With the aftermath of the horrific shooting at a gay night club in Orlando, Florida, people are filled with fear, disbelief, grief, and anger over the senseless killing of forty-nine innocent people by a mentally unstable young man who professed his allegiance to ISIS. Our prayers go out to the families and individuals who died or were severely wounded during this senseless and tragic rampage.

The Existence of Evil

The headline in Time magazine on June 27, 2016 was, “Why Did They Die?” Evil exists. To not acknowledge the existence of evil is to go through life with blinders, only to be blindsided when evil strikes close to home. “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived,” 2 Timothy 3:13 declares. Furthermore, 1 Peter 5:8 warns us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Prior to learning God’s Word, the Bible, I was afraid of a lot of things; the dark, scary movies, the bully standing next to me in line. I experienced different challenges in life where I felt my life was clearly in danger. In one particular incident, I was driving home late at night after teaching an off campus graduate class in Paterson, New Jersey. It was a cold winter’s evening and unfamiliar with the road, it became apparent that I was lost. I pulled over to the side and tried to read my written directions (this was before the existence of gps), and could barely make out my handwriting. Suddenly, I heard a shot and the sound of glass shattering in the back window of my Dodge caravan. I quickly started my car and prayed to God to show me the way back to civilization. Suddenly, I saw a light and started driving and found my way to a gas station. Shaken, I stopped and surveyed the damage to my rear window and discovered a sixteen-inch crossbow arrow on the back seat. I could have been killed. Fortunately, God protected me.

The Bible contains all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). The Bible also explains the origins of evil. Why does evil exist? Evil exists because we have a spiritual adversary, the Devil (Lucifer), who steals, kills, and destroys (John 10:10). Isaiah 14:12-14 reads: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Notice all the “I’s” in this passage. Through pride and egotism, Lucifer, the brightest of all angels, fell from grace. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Three Archangels

The Bible describes three archangels: Lucifer, a beautiful and magnificent angel, Michael, the warrior, and Gabriel, God’s messenger. In Latin, Lucifer’s name means “light-bearer.” Unfortunately, because of pride and egotism, Lucifer rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven along with a third of the angels. The war that took place in heaven between Lucifer and Michael is documented in the following passage:

Revelation 12:7-9

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;
and the dragon fought and his angels.
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent; called the Devil, and Satan,
which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were
cast out with him. 

The Bible describes Lucifer as the “god of this world.”  “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Devil, and his cohort of devil spirits, works through people, culture, religion, and the environment to steal, kill and destroy. As a spirit being, we can’t see spirit, but we see the manifestations of the destructive evil that is characteristic of the Devil since the beginning of time.

God is Our Protector

In spite of the evil that exists in the world, God is our protector and is a very present help in times of trouble. Acknowledging God’s protection, and going to Him with believing, allows us to have confidence in His willingness and ability to take care of our every need. “But without faith [believing] it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews11: 6).

Psalm 27:1

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 91:2, 4-7

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God;
in him will I trust.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou
trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow
that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction
that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but
it shall not come nigh thee.

Asa          

God cares about every single detail of our lives. When we turn to Him for guidance and protection, He is always there to meet our need. One example of a leader who sought God’s protection was Asa, the third king over the independent state of Judah. Asa removed the altars of “strange gods,” broke the idolatrous images, removed the incense altars, and cut down the groves. To protect his people from their enemies, Asa built walls (Does this sound familiar?), towers, gates, and fenced cities in Judah. The land had rest, “and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest” ((2 Chronicles 14:2-6). Asa even removed his mother, Maachah, from being queen because she made an idol in a grove (1 Kings 15:13).

Azariah’s prophecy to Asa was that “the Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15, 2,7). Notice that in order for there to be peace in the land, Asa took the believing action and removed all that was an abomination to God. Once Asa physically cleaned up the land, God blessed His people with peace. God is always there when we seek Him and He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Spiritual Power

There are two kinds of spiritual power. The spirit power exercised by the Devil and his devil spirits who steal, kill, and destroy.  The second kind of power, which is greater than devil spirit power, is the gift of holy spirit that was given to us on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:1-11. The gift of holy spirit was made available because of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ who is now sitting down on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1, 1 Peter 3:22).

