Conspiracy

Isaiah 8:11-13 Amplified Bible  

• 11: For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand [upon me], and warned and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,
• 12: Do not call conspiracy [or hard, or holy] all that this people will call conspiracy [or hard, or holy]; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor [make others afraid and] in dread.
• 13: The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].   

Every century in history has brought fearful possibilities for Christians worldwide.   Many thought those were indications of the soon return of Jesus.  But it never happened.   

Yes it is true the times we are living in are uncertain and there could be serious ramifications.  But we certainly don't know and only God knows what is truly going on.   Sadly, millions of Christians all over the nation and other parts of the world live in fear and trepidation because of a report or comment made by others.

The dictionary definition of "trepidation" is "a feeling of fear that causes you to hesitate because you think something bad or unpleasant is going to happen"    Don't look at something someone else posts or comments on and immediately believe for the worst.  Let the peace of God in your heart be your guide.  God knows and can warn you if there is something you need to do to protect yourself.  

People say you can't hide your head in the sand.  But we are also commanded by God's word in Proverbs 3:5-6 (AMP) to "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding." vs 6 "In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. "

According to Isaiah 8:13 The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety],"  God is our only hope of safety.   "and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him]."    We offend God by not trusting in Him.     

The bible says, in the last days men's hearts will fail them for fear.   Fear is the total opposite of faith.  We cannot have fear and faith at the same time.  We need to encourage one another to have faith and trust in the Lord.  

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 91.

Vs.1 "He who [a]dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]."  Vs.2 "I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!"

Vs.3 "For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.."   

God bless you as you stay in His presence and trust in the Lord God Almighty. 

Read my blog post.   http://gilhb.blogspot.com/2015/01/overcoming-negatives_6.html 

Gil Howard-Browne

www.revivaltimes.com

www.encourageme.tv

www.podcast.revivaltimes.com 

Two Life Changing Words

Matthew 18:21-22   (AMPC)

21. Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times?

22. Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!  (490 times)

There are two words that have life changing implications for us all. They are "forgive" and "forget" which God's word commands us to do, but are so hard for us, because of our memories. 

The memories of hurt, betrayal, desertion, trauma, danger etc. are attached to emotions like anger, resentment, fear, discouragement, loneliness and more which are also stored in our brain's large capacity memory cells, (the cortex)

Things we encounter daily, like a comment someone makes or an event we see or hear, can trigger those memories and the associated emotion, and cause us to experience that moment again, even if it took place years ago. That is why forgiving and forgetting is so important for our well being which we will have to do frequently.

It could be a friend or family member or worse, a spouse or child that caused you hurt and each time you see or hear from them, the associated memory and emotion rises up and immediately, we have to exercise forgiveness. 

The truth is, even the person you are trying to forgive will have memories and emotions of negative things that took place in their lives that require them to forgive and forget regularly.

The question is, how do we overcome these negative memories. The answer is to build many more positive memories and emotions than their are negative ones. The scriptures tell us " but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude]" (Rom. 12:2 - Amplified Classic Version) 

The ideals being new positive memories and the attitudes are the associated positive emotions of love, peace, joy and goodness. Over time, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, the negative memories fade and our lives take on a more positive direction.

The minute a negative memory arises of past hurts or wrongs, we need forgive, and immediately redirect those thought processes to to what God says on the matter, by quoting a scripture or singing and making melody in our hearts and praising God. 

Don't start rebuking the devil. He is not all seeing, all knowing and all powerful. Only God is and the devil does not control your thoughts, you do. Christians have taken "resist the devil and he will flee" to extremes, where they are resisting the devil almost every day for things he had nothing to do with and could not possibly do even if he wanted to.

In fact, God's word is full of recommendations of things that we can do such as ...

• "let the peace of God rule in your heart." Col.3:15.    
• "Have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. 1 Pet. 4:8. 
• "The joy of the Lord is your strength" Neh. 8:10. 
• "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thes. 5:18

You cannot be full of joy and anger at the same time.  You cannot be full of peace and fear at the same time. The fruits of the Spirit, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control, dispel the works of the flesh, envy, jealousy, anger etc. 

Look for, exercise and submit to the fruit of the Spirit daily and allow them to become part of your new ideals and attitudes.  God does not and cannot force them into us because of our free will, but we can embrace them and open the door of our hearts to allow them into our lives. 

If you find yourself dealing with negative memories and emotions, quickly forgive the person involved and ask the Holy Spirit, who is your comforter, teacher and guide, to help you, then begin to praise and worship Him and yield to God's presence and power.

Fill your mind with good anointed worship and listen to good preaching and teaching and spend time in fellowship with God and His word.

Be encouraged today.

God bless you richly.

Gil Howard-Browne
www.revivaltimes.com
www.revivaltimes.online
www.podcast.revivaltimes.com