Learning to Live Fear Free

By Xlibris US

In a world inundated with an assortment of threats and potential dangers peering in the windows of our lives prods insecurity. The stock market crash of 2008 left one of my friends feeling bewildered and lugubrious after losing $300,000 in that financial disaster. As the economy worsened, the demand for life coaches augmented turning it into an $800 million dollar industry in the U.S. alone. The reason being that in this world of uncertainty, brokenness, and probable perils people are looking for meaning and purpose. When we know who we are and our purpose for living fear dissipates. This book replicates Christs interaction with his disciples as he taught them what to do to not allow life threatening circumstances to needle them into a life of fear. Given the times in which we live this book is just what the doctor ordered

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499026054

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Copyright © 2014 by Leon Collier.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Scriptures taken from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®). Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Rev. date: 05/20/2014

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1. Things that Can Provoke Fear in Us

Chapter 2. Weathering Storms Without Fear

Chapter 3. How Favor Dissolves Fear

Chapter 4. Reasons Why We Shouldn’t Fear

Chapter 5. Resurrection, the Primary Reason to Not Fear

Introduction

Fear is a human instinct that is encoded into the nervous system, and we are armed with the survival makeup when facing danger. When we detect danger, our neurological system hastily sends warning signals to the body, which causes bodily rejoinders to either defend or flee.

It is in our human nature to fear, which by the way came as a result of sin. Fear did not exist in our human makeup until sin was committed. The first occurrence of fear was in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned. You may recall that after they disobeyed God’s command, they ran and hid from the Lord in fear. So he said, ‘I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ (Genesis 3:10 NKJV) Thus, living in fear does not originate with God; it comes from sin and disobedience to God. The spirit of fear lies within the human biological structure and flares up at the rise of potential danger. But when we accepted Christ, he gave us another spirit that can combat the spirit of fear, and that spirit is the spirit of power, love, and sound mind. He didn’t give us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love, and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). We have a miraculous working power in us that can change unfavorable circumstances into favorable ones. We also have agape that cast out fear (1 John 4:18) and sound mind that helps keeps us under the control of the Holy Spirit. This is how God expects his people to live in this imperfect world where tragedy can happen unexpectedly at any given time.

The word fear is mentioned 395 times in the Bible, based on my research. The word afraid is found 189 times. God definitely understands imperfect humans living in an imperfect world where so many unexpected tragedies can happen make room for the temptation to live in fear. The word fear is mention so many times because it is a real issue in the world.

What’s interesting is that the phrase fear not is only found 63 times in the Bible. My rationale tells me that if fear is mentioned 365 times, but fear not is only mentioned 63 times in the Bible, perhaps God didn’t have to say fear not as much because he had a remedy for it.

Satan makes a lot of noise as a roaring lion, and his intent is to frighten you and suppress your faith. But remember you are a child of God, and Satan is a lion with no teeth and no