An old story circulates throughout Southeast Kansas about a family that lived on the frontier in the days immediately after the Civil War. The family, named Bender, were infamous. They lived on a major trail that connected the Frontier to Indian Territory and took in boarders, some of which they robbed and murdered. When exposed, they slipped out of Kansas and onto Indian lands without ever getting caught. Their misdeeds were so notorious that they were mentioned in a novel of Rose Wilder Lane.

Father Paul Ponziglione, a Jesuit missionary, once encountered that family at their inn. The Benders were hospitable, offered food and a place to lay his head at a reasonable price. The weather was turning, and a storm threatened from the horizon. Thunder rolled across the sky, sounding like a barrel rolling off a moving wagon. The night promised to be frightful. At first, he agreed, for home was a day’s journey away. As the storm brewed, a voice whispered in his heart: “Leave this place. It is not safe.”

Embarrassed, the priest made his apologies and steered his covered wagon with its team of oxen up the road. An hour or so later, he made his way off the road and into a secluded grove, out of sight of the Bender family. Later, when recounting this story for a historian, he testified that he knew the voice he heard was the voice of God.

It is not always easy to hear the voice of God, especially in the midst of a storm, but it is possible if we train our hearts to listen. We read of a storm in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 4. Jesus and His disciples were on the sea of Galilee when a storm blew in. Some of the disciples were professional fishermen, from a long line of fishermen, and they were scared for their lives. The shallow-drafted, flat-bottom boat was nearly swamped. They cried out to Jesus, who was sleeping near the stern. With the words, “Peace, be still,” he calmed the stormy sea.

God does not always calm the storm when we cry out. Sometimes, he wishes to speak to us through the storm, as he did to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-13. God’s voice is often heard in the midst of a storm. In my own life, I often hear him best when I have taken refuge from a storm, holed-up in a shelter of my own making, on a sea with fishermen who are in uncharted waters, or flat on my back, with nowhere else to turn but to the heavens. I cry out in desperation to God, “Please, Father, calm the storm before I am drowned.”

In the midst of every storm, without fail I hear my Savior speaking, “Peace be still.” In. Every. Single. Storm. I hear His precious voice.

Sometimes He says them to the storm. Other times, He says them to me.

“Steve, peace… Be still,” he says. Upon hearing His words, I no longer worry about the storm that rages around me.

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Sheltered in the Arms of God

So let the storms rage high
The dark clouds rise
They don’t worry me
For I’m sheltered safe within the arms of God

He walks with me
And naught of earth shall harm me
For I’m sheltered in the arms of God

-Jimmie Davis and Dottie Rambo

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Not only was I unplanned, I turned out to be a disappointment to my mother. Mom died before I was 28. I lived in another state by then, but I hurried home when I got the call. I was there for her final 12 hours in this world. I am not sure if she knew I was there. I am not sure she would have cared. After Mom’s funeral my brother told me that Mom had written down some thoughts about each of her children. He refused to show it to me. It would be painful, he said. That confirmed her disappointment in me.

As sad as that sounds, my regret is not that she was disappointed in me, rather my regret is that I gave her bountiful reason to be disappointed.

I have a parent, though, whom I can never disappoint. My Heavenly Father knows my ending from my beginning. Before He spun the world like a top, He knew every sin I would ever commit. He knew every time I would go astray. He knew before I took my first breath when and where I would breathe my last. God cannot be disappointed in me because He knew exactly what I was when He invited me to follow Him.

That ledger that God keeps, with my name on the top, with two or three good things in the right column and thousands of bad things in the left column… It lists every sin I ever committed and ever will commit. Lately, though, that list has disappeared. It’s gone. No one can find it. The ink faded away. The paper burned up. In its place, God wrote my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

A few years ago, I surrendered to Jesus as my Lord. I committed to live like Him. I can never make up for disappointing Mom, but I have a proud Father that I can never disappoint.  He killed the “fatted calf” when I came home. I tell Him I’m sorry when I sin. He says, “That’s covered by the blood of the Lamb – and has been before the foundation of the world.”

Fear Not for God knows all and loves us anyway. We will never disappoint Him.

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Isaiah is comparing God’s grace, lovingkindness, goodness, and protection to a mother. He poses this question:

Can a woman forget her nursing child? And not have compassion on the son of her womb? (NKJV)

Here is the way the NIV reads: Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

My immediate answer to that question is NO. It would seem impossible. I mean, MOM remains faithful when all others have turned their backs on us. How many times have you seen the mother of a mass murderer or a serial killer on TV, speaking or standing in defense of her grown child? Dads may walk out… friends may fall aside… brothers may turn their back… but moms remain faithful forever. Right?

Yet, Isaiah’s words were not his own; they were inspired by God. We live in a fallen world, a world where – like it or not – a mother sometimes abandons her child. We live in a world that is not only fallen, but one in which it is nearly impossible to survive. Some mothers believe they have no choice but to forget their children. What is Isaiah’s inspired answer to his question?

Though she may forget, I [God] will not forget you!

We serve a great God. We serve a God whose goodness is impossible to comprehend. We serve a God who will never leave us nor forsake us.

Fear Not, for God is more faithful than even a good mother.

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There is no one who can fully discern Him and His plans, no one who can understand His ways. His love for us, us who are His creation… His overwhelming care for us, His children… defies all logic. We are entirely unworthy of His love. Yet, He cares enough for us to have given His son to die in our place. He gave that which knows no sin to die for those who are sinners.

He strengthens those who diligently seek to serve Him. He gives power to the faint. He gives strength to those who have no might. They that wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings of eagles.

Eagles are remarkable birds. Incredibly strong, an eagle which has an adult weight of 8-14 pounds can lift half again its body weight. Its mighty wings, with a span of up to eight feet, can lift its own weight and the weight of a good sized fish or rodent. When God says that those who wait upon Him shall mount up with wings as eagles, He is telling you that He will give you the strength to lift yourself from your present circumstances, and the strength to help others up, also.

The eagle’s wings take it to unprecedented heights, as well. Eagles have been documented to fly as high as 10-15,000 feet, and some speculate that they can fly up to 30,000 feet. They fly alone, leaving all other birds well below. Only the eagle can fly that high. The life of following Christ and continuous prayer will take the believer to unbelievable heights.

Fear Not, rather mount up with wings as an eagle.

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Talk to me…

I bow before you in the morning.

At noon I praise your name.

Fall at your feet in the evening.

And, tomorrow I’ll do the same.

Just talk to me… Oh, to hear you breathe.

Let me see…

I’m searching for you in the morning.

At noon I seek your face.

Find your glory in the evening.

And, tomorrow grant me thy grace.

Just let me see… Lord, to only see.

Lord, I wait…

I am weary from so much running.

I feel like I could faint.

Please, let me rest in your presence.

Under your wings with no complaint.

Just let me wait…renew my strength.

-Talk to Me, S.J. Hager

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Fear Not, Just Wait Upon the Lord

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In my local church a couple of nights ago, the pastor gave a lesson on sharing your testimony. I was reminded that some folk are just not so willing to speak about Jesus as others. I know some extremely shy people, quiet as a church mouse. I know others who simply don’t want to be the subject of ridicule. I suppose that they are afraid that they will be seen as a “church lady,” a “Bible thumper,” or a “lunatic.” If that’s the case, then so be it. As for me, let folks think that I am a lunatic; I will not deny Jesus Christ, and I will not pass up an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone who needs to hear it.

I have heard all kinds of excuses for not sharing the Good News: “Well, I just didn’t feel led.” “There simply wasn’t time.” “They looked too busy.” “They seem like good people; they were probably already a Christian.”

It seems to me that Christians may not share the Good News of Jesus Christ because they have never been taught how, or because they don’t know how to intelligently speak of God’s Word.

Here’s the thing, many of the readers who contact me have called themselves Christians for most of their lives, but have never followed Jesus. If we want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we need to study God’s Word; we need to know it inside/out. We need to commit it to heart. If we “hide God’s Word in our hearts,” then we will be less likely to sin and more likely to share that Word when God steers someone to us.

Before we can share it, we must know it. The motto of the missionary Frank Laubach was “Each One Teach One.” That is a pretty good thing to put in practice. Are you afraid of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ?

Fear Not, Just Study.

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This is one of the more controversial verses in the Bible. Many people believe it is a promise to believers that if we turn away, we still keep our salvation. Others believe that this verse means that God will not tolerate an unfaithful believer because He cannot be joined with that which is sinful. This begs the question, “Does God remain faithful even when we are faithless?”

Here is the verse in context:

This is a faithful saying:

For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
 If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.

I cannot answer that which theologians have been debating for two thousand years, but I will say this. The question is moot if we die with Him. Put to death the carnal nature by surrendering to Christ.

Brother Lawrence said this (paraphrased) –

“Now that I see God by faith, here is what comforts me: I feel what faith teaches us. I see what it teaches us. And, in that assurance… in that practice of faith, I will live and die with him.

Brother Lawrence taught that to have faith was to “live and die with Christ.” Continually. If he faltered for a brief moment, forgetting for just a while about his Savior, Jesus Christ, the he felt he had sinned and immediately confessed it to God. He puts it this way (paraphrased):

I know my weaknesses. I God let’s me alone for one moment, I would be the most wretched man alive. I don’t see how He could ever let me alone, though. Faith gives me as strong of a conviction as sense can do. I am convinced of this: He never forsakes us unless we first forsake Him.

We should fear to leave Him. We should always be with Him. We should live and die with Him, in His presence. You pray for me and I will pray for you.

Did you catch that? He never forsakes us unless we first forsake Him. I think that is what Paul is telling Timothy in the verses above. It fits right in:

If we die with Him, we will live with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us. He will never forsake us unless we forsake Him.

Fear not, He will never forsake us unless we first forsake Him. Just keep the faith.

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When I was a boy, my grandpa and grandma had a dog named Mutt that had lived, I think, its entire life on a chain. I felt so sorry for it. My own dog, Taffy, the Cocker Spaniel that I had grown up with, had never spent a minute on a chain. Mutt was not so fortunate.

Mutt’s dog house was in the corner of the yard between the chicken coup and the barnyard. From fence to fence, for ten feet not a blade of grass could be found. That patch of mud – the result of paws and chain running back and forth over the same ground year after year – was the entire world where Mutt lived.

One summer day Grandpa told me that Mutt had spent so much time on that chain, and that the dog had become so used to his limitations, that if he were ever to be set free he wouldn’t step foot on the grass; the dog, said Grandpa, would simply stay put.

Many Christians are like Mutt. They are chained by sin. They spend their entire life repeating the same set of sins, traveling over the same familiar ground. Christ has removed the chain, but they refuse to leave their old stomping ground.

Ask most Christians what the Bible means when it says we are free indeed from sin, and they will tell you that Christ saves us from the punishment of hell.

Ask them about the power of the Holy Spirit to free us from sin, and they may tell you that when we die we will be like Jesus and  – at last – be free from sin.

Few Christians – very few – will tell you that being free from sin means that sin and Satan has no power over you. Fewer still will tell you that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the discipline of prayer, and the study of God’s word we can overcome sin. Rarely will a Christian tell you about how the Spirit sanctifies us and makes us holy, slaves to righteousness.

Yet, the life freed from sin is integral to the theme of the Bible. Christ’s victory over Satan and sin is as fundamental to the Christianity as His victory over death.

Without the power to resist sin, there is no victory in the life of a Christian; the Christian only finds victory in death. If that is the way we live, then we may as well rip out chapter after chapter from the Bible, including most of the Psalms, much of the Gospels and all of the works of Paul.

