The African Bible College Christian Academy in Lilongwe, Malawi is looking for you to join them in the development of kids from 20+ countries who attend their school.

If teaching kids is not your strength then look at the other opportunities listed below:

Christian Academy positions:

1 – Headmaster          1 – K-4 teacher          1 – Kindergarten

1 – First Grade            1 – Third Grade        2 – Fourth Grade

1 – Sixth Grade            1 – Art teacher          1 – French teacher

1 – Computer teacher for elementary      1 – JH Bible teacher

1 – JH Phys Ed teacher                                    Coaching a team sport

For the COLLEGE…

1 – Greek teacher         1 – Bible teacher     Coaching a team sport

For the on-campus church

1 – Worship leader

For more information contact Chuck Price at 619.249.2229 or WIXIM@cox.net

In thinking about “Fear” today, I want to take another look at Psalm 3. In the NIV we read, “O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” (v.1-2)

I often get a kick out of how Eugene Peterson paraphrases scripture in The Message, “God! Look! Enemies past counting! Enemies sprouting like mushrooms, mobs of them all around me, roaring their mockery: “Hah! No help for him from God!” (v.1-2)

There are different kinds of fear that affect all of us. At times, we, too, may feel surrounded by insurmountable fears! Some might include going to the dentist, being rejected by a close friend, not doing well on a test, not living up to expectations of your boss, etc. Some fear we anticipate, like the test or dentist appointment. Other fears can come upon us when we least anticipate it.

Last year, after twenty-nine years of employment, I was laid-off. I can’t say it was totally unexpected, but I was still surprised. For months afterwards, I experienced a new kind of fear. It’s one that I’ve not experienced before: fear of what might happen in the future, specifically, financial failure.

This is not a fear that I think about during my waking hours. God is providing in marvelous ways! Instead, this is a fear that can haunt me at night. It wakes me up with crazy thoughts!!

Pastor Matt said the first thing we need to do when we are afraid is to face our fear. I find that when I’m awakened in the middle of the night, the best thing I can do is get-up to journal, read the Bible, and cry-out to God, as David did. I find spending time in these activities to be so much better than wrestling in bed, trying to sleep, with crazy thoughts spinning in my mind.

Fear of what we’re facing can sometimes cause us to doubt that God is really present in our situation. At the Mt. Helix Community Group this week, we had an ice-breaker activity of writing acronyms for the word, DOUBT. I want to share two from our group. Here’s the first one:
D – Disbelief
O – Often
U – Unwittingly
B – Brews
T—Torment

I like this one because when I don’t face my fear, I do feel tormented! In addition to the activities named above that help, I’m a part of a great small group of guys with whom I can share anything. Having this kind of support is invaluable in so many ways!

The second acronym is this:
D – Devoting
O – Ourselves
U – Until
B – Belief
T – Transpires

Sometimes, in spite of what we are feeling, we need to move forward in our faith walk. This may even mean leaning on others to help us trust God in facing our fears. Moving forward can help us find a better place to be with God, to see and experience God’s blessings.

In verses 4 – 5, David writes, “To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.”

In his crying aloud to God, a wonderful transformation takes place! Peace comes to David so that he can sleep. The next day he awakes and feels the Lord’s strength and power to sustain him.

How do you experience God in the midst of your worst fear? How do you find strength and help from God? What’s your story?

Jeff Glass
jeffglass@diveintoflood.com

Take a look at the disciples when they faced fear.  In Matthew 14, they were at their wits’ end with a terrible storm and a boat that was close to capsizing-in the middle of the night of course (don’t  things always seem scarier at 3 am than at 3 pm?)  Jesus came to them, walking on water, and they were terrified:

“It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:26-27)

When we are scared of the hostile circumstances life has us in, do we see Jesus as a ghost walking on water, or do we listen to His advice and take courage.  Are we really afraid of the bad things, (a.k.a. Monsters), that are lurking out there behind the closet or under our bed, or is it something else that instills fear in us?  Maybe we’re scared of what will happen if we see Christ who he truly is and embrace what might happen if we “take courage” and follow Him.  Many times in my own life, I’ve felt it was harder to trust God than to run from Him.  When Jesus appeared to the disciples, did the storm calm down immediately?  Nope-it sure didn’t.  It’s not until Jesus climbs into the boat with Peter that the winds subsided.  If the the storms in your life haven’t calmed down, maybe Christ you haven’t allowed Christ to come aboard.

