October 27, 2015 Show with Simon J. Robinson on “The War Against Worry”

Live from the historic parsonage of 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown

Carlisle, Pennsylvania, it's Iron Sharpens Iron, a radio

platform on which pastors, Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning issues

facing the church and the world today.

Proverbs 27 verse 17 tells us, Iron sharpens iron so one

man sharpens another.

Matthew Henry said that in this passage, quote, we are cautioned to take heed whom we

converse with and directed to have in view in conversation to make one another

wiser and better.

It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next hour and we hope to hear

from you, the listener, with your own questions.

Now here's our host, Chris.

Arnson.

Good afternoon Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and the rest of humanity living

on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming.

This is Chris Arnson, your host of Iron Sharpens Iron, wishing you all a happy Tuesday on

this 27th day of October 2015 and I'm very

excited that we have for the very first time on Iron Sharpens Iron our guest today,

Simon J. Robinson, and today we are going to discuss his book, The War

Against Worry, a 31 -day strategy.

Simon J. Robinson has been in pastoral ministry since 1988 and he

is the author of eight books including Improving Your Quiet Time and Growing for

God.

He engages in an itinerant ministry teaching the Bible in Europe, Asia, and the United States as

well as being a police chaplain and leader of the work of redeeming our communities in

Chesterfield, England.

He and his wife, Hazel, have two adult sons and three grandchildren.

It's my honor and privilege to welcome you for the very first time to Iron Sharpens Iron, Simon Robinson.

Hi Chris, it's an honor to be here.

Yes, it's an honor to be here, to have you here on the

program and our guests, our listeners are immediately going to be struck

by the fact that you are not a citizen of this country, the United States, obviously.

Tell us something about where you're from and your upbringing and how you came to Christ.

Yeah, well.

Originally I come from near London, a little place called South Edon Sea, which is a great town to be in,

but now we live in the north of England.

We live near Manchester, that's the main city most people know, but the town's called Chesterfield.

It's in a very pretty area called the Peak District.

For 12 years, but we've lived in Nottingham

and we've been fairly settled.

My heart's in New York, I think, as I'm here.

We've kind of taken to this city.

Yeah, great, amen.

Well, I love my native homeland, which is New York,

myself.

Although I live in Pennsylvania now, I do miss all my dear friends over there on Long Island and I

appreciate your sending my heartfelt appreciation to

Pastor Doug McMasters and the folks at New Hyde Park Baptist Church for informing me

about your conference and giving me the information to set up this interview with you.

That's right.

You're asking, yeah.

When I was in South End, I became a Christian and I was, you know, brought up.

When I was in my teens, I realized that going to church,

and I do distinctly a Christian

organization, and a man called Duncan

Layton was, and

that we needed to, I

kind of made an outward, about a

year or so later

when that happened.

And from there, how did you know that you had the call to be in ministry?

It was actually soon after I became a Christian.

It was a, it started off with a conviction.

It was a bit like, you know, Jeremiah talks about, you know, the fire within him that was burning

him, and which I tested.

You know, I talked to people about it and I got involved in different kinds of ministry, and

in those days, South

End, every year,

older than me, but it seemed ancient at the time.

I was about 14, and this team of young people came down, and they were

really

experienced,

because you've got people walking by and shouting at you, opportunity,

and then I did that,

and then I started in my teens, and

eventually I went into the ministry in.

1988.

And describe something about the churches that you are affiliated with.

Well, the first church I was at was a church in a little village near South End called Great Waker, an evangelical

church.

I got in touch with them.

Great gospel witness in the village there encouraged

me, and it's

during that time.

So that was, I went to a

city, and that was,

that was a

really great ten years, and what's been really heartening about that is

growing up during that time.

I went back there recently, has moved

on, and there was a young lady came, and she said, I don't know if you know this, but I became a Christian during the time there, and

you know, that's when I learned a lot about the gospel, and about following Jesus, which

was really thrilling.

We had a lot of students, a

Canadian girl, and then he

moved eventually to Quebec, and he's teaching now, but still,

he was live through that touch with

them.

They were 11 years, and

that was a really blessed time, and during that time we

got my

links with

the police, and a

great opportunity to talk,

and they had a,

everyone gets a cup of

tea, to come into services

and kinds of ministry.

At the moment.

Well, we are also, during this program, going to be promoting two events that you

are involved in in New York.

First, you're going to be at the War Against Worry book launch event.

That's this Thursday, October 29th, 730 to 9 p .m. at Neighborhood

Church of Greenwich Village in New York City, and that's on 269 Bleeker Street

in New York City.

For further information, you can call 212 -691

-1770.

That's 212 -691 -1770, and their

website at the Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village is

ncgvnyc .com, which stands for

Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village, New York City, ncgvnyc

.com.

Then, on Reformation Day, which is this Saturday, October 31st, our

guest today, Simon Robinson, will be speaking at the New Hyde Park Baptist Church, which

is located on 635 New Hyde Park Road in New Hyde Park, Long Island, New

York, and for further details on those events, you can call

516 -352 -9672, 516

-352 -9672, or you can visit New Hyde Park Baptist Church's

website at nhpbc .com, NHP

for

New Hyde how to get a hold of

Simon's book and other information as we continue with this interview.

Well, this is a very practical and needed book that you've written,

Simon, The War Against Worry.

I have to admit to our audience that Christ's

command to be anxious for nothing is probably the sin I commit

more often than anything else.

Violating that command, I should say, is the sin I commit, I think,

more than anything, because I do worry quite a lot.

And what was the reason, what was the thing that propelled you to.

Write this book?

Well, I'm like you.

I'm actually a worrier by nature, and I think sometimes we're kind of

wired in different ways, and some of us are more prone to it than others.

It doesn't mean that we're not

worried.

I mean, I distinctly remember if my father lost his job,

and I was so worried.

I actually went and asked my grandparents if they'd help us with money if he lost his job, and I was only six at the time.

I'd worry for the whole of the family, and it was, I think, I first began

to decide I've really got to get a hold of this about 20 years ago, and I went to Martin

Lloyd -Jones and Matthew 6, you know, the studies on the Sermon on the Mount, and, you know, Martin Lloyd -Jones was saying, well, the

answer is, and from then on, you know, I

waged war.

I declared war against worry, and it has been a fight.

Someone who struggled

with the issue, so I wrote this book not as someone from a

distance saying, you know, you mustn't worry, this is what you should do, but someone who encouraged you,

and actually

that was,

I was speaking at an event in England.

It was a, I don't know if you call them house parties over here, but it was a special event, and everyone was

staying in this really nice conference centre over

there.

People were saying, can you send us the notes?

I thought, well, maybe I ought to do more about this, and my good friend

told me about this, and, you know,

I think you can help a lot more people by putting this into print, and we came up with this idea

of writing a book over a period of

31 days, and pray,

and also, you

know, whenever it comes up again, they can always go back to these things, and

it's all born out of struggles.

