We will never hear what we want to hear until we are willing to hear what we refuse to, or don’t want to hear. 

 

2 Tim 1:7 (NKJV), "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

 

Phil 1:27 - Phil 1:28 (NKJV), "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God."

 

Could fear be what holds us back or causes us not to do what we are called do? What is it that you fear? Would you recognize fear if we saw it in your life or is it disguised as an attribute. If we are to let our conduct be worthy of the Gospel we must not be in fear. We cannot stand in one spirit and one mind and strive together if we have fear of any kind. Fear that separates us looks a lot like good reasoning for not trusting someone else’s spirit.

 

Worry about what the outcome of prayer or obedience will accomplish is a type of fear. Phil.1:28 says that we are not to be terrified in any way. That literally means to fear absolutely nothing that anyone could do to you or what could happen as a result of your obedience to Christ.  Nothing!

 

Prov 28:1 (NKJV), "The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion."

 

We are the righteous-- Sometimes we act like the wicked though. We seem to be running from enemies we perceive out of fear more often than we stand in boldness with Jesus.  (I believe this is the result of not knowing Jesus in reality and that we know not who we are!). 

 

Peter and Paul were men of boldness, faithful and true. I have wanted to be like them for years —I always though that has to do with being fearless. They had a perseverance and Love for the Lord that astounds me continually as I read their writings. 

 

I am not sure that they were without fear, but the relationship they had with Jesus through Holy Spirit triumphed over the opportunities to fear they faced.. I have been in India and other , that have a lot of persecution, for several years now and I find there some men who I admire who also walk in boldness and seem to fear nothing but failing Jesus.. Over the ages there have been men who lived like that, without fear -- or at the least they appear to have no fear. The option to fear or to surrender to fear has been around since the garden and Adam and Eve. Fear is present in the world, it is ever present to try to destroy what God creates that would produce life.  

 

Since fear is around, the question becomes; “Is it possible to walk without giving in to fear?”  I believe so and The Word tells us we should so the question must be how?  

 

There is something that comes before we can defeat fear, and that is the need to recognize fear for what it is. It is hard to face what we cannot understand. An unknown adversary is tough to defeat. Someone once said that you can only have victory or authority over the storms you can sleep through.  If you do not know the nature of storms and have the assurance of them passing after they rumble and roar through our lives, they can be quite intimidating. Fear can seem to be a fairly good-sized storm, and when we are in the midst of it, it can appear to be able to destroy life or last forever.  Remember Jesus in the boat with His disciples and the fear that came on them, (even though He was with them they still buckled to what they were seeing)? What did Jesus say to them?  (See Mt. 8:23-27) Having fear was related to having, “very little faith”.

 

Sometimes we wonder why we do not see what the apostles or others have seen? We ask where is the power of the Gospel? The world says, ” show us the power, give us a reason to walk with this God you profess”. Could fear(that does not look like fear) be the stone that most of us stumble over? Why do we listen to people or voices that tell us we have no power of that we must compromise scripture rather than be offensive in any way?  We all know that the “Word of His Power” is our only hope? Did the Gospel of Power end with Jesus’ death or the apostles? They were the beginning, not the end! We are crying out for the power yet we do not see it. We live in fear of the enemies we face without the Power of the Gospel, yet we make excuses and blame others for what is not happening.

 

What is it that impedes the Lord from working through us? What is it that allows Jesus authority to appear so “insignificant” in the face of life today?  Could it be fear of failure, rejection by men or the thought that we are unworthy? Could it be fear by any name?  Could we be giving satan too big a place?

 

If we are not seeing what we know is in the Bible and what we long for, why do we continue to do the same things we have done for years.

 

I have heard some people teach a hard word about going to hell if we don’t repent and change or receive Jesus as our savior. This message is true, but do we bring people to Jesus through fear tactics? Or is there something to do that would speak louder than fear?  Paul says that the Gospel that He preached is “not without power”.  Ours shouldn’t be either. Naturally-supernatural Love can always overcome fear!

 

1 Cor 2:4 - 1 Cor 2:5 (NKJV), "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

 

1 Cor 4:20 (NKJV), "For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power."

 

Our FAITH, not our fear, should be in Christ and the truth of His presence and power.

 

How can we be satisfied with a washed down version of the Gospel in our lives?   Could it be that we don’t fear God but men instead? Are we compromising the Word because we fear being rejected? Should we justify not having the power of Christ and surrendering to our fears? Is the loudness of our voices a result of our fears (are we trying to yell our authority into existence) or are we speaking a proclamation of our faith?  Someone who is actually in authority does not need to yell. You either have authority or you don’t.  We most times seem to operate in  “hoping” we have it.

