No Fear
By Pastor Hal Mayer
Dear friends,
Warm Christian greetings to you and your family. I’m glad you are listening today because once again, I have a very important message for you. As we come down very near to the end of time, we need to be able to show our friends and neighbors how to understand the Bible and how to know and do the will of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is one thing to know and accept Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us on Calvary’s cross, it is quite another to understand that He is a living Savior, conducting an important work for us in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, and what that means in terms of our personal practical lives. I want to help you develop good answers to those who might present arguments against the truth. They are usually frivolous, but you still need to have the answers for them. Today, I’m going to share with you how to answer certain objections in regard to prophecy.
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My message today is a message of hope. It is about how we should think about the signs of the times and the things that will befall the world before Jesus comes. You need to be able to answer those who come to you and say that it isn’t important for us to understand prophecy and current events. It is true that there are many people who are wrought up about many things that are false prophecies. We must be very careful about not getting caught up in every conspiracy out there. But we must understand what Jesus and the Bible prophets told us would happen at the end of time.
Recently I was preaching at a church one Sabbath morning, and I urged the people to become subscribers to our monthly end time sermons and also, for those who are already subscribers, to renew their subscriptions. One lady spoke to me privately and told me to cancel her subscription because the things we talk about are too scary for her. I was saddened by this because I know that this is the wrong approach. Actually, I have occasionally had people tell me this. Also, someone recently wrote me a letter accusing me of trying to scare God’s people. And when our Sunday law sermon was published last year, there were a number of church leaders that suggested that I was just trying to frighten people.
There are many people who are afraid of what is coming upon the world. The Bible tells us that men’s hearts will fail them for fear. So they don’t want to hear the warning because it makes them afraid. I have actually had people tell me that in various ways. The problem is that there are truly frightening things that are about to happen to our world. But we need to understand them correctly. Everything from earthquakes, Tsunamis, fires, floods, accidents by land and sea, murders, wars and rumors of wars, famines and pestilences. When will they strike? And who will be caught up in them? These are fearful things.
Listen to what God tells us about these things. This is from the book Education, page 179-180. It is lengthy, but it helps us understand current events better. “The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they recognize that something great and decisive is about to take place—that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.”
The people of the world recognize what is about to happen at least in a vague way. They see the events as they unfold, and they worry. They fear. They look to their leaders, but their leaders do not have answers that work. They usually make it worse. They look to the priests, pastors and other religious leaders, and their answers do not satisfy them either. Mostly they are told not to worry, or they are given distractions to prevent them from investigating the scriptures to see what Jesus is trying to tell them.
I’ll read on. It gets more interesting. “Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, that they may not blow until the world shall be warned of its coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth; and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture.”
Did you catch that? This world is doomed. A storm that is gathering and it will burst upon the world as an overwhelming surprise. Why do you think God told us these things? Did He tell us what is coming to scare us? Or did He tell us what is coming because He loves us and so that we can have inside information? Reading on…
“The Bible, and the Bible only, gives a correct view of these things.” So there must be a correct and an incorrect view. If we have the incorrect view, we may well make disastrous decisions about our future, or make a terrible mistake and not prepare for what is coming. Or have great fear.
“The Bible, and the Bible only, gives a correct view of these things.” Here are revealed the great final scenes in the history of our world, events that already are casting their shadows before, the sound of their approach causing the earth to tremble and men’s hearts to fail them for fear.”
Friends, do you see what is happening? The Bible portrays the coming crisis as doom. What I say in these monthly messages is not from me, it is from God. All we are doing is documenting the many and various aspects of fulfilling prophecy.
And now for some scripture texts: “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. . . . They have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate. . . . The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.” Isaiah 24:1-18.
What a passage! Do you think that Isaiah was looking merely upon the things of his own time? I don’t think so. He was also looking down to the end of time, our time. You see my friends, the prophets of the Old Testament as well as the apostles of the New, spoke to us in our day. They tell us what is to come upon the earth before our Lord descends through the clouds of heaven.
Another verse: “Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. . . . The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.” “The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.” Joel 1:15-18, verse 12.
