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Going Against Fear

Sue J Love

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Joined
Mar 27, 2015
Messages
2,699
Monday, January 25, 2016, 7:17 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Weary of Heart.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Matthew 28 (NASB).

Go and Tell (vv. 1-10)

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Jesus Christ was betrayed by one of his closest companions, disowned three times by another and abandoned by all twelve of his closest disciples. He was falsely arrested, given a mock trial, spat upon, beaten, mocked, and scourged beyond recognition. He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering, and men hid their faces from him. Then, they hung him on a cross to die, although he had done no wrong. Yet, he did not remain dead. He was resurrected from the dead on the third day, just as he had said he would.

These women, who were followers of Christ, came to the tomb where Jesus had been buried, fully expecting to see that their Lord was in the tomb, but he had risen. The angel told them not to be afraid, but to “go quickly” and tell his disciples. While they were on their way to tell the disciples, Jesus appeared to them. He also told them not to be afraid, but to go and take his word to his brethren.

Jesus is still giving his followers today this same message: “Do not fear. Go quickly. Take my word and tell it to those to whom I have sent you.” He may send us to those who have never heard the gospel of salvation. And/or he may send us to those who profess the name of Jesus but who need a word of encouragement, urging, comfort, edification or counsel. Yet, there may be many reasons why we may feel fear and have to go against our fears in order to do what our Lord has instructed.

For one, these women had just witnessed the brutality with which Jesus had been treated by his opponents. If they went and told others, and word got out that this is what they were doing, they risked being treated in like manner as was Jesus, because they were following him and they were taking his message to others. They were also saddened by the loss of their Lord to death, and most certainly confused and bewildered by the appearance of this angel telling them Christ had risen. Sometimes we might be tempted to withdraw in fear because we don’t understand what is happening to us or to those we love, and we may fear moving out into the unknown, not knowing what awaits us. Yet, we must not be afraid!

As well, these were women, and women were not often given the value and esteem a woman of today, in particular in America, might receive. So, most certainly when they chose to obey their Lord and take his message to men whom may reject them and even scoff at them, they had to go against their fears and accept whatever response they may receive from the men in order to obey Jesus. Yet, times haven’t changed all that much. Although women are not to have authority over men, and they are not to be elders within the church, they are gifted equally with men of the Spirit of God and have been called of God, too, to prophesy, i.e. to take God’s word to whomever the Spirit directs, and to proclaim the word of God in all practicality in application to our lives today. And, because they are women, they, as well, may meet with opposition from men (and women, too).

Make Disciples (vv. 11-20)

Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Another possible cause for fear is that there are those who not only may oppose us in one way or another for speaking out the word of God to people, but who are working against the message of the gospel itself by spreading lies about what Jesus and his NT apostles taught. They make up their own version of the story of the gospel for the sole purpose to deceive and to try to discredit the true story so that it will not be believed by people. And, they try to convince others that those who are giving out the true (full) gospel message are teaching works-based salvation, are liars, are false teachers, are legalists, and/or are intolerant, bigoted, hateful and fear mongers. Yet, they do this through the twisting of truth and a diluted gospel message which ignores the bulk of scriptures on salvation and centers around a few select passages of scripture, often taken out of context. So, when we face such strong opposition, we may be tempted to fear their rebukes and to retreat. Yet, we should not!

Another possible cause for fear is our own doubts. Sometimes when things don’t go the way we expect, or when God operates outside the box we have put him inside, or when his actions don’t fit with the theology we were taught from early on, we may doubt what we see, and find it difficult to trust and to believe. A lot of people are afraid of the Holy Spirit, for instance, because they can’t control him, and they don’t understand how he works, and so rather than learn from the word, and grow in their understanding, they quench and grieve the Holy Spirit by shutting him out and trying to control things with man’s logic and reasoning. Certainly we must be diligent about testing the spirits to see if they are of God, but we must guard against putting out the Spirit’s fire by our own doubts and fears.

Yet, we must not be afraid. We must have courage and speak the words God gives us to speak from his word to whomever he sends us no matter what kind of reception we may encounter. We must be students of the Word ourselves so that we know the Word of which we speak, and so we can discern error from truth. And, we must not fear what humans might do to us, for God is with us. He will not leave us or forsake us, but he will give us strength, courage, and empowerment from on high to speak the Word of God with boldness, and to persevere in giving testimony for Jesus Christ and for his gospel of grace.

