STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE STORM
CONQUERING THE FEAR OF DEATH
============================
I have been crucified with Christ and I
no longer live, but Christ lives in
me. The life I live in the body, I live
by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. Galatians
2:20
Fear of dying is the number one universal fear for human beings.
Virtually
every fear has a relationship to death and a connection to dying. For example,
why are we afraid of flying? The plane may crash and we may die.
Here are
seven scriptural principles that enable us to conquer our fear of
death:
1. God is in control. Read Psalm 91. (Mark 4:35-41; Phil
4:6-7)
2. Focus on fearing God and dying to self. (Acts 5:29; Galatians
2:20)
3. We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth. (Hebrews
10:32+)
4. God always brings good from evil. (Genesis 50:20)
5.
The enemy can only harm our body, not our soul. (Matthew 10:28)
6. Absent
from the body is to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8; 2
Timothy
2:11-12)
7. There is a crown of life for the faithful to death.
(Revelation 2:10)
Co-workers had just finished an SSTS seminar on the
island of Timor when a
young pastor suddenly jumped up and proclaimed before
all his colleagues “Now
I am ready to die for Jesus!” These were no idle
words. Every single pastor
attending the seminar was directly or indirectly
impacted by the massacres on
the island of Ambon. Many of their churches had
been burned and several had
lost loved ones in the attacks on
Christians.
As the meeting concluded, our colleague saw that young pastor
making his way
towards him. “Your being here has inspired me to go out and
share the gospel
in other areas,” he announced.
“I am happy to hear
that brother. Where has the Lord called you to?” he
enquired.
“To
Ambon!”
“My brother, are you sure. This is like signing your own death
certificate.
You know that most Christians are fleeing the massacre and you
want to
return?”
His response was simple and without pretense. “If I
don’t go back to tell the
people about Jesus, who will do it? I am willing to
give my life for Jesus!”
RESPONSE: Today I will live prepared to die, and
die prepared to live!
PRAYER: When I fear you, Lord, I fear nothing
else—even death. Today I pray
for those who do not fear You and thus fear
everything else—especially death.