Well, that is.

Definitely a subject, I think, that a lot of our listeners, if not every single one of them,

can relate to you on, and before we even get into some of the practical help

that you provide in the book, distinguish between worry

and healthy fear.

Obviously, God has placed within us a ripe fear.

There are all kinds of fears that we should have.

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, as the scriptures tell us, and even the fear of doing

things that will endanger our life.

We have a natural instinct to fear certain things, and of course, a

learned fear that we have been taught since we were children to fear certain things.

We would be foolish to venture into certain activities

without fear, and a guardedness, and an alertness of what is

happening around us, and so on.

Tell us about what is the difference between that kind of fear and the worry that you.

Speak of?

Yeah, that's a really good question, Chris.

Well, I think healthy fear is something that will warn you off it, and then once you've taken the

direction it's put you in, then it's done with.

We've just been in New York City today, and I mean, I love New York, you know, and

I think I'm going to cancel my flight and stay here, I keep saying, but I do have a

healthy fear of the traffic there, you know, of walking out when that big red hand is on

there, because I know, you

know, I had a bit

of a healthy fear today, because we wanted to go down into the city today,

and I knew I needed to be due, and when we were looking at train times to

get us in an hour later, but I

think we're going to get that early one done, and

it's not something that's going round and round in my mind,

up in our mind, and it goes, we find a solution, so

it's just something that just keeps draining our mind and is

dominated.

And by the way, I'm

going to.

Announce to our listeners our email address here, so that they can join us on

the air with questions of their own for you about the war against worry,

and our email address is chrisarnsen at gmail .com, C -H -R -I -S -A -R -N -Z -E

-N at gmail .com.

Please include your first name, your city and state, and your country of residence, if you live

outside of the USA.

That's chrisarnsen at gmail .com.

Well, you say this is a 31 -day strategy, and

tell us about how you develop this into a month -long

preparatory schedule in order to rid yourself of

worry, or at least as much as humanly possible.

Yeah, well Chris, what I wanted to do is, I wanted to, instead of getting straight to

Christian Eye's self -help book, I wanted it to be, so I start

with God's plan in Christ, his seal of ownership

on us, because I wanted what God has

on their life to be, and then our worry actually makes

us with our needs.

So, over the days, getting these truths in our hearts and minds,

and then getting down to the teaching of

Jesus, that he talks about having all right as far

as our needs, and

of course, to use

our propensity to worry to,

I've tried to sort

of tackle that,

and wanted a whole, you know,

on topics like this that are.

Issues that every human being faces.

Every day, practical advice that you hear very often from

televangelists, and radio evangelists, and so on.

You will very often hear the most popular of the speakers

giving this advice to everyone.

Now, this is not the kind of thing that you can approach a non

-believer with, and tell them to stop worrying, if they do not have the covering of Christ's

blood, and are redeemed.

Am I right?

I mean, you can't tell the lost to stop worrying, when in fact, they have a lot to worry

about, don't they?

Yes.

In fact, there's a rival book about worry.

I don't know if I should plug it, really.

One of the things I was quite

impressed with this

book is, one day, in that book,

he says, well, there is something you should worry

about.

I think you've got a point there, because you don't want to, we don't want to dish

out self, this is how you get your best life, and these are the

principles, hands of an

unbeliever, and I can

only put

these into principle.

You know, I've got a new

nature, and I do

take

your point.

I couldn't see any difference, except he used slightly Christian language in the preaching,

which I did want to avoid.

Yeah, that's a very good thing to avoid, I think.

Yeah, but it is, I mean, it's very sad when you see

things like that.

Well, tell us about the big picture that you open up your book with.

Well, the big picture, yeah, I take that from Ephesians.

I mean, I think Ephesians is a wonderful book, the books in the Bible are, but in thinking

about worry, I found it so helpful, because when you think of the context, that this was a group of

Christians, the theme

of the

book

and all that God has done in Christ, and the big picture is this, the eternal plan

that God has in Christ, that we've been brought into, that he's predestined us

by the blood of Christ, that will be the ultimate new creation,

and we need to see our lives.

I find with a lot of these books that I've read,

and about God's plan for your life now, it's about, you know, God's plan for your marriage, God's plan for your job, and I'm not

decrying these things and saying they're not important for

eternity for us, that we'll be, you know, standing before him as righteous and part of that eternal kingdom, and

to that now, and in the light of it.

And we do have a listener already who has a question.

We have Susan in Newville, Pennsylvania.

Hi, Susan.

She asks, I am plagued with fear of

the damnation of my children, because none of them are yet born again.

Is this appropriate for a Christian to be plagued as I am with these fears for

the eternity of my children?

And if this is not normal or appropriate for a Christian to be plagued in

such a way, how do I overcome this very real fear that sometimes

cripples me?

Well, that's a very good question, Susan, and, you know, I'm sorry that, I

think at the heart, I mean, it's a genuine concern, we should all be, we should look at

the future of our children.

One of the things I say about worry, it's

absolutely right for you, Susan, to be,

bring these things to a Heavenly Father, and Lord, you know,

help me to be part of the solution here, you know, to

opportunity to speak to them at the right time, but Lord, you know, you're the one who works in their heart,

and to kind of turn that anxiety into prayer, and just bring it to Christ,

and work in their heart, and I think, you know, I think

every time, you know, there's that sense of He's the one in control,

to continually present it to Him, and He'll never tire, He'll never tire,

He knows our needs, and He knows our cares, and

I would encourage, Susan, as well, to pray with someone else about this, to have, you know, someone who could sort of buddy

up with her, and encourage her, and pray.

And we do also have another listener

with a question,.

A listener, obviously, using an alias, Lam Lam.

Lam Lam.

Yes, from Nassau County, Long Island, New York.

Lam Lam says, first of all, thank you for writing such a book that's easy to understand, with day -to -day

examples, that's close to heart, like a friend.

Questions, from reading the excerpt provided on your website, this is seemingly for

Christians as the seal of the Holy Spirit was addressed on day two.

So will this book be beneficial to non -Christians, and how can non -believers relate,

if so?

That's a good question.

Well,.

I think it goes back to what you were talking about earlier, Chris, in the

Bible into practice, and we need to be God's children, and we need the help of God's Spirit.

But I would say it could be a good tool for a witness to say, look, these are the

principles that, as a Christian, help me to struggle with worry, and I'd like to give this book

to you, so that you can see them, and tell you more

about, given this teaching.

I mean, of course there is common grace, and I find it interesting, actually,

when I've heard people talk about worry, and they've said, you know, take one day at a time, one step at a time,

and that all comes from Jesus, and from his teaching, so there is that element.

But of course, I think it could be a

tool for witnessing as well.