That few ministers of the Church educate parishioners in the power of the Holy Spirit over sin explains why many local congregations are dying. That the church is no different than university campus coffee house is why fewer than 5% of Millennials go to church regularly. There is nothing of substance offered in most churches. Our churches entertain us by mimicking Hollywood. A significant number of worship leaders are performance artists and pastors try to be stand-up comics.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV)

The power of the Church is its Message not its marketing.

Would you be free from the burden of sin?There really is power in the blood of the Lamb.

By the way, when Mutt got loose, he took off  and never looked back, another good lesson for us to learn.

Fear Not for there really is Victory in this life.

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Still, we all endure loss. Some more than others, but it is a universal experience. As someone who is middle aged, my experiences with death are probably quite common. I have lost all my grandparents, both parents, a handful of friends, a couple of childhood playmates, an old high school girlfriend, and a couple of coworkers. Still, I have always had this nagging feeling – as we all do – that death has a particular grudge against me, and that few others have witnessed so much death as I.

The Bible tells us that it is appointed unto man once to die; every one of us shall die. Job declared,

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Take another look at that passage. You have probably heard it at funerals. You almost always here it on television depictions of funerals. “The Lord giveth… and the Lord taketh away.” The part that I find astonishing is that Job praises God. “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Can you praise God in the midst of such tragic loss? Can I? Can we look death in the eye and say, “I don’t understand God’s plan, but I will praise Him nonetheless?”

I could if it is my own death to which I refer; I have been ready to go for a while. What kind of faith does it take to say that when faced with the death of someone as close as a spouse, a son, or a daughter?

Church tradition tells that the Apostle Peter’s wife was led first to her death at the hands of Emperor Nero. As the guards led her away, Peter called to her, “Remember the Lord!” What faith. What wonderful faith!

In correspondence with a friend from Africa who has seen friends and family martyred, he has reminded me that we can be certain of a few things pertaining to death. Take comfort in them:

• Everyone will die, even those who persecute us.
• Death is not the end, look at the story of Lazarus. Our bodies will be restored at the Return of the Lord.
• The very day that we die, we will see Jesus is Paradise.
• We will see our loved ones in heaven. 2 Samuel 12:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Death is certain, but so is eternal life for those who have aloud Jesus to be Lord of their life. I have always known for certain that God took my mother because He loved her too much to allow her to suffer longer.

There is one more thing I know for certain. We must faithfully love those whom God has given us, because they are just on loan to us. He will want them back again someday.

Fear Not, for we shall see our loved ones again.

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The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6 to approach God with thanksgiving. It says it this way :

If we want to be rid of fear and anxiety, then we must…

• Pray 
• Plea earnestly 
• Give thanks 

Giving thanks is not always so easy. 

This week torrential rainfall hit the central parts of the United States. I know of one family whose home floated off its foundation and was destroyed. They were left only with an automobile and the clothes on their back. It’s easy to say they should thank God they are alive. 

It is not so easy when it happens to you. Giving thanks takes sincere introspection. It takes dialog with God. Ask Him to search your heart and show you those things for which you should be thankful. 

It’s not enough to make list and read it off. Thanks should come from the overabundance of joy within your heart. When you can speak to God like that, candidly and joyfully, then you begin to overcome all fear. 

Fear Not, rather be thankful.  

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My grandparents raised most everything they ate. I often helped Grandma make homemade egg noodles and peanut butter cookies. I resisted trying some of their recipes, though. I steered clear of hogshead cheese. I begrudgingly ate zucchini or spaghetti squash. I was fooled into eating pumpkin pie made of squash. I liked rabbit, however. It tastes like chicken. 

My job when visiting their farm was to collect eggs. More than once, I faced off with black snakes that wanted the eggs worse than I. I even helped butcher the chickens and pluck the feathers. 

I think that someday, when I am old and my memory has faded, the thing I will remember most about that farm will be keeping the newborn piglets warm under a heat lamp in the wee hours of a cold winter night. I laugh when I think that I named them. I may as well have named them Bacon, Ham, or Pork Chop. I was maybe nine years old, so what did I know? I made friends with the piglets and the sow (mother pig).

I only thought I made friends with the sow. I feel asleep in the barn. Later Grandpa carried me into the house. The next morning, I went out to check on the piglets. Grandpa had already let out the sow. As I crossed the barnyard, she was busy at the slop trough. Before I could enter the barn, she snorted and squealed and chased me to the gate. This hog was no friend. 

Instead of opening the gate, I dove for a small gap under the fence. I thought I was safe. I wasn’t. The sow bit into my leg. Grandma spent the next couple hours doctoring it. I spent weeks milking attention from it. 

That sow was vicious, just the opposite of the verse in Philippians 4:5 – 

Let your gentleness be known to all men…

That verse brings to mind Christ’s words in Matthew 10:16 –

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

The verse in Philippians is part of a larger context that speaks about the peace of God. 

Don’t worry… Be gentle. 

Don’t fear… Be meek.

Don’t fear… Be like a lamb.

Stop being anxious… Be like a dove.

That begs the question, then, how does gentleness bring one peace?

Take a look at the rest of that verse – 

…the Lord is at hand.

The Lord is at hand.

He is by your side. Within reach. He’s your Guide. Protector. Defender. You have no need to worry. Your wellbeing is His concern. Vengeance is His concern, too.

Fear Not, for the Lord is at hand. 

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When I speak of loving the doctor or hating the doctor, I am, of course, using hyperbole; I merely mean to say that we have a choice in how we view every situation in life. Within that one man, I find reason to rejoice or to begrudge. I choose to rejoice in the things I love about that doctor. 

The Bible tells us to rejoice. Always! Rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4). 

Just two breaths later, Paul tells us to worry about nothing (Philippians 4:6). 

Rejoice always. Be anxious for nothing… Be afraid of nothing. Those are tall orders. Some would say those are impossible orders. Yet, here is Paul writing to the Philippian Church and telling them to be anxious for nothing.
The two thoughts are tied together, rejoicing and the lack of anxiety. One may live more easily without fear and anxiety if she rejoices in everything. One worries less if he sees the bright side to even dire situations. 

What was the bright side about removing a cancerous lump on my leg that even today gives me so much pain that I cannot walk more than a few yards without having it spasm? At the time, I could only rejoice in the fact that the doctor saved my leg and my life. In hindsight, I have much more to celebrate. 

Had it not been for that cancer in my leg, the doctors never would have found colon cancer lurking silently in my gut. At least, they never would have caught it in time. 

Had it not been for my leg, I would not have grown into a much deeper relationship with God. 

Had it not been for my cancer, I would not have grown so much closer to my wife. 

There are many more positive things that I could tell you that came as a result of a grave situation. I don’t have to list them; you see what I mean. 

Fear not. Instead, rejoice.

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For most of my life, I have been one to take action when afraid. Before I could even think of the consequences, I set myself hard at work dealing with the issues that scare me. My actions, though, inevitably lead me into worse trouble. 

Only of late have I begun to turn things over to God when I am afraid. If your life is crumbles around you… if you are face health problems… if you encounter financial troubles… if you face family issues… Whatever it is that you are afraid of, don’t just become paralyzed with fear. Don’t just take action, as I do. Rather, pray. 

This passage in Ezra, however, does not tell us that the people of Israel prayed when they were afraid. Instead, they worshiped God. 

Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord,

– Ezra 3:3a

I would bet few of us think to worship God when we are frightened. Yet, our God is a good God, loving and generous. He deserves to be worshipped. Whether we be happy, sad, angry, in mourning, in love, or afraid, our God deserves to be worshipped. 

When we learn to worship God in all circumstances, we find peace that surpasses all understanding. 

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The call to worship had just been pronounced starting Easter Sunday Morning service in an East Texas church. The choir started its processional, singing “Up from the Grave He Arose” as they marched in perfect step down the center aisle to the front of the church. The last lady was wearing shoes with very slender heels.
Without a thought for her fancy heels, she marched toward the grating that covered that hot air register in the middle of the aisle. Suddenly the heel of one shoe sank into the hole in the register grate. In a flash she realized her predicament. Not wishing to hold up the whole processional, without missing a step, she slipped her foot out of her shoe and continued marching down the aisle. There wasn’t a hitch. The processional moved with clock-like precision. The first man after her spotted the situation and without losing a step, reached down and pulled up her shoe, but the entire grate came with it! Surprised, but still singing, the man kept on going down the aisle, holding in his hand the grate with the shoe attached.

Everything still moved like clockwork. Still in tune and still in step, the next man in line stepped into the open register and disappeared from sight. The service took on a special meaning that Sunday, for just as the choir ended with “Allelujah! Christ arose!” a voice was heard under the church shouting…”I hope all of you are out of the way ‘cause I’m coming out now!” The little girl closest to the aisle shouted, “Come on, Jesus! We’ll stay out of the way.”​​​​​–Contributed by: Darren Ethier

Another Illustration:

A man was walking down a street when he noticed in a store window a beautiful painting of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He stood there gazing at the picture for the longest than realized that a little boy was standing beside him. He patted the little boy on the head and said, ”Son, what does that mean?” The little boy said, ”Doncha know? That there man is Jesus, an’ the woman that’s crying is His mother, an’ them others is Roman soldiers. They killed Him.” The man smiled and then started walking away. In a few moments he heard someone running, turned and saw that it was the little boy. He came running up to the man, out of breath, and said, ”Mister, mister, I forgot to tell you that he didn’t stay dead.”

And today we are here to celebrate the Living Lord—Resurrected, Crucified and buried in a borrowed tomb—but He didn’t stay dead. He arose! And today He is at the Right Hand of the Father Interceding for each of us, and someday soon He is Coming Again as King of kings and Lord of lords!

Over the years I have spent much time thinking about the events of Good Friday—how Jesus hung on the Cross, tortured to death for our sins. And, I have celebrated the fact of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, and. contemplated the meaning of the Resurrection from many different perspectives. But I don’t believe I have ever spent any time thinking about the Saturday Sabbath that occurred between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. But I read a sermon this week that caused me to consider the mood of that Saturday

I. The Somber Saturday

a. In our Sunrise Service we heard monologues of Peter, John, Thomas and Mary Magdalene as to the thoughts they must have had just before the dawn of Resurrection Sunday. The Scriptures do not tell us anything about what occurred on that Saturday. On Friday we read how the body of Jesus was taken down from the Cross and placed in a new tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus supplied 70 pounds of spices for preparing his body and there were woman at the tomb who prepared those spices and perfumes. But they were not able to finish the preparation of His body because of the approaching Sabbath. Luke 23: 56 says, “”But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandments.”

b. The disciples were devastated. I’m sure Peter did not spend time on that Saturday thinking about what he was going to say to Jesus on Sunday—No, he believed Jesus was dead and it was all over. ​​​None of the disciples remembered how Jesus had told them on multiple occasions that he would be crucified and placed in a tomb but would rise again on the third day.​​​​I doubt that any of them thought to do the math—“Let’s see, He died on Friday, that’s one day. Today, Saturday, is the second day. Tomorrow will be the third day—that’s the day He said he would rise again.”​​​No, Saturday was a day of gloom and hopeless despair. Jesus was dead. They had watched him die. They had seen his body placed in the tomb. It was over. All the hopes they had of Jesus leading a revolution to over thrown Rome and establish himself as King were crushed. The words, “”It is Finished” to them meant that all hope was gone. ​​​​​ John the Beloved Disciple was heartbroken. ​​​ Peter was in the torment of guilt because he had denied even knowing Jesus in that crucial hour. ​​​​​Thomas remembered the words he had said as they had returned to Judea –that they would go and die with him. Now Jesus was dead. Which of the disciples would be next?​​Mary Magdalene from whom Jesus had cast out 7 demons was in shock. Jesus, the One to whom she had devoted her life, was now just a recent memory. Hope was gone.​​The women who left before dawn to go to the tomb that Sunday morning fully expected to find his body lying on a slab, rigid in death, cold and lifeless. Total despair.​​​​​No one was thinking of Jesus’ promise of rising from the death. No one was expecting a Resurrection.

c. I wonder this morning how many people are living their lives like it was that Saturday. Life has not been kind. Youthful dreams have long since been forgotten. Time has been cruel physically and emotionally as age and sickness has had its effects our bodies. Maybe tragedy has robbed them of a loved one. And now life is just an endurance marathon. No wonder Suicide ranks among the top killers in our world today. Why go on? All hope has been erased.

