Tag: Fear

²⁵ And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. ~ Genesis 2:25

⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. ⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ~ Genesis 3:6-10

I have two nieces, one who is scared of everything and the other who is completely fearless. The one who is scared of everything is 8, while the other who is scared of nothing is 3. Mommy and I were talking about it one day, and she said it’s because the older you get, the more afraid you get. I said that we then have to try to protect her from that so that she doesn’t become frightened of everything as well.

Now, today, I was doing some sit-ups on my bench, where I put my feet under the bar and then sit up. When I went to lay back, I felt a fear of falling. Then it hit me: fear only works if you have a sense or understanding of the punishment or consequence for the action you are about to take or have taken.

Then it further hit me. This is one of the things God was trying to protect us from in the Garden of Eden. Adam was given one command: do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This command was then relayed to his wife, Eve. This was the only don’t they were given. Why? It wasn’t because God didn’t want them to know good things. It wasn’t because God didn’t want them to have knowledge. Think about it: Adam had to have some form of wisdom in order to talk with God in the cool of the day when He came and walked with him. So, it wasn’t trying to keep knowledge from them. God was trying to keep them from being held captive by fear and/or shame because they go hand in hand.

When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, he didn’t suddenly think ah yes, I’m like God. He didn’t suddenly learn the wisdom of the gods. The very first thing that happened to Adam and Eve was shame. They looked at their nakedness, felt shame, and sought a covering for themselves. What was once beautiful and innocent was now tainted and spoiled. Then the LORD stepped down in the garden and called the man, but he and Eve both hid. Why? Not only were they now wrapped in shame, but now they were afraid. They were terrified. They knew what they had done was wrong; their innocence was stripped away, and fear of the coming punishment had taken over.

God’s desire for us was and always is for our good. It’s never for our harm. It’s never for evil. So, what does He do? He protects us from things that will cause us harm and evil. So, He tells us not to open certain doors that will allow fear to enter into our hearts and remove love, peace, and joy. When Adam ate, the love he felt from God was gone. The peace he felt when he spoke with God was gone. The joy he felt when he heard God walking in the garden was gone. All that he was left with was shame and fear. Two cold, brutal, cruel masters that aren’t ever satisfied until you are completely and utterly destroyed, and then, even then, they aren’t satisfied, for they move on to their next victim.

This is what the LORD wanted to keep us from. My niece wasn’t afraid of anything until she was given a reason to fear things. I wasn’t afraid of doing my sit-ups until one day, I forgot to put the weights on the bar to keep it from rising up when I leaned back, and I almost fell. It wasn’t until I saw and understood a possible consequence of not doing something correctly that I became afraid. We were not created for nor given a spirit of fear. We were created for love. To love and be loved by our creator.

Dear LORD, I’m sorry for each and every time I overstepped my bounds and stepped over lines You commanded me not to cross. I’m sorry for each and every time I allowed my flesh to dictate my actions and opened doors to shame and fear. Please, LORD, cover me in Your precious and Holy blood. Cause Your angels concerning me. Help me to know that I am loved by You. That if I walk in Your ways and delight myself in You, I have nothing to fear because You are with me. If I cry out to You, repent, and seek Your face as I turn from my sin, no shame has any right to me. That the past mistakes I’ve made no longer have a hold on me and I can move forward in You. That all fear, anxiety, and doubt have no claim on me, for I am loved by You. For You loved me even when I hated You. Even in my sin, You still loved me. Even in my sin, You still called out to me. Even in my sin, You still died for me. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Please, LORD, help me feel Your love surrounding me in all things that I do. In every area of my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” ¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ~ Luke 2:8-18

The shepherds were in the fields watching their flock by night. They were right where they needed to be. They were doing their job as they were supposed to. They could’ve called it a night and ended their day early. Instead, they stayed at their post. They stayed where they were supposed to be, and God honored their dedication by sending an angel to them. When the angel appeared, they were terrified. They didn’t know what to do. They were in the fields, so there was nowhere to run or even hide. Little did they know that great fear would soon turn to great joy, for the Messiah had come to redeem all peoples.

Sometimes, good news and God’s plan for your life are initially scary, but if you remain in His path and put your trust in Him, God will reward that faithfulness with the fulfillment of that Good News. This Christmas, continue in your call, regardless of what you have going on. Continue in your race regardless of how tiring it may be. The LORD will honor your diligence. Then, when the opportunity for your reward comes, don’t allow fear to keep you from it. The Devil will always try to strike fear into your heart before the LORD rewards you and blesses you with a harvest you were not even expecting.

I doubt the shepherds went out the night expecting to see the newborn savior of the world. How amazing of a gift. You started the night with work and ended it with rejoicing and witnessing the greatest prophecy being fulfilled right before their eyes. Continue in your call; you never know how the LORD will reward you for your dedication.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep Watch By Night.

