Continuing to understand FEAR I want you to think of that one thing you fear on earth the most (I am not talking about your death because we should not fear that). This is the Halloween season where many people fear clowns, free floating apparitions, the dark, being alone and many other things. We fear it because society and something in our childhood engrained that fear in us. My biggest earthly fear is going into water that I cannot see the bottom of.  Mine actually stems from a childhood incident where I was underwater and got scared when I opened my eyes and saw nothing at first then a fish came out of nowhere and started staring at me, inches from my nose. We need to face those fears but we really cannot do it without trust in ourselves and God.

Frank Herbert’s “Dune” had an interesting look at fear. Here, one of the main characters, Paul Atreides, spoke the Litany of Fear:
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

The Litany of Fear above is something that really has powerful meaning when you break it down. Basically it is a way of exercising you mind to overcome whatever barrier to truth and health that fear puts in your way.  Let’s see some effects of fear.

Fear effects everybody no matter who you are
Fear kills the mind by filling it with negative thoughts and feelings. When your mind is filled with these negatives the real you is hidden and if fear stays it changes you. Your mental and physical well-being is changed to the point where you are no longer capable of right thinking and you get either physically sick or old pains are amplified incapacitating you. If fear starts to take over, you must quickly take action against it.

Fear can lead to false/unhealthy dependencies 
Some people face their fears by drinking alcohol, taking mind altering drugs, or finding other unhealthy things that take their minds off the problem. This does not solve anything, it makes matters worse. Now I am not saying that prescription drugs are bad because I am on a couple for Wartime PTSD myself but I know the troubles and consequences that overdosing can cause. The unhealthy dependencies leave the mind open to temptations and sins that we would normally not do. Instead of taking the human route we need to open that dusty Bible, pray, and put our trust in God who never leaves of forsakes us.

Without Recovery, Satan Wins
Satan uses our fears if we choose not to give them to God. Letting the fear overtake you then trying to drown it yourself gives Satan a win against God. Recovering from fear means that you have faced it head on not with any man made items but with Christ by your side and won the small battle for your soul. There really is no full recovery without the truth of God’s Love.
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Jesus said some things recorded in the Gospels that can give us fear but those fears are teaching tools to get us on the right track. He speaks more of the darkness that is Hell than He does of the Kingdom. Many people turned to Him seeking truth and wanting peace. Are we not to also speak His truth to others so that they can find peace of mind and heart in Christ? Have you? Are you too afraid of rejection? Don’t be. God sent His Son and the Son sent the Holy Spirit, or Helper, to guide us in speaking truth without fear. Do not fret, worry, or fear repercussions but have joy in the sufferings and speak His Word loud and clear. Jesus Christ is Lord.
Blessings,
 Rob, Servant of God
 

Concluding our look at acronyms for fear I believe if we look at it from the Scriptural perspective we will find that everything has a reason for being. We are no accident, God made us for a larger purpose and each one of us plays an integral part in the total plan. I know, some of you are probably asking yourselves if all the troubles in this world are part of the miniscule plans for our lives and I cannot answer that. But what I can say is that everything happens for a reason and that reason is for God’s ultimate glory.
God brought everything known and unknown into existence then He created us. We are meant to take care of His creation. This purpose has many different intricacies about it though. First and foremost we were to live with the land and the animals and were charged with the well-being but God knew we would falter thanks to the darkness that took over our hearts. God gave each of us a mission to help mend each other to restore us to our original purpose but we messed that up too.
Why is there so much wrong with the world?
 There are many reasons but the ultimate one is the choices that we make dictate how the world will be. Too many people have forgotten God’s compassion and love even though it is built into our hearts. In fact, God’s Love is built into our DNA. When we chose to ignore God’s Love our whole self changes and we are no longer marked His. This is a win for the devil because he wants to be God. But those of us with the Mark of God (His Word and Love) can defeat the devil inside and bring those lost back to God.
Why Do We Suffer?
We suffer because we are separated from God due to sin. But the more we suffer for God’s Glory once we have turned back to Him, the closer the Kingdom comes to earth. We suffer in this life because there is a better life waiting for us In Christ. Jesus suffered for our sins even though He did nothing wrong. He was the innocent lamb led to slaughter by all of us. We have all held that nail that pierced His skin.
Why Do We Ask Why?
We humans are curious creatures who desire knowledge. We ask so that we may learn, we learn so that we may do, and we do so we may gain more knowledge. Are we trying to know everything? Some may desire that but it is not our place in our current state of existence.
What Do We Do?
We try to figure out the reasons things happen when what we really need to do is take everything by faith, trusting that God, in His mercy and grace, will grant us what we need when we ask but in His timing not ours. Our dependency should be on God because His is the reason for everything.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we need to pray for the world that it heals and turns back to God. It starts with our closest family, our community, and goes all the way up. To find the reason for all things we just need to turn back to God and put our faith in the Blood of Jesus which God used to save us for all time. Love One Another Just As He Has Loved Us. Have faith that God has all things in His control and it is His reason that things happen.
God’s Grace and Mercy be with you,
Rob, Servant of God
        

