It's not the adjective form of a destructive word used to describe a debilitating fear, but the active verb employed to vanquish potentially subjective emotion that I seek to convey. I'm guessing there are others like me who are watching the erosion of godly morality and the seemingly increasing evil, upheaval and calamity in the world and wondering what's coming next? I have to admit that for myself there have been moments when I've tended to wonder if this is the beginning of the foretold turbulent end. At times those mental wanderings have been met with a little trepidation in my own heart regarding the safety of myself and those I love if indeed we are in some position along the predetermined timeline of "those" days...
Matthew 24: 3-14 (NLT) 3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world? ” 4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. 9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come."
Let's say that we're somewhere along that progressive timeline moving closer toward even more violently troubled days - knowing that there's potentially much more mortal threat to come into focus. I know that among believers there are some varying viewpoints regarding the presence of the redeemed to witness the fullness of those days, but for the sake of my point, lets say that we're here to the final curtain. What would/does that mean for us and those we love throughout that time? Given the Savior's description of those last days and knowing His faithfulness to His word, we could live in mortal fear for our lives of those days if we chose to ...
... But the life within us isn't mortal - we're not mortal beings ...
... the truth has become the power to decimate fear ...
I've been wearing this time-wrinkling skin costume for so long, having to tend to it, care for it and be concerned with it, that if I'm not careful I might forget that it's not my identity - I am not my flesh, I am an eternal spirit created so awesomely and mysteriously by the one unlimited force of creative power that is my heavenly Father - the one who loves me with extreme intensity and reigns unchallenged over everything that exists. That is my true identity. That ... is who I am. It's who you are. We need to separate ourselves from a false mortal identity and consider what that means.
If we honor His word and His ways, seek Him intently and personally engage with Him in relationship as He desires, we have access through Christ's grace to the power that formed the universe. We have the ability as it conforms with our God's plan and character to affect the world around us unbounded by our flesh because our gracious Father is not limited by our limitations ... that's our identity too!
Now, if you share my identity, then you know that our Father doesn't love His children any less during troubled times and I cannot doubt His faithfulness to His word at any time. Jesus told us there'll be trouble, but we know that the ending, ... our end result, is already absolutely determined and established. So where is fear of death found for an eternal being whose destiny on his absolute worst day is the stunning and and astonishing glory of his Father's presence? And in the mean time, as His children we don't and never will wander through any season of this mortal life alone ...
Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
John 14:16 (NLT) "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you."
Hebrews 13:1-8 (NLT) 1 "Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. 2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 3 Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies. 4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. 5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” 6 So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” 7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Now, in regard to our loved ones. They are given the very same opportunities we have gratefully received and we can't make decisions for them in their place. If they're unsecured by accepting Jesus' offer of redemption, we may be the very ones whose demonstration of His precious spirit draws them gratefully to Him.
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A quote from another post; "The Coming Bitterness In Our Success?"
"The truth of our Lord bears a sweetness that to us is incomparable. But as we digest it, as John did in his God given vision on the Isle of Patmos, the bitterness is revealed. While we revel in our salvation when we have obtained our objective and are granted our place and reward in the heaven that we have been promised ... His Word will still be true.
How many brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and other loved ones will we watch perish in unquenchable fire? How many of them will we have the bitter reality to watch with horror as they are judged, found guilty and condemned to death? How will we satisfy ourselves then that we did all that we could now to lead them to salvation while we had the chance? Mothers will watch their children perish before their eyes. How many of us will have cause to ask ourselves if we could have been the willing vessel that God could have used to change their course? Indeed the Word of God is a double edged sword.
Now is the moment to seize as He provides, to change the course by our obedience of the lives of those we love. But as we do, we cannot forget that it is the Spirit of the Living God who wages this war against the enemy. We have only to follow His leading and remember who He loves.
Food for thought against a coming reality ..."
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We don't know for certain what we'll face in what remains of our individual days here, but there are certainties to be found. No matter who's elected, who goes to war or what might be employed against us, our Father will not be any less than He awesomely is and has been toward His children on any given day. His love, faithfulness and goodness are constant and our future as His children is already lovingly written forever. Another certainty is that we have now, this day, as eternal beings in a mortal world to make a difference - not only for those we love, but all that our Father loves ...
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