Trust in God!

Fear and what is it? Why is it that most of us no matter how strong, can fall prey to fear? It affects the best of people.

FEAR stands for - FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL

Most often fear holds us back. In life, each of us will face some fear or the other. I don’t know if you’ve heard this saying : ‘That which does not kill me makes me stronger'. Now if you look at it from the perspective that fear will let you be crippled only if you let it-then welcome to the club, my friend. Believe that fear cannot hold you back unless you let it.

Let me further explain this, now fear just starts off with a notion. And mind you satan (the adversary also known as the enemy) will almost use anything to keep you in his grips. When the enemy knows that you have given in to the fear, then all he has to do is keep you there. And this could go on for a year, two years and in some cases life long. Because what started off as a notion has now grown into conviction. 

And why is it that the enemy would want to hold you back, for the simple reason-that if you don't fear, then you will go ahead in life getting all the blessings that are in store for you. And when you do, then your heart is full of praises. So when he holds you back, he is holding you from the best and he is holding you from giving the highest glory to God.

So, why is it that I am trying to explain something like this. I don’t mean for you to start a war or be cursing people that is no courage. And yes courage is the opposite of fear. But for the time being, let us understand this fear somewhat better.

When you are in fear, you are far from the grace of God. Because God is strength, God is courage, God is Truth. Fear is the opposite. It’s just a lie. It is a deception, used by the enemy to hold you back. And what from you may ask? Well from the promises that God wants to bless you with? Only fear will hold you back. Only fear will keep you from God’s promises.

So if you’ve done the right thing and all hell breaks loose. Do you fear? My strongest advice: Don’t! 

Psalm 23:4 states: For though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me?

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

For the Spirit of God has set us free.

Fear is never God’s best. God is in the most powerful throne. So my question, why do you not trust God? Why do you trust your fear? Why do you put your trust in circumstances?

Fear is not what God intended for you. Get up my dear friend, get up and shake off the dust. God is for you, God is with you. You are created in His image and likeness. You are the apple of His eye. His eye is ever on the sparrow. How much more will He not care for us?

Timothy 1:7 states-God has not given us a spirit of fear. Get up my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, wake up. Lift up your Cross, because The Cross, is our pride, it is our redemption, it will always, be a reminder to satan, that Christ, triumphed over sin and death. That we are indeed redeemed. That Christ conquered death. And we are born to conquer - and conquer we will. Wake up Christians!

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7.

Do not be fooled into thinking you can "get away with things" that are wrong. Every action has a reaction. We are responsible for our own actions. The time for blaming others for our problems is past. If you don't like how your life is going, act to change your life, as soon as you are able.

Avoid being around the wrong people. Refuse to listen to people who aren't sowing good, positive things into your life. Wisdom in time can save a life of heartache, misery and pain.

Doing wrong is never permissible and you wont escape unpunished.

My word of advice to all who would hear me is: never do wrong, even when you think no one is watching your actions. For God always does and He will reward you based on what you do to others.

"The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death." Proverbs 11:17-19.

People hurt those they are to love, and kill with their tongues which is an offence that God takes very seriously. God sees into our hearts. There is no hiding from God. Though you may try, He will expose your heart and you will reap the consequences of your mockery.

God wants honesty. Anything less cannot be accepted because He will not be mocked. The problem is that we do not take God seriously and think that we can defend our sins, and He has to go along with it. This way of thinking leads certain people to be overtaken by evil which leads to God being mocked that can only end in punishment.

"There was also a man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, but he claimed it was the full amount. His wife had agreed to this deception.

Then Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren't lying to us but to God."

As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. …

About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what happened. Peter asked her, "Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?"

"Yes," she replied, "that was the price."

And Peter said, "How could the two of you even think of doing a thing like this—conspiring together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Just outside that door are the young men who buried your husband, and they will carry you out, too." Acts 5:1-9

I have seen God work in such amazing ways. God’s word is full of promises of His goodness and love. There is hope when we walk with Him and trust Him in all things.

God’s word clearly states that vengeance is His alone. For those who mock Him, I pray. For those who have been caught in the middle of the mockery, take comfort in His truth. God is faithful to His promises.

