No Fear

Two weeks I've met surprisingly a large number of people who have had situations in their

life, I'm talking about physical and emotional and sometimes relational situations in their

life, just because of this thing called fear which happened to them either recently or

happened to them when they were younger. And it's surprising how long its effects last,

so felt that we talked about security last week and feel the need to address this whole

thing about fear and so I'm calling it no fear. And so John 16, 33, in that Jesus does

tell us that in the world there will be tribulation, but he also says be of good cheer for I have

overcome the world. So the fact that there will be turbulence in the world is not negative

thinking, Jesus had said it, he said there will be tribulation, but be of good cheer for

I have overcome the world. What happens with most of us is that we have a lot of people

who have been in this church for a while, and we know how to not panic for a while,

so our trust in God is there to a certain point. Most of us who have been in this church

and who have been Christians for a while, we know how to not panic for a while, but

it comes to a point and then we go back to panic prayers as if we really either don't

know God or don't think that he governs the world. We either think he doesn't govern

the world or we almost behave as if the same God we were trusting for about two days now

doesn't seem trustable. And we go into this fear mode. One of the things fear does guys

is fear makes your situation appear like a giant, fear makes your situation appear like

a giant, it makes you appear like a grasshopper and it makes God non-existent. Fear makes

your situation look like a giant, it makes you feel like a grasshopper and it makes God

seem non-existent. Throughout the Bible we see this and we have seen it in our own lives.

I am surprised at how I can stand for two days, three days, four days and when nothing

lets up in the situation I am facing, I am suddenly put back into a place where I start

going panicky. Once you go panicky and peace is abandoned, guys God gets so distorted.

And so it is a major stressor, fear is a major stressor and it creates anxiety and anxiety

it creates conflict and anxiety and conflict affect our bodies and affects our souls. Guys

it is very difficult this last 10 to 12 days watching what a toll fear is taking of people's

bodies, people's minds, people's emotions and people's relationships. Anne and I were

ministering to somebody, Heidi and I were ministering to somebody, different situations

but the amount of fear there is and it surrounds us, comes from different places. And the odd

thing is this is an ancient spirit and why do I call it an ancient spirit? Because it

was the second thing after the serpent that was spotted in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis

Genesis 3:10

chapter 3 verse 10 Adam actually says I heard your voice in the Garden and I was afraid

and I hid. Spirit is a fear, sorry fear is a spirit, fear is a spirit and it is an ancient

spirit. It has been around for very very long. This spirit has learnt its ropes right from

the beginning. It is an ancient spirit that first affected man in Genesis 3 10. You know

like an octopus, it has its ability to squirt that inky murky liquid, it brings confusion,

it distorts God's voice, it provokes dread or suspicion of God and it forces you to hide.

That's what happened to Adam. First it created confusion, he suddenly finds himself naked

as if he wasn't before, of course he was but it confuses him, he doesn't know what to do,

he needs to hide. Then it distorts God's voice. He wasn't afraid of God's voice, he had heard

it every day and then suddenly he says I heard your voice and I was afraid. It casts suspicion

on God and you begin to dread God. The real reason fear succeeds is because of a dread

of God. Fear wouldn't have ground if it wasn't for the fact that I am suspicious of God and

his intent towards me. That is the only reason fear has the foothold it has in the world.

That is the only reason fear has the foothold when it does in my life because I at that

point am not able to trust God and I suspect him of not being who he says he is. There

is a distrust that develops. Fear thrives because of the distrust of God. Finally it

makes me hide. Hide where? Hide behind other things that can help me deal with fear, not

God. We talked about this last week and we said that God promises us the essential of

security and what does security mean? We talked about it. We said security begins at this

place where we hide ourselves in the cleft of the rock. From there we move to the next

place which is resting in the storm and from there we move to the next place which is running

towards the giant. These were the three phases we talked about last week. That we first hide

in the cleft of the rock, then we rest in the storm and then we run towards the giant.