Such was the mood of that Saturday.

II. AND THEN CAME SUNDAY…

a. Early in the morning, just before Dawn, 3 women made their way to the tomb. They were coming to finish what they had started on Friday—the Anointing of His body so that it would be properly laid to rest. But when they arrived the Stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. And as they starred at the empty tomb, 2 men, obviously Angels, told them that Jesus wasn’t there-that he was alive. And then the angels told them to go and tell Jesus’ disciples.

b. Peter and John, both who probably had not slept very well that night, heard the women’s report and raced to the tomb. They had to see for themselves. John arrived to the entrance first, but hesitated. Peter stepped right in and John followed. The grave clothes were lying discarded to one side. The napkin that had covered his face was lying by itself. At that moment, John remembered what Jesus had said, and He believed. And Peter finally recalled the instructions Jesus had given them to return to Galilee where He would meet with the disciples there.​​​​​​Mary Magdalene lingered at the tomb, uncertain as to what had happened. In her heart she feared that someone had stolen Jesus’ Body. But when Jesus called her by name, all fear fled away. The hopelessness of Saturday was replaced with the thrill of Sunday. Jesus was alive!

c. And, we no longer have to live in that gloom of that Saturday. No matter what has happened, The Resurrection of Jesus has restored our hope. Death no longer has the same grip on us as before. Someone has described death as the exit ramp from this life to the next. . The Grave cannot hold us. Because He lives, we know we too shall live!​​In 1 Corinthians 15: 26-26 we read…”But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as to Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the first fruits, then, when he come those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death”

d. Saturday was over. Sunday had arrived. And with Sunday there was the miracle of the Resurrection. And the Gloom of Saturday was replaced with the Ecstasy of Joy. Jesus is Alive! 

e. Illustration: There was once a small boy from a non-Christian home had been brought into the Sunday school. His mother was not only unsaved, but she had a morbid fear of death. After her little boy became interested in the Sunday school he begged her to come to church with him, but she persistently refused his entreaties because she was afraid that the preacher might say something about death or dying. On Easter Sunday the teacher noticed the lad’s rapt attention while she told the beautiful story of the risen Christ. The child hastened home with a shining face, and exclaimed, “Oh, Mother, you needn’t be afraid of dying any more, for Jesus went through the grave and left a light behind Him!” Gradually the fear in her heart melted under the influence of her son’s words about “the light behind Him.” Early one evening she had put to bed and heard him pray as he did nightly that Christian, “and do it right quick!” he added. ​​​Later that evening a neighbor persuaded the mother to go to church. The Heaven-sent message brought conviction, and that night her little boy’s prayer was answered!—Sunday School Time

Conclusion:

There is so much that can be said about the Resurrection of Jesus:

➢ It tells us Death has been defeated.

➢ There is eternal life

➢ Jesus is able to do “exceeding and abundantly above all we ask or think.

➢ Jesus is alive and has given us the Holy Spirit—His Spirit—to be with us and to live in us and to empower us and energize us as we strive to live for Him.

➢ All the Promises of God are validated—and are “Yes” and “Amen” in Him!

➢ We don’t have to live in the Gloom and doom mentality—we can claim His Promises and become “More than Conquerors through Him.”

➢ There is Help for today and Hope for Tomorrow.

➢ FEAR NOT, FOR  JESUS IS ALIVE AND COMING AGAIN TO CLAIM HIS OWN!

➢ PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!

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16 Essential Scriptures for Easter 

John 1:29 – The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Matthew 20:17-19 – Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”

Luke 23:1-2 – Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

Luke 23:4 – So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”

Luke 23:24 – But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.

Mark 15:25 – Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS

Luke 23:34 – Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

John 19:28-30 – After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Mark 15:43 – Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Mark 15:46 – Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

Mark  16:2-4 – Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

Luke 24:2-3 – But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Luke 24:6-7 – He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 – So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:17-18 – And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

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Have you ever been scolded by a boss, or a  parent, or a spouse, only to think, “They wouldn’t yell at me if they knew what I was going through.”  Christ gave up His home in heaven, was born as a baby, and lived His life fully as an average man, but with the faith of a perfect God. He came to earth to know you, to love you, to sympathize with you, to laugh with you, and to cry with you. He came to save you from sin and death, and from yourself, but He didn’t come to judge you. He knows what you are going through. 

Christ was that perfect man. He was the very image that God had created in the beginning, man without sin, the second Adam. At the same time, he was just like you and I, tempted in every way. He hungered. He tired. He angered. He loved. He feared. He endured every temptation you could ever face or will ever face. Temptation is not sin. Acting on temptation is a sin, or even indulging in temptation in your heart is sin. He didn’t sin. 

That Jesus was just like you and me is difficult to imagine. It is, however, true. Isaiah tells us He even looked like you and I, an ordinary Joe. 

“For He shall grow up before Him [His Father] as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.”

– Isaiah 53:2

Fear Not, for that ordinary Joe knows you, for He is human in every way. He is also a God in every way.  Sinless. Perfect. He came to forgive, not to judge. 

Fear Not, for serve a God who knows you and loves you. 

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This is the beginning of Holy Week. And the Triumphal Entry of Jesus begins the final countdown to His destiny. Last week we reflected on Luke 9:51—“As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” I would declare to you that on this day, when Jesus had reached the Mount of Olives and was beginning His descent down the Mount and into Jerusalem, that His face was still “resolute,” or as is stated in Isaiah 50:7, his face was still “ set…like flint.”The verse in Luke 9:51 notes the Jesus was aware that the time “approached for Him to be taken up to heaven.” That meant that the time for his death was approaching.

This was not the first time Jesus had been in Jerusalem. His parents had brought him to the Temple to be dedicated when he was only a baby. And again at the age of 12 Jesus had made the trip to Jerusalem and then had stayed behind in the Temple until his parents came searching for him. We know that during his 3 years of public ministry that he was in Jerusalem on at least 3 occasions and maybe 4. And once, when the time of Feast of the Tabernacles was at hand, his brothers had taunted him about “making his appearance” in Jerusalem but instead of making a public entrance, Jesus slipped into the city and then begin teaching in the temple courts. (See John 7: 1-14). And it is very likely that Jesus came to Jerusalem on other occasions that are not reported in the Scriptures.

 But that was then and this is now. Then “His Time had not yet come.” But now, “His time is at hand.” And with this very public, very deliberate, very prophetic fulfilling entrance, the final countdown has begun!
Mark 11:1-11
 Let’s consider:

I. THE ENTRY

a. The Prophet Zechariah in chapter 9, verse 9 had written, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey.” Every Jewish scholar and probably every Jewish male who had been schooled in their synagogue knew that this was a prophecy about the long-awaited Messiah. And Jesus would have known that passage as well. During his public ministry many had wondered whether or not he was the Messiah. This Triumphal Entry was a statement by Jesus declaring, “I am indeed the Messiah!”

b. The public demonstration of Praise with the waving of Palm Branches and the roadway covered with coats, and the crowd crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!. Hosanna in the highest heavens!’” (Luke 11: 9-10) says that the crowd certainly understood the message!

c. Luke tells us that there were Pharisees there who asked Jesus to stop the crowds from shouting their praises. (Luke 19:39-40).But Jesus refused, saying, “if these be quiet, the very stones would cry out.

d. As I consider this Triumphal Entry of Jesus, I cannot help but think of the time when Jesus is to return in what we call His “Second Coming.” It would seem that everyone in Jerusalem witnessed Jesus enter on that Palm Sunday. And the scriptures tell us that when He returns, it will also be a very public affair. In Revelation 1:7 John wrote, “Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him and all peoples on earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.” And at the Triumphal Entry his followers cried out in praise. In Philippians 2:10 & 11 Paul wrote concerning the coming of Christ, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” In the Triumphal Entry Jesus came riding on the colt of a donkey, but when He comes again He will be riding the clouds. Then he was accompanied by his disciples, but when he returns it will be with the Hosts of heaven!.

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God…” (1 Thessalonians 4: 16a). “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew 24: 30-31).

e. But on this day, Palm Sunday, we remember the flint-like determination as Jesus continued His march to His destiny. That day was a Sunday—In 5 days He would be hanging on a Roman Cross—sealing the covenant that would provide for our salvation!

II. THE EVENTS OF THE COUNTDOWN

a. His entrance into the city caused quite a stir, but what He did when He arrived lit the fuse! Matthew, Mark and Luke all three tell us that the first thing Jesus did was enter the Temple. He was deeply distressed at the corruption that He saw and was so moved that He overturned tables, released animals that were caged to be sold for sacrifices, and using cords to make a whip He drove out the money –changers. His words resounded throughout the Temple, “It is written that My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations! But you made it a den of robbers!” (Mark 11:17). This triggered the determination of the corrupt religious leaders to have Jesus put to death. But Jesus very publicly continued teaching in the Temple Courts.

b. But the Countdown was ticking. In a few hours Judas would conspire with the Temple authorities to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver—the price of the life of a slave who is gored to death by an ox (see Exodus 21:31). And by Thursday evening, Jesus had eaten the Passover Meal with his disciples, and had gone to the Garden of Gethsemane where He in agony had prayed. There He was arrested and brought before the Religious Authorities who had conspired against Him, and then turned over to the Roman authorities to be crucified.

III. HIS TIME ARRIVED

a. In the early morning hours on Friday, the Roman Governor Pilate in a cowardly act, washed his hands of his responsibility, and turned Jesus over to the soldiers who led Him to the outskirts of town to a hill called “The Place of the Skull”—a place we call Calvary—-and there Jesus was nailed to the Cross where He hung for some 6 hours before dying—The Sinless Lamb of God who became the Atoning Sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world (see 1 John 2:1-2).
CONCLUSION:

His time was approaching, so He set His face like flint resolutely to go to Jerusalem.
 On Palm Sunday He publicly announced His Messiah-ship as He entered Jerusalem in fulfillment of prophecy.
 Five days later His time arrived. He met his destiny—the Old Rugged Cross. There He offered Himself in exchange for our souls—the Sinless Lamb of God paying the penalty for our sins—and the Sins of the whole World (See 1 John 2:1-2).
 And someday—it could be soon—He is coming again to claim His Bride—the Church—all those who have accepted His provision for our salvation. I want to be in that number!
 Let’s join the Jerusalem Crowd and add our voices to the Praises of those who recognized their Coming King.
 Let’s Praise Jesus!

Fear Not, for Jesus paid for the sins of  world

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These are the heart-wrenching words of a dying son to His Dad. He reaches out his hand and calls out to Him in despair. 

I wish His words were hyperbole. Instead, they very accurately describe Jesus’s final hours, the tortuous hours spent hanging br three nails to a cross. 

“I am poured out like water…” Very accurately describes the feeling of one’s life slipping away. 

“All of my bones are out of joint…” Because of the position of the feet and arms after nailing them to the cross, the only way Jesus could breath was to push on His nail-pierced feet and pull up with His nail-pierced arms, thus ripping at his wounds, and dislocating his shoulder sockets, elbows and hips. 

“My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me…” Jesus bore the sins of every human who has ever lived our will ever live. It may very well have affected his heart in a literal sense. Many physicians have described the effects that intense stress can have on the heart and blood vessels, which may have also caused his sweat to turn bloody, as described in Luke. 

“My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws…” Jesus was beaten to within an inch of death, kept awake all night, nailed to a cross, lost a great amount of blood, and given no water for His thirst. 

“YOU have brought Me to the dust of death…” He directs these words to His Father. How can a perfect God sacrifice His Son? Because He loves us just as much as He loves His Son, and wishes that no man or woman perish. 

Remember, Jesus died, but three days later he was resurrected from the dead, a plan that was set into motion before the earth began spinning. The death of the Living Son of God is not an afterthought, rather it was ordained before time began, the only way that a just God can redeem a rebellious and sinful world. 

Fear Not, for God sacrificed His Son to rescue you and me. 

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I heard a father mocking his daughter a few days ago. I wanted to teach the guy a lesson, but I remained silent. I still wonder if I did the right thing or if I should have spoken up. Mocking hurts. It is devastating when it comes from family. 

Have you ever witnessed mocking or ridicule in your family? Or in your church family? Have you witnessed cruelty, backstabbing, or abuse in your family or church? Or among your friends? It hurts so much worse when it comes from someone you know and love.

Think about this: Jesus knew those who stood around the cross mocking Him. He knew the name of those who taunted Him and urged Him to call on angels for help. They may have once been followers or disciples. They may have been shopkeepers with whom he dealt. They may have seen each other in the synagogue or temple. As God, He knew them intimately. Those who cried for His death were Jews, so, in a sense, they were a part of His family, brothers and sisters in God. 

As Christians, we will endure – or have endured – mocking for His sake. I have. I do, even from others in body of Christ. When you do, consider yourself blessed. But do so with patience and love. Such an attitude finds favor with God. 

Fear Not the mocking of others, even our brothers and sisters in Christ, for God will bless us if we lovingly and patiently endure. 

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David in his prophetic psalm labels them with animalistic designations. He calls them wild bulls, lions, and dogs. After reading those verses in the context of the cross, one is inclined to believe these qualities were more demonic than bestial. That the forces of Satan influenced those who carried out the trial and execution of Christ, there is no doubt. 

“Many bulls have surrounded Me…”

The attack of a bull is quick, full of force, and vigorous. Its horns pierce deep into the torso. It upends its victim, and tosses him high into the air. It tramples the injured under foot with not an iota of regret. This was the attitude of many who surrounded the cross of Calvary; they wanted violence, blood, and they showed no regret. 

“They gape at me with their mouths like a raging and roaring lion…”

Lions rarely hunt alone. They stalk their prey in a pride or family group, cutting them away from the herd, separating the weaker animals. When on the prowl, the lion’s mouth is open. This aids in tracking prey, for a special olfactory gland is located in the roof of a lion’s mouth. The herd mentality is very obvious in the account of the crucifixion. Mob mentality, egged on by mocking and jeering, lies and deceit, were influential upon the decision of Pontius Pilate. 

For dogs have surrounded Me;

Wild dogs also hunt in packs, but, unlike the lion which can chase down its prey with short-lived bursts of speed, wild dogs have been known to chase their next meal for up to ten miles. They rarely give up. The Jewish authorities who determined to be rid of Jesus would not give up. 

Every one of these descriptions represent the attitudes of the throngs of the people who called out for Jesus to be crucified. They also describe the enemy, Satan, who prowls like a lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

The Good News is this: Jesus defeated Satan and death through His resurrection. He defeated the prowling lion, the angry bulls and the packs of dogs. And, because He did defeat them, we can be free from fear. Any attack on us is but temporary. The victory has already been won. 

Fear Not the wild animals seeking to devour you, for Jesus has already defeated them. 

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One of the most heart-wrenching passages in the Bible is that in which our Lord cries out to His Father. Doubly so, because we know that it is for our sins that He died, and because of our sins that His Father diverted His gaze. 

Yet, the Son knew that His sacrifice was the only payment sufficient for sin. Only the death and resurrection of a perfect God-man could pay for the rebellious sins of a world of people. Before the foundations of the earth were set, before the sun was lit, before He blew life into the nostrils of Adam, a plan of salvation was in place for all who would repent and believe. 

A thousand years before Christ was crucified, and five hundred years before the Roman Empire constructed its first cross, the Holy Spirit inspired David to write the following lyrics that prophetically describe Jesus’s death on the cross. 

As you read the 22nd Psalm, remember it is for your sins that He died. 

Fear Not. Because Christ was forsaken, you never shall be. 

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That generation – my generation – learned more than “duck and cover” during their impressionable childhood years of the Cold War. They learned that by keeping a nation in fear, they could keep them bound in chains. The truly sad part is that, whether they realize it or not, those who create an atmosphere of fear are in the employment of Satan.

Yes, Satan uses fear to manipulate and bind believers. If he can plant fear in your heart, then you will begin to lose faith, doubt the power of God, fail to seek divine guidance, and take matters into your own hands.

God on the other hand creates peace in your heart, gives you comfort and guidance, even in the turmoil of this frightening world. And, He creates unity in the body of believers.
Fear Not, for when God rules your life, you discover peace in your heart and unity in the church.

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I will praise You,

For You have answered me,

And have become my salvation.

The stone which the

builders rejected

Has become the chief

Cornerstone.

Think of the cornerstone not as the ceremonial stone with an inscription, a date, or a dedication. That is not what is meant in the Bible. Rather, think of a builder attempting to layout his work level and true. The first stone set in place must be perfectly cut and perfectly placed, else subsequent stones will stray far off course. 

Paul, in Ephesians 2, calls Christ our cornerstone, but couldn’t the same be said about Mohammed, Buddha, or any such person?

What makes this stone so perfect that it acts as a guide for every part of the house? Are there not, in fact, many stones that can be a guide?
Dropping the analogy, let’s look at that question in a practical sense. Jesus was a good man, a great teacher, an advocate of the poor, a philosopher, and one who exemplified faith in His death… But, the same might be said of the founders of other world religions? What makes Christ different than they?

What makes Jesus the one true Way, the Truth, and the Life… What makes Him the only door into God’s Kingdom… Is this:

Jesus is the only one who lived a perfect life, thus overcoming sin, and He is the only one who rose from the dead, and conquered death. 

The stones used to build the House of God may be all shapes and sizes, all different qualities, and even different colors. All are imperfect. The Cornerstone is alone perfect.

Fear Not, for Jesus is the Cornerstone. 

Jesus is the Cornerstone,

He came for sinners to atone;

Tho’ rejected by His own,

He became the Cornerstone.

O Jesus is the Cornerstone.

When I am by trial oppressed,

On the Stone I am at rest;

When the seeds of truth are sown,

He remains the Cornerstone.

Jesus is the Cornerstone.

Lari Goss, 1976. (copyright 1976 Bridge Building Music, Inc.). 

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Let me back up. God tells Jonah that the sins of the city of Nineveh have come to His attention and He wishes Jonah to deliver to them an ultimatum: repent of your wicked ways or be destroyed. 

Nineveh sits about 500 miles east of Jerusalem in modern-day Iraq. Jonah does just the opposite. He buys passage to southern Spain, near Gibraltar, 2500 miles in the wrong direction. 

Jonah later tells God that his reason for fleeing is that he didn’t want to see Nineveh spared. “That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” 

What you may not know is that Nineveh was not just depraved, it was mighty, intimidating, and frightful. It had perhaps the largest army in the ancient world. It was in a constant state of war, and had conquered many neighboring nations. It was a real threat to Israel. 

Nineveh had incredibly abusive laws. The death penalty was dispensed as easily as parking tickets in today’s world. To enter the gates is the city, one had  pass through mounds of skulls, put there to inspire obedience to the king. 

While Jonah no doubt hated the people of Nineveh, he would be a fool not to be afraid of them as well. He ran away and found that God delivered him to the ocean to be swallowed by a great fish. 

God had showed Jonah that, though he may not like the job he had been called to do, the alternative was much worse. 

The message? It is God who gives us life and salvation. It is God who sustains us. Without God, we sink to the bowels of the earth, to the deepest trenches of the sea. 

It is God’s grace that delivers us, and He may give it to whom He pleases. 

Considering God’s love and how He demonstrates it to us, we should be content with the situations in which He puts us, for things could be much worse. 

Fear Not, for things could be much worse.

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If we love God with all our heart and soul, all our strength, and all our mind, then we need not fear. God gives us the Holy Spirit which fills us with love, power, and a sound mind. 

Don’t miss that. I read those two passages for years before I saw the connection. Let me show you again.

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” – Mark 12:30

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – 1 Timothy 1:7

If we love God with all our heart and soul, in as much as we are humanly capable, the Holy Spirit perfects our efforts by filling us with His love. 

If we love God with all our mind, at least as much as we are humanly able, then the Holy Spirit perfects our efforts by giving us a sound mind. 

If we love God with all our human strength, then the Holy Spirit will perfect our efforts and fill us with His power, the power to overcome sin and death, that which we fear. 

Fear Not, for God has given us the spirit of power, the power of His Holy Spirit. 

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I just don’t get it. I seriously do not understand how I spent most of my life searching for satisfaction in life by chasing after the wrong things. I am dumbfounded that I finally found fulfillment in the same place that I first saw it as a toddler, not much more than a year old, at an altar in a church. 

Like some people, I went looking for the wrong things in the wrong places. I thought I was searching for myself. I mean that’s what kids in the sixties and seventies told ourselves. “I’m searching for meaning in life.” “I’m trying to find myself.” “Wow, man. Someday, I’ll figure out who I really am.”

It took me five decades, hitting bottom several times, financial tragedy, nearly losing my family, bodily injury, and three bouts with cancer. In the end, I wound up back where I started when my mother took me to the front of the church and dedicated me to Christ. When I found Jesus, I found myself. 

Are you still looking for satisfaction in life?

The fear of the Lord leads to life,

And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;

Proverbs 19: 23a 

Fear Not, for there is satisfaction in Jesus Christ. 

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There was no reaching get through the well. Workers sent a camera down to monitor her while digging a parallel shaft beside her. 

As the world prayed for baby Jessica, she was heard singing Winnie the Pooh. 58 hours after she fell, rescuers miraculously reached baby Jessica and brought her to the surface. In the aftermath, she underwent 15 surgeries. Thirty years later, she has no doubt that God was on her side. He comforted her during those desperate hours in the dark well. 

In what kind of dark place do you find yourself? Call out to God for comfort. Do you need prayer? Ask God’s help. The Holy Spirit knows your need and will help you to pray. Delight in God’s comforts. 

Fear Not. Delight in the comforts of God. 

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Here is an email from one of our faithful readers in the U.S.:

Dear Christian Holiness Daily,

I have seen a decline in holiness preaching over the past 30 years. There is very little emphasis placed on how the Holy Spirit works in our lives in empowering us to live above sin. The church we attend now is wonderful but I think there has only been one time that I have heard the word sanctification, sin, salvation, saved, holiness, or Holy Spirit over the last year! This is not an exaggeration. In years gone by, every Sunday morning service ended with an open altar.

The changes I’ve seen seem to be pulling our denomination away from its roots in the message of holiness. The preachers who used to preach holiness are either retired or passed away. The younger ones ‘teach’ but don’t preach. I guess they each have their own style, but I feel like I’m attending a college pep rally followed by a college seminar on generalized topics. Sorry if this sounds like I’m complaining or ranting. I’m just really concerned.

Do you see the same things in your church?

Thanks,

Southern Gal

Here is what we’d like her to know:

Dear Southern Gal,

I am fortunate that I go to a church where the pastor still preaches holiness. But, your letter actually addresses two very important and timely issues, and I see a third issue that stems from those two. Your first question is, do I see many pastors abandoning the message of holiness. Your second question is, do I see many pastors that still “preach?” 

