����������������������������������� Be Not Afraid
������ While listening to Identity Pastors like Jim
Wickstrom, Dan Jones, Pete Peters, Bob Jones and
others it is clear that from the few callers that
people are afraid to speak out. Why? Because they
fear the government has listening posts that will
capture their name and phone number and so get on its
hit list. Well whether they call or not, if they do
anything, and we mean anything; such as get a
speeding ticket, parking ticket, marriage licenses,
birth certificate, water company account, bank
account, or any other thing that gets them listed
somewhere, they are already on the government's hit
list. Especially if they are True Christians and try
to put their faith to work in their lives and the
lives of their children and grand children.
������ Fear is a common human emotion, isn't it? Who
has not felt fear in a dangerous situation, a
momentary terror in a nightmare, apprehension about a
forthcoming test or trial? Who has not felt a
foreboding sense of evil in strange or unknown
surroundings?
������ How often did the Angels of the Lord say
"Fear not" and "Be not afraid" to the virgin Mary at
the annunciation, and to the quaking shepherds at the
birth of the Christ‑child? Who has not seen, even
fleetingly, the specter of illness and death?
������ The Book of Common Prayer contains a Litany,
or list of entreaties to Almighty God for deliverance
from lightning and tempest, fire and flood, plague,
pestilence and famine, battle and murder, and sudden
death. It also reminds us of the fear of the Lord,
when we beseech our Father to keep us from deadly
sins, the deceits of the world, the flesh and the
devil, as well as from false doctrine, heresy,
hardness of heart, and contempt of God's Word and
Commandments.
������ In these days of apostasy and lawlessness
foretold by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1‑9, we have good
reason to pray for strength and guidance from the
Holy Spirit. Here is that familiar passage:
������ "This know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, Without natural affection, truce breakers,
false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of
those that are good, Traitors, heady, high minded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:
from such turn away. For of this sort are they which
creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden
with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning,
and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do
these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds,
reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall
proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest
unto all men, as theirs also was."
������ This manifestation or revealing of folly
before all men is taking place worldwide as scandals
fill newspapers and TV screens. Truly the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.
������ There is another aspect of fear, however,
which is God's attitude to fear. Remember how He told
Gideon to first dismiss from duty all his soldiers
who were afraid? There were 22,000 of them. This type
of anxiety can be caused by anticipation of peoples'
unfavorable opinion, consequences of disobedience,
persecution, suspicion, uncertainty, final events or
events of nature, and unexplained mysteries.
������ These fears can cause demoralization,
defeatism, even paralysis as we have witnessed on TV
on the faces of captured criminals, handcuffed and
helpless. Our forefather Abraham expressed
apprehension of being slain for possession of his
beautiful wife Sarah, as also Jacob displayed great
distress at the threat of Esau's attack, praying for
deliverance from the hand of his brother.
������ The word Panic could be used to describe the
Centurion and his companions in Matthew 27:54, as
they realized that they had witnessed the horrifying
crucifixion of God's own Son with supernatural
occurrences following.
������ According to Revelation 21:8, the first
listed of those who are to be cast into the lake of
fire are the fearful and unbelieving. God rejects
those "of little faith," a rebuke which none of us
wants to hear.
������ These who will be the first to be cast into
the fire appears to be the Jews and their boot‑licks,
and lap‑dogs, as related in the parable of the Wheat
and the Tares:
������ Matthew 13:30: "Let both grow together until
the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to
the reapers, GATHER YE TOGETHER FIRST THE TARES, AND BIND THEM IN BUNDLES TO BURN THEM: but gather the wheat into my barn."
������ Godly fear, on the other hand, is satisfying,
clean, sanctifying, and renouncing evil, motivated by
God's majesty, holiness, and forgiveness, as typified
by Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Joseph. Noah's obedience
and patience for one hundred twenty years of
Ark‑building saved the lien of Shem from which we
sprang. David's remorse and repentance overcame his
fear of touching the Ark of the Covenant, thereby
obtaining God's mercy and escaping the lethal
discharge of power.