And by the way, Susan and Lam -Lam, you are receiving a

free copy of The War Against Worry, a 31 -day strategy by our guest Simon J.

Robinson, and this is compliments of the publishers, and

anybody who writes to us during the program with a question good enough

to be read on the air, as long as we still have a supply, you will receive a

free copy as well.

So please give us your full mailing address when you email your questions to chrisarnsen at gmail

.com, chrisarnsen, that's C -H -R -I -S -A -R -N -Z -E -N at gmail .com,

and we will be sure to send you out a copy as long as we have some left by the

time you send your question in.

And it has to be a good question relevant to the topic.

It can't be, can I have a free copy of the book?

That is not a good enough question.

It has to be a good question good enough to be read on the air.

We're going to be going to a break right now, so we look forward to hearing from you

and your questions for Simon Robinson after these messages.

So don't go away, we'll be right back with The War Against Worry.

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Welcome back.

This is Chris Lawrence.

And if you've just tuned us in, our guest today is Simon J. Robinson, and we're discussing his book, The

War Against Worry, a 31 -Day Strategy.

If you'd like to join us on the air with a question of your own, our email address is chrisarnsen at gmail .com.

C -H -R -I -S -A -R -N -Z -E -N at gmail .com.

And please give us your entire address because we are going to mail you a free copy of The

War Against Worry if you are one of the few that get to our

program with a question before it concludes and we still have a supply left, as long as your

question is good enough to be read on the air and relevant to the topic.

We apologize to the overseas listeners and listeners in Canada.

The free book giveaway is only good for those living in the United States due to

shipping costs.

We have a sponsor that ships these books out free of charge for us, and they

cannot be overwhelmed with overseas and Canadian shipping costs.

So we apologize for that, but we do still look forward to getting your

emails with questions so you can participate in the program no matter where you live.

And that's chrisarnsen at gmail .com, chrisarnsen at gmail .com.

And we will also keep reminding you about the information about the two places in New

York where Simon J. Robinson will be speaking this week on Thursday

and Saturday and Sunday.

So we will be repeating that information a little bit later.

But what do you mean by God's property in your book The War.

Against Worry?

I think that's the phenomenon, as it says in

Ephesians.

And one of the things I've been trying to do with this, Chris, in this book is to turn

the whole thing upside down because we tend to think about me, my problems, and my worry, and it's like, actually,

you know, everything in the light of that.

Because Jesus said, seek first, and then worry

is kind of property we need

to.

Yeah, well, the fact that we are God's property is something that

continues to get me through the rough trials in life, and I've had my share

of them.

Of course, there are millions of people who have had far worse in their lives.

But I know that my belief in particular redemption

and unconditional election and the fact that God loves me

as an individual and not just a faceless sea of humanity,

it seems, do you think that many modern evangelicals and others

water down what God's love is for his children

when they present a picture of God that basically loves every individual

who has ever lived and ever will live in the same way and at the same depth?

And it doesn't matter if these people will wind up in heaven or hell, God loves them all the same.

Doesn't that seem to water down the way God loves not only his children, but the way

Christ loves.

His bride?

Yeah, I think that's a very good point.

And we talk to UK,

they're far and wide now on the digital channels that we get.

But when I watch them, it just seems to be a slightly Christianized form of self -help that's accessible

to everyone.

And I think we're coming from a completely different angle to say, as you say,

that God is

just done and how precious we are to him.

And when we think about God's big picture, we think about being part of the bride presented perfect Jew.

You know, the verses at the end of Jude that we often have as a benediction at the end

of the

encouragement.

I do want to read a second question by Lam Lam from Nassau County,.

Long Island.

Lam Lam writes, years back, I encountered with the wife of a very conservative

pastor who kept emphasizing reading the Bible will help everything, which is absolutely true

in majority of sense.

However, on one hand, in some cases, counseling help is needed.

I see that Christians who managed to memorize and understand the scriptures, but

still worry, and even to a point of depression.

What is the gap over there?

That's very interesting.

I think.

You can accumulate knowledge.

Bible memorization is fantastic.

And I think from a Christian

perspective with counseling, it's what we're coming alongside them.

When I was with my good friend, she

involved in the association of,

and I do love their emphasis

on helping them.

We need to get outward and

know how to put it into practice.

And counseling is great to help us do that.

I don't know if it's quite so popular now, but 10, 20 years ago,

well, you know, you worry because, you know, your mom fell over when she was carrying you

or something, and they'll drag something up from the background, or she fell down the stairs when she was carrying you.

And that's the root of your worry.

But I think it's, you know, who

are involved in

my kind of layman's.

Perspective.

What do you mean by the unshakable kingdom?

It's, well, I'm thinking of, you know,.

His verses in Hebrews, you know, that talks about the kingdom that's to come and that while everything around us, I mean, the

world is changing so much.

In Europe, I mean, huge

migration of shaking Europe to the core.

You've never known anything like it as a saying, and

we can't, you

know, we can, God said in the Old

Testament, and he brought

it in.

And I just want to repeat our email address.

It's chrisarnzen at gmail .com.

C -H -R -I -S -A -R -N -Z -E -N at gmail .com.

I do have an anonymous listener in Georgia who says that the

church where I am a member frowns against the use of

medication for depression.

One of the things that has led me to the depths of depression is a daily

worry that seems to overwhelm my life.

At times there seems to be no particular urgent reason for me to worry, but yet I am

still plagued by this fear and worry and anxiety.

Is it correct or appropriate for a Christian to take medication for this

type of a.

Thing?

That's a very good question, and thank you, anonymous listener.

I know there are shades of opinion on this, and I do experience

when I was in a very, very tight

medication, and I, she was a Christian doctor, and I really didn't want to do this, and

she said medication, and your problem is partly physical, because one of

the problems and worry is,

and I found, I'm

not on the medication now, but I found that the medication actually kind of stabilized those things.

It wasn't the answer, but it did deal with some of the symptoms

while it was dealing with things, and how, and I

think sometimes we can be quite harsh on people who struggle with depression, and you know,

I've, in my 30 years as a pastor, I've met people

who that's nothing to be ashamed of.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, after that terrible incident, you know, in the music hall, he

was killed in a, when someone, he, sometimes he was known

to, well, to be in such a depressed state, his deacons actually used to sort of almost carry him into the pulpit,

sort of pushed him in the pulpit, and Martin Luther, so

good godly people have struggled, and we see people like Elijah in the Bible who've struggled with it, and

medication isn't the answer, but you know, it can be a help, and

we should shout.

I do know there are some Christians who think differently.

I was having a discussion with someone where I've just been, and you know, they say, well, is this integrationist, this is

bringing secularists, but I think

it's, we need,

you know, we...

Do you think, though,

having.

Said everything that you've said, that sometimes people are rushed too

quickly to the doctor and to the pharmacy to take care of things like this?

That's a very good point, Chris.

