FAITH vs. FEAR
Pr. James Victor Lubwama
Faith and fear are two giants that cannot sit in the same place. When one comes in, the other disappears. According to Hebrews 11:1 (AMP) Faith is;
"The assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]”
The acronym FEAR is unmasked as False Evidence Appearing Real. The image the devil is painting for you is not real; sometimes it's just perceived and not necessarily close to us. Satan uses fear to govern people’s lives while God uses faith. The foundation of faith is the word of God, while the foundation of fear are lies of the world. You can't have faith without the Word. Romans 10:17 (NKJV) affirms;
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”
Most people impulsively lift their faith but faith is non-existent without God and His word. It begins with Him and by His word – Rhema Word.  And when you hear and act accordingly, you see his saving hand and breakthrough.  Most people desire to life their faith – do things by faith without hearing first from the author of our faith (Hebrews12:2) and when they hit a dead-end, they play the blame game. Faith is not a risk undertaking but comes by hearing from God, and when He speaks, He surely performs - when He tells you to offer a sacrifice, He will provide the sacrifice (Genesis 22).  Don’t act impulsively, but hear first from the author and finisher of faith!

 God has already given us the assurance of the things He is going to do through His word and prophesies. And through the Rhema and Logos word, He has shaped our future. God is able and will do what He has spoken but it's up to us to choose what to believe. Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT) says;
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make……"
A couple of times, we do things in fear. We offer or sow in fear in order to save our jobs; we pray in fear; and fast in fear. We don’t do the above out of obedience (as instructed by Holy Spirit) but motivated by fear. You will never see God if you do anything motivated by fear because God honours actions that are faith-driven. Anything done out of fear cannot lead to a breakthrough or blessing. As we pray, the bible says in James 1:6-8 (NLT) that;
"But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do"
Everyone is haunted by fear at a certain time, but it’s what you choose do when fear roars that makes a difference. When you’re afraid, you will probably respond in one of these ways - embrace fear, run from fear, or encounter fear with faith. The devil has no power to stop what God has already predestined. Choose to believe what God says about you and, have faith in His Word.
Discard fear and choose faith!

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