The Word of God teaches us that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15). It teaches us that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to be a blood sacrifice for our sins so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who no longer conduct our lives according to the sinful flesh, but who now walk (live) in accordance with the Spirit of God. If we walk according to our sinful flesh, we will die, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (See: Ro. 8:1-14). It teaches us that God’s grace is not a free license to continue in sin once we profess to have received Christ as Savior of our lives, but God’s grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

The Word of God also teaches us that it is by grace we are saved, through faith. It is the gift of God and not of ourselves; not of works lest we should boast that we somehow earned or deserved our own salvation (See: Eph. 2:8-9). Yet, the Word also says: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). And, James said that faith, if not accompanied by works (action) is dead (See: Jas. 2:14-26). As well, John said that if we say we have fellowship with God, and yet we walk (conduct our lives) in darkness (sin), we are liars (1 Jn. 1:6). Paul said that coming to faith in Jesus Christ means death to our old lives of living for sin and self, being transformed in heart and mind away from sin to God, and being given new lives in Christ Jesus, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; cf. Ro. 6; Ro. 8; Gal. 2:20; Ac. 26:16-18; Lu. 9:23-25).

So, if we are going to make disciples (followers) of Christ of people of all nations, we must teach them to obey what Christ commanded his followers when he walked this earth, unless the instructions were obviously intended for a particular group of people for a specific period of time. If the NT apostles taught the same things Jesus taught, and they taught them to the church for them to follow, then we know these are instructions we must follow, too, unless they are obviously cultural or intended only for a specific period of time. The fact that the NT apostles taught we must die to sin and live to righteousness, and that continuing in a lifestyle of sin after we say we “believe” means death, whereas following Christ in obedience and in lifestyle according the Spirit means life, which is what Jesus taught, it means we should believe this, and we must follow this.

Paul’s commission was to open blinded eyes, so they may turn from darkness (sin) to the light (Jesus, purity, righteousness, truth), and from the dominion of Satan (the power he had over our lives) to God (to come under his control - the control of his righteousness), so we might receive forgiveness of sins, and have a place (inheritance) among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (Ac. 26:16-18). So, although we can do nothing to earn or to deserve our own salvation, but it is only by the blood of Christ shed on the cross for our sins that we have been given such a great salvation, coming to faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and living to righteousness; no longer conducting our lives after our sinful flesh, but now walking in the Spirit, in the power of the Spirit, and not in the power of our flesh.

Weary of Heart

An Original Work / January 23, 2016
Based off Isaiah 40


You who bring the Good News,
Lift up your voice.
Do not fear. Shout it out:
“Here is your God!”
The sovereign Lord comes
With power and strength.
He gathers His tender lambs
In His arms.

Lift up your eyes and look:
“Who made all things?”
God, our creator knows
All about you.
Your cause is not
Disregarded by God.
He will not leave;
He’ll not abandon you.

When you are troubled
And weary of heart,
Trust the Lord with your life.
Do not despair.
He will empower you;
Strengthen within.
Soar on wings like eagles,
Walk and not faint.

 
People fear the wolves in sheep clothing. Their god is in their belly, and love is on their sleeve. Jesus would grieve when they were among the people at a meeting; always trying to catch Him in His words that they might accuse Him. And even worse.
They done it to Him, and He said they will do it to you.
All praise, glory and honor be unto God. Amen
 
Thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me...

We walk through the valley of the shadow of death everyday. Where are the soldiers of God? I sure see alot of fear and weary upon folks everytime I go out there. The uncertainty of today, tomorrow; the spirit of fear is everywhere. How many million claim to be Christian's and walk on by. They are too busy with self business to do God business.
Lord have mercy upon us all.
 
People fear the wolves in sheep clothing. Their god is in their belly, and love is on their sleeve. Jesus would grieve when they were among the people at a meeting; always trying to catch Him in His words that they might accuse Him. And even worse.
They done it to Him, and He said they will do it to you.
All praise, glory and honor be unto God. Amen

Yes, they were always trying to trip him up, hoping to catch him in their trap, but when they couldn't, it just angered them all the more. And, yes, as he was treated we will be treated, also, so we must be wise and discerning and choose our words carefully, praying for much wisdom in the Spirit to speak what the Lord would have us speak and not to respond with our human flesh.
 
Thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me...

We walk through the valley of the shadow of death everyday. Where are the soldiers of God? I sure see alot of fear and weary upon folks everytime I go out there. The uncertainty of today, tomorrow; the spirit of fear is everywhere. How many million claim to be Christian's and walk on by. They are too busy with self business to do God business.
Lord have mercy upon us all.