Yeah, I think.

You're right.

I mean, I resisted it for a long time, and I got off of it as soon as I could, and that's why, you know, I

say it's not the answer, and my doctor, she was a Christian doctor,

and you know, I don't

know what it's like in the United States.

I've noticed antidepressants, so it might be

different.

We have a different system there.

It's good to

turn to it, maybe even

get a second opinion on it.

Just out of curiosity, I don't know if you are.

Aware of what his view on that was, but do you know anything about what Dr.

Martin Lloyd -Jones thought about that, because of the fact that he was not only a pastor, but he was

also a medical.

Doctor, wasn't he?

Well, it's interesting you say that, because my wife and I were having a conversation about Martin Lloyd -Jones today.

I can tell you that a friend of mine, my

mentor, he's now with the Lord a pastor, Martin Lloyd -Jones as

well, so I've got a shake of the hand that shook his hand, but he said that

Martin Lloyd -Jones was talking about someone who was teaching, teaching about mental illness, and saying mental illness doesn't exist, and

he said, Martin Lloyd -Jones sat down and he said, that man is quite wrong, that man is quite wrong,

and one of the most helpful books I've found in Christian ministry has been his book,

Conceive the Doctrine in Him

There.

I can't remember if

he, I don't

know what else

he'd written about him, mainly the spiritual depression, he tackled themes like that, and I think

he had a bit of a difficult time, a low period himself, I think, but he certainly talked about,

the interesting thing is that there's a banner book, I think it's

called The Puritans and Their Successors, and there

is actually a very good one on this subject in it,

and he talks about, behind them, and he feels,

he thinks there was a medical reason, and

I might, I might have people write, my take on what I've read of him,

there's sometimes often physical things that actually affect our

mood, and we need to recognize that,

such a diagnosis, but it's worth, it's worth seeking out, I mean anything by him is worth.

Reading, that's a very interesting, what is

your book.

On one of the roles and titles of Christ,.

The Good Shepherd?

Yes, that's right, I tackled that, or not tackled, not the right word, but I could, and

I mean that's a theme that runs, I

think sometimes we kind of rush into this, London,

you know, there's this

sheep, I think among the most stupid animals I've ever seen,

someone in my old church, he said he actually found a sheep lying on its back, and it couldn't roll itself over, and he had to actually sort of

turn it over, and hold it to steady its legs, that it could, it could walk along again, and so it's not

surprising that that image is huge, now that

we all like sheep

of Earth, there's that

beautiful, Jesus fulfilled, and

that's a precious thing

to think, makes me lie down in green pastures,

and when I was in Israel at once,

and I was in the desert with them, and he showed me in the distance, there were clumps

of grass, and he said that it

made me realize, it doesn't mean, Amen,

the chapter,

look at what God has given us, tell us something about that.

Yeah, well I mean, God has blessed us with so many things, and I think one of the things

that we tend to do when we worry,

is we forget about all the great things that God has given us, one of

the verses that's really blessed me recently, has been a verse from Micah, that says, I watch for the

Lord, and I wait in hope for this,

meditating on that verse, and I've been looking out for different things the Lord's doing

throughout the day, you know, that just for me, and that actually really

encourages me, and I think, well, why do I worry about my future, for

my day -to -day needs, and God has done so much this day, I think that there are so many things God does each day,

we collect some hundreds,

getting them, and I think we need to do that sometimes, just recommend, is

the discipline of journaling, and I

love to just far outweigh the things I worry about.

Amen, let me repeat.

Our email address, if anybody would like to join us on the air, it's chrisarnsen at gmail .com, c

-h -r -i -s -a -r -n -z -e -n at gmail .com, you can join us on the air with a question for

Simon J. Robinson, if you care to have your own question answered,

God has not finished with me yet, that's even a bumper sticker,

tell us about that.

Yeah, well, one of my favorite verses in the Bible is Philippians 1, 6, that says,

you know, that he who began a good work will bring it to completion in the day of

Christ Jesus, and actually, that's the same book in which he tells us not to

be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, to bring our needs to God, and

he's talking to people, actually, who are quite worried about him, because you know, paphroditus has been

over to

learn for them,

you know, he can't be with them,

and that's, that's such an encouragement,

and that

actually needs to

take us through difficult times,.

But we can be confident of that.

We do have another anonymous listener in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania,

who says, one of your other listeners asked, is it appropriate to

be plagued with fear over the eternal destiny of your children?

What about when it's your own eternal destiny?

Is it normal for a Christian to have much worry about whether or not they

are truly saved?

Is that a sign that you are not saved at all?

That's, that's a very good.

Question.

Now, I think one of the really good books to turn to there is 1 John, which,

the Bible says, you know, examine yourself to see whether you're in the faith, but, you know, to go back,

come on to the gospel, you know, have I turned to Christ?

Do I trust in Christ totally?

Is my hope totally in him?

And in fact, if my hope is totally in him, well, you know, there is no need to worry for my

eternal, my eternal future, because I know I trust in him.

Now, I think sometimes, um, one of the issues is, is, is that we have an enemy, you

know, who is the accuser.

He's called the accuser of the brethren, and the first thing he said, we read in the Bible, is, is, did God say?

One of the things I often have said as a pastor to people that you can tell that litmus test

our enemy is that

when it's goal, lead us in a direction with him, you know,

godly grief, at least repentance.

If, if God is convicting us about our eternal future, if it's

Satan,

he just wanted to snatch that away.

And I think, you know, Christians are plagued with these things in one John, you know,

about trusting in Christ, about saying, you know, he, we have an advocate, um, and,

and focusing on the cross,

see if we're in the faith, but that

we need.

And a, another listener in Lindenhurst,.

Long Island, New York, CJ says to segue off of that last

question that someone said, uh, that someone asked, uh,

isn't it true that a true Christian can be plagued with fear of not being saved

because they are being taught on biblical theology?

Yes.

I mean, he is.

And I think one of the problems that through the

internet and through the people we see on TV, uh, and, and

I think actually, at least these

actually do a lot of harm.

And, and so it's

aligned with that.

Yeah.

I can recall years ago when I was on a,.

Uh, religious journey, if you will, before I came to faith in Christ, who I believe it was a part of God

drawing me when I was investigating different churches.

This would have been back in the eighties.

Um, I was fairly regularly attending a Pentecostal church and I don't

want to broad brush my Pentecostal brethren.

I'm not saying that we're all like this.

I know in fact, even some Pentecostals who are Calvinists, but I can recall vividly remember

at this church that you would have people going forward at an altar call for salvation

every Sunday.

Oh yeah.

And these were, these were members of the church.

Yeah.

I mean, I, I would have the same conviction.

I think that's the trouble that that kind of, the kind of theology, you know, you must come to the front and you must, you must, you

may should do this and you must do that.

It can become actually quite works orientated as well.

