Hello and welcome to wake-up-castle-rock-and-America.

I am your host Willie T Ayers.

Did you know that do not fear is in the Bible Three Hundred Sixty-Five times? 

Yes, there is so much happening today in our society inflation -abortion – daylight murders- corrupt politicians-homosexuality-IRS destroying tax returns- domestic terrorists and so much more.

 Did you know that our brains express only two primary emotions: fear and love? And we decide to choose one or the other. Christ says, "Perfect love casts out all fear." Which will you choose? 

1 John 4:18 , Isaiah 41:10 , Romans 8:38  

Today, I would like to share the following scripture from Isaiah 41:10 ; “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.” 

I repeat it again, Did you know that the bible tells us not to fear 365 times? That is once for every day of the year! God makes it clear in scriptures like Isaiah 41:10 that he wants us to choose faith over fear daily. He wants us to trust that He will provide for our every need. 

You might ask, how do I have faith? I believe that religion is when we choose to stand on the promises of God even when we begin to feel insecurity or doubt. Confidence is like a muscle; every time you believe God's word, it is an opportunity to exercise that muscle. 

Sometimes God allows situations to arise in the lives that force us to trust him. If you and I are faced with a difficult decision or circumstance today, I want to encourage you because you are in the right place! There is no place better than to be in the House of God with fellow believers, be it Zoom, TV, blog, podcast, etc.; your body our body is the temple.

When the Apostle Paul wrote the words "Your body is a temple" to the church in Corinth, he was saying this: You no longer must go to a building, an ornate, gilded temple built with your blood, toil, and sacrifice, to meet with our God. Know how you are in the temple. You are the place in which you can dwell with our God. 

God is promising us in his word that He will reward our faith. As you view this blog/podcast, I want to challenge you to think about the areas of your life where God asks you to take a step of faith and trust him. 

Fears are normal. They’re a natural response to our environment and the situations we encounter. So, what can we do when fear seems overwhelming? The Bible has many examples of people who experienced fear or anxiety.

They trusted God during their struggles and remained obedient despite their fears. If you’re experiencing fear or anxiety, these scriptures will help you trust God in those moments and lean on Him for strength. 

What does Bible say about standing firm? 

Ephesians 6:11-16 provides us with advice on standing firm in the Lord. Standing firm in the Lord is done by putting on the whole armor of God. These verses include filling your life with truthfulness, righteousness, peace, and faith. To put on the full armor of God, you must consist of him in all you do 

Know that God is with you no matter what. 

In the book of Psalms, King David writes, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in him.” (Psalm 34:8). In that moment of David’s life, he was experiencing betrayal and loss. He had placed his trust in others and his abilities but had been let down.

He found himself experiencing fear and anxiety. But David also found God. And through his faith in God, David discovered a peace he couldn’t have found alone. God has never left you. He’s never changed His mind about you. He is good, and He is always with you. He knows every struggle you’re facing, and He is there with you during it all. Trust God. Lean on Him. Let Him know you need Him now. 

What is the biblical definition of stand? 

To stand means you remain firm and immovable, even when (or especially when) you are the smallest, youngest, or last standing. You may be the means for holding up others. 

Be on the lookout for deception. 

In the book of Corinthians, the Apostle Paul writes, “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (2 Corinthians 12:8). Paul says that the Holy Spirit intercedes with us or prays on our behalf.

He also describes the prayers of the Holy Spirit as groanings or noises too deep for words. Paul is warning us that sometimes when we feel overwhelmed, we might be tempted to give in to panic or despair. These emotions can come from the Enemy and lead us to make bad decisions. Trusting them can lead us down a path of deception and put us in danger.

The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, guides us towards God and helps us find strength in Him to make the right choices. Find ways to quiet your mind and listen to the Holy Spirit at this moment. Take deep breaths. Meditate. Read your Bible and pray. 

Turn to God for comfort and strength. 

The book of Psalms again provides insight into how people can best handle anxiety. In Psalm 94, the psalmist prays, “Gather my sons together to me, and my daughters too; Let the children of my house understand the end of the Lord and His provision for them.” The psalmist is facing a great battle or perhaps a terrible plague that has left many of his children dead. He is anxious and afraid but turns to God for strength and comfort. He prays for his children and the rest of God’s people to know that God is good and has a plan for those who trust Him. No matter what your struggles are, turn to God. Let Him know you need Him now. 

Plan to fight your fears. 

The Bible tells us not to be afraid in the book of Psalms. It also tells us to trust in the Lord. These are great advice, but they’re not enough on their own. We also must take action to fight our fears and face our anxieties head-on. The Bible also provides us with strategies and examples of people who lived through difficult circumstances.

The Bible tells the story of Daniel, thrown into a den of lions for refusing to worship the king’s gods. Many people would have been overcome with fear, but Daniel trusted God. He had a plan: He kept his faith in God and remained obedient to God’s word. He knew he would be okay. You have a plan, too. 

Trust God even when you don’t understand. 

In the book of Job, a Job is a man who has lost everything—his family, his health, and all of his wealth. Job is grieving and angry that he’s been betrayed and forced to suffer in such a terrible way. Job has every right to feel the way he does, but he has also lost sight of God. Job doesn’t understand why he’s been betrayed and forced to suffer. He doesn’t understand why God has let this happen to him. In his despair, he prays, “My cry for help is worthless and unneeded” (Job 10:1). Job struggles but refuses to turn to God. He refuses to trust God even though he doesn’t understand what God is doing. Let Job’s story be a lesson to you. 

To be steadfast and unmovable is to be spiritually grounded. A responsible person knows what he believes and cannot be “tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching” (Ephesians 4:14 ).

An unmovable person can hear false teaching, engage doubters, and defend the truth without shaking his faith. In his other epistle to Corinth, Paul expresses his concern for this church: “I am afraid that just as the serpent’s cunning deceived Eve, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Even believers who the apostle had personally taught Paul were victims of deception. How much more vulnerable are we? 

To remain steadfast and unmovable, we must know God’s Word. Second, Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (NASB). To accurately handle the word of truth, we must not only read the Bible, but we must allow it to become part of us. Its truth should penetrate our minds and hearts and shape our thinking and actions. It should so fill our minds that we can detect error when we hear it. Satan uses Scripture for his purposes, twisting it to sound as though it says something it doesn’t say (Luke 4:9–11).

 We are vulnerable to error if we have not been diligent in our study and meditation on truth. The world’s false religions can be persuasive when they quote Bible verses to support their error. Even Christians can be duped by smooth-sounding heresy if they do not have a solid grounding in the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27 ). God desires that we grow daily in our understanding of Him and His Word so that we will remain faithful to the end (John 8:31 ; 2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 ; 1 John 2:24 ). 

Bs blessed and be safe. Do not let fear control you; Jesus is the answer