FEAR FIGHTERS     

"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear" Psalm 118:6

Here are eight fear-fighting Scriptures that will unlock your faith and destroy the giants of fear that rise within you.  Memorize them!  Repeat them!  Stand on them!    

1. "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" Isaiah 41:10

2.  "For the Lord your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you" Deuteronomy 20:4

3.  "Be strong and of good courage and do it:  fear not, nor be dismayed:  for the Lord God...will be with thee" I Chronicles 28:20

4.  "The fear of man bringeth a snare:  but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe" Proverbs 29:25

5.  "Fear not:  for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name:  thou art Mine" Isaiah 43:1

6.  "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

7.  "He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me" Hebrews 13:5-6

8.  "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" II Timothy 1:7

The Words of God are powerful.  Read them aloud every day for the next 30 days, and you will see changes begin, doors open, and a river of joy flow into your life!

                                                                             --A Fresh Word for Today, Bob Gass

                             THE REASON WHY

'Great is the mystery of godliness:  God was manifest in the flesh" I Timothy 3:16

In his book, The Reason Why, Robert Laidlaw tells of two friends who attended law school.  One became a judge, while the other squandered his life, broke the law, and one day finished up in court.  Sitting on the judge's bench was his old friend, and everyone wondered what kind of sentence he would pass.  To their surprise, he demanded the full penalty of the law.  No sooner had he passed sentence, however, than he stepped from the seat of judgment, took off his robes, walked over to the dock where his old friend stood.  He put his arm around him and gently said, "Let it be recorded today, that not only have I passed sentence upon him, but I will stand chargeable with all his debts."  In that moment, his judge became his redeemer.

Christmas is the story of the day God took off the robes of deity and put on the garments of humanity.  He left a palace to come to a stable, because He loved you.  Listen to the poet:

                         The Maker of the universe,

                         As Man for man was made a curse.

                         The claims of law that He had made,

                         Unto the uttermost He paid.

Did you hear that?  He paid!  Had you been the only sinner who ever lived, He would have come. He would have died, and He would have paid the price just for you! 

                    Great is the mystery of godliness!

                         --Bob Gass, The Best of The Word for Today

  Two things are always true about agape love - the love of God - He implants in one's spirits when that one becomes born again.  1) Love always desires and seeks the best for the one who is loved; 2) this love is expressed in giving.  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16

                                  WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow" Matthew 6:34 TM

Here's a poem I think you'll want to ponder carefully:

You say you'll do much in the years to come, but what have you done today?

You plan to give wealth in a princely sum, but how much have you given away?

You'll heal broken hearts and dry every tear, bring to them hope and take away fear;

Carry His Word to those far and near; but what have you done today?

You say you'll be kind, after a while, but what have you done today?

The lonely and hurting wait for your smile, you promised to light up their way;

Your aim is to give truth a grander birth and to steadfast faith a deeper worth,

To carry His love to the ends of the earth, but what you done today?

You plan to reap much in the by and by, but what have you sown today?

You plan to build mansions up in the sky, but what have you built today?

It's nice to dream and in visions bask, but here and now have you done your task?

The only real question that matters, I ask, is what have you done today?

                                Bob Gass, A Fresh Word for Today

                                     TEN SUGGESTIONS

Live in peace.  And the God of love and peace will be with you.  II Corinthians 13:11 NIV

Unless you plan to live on an island or take a vow of silence, you're going to have to learn how to get along with people.  Right?  Here are ten suggestions that will help:

1.  Guard your tongue.  Always say less than you think!

2.  Make promises sparingly.  Keep them faithfully!

3.  Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind word!

4.  Be genuinely interested in others; show it by listening and expressing your appreciation.

5.  Be cheerful; don't dwell on your aches and pains.  There are a dozen people in the nearest cemetery who would gladly exchange places with you.

6.  Keep an open mind; discuss, but don't argue; learn to disagree without being disagreeable.  Give other people the benefit of the doubt.

7.  Discourage gossip.  It's destructive!

8.  Be sensitive to the feelings of others.  If you do, people will consider you to be wise.

9.  Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you.  Live so that nobody will believe them.

10.  Don't worry about getting credit. Just keep giving your best, and be patient!  God keeps records!

Read these ten suggestions over again, asking God to make them a reality in your life.

                                 --Bob Gass, A Fresh Word for Today