And it's actually, you know, not.

Yeah.

We're going to be going to another break right now.

If you'd like to join us on the air with a question of your own, uh, send an email to chrisarnsen at gmail

.com C H R I S A R N Z E N at gmail .com.

Please include at least the city and state where you live in the country, where you live, if you live outside the

USA, and if you're not writing about something personal and private, please give us at least your

first name.

Uh, but you may remain anonymous if it is a private matter you're asking about.

Uh, and we do have a few more copies of the book to give away.

So if you live in the United States and you have a question, give us your full mailing address.

We're going to be right back after these messages.

So don't go away.

We have an hour left to talk about the war against worry, a 31 day strategy

with our guests, Simon Robinson.

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Welcome back.

This is Chris Arns.

And if you've just tuned us in for the last hour, we have been interviewing Simon J. Robinson on his book,

The War Against Worry, A 31 -Day Strategy.

And we'd also like to announce that Simon J. Robinson is visiting the U .S. from the U .K.

And he is going to be in New York this Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

First, he's going to be at the Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village in New York City on 269

Bleeker Street.

Those services are from 730 to 9 p .m., I'm assuming, Simon?

Is that p .m.?

The p .m., that's right, yeah.

730 to 9 p .m.

And the phone number for more details

is 212 -691 -1770.

212 -691 -1770.

And the website is ncgvnyc .com.

And that's going to be a really good event.

So if you're in this area, it'd be great to see you.

There.

Yeah, there's going to be a talk and there'll be opportunities for questions and copies will be available of Simon's

book for a book signing.

And once again, the website, the acronym for Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village,

NCG, Neighborhood Church of Greenwich, V for Village, NYC,

newyorkcity .com.

NCGVNYC .com.

And then on Reformation Day, which is October 31st, also more popularly known, unfortunately,

as Halloween, that's this Saturday, Simon will be speaking at New Hyde Park Baptist

Church on 635 New Hyde Park Road in New Hyde Park, Long Island, New York, which is on the border

of Nassau County in Queens, New York.

And he is also going to be speaking on Sunday, November 1st,

on maximizing your time alone with God at the New Hyde Park Baptist Church at 915 a

.m. for their Sunday school.

And the worship services are at 1030 a .m. and 6 p .m.

In fact, on the Saturday event, they're going to have a barbecue.

So make sure that you try to attend that as well as it's 5 p .m.

And the service begins at 6 p .m. on Saturday, which is Reformation Day, as I said, October 31st.

For more details, go to the New Hyde Park Baptist Church website,

nhp, for New Hyde Park, bc, for baptistchurch .com.

Nhpbc .com.

Their phone number is 516 -352 -9672.

516 -352 -9672.

And I'd also like to quickly give Simon's own

website, just in case the time runs out and I forget.

It's SimonJRobinson .org.

SimonJRobinson .org.

Yeah, and on the site,.

There's a link to Cheap and Get the Book in the United States.

If you're not, it's not left on there.

And that's the best.

It's a great site, Cheaper in Dozens.

I'd really recommend it.

To you.

Now, this is a kind of an interesting phrase that you've come up with for a British

author, Kosher Cares.

Maybe you've been visiting New York too often for you to come up with that.

Title.

Yeah, well, obviously, people must realize kosher.

We use that term quite a lot in the UK, actually.

Really?

Yeah, that's kosher.

I think probably in Christian circles, we use that quite a lot, a kind of tongue -in -cheek way to say, yeah, that's okay.

It's a kosher thing to do.

And there are some things

that we actually

do need to cleanse, and that kind of healthy fear

is when we relax on it.

And there are some things that we need to be concerned about.

We need to be in order.

We need to be concerned

for our health, to watch out for things that we need to go to the doctor about.

So that is one thing, but to not worry doesn't mean

that we don't care about things.

And the

stop the rot.

Now, that's more of a British phrase.

If you could explain that.

Yeah, well, our thinking really goes in the wrong direction, and

we're thinking of things, and we're thinking in negative, unhelpful

ways.

And it's really addressing, you know, where is this thought pattern coming from, and

challenging, well, you know, what's going to happen to me, and my

life's in ruins?

Well, that can't be true, because the Lord is our

shepherd.

It's challenging.

And let me repeat our

email.

Address.

It's chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com.

And we do have a listener from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Harrison,

who says, you were speaking before about

medication and that it being appropriate for a Christian.

Is there a danger, do you think, of getting a loved one who has lost

medication for their worry, when the worry may be the very thing they

need to drive them to their knees and to.

Repentance and faith in Christ?

Well, that's a very interesting question.

I mean, what one proviso I need to put on all this is I'm not a doctor.

And so, you know, I don't know much about medication.

But I think it's a very real concern there, because we don't want to be

isolated like in a bubble from the cares of life.

You know, we don't want medication to have that.

I think it's obviously

that the loved one, you know, is that

they are responsible for themselves when they will be talking to a doctor, so we would not necessarily be involved in

it.

I think it's important medication,

you do need to

continually, you know, bring that to people's attention, obviously, in a gentle, compassionate and caring way.

Not one that actually makes them.

More determined to go the other direction.

You have a chapter in your book titled Little Faith,.

If you could explain further.

Yeah, well, I come from a place called Southend -on -Sea, which, which if you haven't visited, I recommend it.

They do that they used to, I don't know, they still do because the company

got bought out.

But it's an interesting place, Southend.

It's the driest place in England.

It's got the most sunshine in England, the world, the English record about a mile

and a quarter.

And that often makes impression when he says, you know,

care about you, if he cares

for said little

fighting for the needs of the day, that, you know,

we don't actually put

eternity.

Yeah, I think

that sometimes we all.

Are going through things that bother us very much, but may seem

comparatively to the outside world as trivial matters.

And we think we think that God doesn't care about comparatively minor things in.

Our lives.

But that's not true, is it?

Absolutely.

They got good at

my friend, Doug, and he had a big count on that one.

But you know, God knows all about us.

And he cares for us as individuals.

And that that is a mark of God's, you know, the God who holds the university's

hand.

And that is my mind.

What do you mean by your chapter worry

exposed?

Well, I think we need to see worry for for what it is.

I mean, Jesus talked about worry is a

type tomorrow, we're thinking

about our needs and all our minds on that.

And worry can actually rule our life.

You know, I've known people who've worked for years and years, and they've lost so much.

And we need

to see if

what it is,

we do have another anonymous listener from New York,.

A anonymous listener rights, I have been plagued with worry

over the faithfulness of my spouse.

And that is not because my spouse is giving any real indication of

being unfaithful.

It's more because of my spouse's past in regard to sexuality,

prior to our marriage and prior to my spouse's coming to Christ.

Do you have any suggestions?

I fear, even sharing with my spouse, the frequency of my

worry, because I do not want to drive my spouse away.