³⁵ And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. ~ Luke 2:10-11

I want you to really think about what Mary was going through when the angel came to her. She was an unmarried woman. She was betrothed to a man, and now she was pregnant. She had to convince not just her family but her fiancé that she had not been unfaithful to him. This wasn’t like today, either. During Mary’s day and age, this offense that she seemed to be guilty of was punishable by death. Not a quick death either, but being stoned to death. How terrifying. No evidence or proof did she have that could keep her safe from man’s judgment, yet she didn’t give into fear. She boldly told the angel, “Let it be done to me as you have said.”

Mary could have easily said this burden is to heavy for me to hold. My shoulders aren’t strong enough. I can’t do this. This is too much for me. And God, being the free-will God He is, would have accepted her refusal and used someone else. Mary didn’t have to accept this frightening task from God, but she did. She chose to accept this terrifying call of giving birth to the Messiah. The Son of the Living God.

Dear LORD, please help me to accept the call You have for my life, regardless of what it is. Regardless of how hard, dangerous, terrifying, or too heavy it may seem to me. Teach me to trust You enough that I might follow the path You have laid before me. Help me to have faith and dwell in Your perfect love that casts out all fear. Please, LORD, don’t allow me to miss out on what You have for me because of fear. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

¹⁷ So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. ~ James 4:17

I recently started watching the series The Mandalorian. The series starts out with a solo bounty hunter (a Mandalorian) going to obtain an asset. When he finds the asset, he realizes that it’s a small child. Conflicted, he still goes through with delivering the child to the man who hired him to do the job.

After he does, it messes with his mind. He tries to start on the next job, but he just can’t let it go, so he goes back for the child. He risks everything, including his honor, to retrieve the child. This leads to his previous employer and all the other bounty hunters under his previous employer to turn on him. They attacked him mercilessly in order to get the child back. Thanks to other Mandalorians who came to his rescue, he and the child escaped without being harmed.

So many of us today are tasked to do something that goes against our faith, yet so many times, we still go through with it. Why? Fear. Fear of being rejected or shunned. Fear of losing our jobs or getting docked pay. Sometimes, the fears are more serious. These fears are real and valid, but nevertheless, no fear should ever force us to go against our faith. Our faith is our connection to God. If we allow anything to break that connection, then we have willingly separated ourselves from God.

Even though the Mandalorian went against his conscience, he went back to make it right no matter the cost. The same is true for us today. Even if you give into fear, there’s always a chance of redemption. There’s always another opportunity to make things right. You just have to put your faith in God and trust that He will send you aid when you need it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Do Not Bow To It.

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¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ~ Romans 8:15

Fear is running rampant throughout our society. There is fear of speaking up. There is fear of telling the truth about what is really going on. Some say it is because of the fear of suicidal tendencies if you do, or the fear of getting a visit from the FBI, or at the very least, you offend people.

I’ve seen the videos on the internet. I’ve heard the testimonies of those who lived it, and it is all for real.

But here is what Patrick Henry said:

Should I keep back my opinions at such a time through fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of heaven which I revere above all earthly kings.

His fear of God and love for the Savior was stronger than his fear of man.

It would seem that we are in the same boat, with warm handshakes and broad smiles and pats on the back, which deceives the brainwashed into overlooking the acts of war and the play for the subjugation of the American population.

As Patrick Henry said:

Suffer not your cells to be betrayed with a kiss.

Our Founding Fathers passed down a great heritage to us—an inheritance that was bought with the blood of many good men at the expense of their great wealth.

These men were all in, for freedom, for liberty, for independence from slavery. We should never take it so lightly or sell it so cheaply.

• It cost much
• It cost some everything

But what costs you nothing means nothing and will be sold very cheaply.

As we celebrate the 4^th of July, Independence Day, let us remember what was given to us. Let us remember men like Patrick Henry, who said, “Give me liberty, or give me death.”

He stood up and declared that the time had come; there was no turning back, and it was inevitable that independence was proclaimed.

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²⁶ So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ~ Matthew 10:26-28

Jesus is instructing His hearers not to be afraid of men, for the most that men can do to one another is to kill the body and can do no more. You might say, “Well, that is a pretty significant thing, don’t you think?” And yes, it is. Nobody looks at dying as something desirable. No, it is written in the fabric of our DNA to live. God Himself said, “Live and increase and do not decrease.” But it is the spirit of suicide that entices young and old to commit suicide.

Jesus said that He came so that we may have life and life more abundantly. So, it is Jesus’ will and it is the Father’s will that we live and prosper. But even with that, the fear of death is not something that we believers hang on to, but when confronted with the choice to die or to renounce Jesus, we choose death. Man then can kill the body and can do nothing else, while there is a great and awesome day of the LORD that is coming when the sheep will be divided from the goats and the sheep will enter eternal life, but the goats will go away to eternal punishment. That is called the second death.

This is what Jesus was warning the people about. Not to be afraid of those people who can only kill the body and can do nothing else. But rather, fear God, who can not only kill the body but has the authority to cast the soul into hell. That is who we ought to be fearing.

