Be Not Afraid

 

Be Not Afraid

Luke 12:1-5

1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. 4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Jesus is Lord and He is risen. The powers of darkness and evil will not prevail against the righteous ones. He gives us the Word to guide our hearts and minds to follow His path. As we pray to God for direction, protection, and provision we must not live in fear. We have the power of God covering us because His blood paid for our sins. 

The power of the blood is the life of God reigning down upon our mortal souls. We must pray, praise, and worship the Lord. His Spirit lives within us. The Word is His breath of life, when we speak the Word, it releases power into the atmosphere and spirit realm. Our lives will be transformed as we grow to believe every word and promise of God. The power of God protects us from our enemies and gives us the victory to win our battles.

In life we will face many storms, trials, and tribulations that will attack us through the spirit of fear. But we must not listen to it, because it will either cripple or paralyze us from reaching the victories and blessings that are on our lives. We are not alone on our journeys because the Holy Spirit is living inside each of us and is our helper. Jesus told the disciples that He would not leave them as orphans. John 14:15-18 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

There is a purpose to why the Lord allowed us to come to earth. We must seek Him to find it. This is our life’s work that will bring God the glory. We must desire to fulfill His will and plans for us. The love that God shows us is more than we could fathom. He died for our sins and took our punishment. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, We are guilty because of our sins, but God showed us mercy and love by sending His Son to die in our place. John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

So, we must activate our faith and listen to the Holy Spirit. He is our teacher and help, as we learn to trust God and study His Word. We are not capable of pleasing God in our own strength, understanding and righteousness. We must bow our hearts and knee to the Holy Spirit and pray for wisdom, knowledge and understanding to walk in the Spirit. Our lives must bear fruit as we live for Jesus. John 15:5-8 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

There will be times when we may feel like we cannot make it through the hard times. But we must not put our weapons down by surrendering to the fear and terror. Remember, our minds and bodies will speak to our spirits, but we must pray the Word over our circumstances and speak the Word aloud. Psalm 91:3-5 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Saints do not be afraid. Jesus is with us because we belong to Him. If it is not our time to go home to be with the Lord, He will turn it around for us. He already redeemed us with the blood. Ephesians 1:7-10 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches  of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

We must meditate on the living Word of God. This is the good news that we must lay hold of daily knowing that our Savior lives. Our souls have been accounted for before time begin. When we didn’t know that we were lost in darkness, Christ provided grace and the blood to atone for our sins and have given us the gift of salvation by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:4-9  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 

Our earthly living has consumed so much of our time to the point, many of us are spiritually malnourished and when the storms come, we are like scattered sheep. Therefore, we must eat from the Word daily to gain the hope that we need to endure till the end of our race. This is the food that we must hunger and thirst for to conquer the spirit of fear, rebuke Satan and bind our flesh.  Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 

Many of us still have no rest in knowing that we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.  Jesus left us with His written Word, so that we would be able to mediate on the scripture’s day and night.  It is our responsibility to pray for understanding, knowledge, and wisdom to discern the truth. Paul reminds us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. We are not working for our salvation; it is already given to us as a gift of grace. But we must activate our faith by studying, mediating, and applying the Word to our lives. Faith without works is dead. If we say that we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He died for our sins, then we must be courageous to live and walk by faith according to the scriptures.

We will learn one step at a time to trust God. As we start to grow in our faith the Word that’s living inside us will bear fruit. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide us into all truth. The enemy who is our adversary Satan is watching us and desires to kill, steal and destroy our souls. He’s after our faith and the Word that is within us, because we are in Christ.

Christ is risen and has finished the work at the cross. We are redeemed according to the dispensation of grace, His blood and resurrection. God is no longer angry with us for our offenses and transgressions. His Son, Jesus became sin for us and our faith in Christ puts us in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

So, therefore, we must not be afraid nor live in fear because He is faithful, and His Word is eternal. John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. Revelation 19:11-14 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

 

Courage

I pray for peace, health, and safety

But Lord sometimes I’m afraid

The battles are over whelming

I want to be unafraid to stand for You

No matter what the circumstances are

I’m praying for the courage to strive

I want to live free of fear because I’m Yours

In my mind that’s where the struggle starts

Anoint me dear Lord with Your Blood

Remove all my inabilities to go forth

I want to represent You in all that I do

I want the courage to speak boldly for You

ã2004 “Naima’s Inspirational Melodies”