Fear and Love

Dr. Mike 2026 , , , , ,

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. 1 John 4:18 (English Standard Version)

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We ourselves are eye-witnesses able and willing to testify to the fact that the Father did send the Son to save the world. Everyone who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God lives in him, and he lives in God. So we have come to know and trust the love God has for us. God is love, and the man whose life is lived in love does, in fact, live in God, and God does, in fact, live in him. So our love for him grows more and more, filling us with complete confidence for the day when he shall judge all men—for we realize that our life in this world is actually his life lived in us. Love contains no fear—indeed fully-developed love expels every particle of fear, for fear always contains some of the torture of feeling guilty. This means that the man who lives in fear has not yet had his love perfected. 1 John 4:16b-18 (J.P. Phillips NT)

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If we really love God, we will not be afraid of him. We cannot love him completely and also be afraid. We would only be afraid of God if we thought that he would punish us. So, if someone is afraid that God will punish them, it shows that they do not completely know God’s love. 1 John 4:18 (Easy English Bible)

Knowing Jesus means more love and confidence, less and less fear.

I borrowed this line from the J.B. Phillips New Testament. It is brief, but to the point. When God’s love lives in you through the presence of Papa God, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit, fear is displaced. You do not deny your fear. Instead, your trust is in God’s love which assures you that HE will lead you.

Life is a training process preparing one for eternity with Jesus. One of the attributes of God we learn is love. We learn love by practicing ways to express HIS love with others. We may begin slowly and awkwardly. But we learn. As we extend our hand to help someone, love’s seeds are cast. If we are rejected, God’s grace covers us through the pain. The more we practice ways to love others, the better we grow.

You may have to walk through the fear. You may turn and run away from it. You may laugh at it. Whatever God inspires you to do, you have learned to faithfully trust HIM.

If unsure where to begin, we start with Jesus. We find ways to love HIM. Initially, we discover all the ways HE shows his love to us. Then we seek out ways to express our love to HIM.

From there, we begin to practice with those closes to us, our family. As our ability to find ways to sacrifice and support them grows, we keep expanding our reach. We have friends, business associates, and neighbors to add unto our list. And the list never ends.

As we meet strangers in the grocery store or mall, we find ways to show love to them. It may be as simple as a smile or opening a door.

Small steps. Easy gestures. Simple words. It doesn’t have to be a big moment. Just expressing small tidbits of ways to let others know you care for them. That they are appreciated.

If you are a person who is dealing with fear in your life, make Love your pathway through it. It begins by developing a deeper relationship with Jesus. Then allowing Jesus’s love be expressed through you. So let HIM be the center of your exodus. HE will lead you through your fears. In the process, your love tank will grow and dump the fears away.    

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

Click Here for more Writings Neatly Bound in Book Format Available at Your Favorite Bookstore.

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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Tell Me About Your Jesus

Dr. Mike 2026 , , , , ,

 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  John 21:12

This was the third time after HIS resurrection that the disciples met Jesus. This time, they were out fishing. They had returned to the business they were conducting prior to meeting Jesus. A man on the beach told them where to throw their net. When they did, the result was over 153 large fish caught at one time. A similar event occurred when they first met Jesus. (See Luke 5:1-6). They now witnessed a repeat. The man on the beach was Jesus.

How often have we repeatedly witness Jesus in the lives of others? As we experience life with Jesus, don’t we begin to catch glimpses of HIM at work with others? As we draw closer to HIM, does HE not reveal more of HIMSELF to us? Like any relationship built on trust and loyalty, the depth and width only grows deeper and deeper. We begin to see more than the outside appearance. We begin to witness the real heart and character of that person. The same is with Jesus.

You tell me about your Jesus and I will tell you about my Jesus. The more we share, the more our cup overflows of the awe and wonder of God.

I’m not talking about the academic Jesus. The impersonal God-Man found between the pages of the Bible. But the one-on-one Jesus you have come to know. The Jesus who saved you from yourself. The Jesus who interceded for you in your prayers. The Jesus who sent the right person at the right time to help solve a life-threatening situation. The Jesus who covered you with HIS love when no one else did. The Jesus who carried you through the last storm. The Jesus who inspired you to finish the project you have been working on for years. The Jesus who held your hand when your love one passed away. The Jesus who fills your cup daily with grace and peace. The Jesus who brings light into a dark situation. The Jesus who knows you better than yourself. The Jesus who shares HIS wisdom with you. The Jesus who holds you in HIS grip. The Jesus who is your hero and mentor. The Jesus who is your best friend. The Jesus who reveals to you Papa God and Holy Spirit. The Jesus who knows you better than anyone else. The Jesus who is rooting for YOU.

