September 17, 2014 12:18 pm / Leave a comment
I was just thinking about a ministering word I received from my Father last night because I was feeling discouraged. As I was putting my grand-daughters (Angel and Heaven) to bed. We were about to pray until Angel asked me to read a bedtime story. She said she wanted to hear the story about Jesus. So (by the instructions of Angel) I got their book that tells about Jesus and read it to them. After I got done Angel told us about how Jesus died on the cross and He had nails in His hands and feet. And while she was talking (the Lord talking through her) she continued to mentioned several times how He did that because He loves us. I began to get concerned because of her age, I didn’t know if her thinking about Jesus having nails in His hands and feet would cause her to be squeamish. But the Holy Spirit said to continue listening. Not one time did she get squeamish. She continued to talk and continued to mention how He loves us. She also mentioned how He didn’t stay dead and that He “got alive” (her 6 year old language). I was blessed by this in several ways. One being because I needed that Word. Another is because the Lord loves me so much to send me a Word. And finally, the Lord used a child. I’m glad He spoke through my grand-daughter, but the fact He used a child. That also made me think about how so many in the Church put titles and labels on their child(ren). So many call their children (grand and god children also) evangelist, preacher, prophet, prophetess, a pastor, etc. Although those are great callings from the Lord, but wouldn’t it be great for them to just tell about God’s goodness and how He sent His Son, Jesus to die because He loves us. That’s what a disciple does. I don’t know what calling the Lord has for my grands, but my prayer is for them to be His disciple and tell about the Lord’s love for us. I want them to tell how He has forgiven us. I want them to tell how Jesus already healed us. I want them to just be like Him. By the way, after Angel spoke that awesome Word from the Lord, her and her sister, Heaven (who just turned 5) both said their own prayers where I didn’t need to add a thing because they said it all. Not only did the Word gave me comfort, their prayers gave me comfort. All I can say is embrace God’s love for you. And if He speaks to you through a child, please submit and receive it. Peace and blessing to you all.
Veronica
Matthew 19:14; But He said, Leave the children alone! Allow the little ones to come to Me, and do not forbid or restrain or hinder them, for of such [as these] is the kingdom of heaven composed.
Psalm 127:3; Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward.
Proverbs 22:6; Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 23:24; The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
September 12, 2014 4:28 pm / Leave a comment
The world was created by words; AND GOD SAID… (Genesis 1). Since the world was created by words, Jesus used a word to curse a fig tree (FYI). We were also created by the Word of God (Genesis 1:26-28). Since we were created by God Words (not apes), we respond to words. You can be healed by faith in a word; His Word (Matthew 8:8). Demons are cast out by words. Your day is determined by words. We can build up others by using Godly words. The Bible (Word of God) tells us to build up (edify) and NOT tear down (1 Thessalonians 5:11). If no one else encourage you, speak Godly words to yourself. Reject all ungodly words. We can speak life by speaking Godly Words or speak death by saying what satan says. The devil words are opposite to God’s Words. God’s Words are truth and they are light. Even though we have power in our words, we can use our words for Godliness and not selfishness, evil, malice/wickedness. Don’t just speak life over family and friends, but speak them over your enemies also. Jesus did when He prayed for His enemies to be forgiven. Our enemy, satan, comes to steal the word, so God tells us to keep/guard/protect our hearts (Luke 8:15).
Lord God, let our words be full of grace and truth. Help us to speak life by our words being led by the Holy Spirit. Thank You. In Jesus Name, Amen.
John 1:14; And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Colossians 3:16; Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Job 23:12; Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth MORE THAN my necessary food.
Matthew 8:5-10; And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion, beseeching Him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: BUT SPEAK THE WORD ONLY, AND MY SERVANT SHALL BE HEALED. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Matthew 8:16; When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
Matthew 24:35; Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Mark 4:14; The sower soweth the word.
Acts 20:32; And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
Ephesians 4:29; Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying (strengthening and building up), that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
1 Thessalonians 5:11; Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing.
The Word of God is treasure and more precious than gold. Here is a dream the Lord gave me last year concerning the Word. I’ve posted the dream before, but earlier today the Holy Spirit reminded me of it while I was being taught on this topic. Peace and blessing to you all.
