Here's Pastor Alan Wright with Today's Blessing: a Biblical Faith-Filled Vision. for your life. The greater the troubles, the greater the comfort. The deeper the disappointment, the deeper the grace. The harder the trial, the softer the mercy.
Paul said it plainly: As we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, So through Christ we share abundantly and comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1.3. May you know the comfort of God abundantly? pervasively, sweetly, powerfully, so that your simplest sorrows and deepest losses are swallowed up into a mysterious grace And healed. Pastor, author, and Bible teacher Alan Wright.
The picture of timeless wisdom. He's experienced it all. He knows it all. He's been there. He's done that.
He discerns what's right. He discerns what's wrong. He isn't duped by the whims and the wiles of the enemy. He's too old and too wise for that. You can't trick him.
You can't disrespect him. He is the ancient of days. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt.
Excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series, The Untroubled Heart, as presented at Renolda Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Allen Wright Ministries.
So, as you listen to today's teaching, today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Just contact us at pastoralen.org. That's pastoralan.org. or call 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860.
More on this later in the program. But right now. Let's get started with today's teaching. Here is Pastor Alan Wright. When Jesus said, do not fear, talking about the persecution that Christians might experience or the troubles of this world, when he says, do not fear those who can kill the body.
You would kind of want him to say, because I'll always be there and will protect you, and no harm will come to you. He doesn't say that. He said elsewhere, you'll experience trouble in this world. We'd kind of like for them to say, do not fear those that can kill the body, because you know what? They can't really do much, and they probably won't ever do anything to you anyway.
That's not what he says. He says this is the part that's troubling, but uh I think maybe it'll start making sense to you now. Rather, fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. But immediately then You realize he's saying this not for the purpose. Of making people scared as if God's unkind, but he's leading them into peace.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father? But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. He says it again, Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. What he's saying is.
God treasures you.
So much that you could just observe the tiniest sparrow. And know this. That God doesn't allow one to fall to the ground without His providential oversight. He knows every hair on your head. This is his consuming passion, and love is to watch over you.
And he is the only one who has ultimate authority over your eternal destiny.
So don't let the things of this world and the people that mock you now or shame you now or persecute you now, let them shape how you're thinking. You can't let them shape how you're thinking. You need to have a greater grandeur in mind, the all of the living God. He don't heal you. of your other fears.
And that's what he's talking about. Tim Cowl says the fear of the Lord doesn't mean be afraid. It means sustain a joyful, astonished awe. wonder before him. It's a paradox.
Fear the Lord. and therefore fear nothing else. Wow. Wow. So, practically Because I really want this series to be practical and just Let's have less anxiety and practically, therefore, let's get more awe.
And part of that is make room for time in nature. The heavens are still declaring the glory of God. The skies are still proclaiming the work of his hands.
Someone has said there's something about stepping outside that helps us step outside ourselves. We need to do that. Quiet walk in the woods, a moment by the ocean watching a sunrise. Creation invites you outside of yourself. And Remember, we talk about all truth is God's truth.
So, mindfulness, learning to live in this moment. and meditation the contemplation or the turning about in the soul of all that is true and noble and right and pure and lovely and admirable and excellent and praiseworthy and fixing your thoughts on this, these are ways that we begin to invite wonder into our lives. You do get to choose what you think about. You do get to choose what you think about. You don't always get to choose what happens in your circumstances, but you do get to choose what you think about.
And To fill your mind with marvel is as simple as just becoming fascinated. Just be fascinated by stuff. Ha ha ha. It's a marvelous world and just marvel at it all. If you're an engineer, marvel that math works.
It just always works. I don't know how to do it, but it just always works. If you're a physicist, just marvel that light always travels at the same speed forever. How? And that gravity exists and always works?
If you're a nurse, marvel that the immune system is working for your patients day in and day out. What? Fear it Gastroenterologist Marvel. That the pancreas knows how to put out the right amount of enzyme. If you're a mom.
Marvel at the fingernails of a baby. Marveled that Anybody could learn words. or learn to toddle. or marvel that a two-year-old can have a sense of humor. How's that possible?
How's that possible? Then a two-year-old could find something funny. If you're an athlete, marvel that muscle is formed through adversity. and that the strain upon the tissue builds it stronger. Who came up with a plan like that?
You can be filled with all in the midst of the ordinary. And invite all into your life by regularly meditating upon and talking about the miracles in your life. And you have miracles in your life.
So many God moments in your life. The things that could only be explained by the grace of God, moments in which you were blessed and you didn't deserve it, moments in which you were spared and there's no way to explain it, moments in which you've been sustained by grace. Just think on all of these things, discover them, live in them, write them down, talk about the kitchen table. And just fill your life up with it. Because you're going to have so many things you don't understand in life.
I got to spend a couple of hours with an old, old friend from high school that I love with all my heart.
