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Tag Archives: spirit of fear

It’s gonna be ok

13 Apr

It’s gonna be ok

Matthew 6:25-34    “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (ESV)

I have written in bold print in the margin of my Bible beside this passage, “DO NOT WORRY”. I openly struggle with anxiety and depression, but I do not believe there are many others out there that can say before God they do not worry. Satan is the master deceiver, and a strong tool in his arsenal is the deception wrapped in doubt. When you look at worry in its simplest form it is fear, fear of the unknown. Fear is not from God but from the author of deception and death. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Satan is planting in your mind that you have no security; that your life and the outcome of it could fall at any time. He wants you to think you are a failure, and all your eternity is in question. He may even planted the ultimate deception in your head of life without eternity. This is all there is; get all you can while you are here.

It is no coincidence that this passage falls on the heels of the passage about wealth (Matthew 6:19-25). I bet that the majority of your fears fall under the heading of money. Will I have enough to pay my bills; will I have enough saved for college; will I be able to get that new…….; the list is endless in our lives wrapped around our finances. Believe me, my house of cards fell, and the money worries have been a big part of my life in recent years. But God has shown me that he will never fail me; just enough in the nick of time, every time, to do or pay what must be done. God is even letting that doubt Satan is planting to work for good when you are humbled and must look to Him for it all. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. There can be a new found strength and relationship with God built as you see Him never fail you. Satan’s plan was to draw you away from God, but if you turn to God you will come to understand this passage about not worrying. When you worry you become introverted, and when you are self absorbed you are not an effective disciple to spread the Good News that He calls you to do.

It has been proven that worry and stress are bad for your physical health. They take years off your life. Christ told us that in this Sermon on the Mount 2000 years ago. 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Spend today focused on the promise in Matthew 6:33, and do not worry about tomorrow, for you may miss the promise of today.

 
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Posted by on April 13, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Love – doubt = Perfect Love

08 Jan

Love – doubt = Perfect Love

1 John 4:17-19    Love has been perfected among us in this: 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 casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

I heard a powerful sermon yesterday on doubt. Doubt is really fear; fear of the unknown, of the unsure, of the uncertain. Doubt is a powerful tool of Satan, for it settles in slowly and takes root. It can gradually grow and effect the outer self. We move in relation to our faith and fears; we act on what we believe. Fear is never a tool of God, fear is always a tool of Satan. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. My mental strain is a great burden these days, the weight of it commands my thoughts during the day, and Satan sneaks into them with doubt and fear. It is a constant warring in my head of the battle of good and evil. It seems so hard some days…….

John is speaking of the power of love; the power of the security of our future wrapped up in that love. The boldness that we should know and feel in the security of our Salvation in Christ. We should have no fear if we rest in that perfect love that is eternally promised. Our lives here will be full of disappointments in people, careers, friends, society, ____________, you can make your own list. When we begin to place our hope in these things we will surely be disappointed. But when we place our hope in our love for Christ; these disappointments should become expected and trivial. They are nothing but distractions to take our eyes off Christ.

The way to fight these fears is found in the Bible. The Word of God is the only offensive weapon that we have against Satan. Christ set that example for us when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days (Luke 4:1-13). The more time you spend in God’s Word, the stronger your faith becomes and the more power He gives you to fight these fears. Your heart is moved to a place of thanksgiving, and love is grown out of that thankful heart. That love completes the circle to enable you the power to fight those fears. You begin to see verse 19 We love Him because He first loved us. Thank you Jesus.

 
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Posted by on January 8, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Breath deep and read

24 Nov

Breath deep and read

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

There is no real way to explain anxiety and depression to those that do not suffer. It is a hidden demon that lurks beneath the surface. It can lie dormant but awaken quickly when triggered. It waits for the opportunities, then has the ability to change outcomes. The battle is all in the mind, but yet the battle has physical and outward appearances. I have been open with my struggles and my battles seem to be escalating. The Bible has about 14 verses on anxiety and worry; but fear is listed 354 times in many contexts. Fear is the root of anxieties, and fear is not from God. 2 Timothy 1:For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Matthew 6. It speaks much of the relationship between us and God. Of what is done in secret before Him; not done in public for accolades. It speaks of prayer and fasting; it contains the Lords prayer where Jesus taught us to how to pray. It speaks of our focus in life, of where do we put our effort. Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Where is your focus? Your career, your family, your pursuit of material gain, your hobbies that have turned into idols? The list could go on. Anything that comes before Christ is an idol in your life. If we make our pursuit God and the things of God, our short time here will be rewarded eternally. Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Spending time in God’s Word is the key to the battle of anxiety, worry, and life. The more time we spend in God’s Word the more our heart grows for Him. The stronger our relationship with Him, the more strength we have to fight these battles. I do believe the warfare may escalate, but I know we cannot fight without a heart for God. If we stand on our love for God as the spine of our existence, we can know that we will be ok. Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. This holiday season that is upon us will tend to bring more stress and worry. This is also a time to make the time to spend in God’s Word to give you the strength you need. It can start today.