As I look around me, I see that we are nearing the time when these things will be fulfilled in every detail. Prophecy is absolutely certain. We can rely on it. But more importantly, we can rely on the God of prophecy to get us through it.
Friends, I can understand why many are scared. Some are scared to death about what is coming. Even Christians are running scared. But why is that? It is because they don’t know Jesus as they should. If you know Jesus and His infinite love, and if you understand the great controversy, there would be nothing to be afraid of. We have no fear at all about anything that may happen to us if we love Him with all our hearts and with all our minds and with all our souls. If we did, we would then please Him in all things and He would put His character into our mortal bodies and we would then live by all of His law. When we have that kind of relationship with Christ, we have no fear of anything or anyone. He can do with us what is best… And He will use us to be a wonderful testimony of His power during the latter rain when the Holy Spirit is poured out without measure upon the last generation of God’s people.
Not long ago, I was on an airplane that had to do an emergency landing because something wasn’t working right. Some people around me were very terrified. Some were crying. Some were praying. Some were very frightened. But I wasn’t. I can’t say that I am better than anybody else, but I know the great protector, and I am His. Needless to say, we landed safely, and I lived to tell the story. Friend’s we don’t have to fear anything, even when everyone around us is terrified.
The end time events that are about to come upon this world will not change anything for those who love Jesus. They will just make us love Him more. They teach us that Jesus, the one we love with all our hearts is about to come again in the clouds of glory and is about to take His faithful people home with Him, never to be apart from Him again. We don’t have to live in fear, for prophecy gives us peace.
Someone recently made an accusation in a letter to me. “Why don’t you preach Christ crucified like Paul and Peter?” Listen my friends, when we talk about fulfilling prophecy, we are talking about Christ and Him crucified. We are also talking about Christ risen and ministering for us in the heavenly sanctuary. We are talking about Christ who is coming soon through the corridors of heaven. Christ is at the very center of prophecy. Christ is the giver and revealer of prophecy. Christ is the focus of prophecy. The assault on God’s people in the last days by the wicked and disobedient who hate Christ, is in fact an assault on Christ Himself. For Jesus Himself said “In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” He is also defensive about His followers when he said, “but whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
When we talk about the Sunday law, we are talking about the law that will be erected to oppose the law of the God of heaven, the Ten Commandments, which are the character of Christ Himself. Jesus died on the cross so that the penalty of breaking the law could be applied as a substitute for us. That way we would have another chance. But he does not just leave us in our sins and without warning us to return to Him with all our hearts. He cannot save us in our sins. He saves us from our sins both now and eternally. He gives us the same message He gave to ancient Israel. Just read Paul’s writings, and for that matter Peter’s writings.
For instance, Paul writes to Timothy a warning prophecy in which he says in 2 Tim 3:1, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come…” Then he describes the conditions in the world in our day. Then he says in verse 12, “yea, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Paul’s prophecy is focused on Christ, and in living like Christ in a godly way. This is the way all prophecy is.
Peter himself says: “we have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” That’s 2 Peter 1:19. He then says in verse 21; “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” So Bible prophecy came from the Holy Spirit. If we don’t want to understand Bible prophecy because it makes us too afraid, then why did the Holy Spirit give it to us? The Holy Spirit knows that we need it, so that we will understand that Jesus has everything under control and we don’t need to worry. He foresaw it all, and knows exactly what to do. Understanding last day Bible prophecy should be a very peace and confidence building message.
Moreover, the Holy Spirit is a witness of Christ. How can anyone say then, that we are not talking about Christ when we talk about the signs of the times? It should go without saying. But it needs to be said because today there is a lot of confusion out there in the churches over the meaning of the cross, and the meaning of Christ’s work in heaven above, and the meaning of victory and character maturity. Yes, perhaps those who do not know Jesus fully, and who don’t really understand His purpose in these last days could be confused. Therefore it is important to clearly understand that when we are talking about the coming chaos that we are actually talking about Jesus Christ.
I heard a minister once say that we don’t need to know all about current events. We just need to know Jesus and His righteousness. We do need to know about Jesus and His righteousness, but thankfully, it is that same Jesus that has given us a heads-up about the near future and what to expect. That way we can more earnestly receive His righteousness into our lives so that we can live righteously before Him and before our fellow man.
