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April 2020

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Why GOD says “FEAR NOT”

There are times in our lives when things happen that are totally out of our control.   During these times, fear of the unknown can set in, and we become paralyzed with the “What Ifs “.   Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. We all have experienced fear to some degree.  God knew that doubts and fears would be the tools that Satan would use, to make us not trust His word, promises, and power.  They are merely distractions used to make us take our eyes off of God.   When we live with these fears too long, we are in bondage.   We are being held hostage by Satan.  This strips us of the confidence that we should have as God’s children.
Today I would like to share some scriptures with you that speak to the character of God.  When we are clear about God’s character, we realize that as His children we have nothing to fear.  I hope that learning more about God’s character helps you to fully understand why God commands us to “Fear Not”.

Psalm 46:2  (NIV)
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
Genesis 15:1-6
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do  not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,[a]
your very great reward.[b]
But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring[d] be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Luke 12:32
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHARACTER OF GOD

F
FAITHFUL FATHER 

  1st John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

2nd Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

 Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong,  upright, and just is he.

 Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

FORGIVING
Psalm 65:3
When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave[a] our transgressions.

FORTRESS
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;   my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield[a] and the horn[b] of my salvation, my stronghold.

FRIEND
John 15:13
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

E
ETHICAL
Luke 18:19
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
A
ABBA FATHER
Romans 8:15
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] Father.”
ALMIGHTY
Revelations 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

ABUNDANT
Psalm 50:10-12
10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

AWESOME
Psalm 68:35

You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

ACCURATE
R
RELIABLE
RIGHTEOUS
Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong,  upright, and just is he.
RESPONSIBLE

RESTORES
Psalm 23:3 KJV
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

REDEEMER
Psalm 78:35
 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.

Isaiah 63:16
But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us;
you, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.

N
NEAR
Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

O
OMNISCIENT
Psalm 147:5
Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

OMNIPRESENT 
Jeremiah 23:24
Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord.  “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.

Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,  your right hand will hold me fast.

Omnipotent 

Hebrew 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

T
TRUTHFUL
Numbers 23:19

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

TRUSTWORTHY
Psalm 19:7
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

 2 Samuel 7:28
28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.

Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,  because the Lord has anointed me  to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

UNHEALTHY FEAR
Romans 8:15
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] Father.”

2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

HEALTHY FEAR

HOLY FEAR / RESPECT/ REVERENCE FOR GOD

Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

Psalm 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

Isaiah 6:5
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

Luke 5:8
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

If you have an unhealthy fear of the Lord, remember these three things from Author Kelly Balarie.

1.  God doesn’t speak like an accuser.
2.  Condemnation is not the sound of his voice.
3.  Conviction is his method, but the truth spoken in love is always his manner.

 

His Sacrifice, Our Hope!!

His Sacrifice, Our Hope!!

The Crucifixion

Luke 23:26-43  (AKJV)
26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. 31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. 38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew,
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The Death of Jesus

Luke 23:44-49 (AKJV)
44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. 49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

The Burial of Jesus

Luke 23:50-55  (AKJV)
50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: 51 (the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathæa, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

The Resurrection of Jesus

Luke 24:1-12  AKJV)
24 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: and as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, and returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.