At this time each year, society engages in the “fun” of Halloween. The annual event is about celebrating ghosts and goblins and fear. Fear is real for which people seek counseling to overcome.
Here is an unusual list of fears or phobias people have:
• Peladophobia: fear of baldness and bald people.
• Aerophobia: fear of drafts.
• Porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple.
• Chaetophobia: fear of hairy people.
• Levophobia: fear of objects on the left side of the body.
• Dextrophobia: fear of objects on the right side of the body.
• Auroraphobia: fear of the northern lights.
• Calyprophobia: fear of obscure meanings.
• Thalassophobia: fear of being seated.
• Stabisbasiphobia: fear of standing and walking.
• Odontophobia: fear of teeth.
• Graphophobia: fear of writing in public.
• Phobophobia: fear of being afraid.
When we were kids fear was a great experience, especially if it involved somebody else being afraid. Halloween was the most fun. Dressing up like some ghost or monster and jumping out of the bushes to yell, “boo!” and to see your best friend nearly faint with fear - ohhh what fun! Or to be at camp and tell ghost stories around a camp fire until all the newest kids at the camp were too frightened to go to sleep.
When we grow up we don’t stop being afraid of things. In fact, fears become more troubling and no longer any fun at all.
Here is a list of things that adults in Maine are fearful of:
Afraid of a life threatening disease.
Afraid that something might happen to our children.
Afraid of what will happen if terrorists attack our nation.
Afraid of losing our jobs with a failing economy.
Afraid of a Casino coming to Maine.
Afraid of what Washington, D.C. will be like with a new administration.
Fear is one of the most prominent forces that people deal with, saved and unsaved. Fear comes in different forms and fashions, and could be thought of in three different categories;
1. Fear from storms of life.
2. Fear of man,
3. Fear of world events leading to the coming of Christ
We know that Satan is the author of fear - 2 Tim 1:7. And we also know that the word of God is filled with reassuring words to the believer concerning fear.
Life is often compared to a ship crossing a sea. Sometimes it can be scary. The most common area of fear is the storms of life. Jesus addresses this fear as recorded in Luke 12:30-32; “For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
For many people there is a fear of what man will do to us. Over the past year, millions of people have been shaken by the “Fear of man”. (afraid of where America could go not knowing what kind of administration will be in Washington)
We cannot allow our lives to be controlled by the fear of man. For example, we cannot stop driving because of the fear of drunk drivers. We cannot stop going into public places because of the fear of a mad man with a gun. We cannot stay away from home because of the fear someone breaking in. Jesus addressed the problem in Luke 12:4 “...Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.”
In considering the events that are going on in the world today, there is a tendency to feel like God is not in control of things. As believers, we must remember that nothing happens outside the sovereignty of God. God has a plan for the future, a timetable of events and there are certain things that must happen before Christ returns to earth. Luke 21:9-11, 24-28
We can comfort and strengthen our hearts by remembering that Christ is returning and that until He does there are predicted events that will happen. We are comforted by God’s Word in John 14:1-3; “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
In chapter One of Job we find that Job was a man who feared God. He was a man that was upright, one that eschewed evil, with a goal in life that was to live so that God would be pleased with his life. He didn’t have the opportunity to read what Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:9 "Wherefore we labor that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him." But he believed in his God and he knew that one day he would stand before Him and he wanted to hear his God say to him “well done thou good and faithful servant.”
Then Job lost everything; his oxen, his sheep, his camels, all of his servants, even his children, and on top of all of this his wife tells him to just curse God and die. But in Chapter 2:10 we find some of the sweetest words in all the bible "... In all this did not Job sin with his lips." Although he went through all that he did, he still remained faithful to God. I say “what a man”.
The conclusion to this is that there are some things that you and I, as Christians, need to be scared to death of and there are some things that we don’t need to be afraid of at all.
We don’t have to be afraid of . . .
#1 PUBLIC OPINION-
One of the things that is wrong in our churches today is that people are afraid of what others might think of them; even including some pastors. We need to be like the Apostle Paul in Gal. 1:10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." The driving force behind Paul’s life was that when he stood before God, He would put His stamp of approval on his life, and because of this he didn’t care what anybody thought about him. Listen to what he says in Philip. 1:20; "... so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death".
