FEAR- The Subtle yet Powerful Enemy

This is a followup of sorts to my last post; those fears; let's tackle them once. They're powerful aren't they? How many things have I not done that I should have because of fear? How many times have I disobeyed the Holy Spirit because of fear? Not stepped out of my comfort zone to love somebody because of fear? Lost my joy and peace because of fear? Not heard from the Lord because of fear (even fear that I can't or won't hear correctly)?

It's so subtle. It's bondage. It's just pure bondage! How many regrets do I want in my life because of letting myself be controlled, even if only a small bit, by any kind of fear or anxiety? I want no part of it in my life.

Cry out to the Lord; He will hear, and answer; thru His grace He showed me that I must renounce each of my fears, one at a time, by name (some deep down and hidden) in the Name and thru the blood of Jesus. I am a child of the King! Those fears have no place in my heart, in my life. I am free thru His Blood and His Grace! This does not mean everything's gonna be easy-peasy; it's a battle! This Giant of Fear must be combated every day!  

Key verses that the Lord has given me:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, and of power and of a sound mind."

"Perfect love casts out fear."

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

"Let the peace of God rule in your heart."

I am not inferior. YOU are not inferior!

I am free from the law of sin and death. "Neither do I condemn thee" says Jesus; "Go and sin no more."  "Follow Me."

No fear. 

Are You Dissatisfied With Your Life?

Are you dissatisfied with your walk with Jesus?

Do you sometimes feel dead and empty inside?

Do you sometimes wonder what in the world God's purpose is for you? For your life? For right now?

Do you struggle with fear? Fear of people. Fear of failure. Fear of not doing the right thing. Fear of judgement. Fear of condemnation. Fear of- well, you search your heart and fill in the blank.

Does your heart cry out for reality?

Dear Jesus please, I want to always stay warm and soft, tender-hearted and pliable, never blocking feelings, never deadening myself to pain so I don't feel it, never blocking joy and love because it's too scary to let myself open up that much. I want to always be sensitive to the still, small voice of my Lord, the Holy Spirit inside of me. To truly walk in the Spirit. To not be ashamed or scared to truly feel. To truly grieve; to truly love and care.

We don't need more normal, caramelized (where did that word come from!?), fake-ified, lukewarm people; we need- the Lord needs- REAL people that are completely surrendered to His Spirit, filled with His Spirit, and are not afraid, not desensitized, not ashamed. Bold. Not perfect people, no siree; but all-the-way people, sold out to Jesus, loving Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength to the best of their ability. Loving people with complete abandon, with the heart of Jesus. Holding nothing back. Jesus' pure, unadulterated, unquenchable, abundant life and light piercing and pouring into the lives of others, impacting, making a difference.

It's not unreachable. It's not impossible. It's not!!

Mediocrity and Abundance?

Excerpt from the book "Kisses from Katie," Chapter 8, pg. 100-101:   

“You are to find me in the least of these.” Yes.

“You are to leave your earthly possessions and come follow me.” Yes.

 “You are to love and serve the Lord God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” Yes.

“You are to go and make disciples of all nations.” Yes.

“You are to entertain strangers and lepers and tax collectors.” Yes.

“You are to show mercy.” Yes.

“You are to live a life of mediocrity and abundance, holding on tight to your comfortable lifestyle, lest you lose it.” No. 

I don’t think so. “Mediocrity and abundance” aren’t there. However, mediocrity and abundance, comfort and ease, do seem to be safe choices for many people, myself included. In stark contrast, leaving our possessions, following Jesus when we don’t have a well-defined plan, and entertaining strangers ---well, that does sound a little scary. But what if, just beyond that risk, just beyond the fear is a life better than anything we have ever imagined: life to the fullest.