This is part one of a two-part series

They’re selling it daily in immeasurable doses. Its seductive tactics have driven an entire society into a panic. It’s the big bad wolf outside about to blow your house down and run off with your wife and children – fear.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour – 1 Peter 5:8

If the enemy of your soul can attack you with fear, he can run roughshod over everything in your life. That verse says like a lion; it does not say that he is a lion. Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and He’s living in you if you’re born again. So why are so many Christians living in fear along with the world? They lack what I believe is fear’s worst enemy. I found it by meditating on the following two verses:

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.

 – I John 4:18

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

–       2 Timothy 1:7

I know what you’re thinking. Love, right? Take a closer look. John uses the adjective perfect to describe the love that casts out fear. And Paul said that a sound mind and power accompany the spirit of love that God has given us. In my own quest to conquer fear, I read these verses again and again. I kept asking, “How does love overcome fear?”

Then, I discovered that unbelief is at the root of all fear. What if this? What if that? How are we ever going to get out of this situation? But the doctor said such and such. That is where the tormenting worry comes from. It was that which lead me to fear’s worst enemy—trust. More specifically, trust in God.

From the verses above, it would seem that love is fears worst enemy. There are scores of people who would say they love God, yet they are full of fear. Take a closer look. Perfect love casts out fear because it is founded on trust in God, His Word and His ability to make that Word good. The spirit of power, love and a sound mind can only be activated and properly used if we trust what God said about those three things. Do I believe I have power to tread on all the power of the enemy, that love never fails and that I have the mind of Christ? It’s all about trust.

How could David go against Goliath with no previous combat experience and five rocks? How could he say that because of the victory he was about to obtain, “The whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.”? Complete trust in his God. If Americans were more like David and really believed the statement printed on our money, this country would be the head and not the tail financially.

Yes, I am saying that people who live in fear don’t really trust God. Here’s a practical example. My husband and I have been married more than twelve years. I love him perfectly because I trust him. You see my love for him is perfect as a result of him never giving me a reason to mistrust him. If he had in some way broken my trust, I would still love him; however, there would now be fear in my heart and my love would no longer be perfect. I would always have the doubt and worry that he might be unfaithful or gamble away his paycheck.

Has God ever lied to you while campaigning for your vote? Spent your mortgage at a topless bar? Did He tell everyone He knew all of your personal business? Then why don’t you trust him? How do you feel when you come to the realization that someone you love doesn’t trust you? It hurts doesn’t it? Let’s look at what Jesus said in Matthew 22:36-38 when asked about the greatest commandment.

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This is huge. How can you love someone you’ve never seen with all your heart, soul and mind? Trust. The Law and the prophets hang on these commandments because they trust in God — the One who gave them.

And finally, I got it. It was actually while reading a Norman Vincent Peale book (one of the authors who changed my life). It fit perfectly with the verses I already had. This reference was used to deal with a case of intense fear and worry. Isaiah 26:3-4 is posted on my refrigerator right now.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength…

Now compare these verses with 2 Timothy 1:7 and 1 John 4:18. They create a fear-busting bomb! My mind is sound because I keep it on Him. He gives me everlasting strength and power. I have perfect love and perfect peace because I trust in God. Fear runs screaming out the door when he hears you speak those words with the authority of the Lion of the tribe of Judah!

Trust is fear’s worst enemy. Show God how much you love him by trusting in His Word—not in money, the government or the media. He said that those who trust in Him will never be put to shame (Romans 10:11). So let them sell their fear; but treat it like any tangible thing the enemy has to offer—alcohol, drugs, pornography—don’t buy it! The Word has more than six thousand promises for you. Don’t be stifled by fear another moment. Trust in God, eradicate fear and prosper in every area of your life!

In part two of this series, I’ll tell you about the fear that fuels your faith.

Be blessed friends and have the perfect day everyday!

–Shontta

Psalm 138:8

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…

—Hosea 4:6

It’s an inaccurate cliché—ignorance is bliss. Hosea specifically states that a lack of knowledge can actually destroy you. Ignorance is a blessing blocker. And even though they are often used interchangeably, ignorance and stupidity are not synonyms. Stupidity means lacking in intelligence, foolish or idiotic. In contrast, ignorance is the state of being uninformed, uneducated or unaware—without knowledge. It’s like the difference between a restroom and a bathroom. They have some similar traits, but they are not the same. A person can actually act in ignorance and stupidity simultaneously. The trust be told, most stupid people aren’t ignorant at all (that’s another article). But what you don’t know can hurt you, leave you in financial ruins and cause you to miss out on God’s best for your life.

If you’ve been walking in a state of ignorance, you are vulnerable. A lack of knowledge causes you to be easily led astray. And, ignorance doesn’t give you a free pass. Let me give you an example. Being ignorant of the law is no excuse for breaking it. If you are pulled over and given a citation for driving 40 mph in a 30 mph zone, you can’t use the excuse that you didn’t know what the speed limit was to evade the ticket. It’s similar to saying, “Lord I didn’t know I was supposed to tithe. Can’t you just bless my finances anyway?” No. Your ignorance had placed you under the curse.

The first place a Christian should go for knowledge is the Word of God. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” According to this verse, it’s the foolish (or stupid) person who despises wisdom, not the ignorant. Jesus said that the truth would set us free. And, Paul told Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto God….” Paul also started phrases this way on more than one occasion, “Brothers, I would not have you ignorant….” Our greatest weapon against the enemy is the Word of God in our mouths. We can not be ignorant where it is concerned. Jesus overcame the enemy with the Word (Matthew 4:3-12) and we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). But how can we, if we are ignorant of it?

