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Do not be afraid, just believe
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- All that destroys faith. - Rev. Garik Khachatryan
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Dear friends, today we continue talking about faith.
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Faith is what saves humans. Nobody can be saved without faith because
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Jesus said that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
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Faith saves the human. It is impossible to please God without faith.
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It’s God’s desire that every person has salvation through faith and lives through faith in this world.
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Jesus once was asked what God wants us to do and Jesus said, “God wants us to believe in His Son.”
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What God wants us to do is to believe in His Son.
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There is no greater mission than to truthfully and candidly believe in His Son.
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One cannot be saved but through faith.
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One cannot please God but through faith.
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One cannot serve God’s purpose without faith, one cannot live a victorious life in this world but through faith.
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Therefore Apostle Paul says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
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The scarcest and most valuable thing that someone may have and should fight for, cherish, and keep, is faith.
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Because it is faith that will grant you eternal life.
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We talk about all those things that can damage faith.
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What can destroy faith?
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What can ruin our faith?
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Therefore, we should be careful.
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How careful people are with their material possessions; their wealth, their shoes and clothes, their car
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- they take care of it day and night so that it doesn’t break or wear out.
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Sadyl, as a matter of fact, we are careless of our faith.
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What can damage faith? What can destroy faith?
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Let’s revise the 4 points we discussed during previous weeks that can destroy one's faith.
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The first thing that can damage faith is when we pay too much attention to the ideas and opinions of others.
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The way this world thinks and approaches life is against our faith.
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When we give in to those ideas and opinions, we are no longer guided by faith, but we start to be guided by a humane mindset.
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In John’s chapter Jesus brought an example and said that there were some affluent people who believed in Jesus
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but because they were afraid of Pharisees and also they were looking for accolades from the public,
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they didn’t dare declare that they were believers.
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The reason for that was that they prioritized what the public would think of them and aimed at being glorious men.
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The second thing that may destroy faith is our personal judgement
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- personal thoughts, ideas, and opinions that guide us.
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The third thing that can destroy faith is greediness and lust for wealth or anything that is material.
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The fourth thing we discussed last week that can destroy faith is the lack of God’s knowledge. The Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)
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To get to the fifth and last thing to be discussed that destroys faith, let’s read Marc 5:21-24, 35-43.
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Open your Bibles please and let’s read.
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5.:21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
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5:22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
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5:23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
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5:24 And Jesus went with him; and many people followed him, and thronged him.
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5:35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
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5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
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5:37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
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5:38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and then wept and wailed greatly.
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5:39 And when he came in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
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5:40 And they laughed at him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
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5:41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
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5:42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
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5:43 And he charged them straight that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given to her to eat. Amen
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At that time, Jesus had just returned from the country of the Gadarenes that was on the other side of the river Galilee, the eastern shore.
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He had not been accepted there. The Gadarenes begged Jesus to leave their territory. Why?
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Because Jesus preferred that a demon-possessed man lived rather than the herd of swine.
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The Gadarenes preferred for their stock to live but the sick and weary men died.
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Therefore they asked and begged Jesus to leave their country.
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Jesus never compulses His presence to someone.
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Faith is not mandatory or compulsory.
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It is a choice that a man makes.
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We know that God grants each person at least one opportunity to get to know Him
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-his Savior, the One Who has given His life for you.
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How you will react and respond to that call of God is your business and your choice.
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When Jesus returned back to the western shore of the river, there was a crowd of people waiting for him.
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People came with their pain and problems.
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Then a man named Jairus, who was one of the rulers of the synagogue, a respected and well-known man, approached Jesus.
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Though in pain, He came to Jesus with faith.
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He kneeled before Jesus and begged for help from Jesus because his 12-years-old daughter was about to die.
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Here we can see Jairus’s faith.
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He had faith in his pain that is expressed firstly through his humility and humbleness. Verse 22 says that Jairus kneeled before Jesus.
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Then we can see him begging Jesus on his knees; yes, the one who has faith begs.
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The believer does not confine himself/herself to turning to God once or twice for their needs, but they persistently beg God till He supports them for their needs.
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Jesus agreed to go with him to his house. Then at a moment that movement stopped. Jesus stopped.
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At this important moment, when they were going to Jairus's house to prevent the tragedy, Jesus stopped. Why? Becuse a woman touched Jesus's dress.
