I never really used to watch Little House On The Prairie a whole lot when I was younger, but I never disliked it. My wife used to watch it and had introduced it to our daughters who now love the show, too. In watching with my family I have regained a like for the show.
Based upon the true life story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House On The Prairie takes you back to life in a small town of Walnut Grove in the 1800s. Simple, yet not without hardships.
The Ingall's time and again would show us happiness, sadness, fear, and Christian resolve. In a particular episode there was an elderly man who lived alone in a big house. The house looked old and run down as he had not taken care of it for years. Laura and some other children thought the house was haunted and the old man was a maniac. After being teased about being afraid of going up to the house an touching it, Laura finds herself inside the house and face to face with the old man. Eventually, Laura befriends the old man and learns why he has lived alone all those years. The old man's wife had passed away some years before and in his grief he had chosen to believe she was still alive and living in the city. Once Laura had discovered that the old man's wife was dead, her heart went out to him. Laura began reading her bible and found a verse that she knew would help the old man.
" Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 11:25,26
Through the compassion of a child and acceptance of the Word of God, the old man believed in Jesus and and was healed of his grief.
Jesus said that he is the resurrection and the life. When we are born into this life we are born into the sin and death of this world. God never intended for it to be that way, but he made the way of redemption. When we believe in and receive Jesus as our savior we are redeemed and resurrected from the sin and death of the world. That does not mean that we no longer give ourselves over to sin and death. Our spirits have been redeemed and made righteous, our flesh and carnal desires are a daily battle.
In another episode Mary, Laura's older sister, was asked to come and teach children in a remote settlement. While there an older woman, who had gained prominence for reciting biblical verses and supposedly could call down lightning from heaven, called Mary a Jezebel and had the people make her leave.
Mary hurt and upset began talking to her father about the situation. Mary knew that she had been lied about and knew what was going on. A good thing had been destroyed because of a misguided woman's fear. The children were learning and would gain knowledge and understanding that she (the woman) did not have. In talking to her father Mary reached a resolve. Charles, Mary's father didn't have to say much, he just listened. Mary went back to the settlement and confronted the woman publicly in front of the people. She stood in the face of her accuser and spoke the Word which she had read and memorized. The woman could only speak what she had heard and when challenged to find it and read it from the Bible she couldn't. At the end of the confrontation Mary was absolved of the accusations against her and in compassion offered her hand to the woman in forgiveness.
When facing life's struggles and difficult situations, the first thing we should do is take it to God our Father. He already knows the situation and often will just listen and drop in your heart the answer. We often must stand in the face of our accuser, Satan, and speak the Word of God. He too knows the Word, but will only twist and pervert it for his purpose.
Jesus in his humanity prayed to God and asked that the cup of his sacrifice pass from him. In other words, the human part of Jesus was afraid and did not want to face what was coming, but the God part of Jesus, the part that knew his mission, accepted what had to be done. It was love and compassion that drove Jesus to the cross. Love and compassion for a lost and dying people. God's creation that had rebelled and had lost understanding of their creator.
We must strive to know God and know His word. Building not only knowledge but love and understanding and compassion. That is the Wisdom Of Walnut Grove.
In Christ, Kevin
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Fear Itself
What are you afraid of? I'm sure we all would like to say nothing, but the fact is that in some way in some area of our lives we are afraid of something. The world sure gives us a lot to be afraid of. The economy, terrorism, death, destruction's, losing someone we care about, etc. The list could go on and on especially if we got into specifics. Fear of failure, rejection, losing what is dear to us, etc. That list would probably be endless.
Now, don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about a healthy concern about something. I'm talking about fear that hinders and debilitates us, stops us from doing things or enjoying things. That is the kind of fear that is the enemy of us. Satan has watched and learned what makes us afraid and timid in life, but do you know that it is actually you that he is afraid of? Yes, that's right, he fears you. He is afraid of what you can do for the kingdom of God and especially if you receive the revelation of who you are in Christ. Satan wants you afraid, he wants you to run and hide or to stop and freeze up whenever you are faced with something. If you do, he can control you and if he can control you, then he doesn't have to be afraid of you and you won't be effective for the kingdom of God.
When I lived with my parents, I was used to the dark of the house at night. I would stay up and watch tv and then turn off the lights and walk through the dark house to my bedroom and go to bed. One night I had stayed up and was watching a documentary about a movie that was coming out at the time that was said to be based upon real events. At the time this movie was promoted real big. What I didn't know was that the movie and the documentary were both fake. While watching the documentary, something strange happened. I felt something in the house. I kept looking over my shoulder feeling like something or someone was behind me.
When the show was over I got up to go to bed and for the first time since I was a child I felt afraid in the dark. I was afraid of walking through the house to my room and started turning on lights. Because I had been learning and feeding on God's word and learning about my authority in Christ, I started thinking how strange it was for me to feel afraid like this. I was almost to my room and had turned on a light in the hallway when I all of sudden stopped and realized what was happening. You may agree or disagree with me on this, but I realized that a spirit of fear had entered my house as I was watching the documentary. When I realized what was taking place, I took my place. I rebuked the spirit in the name of Jesus and commanded it to leave my house. I then turned out the light and continued to my room in the dark and went to bed no longer hindered by the fearful spirit.
