Faith and Fear

For the last year, I have taken a special interest in what people say and why they say it. To be honest, a lot has been personally directed towards me, but the direction really doesn't matter. I am becoming convinced that the Laodicean church, the last church that Jesus discusses in Revelation 3, is very much alive, not in the positive sense, but in the negative sense, the reality of that truth manifesting in the present hour that we live. I have prayed countless hours to gain some understanding, and after such a long time, the Lord has given me a small amount of revelation of what habits, ethics, and attitudes that are behind what people say and do. With this in mind, let's get into some specifics and and see what God's Word says about these things.

Do you ever wonder what people say to other people about miracles? Have you given much though what people think about demons being cast out? What do they say about and to the person who was used to do it? There are very few people who know anything about the spirit realm, how demons act, and the power of God over them, yet these same ignorant people are the ones who will run you out of town based upon what people say about you. Mark 5:14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. This is where legion (thousands of demons) had been commanded to loose the Gadarene man who has lived in the tombs among the dead, demon spirits, and had been shackled and broken loose with no one able to control the man. The people who had kept the pigs ran away and they told the people in town some things about what had happened. We don't know what they could have said because we're talking a great distance from the tombs and where the pigs fed. We know that Jesus used the power of the Holy Spirit and cast legion out of the Gadarene. We know that the pigs were near the mountains where the tombs were, and that these same swine after the legion went into them ran into the sea and died. The keepers of these pigs could only see their pigs running all at once into the sea and drowning. They knew absolutely nothing about what had happened as they were not there. But they went into the city and told the people something enough to get many to come check it out.

Now here we have human nature at its usual reacting in a way that human reaction does when things are not in control of the flesh. We have just had a man possessed with at least a thousand demons who has been delivered. The skeptic today say, "That's not possible!" The ones from a "dead" church say, "Prove it!" The common person in a town in America might say, "I don't believe demons or God really exist, this is just a fairy tale." The person attending a good church might say, "I am a babe in Christ, and I don't know about this. I'll wait to see what happens before I make any judgments just yet." This is the town that the feeders of the pigs went and told all these things to about their pigs drowning. All these types of thinkings are in these people in this town, Decapolis (literally means ten cities). These are real people and we must expect real reactions to every day life.

After being told what happened to the pigs, these people went out to se what had happened. So what do you think these people are going to do? Are these people coming because they believe in miracles? Is a miracle even something that is within the realm of reason? Mark 5:15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They come to the location, they near the tombs and see Jesus, just a Man standing by, BUT they also see the Gadarene! He is in his right mind and he is clothed! Do they praise God for the miraculous?? NO they do not!!! These people are afraid! They fear what has happened. They fear the miraculous. These people fear what happened to the pigs. These people fear what may happen to them. These people are not walking by faith in God, but they are walking in fear! What is human nature's reaction to something they don't understand? Fear!! What is human nature's reaction to something they don't have control over?? Fear! What is human nature's reaction to a demon cast out of a man, one in whom they are familiar knowing that he is now in his right mind? Fear!! Fear is the natural reaction to a miracle!

Do you remember what Paul told the Corinthians about the natural man? Let's consider the reaction of the men from Decapolis and bear in mind that we just may be as human as they are. 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Notice that But the natural man can't understand or take into their hearts what is happening in the spirit realm or through the power of the Holy Spirit. These things that are miraculous, these things that are of God, these things that are done by the power of God, all of these things are foolishness to But the natural man. Notice the reaction to the miraculous by the men of Decapolis. ... and they were afraid.

So when men are afraid of the miraculous, when men are skeptical, when men are not walking by faith, what do they do to the messenger or vessel of God's choice? Let's see what the men of Decapolis did. Mark 5:16-17 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. These men ask the King of Kings to leave! They demand He leave their location and go away, just get out of town, their town and yesterday will not be soon enough! The fear of the miraculous, the natural man who does not understand or know the things of God in the Spirit, that man decides to be afraid and skeptical and run the messenger out of town. In this case, we are talking Yashua, but things don't change much!

