Battling Fear Part 3

Nick Minerva • May 23, 2021

This is the third and final post in our series on battling fear. In the first post we saw how the person of God allows us to live courageously. In the second post we looked at the three ways the presence of God gives us courage. As we wrap up Psalm 27 we will see how the Promises of God give us courage.

The Promises of God Give Us Courage

I love the way this Psalm ends. Look at the last two verses, 13 and 14.

Psalm 27:13-14 I am certain that I will see the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the LORD.

Writer Job Bloom said “ Good courage is fueled by faith in the ultimate reality: what God promises his people. ” 1

By faith, David resisted the temptation to overestimate what threatened him and underestimate God’s power or willingness to keep his promises. Letting his heart take courage meant letting himself believe God’s promises. Therefore, good courage must be taken — we must take hold of real promises given by the real God so that having done all, we can stand firm in the evil day 2 . Come what may, we know that we “will see the LORD’S goodness in the land of the living.” We cannot go back to fear. We must lead our hearts to take courage by believing that what God has already promised to us.

Paul gives us a helpful encouragement in 2 Corinthians. He says 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. Even if the worst should happen, we have an inheritance from God that cannot be touched. And because of that promise Paul says in verse 6 So we are always confident. God’s promises are bigger than any fear we might have. They fuel good, biblical courage.

A Word From The King

One of my favorite movies (outside Lord of the Rings) is Darkest Hour. It’s about Winston Churchill in WW2. In the movie Winston Churchill must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: fearfully exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or courageously standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty, and freedom of a nation. As the unstoppable Nazi forces roll across Western Europe and the threat of invasion is imminent, fear is everywhere. The public is unprepared, the king is skeptical, and Winston’s own political party is plotting against him. Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of world history. 

In the movie there is a great scene in which Churchill is sitting alone in his room wrestling with this decision, and he is about to give in to fear. He is about to resign himself to do what he does not believe is right. And as he is wrestling within himself, the King of Britain walks into the room and tells Winston, 

“You have my support. I confess, I had some reservations about you at first, but while some in this country dreaded your appointment, none, none dreaded it like Adolf Hitler. Whomever can strike fear into that brute heart is worthy of all of our trust. We shall work together. You shall have my support at any hour. Beat the buggers.”

It’s such a great line. In the movie that word from the King fueled the courage of Winston Churchill and changed the direction of the war. 

We Can Be Brave

We have the support of our King and we don’t have to live in fear. 

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

We can fight our battles because our King has given us not only his support, but everything we need for life and godliness. We can beat fear. Orient your life around God and live courageously.

I would love to connect with you on  Facebook  or  Instagram. I also wrote a  book ! If you  subscribe  to my weekly newsletter, I will send you the digital version for free.

The post Battling Fear Part 3 appeared first on Thriving In Exile.

A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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