Fear Not, For I am with Thee
GENESIS 15:1
1 ¶ After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
(This is the first time in the bible that this term “Fear not” is spoken by God to a human being, and notice, two things that God promised to Abraham – 1. that He would be his shield of protection, and 2. that He would be his exceeding great reward which was of course his relationship with God - that is actually the greatest reward anyone could ever hope for is to walk in fellowship with God)
JOHN 6:15-20
15 ¶ When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. 16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew (Wind is wars and troubles).
19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs (5-6km), they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. (They actually had every reason to be fearful in the natural sense – but we want to see how Jesus dealt with this condition of fear that they were all consumed with)
20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. (It was in the revealing of himself to them that took away their fears)
GENESIS 26:24
24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night (This is speaking of Isaac), and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.
Fear Not, For I am with Thee
This subject that may take us a few services.
**We know that there is such a thing as heathy fear, and then there is of course fears that we can hold on to that are very unhealthy for us.
*Most people have an inbuilt fear of heights – and so that is not always such a bad thing as it is like a natural protection fear to stop you from getting to close to the edge of a cliff and falling off.
**Most of us also have an inbuilt fear of lions and tigers and poisonous snakes and other kinds of dangerous animals – and that’s also not such a bad to have in this life either, otherwise you may be inclined to get attacked or eaten or poisoned more often than you would if you didn’t possess these normal kinds of fears, and so these are fears that are associated with this life that God has allowed for a season of this life for your protection – if we were all able to have that perfect love come down upon us like Brother Branham did with the killer bull, then that would be a wonderful thing, but that is not what our normal experience is in this life with the condition of a fallen creation.
*But we know that there will be none of these kinds of fears in the new heaven and new earth because there can be no hurt in that future place - the lion will lay down with the Lamb, the beast of the wild will be led by the child.
But while we are here in this fallen condition, God has allowed us to learn to fear certain things for our own protection.
**The scripture tells us in Psalm’s 111:10 that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – this word fear in the Hebrew is a reverence and respect kind of fear which is a different sort of use of the word fear. So this is also a good fear to have – according to the scripture we actually must first have this kind of fear before we can begin to have true wisdom.
*So there are different kinds of fears that are beneficial for us, but then we know that there are many fears that are unbeneficial and unhealthy for us, and it is these wrong sort of fears that become the greatest enemies of the Christian walk.
****Fear has its beginnings in the thoughts and the imaginations of the heart, and the wrong sort of fear is the opposite of faith, because if the things that we fear are unfounded in the word of God, then we are believing a lie of our own imagination and not the word of God concerning the matter, so this type of fear is actually the opposite of faith – in other words we are exalting our imagination above the truth of the word of God, the bible tells us to cast down our imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; II CORINTHIANS 10:5.
ISRAEL.AND.THE.CHURCH.2_ JEFF.IN IC 35-64 THURSDAY_ 53-0326
34 One of the greatest curses on the church today is fear. Everybody's scared to death; it's "What's going to happen, who, what?"
Why, Jesus said, "Even when the fearful sights come, lift up your head and rejoice, for great... Your redemption's drawing nigh when these things happen."
**We are certainly living in a time of great anxiety among many of the peoples and nations of the world; there are so many troubles that we as a modern world are having to deal with that we have never had to deal with before in the past ages on such a global stage. Global warming, pollution, environmental problems, water shortages – on and on we could go. We have arrived at the time of when Daniel said that people would be running to and fro and knowledge would be increased, and that there would also be a time of great trouble.
**Social troubles, Political troubles, financial troubles, domestic violence troubles, drug wars, civil unrest, riots, racial conflicts, wars and rumours of wars as Jesus said.
And so we find that there is good reason for the people of the world to be more fearful in these times more than any other time.
Brother Branham sang this song many times throughout the message:
Nations are breaking,
Israel's awakening,
The signs that the prophets foretold.
The Gentile days numbered,
With horrors encumbered,
Return, O dispersed to your own.
The day of redemption is near.
Men's hearts are failing for fear.
Be filled with the Spirit,
Your lamps trimmed and clear.
