Fear Not... Then Super-Conquer

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8: 37 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Super-Conquer!

Our minds and gospel-expectations are too small.

The victories that we are used to are temporary, tainted, and incomplete.

Every spring I defeat the bugs that start coming in to the Jubilee building.  And yet next year more bugs enter.

The Axis powers surrendered unconditionally as the Second World War ended.  But other enemies soon arose.  And many in power in Italy, Japan, and Germany during the war escaped justice and caused difficulties again.

I keep catching colds, overcoming colds, and catching new colds.

But Paul announces to us that in Christ Jesus we find true victory.  Knowing that we are only familiar with a faded kind of conquering, Paul states that Christians find MORE than victory!  Jesus MORE than Conquers His enemies! We, in Jesus,  do not merely conquer sin, sin’s effects, sin’s power, and sin’s presence… we MORE than Conquer!

Because even though our eyes see the fight continuing, the cross-victory was absolute.

Because even though we falter and fear, the victory is sure.

Because even though we have troubles, distresses, persecutions, hunger, insufficiencies, dangers, or violence… we, in Christ, are more than conquerors.

We will know it completely in heaven.  But if we have eyes to see it, willingness to see it, hope to see it, trust to see it, belief to see it, or faith to see it… the victory is already here.  We are already more than conquerors.

Fear not, then super-conquer.

Fear Not.. Then Be Spiritual

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5 ESV)

Fear Not… and Be Spiritual

Being spiritual does not mean acting self-righteously and glancing heavenly with wondering gaze every few minutes.

Being spiritual does not mean ignoring the physical or the emotional.

Being spiritual does not mean speaking in an annoying pseudo-religious way.

Being spiritual, despite spirituality’s bad reputation in these modern days, as actually quite simple, attainable, and valuable.

Being spiritual means that Jesus is the focus of your life.

Being spiritual means that your motivation is found in Jesus.

Being spiritual means that HIS approval is the only approval that matters.

Being spiritual means that you realize that Jesus is the most important aspect of your day.

Being spiritual means that you realize that if there is no Jesus in what you think, say, feel, or do, it is a waste of time, energy, and life.

Being spiritual means that you speak, act, think, and feel about Jesus.

Fear not, and be spiritual.

Fear Not... Then Cut Out the Middleman

He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). (II Kings 18:4 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Cut Out the Middleman

In Numbers 21:9, Moses formed a bronze serpent as a tool to bring healing to the Israelites suffering from poison, brought on them by their disobedience to God. 

But hundreds of years later, the people of God had begun to focus on the means of God’s healing, rather than on God, Himself.  They remembered God’s merciful healing, but their eyes and hearts focused on the MEANS, rather than the SOURCE of blessing.

We do this, too. 

God blesses us by providing jobs so our families can be fed, and we take pride in our position and income.

God blesses us by placing us in communities, and we forget our community is intended to draw us to Jesus, to draw others to Jesus, and to better live for Jesus.

God blesses us by building a nation founded on wisdom, and we act like America somehow IS God’s blessing.

God blesses us with health, and that health has become our number one priority.

King Hezekiah had the courage and sense to get rid of the popular thing that distracted from God, the sentimental thing that distracted from God, the memorable thing that distracted from God, the very symbol of blessing that distracted from God.

It is no accident that it looked like a snake.

As our faith grows, and we can fear less… what snakes are distracting us from God?

Fear not, and cut out the middleman.

Fear Not... Then Wait

And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken. (Jeremiah 38:28 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Wait

They say a watched pot never boils.  In the same way, a watched microwave never dings.  A watched cake never finishes baking.  A watched download is never completed.  And a watched raspberry bush never grows.

We say those things.  But they are not true.  We say those things because waiting is a lost art.

We want what we want NOW.  We demand what we want NOW.  We do not want to wait, EVER.

This is the appeal of modern fast food, quick-dry paint, online degrees, and audio books.

