You might respond to the title with, “Duh, just trust the Lord,” and of course that is precisely the remedy for fear. However, many believers naively base their trust on presumption or self-confidence. But, Jesus said “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.” (Mat 6:33-34) A truly worry free life is contingent upon seeking His kingdom and His righteousness, rather than your own. Godly trust is not passive resignation, it's aggressive compliance with the kingdom of God.
Only radical alignment with heaven can deliver you from the haunting debilitating fears of this world. Jesus' most repeated proverb says “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." This remarkable irony of losing your life to save it is the key to God's kingdom, and therefore, the only effective antidote for fear.
It is tempting, however, to minimize and evade the fear issue with psychological ploys or faulty theology. But bravado and psychobabble will do nothing except amuse demons. You will not receive special grace in the heat of the coming battle, if you ignore Jesus' prerequisites of kingdom seeking and a holy life. Now is the time to learn trust. "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? (Jer 12:5) If the battle overwhelms you now, what will you do when it escalates dramatically?
God is lovingly entreating us to totally trust Him, and our part is to recognize his hand and yield. Ignorance of God's ways obstructs trust, but “The truth will set you free.” We must have insight into fear itself, not just its remedy. “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” (Pro 4:7) For the believer, enlightenment must be a life long crusade. God warned, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” including knowledge of Satan's devices.(Hos 4:6) Thankfully, such wisdom is not dependent upon talent or education. (Acts 2:17)
What I am about to say is not to impart or increase fear, but rather to expose and confront those latent fears entrenched in our hearts. Fear will be the defining issue of the days ahead. The details of the end of the age are irrelevant if we haven't conquered fear. Mens hearts will literally fail from unprecedented fear, (Lk 21:26) and many believers will be offended at God and lose their salvation. “Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another. . . .But those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved.” (Mt 24:10-13 NCV)
Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, and a survivalist mentality of stockpiling food and ammo will not save your soul. Jesus implied that Noah's legacy contains insight for prevailing in the last days. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the coming of the son of man.” The only security will be a spiritual ark, and it won't suddenly materialize just before the demonic flood. Noah's ark took stringent preparation, and so will our spiritual ark. God gave Noah a detailed plan, and likewise he has given us an end time strategy. It is the New Testament which consummates with the book of “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1) who is our refuge and our fortress.
In Revelation 21 we are told that “He who overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful . . . shall have their part in the lake of fire.” In this text “fear” tops the list of damning sins, and the original word is not torment or terror, but merely timidity or cowardice. Timidity and cowardice keep more people from heaven than any other sin. “I'm afraid of what will be required.” “I'm afraid of becoming like those weird people.” “ I fear rejection.” “The truth scares me?” “What if I'm deceived?” etc....
The church is infested with fears that have become so familiar and “normal” we fail to recognize them. Anxiety, apprehension, shyness, suspicion, worry and insecurity are merely euphemisms for unmitigated fear, which the Bible calls sin. (Rev 21:8; Rom 14:23) Depression, obsession, control and hoarding are usually rooted in fear.
And yet, Paul honestly confessed, “Our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.” None of us can avoid the presence of fear, but we must not allow it to deceive or dominate us. Satan's power is confined to the virtual reality of fear and deception. “The devil prowls around like a roaring lion," but it's only a charade intent on terrorizing you, because he knows that what you fear is ultimately what you worship.
Many don't want to think about what is coming, but we are commanded by Jesus to discern the times. (Lk 21:36) It's been said that 150 chapters of the Bible are devoted to the end of the age, and to ignore them is to imperil your destiny. To presume that you will escape the end time cataclysm because of an early rapture is dangerous and irresponsible. The pre-tribulation rapture is based on a premise of fear, and the assumption that immunity from God's wrath requires our removal from the planet, which directly contradicts Psalm 91, the gold standard for protection in the midst of judgment. Questionable verses must be interpreted in light of clear unequivocal verses.
Paul specifically warns that expecting an early rapture is deception.(2Thes 2:1-3) “Brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him (rapture) . . . Let no one deceive you, for that Day will not come unless. . .the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” (anti-Christ) And then he adds this specific indicator of the rapture's timing: “We shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Cor 15:51) This last trumpet, distinctly noted in Revelation 11:15, comes after the great tribulation, defined by the preceding six trumpets releasing God's wrath upon the kingdom of darkness.
