The Raging Bull

The Holy Spirit has been revealing how much believers can live out of fear, instead of love and faith. After people have been hurt, often the result is to withdraw and to say, "I'm never going to let myself get into a situation like that again."  They become motivated by fear, and become unable to open up their heart to God in certain areas, because of the unhealed hurts of the past.  This fear of becoming vulnerable to God and to people cripples them in their obedience to the Spirit.  Fear is a part of life that we all have to face.  The disciples faced fear when they were out on the water, believing they were going to die.  Timothy faced fear in his ministry, and leaned on the words from Paul, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."  Worry and anxiety are available to you everyday, should you choose to have them in your life.  But we are told there are 365 "Fear Nots" in the Bible, one for every day, one for every situation we face in life.  I had a dream where I was in an open field, and Judy was calling for me to come help her.  Suddenly as I looked up I saw a bull, a very large ferocious animal looking at me.  All at once, he started to charge at me.  I had picked up a handful of rocks and dirt, and as he came, fear gripped my heart.  I couldn't turn and run from him, so I threw my rock at him, and to my surprise, he stopped, distracted by the rock, and he was unable to come any closer to me.  I stood my ground, and used what I had in my hand, and the raging bull stopped and turned around and walked away.  Ps. 22:12 says, "Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me."  Bashan was east of the Jordan, under Og, king of Bashan.  In Num. 21:33-35, the Lord said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand..."  The raging bull is the spirit of fear, and God says not to fear him!  Israel defeated Og, his sons, and all his people and took possession of his land.  Today God wants us to defeat fear, and worry and anxiety, and all their relatives,and take possession of all our inheritance that Christ purchased for us on the cross.  When fear attacks, stand your ground, use what is in your hand, and watch the bull stop and turn around in the name of Jesus.  Refuse fear, and walk in faith and love, and fulfill all that God has called you to do.