Look up, your redemption is near
THE.JUNCTION.OF.TIME_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 56-0115
E-48 Now, brother, sister, listen. What's taken place now? We're at the end time. We're going into the millennium. Every hand pointing that way. The old clock's ticking away about two minutes till midnight. Omnipotence is speaking. Angels are appearing. Prophets are coming. Prophets are prophesying; visions are being poured out upon your...?... The Gospel's being preached; the sick's being raised up; the blind sees; the deaf hear; the devils are raging; impersonators, Jannes and Jambres, are here. But Omnipotence speaks. Hallelujah. We're in the last day. We're at the junction.
Men's hearts are failing for fear, perplexed of time, distress between the nations. The earth's getting so nervous, till it's bursting forth earthquakes everywhere. Jesus said it would be that way. There'll be earthquakes in divers places. What's the matter? The earth knows she's doomed. She's nervous. The world's nervous. But the church is rising in the Gospel, tucked away with security. "He that cometh to Me, I'll in no wise cast out." Hallelujah.
We know that evening time is also harvest time when all the seeds that were planted in Genesis (all the spirits that looked so innocent back then) have put on flesh in these last days in order to fully express their true colours.
The bible says of this last age that it is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
345-3 LAODICEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.9
God says this church of the Laodicean Age is "wretched". That word comes from two Greek words which mean 'endure' and 'trial.' And it has nothing to do with the trials that come to a true Christian for God describes a Christian in trial as "blessed" and his attitude one of joy whereas this description is phrased as "wretched and miserable". How strange. In this age of plenty, in this age of progress, in this age of abundance, how can there be trials? Well now, it is strange; but in this age of plenty and opportunity, when everyone has so much and there is so much more to be had, what with all the inventions to do our work and so many things to give us pleasure, SUDDENLY, we find mental illness taking such a toll as to alarm the nation. When everybody ought to be happy, with really nothing to be unhappy about, millions are taking sedatives at night, pep pills in the morning, rushing to doctors, entering institutions, and trying to drown out unknown fears by alcohol.
Yes, this age boasts of its tremendous stores of worldly goods, but the people are less happy than ever. This age boasts of its spiritual attainments, but the people are less sure of themselves than ever. This age boasts of better moral values and it is more corrupt than any age since the flood. It talks about its knowledge and science, but it is fighting a losing battle in all fields, for the human mind and soul and spirit cannot comprehend or keep abreast with all the changes that have come upon the earth. In one generation we have gone all the way from the horse and buggy age to the space age, and we are proud and boastful about it; but inside is a dark void cavern that is crying out in torment, and WITHOUT A KNOWN REASON men's hearts are failing for fear and the world is so darkened that this age could well be called the age of neurotics. It boasts, but it cannot back it up. It cries peace, and there is no peace. It cries that it has a great amplitude of all things, but it keeps burning with desire like an unsatisfied fire! "There is no peace," saith my God to the wicked.
"They are miserable." That means that they are objects to be pitied. Pitied? They scorn pity. They are full of pride. They vaunt what they have. But what they have will not stand the test of time. They have built upon quicksand rather than the rock of the revelation of God's Word. Soon cometh the earthquake. Soon there will come the storms of the wrath of God in judgment. Then comes sudden destruction, and in spite of all their carnal preparation they will still be unprepared for what comes upon the earth.
So we are now (in 2021) beginning to get a glimpse of some of the things of the judgements of God that are coming upon the earth because of the condition of the gross darkness that the nations and the people of the world are living under.
**But for the believer, we are not to be in fear of these things.
**Brother Branham said that fear is the greatest plague that there is in the Christian Church.
THE.UNPARDONABLE.SIN_ JEFF.IN V-26 N-8 SUNDAY_ 54-1024
30 But a man once put his hands (Oh, my.), a man put his hands on the head of Jesus Christ and confess his sin, feeling the pains and agony of Calvary, what sin--what He had to pay to redeem a man from sin, and the Holy Spirit out of the Blood of Jesus Christ comes cleansing that man. He goes out a new creature, and it's once for all. He goes out a different person. He goes out with all the sin problem settled forever. "For by one Sacrifice (says the Scripture here) he has perfected forever them that are sanctified." And He said, "The Holy Ghost bears record of the same." See?
That one Sacrifice forever He made His offering, giving His Own life, set down at the right hand of the Majesty on High. And we have a High Priest setting in the Majesty of God, in the Presence of the great Creator, making intercessions upon our profession."