If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘Servants are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. John 13:1-17

There’s too much hatred in the world. The world – that is, those who run after power, those who are prepared to lie and cheat to save their face, those who will not stand up for the values of the kingdom — the world hated Jesus, and so it will tend to hate the disciples and persecute them. The world will do to the disciples whatever it did to Jesus.

Life in God’s economy is about our existence for God and one another.

We want everybody to like us. But Jesus indicates here that everybody liking us might just be a sign that we belong to the world instead of to God’s people. Jesus called His disciples “friends, not servants.” “The world will hate you, my disciples,” He says. His disciples, Jesus says, “do not belong to the world.” Jesus promised His disciples persecution and misunderstanding. But – He told His disciples that no matter what the problem and the persecution, they would always be happy, always at peace. “In the world you will have trouble. But courage! I have conquered the world.”
And again, “Your hearts will be filled with joy, and this joy no one will ever take away from you.”

This then is the cost of discipleship: never to be at home in the world, but always to be at home with God, who fills our hearts with joy, courage and tranquility

Peter in Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved”. That will get you hated. The world thinks it has the answers.

It’s the night of the Passover meal, Jesus last with his disciples. After supper Jesus gets up, takes off his outer garment, wraps a towel around his waist, pours water into a basin and proceeds to wash the disciples’ feet.

The washing of guest’s feet was the task of the house servant. Jesus doesn’t even ask if He could wash their feet He just did it. I believe that one of the reasons we have such a hard time with the idea of serving others is that we are not secure in ourselves; we are not confident in our relationship to God. Jesus was sure of His relationship to His heavenly Father and therefore was free to serve His disciples. If your self worth is tied to what other people think then playing the role of a servant is out of the question.

The disciples uncomfortably submit to Jesus washing their feet; that is all except for Peter. Peter doesn’t like the idea at all. He tells Jesus, “No!” Jesus not only tells Peter he must submit to the foot washing, but that he had to go and do likewise. You have been called to go and serve others.

Jesus washed their feet and he spoke of His death. Jesus then proceeded to tell them, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

Remember John told us Jesus knew the Father put all things in His hands. Jesus was confident in His relationship with the Father, He therefore could serve. We need to be confident in who we are in Jesus so we too can serve. We are to serve others as Jesus did.

We are to love one another, but we are to do it as Jesus loved us. This season let us go forth to show that we follow Jesus by being as loving as He was.

CONCLUSION: 

• Everything that you do has consequences: Don’t be fooled by the world and what the world has to offer. Things aren’t what they seem. Think before you take an action.
• You cannot escape the consequences of your actions: Remember we cannot mock God.
• There are long-term effects of your actions. What goes around comes around: We can’t run from God or hide from Him. We can ignore Him but the results of this will be destruction.
• Actions have consequences. Don't think you can get away with bad choices even if you don't seem to get caught. Remember verse7 tells us that God cannot be mocked. He sees it all.
• We are deceived as a people. What will it take to realize that God is in control and in perfect judgement! We think that we are in control we’ll do what we want to do even if we are wrong as long as no one tells us what to do. We have to realize this - that we can do nothing apart from God. God is in control! He’s All Powerful! 
• As a People, we’re supposed to stand up for what is right.

"Thou shall have no other gods before me. Watch the way you live your life because you reap what you sow.

We sow in one season, we reap in another. Sow a thought you reap an act. Sow an act, you reap a habit. Sow a habit, you reap a character. Sow a character, you reap a consequence.

I believe that: whatever you do will always come back to you and it will come back double the time. My strong advice LOVE with all your heart. It will keep you from all that is bad. Remember, God has given us a free will. I have surrendered mine to God. Have you?

REMEMBER: Dear friend, we are ever under the watchful eye of GOD, and should live in a way that makes His constant vigilance a source of comfort. Let us like the Psalmist  joyfully lay ourselves open before the Lord and say, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”-Psalm. 139:23-24. Lead us out of the desert and to the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb-Rev. 22:1.

PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit! Teach us to have the virtues that will make us be living the true Christian life. This I ask in Jesus name. Amen.