Three phases of coming from a place of fear to no fear. So let's talk about hiding in

the cleft. If you go to Psalm 71 verse 3, tons and tons and tons of scripture, I was

Psalms 71:3

finding it hard choosing a few. Psalm 71 verse 3, it says there and David is saying to God,

Psalms 71:3

Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go. Give the command to save me for your my

rock and my fortress. Lovely. Be my rock of refuge. He's telling God as if he knows

God is but this is a conversation between a child and his father and he's saying, God

will be my rock and refuge. I know you are but he says be my rock and refuge. And then

he says to which I can always go. He's saying the obvious but he's literally speaking to

himself. One of the things David used the Psalms for was to encourage himself. He knows

God is always and he knows God is rock and refuge but he says be my rock of refuge to

which I can always go. Then he says something so brilliant. He says give the command to

save me for you are my rock and my fortress. David knew that his safety lay in the promise

of the word of God. That's why he says give the command to save me. Once he knows what

God has said, David knows God can be trusted. This is the same guy who wrote Psalm 23. Go

to Psalm 32 verse 7. Most of us know it. Psalm 32 verse 7. Psalm 32 verse 7. And it says

Psalms 32:7 Psalms 32:7 Psalms 32:7

there you are my hiding place. You are my hiding place. We are talking about the cleft

in the rock. You are my hiding place. You will protect me from trouble and surround

me with songs of deliverance. You are my hiding place. You will protect me from trouble and

you will surround me with songs of deliverance. Again it's the same thing. Oh God this is

who you are. With your words you will keep me. Let's look at another one. Psalm 91 verse

Psalms 91:1

1. Most of us know that one too. He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall

abide under the shadow of the Almighty. He who dwells in the secret place of the most

high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. And then later on in verse 10 it tells you

what will happen if you do that. No plague shall befall you. No evil shall come near

your dwelling. Guys at the end of the day here's a statement you need to remember.

The first place, the first place you go in times of fear and trouble should be in the

heart, which is the cleft we are talking about, the heart of God. The first place that I should

go in fear and trouble must be the heart of God, must be the heart of God. I'll never

tire of reminding us of what it is to be a child to a father, what it is to be a much

loved child. Can you imagine the difference it will make to the tribulation that awaits

you during a day if you start like this? Where the first place I go when I am in times of

fear and trouble is to the heart of God. Because if I go to the heart of God, start my day

there, continue my day there, now you see why Psalm 91 kicks in. He that dwells in the

secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Find that

secret place, it's the heart of God. What do I mean by the heart of God? I'll explain

it when I read out this next line. Guys we always will have a choice. We will either

magnify the heart of God over us or we will magnify the situation currently over us. We

will always have a choice. We will either magnify the heart of God over us or we will

magnify the situation that is at present over us. This is always going to be a choice.

We will either magnify the heart of God over us or we will magnify the situation over us.

So what do we mean by heart of God? It is how God sees your situation and how God sees

you both. That's the heart of God. If you can't locate this, then it's a miserable

prayer life kind of a Christianity you'll have to lead. Yes, calling out, please help

me, please help me, please help me. This is how we live life. Once you locate this, it's

very different guys. Every day I have this choice. Magnify the situation over us. I will

magnify the situation I am in or magnify the heart of God over me. Any questions before

we go on? This is why it's so important to run to him in the morning or whenever you

wake up, if that's afternoon, then afternoon. Kamala and Ann wake up around noon. That's

why I thought I'll throw that out and most pastors do except this one. We run to him

and we discover his heart and in that when you start walking, you're already walking

in safety and then as turbulence comes, so much easier because you know the heart of

God over you. Guys, this is the word of God and I know that your situation may be horrendous

but I just want to tell you that regardless of how horrendous your situation is, what

God is saying and what God has towards you is greater than your horrendous situation.

When you find out God's heart towards you and towards the situation, you both get delivered

out of fear and you find solutions. Hear me again. You get delivered out of fear and you

find solutions. You know what to step out of and you know what to step into. You know

what to hold back. It's like that gambler song. You've got to know when to hold on,

know when to fold up, know when to walk away, know when to run. You never count your money.

When you're sitting at the table, there'll be time enough for counting. When the deal

is done, this must be a Christian church. You are not clapping and I sing the gambler.

The point being, guys, God gives you both the solution and deliverance from fear. Both.

