV shows is Friends (I know—not the most wholesome show, but it does make me laugh). There are several recurring side characters in the show, but one of the most memorable characters is Janice, Chandler’s on and off girlfriend who appears in nearly every season of the series. Janice is mainly known for one thing—exclaiming in her loud, nasally, nails-on-a-chalkboard voice the phrase, “OH. MY. GOD.” And Janice isn’t the only one to make this exclamation. Between Janice, the six friends, and other characters, the phrase is said 1,069 times over the show’s ten seasons.[1]

Growing up in a conservative Christian household, I was taught to never use this phrase. In my mind, I was just asking to be struck down by the Lord if I dared to utter those three little words in a row. It was such a big deal because it was prohibited in the third commandment – “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7a, ESV). But what does it really mean to take God’s name in vain? Is this commandment just telling us we can’t use the phrase, “Oh my god,” or is there more to it?

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
October 25, 2021

He is Wise

The philosopher Aristotle once said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”[1] Our self-absorbed, truth-is-relative culture loves sayings like this! We love taking personality type quizzes and learning more about our Enneagram numbers. We think by knowing more about ourselves we’ll be able to better understand ourselves, take care of ourselves, and make better decisions for ourselves. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with personality quizzes, they do have us focusing solely on ourselves to become better people, and the Bible completely disagrees with this-

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Proverbs 9:10, ESV

Wisdom does not begin with us! Wisdom begins with God. Why? Because He is wise-

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In Bible Study, Blog, Matthew on
March 8, 2021

Salt & Light

How are Christians to interact with the culture they live in? If you’ve attended church for any length of time, you’ve likely heard that we are to “be in the world, not of it.” But what exactly does this mean? What does “being in the world but not of the world” look like? Well, Jesus makes it clear in His famous Sermon on the Mount.

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In Blog, Fear, Theology on
November 2, 2020

To Fear or Not to Fear

At times, I can be a very fearful person. I often get caught up in all the “what-ifs” of life. What if this happens? What if that doesn’t happen? What if they don’t like me? What if I get lost? What if I can’t find it? What if it all goes terribly? What if, what if, what if.

As you probably know, the Bible commands us not to live in this kind of fear. We have a God, a Heavenly Father who loves us and casts out fear (1 John 4:18). He has created us and formed us, redeemed us and called us by name (Isaiah 43:1). He strengthens us and helps us, and He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31:6). God is our light, our salvation, and our stronghold (Psalm 27:1).  He comforts us and gives us peace (Psalm 23:4, John 14:27). We are in Him. We have no need to fear.

So, how are we to respond to Bible verses like 1 Peter 2:17 or Matthew 10:28 that command us to fear and, of all things, to fear God? Doesn’t the Bible command us not to fear? And isn’t He a loving, redeeming, comforting God? Why do we need to fear Him?

To fear or not to fear? That is the question.

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In Blog, Names of God, Theology on
October 19, 2020

He is Jehovah Shalom

Richard Wurmbrand was an evangelical pastor who began an “underground” ministry for oppressed believers in 1940s Communist Romania. He was arrested twice and spent over thirteen years being tortured in prison. When he later testified about this in the U.S., the Communist regime of Romania made plans to assassinate him. Wurmbrand didn’t let this threat silence him, and he went on to start The Voice of the Martyrs organization, which serves and assists persecuted Christians all around the globe.[1]

Christians, similar to Richard Wurmbrand, are threatened, persecuted, imprisoned, and killed on a daily basis because of their faith all over the world. While we, as Christians in the United States, don’t encounter near the level of persecution other international believers do, it does seem like our nation is becoming more and more hostile towards Christians and biblical ideals. In today’s world, it’s difficult for us to always stand up for our faith! We fear what people will think of us or do to us. Gideon, one of the judges God sent to Israel, feared the same thing.

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