How scared are you of the storms in your life?  Is God out there calling you to have courage in Him?  Where are you-in the boat? Or are you stepping out of relative safety into the tempest?  What does Jesus want us to do with our fear?  I think His words in verse 27 answer that question:  Take courage.  Are you?

Stan Fisher

stan.fisher74@gmail.com

We are still in great need of the following professionals, as we compose Haiti Emergency Teams:

Medical Professionals
o   Doctors (Family Pract., Internal Med., ER, Pediatricians, PA or Nurse Practioners)
o   Registered Nurses
o   Physical Therapists
o   Non-medical
o   Team Leader with strong administrative skills

Interested? Please send the following information to venture@cotni.org, and a COTN Venture Representative will contact you as we assemble each team.

o    Name
o    Email
o    Phone
o    Specialty
o    Available trip dates
o   Affiliation (i.e. ABC Hospital)

What do we often think about when we talk about fear?  As children it’s usually monsters or scary things.  But as we grow older our fear becomes more about life; we fear failure, we fear loss, we fear missing out on the good things that life supposedly has in store for us, and many others.  In retrospect, much of our adult fear is just a manifestation of our childhood fear. Unless you are watching a Pixar movie, monsters have nothing good for us in life.  Same with our adult fears-they only serve to take the joy out of our lives.  If we let our fear run our life then joy will never enter the picture.

So how does God fit into this?  David makes it clear in Psalm 3 that he is scared of the army of his son Absalom who is attempting a coup on David’s throne.  David not only fears for his kingdom but his own life.  David fears the failure of his reign; being ousted by a coup will not only take his life, but it will most likely lead to the destruction of the Israelites, which would be the ultimate failure in David’s eyes. Yet, in this very dark time he turns to the only one who can help him.  David seeks God with all his heart during this time.  David recognizes God’s presence, he understand the sustainment and shield that only God can provide—that is why he goes to Him in prayer.

Where do you go when fear knocks at your door?  Do you pull the covers over your head and hope it goes away?  Or do you crawl out of bed and run to your Father’s room?  I think it is clear what David did-he turned to the Father Almighty for solace and safety.  What is keeping you from following David’s example?

Stan Fisher

Stan.fisher74@gmail.com

Maybe you’ve heard yourself ask questions like these:

“Man! That guy is 5 years younger than me and he’s driving a nicer car than mine…how did my life get so off track?” or

“Geez…I work and work and can’t seem to get ahead, maybe I don’t really have to report this as income this year”

I’ve definitely heard myself say this “that guy has that much influence and he’s not even a Christian?” or “that person has great hair!”

I find it interesting that my temptation to doubt is always greatest when I feel I’m the lesser person.  I get this competitive longing to win, and when I don’t win the prize I want in that moment, something inside me tells me I’m a loser…  ”I should have gone to medical school or become a rock star or lawyer or brilliant computer programmer or something “better” than I am right now so my life can have some sort of meaning or significance or even just a Lotus Elise or cool jeans. ”

I’m convinced this is an ancient struggle.

“I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” – Ps 73:3

Even the Psalmist is tempted to envy the prosperity of those around him…those who may not even know who God is.  He probably thought: “If those guys are doing so well and seem so rich, then why don’t I just go do what they’re doing?  I mean it seems like they’re healthier than me, better dressed than me, their lives seem easier and less complicated.  They’re not even afraid of death like I am.  They’re fearless and savvy.  They seem to have life down, they get richer  and richer and act like they own the planet.  They even question the knowledge and existence of God because they never needed Him in the first place to become so great.”

