do not be afraid (a message for new year)

8/14/2019 DO NOT BE AFRAID (a Message for New Year)

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DO NOT BE AFRAID.( Luke 12:4-6)New Year is the time for rejoicing. The old has perished and the newcome. Dont worry be happy.But what we see around us today? Fears, worries and uncertainties.Take example of the Indian sub-continent. The war clouds are threateat the horizon and the people are sore afraid, that a war, will thrust uthem. Look at the Middle East. Due to Israeli strike at Gaza strip, therefears of another Arab-Israeli war. The west is fearful about Irproducing of Nuclear weapons. There are fears and uncertain

everywhere. In these circumstances let us see what the Bible says:In the Gospel of John 16:33b Jesus says: In the world you shall havetroubles, but courage for I have overcome the world.What types of troubles we face today?Today the economy worldwide is in downturn due to recession. Stockmarkets are nose-diving around the world capitals. The Mittals andAmbanies have lost huge fortune of their vast empire. Manycompanies are fearful about their vast investments in mega projects,which came to standstill. The ordinary people are fearful about losingtheir jobs which are threatening by the large scale lay-offs in thesepresent uncertainties due to the melt-down of financial institutions.

In addition there is widespread fear of terrorist attacks like the onewhich gripped the city of Mumbai in fear for 3 days. Today people aresore afraid even to travel by trains or to visit a crowded market andthey fear any time there could be a terrorist like Pakistani AmirQasab, suddenly appearing from nowhere, brandishing a AK-47,andfiring bullets indiscriminately upon the innocent civilian.Life is no safer, for there is fear evident in every walk of life today. Icould go on giving you examples, that how we are today gripped bythe fear in our day to day life.366 times in the Bible God says Fear not. Do not be afraid , I AM,who AM with you.

That is every day when we wake-up in the morning, God says: Fearnot- I AM with you, to protect you. I will not forsake you nor leave you.A mother may forget her child of her womb, yet though she forget, Iwill never forget you, says the Lord.(Isaiah 49:15)But what we do? We always fearLet us know how we encounter Fear in day today life?.Many fear flying in aircrafts. We fear if someone knocks the door inthe middle of night.We fear when the police come to our houses. Many fear of dreadeddiseases and hospitalization and undergoing painful operations. Wefear for losing jobs. Many fear for losing their loved ones,

We fear for the attacks by the Sang parivar on our churches, we fearfor communal riots. Children fear for injection needles, snakes andlizards. Many fear Ghosts!BUT WE DO NOT FEAR GOD! We fear for everything but not God.What happens when you fear?Fear grips you in Self-doubt and Complete insecurity. Fear leads you

to doubt other people. We doubt everything around us in suspicionand panic takes control on us.Above all we doubt that God does notexist. You silently accept that there is no supernatural help for you,because you do not Trust God.In the book of Joshua we read that, when Israelites came across the

enemy in Jericho, they were sore afraid to wage war against them for


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the enemy was too strong for them, and hence they sent spies toevaluate their strength. In these circumstances Let us know what Godsaid to themJoshua 1:9 It is I who command you: be strong, then, and be valiant.Do not tremble or be afraid. Because Yahweh, your God, is with youwherever you Go.When God says He is with us, what are our feelings?Do I Trust in Him? Do I believe in His words? Do I cling to Him intimes of trouble?

When you think you have no hope, no life, no future, no peace, andno satisfaction in life, the Lord says to you and me Fear NotIsaiah 41:10Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am

your God. I will give you strength, I will bring you help, I will upholdyou with the right hand of my justice.God says I am with you to guide you, to bless you, to defend you.Isaiah 41:13 For I, Yahweh, your God, take hold of your right handand say to you: Fear not, I will be your helper.

*********I will bring you a true story which says that what happens when youare not fearful in times of trouble, keeping your faith on God.

Few months back a Qantas Airlines 747 was just taken off from theHong Kong Airport with 360 passengers on board. Its destination wasAustralias Sidney Airport. While cruising at 40,000 feet above IndianOcean, suddenly there was an explosion in its undercarriage and aportion of its belly riffed-off with the powerful blast. There was agapping hole in the Airplane and the airplane lost its power andstarted to fall apart.Within minuets it lost 10,000 feet and It was falling like a stone. Thecaptain and his crew did all they could to take control of the aircraft,but the aircraft was descending fast.Inside the cabin the passengers were terribly shaken with this blast

and things were falling apart in the economy class as strong windwas gushing inside. Many were seen prying and crying and manyfainted.Mean while in the first class cabin a young girl was seated beside twonuns from Mother Teresas Institution. They were clutching to theirrosaries and praying in tears. And they observed that this young girlwas fearless and reading a coming book. The nuns asked her Honey,Are you not afraid? The aircraft is going to crash at any time. Younggirl, pray to the Lord, that your soul may saved.And here what theyoung girl said to the nuns: Why should I fear, for my dad is thepilot of this aircraft and he knows how to handle this.

