Pastor's Blog 

PASTOR STEVE'S BLOG

Overcoming Fear

In 1 John 5:4, it is written: "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith." To overcome means to "conquer", or "prevail".

As a Christian, we are involved in a daily spiritual battle raging in our souls to take control over us. Our adversaries in this battle are often unseen, and yet are manifested through the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Sometimes we give in to fear, the opposite of faith. It gets a toehold, then a foothold, which can become a stronghold. If we give in to fear, faith becomes limited.

Pastor Chuck Smith used to say to us pastors "God is looking for those who have more faith in God's power to deliver than in the enemies' ability to destroy." How true is that statement!

God wants us to have faith. He honors faith, and it is pleasing to Him when we act in faith.

I will suggest three ways in which we can overcome fear, based on reading the Word of God

1. Prayer 

When my strength is limited and I become anxious I pray God's Word. Luke 18:1: "Men ought always to pray and not faint" is a great place to begin with prayer. Prayer will do wonders for the fainting heart. Read the Psalms and pray them out loud.
 
2. Faith
"Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God." - Romans 10:17. I build myself up on God's Word; it is alive.

3. The Holy Spirit
The disciples were very fearful after the crucifixion of Jesus and hid in their homes with doors locked. Then our Lord rose from the dead, spending the next 40 days with them. When He ascended into heaven, they had a 10 day prayer meeting. The Holy Spirit descended upon them on the Day of Pentecost and gave them power from on high.

In Acts 8:14, Samaria had received the Word of God. They were born again! In verse 15, the apostles had come down to pray for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for He had not yet fallen upon them.
 
Has He fallen upon you? When He does, you will be endued with power from on high. He will unlock the doors of fear and bring you to a faith that prevails over your enemy. Ask the Father for the Holy Spirit and He will answer your request.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, and of power and a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Have faith in God.
 

The Beginning Of Faith

Genesis 12

In the book of Genesis, chapter 11, the main characteristic of people of the world was that they wanted to make a name for themselves.

God, however, was looking for a man who would trust Him, so He chose Abram from Ur of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia. He would later call this man "Abraham", the father of our faith.

First, however, Abram must become a child of faith and learn to walk and live by faith. Abraham's faith had to have a beginning!

The Bible tells us that his family used to be idolaters on the other side of the river. When God appeared to Abram, he became obedient to God and began to move forward by faith.

In Genesis 12 it is recorded, "Now the LORD had said to Abram..." He was to get out of his country, from his family and his father's house. He was going to a destination unknown to him. Then God promised him, "I will make you", "I will bless you", and "You shall be a blessing."

So Abraham departed as the LORD had spoken, along with his father, and they stayed in Haran for awhile. After his father died, he went on to Canaan along with his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot.

His travels took him through Shechem, where he built an altar, then east toward Bethel, where he built another altar and called upon the name of the LORD. Then he went south.

When a famine came near, he went down to Egypt. We don't read that he called upon the LORD at that time; that is where his faith was challenged and fear set in. His fear nearly cost him the loss of his wife. There were consequences for his lapse of faith, but God's grace kept Abraham, and put him back on the path of faith.

Like Abraham, we grow from faith to faith. One victory leads to another. "The just shall live by his faith".

Today, we are challenged as others have been in the past. Will we choose faith, or fear? God honors faith. Let's put our faith in God, and trust Him at His word.

"Faith is the victory that overcomes the world."

Sarah, The Free Woman

Galatians 4:21-31

It is written that Abraham had two sons; one born of the flesh and one born of the Spirit. The one represents the natural man who is a slave to sin, and the other represents the spiritual man, born of the Spirit and set free from sin.

When Sarai was in unbelief, she encouraged Abram, her husband, to have a child with her handmaid Hagar. God has given a promise to Abram that he would have a son, but Sarai was in unbelif. She tried to accomplish God's promise through the flesh. Ishmael was the son born to Abram through his ill-advised union with Hagar.

In Genesis 17:15, Sarai was given a new name, "Sarah", which reflected the genuine faith she grew to possess.

In Genesis 18:9-15, two angels and the Lord Himself showed up at Abraham's tent. Sarah heard them speaking of how God would bless her with a child in her old age.

"Is anything too difficult for the Lord?" This was Sarah's moment of faith.

Within one year, the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised and she gave birth to Isaac, the true son of promise! God always fulfills His promises to those who believe.

Seeking to protect the precious child of promise, Sarah had the bondwoman, Hagar, and her son cast out from their presence.

"Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the freewoman."

The flesh and the Spirit have no fellowship with each other. The flesh represents the Law and keeps us in bondage. The promise through faith represents freedom from bondage.

Sarah's child Isaac was a type of the True Seed who was to come, Jesus, the Seed of Abraham. Like Sarah, who became a free woman by her faith, we, too can become free! This happens when we are born again of the promised Seed through faith in Jesus Christ.

In what ways are we made free? Jesus sets us free from the guilt of sin leading to bondage, and gives us His Spirit to overcome the power of sin. Then we, too, become children of the freewoman, children of promise.

Are you a child of the flesh, or a child of promise by faith?