If you know God's heart over you and over your situation. I'm not just satisfied with

being freed from fear. I want to know how to deal with this situation too because otherwise

I've got to do this again tomorrow. Both. These are such simple lines but it takes so

long to learn this, guys, because it can only be learned through practice. I'm still trying

to learn it. In the face of fear, guys, next time fear comes along, you've got this amazing

opportunity in the face of fear to say Hebrews 13.6, to say to fear what God said we must

say. Learn to say, I will not fear. The Lord is my helper at this very moment in my present

condition. Hebrews 13, verse 6. What can mortal man do to me? I will not fear at this very

Hebrews 13:6

moment in this present time the Lord is my helper. To say to fear, next time fear assails

you and I'm sure there'll be occasions when that happens. I will not fear. The Lord says

and so I say, I will not fear. The Lord is my helper at this very present moment in this

situation. Quote Hebrews 13.6. If Jesus used the word to combat spirits, may I suggest

that you use words to combat this ancient spirit. This is an ancient spirit. By calling

it an ancient spirit, I'm not trying to make it bigger than it is. I'm just trying to say

that it has plagued man for very, very long and it's learned the condition of sinful man

and knows how to play with us. Now let us use the word to change things. The next thing

is resting in the storm. If what we spoke about is hiding in the cleft, what does resting

in the storm look like? Do you guys want this fan up or up? Could the man in the cleft be

in the fan department to deal with that? Thanks. I don't know who the fan department was but

thank you Prashanth. You can talk to your other buddies in the fan department who didn't

move a muscle.

Oh, they're next door.

The next one is resting in the storm. One of the verses that comes to mind immediately

is, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

Again, it comes back to no fear guys. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow

of death, I'm fascinated at how every time I've heard someone quote this verse, they

always are trying to help magnify the valley of the shadow of death. Every time I've heard

this, oh you know it was like the valley of the shadow of death, that isn't the most

important part. But every time I've heard it, that's what everybody talks about. Even

though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. I mean that

must be restful where you're walking through the valley of the shadow of death and you

fear no evil. That's rest.

Remember, you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And the rod and the

staff was to defend and to pull back from danger. The rod was to chase away cougars

and leopards and no tigers there and to pull back sheep that were going astray.

This is the thing we haven't really learned as a church and most Christians haven't learned.

We are people who know how to call out to God when we are afraid. But we are not people

who know how to walk with no fear. I want us to come to a place where our condition

is I will fear no evil. I don't want us to be a people who call out to God every time

we are afraid. That's not mature. That is immature Christianity. We have to come to

a place where when you confront fear, surprisingly you may be afraid but you are not afraid.

We'll talk about that. Another scripture that comes to mind, Psalm 112 verse 7. I love this

Psalms 112:7

verse. I learned this verse 25 years ago and it shows in my life guys. Psalm 112 verse

Psalms 112:7

7 and 8. They will have no fear. Again that word, no fear. It's almost like this is a

strange bunch of people. They will have no fear. Why? They will have no fear of bad news.

They will have no fear of bad news. Why? Because their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the

Lord. Their hearts are secure. They will have no fear. In the end they will look in triumph

on their foes. One of the versions, I think it's a living translation says, they will

have no fear for they know that Jehovah takes care of them. This is what I'm inviting us

to become guys. To walk in a place of rest where it's not father I'm afraid and I'm calling

out to you but it is even though I'm walking through this and it is scary, I will have

no fear for I'm beginning to come into a place where I know you are with me. Is this possible?

Absolutely. Have I seen change in you in this area? Yes I have. Have I seen change in me?

Yes I have. I remember the first time I drove in the U.S. After driving in Canada this was

my first time across the border and I was heading to Portland. Man do those guys drive

fast and man do they have flyovers and these exits that come on you suddenly and if you

miss one you're in San Diego. I remember people honking thinking there goes another Canadian

with his driving skills. It was a little difficult but soon I got the hang of it. We get the

hang of it as we practice in real life situations. Thank God that you will have an opportunity

to try this because there's nobody here who won't have a situation in the next little

while that you can try this at. Have no fear. No fear. No fear. That's where we are heading.

And then there's a third stage. This is only the second stage. I remember God saying this

long ago. He said Jacob I will guard your life. This is my joyful privilege. If you

try to guard it yourself you unwittingly remove yourself from my deliverance. Jacob I will

guard your life. It's my joyful privilege. If you try to guard your life you unwittingly

remove yourself from my protection. Jacob I will guard your life. It's my joyful privilege.

When you try to guard your life yourself you unwittingly remove yourself from my protection.