Somewhere along the line, he's declared himself to be an atheist, and I love him, and he's kind, and he's smart, and we just sat on the and talked for hours about the things of Jesus and the Bible, and he asked me so many hard questions, and so many that I couldn't. I said, I'd really like to get a whole day with you sometime. He said, I'd like that. He said, because I really want to do is not convince you of. Certain doctrines, or even convince you of inspiration of scripture, but I'd like to tell you.
about my life. Because I marvel at what God's done. Invite Marvel into your life by learning to worship. Whatever you do, beloved. Learn to worship.
Whether for you it means you get wrapped into silence before a holy God. Or whether you need to dance up and down the aisle, both are fine with me. But just get your soul wrapped up in the marvel of this God of ours. And worship him and praise him. And when the anxieties come, that's when you need to praise him all the more.
That's Alan Wright. and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Do you ever feel like your heart just can't rest? Like no matter how much you try, peace always seems just out of reach.
So many of us wrestle with anxious what-ifs. leaving our hearts restless and unsettled. But Jesus offers us something the world cannot give. His own peace. the calm of his very heart.
This month's featured resource from Pastor Alan is the Untroubled Heart, a powerful digital bundle including audio messages and a digital study guide. In this series, Pastor Alan unpacks Jesus' promise from John 14, 27. I leave you peace. My peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does.
So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid. With practical insight and biblical encouragement, You'll discover how to quiet anxious thoughts and rest in Christ's peace that endures. When you give today to support Allen Wright Ministries, we'll send you the Untroubled Heart digital bundle as our thanks. The gospel is shared when you give to Allen Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.
When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Allen Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-500. Five four four 4860. That's 877.
Five four four four four four four four four four four four four. 4860. or come to our website. PastorAllen.org. Day's teaching now continues.
Here once again. is Alan Wright. When the people of God were at one of the hardest junctures in the early church and they needed a word from the Lord. Because some of their apostles had been martyred. And they We're having to hide in catacombs and Who knows what the next Season would look like, and John, the great apostle, had been exiled to the Isle of Potmos.
They needed a word from the Lord, and the Lord wanted to send. A word to to encourage the churches of Southeast Asia and So he gave John a vision. I don't know why people think the book of Revelation is about us. figuring out All the times and the inside, there's things in there about what's going to happen, but it's mainly what it says in the opening verse: a revelation of Jesus Christ. And in that opening chapter John saw this and he wrote it down and he sent it out to the seven churches.
I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. This is what his vision was. And on turning, I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the lampstands, one was like a son of man, seven, the number of perfection. Lampstands, a picture of the church.
It was like a son of man clothed in a long robe and a golden sash around his chest. And the hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. And in his right hand, he held seven stars.
From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. This is what he sent him. Like Here's what you need so that you won't be so afraid. of the Roman Empire. Here's what you need so you won't be so concerned about your future.
Here's what's going to diminish all of your anxiety. Come into this vision of which I was awestruck. when I saw the Son of Man. He's saying, I want you to see the glory that I saw. I'm pulling back the curtain.
That's what a revelation is: it's pulling back what's already there, is now seen. It just hadn't been seen yet. He is and was and is to come. He's beyond time and in time and through time and on time. He didn't have a beginning.
He didn't have an ending. I can't put it into words. I'm just going to give you a picture. I'm going to show you who he is. He's the Alpha and He's the Omega.
You don't have to worry about what you went through yesterday. He's in your past. He's still in your past, healing your old wounds. You don't got to worry about today. He's right here with you, and he's already in your future.
There'll be manna for the ground. There'll be a ram in the thicket. He's already there because he is and he was and he is to come. He is God supreme. I want to put it in words, but I just need to give you a picture of it.
So let me tell you, he's like the Son of Man. Because he's fully human, but he's fully God. And he's a man. He knows what you're going through as a human being, but he's God, so he can handle what you're going through. And he's got this long robe, is what I saw with a golden sash.
It's like a priest, like a Hebrew priest in the temple, amongst the lampstands, whose job was to keep the wicks trimmed and lit and refill them with oil so they just keep on burning and keep shining their light. The priest who makes sacrifices on behalf of the people so that God does not deal with them according to their sins, but according to the sacrifice. I wish I could give you all of this in writing, but let me just give you the picture. His hair, I saw him, it was white because it reminded me of the ancient of days in Daniel's prophecy, the picture of timeless wisdom. He's experienced it all, he knows it all, he's been there, he's done that, he discerns what's right, he discerns what's wrong.
He isn't duped by the whims and the wiles of the enemy. He's too old and too wise for that. You can't trick him, you can't disrespect him. He is the ancient of days. And his eyes.
It's like, let me tell you the vision I had of his eyes. They're like flames of fire. His gaze is penetrating. He's got Superman eyes. He sees right things, rightly, and right through things, and he can warm up every part of you by just looking down into your souls.
And his feet were burnished with bronze that had been refined in a furnace, like precious metal that's refined in the fire, because everything he's standing on is pure. He doesn't act with purity. He is purity. He doesn't represent holiness. He is the Holy One of Israel.
And he's walked through the fire for you. And his voice, I wish I could tell you what it is.