Jesus revealed the same scenario of a post-tribulation rapture at the last trumpet. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days . . .He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect.” (Mt 24:29-31) According to these verses, the rapture occurs after the anti-Christ is revealed, after the great tribulation, and at the last trumpet. Only fear could complicate such obvious simplicity. If the rapture is that late, wouldn't you want to know so you could prepare for the church's most glorious hour?
It's recorded that Noah was “Warned by God of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house.” (Heb 11:7) Isn't it interesting that fear was Noah's motivation for building the ark? Fear can be constructive or destructive. Fear is not just a spirit, it is also a natural legitimate God given emotion to keep us from evil and danger, and is the natural state of all fallen humans and animals.
There was, however, no fear in the Garden, because they had no knowledge of evil to awaken fear. Yet fear was the very first emotion to manifest after the fall of man. “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid.” What was Adam afraid of? He feared God. But why? Because Adam sensed God's grief and indignation. God is holy and Adam was no longer holy, and they were suddenly incompatible, exposing Adam to divine justice. If God's love overwhelms and captivates puny finite man, wouldn't his anger likewise terrorize and shock us? “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Before we can walk in the love of God that protects us in the midst of wrath, (Ps 91:14) we must first perceive and address the terror of God. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ . . Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” (2 Cor 5:10-11) “Knowing” doesn't mean we obsess on it, but simply that we have a healthy awareness. The cosmic implications of Adam's disobedience and God's justice are incomprehensible, but mass denial will not alter the sobering reality of His wrath. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” (Eph 5:6)
The most valuable thing Jesus did for us was not all the blessings, but to deliver us from God's wrath. All else is secondary. Thankfully, “God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” Salvation is fundamentally deliverance from wrath. To underestimate eternal judgment and hell is to devalue salvation, and the result is superficial love. “To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Realizing what we have been saved from, amplifies and glorifies God's forgiveness. I have observed that radical lovers also seem to have the deepest fear of God and the least fear of everything else.
I have also discovered to my surprise that our natural fleshly fears and the fear of God are the same original word in the Bible. In the Greek it is the word from which phobia is derived, and it means “fear, dread or terror.” Referring to this natural fear, Jesus makes this stunning comparison: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” (Mt 10:28) Our natural protective fears compel us to serve either God or satanically inspired people. There is no neutrality, and we cannot serve two masters. Fear will not retreat from positive confession alone, it must be re-directed toward God. Two spirits are seeking our fearful hearts, an evil spirit of fear or the Holy Spirit. One will torment and haunt, the other ironically, will infuse you with peace and joy.
The early church walked simultaneously “in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 9:31) Contrary to common logic, the fear of God and comfort of the Holy Spirit are entirely compatible. The Bible tell us that the fear of God is pure, enduring forever, the beginning of wisdom, and a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death. “The fear of the LORD tends to life: and he that has it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.” (Pro 19:23) Jesus had the “spirit . . of the fear of the Lord,” (Isa 11:2) and this pure delightful fear is even present in heaven. (Rev 19:5)
The fear of God is attractive, peaceful and reassuring, but as soon as I revert to my independent egotistical ways, trusting in circumstances and seeking happiness, tormenting fear emerges, neutralizing faith. Immunity from fear is not found in a doctrinal position. Only an active abiding in Christ through repentance, prayer and worship, can inoculate you from the fears of this world. If you walk in the flesh you expose yourself to Satan's kingdom which is unrelenting fear and condemnation. The fear of God is the key to overcoming all other fears.
Like Adam, we try to placate God with religious pretense and self justification, rather than exposing our nakedness to Him who alone can deliver us from all fears. Fear drives us to safety, and there is only one safe place in this world. It is the “secret place of the most High.” “He who dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. . . .Then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. (Ps 91) This famous Psalm is a monumental display of God's protection in the midst of hell on earth. It is a “secret place” because it's hidden from everyone except you and God. It is that intimate, exclusive, unique and inexpressible place of communion with the Father, and it's accessible to every believer.