I carried on my phone. Half the reason we control life is because we want everything

to be safe and protected. Control is an illusion. You cannot control anything. You don't control

anything. Tell me one thing you control. Give me one thing you control. Breathing. I got

news for you. Your children. Your cats? Absolutely not. Tell me one thing you control. You think

you've got some control over your spouse. That's an illusion. One thing you control.

Your own? Even that you can't. The only thing you really control guys is your will. It's

the only thing God has given you sovereign rule over. Only thing that you can control

is your will. The only thing that God does not rob or take away, hijack, overpower is

your will. Even your thoughts you don't control. Right now I'm controlling it. Or I think I

am. That's an illusion. You control nothing. So why not stop? Oh I'm preaching to myself.

See guys Jesus knew all this. That's why he slept in the storm. It's a perfect picture

of natural exhaustion and supernatural confidence. Jesus sleeping in the boat in the middle of

the storm is this perfect picture of natural exhaustion as in he was so tired. The Bible

says I was reading it over and over again and it actually says water was coming into

the boat. It didn't break his sleep man. He's getting wet and he's still sleeping. So he

must have been really really tired like some of you about five minutes into the sermon.

So it's a mix of natural exhaustion and supernatural confidence. But Jesus was so sure of this.

What was he sure of? That's what blows my mind eh. We'll talk about that. Let's talk

about it right now. Guys the essence of practical rest and faith is this. The essence of practical

faith and rest is this. Do I take my father's care seriously? The essence of practical faith

and rest is simply this. Do I take my father's care of me seriously? Therein lies practical

faith and practical rest. Everything else is theory. Do I really take or what I'm saying

is do I actually believe God's fatherly love and the love of God's son Jesus Christ? Do

I really care of me? Do I take it seriously? This is why a man can sleep in a boat. It's

both supernatural confidence and natural exhaustion. So your primary ministry every day, I've read

this line before I'm not sure where I got it from. Your primary ministry every day is

to let God touch you. Your primary ministry every day is to let God touch you so that

you can know him, rest in him and make him known in every circumstance. Your primary

ministry every day is to let God touch you so that you can know him, rest in him and

make him known in every circumstance. Some of these lines are the A to Z of Christianity.

Your primary ministry every day is to let God touch you so that you can know him more,

so that you can rest in him and so that you can know him more, so that you can rest in

him and so that you can make him known in every circumstance. So, so simple. So simple.

All it takes, guys, all it takes is one step towards and he comes running a hundred steps

back towards you to make him known in every circumstance. Take one step towards him and

he comes running a hundred steps back towards you to make him known in every circumstance.

Take one step towards him and he just comes running towards you. But the thing is tomorrow

morning will I? And will I with the heart of a child towards the father or will I with

the heart of a devotee towards his God? It just sucks. Every other religion has devotees

and God. We've got children and father. Starts there, guys. And here's the beautiful thing.

Jesus was in the boat. You saw how he behaved. The opportunity to be like Jesus is constantly,

instantly and immediately available to me every minute. Every minute of the day. Every

minute of the day. The opportunity to be like Jesus was when he walked the earth is constantly,

instantly and immediately available to me in the face of opposition, in the face of

mocking, in the face of being made small, in the face of low self-esteem, in the face

of threat, in the face of fear, in the face of sickness, in the face of danger, in the

face of inadequacy. Constantly, instantly, immediately. I have an opportunity to be

like Jesus in that situation always. I don't want to be a Christian. I don't want to be

like Jesus. Who wants to be a Christian? Find another church. Who wants to be like Jesus?

Who wants to be like Jesus? Stick around. We're not here to be Christians. Go ahead,

Tate. You want to be like Jesus, right? Good, man. I'm glad one guy raised his hand. Me

too. Let's look and see if there's anybody else. Oops, Tate. There are more, man.

Any questions before we go to the last bit? Any disagreements? Challenge me if this is

impractical. What sounds and practices in our lives do you listen to here? What are some

of the practices? Yeah. One of the things that's happened again over the last two weeks

is the number of people that I met with that went on mission trips with YVAM or the other

organizations. They're really great organizations who've done amazing work throughout the world.

But many of these went when they were 19, 20, 21 years old. They went to foreign countries

like India and other places. They went without either the moral muscle or the spiritual muscle.

