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GOD'S WORD ON
THE SPIRIT OF FEAR
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
HOW
TO OVERCOME FEAR & ANXIETY
The
Bible says, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of
love, power, and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
MY
PEACE I GIVE TO YOU - LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED
"For
the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, FEAR NOT, I
will help thee." (Isaiah 41:13)
WHAT
IS FEAR? AND WHAT DOES FEAR DO TO US?
Fear
is a corrupting, constricting and crippling agent! Fear corrupts us.
Fear consumes the thoughts and controls the mind.
Fear
is divisive, demeaning and destructive! Fear creates a divided heart which
brings only condemnation and confusion.
When
we allow fear in our minds and in our hearts, we are not allowing the
Lord to give us the peace that he promises us in the scriptures.
The
Word of God states: "Fear thou not, for I am with thee"
The
Holy Scriptures declare: ”There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made
perfect in love.” (1 John 4: 17-18)
The
Bible states, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not
unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and
He shall direct thy paths."
Fear
destroys the perfect love that God gives us by the unbelief it breeds in
our hearts! When we put our full trust in the Lord, we give him our
troubles and our fears. We are released from fear through the Lord
Jesus Christ, and as we walk with Him, read the Word of God and pray, he
gives us perfect peace.
The
Bible says, "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong,
fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with
a recompense: he will come and save you." (Isaiah 35:4)
It
constricts the flow of the Holy Spirit and reduces the fruit that faith
produces! Its crippling effect erodes the peace and joy that results from
receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Why?
Fear hampers the normal functions of the Gifts of the Spirit, making
victims and spiritual cripples of servants and emissaries of our Lord.
The
Bible states: ”But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For
let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A
double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1: 7-8)
The
deacon, Phillip, broke tradition
by preaching in Samaria, among that city’s Jewish-extracted, mixed-race
population. Cornelius’ household were the first Romans to accept the
gospel - two years later - when ‘Shimon bar Yonah’ (St. Peter)
preached to them.
Jesus
said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the
world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
Since
God does not give anyone the spirit of fear, it is evident that fear
comes from Satan, and Satan is the ENEMY of God. Satan is also the
enemy of man.
When
Jesus' powerful blood sweeps over our souls, fear must leave
immediately! There
is no room for Satanic bondage of any kind in the life of a Christian.
"Fear
thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I
will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)
A
marvelous story of faith has come to us from the Second World War:
In
the Battle of Britain, the German Luftwaffe rained down about thirty-five
thousand bombs upon London during nightly air raids, causing terrifying
fear and tremendous destruction and mayhem in large parts of the city.
For
months, as sirens wailed out warnings of approaching German bombers, the
general population automatically hurried toward the nearest
Air Raid
Shelter! People learned to look after one another during the nightly
raids and the ’morning after’ walk abouts and clean-ups.
After
a terrible night of bombardment, an elderly woman was not seen in a
certain neighborhood for several days. Her neighbors assumed that she had
either been killed by the falling bombs or that she had gone to the
countryside to escape the danger, disruption of life and incessant noise.
Some
time later, a neighbor spotted the elderly woman walking down the street
and articulated his happiness that she was alive and well.
"It’s
nice to
see you back", he said. "I
have not been away", she replied.
"Where
have you been?" he asked. "I’ve
been at home", said the woman.
"What
have you been doing at home during the air raids?” inquired the
neighbor.
"Sleeping",
she answered.
"How
could you sleep with all the noise and
explosions?"
he asked.
"Oh",
she replied, "I was reading my Bible and found in Psalms 121: 4
where it declares that God doesn’t slumber nor sleep, so I thought
there was no point in both of us staying awake."
The
Bible says: ”Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I
am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea. I will
uphold thee
with with the right hand of My righteousness.” (Isaiah 41: 10)
FEAR
IS A UNIVERSAL ENEMY
Fear
is demeaning because it makes you think, say and do things that makes you
look foolish, puts you outside the will of God and is out of character
with Christian living! It is destructive because it destroys your
confidence in God and His Word and therefore your fellowship with Him.
The
Bible confirms: ”For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our
heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then
have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him,
because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing
in His sight.” (1 John 3: 20-22)
What
is the underlying cause of condemnation? Plain and simple: Sin.
And
what is the antidote or solution for the serious problem of sin? The
answer in a nutshell, is the Blood of Jesus.
What
can wash away my sin?
The
Bible says: ”If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanseth us from all sins. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us and cleanse us from all sins.” (1 John 1: 7,9)
When
the sin is cleansed away, condemnation leaves and faith leaps to the
forefront! Then, miracles occur as God answers prayer in response to
sincere faith-filled petitions coming from a clean heart!.
Fear
brings trepidation, torment and terror! It is an enemy, but fear can be
neutralized, beaten and vanquished.
The
Bible states: ”God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of love
and power and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Since
God does not give anyone the spirit of fear, it is evident that fear
comes from Satan, Satan who is the ENEMY of God. Satan is the enemy of
man.