This attitude effects our prayers. (Why hasn’t God answered yet???)  This attitude effects our patience. (I have already waited for ten minutes!!!!)  This attitude effects our trust. (If God really loved me, He would have helped already!!!)

But remember Jeremiah.  He preached long and hard, warning the people of their rebellion against God.  They had not listened. He preached again, long and hard, warning the people of Jerusalem of the coming invasion.  They had not listened.  He preached again, long and hard, warning the people of Jerusalem of the coming destruction.  They had not listened.

And then he waited.

He took God at His word, and waited.

He did not try to do all of God’s work himself. 

He waited.

Jeremiah was not lazy.  He worked before he waited.  He listened before He waited.  He obeyed before he waited.

But then he waited.

Maybe Jeremiah had heard Isaiah’s promise: “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 ESV)

Fear not, then wait.

Fear Not... Then Open the Narrow Gate

 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13,14 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Open the Narrow Gate

I was attempting a Drive-Through purchase a few days ago.  Two lanes existed, but one line was VERY long, and then other was very short.  I felt compelled to choose the long lane… because everyone else was!  But I chose the short lane… and got my food much more quickly.

Going along with the crowd rarely is the best choice.  Popular opinion discovers truth.  “Most People” are usually… wrong.

Jesus warns us against taking the easy, common, wide path through life.  This easy path includes, ‘looking out for number one.”  This easy path includes doing things, or believing things, just because ‘every else does.’ This easy path includes putting conditions on love, trust, or forgiveness.  This easy path includes agreeing with God’s Word only if it suits us.  This easy path includes striving for popularity, profit, and position.

But the gospel path is the better path.

It leads to faith, hope, and love.

It leads to right.

It leads to life, eternal.

The odd thing is, that this hard path is actually the easier path.  Because Jesus already did the hard work for it, on the cross.

Fear not, then open the narrow gate.

Fear Not... Then Hope

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Hope

I am not overly fond of painting houses.  Perhaps because I have fallen off ladders, been attacked by bees, overstretched muscles, and spilled paint in hard-to-clean places.  These aspects of painting MIGHT cause me to be afraid of warming up the scrapers and paintbrushes…

But I am not afraid of painting houses.  Because I have seen the result of the hard work.  I have seen the result of the discomfort.  I have seen the result of the tedium, soreness, and exhaustion.  In fact, while I get dirty, get sore, and get tired, I have found that I can endure… because of the expected end result.

Painted houses look nice!

Life is hard.  Even on the other side of fear, troubles still remain.  Christians still have financial troubles, relationship issues, physical trials, and sleepless nights.  We still suffer. 

We have learned, maybe, to not fear the dark… but what do we do now instead of fear?

Paul tells us to purposefully, consciously, patiently hope.  Hope, for Paul, does not mean to smile innocently and sing happy songs no matter our struggles.  Hope, for Paul, means knowing that however difficult our circumstances, God is at work.  Hope, for Paul, means looking ahead to the glorious result God promises.

God is doing something great.  God is doing something that produces endurance, character, and hope.  God is doing something that will result in peace, contentment, and joy.

Fear not, then hope.

Fear Not.. .Then Stop Hating

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. (I John 2:9 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Stop Hating

Any time Christians find ourselves acting like the world, it is a red warning flag.

And lately, we have been hating.

We know who are enemies are, and we want the worst for them.  We want them toppled politically, emptied economically, and embarrassed publicly.

After all… look what they have done to US?  They pass laws against the Church.  They accuse Christians of being bigots.  They mock, belittle, and insult us in nearly every news broadcast.

They hate us.

And lately we think that means we get to hate them back.

But John tells us a different story.

We, born in the amazing love of Christ Jesus, get to be different.

We get to love instead of hate.

Fear and hate are closely connected.  Hate comes from fear, and leads to more hate.  Once we start hating, winning becomes the goal, and we become afraid we will lose.  When we are resting in hate, there is no rest.  When we see our enemy and hate, not only do we see their hatred of us, but we increase the hate quotient by adding OUR hate into the recipe.

