Remember the Sabbath

Deuteronomy 5:15 (ESV)

You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

How do you get over fear or anxiety?

Throughout the Bible, we are commanded to “Fear not.” Another frequent command in the Bible helps us do that, “Remember.” Why remember? So that we are not afraid because we remember how God is always there for us in the midst of the problems, trials and tribulations we face every day.

This advice was given to the Jews in Deuteronomy 5:15. God often says to the Israelites something like, “You don’t have to be afraid. I got rid of Pharaoh. I turned you from slaves to free men. I took you through the Red Sea. I brought you into the desert. I fed you mana. Then I fed you quail.” Even so, they mumbled, grumbled and whined. Jesus emphasized the importance of remembering in Matthew 16:9. And, Paul did too in Ephesians 2:12.

The quintessential movie to remember is Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 classic starring Charlton Heston, “The Ten Commandments” and the many other versions of the story of Moses that have been made into movies many times. In these stories of Moses, the people of Israel constantly forget the great miracles God has done and constantly need to be reminded. When they forget, they whine about the food and ask to go back to slavery in Egypt.

How do you get over being afraid? Just look at what God did in your life. Look back at your life. See what God’s done to protect you and to provide for you. Then, you will not be afraid. Freed from fear, you can go forth in the power of his grace, because you know that God is present in your life.

Dear Lord, please help us to remember Your presence and provision in our life, so we can live a life free from fear and anxiety, and show everyone the victory You provide in Jesus Christ. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Powerful Faith

Matthew 14:31 (ESV)

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Faith is more powerful than fear. Faith can overcome obstacles, faith can see you through any situation, faith can cause miracles to happen, faith can make a way where there is no way. Faith can calm storms. Imagine being out in a wooden boat in the middle of a storm, the waves crashing, the boat rocking, the thunder and lightning billowing overhead. There are a lot of reasons to fear that storm. But there are more reasons to have FAITH in GOD.

Faith is more powerful than any storm. Faith is more powerful than your fear. Faith calms the storm. Jesus called Peter out onto the water to walk towards Him. Peter didn’t know what was going to happen, he stretched one leg out and stood on the water, then the other leg and began to walk. Keeping his eyes on Jesus His faith was more powerful than his fear, then the moment he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. Jesus reached out and caught him and as they climbed back into the boat the storm stopped, the waves were calm. Faith in God is powerful enough to calm a raging storm.

Dear Lord, Thank You that faith is more powerful than fear. We don’t have to face life with fear, we can live a life of faith! In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

We must not fear our opponents

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and

Every once in a while we encounter an opponent in competition who, by all accounts, is unbeatable, and it prompts fear in our team. Some opponents seem to grow larger and larger as we approach game day. The media reports and general word-of-mouth discussions depict them as giants. How should we approach such an opponent?

Your opponents on the athletic field are worthy of your respect. They are not, however, worthy of fear! The work of God’s Spirit within us does not bring fear. It brings courage.

Instead of fear, God has given us:

• Power—not just physical power, but power that comes from deep within.

• Love—not an emotional attraction to someone, but a powerful force that desires the highest good for those around us. Concern and sacrifice for teammates, coaches, and family—that’s real love.

• Sound judgment—not just doing well in school, but having a mental soundness that is related to doing the right things and accurately assessing the truth.

As we approach competition, we must not fear our opponents, but exercise power, love, and soundness of mind in a day of greatness in competition.

Dear Lord, give us the strength and courage we need to face oury opponents. Help us to see them through Your eyes and not our own. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Kick fear out.

2 Timothy 1:7  (ESV)

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Fear. It will stop you, hold you back. It will keep you from fulfilling what God has called you to do.

It’s easy to give in to fear. In our walking around, working and going to school it’s easy to become accustomed to being afraid. We get so used to living our life in fear that it becomes normal.

Instead of facing each day with fears and worries, choose to resist the fear that tries to attach itself to your life. Decide to not let fear hold you back from doing the things God has called you to do.

Stand firm in the face of fear and when fear tries to attach itself to you say no. Don’t allow yourself become accustomed to being afraid. Kick the habit of fear by filling yourself up with Gods word.

Remember fear isn’t from God so don’t live your life afraid. Choose to think on God’s word and kick fear out!