The
Holy Scriptures declare: ”There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made
perfect in love.” (1 John 4: 17-18)
Jesus
said: ”The thief (Satan) cometh not but for to steal, and to kill and
to destroy. I am come that ye may have life, and that ye might have it
more abundantly.” (John 10: 10)
Former
alcoholic and drug addict, James Payne, wrote a Gospel song titled John
3: 16. Here are the lyrics:
"Alone
one night at the end of my rope
In a hotel in Nashville praying for hope
In
my hand was a Bible I had read as a child
On the table was the bottle that was driving me wild
I
poured the whiskey into the glass
Praying that somehow I could forget my past
Then I remembered how Jesus had died on the tree
I poured out the whiskey and fell down on my knees
The night old Jack Daniels met John 3:16
God’s
Word broke the chains that he had over me
I traded Tennessee whiskey for Calvary’s tree
The night Ol’ Jack Daniels met John 3: 16
That
is the exact reaction of the spirit of fear meeting the blood of Jesus.
When
Jesus' powerful blood sweeps over our souls, fear must leave
immediately!
There is no
room for Satanic bondage of any kind in the life of a Christian.
The
Blessed Holy Spirit makes us free from sin, free from guilt and free from
fear. And He keeps us free for God’s glory.
US
President Roosevelt stated: "The only thing to fear is fear
itself."
In
many cases that is true. Because fear is a spirit, when it digs its
deceptive tentacles into a victim, raw fear often proves to be far worse
than the object of the fear.
In
Middle East folk lore there is story of a great warrior who meets a
mythical rider called Death, carrying a gigantic scythe! . Addressing
him, the warrior says: ” I have just come from a battle where I left
5,000 men dead.
Where
have you been and where are going?” Replying, the mystical rider says:
”I have just left the area to which you are heading."
Inquiringly,
the warrior asks: ”How many dead will I find there?” Death answers:
”The plague killed 5,000."
The
next week, the great warrior again meets the mythical rider on the
windswept desert. He hails the scythe - carrier with a shout: ”You lied
to me. The plague left 50,000 dead . You told me that you had killed
only
5,000!” Death replies: ”I told you the truth. 5,000 perished from the
plague. The rest died of fear!"
An
old adage says: ”Cowards die a thousand times before their death.
The
valiant tastes of death but once!’ Without doubt, fear is a real enemy
and robber. The Bible character Job, after having been attacked by Satan,
confessed: ”The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me.” (Job
3: 25)
DO
NOT BE AFRAID - CALL UPON GOD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
When
things go wrong and it appears that the bottom has dropped out of
everything, that is not the time to become afraid or to panic.
God’s
Word says: ”And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver
thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” (Psalms 50: 15) Jesus said: ”Come
unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
life.” (Matthew 11: 28)
FEAR
& ANXIETY
CONTROLLING
YOUR LIFE?
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
HOW
TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION, FEAR & ANXIETY
The
Bible says, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of
love, power, and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
FEAR
- MANKIND'S GREATEST FOE
"So
first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing to fear is
fear itself - names, unreasoning, unjustified terror." - Franklin D.
Roosevelt
The
deacon, Phillip, broke tradition by preaching in Samaria, among that
city’s Jewish-extracted, mixed-race population. Cornelius’ household
were the first Romans to accept the gospel - two years later - when ‘Shimon
bar Yonah’ (St. Peter) preached to them.
A
number of recent news stories highlighted the growing fear by many
people, due to the increase of terrorism, world disasters, wars,
tsunamis, terrorist attack, earthquakes, world viruses and diseases.
 FEAR
IS A UNIVERSAL ENEMY
Fear
and anxiety are universal enemies and certainly not a new enemy.
Fear had its beginning with Adam's rebellion and fall, in the Garden of
Eden. After Adam and Eve had disobeyed God's directive to them,
fear entered their hearts.
"And
Adam said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I
am naked, and I hid myself." (Genesis 3:10)
IN
THE LAST DAYS "MEN'S HEARTS WILL FAIL THEM FOR FEAR"
That
the slavish tentacles of fear are spreading and increasing in intensity
is also prophetical. Jesus declared that in the last days
"men's hearts" will fail them for fear...." (Luke 21:26)
THE
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IS HEART DISEASE
The
leading cause of death is heart disease. People are suffering from
strain, anxiety and stress is adversely affecting a large number of men
and woman. Alcohol consumption, drug abuse and anxiety attacks are
increasing, all contributing to heart disease.
CANCER
IS #2 LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH. FEAR IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR
Cancer
is the #2 killer and medical science believes "fear" is a
contributor - because it constructs the vessels carrying blood to affect
areas.
Cigarette
smoking is a major cause of heart disease and sickness, why why do people
smoke? Often, because they are uptight, nervous, anxious and
afraid!
FEAR
& DEPRESSION ARE THE GREATEST "ENEMIES" AMONG US
Fear
is "the enemy" among us and is taking a tremendous toll,
psychologically, economically, domestically and physically. As well
as politically, both nationally and world wide.
FEAR
DESTROYS RELATIONSHIPS
Fear
is our "greatest enemy" and it hinders growth in business,
impedes academic progress, breaks up families and keeps people out of
church.
