Hope In A Crisis

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Tod Kennedy

Doctrine: Why We Can Have Hope in a Crisis

Tod Kennedy, July 1999

  1. God controls the people, events, and trends of history (Daniel 4:25; Daniel 5:21; Acts 17:24-31).
  2. Not everything that happens in history is God’s will (Exodus 32:9-10; Matthew 19:13-15; James 2:15-17).
  3. God will not always overrule bad decisions or block pain and suffering (Acts 8.1-3; Acts 19:21-34; 1 Corinthians).
  4. God does cause things—even bad things—to work together for His good for the believer (Romans 8:28).
  5. The spiritual believer with Bible doctrine can depend upon God’s comfort and guidance (Galatians 5:16-25).
  6. Faith is the necessary ingredient to be mixed with doctrine so that the believer experiences the soul calm or rest that God gives. Unbelief prevents soul calm (Hebrews 4:1-3).
  7. Local Church assembly for the teaching of the Word, the preparation for ministry (which you need to continue to do in the church and outside the church), and encouragement of each other is mandatory (Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 4:10).

This is the drill that you execute when crisis and testing come.

  1. Return to fellowship if necessary. If you are under deserved suffering or testing, first confess any personal sin that has put you out of fellowship (1 Corinthians 11:31; Hebrews 12:10-13; 1 John 1:5-2:1).
  2. Keep firmly in mind that what you believe is more important than how you feel (Psalm 13).
  3. Live by faith—faith rest and faith application of the Word of God—faith toward God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), faith toward Word of God (promises, doctrines, principles), and faith toward God’s plan (sovereign control, one day at a time) (2 Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 6:16; Colossians 2:6-10; Hebrews 10:38-39; Hebrews 11:1, 6; Ephesians 5.16).
  4. Watch for the good that God will work out of this situation (Romans 8:28).
  5. Continue to learn, think about, and apply the Word of God; apply the appropriate doctrine that will enable spiritual recovery, growth, and momentum (2 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:9-10, 28-29; Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 6:1-12).