Like you, I see a great number of pastors and evangelists who no longer preach that Christians can draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to live above sin. I’m sad to say that I am not surprise that you rarely hear the doctrine of holiness preached in your church. 

I, too, see a great number of ministers whose priority seems to be to entertain their congregations. God’s Word seems to come in second place behind professional performances. Some ministers, it seems, would rather rely on talent than the Spirit. They would rather appeal to the congregation’s egos and emotions than their hearts. As you adeptly word it, they would rather give a “pep rally” than an altar call. Because of this trend (and many others), many believers – including myself – fear that the Church in America may soon be unrecognizable. 

This is the third issue I see in your letter: Is there hope for the Church in America? 

Honestly, I don’t know. I fear that the Church in America has been marginalized so much, and has so forgotten what it means to be a Christian, that its immediate future seems relegated to a cultural minority, devoid of spiritual power. America’s only hope is a true revival on a national level, and soon. 

Here, though, is the hope for the Church found within the tragedy. From what I see and hear from my readers, the decline of Christianity is limited to parts of the western world. I hear of revivals and growth in India, Pakistan, and Malaysia. The church is strong in the Philippines, Nigeria, Argentina, Columbia, Syria, Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East. The Church in America may be in decline, but it is on the rise elsewhere. 

Fear Not. The Christian Church will never die, for God always has a people. The Church is alive and well. 

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It’s not that certain scriptures are lost, misplaced, or denied. Rather, they’re usually surrounded by other better-known texts that tend to suck all the air out of the room. This is one such passage:

“Now, when Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (John 2:23-25 NKJV).

Is it possible that for some to believe in Jesus and still not be saved?

Doesn’t Scripture make belief in Him the essence of salvation?

Immediately after our text, we find the Lord’s encounter with Nicodemus with the iconic John 3:16 which states that “whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Earlier, John 1:12 had said “…to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

And yet, our text makes it clear that some who “believed” in Jesus were not born again.
The reason given is a fascinating one: Jesus did not believe in them.
When have we ever given thought to whether Jesus believes in us?

The problem, Jesus said, is twofold: a wicked people want a sign, or a miracle; (wicked, meaning no faith), and even when they get it their loyalty is adulterous, meaning it does not last. If it takes miracles to give you faith, miracles would be required to prop up your faith.
Faith may produce miracles, but miracles do not produce faith.
 In salvation we come to know Jesus, but He also comes to know us. Jesus said that at Judgment He will say to some, “Depart from me; I never knew you.”

Perhaps we should ask ourselves, “Does Jesus know us?”

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Editor’s note:

How does one get to know and love another? By spending time, talking and listening. Commit to one another. 

An interviewer once asked Mother Theresa, “When you pray, what do you say to God?”

Mother Teresa replied, “I don’t talk, I simply listen.”

Believing he understood what she had just said, the interviewer next asked, “Ah, then what is it that God says to you when you pray?”

Mother Teresa replied, “He also doesn’t talk. He also simply listens.”

It’s time to get to know our Lord. Pray, read His Word, and listen. 

Fear not if you know Jesus and He knows you. 

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It is the work of the Holy Spirit to rid us of sin, remind us of God’s Word, and guide us in His ways.  The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to resist temptation and overcome sin. He replaces our sinful nature with the nature of Christ. 

If our relationship with Christ rests on whether we choose to sin or not, then we are relying upon OUR WORKS and not the work of Christ at the cross. Our job is to surrender, to commit God’s Word to our hearts, and to pray continuously. Only then may we find strength to resist temptation. The Christian walk, the walk of Christian holiness, is a mystery. It is surrender and discipline. It is study and prayer. It is not a list of rules and laws and works, rather it is submission to the Creator in love.

Christian holiness may best be described by John who calls it “perfect love.” When we grow to know God so well that we love Him more than we love ourselves, then we are guided by His love. He keeps us from sin. We need no longer to fear sin or Satan, because God leads us in paths of righteousness. We need no longer to fear God’s retribution because we are forgiven; we live within the Light of His holiness.

C. S. Lewis in “The World’s Last Night” points out that there are other things besides God’s perfect love that rids us of fear. “Perfect love, we know, casteth out fear,” he writes. “But so do several other things – ignorance, alcohol, passion, presumption, and stupidity.”

His point is that perfect love rids you of fear. Sin numbs you and desensitizes you. It’s your choice.

Have no fear; rely on God’s perfect love.

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Whereas we hope for His return, Jesus in this passage tells us that we should celebrate His departure. Look at the entire passage and you will see two reasons for celebration. Jesus has gone to be with the Father, who, in Jesus’s words, is greater than He, and the arrival of the Holy Spirit, bringing peace to the hearts of believers. Herein is the hope for this life. 

You see, being a Christian is more than victory over death, more than eternal life. It is victory over sin in this life. Being a Christian is an inexplicable relationship that involves the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit and the surrender of the believer. That is just the beginning, though. Salvation is just the first step in a wondrous relationship between the Father and His child. 

The Christian life is a life of peace. It is a life of comfort. It is a life that can be free of fear. 

Fear Not, for the Father sends the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. 

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Finding oneself alone, in the dark, with no idea as to your location, though, must be terrifying. A couple times during chemotherapy, I became confused while driving alone. It’s called “Chemobrain.” For a few minutes, that was frightening. 

Many people travel through life in the dark. They are alone. They have no idea where they are at, not really. They are confused about their destination. They may not admit it, even to themselves, but they are terrified. They are lost. 

Those who truly surrender to God and follow daily in His footsteps do not live in darkness. They live free, in the light and love of the Loving Heavenly Father. They know their destination; they see it clearly. They know where they’ve been. They are never alone. Never confused. Never terrified. They are in the Light. 

Fear Not, the Lord is our Light…

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The next few days were tough. He was inconsolable, and withdrew into himself. He had three older brothers and a sister at home, but he preferred to be alone. At school, he wouldn’t talk to the other kids. He chose to play alone at the far end of the playground, away from the swings and merry-go-round. 

Only the discovery of a box turtle in his back yard seemed to cheer him. He and his brother painted the turtle. Within a few days, though, it had disappeared. A few more days, and they found it dead on the highway in front of their home. 

Little Joe hid in back of the house and cried. He prayed. He desperately wanted the turtle to live and couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t bring the turtle back to life. That’s what he thought he was praying for, but he was overwhelmed with emotions. 

Now, what happened next may sound insane to some. To others, it may sound like the overactive imagination of a grieving child. To this day, it is as real to Little Joe as the memory of that box turtle or any other childhood memory. 

All cried out, Little Joe sat down on the grass and wiped his eyes to see two glowing men. He immediately knew they were angels. They were there, they said, to let him know that his dad was okay. They told him that he would see him again some day. 

“What’s your names?” asked Little Joe. 

They told him, but he couldn’t pronounce them. 

“I’ll just call you Pinky and Bluey,” he said. One Angel glowed with a pinkish hue and the other glowed with a blue.

They laughed. Little Joe had two guardian angels, at least for a while. He is not sure when they stopped visiting, but within a few weeks, winter set in. His grief began to subside. The angels stopped coming around. 

The Bible indicates that angels work behind the scenes in this world. They fight battles against demons. They deliver messages. They protect nations. Maybe they comfort children. 

The passage in Daniel 10 is one of many examples. In this case, the angel tells Daniel that God had heard his prayers and sent the angel to answer them.

Ask Little Joe, and he will tell you the same thing about Pinky and Bluey. 

Fear Not, for God sends angels to watch over His children. 

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At that moment, I felt like he loved me more than anything else in the world. 

Sometimes, we are so wrapped up with anxiety that we forget our Heavenly Father is nearby, watching us, smiling, proud of us. He is just close enough to reach out and grab us if something goes wrong. 

There are many pictures of God in His Word, but the one of a loving Heavenly Father is my favorite. 

In Daniel chapter 10, the prophet is visited by an angel. At its appearance, Daniel is stone-cold scared. The angel greets him by calling him “a man greatly beloved” (Daniel 10:11).

The words didn’t sink in right away. Those are wonderful words. One wants to know God’s love. Daniel though, trembled with fear. 

Father, help us not to be so wrapped up in the things of this world that we cannot hear you’re words and feel your love. 

Fear Not, for you are a beloved child. 

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Whoever came up with that instinctively knows what scientists spent a fortune to prove. Electronic devices are as addictive as heroin. 

Some of us spent hours daily in front of a screen, looking for fulfillment that once came from personal relationships with Jesus Christ, friends, and family. The hope of finding anything more uplifting than momentary pleasure in the internet or in an app is a false hope. At most, one might find a pale substitute for face-to-face relationships. 

Real significance is derived only from personal interaction with God and with others. Texting a loved one, whether it be a spouse, or a parent, or child, is fine in a pinch, but how long would a marriage remain stable if we ignored time with our spouses? How would a child grow up who never knew a personal touch of a parent?

How would we grow our relationship with Christ if we never bow in prayer?

Do not swap time with your earthly family for time with your electronic devices. Do not swap time with God for time with your handheld false gods. 

Lock yourself away from all electronic devices, grab a Bible – in book form – and bow down in prayer. 

Fear Not, for God hears you. He will answer your prayer. 

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Regardless of Gideon’s lack of experience, and in spite of his doubts, he agrees. The first task that the Lord assigns him, though, is not to go out and face his enemies. Rather, it is to tear down the altar of Baal. 

Baal was a false god originally worshipped by Israel’s enemies. Many in Israel found it easier to worship Baal than the real God, because Baal-worship appealed to human lust and emotions. One of those who worshipped Baal was Gideon’s father, and it was his altar that the Lord commanded be removed. 

Gideon did exactly what the Lord asked. He tore down the altar, chopped off the idol, and built an altar to God on its foundation. 

Before we can serve God in the way that He asks, we must be rid of the false gods in our lives. We must tear down the altars of pride and self-indulgence and chop off the idols of materialism and vanity. 

If we wish to be holy as God is holy, we must solely focus on Him. Our lives are to be built on His foundation, even if it means we anger those around us for tearing down the altars of false gods. 

Fear Not. Tear down the altars to the false gods and construct an altar to the holy God who created us. 

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This is one reason Jesus was hated by the religious/political powers of His time. The Bible tells us that Jesus was followed by masses of people. Rarely, though, did Jesus spend time with those in power. Instead, he hobnobbed with fishermen, tax collectors, Roman soldiers, and women of ill-repute. He changed their lives. He frequently blessed the poor and the meek. He often scorned the rich and the powerful. He healed those without hope. 

He still does. God never changes. And Jesus never fails. 

Gideon was one such person. The Angel of the Lord told Gideon, “You shall save Israel from the hands of the Midianites.”

Gideon, is dumbfounded. He is not qualified to lead an army into war. “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” He is an unlikely choice (Judges 6:14-15 NKJV).

Gideon is remembered by history as a mighty and cunning warrior. Read his story, though, and you will see that he is neither. What made him shrewd and powerful is that he obeyed God’s Word and instructions. 

Feeling inadequate for the task God has given you? Fear Not, for God chooses the least among us so that His greatness may be easily seen. 

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I have known a few people like that, people who glow with the glory of God. 

On the other hand, the glory of God is said to be so powerful that any man who looks upon His face will die. That may be what Gideon was thinking when he met the Angel of the Lord. 

The Angel of the Lord, I should say here, is not an angel in the conventional sense. He is not described with wings and does not shoot arrows at star-crossed lovers. In spite of the fact that I chose the image of an angel to emphasize today’s text, the Angel of the Lord is believed to be a theophany, or a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus Christ. 

In the text (Judges 6), Gideon has seen God, or he thinks he has, and he asks the Lord to stay with him while he prepares a sacrifice. When the Angel of the Lord later consumes the sacrifice with fire, Gideon is convinced that this is indeed God. He trembles with fear. 
There are times when the presence and power of the Holy Spirit is so strong, we don’t know if we can bear it further. Fear Not, for we won’t die. 