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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The word of our testimony

20 Jul

The word of our testimony

Psalm 51:13-14 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

David had poured out to God his heart in a plea for God’s grace and forgiveness. He wanted to be a changed man and live for God. He wanted God’s grace to ease the pain, to lift the burden, to find rest in that forgiveness and salvation. I found it in study as this, “David calls sinners to salvation in this verse. He vows that he will use his experience of God’s grace as a renewed motivation to bring others into the knowledge of the love and mercy of God. David desires to be forgiven for several reasons: (1)for his own peace, (2)for the message of hope that he could communicate to others, (3)for the praise he would be able to give in the community of the faithful.” This was Davids story of forgiveness, or David’s testimony of God’s grace on him.

If you proclaim Christ, you have a testimony. You are not the same person as before. You cannot be; for He produces change from the inside out. Your testimony is the evidence of God working in your life through the blood of Christ to forgive sin and change lives. Have you ever thought about that change and tried to summarize it? It may have many avenues of change and most likely is a work in progress, but the evidence of that change God uses to reach others. He uses you as a tool to reach and encourage the lost around you, and many times your testimony is exactly what they need to hear. 1 Corinthians 1:5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.

Don’t ever be scared to share you faith and your story of how Christ changed your life. That fear that creeps in is Satan at work to try and stop the work of God through you. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Your struggles and God’s healing all make up a beautiful story of power, love, forgiveness, and change. A powerful new worship song has the lyric, “We will overcome, by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. Savior, worthy of honor and glory, worthy of all honor and glory.” Share your testimony, no, live it.

 
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Posted by on July 20, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Not gonna let it get me down

10 Jul

Not gonna let it get me down

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Some days we just get the blahs. The weight of the world comes crashing in; all our anxieties about the present and the future grab hold and drag us down. Satan has a powerful tool rooted in fear, that shifts the scales in lieu of your faith. Faith and fear may easily be placed on a balance, for one will always dominate the other. You cannot proclaim great faith and have fear control you. Your relationship with God could easily be described as that balance. You are either focusing on your fear, or on your God. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

I am no different than you. If I were to open my doors and let you into my world, you would understand what I am facing, and these battles with fear. Big things, but none bigger than what you are facing. But on what front do you fight the battle? Is it running away, in retaliation, in substance abuse, denial, or in seeking God? He knows exactly where you are at right now, and where you will be next. He can use where you are at to draw you closer to Himself if you will seek and not stray. 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Many times the reason we are drug down is the worry about the future. If we are worried about tomorrow, we will waste today away in that fear. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. We can loose some of life’s best days being lost in worry about the days to come. Take today and cherish where God has you. Turn Satan’s tool of fear against him, and let God use fear to draw you closer to Himself. Today, and only today are all you need to worry about.

 
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Posted by on July 10, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Equipped to Share

29 May

Equipped to Share

2Timothy 1:8-11 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Yesterday I was listening to a sermon on the weight and responsibility of teaching God’s Word. A good friend and I were talking about it last night and of how it that weight can scare you away from doing it. I decided to spend some time in the books of Timothy this morning because I knew Paul was encouraging Timothy in how to live and preach the Word of God. Satan will plant all types of fears into you to keep you from ever sharing your faith, or even a scripture at what may seem to be the perfect time. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Those fears can be weakened and your faith strengthened by the amount of time you spend with God in prayer and His Word. The strength that comes with that time will keep you from being ashamed of God’s Word and remaining silent.