Viewing me as a chronically jealous.

Spouse.

I need help about this.

That's a great place.

Really love being in.

And well, that is,

that's it.

And I think don't want to

want to productive.

And it is cultivating trust.

I mean, this is coming into kind of an area of marriage.

Why don't you be married for 33 years, fellowship,

I think it is, I think, you know, that

someone and then

really, I guess, releasing release that to the Lord and to say, Well, Lord, you know, I'm not in control

of this person, you know, they're walking with us behind and I trust you, Lord,

way of dealing with it is

to encourage them in

their walk with

the Lord, you know, date night,

sharing things, sharing in God's Word together, praying together.

These things, I think, well, but it's obviously a, it's clearly a thought pattern

that many people have struggled with.

And it's understandable.

But I think, you know, take it step by step, and maybe it'll be good.

It's like someone of the same sex, of course, that you could really trust to

pray you through, don't carry it on your own, you know, we were there to bear one another's burdens.

But I do think I think you're right in saying you don't want to bring it to you.

I think you've you've hit the nail on the head

there.

Because, yeah, and sometimes don't you think

that.

It may come from one's own self righteousness, they forget that they

were delivered from a sin and a past life.

And they seem to be doubting the transforming power and someone else, the transforming

power of God in the life of someone else.

I mean, especially when this person didn't, according to the the

statement, the person isn't even giving any indication of unfaithfulness.

Yeah, that's a very good point, Chris.

And I think that's.

Another way you can tackle it.

So we'll look at what God's done in my life, you know, and God's at work in mine.

And I'm as much a sinner in different ways, but I'm as much a sinner.

And I suppose it's, there's a danger also that we can become self indulgent in

these times and you know, how does it

affect me when actually, you know, the Lord calls us to lay down our lives and also to lay

down our life forever.

You know, we live in a very dangerous age, especially for.

Children.

And do you have any advice for parents who are plagued with worry, so

much so that they seem to be smothering their own children, they, they

have too far strict restrictions on their lives on where they

play and where they venture on their bicycles, or if they're older, maybe their

curfews for their teenage children are abnormally early or whatever the case may be.

Isn't there a time when the worry over the safety of your children, which may have a good motive, especially

the obvious one, which is love and concern for your children's safety, but can't that be also

counterproductive because very often don't smothered children rebel?

I think that's a very good point.

It's getting that balance.

I mean, we naturally care for our children.

We're naturally letting go the root

of it all, you know, to try and control the

environment our children are in, to try and control things that might affect their safety.

And at the end of the day, you know, God's the one who's in control and to, you know,

but also to give them some, to have clear boundaries and also have lines of communication that

say, well, we just say you're okay.

Just, just, you know, give me a bit of latitude and do that.

Just little things put your mind at rest, but actually give,

also give them, because at the end, at the end of the day, you know, there's that day

where your youngest child walks out the door and leaves home.

And that is a, that is a sad day when the nest is empty.

I know a number of people, several at least, that are

fairly often overcome by panic attacks.

And one of your chapters is preempting panic.

If you could tell us about preempting panic.

Yeah, I think, I think we're going into the fight or flight mode then.

I mean, as I keep saying, I'm not a doctor.

I'm not,

I mean, alertness to danger.

And it's, it's really just, Lord, and one practical

thing, and I understand me to think I was getting into some kind of mysticism, but,

but actually just, you know, physical thing, taking a deep breath down and say, hang on, I'm just going to

stop.

I'm just going to wait on the Lord.

And Martin Lloyd Jones used to call it addressing yourself,

reminding yourself of what the Bible said and, and

stilling that sense of panic.

Because panic just has us running around in circles when the Bible says peace

can be one of the hardest things.

I think of Psalm 40, and it says in, it says, I waited patiently for the Lord.

And literally, David's saying that in waiting, I waited for the Lord.

There's a double emphasis in the original land.

It's not an easy thing to do.

And I want to, because we, you know,

we've fallen to danger, but of course that.

You have a chapter titled The Pursuit of Peace.

Explain that one further for us.

Yeah, well, I took that from Philippians chapter four, and that that's always been a, you know, really

blessed or

blessed passage

for me, hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

But I, I love the way that it is

more kind of,

you know, it's not, it's not a formula so much, but it's that process

of.

Actually.

And you, excuse me, you

have a, you have

a title of a chapter, which is watch out, there's a lion about, which

is the excuse, I believe in the Bible that those who are lazy, when

they want to stay in bed.

Yeah, well, I was thinking more actually of Peter, where Peter says that the devil prowls around like a

roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.

And it's interesting, actually, that I've been in that chapter in chapter five, quite a bit the last

few days, but it's interesting in that chapter, you

know, don't be anxious about staying you.

And the very next verse, the devil's prowling

about like a, like a lion seeking to devour.

And I think there is that sense in which Satan can play on our weaknesses.

Now, I know we've got to be careful on Satan, you know, people say, the devil made

me do it, the devil's behind it.

And I'm not saying that, but what I am saying is beware, because the devil can use that

propete to find satisfaction,

or maybe even worse things, looking at the wrong things.

And let me repeat our email address.

Again, it's chrisarnson at gmail .com.

Chrisarnson at gmail .com.

Going back to the mistake that I just made thinking that you were

speaking about another verse in Proverbs, Proverbs 22, I believe, where the sluggard

says, there's a lion outside, yeah, I'll be killed in the streets.

And isn't that an example of how worry can have

serious counterproductive, you know, impacts on people's

lives and.

Turn them into hermits and things like that.

Exactly.

Yeah, it really does in inhibit us and

someone about Christ about rejection.

I had an auntie, I

mean, she's if you think of it rationally, I mean, the

ceiling could have fallen in four.

It wasn't really rational, but but fear could do.

That it can it can control our lives.

Yeah, it definitely can.

And we're going to be going to a break right now.

This is actually our last break.

So if you have a question, please send it now.

We have about a half hour left.

And our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com.

Chrisarnson at gmail .com.

And we do have a few books left to give away.

And we look forward to hearing from you and your questions for Simon Robinson after these messages.

Don't go away.

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Welcome back.

This is chris arnzen if you've just tuned to sin.

Our guest today for the last 90 minutes has been simon robinson and we are discussing his book the

war against worry a 31 -day strategy.

And we also want you to know that there are two events

coming up on long island and in new york city that we hope that you can attend

that simon is involved in.

First he's going to be in new york city this thursday day after tomorrow october 29th

7 30 to 9 p .m at neighborhood church of greenwich village on 269 bleaker

street in new york city.

And for more information go to their website which is

ncgvnyc which stands for neighborhood

church of greenwich village ncgvnyc .com

ncgvnyc .com.

Their phone number is 212 -691 -1770 212 -691

-1770.