On 1/22/2013 I came under attack from someone close to me. This person was used by satan to steal a word I received earlier that day concerning believer’s authority. I made the mistake by responding in my emotions. So the morning of the next day (1/23/2013) the Lord gave me a dream which taught me why we cannot respond to negativity in a negative manner. We are not to recompense evil for evil (Romans 12:17). In the dream I was given a bag full of treasures. They were gorgeous and they meant a lot to me. Not because they were gold, but because they were of value because they came from the Lord. As I was looking in the bag and saw the treasures, I felt honored. But in a quick instance my head turned to the altar. I went to the altar and without question I place those treasures that were important to me on the altar; giving them to an idol that was on an altar. Then on that same altar I sacrificed my body to this idol and gave myself to it sexual.
The treasures in the bag were the Word of God. When we give in to satan, we are not placing importance to the Word of God. We are not seeing it as holy and sacred; and thus we give it to satan. We have to realize how important the Word of God is. Without it we are nothing. The Word covers us. It delivers us. It redeems us. It heals us. It Loves us. It tells us the truth. It corrects us. It convicts us. It nourishes us. It gives us life. It keeps us from being deceived. It saves us. It protects us. It’s our sword in spiritual battle. It makes our enemy (satan) flee. It was the Word that caused satan to flee when he tempted Jesus. We have to hold dear to the Word of God. We have to walk in the Holy Spirit every day so we don’t give it away. We have to hide it in our hearts. We have to keep our hearts and minds so it’s not taken.
NOTE: Greek meaning for keep is to protect; to hem in (enclose; to put in)
Mark 4:13-20; And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Matthew 7:6; Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
Hebrews 4:12; FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Psalm 119:11; Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Proverbs 4:20-27; My son, attend to My words; incline thine ear unto My sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward (perverse) mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
1 Peter 1:22-25; Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away; But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Job 23:11-12; My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I HAVE TREASURED THE WORDS OF HIS MOUTH MORE THAN MY NECESSARY FOOD.
September 11, 2014 11:19 am / Leave a comment
THE WORD PRODUCES FRUIT – Andrew Wommack Ministries
Matthew 21:14 “And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.”
MATTHEW 21:12-14
When we, who are the temple of the Lord, are occupied with the cares of this life, the needs of others are not met. However, when we are cleansed (Jn. 15:3), then the Lord can accomplish His ministry through us.
Jesus tells us not to worry or be anxious about our material needs being met. It would be impossible to never think about our physical needs, even Jesus thought about His need for money to pay taxes. We are simply not to be occupied with thinking about riches or spend time worrying about our necessities. They will be added unto us as we seek first the kingdom of God.
Prosperity can be damaging to the Body of Christ. God wants to bless His children with things, but a preoccupation with these things will choke God’s Word and make it unfruitful. If we follow God’s formula for prosperity found in Matthew 6:19-34, then the Word will bring forth fruit and we will enjoy the physical blessings of this life too.
There are people who have received God’s Word, committed themselves to it to the degree that they are able to remain faithful in persecution, but because of being occupied with the affairs of this life, the Word sown in their heart is choked and no fruit is produced. Just as weeds in a garden will steal the nutrients and starve the plant, so the pleasures of this life, if we allow them to dominate our thinking, will stop the fruit of the Word from producing.
It takes time, effort, and diligence to be a fruitful Christian. It’s quicker and easier to raise weeds than it is to raise tomatoes or corn. Let God’s Word produce fruit in you.
August 3, 2014 3:20 pm / Leave a comment
Staying Positive In A Negative World – Article by Andrew Wommack Ministries
If you haven’t noticed that we live in a negative world, you just haven’t been paying attention.
These negative influences have been especially evident during the last few months of the presidential campaign. Each party has spent millions painting a picture of the worst possible scenarios for Americans if their opponent is elected. Not nearly as much has been spent expressing hope.
Add in things like sickness, the loss of a job, or marriage problems, and you can see where, over time, the pressures of the world, if allowed, can steal the love and joy from your life.
In Matthew 24:12, Jesus said this: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” He said this would be a characteristic of the end times. Jesus was saying that the negative things going on around us—not necessarily in us—would cause the love of many to grow cold.
The word “waxed” used in that scripture is really significant. It goes back to the way candles are made. A wick is dipped into hot wax and then taken out and allowed to cool for a few seconds, leaving a thin layer of wax. The process is repeated hundreds of times until the wick is buried deep within the wax.
The same is true with the heart. If we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on the evil of this world and our circumstances, then, little by little, the layers of negativity harden around our hearts, and the love for God and others waxes cold.