When we find peace and hope through Christ, we are supposed to be in the light instead of the darkness.

Why are we still acting like we are in the dark?

Fear not, then stop hating

Fear Not... Then Repeat

“There’s nothing new to say on the subject. Don’t you still have the message of the earlier prophets from the time when Jerusalem was still a thriving, bustling city and the outlying countryside, the Negev and Shephelah, was populated? [This is the message that God gave Zechariah.] Well, the message hasn’t changed. (Zechariah 7:7-9 The Message)

Fear Not… Then Repeat

I have a four-foot length of pipe that fits nicely around the handle my pipe wrench.  On those occasions that I need to loosen a particularly stuck bit of plumbing, I reach for my pipe.  I have used that pipe for over forty years.  It adds leverage and helps me loosen things.

Maybe new wrench-tech has been invented.  Maybe new chemical, temperature, or magic ways to loosen pipes have come along. 

But I do not think so.

Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.

Zechariah thought so.  The reason we still use a Bible that is hundreds of years old, is that it is like my pipe.  The Bible, old, reliable, and still true… is a Christian’s go to solution.

Do not be fooled into thinking that new philosophies are better.  Do not be fooled into thinking that so-called advancing civilization needs advanced connections with God.

For Zechariah, God’s message was THE message, whether it was written in the time of King David’s time, or the terrible time of the exile.  God is our only hope. 

The old ways, described in old Scripture, are still our only hope.

Fear not, then repeat.

Fear Not... Then Keep Praying

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:5-6 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Keep on Praying

These days I have three insulin shots every day. 

Imagine how foolish I would be if I stopped the injections because my blood sugar levels were under control.  The very thing that gives me good health needs to continue, obviously.

Imagine how foolish we would be if we stopped putting gasoline in the lawn mower, on the basis that the mowing was done for the day.  The grass continues to grow, so the mower continues to need grass.

Imagine how foolish you would be if you stopped talking with your best friend, because the relationship was so very solid, enriching, and challenging.  The continuing relationship requires a continuing nurture through conversation.

Yet we pray less AFTER our fear is gone.  We pray less AFTER the troubles are past.  We pray less AFTER our immediate need has been met by the Messiah.

The blessings of prayer, the benefits of prayer, the resulting relationship with God that comes from prayer go on and on and on and on.

Paul reminds us that the Lord is at hand.  See how close your hand is?  If you are here, so is your hand.  The Lord, the God of the Universe, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is right there.  And right here. 

Keep praying after the fear.  Keep praying after the peace.  Keep praying after the sorrow.  Keep praying after the joy.  Keep praying after the trials and troubles.  Keep praying after the solutions. 

Keep praying, Paul writes, in everything.

Fear not, then keep praying.

Fear Not... Then Give Advice

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Give Good Advice

I have a bit of plumbing knowledge and experience.  But I never knew as much as I thought I did, and I have forgotten more than I thought I knew.

And sometimes, when someone asks me for plumbing advice, I falter.

A young man who seemed to know about modern electronic gadgets once listened to my question about how my phone was misbehaving… and his eyes glazed over.  He just did not know.

We are asked for advice.  And even when we are not actually asked, we sometimes find ourselves in situations where we feel the need to give it.

And that can be a scary thing.

The closer the relationship, the more scary giving advice can be.

The more important the topic, the more scary giving advice can be.

It is scary because we, when we are being honest, do not really know as much as we think we do.

However, (AND THIS IS A HUGE HOWEVER!) you DO have the perfect advice to give.

You have sixty-six books worth.  You have, in the King James Version of the Bible, 783,137 words worth.

Passing on God’s word and advice in every situation is passing on the best advice.

In fact, passing on God’s advice is the best advice possible… because He is God!

Sometimes the advice found in God’s word is principial, and sometimes it is very specific.  But passing on God’s advice is less scary… because it is HIS reliable, sure, personal, and powerful advice.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3:16 ESV)

We do not need to give our own good advice… we can give Biblical Advice

Fear Not… then give good advice.