I love the 23rd Psalm. I have quoted it many times when I battled the temptation to give in to fear. Yes, many are living in fear and not in faith. They are not daily putting on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan's evil schemes against them. We need to pray for them. Yes, many are caught up in themselves and have forgotten that they were bought with a price. We need to pray for them, as well. And, we need to pray that we don't fall into temptation, but that we remain strong in our faith. Only in the power of the Spirit of God within us can we be conquerors. Only by God's grace and love to us can we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
 
Acts 8:33 In His humiliation His judgment was taken from away: and who shall declare His generation? for His life is taken from the earth.

Many are called but few are chosen.

HE LIVES! He is in me, I am in Him and we go unto the Father. My life is not my own, it belongs to Him.

He is our armor. HE is my helmet, my breastplate, my shield, my loins, my feet, and my SWORD of the SPIRIT.

The SWORD cuts deep on us ALL. It cuts through me first, and it is for me to speak it forth. What He gives us in darkness, speak ye in light, what We hear in the ear preach from the rooftops.

They will kill again; a woman this time, because they have not believed in the only begotten Son of God. Amen.

Yes, in my mouth it (the little book) is sweet as honey, but it (the humiliation and Greig to come) does make my belly bitter.
Lord have mercy upon us ALL.
All praise, glory, and honor be unto God. Amen
 
Monday, January 25, 2016, 7:17 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Weary of Heart.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Matthew 28 (NASB).

Go and Tell (vv. 1-10)

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Jesus Christ was betrayed by one of his closest companions, disowned three times by another and abandoned by all twelve of his closest disciples. He was falsely arrested, given a mock trial, spat upon, beaten, mocked, and scourged beyond recognition. He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering, and men hid their faces from him. Then, they hung him on a cross to die, although he had done no wrong. Yet, he did not remain dead. He was resurrected from the dead on the third day, just as he had said he would.

These women, who were followers of Christ, came to the tomb where Jesus had been buried, fully expecting to see that their Lord was in the tomb, but he had risen. The angel told them not to be afraid, but to “go quickly” and tell his disciples. While they were on their way to tell the disciples, Jesus appeared to them. He also told them not to be afraid, but to go and take his word to his brethren.

Jesus is still giving his followers today this same message: “Do not fear. Go quickly. Take my word and tell it to those to whom I have sent you.” He may send us to those who have never heard the gospel of salvation. And/or he may send us to those who profess the name of Jesus but who need a word of encouragement, urging, comfort, edification or counsel. Yet, there may be many reasons why we may feel fear and have to go against our fears in order to do what our Lord has instructed.

For one, these women had just witnessed the brutality with which Jesus had been treated by his opponents. If they went and told others, and word got out that this is what they were doing, they risked being treated in like manner as was Jesus, because they were following him and they were taking his message to others. They were also saddened by the loss of their Lord to death, and most certainly confused and bewildered by the appearance of this angel telling them Christ had risen. Sometimes we might be tempted to withdraw in fear because we don’t understand what is happening to us or to those we love, and we may fear moving out into the unknown, not knowing what awaits us. Yet, we must not be afraid!

As well, these were women, and women were not often given the value and esteem a woman of today, in particular in America, might receive. So, most certainly when they chose to obey their Lord and take his message to men whom may reject them and even scoff at them, they had to go against their fears and accept whatever response they may receive from the men in order to obey Jesus. Yet, times haven’t changed all that much. Although women are not to have authority over men, and they are not to be elders within the church, they are gifted equally with men of the Spirit of God and have been called of God, too, to prophesy, i.e. to take God’s word to whomever the Spirit directs, and to proclaim the word of God in all practicality in application to our lives today. And, because they are women, they, as well, may meet with opposition from men (and women, too).

Make Disciples (vv. 11-20)

Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Another possible cause for fear is that there are those who not only may oppose us in one way or another for speaking out the word of God to people, but who are working against the message of the gospel itself by spreading lies about what Jesus and his NT apostles taught. They make up their own version of the story of the gospel for the sole purpose to deceive and to try to discredit the true story so that it will not be believed by people. And, they try to convince others that those who are giving out the true (full) gospel message are teaching works-based salvation, are liars, are false teachers, are legalists, and/or are intolerant, bigoted, hateful and fear mongers. Yet, they do this through the twisting of truth and a diluted gospel message which ignores the bulk of scriptures on salvation and centers around a few select passages of scripture, often taken out of context. So, when we face such strong opposition, we may be tempted to fear their rebukes and to retreat. Yet, we should not!