What happens when you try to do things without first starting with prayer? Do other issues that were not calculated get in the way? Are there regrets in decisions because something you thought was going to go perfect because you knew you covered all the bases only to find one major stopping point? Are there too many variables that you just cannot find headway through even though your plan had solutions? Have you hit that roadblock in life that has no way around it? Let me ask you this, “Where is your trust?”.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
   He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
   forever. Psalm 23:1-6
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Roadblocks Happen
Even the greatest writers and inventors had something that blocked their way. Some were able to get through them and others just took a while longer. When you have Trust in God and let Him take control the things you see as being in your way suddenly appear as a need for patience because the design or the words just are not the right ones to be completed. The Holy Spirit that guides us sometimes places roadblocks in our way to get our minds back to where they should be.
Worrying Gets You Nowhere
Life happens. There are some things in life that are just beyond our control and when we try to reach for what appears to be the solution our arms just are not long enough. Worry sets in because the thing we are striving to accomplish just is not going the way we need it to. This becomes a burden and takes over our life to the point where we begin to feel physical pain. Is it worth it? Not really. God’s Got This whether you give it to Him or not. Things will be done right and correctly on His timing.
Sometimes God Places Roadblocks to Reroute You  
Have you wondered why you just cannot get that project done? Do you know why this thing or that which you have devoted your time to just cannot seem to get finished? Is there something pulling you away from things of the world which you thought were important even if it only helps you? Did you hear a voice saying, “Are you sure you want to do that?”. Don’t worry, God is trying to tell you something to get you where you need to be not where you want to be.
We often make choices due to our free will that come to a place where we cannot move forward only to end up going an opposite direction. This is that time where we really need to sit back, thank God and put our lives back where they belong. Sure we need to survive and maybe what we were doing was for our family’s benefit but was it part of God’s plan. There are challenges we face daily that guide our choices in decisions, but without going to God these choices may misdirect us. Trusting in God and remembering the teachings of Jesus get us to where He needs us to be.
Is It Obvious Yet     
God’s Plan is His plan and we are 100 percent involved in our .0000(tons of zeros)1% part of it. What choices we make determine determines the actions we make and if God needs us to do something else, He will make it so. It might be painful for a short time but in the end it will be worth it. So what do we do? Let Go and Let God. Place our trust where it needs to be not where we desire it to be. That is unless you desire your trust to be in the Father then you are on the right track. Get rerouted and the roadblock will go away. Jesus will carry you through it.
Brothers and Sisters, I want you to know that God Loves you and Cares about what decisions you make in your life. You are His child and has done all He can to give you guidance and direction to a right way of living. He has made the ultimate sacrifice for us so we can live with Him in His Kingdom. All He asks in return is our love, and trust, being obedient children to His ways. Can you trust Him? Will you?
Rob, Servant of God     

Have you ever been falsely accused or your livelihood put at risk because of hatred or because your faith does not follow someone else’s worldview? This world has gone upside down to the point of evil being good. Christians are being persecuted through thought word and deeds that oppose God’s Will. However, in this season of accusations we have a promise from God that protects us.  
no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord. Isaiah 54:17
The weapon that we are currently dealing with is words and actions that create false notions, accusations, and idealisms against those who desire to do the right thing and who still hold on to morals and ethics that are within the values of the character and Image of God. Yes, some of the accused are guilty but when the lust for power causes people to create false truths, the innocent are guilty until proven otherwise.
As we saw in the last year and the very recent weeks past, celebrities, politicians, and others have made fools of themselves trying to cover their own faults and sins by making accusations against others. Some have been proven true and the guilty are taken care of but in other cases, the accusers own skeletons come out and they stand accused and suffer the consequences of their own guilt as well as the added punishment for false accusations against another.
I am not saying that some of these “movements” are bad and products of the Adversary but they are being misused to the point that those who are truly victims have lost their voice. Judges and others have now ruled that hard physical evidence is the only way of proving things unless the truly guilty admit to it without being pressured because mental states and words can be falsified and fabricated.
As this unravels we will see the politicians put in place by the Adversary start to lose themselves and their greed will be brought to light. Other agents of the devil will slowly be revealed and there will be a change coming. I believe this will further divide families and put to the test Christians who desire the world more than Christ. We have entered a time of tribulation that can be overcome.   
Rob, Servant of God      

Have you ever thought about why Jesus wanted us to “abide in Him”? Of course the question comes down to the definition but even that does not give full truth.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:7-11 (ESV)
The dictionary defines abide this way: to accept or act in accordance with, to submit,  to continue, endure, dwell with, be firm without yielding; but we must ask ourselves, “How can we abide in Christ?”. The first thing we must understand is that it is by God’s Grace that this can happen in the first place. We have faith in Him which involves a firm trust and love of Jesus. This trust and love is undying and full of God’s Grace which God gave us freely in order to accept Jesus and His teachings.
To abide in Christ requires obedience to God
Jesus kept God’s Commandments and we should too. God’s Law, moral, and ethical codes, are right and righteous ways of living. Though considered legalistic, God desires us to live a right life and that right life was found in the way Jesus lived. Now that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God we hear the Word in our hearts. They are kept in our memory and we act (or should do our best to act) upon them living in a way that pleases God. Thus in our obedience we abide in Him.
We cannot contain the Joy in our hearts when we abide in Christ
The joy of laughter, suffering, patience, and release are within us when we bask in the Love of God that abides in us. His Word is written on and in our hearts with the blood that was shed to save us. We have Joy because of the suffering we must go through in this world to gain treasures in the next. We release that Joy through sharing the Good News which is the Gospel of Jesus which is the Word given to the world so that All can understand and come to know the Father. Believers in God are all given the duty and responsibility to let the world know of the Joy, Hope, LOVE, and Peace, which is found when we have faith and are obedient to His Word.
God Loves each and every one of us and wishes to have a relationship where we abide in Him and He abides in us. Jesus gave explicit and simple instruction on how to accomplish this. The thing is, as many of us know, is that it is also the most complicated thing to do while living in the world but it is also the easiest. The fact of the matter is do you have faith that God’s Grace is given freely to you and you accept that your life is not your own. Can you willingly and whole-heartedly give your whole self to following His ways? Will you? I pray that all will come to know God and love Him as He loves us. He is our Father and we are His children.
Blessings to you and may God’s Grace shine upon you,
Rob, Servant of God