Fear Not... Then Use God's Clock

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  (II Peter 3:8 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Use God’s Clock

We are wild crazy busy… but GOD has time in His pocket.

We do not seem to have time these days to contemplate, but we do take the time to worry.

We do not seem to have the time these days to sit and think, but we do take the time to run in circles.

We do not seem to have the time to live in wonder,  but we do take the time to complain

We do not seem to have the time to rest peacefully, but we do take the time to flurry in our teacups.

Maybe we need to throw away our watches, clocks, and sundials.  Maybe we need to turn off the time-

keeping function on our phones.  Maybe we need to trust God’s time. 

Maybe our wild crazy busy days would be less wild, crazy, and busy, if we tried to have God’s perspective of thousands of years instead of seconds. 

Fear Not… Then Use God’s Clock

Fear Not... Then Know Protection

The God-begotten are also the God-protected. The Evil One can’t lay a hand on them. We know that we are held firm by God; (I John 5:18-19 The Message)

Fear Not… Then Know Protection

In the corner by my front door is a baseball bat.

Usually when we travel, there is a revolver in the car.

My skills at hand-to-hand combat, jiu-jistu, karate, and kick-boxing are legendary.

Because of those things, at particular moments, I am sometimes a little less afraid.

If a bat, a bullet, and an illusion can make me feel safe… how much more safe should I feel when I know I am held firm by God?

God’s protection is eternal, providential, and powerful.  Why should I worry?  God’s protection is promised, implied, and deduced.  Why should I worry?  God’s protection is limitless, reality, and present.  Why should I worry?

Fear not, then know protection.

Fear Not... Then Expect Blessing

And if you will indeed obey My commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,  He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.  And He will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. (Deuteronomy 11:13-15 ESV

Fear Not… Then Expect Blessing

This is not the first time we have found this hopeful expectation in God’s covenantal promises.  And it will not be the last.  It is a common refrain in the song of God’s Word.

Because we need to be reminded.

We are cynics.  We are more comfortable with God’s spiritual promises than His physical promises.  We are quick to observe times that God apparently does not keep this kind of promise.  We do not want to appear to be weird fanatics.

But God says what God says.

He will bless His people.  When our trust is such that we stop being afraid of other things, we can expect blessings.  Not necessarily the blessings we are demanding and seeking… but blessings of such a nature that when we see them, we will be awe-struck.

We will eat and be full.

Personally, I think our yearning for this hope is behind our statistical predictions.  I think our yearning for this hope is behind our culture’s infatuation with horoscopes.  I think our yearning for this hope is why we like happy endings to our stories.

But instead of seeking hope in mathematics, horoscopes, and fiction, let us look instead to the Word of the One True Living God.

Fear not, then expect blessing.

Fear Not... Then Be Vigilant

Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.  (Deuteronomy 11:16-17 ESV)

FEAR NOT… THEN BE VIGILANT

Singapore was known as the Gibraltar of the East.  Gibraltar was considered an impregnable fortress at the Southern tip of Spain, and in the end, it has still not fallen to any enemy.  But Singapore was a different story.

Things seemed to be going well for the British Empire in Asia.  Japan had fought on the side of the Allies in the Great War, and while trade disputes did occur, for the most part, Britain faced no powerful enemies in Asia.

And so, the military command relaxed.  Other places in the world seemed to require more attention.  Other defenses were more important.  Money, manpower, and planning focused in Europe and Africa.

And while the more famous Pearl Harbor surprised the United States, the Japanese also attacked the supposedly strong defenses of Singapore.  Reportedly, over half of the guard posts in Singapore were unoccupied when the Japanese forces arrived.

When things are going well, we fall away from diligence.

Not only in military terms, but also in our Kingdom wars. 

God warns the Israelites that when they would experience God’s blessings, there would be a danger of deception. They would find it easy to neglect those defenses that keep us close to God.  And history showed God to be correct.