They went and they were taken into places that were highly demonic, but we go with the

sign of Jesus' power over everything else. Jesus does, but do you know him that way?

They went into these places and they came back after the mission trip. Then for 10 to

15 years, they're completely undone, either because they've been ravaged emotionally

or mentally or physically. I've met six people in the last 10 days like this. All of them

are believers and all of them went on trips to places. You can't take a child into an

R rated movie and expect the child to come out okay. All I'm saying is, guys, we can't

play with things that bring fear and then expect to say no fear. You build yourself

in God, which is why I said our primary ministry is to be touched by God. To be touched by

God, James puts it very simple. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Simple.

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. That is your primary ministry. That you

get right, everything else begins to fall into place every day. Every day. Last one.

Run towards giants. Run towards giants. I think Graham Cook said this. You can only

run towards a giant if you know the outcome already. You can only run towards a giant

if you know the outcome already. You don't go running towards a giant if you don't know

the outcome. 1 Samuel 17 verse 48 and David ran towards Goliath and while he was running

1 Samuel 17:48

he started fishing in his bag for five stones. 1 Samuel 17 verse 48 and David ran towards

1 Samuel 17:48

a giant. And then in verse 46 you realize that the guy knew the outcome. Before running

towards the giant he is saying, oh by the way I just want to make a quick announcement.

Use uncircumcised Philistine. In a few minutes I will chop off your head and I also want

you to know before I chop off your head that I am going to chop off the heads of a few

of your friends too. And then he goes running towards Goliath. That is what it says in verse

46. I think it is a great insult that you uncircumcise Philistine. I think it is a great

insult. It has some strength to it. How many have read Tintin comics? Aren't Captain Haddock's

words sometimes just brilliant? Well if you haven't read Tintin. I must tell you this.

Many years ago when the movie came out I wanted to watch Tintin. But didn't know who to go

with. So finally I picked on the youngest guy I could find. And that just happened to be

Mr. Wayne Callahan. And so Wayne and I turned up for Tintin and this is a 3D movie. I think

he and I were the only ones there without kids. So all the other people were looking

at it strangely because there were two grown ups and the rest were all dads with their

kids. Yeah, they must have thought that. But the thing is Wayne doesn't look old enough.

That's a problem too. You can only run towards a giant if you know the outcome already. And

faith is the gift that enables you to see what God sees in the invisible. Faith is the

gift that enables you to see what God sees in the invisible. You can only run towards

a giant if you know the outcome and faith is the gift that allows you to see what God

sees in the invisible. These are not nice little cliches even though they sound like

it. But I'm talking about a place where we come to rest in the storm and now we have

the ability to see things the way God sees them and charge into Goliath's path without

being afraid because we know the outcome. When God has surely spoken, guys, and he said

something, be reckless immediately. Be reckless immediately. Totally unrestrained, willing

to risk everything. Once God has surely spoken, and I've underlined surely spoken in my notes

because sometimes you think he's spoken when he's not, once God has surely spoken, obey

recklessly immediately. Don't even think. If you think you're finished. If you think you're

finished, recklessly obey. Recklessly obey. If God has surely spoken, be reckless immediately.

Unrestrained, willing to risk everything. Once you recognize it's God, step out into

the recognition of him and you won't see how big Goliath is. Once you recognize that what

is being asked of you is God, then step out recognizing what and who God is and you won't

even see that Goliath, you won't even realize that Goliath is ten feet taller than you because

you recognize what God has said and you recognize who he is and you step out and you won't even

see how big Goliath is. Anything I've done in my life that has been beyond what I have

and who I am has only been a result of reckless immediate obedience because I was sure I heard

God and then the enormity of what I was going to do did not even come into my line of vision

and therefore I didn't have to spend time thinking about it. May I suggest that this

is not even a Christian thing? Then anything attempted in the world that is impossible

by any Christian, Hindu, Muslim, non-Christian, atheist, whatever has only been done because

of this. They have a sense, they recklessly step out. We don't even have a sense. We have

a God-given directive. If the world can step out just on a gut instinct, then we can step

out recklessly immediately, recognizing what they have to do. Then they no longer look

at the size of the mountain they have to climb. Much more so for us guys. You know we always

hear these sermons about dreaming big. That's the good part, the dreaming big, oh dream

big in the Lord, dream big in the Lord. That's fine. But then when you face reality, it's

so humongous, you go back to dreaming.

