Do not fear & Perservere!

For those of you who have been praying for my health, thank you! Here's an update.

The parasite is gone! Praise God. I'm currently on a three month treatment for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), which I may have had before the parasite. Since ridding my body of the parasite and starting this SIBO treatment, we are seeing improvements. With some symptoms persisting, my doctor's have agreed that they need to take a closer look at my small intestine to ensure there is no blockage or anything else.

Today, I scheduled the capsule endoscopy for Monday, April 30 at 7:15 a.m. This procedure consists of a wireless camera in the form of a pill that takes pictures of my digestive tract (areas in the small intestine that their not able to see with any other testing). A belt with a recording machine is strapped to my waist and will record the pictures. Can you believe technology? Crazy. The first part of the procedure is done at the doctor's office and for the second, I go home for 8 hours to rest then return to have everything unhooked. The day before the procedure (Sunday), the doctor said I need to fast. 

A praise is that insurance is covering this test completely.

Prayer requests are that I rely on the Lord for strength with the fasting, that there are no difficulties in the procedure (such as the camera getting stuck-this is rare but can happen if there's an obstruction) and that if there's another problem, this test reveals it. And, please pray that I'm not anxious, do not fear, persevere, keep my eyes on Jesus and that He is glorified through this.

At our church, Mars Hill, this week's sermon was timely on fear. I needed to hear it, repent of it, and keep repenting of it. Fear can manifest itself in so many ways. Here is some of the transcript from Pastor Mark Driscoll that stood out to me.

What do you fear? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of conflict? Are you afraid of what you perceive to be failure? Are you afraid of poverty or suffering? Are you afraid of criticism or opposition? Are you afraid of death?

How do you respond to fear? The doctors tell us, usually, it’s fight, flight, or fright. Some of you are like,“Yeah, I’m afraid, so I’m going to fight and win!” Others of you, “I’m scared, and gonna run, avoid all potential conflict or failure.” Others of you, it’s fright. You’re just panicked. You don’t know what to do. You’re just stuck.

Fear in the mind leads to stress in the body. It’s why the number one category of prescription medication in the US is antidepressants. People are anxious. They’re stressed out. This is where you start getting the nervous eye twitch, the canker sore. This is where you can’t sleep. This is where you start having heart problems or stomach problems. This is where you start self-medicating with caffeine, junk food, energy drinks, gambling, sex, alcohol, whatever it might be.

How’s it going? Who are you afraid of? What are you afraid of? How are you responding? What are you doing? 

Fear is not to be accepted. Fear is not to be accommodated. Fear is not to be explained. Fear is a sin to be repented of. Fear of anything or anyone, other than God, is a sin to be repented of, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.=

Number one: Fear is an attempt at sovereignty. “I see and know all, and I’m freaked out.” You don’t see and know all.

Number two: Fear is vision without God. “I see the future. God’s not in it. God’s not for me. God’s not going to help me.”

Number three: Fear turns us into false prophets. “Oh, I’ve seen the future, and it’s horrendous.”

And number four: Fear preaches a false gospel. “Oh, there’s a hell out there: I’ll be single, I’ll be broke, I’ll be sick, I’ll be suffering, I’ll be struggling, all the things that John is enduring. So, there’s that hell, that functional, false, fearful hell, and then to get out of it, I need a false, functional savior. So, I need to hold onto my money. I need to control my life. I need to remove myself from community. I need to rebel against authority. I need to sin. I need to self-medicate. I need to self-justify. I need to turn Jesus into a therapist, so I can be glorified. And then I can live in this view of heaven before the resurrection, that I have in my imagination.”

And it’s all a false gospel. Heaven is out there. It’s the kingdom of God. It’s the resurrection of the dead. Between here and then is tribulation. And if you have a false view of hell and a false savior, you’ll end up saying and doing things whereby you’re worshiping someone or something to be your functional, false savior, deliverer, to make your future better, which just means you’re trying to be God! You’re trying to control the future, bless yourself, and create a heaven of comfort, convenience, that has no place for Christ, and it’s fear.

So, what do you think the number one command is in the whole Bible? “Fear not!” Roughly 150 times, it says, “Fear not.”

 Some occasions in scripture:

Adam in Genesis 3 says, “I was afraid.” And then what? God comes near. God comes to be with him in his fear.

Abraham in Genesis 15:1, God says, “Do not be afraid Abraham [or Abram] I am your shield.” “I’m here to protect you.”

We read of Isaac in Genesis 26:24. God says, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”

God says to Jacob in Genesis 28:15, “I am with you.”

Moses was afraid in Exodus 33:14, and God says, quote, “My presence will go with you.”

Elijah is on a battlefield, a time to fear. God says to him in 2 Kings 1:15, “Do not be afraid.”

David says it well and legendary, Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear not, for thou art with me.”

King Jehoshaphat on the eve of war in 2 Chronicles 20:17, we read, “Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

Isaiah 41:14, “Do not be afraid,” God says, “you worm Jacob.” Any of you realize that a worm is not really a warrior kind of created thing? A worm doesn’t defend itself. “Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel. Do not fear, for I myself will help you.”

Jeremiah 1:8, Jeremiah has got a hard life as a prophet. God says, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you.”

Daniel 10:12, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. I have come.”

Haggai 2:4–5, God says it three times. “Be strong! Be strong! Be strong, for I am with you, declares the Lord Almighty.”

And Jesus’ final words in Matthew 28:20, he says, “I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Don’t be afraid. Persevere in Jesus. Worship Jesus. Serve Jesus’ church. Give to Jesus’ church. Do not be afraid. You say, “Why? Because it’s all going to be fine?” I didn’t say that. “Because it’ll all get better?” I’m not promising that. Because Jesus is with you. And in that way, our life is not tribulation-free, but it is tribulation-proof.

 *Content in italicized from http://marshill.com/media/the-seven/a-message-to-seven-churches#transcript