The Imperative Command: Fear Not

THE IMPERATIVE COMMAND FEAR NOT---

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

*Will you agree with this: The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith? The beginning of faith is the end of anxiety?

Ever ponder DRIFTING? You know about RIP TIDES? How did we get here? Years ago we sang a song: WE ARE DRIFTING TOO FAR FROM THE SHORE. I PONDER THIS DRIFTING? Is it possible to drift away and not even realize it? I read recently that 87% of Kentuckians are not in church on any given Sunday. That means only 13% attend. Of that 13% it is stated only 3% pay tithes? I don’t mean to be offensive, but at what point to we consider this Bible Belt to be drifting too far from the shore?

WE MUST ASK: DO WE HAVE FAITH? DO WE HAVE FAITH THAT GOD REALLY CARES ENOUGH TO HEAR OUR PRAYERS? WILL GOD RESPOND TO MY NEEDS?

WE HAVE AN ENEMY? HE IS A COMMON ENEMY… Often our enemy disguises himself. He is not a red, horned, pitchforked person. HE IS A SLICK WILLIE. One of our enemy’s goals is to destroy and shatter our FAITH. One of our enemy’s greatest goals is to get us in PANIC ATTACKS and ANXIETY BATTLES that will distort our minds to worry, fear, anger, bitterness, fret… THE QUESTION BOILS DOWN TO ONE SIMPLE TRUTH OR ONE DISTORTED FACT: WHOSE REPORT WILL YOU BELIEVE?

ALL THE ENEMY HAS TO DO IS TO GET YOU TO FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVE REPORT OF PEOPLE, MATERIAL THINGS OR OF OUR ENEMY. GOD SAYS: TRUST ME…

WHAT FEAR ARE YOU FIGHTING? ARE YOU FIGHTING FEAR? FEAR WILL UTTERLY DETROY FAITH.

Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

Job 3:25 (MSG) The worst of my fears has come true, what I've dreaded most has happened.

My second year in college God opened the door for Linda and I to find a small apartment for $35 a month. They were government apartments for low income families. It was a very rough neighborhood and there was crime all around us. Our little three room apartment was cozy and we had some very nice neighbors in our building. No one had air conditioning and it was so hot in the summer. So we left our windows open and we often had some strange things occurring late at night.

One night, Linda woke me up with the covers pulled over our heads. She whispered ever so quietly. There is a man in our bedroom. I was scared spit less. A man? Are you sure? Did you lock the door? I started earnestly praying. My blood pressure and heart rate was high. Please God, let the man leave. Linda peeked out of the covers again and said he is still there and he is big. I asked Linda to give me my glasses so I could see him? She said: NO! I am not going to get out of bed for him to grab me! I prayed again. I asked Linda: Where is the man? She said he is about 2 to 3 o’clock. We were under the covers praying and I asked God for the strength to defend my home. I kissed Linda just in case he were to kill me. I prayed the third time. I jumped with all I had. I grabbed him and I jerked him down to the floor. I was so surprised, there was little fight in him. I turned on the lights and I had jerked the curtains off the wall. The man was no more than the curtains blowing in the wind. It took me hours to go back to sleep. FEAR DOES STRANGE THINGS…

COME LET US UNDERSTAND IMPERATIVE COMMAND… AS IT RELATES TO FAITH OR FEAR. The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith? The beginning of faith is the end of anxiety?

* 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.

FEAR CAN COME FROM SEVERAL SOURCES.

Remembering something from the past, I call this THROW UP… The past can bury us…

Maybe something from the present that has made one bitter and or angry…