Recklessly immediately obey, recognize it. This is what Peter did. Look at what he does.

It's brilliant. Jesus if it's you, command me to come. Come. Recklessly immediately

started walking on water. And he does not see the water because he recognized the voice

and the person who called him. He does not see the storm. They couldn't row against

that storm. Peter was a fisherman. He was struggling. He was scared of what's going

to happen. He does not even see the storm and he begins to walk on water. This is how

God does mighty exploits to normal people. Running against Goliath is not running against

Satan. Running against Goliath is anything that prevents you from letting God be everything

he wants to be through you. Let me say that again. Running against Goliath is preventing

God from being everything he wants to be through you. It's not about you really. And I dare

this question at Acts 29. I want to dare this question at Acts 29 every few months. What

is it in your life that you're presently doing that you would not be able to do if God wasn't

there? What is it in your life that you're presently doing that's way beyond your present

ability, capacity, talent level, education, pay scale? What are you doing in your life

at present that is risky, that requires faith, that is impossible?

This is the people we are going to become, guys. You don't want to be anything less.

Why would you settle for anything less? Why would I settle for anything less? This has

nothing to do with what you do. You can be retired or pastor, both are the same, or you

can be a nurse or a student or homemaker or wife or mom. You can be anything. Nothing

stops what I'm saying from happening. Teacher with report cards too to do, still doesn't

change anything.

I love this next line. I don't get the hang of it fully, but I know it's true. So obviously

it's not my line. You can feel fear and not be afraid because Jesus said, fear not, I

am with you. You can feel fear and not be afraid. Our bodies will feel fear. We have

a fight or flight mechanism built into our bodies. So you can feel fear but not be afraid.

As in, but after that, hey, if you see a cougar come out of the woods while the shepherd is

leading the sheep and you're the sheep, you think you won't be afraid. Kids get scared.

But immediately after that, I mean, Gillian just shook in a booth. But at the end of the

day, gosh, that will sound so odd on the tape, eh, in the between. That will too.

The point is, guys, you can feel fear and not be afraid because he said, fear not, I

am with you. I want to learn this, guys. I want to learn this. This is how Jesus lived.

The opportunity to be like Jesus is instantly, constantly, immediately available to us. You

can feel fear and not be afraid because you hear Jesus saying, do not fear, for I am with

you. So plan to lose fear as a lifestyle. Guys, the number of diseases, the number of

diseases that are related to fear, anxiety and conflict runs into 240 pages in a book

that I have. Pardon? Not everything in the book is good, so I won't give the name. But

240 pages of fear-related diseases written by a guy who has a very long history of fear

medical background. Fear, anxiety and conflict. So if I am afraid four times a day, I am afraid

about 1500 to 1600 times a year. And if you live 35 years like I have, that's a whole

lot of fear, man. So, I am afraid of fear. I am afraid of fear. I am afraid of fear.

Just silence in the peanut gallery. Guys, some of the things that you and I are going

through in terms of physical ailments and emotional upheaval will begin to die a quiet

death. And you won't even notice that it has disappeared. You will think, oh shucks, it's

been a while. May I suggest to you something else? The more I control something, the more

I will be afraid of losing control. Control sets perfect soil to cultivate fear. Because

the more I control something, the more people and the spirit realm will try to disturb the

controlling. And the more that happens, the more afraid I will get because the more I

will have to gather in the sheaves and keep them safe. Lose fear as a lifestyle. Lose

fear as a lifestyle. Lose fear as a lifestyle. One of the ways that fear captivates us is

this simple progression. Fear tries to have you focus or pay attention to a certain thing,

certain event, certain circumstance, certain ailment. Once you start paying attention

to it, your affections or your emotions are drawn towards it. Affections are not falling

in love with it. It's affections as in your emotions, your feelings, your thinking is

now involved in it because it's gotten your attention. Once your affections are taken

captive or are drawn towards it, it is natural for you to follow now that direction of fear.

It's very natural.

Don't try this at home. But if you actually spent a whole day just listening to the disclaimer

after any medicine is sold on TV, by tomorrow evening you will think you have multiple diseases.