Our mountaintop experiences, as wonderful as they are, are potentially dangerous.  It seems easier to wonder away from God when we are at peace, or enjoying His blessings, or are resting.

Consider your sanctification… we tend to grow more spiritually during trials than during better times.  Consider your prayer habits… we tend to pray more honestly and intimately during struggles than during contentment.  Consider your worship… we tend to know we need God more when are facing fears than when we are enjoying the benefits of our relationship with Jesus.

Remember Singapore…

Fear not, then be vigilant.

Fear Not... Then See the Church

That will be your confirmation that God-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me to you. Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They’ll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!” (Zechariah 4:9–10 The Message)

Fear Not… Then See the Church

Sometimes the answer is right in front of us.   Last year, while the world rocked beneath the threat of a contagious and deadly virus; while the economy of the United States, recently so strong, rolled beneath the thread of business closings and spending decreases; while our governments, so helpful at times, seemed to be singing a more threatening tune…

I found peace, and hope, and love in a small group of people in rural Kansas.

More yet, I found that fear had no reign in a small group of people in rural Kansas.

Even more than that, I found Jesus dwelling in a small group of people in rural Kansas.

As the people of God returned from exile in Babylon, there was a lot of fear.  Their world was rocked by weather, neighbors, and armies.  Their world was rolled by economic woes, financial troubles, and unsuccessful endeavors.  Their world was threatened by the very government that had sent them back.

And the answer for them was in symbolized by Zerubbabel’s work in building the temple.  The new, restored temple was not an impressive structure.  But it was more than it seemed. Though seemingly small, it was a symbol for God’s presence among His people.  As the bricks were laid by a remnant of a remnant… God’s answer to their fears grew more clear.   Not because the building became so cool.

But because better than the temple… and coming soon… was the Messiah.

Often unimpressive at first glance, there is actually nothing on earth more wonderful than the people of God at work in His kingdom.  The church is the place God best loves to work.  The church is the place God’s presence is most clearly found.  The church is the place God answers our cries.

The church is far from perfect, but her Lord is perfect.  The church is far from glorious, but her Lord is glorious.  The church is far from powerful, but her Lord is powerful.

One brick at a time.

Fear not, then see the church.

Fear Not... Then Don't Be Fooled

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. (II Timothy 3:8-9 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Don’t Be Fooled

If it were not for the Book of Timothy, we would not know for certain the names of the two magicians who opposed Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh.

But we know from the book of Exodus that they were clever men.  They were professional showmen.  They knew how to work physics, illusions, and the audience.

Apparently, other clever men tried deception during Timothy and Paul’s time.  We do not know their names, but we can assume that they were as clever, professional, and manipulative as Jannes and Jambres.

But Paul tells Timothy to relax.  Lies, deception, and manipulation always fall before the power of Jesus’ truth.

We face clever lies, too.  Our society seems beset by Jannesi and Jambresi.  And that can be discouraging.  But like Timothy, we can relax.  Paul assures us, too, that the truth will win.

It starts with the powerful truths of the gospel.  And it ends with those same truths.  Nothing else really matters.

Fear not, then don’t be fooled.

Fear Not... Then Tell the Truth

Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (Acts 23:6-7 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Tell the Truth

Paul was in a tight spot. 

And perhaps we would expect articulate Paul to talk his way out of his fix with rhetoric, passion, and logic.  We might like to see him argue, catch pagans in logical errors, and twist the words of his accusers into knots.  Cheering him on from the historical sidelines, we want to see Paul win, we want to see Paul victorious, we want to see Paul in his impressive oratory destroy his enemies.

But he does not.

He sees in front of him the Romans beginning to be interested in the gospel.  He sees in front of him angry Jews.  He sees in front of him the worried faces of his companions, in need of hope.

It might seem that his words setting Pharisee and Sadducee against each other are a trap.  It might seem that he is pushing them into an argument to gain credibility with the Romans.  It might seem that he is encouraging his friends by presenting the weaknesses of his accusers.

And perhaps those things might be the result of Paul’s choice of tactic.

