Tag Archives: Fear

Pastoral thoughts

Lessons from the Tower

As I recalled 9/11 this past week, I went back to see what I preached the following Sunday. What I found was that at least some lessons of that message are important for our current time as well. So I’m sharing them, slightly edited, with you today.

LESSON 1: GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY. Our world is filled with evil and tragedy but God still rules the world. He is sovereign. Psalm 46 states,  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging…(and I would add though the towers fall, though COVID strikes )… Nations are in an uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” Revelation pictures Jesus Christ, who said “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”, sitting on the throne ruling the world. Martin Luther penned, “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle.” Remember, God is sovereign.

LESSON 2: OUR SECURITY. Our American sense of safety and security has been shattered. We are experiencing fear – a fear that has previously been unknown to most of us. We wonder, “If this could happen, what’s next?” When the tower fell, when COVID hit, our smugness and invincibility fell as well.

But, thank God, we are safe. “The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident… For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock… Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27). “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). This invincible tower is not one we run from in fear but towards in faith. Its name is Jesus. America’s tower may have fallen but at the resurrection and ascension of Jesus another, greater one rose up. “No one can snatch them from my hand.” Or as Paul put it, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39, underlining mine). We are safe in Christ.

LESSON 3: OUR STRENGTH. In times like this we feel powerless. After all, the USA is THE power of the world. We are invincible. No one would dare come after us. Nothing can destroy us. We have raised a generation that believes it can do anything and will always succeed. And we love to feel the strength this feeling of power brings. But then the tower fell (COVID struck).  And we realize just how impotent we are. We are not in control. We do not call all the shots.

But we can pray. “…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.” Surely we have been humbled; now it’s time to pray – for victims, leaders, rescue workers, families, friends, co-workers, other nations, for Christ’s Church. James wrote (4:6-7): “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Jesus said, “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” There is no greater power. Our strength derives from prayer.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

Pastoral thoughts

Viral Faith

This is a time for faith and not fear.  To be honest I know the virus is real and will most likely eventually come to someone we know, perhaps even to you or me. But I am far more concerned with the loss of reason and the wave of fear and hysteria that threatens the fabric of our society than I am with the virus. I am concerned what our children and grand-children are learning about how to respond to difficult times and circumstances. So let this be an opportunity to focus on faith.

  • Focus on our faithful God who watches over our lives and our coming and going now and forevermore (Ps. 121).
  • Focus on the fact the Bible teaches us to be of use today. ‘Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.” Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:13-17).
  • Focus on what  the Heidelberg Catechism profoundly states:

26 Q. What do you believe when you say: “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, maker   of heaven and earth?”

That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal           counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son.  I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and he will            turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world.  He is able to do this    because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.

            27 Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?

Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which he upholds, as    with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade,     rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity   and poverty – all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand.

            28 Q. How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?

We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will       separate us from his love.  All creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.

  • Focus on Numbers 16:46-48: “Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.” So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.” I am not implying that COVID-19 is a God-sent plague. I am saying intercessors are needed. Let’s all stand in the great gap and pray unceasingly.

Here is a message I delivered on Sunday, March 15 to those gathered for worship @ Kibbie Christian Reformed Church here in South Haven. My prayer is that it will bless and strengthen you during these unusual days.

News Commentary, Pastoral thoughts

A Word About Syndromes

There is a new syndrome affecting many people. It’s called the Trump Anxiety Disorder (TAD). I get it, and somewhat understand it. And while I can get very political and biased I will resist the temptation to do so here – that’s not the purpose of my blogs.

Rather I am more inclined to reflect on how this new syndrome strikes me. As a Christian, what is my response? How do I react to the root causes of this syndrome? I look at the apostles and early Christians – they lived under the rule of the likes of Herod and Nero who gruesomely persecuted and killed Christians. I think about the Jews who lived under (and the many who died under) the horrific reign of Hitler. I read about the persecuted Christians of today who face inhuman punishment and execution daily. How is it that so many of them live each day without panic and overwhelming fear?

It’s because they’re affected by another syndrome – the Foundational Faith Syndrome (FFS). In my book A Nation Under God (1) I wrote about the core of this syndrome.

“The God who rules is sovereign. Jeremiah was disappointed that his message and ministry were not being followed by Judah. He felt he had done all he could with Judah and his heart was broken that she was still as wayward as ever. So God spoke to Jeremiah and told him to go to the potter’s house…Jeremiah observed the master potter at work. Using two wheels connected by an axle, the potter rotated and controlled the speed of the wheel with his foot and molded the clay with his hands. So adept was the potter that beautiful pottery was formed as if by magic. Mesmerized by what he saw, Jeremiah was jolted back to reality when the potter felt a flaw in the clay and stopped his work. Jeremiah anticipated he would throw out the clay and start with a fresh batch. But he was fascinated to discover the potter simply took the same clay and started over again to form a different pot. “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.”

God’s sovereignty is part of the fabric of Scripture. The Psalmist affirms it: “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart throughout all generations.” (Psalm 33:10-11) “Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. (Psalm 66:8-12)

Even the pagan kings of Daniel’s day understood. “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”” (Daniel 4:34-35)

“Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: “May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”” (Daniel 6:25-27)…

So God will have his way with nations. God puts them on His divine wheel and never lets up – He is continually molding, shaping, sculpturing. No matter how independent nations think they are, no matter how much control they think they have over their destinies, the truth is they are clay. They are being shaped, molded, controlled by hands other than theirs. They are being formed by God’s hands.
We also learn, however, that because God holds nations accountable, nations can influence God’s ways. Consider God’s explanation to Jeremiah: “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.”

Therein is our hope; therein is our peace.

No wonder the Psalmist could say: “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!…The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress… “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”” (Psalm 46:1-3,7,10) That’s why Jesus, just prior to his excruciating trial and death could say, “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.” (John 14:27) It’s my prayer that you will be affected not by TAD but by FFS.

(1) NOTE: To read more about the book follow the link. To order at a discount go here.