Fear

These emotions are normal - we are designed to feel depressed when we focus upon depressing things, or when we go through a tragedy or loss.  We are designed to be anxious when we are in stressful circumstances.  What we focus our attention upon brings corresponding feelings.

However, these normal emotions become pathological when they cripple our ability to meet life's challenges, when they lead us to make sinful choices, when they affect our ability to enjoy life and maintain loving relationships.

afraid, a  alarmed, fearful, timid, timorous, apprehensive, scared, diffident. Antonyms: fearless, unafraid,                      intrepid, bold, undaunted, temerarious.

apprehend, v  arrest, seize; understand, recognize, consider believe; anticipate, dread, fear.

apprehension, n   seizure; arrest; opinion, conception, belief, notion; understanding; fear, dread, anxiety,                                  solicitude, alarm.

apprehensive, a   discerning, apt; fearful, anxious, worried

awfully, adv   fearfully, dreadfully; (Slang) very, excessively, extremely, exceedingly.

chicken-hearted, a   timid, fearful, cowardly.

dread, n   apprehension, fear, awe (reverential fear).

dreadful, a   fearful, terrible, formidable, awful, dread, dire, direful, frightful.

faint-hearted, a   timorous, timid, diffident, fearful, cowardly.

fear, n   apprehension, anxiety, solicitude, alarm, dread, trepidation, consternation, panic, dismay, terror,                    fright, cowardliness, timidity, pusillanimity; reverence, awe, veneration.

fear, v.   apprehend, dread, be afraid of; reverence, venerate, stand in awe of.

fearful, a.   apprehensive, alarmed, afraid, frightened; timid, timorous, faint-hearted, cowardly, craven,                            pusillanimous, meticulous; terrible, frightful, dreadful, grim, awful, dire, fell, atrocious, ghastly,                        terrifying,alarming, appalling.

fright, n   alarm, fear, consternation, terror, dismay; ogre, scarecrow, guy, dowdy.

frightful, a   terrible, dreadful, hideous, ogreish, fearful, alarming, grewsome, grim, dire, direful, awful,                              Gorgonian, horrible.

Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]

Fear

Why do I suffer persecution?

“And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased” (Galatians 5:11).

Paul’s Gospel had teeth. It bit hard into the kingdom of darkness and ripped chunks from it wherever it came. He didn’t make his message smooth and soft in order to suit the fancies of the religious majority. His Gospel was a sharp word that exalted Christ, lifted the cross up high, proclaimed total commitment to Christ the King, and utterly stripped people of all self-reliance, shattering self-righteousness, tearing down false religion, and leaving people stripped bare before God in utter dependence on His free grace alone to save them.

And of course, with a Gospel like this, Paul suffered persecution wherever he went. Yet he didn’t dare water-down the potency of the truth of God. He didn’t compromise his message in order to make it more acceptable to the people. He didn’t pervert it to make it look pretty. He proclaimed, “This is the way, the only way! Walk ye in it!” and pronounced a thundering “Anathema!” on anybody that dared to tamper with the message and preach another gospel (Gal. 1:6-9).

They who have this faith live in the hope of the revelation of the sons of God and keep in mind the cross and resurrection of the Lord. In the pilgrimage of this life, hidden with Christ in God and free from enslavement to wealth, they aspire to those riches which remain forever and generously dedicate themselves wholly to the advancement of the kingdom of God and to the reform and improvement of the temporal order in a Christian spirit. Among the trials of this life they find strength in hope, convinced that "the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18).

Apostolic Preaching

The Scripture is to be proclaimed, heard, read, received and experienced as the word of God, in the stream of the apostolic tradition from which it is inseparable.

The apostolic faith testifies that the eternal Word became one of us. The divine Word is truly expressed in human words.

