FAITH

FAITH ALWAYS DEFEATS FEAR

Many people live a life of almost constant anxiety.

Anxiety is based in Fear and Fear is proven to do great physical, emotional and YES…Even SPIRITUAL damage.

So many people suffer from FEAR that they end up often seeking psychiatric help and meds in order to cope when , in many cases, a healthy dose of “FAITH” would suffice.

Today many people use the word “Faith” to denote ONLY a spiritual belief and though it is something that indeed comes from the Spirit it actually goes well beyond a specific religious definition.

Let’s first look at the definition of FAITH:

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Main Entry: 1faith
Pronunciation: 'fAth
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural faiths /'fAths, sometimes 'fA[th]z/
Etymology: Middle English feith, from Anglo-French feid, fei, from Latin fides; akin to Latin fidere to trust -- more at BIDE
1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : LOYALTY b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs
synonym see BELIEF
- on faith : without question

(SOURCE: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?faith )

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One might even define “Faith” as a form of “Hope” but it tends to be even a bit stronger than hope.

The Bible says that Faith is very important and defines it and explains this importance in the Book of Hebrews Chapter 11 (sometimes called the “Faith Chapter”).

Here is the entire content of Hebrews 11:

Hebrews
Chapter 11
1
1 Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence 2 of things not seen.
2
Because of it the ancients were well attested (commended by God).
3
By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, 3 so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.
4
4 By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain's. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks.
5
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and "he was found no more because God had taken him." Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.
6
5 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
7
By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.
8
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
9
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
10
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.
11
By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age--and Sarah herself was sterile--for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.
12
So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
13
All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,
14
for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
15
If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return.
16
But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,
18
of whom it was said, "Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name."
19
6 He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
20
By faith regarding things still to come Isaac 7 blessed Jacob and Esau.
21
By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and "bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his staff."
22
By faith Joseph, near the end of his life, spoke of the Exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.
23
By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
24
8 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25
he chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin.
26
He considered the reproach of the Anointed greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the recompense.
27
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's fury, for he persevered as if seeing the one who is invisible.
28
By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
29
By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted it they were drowned.
30
By faith the walls of Jericho fell after being encircled for seven days.
31
By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the disobedient, for she had received the spies in peace.
32
What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
33
who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions,
34
put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders.
35
Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection.
36
Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.
37
They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword's point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented.
38
The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth.
39
Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised.
40
God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect. 9


So, thus we see that according to this source that faith is valued as being pretty important if we are to try and fulfill anything whatsoever for God.

Now “Fear” is the opposite of “Faith”.

It is the “lacking of trust”, “the disbelief in hope” and the “worry that something horrible will happen without any evidence“..

…Thus “Fear” is sort of a “Negative Faith” because it has “faith that something bad is going to happen and distrusts that there is a God (or any other positive force) who will take care of it.”

There is a popular acronym that “FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real”.. meaning that most fear is NOT real.. But is rather an “illusion“.

If fear is illusory then what is fear really?… It actually does not exist except in the mind and in most cases turns out to be NOTHING!

O.K. , admittedly there are times when fear can be helpful. It helps increase the bodies adrenal glands in preparation for “flight or flight” response BUT HERE IS WHEN FAITH COMES IN.. Because when we TRUST GOD we should be cautious and follow our spirit… but FEAR should really not play a big factor. God will protect us in accordance to his will and we should accept God’s will..

…Thus my TRUST in God and my Faith in that trust means I really need never Fear.

Here are a few more Bible references regarding “fear and faith” worthy of inclusion:


Luke 18:42; Mark 10:52; Matthew 9:22
And Jesus Said to him, Receive your sight: your Faith has Saved you.
... Go your way; your Faith has made you whole.
And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the Way.
... and when He Saw her, He Said, Daughter, be of good comfort; your Faith has made you whole.
And the woman was made whole from that hour.
.
.....
.Luke 5:20; Matthew 16:26; 17:7
And when He Saw their Faith, He Said to him, Man, your sins are forgiven you.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
And Jesus Came and Touched them, and Said, Arise, and be not afraid.


Mark 4:40; Matthew 14:31; Mark 11:22
And He Said to them, Why are you so fearful?
How is it that you have no Faith?
And immediately Jesus Stretched forth His Hand,
and Caught him, and Said to him, O you of little Faith, wherefore did you doubt?
And Jesus Answering Saith to them, Have Faith in GOD.


Isaiah 41:13 Mark 11:23
For I, The LORD your GOD will Hold your right hand,
Saying to you, Fear not; I will Help you.
... and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which
he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says.

Matthew 16:15, 17; Psalms 107:1,2,3; John 17:22
He Saith unto them, But Whom say you that I AM?
And Simon Peter answered and said,
Thou Art The Christ, the Son of The Living GOD.
.
And Jesus Answered and Said to him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:
for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you,
but My FATHER which Is In Heaven.
O, give thanks to The LORD, for HE IS Good,
for His Mercy Endures forever.
... Let the redeemed of The LORD say so,
... whom He has Redeemed from the hand of the enemy; ...
..... and Gathered them out of the lands, from the East, ...
the West, ... from the North and from the South.
The Glory which You Gave Me, I have Given them;
that they may be One, as WE ARE ONE.
John 14:27; Luke 7:50; II Peter 1,2
Peace I Leave with you, My Peace I Give to you.
Not as the world gives Give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
And He Said ... ,
Your Faith has Saved you; go in peace