 

Many of us feel like we are second-class sons when Holy Spirit does not do the miraculous through us, or we are not walking naturally supernatural. We end up being afraid to pray for others. We fear not being good enough or some other trumped up fallacy the enemy feeds us. We do not recognize the “fear factor” that the enemy impregnates us with. Being deceived by doubts and fears we justify our powerless position. We delegate our rights to others and so we have “big” name Christians we put our hope in. These people, who have conquered the “fear factor” to some extent, put on exhibitions of faith for us. We make a big deal about them and when they fail we ridicule them for failing.  They should be raising up disciples instead of being a show, but for the most part do not know how to do that, so we have super Christians and the rest of us.  For the most part all of us operating in some kind of fear/pride thing that leaves the world without hope.  

 All of our justifications and excuses are really based in fear.  Many times the source of our “fear “ is actually pride. Pride causes us to fear failure or looking bad. Letting rejection, persecution, or perceived short comings of any kind stop us from being who we are in Christ allows the enemy clearance to deceive others through us. 

 

Maybe we should re-define failure. Maybe we should think about who it is that we worry about looking bad in front of. (Gal. 1:10)  Maybe we should redefine the cost of fear-based justifiable disobedience.

 

We compromise our lives in Christ and our walks in the world because we fear that the Lord will not show up or we will embarrass Him or us as I have stated. How can we realize our dreams of being real Christians, a Biblical Christian being used by the Lord and walking in Power, if we don’t face the fact of our fears or pride. We have been taught to compromise with the world rather than standing against the ‘wiles of the enemy”.  Paul tells us to stand, “having done all, stand”.  We don’t do all because we have never figured out how to not be afraid of the results. We have been taught not to listen to the Spirit, not walk in the Power of the Spirit. We have been taught by our experiences not to be convicted ,or convinced, nor constrained by the voice of the Spirit.

 

We have been taught not to listen to Him or trust Him. We still hold control of our lives in some areas. We listen when we want to or it is comfortable to do so.  Like the Jews in Moses’ time we don’t want to get to close to God because our fears and disobediences will have to be faced in His intimate presence. The leaders sent Moses to talk with the Lord because of fear. We send others and want to hear for others what God is saying rather than face intimacy with Him exposing us for who we are. Hearing from the Lord is always a dangerous thing, as we can’t justify disobedience or sins when we get in His presence. If we just hang around with others who get close to God and feed on the benefits of their intimacy, we will feel all right and actually be blessed in their blessing. It does not justify our position. 

 

Peter says we need to Be Holy—

 

1 Pet 1:15 - 1 Pet 1:16 (NKJV), "but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

 

Holiness removes the right to fear the enemy, any enemy. It removes the right to hold onto our possessions or our status in the community. It destroys our right to fear being without what “we” feel is important, whatever it is. It causes us to be emptied out for Him. We can no longer pray for others to do what we are told to do. We can’t blame the pastor or the church for our disobedience. Holiness will cause us to be humble or humiliated: To the point that we will realize what shame we have brought upon Jesus through our fear and distrust.  Being separated unto God, sold out for Him, will show us Jesus, His Forgiveness and how to walk in His grace, mercy and power.  Holiness will cause us to walk being filled with the Holy Ghost, and to be bold in Jesus Name.

 

Did you ever ponder the Word Holy and God’s statement saying He is Holy? 

 

To be holy is to be set apart unto someone or something. It means to be consecrated to something, totally centered on something or sold out for someone to the point that you would die for them or their need.  Did you ever ask yourself, whom is God separated unto?  Of course it is US who He is consecrated to. Now that is an amazing thought!  When He tells us to “be holy”, He is only asking or telling us to be separated unto Him as He is to us -- that should take away our fear.  God is all about us! There is so much that we don’t understand about that and all that is happening around us. The unknown and the thought of change are places of fear for most people, but to fear the future, or change, is to fear life. 

 

Faith is said to be the opposite of fear. How do we demonstrate fear? How should we demonstrate faith?  Did you realize that faith is energized through relationship?   

 

Heb 11:2 - Heb 11:2 (NKJV), "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony."