To nourish ourselves with the word in order to be "servants of the word" in the work of evangelization: this is surely a priority for the Church at the dawn of the new millennium. Even in countries evangelized many centuries ago, the reality of a "Christian society" which, amid all the frailties which have always marked human life, measured itself explicitly on Gospel values, is now gone. Today we must courageously face a situation which is becoming increasingly diversified and demanding, in the context of "globalization" and of the consequent new and uncertain mingling of peoples and cultures. We have a summons to a new evangelization. We must rekindle in ourselves the impetus of the beginnings and allow ourselves to be filled with the ardour of the apostolic preaching which followed Pentecost. We must revive in ourselves the burning conviction of Paul, who cried out: "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:16).

Two parts of the missionary task

The traditional view of missions equates the missionary task with evangelism (with winning people to faith in Christ). Missionaries tried to provide education, medicine, shelter, and food through their schools, hospitals, orphanages, and relief work. But the ultimate objective for all mission activity is to make Jesus Christ known to all people as the only Saviour, the only Mediator between sinful humanity and a holy God (Acts 4:12). The emphasis in true mission activity is placed on proclaiming the Good News that Jesus died as a Substitute for us, establishing congregations of people who accept the Gospel message, and nurturing the newly converted Christians in the disciplines of the Christian faith-so that these persons in turn can become agents for further evangelism.

"I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings" (1 Cor. 9:22-23)
 

We must be careful not to assume that any religion or religious writings that bear similarities to Judaism (like Islam) be essentially equated with Judaism. Salvation is not from any other people or religion, nor do any other religious writings have the power to save. New believers who are truly repentant and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ will eventually and inevitably feel compelled to sever all connections with their former Christ-denying religion and way of life. (Acts 19:18-20; 2 Cor. 5:17). Therefore, we should be careful not to violate the teachings of our Lord Jesus, or the consciences of new believers, by instructing them to remain cultural/religious "insiders" (Mt. 10:21-25; Lk. 9:59-62).

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Uniqueness of Christ

To introduce any sort of separation between the Word and Jesus Christ is contrary to the Christian faith. Gospel of John clearly states that the Word, who "was in the beginning with God," is the very one who "became flesh" (Jn 1:2, 14). Jesus is the Incarnate Word-a single and indivisible person. One cannot separate Jesus from the Christ or speak of a "Jesus of history" who would differ from the "Christ of faith." The Church acknowledges and confesses Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16): Christ is none other than Jesus of Nazareth: He is the Word of God made man for the salvation of all. In Christ "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily" (Col 2:9) and "from his fullness have we all received" (Jn 1:16). The "only Son, who is the bosom of the Father" (Jn 1:18) is "the beloved Son, in whom we have redemption.... For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his Cross" (Col 1:13-14, 19-20). It is precisely this uniqueness of Christ which gives Him an absolute and universal significance, whereby, while belonging to history, He remains history's center and goal: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Rv 22:13).

The four Gospels bear witness to a certain pluralism within the fundamental unity of the same mission, a pluralism which reflects different experiences and situations within the first Christian communities. It is also the result of the driving force of the Spirit himself; it encourages us to pay heed to the variety or missionary charisma's and to the diversity of circumstances and peoples. Nevertheless, all the Gospels stress that the mission of the disciples is to cooperate in the mission of Christ; "Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28:20). Mission, then, is based not on human abilities but on the power of the risen Lord.

In the Gospel John, this salvific universality of Christ embraces all the aspects of His mission of grace, truth and revelation: the Word is "the true light that enlightens every man" (Jn 1:9). And again, "no one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (Jn 1:18; cf. Mt 11:27). God's revelation becomes definitive and complete through his only-begotten Son: "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he also created the world" (Heb 1:1-2; cf. Jn 14:6). In this definitive Word of His revelation, God has made himself known in the fullest possible way. He has revealed to mankind who He is. This definitive self-revelation of God is the fundamental reason why the Church is missionary by her very nature. She cannot do other than proclaim the Gospel, that is, the fullness of the truth which God has enabled us to know about Himself.

The missionary thrust therefore belongs to the very nature of the Christian life, and is also the inspiration behind ecumenism: "that they may all be one...so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (Jn 17:21).

Of course Jesus entrusts this work to human beings: to the apostles, to the Church. Nevertheless, in and through them the Holy Spirit remains the transcendent and principal agent for the accomplishment of this work in the human spirit and in the history of the world.