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Jesus looked at His disciples and asked who had touched him.
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Disciples got amused and wondered who did not touch Him as the whole crowd was pushing Jesus from different sides because everyone wanted to be closer to Him.
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However, the one who touched Jesus was a unique person. This was a different touch.
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That was a woman who had issues with blood for 12 years and had given away all of her wealth to get healed but nothing helped her.
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Then she decided for herself that if she just touched Jesus she would be healed.
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She came to touch Jesus with that faith. Then we see that Jesus stopped to find her.
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After that the woman and Jesus confer. Meanwhile, time was passing.
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That seemed like a big temptation for Jairus that he needed to overcome with endurance.
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Faith is patient.
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Faith is patient.
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There is no turning back once you start your journey of believing.
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And we see that Jairus is being patient.
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In verse 35 it says, “While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?”
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Jairus was suffering but he kept on believing
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Because he was waiting in silence when Jesus would show His mercy and help him.
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But the time came when it felt to Jairus as if the world was falling apart.
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That was when a few men came from his house and told him it's over. His daughter had died.
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It was what Jairus was afraid of the most. He became crestfallen.
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At that time Jesus said to Jairus, “Be not afraid, only believe.” (Marc 5:36)
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Whatever your eyes see, your ears listen, and your mind grasps, do not be afraid, only believe.
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Today’s message is, “Resist the spirit of fear and your faith will live.”
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The news that Jairus heard was supposed to kill his faith.
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“Your daughter is dead. Your faith and efforts are now futile. You trying to bring Jesus home, your life, everything is pointless now because your daughter is dead.”
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However, this was not the end for Jesus, he put a comma. He said, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”
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Resist the spirit of fear, do now allow it to reign over you.
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Whatever the circumstances, only believe.
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No matter what you have just heard, no matter how tragic news that was,
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no matter what you feel, no matter what your eyes see, faith is stronger than fear. Faith is stronger with its popwer, than fear with its demonic power.
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There are 2 realities.
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The first one is “what we see, what we hear, and what we grasp”.
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This is the reality that the majority of the world lives in.
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-what we see, what we hear, and what we feel, and what we grasp.
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But there’s also a second reality and that is “what God has planned” - the reaility of "God's plans".
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This is a spiritual reality.
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This second reality is according to God's plan, it is the within the realm of God's plans.
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People surrounding Jesus were feeling anxious,
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they were pushing each other being occupied with pain and sorrow. They were confused and disheartened.
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They were crying and sobbing. While others were making fun of these people.
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All of this aberrant behavior was due to the fact that they were living in the first reality.
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All of that behavior of sobbing and making fun of others, being afraid and living in a not-know was a results of their reality.
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The fear they were experiencing was derived as a result of what they saw, what they heard, and felt.
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Their reality gave birth to fear.
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On the other hand, we see another behavior when we observe Jesus in the same situation.
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He was not in a rush, He was not confused, He was peaceful,
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He was in control of Himself, and no news made Him mad.
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When He received the news that His beloved friend, Lazarus, was dying,He didn’t lose His mind and nor did He make haste to visit Him.
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He was peaceful and not until 4 days had passed when he did visit Lazarus.
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It didn’t make him angry when others were making fun of Him.
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He was living in another reality.
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Did it ever happen to you that your peace bothered others?
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I’m referring to peace, breeding from the faith, not indifference.
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Jesus was living in the second reality.
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The first reality has chaos, while the second reality has peace.
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The first reality has fear, while the second one has courage and boldness.
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The Bible gives us a few stories that illustrate these 2 realities. Let us discuss a couple of them.
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Let’s read 4 Kings 6:13-17
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Let me give you a quick summary of what was happening at that time.
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The king of Syria was battling against Israel.
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Every time the king of Syria would make a decision, the Israelites would know about it, and would plan an attack accordoingly.
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He thought that there was a betrayer in his palace and wanted to figure out who that was.
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Then one of his servants said, “No one, my lord O king. But Eliseus the prophet, that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel all the words, that you speak in thy privy chamber.”
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The king got furious and sent out an army to beset the city where Eliseus lived to fetch him.
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Now let’s read from verse 13th.
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13And he said to them: Go, and see where he is, that I may send, and take him. And they told him, saying: Behold, he is in Dothan.