Jesus Christ had holy spirit upon him without measure (John 3:34). Prior to Pentecost, the gift of holy spirit was placed upon different individuals by God to carry out His will.  However, after the day of Pentecost, the gift of holy spirit is available to anyone who chooses to confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:-9-10). “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

As Christians, we have the responsibility to read, understand, and apply the Bible and learn how to operate the gift of holy spirit with all nine manifestations (1 Corinthians 12:7-10). God gave us the gift of holy spirit because He knew we needed it. In addition to reconciling the Israelites back to God, Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8b). The word destroy comes from the Greek word luo and it means to loosen or dismantle by component parts. It is impossible to kill spirit. However, the lake of fire awaits the Devil’s destination (Revelation 19:20, 20:10). Christians who operate the gift of holy spirit, can loosen the stronghold that the Devil has on their own as well as other people’s lives. John 14:12 states that we can do the same works as Jesus Christ if not greater. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” 1 John 4:4 declares, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (italics mine)

Lessons from the Bible

What does the Bible have to do with current events? Everything! Our country is in a crisis. The evil that exists throughout the world reminds me of Psalm 37:35. “I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.” Although America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles where God is the giver of rights, not a pope or a monarch, the vast majority of citizens are ignorant of our Constitution, not to mention our Bill of Rights. A case in point is that one of the leading presidential candidates is a socialist. Vladimir Lenin stated that the goal of socialism is communism. Is this what Americans really want? Or have they been bamboozled to believe that there isn’t a price for free everything? God’s Word says that “if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

To be candid, history and politics were never my favorite topics in high school or college. I remember saying the pledge of allegiance every day in elementary school and even sang patriotic songs like “The Star Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.” However, memorizing and regurgitating historical dates was not my idea of being intellectually challenged. Politics seemed like a dirty business and I didn’t want to have anything to do with it. Politics is still a dirty business, but I chose to get involved and held my nose. Alarmed at seeing what is taking place in our country, I became a precinct leader and an Assistant District Captain in my district. I even ran as an unpledged delegate to attend my party’s national convention! Although I didn’t win, I learned a lot by participating in the political process.

With the deterioration of our educational system toward progressivism, and the onslaught of attacks against our Constitution and our First and Second Amendment rights, Americans need to stand up and say enough! Our churches need to be at the forefront in fighting for religious and political liberty as they did when we were a fledgling nation. In light of the principles from God’s Word, here are a few ideas to consider when seeking God’s protection and becoming actively involved in being part of the solution rather than being part of the problem.

1. Confess Jesus as Lord in your life and believe that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). Congratulations! You are now born again and have the gift of holy spirit.
2. Pray with your understanding in the name of Jesus Christ. God, by way of Jesus Christ, has given us the power and the license to utilize the name of His only begotten Son (John 15:16, John 16:23, Philippians 2:9-10).
3. Enroll in Bible classes that teaches you how to operate the gift of holy spirit with all nine manifestations.
4. Learn to enjoy reading the Bible.
5. Educate yourself about the history of our country which includes our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.
6. Get involved in the political process and elect individuals who follow Biblical principles that our country was founded on. Policies promoting strength, not weakness, backs down devil spirit power.
7. Be a witness for our Lord Jesus Christ and love people with the love of God in manifestation.
8. Reconcile men and women back to God by lovingly sharing God’s Word.
9. VOTE!

We do not have the luxury to sit idly by and watch our country go up in flames. Like our Founding Fathers, we need to actively engage in the political process and bring it back to the Biblical and Constitutional principles that our country was founded on. James A. Garfield, the 20^th President of the United States pointed this out a century ago:

Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character
of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is
because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If
it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high
qualities to represent them in the national legislature…. If the next
centennial does not find us a great nation…it will be because those who
represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not
aid in controlling the political forces.