So, how do we stay positive in a negative world? Let me start by using this verse from 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.
Here, the Lord was speaking to Joshua, who was taking over for Moses—a hard act to follow. He told Joshua to be strong and of good courage and not to be afraid or dismayed. These are opposing forces. If you are afraid and dismayed, then you are not strong and of good courage. They counteract each other. So, you’ve got to do two things and resist two things.
The word dismay means “to fill with dread or apprehension; daunt” (American Heritage Dictionary [AHD]). Can you say you have fought apprehension (“to anticipate with anxiety,” [AHD]) about the future? Have the problems facing you or the nation seemed daunting (intimidating or discouraging [AHD])? If so, you have been dismayed.
The Lord doesn’t automatically do these things for you—He flows through you. If you get discouraged or dismayed, you stop the process. It says in Ephesians 3:20, Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
The phrase “according to” means in proportion to or to the degree of the power that is working in you. God flows through people. If you become discouraged, you stop the flow of God’s power.
Here’s another example. In 1 Samuel, we read the story of a terrible situation that David was facing. His father-in-law, Saul, was trying to kill him. He had been running for his life every day for thirteen years. His possessions had been burned, his wives and all of the wives and children of his men had been taken, and his own men wanted to stone him. Not a great environment! Yet it says in 1 Samuel 30:6, And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Things looked bleak. David was in a situation where everything in the natural said “Be discouraged and dismayed,” but David encouraged himself in the Lord. Do you know how he did it? He took the Word and began to encourage himself, and it was only a matter of hours until all God had promised him came to pass and he became king. If he had given in at that last minute, he would have lost.
I see a lot of people today who stand for a period of time and then quit. It’s like there are limits on how long they’re going to believe God. You might be thinking, Well, how long am I supposed to stand? The answer is simple. You stand on the Word of God and His promises until you’re encouraged and it works. DON’T QUIT!
Peter is a good example of what happens when we take our eyes off Jesus and His Word. Matthew 14:28-30 says, And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
As soon as Peter got his eyes off Jesus and looked at the stormy sea, he began to sink. Think about that—he couldn’t have walked on the water if the sea had been perfectly calm. All that really happened was his focus changed. Instead of focusing on the promise of Jesus—His command to come—Peter focused on the circumstances, and that is why he began to sink.
If you can maintain your focus on Jesus and His Word in the midst of a storm, you can walk on the water of circumstance. When the doctor says you have cancer, your boss tells you you’re being laid off, or your spouse says they’re leaving, you can still stay positive. It will take a deliberate effort, but it is absolutely crucial.
You need to recognize that satan is using the evil and negative things of this world to discourage you, even if they are not your personal problems. You can get discouraged watching politics, reading the newspaper, and listening to the news. If you don’t resist this, it will cause you to be discouraged and dismayed, and worst of all, your love for God to grow cold (Matt. 24:12).
The Bible says in Isaiah 26:3 that the Lord will “keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed” upon Him because he trusts in Him. Our peace is linked directly to what we think. We are plugged into this world like no group of Christians has ever been—reading, listening, and watching the same ungodliness as the world and then wondering why we get the same results. It’s simple—garbage in, garbage out.
I’m telling you, unless you have a deliberate plan to encourage yourself in the Lord, you aren’t going to be encouraged. It is not normal to be encouraged; it’s normal to be discouraged. It’s abnormal to be strong and of good courage, but it is certainly doable. God’s Word will tell you exactly how to do it.
If there was ever a time that encouragement was needed, it’s now!
July 28, 2014 12:38 pm / Leave a comment
The Bible (word of God) tells us to resist the devil and he WILL flee from us (James 4:7). Resist means to oppose, stand against him. The way to resist the devil is to speak the Word from God like Jesus did. Too many times we feel we have to yell at the devil to get him to leave. All we have to do is use the authority the Lord gave us (Luke 9:1; Luke 10:19).
When the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus turned the Word of God on him, saying, “It is written…It is written…It is written…” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10)
Likewise, should the devil remind you of the pain in your body, say what God’s Word says: “It is written, ‘By His stripes I am healed!’” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24) And tell Daddy God, “I have Your Word for it and I am standing on Your Word. I am not trying to be healed. My healing has already happened. I don’t care what this body says. It has to line up with Your Word because by Jesus’ stripes I am healed!”