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14Therefore he sent thither horses and chariots, and the strength of an army. And they came by night, and beset the city.
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15And the servant of the man of God rising early went out, and saw an army round about the city, and horses and chariots. And he told him, saying: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, what shall we do?
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16But he answered: Fear not; for there are more with us than with them.
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The servant of the man of God looked around and was amused because there were only 2 of them.
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And Eliseus was telling him that there were far too many people with them than the servant was seeing in front of him.
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Perhaps, when Eliseus saw his servant’s confused face, he prayed to the Lord.
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17And Eliseus prayed, and said: Lord, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw.
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And, behold, the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Eliseus.
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The ending of the story is really interesting. You can read it after.
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The king of Syria came with his chariots and horses to beset the city on top of the mountain where Eliseus was living.
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When the servant of Eliseus saw the view early in the morning, he was horrified.
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The fear he experienced was the result of what he saw, what he heard, and what he grasped.
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On the other hand, we witness the peace that Eliseus had.
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He didn’t panic, get confused or hopeless when he heard the news. Can you see an analogy between this story and Jesus's story?
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No confusion, no feeling of hopelessness or defeat.
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He encourages his servant to calm down and be sure that the ones with them are larger in number than their opponents.
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This sounded too strange to the servant and pretty sure, it even made the servant angry how peaceful Eliseus was.
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Then Eliseus prayed for the servant to see. After that the servant appeared in another reality.
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The servant appeared in God's reality, he experienced the world of God's plans.
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He wasn’t physically taken to another place, but he came to see another reality.
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It is not written in the Bible whether Eliseus was literally seeing the army of angels therefore he was that peaceful.
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Thus, I cannot tell he saw therefore he believed.
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However, I’m sure that his faith was coming from the trust he had in God. That is why he saw the second reality.
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As you may remember, Jesus told Thomas ``Then Jesus told him,
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"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29).
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Peace and trust should not come from the things we see, but from our trust and faith - the things unseen.
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Therefore, there is a second reality.
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The reality where there is no spirit of fear, confusion, not-know, and sorrow,
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but a spirit of peace and harmony. The reality that is seen through faith.
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Let’s read the second story in the Bible that illustrates our main message.
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Daniel 3:16-26
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Daniel 3:16-26
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Let’s shortly revise the background story.
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The king of Babilon, Nebuchadnezzar built a huge golden monument with his image
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and commanded that all nations and peoples under his jurisdiction came to worship that statute.
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Whoever refused to worship him,would be thrown into the midst of a burning fiery furnace as a torturous punishment to disobedience.
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When the day came everybody was at the square where the statue of the king was standing.
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With the sound of a trumpet, all the people bowed down to worship the golden image of the king
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except for 3 young men - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
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who knew the real God.
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Whoever knows the real and living God,is not afraid of anything
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and does not worship and kneel down in front of anything or anyone else but God.
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Let's read.
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3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
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3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
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3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
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3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:
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therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
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3:20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
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3:21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their chosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
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3:22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
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3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
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Now we see something relatable to the second reality.
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3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors,
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Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
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3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire,
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and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
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3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said,
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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.
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Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
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I’m sure these 3 young men saw the atrocities of the king Nebuchadnezzar
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and they didn’t even doubt that the king would not hold back
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from his decision and would truly throw the ones who
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disobeyed his command to worship him and hid gods
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would be thrown into the fiery furnace.
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They were 100% sure that the king would not show mercy,
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and those who had planned this whole scenario were also very well aware of the king’s cruelty.
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They saved no effort for this incident to happen.
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They knew that if the king said, the king would also do.
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These 3 men didn’t think that anything would change at the moment,
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they were not waiting for the king to change his mind
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but they believed in the almighty God who was mighty to save; apart from the first reality that everyone saw they knew about the second reality.
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They saw one thing, and believed in another thing.
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We see a firm absence of fear.
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They had a talk with the king Nebuchadnezzar,
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they were tied up and taken by the strong men, and yet they did not fear.
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they were tied up and taken by the strong men, and yet they did not fear.
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They were taken into the fiery furnace
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and knew that they would be thrown into it and yet they did not fear.
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Why? Because they saw one reality,
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but yet they believed in another one.
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They were thrown into the fire,
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but even then they did not fear because they believed.
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Their faith was hardened
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Their faith was hardened
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- the fourth One appeared in the fire with them
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who was like the Son of God.