You will think you have multiple diseases. But we think we can handle it. So we let it

come in through our ear gates and our eye gates. And the next time you eat and you find

that your elbow isn't lifting off the table, you think, I got elbow fasciitis or whatever.

If that disease hasn't been invented yet, you'll hear about it tomorrow. You have no

idea how potent our ear gates and our eye gates are. You have no idea how potent it

is. I don't take the ears and the eyes for granted. I protect them like crazy. I'll

refuse to listen to that which poisons my mind with a worldview that is different from

the one that God prescribes. Why do I need extra battles? I got enough without them.

I don't need to fight for my own life. I don't need to fight for my own life. I don't need

to fight for my own life. Why do I need extra battles? I got enough without them. These

are the ways we win, guys. These are the ways we win. So that God can be all he wants to

be through us. Lose fear as a lifestyle. Otherwise circumstances will get into us. So we have

to get inflated beyond actual proportions. Circumstances will get inflated beyond actual

proportions. Circumstances will get inflated. I'm going to share something with you which

will be slightly gory. Perhaps it's a good idea. Happened some time ago in this church.

I don't know why. I have an idea. I have a vague idea but I won't even go into this.

I was leading worship here and then preaching. Suddenly I knew that something was wrong in

my stomach. My stomach wasn't hurting or anything. This might really sound gory but too bad.

I'm just trying to convey a point. I knew that my pants were full of blood. I'm standing

here and I'm thinking to myself, what's going to happen next? What do I do next? I've just

led worship. I know what I'm preaching. I know who God is but I also know that my pants are

full of blood. I'm thinking to myself, well, keep preaching because you know God knows

how to take care of these things. The only thing I decided is I'll stand still because

I didn't want to freak you guys out. I stood still, finished preaching. People came up

for prayer, prayed for people here. Not for a moment did I think that God would not take

care of it because I know what God says. I don't care what the world says. After all

of it is done, I went home. I had to throw away my clothes because they were so caked

with blood that they could not be washed. Then the next day I didn't even check to

see or look to see whether I had the problem or not because it did not matter. Once you

know who God is, then what does it matter? Why should I feed my imagination and Google

what this means? Why? Why? Praise God. Never had that problem again. So my dear friends,

it depends on what we feed ourselves. I haven't shared that because, partly because it was

a gory incident, but I think this is the right time to share it because guys we've got to

learn how to protect our ear gates and our eye gates because those are the pathways to

our mind. If I was able to walk like that, it is only because of years of protecting

the ear gate and the eye gate and not falling for what the world will tell me is wrong with

me and what God cannot do and can do. I refuse to live by the standards and the ways of the

world because the kingdom that I cannot be shaken out of has a completely different

system of operation. We live under a king who is completely different. Completely different

If you are not careful with these things, then what happens is our circumstances get

inflated and when our circumstances get inflated, then you will think a certain way and your

thinking will always take you somewhere. Your thinking will always take you somewhere. Circumstances

get inflated beyond actual proportions and your thinking will always lead you somewhere.

Fear happens because my thinking now leads me somewhere. My thinking leads me to a place

that God did not creatively imagine for me that I imagined based on the input from around

me. Your thinking will always lead you somewhere. Let me finish. Find out quickly guys when

fear assails you. Find out quickly. Once you find out, quickly agree with God. Quickly

agree with God. What are you agreeing with God? Aha! I see how you see me and I see how

you see the situation. I see how you see me and I see how you see the situation. Quickly

agree with God. Once you do that, you will bring yourself into alignment with some kind

of an encounter that God will bring about that will change your situation. If not in

a day, then in two days. If not in two days, then in three days. If not in three days,

then in four days. Tell me when to stop. If not in four days, then in five days. If not

in five days, then in six days. If not in six days? If not in six days, then in six

days. Okay. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to stop now and I'm going

to ask that we repent of fear in our lives. Different areas of fears we have. All of us

here. I've got stuff to repent of. Repent of fear in our lives. Some will be instances

we are or incidents that keep recurring. Repent of fear in your life. So that's the

first thing. And then we'll repent generally of fear. After that, we'll turn and trust

the Father. We'll turn and trust the Father's love. We'll turn and trust the Father's love.