Father, fill us daily with your Spirit, even to the point that we think we can bear no more. And, let that Spirit flow from us, compelling others to follow you. 

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They had sinned, and God was demonstrating His displeasure, in hopes that the nation would repent. 

Often, when we blatantly disobey God’s will or continuously live in sin, God allows storms in our lives. Frightening storms. Fierce lightning. Terrifying thunder. 

If you’re living outside of the will of God, and storms are raging around you, then stop. Listen. God is speaking to you. Somewhere in your life is a Samuel, calling you to repentance. 

The storm won’t last long, though. God may discipline us, but He will never forsake us. Return to Him. Seek  God’s forgiveness. Follow in the steps of His Son. 

Fear Not. Serve Him with all your heart. 

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God appears to the young King Solomon and says, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

God is no magic genie that we should ask anything of Him, but, in this case, He does exactly that: He offers Solomon his heart’s desire. 

You and I could probably not be trusted with such a wish, but Solomon had learned well from watching the failures of his father. He does not ask for wealth, or power, or love. He knows that riches may lead to evil, and excessive power could lead to abuse. Lust leads to infidelity, and sometimes to death. Instead, he asks for wisdom. 

If we look back to 1 Chronicles 22:12, we read that David had prayed that God would grant Solomon wisdom and understanding. In chapter 1 of 2 Chronicles, God answers David’s prayer and grants great wisdom to King Solomon. 

Much of Solomon’s wisdom was eventually recorded in the Bible, in the book of Proverbs. One proverb that catches my attention is 15:29, which reads, 

The Lord is far from the wicked,

But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

– NKJV

I wonder what Solomon thinking when he wrote that proverb? Did he think of that prayer, the prayer of his father, asking God to give Solomon wisdom? Was David perhaps the righteous man Solomon thought of when sharing that piece of wisdom?

If you’ve stayed with me to this point, you may see a paradox here. In one paragraph I suggest that Solomon learned from his father’s failures, and in another I propose that David was the model for the righteous man praying. 

This is really no paradox. Both may be true. You see, there exists no truly righteous man but Jesus Christ. Not David, not Solomon, not Peter, not Paul; none are righteous. With a broken heart and true repentance, David sought forgiveness for his sins. By faith, he learned to trust in God, and by faith, through the sacrifice of the Son of God, he was found righteous in God’s sight. In the same way, you and I, through faith in Jesus Christ, can be counted righteous in God’s eyes. 

It took David most of his life to develop the faith necessary to live a holy life. I can relate. I’m not there yet, but I am finally headed that direction. 

By the way, James refers to Solomon’s proverb, and his thoughts contain sound advice for the Christian journey:

…confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

– James 5:16 NIV

FEAR NOT, for God hears the prayers of the righteous. 

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In 1 Chronicles 22, David turns over the construction of the temple to Solomon, his son, and tells him to have no fear. David has gathered the materials for its construction. He has received the plans for the temple from God. 

That’s the easy part, though. God, we learn, has denied David the opportunity to build the Holy Temple because David is a man of war. He is, in fact, too rebellious. 

Although David is later called a Man after God’s heart, he has spent most of his life following his own paths, walking wide-eyed into desperate situations, and remaining in dire straights until he hits rock bottom. Only when he hits rock bottom does he ever repent and fall on his face, asking God’s forgiveness. It is a circuitous pattern. 

By the time David commissions Solomon to construct of the temple, he had reigned over Israel for forty years. He was full of days and full of wisdom. He assures his son…

“Courage! Take charge! Don’t be timid; don’t hold back. Look at this—I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to stockpile materials for the sanctuary of God: a hundred thousand talents (3,775 tons) of gold, a million talents (37,750 tons) of silver, tons of bronze and iron—too much to weigh—and all this timber and stone. And you’re free to add more. And workers both plentiful and prepared: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, artisans in gold and silver, bronze and iron. You’re all set—get to work!” 

– 1 Chronicles 22:13-16 MSG

Back up a few verses, though, and one sees the foundation upon which David based that entire conversation. It is the same foundation upon which, by that time, he had learned to base his life. 

Verse 12 NKJV: Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 

The Message makes the verse a little easier to understand. “And may God also give you discernment and understanding when he puts you in charge of Israel so that you will rule in reverent obedience under God’s Revelation.” 

Like David, I struggle to give God control of my life. Like him, I must sometimes hit rock bottom before I do. Like him, it has taken me forty years to begin to mature in my spiritual life. Readers, take this lesson to heart: surrender and study God’s Word. Seek the knowledge that builds godly wisdom. For only God’s wisdom protects you from the slavery of sin, and allows you to keep God’s Law. 

Fear Not, for God will give you wisdom and understanding and keep you free from the slavery of sin. 

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Still David prepared for its construction by gathering the building materials, and turning over the materials and plans to his son (1 Chronicles 22), Solomon, who, in fact, constructed the most splendid temple ever conceived. It took seven years to build. Solomon employed seventy thousand men to bear the burden of construction. He hired eighty thousand men to quarry the stone. He sanctioned 3600 foremen. It was a wonderous achievement. 

As glorious as the temple was, it is not what Solomon is remembered for today. Solomon is best remembered for his wisdom.

In Psalm 127, Solomon tells us, 

Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

You and I are just as wondrous as Solomon’s temple if we are truly children of God. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Apostle Paul tells us that we- Christians – are God’s temple. 

We can take care of our bodies, and should, but the construction of the entire temple (our lives) must be turned over to God.  

God has gathered the materials to make you into His temple. He has lined up the workers. He spares no expense. He has drawn up the plans. He is the builder.  He is the foreman, and the head craftsman. Allow Him to construct your life. 

Do not be afraid, for He has taken much trouble to prepare a house for the Lord… The house is you. 

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Take the verse above. By itself, it seems uplifting and positive. Keep reading, though, and you discover that Rachel delivers a boy named Benoni, or Son of My Sorrow. She did so because she was dying. It’s difficult to find inspiration in this passage, for she died soon after delivery. 

While we may not draw inspiration, we can paint a lesson. Five chapters earlier, Rachel was concerned that she had born no children for her husband, Jacob. “Give me children or I will die,” she told him, and demanded that he father a child with her handmaiden. Instead of taking her problem to God, she took her problem into her own hands. 

God, though, had a different plan for Rachel. Sometime later, she gave birth to Joseph, not because of her threats, but because “God remembered” her. We don’t know for sure, but it may not have been His perfect plan for her to have a second son. On her death bed, during the birth of Benoni, she declared that God had judged her by giving her such a difficult delivery.  

It’s never a good idea to lose patience with God, make threats, scheme, and act immorally. Many bible commentaries speculate that, had Rachel waited on God to give children in His own time, that she wouldn’t have faced judgement and death. God gave Rachel her heart’s desire, and gave her two boys, but, because of her schemes, she didn’t live to enjoy them. 

Fear Not, but instead of taking matters into your own hands, take them to God. 

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As Christians, our citizenship is in heaven.  We are merely visiting this world. Our lives here are but a blink of an eye. This time, though it be short, is very important. Our time in this world is a proving ground for eternity. This is our time to pick a side, to pick a god. 

Our purpose in life is actually much more than that, but that one decision – the choice of whom we will serve – is paramount, and foundational to our purpose. 

Our choices: the real God, creator of the universe, who made Himself a man to offer Himself as the sacrifice for our sin, or the gods of this world-class false gods all – lust, strife, envy, power, greed, and so many more. 

What do they offer: the Creator offers freedom and life. The gods of this world offer bondage, addiction, and death. 

Who do you choose? Really choose? Are you sure? 

With whom do you spend your time and money? That is the whom you have chosen. 

Fear Not – worship not the gods of this strange land in which you dwell. 

This world is not my home I’m just passing through

my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

the angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door

and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

This World Is Not My Home

Words and music by Albert Edward Brumley October 29, 1905 – November, 15, 1977

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God, though, was there with them. His very presence could be found in a tent dedicated to Him called the tabernacle. Within this dwelling place of God was a smaller chamber called the Holy of Holies. Within that chamber one could find the Ark of the Covenant, which could contained the tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments. 

Before the people of Israel crossed over the Jordan into the Promised Land, the tabernacle and all that was within it would be taken across, in front of them. God literally led the way. 

Jesus, in his 33 some-odd years of human life, was the embodiment of the tabernacle. This is signified in John chapter 1, where we see the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove. Though Jesus was fully God and also fully man from the minute of his miraculous conception, John paints a picture with which the Jews can identify by recounting the baptismal of Christ: the presence of God can be found within the person of Jesus, the Christ. 

In Acts 2, we see the twelve Apostles together with well over a hundred other believers, gathered in the upper room. It is a full 7 weeks after the resurrection of Christ. They are waiting. And, praying. 

On the first day of the eight week, the Holy Spirit descends on those believers in a miraculous fashion, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that God was present. It is on that day, day number fifty, the Day of Pentecost, that the very presence of God, the Holy Spirit, filled the lives of that small band of believers. From that day forward, all believers, even you and I, are the Tabernacle of God. 

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3:16 calls us the Temple of God; it’s the same concept. We are the house of the Lord. You and me. God lives in us. He goes with us and before us into battle. He fights for us. The victory is His. 

Someday, when we cross over the River Jordan into the Promised Land, we have the assurance that He crossed over before us.  He will be with us, too, on that final journey. On that day, we meet Him face-to-face. 

Fear Not, for the Lord goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. 

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On a school trip halfway across the state for a track meet, I reached over the back seat of the school bus to grab something from the back only to discover that the principal’s kid and his girlfriend were behind the seat, half undressed, making out. 

They saw me. I took off, probably as embarrassed as they were. I wouldn’t have said a word, but they didn’t know that. The kid I startled and three of his buddies chased me down and gave me a pounding, warning me that I would get worse if I told what I saw. They gave me a busted lip, a black eye, and broke the nose piece of my glasses. 

Though I haven’t thought of that incident for a long time, I thought about it a lot in my teen years. In my imagination, I fought those bullies a thousand times, and each time I was brave and strong and skilled in marshal arts or boxing. Of course, it was to never happen like that outside my mind. Life is often much different than the movies. 

I am not saying that those boys, now men close to retirement age, deserve to face judgment for their bullying; there is a selfish part of me that thinks their deeds should be judged, but that is between them and God. There are, however, a great many people around the world, a few of which contact me me regularly asking for prayer, who face far greater persecution. They are not persecuted because they are skinny little wimps like I was. They are persecuted for being Christians. 

It is a comfort to know that those hidden things, atrocities done in the darkness of sin, persecutions hidden from the world… vile acts ignored by others… those things that mankind do because they love darkness more than light…

Those things – all things not covered by the bliss of the Lamb – shall be exposed in the light of God’s truth and judged by Jesus Christ.

So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 

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Joshua and Judges are exciting books. I love the action and intrigue. In this passage from Joshua 10, Israel has just won a brutal war, rather God has won it for them. Some of their enemies surrendered and became allies. Those who did not surrender were completely defeated; leaving buy a few survivors. Those few went home telling of the Israelites mighty God, and as a result, many of Israel’s enemies were gravely frightened. 

The story is a terrific one, with God sending hailstorms, and kings locked up in caves. The earth stops turning, allowing the Israelites to finish the battle, and in the end, when the battle is won, Joshua delivers God’s promise:

… “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”

Not every promise found in the Old Testament applies to 21st century Christians. Three things can be taken from this passage, though. The first is that this really happened. God really did intervene on Israel’s behalf. The story of the sun standing still in the sky is found in the tribal memory of ancient cultures worldwide. He still intervenes on behalf of Israel. See the link at the end of this post to read one such story. 