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I believe that it was Jesus Christ.
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In which reality do you live in?
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How do you make your decisions?
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Do you resolve something based on the things that are seen
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- that you can see, that you can hear, and that you perceive as is?
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Or is it based on the unseen - breeding from your faith?
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People who do not know God
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perceive the reality based on the visible and tangible world they live in.
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35:45.8
They treat it as an illusion and fantasy whatever breeds from faith.
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They think that
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whoever walks by faith is living in a made-up and delusional world,
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the one you see with rose-tinted glasses.
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They perceive us, believers, as being brain-washed
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and under the spell of the Scripture.
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This is how worldly people perceive you because they believe in only one reality
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which they live in
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which breeds fear, confusion, and chaos.
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36:38.3
They are the slaves to the fear of death,
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their biggest fear is death.
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36:48.1
They are afraid of losing their job, their riches, their honor and respect.
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They live in endless fear.
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36:57.9
The reality where Jesus and His saints were living in
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37:02.8
be it Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
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37:07.7
or be it Eliseus
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there was no spirit of fear.
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37:17.5
There was only trust and assurance.
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That's why Jesus told Jairus to not be afraid, only believe.
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This is not the end - what you see and hear is not the end.
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37:32.2
This is not the end, there is one more reality, which is the God's plan.
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37:37.1
Live in peace.
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Faith is not an easy thing.
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37:58.5
That’s why when Jesus was going to the mountain to pray, He took with him only Peter, John, and Jacob
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38:03.4
He wanted to show them the reality He was living in so that they tasted it and when the troubles would come,
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they would have known already that whatever they were seeing was not the end.
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That was to encourage them, give hope and strength to stay strong in the days of trouble.
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The same way Jesus wants to take you to a journey with Him into His reality,
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so that you are not slave to the fear and you know firmly,
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38:27.9
that even if you undergo temptations and hardships,
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38:32.8
you know that it is not the end.
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38:37.7
God’s plans are bigger.
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38:42.6
I didn’t count myself, but there has been such a study
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38:47.5
where the expression “ Do not be afraid!’” was counted 365 times in the Bible.
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38:52.4
Feels like for every single day
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38:57.3
God sends you a message
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to not be afraid.
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39:07.1
Do not give in to the fear relying on the visible things around you.
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39:12.0
God doesn’t want you to be hopeless,
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39:16.9
bleach, afraid, and confused.
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39:21.8
This is not how the believer should live.
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39:26.7
Whatever tragic or hard-to bear news you receive,
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it shouldn’t freak you out to a point that you faint
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39:36.5
it shouldn’t shut you down or kill you inside.
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39:41.4
Remember, the alerts and news
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you receive from the first reality,
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39:51.2
do not translate into the second reality,
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39:56.1
because God has plans in the environment of the latter. Peace be with you, do not be afraid.
39:56.2
40:01.0
When Jesus heard about Lazarus's death, he was peaceful.
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40:05.9
He said peacefully, ‘Let’s go.”
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40:10.8
When He arrived, he saw
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40:15.7
Lazarus’s sisters being confused and sad,
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40:20.6
and He told them to calm down and believe
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40:25.5
because whoever believes in Jesus even though dies, will live.
40:25.6
40:30.4
He asked Martha if she believed in that. She said,
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40:35.3
“ Lord, I know that on the revelation day everyone will live again.” Jesus was not asking about the future
40:35.4
40:40.2
He was referring to the present.
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40:45.1
Lazarus and the 12-year-old girl were asleep for Jesus, they were not dead.
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40:50.0
He sees and grasps things differently,
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and He wants you to do the same.
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41:06.9
How to live in the reality of faith
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where the fear is absent?
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41:16.7
I want to give you 3 important pieces of advice on how to live in the reality of faith.
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1. Build your house of faith upon Jesus, the Rock.
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41:26.5
What I mean by house of faith is where you live and abide.
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41:31.4
You should live in Jesus continually, day by day.
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41:36.3
Do not just use the church services from Sunday to Sunday
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to come to God, and then go back to your reality once you are out,
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but build a strong relationship with Him
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day by day.
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41:55.9
Abide in Him, be rooted in Him,
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42:00.8
and build your life and lifestyle upon His commands and His word.
