Challenging the Fears that Fearfully Challenge Us!

“Challenging the Fears that Fearfully Challenge Us” is actually the title of one of my top selling teaching CD’s along with  “Avoiding Pathetic Pathology” and “Waiting on God.”Most people don’t want to be labeled Pathetic, and I know that few Believers enjoy waiting on God, and of course, we all battle fears that fearfully challenge us.

 One of my fears use to be going over large bridges.  If you want to order my teaching CD to hear the whole story from start to finish, on how God delivered me from this nine year fear, please contact me at anointed2go@cox.net and I can let you know how to secure the CD.  But this picture above was taken from the car I was joyfully riding in earlier this year while going over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA.

One of the scriptures in that message is from 2 Corinthians 7:5-6 which reads like this: 

“For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had nor rest, but we were troubled on every side.  Outside were conflicts and inside were fears.  Nevertheless, God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus.”

Let me unpack this just a bit.  Paul was saying that at one point their bodies had no rest – in other words, they were dead dog-tired.  When I am tired, I normally ache all over.  My feet hurt and my back hurts, and my teeth and my hair hurt.  Okay, not really, but it seems like that, and if I can just get a power nap – just 15 minutes, I know I will feel great.  I recently heard a friend say that his son is from Ineedanappa!  I thought it was cool.  There are times when we all need a nappa.  Even the Apostle Paul.

Not only was Paul tired, but also he was experiencing trouble wherever he looked.  All around him was trouble and it was on every side.  And on the outside were conflicts and on the inside were fears.  This is the great Apostle Paul who has known and seen the power of God working in his life many times, yet he is just being honest.  It was a tough season for him.

 

Right now as I write this, I kind of feel like Paul.  I am tired.  Not physically tired, but more emotionally tired at battling so much physical pain.  Right now, I have pain in ten different parts of my body.  And I just hate complaining, so I won’t go there, but  I am reporting as a matter of prayer, but also to stress a few points.   We need to walk by faith even when we don’t feel like it.

 

It is so weird for me to pray for so many people around the city, nation and yes the world and to have seen over 7000 people get well of incredible ailments, life threatening diseases and major physical problems and then for healing to take so long to manifest in my personal body.  I’ve been healed by God on several occasions, yet each one seemed to take so very long – including IBS which took three years, in which pain was my number one symptom, and I would literally wake myself up crying as the pain was so intense, and then skin cancer which took five years and neck and shoulder pain which took 26 years.  Can you believe it?  Yet in all three cases, it was God who healed me, not modern day medicine.

 

Since going to print with my book, it seems like lots of other things are also going wrong.  My wife did not find a teaching job yet, and my speaking engagements dropped significantly this month so our income has dropped by 80%.  Can you believe it?  And in the last few weeks, it seems like more personal conflict has arisen then in the previous several years.

But there is Great NEWS!  Did you see that word, “Nevertheless” in the Corinthian passage?  The word means, Never Settle for anything less than God.  Let me repeat that.  Never Settle for anything less than God.  So in the midst of physical pain, and lack of income and people getting mad at me, I am changing. I am like the red light that spoke to the green light and said, “Don’t Look, I’m Changing.”  I am being transformed.  It is a good thing.  God is at work in my life. 

There is a part of me that does not want you to see what is happening to me, because no one likes to look pathetic.  But I have been transparent here and shared some of what is going on, yet I know that God is transforming me.  How do I know this?  Well, for one thing, I have peace.  I know God is in control.  I may not see everything He is doing, but I believe He is working behind the scenes on my behalf.  That’s called faith.  And I am trusting Him to show me what to do next, and how to respond to my current situation.  I refuse to settle for anything less than God. 

As I often say, Trust is a Must.

I frequently tell people if they are going through hell, don’t stop.  Don’t get a motel or a condo there, but keep on going, because it is not what we are going through that matters or counts, but it is what we are going to that matters.  I am not minimizing our situation or yours, but the reality is what we are experiencing is setting us up for the next adventure with God.  This is preparation time.  This is a season of getting ready.  We go through things because we are going to something.  The steps of the righteous are ordered of the Lord. 

There was a line in the movie “Facing the Giants” that I especially like.  The coach was challenging the team that if we win, we will praise the Lord and if we lose, we will praise the Lord.  So regardless of what I am experiencing, I choose this day to praise the Lord, and never to settle for anything less then God.  I encourage you to do the same!

Nevertheless, God!

This week, my wife and I will meet with the young lady whose face was beaten worse than many homicide victims to see how we can assist her in her new ministry to families that suffer from domestic abuse, and we are networking with local businesses and churches to provide some of the items that she may need.  If you want to help, please let me know.  Please keep Heather in prayer.

Upcoming Ministry includes:

• Jason’s Worship CD – “Running Free” is finally here  – there will be a special “Album Release Night” on Sunday October 21^st.
• Labor Day Weekend – Grace University – Reach out – Cook Out!
• 9/5 – My book “Downloads from Heaven” printing completed and available
• 9/7 – Kingdom Encounter – Bellevue, NE
• 9/9 – Downloads from Heaven @ Celebration Covenant Church, Omaha, NE – 6:00 p.m. teaching from my book – two local churches coming together
• 9/21 – Kingdom Encounter – Bellevue, NE
• 9/28 & 29 – Kingdom Encounter Weekend at Beautiful Savior Lutheran in La Vista, NE 6:30 p.m.  – 9:00 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Saturday
• 10/6 – Healing Service – Beautiful Savior Lutheran, La Vista, NE – 9:30 a.m.
• 10/21 – “Running Free” Album Release and Worship Night – 6:30 p.m.

• 10/28-31 – Attending Leadership Advance at Bethel Church, Redding, CA

 

If you want prayer, be sure to send me a note by email to anointed2go@cox.net or you can list it at the bottom of this page – I will pray for you, and many others will too