Fear
is often the cause of strife, worry, bitterness, resentment, jealousy and
hatred. But fear can be conquered and driven out of our lives!
Many
years ago, USA President Herbert Hoover stated: The dominant emotion
everywhere in the world s FEAR.
Many
years ago, USA President Herbert Hoover stated: "The dominant
emotion everywhere in the world is FEAR. This applies to every part
of human activities - finance, industry, farmers, workers, thinkers and
government officials."
THE
ATLANTIC CHARTER - USA President Roosevelt
The
Atlanta Charter, drawn up by US President Theodore Roosevelt and
Britain's Sir Winston Churchill is still heralded as one of history's
greatest documents, championing the common liberties of mankind.
Freedom
from fear
Freedom of speech
Freedom from want
Freedom of religion
It
contained four essential freedoms: freedom from want, freedom from
fear, freedom of speech and freedom of religion
New
York City's Dr. David Mitchell declared, humans are born with only 2
fears, sound of a sudden noise, and unexpected removal of support or
falling!
There
are however many unreal, imagined and unreasonable fears which plague
mankind. These we must reject in order to enjoy good mental health
and peace of mind.
Neurologists
believe that the lower central part of the brain called the thalamus is
the center of all emotions; this is where fearful thoughts issue from.
The nerve center is also where affection and love are born.
It
is therefore important that we sort out our thoughts and allow only those
that are sane, sensible, wholesome and truthful stay in our minds.
The
Bible says: "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he".
And
St. Paul admonished: "Whatsoever things are true, honest, just,
pure, lovely and of good report...think on these things."
(Philippians 4:8)
PHOBIAS
- THERE ARE MORE THAN 40 DOCUMENTS PHOBIAS
There
are more than 40 phobias that harass humanity today - from ailurophobes
(the fear of cats) to zoophobia (the fear of animals in general).
And there is healing for everyone - through faith in Jesus Christ - and
some old fashioned common sense.
JESUS
CHRIST CAN HEAL YOUR FEARS & PHOBIAS - IF YOU TRUST IN HIM
The
Bible says, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of
love, power and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
President
Roosevelt stated: "The only thing we have to fear, is fear
itself", and the Bible says, "....perfect love casts out all
fears." (1 John 4:18)
WHAT
IS THE OPPOSITE EMOTION OF FEAR
What
is the opposite of fear. It is FAITH. Faith brings us peace
and tranquility!
Jesus
said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the
world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
The
Bible says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom also we have
access by faith in to this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope
of the glory of God.: (Romans 5:1-2)
Since
perfect love removes all fears, it is good to know that God is love and
His love has reached out to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on
the cross for us!
And
because He rose from the dead and is not only the testator but the
executor of His own will - through the Holy Spirit - we are assured of
His total peace and healing for spirit, soul (mind) and body.
BIBLE
SCRIPTURES
ON FEAR
(King
James Version)
 Isaiah
41:10 - (kjv)
- Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am]
thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I
will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah
35:4 - (kjv)
- Say to them [that are] of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not:
behold, your God will come [with] vengeance, [even] God [with] a
recompence: he will come and save you.
Romans
8:31 - (kjv)
- What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for
us, who [can] be against us?
Psalms
34:4 - (kjv)
- I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my
fears.
Psalms
23:4 - (kjv)
- Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1
Peter 5:7 -
(kjv) - Yea, 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.
Psalms
56:3 - (kjv)
- What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
Proverbs
14:27
- (kjv) - The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart
from the snares of death.
1
John 1:9
- (kjv) - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Isaiah
43:1
- (kjv) - But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob,
and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed
thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine.
2
Timothy 1:7
- (kjv) - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but
of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
John
14:7
- (kjv) - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as
the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid.
1
John 4:18
- (kjv) - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out
fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made
perfect in love.
Proverbs
16:6
- (kjv) - By
mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD
[men] depart from evil.
Psalms
111:10
- (kjv) - The
fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: a good
understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: his praise
endureth for ever.
1
Peter 2:17
- (kjv) - Honou
all [men]. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.
Honour the king.
Job
3:25 -
(kjv) - For
the thin which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I
was afraid of is come unto me.
Romans
15:13 -
(kjv) - Now
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that
ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Psalms
27:1 -
(kjv) - ([A
Psalm} of David.) The LORD [is] my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear? The LORD [is] the strength of my life; of
whom shall be be afraid?
Deuteronomy
31:6 -
(kjv) - Be
strong and of a good courage, fear not; nor be afraid of
them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he
will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
1
John 5:14-15
- (kjv)
- And
this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us: .. And if we know that
he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we desired of him.
Joshua
1:9 -
(kjv) - Have
I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be
not afraid; neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is]
with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Romans
8:32 -
(kjv) -
He that spared not his
own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him also freely give us all things?
Philippians
4:6 -
(kjv) - Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
2
Timothy 1:7 - (kjv) - For
God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of
love, and of a sound mind.
Psalms
23:4
- (kjv) - Yea,
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.
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