We all have those times when we feel like we want to share our faith, or even what feels like a perfect scripture for someone at a time of need. Those promptings are the Holy Spirit inside of you, using you to encourage others. He may be bringing your testimony or the perfect scripture to that person before you at just the right time. John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Your response to that prompting is key, and God is using you at that time. Don’t deny that prompting from fear, but know that God is equipping you for His service. He may be even leading you to explain what that verse means to you. If God is placing that scripture before you for someone, He will equip you to deliver what He has to say. This strength and equipping comes from seeking Him daily. That places His Word in your heart, and your heart that is equipped will be prepared to share when His time comes.

 
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Posted by on May 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Seeking help

25 Apr

Seeking help

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

I feel like the seat here is still warm from pulling a very late night working on updating my testimony. There are three main points to it, and one is a battle that only surfaced the last 5 or 6 years – anxiety. Anxiety is a very elevated state of worry and there are many levels of this problem as most. It is a hidden disease that many do not confess from shame, but part of the healing is seeking help, for you cannot do it alone. I have chosen to seek my help from God. In the New King James version, worry and anxiety are found 12 times in the New Testament, and there is much to study surrounding those texts. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. That scripture alone can bring you great peace when you meditate on it, and understand that you are not guaranteed tomorrow, so why waste today worrying about it?

All of the worries and anxieties fall under the heading of Fear. Once we understand that fear is not from God, but a weapon of Satan, we can gain strength to fight off those anxieties with the weapons God has given us in His Word and prayer. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. My pastor and I had a great talk once about anxiety and he encouraged me to spend time in the Word when those attacks come, because there is strength there. I even believe the Proverbs verse about can speak to that. Anxiety will come and you must be prepared for that battle by spending time with God in His Word. All of this training is preparation for that war that rages within. When the attacks come, you take deep breaths, slow down, and approach God. Even this is against worldly advice of warfare, but God does not operate as this world does. Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

 
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Posted by on April 25, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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How can ya’ love…….?

13 Apr

How can ya’ love…….?

1 John 4:17-19  Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

John was the apostle whom Jesus loved, and much of John’s writings are an expression of that love. In the verses before this (1 John 4: 12-16) John is speaking of knowing and seeing God through love, and how our lives are a reflection of Him in that. If we truly abide with Him, we will love one another and become an outpouring of that love, in a self centered world far from it. 1 John 4:12-13 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. The world we live in preaches self at all costs, and Christ preaches humble love through selflessness. When we abide in Him, we begin to reflect His love for others through our actions and reactions that go against what the world expects. They begin to wonder what makes you different.

So much of the world right now is in a state of elevated fear in all arena’s. The wars and rumors of wars are on the forefront of the world stage. The world economy is on the verge of collapse, and most of us have seen drastic changes in our own financial struggles over the recent years. All this is creating fear, but you can possess an inner strength that can overcome that fear. Love and fear are an oxymoron from God’s eyes. Fear is not from God, but from Satan. 2 Timothy 1:For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. When we rest in the eternal security of Salvation, not even war or poverty can tug us down the road of fear Satan wants us to take. He who is in us is greater than He who is in the world. Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Seek the relationship with your heavenly Father daily that will produce a heart full of love, and a sound mind full of peace, that can face the daunting days with a smile that will reflect Christ.

 
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Posted by on April 13, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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But God…..

27 Feb

I could write a book expounding on this, and all that is going on inside my head right now. Those of you close to me probably already know and understand, but please pray for me. God is pressing down on me, and I am humbly feeling the pressure.

 

 

 

But God….

Psalm 46:10     Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

But God……how many times have we felt the command or conviction of God, and then followed it up with those words? We feel God speaking to us through His word, through prayer, through preaching, through those close to us He has place in our lives. But then ourselves step right in the way, into His way and add those words. They are usually fed from fear of many things, but all fear is fed from the enemy below. God did not instill fear into our DNA as 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. God gives us the security of a sound mind and Satan tries to lead us into believing we can’t do whatever it is that we feel God speaking to us about. That is the spiritual war that rages within you, but you have assured victory in Christ alone.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? We have the power of God residing in us. God is the victor, and possesses the power to only let our enemy have what God allows. It all passes through Gods hands and serves His purposes, but the defeated foe does not acknowledge that he has already lost the war. The peace and security of what we face today is all under His control should allow you to rest in Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! I should have replaced every ‘we’ with an ‘I’ throughout this writing…..for it was for me.

 
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Posted by on February 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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