The fear of God is so out of place today that we don’t even understand what it means to fear God. We don’t fear Him the way we fear and are terrified of some big, bad ogre-dictator. But a healthy fear like you would fear your earthly father. It is this fear that keeps us in line and stops us from indulging in blatant sin. Coupled with the love that we have for Jesus compels us to keep His commandments, and to love others. It demands that we forgive and overlook other people’s faults, all because we fear God.

Do you fear God? Have you made Him your personal savior? All you have to do is to ask for His forgiveness and He will forgive you.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me of my sins, and please erase my iniquities from before Your eyes. Help me to have a healthy fear of You so that I can please You with my thoughts, my words, and my deeds. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹⁹ The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on Him at that very hour, for they perceived that He had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. ~ Luke 20:19

Jesus had just told the Pharisees a parable about the Wicked Tenants, and rightly so; they perceived that He had told the parable about them. So, what do they do? They plan to kill Him. But do you know what stayed their hand? The fear of the people is what stopped them from laying their hands on Jesus right then and there. Not fear of God Himself, but fear of man. Think about this: they planned to kill God, but they feared the people! Talk about having your priorities wrongly aligned. But that is the problem; there is no fear of God, plenty of fear of man, but no fear of God. Jesus said this,

But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!

Luke 12:5

People and ministries are running around with no fear of God, doing whatever pleases them as if there are no consequences. There are always consequences. Good or bad, there are always consequences to every action. God is not expecting you to live your life in fear and cowering, but He does expect you to fear the consequences of your wrong actions.

Remember, one day Jesus will judge the living and the dead and will assign to each their just reward. To those who make good choices, eternal life. To those making bad choices, eternal punishment away from His presence. I would encourage you today to fear God and not man. Do not worry about their threats or their accusations.

A time is coming when those who stand up for Jesus will suffer persecution. They will be thrown in jail and have their stuff confiscated, and some will even be killed, but know this: God will never leave those who love Him and fear His name. Jesus is soon coming back; be prepared and do not fear man.

Heavenly Father, teach me how to fear Your great and mighty Name. Teach me Your ways that I may always stand in awe of You and serve you wholeheartedly, in Jesus’ name, amen.

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³⁶ Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!” ~ Genesis 42:36^CSB

Jacob was now an extremely old man. He had little over a decade of his life left. Joseph was gone, and in his mind, Joseph was dead. Now that there is a famine in the land, and they go to Egypt to get food, Simeon is left behind until they return with Benjamin. Jacob’s whole world seems to be crashing down. His faith that his sons will be okay is seemingly completely gone, and, in its place, fear has overtaken him. Little did Jacob realize God was trying to restore his sons that were gone to him once again, by forcing him to face his fear and have a little faith.

Today, the Church is in the same position as Jacob. We’ve seen our children fall into darkness and taken from us, and we begin to lose hope of them ever returning. We begin to have fear of our children we still have being taken from us as well. We allow fear to control us instead of walking by faith and not by sight.

See, Jacob never saw Joseph’s dead body; he came to the conclusion that his son had been ripped to shreds and was dead. Now, Simeon had been kept in Egypt until they brought Benjamin before him. Fear had completely consumed him, but God had a plan not only to redeem Joseph to him but to rescue his entire family from dying of starvation during the famine.

Sometimes, you have to face your fear in order to see a breakthrough in your prayers. You have to walk by faith and not by sight. Your child may be far off and led astray by the world, but as long as their heart is still beating, there is hope. So, don’t give up. Don’t let the enemy convince you that he’s won the war by showing you all that’s gone wrong. Instead, look to God, who turns everything to good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for every time I’ve given into fear. Please strike fear from my heart and help me to build my faith. Teach me how to build my faith in You so that I might be perfected in Your love. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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⁴³ And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. ~ Mark 9:43

³³ You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? ~ Matthew 23:33

Jesus referred to Hell as a place of unquenchable fire that some are sentenced to while others are not. This is because Hell is a place you’re sentenced and thrown into, not a place your soul goes to simply because you have died. Otherwise, we would need to fear man just as much as God because Jesus made this very clear that it is the power of God that can destroy both body and soul in Hell (Matthew 10:28)

If Hell is just a place you go when you die, then this argument that Jesus is making for why you should fear God and not man is silly because anyone who kills you would be sentencing you to Hell because that’s the realm of the dead. No. Jesus wasn’t talking about the realm of the dead. Jesus was talking about something much worse. Something more terrifying than just the realm of the dead. Jesus was talking about a place that was created, not for mankind to go when they die, but for the Devil and his angels as an unquenchable fire. An eternal flame of torment.

Therefore, there is no reason to fear man because man can only destroy the body, but the soul no man can touch or harm. This is why we only fear God, for it is God who makes the final judgment call on where our soul will spend eternity based on our actions in this life. When it comes down to offending God or man, it is better to offend man, for God is only offended by evil, and evil will only lead to eternal destruction away from Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Beware The Unquenchable Flame.

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