Fear Not or Else You Die!!!!

     I want to address something concerning "fear." There is a belief in some groups of Christianity that say "the opposite of fear, is faith," assigning shame to a person if they have fears. It suggests that if you experience fear, than you have no faith. I've even been told that having fear is the same as unbelief. Is that true, or doesn't living on this earth, predispose us to fears? Does God blame us, and in that sense, reject us if we are fearful? "Fear not little flock, it is my Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom" seems to come from the comforting and assuring heart of our Lord, and not an accusing one. If we never had fear, could we/would we experience the shadow of His wing? As little chicks we sometimes get in a frantic nervousness, and blurt out "the sky is falling; the sky is falling." We forget who is with us, and of His love. We are learning of His love each time He rescues us. We want 100% guarantee that nothing will ever harm us on this earth. I'm afraid He doesn't give us that, even against others hopeful beliefs, which they even back by Scripture to try and prove it.
     What about Job and what is written about him? The Word says that what he feared came upon him. O.K. so it did, but does that mean that whatever we fear will happen to us, too, or is it just stating a fact. If it means the former thought, then talk about making us fearful to fear!!! I think that is just the enemy's threatening quagmire he tries to put some of us in. It would go something like this: A person hears someone banging on their door at night, and it causes fear to rise up in them, and because of that, the person breaks in and does something bad to them. But if they had not feared, the person would have just walked away and changed their plans. Oh, come on now!!! You can't tell me that any person would not be fearful in that situation. But some Christians would have you believe that they are never fearful, because they have faith, and by comparison those that do have fears, are in unbelief and something bad is going to happen to them because of it.
     These screwy ideas and beliefs people have and put on others cause more harm than good. It elevates them to a superior position (at least it seems that way outwardly) while causing even more doubt and fear to those who have it. It can even diminish one's faith, thinking they are failing to believe anyway.
     How about some words of comfort and hope? Even sharing your own struggles with fears can help, instead of ostracizing and alienating others by finger pointing, even if they are weaker than you in this area.
 O.K., I feel better now.

Lying Signs and Wonders

     Check this out: The Spirit of God revealed to me today a different aspect of what is meant by "lying signs and wonders," and it's all involved with the way things "seem" according to what our natural eyes see instead of what is the reality of the Spirit realm, or the Kingdom of God.
     Satan tempts us to lose faith or get in despair based on these very things. For example, if someone has been praying for someone's soul to be saved, or to come to know the Lord and they are repeatedly doing things in their lives that contradict the steps in doing that, the one believing for their salvation, could eventually give up. Why? Because they are basing their belief on things seen (lying signs) and not on the substance of things hoped for, which is faith. They haven't really believed that God, by His Spirit, is working behind the scenes to "cause" that person to be drawn to Him. Because the one who has prayed doesn't yet see physical evidence of His inside work, they have dropped the ball and quit believing. The enemy works hard to tell them in so many ways, based on what seems to be happening by this same physical evidence that they have either believed wrong, or they have misinterpreted the Scriptures, or anything which turns the tables away from him and his mischievous deeds. This usually doesn't take too much manipulation because we are so used to being led by our flesh and not by the Spirit.
     As we transition from the soul realm to the realm of Spirit, we are better able to catch him at his game, and cast off his lies. In doing so, our belief level is strengthened, and our vulnerability to the lies of satan is decreased. The true "signs and wonders" are those the Holy Spirit does on the inside of people of making all things new in those who believe. We are that sign and that wonder, as He grows us up in Him.