Copyright © 2016 Aleta You. All Rights Reserved.
Scriptures quoted are from the King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Parts of this article were taken from my book, Biblical Solutions for Daily Living – Developing A Vital and Personal Relationship with God.

Presidential Campaign

Based on the mud-slinging and character assassinations taking place in the media and on the internet, the presidential campaign for the highest office in our nation is in full swing. There is a lot of sounding brass and tinkling cymbals in the air. With all this noise, how does one separate truth from error? Whom do you trust to formulate your opinion about the different candidates? The liberal media? Your friends and relatives? How about your favorite radio talk show host whom you listen to everyday? Hint. None of the above. In a civilized society where I like to think that reasonable people can disagree agreeably, I recognize that in a high-profile presidential campaign where a great deal is at stake, this is virtually impossible. People oftentimes behave in unseemly ways when it comes to the acquisition of power. Lord Acton stated it beautifully when he said, “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It appears that some people’s lust for power is insatiable; and some will do anything to acquire it.  Lie, cheat, steal, spread false rumors, and yes, even kill.

As we examine the current presidential candidates from both parties, I would like to propose that we look at leadership from a biblical perspective. After all, the Bible was the foundation of our Founding Fathers when they crafted the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. As a Judeo-Christian nation, our values are derived from biblical principles that enabled us, in a very short period of time, to become the envy of nations throughout the world. Let’s look at three leaders in the Bible and the qualities they exemplified. In examining these individuals, you can compare their qualities with the current presidential candidates and come up with your own conclusions to see how the qualities of your favorite candidate compares with the attributes of three important individuals in the Bible.

Moses 

Moses was born at a time when the king of Egypt decreed that every newborn male among the Israelites should be put to death. When Moses was three months old, his mother placed him in an ark of bulrushes, sealed it with slime and pitch and placed the little boat on the river’s edge. Walking along the river with her maidens, Pharoah’s daughter discovered the baby, named him Moses and raised him as her son (Exodus 2:1-10).

As a young man, Moses walked among his brethren, the Israelites, and discovered an Egyptian overseer beating a Hebrew. Instinctively, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When Pharoah discovered what happened, Moses fled for his life to Midian where he eventually married Zipporah who bore him a son, Gershom.

Humility and Obedience 

A number of years passed and the king of Egypt died and the children of Israel prayed to God to deliver them from their bondage in Egypt. God heard their pleas and spoke to Moses in the midst of a burning bush.

Exodus 3:9-10
Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and
I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharoah, that thou mayest bring
forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Now Moses wasn’t exactly jumping for joy when he heard what God wanted him to do. After all, Moses was a wanted man when he fled Egypt. What was his initial response to God’s request? “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharoah, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus:3:11). This is a perfectly understandable and human response. Moses then begins coming up with all kinds of objections as to why he didn’t want to do what God called him to do. The objections were: 1) What is God’s name and what shall I say to the children of Israel? 2) The children of Israel rejected Moses in the past, why would they believe that God sent him to deliver them out of Egypt? 3) Moses was not an eloquent speaker; he was “slow of speech and of a slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10). God responded to all of Moses’ concerns and told him that Aaron, the brother of Moses, would be his spokesman. “And thou shalt speak unto him [Aaron], and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do” (Exodus 4:15).

In the end, Moses humbled himself to do the will of God and was obedient to perform all that God asked him to do. As a result of his humility and obedience, he was able to lead the Israelites out of Egypt after they were in bondage for several hundred years.

David

David was the youngest of eight sons of Jesse. He came from a humble background and was a simple shepherd boy trained to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.  Because of King Saul’s disobedience to God, Samuel, the prophet was sent to Jesse’s home to anoint the next king of Israel. As Jesse’s sons were brought one by one before Samuel, the prophet assumed that surely Eliab, Abinadab, and any one of the seven sons whom he met would be the next king of Israel. However, God’s response to Samuel was “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). After inquiring if Jesse had any other sons, David was then brought before Samuel. God informed Samuel that David would be the next king of Israel. When Samuel anointed David with oil, the spirit of the Lord came upon David (1 Samuel 16:13).

