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Copyright Š 2008 by Bonnie Baker All rights reserved under the international copyright law. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express, written permission of the author. The exception is reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review. ISBN 1-56229-211-0 ISBN13 978-1-56229-211-9 Christian Living Books, Inc. An imprint of Pneuma Life Publishing, Inc. P.O. Box 7584 Largo, MD 20792 301-218-9092 www.christianlivingbooks.com Printed in the United States of America Unless otherwise marked, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
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CHAPTER ONE
FEAR OF FEARS
hat is fear? Fear is a personal emotional reaction you feel toward something, like the fear of God, and an emotional warning caused by the expectation or realization of danger. Although fear may be invisible, it is still real. It is a sudden feeling that we create ourselves, but it is true, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. The more you realize your fear, the smaller it gets, until you are left with the root of the problem that is causing you to have fear. Know that it can be dealt with and that you are a survivor of fear; you will outlast it, outlive it, and continue to exist.
W
Job said in Job 4:14, “Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.� Job was a survivor. He went through the storm and came out, 3
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SURVIVING your worst FEAR even though he had lost everything, and not once did he get upset with God. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. (Job 1:21) You see, Job lived through all his fear, and the very thing that Job feared the most came upon him. Remember, you have nothing to fear but fear itself. 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) Remember, fear is a feeling and an emotional alarm or fright caused by the expectation of danger, pain, hurt, and so on. These are some of the fears we face every day: • • • • • • • 4
fear of someone never coming to see you fear of someone getting physically hurt or killed fear of making a mistake fear of feeling fear fear of always wondering what will happen fear of losing a loved one fear of being terrible
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Fear of Fears • fear of hearing a sound, an explosion, or a fearful noise, as in, “I think I heard something upstairs or downstairs.” • fear of being alone • fear of thinking, No one will ever love me, and thinking, I am always alone. • fear you yourself have caused for no reason • fear of being found out: Am I doing something wrong? Will I ever get caught? Will anyone ever find out? We are not what we look to be when we are acting in fear. • fear of being hurt in a love relationship, based on past hurt: Will I ever love again? and fear of who will have you: I can never open up to anyone else again. Will I ever find the right one? Fear will have you shut yourself up in a box, never to come out again, and go on being upset, tangled up, tied up, and bound up with silent frustration. Then you can’t trust anyone; there you will be left to live in hurt forever, until God brings you out. Other fears we commonly face are: • fear of danger, always thinking something is unsafe or that someone will cause you injury or loss • fear of falling, tripping, or falling down and getting hurt • fear of heights: I don’t fly because I feel the plane will fall. I don’t go to the fair or carnival because I fear the 5
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SURVIVING your worst FEAR ride will fall apart. I don’t like elevators because I fear they will stop and I may be stuck on them too high up. Fear of heights Anything that’s up too high I fear. Just let me stay on the ground, and I will be all right. But remember, you have nothing to fear but fear itself. If you can get over the fear, you can make it! • fear of death or dying, always thinking, What if I die? Remember, we all have an appointment with death, and fear comes and says: When I go to sleep, I might not wake up. I am driving—will I lose control of the car? I remember the last accident I had. Will I die this time? If I go near water, will I drown? This fear causes us always to think, Will I die? Beloved, don’t fear dying because it is appointed by God. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time
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Fear of Fears to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) This Scripture tells us all about the “time of things.” You see, this is the will of God for us—to be born and to die—so don’t fear dying.
Fear of flying
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THEN AND NOW Bonnie had tasted everything the devil could serve up – alcohol, drugs, money, gambling, abuse, jail time, depression, even several encounters with death. Yet her life has taken a 180-degree turn, thanks to God and intercessory prayer. Then and Now is the true account of God´s power to deliver us from the bondage of evil. It is sure to encourage you as you see a perfect example of God the Potter transforming a tattered life into a beautiful work of art, free from the enemy. God can free you too. He can ward off all attacks of the enemy, past, present and future. There is nothing too big for God to handle. So, whatever you are facing, trust Him and see what He can do in your life. To God be the glory. THEN AND NOW - PART II Ten years ago, Bonnie Baker penned her incredible life story. That bestselling book touched the hearts of thousands who testified, “It happened to me, too.” There was much Bonnie did not tell. Then and Now – Part 2 continues Bonnie’s gut wrenching accounts of sexual abuse, physical abuse, substance abuse, exploitation and molestation. With unflinching honesty, Bonnie details the devastating consequences of looking for love in all the wrong places. Bonnie’s story does not end there. NOW, Bonnie is healed, delivered, empowered and preaching the gospel. Then and Now – Part 2 is a perfect example of God the Potter transforming a broken life into a beautiful work of art. You, too, can tell your story. Allow Bonnie’s story to invoke you to get up, to turn around, to reach out to an ever-present God. He will set you on your NOW path, too.
BIRTHING PAINS For centuries, people have asked why God allows pain and suffering. Bestselling author, Bonnie Baker, makes a compelling case regarding the meaning behind hardship is an essential component of our relationship with the Lord. Whether it's her near-death experience or her miraculous recovery from a a stroke, Bonnie describes how burdens which come with pain – whether spiritual, emotional, mental or physical – can be hard to bear. Using the metaphor of labor and delivery, biblical wisdom and personal testimonies of overcoming adversity, Birthing Pains is an invaluable guide to a difficult issue. God's promises that when you “walk through the fire... I will be with you.” Avoid despair. Learn to PUSH your blessing to fruition.
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C!Longr.ess of tilt 11lnit.eh �tat.es J!)ouse ol i&tpresentatibes llllas4ington, Eill 20515-2211 September 9, 201S Minister Bonnie Baker Post Office Box 871267 Canton, Ml 48187
Dear Minister Baker, Congratulations on your book Then and Now, being chosen by the Library of Congress for inclusion in their permanent selection. Then and Now joins millions of publications enshrined in the world's largest library. Once again congratulations on your achievement. Please let me know if my office can ever be of assistance. Sincerely,
Dave Trott Member of Congress
This is the certify that
Then and Now by Bonnie Baker
has been selected for
Inclusion in our Permanent Collection by The Library of Congress on October 7, 2015 Congratulations on your contribution to America's cultural heritage.
Then
AND
N OW
Then and Now received a very special acknowledgment. In October of 2015, a group of Christian Living Books’ authors, their family and friends visited our nation’s capital to celebrate the distinct honor and privilege of their works being selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in their permanent collections. They came together from all over the country and some from the Bahamas. President Obama, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Bahamian Consul General, and respective members of the House of Representatives all wrote letters to these authors and their publisher to commemorate and celebrate the distinction. They had a wonderful time fellowshipping, laughing with Joe Recca (the funniest man in clean comedy), being blessed by gifted singers, and taking a world class tour of D.C. Visiting the Library of Congress really solidified what an honor the selection is. The largest, most prestigious library in the world has honored men and women who love God and are committed to resourcing the Kingdom in their respective areas of influence. The Library is so awesome and beautiful that the entire experience was just humbling. As long as the earth remains, those works will be there, enshrined, as a part of the cultural landscape. To God be the glory for the things He has done.