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." (Rom 8:15) What a striking difference between the fear that is bondage, and the snug and cozy security of “Abba Father.” In the Holy Spirit we can cry out “Daddy!” in childlike innocence and vulnerability, yet also revere Him as Father, and “tremble at His word.” In Christ you don't need to be afraid of God, you only need to be afraid of separating yourself from Him. Our greatest danger is not in calamity, persecution, sickness, poverty or in a multitude of frightful images, but failure to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. Flee to Him because you fear the consequences of not. When you do that something miraculous transpires!
The true fear of God doesn't produce cold austere religiosity. It's fruit is authentic Godly love, because the fear of God compels us to purge ourselves of all that's not love. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear . . . But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 Jn 4:18) That single verse is the key to fear! Agape love and tormenting fear are mutually exclusive. If you're growing in love you are growing in fearlessness.
However, this love is not just between you and God. There will be no deliverance from fear if we isolate ourselves. “If we love one another God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us . . .If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 Jn 4:12, 20) It's deception to assume you can have intimacy with God while disdaining and evading His beloved family.
God has no fear, He is love, and the faith which proceeds from him, therefore, originates in love. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Gal 5:6) Could the Bible be more emphatic? Without love I can only shout at fear with false boldness and hysteria. But with love and faith I can effectively contend for God's kingdom, wielding the sword of the Spirit with peaceful assurance and authority.
Worrying for your life and welfare is self-centered and contaminates Godly love. Even worrying over loved ones dilutes love with emotional self preservation, and such fear will hijack your faith. It's imperative that we learn to cast all our anxieties and troubles upon God, (1 Pet 5:7) because we cannot truly love those whom we cling to and manipulate for emotional security.
Our primal calling as believers is a “royal priesthood” or “kingdom of priests” and the only Biblical definition of the church is a “house of prayer for all nations.” That's it. It's that simple! Our bodies are now the temple of God and prayer is the main event. We are here to intercede and sacrificially minister on behalf of others. It's not about me. Self preservation will assure your destruction in the days ahead, but sacrificial love and prayer will resolve all fears.
To the one who loves God, including His body, He says this: “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him upon high . . . He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him my salvation.”
To a skeptic this may seem like some strange co-dependent moral blackmail. “If you love me, I'll protect you.” No. It is simply the mechanics of creation. We were designed to live and function by love. Anything else is death. If I “have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor 13:2) If you sow to the Spirit you will reap love, if you sow to the flesh you will reap fear.
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it , Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
“And because iniquity shall abound , the love of many shall wax cold But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
“And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”
Copyright 2010 by Hayden Humphrey
Only radical alignment with heaven can deliver you from the haunting debilitating fears of this world. Jesus' most repeated proverb says “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." This remarkable irony of losing your life to save it is the key to God's kingdom, and therefore, the only effective antidote for fear.
It is tempting, however, to minimize and evade the fear issue with psychological ploys or faulty theology. But bravado and psychobabble will do nothing except amuse demons. You will not receive special grace in the heat of the coming battle, if you ignore Jesus' prerequisites of kingdom seeking and a holy life. Now is the time to learn trust. "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? (Jer 12:5) If the battle overwhelms you now, what will you do when it escalates dramatically?
God is lovingly entreating us to totally trust Him, and our part is to recognize his hand and yield. Ignorance of God's ways obstructs trust, but “The truth will set you free.” We must have insight into fear itself, not just its remedy. “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” (Pro 4:7) For the believer, enlightenment must be a life long crusade. God warned, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” including knowledge of Satan's devices.(Hos 4:6) Thankfully, such wisdom is not dependent upon talent or education. (Acts 2:17)
What I am about to say is not to impart or increase fear, but rather to expose and confront those latent fears entrenched in our hearts. Fear will be the defining issue of the days ahead. The details of the end of the age are irrelevant if we haven't conquered fear. Mens hearts will literally fail from unprecedented fear, (Lk 21:26) and many believers will be offended at God and lose their salvation. “Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another. . . .But those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved.” (Mt 24:10-13 NCV)
Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, and a survivalist mentality of stockpiling food and ammo will not save your soul. Jesus implied that Noah's legacy contains insight for prevailing in the last days. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the coming of the son of man.” The only security will be a spiritual ark, and it won't suddenly materialize just before the demonic flood. Noah's ark took stringent preparation, and so will our spiritual ark. God gave Noah a detailed plan, and likewise he has given us an end time strategy. It is the New Testament which consummates with the book of “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1) who is our refuge and our fortress.
In Revelation 21 we are told that “He who overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful . . . shall have their part in the lake of fire.” In this text “fear” tops the list of damning sins, and the original word is not torment or terror, but merely timidity or cowardice. Timidity and cowardice keep more people from heaven than any other sin. “I'm afraid of what will be required.” “I'm afraid of becoming like those weird people.” “ I fear rejection.” “The truth scares me?” “What if I'm deceived?” etc....
The church is infested with fears that have become so familiar and “normal” we fail to recognize them. Anxiety, apprehension, shyness, suspicion, worry and insecurity are merely euphemisms for unmitigated fear, which the Bible calls sin. (Rev 21:8; Rom 14:23) Depression, obsession, control and hoarding are usually rooted in fear.
And yet, Paul honestly confessed, “Our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.” None of us can avoid the presence of fear, but we must not allow it to deceive or dominate us. Satan's power is confined to the virtual reality of fear and deception. “The devil prowls around like a roaring lion," but it's only a charade intent on terrorizing you, because he knows that what you fear is ultimately what you worship.
Many don't want to think about what is coming, but we are commanded by Jesus to discern the times. (Lk 21:36) It's been said that 150 chapters of the Bible are devoted to the end of the age, and to ignore them is to imperil your destiny. To presume that you will escape the end time cataclysm because of an early rapture is dangerous and irresponsible. The pre-tribulation rapture is based on a premise of fear, and the assumption that immunity from God's wrath requires our removal from the planet, which directly contradicts Psalm 91, the gold standard for protection in the midst of judgment. Questionable verses must be interpreted in light of clear unequivocal verses.
Paul specifically warns that expecting an early rapture is deception.(2Thes 2:1-3) “Brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him (rapture) . . . Let no one deceive you, for that Day will not come unless. . .the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” (anti-Christ) And then he adds this specific indicator of the rapture's timing: “We shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Cor 15:51) This last trumpet, distinctly noted in Revelation 11:15, comes after the great tribulation, defined by the preceding six trumpets releasing God's wrath upon the kingdom of darkness.
Jesus revealed the same scenario of a post-tribulation rapture at the last trumpet. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days . . .He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect.” (Mt 24:29-31) According to these verses, the rapture occurs after the anti-Christ is revealed, after the great tribulation, and at the last trumpet. Only fear could complicate such obvious simplicity. If the rapture is that late, wouldn't you want to know so you could prepare for the church's most glorious hour?
It's recorded that Noah was “Warned by God of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house.” (Heb 11:7) Isn't it interesting that fear was Noah's motivation for building the ark? Fear can be constructive or destructive. Fear is not just a spirit, it is also a natural legitimate God given emotion to keep us from evil and danger, and is the natural state of all fallen humans and animals.
There was, however, no fear in the Garden, because they had no knowledge of evil to awaken fear. Yet fear was the very first emotion to manifest after the fall of man. “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid.” What was Adam afraid of? He feared God. But why? Because Adam sensed God's grief and indignation. God is holy and Adam was no longer holy, and they were suddenly incompatible, exposing Adam to divine justice. If God's love overwhelms and captivates puny finite man, wouldn't his anger likewise terrorize and shock us? “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Before we can walk in the love of God that protects us in the midst of wrath, (Ps 91:14) we must first perceive and address the terror of God. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ . . Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” (2 Cor 5:10-11) “Knowing” doesn't mean we obsess on it, but simply that we have a healthy awareness. The cosmic implications of Adam's disobedience and God's justice are incomprehensible, but mass denial will not alter the sobering reality of His wrath. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” (Eph 5:6)
The most valuable thing Jesus did for us was not all the blessings, but to deliver us from God's wrath. All else is secondary. Thankfully, “God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” Salvation is fundamentally deliverance from wrath. To underestimate eternal judgment and hell is to devalue salvation, and the result is superficial love. “To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Realizing what we have been saved from, amplifies and glorifies God's forgiveness. I have observed that radical lovers also seem to have the deepest fear of God and the least fear of everything else.
I have also discovered to my surprise that our natural fleshly fears and the fear of God are the same original word in the Bible. In the Greek it is the word from which phobia is derived, and it means “fear, dread or terror.” Referring to this natural fear, Jesus makes this stunning comparison: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” (Mt 10:28) Our natural protective fears compel us to serve either God or satanically inspired people. There is no neutrality, and we cannot serve two masters. Fear will not retreat from positive confession alone, it must be re-directed toward God. Two spirits are seeking our fearful hearts, an evil spirit of fear or the Holy Spirit. One will torment and haunt, the other ironically, will infuse you with peace and joy.
The early church walked simultaneously “in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 9:31) Contrary to common logic, the fear of God and comfort of the Holy Spirit are entirely compatible. The Bible tell us that the fear of God is pure, enduring forever, the beginning of wisdom, and a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death. “The fear of the LORD tends to life: and he that has it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.” (Pro 19:23) Jesus had the “spirit . . of the fear of the Lord,” (Isa 11:2) and this pure delightful fear is even present in heaven. (Rev 19:5)
The fear of God is attractive, peaceful and reassuring, but as soon as I revert to my independent egotistical ways, trusting in circumstances and seeking happiness, tormenting fear emerges, neutralizing faith. Immunity from fear is not found in a doctrinal position. Only an active abiding in Christ through repentance, prayer and worship, can inoculate you from the fears of this world. If you walk in the flesh you expose yourself to Satan's kingdom which is unrelenting fear and condemnation. The fear of God is the key to overcoming all other fears.
Like Adam, we try to placate God with religious pretense and self justification, rather than exposing our nakedness to Him who alone can deliver us from all fears. Fear drives us to safety, and there is only one safe place in this world. It is the “secret place of the most High.” “He who dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. . . .Then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. (Ps 91) This famous Psalm is a monumental display of God's protection in the midst of hell on earth. It is a “secret place” because it's hidden from everyone except you and God. It is that intimate, exclusive, unique and inexpressible place of communion with the Father, and it's accessible to every believer.
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." (Rom 8:15) What a striking difference between the fear that is bondage, and the snug and cozy security of “Abba Father.” In the Holy Spirit we can cry out “Daddy!” in childlike innocence and vulnerability, yet also revere Him as Father, and “tremble at His word.” In Christ you don't need to be afraid of God, you only need to be afraid of separating yourself from Him. Our greatest danger is not in calamity, persecution, sickness, poverty or in a multitude of frightful images, but failure to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. Flee to Him because you fear the consequences of not. When you do that something miraculous transpires!
The true fear of God doesn't produce cold austere religiosity. It's fruit is authentic Godly love, because the fear of God compels us to purge ourselves of all that's not love. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear . . . But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 Jn 4:18) That single verse is the key to fear! Agape love and tormenting fear are mutually exclusive. If you're growing in love you are growing in fearlessness.
However, this love is not just between you and God. There will be no deliverance from fear if we isolate ourselves. “If we love one another God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us . . .If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 Jn 4:12, 20) It's deception to assume you can have intimacy with God while disdaining and evading His beloved family.
God has no fear, He is love, and the faith which proceeds from him, therefore, originates in love. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Gal 5:6) Could the Bible be more emphatic? Without love I can only shout at fear with false boldness and hysteria. But with love and faith I can effectively contend for God's kingdom, wielding the sword of the Spirit with peaceful assurance and authority.
Worrying for your life and welfare is self-centered and contaminates Godly love. Even worrying over loved ones dilutes love with emotional self preservation, and such fear will hijack your faith. It's imperative that we learn to cast all our anxieties and troubles upon God, (1 Pet 5:7) because we cannot truly love those whom we cling to and manipulate for emotional security.
Our primal calling as believers is a “royal priesthood” or “kingdom of priests” and the only Biblical definition of the church is a “house of prayer for all nations.” That's it. It's that simple! Our bodies are now the temple of God and prayer is the main event. We are here to intercede and sacrificially minister on behalf of others. It's not about me. Self preservation will assure your destruction in the days ahead, but sacrificial love and prayer will resolve all fears.
To the one who loves God, including His body, He says this: “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him upon high . . . He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him my salvation.”
To a skeptic this may seem like some strange co-dependent moral blackmail. “If you love me, I'll protect you.” No. It is simply the mechanics of creation. We were designed to live and function by love. Anything else is death. If I “have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor 13:2) If you sow to the Spirit you will reap love, if you sow to the flesh you will reap fear.
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it , Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
“And because iniquity shall abound , the love of many shall wax cold But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
“And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”
Copyright 2010 by Hayden Humphrey