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42:05.7
In John 14:1 Jesus says,
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42:20.4
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
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42:25.3
What does it mean “troubled”?
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By troubled He means confusion and hopelessness.
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42:35.1
By troubled He means confusion and hopelessness.
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42:44.9
Believe in God, and believe in Me.
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42:49.8
When you continually trust in Jesus,
42:49.9
42:54.7
He puts peace within you.
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42:59.6
If you have the riches of this world
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43:04.5
but you do not have peace,
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you will never enjoy what you have.
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43:14.3
All of those things are pointless without peace.
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43:19.2
If you continually live in fear, there is no such pill to take and get pacified. Those pills
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43:24.1
- drinks and drugs can blunt your pain but they will never cure you,
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43:29.0
neither will they grant you peace.
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43:33.9
Therefore, if you have built your house upon Jesus,you will have peace in your heart.
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43:38.8
Let's read John 12: 44-46
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“44 Jesus cried and said,
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43:48.6
He that believeth on me, believeth not on me,
43:48.7
43:53.5
but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
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43:58.4
46 I am come a light into the world,
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44:03.3
that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”
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That whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness
44:08.3
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because I came as a light so that none of you abides in darkness
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44:18.0
This also includes darkness of fear.
44:18.1
44:22.9
Is there anything more cumbersome and touring than that? I doubt it!
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44:27.8
Believe in Me, He says.
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44:32.7
He came to the world so that we live in light and do not abide in darkness.
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44:37.6
Therefore, build your house of faith
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44:42.5
upon Jesus and there will be no darkness, no darkness of fear.
44:42.6
44:47.4
Can you imagine how Jairus was feeling
44:47.5
44:52.3
when he heard the news of his daughter's death?
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44:57.2
This news could possibly kill him.
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45:02.1
Many of you have kids, God forbid, but imagine how you’d feel
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45:07.0
had you heard of such news.
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45:11.9
This is horrifying.
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45:16.8
Jesus came, so that we no longer abide in darkness.
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45:21.7
Abide in Jesus, continually,
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45:26.6
then, no matter how dark it is around you,
45:26.7
45:31.5
you will live in light, in a world where Jesus is the light.
45:36.5
45:41.3
In John 14: 27 Jesus said,
45:41.4
45:46.2
“27 Peace I leave with you,
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my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
45:51.2
45:56.0
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
45:56.1
46:00.9
He knows our human nature very well,
46:01.0
46:05.8
and he knows that we can easily be troubled in this world,
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46:10.7
therefore He gives us His peace
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46:15.6
which is not the same peace that we can get from this world.
46:15.7
46:20.5
Achieving your goals and getting what you have dreamt of
46:20.6
46:25.4
will not give you the peace that Jesus gives you.
46:25.5
46:30.3
The peace Jesus gives us is not perennial, it is everlasting.
46:30.4
46:36.1
Therefore, build your house of faith upon Jesus.
46:36.2
46:43.2
2. Build your house of faith on God’s promises.
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46:48.1
Build your house of faith on God’s promises.
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46:53.0
Anchor your faith on Jesus and His promises.
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46:57.9
Do not just believe that Jesus once lived or He still does,
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47:02.8
this won’t change anything in your life. Believe in the promises of God,
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believe that they are real, tangible, and practical.
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47:12.6
In his second letter Peter says
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(Peter 2 1:3-4),
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47:22.4
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
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through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
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47:32.2
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
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that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
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47:42.0
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
47:42.1
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God gave us the most honorable,
47:47.0
47:51.8
valuable, priceless, and biggest promises
47:51.9
47:56.7
so that we escape from the corrupted reality of this world
47:56.8
48:01.6
that is full of fear,
48:01.7
48:06.5
and commune with the Holy nature of God
48:06.6
48:11.4
where there is no trace of fear.
48:16.4
48:21.2
God’s promises are given to you
48:21.3
48:26.1
that you live by them and be in peace,
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48:31.0
because fear destroys your faith.
48:31.1
48:35.9
Fear is an enemy to faith.
48:36.0
48:40.8
In the letter to Hebrews
48:40.9
48:45.7
chapter 6:17-19
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48:55.5
“ 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly
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49:01.0
to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
49:01.1
49:05.9
God gave His promises to us
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49:10.8
as His heir
49:10.9
49:15.7
All of His promises are addressed to us
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49:20.6
18 That by two immutable things,
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49:25.5
in which it was impossible for God to lie,
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49:30.4
we might have a strong consolation,
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49:35.3
who have fled for refuge
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to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
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19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”
49:45.2
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Let us always remember that it is impossible for God to lie.
