The Fear Factor

Happy Tuesday!

After 5 days of the worse cough of my entire life… I found myself in bed last night-7:30pm. Within 30 minutes, I was coughing so badly I actually felt as if I was not going to make it through the night alive (had way too many death thoughts yesterday)… checked my temperature and it was UP… checked my heart rate and it was way UP. So I finally went to the AMC emergency room… and found out that for the first time in something like 15 years, I had the flu-H1N1 (aka: the swine flu).

My doctor was an old friend, Dr. Randy Gallagher. Even though I was feeling so bad, I loved the time we were able to share together. Randy was one of my best friends years ago… sure have missed him.

Got home at 12:30am, took the medicine, fell asleep at 1:00am… and woke up coughing my head off again @ 5:00am! I really need to get better SOON… this has NOT been a fun adventure!

How does a guy who hasn’t had the flu in this many years end up this sick? I mean, I was on a roll you guys! Was hoping to become just like John G Lake-the guy who built up a spiritual immunity to sickness through his epic faith.

What happened to me is exactly what happened to Job. You know? The guy in the bible who had a PERFECT life until all hell broke loose and he started losing everything? Ok, well I’m not losing everything… because I’m going to learn from Job’s mistake.

In Job’s darkest moment, he said, “The thing I FEARED has come upon me.”

Before that day, Jobs world was perfect… he had an unprecedented relationship with God, was the richest guy with a beautiful family and not a single problem. From this we see that FAITH is a hedge that keeps us healthy and prosperous and whole (spirit, soul, and body)… and FEAR that is not overcome, eventually creates an opening in the hedge. Jobs perfect world was shredded to pieces because WHAT HE FEARED ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO HIM.

In my own situation… I remember a few months ago, I heard an evil voice say to me, “this is the year you’re going to get the flu… you haven’t been exercising enough and you’ve been eating way too much junk food… and you’re going to get it bad!”

This message programed FEAR into my heart… and instead of praying to overcome the fear, I submitted to it! I found myself paranoid around coughing people… and I played the evil message over and over in my mind… until it happened just as it was suggested!

Then last night, while I laying in my bed coughing NON-STOP for something like 30 seconds… and I couldn’t catch my breath… I heard the same evil voice say to me, “see, you waited too long before going to the doctor… and you’re gonna be one of the people who die from the swine flu!”

This time, instead of letting this evil message run wild in my mind… I called Emily into the room and asked her to pray for me. And when I didn’t get better after a few minutes… I asked her to pray again! And when I still didn’t get any better, she commanded me to go to the hospital. And when we got to the hospital, she talked me into sending out an SOS prayer request to the prayer team. And ONCE I SENT that prayer request message, PEACE came over my heart… and within 30 minutes I wasn’t coughing as much… and I wasnt hurting as much… and even though I was diagnosed with H1N1 and I’m still feeling horrible… I KNOW MY FAITH IS WORKING AGAIN!

Fear is the enemy of faith and the killer of many rising stars. In order to LIVE by FAITH and DO BIG THINGS with our lives, we must conquer our FEARS-every one of them! It’s a terrifying thing, to live in the constant dread of what MIGHT happen to us. So the question today is this: What are your FEARS?

Please learn from my very painful poor example and DEAL WITH YOUR FEARS before they COME UPON YOU. Take some time today and talk to God about your BIGGEST fears… look up a few promises from God’s word that speak directly to those fears. Meditate over the list I’ve provided below… and replace all your NEGATIVE PROPHECIES (fears) with POSITIVE PROPHECIES (faith)… and watch how the entire universe starts to conspire in your FAVOR!

• If you fear sickness: meditate on Psalm 103:2-6 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed.
• If you fear a life without significance: meditate on Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
• If you fear financial devastation: meditate on Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
• If you fear backsliding into some horrible temptation: meditate on 1 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
• If you fear about missing the plan of God for your life: meditate on Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”
• If you fear the nastiness of other people: meditate on Deuteronomy 31:8 “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
• If you fear an early death: meditate on Psalm 91:16 “With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
• If you fear having a nervous breakdown: meditate on Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
• I’ve only listed a few of the obvious ones: The Bible contains something like 35,000 promises… a hundred promises for every problem you will ever face!

1 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind!

From this moment forward… lets walk in POWER and LOVE and a SOUND MIND far more consistently than we have been in past years! Let’s RISE above the many challenges we all face… and let’s SUCCEED LIKE LEGENDS! Fear is no longer a factor for me… and thanks to THIS BLOG… FEAR IS NO LONGER A FACTOR FOR YOU!

Have an amazing day everyone! Sure do love all my friends scattered across the world! I just prayed for you all with GREAT FAITH… hope you feel the difference!