FEAR: GOING THE WRONG WAY
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (2 parts)
TEXT: Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
OFTEN LIFE BECOMES CRUEL AND HARD… YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN, THEN YOU GET UP AND TRY AGAIN. AFTER YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN ENOUGH YOU MAY DEVELOP THE TENDANCY TO JUST STAY DOWN? LIFE STEALS OUR DREAMS? THIS IS SO SAD… BUT THE REAL SAD STORY IS WHEN LIFE KILLS OUR DREAMING ABILITY.
Fear leads us down paths that can become a trap and doom us. I do believe FEAR can become GENERATIONAL, and be passed down through time. Fear will become a dominate controlling force. Where fear thrives we will become paralyzed and stay the same.
CAN YOU SAY: I HAVE A DREAM? As long as we have HOPE and a DREAM we will press forward… WE HAVE TO HOPE WHEN EVERYTHING SEEMS HOPELESS. FEAR ABSOLUTELY KILLS HOPE. It becomes our duty to keep the dream alive and growing. One of the greatest issues we face is 3
WHEN YOU GET ALL TURNED AROUND IT MIGHT BE EASY TO GO THE WRONG WAY…
God’s word gives us a clear imperative command: HAVE FAITH IN GOD. Have you ever heard of a football player getting hit so hard that he becomes so confused?
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
There was a man named Douglas Corrigan born Jan.22, 1906 from Texas. In 1938, he was 31, this young man loved airplanes. He was a pilot nicknamed WRONG WAY DOUGLAS CORRIGAN. He had two chocolate bars, two boxes of fig bars, a quart of water and U.S. map. Wrong Way desired to be the first man to fly non-stop from New York to Dublin, Ireland. He could not get permission to fly. He said: Columbus took a chance, so why not me?
So Wrong Way made all the preparations to fly across the ocean, but he was not allowed the permit. So early one morning Wrong Way Corrigan decided to fly to California non-stop. He took off in the fog. The fuel was so heavy he could only fly about 50 feet above the surface. He flew 29 hours headed to California, he saw the ocean? A small fishing boat told him he was near land. H landed in Ireland? How could this have happened? Wrong Way told all the authorities that his compass had broken and there was a gas leak in one of his tanks. He also explained about the thick fog. So instead of landing in California he landed in Ireland near London. He was lost for 29 hours?
Later they placed his airplane on a ship named MANHATTAN and Wrong Way suspended pilot’s license were restore upon returning to the USA. Wrong Way Corrigan was a famous hero? His name became WRONG WAY DOUGLAS CORRIGAN.
51 YEARS LATER, in the late 1980’s Wrong Way Corrigan told the real story. He admitted that the Federal authorities would not grant him the permit to fly east, so he pretended to fly west and that his whole life he was known as Wrong Way Corrigan for flying to Ireland not California, he had really made the FAMOUS MISTAKE INTENTIONALLY. He died December 9, 1995 at 88.
Isaiah 41:10 (MSG) Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
FEAR CAN BRING TORMENT AND BECOME CRIPPLING AND THEN BRING US TO BE EMOTIONALLY, MENTALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY PARALYZE!
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18 (MSG) There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.
I do not like the AMPLIFIED BIBLE for reading, but it is great for studying and bringing a clearer picture of the study.
1 John 4:18 (AMP) There is no fear in love (dread does not exist), but full grown( complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of torment (punishment) and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (it is not grown into love’s complete perfection.)
Fear has torment, terror, or dread. Fear comes out of the word PHOBIA. We can handle our PHOBIA’S several ways. 1. We can IGNORE or DENY 2. We can develop a RUN AWAY SPIRIT, some call this FLIGHT. 3. Another way to handle fear is FIGHT, stand your ground. 4. Still another way to handle fear is to TRUST GOD. There is a simple imperative command in God’s word.
We have studied imperative commands. An IMPERATIVE COMMAND is easily identified in structure. Often in a command the subject of the sentence is absent. WE CALL THIS “YOU UNDERSTOOD.” As we hear the imperative command we identify in our mind that we are the subject of the sentence.