������ In the history of our nation Israel then,
what assurances of God's love and protection do we
have? We all remember the wonderful story of Joseph's
preservation in the face of his jealous and hostile
brothers. He later comforted them by saying, in
Genesis 45:4‑9:
������ "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with
yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send
me before you to preserve life. For these two years
hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are
five years, in the which there shall neither be
earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to
preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save
your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not
you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me
a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a
ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."
������ Let us hope that we of Joseph's line display
the same sweetness and magnanimity when dealing with
our brethren. We wonder if Reuben is dwelling amongst
us ready to rescue us again?
������ The wilderness experience with god's
miraculous provision of manna should alleviate any
fears of food shortages for His faithful people.
Daniel's deliverance form the ravenous lions assures
us of safety despite the plots and devices of our
enemies. The prospect of a nuclear holocaust can be
disregarded as we read of Shadrak, Meshak, and
Abednego emerging from a "multiple seven" fiery
furnace, with nary a whiff of smoke upon them, and
their Savior beside them to cool the flames. Elijah's
needs were met in a marvelous way, being fed by
ravens, a widow, and also angels. His exciting
translation by means of fiery horses and chariots
shows us how god preserves leaders in Israel for
future manifestation, as we may anticipate at this
time of the end. Will we also see an Elisha to take
on the mantle of Elijah with a double portion of the
Holy Spirit?
������ The tender admonition, "Be not afraid" occurs
62 time in Scripture; "Fear not" appears 96 times
regarding alien nations and men. Have you heard the
oratorio, "Elijah" by Felix Mendelssohn? One chorus
proclaims this text:
������ "Be not afraid, thy help is near. God, the
Lord thy God sayeth unto thee, be not afraid. (Isaiah
12:10) Though thousands languish and fall beside thee
and tens of thousands perish, yet it still shall not
come nigh thee." (Psalm 91:7) Also in Elijah, we hear
"He, watching over Israel, slumbers not nor sleeps.
Shouldst thou walking in grief, languish. He will
quicken thee."
������ Did Almighty God preserve His people from the
tenth plague of Egypt, the first Passover which we no
commemorate in our Communion, only to abandon or
desert us in our final struggles against Satan, the
accuser of the brethren? "Comfort ye, comfort ye my
people saith your god." And hear these words from
Psalm 27:1:
������ "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid?"
������ From Isaiah 41:13:
������ "For I the Lord will hold thy hand, saying
unto thee, Fear not: I will help thee."
������ From Psalm 34:7:
������ "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear Him, and delivereth them."
������ From Luke 12:32:
������ "Fear not...for ti is your father's good
pleasure to give you the Kingdom."
������ From Proverbs 22:4:
������ "By humility and thy fear of the Lord are
riches and honor and life."
������ From Joshua 24:14:
������ "Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in
sincerity and truth."
������ And finally from Daniel 10:19:
������ "Oh man, greatly beloved, fear not: peace be
unto thee, be strong."
������ We have God's covenants and promises to us,
His children. We have faith and trust in His Holy
Word. What a glorious inheritance, for which we give
humble and hearty thanks.
������ "In Thy Power Almighty;
Trusting, did our fathers build of old,
������ Strengthen then O Lord their children;
To defend, to love and to hold,
������ That the heritage thy gave us;
For our children yet may be,
������ Bondsmen only to the Highest,
And before the whole world free;
������ As our fathers trusted humbly,
Teach us Lord to trust Thee still;
������ Guard our land and guide our people,
In Thy Way to do Thy Will."
������ (Taken in part from Thy Kingdom Come, P.O.
Bod 1478, Ferndale, WA 98248; Gospel Ministry News,
Pastor Bob Hallstrom, P.O. Box 9411, Boise, Idaho
83707, Issue #2006, December 2000‑January 2001)