Finding God When the World's on Fire: Strength & Faith for Dangerous Times by Charles R. SwindollMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Charles Swindoll does it again. A most encouraging book. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Swindoll helps explain why we as Christians do not need to worry or to be anxious when everything around us seems to be falling apart. I hope you will find the following quotes encouraging, challenging, and calming:
And you must show mercy to those who faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames. ~Jude 1:22-23 NLT
There’s something about the human heart, that when the heat is on, it softens toward things of the Lord. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining on us. ~Ecclesiastes 7:3 NLT
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in life. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:14
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. ~How Firm A Fountain
If our foundations are in place, then nothing else really matters. ~ Charles R. Swindoll
The righteous – people whose lives are rightly related to God by faith in Jesus Christ – stand on a firm foundation. ~ Charles R. Swindoll
Now, should the foundation of a life be destroyed, that life crumbles. But if the foundation remains secure, no amount of stress, no brutal attack, or painful backstabbing – would cause life to fracture or ultimately crumble. ~ Charles R. Swindoll
A refuge is a place of hiding – a place of secure protection. The term is chasah in the ancient Hebrew. A chasah is a protective enclosure that provides safety from that which would otherwise consume everything in its past. It’s an impenetrable firewall of protection from danger and distress – from anxiety and fear. ~Charles R. Swindoll
The old country preacher was right when he said, “I may tremble on the rock, but the rock don’t tremble under me.” ~Charles R. Swindoll
Faith is our solid foundation too. A foundation of faith, not fear, is our refuge; it enables us to stand firm against the advancing threats of terror. ~Charles R. Swindoll
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ~ Psalm 46:1 NIV
He is a very present help in those tight places of fear and uncertainty. ~Charles R. Swindoll
He is fully in control, absolutely sovereign, not almost sovereign. ~Charles R. Swindoll
In biblical days, the word selah probably indicated a pause. A breather, a moment to reflect. “Pause and let that sink in.” ~Charles R. Swindoll
In place of worry and anxiety, pause . . . The Lord is our refuge. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Don’t run ahead; pause.
Don’t panic; pause.
Don’t fret and fear; pause. ~Charles R. Swindoll
In place of worry and anxiety, pause. The foundation stands firm. The Lord is our refuge. He is our very present help in tight places. Even when the flames seem more like a blast furnace. ~Charles R. Swindoll
We will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea. ~Psalm 46:2
Our God is in sovereign control of all the events of this earth. ~Charles R. Swindoll
We do not fear because the Lord our God is our chasah – our refuge, our hiding place He is our strength. He Himself is the rock. All such catastrophes surprise and shock us, but nothing surprises or shocks Him. Our God is in sovereign control of all the events of this earth. They occur exactly as He has planned or permitted them. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Nothing surprises God. However, He does permit events that often puzzle us, and His reasons are too profound for us to grasp. They are put together in the counsel of His own will, and they fit perfectly into His plan for His glory and for His purposes. As His servant, I say in response, “I will not fear. Though I don’t understand it, I will not fear. Though You, Lord, take something that’s deeply significant to me, though You allow catastrophe to strike, I will not fear. I will not blame you, I will not doubt Your goodness, and I will not question Your intentions. ~Charles R. Swindoll
And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us! ~Martin Luther
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your consolations delight my soul. ~Psalm 94:19
Cease striving and know that I am God. ~Psalm 46:10
God’s Word became the ammunition to weaken the enemy’s position and strengthen the Christians’. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Verse 10 of Psalm 46 announces: We will not worry. The psalmist writes, “Cease striving.” The Hebrew uses a single term in that command that means, literally, “stop!” What a great directive. Stop! ~Charles R. Swindoll
You can almost imagine the Lord of heaven thundering this command to His people as they shrink in fear: “Stop. Stop it. Stop worrying about the future! Have you forgotten that I am your very present help in tight places? Your worry and fear imply that I am no longer here or that I have become impotent and out of touch. But I am not indifferent. Nothing has escaped My panoramic gaze and powerful control. I’m not like the swallows that flutter away in the winter, to return only when the weather clears.” ~Charles R. Swindoll
Because God is our refuge, we will not fear. ~Charles R. Swindoll
If the foundations are in place, if the Lord our God is your refuge and strength, then you can cease striving and know that He is God. He is not moved. He is not distant or disinterested. Those who trust in Him stop worrying, as fear is sent packing. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ~1 Peter 5:8 NIV
We can resist the enemy even battle him and be victorious. ~Charles R. Swindoll
We are facing hardships, conflicts, terror, and worldwide disruptions like none of us would have ever imagined, because we are encountering our adversary on his turf. Everything God’s people love, he hates. For instance, he hates your lifelong commitment to your marriage. Chances are good that more marriages are in conflict in these fearful days than in times past. Chances are you’ve got more troubles than usual in your family, troubles rooted in anxiety and its kissing cousin, fear. ~Charles R. Swindoll
We should expect enemy attacks in any number of areas. While we ought not to live in fear of them, we’re not to be ignorant of them either. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Ready for some good news? It’s found in Scripture. We can resist the enemy – even battle him – and be victorious! ~Charles R. Swindoll
Look closely and read carefully the opening line of 1 Peter 5:9: “But resist him, firm in your faith.”
The enemy’s attacks may be directed toward the vulnerable part of your life, but the shield of faith will protect you from them like a firewall. Trust the scriptural promise. You can resist him. ~Charles R. Swindoll
The shield of faith will protect you . . . like a firewall. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time ~1 Peter 5:6 NIV
The Lord’s direction for us in these perilous times is “humble yourselves.” ~Charles R. Swindoll
We need to understand – this isn’t human strategy based on human strength that requires human giftedness to lead to human accomplishments. This is altogether contrary to what any of us would imagine. The Lord’s direction for us in these perilous times is “Humble yourselves.” Peter paints a picture of falling on your face before God in submission and trust. Trace “humble yourself” back as far as possible, and you will find people literally on their faces before God. ~Charles R. Swindoll
God commands us to humble ourselves under His hand. This means you and I don’t get our own way. It isn’t about getting what we want. When you humble yourself under the Master’s hand, you humble yourself to the Master. It’s about doing what He wishes. It’s what He plans that matters. You hardly need to be told that everything in our culture works against that simple, clear direction. No matter. The command stands: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:6). ~Charles R. Swindoll
Keep in mind that God has shaped a plan that will lead to victory, hope, peace, and joy. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. ~1 Corinthians 16:13
Be alert! Stand alone! Grow up! Get tough! ~Charles R. Swindoll
In the end, God wins. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Allow the Lord to transform those long-held negative attitudes that do nothing to advance His cause. ~Charles R. Swindoll
If you’re a preacher or otherwise engaged in communicating biblical truth, you proclaim what needs to be proclaimed, not what others want you to proclaim. You stand tough even if you don’t want to hear it and even if they run you off. Being tough, you stand like a steer in a blizzard. ~Charles R. Swindoll
The times in which we live are tough, so they require tough-minded maturity. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Now is the time for a courage transfusion. We must remain alert against the enemy. We must stand alone against the evil, even if others choose not to do so. We must grow up as people with convictions – stand tall, act like mature men and women. And we must be strong – not mean, not paying bank evil for evil – but strong in character and stout in convictions. Meet the challenge. Face the flames with faith, not fear. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Let all that you do be done in love. ~1 Corinthians 16:14
It is love that compels us into the flame. ~Charles R. Swindoll
There’s a final command in 1 Corinthians 16:14: “Let all that you do be done in love.”
We are compelled to love everyone – even our enemies. Yes, our enemies. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Love is the ultimate offense. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Let me tell you who needs your love the most – those who are out of touch with God. ~Charles R. Swindoll
The lost need the Savior’s redeeming love to touch them deeply and to hold them close and to draw them to Himself, to change them from within. ~Charles R. Swindoll
“Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? ~Romans 2:4 NIV
If it was God’s wonderful kindness that brought us to repentance, then that same kindness ought to be our ultimate strategy. ~Charles R. Swindoll
It is remarkable how potent a weapon love is against the enemy’s fierce and relentless tactics. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Lost people are not the enemy. They are victims of the enemy. ~Howard G. Hendricks
Remember the wholesome fruit that comes from Him? Love (there’s our word), joy, peace, patience, kindness (there it is again), goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). And here is the kicker: against such things there is no defense! We render the enemy virtually powerless when we move toward lost people with these qualities – which, by the way, cannot be mustered from the flesh. ~Charles R. Swindoll
One person, one family at a time, as they encounter in us and in our families the irresistible kindness of Christ. His love initially shocks them, then ultimately, it transforms them. ~Charles R. Swindoll
It’s Christ’s all-conquering love that wins the ultimate battle – not anger or hate or retaliation. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Let us pause in the calm for prayer. ~Charles R. Swindoll
I hope you will read this great book. It may be short, but it is packed with great truths!
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