No Fear

SO MANY PEOPLE FEAR OF THE FUTURE

(Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present)

You need the power now to believe you’ll be victorious in the future.

Compare Acts 10:38 (Amp) – How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with great power; and He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

With, 2 Timothy 1:7 (Amp) – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgement and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

Anointing is not something we wear as badge it’s for radical Service.

Clearly God has empowered His children so that we are able to handle fear, anxiety, and worry.  We need not fear the future.

Matthew 6:34 (Amp) – So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its’ own.  Sufficient for each day is its’ own trouble. (one day at a time – Live in His victory TODAY)

Question:  Are fears, anxieties and worries real?  Yes, yes, yes they are!!!

Faith is not the absence of fear.  However, it’s moving forward in spite of the fear.  Faith doesn’t ignore fear, it just refuses to let it grow. (Because my FAITH is in GOD)

Faith in our God and His Word greatly affects how we respond to fear.  In your life’s scale: where is Fear? – more on the fear side or on the Word side, which one is winning?

Your fears, anxieties and worries may be very real to you at times(up close and personal), but God has equipped you and I with tools to tackle those fears
(2 TIM 1:7).

You can look fear straight in the face and say:, “You know what, you’re nothing next to my God – with God by my side I don’t have to be afraid of you!!”

When it comes to living with NO FEAR you can: COUNT ON.

#1  Count on God to BE WITH YOU when you are STRESSED.

2 Timothy 3:16(NIV) – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.

Isaiah 43:2 (NLT) – When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you*.  When you go through rivers of difficulty you will not drown!  When you walk through the fire of oppression**, you will not be burned up, the flames will not consume you.

*Promise – Hebrews 13:6 – I will never leave you and I will never forsake you.

                Matthew 28:20 – I am with you to the very end of this age.

**Oppression = weighed down with cares or unhappiness

Isaiah 41:10 (Amp) – Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].

Worry = using today’s resources to try and fix tomorrows problems.

We use all our energy and strength and ability to try figure out tomorrow.

The “what ifs” – what if this… what if that…?

God’s grace is sufficient for today – it’s NOT to be wasted on tomorrow.

Remember the manna (supply for each day, not for tomorrow).  God is saying – trust me for today!

Listen to this The Message translation of

Matthew 6:34 – Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Count on God to BE WITH YOU!

We need to get this sorted out in our hearts.  Our inability to cope with what might come tomorrow is causing many of us to be eaten up by fear.  You put on the brave front but deep down you worry, and the devil is laughing at us.

Jesus is saying, “That’s NOT what I died for”.

John 10:10 – I came that you may have life and abundant life.

Worry makes sense if you are a spiritual ORPHEN.
Trust makes sense if you are a CHILD OF GOD.

If you don’t have a heavenly Daddy, then you’re an orphan and it makes sense that you worry.  But you are a child of God with a new spirit within you.

#2  Count on God to DIRECT you when you are CONFUSED.

Psalm 32:8 (Amp) – I (the Lord) will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my eye upon you. (We need to do our part)

He has become an integral part of your very life – spirit, soul and body.  We’re in good hands.  Nothing about us escapes Him.

Proverbs 28:25 (LB) – “… those who use God’s wisdom are safe.”

As His children, He is so involved many times in our lives we don’t even realize it.  You may ask, how?  Well,

God guides us by:

His WORD (the bible) [if you read it]
His PEOPLE (the church, cells, etc.) [if you fellowship]
His HOLY SPIRIT (His presence in our lives) [if you’re prayed up]

3#  Count on God to GO BEFORE YOU when you are AFRAID.

Not only will He be with you, not only will He direct you, He goes BEFORE you.
He is already in tomorrow.

Example:  “Mine sweeper”. The mines (bombs) are placed in such a way to destroy the approaching army, When I was in the “School of Engineers” in the Army we went out ahead of the Army to detect and clean up all obstacles to make there advance successful, so too God goes ahead of us.

See Him in every part of your life.

You say, “Does He really do that?”  You better believe it!

Peter’s example the night Jesus was betrayed.  He said, “I’ll never betray you.  Jesus said to him,  Simon, Simon “I have prayed for you.  Satan has asked to sift you.  I have gone ahead of you.”

Jesus prayed for us too! (John 17:20)

Deuteronomy 31:8 (Amp) – It is the Lord who goes before you; He will [march] with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; (let there be no cowardice or flinching but) fear not, neither become broken (in spirit – depressed, dismayed and unnerved with (alarm)*.

*alarm = Greek word “Phobo” for fear.

We must stay away from a very serious sickness.  I’ll say it again, as I have said before it’s the “what if” sickness. But what if God came through for you?

Psychologists claim that 95% of most things we fear, never happen!! That leaves 5% and Jesus takes care of those anyway.

Isaiah 65:24 (NLT) – I will provide their needs before they ask.  I will help them while they are still asking for help.

Talk about going before us….

NOTHING will ever happen to us that is a SURPRISE to God.

Not only can we count on Him:

To be with us
To direct us
To go before us

#4  Count on God to FIGHT FOR YOU when you are ATTACKED.

Do you know attacks are going to come – fear, worry and anxieties are real.  Faith is not the absence of fear.  It’s very comforting to know God promises His children His personal protection.

Exodus 14:13 (NLT) – Don’t fear, the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. EG. (King Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles 20).

Romans 8:31 – If God is for us, who can be against us?

Remember:

When I follow God’s AGENDA, God fights FOR me;

When I follow my own AGENDA, I am ON MY OWN.

David said in Psalm 37:5 (KJV) – Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him.  He will bring it to pass.

Close:

Many of us have a good reason to “fear the future”.  Why?  Because we are in control of our lives and not God.  Christianity  to you is a lifestyle only – not a way of life.  We want to serve Him on our own terms and conditions.  Just live like I want to live – any old way will do.  Just do what we want to do, taking only what suits us.

You cannot know what the future holds, but you can know who holds the future:

He will be with us.
He will direct us.
He will go before us.
He will fight for us.

You need not fear or have worry about the future if Jesus is Lord of your life.

2 Chronicles 20:17 (NIV) – You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.

2 Chronicles 20:22 (NIV) – As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.