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Imperative commands are often used to give a command, or instruction, to make a request or offer advice. They are considered DIRECTIVES because they provide directions to whoever is being addressed.
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT? WHERE DOES FEAR ORIGINATE? FEAR CAN COME FROM SEVERAL SOURCES.
Remembering something from the past, I call this THROW UP… Remember the dark past can bury people.
Maybe something from the present that has made one bitter and or angry. Or maybe one is worried over something in the future…. Do we realize fear can come from all three sources, past, present and the future…?
LIFE IS ABOUT FOCUS? WHERE IS YOUR VISION? Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed…
HAVE WE EVER COMPROMISED OR DILUTED WHAT GOD DESIRED FOR US BECAUSE THE MEAN, CRUEL ENEMY OF FEAR AND DREAD? Fear is one of the greatest spiritual pitfalls a human can face. Fear’s goal is to get you to settle for less than God has planned for you.
Do we focus on fear or do we focus on the plan of God and trust Him completely? Goliath was a mighty big champion. David was small in comparison to the Giant. Fear gripped the camp of God’s men. Any one of the soldiers could have taken Goliath’s head off… Fear made the men go into their tents and cry themselves to sleep. Along comes a lad carrying cheese and bread and he had not heard all the NEGATIVE MESSAGES that had breed fear. Twice a day for 40 days the GIANT’S MESSAGE RELEASED FEAR IN GOD’S CAMP. Arise little David, see how big God is… not how big the giant made himself to be. QUIT ALLOWING FEAR TO LIVE IN YOUR BRAIN RENT FREE.
FEAR WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AND FREQUENT TRAITS OF THE LAST DAYS BEFORE JESUS’ RETURN.
Are we prepared to face the GIANTS OF DREAD AND FEAR? You might as well buckle your belt and get ready to FACE THE TOOLS OF OUR ENEMY. Fear and depression our first cousins. We better be ready and expect the TESTING SEASONS OF FEAR. Luke 21:26 (AMP) Men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for the (very) powers of heaven will be shaken and caused to totter.
FEAR IS A BY-PRODUCT OF THE LACK OF TRUST, REPENTANCE, CORRECTION, AND CONSTANT BLAME…. Why would a person hid from God? Do you think God knew where Adam and Eve was? Instead of repentance the first couple found it easier to “RUN AWAY” AND HID. Fear has several options: DENY FEAR? RUN AWAY (FLIGHT) OR STAND AND FIGHT.
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Adam and Eve were guilty of disobedience to God. There is not record of sorrow, shame, or repentance. As a matter of fact Adam blamed Eve and turned the situation to the point that Adam blamed God? THAT WOMAN THAT YOU GAVE ME… Then EVE shows no godly sorrow and no confession to wrong, she BLAMES THE ENEMY? The SERPENT TRICKED ME. He was subtle. He caught me away from my husband and in the moment of being alone ---
SO FEAR IS BIRTH BY BAD ATTITUDES AND NO CORRECTION AND NO SELF EVALUATION. Adam and Eve should have had a discussion about what they did and said we were wrong and we will confess to the Father when he visits today? BUT SIN BROUGHT FEAR. God’s very nature is LOVE and FORGIVENESS.
THE CHOICE OF DENYING THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTION ESTABLISHED A STRONGHOLD OF FEAR THAT WILL FOLLOW DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS OF HISTORY AND ESTABLISH A SPIRIT OF GRIEF, WANT, WOE… JUST LOOK AT THE FACES OF A LOST AND DYING HUMMANITY, WHERE FEAR HAS THE DOMAIN.
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.
Luke 21:26 (MSG) in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.
Luke 21:26 (AMP) Men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for the (very) powers of heaven will be shaken and caused to totter.