Another possible cause for fear is our own doubts. Sometimes when things don’t go the way we expect, or when God operates outside the box we have put him inside, or when his actions don’t fit with the theology we were taught from early on, we may doubt what we see, and find it difficult to trust and to believe. A lot of people are afraid of the Holy Spirit, for instance, because they can’t control him, and they don’t understand how he works, and so rather than learn from the word, and grow in their understanding, they quench and grieve the Holy Spirit by shutting him out and trying to control things with man’s logic and reasoning. Certainly we must be diligent about testing the spirits to see if they are of God, but we must guard against putting out the Spirit’s fire by our own doubts and fears.

Yet, we must not be afraid. We must have courage and speak the words God gives us to speak from his word to whomever he sends us no matter what kind of reception we may encounter. We must be students of the Word ourselves so that we know the Word of which we speak, and so we can discern error from truth. And, we must not fear what humans might do to us, for God is with us. He will not leave us or forsake us, but he will give us strength, courage, and empowerment from on high to speak the Word of God with boldness, and to persevere in giving testimony for Jesus Christ and for his gospel of grace.

The Word of God teaches us that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15). It teaches us that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to be a blood sacrifice for our sins so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who no longer conduct our lives according to the sinful flesh, but who now walk (live) in accordance with the Spirit of God. If we walk according to our sinful flesh, we will die, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (See: Ro. 8:1-14). It teaches us that God’s grace is not a free license to continue in sin once we profess to have received Christ as Savior of our lives, but God’s grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

The Word of God also teaches us that it is by grace we are saved, through faith. It is the gift of God and not of ourselves; not of works lest we should boast that we somehow earned or deserved our own salvation (See: Eph. 2:8-9). Yet, the Word also says: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). And, James said that faith, if not accompanied by works (action) is dead (See: Jas. 2:14-26). As well, John said that if we say we have fellowship with God, and yet we walk (conduct our lives) in darkness (sin), we are liars (1 Jn. 1:6). Paul said that coming to faith in Jesus Christ means death to our old lives of living for sin and self, being transformed in heart and mind away from sin to God, and being given new lives in Christ Jesus, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; cf. Ro. 6; Ro. 8; Gal. 2:20; Ac. 26:16-18; Lu. 9:23-25).

So, if we are going to make disciples (followers) of Christ of people of all nations, we must teach them to obey what Christ commanded his followers when he walked this earth, unless the instructions were obviously intended for a particular group of people for a specific period of time. If the NT apostles taught the same things Jesus taught, and they taught them to the church for them to follow, then we know these are instructions we must follow, too, unless they are obviously cultural or intended only for a specific period of time. The fact that the NT apostles taught we must die to sin and live to righteousness, and that continuing in a lifestyle of sin after we say we “believe” means death, whereas following Christ in obedience and in lifestyle according the Spirit means life, which is what Jesus taught, it means we should believe this, and we must follow this.

Paul’s commission was to open blinded eyes, so they may turn from darkness (sin) to the light (Jesus, purity, righteousness, truth), and from the dominion of Satan (the power he had over our lives) to God (to come under his control - the control of his righteousness), so we might receive forgiveness of sins, and have a place (inheritance) among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (Ac. 26:16-18). So, although we can do nothing to earn or to deserve our own salvation, but it is only by the blood of Christ shed on the cross for our sins that we have been given such a great salvation, coming to faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and living to righteousness; no longer conducting our lives after our sinful flesh, but now walking in the Spirit, in the power of the Spirit, and not in the power of our flesh.

Weary of Heart

An Original Work / January 23, 2016
Based off Isaiah 40


You who bring the Good News,
Lift up your voice.
Do not fear. Shout it out:
“Here is your God!”
The sovereign Lord comes
With power and strength.
He gathers His tender lambs
In His arms.

Lift up your eyes and look:
“Who made all things?”
God, our creator knows
All about you.
Your cause is not
Disregarded by God.
He will not leave;
He’ll not abandon you.

When you are troubled
And weary of heart,
Trust the Lord with your life.
Do not despair.
He will empower you;
Strengthen within.
Soar on wings like eagles,
Walk and not faint.



Fear is not an entity that diminishes
with time.

It grows!

Banish it before it can!
 
Fear is not an entity that diminishes
with time.

It grows!

Banish it before it can!