And I’m reminded of that old familiar vacuum of doubt making it’s way into my heart…

“Am I really doing what God wants for me?”…

“can I even really hear Gods voice?”…

“Is this even worth it?”…

“Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;  in vain have I washed my hands in innocence” – Ps 73:13

…”I keep following the rules, but I keep finishing last”…

The story continues.  The Psalmist reveals to us his heart’s journey as he colors in the picture of how grace and faith prevail.

It’s apparent the Psalmist’s perspective is realigned as he converses with God.  God’s goodness is his anchor and he believes God will do a good thing if he perseveres.

But I think there’s another angle to consider…  This is a window into our character.

In our quest for faithfullness, we usually begin with doubt.

It is doubt that causes us to ask questions and provides the opportunity for God to prove that he is faithful.  It is these moments when our faith is tested.

“The testing of our faith produces perseverence.” -James 1:3

When we’re tested and we decide to believe God in those moments of decision and trust His ways, this trust over-and-over-and-over again, over time is perseverance, and perseverance over-and-over-and-over again, over time is faithfulness.

We walk from doubt …through perseverence …to faithfullness and our final destination is Servant Leadership as we become the faithful, the dependable, a solid rock. We become someone who stabilizes the group…only because our stability is derived from God Himself.  We are given clear vision and learn the ability to ascertain Gods voice clearly.  We become the one God uses to serve His people.

The more faithful we are, the less we doubt because we’ve experienced that God is trustworthy.  Our character begins to look like God’s.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Ps 73:26

So I find that I’m at peace with the answers to my questions above.  My life isn’t so “off track” after all.  I can report my taxes to the IRS without fear.  Even though I don’t have the stylish “medium shag”  hairdo of a Switchfoot bandmember, my wife still thinks I look okay.  More importantly I’m comfortable with saying that I can hear God’s voice when I listen.  I’m pretty sure He loves me and looking back, every time I took a chance on God, he’s followed through.  It is worth it after all.  Otherwise I wouldn’t be here sharing my experience with you the reader.

“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” Ps 73:28

Greg Gunn

gcgunn1@yahoo.com

Probably my favorite definition for courage is this: “the act of helping a person when the fear of injury to them outweighs the fear of injury to yourself”

When I think of this definition, I usually think of something heroic like firemen or soldiers facing impossible odds on the behalf of those in need.  Do you relate?

Have you ever felt the odds were against you?

I work in the field of cardiology and daily I see people whose hearts are beating at a fraction of what they should.  Many times their heart pumps at a mere 10-20 % of it’s potential.   We give them medications to make them comfortable, or try to improve an already failing organ to possibly extend their life, but you kinda know they live with the question of “until when” in the backs of their minds.  It’s interesting how some deal with the reality of their own mortality.  In many cases I feel like I’m dichotomically trying to convince them that the “odds” are against them, yet still be a voice of hope and healing.  This in itself is quite a challenge.  But occasionally you meet those patients who have remarkable spirits and you are left in wonder  and inspired to handle your own circumstances as graciously as they handle theirs.  I had a patient just like this last week.  Her name is Mrs. B.

Psalm 3 reminds me of Mrs. B because she knows the odds are stacked against her.  Her poor health is her enemy.  She is elderly.  She has a husband who had a massive stroke many years ago and is wheelchair bound.  He needs 24/7 assistance for everything from holding a fork to using the bathroom or taking a bath.  We all know people like this.  The ill caring for the ill.  The sick grandmothers who take care of the sick grandfathers.  This is Mrs. B.

She came in to our clinic because she has chest pain whenever she exerts herself .   She did many tests and the results were positive for blockages in the arteries of her heart.  The thing is, her WHOLE LIFE is exerting herself  as she cares for her husband.  She lifts him and feeds him.  She is his full time caregiver.  She admitted that this was causing her anxiety and difficulty sleeping.  She recently started new medication that didn’t really help.  She was tired and at the end of her rope.