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49:54.9
Constantly keeping this mind will comfort us profoundly and steadily,
49:55.0
49:59.8
and it won’t be short-lived comfort, but continuous and never-ending.
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50:04.7
and it won’t be short-lived comfort, but continuous and never-ending.
50:09.7
50:14.5
“18: it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation,
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50:19.4
who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”,
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50:24.3
fled, for refuge, for protection to lay upon the hope set before us.
50:24.4
50:29.2
That is a place where you are protected,
50:29.3
50:34.1
no need to be afraid of anything.
50:34.2
50:39.0
Build your house of faith on the promises of God.
50:39.1
50:47.2
3. Build of house of faith upon love (Agape - Godly love).
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50:52.1
Why upon Love? In 1 John 4: 16-18 God's word says,
50:52.2
50:57.0
Why upon Love? In 1 John 4: 16-18 God's word says,
50:57.1
51:01.9
‘16 And we have known and believed
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51:06.8
the love that God hath to us. God is love;
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51:11.7
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God,
51:11.8
51:16.6
and God in him.
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51:21.5
17 Herein is our love made perfect,
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51:26.4
that we may have boldness on the day of judgment:
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because as he is, so are we in this world.
51:31.4
51:36.2
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:
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because fear hath torment. He that feareth
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51:46.0
is not made perfect in love.”
51:46.1
51:50.9
Where there is fear, there is no love. Where there is love, there is no fear.
51:51.0
51:55.8
Build your house upon God’s love.
51:55.9
52:00.7
Love! There is no fear in Love.
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52:05.6
Love is a world where there is no trace of fear.
52:05.7
52:10.5
If there be fear, then only fear of God.
52:10.6
52:15.4
Aim for not losing you true and real love that’s within you.
52:15.5
52:20.3
In Proverbs 23: 17-18 it is written,
52:20.4
52:25.2
17 Let not thine heart
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52:30.1
envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
52:30.2
52:35.0
Be in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
52:35.1
52:39.9
18 For surely there is an end;
52:40.0
52:44.8
and thine expectation shall not be cut off.”
52:44.9
52:49.7
Do not envy sinners who succeed in this world, who refuse God’s commandments and achieve success
52:49.8
52:54.6
in ways that do not please God.
52:54.7
52:59.5
Do not envy, do not be confused, but every day live in the fear of God.
52:59.6
53:04.4
This is not ordinary fear.
53:04.5
53:09.3
This is fear breeding from love when you are afraid to lose God, to hurt God,
53:09.4
53:14.2
and to make Him angry with you. This fear breeds from love.
53:14.3
53:19.1
Abide in this love daily, abide in the fear of God.
53:19.2
53:24.0
Then it is written, “18 For surely there is an end;
53:24.1
53:28.9
and thine expectation shall not be cut off.”
53:29.0
53:33.8
There is an end, and whoever lives in the reality
53:33.9
53:38.7
of this world will be full of fear on the last day because on Judgement Day
53:38.8
53:43.6
the spirit of fear will take over the hearts of many.
53:43.7
53:48.5
Fear has no power over the lives of those
53:48.6
53:53.4
who have built their house of faith upon Jesus,
53:53.5
53:58.3
His promises, and His love.
53:58.4
54:03.2
Resist all of your fears,
54:03.3
54:08.1
and declare in courage and faith as it is written in
54:08.2
54:13.0
Hebrews 13:6, “6 So that we may boldly say,
54:13.1
54:17.9
The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
54:18.0
54:22.8
Whenever the spirit of fear is about to take you over,
54:22.9
54:27.7
any bad news, any tragic news
54:27.8
54:32.6
that will be delivered to you,
54:32.7
54:37.5
resist fear with faith
54:37.6
54:42.4
and say, "God is my helper, therefore, I will not fear.
54:42.5
54:47.3
What shall a man do to me?'
54:47.4
54:52.2
Psalm 27: 1 says,
54:52.3
54:57.1
“27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
54:57.2
55:02.0
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
55:02.1
55:06.9
When you live in God’s reality, there is nothing to be afraid of
55:07.0
55:11.8
because God is your helper and protector.