Missionary evangelization is the primary service which the Church can render to every individual and to all humanity in the modern world, a world which has experienced marvelous achievements but which seems to have lost its sense of ultimate realities and of existence itself. "Christ the Redeemer," "fully reveals man to himself.... The person who wishes to understand himself thoroughly...must...draw near to Christ.... [The] Redemption that took place through the cross has definitively restored to man his dignity and given back meaning to his life in the world.

The urgency of missionary activity derives from the radical newness of life brought by Christ and lived by His followers. This new life is a gift from God, and people are asked to accept and develop it, if they wish to realize the fullness of their vocation in conformity to Christ. The whole New Testament is a hymn to the new life of those who believe in Christ and live in His Church. 

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Missionary Mandate

All the Gospels, when they describe the risen Christ's meeting with His apostles, conclude with the "missionary mandate": "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,...and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28:18-20; cf. Mk 16:15-18; Lk 24:46-49; Jn 20:21-23).

This is a sending forth in the Spirit, as is clearly apparent in the Gospel of John: Christ sends His own into the world, just as the Father has sent Him, and to this end He gives them the Spirit. Luke, for his part, closely links the witness the apostles are to give to Christ with the working of the Spirit, who will enable them to fulfill the mandate they have received.

The different versions of the "missionary mandate" contain common elements as well as characteristics proper to each. Two elements, however, are found in all the versions. First, there is the universal dimension of the task entrusted to the apostles, who are sent to "all nations" (Mt 28:19); "into all the world and...to the whole creation" (Mk 16:15); to "all nations" (Lk 24:47); "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Secondly, there is the assurance given to the apostles by the Lord that they will not be alone in the task, but will receive the strength and the means necessary to carry out their mission. The reference here is to the presence and power of the spirit and the help of Jesus himself: "And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them" (Mk 16:20).

John is the only Evangelist to speak explicitly of a "mandate," a word equivalent to "mission." He directly links the mission which Jesus entrusts to his disciples with the mission which He himself has received from the Father: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you" (Jn 20:21). Addressing the Father, Jesus says: "As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (Jn 17:18). The entire missionary sense of John's Gospel is expressed in the "priestly prayer": "This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (Jn 17:3). The ultimate purpose of mission is to enable people to share in the communion which exists between the Father and the Son. The disciples are to live in unity with one another, remaining in the Father and the Son, so that the world may know and believe (cf. Jn 17:21-23). This is a very important missionary text. It makes us understand that we are missionaries above all because of what we are as a Church whose innermost life is unity in love, even before we become missionaries in word or deed.

Restoring relationship between creation care and mission

We live in exciting times. All over the world the church is recovering the truth that the gospel is concerned with restoring three areas of relationship. Principally it brings peace between people and their God, through Jesus Christ the Redeemer. Secondly it can restore relationships between people, through Christ who breaks down all the walls of hostility. Finally it makes possible a renewed relationship between people and God's Creation itself.

At the very moment that Isaiah’s yearning heart was mourning over the defects of his spiritual life, saying, “Woe is me,” the seraphim (types of glorified prophets) were crying, “Heaven and earth are full of God’s glory,” for they saw the presence of God moving through every atom of nature and providence.

“I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields”—Job 5:8-10.

I do not know how it may be with you, but I scarce ever hear the rolling thunder but I begin to forget earth and look upwards to my God.

Is not God the King of kings, and the Ruler of the whole earth?

I love the picture that God paints for Job when he is interrogating Job about creation. In Job 38:4-7, God queries, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements–surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy.”

The future, even more so with the unknown when we think, "But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness." 2 Peter 3:13

Today, there is the “The Green Bible” has been published, the New Revised Standard Version with 1000 verses dealing with the care of the environment highlighted in green.

