Shalom Aleichem...
Reflections is a weekly Christian Teaching Ministry. Each week we will talk about the Bible and lessons we can put to use in our daily life. We will try to, on a weekly basis, provide to you stories, thoughts, and just easy ways to live your life on a straight path.
THIS WEEK'S TEACHING....February 21, 2022
We continue this week, with our teaching on Faith and Belief in Jesus....In writing this teaching, the research got long thus the teaching ran long so I have broken it into two sessions for you:)
Faith & Fear Part 1 - 2
What part does fear play in our Faith??
Psychologists define fears and anxieties as, ‘what a person experiences when faced with an event that they cannot control or predict or that which seems threatening or dangerous. Fear is a reaction to a perception of immediate danger that is characterized by a strong desire to escape the situation.’
1 Timothy 1:7
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
It’s not so much that fear is a sin. Fear is not the problem; it’s how we respond to it. As that great theologian Pastor Dave Berry says: “All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears: of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, of speaking before a Rotary Club, and of the words: ‘some assembly required.’”
Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
During the Gulf War of 1991, Iraq launched a series of Scud missile attacks against Israel. Many Israeli citizens died as a result of these attacks. After the war was over, Israeli scientists analyzed the official mortality statistics and found something remarkable. Although the death rate had jumped among Israeli citizens on the first day of the Iraqi attacks, the vast majority of them did not die from any direct physical effects of the missiles. They died from heart failure brought on by fear and stress associated with the bombardment.
After the first Iraqi strike turned out to be less cataclysmic than feared, levels of stress declined markedly. As in other wars, the people adapted to the situation with surprising speed. Then as the fear and anxiety subsided, the death rate also declined. There were 17 further Iraqi missile attacks over the following weeks, but Israeli mortality figures over this period were no higher than average.
It was fear and the psychological impact of the missiles, not the physical impact, that claimed the majority of victims.
Too many times it is fear that incapacitates us. It’s fear that keeps us from realizing our full potential. Not lack of skill, not lack of opportunity, not lack of money or influence. It’s fear and the paralyzing grip that it gets on us that threatens to keep people from trusting and obeying God.
Matthew 14:26 - When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
Depending on your translation, there are approximately 366 verses with the phrase “fear not” in them.
Fear usually comes when there is an element of risk. How we respond to the fear is determined by if we are willing to take the risk or not – Are we willing to pay the price for success or failure?
Too often, we aren’t willing to pay the price. The risks SEEM too big.
There is, however, a price to pay for not taking the risk. Susan Jeffers puts it like this: “Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness.”
Consider the cost of living in fear:
1. Loss of Self-Esteem
“The American Psychological Association published a book a few years ago that summarized all the research that has been done in recent years on self-esteem. They looked at a basic paradox: Why are there so many people lacking in self-esteem who have many reasons to have high self-esteem? They accomplish many things – they are gifted, attractive, and well liked – yet struggle with self-esteem. Even people who accomplished a great deal and are apparently successful are often prone to feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy. Not only that, many people who receive much affirmation and admiration from significant others tend to disbelieve it and wrestle with self-esteem all the same.
All research suggests that self-esteem largely boils down to one issue: When you face a difficult situation, do you approach it, take action, and face it head on, or do you avoid it, wimp out, and run and hide?”7
One possible solution to begin to win this battle is for us to give ourselves permission to fail.
2. Loss of Destiny
If you live in fear, you will never experience the potential that God has placed in you. As I have already said, fear usually comes when there is an element of risk. It’s the pushing past that risk that promotes growth.
Too many people never step out on faith and consequently never experience walking on water because they just aren’t willing to take the risk.
3. Loss of Joy
There’s no way around it. Fear kills joy. Living in fear, worry or anxiety will destroy your joy.
Too often those who are caught on the grip of fear play the “what if” game.
What if something bad happens? What if this doesn’t work? What if I fail? What if...What if…What if?
4. Loss of Authentic Intimacy
Fear and hiding seem to go hand in hand. Too often our biggest fear is that others might see the “real me”. Fear is usually translated – weakness. The last thing we want is to get in a position of vulnerability and let others see our weaknesses.
“I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” – Adam
In the church, we MUST cultivate an acceptance of others regardless of performance. We must give others permission to fail.
5. Loss of Availability to God
The paralyzing grip that fear has on us will cloud our vision. When we are in bondage to fear, we have a hard time hearing and responding to God. We most likely don’t want to have anything to do with Him. We can’t see the freedom and life that He offers because we are so distracted and deceived by our fear.