And when the aircraft at 10,000 feet, just minuets away from crash,the Pilot got control of the aircraft he pulled up its nose, steadied iton course, and landed the aircraft in Manilas international airport inemergency landing.And all the passengers applauded the pilot for his braveness and hisskills to get the damaged aircraft to land safely!Here, when all the 360 passengers were gripped in fear while theaircraft was in the verge of crashing; only a little girl and her dadwere fearless. Because as the innocent little girl had complete truston her dad, the Pilot too had his complete trust on his HeavenlyFather, as he surrendered the control of his aircrafts to the Lord and


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just waiting for a miracle to happen. And God gave him the wisdomand knowledge to do the rest. Just as the little girl and her dad were not afraid and faced thesituation boldly, surrendering to the Lord, we must also take courageand face the circumstances, giving controls our lives to Christ.

*********.Now the question is: To Whom to fear?Today we have to fear the terrorists like Pakistani Amir Qasab and hiscompanions who terrorized Mumbai for 3 days, who came to kill as

many as 5000 ! .We have to fear Praveen Tagodia, for he attackedChristians in Orissa and burned the churches in kandamal dist andparaded our priest and nuns naked. We have to fear Advanies, Modis,Takreys, for they with their mussel power terrorize the nations andaccuse the Christians for the only reason of conversion.And we have to fear the supernatural powers, the ghosts and the evilpowers for they can harm us? I can go on.. to whom to fear..But What the Bible says? To whom we must fear? And Jesus gives theanswer in Lukes Gospel.Luke 12:4-6I tell you my friends, do not fear those who put to death

the body and after that can do no more. But I will tell you whom to

fear: Fear the One who after killing you is able to throw you into hell.This one you must fear.Do not fear the terrorists Qasab and companions. They may kill youwith their weapons of destructions .Do not fear the fundamentalistlike Takreys, Modis or Tagodias who may attack you and kill you inthe name of religion.The terrorist, the fundamentalist may only kill your body but not yoursoul.!Who got power to cast you into hell? Satan ?Lucifer? Evil Spirit?They have no power to cast you to hell. They have only power totempt you to disobey God and accuse Him. Fear only God who has the

power to cast out you in to hell*************

Let us ask a question to ourselves.Why there is no peace, no joy in our lives today? Why there aredisappointments in us?.Why there is so much disturbances, uncertainty surrounding us? Whythere is so much tension, worries that haunt us? The Answer is in NoGods love in us.(Read) Deuteronomy 10:12 Israel what does the Lord thy Godrequire of thee is but to fear the lord thy God and to walk in His waysand to love Him and to serve thy God with all heart and with all the

soul.How to fear God? How to walk in His ways?To fear God is to follow His commandments and to walk in ways: is tohonor Him and love Him.Do we follow His commandments, Do we Honor God today? How manyfamilies say their evening prayer and read the Word of God whenthey gather together at home?Why we fear today? Because Gods love is not in us, in our family,in our society,in community, in our neighbor hood and we do not experience GodsLove.


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Where there is No Love of God in us, there exists fear. When we fearGod then we have no reason to fear others. When we fear God thenthere is no need to fear Terrorists, fundamentalist.When we fear God, there is no need to fear Evil spirits, cosmicpowers, principalities, powers of darkness, rulers of this world oranother world, for nothing will effects us, because those who fearGod, will be protected by His Mighty Hand.Since we have no fear of God- we have been subjected to fear allother powers, even fear the Ghosts.

**********Finally, What must we do to overcome by doubt and fear?(Read) I John 4:18: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drivesaway fear, for fear has to do with punishment. Those who fears donot know perfect love.Perfect love is patient, kind ,without envy. It is not boastful orarrogant. It is neither ill-mannered nor selfish. Perfect loveovercomes anger and forgets all offenses. Perfect love does not takedelight in wrongdoings but rejoiced in truth. Perfect love excuseseverything and endures all things. And Perfect Love is Christ.Do we experience perfect love in our lives? Do we have perfect love

for others our brothers & Sisters? Do we criticize others ? do weharbor venom or grudge on others then we have no perfect love inus. Do we boast ourselves? Do we give priority for ourselves? I, Me,and My self. Then perfect love is not with us.First give priority for Jesus in your life, then others, your neighbors,and last for yourself, and then only joy and happiness will come intoyour life and you shall face no fear in your life.The Bible says that we must cast our burdens of fear to the Lord.Psalm 55:22 says "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain

you; he will never let the righteous fall."When fear strikes you, when you are going thru difficult time, do not

focus your eyes on the bigness of your problems, that what happensof your investment, your savings, your land and property, But focuson the bigness of your God and cast your burden upon the Lord andhe will take care of you. .When fear strikes you, dont focus your eyes on the bigness of yoursickness, your jobs, your family problems, childlessness, differenceamongst spouses, your failures. But Focus your eyes in the bigness ofGod. When fear strikes us, we must not forget that we have a hidingplace, we have a Rock of Salvation, and we have a strong tower.Take refuge in Him and pray as the Disciples prayed when their boatwas caught in the storms in the Sea of Galilee and when they were

gripped with fear they came to Jesus and said: Lord save us and theLord said to them Fear not. When the Master is on board, whichboat will sink? He calmed the storms in one word.Today Jesus will calm the storms of fear in your life, when you seekHim and He will say: Fear not, believe in Me and believe the one whosent me(john 14:1)While ending I wish you a Happy and prosperous New year. Praise theLord.

do not be afraid (a message for new year)

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