The War on Fear, Part Two: Overcoming the Fear of Death

By Rachel Clothier
If you’ve ever been given a bad prognosis and told that you have very little time to live, you know the kind of crippling fear that can hit you in the middle of the night.

Satan loves to come sit on your bed around 2 a.m. and remind you that you’re dying. Then, just like the widow who was going to make a pancake for herself and her son and die (see 1 Kings 17), we start making preparations to die. Not only this, but new fears arise every time a new pain or symptom shows up.

I was told that I was in stage three of a disease. Since I knew that stage four was my last step on my way to heaven, I missed many nights of sleep. I was waiting to die! EVERY single night, Satan showed up just to remind me that I was a “goner.”

However, God reminded me of four important things:
  • HE is the final authority on when I’m going to Heaven, not the devil.
  • Going to see Jesus is really not such a bad deal.
  • The only way to fight fear is with the Word of God.
  • The way to receive healing is by hearing God’s Word.

Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (KJV).

I bought four healing Scripture cassette tapes; every night I played them loud enough for Satan to hear as he sat on the corner of my bed. I also listened to them all day long. I taped healing Scriptures on mirrors, over the washer and even by the kitchen sink.

My greatest testimony is that I am still here today! Did you hear that Satan? And I am still believing Scripture!

The War on Fear, Part One: Fear Has Torment

By Rachel Clothier
“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”(1 John 4.18, KJV.)

Several years ago, a man broke into our home during the night while we were in bed sleeping. I happened to wake up as he entered our bedroom. Thinking it was my son, I sat up and spoke to him. The man then turned and ran off, taking my husband’s wallet with him. I screamed and my husband took off after him, but he got away. Then the nightmare began....

After the police left, we went back to bed, but I was unable to sleep. In fact, I did not sleep for three days, because every time I closed my eyes, I saw the intruder’s face. Every noise sent me into a panic. I wired the doors shut, nailed the windows shut and looked under every bed. I did not want to stay in the house by myself, even during the day. The man may have gotten away with very little money, but the most important thing he took was my sense of security and peace of mind.

I was tormented day and night and thought I was going to lose my mind. In desperation I called on Jesus to help me. The only way I could feel any peace was to put the face of Jesus in the place of the man’s face every time I closed my eyes. The Word of God comforted and strengthened me when I thought I could not go one step further living in fear.

Now I know that, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1.7, KJV). May God grant you this knowledge as well!

An Invitation to Intimacy

By Dr. Angela Reid
A determined young woman slowly saunters down a backwoods country road. She is alone … by choice. No dusty trails today: she breathes in the fresh, damp air newly cleaned by the summer rain. The gravel softly grinds under her walking shoes in cadence with each step she takes. The evening sun now peeks over the whitened clouds and pierces through the shadows of the trees. The whistling birds light atop their perches, attentively watching for dinner to emerge from the wet earth. As she continues down the narrow lane, a glistening array of wild flowers dances about her in the gentle wind, their vivid colors and fragrant aroma a welcome reminder of the ingenuity and creativity of their Maker. She notices it all.

She remembers the phrase, “sometimes being is more important than doing,” and she is glad she has taken a moment to just be. This is her alone time. This is time with God and with herself; time to step back, take a breath and renew her spirit. She guards it carefully, for she knows that there are 101 projects that lie in wait to steal this moment with their seeming urgency. Phone calls to make, bills to pay, e-mails to answer, family projects to attend to, meals to plan, appointment dates to schedule, chores to complete -- but none of that is for now. The noisy burdens of reality fade into the background and are replaced by the serenade of nature as she orients her heart and mind toward the things of God, one step at a time, down that gravel road. She knows that God is in the details of life, but she also knows that big picture thinking with a big picture God will help to keep life’s priorities in the line of vision and will keep the details from becoming a noose around her neck. She is ready for renewal.