And if the devil says to you, “Look at the meager balance in your bank account. How are you going to pay your bills?” just say, “I’m not going to worry because I know that my God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) It doesn’t matter how much I have in the bank. God’s Word tells me that as the need arises, the supply will be there!”
When fear grips you, don’t say to yourself, “This fear is stupid. Come on, what are the chances of it happening to me?” Don’t try to rationalize or reason your fear away. Instead, speak God’s Word into the situation. Say, “It is written, ‘For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.’” (2 Timothy 1:7) What if the fear returns? Speak God’s Word again. Say, “It is written, ‘For God has not given me a spirit of fear…’”
When the devil tries to deceive you, give him the Word of God. There is something about the Word of God that causes him not to want to hang around those who use it. It reminds him of Jesus, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), who rendered him powerless and of no effect when He said, “It is written…”
June 21, 2014 1:15 pm / Leave a comment
“Pastor Prince, I know that God is my healer. But why is this sickness and pain still in my body?” If you have been looking at your sickness and pain all this while, stop looking at yourself and start looking at Jesus. Did He or did He not take upon Himself your sickness and pain?
God’s Word declares, “Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, and our pains—he hath carried them…” (Isaiah 53:4, YLT) Since Jesus has already taken your sickness and pain at the cross, then He cannot “untake” them. Even if you find it hard to believe that Jesus has paid for your healing, especially when the pain is unbearable, the truth is that it is still paid for. It is a finished work!
God is not saying that your sickness does not exist, nor is He asking you to pretend that it is not there. He is asking you to look away from the sickness, painful as it may be, and look to the truth that it has already been judged at the cross in the body of His Son.
Once, while still in the wilderness, the children of Israel were bitten by deadly desert serpents. The serpents were real. The bites were painful and deadly. So God told Moses to point the people to the bronze serpent put on a pole—a picture of the cross. (John 3:14) Bronze signifies judgment. In other words, the serpent—their problem—was already judged at the cross.
Those who kept their eyes on the bronze serpent lived. Those who focused on their wounds died. So stop looking at your sickness. Instead, look to the cross and see your sickness already judged in the body of Jesus. Surely He has borne your sicknesses and carried your pains! That is the truth of God’s Word. And His Word supersedes natural facts.
My friend, you let natural facts rule or establish God’s truths over your problem by what you choose to focus on. So decide today not to focus on the facts concerning your problem. Instead, establish the truth of God’s Word and Christ’s finished work over your problem—and live!
May 20, 2014 8:28 am / Leave a comment
Good morning all. While I was reading this devotional email I started to remember a lesson the Holy Spirit taught me a couple of years ago concerning certain Bible translations that take away from the Word of God. Some also change the Word. Please check out this article I previously posted back in February, 2014 – http://freefromburdens.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/bible-versions/. Peace and blessings – Veronica
TRADITION NEUTRALIZES – Andrew Wommack Ministries
Mark 7:13, “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
MARK 7:1-13
Deuteronomy 4:2 clearly states “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it . . . .” This same thought is repeated in the New Testament in Revelation 22:18-19 with very stiff penalties. Religious man is very swift to observe the part about not diminishing any of God’s commandments, but there seems to be an unwritten law that adding to them is okay. Every denomination has its own set of “do’s and don’ts” which aren’t found in scripture, and like those of the hypocritical Pharisees, their unwritten laws usually have to do with outward appearance.
We need to remember that adding to God’s commandments is just as bad as taking away from them. We need to speak when the Bible speaks, and be silent when the Bible is silent.
The commandments of God and the traditions of men are not the same thing and must always be clearly distinguished. Any attempt to place them on the same level will always result in making the Word of God of none effect. You have to either “lay aside” the commandment of God to keep the traditions of men or you have to “lay aside” the traditions of men to keep the commandments of God (Ex. 20:3). Church liturgy is tradition, as well as many of the “do’s and don’ts” taught by churches today. We can neutralize the positive power of God’s Word toward us, and nothing will do that quicker than elevating man’s traditions above God’s Word. God’s Word is still true (Rom. 3:3-4) and will not return to Him void (Isa. 55:11).
The Word will not profit anyone who doesn’t believe it, but God’s Word itself doesn’t lose any power. If some do not believe God’s Word, does that make God’s Word of no effect? The answer to this question is a resounding “no!” God’s Word still has its power to save, and it will profit you when you mix it with faith.
