This study is about fear.
It is an important subject because of its prevalence in most of mankind on one level or the other.

Parents have used fear to keep children out of the street. The media have used fear to sensationalize stories. Well-intentioned preachers have even used fear to save the lost. Man has been constantly bombarded by fear to the point that many find the adrenaline rush from fear to be enjoyable. The entertainment industry uses this kind of fear in making horror movies and in designing amusement park rides. Our earliest science classes in school taught that fear was a good and natural thing developed in man for his survival. In today's world, fears and phobias keep hundreds of thousands of psychiatrists and therapists in full time employment.

But over 60 times the Bible, says "fear not." What are we to think?
I believe fear -- to be the biggest deception the devil has ever foisted upon mankind.

Lets look at fear from a scriptural perspective.

Rev 21:7-8 He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 
(Note what is first on the following list) --
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Rom 14:23… whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Psa 118:6The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Isa 54:14-15 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

Heb 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

In order to fully comprehend what fear really is and how it works, we must first have some knowledge of what faith is and how it works.
Why? Because fear is the reciprocal of faith. A reciprocal is something that operates in a corresponding manner but is reversed or inverted.

Real Bible faith is believing what the Word of God says, (it's promises and statements of fact), so much, that you are willing to "step out" and act upon it. Now this pre-supposes that you believe in God and Jesus, that you believe that the Bible is the written Word of God and that you believe that the Bible is true. Therefor, real Bible faith is always and only based upon the promises and statements of fact of the Bible.

Faith is a spiritual force.
Faith is a creative power.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Faith is now.
Faith comes by hearing.
Faith must be received - before it can enter the heart (and stop fear).
Faith without action is dead faith.
Faith is applied by speaking words of faith.
Faith is applied by speaking of things that are not as though they were.
Faith acted upon produces the law of the Spirit of Life.

Heb 11:1-6 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him (God).

God is the creator. Satan cannot create anything. All Satan can do is to copy and twist (or pervert, or corrupt), that which God has created. And that is precisely what fear is -- a perverted or 180° twisted copy of faith. Fear is the reciprocal of faith. There are many more of these reciprocals, but right now we want to concentrate on fear.

So then, if faith is believing what the Word of God says, so much, that you are willing to "step out" and act upon it, and fear is it's reciprocal, then fear is believing what the devil or the world says, so much, that you are willing to "step out" and act upon it.

Mark 4:37-41 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he (Jesus) was in the stern of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awoke him, and said to him, Master, don't you care that we perish? And he got up, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace (be still), be still (be muzzled). And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are you so fearful(or faithless)? How is it that you have no faith? And [now] they feared [Jesus] exceedingly (even more than the storm and the sea), and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Mat 14:30-31 But when he (Peter) saw the mighty wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little (puny or nonexistent) faith, why did you doubt?

2 Tim 1:7 For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.

Luke 21:26… Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Prov 4:20-23 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Luke 1:74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear.

Rom 8:15 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.

2 Tim 1:6-7 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Gal 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Isa 54:14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

Mat 6:24-31 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

1 Pet 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.

Heb 2:14-15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Rom 8:15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Gal 3:13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree:

Deu 28:65-66 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:

1 John 4:16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

1 John 3:2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Luke 12:32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

John 17:23I in them, and You in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them, as you have loved me.

Psa 118:6The LORD is on my side; I will not fear:(what can man do unto me?)

Each day sounds and images flood into our mind from all that we hear and see.Even though we do not listen or look for darkness, it can still get into our mind. Our mind is also a filtering mechanism with which we are supposed to be filtering out all of the darkness that gets in to it.

We either:

A.Choose to cast it out - (in the name of Jesus), or
B.Choose to receive it into our hearts.

As long as Satan remains an outlaw at large to sow seeds of fear on this earth, fear will find it's way into your mind. So we may not have a choice of whether or not fear enters our mind, but we DO have the choice to cast it out or receive it into our heart.

We DO have the choice to act on it or not act on it.

But because fear is the reciprocal of faith, and because fear cannot exist in the presence of faith, it just makes sense, to continually walk in faith, talk in faith, eat, drink and sleep in faith -- according to the promises of God.

And, If we do, fear doesn't have a chance!

REFUSE to FEAR!

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