Fear

Fear

Acts 4: ¹⁸ So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. ²⁰ For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” ²¹ So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. ²² For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

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After seeing the horror movie, I was a bit shaken. I drove home and traversed the seemingly longer walk from the garage to the house. It was dark. I got my keys to the house out of my pocket in preparation for a quick entry. “Boo!” said a neighbor, who jumped from out of adjoining bushes. I ran screaming, only to hear laughter.

• There have been times when I have been afraid.
• There have been times when I could rationalize why I was afraid.
• There have been times when I was so afraid that I could not think rationally.

Peter and John were threatened by the same church leaders who had JESUS killed. This intimidation would make most people cower in fear. But Peter and John had solidified who they serve, namely JESUS. They did not walk in fear.

• GOD says to me “The only healthy fear is the fear of the LORD.”
• GOD says to me “I AM your protector, and your provider.”
• GOD says to me “I AM the only salvation.”

Humans threaten life and death. BUT GOD is the only one who can fulfill it. I mean HE says “There is an appointed time for everything”, including death. Very real human threats and situations can only thwarted by GOD.

HE wants me to have healthy fear which is fear of not doing what HE says to do. HE wants me to choose HIM over anything I can grasp onto in this life. JESUS is my Savior and purpose. Whom shall I fear? I may get scared, but the spirit of fear no longer holds me.

• Are you gripped with fear that does not seem to go away?
• Are you spreading fear by calling people foolish and stating threats people face?
• Will you trade your “spirit of fear” for the “fear of the LORD” by spreading peace today?