You see, we must learn and realize who we are in Christ Jesus and the power and authority we have in Him. We also, must learn who our real enemy is and how he seeks to operate against us. When we learn these things, overcoming fears in our lives and the things that we face will become easier to deal with and overcome. I believe that had I known that the movie and the documentary were fake, I would not have been open to a spirit coming into my house. In other words that spirit would not have had an opportunity to try and operate against me because there would have been nothing there for it to use.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,
2 Timothy 1:7
The only fear we should have is the fear of the Lord and that is a reverent, respecting, fear not a get away from or avoid something fear. Psalm 27:1 says the Lord is our light and salvation. That means we don't have to be afraid in the dark. Whatever the dark might be and if we need saving, then he is our saviour, our hero. He is the strength of our lives. He is our courage when we face fearful things. 2 Timothy 1: 7 is saying that He has given us a spirit of power and love and peace of mind.
In a scene from Star Wars, the Jedi Yoda is questioning a young Anakin Skywalker ( who would later become Darth Vader the villain ). Yoda senses fear in Anakin and tells him why fear is something he must not have. Yoda says, " Fear leads to the darkside", " Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering ". Many a time truth's will come out in movies. Think about it. When you are afraid of something, sometimes you react to it in anger. When we fear something, sometimes we will react to it in anger trying to correct it or not be afraid of it, then we will resent and reject whomever or whatever was the cause, thus hating it or them. When the feelings of hate or resentment have come then either you or anyone or anything that may be associated with what caused the fear in the first place will suffer. Mostly you will be the one suffering from those feelings.
I realize that in life their are things to be cautious and concerned about and sometimes it seems we can't help but be afraid or fearful of a situation. We must learn who we are in Christ, the authority we have in him and the authority we have over the realms of darkness. Things will happen and things will come, but we will be able to truly overcome them. FDR said, " The only thing we have to fear is fear itself ". I say we should make fear be afraid of us.
In Christ,
Kevin
Now, don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about a healthy concern about something. I'm talking about fear that hinders and debilitates us, stops us from doing things or enjoying things. That is the kind of fear that is the enemy of us. Satan has watched and learned what makes us afraid and timid in life, but do you know that it is actually you that he is afraid of? Yes, that's right, he fears you. He is afraid of what you can do for the kingdom of God and especially if you receive the revelation of who you are in Christ. Satan wants you afraid, he wants you to run and hide or to stop and freeze up whenever you are faced with something. If you do, he can control you and if he can control you, then he doesn't have to be afraid of you and you won't be effective for the kingdom of God.
When I lived with my parents, I was used to the dark of the house at night. I would stay up and watch tv and then turn off the lights and walk through the dark house to my bedroom and go to bed. One night I had stayed up and was watching a documentary about a movie that was coming out at the time that was said to be based upon real events. At the time this movie was promoted real big. What I didn't know was that the movie and the documentary were both fake. While watching the documentary, something strange happened. I felt something in the house. I kept looking over my shoulder feeling like something or someone was behind me.
When the show was over I got up to go to bed and for the first time since I was a child I felt afraid in the dark. I was afraid of walking through the house to my room and started turning on lights. Because I had been learning and feeding on God's word and learning about my authority in Christ, I started thinking how strange it was for me to feel afraid like this. I was almost to my room and had turned on a light in the hallway when I all of sudden stopped and realized what was happening. You may agree or disagree with me on this, but I realized that a spirit of fear had entered my house as I was watching the documentary. When I realized what was taking place, I took my place. I rebuked the spirit in the name of Jesus and commanded it to leave my house. I then turned out the light and continued to my room in the dark and went to bed no longer hindered by the fearful spirit.
You see, we must learn and realize who we are in Christ Jesus and the power and authority we have in Him. We also, must learn who our real enemy is and how he seeks to operate against us. When we learn these things, overcoming fears in our lives and the things that we face will become easier to deal with and overcome. I believe that had I known that the movie and the documentary were fake, I would not have been open to a spirit coming into my house. In other words that spirit would not have had an opportunity to try and operate against me because there would have been nothing there for it to use.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,
2 Timothy 1:7
The only fear we should have is the fear of the Lord and that is a reverent, respecting, fear not a get away from or avoid something fear. Psalm 27:1 says the Lord is our light and salvation. That means we don't have to be afraid in the dark. Whatever the dark might be and if we need saving, then he is our saviour, our hero. He is the strength of our lives. He is our courage when we face fearful things. 2 Timothy 1: 7 is saying that He has given us a spirit of power and love and peace of mind.
In a scene from Star Wars, the Jedi Yoda is questioning a young Anakin Skywalker ( who would later become Darth Vader the villain ). Yoda senses fear in Anakin and tells him why fear is something he must not have. Yoda says, " Fear leads to the darkside", " Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering ". Many a time truth's will come out in movies. Think about it. When you are afraid of something, sometimes you react to it in anger. When we fear something, sometimes we will react to it in anger trying to correct it or not be afraid of it, then we will resent and reject whomever or whatever was the cause, thus hating it or them. When the feelings of hate or resentment have come then either you or anyone or anything that may be associated with what caused the fear in the first place will suffer. Mostly you will be the one suffering from those feelings.
I realize that in life their are things to be cautious and concerned about and sometimes it seems we can't help but be afraid or fearful of a situation. We must learn who we are in Christ, the authority we have in him and the authority we have over the realms of darkness. Things will happen and things will come, but we will be able to truly overcome them. FDR said, " The only thing we have to fear is fear itself ". I say we should make fear be afraid of us.
In Christ,
Kevin
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