Category: Fear Is A Liar

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. ~ Matthew 7:15-20

In today’s Church, we’re afraid to say anything that may offend someone. I was recently at a Church where the pastor from the platform was explaining his childhood. Specifically, the legalism of the Oneness Holiness Pentecostal Church he got saved in and the dead catholic church he grew up in. There was really no critiquing of the churches. Simply that, one was legalistic and the other dead. He then quickly defended himself with, ‘There’s good people in both churches. I’m not trying to critique anyone. I just want to tell you my experience.’

Why has the Church become like this? Why are we so afraid to offend people by speaking Truth? Sin isn’t to be tolerated. It’s not to be overlooked. Its feelings aren’t to be taken care of. It’s to be called out. It’s to be corrected. There’s not a time when we should try to protect the feelings of sin by quieting the Truth. No. Jesus said blessed are those who are not offended by Him. Jesus is Truth. We can’t quiet the Truth in order to make sin feel more comfortable.

We’re the body of Christ. The Temple of the Living God. Sin should never be comfortable around us. Sin should never feel safe around us. In the Spirit should be a big sign that reads “No Safe Zone Here” right over our heads. That’s what we should drive for. God’s Spirit should be so strong within us that sin flees from our presence because it’s afraid to be in the presence of God shining through us.

Dear LORD, please shine through me. Help me to remove all sorts of fear from me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I might be a mighty vessel for You to use for Your Kingdom. Fill me with a Spirit of Discernment so that I might discern between right and wrong. My thoughts and Your thoughts. Darkness and Light. Teach me Your ways and fill me with strength and courage. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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⁶ He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: ⁷ “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.” ~ 2 Chronicles 32:6-7

Judah was being threatened by Assyria, and yes, they were the leading world power. Yes, they had a large, mighty, experienced, and well-funded army. But Hezekiah reminded them of the God factor. And today, you may be facing your Assyria. Maybe you’re being bullied at work or at school. Maybe it’s a health issue or a problem only God knows about, and it’s overwhelming. Or maybe you just need to be reminded today of the greater power that dwells in you. For greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Don’t be afraid; you are an overcomer because you are a child of God. Be strong; you can do all things because Christ strengthens you. You are blessed and highly favored because you are a creation and child of God.

Heavenly Father, pour out Your love today on Your people. Encourage hearts and strengthen minds. We are Your people and the sheep of Your pastures. Cover and provide for each household that reads and believes this message this morning. In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

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¹¹ But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. ¹² When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. ¹³ As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?” ~ Galatians 2:11-14^NLT

Peter, like all of us, was human. He wasn’t perfect. There was only ever one perfect person, and that was Jesus. Peter was like us. He had flaws, hiccups, and he made mistakes. He even had to be corrected by someone who had received salvation long after he had. Peter had been saved for years before Paul, yet it wasn’t the number of years that counted but what they did in those years.

See, Peter was only saved from his sinful nature; he never persecuted the Church. Yes, he denied Christ three times, but Christ forgave him physically on earth after the resurrection. Paul, on the other hand, wasn’t just saved from a sinful nature; he was saved from persecuting and executing the Church. He was there from the stoning of Stephen onward until that day on the road to Damascus. Paul was, arguably, saved from a much greater sin and, as Jesus put it, therefore, loved more. The more you love, the less you fear. Peter feared the reaction of those in the Church. He was afraid of being criticized and rejected by those he was comfortable around, and in doing so, he sinned.

The same spirit of Fear that made him flee in the garden when Jesus was arrested and made him deny Jesus in the courts of the High Priest caused him to fall into sin once again. See, Fear isn’t an easy spirit to overcome. Fear doesn’t just leave because you preach the Gospel or you’ve been saved a long time. Fear is something you have to completely remove from its roots and entirely expel out of your life. And when it comes knocking at your door again, you can’t answer it. You can’t give it any kind of foothold into your life again. Why? Because it’s a controlling spirit. It’s a dominating spirit that demands you to bow to it.

But if you do, LORD forbid, fall into the grasp of Fear again and sin, God will always send you help, just as He sent to Peter. Peter, as stated earlier, was saved long before Paul, but it took a man that had no fear to confront Peter in person and correct, with Scripture, his faults. Peter wasn’t above correction because he walked and talked with the LORD. He wasn’t above correction because he was given the keys of the kingdom. Why? Because Peter was human, just as we all are. So, when someone shows you the inaccuracies of your beliefs, actions, or statements in Scripture, don’t be angry. Don’t become defensive. Accept that correction so that the LORD might redeem you from the place you have fallen and might continue to use you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Expel It Entirely.

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²⁶ I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, ²⁷ for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know. ~ Acts 20:26-27^NLT

Paul was confident that he had done all he could do. He lived his life with no regrets. How many of us can say the same? Today’s Church is silent because of Fear. We’re afraid of being ostracized, persecuted, taunted, fired, or hurting someone else’s feelings. The Truth has been silenced, and where it isn’t completely silenced, it’s perverted. We take bits and pieces of the Scripture and preach a cherry-picked message that will tickle the ears of our listeners. But what good are we truly doing? The saint is still asleep, and the sinner is still lost.