55:11.9
55:16.7
Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forevermore.
55:16.8
55:21.6
Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forevermore.
55:26.6
55:31.4
Blessing, praise, and glory be given to you, o Lord.
55:31.5
55:36.3
Our Father that lives in the glory of heavens,
55:36.4
55:41.2
that the universe in its endlessnesses is yet small for you,
55:41.3
55:46.1
that the world is a pedestal to Your feet, and yet
55:46.2
55:51.0
you humbly live within our earthly
55:51.1
55:55.9
you humbly live within our earthly hearts.
55:56.0
56:00.8
And if only it was possble to fully grasp that
56:00.9
56:05.7
with our limited mind,
56:05.8
56:10.6
we would perhaps be no more.
56:10.7
56:15.5
You give us the strength to bear that understanding, Lord,
56:15.6
56:20.4
so that we can live a life of other value,
56:20.5
56:25.3
so that we are not taken over by the fear that wanders in this life,
56:25.4
56:30.2
so that we do not give in to what we see, what we hear, and
56:35.2
56:40.0
Let us continually remember that a house of faith built on You,
56:40.1
56:44.9
built on Your promises,
56:45.0
56:49.8
has no trace of fear.
56:49.9
56:54.7
What can make us afraid?
56:54.8
56:59.6
We have this fear Lord - not to hurt You,
56:59.7
57:04.5
not to abstain from the love You gave us
57:04.6
57:09.4
and not to disobey You.
57:09.5
57:14.3
We are thankful that You protect Your house,
57:14.4
57:19.2
where our soul has peace,
57:19.3
57:24.1
and experiences the gentle odor of the heavenly Love.
57:24.2
57:29.0
I am grateful for my spiritual brothers and sisters.
57:29.1
57:33.9
We are grateful that we are together here again in Your house.
57:34.0
57:38.8
We are grateful for Your sweetness, for the cries of our children,
57:38.9
57:43.7
for the cry and for the laughter,
57:43.8
57:48.6
we are under Your protection, Lord.
57:48.7
57:53.5
There is nothing on this world
57:53.6
57:58.4
that can suffocate this faith.
57:58.5
58:03.3
You said to Your disciples
58:03.4
58:08.2
if they too wanted to leave.
58:08.3
58:13.1
They replied and said, "God, where shall we go from You, o Lord. Only you have the Word of Life."
58:13.2
58:18.0
There is no one else worthy
58:18.1
58:22.9
to be traded for You. Glory be to You
58:23.0
58:27.8
for Your goodness.
58:27.9
58:32.7
Let our feet stand strongly in Your house,
58:32.8
58:37.6
that we give glory and worship to Your Name in all the days of our lives.
58:37.7
58:42.5
Becuase if we are rooted in Your house, we will be fruiteful even in our elderness.
58:42.6
58:47.4
We will live peacefully and fearlessly.
58:47.5
58:52.3
And we shall dwell in Your glory forever.
58:52.4
58:57.2
Whoever does not have this hope and live in the first reality, Lord,
58:57.3
59:02.1
where they are taken over by fear, please, visit them, Lord, knock on the doors of their hearts,
59:02.2
59:07.0
and bring them to Your world, to Your reality.
59:07.1
59:11.9
We are praying for the sick, weak, and weary, Lord.
59:12.0
59:16.8
We received a prayer request for a sister in Vanadzor who has cancer.
59:16.9
59:21.7
We pray that You visit her and take care of her. Doctors say there is no hope for her,
59:21.8
59:26.6
but You are our hope.
59:26.7
59:31.5
As Your will it is, visit her and show her Your mercy.
59:31.6
59:36.4
We pray for Your people, for those who have drawn far from You,
59:36.5
59:41.3
for those who have been deceived by Evil,
59:41.4
59:46.2
show Your mercy to them and direct their steps toward Your house.
59:46.3
59:51.1
Keep us in Your peace and lead us.
59:51.2
59:56.0
I pray for all those spirits who plan to get baptized. Prepare their souls according to Your will.
59:56.1
60:00.9
Bless their lives built upon love, faith, and hope.
60:01.0
60:05.8
I pray all this in Jesus Name,
60:05.9
60:10.7
and now the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God Father, and the communion of Holy Spirit be with you all.
