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Imagine “Fear” as a dark creature with long fingers wearing a tattered hat. This hat covers much of his disfigured face, but his dark eyes are visible. His cold and intimidating glare is quite unnerving and if caught off guard, his appearance can stun, startle, and terrorize an unsuspecting believer.

Fear surely giggles with glee when he catches the children of God unprepared or napping, for his master has trained him well in the tactics of spiritual warfare. Satan wants believers to be ineffective and powerless. He will try everything in his power to daze and stupefy us. To dumbfound a Christian into paralysis is to create a roadblock and delay in the plans of God.

“Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins.” ~Charles Stanley

Now imagine “Faith” as a Sailor in his uniform whites. What a courageous and confident fellow he is indeed! No rough waters or storms can knock him off his feet. He is steady and well balanced. His eyes reflect a quiet confidence that oozes strength and vigor. One look at Faith and Fear crumbles to the ground, a dark mass of broken bits.

Hebrews 10:38 says “The just will live by faith.” A “just” person is someone who is fair, virtuous, and honest. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1) So a JUST person, living by faith, is virtuous and certain of things not seen. He knows that God is beside him, even when He remains quiet. When Fear approaches a JUST man, his plans are foiled because if we resist the enemy he must flee. This is a promise of God!

Faith does not make things easy. Faith makes things possible. Luke 1:37 reminds us, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Sailor boy Faith knows this truth. It is what gives him the confidence to stare hurricane force winds and deadly storms in the face without a blink of his eye. He knows that God is steering his ship and that all he needs to do is hold on, trusting God to see him through his adventure.

If you are facing storms that bring you face to face with FEAR, call out to God. Ask Him to mature and strengthen your faith. You will most likely have to weather out the storm you are experiencing, but your Father will use your willingness to trust in His provisions to build up your faith. God is the Captain of your ship and Fear has no place on deck. He will command you to toss Fear overboard during your storms; you will be wise to obey this order! “

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

The best part of seeing your way through a storm, even if you think you have been blown off course, is watching how God takes the wheel and delivers to safety. Sometimes our poor life choices blow us off course, but God knows how to get us back on course by redirecting our steps. And then use our rabbit trail to accomplish the purpose He always intended! There is a calm after a storm. Enjoy the fresh air and the gentle breezes. Allow them to heal your weary soul. Let the faith of God rule in your heart. May it bring you through every gale and hurricane, bluster and thunderstorm in life.

“Seeing that a pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness.” ~John Calvin

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?When the wicked came against me  to eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes,  they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear;  Though war may rise against me,  In this I will be confident.” Psalm 27:1-3 (NKJV)

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (NAS) “That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:5 (NKJV)

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4 (NKJ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnAOJuwqQLI

HAPPY QUOTES

Not an Accident

July 3, 2014 olgavictoria

No person that we meet is an accident. We learn from each other and impact each other with every word we say and even every gesture we make. We are all connected as we belong to the One who made us all. So, if someone does you wrong, take that as a lesson, but a good lesson that will make you spiritually stronger. Let that nourish you and make you wiser, so that you can experience the fullness of God’s love.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

1 John 3

July 3, 2014 olgavictoria

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

Love One Another

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

ONLINE MAGAZINE

God Rests, Do You?

July 3, 2014July 24, 2014 cherylz1961

“I said to myself….

RELAX and REST. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you’ve been rescued from death. Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears; and you Foot, were kept from stumbling.” ~Unknown

God was busy when He created the universe. For six days He worked on establishing heaven and earth, light and dark, water and dry land, and designing all living things. However, after He finished His work He RESTED. Many of us have such a hard time resting. We are busy with our family, career, ministry and so much more. Continue reading “God Rests, Do You?” →