I heard about a man who would get up all hours of the morning to pray for his congregation. Why? Because according to him, “I have 8,000 souls I must give an account for, and I know not their condition.” How many of us take the people put into our lives as seriously as this man? Each person we come in contact with is a soul that we have the chance to save. A soul that we have the chance to plant a seed in or to harvest.

If we look back on our lives, can we truly say that we’ve done all we could have done to witness, guide, lead, disciple, and pray for the souls we’ve come in contact with? If we are to give an account of all that we did on that final day, what’s more important: Speaking the Truth and making disciples of every nation or bowing down to Fear and remaining silent? Don’t let Fear keep you from spreading the Word. When we give into Fear, Fear then takes control and takes us farther than we wanna go. The silence of the Church only breeds darkness in the world. Light can only be shown by those who have the Light living within them. Therefore, shine the Light of the world into the world. Be like Paul and live your life with a clear conscience.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live Without Regret.

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¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ~ Psalms 27:1

There will be situations that come up in your life that will invite the spirit of fear in your life, but fear not for the LORD Himself is a shield round about you. Though the world might seem dark and gloomy, He is the light of your salvation. Though the wicked threaten and rage against you, the LORD God Almighty is the stronghold in your life.

The word stronghold means a place or a means of safety. In other words, He is your protection. Now understand that God thinks in terms of eternity because He is eternal, infinite, and dwells outside of time. We live bound to time, so it’s hard for us to understand the concept with our finite minds.

But know this, though the people rage, though the enemy attacks you, though the situation seems hopeless, God is your strength, your protection, and He will deliver you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t be caught up in your surroundings. Focus on God. Focus on His promises. Focus on who He is and who you are in Him. For greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a wall and a shield around me. Teach me to lean on and depend on You. No matter the circumstances, or even the outcome, let my love for You never diminish. But rather, let me keep my eyes, thoughts, and hope turned toward eternity. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹⁴ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. ~ Hebrews 2:14-15

Jesus didn’t just come down as God. Jesus came down as a man. He came down as flesh and blood. He was tempted in every way we are so that we could, in turn, overcome every sin through Him. He took our punishment upon Himself and paid the price for our sins.

Therefore, we have nothing to fear, especially not death, for to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Why? Because if we are crucified with Christ, then we will also rise with Christ. How is this possible? Because Jesus isn’t dead in the grave. No. Jesus is alive and well. He seated in honor and majesty at the right hand of the Father, full of grace and Truth.

Therefore, because Jesus lives, all who follow Him shall live as well. So, do not fear death. Do not fear the afterlife, for that is where our great reward will be. The things of this world will fade, but eternity and all of its rewards and riches will last forever.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Do Not Fear Death.

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³⁹ “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. ~ John 18:39–40

Pilate had just finished interviewing Jesus again. He could not find any fault or any reason to put Jesus to death. No matter how desperately he sought to find a way out of crucifying Jesus because he knew Jesus did not deserve capital punishment.

So, thinking he could somehow catch the Jews between a rock and a hard place, so to speak, he offered them a deal he knew they could not refuse. “You know I always release one prisoner of your choosing at Passover. Now, I have here this murdering robber, Barabbas, whom I could release, but he is such a menace and a threat to society, I have no choice but to release Jesus, the King of the Jews, to you.”

But in unison, they all shouted, “No, no, not this man, give us Barabbas.”

They did not even use His name; they called Him this man. The one who came to redeem them. The One sent by God as their promised Messiah, they did not even bother to call  Him by His name.

Understand this, God does not force Himself upon anyone. We must choose to serve Him. We must choose to accept Him. It is never His choosing. If it was, the whole world would be saved since the Scriptures say:

⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

God does not want anyone to perish, but we must choose not to perish. We must choose Jesus over Barabbas. The next time you are faced with choosing to do the right thing, as a pose to choosing the wrong thing, choose right.

Don’t worry about what others might say or what others might do, do what is right and choose Jesus. It is always in our choices. Even when the crowd is yelling crucify, do not be led astray; think before you choose. There is always a right way and a wrong way to choose. There is always a right thing, and a wrong thing to choose, so, be careful what you choose.

Father, please help us to choose the right thing. Open our spiritual eyes to see so that we are not misled by the crowd. Give us discernment that we might choose the right and forsake the wrong; in Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

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⁹ Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ~ Matthew 24:9-13

A time is coming and is now here when good will be called evil and evil will be called good. Sin and debauchery will be celebrated. Vileness and shameful things will be lifted up and proclaimed as wholesome and good. Christians will be arrested and thrown in prison, all for the sake of the Gospel. They will be beaten and their property confiscated. They will be seen as the enemy of the state, and their freedom will be revoked, but don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will be with us.

It’s more important now than it ever has been before to spread the Truth of the LORD. To share the Gospel of Christ with others. To shine a Light in the darkness. Jesus warned us ahead of time of the coming tribulation and great deception. They’re both knocking at our door. Fear is going before them, telling us that it won’t come to pass, especially not in our time. God won’t let anything bad happen to His faithful believers. These lies won’t help your endurance; they will only hinder your race. They’ll only hinder your faith. These days are coming whether we like it or not. So, strengthen your faith. Prepare for the coming times. If it doesn’t come in our time, then you would have only strengthened your faith and therefore built more treasures in heaven. But if it comes in our lifetime, and we are unprepared, how will we be able to stand?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare For The Coming Times.

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