We don’t have to be afraid of. . .
#2 PREACHING FROM GOD’S HOLY WORD - In 2 Tim. 4:1-5 Paul admonishes Timothy a young preacher to Preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering. We need to preach the whole counsel of God, not only about Heaven but also about Hell, not only that God is a God of love, but that he is also a God of Judgment. We need to tell it like it is
We don’t have to be afraid of. . .
#3 PREACHING AGAINST SIN - It was sin that caused Adam to lose his Paradise. It was sin that got the wisest man that ever lived, Solomon. It was sin that got the strongest man that ever lived, Samson. It was sin that got the man that was walking close to God, David. The devil has deceived us into thinking that everybody else does it and since God doesn’t seem to be chastening them, it must be alright. Some today say; “it was just a little white lie”. We have given such nice sounding names to sin and because of this our hearts have become insensitive to sin. This modern view is what makes sin so dangerous.
The best way to combat fear is to know that our heart is right with God. Believers can live and die without fear. I Jn 4:17-18 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. 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.”
As we think about October 31st and November 4th, we can either give in to fear, or take God at His word and overcome fear with faith.
Many are praying about November 4th. They are praying about the possibility of a Casino coming to Maine and they are praying for the person of God’s choice to be in the White House. Prayer is powerful and necessary. Prayer changes things. Prayer will inspire action as James writes in James 2:17-24 that “faith without works is dead.” After we have prayed, we must put feet to those prayers.
Concerning November 4th, let us pray that God’s people will remember their responsibility to practice good stewardship of this nation based on Biblical principles and vote according to God’s will.
At a pastors' prayer meeting this week, one of my colleagues shared a verse that blessed everyone present. It as from Romans 15:13 "And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." MKJV
The Maine Family Policy Council - Action is agressively resisting the proposal to build Casino in Oxford County and encourages all Christians in Maine to exercise their Christian duty to vote “No” on question two and encourage their friends to do the same.
To learn more about The Maine Family Policy Council, go to http://www.mainefamilypolicycouncil.com/
The Maine Family Policy Council is asking Churches to consider receiving a special offering on the first Sunday in November. Special League Sunday at your church
Why Christians Must Vote
Register To Vote
Value Voters Video
Pastors' Concerns Concerning Elections
Focus Action Election Update [video]
AFA Presidential Voter Guide
Walbuilders Presidential Voter Guide
FRC Presidential Voter Guide
Democrat and Republican Party Platforms
What same-sex "marriage" has done to Mass.
The League was formed in 1897 to name and confront sin. We continue to do so because of the love of Christ, knowing that He is the only eternal answer to a sin-infestation. Psychology isn't enough. Counselors can't do it. There isn't enough money in all the world to hire enough politicans and policemen to reign in sin and the devil. The only solution is both the most costly and least expensive. The only solution is the righteousness of Jesus Christ -- the Gospel.
Sunday November 2nd is the day that many churches around Maine are receiving a love offering for the League. Would you consider receiving a special offering for the League too? Every donated dollar will be matched so your offering will be doubled. Thank you for considering this. Donations can be mailed to The League at P.O. Box 5459, Augusta, ME. 04332.
Consider this your invitation to partner with The Maine Family Policy Council, as we proclaim the uncompromised truth of God’s Word in the public square. The MFPC has a public voice that churches and even denominations don’t have. The MFPC is a Home Mission to the legilators in Augusta. Some Maine churches have included the League in their missions budget for years. The League started a program called 500-50-5 which has a five year goal of engaging the support of 500 churches to support the League at the rate of $50 per month. Thank you for considering joining other churches who are parterning with MFPC.
Thank you for your prayers and support. You can also invite Michael and Paulie Heath to your church for a Citizenship Sunday. Mike is prepared to share a message on Christian Citizenship and Paulie is prepared to sing a few song specials. You can contact Paulie Heath at (207) 215-6886 to make the arrangements.