Jesus proposes that in the last days when the fullness of His truth will be proclaimed, and when rebellion to His law will be matured world-wide, that He will have a people that will fully reflect His character. They will shine like the sun in contrast to the darkness. All eyes will be fixed on them. As the powers of this world encircle them and seek to destroy them, angels will stand guard around them and protect them. Yes, there will be martyrs. But Jesus said that He will not allow any of His faithful souls to be tempted above what they are able. He will provide for them the sustaining grace to withstand the terrible ordeal. You don’t need to fear. He will stand by your side like He stood by the side of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. If you lose your life, it will be for the good of His cause, and for your own good. We can trust Him, my friends. Jesus gave us the prophecies so that we can prepare. Not to scare us.
If I had to look upon these things from the human standpoint alone, I would be scared to death. But the more sure word of prophecy reassures me that Jesus, has seen it all ahead of time, and that He told us about it so that we would not be fearful. “See that ye be not troubled:” He said, “for all these things must come to pass… Matt 24:6. We are to have peace in the midst of chaos. We are to understand that Jesus gave us prophecy because He loves us and will care for us.
When you have the fear of the Lord, you have no fear of man or of nature. When you have Jesus’ love in your heart, you will never walk alone no matter how much trouble is going on around you. You will have strength of soul because you have faith that Jesus both knows the future, and He knows how to get you through it. I don’t fear the terrorists. They will kill and maim, but they cannot touch me unless God wills it. And if He does, He is only securing me for heaven if I am living according to His will. I don’t fear governments. They have their place and their part to play. But Jesus knows how to care for me.
If you ignore the signs of the times, it will not change what will happen one iota. If you bury your head in the sand, and try to avoid any thought about the signs of the times, it won’t change the circumstances at all. They will still be just as they were predicted. But let me remind you that it was Jesus that told us to “watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” It was Jesus that told us through the parable of the 10 virgins to be prepared with extra “oil” for our lamps.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the signs of the times. He alerts us to the coming of the bridegroom and He warns us to get ready. If you dismiss the predictions of Jesus through the prophets or from His own words as irrelevant, or impossible, or too scary, you will be caught by surprise. And guess what, instead of peace, then you will have heart-pounding fear. Imagine the terror of those that refuse to follow Jesus’ instructions. Imagine the fear of those who realize too late that they are eternally lost. Men’s hearts will fail them for fear, the scripture says.
Friends, this world is doomed. At least that is what the Bible tells us. You must begin now to live in such a way as to be prepared. Then God can protect you. Don’t delay until the disasters and judgments of God fall upon the land. It will be to late then to “trim your lamps.” Then it will be too late to enter into the kingdom with the bridegroom.
Listen to these words of the apostle John. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” That’s 1 John 4:18. Friends, prophecy is not designed to scare anyone. Satan is the one who misrepresents prophecy as fearful. He is trying to get your eyes away from Christ in prophecy.
Let us think about this verse in 1 John 4:18. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
There are a number of things we can learn from this one little text. If you have Jesus’ love in your heart, which is true love, you will have no fear. You will have no fear of man, no fear of death, no fear of hunger, no fear of pain. You will have no fear of governments, no fear of war, no fear of violence or terrorism. You will have no fear of famine or pestilence, no fear of tsunami or earthquake or hurricane. You will have no fear of anything. For the verse says that perfect love casteth out fear. Perfect love is the love of Christ. It is selfless and humble.
Note also that the verse says that “fear hath torment.” There is perhaps no worse torment than the fear that overwhelms you in realizing that you are lost when you had every chance to accept Christ as your Savior and be saved. Think about that. Those who now suggest that it is fear mongering to speak of the rapidly fulfilling signs of the times are actually encouraging you to ignore them and put aside the preparation that is necessary for the coming crisis. This is a satanic deception. Without realizing it perhaps, they are actually setting you up to suffer the worst possible fear, the fear of being lost. Today, many don’t want to deal with their characters now. The result will be that they will have great fear later.