 

What do we hope for? What is it we haven’t seen? Where is the evidence of our faith? It says that faith causes you to have a good testimony. What is our testimony of faith? Faith seems to be such an illusive thing. Sometimes we feel we have it and sometimes it seems to be nowhere to be found.  Maybe our faith is bound up in our fear at times. So again, we must come back to this little four letter word –fear. Or maybe we should find out more about how faith really works because the faith of a few at times, have destroyed the fear of the multitudes. If you read the rest of the 11th chapter of Hebrews you will see what faith has done. It takes away the fear for many to see someone walk in faith. It removes the hand of the enemies of our soul. 

  

So if faith is the key to fear being destroyed how does faith work.

 

Gal 5:6 (NKJV), "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."

 

Faith works through Love. Such an easy answer but most of us don’t even know what God’s love is. We only know how we have been loved so we are at a loss at understanding God’s love.  In this last verse that I quoted we see that our works mean nothing, they don’t produce faith. We see that faith is manifest or seen working through love. 

 

1 John 4:8 (NKJV), "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

 

1 John 4:16 (NKJV), "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."

 

If God is Love then the characteristics of God must be the definition of Love. IF we walk in the characteristics of God would thatbe a demonstration of faith? Does God who dwells in us have any fear? Would He not know who He is? Is He big enough to handle whatever comes? Maybe the key to faith is finding God within us and trusting who He is. It God is for us who can truly stand against us?  Those thoughts might change the fear factor a little!! 

 

Psa 23:1-6 (NKJV), "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness; For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever."

 

These are Words of someone who has found Love, and lost fear, Words of a man who found God to be true above all else. The fear factor can be overcame if we will just find intimacy with the one who is and was and will ever be….Whom shall I fear, of what shall I be afraid, You are with me and abide in me. I am your child and I shall be saved—Made safe from my enemies.

 

Psa 27:1 (NKJV), "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?"

 

Psa 118:6 (NKJV), "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

 

Heb 13:5 - Heb 13:6 (NKJV), "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6So we may boldly say: 'The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'"

 

If we were to Judge ourselves we won’t have to be judged. The judgment He is talking about here is nothing more than an honest truthful evaluation of ourselves. Are our reactions to this statement about judging ourselves out of some kind of fear? Do we really recognize them for what they are? How can we face them?  

   

Why do people offend us with the way they treat us? No one can offend us unless we chose to be offended. What is it that causes us to chose to be offended? Have we really died to all fear. 

 

1 John 4:18 (NKJV), "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."

 

I want to wake up looking like Jesus. I want to be a place where He can show forth His Glory. I want to be a vessel of Love, and a blessing to all of those around me. Maybe I will have to give up being afraid of not getting all I deserve or trying to control the future, Maybe I should stop being offended because I  “don’t  deserve” this kind of treatment. What am I afraid of? How far does my pride reach?

 

I want to wake up looking like Jesus. I want to be a place where He can show forth His Glory through. I want to be a vessel of Love, and a blessing to all those around me. Maybe I will have to give up being afraid of not getting all I deserve, and not deserving all that I am getting.  

  

Fear is the illusion that doubt brings. By our not “knowing” Him, we receive doubt and that leads to fear. 

  

Fearlessness is not something you can chant your way into, or pray enough to get. It is not something that you can stand and pound your chest and yell to become. You can do these things and gain a boldness and fierceness to walk through fear into battle or into an action that overcomes fear, but fearlessness is something else. To be without fear is a place that can only be found in the knowing of who you are. It is a place of confidence that doesn’t need to boast or show it’s muscle. It is a place of knowing, without thought for consequences, where your actions don’t even have to be premeditated. You just do what needs to be done. Failure, torment, risk, these things just can’t interfere with your thoughts or actions that need to be done. Fearlessness is a place of position and power that breeds confidence and assurance in your actions. So many times we only find we were without fear after we have went through some incident and are looking back at what we did or what happened. 

  

Being fearless is a part of relationships. It is found in deep intimacies and places of great trust. Fearlessness never walks alone; it is always in the company of Love and intimacy. Fearlessness shows itself in many ways in relations, friendships and intimacies. It allows the expression of love without the fear of rejection. God truly is fearless in the expression of His Love. He knows His Love will not fail. Fear just can not exist in the presence of such assurance and confidence. God knows that love will never fail because He is Love and He never quits being Himself. Fear does not exist in God, only in man. Intimacy destroys it’s right to exist. 

   

The only fear that is clean, pure, and sweet is to fear God from whom all things existence. What if we miss our chance to be free in Jesus?    

 

Neil