Examples from the Word

I want to share some occasions in the Bible where people were ignorant of the Word. They were being blocked from receiving the blessings of God. Notice how they reacted, how they corrected it and the results of their actions.

Josiah was just a young boy when he became king (2 Kings 22). He had begun to make some repairs on the temple when the Book of the Law was found and read to him. When he became aware of all the ways they were not obeying God, he was immediately distraught.

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

—2 Kings 22:11-13

The previous generation had been led astray, and now the people were walking in ignorance. Yes they were also being disobedient, but remember the traffic ticket example. Once Josiah inquired of the Lord, the report came to him that his life would be spared, and he would be buried in peace.

Nehemiah had a similar experience after rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 8). When the people heard the words from the Book of the Law, they wept. Their hearts and minds were being enlightened by the Word of God. They had been operating in ignorance, and it grieved them.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.”

—Nehemiah 8:9-11

After the celebration, the people repented and rededicated themselves to the Lord. Study the final chapters of Nehemiah. It is a great example of what should be done when someone comes out of ignorance into knowledge.

And finally, the prison guard in Acts 16. I love this story! Paul and Silas were in chains in prison praying and praising God! They weren’t in the today’s version of the United States Federal Penetintury either. This was a scene I’m sure none of us would want to find ourselves in—and they were praising God! As a result (and because of the Blessing of the Lord on their lives), the entire prison was shaken and everyone’s shackles were loosed! Hallelujah!

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

—Acts 16:27-30

This ignorant prison guard came into the knowledge of the Living God. What did he do next? Read the rest of the account. He gathered his entire household to be saved and baptized. He cleaned the wombs of Paul and Silas, fed them and rejoiced in God! If the man was stupid, after being freed from ignorance he would have completed his suicide or attempted to recapture the prisoners. There’s the difference.

Notice in each example the reactions of the people when they realized they were ignorant. They wept and repented. They chose God’s way and simultaneously chose His Blessing. You will never rise above the level of your knowledge. What you don’t know can block the Blessing of God from your life and destroy you. Don’t be ignorant and don’t be destroyed—get in the Word and get some knowledge today!

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

—Shontta

Psalm 138:8

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. – Hebrews 11:6

Since there is a lapse of time between when we sow and reap, it is easy to lose the connection between our actions and the results of those actions. There is a direct connection between the two; however, we are often blind to that connection. In addition to the time factor, there is also a noise factor that contributes to the disconnect.

The noise factor is the amount of other actions that you are taking that are not in alignment. Instead of corresponding action, our actions are sometimes in direct contradiction to what we want or just not supportive. This noise factor makes it more difficult to see the clear connection between our actions and the results that we are getting.

Since these two factors, lapse of time and noise, are at work in our lives; we must have diligence to re-establish our awareness of the connection. We know that God always tells the truth, so, we are rewarded for diligently seeking Him. Thus, if you are not seeing these rewards, make sure that you are being diligent in your pursuit of God and His Word.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. – John 10:10

We know from the Bible that God’s intentions are to bring us the fullness of life. If we are not receiving the fullness of life, then, we know that the problem is on our side. One of the ways for us to re-connect to the blessings that God has for us is to re-connect to the Old Testament. We know that Jesus is a fulfillment of the Law; thus, it is helpful for us to understand the benefits of following that Law.

Since we are righteous through Jesus, we have access to those blessings even if we don’t live sin-free. First, you must confess and repent of those sins. Then, we must receive God’s promises. We are to put God into remembrance of His promises for you. Promises of His good plan for your life, plans to prosper you and not to harm you.

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. – Isaiah 43:25,26

To make sure that we are following God’s laws and repenting when we don’t takes diligence. Don’t let time and noise deceive you into giving up on living God’s best.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” – Matthew 5:6

One of the reasons that I write the way I do is that I want you to develop a thirst to know God better. God is a good God and he has good plans for your life. Plans of prosperity that are free from harm. Today, I want to talk to you about what you do when you miss the mark. Even when we sin, God has made provision for us to blot that sin from His memory, and to be fully restored to righteousness. 9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? – Proverbs 20:9 If you’ve sinned, you’re not alone. We have all sinned. There is only one man that ever walked the earth sin-free, and that one was both fully man and fully God. His name is Jesus.

“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. – 1 Kings 8:46

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:8

If you want to be restored to righteousness, confess it before God. He will forget what you have done and give you a fresh start. God’s mercies are new every morning. He wants to think well of you. He wants you to want Him to think well of you.

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. – Psalm 103:10-12

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” – Mark 11:24 (NIV)

In the verse above, Jesus clearly says that we will get what we ask for, which should be what we desire. With this verse in mind, why aren’t people more successful? I would like to submit to you that people don’t generally know how to properly desire success.

My observation is that most people focus on what they have, which is generally what they don’t want. If someone wants more or different from what they have, the secret is to desire what you are missing not what you are currently experiencing. Thus, when you pray, pray for what you want, not what you have.

Spend time today picturing yourself being what you want to be. Do you want to be fit? Imagine in your mind’s eye that you have the exact body that you want, that you eat precisely as you should, and you enjoy exercising. Don’t forget to thank God for causing this image to come to pass in your life. Remember, He said that you would have whatever you asked for. Make this image as clear and detailed as possible. Now, look for opportunities to make this image come to pass. You’ll be amazed how information, relationships, and resources start appearing to help you get to what you desire.

God wants to give us what we desire. Thus, it would make sense that one way to please God is to desire something. What do you desire today?

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” – Mark 11:24 (KJV)