Dear Lord, we thank You that we don’t have to be afraid. Thank You for Your word that we can study and learn how to live a life that is empowered by Your Holy Spirit. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Fear

1 John 4:18 (ESV) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

Most people associate Halloween with fear—fear of death, fear of dying, fear of evil. But when we come to know the true power and trustworthiness of God, many of the fears we have in life melt away. Fear, however, is a natural and good feeling. Without fear we would make many stupid mistakes, hurting ourselves and others in the process. Without fear, we would not have enough wisdom to flee when true dangers present themselves. 

One of the ways people deal with their fears is by making fun of the fear itself. That, in fact, is part of the origin of Halloween, which means "all hallows eve." People were naturally afraid of death and dying, and so they decided to face their greatest fear by poking fun at death. In 1 John, we are told that perfected love drives out fear. That is to say, when we become certain of God's love, we don't have to be afraid anymore. It's as if God is the parent who comes in at night and tucks us in, turns on the night light, and tells us that there are no monsters. In God's great love, all fear melts away. 

We can remove our fears by serving others. When we abandon our lives in service, we often discover that our fears lessen as our friendship and love deepens. As you and I think about our fears now, I hope that we will see that just as God has protected and redeemed those who have come before us, God will protect and redeem us, too. Even from death itself! 

Dear Lord, help us remove our fears by serving others. Open the doors so that we can share Your love to those around us that need it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Let's say no to fear!

Psalm 27:1 (ESV)

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

    of whom shall I be afraid?

Two hunters came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the hunter in the cave came rushing out, almost ran into the waiting bear, hesitated, and then dashed back in again. The same thing happened a second time. When he emerged for the third time, his companion in the tree frantically called out, "Woody, are you crazy? Stay in the cave till he leaves!" "Can't," panted Woody, "there's another bear in there!"

Ever feel like fear is giving us the run around? Although there are a lot of scary things going on in the world these days and perhaps even in our own personal lives, God has not called us to live in fear. He’s has called us to stand strong in His confidence, knowing that He is in control! He’s called us to live lives full of power, love and a sound mind!

Dr. E. Stanley Jones said “I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air.”

Let's say no to fear! Let’s determine to put our hope in the Lord once again today!

Dear Lord, help us put our hope in You today. Help us say no to fear so we may live the life You have planned for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

The Most Effective Weapon in the World

John 8:32 (New King James Version)

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

There are many types of weapons in the world, some more paralyzing and destructive than others. However, one elusive stagecoach robber of Northern California found the most effective weapon of all!

His name was Charles E. Boles, and he lived in San Francisco. He was a real gentleman, and no one would have guessed that he was really the infamous… BLACK BART!

Black Bart's legend of robberies began on July 26, 1875, on a mountain pass in Northern California. A man with his head covered in a flour sack, carrying a double-barrel 12 gauge shot gun appeared before a Wells Fargo stage coach. The strange man commanded: "Please throw down the safe box!" The driver started to reach for his rifle when the man, who was Black Bart, said, "If he dares shoot, give him a solid volley, boys!" The driver looked around for the other bandits and saw what appeared to be six rifles pointed straight at him from behind six boulders!!

The stage coach driver would later learn that these 6 rifles where actually only STICKS, but this, of course, was after he had given Black Bart the safe box!

This smart bandit went on to rob 26 Wells Fargo stagecoaches, stealing a total of $18,000! Throughout all of this, he was only assaulted twice. The first time led to a scar on his temple and the second time led to his demise.

The day was Nov. 3, 1883. A passenger, intent of deer hunting, jumped off a stagecoach part way up a hill and headed into the woods. At the next turn in the road, the coach came face to face with the infamous, gun-bearing Black Bart!

This robbery would become a bit more complicated, however, than Black Bart ever imagined possible. You see, the safe box was bolted to the floor of the coach! But Bart was undaunted. He refused to let four simple screws ruin his legendary reputation. After ordering the driver to walk away from the coach for an hour, he then began annihilating the safe box and relieving it of its load.

When the driver finally got to the top of the next hill, he met up with his former gun-bearing passenger. The passenger took a long distance shot at Black Bart, and the bullet sliced clean through the bandit's hand.

Black Bart made a safe getaway; but unknowingly he dropped a piece of evidence, a handkerchief. As unlikely as it may seem, such a simple piece of cloth led the detectives to a man named Charles E. Boles. After confessing to the crimes, Charles, A.K.A. Black Bart, received a 6-year prison sentence.

When Black Bart, was caught, two interesting facts were discovered. First of all, he had equiniphobia--fear of horses. How can anyone be afraid of horses, especially if a horse was a means of getting away fast! The second was that he had ballistaphobia--the fear of bullets! Throughout all of the robberies, Black Bart's gun was NEVER loaded!