But simply, Paul tells the truth.

He declares his background, and the hope of the gospel.

I wonder how many times our conflicts, internal and external, would be resolved with a similar choice of tactic.

Jesus says the truth sets us free. (John 8:28)

We do not have to be clever on the front lines of gospel dispute.  We do not have to be strategic as the Kingdom of God comes under attack in our front yard.  We do not have to be crafty, sneaky, or lay logical traps when presenting the hope that is in us. (I Peter 3:15)

We have the truth.  God is.  Sin separates. Christ redeems, restores, and renews. (Colossians 1:13)

Fear not, then tell the truth.

Fear Not... Then Keep a Record

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah received this Message from God:

“Get a scroll and write down everything I’ve told you regarding Israel and Judah and all the other nations from the time I first started speaking to you in Josiah’s reign right up to the present day.              “Maybe the community of Judah will finally get it, finally understand the catastrophe that I’m planning for them, turn back from their bad lives, and let me forgive their perversity and sin.”[1] (Jeremiah 36:1-3 The Message)

Fear Not… Then Keep a Record

Most Wednesdays I do a bit of shopping for JubiWednesday dinner.  I used to just have a general idea and go to the store.  But I kept forgetting bread, or lettuce, or grapes, or onions.  And going back to the store is not a good use of time.

So now I make a list.  I write it down.  And I rarely forget ingredients anymore.

When God gave an important message to Josiah, God did not just leave it to Jeremiah’s memory.  God told Jeremiah to write it down.  So Jeremiah would not forget the exact words.  So Josiah would not forget the message. So the nation of Judah would not forget what God had said.

And even so we would not forget.

That message, recorded by Jeremiah, is part of the book of Jeremiah.

Vague memory might not accurately relay what God wants us to know.

Understanding the general concept of God’s message is not always enough.

The Words themselves clearly matter to God.

This also applies to our own experiences with God.  In the same way, although without the same inspirational oomph, writing down what God has taught us will help us remember.  It will help us understand.  It was help us get it.

And your grandkids might be glad, too.

Fear not, then keep a record.

Fear Not... Then Belong

And you shall be my people, and I will be your God. (Jeremiah 30:22)

Fear Not… Then Belong

I enjoyed attending a ‘concert’ by William Shatner a few years ago.  He presented humorous anecdotes of his years on camera, on stage, and on horses.  He was personable, open, and friendly.

If I had been willing to spend a bit more money, I could have shook his hand and gotten an autograph.  With even more money, I could have hung around with him backstage after the show.

I could have been one of Shatner’s people!

I almost spent the money.

No one wants to be one of my people.  A few people might want to be one of Shatner’s people.  But oh, wow… I am glad to be one of God’s people!

The relationship will last forever.  The relationship gives me peace, hope, and love.  The relationship helps, enables, and empowers.

Being one of God’s people is really the only thing I need.

Belonging to this group does not cost money.  Being one of God’s people does not require pedigree.  Being with God does not involve my character, qualifications, or performance.

To Belong to God, believe.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Fear not, then belong.

Fear Not.. Then Trust God's Justice

All this trouble is a clear sign that God has decided to make you fit for the kingdom. You’re suffering now, but justice is on the way. (II Thessalonians 1:5,6 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Trust God’s Justice

I rely on my car mechanic to fix my headlights.  I rely on my IT guy to fix my computer.  I rely on my gunsmith to shorten my shotgun.  I rely on a small engine expert to get my weed-eater running.

And I know that God brings justice.

Therefore, I do not need to worry. 

I might need to suffer, some.  I might need to work hard and smart.  I might need to be educated, willing, and public.

But God’s job is justice.

When we see or experience injustice, it might seem that the solution is up to us.  And indeed, God might have plans to use us in bringing justice.

But there is a world of difference between me seeing injustice, worrying, becoming afraid, and charging the unjust gates… and seeing injustice, praying, trusting, and being at peace even in the unjust storm.

Fear not, then trust God’s justice.