After that, we'll cast out this fear. Cast out the fear. After that, we'll bring our

body and our soul to God and say, could you heal us and deliver us from the cast of fear

that the world and the enemy and I myself have put on me. And after that, we can go

home. Okay? So it's a five-step process to going home. So first, take time to repent

of fear. Repent of fear. What does that mean? Father, I've taught that fear is a natural

part of human life and I repent of it because everything it represents is against you. It

basically distorts your voice, casts suspicion on you, dreads you, hides from you and I refuse

to be part of it. So repent of it. No music, no nothing.

Repent of control if control is leading to fear.

I want our primary ministry to be that of being touched by you so that we may know you,

so that we may rest in you in every circumstance and so that we may show you, Father, through

every circumstance to make you known. Ah, how the world will marvel. They saw Jesus

sleeping and they marveled at him. How can you do this? I want people to marvel at you

because of your presence in my life. And now having submitted to you, Father, we want to

cast out fear. And so it will require maybe a whispering, maybe an audible speaking because

fear is a spirit, fear is a condition and we will need to cast it out as in when there's

something stuck in my throat, I've got to spit it out. I've got to spit it out. And

it's in the same way. I can't spit it out without opening my mouth. I'll only swallow

it. Ha, spit it out, Father. And so I just pray that audibly in whispers or as loud as

people want to be willing to, I just pray that you would help us now say to the spirit

of fear and to every condition of fear that I do not have any part in you. I have submitted

to God and I have resisted and repented fear. And now I say to you, spirit of fear, I cast

you out of my thinking, my body, my emotions. I just command you to leave. I'm free from

you. For I have opportunities now to be instantly, constantly and immediately present before

God and be like God. So Father, we're going to do that now. I declare this upon this church

and the people here that in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God who said,

do not fear for I am with you. I command the spirit of fear to leave us. I drive you out

of our lives and out of this church as a body in the name of the head of this body, Jesus

the Christ. I command these spirits of fear and control out of our lives in Jesus Christ's

name. Amen. Amen. And finally guys, bring your bodies and your thinking and your soul

to the Lord and say, oh God, now begin, would you heal my thinking? Would you heal my emotions?

Would you heal my body? Made me free from, now that it's free from fear, would you begin

to heal it? I've taken away the reason. Now would you, now that the root has been removed,

would you, would you heal this body? Let's just pray that. Let's just pray that. Let's

just pray that. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord. Thank you Abba. I just thank you Father.

Thank you Holy Spirit. Thank you for the healing of my body, the healing of my emotions, the

healing of my mind. I won't be responsive to fear like I have been in the past. Thank

you for healing bodies across this room. Healing bodies across this room. Many ailments of

the stomach, of the blood, anything that has been a result of anxiety and conflict and

fear, any fogginess of the mind that prevents us from making decisions that paralyzes us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, would you begin to heal? Please, would you

heal your body? Would you heal your body Jesus? Would you heal your body Jesus? We are your

body. Would you heal your body Jesus? We are your body. Would you heal your body? Would

you bring health now? Would you bring health now? In Jesus Christ's name. In Jesus' name.

Guys, would you just indulge and sing the Lord is my light before we leave? Yeah? Marcus,

you want to come up? I'll only sing it once so don't worry. I won't do it eight times.

Ryan, could you do the needful? Matt, can you just turn the projector on?

I think it's Psalm 27. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Is it? The Lord is the

strength of my life. One second.

The Lord is my light, he's my salvation. The Lord is the strength of my life. The Lord

is my light, he's my salvation. The Lord is the strength of my life. The Lord is my life,

he's my salvation. The Lord is the strength of my life. So I will not be afraid. No, I

will not be afraid. So I will not be. So I will not be afraid. No, I will not be afraid

because the Lord is my light. The Lord is my light. The Lord is my light in the darkest

tower. In the darkest tower he will hide me. In the darkest tower he will hide me. In the

darkest tower he will hide me. In the darkest tower he will hide me. In the darkest tower

he will hide me. The Lord is my light, he's my salvation. The Lord is the strength of

my life. The Lord isお願い. The Lord is my life, he's my salvation. The Lord is the

strength of my life. The Lord is my light. The Lord is my light in the darkest tower.

The Lord is the strength of my life. The Lord is my light in the darkest tower. In the

Because the Lord is my life, the Lord is my life, the Lord is my life

Amen

Show yourself this week how you can live this way

Yeah?

Bless you guys

Amen