However, Black Bart used a very simple weapon, one that other thief's would label as "Dumb", and his "Dumb" weapon would turn out to be more effective than a loaded gun will ever be! And what was this secret but powerful weapon that Black Bart wielded so effectively? It's simple: he used FEAR!

We all have fears in life, and each and every one of them can stop us from doing things that would help us. Like most of the stage drivers in Black Bart's story, we hide ourselves from what we are afraid of! We need to do like Jesus said in Mathew 10:26-31: "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

We need to learn from Jesus, and overcome our fears so that we can enjoy what life has to offer! If we let our fears control us, we won't be able to live a happy life. Our life will be controlled by our fears of death, our fears of heights and even our fears of bullets!

Dear Lord help us look to You as the author and finisher of our faith, help us ignore the fears that come our way, and live in peace with You at our side. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hug the Monster

Matt 10:31 (New International Version)

So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

One couple spent a holiday driving in the mountains. "Every time you race around one of those narrow curves," exclaimed the wife,

"I just get terrified."

"Then do what I do," suggested her husband. "Close your eyes!" We are all afraid at times, but closing our eyes is not always a helpful way through fear. Better to open your eyes and face those fears head-on.

In 1972 David Miln Smith had such an opportunity. Smith, an adventurer, author, and professional speaker, decided to spend a night alone in St. Michael's Cave on the island of Gibraltar as a test of courage. In his book, HUG THE MONSTER (Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel, 1996), he tells of hearing strange sounds all around him as he lay there in the pitch-black, damp, deserted cave that night. Particularly, he came to believe he was not alone!

Fear became panic and he was afraid he was losing his mind. Then suddenly, as he was approaching his psychological breaking point, Smith thought to himself, "Whatever the monster looks like, I will hug it." That simple, almost silly thought, brought great relief to his restless mind. He soon fell into a deep and peaceful sleep until morning. He learned that embracing his fear, literally or figuratively, allowed him to subdue it.

We each have our nights of fear. We each encounter monsters of some sort. We may fear spiders or insects, heights or crowds, abandonment or loneliness, the future or death. And most of us are occasionally visited by shadows of these monsters in the dark of night.

An interesting sequel to Smith's story is that the curator of St. Michael's Cave later informed the adventurer that he had discovered unusual footprints in the cave the morning after his overnight stay! Which shows, of course, that though fears may be legitimate, they must still be embraced.

The next time you're afraid, try "hugging the monster." Face that fear head-on, whatever it is, and embrace it. You may be surprised at how quickly it slips away, and at how confident you begin to feel. Like that beautiful spirit Eleanor Roosevelt said,

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face." As well as knowing that God is there with you.

Dear Lord we thank You that You are always there in the good times and the bad times. Thanks for being there when we are fearful, help us to completely trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Jumping Into Fear

Psalm 118:6 (New International Version)

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.

    What can mere mortals do to me?

Two gas company servicemen, a senior training supervisor and a young trainee were out checking meters in a suburban neighborhood. They parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked their way to the other end. At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two men as they checked her gas meter.

Finishing the meter check, the senior supervisor challenged his younger co-worker to a footrace down the alley back to the truck to prove that an older guy could outrun a younger one.

As they came running up to the truck, they realized the lady from that last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped immediately and asked her what was wrong.

Gasping for breath, she replied, "When I see two gas men running as hard as you two were, I figured I'd better run too!"

Dear Lord help us not let the fear of others draw us in but trust You completely. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

The Heart of Mouse

2 Timothy 1:7 (New King James Version)

or God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

A legend from India tells about a mouse who was terrified of cats until a magician agreed to transform him into a cat. That resolved his fear ... until he met a dog, so the magician changed him into a dog. The mouse-turned-cat-turned­dog was content until he met a tiger-so, once again, the magician changed him into what he feared. But when the tiger came complaining that he had met a hunter, the magician refused to help. "I will make you into a mouse again, for though you have the body of a tiger, you still have the heart of a mouse." 

Sound familiar? How many people do you know who have built a formidable exterior, only to tremble inside with fear? We tackle our anxieties by taking on the appearance of a tiger. We face our fears with force. Military power, security systems, defense strategy-all reflect a conviction that muscle creates security.

Or if we don't use force, we try other methods. We stockpile wealth. We seek security in things. We cultivate fame and seek status.

But do these approaches work? Can power, possessions, or popularity really deliver us from our fears?