Each evening as she begins her walk, she starts by softly singing or humming an old, familiar chorus to herself:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
This is her cue to take her mind off the day’s work and focus on what is truly important. After the short song, she follows with a period of silence. Still walking and simply taking in her surroundings, she allows herself to be reminded of the splendor and majesty of the Lord God as she marvels at the beauty and complexity of His creation that surrounds her. This is a quiet time, but it is powerfully full of meaning. She practices the principles of Psalm 46:10-11:
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah ” (NKJV).
She honors God during this time of silence. She allows the still small voice to direct her heart. She will soon begin to intentionally reflect on life itself, especially its purpose and her place within it. She wants to find meaning, she wants to make sure that what she does counts for something, and she wants to please God in the thoughts of her mind, the intents of her heart and the actions of her life. Inspired by Paul’s writings, she knows that contentedness and joy must be purposefully pursued and persistently practiced.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you,” (Philippians 4:6-9, NKJV).

Sometimes in the middle of her walk, during her time of purposeful reflection, there blooms an emerging competition for what will be the focus of her heart on this would-be rejuvenating journey. Some of the background noise she has worked to leave behind seems to be following her, playing its tune louder than she would like. It weighs her down just a bit before she fully recognizes it. Then, acknowledging what has happened, she turns the unwanted noise down once more. She remembers Luke’s story of Mary and Martha, and how Martha was busy working and trying to take care of the needs of the day. From Martha’s point of view, Mary was slack in attending to her responsibilities, but Jesus was pleased that Mary had stopped her busyness to spend time with Him. Putting it all in perspective, the Lord said,

“And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her,” (Luke 10:41,42, NKJV).

Mary had chosen to sit and listen at the Lord’s feet rather than be distracted by the seeming immediate needs of the day. According to the Lord, this was the most important thing of all and it represented both a connection in relationship (being with) and a connection to redemption - the manner through which life itself is restored -- by relating to the Redeemer and Giver of life.

With that gentle rebuke, she is prompted to stop her own mental busyness and as she continues to walk, she accepts the Lord’s invitation to “just be with me” while letting the worries and cares again pass by. She trusts God to direct her heart and mind as she purposefully communes with Him. With each encounter, she grows in strength, character, resolve, trust and relationship. She grows in intimacy as she lets herself just be with God.

Given the intentionality of her time with God, it is no surprise that her discipline drifts over into other areas of her life. She records some of her conversations with God, some of her thoughts and experiences, some of her longings and prayers, and particularly relevant insights from the study of God’s Word. Having kept a journal of her spiritual journey for some time, she is able to see a progression of God’s direction in her life, concrete examples of answers to prayer, and timely Divine provision. Several themes have repeated themselves, and she is grateful for God’s hand in her life. Among these themes, she has realized several aspects of spiritual contentment and personal growth.

First, she is able to capture a glimpse of who God is. God is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. By Him all things were made. He is Creator, Provider, Redeemer, and Friend. Knowing this, she is able to understand better who she is and how she is to relate to those around her. She is a child of God, a servant of God and a friend of God. She is a co-laborer in the Kingdom, along with fellow believers. She is both a giver and receiver of nurture and care. She is a giver and receiver of instruction. She is to both give love and receive love. Created in the image of God, she is lovable and she has worth. She is redeemed. With her focus on God, she has joy in her heart because she can see past the sometimes burdensome details into the realities of the truly important things in life and in the Kingdom of God. In her journal, she lists a few of those important things:
  1. Loving God.
  2. Loving people.
  3. Loving and accepting myself.
  4. Seeing myself and others as God sees us.
  5. Fulfilling what God has called me to do.
  6. Maintaining a thankful heart and a joyful spirit.
  7. Appreciating the small moments of life as gifts from God.
  8. Renewing and aligning my spirit daily in His Word.
  9. Accepting an invitation to intimacy with my Creator.
  10. Just being with Him.

It is nearing the end of her jaunt; she is almost home. The sun is setting quickly, and the frogs and fireflies have become late walking companions. She is tired and refreshed at the same time, and is sure to remember those things the Lord speaks to her heart in the quiet moments of life. Relying fully on foundations from God, she finds confidence to complete the tasks He has set before her. She finds personal strength and validation from knowing and accepting His unconditional love and His desire to just be with her each day. After a long walk with the Lord, she appreciates the rest and rejuvenation. Indeed she finds herself by becoming lost in His presence, and she realizes that the invitation to intimacy spans more than just a moment in time.