Secondly, God really did direct Joshua to kill the kings that he had taken captive. In the same way, He sometimes directed the armies of Israelto kill every man, woman, and child in the cities of their enemies. This today seems cruel and savage, but there is no denying that it happened. I could try to excuse these actions a dozen different ways, but the truth is our God is not only merciful but just. Mercy and justice go hand-in-hand. One without the other is meaningless. If He does not mete out justice to those who are beyond redemption then His mercy for those who seek Him would mean nothing. We can only begin to comprehend the slightest spark of the mind and actions of the holy God. We should never dare to pass judgment on Him or His people. 

Finally, the Old Testament is full of illustrations that help us understand our relationship with the living, indwelling Lord of our lives. How can we apply this passage to our lives? Think of the Nation of Israel as the life of a Christian and her enemies as the sin with which we struggle. There is no way we – fallible beings that we are – can defeat sin: not on our own, without God’s help. There was no way Israel could have defeated her enemies had God not intervened. Only with God’s divine intervention can we be rescued from the bondage of sin. Deliver us He will, if we surrender to Him. 

Surrender, though, is just the beginning. Good also demands discipline from His children. Don’t be surprised if God directs us deal the final blow (the death blow, one might say) to the sins from which He has delivered us. Don’t worry, though, for He never calls us to a task for which He has not empowered us. 

Are you struggling with your deepest, darkest secret sins? Don’t fear. Don’t be discouraged. In the same way that God destroyed the enemies of Israel, He will defeat the sins that bind you. 

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Take a look at the context of this verse, Matthew 10:31. Three times within a few breaths, Christ tells believers that we should not fear. The last two times, he sandwiches those comforting words with warnings of death and hell. In the end, he exhorts us to openly confess Jesus as Lord. 

Several times I have heard people quote Bible promises with no concept of the recipient of the promise. Christ, in this section, is speaking to those who will remain true to their faith in the face of opposition, persecution, torture and death. He’s not speaking to those who will fall away when the going gets tough.  

Like the sparrow, true Christians will face a stormy day. We sometimes fly against the wind. Often we are tossed by updrafts of the storm. Like the sparrow, we are often pursued by predators. In the end, we will fall to the ground like sparrows. 

The point Christ makes here is that, to man, the sparrow is practically worthless. One could buy two sparrows to offer as sacrifice at the Temple for a farthing. That would equate to about four birds for a penny. No matter how little value man sees in the sparrow, they are of great value to God. He knows when one dies.

But, sparrows are not made in the image of God. We are. Sparrows are not made with body, soul, and spirit. We are. They have no free will to follow God or reject Him. We do. Sparrows will not be resurrected. We will. 

Sparrows cannot become the children of God. As much as God cares for the sparrows, He ultimately loves us much, much more. We are His children…

… If we confess Christ before men. If we fear Him. If we love Him. 

Those who confess Christ publicly, before men, Fear Not, for you are worth so much more than a bunch of sparrows. 

———

I sing because I’m happy

I sing because I’m free

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know he watches

…He watches me

– His Eye Is On The Sparrow  

Written by C. D. Martin and Charles Gabriel. 

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We live in a time of fear. Wars, terrorism, political upheaval, persecution, and the threat of pandemics; who wouldn’t fear?

This passage, in Matthew 10, puts things into perspective. The world is evil, and, yes, there are those who might be able to destroy the flesh, and take your life. They don’t, however, have the ability to destroy your soul (or spirit). 

Only God has the power to destroy both body and soul, and that He reserved for those who chose hell over an eternity in heaven. 

Those who avoid hell are those whose fear of God compel them to surrender to Him. 

The fear of God that leads to salvation does not remain fear. In the verses that follow Christ’s warning to fear God, He describes the love and protection afforded those who fear God. 

“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:29-30 NIV

Fear of God grows into love of God, and then grows into obedience to God. Because of God’s divine hand of protection of our soul, we no longer fear those who can kill only the soul. 

Why does God protect the souls of those who fear Him? Because He loves us. 

Why do we grow to love and obey God? Because He first loved us. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Your perfect love is casting out fear

And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life

I won’t turn back

I know you are near

And I will fear no evil

For my God is with me

And if my God is with me

Whom then shall I fear?

Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go

Through the calm and through the storm

Oh no, You never let go

In every high and every low

Oh no, You never let go

Lord, You never let go of me

– Matt Redman

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Sometimes, we just don’t get it. We simply cannot see God at work. Peter and the disciples couldn’t. The night is dark. A storm moves in. The winds blow. The sea rocks. The boat is pitched. They see a ghost, or so they think. 

I must remind you, many of these disciples are seasoned fishermen, and grew up on the sea. The others, are no strangers to the sea. They have seen everything, but they have never seen anyone walking on the water. No wonder they think it is a ghost. 

What they see, of course, is no ghost, rather it is Jesus walking across the surface of the stormy water, three or four miles from shore. Perceiving their apprehension, he calls to them,

“Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

The disciples, though, are so caught up in the darkness and stormy night, that they do not recognize their Lord. 

Like the disciples on that night, we live in a dark world. Storms light the sky. Winds blow in. Our world is rocked. Our lives are pitched about. Sometimes we do not recognize that Jesus is walking in our midst. He is right there, in the middle of the storm, reaching out to us and saying,

“Take courage, for it is I. Fear Not!”

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Just days ago, Hindus in India doused a Christian pastor and his wife with gasoline and threatened to burn them alive. They also destroyed their church. 

Attacks against Christians have grown astronomically. The Anglican Church, for example, announced (Easter, 2015) that Christians in nearly half of its 38 provinces were suffering persecution. It is thought that nearly 200 million Christians in over 60 countries face some sort of restrictions (Guardian News and Media Limited, the guardian.com 27 July, 2015).

Though few may consider them persecution, Muslim terror attacks in the U.S. are nothing less than attacks on Christianity and the stalwart nation that both defined and defended Christianity for 200 years. 

Yes, Christians the world over are afraid. We know, however, that Christ wins in the end. We know there is a special place in hell for those who persecute Christians and a special place by the side of Christ for those who were beheaded for His name’s sake (Revelation chapter 20). 

Over 2700 years ago, Isaiah delivered a promise to the nation of Israel that can and should be applied by 21st century Christians. Isaiah delivered it, but the promise is from God:

Say to those who are fearful-hearted,

“Be strong, do not fear!

Behold, your God will come with vengeance,

With the recompense of God;

He will come and save you.”

– Isaiah 35:4

Fear Not, for God will come with a vengeance. 

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Though they are of diverse backgrounds, they share much in common. They read English. They use Facebook to read about the things of God. They love God with all their strength and all their heart. And they suffer – some more than others – for righteousness sake. 

And, some are fearful. In fact, many are fearful. 

God tells us multiple times, even dozens of times, “Fear not.” “Do not be afraid.” “Let not your heart be troubled.” “Do not be anxious.” 

This passage in 1 Peter says it as well as any other. 

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 

1 Peter 3:14 NKJV 

Fear Not their threats, for you WILL be blessed. 

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Why do I think that is a possibility? One reason is this passage from Romans 8:15-16

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

When the Prodigal Son repented, he had made up his mind that he would be content to be a slave on his father’s estate. His father, though, would have none of that. This was his son, and he would remain his son. This concept of slave versus child is presented both by Paul and by Christ.

So what distinguishes a slave from a child? Why is it important enough that both Paul and Christ use the theme?. A slave in the Roman Empire had limited rights. He or she was property and could be bought or sold. A slave was at the mercy of the master, for better or worse.

A child, however, not only had far greater rights under the law, but was also loved. To the child, the head of the house was not named Master, but Father.

We’re you ever scared as a child? I remember being scared and crawling in bed with my parents and clinging to their side. I remember calling out, “Mommy” or “Daddy!” That’s what Abba means… Daddy (literally, papa). The loving protection of the Father is what distinguishes the child from the slave.

Isn’t it great to know that because we are children of our Heavenly Father that He loves us and will protect us? We don’t need to fear, but if we do, He wants us to call to Him, take His hand, and cling to His side.

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In Psalm 34, David gives thanks for God’s protection, for delivering him from his enemies. This Psalm was written while David hid from King Saul among the Philistines. David spent his entire life, it seems, in a cycle of sin, repentance, and forgiveness, followed by sin again. And again. And again. You and I are much the same. 

In a passage similar to Psalms 34:4 (2 Timothy 4:18), we find Paul Pouring out his heart just before facing Caesar and execution. He says,

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.”

Both David and Paul were fully human, full of sin, murderers both, yet they are considered great men of God. Why? They fell on their faces daily and repented. When God revealed to them their deceitful hearts, they sought God’s mercy and asked Him to cleanse their hearts and change their lives. 

The difference in these passages, one written by David and one written by Paul, is this. David’s plea was answered when God rescued him from a dangerous situation and hid him in the unlikeliest of places. David lived many more years. Paul’s prayer was answered by his immediate execution. In Paul’s mind (and in truth), though, his execution was rescue. He was “taken safely to [God’s] heavenly kingdom,” which had been his hope for years. 

Both were delivered, but in very different ways.

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Although I remember waking up in the middle of many nights, shivering in the cold, we didn’t ask for government assistance, nor did we ask help of any church. God took care of us. I was suffering from cancer that winter, but I was months away from diagnosis. Miraculously, our water pipes never froze, we suffered no excessive flu bugs or other viruses. We dressed warmly and cuddled under blankets, and toughed it out. I prayed a lot. God protected us. 

At the end of January, business took my wife and I to St. Louis for four days where we stumbled upon a dozen or so homeless men and women living under a freeway near downtown. We didn’t have much, but we were able to help them in a very small way. I realized then that, comparatively, we were well off. 

I was scared that winter, but God is in my side. Even if God had let me freeze to death, or even if I would have lost my life to cancer, I would not want anyone to think that God had failed me. We will all die someday, but it is not the end. Death is but a beginning and this life a mere foreshadow of that which is to come. A few years of suffering in this life is a mere wisp of time compared to eternity with my Creator. I no longer fear; not like I once did. 

Let those who fear the Lord now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

I called on the Lord in distress;

The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.

The Lord is on my side;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

The Lord is for me among those who help me;

Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.

It is better to trust in the Lord

Than to put confidence in man.

– Psalm 118:4-8

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They witnessed first hand the ten plagues upon the Pharoah and Egypt. They crossed over the Red Sea on dry land. They watched sea close on Pharaoh’s army when they too tried to cross on dry ground. When they saw the size of the inhabitants of the Promised Land, however, their faith failed. 

The truth is, I believe, that few of us would have done any better. Think about it. You and I may not have witnessed miraculous plagues or parting seas, but we have witnessed the merciful hand of God in many miraculous (if less dramatic) ways. I have. I’ll bet you have, too. An auto accident narrowly avoided, a negative diagnosis, unexpected money at just the right time; we’ve all experienced those sort of things. 

Some of us have experienced even larger miracles. Yet, we too lack faith, just like the Israelites. 

Why? The answer is right there in that verse. Lack of faith is the result of fear and discouragement. Fear and discouragement are the result of focusing on ourselves and our own abilities instead of focusing on God. 

Why are we discouraged? Why are we afraid? Because we have taken control of our lives away from God, and – admit it or not – we know our own limitations. 

Fear not and do not be discouraged, rather give control of your life back to God. 

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God, however, was merely preparing him for His service. He would move Joseph into a position of influence, and use him to store up food in preparation of famine. Through Joseph, God saved the people of Egypt and preserved what would become the nation of Israel. 

When his brothers came groveling to Joseph, who had become one of the most powerful men in Egypt, it might have been easy for him to exact vengeance on them. Instead, he showed them mercy. 