GOD SAYS TRUST ME --- I HAVE THIS COVERED. NOTHING CATCHES GOD BY SURPRISE. A GOOD LEADER IS AWARE OF HIS PEOPLE, BUT MORE THAN LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE… A GOOD LEADER HEARS FROM GOD AND TRIES HIS BEST TO PREPARE THE PEOPLE… THE BATTLE OF FEAR IS BEFORE US. Deuteronomy 1:27 (MSG) 27 You complained in your tents: "GOD hates us. He hauled us out of Egypt in order to dump us among the Amorites—a death sentence for sure! 28 How can we go up? We're trapped in a dead end. Our brothers took all the wind out of our sails, telling us, 'The people are bigger and stronger than we are; their cities are huge, their defenses massive—we even saw Anakite giants there!' " 29 I tried to relieve your fears: "Don't be terrified of them. 30 GOD, your God, is leading the way; he's fighting for you. You saw with your own eyes what he did for you in Egypt; 31 you saw what he did in the wilderness, how GOD, your God, carried you as a father carries his child, carried you the whole way until you arrived here.
MOSES WAS CALLED OF GOD TO LEAD THE PEOPLE… Moses knew DREAD-FEAR was a terrifying enemy of God’s plan. Seems it took 40 years to GET EGYPT OUT OF THE HEARTS OF GOD’S PEOPLE.
Deuteronomy 1:29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them… FEAR IS A VERY COMMON EMOTION THAT ALL HUMANS FACE. I ONCE READ I HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR, BUT FEAR ITSELF….
** Fear can make no sense and be totally irrational. Fear can become very real and threating to one that perceives the danger of fear. Today we hear of anxiety, panic, and phobia attacks. They are real to those that experience them. * There are healthy fears and then there are fears that will bring great harm. *Fear can grow and take dominance of a person. *FEAR IS CONTAGIOUS, fears can be passed on from generation to generation. *Many fears are persistent and grow in intensity and duration. *The next thing you know fear has grown to become excessive and habitual. *Once fear has taken roots it becomes very hard to avoid and lay down
** PUT ALL THESE FEARS ON A SLIDE: Ablutophobia= fear of taking a bath or shower. Acrophobia= fear of heights. Agoraphobia= fear of large crowds. ALEKTOROPHOBIA= fear of chickens. Arachnophobia= fear of spiders. AQUAPHOBIA= FEAR OF WATER. AUTOPHOBIA= THE FEAR OF BEING ALONE. BATRACHOPHOBIA= fear of frogs. CANCERPHOBIA= fear of cancer. CARDIOPHOBIA= fear of heart attacks. CLAUSTROPHOBIA= the fear of small, tight places. COULROPHOBIA= fear of clowns. Cyberphobia= fear of surveillance, fear of computers and technology. Cynophobia= fear of dogs. Dentophobia= fear of dentist. ECCLESIOPHOBIA= fear of churches. Glossophobia= fear of public speaking Geohyriphobia= fear of bridges. Hemophobia= fear of seeing blood. Nomophobia= fear of going without technology, cell phone, etc. Fear of not being able to get a signal. Nyctophobia= fear of darkness. Ornothophobia = fear of birds. Pentherphobis= FEAR OF MOTHER-IN-LAW. Pyrophobia= fear of fire. Somniphobia= fear of sleep. THANATOPHOBIA= FEAR OF DEATH. Turophobia= fear of cheese. ACCEPT GOD’S VISION FOR HIS PEOPLE: FEAR NOT! God gives ABRAHAM A VISION, THE VISION IS CLEAR… FEAR NOT! THERE IS NO REASON TO FEAR! There is a power greater with you than the power that you face. Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. God is saying to His servant: There is no reason to fear: I AM YOUR PROTECTION. GOD KNOWS THE ENEMY. GOD KNOWS THE TACTICS AND THAT THE ENEMY USES FEAR TO KILL OUR HOPES. WHEN OUR HOPES ARE KILLED WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE LIMITED VICTORIES. Genesis 26:24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.
CONCLUSION: Today we face the big giants of fear and dread. We seem to dilute God’s Word and His promises as we face huge obstacles. The world seems to be in a process of decay, physical, spiritual and moral decay. We must trust God’s plan. See beyond the reach of your hands. Can God? Vs God can! Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.comp
I want to thank you for reading my work. I invest hours in these lessons. My work is in vain without readers. Thank you! Could you enlarge my hands and pass my work to others? (2 Part)