Sounded like John saying it. Thunderous like the roar of Niagara Falls. It's like the roar of many waters. And you can't talk about anything else when he's speaking. You can't shout over top of him.
You can't whisper in the darkness behind him. You can't silence him. You can't tell him what he ought to say or what he ought to say and when he ought to say it because his voice is like thunder. And if he says, Peace be still, it will be still. And if he says, Lazarus, come out, he will come out, no matter how dead he is.
And if he says, come into the joy of the marriage feast of the Lamb, you will come. I'm talking about the vision of Jesus. And if you could see what was proceeding from his mouth, it would be looking like a sharp two-edged sword. It can penetrate between bone and marrow, and spirit and soul. It is the word of God that's on the offense against your enemy.
You are not alone. He's fighting this battle, and he's fighting it with truth because he is the truth. And his face was shining like the sun, so brilliant you couldn't even look at it, and yet, so warm you wanted to look at it. Everything else was visible because the light coming from his face, the Lord bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you. You just get a vision of Jesus.
In awe. of him. And anxiety. will melt away. I just want to live in that.
Put yourself in a position to see him. You know, in my experience, oftentimes people come into a relationship with Christ, and at first the initial part's pretty glorious, and then you go through a little time, and it sometimes feels like what Gene Peterson said. And the title of his book on the Psalms, it sometimes feels like it's a long obedience in the same direction. But my experience also is that you will come if you keep climbing with him to breathtaking. Vistas.
Years ago on our outwest trip, we decided to go to the Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We had read the brochures. It was supposed to be wonderful, had wonderful reviews. And we got on the tram. It's glass.
And at first it didn't seem that great. I mean it was nice. But we were kind of going up the side of a hill amongst some trees and we're like This is nice, but it's not the greatest thing I've ever seen. But then, as it just keeps going up, all of a sudden you go across the first ridge. And it's like the earth fell away beneath you.
If you hadn't been on this tram, you couldn't get over that ridge, you wouldn't see this. But now, everybody on the tram kind of gasped at the same time. And your eyes start popping. And you marvel. Keep climbing with Jesus.
There's new vision over this next ridge. Don't give up now. He's an awesome God. In His grace, in His majesty. are wondrous.
And his love. is vast beyond measure. of God In that way. Heels Anxiety. And that's the gospel.
Yeah. Master Alan Wright. Today's good news message, awe over anxiety from our series, The Untroubled Heart. Hey, stick with us. Pastor Alan is back here in the studio sharing a parting good news thought for the day in just a moment.
Unlock the power of blessing your life. Discover God's grace-filled vision for your life by signing up for Alan Wright's free daily blessing. If you want to fill your heart with grace and encouragement, get Alan Wright's Daily Blessing. It's free, and just to click away at pastoralen.org. Do you ever feel like your heart just can't rest?
Like no matter how much you try, Peace always seems just out of reach.
So many of us wrestle with anxious what-ifs. leaving our hearts restless and unsettled. But Jesus offers us something the world cannot give. His own peace. The calm of his very heart.
This month's featured resource from Pastor Alan is the Untroubled Heart, a powerful digital bundle including audio messages and a digital study guide. In the series, Pastor Alan unpacks Jesus' promise from John 14, 27. I leave you peace. My peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does.
So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid. With practical insight and biblical encouragement, You'll discover how to quiet anxious thoughts and rest in Christ's peace that endures. When you give today to support Allen Wright Ministries, we'll send you the Untroubled Heart digital bundle as our thanks. The gospel is shared when you give to Allen Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.
When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Allen Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-500. Five four four 4860. That's 877?
Five four four four four four four four four four four four four. 4860. or come to our website. pastorallen.org Back here in the studio with Pastor Alan at the conclusion of this teaching, Awe Over Anxiety, in the series The Untroubled Heart. I kind of feel like there's layers to different words, like you talked about in our last broadcast: the fear of the Lord.
That, you know, the word fear. We might kind of interpret that differently than what it really means. And I think when you're talking with someone who's dealing with anxiety, words like happy and words like joy might seem flippant and too simplistic in this complicated world of dealing with anxiety. And yet we're saying there's something deeper that's behind all of this.
Well, I think the thing that you could learn from today's teaching and from these texts about. How disciples could be in awe of Jesus and actually. There's a process by which the brain when it experiences the awesome, Gets relieved of its other fears. There's a lot to be learned from this, but in the end, it is to say, the revelation of Jesus himself. If you want To get more and more relief and healing from anxiety.
Do all you can to let your soul get rapt in wonder at the majesty of the Saviour. to become enamored. with gods.
sovereignty and beauty. and wonderworking power. He's awesome. And that changes you. Thanks for listening today.
Visit us online at pastorallen.org. Or call 877-500. five four four forty eight sixty. That's 877-544-4860. If you only caught part of today's teaching, not only can you listen again online, but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox.
Free. Find out more about these and other resources at pastorallen.org. That's pastorallan.org. Today's good news message is a listener-supported production of Alan Wright Ministries.