Human nature doesn't change unless the Lord by His Spirit regenerates them and makes them new in Him. Unless one is truly born again and growing in Christ, he is not spiritual but natural, carnal! The carnal man can not ever understand nor accept the things of God and the miraculous. It is these men of the carnal mind and heart that blaspheme God and His Spirit by their fear! These men are afraid of the miraculous, but rather that be honest, rather than be willing to learn, their fear cause their pride to react, and they send the messenger out of town. Acts 13:50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. Here we have two apostles of God, Paul and Barnabas, they planted church after church preaching the truth of the gospel to all who would listen. They went into towns and began in the synagogue, then they went to the market places and wherever the people congregated, and they told of the Lord Jesus! Signs and wonders followed the preaching of the Word. The miraculous happened over and over again and life after life was being committed to Jesus. So what was the reaction that caused these Jewish leaders and unbelievers? Let's see what the Word says. Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. These people had a carnal and very natural reaction to the miraculous and to the preaching of God's Word, they were jealous! The results of their jealousy was expulsion from the town they were in! "Get out of Dodge by sundown!"

Now we have two reactions to the miraculous and to the Word of God being propogated in the power of the Holy Spirit, but the results are the same, trash the messengers, kill the messengers, rid the world of the miraculous. The natural man can not understand nor accept the things of the Holy Spirit because the things of God are spiritually discerned and being a natural man, one is not able to be spiritually discerning!

5591 yucikoV psuchikos psoo-khee-kos'

from 5590; TDNT-9:661,1342; adj

AV-natural 4, sensual 2; 6

1) of or belonging to breath

1a1) the principal of animal life, which men have in common with the brutes

1b1) the sensuous nature with its subjection to appetite and passion

Like I have heard from so many in the last few months, "I am assuming it is false until proven otherwise!" This is clearly the yucikoV man, the soulish man speaking because he is afraid and unable to see nor understand the things of the Spirit and the spirit realm. He is natural, he is soulish, and the things of the Spirit are foolishness to him. So what does he do? He throws temper tantrums. He accuses. He resorts to diversionary tactics, but the reasons are clear in the Word, he is either jealous or he is afraid and the reactions will be the same, get rid of the messenger. The natural man just doesn't ever get it. The natural man must rely on logic, intellect, the things of the soul to determine what is true. The man who is soulish and natural has absolutely no ability to discern the things of God, so they build their credibility around what they know, intellect, knowledge, pieces of paper from places that are natural. The things of the Spirit cause the natural man to fear, and fear is not of God!

So who adds fuel to the fire when there is any type of discussion? The natrual man does! Who diverts the subject and makes it something that is not true? The natural man does! When there is a forum fight, who adds things of the flesh and attacks those in the Spirit? The natural man does! The natural man is afraid of miracles, the things of God, the Spirit things! What did Paul tell some Christians whom he calle natural, carnal Christians? 1 Corinthians 12:1 ś Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. The Greek word here is vital to understanding what Paul is going to speak about!

4152 pneumatikoV pneumatikos pnyoo-mat-ik-os'

from 4151; TDNT-6:332,876; adj

AV-spiritual 26; 26

1) relating to the human spirit, or rational soul, as part of the man which is akin to God and serves as his instrument or organ

1a) that which possesses the nature of the rational soul 2) belonging to a spirit, or a being higher than man but inferior to God 3) belonging to the Divine Spirit

4) pertaining to the wind or breath; windy, exposed to the wind, blowing

In the Textus Receptus, we have peri de twn pneumatikwn adelfoi ou qelw umaV agnoein. This is important because of the word in the Greek used. This is not talking about Spirit gifts, but literally the things of the Spirit, Spiritual things, the things that the natural or carnal man can't comprhend and reacts in fear. "Concerning and the Spirit things brothers I desire not you to be ignorant (absent of knowledge)." The Lord doesn't want the carnal Christian to stay ignorant because ignorance drives men to fear and react against what God moves in, faith. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith 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. God works through faith. God does miracles through faith. God desires His own to have faith. Faith is what God uses to move upon this earth. Without faith, we have no way of pleasing God. As a matter of fact, to understand the Spirit things, we must have faith, and it is by faith that we are able to say we have a genuine relationship with Jesus. Without faith, we are natural, unregenerates who are skeptical and bound for a devil's hell. Fear is the reason most men stay natural and carnal. Fear destroys faith. Fear allows men to fall into charismatic witchcraft. Fear causes men to reject the truth, to reject the miraculous, and to operate in the flesh while believing they are okay. Fear and jealousy work hand in hand as they give the carnal man reason to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, to tear down the man of God, and to justify themselves were self serving words, "I don't believe in the gifts of the Spirit, and I have every right to slander and attack you because I am testing the spirits." The Jews who were jealous and the Jews who were fearful united and went from town to town stirring up the people against Paul and Barnabas!