David in verse 3 shows that the people around him were of no help.  Many told him that God probably won’t be delivering him from his enemies any time soon.  It’s possible that a well meaning friend was saying “maybe God is punishing you right now” or “sorry David, we can’t hang because you’re probably getting what you deserve at this moment!”  … all of these attacks, from both his enemies and friends were occurring all at once.  Kind of like me (her friend) telling Mrs. B, she’s really sick  with heart disease (her enemy) and she should find someone else to help care for her husband.  I told her she needs time for herself and needs to take a break every once in a while.  I told her she can’t expect her body to handle such stress.  So how do you think she responded?

She was offended.

She said, “my husband is my life and he needs me right now, please help me feel well enough so I can take care of him”

“…he is my life…”

Courageous.

So David was forced to cry out to God.

Literally…

…cry out…

…”aloud”…

In the middle of crying out aloud to God, he realized that God was his shield.  It was God who protected him against enemies and “friends” who attacked with verbal weapons as well as physical ones. David through his cries, in the midst of his despair and fear, and maybe even a feeling of betrayal, was touched by God. And God gave him peace.  God realigned his perspective. He was so affected by God that he was able to fall asleep.  Ooooh, the blessing of restful, comfortable, rejuvenating, peaceful, deep sleep…without taking Ambien or Lunesta. Without being woken up by the kids!  He then woke up and was infused with energy for the task at hand.  Almost like he was fueled by a supernatural source of strength.

When was the last time you slept so soundly?

When was the last time you got up after prayer and were moved to advance despite the odds being against you?

David said:

“I wake again because the Lord sustains me”

…then…

“I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side”

At some point, I was compelled to ask Mrs. B if she had a social support network, like if she went to church or temple.  She said she’d like to go to church, but was too busy caring for her husband to make it there.  I then asked if she prayed.  She said she did.  So I asked if I could pray with her their in the exam room and she said “yes, but only if you speak the words.”  So I prayed basically that God would take care of her so she could take care of her husband.  This was a beautiful moment for me.

After our “amens”, she hugged me with tears in her eyes and said thank you.  Of course I gave her the medications she needed for her heart, but what she told me before she left was priceless:

“I think I’ll be able to sleep peacfully tonight”

Mrs. B in the mist of her despair and anxiety chose to set aside the concerns of her own frailty to care for her husband who is convalesced.  She came before God and I believe her soul was refreshed.  David feared death and had no support.  He “cried” out to God and was given peace and perspective.  He woke up ready to take on “tens of thousands on every side”  He recognized the Lord as his deliverer and was even compelled to pray a blessing on God’s people.

Firemen jump into burning buildings or crumbling skyscrapers ready to save people they don’t know, soldiers are willing to take a bullet for a country full of people they have yet to meet.

Jesus took upon himself the weight and consequences of your sin and mine and died on the cross on our behalf.

Courage is not the absence of fear.  Courage is this: “the act of helping a person when the fear of injury to them outweighs the fear of injury to yourself”

Mrs. B is courageous, Jesus was couragous…how about you?

Greg Gunn

gcgunn1@yahoo.com

Dear San Diegans,

I hope you’re well.

As you may know, Disney is giving away a free Disneyland pass to each person who volunteers for one of our beach cleanups. We have three more events remaining. They will be on March 13, April 10 and May 1.

New volunteers can click http://jcsm.org/pbcleanup/register/ to register. Please hurry because they could hit 1 million free tickets and stop accepting new registrations at any time. Please spread the word to your friends, family, co-workers and students.

Thanks for caring about our coastline! Our February 27 cleanup was a success with 633 people helping to clean Pacific Beach! We hope to get that many people or more for our other events. Thanks for your support.

Sincerely,
Jason Gastrich

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