10/6 I'm on fire baby
Fear~a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined
Ask yourself: are you afraid of anything in your life now?
Do life's challenges sometimes distress you enough to make you believe you cannot overcome them?(this is fear of an obstacle)
Do you fear change?
Death?
Fear can bind us in our lives from following our true desires.
Fear can blind our view on our lives.
Fear is a sign of our lack of faith.
Fear is linked directly to faith.
With faith, fear is never found. With fear, faith is far away.
Whether it be fear of what will happen to us in the future, or fear as we walk in the blinding dark; fear is a clouding emotion which blurs our mental outlook.
For example...in Mark chapter 6, when the disciples were in the boat in the middle of a storm, Jesus walked on water from the land to go and meet them.
"But when they saw him walking on water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him."
Mark 6:49-50
Fear distorted the disciple's view to SUCH AN EXTENT, even to the point where they all believed their Savior was an evil ghost
Fear tricked the disciples into thinking Jesus, the very person who was there to save them, was a demon there to destroy them.
Remeber, everything has a different, potentially intimidating silhouette when fear is present.
"Jesus spoke to them at once, 'Fear not,' he said. 'Take courage! I am here!'"
Mark 7:50
"Then Peter called to him, 'Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you, walking on water.'
"Yes, come," Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me, Lord! he shouted.
Jesus then immediately reached out and grabbed him. 'You have so little faith," Jesus said. 'Why did you doubt me?'
When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped."
Mathew 15:28-32
This passage has MUCH meaning; let us discuss:
Peter knew it was Jesus from the boat when Jesus said "fear not".
If he thought it was a demon, he would not ask to go out into the storm to walk towards it. That would end in dissaster.
So, in faith, he left the "safety" of the boat and began to walk on water towards Jesus. Yet, when he saw the wind and the waves, he lost his confidence in Jesus, and he began to sink.
This can resemble one of us leaving our comfort zone(the boat) in confidence to walk towards Jesus(changing our ways from sin, going to church, preaching the gospel).
Yet, when we face difficulties/calamities and storms in life, it is like when Peter saw the powerful wind and the waves.
Many of us lose courage and as a result, we begin to sink!
Many of us will not have complete faith in Jesus to protect us from dissaster in life! Why do we worry? Why do we cry? Why do we get depressed?!
Why do we fear?
Yet, despite our lack of faith, when we cry out to Jesus to save us in the middle of a storm, he reaches out and grabs our hand.
"You have so little faith, why did you doubt me?"
What is there to fear with Jesus on our side!?
The disciples faced death in a storm, yet Jesus said to the waves "be calm" and they were still.
THIS IS POWERFUL!!!
JESUS has complete control over all the conflicts in YOUR life(waves)!!!
I am "walking on water" towards Jesus in the middle of a HUGE "storm!" I am honestly not afraid any more. I was afraid not too long ago, but Jesus is now my rock. He grabbed my hand when i was sinking...and lifted me up. He said to me "You have so little faith, why did you doubt me?"
Jesus said, "Fear not, I am here"
We must believe in faith that Jesus is with us, on our side. No matter what we face in life, whether it be a surgery, bankrupcy, injuries, society; we must take courage and stand firm without fear.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding"
Proverbs 3:5
"Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe"
Proverbs 28:26
double whammy...those 2 proverbs tie into my last two posts as well!
The only place fear should have in your life...is fear of the Lord.
Do not get this twisted...it does not mean to fear the Trinity's presance.
It means to fear disobeying God's laws...for the wages of sin is death, but the gift from God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our savior.
Spiritual death, that is. Eternal damnation without Christ.
"Those who fear the Lord will hate evil."
Proverbs 8:13
Thus, all who do not fear the Lord do not truly hate evil.
THINK ABOUT THIS!!! DO YOU FEAR TO SIN!?!?!? YOU SHOULD! WAGES OF SIN=DEATH
"Blessed are those who fear to sin, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble."
Proverbs 28:14
"...trusting the Lord leads to prosperity"
Proverbs 28:25
So let us pray for eachother for faith in God; for faith rebukes fear.