Fear can even get hold of good people who are growing in the Lord. Fear doesn't reside only on those who are evil and those who barely have ever heard of the name of Christ and those unbelieving ones who call themselves Christians, but fear can grab hold of even those with the best desires, and the most loving hearts. Mark 4:39-41 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? These men have been with Jesus, been directly involved in miracle after miracle, and they even think He is Messiah, but fear takes hold of them. Fear doesn't allow them to see reality through God's eyes, so God can't move through them. I am convinced if they had not reactedf in fear, but in faith commanding the storm to stop or pass by them, they would have been fine. They may never have needed to wake of the sleeping Jesus! These men are operating in the carnal mind and so a miracle happens and they fear the more. In the Greek, the "ou" is tranlsated no, but that is NOT what it is saying at all. When this word is used in a question, it is seeking a direct answer of a positive nature. Jesus wants His disciples to understand that fear cancelled out their faith. They were made immobile and paralyzed because of fear. Fear casts out faith!

The carnal mind, the carnal man, the carnal Christian can't understand, see, nor accept the things in the Spirit because they are foolishness. God can't operate in the foolishness area because He is God and operates in the believing area. Carnal things are foolish to the man of God and even hated because of their inherent evil, and the things of God are foolishness to the carnal man, and he goes around saving the world by destroying men of God who operate in the things of God.

3472 mwria moria mo-ree'-ah

from 3474; TDNT-4:832,620; n f

AV-foolishness 5; 5

1) foolishness

Remember that article about Drastic Times Produce Drastic decisions? The foolish virgins were moronic virgins, the root word for the word foolishness. The things of the Spirit to the carnal man seem moronic, and those who know the Lord and have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues are equally moronic in the eyes of the carnal man. The natural man is totally inable to even grasp what the things of the Spirit are all about.

To this point one may be thinking that they have been afraid of the things of the Spirit, to hearing all those embellished horror stories told by natural men who were jealous and desired to destroy the messengers of God. Be it known that you may be a doubter and a skeptic, but there is always hope in God! God's grace is still available, and I'll quote a special word written to a young man who now has seen his mentor in jail and about to be beheaded. Listen to these words of boldness and comfort! 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. God didn't give us that paralyzing fear that causes doubt and skepticism, that fear is from the devil! God has given us power, that is a Spirit of POWER!! But God hasn't stopped there! God has also given us love, that is a Spirit of LOVE! But He didn't stop there! God has also given us a sound mind, that is a Spirit of a SOUND MIND!!

May I tell you that God is madly in love with you?? Look at the Word and see what God says about fear! 1 John 4:18 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 wants His people to expect the miraculous, and as such He has provided His love to cast out the fear they may have, the paralyzing fear they may have that destroys the understanding and acceptance of the miraculous. fear causes the man to be jealous, to resent, and to destroy the Spirit things, but God's love cast out that fear!

Speak to your fear in the name of Jesus, and cast it out. Speak to that skepticism and doubt that is in the natural and carnal man, cast it out and walk in the victory purchased on Calvary's tree! Put away the natural man, you can't please God in the flesh, in your logic and intellect! Let the Spirit of God bring you into a new dimension and power that you have read in the Scriptures but didn't ever believe it to be true. Let God be true and every man a liar! Believe that God is a miracle working God and He will give you that precious anointing to understand the call in your life and the things of the Spirit! Trust the Word of God, cast out that fear and jealousy, allow the Spirit of God to baptize you with the evidence of tongues. Thirst and hunger for righteousness, and He will do what? Fill you!!