And also on reformation day which is this saturday october 31st and on sunday

november 1st our guests will be at the new hyde park baptist church on 635

new hyde park road new hyde park long island new york.

And the saturday event includes a barbecue at 5 p .m so why not call them for more

details at 516 -352 -9672 516 -352

-9672 or visit the new hyde park baptist church website which is nhpbc

.com nhp for new hyde park bc for baptist church .com

nhpbc .com.

And we do have another listener simon.

We have arnie in perry county pennsylvania.

Who wants to know should a christian ever fear.

Satan and the demons

at all.

Arnie he's made a public display

of satan on the crosses and that he rules i think is

it goes back to that issue of you know

where is there any who may devour.

And we need to have a healthy fear about his tactics.

Never god has allowed him to remember.

He can't even put boils on the on a man of god without god's permission if we look in the book of joe right.

So i think that's that's really important because i've heard sometimes people say

years ago someone talked to

christian leaders said well satan murdered them and that was a very worrying thing to say

because it's ascribing to satan something that he doesn't have you know only

god has.

And on

an earthly level though.

Uh satan and his minions are involved in the.

Murder of individuals aren't they.

Like for instance with judas when he was involved in the plot to uh

execute jesus even though this was uh an ordained act of god and jesus willingly laid down

his life there were earthly elements involved that the lord used to bring that to

fruition and it says that uh a demon entered judas.

Yeah that's a very interesting point there.

But in the end you know if it when that

happened or daniel and

he allows satan to do those things

unless he's

given that but pulled away by satan and that

called to say well lord it's to

you.

Uh yeah.

In fact the uh the the biblical account in luke's is that satan himself entered into judas.

Do you believe that a christian a born again believer in christ who

is the temple of the spirit can ever be demon possessed.

No no i i don't like it not at all.

I know there was some.

Teaching that came about i think it came to england about 20 years ago.

A guy was coming over in casting out demons out of christians but i i can't see that and if we got

the sleigh you know we we

could a

demonic force yeah that's that's a theology that unfortunately is still

very alive.

And well here in the states yeah the deliverance went in england but i'm glad it went.

Yeah very often the churches will be called deliverance ministries or something like that.

Uh.

And as far as uh having a healthy fear about the

demonic realm uh i i would assume you would agree that that healthy fear

would prevent a christian from even dabbling in things that are

involved with the occult even if they think it's just for fun or something like ouija boards.

And all that kind of thing.

Yeah yeah i mean all of there can be you know that there can be oppression i know that

martin lloyd jones taught on this and again i think you'll find ian murray has written something about martin lloyd

jones on i read it

but i'd recommend that.

But i think yeah we've got to be very careful to steer clear of these things.

As it says i think.

Aw pink

was.

Even involved in the occult before he became a christian.

All right.

Well i didn't realize that.

I believe i read that in his biography by ian murray.

Well that is interesting.

I actually i.

Mean my personal experience before i was a christian we dabbled with ouija boards we were only we were only teenagers

at the time and ignorant of those things but

i surrounded that and i and i came to the lord

and continued in those things.

I had a lot of very they're

very.

Dangerous.

And uh you say in your book uh that uh

we have to check out.

Trust what do you mean.

Exactly by that.

Well check out who we're trusting because at the root of it uh you know worrying is is

you know who's

who's lord jesus and we submit our life to him.

Or do we want to run it ourselves and we need to check out you

know all for the needs of the day and it's all we want to say these things.

But it's actually when we were tested on these things on the way actually to.

I'm in my fifth week in the united states now and you know love being here.

But on on the way on the way to the airport

um and i started thinking oh dear we're going to make this plane.

And i thought one of the reasons you're going here is to promote a book about worry.

I myself think well you know if the lord wants me there he'll have me.

But i had to kind of check out my trust.

What am i trusting in.

Am i trusting in the.

You know whether this driving gets there.

Or whether you know and uh

of course you know even though jesus tells us to be anxious for nothing uh that doesn't

mean we are to be careless especially when it involves other

individuals and appointments we're supposed to be making.

We're not supposed to just shrug our shoulders and say ah who cares about being there on time you know

i'm just trusting in god and and so forth.

I mean that can people can use their spirituality in a flippant way and as an.

Excuse for just being careless.

Yeah.

And i mean there's so much teaching in the bible about being you know being honest and reliable and good examples and good

citizens and and caring for our families and it's important practice and also

in the bible is teaching about work.

And if we do as unto the lord then we'll keep our appointments.

I know.

You brought it up uh a bit when you were.

Speaking about uh job and the fact that the devil could not do anything to job

without god's permission.

But uh explain in a little bit in more detail what your chapter is titled.

Who is in.

Control.

Yeah well that actually.

But that's more about um the issue of worry that it's us trying to control our lives and

and um when you know when we're looking over every plane well

you know my life actually is submitted

to you lord and so you know the future you know sufficiently today i'm going to face the challenges you give me today

but and that's that's not an easy thing you know because we have this

sinful human tendency to want

to keep so we have

to get back on again.

And uh what do you mean by the fear factor.

Uh well i mean fear.

I fear is related to worry and i wanted people with damaging

challenge those fears with facts because the trouble is

mine can go into overdrive.

You know we can start imagining all

sorts of talk about deuteronomy 31 and how the the people of israel go into

the promise.

That promise you know the lord goes with you.

That's something we need to use to address our fear.

You know the promises of the lord jesus promised the holy spirit will.

So one of the things i do often when i'm fearing is i actually sort of think well what is it i'm fearing.

I try and pin it down and i actually sort of bullet point the things and then

right for me.

So i'll

challenge those fears with yes.

And uh the bottom line is

that we should be constantly.

Reminded by the words of christ that our worry is not going to benefit us at all is it.

Absolutely.

Well my wife i mean i say she we got this expression in england say she's a she's a wise old bird but she don't

like me calling her old.

Now you better be worried but she's a very wise lady.

And she said to me why did you know if you can prove to me that worry achieves anything that i might just give it a try.

Well i've never been able to prove it to her so she hasn't given it a try but it is completely

counterproductive because all it does actually is actually the

challenges that we face thinking about these things.

Yeah.

And uh we're robbing ourselves.

Of the joy that we could be uh experiencing to the fullest as christians in

our walk with christ.

Yeah now this is a interesting title unearthing our uniqueness.

Explain that a little bit further.

Well again one of the things i've been trying to do is to stand back and look at it to

see actually that that

we're unique to god.

I want people to reflect on god's love in psalm 139 is

so precious about this.

You know it says you knew me um

and you you know everything about me.

How precious are your thoughts.

Oh god.

And to get people to think we could just see

ourselves as part of this massive humanity.

But as you reminded us early on when we think of those you know great truths like particular redemption uh we realize

how precious we are to the lord.

And that's a wonderful humbling thing.

Uh our listener in nassau county long island lamb lamb writes back and says the book intends to

be a 31 day process.