Prophecy my friends, is not about causing us fear. It is about giving us peace. Everyone can see what is coming upon the world. They can see the signs of the times. There is no doubt in the minds of millions that there is a “stupendous crisis” that is about to break upon the world. They just don’t know what it is. They can’t identify it. They have no prophecy to give them certainty in Christ for the future.
The whole great controversy between Christ and Satan is about your free choice between the freedom from sin found in Christ and the slavery of sin found in loyalty to Satan. Satan almost has the whole world convinced that he is right. He has convinced almost all people that God is an unjust tyrant.
Meanwhile, Jesus, God’s representative, is working on hearts to voluntarily yield their lives to His power. When they do, they will be guarded by heavenly angels and guided by the Holy Spirit to successfully navigate the prophetic times as they develop.
God has to allow Satan to fully develop his malicious agenda in the world. Satan will try to convince you that he is right and Christ is wrong. You have to choose to obey him or obey Jesus. Jesus gave us His ten commandment law. That is how we obey Him. We live by His law. But that is impossible for a human being on his own. But when Christ reigns within him, he can live according to the whole law. After all, where Jesus is, sin cannot remain. When Jesus is in your heart, it is purified by His presence. If you are tempted to sin, or turn from Christ, He will give you strength to resist the temptation. He has all power in heaven and on earth. Therefore, He can literally free you completely from sin, both its guilt and its power. This is the choice you have to make. You can choose to be one with Christ and fulfill His law in your life. But if you don’t, you will inevitably be one with Satan and fulfill his purpose in your life instead.
As the contrast becomes more stark as we near the close of probation, Satan is given power to reveal himself fully and eventually he will do this by persecuting God’s true people for their loyalty to Jesus. That’s what is says in the book of Revelation chapter 13, which by the way, is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ.” So in other words, the final scenes of this earth’s history are related to the righteousness of Christ in this way. As wickedness grows to unprecedented proportions, the righteousness of Christ in His people, His saints, is magnified more and more brightly. It is God’s purpose to reveal Christ, not by His personal physical presence on earth, but in the personal lives of His followers. They will practice the mystery of godliness. In all their behavior, no matter what it is; in what they eat, in what they wear, in what they do with their time, in what they listen to or watch; even in the thoughts and imaginations and in the secret recesses of their hearts, they will reflect the One altogether lovely.
This will madden the wicked. They can’t stand to see the reproof to their wickedness, and lust. They cannot find peace because their consciences are ever convicted by the unselfish lives of the righteous representatives of Jesus Christ. This is the point of the apostles. It is the plain message of the New Testament. Those who miss this point, miss a wonderful opportunity, and perhaps their eternal salvation.
Friends, we are not to fear man. We are to fear God. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10. Friends, this nice little verse which sounds so sweet when children recite it from memory, is actually the great secret of last generation success. You cannot have wisdom if you don’t fear the Lord. If you have a knowledge of the holiness of God, you will understand it personally and live your life in a godly way.
We who are living in the last days will have to seek after a knowledge of God and of His holiness. This only comes through Jesus Christ who is our substitute, sacrifice and our example. When we talk about prophecy, we are actually talking about the same things that Peter was talking about. Listen to his words. Actually these thoughts are from Jesus Christ to us who are living in the last days, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 1 Peter 2:21-23.
How could Peter say those things if he did not believe that those who live until the very last moments of time could not be victorious over sin, or if he believed that Jesus is not our example in all things. If Jesus kept the ten commandment law, so can we, when we have Jesus in our hearts. The problem is that most people don’t really want Jesus in their hearts. They aren’t willing to follow His example. Consequently, they don’t see the need for prophecy, or perhaps, more pointedly, they don’t want to have to face the implications of prophecy and reform their lives and live for Jesus in the fullest way.
Let us come back to this question of fear. I want you to try to put yourself in the crowd by Noah’s ark, who was mocking Noah after Noah went into the ark. After six days, there was still no rain as Noah had predicted. They laughed and they mocked. They had no fear of God. They had no fear offending the God who has brought the sun up every day, and had the dew water the earth each night. There had been no rain. Everything was picture perfect. How could a flood destroy the earth? They had never seen one. They didn’t even know what rain was. How could God do what Noah had predicted?