© Angela Reid, PsyD, July 2009

Bitter Water

By Donna Morton
Exodus 15:23-27:
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

No one enjoys something bitter to the taste. I have a pill I take for high blood pressure and it is a bitter pill to swallow. I try to have something to put in my mouth right away or a Coke to drink or something to remove that bitter taste from my mouth.

We might expect medicine to be bitter; some cough medicines taste awful! You have your mind all set for something pretty awful and are ready for it, but when you put a piece of candy or a soft drink in your mouth, you expect a pleasant taste.

That’s what the children of Israel felt like on that hot, dry day in the desert. They had been in the wilderness for three days now following the crossing of the Red Sea and had found no water. They were thirsty and complaining.

Imagine that day with me as they came over a hill and saw that water at a distance. It looked so blue and pretty and it was just what they wanted. How pleasant it was to see and look forward to in their condition. No doubt they began to run toward what they thought would bring satisfaction in the desert, but when they drank it, it tasted bitter.

Isn’t that just the way things seem so often to be? Things are not what you thought they would be; they are BITTER! (In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for bitter is marah, meaning a great and heavy discontentment.) The children of Israel were unhappy because that water was not all they thought it would and should be. They thought that all their problems would have been solved if only that water would have been sweet and met with their expectations.

Moses immediately went to prayer and asked God what to do... there’s nothing like prayer! Listen, when bitter trials come our way and we may feel like there is no way out, prayer IS the answer, because God always has a way!

God showed Moses a tree that when he threw it into the water, the water became sweet and the people were then made satisfied and content because of the water. Right there—at that bitter place—God proclaimed that if they would do things His way and right in His sight, He would heal them.

Sometimes in life bitter trials come our way. It is in those times that God wants to prove Himself to us and show us who He really is!

There is a spirit of discontentment over the land today and it is great and heavy.

People are running everywhere trying to find something to satisfy themselves.

Instead, they find much bitterness.

The world looks good; it has shiny clubs and sandboxes to play in, tasty things to drink and fancy clothes to try on. People are running to get to what they think will satisfy them, but when they try it, it’s bitter! Others feel like if they could just be wealthy and have everything they want, they would be content. They run for that water, but even when they drink all they want, there is an emptiness inside that becomes bitter. Inside each man and woman is a place that nothing but the Living Water will fill.

Only when the tree was put in the water did the water become sweet! This world is full of bitterness and everyone is searching for the cure. There is only one tree that can fill up that emptiness and wash away the discontentment; IT IS THE TREE OF MOUNT CALVARY!

There is no rest when discontentment is strong. The soul is constantly searching for the living water. The first thoughts of the day are, “What can I do today to find what I am looking for?

Who can I hang out with that will help me find that satisfaction?

What can I do to get that water? What can I buy that will quench this thrist?”

Exodus 15.27 says the children of Israel moved on and were able to camp in Elim and find happiness because the bitter water was gone. At Elim, they could drink from 12 wells and enjoy the shade of 70 palm trees.

The soul that is resisting the Lord has no contentment or rest. The goal of those in the world is to find someone or something that will make them happy, but ONLY JESUS CAN SATISFY THEIR SOULS!

It’s a supernatural act of God to take a tree and make bitter water sweet.

How can something I can’t stand to be around become sweet to me? How can the laws of God that seem to tie me down become so sweet to me that I love them? How can the preaching of the Word that aggravates me and makes me feel bad become sweet life to me? How can a life not worth living because everything has gone wrong become a life so sweet that I actually enjoy it?

IT’S THE TREE! When you throw the tree into the bitter discontentment of this life, everything changes supernaturally and life becomes sweet. Nothing in this world can make a soul content but the cross of Christ. Only Jesus can make it right again!

When you surrender your life to him, the bitter, dissatisfied feeling will leave and His quiet contentment will move in. Today I offer you Jesus Christ, the sweetest name I know.