“According to our nation’s Bureau of Standards, a dense fog covering seven city blocks to a depth of a hundred feet contains less than one glass of water. All of that fog, if it could be condensed into water, wouldn’t quite fill a drinking glass. Compare this to the things we often worry about. Like fog our worries can thoroughly block our vision of the light of God’s promises, but the fact is, they have little substance to them.”
So how do we break free of the grip of fear?
1. Plugging into God’s power.
Develop a positive and active faith.
Faith can be described in these two words, assurance and certainty.
Faith is believing in God’s character -- He is who He says He is.
Faith is believing in God’s power -- He can do what He says He will do.
Faith is believing in God’s promises -- He will do what He says He will do.
Ephesians 3:16-21
2. Being loved in order to love.
1 John 4:18 – …perfect love expels all fear.
3. Exercise self-discipline.
The Discipline of Honesty - 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
The Discipline of The Word – Refuse to allow your circumstances to define your identity.
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Jeremiah 23:29 - “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This is a good stopping off place....NEXT WEEK...We continue to part 2 of our look into Faith, Belief and FEAR!!!
DID YOU EVER WONDER???
Faith and fear cannot exist together.
Faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 as being "certain of what we do not see." It is an absolute belief that God is constantly working behind the scenes in every area of our lives, even when there is no tangible evidence to support that fact. On the other hand, fear, simply stated, is unbelief or weak belief. As unbelief gains the upper hand in our thoughts, fear takes hold of our emotions. Our deliverance from fear and worry is based on faith, which is the very opposite of unbelief.
We need to understand that faith is not something that we can produce in ourselves. Faith is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9), and faithfulness is described as a fruit (or characteristic) that is produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). The Christian’s faith is a confident assurance in a God who loves us, who knows our thoughts, and who cares about our deepest needs. That faith continues to grow as we study the Bible and learn the attributes of His amazing character. The more we learn about God, the more we can see Him working in our lives and the stronger our faith grows.
A growing faith is what we desire to have and what God desires to produce in us. But how, in day-to-day life, can we develop a faith that conquers our fears? The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). The careful study of God’s Word is of primary importance in developing a strong faith. God wants us to know Him and completely rely on His direction in our lives. It’s through the hearing, reading, and meditation in the Scriptures that we begin to experience a strong, confident faith that excludes worry and fear.
Spending time in prayer and quiet worship develops a relationship with our heavenly Father that sees us through even the darkest of nights. In the Psalms we see a picture of David, who, like us, experienced times of fear. Psalm 56:3 reveals his faith with these words: "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." Psalm 119 is filled with verses expressing the way in which David treasured God’s Word: "I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands" (verse 10); "I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways" (verse 15); "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (verse 11). These are revealing words which speak wisdom to us today.
God is kind and understanding toward our weaknesses, but He requires us to go forward in faith, and the Bible is clear that faith does not mature and strengthen without trials. Adversity is God’s most effective tool to develop a strong faith. That pattern is evident in Scripture. God takes each one of us through fearful situations, and, as we learn to obey God’s Word and allow it to saturate our thoughts, we find each trial becomes a stepping stone to a stronger and deeper faith. It gives us that ability to say, "He sustained me in the past, he’ll carry me through today and he’ll uphold me in the future!"
God worked this way in David’s life. When David volunteered to fight against Goliath, he said, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:37). David knew the God who had sustained him through dangerous situations in the past. He had seen and experienced God’s power and protection in his life, and this developed within him a fearless faith.
The Word of God is rich with promises for us to take hold of and claim for ourselves. When we face financial trouble, Philippians 4:19tells us, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." If we are anxious about a future decision, Psalm 32:8 reminds us that God will "instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." In sickness we can remember that Romans 5:3–5 says, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." If someone turns against us, we can be comforted by the words in Romans 8:31, "If God is for us who can be against us!" Throughout life we will continue to face various trials that would cause us fear, but God assures us that we can know a calm peace through every situation: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE...A TEACHING
We look this week at the story of Ruth...
Author:
Generally attributed to the prophet Samuel
Date:
Ruth was a great-grandmother of King David, who reigned from 1070 BC, to 970 BC. Ruth lived approximately 1100 BC.
Synopsis:
Ruth was a faithful daughter-in-law. The book shows God’s faithfulness love and kindness. Ruth was a Gentile woman who married into a Jewish family. When her husband died she remained faithful to her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth married Moab and became the great-grandmother of King David.
Verses:
Ruth 1:16 New Living Translation (NLT)16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED WEEK:)
Ho'omaikaʻi ka Pua iā kākou