They laughed at Noah. They accused him of proclaiming fear. They said he was just trying to scare the people. They ridiculed the ark that God had instructed him to build. They imagined Noah to be old and foolish and out of touch with the modern world. They saw the ark built on dry land, and they giggled at the idea that it would someday float away to safety.
But their laughter turned to absolute panic as they saw the storm clouds gather, and the torrential rain begin to fall. They watched in horror as their homes and families were washed away, and their beautiful lands torn apart and flooded. Their ridicule turned to desperation as the water level rose higher and higher.
Friends, the prophecy that Noah proclaimed for 120 years was absolutely going to be fulfilled, even if it did not seem like it was possible right up until the day it happened. It was the word of God. It was a certainty. Bible prophecy is always like that. It will come to pass no matter what. It is a veritable certainty and we had better pay attention to what God says.
Now think about Lot over there in Sodom for a few minutes. Imagine what the people of Sodom thought when Lot came to them and told them that their probation had come to an end, and that their only escape was to come with him and leave the city.
They must have thought him to have lost his mind. But they also probably accused him of trying to scare them. “Come out with me!” he pleaded. But they just ridiculed him. “You’re deluded, Lot,” they chuckled, “You’re just worked up in the mind. You’re living in a world of fear. What is there to fear, Lot? Every day is the same as the day before. The sun shines, the rain falls, the crops grow. Nothing is going to happen. How is it that those two visitors you have at your house have so quickly taken hold of your mind and caused you to be so fearful. Don’t listen to them. Join our party. They don’t know what they are talking about.”
The next morning after the parties were over, imagine the fear that gripped the people of Sodom when they suddenly realized that Lot was right. As fire rained down on their fair city, they must have had a few moments of stunning awareness that they had forfeited the opportunity to escape. They had no time any longer to get ready. They had no chance to flee.
Friends, this is the way it will be for the wicked at the end of time. They will think that those who proclaim the last message of warning are fanatics and fear mongers. They will think that they are just trying to scare the people. The world will go on as it always has. Each day will be the same as before. Yes, there will be problems that will present themselves. Then suddenly there will be a dramatic change. Without warning God’s dealings with a rebellious world will become adversarial. His judgments will fall on the great cities, and the people will panic. They will become so desperate and fearful that they will try to find a way to get the nations of the world back to God. The pope will have a lot of power in that day. He will suggest that everyone get back to God and go to church on Sunday. Laws will be passed, perhaps in quick succession, restricting activity on Sunday and eventually forbidding the worship of God on His holy Sabbath. Fear will grip the nations. Fear will drive home the displeasure of God.
But those who have made their peace with God will have His presence in their hearts. They will have to endure trial, according to the scriptures. They will be hated, hunted and hounded wherever they go. They will have to go into hiding. They will not be able to live in the usual way any longer, but God will sustain them. He will be their protection. Jesus will be with them in the fiery trial of their faith.
Friends, Jesus said, “fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matt 10:28.
Jesus gave us inside information. You and I can see the hope in the midst of these tragedies because we are not in the dark about why they happen. They are part of fulfilling prophecy. Through natural disasters, economic uncertainty, and personal tragedy, God is speaking to us, urging each of us to prepare for eternity.
If you think there is hope for this world, then you will likely be confused about prophecy. Because prophecy does not provide hope in the world. Prophecy provides hope in Christ. Prophecy gives us peace because it comes from the Prince of Peace. Prophecy gives us the calm assurance that Christ has everything under control. It gives us the certainty that though at first we will suffer difficulty and our faith will be tested, we have the reward of an eternal home, where we will be secure and untainted by fear forever.
Paul, the great apostle, the one whom preachers are to emulate, wrote, in 1 Thess 5:3 a prophecy that is very scary. “For when they shall say, Peace and Safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
This is a terrible prophecy, particularly about the end of time. He is saying that at the very time when the world is hoping for peace; at the very time when the churches are uniting in peace, at the very time when the people long for safety from terrorism and disaster and economic difficulty, there is no peace. There is no safety.
Would you accuse Paul of preaching fear? Would you accuse him of trying to scare us? Some people would. They like to read what Paul says about “Christ and Him crucified.” But they don’t want to hear what else Paul has to say about the end of time. They just want to bury their heads in the sand. They want to ignore the dangers as long as they can and hope that they will escape the losses that will come to those who do not prepare.
