Faith

Fearless!

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 ESV

Terror attacks, earthquakes and endless wars dominate our daily headlines. Sometimes family conflicts and crises make it seem as if our world is closing in around us. In his day, the apostle John had seen Jesus crucified, his own brother executed by King Herod and a crowd of ‘religious people’ stone his friend Stephen to death in the middle of the day. John and been in prison with Peter and was arrested again by the Roman authorities then sent to a penal colony on the Island of Patmos.

Interestingly, when John talks about freedom from fear he doesn’t mention a strong army to come to our defense. He doesn’t talk about the confidence of having good legal representation to defend us or powerful friends in places of influence who will stand up for our rights. John tells us that the best defense against any kind of fear is love! John knew that fear is completely stripped of power in the face of God’s love. That love of God as witnessed in the life of Jesus Christ is strong enough to handcuff our fears and put them under arrest. God’s perfect love is so powerful that no army, no terroristic threat and no human enemy can defeat. And the best news of all is that this perfect love is available to anyone who is ready to receive it. We can’t earn His love and we don’t need to wait to figure it out. With arms opened wide on the cross God’s love receives thieves, forgives crucifiers and blesses fearful disciples. His amazing, unending and perfect love overcomes the world and casts out every fear!

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 …if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there… MATT 17:20

 

150 Fear Nots

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Some of our dearest friends at times pooh-pooh our fears. They insist we are silly, unreasonable or wrong-headed by the things that make us lie awake at night. But did you know that in the Bible God takes our fears very seriously? In fact God lovingly and patiently tells us 150 times in the Bible. “Fear not!” – or in some translations – “Don’t be Afraid!” Rather than lecturing s about our fault God offers us a promise, a reminder and a solution.

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10

He has promised to be with us. He doesn’t tell us like the doctor, “Take three of these, drink lots of water and call me tomorrow.” No God promises to constantly remain at our side. He is there through the sleepless nights and He keeps us close especially when we are afraid. Then God reminds us that not only will He be with us but that He will strengthen us.  He isn’t simply hanging around. He will pour out on us the oil and wine of His presence when we have been wounded and carried us when we can’t go on. Last of all our God is a very practical God. When the apostle Peter tried walking out on the water toward Jesus we are told that he became afraid and started to sink. I am so glad that Jesus didn’t just stand there with his arms folded saying, “Come on Peter you can do it!”

No! We are told that as Peter began to sink Jesus immediately reached down and took his hand. I am so glad that on days when I feel I am sinking out of sight that His solution is not a lecture but a strong right hand that will hold me and help me to walk into this New Year with Him with all 150 “Fear Nots”!

 

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No Looking Back!

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Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3: 13-14

For those who have seen the classic film, “Chariots of Fire” one of the unforgettable scenes is of the race between Eric Liddell and Harold Abrams. They are side by side as the approach the finish line but then, Harold Abrams turns his head to see where Eric is and in that fateful second he loses by a stride. For us to run and win our race  we need to learn both how to remember and how to forget.

Forgetting what lies behind means not turning our head to look back at things that once called us in other directions. Thinking back to what might have been only keeps us from breaking through to what can still be. We don’t forget what God has done but we need to let go of the memories of our steps away from Him.

On that day Eric Liddell won his race because instead of looking back he remembered to look ahead, beyond the finish line. We are also in a race and across our finish line Jesus is standing and holding out the prize. Eternal life with Him is worth more than all the world can offer us today. With Him is peace and joy th

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at are greater than any fear, heartache or suffering in this world. We still have a long way to go to finish our race, but with God’s help we can run our race all the way home       to Him – without ever looking back!