If power could, then Joseph Stalin should have been fearless. Instead, this infamous Russian premier was afraid to go bed. He had seven different bedrooms. Each could be locked as tightly as a safe. In order to foil any would-be assassins, he slept in a different one each night. Five chauffeur-driven limousines transported him wherever he went, each with curtains closed so no one would know which contained Stalin. So deep-seated were his apprehensions that he employed a servant whose sole task was to monitor and protect his tea bags.'

If possessions conquered fear, the late billionaire Howard Hughes would have been fearless. But you probably know his story. His distrust of people and his paranoia of germs led this billionaire to Mexico, where he died a lonely death as a hermit with a belly-length beard and corkscrew fingernails.'

What about popularity? Beatle John Lennon's fame as a singer, songwriter, and pop icon made him a household word, but his fears brought him misery. His biographers describe him as a frightened man, unwilling to sleep with the lights off and afraid to touch anything because of its filth.'

Though Stalin, Hughes, and Lennon are extreme cases, they are indicative ones. "Though you have the body of a tiger, you still have the heart of a mouse."   

Dear Lord we pray that we would not live a life of fear. We pray that we would trust You completely in all aspects of our life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Don't Let Your Fear Stop You.

Proverbs 29:25 (New International Version)

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."

If we cultivate fear of any kind, it will eventually dominate us. It will become a snare to the soul and it will rob us of any possible peace. Fear can be conquered, but you have to really fight it!

This reminds me of the history Belgium … Although Belgium wasn't founded until 1830, as far back as 54 B.C., Julius Caesar referred to the "Belgae" as ""the bravest of all Gauls". And brave the Belgians are, and have been throughout history. But their bravery hasn't stopped other nations from invading them!

First there were the Italians, under the leadership of Julius Ceasar.

Next, in the 13th century, the French set up rule in the Flanders, which is the western part of Belgium. Local merchants and craftsmen were unhappy with the takeover, and bitter conflict arose. One of the most intriguing of their quarrels was the Battle of Courtrai. It is also called the Battle of Spurs, because the Flemish went out collecting the spurs of dead French knights as trophies.

But this didn't result in ridding Belgium of the French. In fact, by the mid 15th century, France, under the dukes of Burgundy, ruled most of Belgium.

In 1549, through a series of marriages and unforeseen events, the Belgians came under the rule of Spain, which eventually entered into war with the Netherlands and France. Being caught in the middle, the consequences of the war were huge: Belgium lost Dunkerque and Lille to France. Though this region is still considered part of the Flemish dunes, it remains under French rule to this day.

At this time, the rest of Belgium came under the rule of Austria.

After being occupied twice by the French revolutionaries, the country was ceded to France In 1797. This lasted until the defeat of the French in Waterloo, which, by the way, is in Belgium, and the country then came under the rule of the Dutch.

But the Belgians were no longer content to sit around and let someone else rule their land. Inspired by the French Revolution, in July of 1830, Belgians took arms to drive out the Dutch. They succeeded in August of that same year, and on October 4, 1830, Belgium was finally declared independent. And other than the brief German occupation in the 1940s, this is how it has remained throughout modern history.

And you thought you may have had a bad day! The above history is like a ping pong match between the poor Belgians and the obscure unknown. Reading it nearly gives you a kink in the neck! I can imagine darkness whispering to them: "You are defeated! You are just miserable! You are doomed to your destiny! You deserve it and you can't do anything about it!" But they didn't succumb to this darkness. Instead, they rose up and conquered the darkness.

The same is true when we listen to the whispers of fear in our hearts. That fear will eventually dominate us, and if we don't do something about it, it will dominate us for the duration of our lives. But remember: These evil thoughts CAN be overcome.

It makes sense. If we listen to our illegitimate fears, we let them take root in our lives, and the more we listen to them, the more ingrained in our existence they become. What happens is that we begin to trust them instead of God, and this leads to sleepless nights and utter despair.

If we choose to listen to our loving Heavenly Father instead, and let Him come into our lives, our trust will be in Him, not in our fears. This will lead to utter inner peace and divine tranquility, even amidst the worst circumstances.

Dear Lord we pray that we would not let our fears take over our life. We pray that we will turn them all over to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Phobia

Isaiah 41:10 (New International Version)

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

The term "phobia" may be relatively unknown to most young people, but it becomes a reality of life as you grow older. The word is derived from the Greek word φόβος, which literally means "fear".