Two biblical principles: First, that the Bible grants to humanity a ‘dominion’ over nature, which has encouraged us to exploit nature for our own ends. Second, that the Bible privileges humanity – which alone is created in the image of God and alone will be redeemed – over the remainder of the creation.
In Jesus we see God's paramount expression of love, compassion, reconciliation and justice. In Jesus we experience God as a caring shepherd who is faithful to the flock, who knows them intimately, who frees and saves. Jesus demonstrates by his own life what we have been created to be — fully human, fully alive and able to participate in the life and love of God.

Some who consider themselves more spiritual than technological, are exploring the world’s ideologies and religions in search of non-Christian spiritual resources for the healing of the earth. As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that the Bible calls us to respond in four ways:

First, God calls us to confess and repent of attitudes which devalue creation, and which twist or ignore biblical revelation to support our misuse of it. Forgetting that “the earth is the Lord’s,” we have often simply used creation and forgotten our responsibility to care for it.

Second, our actions and attitudes toward the earth need to proceed from the center of our faith, and be rooted in the fullness of God’s revelation in Christ and the Scriptures. We resist both ideologies which would presume the Gospel has nothing to do with the care of non-human creation and also ideologies which would reduce the Gospel to nothing more than the care of that creation.

Third, we seek carefully to learn all that the Bible tells us about the Creator, creation, and the human task. In our life and words we declare that full good news for all creation which is still waiting “with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God,” (Rom. 8:19).

Fourth, we seek to understand what creation reveals about God’s divinity, sustaining presence, and everlasting power, and what creation teaches us of its God-given order and the principles by which it works.

Only in the larger story of God’s action and reconciliation in Christ can we see such places not only as the deeply broken places they are, but as sites where God’s “new creation” has come to interrupt our stories of division, violence, and fragmentation, making conversion and new history possible.

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The first followers of Jesus

Disciple means pupil or student, and the disciples were people who chose to follow Jesus and to listen to his teaching. They called him rabbi, or teacher. The twelve disciples were followers of Jesus whom he had chosen to become his core group, the people he talked things over with and depended on.
Many aspects of an envisioned future can be influenced or changed by decisions and actions you make today. For the church, this is not simply projection-based planning but the realization that through prayer and obedience you can be a catalyst to help bring about a future that is in alignment with God’s will. Through prayer, the framework for plan is established. Implementing strategy requires continued daily prayer for direction accompanied by obedient action in response to what God reveals.

There are two conversions in Acts 10, the conversion of a gentile named Cornelius and an apostle named Peter. Both were necessary for the mission of God to go forward. The inclusion of gentiles into the Christian family would become a thorn in the flesh for many, and eventually it lead to a complete rejection of Christianity by Jews. But it started here, and it was brought about by God. As far as Luke was concerned, this was Peter’s climactic sermon, and he would always be known as one who, though sometimes reluctant, was determined to do what God wanted.

What a change! The Law can enslave us; the Gospel sets us free to live for Christ. The message puts a new joy in our hearts and new smiles on our faces. The Gospel ushers in a new day.

If we follow Peter’s logic, we will see that Jewish believers do not have to keep the laws of Moses, either. They are saved by grace through faith, just as the Gentiles are. The old covenant is obsolete, so its laws are no longer required for anyone, and that is why Peter could live like a Gentile (Gal. 2:14).

Having accomplished salvation for the elect, God now applies it to us by faith. Justification is the primary and foundational act of God in applying our salvation because it is the bestowal upon us of the right to all the blessings Christ has won on our behalf and will thus progressively apply to us—such as sanctification and glorification. Justification means and seeks to demonstrate that it is received by faith alone.

There is certainly to-day amongst many of our missionaries a tendency to encourage their converts to teach others from the moment of their conversion. That may seem a very strange thing to say, and it would be a very strange thing to say unless it were still somewhat rare, and was not even now checked and hindered, often by those who desire it most sincerely.

The term “passion” is used to describe everything from romance to hunger pangs. I don’t know what it means to you, but for me passion means whatever a person is willing to suffer for. In fact, that’s the
root meaning of the word. It comes from the Latin paserre, to suffer. It is what you hunger for so intensely that you will sacrifice anything to have it.

http://youtu.be/AX_mA93jtgo

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