E-mail Spirits That Destroy-Excessive Fear

Excessive Fear....Psalms 34:4, Mark 4:40, John 14:27

A. No emotion does more harm to human lives than fear. One authority believes that considerably more than half of the troubles that people have are due to fear. Fear causes damage to the mental and physical well being of mankind, probably causing more misery and inefficiency in humans than they will ever experience from anything else. Fear appears in a great variety of forms. Some of these are: Dread, fright, anxiety, dismay, consternation, worry, apprehension, timidity, panic, terror & horror.

B. Though it is the cause of much abnormality, fear itself is not abnormal. If man had no capacity for fear, he would make little progress, for fear is often the incentive to advancement or the catalist that motivates mankind. It has a place and fills a need in human life; however, you must learn how to manage fear. If an individual had no fear they would not survive long, especially in an age of many machines and much traffic. Healthy fear makes for caution, safeguards against dangers and provides stimulus for achievement. Well directed fear is a helpful force in life. But excessive fear destroys that stabilized feeling of security and causes one to worry about things unnecessarily.

C. Worry is a tyrant. It is more dreadful than the problems and perplexities people worry about. People who let themselves worry become obsessed (ruled by it) with it. Once the mind is set, it continually looks for “worrying matter” to feed upon. It is a spirit that antibotics cannot touch! Worry plays upon the delicate nervous system of the body and actually fosters mental distress and illness. Jesus don't worry...John 14:27, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” If you have a problem and you can do something about it...do it! If you have a problem and there is nothing you can do about it...give it to Jesus and trust in him, but don't continue to worry about the problem. It is in the Master's hands!

 a. Worry is 30 percent past, 10 percent present, and 60 percent future. Can anyone change the past? No, it is forever settled. Then why worry about it? This removes 30 percent of worry. Paul said “ Forget the past, press forward.” Can anyone that you know cross a bridge before they get to it? Isn't it nonsense to try? Most of the time you will find that the bridge is still there even though you feared that it might be missing. Why worry about tomorrow? It may never come! Jesus said, “Take no thought for the morrow.” Matthew 6:34. You will probably cope with tomorrow's troubles more successfully than you did with today's. Jesus knew about tomorrow's problems, so he sent the comforter, whose job it is to guide and teach us what we need to know, If you stop worrying about tomorrow's problems which is not present yet, you have removed 60 percent more of your worries. This only leaves today's troubles which amount to only 10 percent of your worry. While today is here, live it to the fullest and don't waste it by worrying.

b. Matthew 6:25-34. Reasons given by Jesus why we should not worry. (1) Life is more than meat, (2) Body more than rainment, (3) Men greater than materials, (4) Men greater than fowls whom God feeds without their labor, (5) Worry can not change a thing, (6) Men are better than plants that do not worry about clothing, (7) God's providence is over all creation, not only birds and plants that never buy, sell, manufacture, or labor (8) Worry is usless and should never be tolerated. Worry is a tool that the adversary (Devil) uses consistently!

c. Quit worrying because it is: (1) A disease causing other ills (2) borrowing other troubles that can not be paid back. (3) Brooding over what may not happen, (4) creating trouble, misery, death (5) A burden borrowed from tomorrow and others who may have already been designated to carry it. (6) Weight that kills pre-maturally (7) Mental and physical suicide (8) A grave-digger that has no sympathy (9) Needless and wastes time and effort that should be spent on worthwhile things (10) A Robber of faith, peace, and trust in a never-failing , heavenly father (11) A stumbling block to others (12) Anxiety over what is nothing today and less tomorrow, in view of faith (13) Torment over something that will likely be a blessing if it comes (14) Living like an orphan without a heavenly father (15) Foolish, for whatever is going to happen cannot be stopped by worry: and if it doesn't happen, there is nothing to worry about. Should adversities actually come, one may still be victorious by trusting in GOD.

D. Fear is a snare to with-draw the heart from loving and trusting God. To have fear is to lack faith in God and his providence.

a. One of the names of God is a He. Word, El-Shaddai, meaning, the All bountiful or Supplier of All needs. This name emphazises the providence of God over all creation. Providence means foresight and forethought; Divine superin- tendence over all things. In providence God assumes responsibility for the eternal care of the universe. It takes in the provision for and preservation of his creation in all eternity.

b. The all bountiful has promised: (1) Salvation, (2) Prosperity, (3) Healing and health and (4) All want and needs.

c. Psalms 145:14-17, Here God promises to (1) Uphold all that fall, (2) Raise up all that are bowed down, (3) Give all their meat in due season, (4) satisfies every living thing, (5) Be nigh to all who pray in truth, (6) Fulfill the desire of them that fear him, (7) Listen to our cry, (8) Preserve all that love him. God helps all that cannot keep their feet-the weak and infirm or crippled. He shores them up, he is their prop, if they will rely on God the strongest power cannot overcome them.

d. Romans 8:28-31, Here is another promise of the keeping power of God. God's providence is working on behalf of them who love God and who walk obediently according to his purpose. God knew before hand, this is why he determined before hand and put in the church that which will enable us to make it through, even in spite of all adversities.

E. Fear destroys courage, courage gives you the stimulus needed to do things for God.  If Satan can put fear into your heart, he has destroyed the stimulus that gives you the feeling that you can succeed in your work for God.

F. Fear creates superstition...i.e. Imagitive things, sees nothing in its proper form or proportion, lays undue stress on external things.

G. Fear will cause us to fail to pray regularly if we are around those who disapprrove and fail to pursue our duties to God with resolution, steadiness and perserverance and become moved by scorn and contempt.

H. Fear will cause us to avoid any service of God that would not meet the approval of man, or that would seem to endanger our acceptance, or that would bring harm or discomfort to us physically, mentally or otherwise.

I. Faith and courage is a spirit of energy, charity, prudence, enabling us to proceed and go forward in our Christian course under every circumstance. Fear binds our spirit and destroys our faith and courage, thus hindering our service for God and peace of soul. Fear destroys your power. Power enables us to do things for God. Fear takes away this confidence of being able to do these things. Fear keeps us from stepping out and claiming the promises of God, it keeps us from standing firm on God's word, fear produces a state of impossibilities, yet God says that we can do all things.

J. Fear is conquered by faith...Psalms 46:1-3, God is our refuge, strength and help.