Can one read it in one sitting and have it still be of help.

Yeah definitely.

I mean there's one day you could do

both you could read it all in one sitting it's whatever way is the

most helpful for you.

But i think though to spend a day dwelling on those things to spend

each day dwelling on those those those drum you know an

exposition and it is

worth going over the 31 days to do that.

But you still can one.

That's fine but i'd still commend.

Doing 31 days as well.

Tell us about your uh chapter that has a very famous title i think.

Therefore i am yeah.

Well that goes back to that verse in proverb you know what a man thinks.

So he is.

And um it is so important.

I had a driving instructor and he

used to say to me the time he had to grab the steering wheel from me

you know where you look is where you'll be in the next second.

And you know where you'll see where you'll

think is where you'll be.

And that's.

And uh what.

Does tomorrow's world have to say in helping us in this.

Yeah well tomorrow.

I don't know if you.

Ever had the program over here but there was a program called tomorrow's world that was very popular in the

united kingdom and they used to look at different inventions that way

that we always think about tomorrow and then it's tomorrow tomorrow.

My father i used to say to him he used to say tidy room and i'd say tomorrow dad tomorrow

manana manana which is tomorrow in spanish manana is good enough for me.

And the trouble with worry is is we're always thinking about tomorrow and then the next tomorrow and then the next tomorrow.

And so actually a whole world is dominated by that.

And when jesus says and actually that's the one the core area the one

key area i think is efficient is today and knowing the challenges

and the joys uh isn't it true that

uh that sometimes.

There can be a displaced uh worry and fear uh

the shouted from the pulpits of some churches who have an overly pessimistic

eschatology and and really uh have unbound have an

unbalanced approach to placing fears even in the hearts of christian and worry about the things that

will take place.

On this earth i'm really glad you brought that up because actually that that was something as a young

christian that gave me huge problems.

Um back in 19 1980 uh just about the new year's eve

uh russia had invaded afghanistan and i had a friend.

I was very young christian.

I had a friend who was a man

and he said well go all evening

talking about that.

And actually i was crippled by fear for for months and months by that.

And i think we we need to remember in the end you know we win.

We've read the last chapter of revelation.

Yeah there will be difficult times.

It's getting that balance.

I mean the other side of the coin is you you get this you know overtly i

need to get that biblical.

It's going to be bad.

Uh what do you mean by early morning anxiety.

Well that's that's an interesting interesting question.

Had i have been very

very difficult was in new york a couple i

would wake up.

Everything's actually something that's that's carried over.

I still wake up in the mornings with a with a feeling of anxiety.

And i'm kind of medical reason for it a

lot of people have said.

And the morning is the difficult time and up you

know you thought you're getting ready for today.

And your mind starts to think about some of the things you're concerned about in the day.

And your system reacts you know by flooding with

adrenaline.

And i

i've morning i bring those verses to mind and and i think well i'm not going

to add a narrative to those feelings but honest

in that chapter

that i mean it doesn't happen every day but still every so often i find that.

Especially when i'm about to get on the plane.

To go to america.

Yeah i i'm not fond of flying either i do a lot of worrying in planes when i'm.

In them yeah i like the worst thing i find is the security.

Actually i hate going through security nowadays.

Uh the path to peace what is it.

Well it's following those.

The wonderful thing about the bible is it's not

rocket science.

It's so simple it's so excessive.

Made known to

god and

put into him and seeking remembering the good things he's done and thanking him for it and then

bringing our request to him in that context.

And we're promised peace.

And i think i said earlier these things they're not like a formula to follow but they're principles.

Love to

give us

peace and submit to god.

Uh tell us about that chapter.

Yeah.

Well that chapter actually really gives that we

came out alien going on in the church

and um out and i you know dug my heels in and i thought no

you know i must i must stay i must be in that.

And in the end my health deteriorated so much the doctor actually signed me off sick.

And i came to that verse in west to

the emperor.

And if actually you know

you want me to lay this aside and do something else then really gave me a

sense of peace sometimes worrying i think is rooted in us.

I understand what is happening lord.

But i submit to you.

I'm going to follow you and trust you in that situation and accept what's going on not an easy thing to do you know there are

times when i still struggle with it but i just keep coming back to those verses in ester.

And that sense of submitting to.

Lord yeah one of the one of the joys that i personally have received from

my belief in the sovereignty of god over all things is the

very fact that he is in control over all things and that everything that happens has

a purpose in his mind and plan.

And i can't even understand how those who reject god's sovereign control over all things

cannot be devoured by worry.

I mean even if there's a stray molecule that is not under his control.

Uh i mean it's that i think is also a sign of his common grace that

even with people who have horrible theology in spite of what they believe on paper to be

true god gives them a a certain peace that he is in control behind the.

Scenes.

Yes yeah the the teaching from the bible.

So i was actually i'm very privileged.

I was in florida great immanuel bible

seminary there and dr i think same doctor's

teaching.

I went into some of it and it was things i've

obviously read and studied before but it was just so refreshing to listen to them again and be reminded again.

And it was.

It was.

It was a theology section but i found it was of great spiritual value to me as well.

Well i want you to just basically unburden your heart.

And leave our listeners with what you most want etched in their hearts and minds before they.

Leave the program today.

Simon.

Well i would say i mean the key thing is know the lord jesus christ.

You need to be a child of god through jesus.

And you know there might be a listener here who's saying a

turn and and his his lordship is

surrendering a whole life to him and living for his kingdom.

And the key the key there is you know seek first the kingdom of god.

I think those those those two those two truths that

jesus war against.

Worry.

Well i uh hope that you uh say uh.

Hello to pastor kirk van der swaag over at neighborhood church of greenwich village for me.

I will do.

Oh can i also sorry to try you there.

Can i just say well i just like to thank actually jim holmes of great writing

dot you know i just would

great writing dot org i

also want to give.

The websites for neighborhood church of greenwich village again.

H i'm sorry ncgvnyc .com

ncgvnyc .com that's for the neighborhood church of greenwich village where our guest is speaking this thursday and

then also new high park baptist church where our guest is speaking saturday and sunday.

That website is nhpbc .com nhp for new

high park bc for baptist church .com.

And it's been an honor and privilege having you on the program.

Uh simon i really look great to be on.

Chris i look forward to having you back on the program.

Oh yeah i'd be absolutely delighted.

It's been a real pleasure and thank you for your listeners for their very good questions.

I've really appreciated them.

Yeah and i want to let our listeners know that tomorrow we're going to be speaking about a forgotten

reformer ulrich zwingli with our guest bill bokenstein and

uh on thursday my pastor david campbell is going to be

speaking on john knox and later that same afternoon tomorrow uh

that'd be a thursday afternoon uh nelson closterman is going to be speaking

on abraham kuiper and we have a lot of other great programs in store for you in the future.