“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Choose who you will listen to
It is our choice who or what we look to with intent. Will we look at the newspapers, TV news programs, Facebook, Twitter, other media platforms, our family and friends? When life gets really hard to deal with when there seem to be enemies all around us, who do we look to for help?
The book of Hebrews in the Bible tells us to fix or focus on Jesus. He has already gone where we are going. He already conquered sin, sickness, and death. He has released his anointing through Holy Spirit to be used by his saints in His name. It is time to stop looking around us and start truly looking at the Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the answer.
John 14:6King James Version
” Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The challenge before us today is, follow Christ and be at rest and in peace. Or follow the blast of negative words around us and walk in fear and distress. There is such a wonderful place of rest once we choose to listen to the Bible instead of the world around us. God loves us so much and wants the best of life for us. When we can let Him lead us through the trial, we will succeed! Praise God. One of my favorite Scriptures which had led me out of so many places of fear and distress is:
2 Timothy 1:7King James Version
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
When we confess the Word of God out loud, in faith, God steps in to answer us. Let’s join in the “I believe God” team and start winning this battle!
Fear is like a raging, clawing beast, destroying peace and love in our lives. It tears at us, rages and shoves against us. It can come day or night without warning. Sudden events can trigger it quicker than any other thing. Learning about a serious disease, an accident, loss of job or relationship, money needs being more than the present supply can open the door for fear.
God has spoken over and over in the Bible about conquering fear. He would come into a group of people or speak one-on-one and speak faith and life into a place of fear and loss. We walk by faith and not by sight, yet that faith must be acted on to become alive in our hearts. We can speak to fear and tell it to leave our presence in the Name of Jesus and the power of His blood-bought Covenant. The only fear we are to walk in is the fear of the Lord.
Declare the Word of God to overcome fears voice
2 Timothy 1:7King James Version
7ForGod hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Romans 8:10-17King James Version
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Proverbs 19:23King James Version
23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
Isaiah 50:10King James Version
10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.
1 John 4:11-18King James Version
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
We must pull down any wicked imagination of fear in the Name of Jesus
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 King James Version
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Anytime fear tries to war against you with lies and temptations, choose to speak out against it by declaring what the Bible says about it. Take your Holy Spirit given authority and send fear packing. That sounds easy, doesn’t it? It may take you a few times of declaring out loud the Word of God, but keep doing it until you see the victory in Christ Jesus!
I pray you rout fear out of your lives, one day at a time. Thereby growing in faith in God’s provision for all things in your life.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8 NKJV)
It is a good time now (as it is always) to seek after the Lord through reading the Bible and praying to Him in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ! Drawing close, and staying close to God provides overcoming strength to keep on “keeping on!”
As a young man, my developmental years were spent in a church with my family that was a “country church”. There were a lot of good people in the church body and more good people in the community where I lived. Many of those people, in addition to my family, spoke into my life and helped me grow in my personal faith. One such person was a man by the name of John Tharp. Brother Tharp was not a typical “worshipper” in the church where I grew up, but, he was a very profound thinker. I do not know who originated the statement, “If God seems far away, who moved”, but, it was Brother John Tharp that impressed it upon me. A dear sister from my church created a poster with that message on it and the poster was placed in a shadow box. As far as I know – over 50 years later – it is still there to remind worshippers of the need to seek after God in order to stay close to Him.
Some messages are enduring for a reason. As Christian believers, our faith is the most precious treasure we have on this earth. If God seems far away from you today, you can find Him in the Scriptures. Faith comes from reading and obeying the Word of God. Faith encourages us to pray, engaging the journey of faith for the glory of the Name of our God and of his Son, Jesus Christ.
It is my hope that a voice from my past – that of Brother John Tharp – will give you newfound inspiration and courage to face your day with God. Most importantly, I want God to come near to you today. I believe He will as you read His Word given to all of us, and as you pray to Him about your needs in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ.
We all want to be productive in some area of life. Whether as a father or mother, a business person, in a ministry or even in relationships. There is a standard in which we can achieve this successfully. The main way is by being planted in relationship with God. With His guidance by the Bible and the wonderful Teacher, the Holy Spirit, we can grow in faith in Jesus, our Lord.
If we plant ourselves in the river of His love and allow ourselves to be fed by His Word, the Bible, we can see growth and strength. Peace will rule our hearts and consciences. Our hearts will grow to love people rather than things. Our motives will become more pure and less selfish and we will want to please God more than other people. In living a lifestyle like that, we will succeed more and more each day. Our outflow of living will be productive and bear fruit in every direction of life.
When we love, we won’t fight as much for position. When we care more for people than things, our need to accumulate things will grown less and less. Our need for attention will diminish as we think of others first. And our hearts will be full of love by seeing the results of our life laid out before us.
Growing takes time
It is not an “overnight success” story. It is a daily laying our lives at the feet of Jesus and allowing His love to change us from the inside out. I love the Scripture in Romans 5:5, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” It is the love of God-his own understanding, emotions, selflessness that is poured into our hearts to be able to learn to love others.
May we start and continue this journey of being planted by God’s own river and allowing Him to changes us into His kind of people.