“Fear not,” he told them, “for, although you meant evil again me, God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

Joseph was so assured by God’s loving presence that he was able to demonstrate God’s mercy. 

We have the same assurance. If we surrender ourselves to God’s control, we can be assured that all things will “work together for good” (Romans 8:28). 

Fear Not for God is in control. 

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The problem is, while I was inspired by many of these preachers, they got this passage completely wrong. The epistle of James tells us to be joyful when we are faced with trials, knowing trials build patience. The reason the preachers of my childhood advised us not to pray for patience was because they feared their parishoners would fall away if faced with trials. 

The truth is quite the contrary. Take a look at Exodus 20:20 and you will succinctly learn what James is talking about. God tests us because He is preparing us. He is building our faith, ridding us of our sin, preparing us for eternity. He loves us, and cannot bear to see us bound by sin. 

Do not be afraid of God’s tests and trials. Don’t try to avoid them. Rather, when they come, realize that God is perfecting your faith. Be thankful, for your Father is teaching you. Trials move us away from sin and darkness and into His light. They move us from obedience based on fear to obedience based on love and commitment. 

Fear Not, for God is building your faith. 

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The same thing might be said about Elija. When we first meet him in 1 Kings 17:1, he seems to have boldly taken it upon himself to confront Ahab, the king of Israel. Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, worshipped Baal instead of the true God. Not only that, they compelled the entire nation to worship the false god. Nowhere does the Bible say that God asked Elijah to confront Ahab that first time (although, one might safely assume that). 

To protect Elijah from the king after that confrontation, God leads Elijah to the desert, sits him down by a stream, and sends ravens to feed him. Before long, though, the stream dries up because of a drought that God had sent on Israel. 

To save Elijah, God tells him to seek out a particular widow and ask her for food. The widow, though, has no food, and tells Elijah she was preparing her last meal from what little flour and oil that remained. It was just enough to feed her and her son. “After that is gone,” she said, “I will give up and die.”

“Do not fear,” Elijah tells her. “Bake me some bread, and feed me. I promise, there will be enough for you and your son. Furthermore, I promise that your supply of flour and oil will not run out until God sends rain.”

While Elijah comforts the widow and her son, he must have mused about the way God works. He may have spent weeks in the desert, placing his faith in God, and wondering if and when his life would get better. When the stream dried up, he undoubtedly prayed desperately. 

“Don’t be afraid, Elijah.” God had reassured him. “For through your tragic situation, I am working. A widow will feed you, and in turn, I will feed her and her son.” 

We don’t really know that God said that to Elijah, but that is the exact situation. 

Have you ever stopped to consider how God is using you, even in the lowest, most traffic circumstances in your life? You may never know how you have touched others for the good. Don’t be afraid, for God is working through you, even when you feel like you are at your lowest. 

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Your heart sinks, certain that they will recapture you and your family, maybe kill you, and, at the least, return you to slavery and punish you.

You don’t know what Moses knows. You don’t hear God’s voice like he does. Sure, you witnessed the plagues, and you heard about Moses’s confrontations with Pharoah, but… still, how does any of that help now? Now that you are trapped…

Then, Moses speaks:

“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.  The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

What is it that Moses knows that no one else knows? He knows how God works behind the scenes. He know that God saw the darkness and stubbornness of Pharaoh’s heart and made it even darker. He compelled Pharoah to chase after the people of Israel.

Why, though? Why would God set Pharoah against His Chosen People? 

God would demonstrate to the people of Egypt that He is the Almighty God, the One True God. 

And, He would allow the Israelites to lose all hope, to fall into such desperation that there would be no doubt that it was God who rescued them. He would allow them to hit rock bottom, so as to have a solid foundation upon which they might rebuild. 

If only we could see through God’s eyes, then we would have no fear. Fear Not, for God is in control. 

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First, a plague of bloody water is sent against Pharoah. 

Second, a plague of frogs. 

Third, a plague of lice. 

Fourth, a plague of flies. 

Fifth, a plague sickens and kills much of the livestock. 

All the while Pharoah refuses to free the Israelites. When he finally decides to release them, God hardens Pharaoh’s heart and he changes his mind. 

Five more plagues (read Exodus 7-12), the last of which is truly devastating, and Pharoah is glad to be rid of the Israelites. 

Before they flee too far, though, Pharoah chases after them with the strongest army in the world. Once again, God had hardened the Pharaoh’s heart and he had changed his mind. 

When God leads the Israelites to what they fear will be certain death, backed up against the Red Sea, and Pharoah blocking their escape, then Moses reassures them. “Fear Not. Stand still and Watch God deliver victory” (Exodus 14:13-14).

Moses raises his staff. The Red Sea parts. The Israelites escape across the sea on dry land. Pharoah and his army drown. 

As God delivered victory to the children of Israel, He will deliver it also to you. Be still. Watch. Wait. And, cross over on dry ground to the land where your enemies may never follow. 

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“Take the children to the dining room and set them at the tables,” he told the housemother. He then prayed, and thanked God for that which He provided, even before He had provided a bite to eat.

Within minutes a baker had knocked on the door and delivered bread to the children, telling Mueller that God had impressed it upon his heart to give it to the children. Then a milk man knocked on the door. His cart had broken down and the milk would spoil unless he found someone to use it. He gave the milk to the orphans.

Mueller never doubted that God would provide. Through his  92 years, Mueller lived by faith. In addition to five orphanages, he preached in the same church three times a week for most of sixty years. He worked beside D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, and Hudson Taylor. He traveled to 42 nations, preaching the Gospel. In the end, he personally preached to over three million people. All the while, he  trusted in God to pave the way and provide the means.

He took the promise of God to David and Solomon to heart. “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.”

Do not fear. The same God who called you to do His work, has already provided the means for you to complete that work.

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Jairus had no warning when tragedy struck his house (Mark 5). He was a man of some importance, a ruler in the synagogue, which is more or less like the chief administrator at the church. Life had been good to him. He was prosperous.  He had a family. What could go wrong?

For most people, though, something usually does go wrong. Jairus’s daughter fell ill, very ill. He was desperate. This girl was the love of his life, his reason to live, as any daughter is for any good father. She was obviously dying and there was nothing that any doctor could do for her. 

Then, Jesus arrived on the shores of his town. He begged Jesus to heal her, and Jesus immediately headed to his house, followed by a throng of people. On the way there, though, Jesus stopped. 

“Who touched me?” said Jesus. 

Jairus panicked. His daughter was deathly ill. There was no time to waste. He must have thought Jesus crazy, for He was surrounded by hundreds of people, each vying for His attention, yet the Master had asked who touched Him?

In his mind, Jairus screams, “Come, hurry, Jesus. There’s no time for this…” Only the dignity of his position prevents him from grabbing the Master by the arm and dragging him to his daughter’s side. 

No sooner does Jesus bless and heal the woman that had touched Him, than Jairus sees his servants rushing into the crowd. They need not speak. He could tell by their expressions that his daughter had passed. 

When the servants did speak and confirm his deepest fears, he lost it. Tears welled in his eyes. His lips quivered. His hands shook. His heart sank. Death had called on his home, and taken his daughter. Oh, that he could take her place. If only the woman hadn’t distracted the Master. If only… 

The Master, though, had heard the servants and took pity on Jairus. “Do not be afraid. Only believe.”

Jairus heard those words and looked into the eyes of the Master and saw not death, rather he saw eyes full of life, light and love. What he felt as he did so compelled him to believe. For when Jesus spoke, the ruler of the synagogue understood this: no one loved his daughter more than he, except the Master. And, at that very moment, Jairus knew that whatever he found when he arrived home, all would be well because his home was in the hands of the living God. 

Oh, that I had understood the lessons of Mark 5 twenty years ago, when the sheriff called my office and asked me to meet him at the scene of my wife’s accident. I would have saved myself a world of grief had I trusted in God like Jairus.

So long as we listen to the words of Jesus, keep our eyes on Him, and invite Him into our home, all will be well. No matter what tragedy strikes, it is but a small bump in an eternal road; God will provide us the strength to endure whatever besets us. “Do not be afraid. Only believe.”

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For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,

Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

– Isaiah 41:13

It paints the picture of a parent and a child; at that moment when the child is the most frightened, Dad is there to comfort her. In the verses one can see love, tenderness, mercy, guidance, protection, understanding, and grace. 

 Isn’t it wonderful that our God is also our Father?

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God reminds Isaac that He has blessed Abraham, and that He will continue to bless their family.

Isaac likely remembered when God sent a ram to serve as sacrifice in his place. He probably remembered that God had delivered their family from war and famine. God had helped them prosper.  Their family would some day be as numerous as the stars.

That God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is our God. He’s the God of our fathers. He is unchanging, eternal, loving, merciful, and no respecter of persons. The same God who blessed Abraham, parted the Red Sea for Moses, delivered Daniel from the lion’s den, and raised Christ from the grave… That same God dwells in your heart.

Do not fear, the God of Abraham is with you.

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If you know the story of Abraham, you might be inclined to think that he had the advantage over us in the faith department, that it would be easy to have faith if we could hear or clearly see visiting angels. In reality, we have the advantage over Abraham, in that we have God’s Word and we have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

So, when God promised Abraham that He would be his shield and his exceedingly great reward, think how much more that promise means to us as children of God.

Don’t be like Abraham and ask how God can deliver such great reward given the circumstances. After all, this verse does not read, “I  am your shield. I will give you great reward. It reads, “I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” God is our reward. God is The Shield that protects us throughout our life.  God is our Reward now and forever. Fear Not.

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I was maybe fourteen years old when it dawned on me that I would someday die. Suddenly, for no reason, in the middle of a M*A*S*H episode, my mortality became very vivid. I immediately spoke of it to my mother with great consternation. I was nearly as immediately cut off by my older brother, David, who looked at me with a frown. “Will you shut up,” he said. It wasn’t a question. 

I understood. No one wants to think about their death, especially during s rerun of M*A*S*H. 

I’ve considered it many times since… death. There is no avoiding it. I have grown so close to my Lord, Jesus Christ, that He had removed all fear and replaced it with a peculiar fondness of things above. I actually look forward to the day when I shall meet Him face-to-face with excitement and great anticipation. Will I be scared? Not any more. “For me to live is Christ. To die is gain.” I am content either way. I am ready, praise be to God, come what may. 

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Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?

It is true. God has proved Himself over and over again in my life; He provides. Still, there is one thing I’ve learned, and it does not negate God’s promise…

Think about the birds. How many birds do you see in the morning? In your yard? In the park? On electric wires? How many just sit there looking to heaven with their mouths open, waiting for a worm to fall from the sky? None but the baby birds. No, they search the grounds for worms, seeds, and bugs. They peck at trees. They hop around. They perch high on a telephone pole, looking for prey.  They don’t fear, because they know God provides, but they also know it’s a partnership. God provides and they grasp hold of his provision. 

Fear not. God will provide, but you must be prepared to act when He does. 

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As example, Abraham was promised as an old man that he would father a child. I hope that doesn’t apply to me. I think my wife would agree. 

The same can be said about the promises to Joshua when he began leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land after the death of Moses. 

I believe, though, that the spirit of the promises may be applied to the lives of those who diligently seek to live like Jesus. 

As the older Joshua stood looking into The Promised Land, he had no idea what lie ahead. Even for a seasoned warrior and a mature leader like him, the challenge that he faced must have been daunting. 

Similarly, we stand at the beginning of a new year not knowing what lies ahead. Will we prosper, or will we face crises? Will we find health or shall our health fail? Will we look back a year from now with tears for lost loved ones? The challenge of a new year can seem daunting. 

Find the Words of the Lord to Joshua, and take them to heart. Be strong. Be courageous. Do not be discouraged. “The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” DO NOT BE AFRAID. 

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