Courage, Boldness, Conviction

The story of David and Goliath is a story of a young man’s courage, boldness, and conviction in confronting the enemy of God and His people. David was sent as an errand boy to deliver food to his brothers who were in the midst of a battle between the armies of Israel and the Philistines.  When David arrived on the battlefield, Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, emerged and started trash talking to the armies of Israel. David was offended by the words of Goliath and said to the Israelites, “who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26). With fearless courage, boldness, and conviction, David volunteered to fight Goliath. He told Goliath exactly what he planned to do:

1 Samuel 17:46-47
This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will
smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the
carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of
the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth
may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with
sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give
you into our hands. 

Noteworthy in this bold declaration is David’s reliance on God and the acknowledgement that God would bring the victory to pass. Not utilizing any high tech weaponry, David relied simply on his sling shot and a few smooth stones to slay the giant. True to his word, after Goliath fell to the ground, David used Goliath’s sword to cut off his head and the battle was won for Israel.

Jesus Christ

Reliance on God and Moral Courage

Perhaps the greatest example of a leader is the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus always did the will of His Father. “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 4:30). Prior to his public ministry, Jesus was led into the wilderness and after forty days and forty nights of fasting, he was tempted by the Devil. One of the temptations Jesus was confronted with was that if Jesus would bow down and worship the Devil, the Devil would give him all the kingdoms of the world.

Matthew 4:8-10
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth
him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and
worship me.
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt
worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

As tempting as it may have been, Jesus had the moral courage to resist the Devil’s offer and did not sell out to the Devil’s temptation. Jesus recognized the snare of the Devil when he taught the people this truth. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).  Unfortunately, there are many politicians and individuals in the public and private sector who have sold out in order to gain fame, fortune, and power.

Honesty and Humility

Jesus Christ always held to the standard of God’s Word. He wasn’t a politician who shifted his views with every political wind of doctrine, nor was he a moral relativist who changed his ideas to fit the culture, society or prevailing ideas of the day. Jesus was an outsider who was never politically correct. He criticized the religious leaders for being hypocrites and accused them that their father was the Devil (Matthew 6:5, John 8:44), he cleaned out the temple because it was made into “a den of thieves” (Luke 19:46), he hung out with a tax collector (Luke 19:4), he defended a woman accused of adultery (John 8:7), and even healed the sick on the sabbath day (Luke 13:14). He was marginalized, underestimated, and considered extremely dangerous to the status quo. He was never boastful of the miracles he performed and always directed the glory to God, his heavenly Father.

Servant Leadership 

Above all, Jesus was a servant who gave his life so that we would receive remission of sins and  have eternal life. He fought against the evil corruption of his time and recognized the spiritual competition that people were engulfed in.

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil.

In due time, Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6) so that we could have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Jesus Christ started a revolution and the world has never been the same since.

Pray for Wisdom

As we examine the different presidential candidates, it is not enough to hear the words that they speak and the promises that are made. Matthew 7:15 warns us to “Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

2 Peter 2:18-19
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the
lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped
from them who live in error.
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption:
For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Romans 16:18 warns us that “Good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Furthermore, we must examine the fruit of their lives; “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).

Researching the presidential candidates, whether it involves reviewing their voting records if they are politicians, their accomplishments, whether they are in government or the private sector, and reading about their lives in books that they, and others have written, will help inform our decisions. It is not enough to research the candidates themselves, but equally important is researching and educating ourselves about our Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and our Bill of Rights. John Adams stated that “liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people.” As a Judeo-Christian nation, we have the inherent belief that God is the giver of rights and not man.

Another way to separate truth from error is to read the Bible. The Bible is our litmus test to separate truth from error. Just as Jesus Christ knew the Scriptures, it is important to read and apply the principles from the Bible in our lives. “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). True wisdom can only come from God through a knowledge and application of His Word.