Some phobias are quite renown. Take Claustrophobia for instance: Fear of confined spaces. Then there's pedophobia, which is the fear of children (Most parents are in that category!). We also have snakephobia or Ophidiophobia: Fear of snakes; and Acrophobia: Fear of heights.

There are other phobias, some that are not as well known:

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia: Fear of the number 666;

Dystychiphobia: Fear of accidents;

Alektorophobia: Fear of chickens;

Dentophobia: Fear of dentists;

Chrometophobia: Fear of money;

Panophobia: Fear of everything including this outgoing list of phobias…;

Siderodromophobia- Fear of trains, railroads or train travel;

Scolionophobia- Fear of school;

Ochophobia- Fear of vehicles;

Mycrophobia- Fear of small things;

Metathesiophobia- Fear of changes.…

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia- Fear of long words;

No matter what fears you are plagued with, if you rely on Jesus, He will give you the victory.

Dear Lord we pray that we would turn all our fears over to you. We thank You that we can trust You in all things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

"Facing the Giants" and Fear

Matthew 6:25-27 (New American Standard Bible)

    25 For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

Last night Charlie and I watched "Facing the Giants". This is certainly a movie worth watching, if you haven’t seen it you should. It was made by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. There are many lessons we can learn from it, one of which is about fear.

Near the end of the movie, the Shiloh Eagles, coached by Grant Taylor, were about to play for the Georgia high school state championship against a team who had almost 3 times the number of players and were the reigning state champions 3 years running.  Coach Taylor was a bit afraid of how everything would turn out. But, just before the game, Coach Taylor's former football coach came to see him. He said something that I found very interesting. The former coach said that in the Bible God says 365 times to not be afraid, and that if God said it that many times then He must have meant it. Since there are 365 days in a year, and God says 365 times to not be afraid, then there is never a day in the year when we should be afraid.

Think of little David who went and confronted the giant Goliath. I would think that David would be afraid. But, the Bible does not give a hint of fear, rather faith. David knew that God was on his side, so he simply walked by faith and killed the giant. How often in our Christian life is rendered useless because of fear. Fear of failing, fear of what our friends would say, fear of our health failing, fear of being made fun of at work, fear of commitment, fear that God will not come through, fear of losing your time, energy, money. If David would not have stepped out in faith and faced the giant, we would not be talking about him. He would have been just another one of the Israelites standing on the sidelines shaking in fear. David made his life count by living by faith. He was not always perfect, but he was called a man after God's own heart. How? He let his faith control his life rather than fear.

Scripture says that the believer in Christ is more than a conqueror and that there is nothing that can separate us from His love (Romans 8). God also says that those who are in Christ should not even fear death because He has defeated death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His Son. If He could raise Jesus from the dead, then so could He raise each person who has placed their faith in Him. What does all this mean to us? Each of us wants our life to count for something.  Just like Gideon was able to lead 300 people to defeat a massive army, Joshua was able to lead Israel to defeat Jericho, Esther was able to stand up against evil, and Ruth was able to thrive in a foreign land was that they acted on what they believed.

If each of us would let go of our fear, repent of it, and live the words of God, then we will leave a mark on this world that will bring glory to God and cause others to follow Him. Let’s not wait until others decide to not fear. Let it begin with us.

So, what or who is your giant? What brings your fear to the point that you will not serve the living God? What are we seeing as bigger than God that we fear it rather than trust Almighty God? If God is really as powerful as He says He is, then why do we act like He is smaller than our everyday struggles, trials, and fears? He is not smaller; we just often convince ourselves He is.  Let’s take the time today and each of the other 364 days of the year not to fear but turn it over to God.

Dear Lord we thank you for Your word and the reminder that You give us to not fear. We pray that we would always turn our fears over to You knowing that You can handle them much better than we can. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

We Don't Have to Fear

What is there to fear since God sent his Son to die to redeem us? What is there to fear since we cannot be separated from the love God has for us in Christ Jesus? What is there to fear except ourselves, and God has poured his Spirit into our hearts to reassure us and strengthen us in our weakness! As we love God and his children, we are reminded of his love for us which is far better than our meager love for others. Rather than run from him in fear, we bow before him in thanks knowing that he who hears our prayers is also he who loves us and yearns to calm our fears.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

— 1 John 4:18

Dear Lord thank you that we can reverence you without fearing your wrath. Thank you that we can revere your word and yet not be terrified with my short comings. May your love in us produce a closer likeness to your holiness, righteousness, justice and mercy than all the laws, threats, and judges combined. In Jesus name, Amen.