This is the Jesus I enjoy hearing about. This is the Jesus I like sharing with others. The personal Jesus. The Jesus who is alive and living in you and me. The Jesus who is moving history toward the culmination of a new heaven and a new earth as one. The Jesus who allows me to participate with HIM in HIS work. The Jesus who cares for you and wants what is best for you. The Jesus who steps up as an elder-brother and tells you the truth of a matter. The same Jesus who will stand up and fight for you. The Jesus who has your back. The Jesus who loves you more than anyone else.

This is the Jesus I want you to tell me about.

The real Jesus living HIS life in you and through you.

And I will share the same with you.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

Click Here for more Writings Neatly Bound in Book Format Available at Your Favorite Bookstore.

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message! | Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Doctors, Stumps, Puzzles

Dr. Mike 2026 , , ,

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,” Proverbs 1:5


This Scripture is part of the opening statement in the Book of Proverbs. It is applicable there and throughout life. As we are being prepared for eternity with Jesus, one gains Kingdom insight from the daily events of life.

This past week three events brought a smile to my face. In each instance, I experienced the joy of having these Kingdom life lessons reinforced.

In the beginning of the week, I had my bi-annual skin exam. He is my new dermatologist. I made the recent decision to find a younger doctor who will hopefully outlive me. Dr. D is in his late thirties and wears his skin proud of the profession. As I sat naked with only my shorts, he exam my body for any unusual markings. He found two. One on my thigh and the other on my chest. With help from his nurse, he removed both of them and sent them to the lab for inspection. Band aids covered the new extracted skin holes.

The good news is no serious cancer. The bad news is he had to dig deeper to remove tiny bits of unwanted cells. The incision and stitches afterward caused an inkling of discomfort. A temporary pain and inconvenience for the long-term confirmation that all is OK. This reminded me of how the Spirit works to remove parts of the harden heart. The short-term pain is worth the long-term gain.

Earlier this past weekend, I also checked-off an item from my to-do list. A palm tree had died from a recent cold freeze and left me with the stump to be removed. This is the third tree planted in the same spot over the last fifteen years. It will not be replaced. But it was here I experienced the grace of Jesus.

I started digging around 7am and by 9am the body was near exhaustion. While sitting on the stool making plans to finish the work later in the week, my neighbor stopped by. A very successful business man in his late thirties. Collects sports cars as a hobby. Most of the work around his house is done by outside professional services. But today I saw Jesus come alive in him.

He looked at the fun I was having the last two hours and didn’t want to be deprived of sharing in it. He quickly reviewed the situation. Went back to his house and returned with a six-foot, 30-pound steel rod and a handheld spear cutter. In less than five minutes, we had the stump out of the ground. After thanking him, I smiled and teased him for being my Jesus at the moment. He actually blushed. But the lesson was learned. I gave my best effort to remove the tree stump; didn’t have anything left to finish the job but help came to finish it. Like so many times in life, we put forth the effort and God supplies us with HIS grace to complete the work. Most of the time He shows up hidden behind the life of another human.

Lastly, my wife and I recently picked up a new hobby to share. Putting together puzzles. I chose the first one. A five-hundred-piece portray of the Statue of Liberty lit up with fireworks around it. Yesterday we finished it. At the start she grumbled how difficult and uninspiring it was. I looked at it as a challenge and time we could bond together.

We laid the pieces on a small table in the living room. As we walk by it, we would stop and put a few pieces together. One day she would stop her busy schedule and do a few; the next day I did. Sometimes we were fortunate to come together and each grab a section of the puzzle. Yesterday, we both had time and sat together to finish the last few pieces. When the last piece was placed, I thought we were finished. But she proved me wrong. She showed me places where the pieces didn’t seem to properly blend or fit together. I then realized why I married her.

I am the business-minded person who focused on results. Perfection was an illusion in my field. Effectiveness or getting the job done is my priority. She on the other hand has an artist mind-set. Beauty and perfection are her giftedness. Though the puzzle was completed it wasn’t perfect. So we both sat down and put our heads together. In a matter of a few minutes she had disrupted several corners. Beauty was not recognized there. As I took my logical mind and together with her artistic eye, we began to move pieces around. We both began to experience the joy of sharing our giftedness toward a completed project. When we were finished, we had a perfect masterpiece to show the world. We did it together. Like a faith community coming together and living out the ways of Jesus in unity and love.

Yes, the doctor, the tree stump, and the puzzle were my Kingdom lessons of the week. What were yours?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

Click Here for more Writings Neatly Bound in Book Format Available at Your Favorite Bookstore.

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message! | Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved