Tag Archives: fearless

The Woman

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I watched a woman drive by me.  With both hands on the wheel, she watched carefully straight ahead.  But the car spoke louder of her character than her attentiveness.  It was a rusty beat up old boat from the eighties.

Obviously, she is trying hard to do the best she can with what she has.

But I wondered about her hope.  Being a born protector, the woman is concerned about her family, children, parents, friends, sickness, stability.  Does she know how intensely greater a protector is the Lord Jesus?

Has she learned to be protected?  Does she have joy inside all that dutiful good habit?

Setting a man on one side, and a woman on the other, consider their characteristic behaviors.  If a man could lay his hands on the father of lies, he would tear and punch and kick and scream venomous violence, as he tried to take down his foe.  How would this woman act in the same environment?

Would she huddle with her children in a darkened corner?  Or with excellent fearless violence, would her face explode with fierce anger as she rushed to dismember this one who has harmed her so; this one who threatens her great instinctual desire?

Would she cower in abject terror, or would she do as Peter has told her: Be fearless!  Believe!  Live your life in Christ with complete peace of heart.  Show no fear, trusting that God is greater than you.

Why Now?

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All day long you go about your business, as if all you have to fear is the safety of your goods and your health.  I hear you, people of the world, I hear the noise of your machines.  I hear the words of songs that should never be sung.  I see how you parade around as if there is no account to be made.

Will you listen if I tell you?
Will you hear if I speak? 
Will you care if I tell you I fear for you? 
You have not in the past. 
It’s not likely you will now.

All the noise of your godless ways will cease.   You will be caught by hands that encompass your entire soul.  All, as if one man, will be brought in chains to appear before the Living God.  You will be brought to account in an instant.

“Suddenly, in an instant, the Lord Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise,
with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.”

Resigned to Doing

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A godless banker walked into a convenience store to get himself a piece of jerky.  He stops to hold the door for a dirty sweaty young man.  Not a word of thanks is spoken.  But the banker shrugs off the thankless heart.  To him, this is the nature of the unprincipled.

Moments later, while they are both still shopping, another man enters the store.  This one is dirty and filthy.  The smell of marijuana reeks from his body.  The smell of beer isn’t far behind.

He walked up to the girl behind the counter.  From his mouth begins a long line of ridicule.  He remarks about her looks, how ugly she appears.  He speaks violently about how pathetic her children must be, what a squalor of a life she must lead, and how embarrassed he would be if she were his wife.

He was loud and rude enough to capture the attention of the two who walked in before him.  The banker busied himself with a variety of jerky, as if he was trying to decide.  But the sweaty and dirty young man walked briskly to the side of the drunk.  From that position he gave the drunk a tongue lashing that caused tears to fall.

The drunk left ashamed.  The sweaty and dirty young man paid his bill and waited beside the door.  The banker, mindless of the position of the other, bought his jerky and turn to leave.

When he looked up, he was greeted by a great broad smile and friendly eyes.  I’m sorry I didn’t thank you for holding the door sir.”  The disheveled young man said.  “I just came here to get something cool to drink.  We just finished rescuing and burying our dog.  It’s been a hard day.  I hope you can forgive me for not remembering my honor.”

The banker was stupefied.  Shame covered his heart.  He thanked the young man for holding the door and wished him good speed on recovering from his loss.  Then the banker went out to his car, away from all prying eyes, and cried like a baby.

We are our brother’s keeper.  If he is wicked let us have the determination to set him straight.  If he is attacked unjustly, let us be bold enough to step forward and offer our own bodies for protection.  If he is weak and afraid, let us give him strength by example.  And all of this Christ’s people should be doing for the glory of the Holy Name who bought them.

No!  Christianity is not a religion.  It is a doing!

Fear Constrains. God Releases to Boldness.

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I woke to be with the Lord this morning.  In our time together, he revealed a mystery to me.  I will try to relate it as best I can.

Why are people so reluctant to grasp a fearless doing of the Gospel?  What cuts some apart to boldness, while most live out the Gospel as if in secret?

The answer is simple, they fear.

Fear of man compels most to withdraw from public displays of Holy Truth.  Desire to “profit” among men drives most into a life of subdued worship and expression of God’s Holy Will among men.

They hear what the bold disciples say.  But they also see how such bold men are treated.  They quickly weigh the prospects of shunning, and make the determination that such travail is not worth the effort.  They must make a living.  They must eat.  They must compete in this wicked world.  And a bold proclamation of the Gospel will surely diminish their chances of survival.  Men will certainly hate them and exclude them from “prosperity” among men.

But what makes the difference between those who fearlessly proclaim the Gospel, and those who believe yet hide (to whatever extent)?

Two things play within the bold.  It’s hard for me to describe which one comes first.  Perhaps they come in unison.  One provocation to boldness is the blessing of God in the way of knowledge.  God causes the bold one to understand that the way of God is absolute, true, and sustaining no matter what.   The other provocation is that the bold perceive the wickedness of man as endless chaos.  No matter what they do, man will never protect.  Man is incapable of sustaining.  Man is full, and endlessly so, with lies and empty promises.  And the riches of man, that so called  “profit”, can provide nothing eternally valuable.

It is written, “They hated me for no reason”.  The bold receive the same treatment.  Their brothers and sisters in Christ see this treatment of the bold and withdraw to secrecy.  It’s that simple.

There were only 12 Apostles.  There were only 72 that were sent out.  And of the mass of men, there are (in my personal estimation) less than 1 percent of the population that will give all to God for the sake of His Holy Son’s Honor.  And it’s quite possible that I have over estimated the number of those who are bold for Christ.

I have seen many rise up to boldness.  But I have seen very few remain bold.  Usually, when a man stands up for Christ, the world around them beats them back into submission, and quickly.  They sink back into the “profit” of man and never rise up again.   Let no one misunderstand the power of the world to destroy.  This even happens, often, to men who wear the titles of pastor, preacher, evangelist, and so on!

If you would be bold for Christ, then be bold.  But first it would be wise to learn to hate the ways of man’s “profit”.  For they will surely use it against you to drive you back into their slime.  But if you would be willing to loose all for Christ, then, by all means stand!

Who is willing to die for Christ?  Who is willing to receive the beatings that man is all too ready to dispense?  Is it you?  If not, then ask yourself, “Why do I fear”.

God will sustain the willing heart.  He will feed the wicked, why won’t he feed you?  And if they come and take all you have, what have you lost?  These sayings are readily available among  Christ’s people.  But the key to making the decision to be bold lay in a fearless belief.  Are the promises of God TRUE?

Fear

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Of all the things that man can perceive, there is but one truth.  The Holy Christ of God has given himself for the salvation of every man, woman and child who  ever lived.

As we believe this we are set free of every wicked thing.  We are set free of fear; the greatest enemy of man.  Who can fear anything if he knows he has eternal life? 

Because of fear, men turn to all manner of wicked and abhorrent behavior.  They invent their own religions.  But every religion of man is full from top to bottom with fear.

By fear, men subject one another for the sake of wicked gain.  But it is impossible to subject the one who believes. 

“Christ has died for my sins.  Nothing you can do to me can take that away.  Though my body shake with anxiety for the coming pain,  my soul is that perfect rest.  For when you are finished applying what torture you may envision, I will go and be with he who has died for my sins.  How should I fear?  What can man do to me?  When in comparison, Christ has given me eternal life.”

A Christian believes this and is saved.  Anything less than this is not the fullness of Christ within us.  Anything less than this is worthless religion.

By His Grace

The Exceptionally Few

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Always considering the eyes of men.  That’s how most people live out their days.  It takes an exceptionally confident man to do his work in a crowd without notice of the eyes that watch.  And oh how few they are!

The fear of man pervades our every thought.  “What will they think?  What will they say?  What will they do to me for my failings?  Have I been successful at hiding my nakedness?  Do they still see my weakness?”   And so, fear is given a place to live.

Do you want freedom?  Do you want to live with a confidence that rises above the fear of men?  Do you want to become a member of the exceptionally few?

Then seek out the Christ of God with every fiber of your life!  No man can possibly rid himself of this kind of fear.  He has to develop an unshakable belief in the love of God for himself.   That’s when confidence arrives.

It’s not enough to say that God is love.  That’s not enough to dispel the fear.  You have to let your soul live in heaven, even while your body lives among men.  Then there is no fear.

Christ Jesus can do that for you.  He can set you free of every fear, even death. 

You can trust this message.  It is faultless, and will find full acceptance before the Living God.  It is in fact the message he has been preaching since the day of Adam and Eve.

By His Grace