"FAITH VERSUS FEAR"

Good Evening to All!

Withoutfaith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)

Satan works overtime attempting to fill our lives with fear. Since we hear from God by faith, we must resist fear aggressively. The Bible says that God's Word reveals a righteousness that leads us from faith to faith Romans 1:17 The Message Numbered Edition Bible says, " God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: "The person in right standing before God by trusting Him really lives." If we know who we are in Christ, and understand how much He loves us, then we should be able to develop our faith not in our "own" abilities, but in Him. We must continually remind ourselves, "I can do all things through Christ Jesus which strengthens me".

Once we believe this statement with our whole heart and realize that we can do nothing on our own, the more our faith in Him will grow. The key is giving him the reins and control to do it. That is when the true faith comes out. We can all do lip service and say "I have faith", but when it comes down to it, taking precautions "just in case it doesn't work out", is not showing faith. Satan is constantly trying to put doubts in our minds, which in turn will push the faith out of our hearts. Our minds can be our worst enemy. That is Satan's stronghold. He can cause all kinds of havoc with our minds.

We must approach everything with an attitude of faith. Remember that Fear is not of God. Confusion is not of God. God promised us a sound mind and fear and confusion are the opposite. We must keep a prayer of faith in our hearts.

Philippians 4:8 says; Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble (honorable), what ever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy --meditate on these things.

We must keep faith in our hearts and Godly thoughts in our heads. If we can implement this verse in our lives at least the majority of the time, I dare say Satan will have a hard time creating doubt or fear in us. Did you know that you can will things upon yourself? Think about it. Have you ever worried about something a whole lot and it came to pass? Have you ever worried yourself to the point of being sick? Job 3:25 says, "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes." We should start each day asking God to direct our steps, because the steps of a good man is ordered by the Lord, according to Psalms 37:23. If you are wondering about the reference to "good man" the reference pointed back to 1 Samuel 2:9 which states He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

The reference from the NKJV to that verse states that this verse in line with the pattern of ancient wisdom literature, Hannah contrasted the righteous and the wicked. The Lord would keep His saints from stumbling, but the adversaries of the Lord would face certain calamity. We should also come to God with a heart full of faith when we pray. We must go to Him KNOWING that He is able to do all things. I will not sit here and tell you if you pray He'll give you everything you want. Some things we ask for are not good for us and are against His will. If what we ask is in His will, then it will happen. Some times He'll give us our petition, but in His time. We may not be ready for it at the time we ask for it. This is where the faith comes in.

We must have faith in Him to do what is in our BEST INTEREST, because He knows us better than we know ourselves. Faith opens the windows of heaven and allows God rain down His power in our lives and circumstances.

Do not allow doubt and fear to enter in your prayers, because they will hinder you from receiving what God wants for you. If you are having a problem with fear or doubt, then begin your prays by saying, "I approach God in faith today and I resist all fear and doubt." At that point start your prayers boldly and expect Him to answer them, remembering to stop every once in a while and listen to your spirit. Let Him speak to you. Also, remember this is a process. I still sometimes forget and allow doubt to take over, but when I realize it, I shake it off, ask God to forgive me and continue praying. None of us are perfect, no not one EXCEPT for Jesus Christ.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!