May 17, 2014 8:26 am / Leave a comment
Read The Good News Today? – Joseph Prince Ministries
God doesn’t want you grabbing the newspaper first thing in the morning and reading all the bad news in the world. He knows that if you do that, your heart will be full of cares, anxieties and even fears.
This happened to a mother who read in the newspaper that children from China studying in our local schools were becoming top students. She wrote to the press, voicing her concerns about the stiff competition her child would face from these students, even for the top jobs in Singapore in the future.
When you are reading the newspapers, magazines, medical journals, economic reports, watching movies or surfing the Internet all the time, then you are getting your “nourishment” from these sources instead of God’s Word. Now, I am not against these things. But if you constantly feed only on earthly things which cannot satisfy, you will fill your heart and mind with cares and worries.
Jesus doesn’t want you to end up worrying about your life—what you will eat, drink or wear—as these are the things that the Gentiles (people of the world) seek. He says that your heavenly Father knows very well that you need these things. (Matthew 6:31–32)
That is why He promises you that if you would seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all these things that the world seeks after will be added to you. It will not just be given but added, which means greater in quantity and quality!
If you are faced with lack, don’t pursue material goods. Pursue God your provider. If you are sick, don’t pursue the “cure”. Pursue God your healer.
My friend, don’t grab the newspaper or call your friend first thing in the morning to talk about the latest bad news. Instead, grab your Bible and read all the good news God has for you for the day. And as you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all the things that the world is running after will be added to you!
May 17, 2014 8:16 am / Leave a comment
THE SPIRIT AND THE WORD ARE ONE
John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
JOHN 6:40-71; 7:1
Jesus is stating that our spirit, not our flesh, is where our life comes from. These people were so dominated by their physical lives that they were missing all the spiritual significance of His words. Although God’s Word does benefit our physical man, the Word is spiritual and must be understood through the spirit. God’s Word is spirit and it takes our spirit to illuminate its truths to our minds.
The Word of God is not paper and ink. Jesus is the Word, and He existed in spiritual form long before any words were inspired to be written down by the Holy Ghost. The Bible is simply a physical representation of Jesus and spiritual truth. It is inspired of God and therefore, totally accurate and reliable, and yet, until we receive the Spirit expressed in these words the Bible will not profit us. This is why many people have read the Word, maybe even memorized it, and yet aren’t reaping its benefits.
Just as our physical man receives life from the food he eats, so our spiritual man receives life as we partake of Jesus, the “bread of life. Jesus plainly stated that the words He spoke were spiritual – not physical.
If we want to know what spiritual truth is, we must believe the Bible, for it is spirit and life. If we want to be led by the Spirit, then we must follow God’s Word. If we want to hear from the Spirit of God, then we must listen to what God says in His Word. The Spirit (Holy Spirit) and the Word (Jesus – Jn. 1:1) are one.
May 8, 2014 3:50 am / Leave a comment
ENTER DOUBT, EXIT FAITH – Andrew Wommack Ministries
Matthew 14:30, “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”
MATTHEW 14:30-31
The reason Peter began to sink was because of his fear. In verse 31 Jesus used the word “doubt” in reference to Peter’s fear. Fear is simply negative faith or faith in reverse. Where did this fear come from? Second Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.” It didn’t come from God. This fear was able to come upon Peter because he took his attention off of Jesus and put it on his situation.
Fear or doubt cannot “just overcome” us. We have to let it in. If Peter had kept his attention on Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith (Heb. 12:2), he wouldn’t have feared. In the same way that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), fear comes by hearing or seeing something contrary to God’s Word. We would not be tempted with fear or doubt if we didn’t consider things that Satan uses to minister fear and doubt. The wind and waves didn’t really have anything to do with Peter walking on the water.
He couldn’t have walked on the water apart from Jesus even if it had been calm. The circumstances simply took Peter’s attention off of his Master and led him back into carnal thinking. Likewise, Satan tries to distract us with thinking about our problems.
Peter’s faith didn’t fail him all at once, as can be seen by the fact that he only “began” to sink. If there had been no faith present, he would have sunk all at once and not gradually. This illustrates that the entrance of fear and the exit of faith do not happen instantly. There are always signs that this is happening. If we will turn our attention back to Jesus, as Peter did, He will save us from drowning. No problem is too big for God. We should cast our care about the problem over on God and just keep our eyes on Jesus, the Word.
DIY - One Room At A Time 