Amen to that! Yes, the more you feed it, the bigger it gets. So, we have to stop feeding it and say "NO." And, we have to put on faith.
 
Sometimes it is fear or selfish desires to do other things that keep us from doing that which our hearts know are the right things for God.

"But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:29

Let us remember how Jesus answered that question with the story of a priest and a Levite who when passing by an the injured man along side of their road moved to the far side. Yes, the man needing help was on their road, but they moved as far away as they could to pass by without getting themselves dirty in what they considered as "his mess". Who indeed was that injured man's neighbor? What did you or I do to deserve what God gave to us by means of His Son? Who was this 'dog' of a Samaritan that stepped into the gap and provided what was needed when it was needed? Can we do as well?

What are we afraid of...?

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt 10:28
 
Sometimes it is fear or selfish desires to do other things that keep us from doing that which our hearts know are the right things for God.

"But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:29

Let us remember how Jesus answered that question with the story of a priest and a Levite who when passing by an the injured man along side of their road moved to the far side. Yes, the man needing help was on their road, but they moved as far away as they could to pass by without getting themselves dirty in what they considered as "his mess". Who indeed was that injured man's neighbor? What did you or I do to deserve what God gave to us by means of His Son? Who was this 'dog' of a Samaritan that stepped into the gap and provided what was needed when it was needed? Can we do as well?

What are we afraid of...?

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt 10:28
Amen! Yes, sometimes it isn't fear but pure selfishness which keeps us from doing the will of God. We need to be cleansed of both.
 
HE LIVES! He is in me, I am in Him and we go unto the Father. My life is not my own, it belongs to Him.

He is our armor. HE is my helmet, my breastplate, my shield, my loins, my feet, and my SWORD of the SPIRIT.

The SWORD cuts deep on us ALL. It cuts through me first, and it is for me to speak it forth. What He gives us in darkness, speak ye in light, what We hear in the ear preach from the rooftops.

Amen! I love that old hymn, "He Lives!" It says, "You ask me how I know he lives, he lives within my heart!"

@rag4aCrown - Thank you again for sharing such encouraging words.
 
Selfishness... Why do you believe He ask us to forsake All?
Then we have nothing to be selfish about. We have nothing that keeps demanding we return. We are not double minded. We are not in bondage with this world... We are bound to Him and nothing else.
Wow, how one grows in Spirit and in Truth; for HE has our complete, undivided attention. Amen. Our eye (heart) is single. Glory be to God. Amen
 
Amen to that! Yes, the more you feed it, the bigger it gets. So, we have to stop feeding it and say "NO." And, we have to put on faith.
I've been learning this. Because of some health issues that I faced over the last year, I was living in fear. But I prayed every day for God to teach me to rebuke this spirit of fear, and He worked on me and I learned to tell it no. I still have the occasional attack, but when I do, I tell God I trust Him and have faith in Him and it subsides.
 
Selfishness... Why do you believe He ask us to forsake All?
Then we have nothing to be selfish about. We have nothing that keeps demanding we return. We are not double minded. We are not in bondage with this world... We are bound to Him and nothing else.
Wow, how one grows in Spirit and in Truth; for HE has our complete, undivided attention. Amen. Our eye (heart) is single. Glory be to God. Amen
Jesus asks us to forsake all because that is why he died, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us. He saved us, not just to deliver us from the punishment of hell, and not just to give us the promise of heaven when we die, but he saved us out of slavery to sin that we might become servants of righteousness.

Yet, we still live in these flesh bodies. We still have a propensity to sin, and we are still tempted to sin in our flesh. That is why we must die to sin daily (take up our cross daily and follow him), and why by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, because daily we must say no to the flesh, and we must say "yes" to the Spirit. Jesus died that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. But, it is a process. We are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved when Christ returns. We are being made holy. We are being transformed into Christ's likeness. We are growing and maturing in our faith.
 
I've been learning this. Because of some health issues that I faced over the last year, I was living in fear. But I prayed every day for God to teach me to rebuke this spirit of fear, and He worked on me and I learned to tell it no. I still have the occasional attack, but when I do, I tell God I trust Him and have faith in Him and it subsides.
We are all tempted to sin in many ways. The temptation to fear must be very commonplace to a lot of people, because God sure spent a lot of time in scripture telling his followers to not fear, not fret, not be afraid, not be anxious, etc., but to trust, rest, believe and pray, believing God to answer. I was tempted to fear today, but I kept praying, trusting and giving it over to the Lord, and the temptation to give in to fear went away. Praise God!
 
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