Paul continues in the following verses; “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. That’s verses 4-11 of 1 Thess 5.
Notice that Paul tells us that we are not to sleep. We are to be wide awake. Notice that Paul tells us that we are not to be taken by surprise, but we are to watch for this great time of trouble like we are watching for a thief in the night. Let us think about this for a minute. Those who are watching the signs of the times, Paul says in essence, “are children of the light and children of the day. It is the children of the dark and of the night that are asleep. They cannot discern the signs of the times. They cannot understand the preparation that needs to be done. They are spiritually asleep.
Then notice that Paul ties it all into the righteousness of Christ. Jesus died for us so that we can have His righteousness and put on His armor to successfully fight the good fight and come out victorious.
Note too that he said that God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation. This is wonderful news! As we look at the signs of the times unfolding dramatically around us, let us not forget that we are children of God and of Christ. We are destined for salvation. We have prophecy so that we can know what is coming ahead of time and see the footsteps of Jehovah. But we are not to fear them. “Let not your heart be troubled,” Jesus said. “Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also.”
This wonderful promise was made especially for those of us who are living in the last days. “Fear not.” “Let not your heart be troubled.” “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” That’s John 14:27. Over and over again, Jesus gives us a lesson on the terrible things that will happen in this world, but then He says, be at peace, let not your heart be troubled…
You see, there is nothing to be afraid of. As powerful movements take place around the world, we don’t need to be fearful. We don’t have to fear heat seeking surveillance devices. We don’t have to fear control by the one-world government. We don’t have to fear the persecution brought on by the churches. We don’t have to fear anyone or anything. If we fear Christ which means that we love and respect Him more than anything else in our lives, we will never have occasion to fear human beings. They may do some fearsome and awful things, but we can have peace. We can have assurance in Christ that He will sustain us.
We cannot have this assurance unless we are hid with Christ in God. You cannot dabble with the world and expect to be hid in Christ. This is where the difficulty lies. Too many of us want to continue to live as we have always lived. Too many of us want to play with sin, and play with worldliness, while at the same time looking as if we are good Christian people.
There is something else we are to fear. We are to fear the devil. We are to be so careful that we do not give him even the smallest inch or centimeter in our lives; because if we do, he will take over. The devil is your dangerous foe, not the government, not the illuminati, not the Jesuits, not anything else. We need to watch them, but not fear them.
The psalmist says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Psa 23:4. Then in Psalm 27:5 he says, that in the time of trouble, Jesus will “hide me in the secret of His tabernacle.” Jesus knows how to protect you.
Think about what these verses actually say. Even though we have trials, even though we have tribulation, even though we go into the grave, Jesus promises to be with us. These verses were written for our times, friends. We can have the privilege of having no fear even in the time of trouble. He puts his confidence in our hearts. He pours His peace into our souls. While everyone else around us may fear the worst, while nations reel in shock at the things that come upon them, we can have peace. While whole societies and whole cities are destroyed, we can have peace. When faced with enemies determined to destroy us, we can have peace. For Christ will fight the battle for us.
We have nothing to fear, my friends. We can look forward to seeing our Lord and Savior face to face. We don’t have to be wrought up over end time events. These should bring us great joy and happiness because our Lord is with us. He will stand by our sides. He will strengthen us for whatever ordeals we will face.
Jesus has given us clear instructions so that we can successfully navigate the great time of trouble that is ahead of God’s people. We may actually see angels while we are bound in chains. What a place to be! Why fear prison when it is the place of the presence of God? Why fear torture, or abuse, or even death, if by it we can glorify and honor our Lord Jesus?
I hope you are willing to look at the very things Jesus Himself told us would come to pass before He comes again. I hope that you will keep wide awake, and watch the signs of the times very carefully.
May God bless and keep you faithful, my friends. Get ready, get ready, get ready. Put extra oil in your lamps. Seek to know God and Jesus Christ. Learn to trust His power. Learn to live for Him and reveal Him to others. And soon, when Satan reaches his zenith of power, you will also see the power of God working in miraculous ways.