I believe our nation is at a crossroads in history. It is incumbent upon each and every one of us to pray for our country, our people, the military, and for wisdom that God will select the right presidential candidate to lead our country during this critical time in our nation’s history. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

All scriptures are quoted from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. Explanatory insertions within a scripture are enclosed in brackets.

Copyright © 2016 Aleta You. All Rights Reserved.

The recent horrific terrorist attacks in Paris and the senseless slaughtering of fourteen innocent people murdered in San Bernadino, California should come as no surprise to those who study the Bible. Evil is real. The Bible is very clear that we have a spiritual adversary who steals, kills, and destroys (John 10:10). 1 Peter 5:8 states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Keyser Soze in the film, The Usual Suspects, states that “the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he doesn’t exist.” As a spirit being, Lucifer was once second in command to God. But for pride and ego’s sake, he didn’t want to be second in command, he wanted to be God.

Isaiah 14:12-14
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou
cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in
thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of
God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 

Revelation 12:7-12 describes the war that took place in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the Devil. The Devil and his angels were cast out with him. “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9). As a spirit being, the Devil, and his cohort of devil spirits, works through people, culture, environment, and religion to obstruct the purposes of the one true God.

There is a Season

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 it states that “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” In verse eight it says “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” Admittedly, we are living in a critical time in our nation’s history. God, the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is omnipotent, omniscient, and everywhere present. As a just, heavenly Father, He has given us free will to decide how to live our lives. Unfortunately, in the name of religion, radical Islamic terrorists seek to annihilate the lives of others. We must be cognizant of those who seek “Death to America” and all that our nation stands for. Threats against Americans and our way of life must be taken seriously.

As a young nation, in comparison with other nations throughout the world, we are still undergoing a great experiment. In spite of our religious, political, ethnic, and social differences, the Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….”

Judeo-Christian Foundation

The foundation of the United States is that of a Judeo-Christian nation. Our Founding Fathers had the wisdom and foresight to craft a Constitution that is the envy of the world.  In order to protect the freedoms that we have, it is imperative that we are educated about the history of our country, what it stands for, and become actively involved in the political process. Equally important, is the need to read and study the Bible. According to a Gallup survey, although approximately 92 percent of Americans own a Bible, and two-thirds say that it holds the answers to the basic questions of life, biblical illiteracy is rampant. Less than half of Americans can name the first book of the Bible, and only one-third knows who delivered the Sermon on the Mount (see Biblical Solutions for Daily Living, pg. 10).

Many of our oldest and most esteemed universities such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were founded by Christian preachers and church affiliations. An individual was not considered to be educated unless he knew the Scriptures from the Bible.

Fear Not!

In spite of the terrorism and the devilish acts that are taking place within our country and throughout the world, we are not about to hold hands with our enemies and sing “Kumbaya” any time soon. The Bible teaches us that we have a spiritual enemy who steals, kills, and destroys (John 10:10). However, Jesus Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

Jesus Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). He came to redeem humanity from the consequences of sin that is described in Genesis 3. He also came to destroy the works of the devil. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Jesus Christ was hated by the religious leaders of his day. Because he spoke for the one true God, he was crucified and died for you and I so that we could have eternal life.

 John 3:16-21

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his
deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be manifest, that they
are wrought in God.

When we confess Romans 10:9-10 and become born again of the gift of holy spirit, we are called by God to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ. “Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my father” (John 14:12). In addition to walking in the steps of Jesus Christ, we are also called by God to speak His Word with all boldness and to reconcile men and women back to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18). We are to “Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2).

We never shrink back in fear and refuse to succumb to the fears of others. “Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid” (Isaiah 8:12). “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Overcoming Fear – Selected Scriptures

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.

Joshua 1:9

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not
afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest.

Psalms 27:1

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?

Proverbs 29:25

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

2 Timothy 1:7

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

1 John 4:8

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.” 

God bless you and your loved ones during this holiday season and God’s blessings of health, prosperity, and success in the New Year!          

All scriptures are quoted from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. 

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