Then said here, in the 19th verse:
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Think of it: no fear. That's the greatest plague there is in the Christian Church today, is "afraid." And the reason they're afraid is because they're not taught right, and settled right, on the Gospel.
And so we see that he gives a reason here as to why that so many Christians are fearful, and that is that they are not taught right and settled right on the Gospel.
**So we want to look into this and study this out according to the truth of the scriptures in the light of the message of the hour because we need something of real truth and faith, a realisation of a clear understanding that is able to completely take away the fear from us in this hour - and that something is the same way that Jesus dealt with the fear of his disciples who were caught up in the trouble of the angry storm at the evening time and in the darkness on the Sea of Galilee – Fear Not, For I am with Thee.
*So as Brother Branham said that if we are taught right about these things, then it will settle us and take the fear of this Laodicean age condition away from us.
**So the first thing we must know for a certainty is that we as believers of this message have come out of this age of darkness into the glorious light of the bride age by the message of the hour which has ushered us into a great understanding of truth and life.
I.HAVE.HEARD.BUT.NOW.I.SEE_ SHREVEPORT.LA V-7 N-3 SATURDAY_ 65-1127E
187 …This is not a Pentecostal age. This is the latter-day age. This is the Bride age. This is the evening Light. This is when Malachi 4 must be fulfilled, to follow God's pattern. This is Luke 17:30, to be fulfilled.
**We know that fear is a very powerful psychological phenomenon that is often based on one’s imagination and perception of the outcome of future events.
*But we know that God doesn’t want his bride to be fearful of the future events of this hour, especially in these times when the world is going through great uncertainty - we are not to be uncertain, but we are to be certain of God. If we have been faithfully taught by the message of the hour then we should know exactly what is going on and the outcome and the promise of God for our deliverance at this time.
***So the problem is that if we are still fearful in this hour, that that fear is a result of a lack of a true understanding and faith in the promise of God toward us at this time.
***And that lack of faith is the result of a lack of trust, and a lack of trust is a lack of the right relationship.
ISAIAH 43:5-11
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; (We are his sons and his daughters. This is a global gathering of Israel, but it is also a compound scripture that refers to the end time bride that is to be called from every nation and has been gathered by the sound of the trumpeting voice of the seventh angel’s message)
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 ¶ Bring forth the blind people that have eyes (you can be blind physically, but yet see clearly the with your understanding the truth for your day), and the deaf that have ears (you can be deaf physically, but yet hear the truth for your day).
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. (In other words - which of you can predict what will happen tomorrow? Where are your witnesses of such predictions? Who can prove that they spoke the truth?)
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD (That is us in this hour – we have witnessed a prophetic ministry sent from God in this day), and my servant whom I have chosen (A servant at supper time – the seventh angel’s ministry – we are witnesses of these things in this day): that ye may know and believe me (Our hearts have been turned back to the faith of our fathers – we know him, and we have come to believe him in this hour), and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
(One God, not 3 persons - That is why when we get to the New Testament, Jesus could not have been another person to God because that would have made him another saviour beside God – so this scripture proves that it was the same God of the Old Testament who because the Jesus of the New Testament, and this revelation has been restored to us in this hour proving that we are the ones that he is speaking of here)
REVELATION 1:17-18
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead (Have we seen him in this hour - the mighty God unveiled before us in this hour? So when you see Him, then you have to fall at His feet by dyeing out to your own traditions and ideas, don’t bring your denominational ideas over into this new land of the message of the hour. And when you die out to your own thoughts, only then can you hear these next words and receive them personally for yourself). And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
FAITH_ CHARLOTTE.NC FRIDAY_ 56-0427
E-17 …And I thought tonight, I would talk on faith for a little while, just build up on Christian faith. I find out that one of the greatest hindrance that the church has got today, is that they're scared to death and... What are you scared about? That's what I'm wondering. If you'll just only realize, that who you are... You don't know who you are. You don't know who that is setting next to you.
Oh, you say, "Yeah, that's my neighbor. I know. I know him all right." But he's a son of God (See? That's right.), adopted by Jesus Christ into the family. That's a daughter of God setting next to you. And who are you? If you're a Christian believer, you're a son or daughter of God. What you scared about? No need of being scared. So that's... As long as the devil can keep you scared; that's all he wants to do; he's got you right then.
When Jesus rose up and said, "Fear not. I am He that was dead and is alive forevermore and have the keys of death and hell..." That's right.