FACING LIONS WITHOUT FEAR

 

Satan is pictured as a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). We may be sure that his offspring—lions and lionesses, often in the church—will lurk, ready to pounce. Paul spoke of such here, and God’s servants will face them. You may hear their roar, smell the stench of their breath, and even feel the pain of their fangs clamping down on you and claws leaving you bleeding. Yet, Paul tells us that we can face these lions without fear.

We can STAND for the Lord stands with us. Get your eyes off the lion and look to the Lord.  Ravenous beasts are no match for Jesus Christ!  He is the Creator and Conqueror and since He is with us, we don’t have to flee in fear. He will never leave us nor forsake us.  Nehemiah was threatened and answered, “Should such a man as I flee?”  Stand your ground.

We are STRONG for our strength is from the Omnipotent. The power of the Spirit indwells us.  While in myself, I am weak—in His strength I am more than sufficient to overcome my adversaries.  They whimper and slink into the shadows when the Lion of Judah, King of the jungle of this world roars!

We are SECURE since none can truly harm us.  What is the worst an enemy might do—kill us?  But, our times are in God’s hands. He numbers our days and when He is through with us, by whatever means He sovereignty selects, He will take us home. Paul was spared from the lion before, but soon would lose his head!  Yet, He was secure in knowing that would only deliver him to glory and the greatest gain of all!  As Luther sang, “the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever!”

You can face the lion without fear!

THE GLORIOUS FREEDOM FROM DEATH: A Promised Victory

Read John 11:17-36.

The victory is in the Victor (v.25).  One day, Jesus would not just be raising someone else from the dead—incredible as that was—but, He would lie lifeless in a tomb, dead for days.  The earth trembled and the skies grew dark as midnight, as He died.  The demons laughed in that darkness as the chains of death were wrapped around the Son of God.  Yet, Jesus shattered those shackles, and Light burst forth from the tomb, as Jesus conquered!

As He spoke at Lazarus’ tomb, He knew that time was coming, and would face it unflinching. So may we. Look at the promise (v.26).

The very nature of death has been transformed.  Did you hear how Jesus described it earlier? As sleep (v.11-14).

Sleep is harmless.  We aren’t anxious about it, but anticipate it!

Sleep is restful.  “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ “ “Yes, says the Spirit, “that they may have rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Rev.14:13).

Sleep is temporary.  We shall rise!  The body slumbers in the soil, while our spirit soars to God—then comes that great gettin’ up mornin’ when our eternal soul is united with a glorified body!

Death is just moving day.  When I speak of my grandchildren, I say, “I have thirteen—one is in heaven.” My granddaughter Mya is more alive today than she’s ever been.  She’s just in a different location.  She lives because of Jesus!

Have you placed your faith in the Son of God?  You can have that same hope!

I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)

There are many fears that people face.  There is acrophobia—the fear of heights; agoraphobia—the fear of crowds; arachnophobia—the fear of spiders.  By the time we get to the z’s—we end with zoophobia—the fear of animals.

You might laugh at some of those, but there is one fear that plagues us all—necrophobia—the fear of death.  That grim specter haunts humanity.

It is not only our greatest fear, but our greatest foe—rightfully so.  We all must face it, and we cannot fight it.  Yet, one Man battled it and beat it! Christ has conquered death!  Because He lives, we shall live also.  The story of Christ raising Lazarus from the dead—a story documented in the eleventh chapter of John—will be our focus this week. I hope you will join us for the study each day!

PORTRAITS OF GOD: THE SHEPHERD

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Ps.23:1).  

This is one of the most precious of portraits hanging in the gallery of God. The author, David, grew up shepherding his father’s flock. He drew from that imagery to remind us of how God cares for us. We are God’s flock.  How He loves His lambs!

We shall not want in life—The Shepherd feeds us in green pastures and leads us beside still waters, restoring our soul. The Lord always guides us on the right path, for our good and the glory of His name.

We shall not fear in death—He walks with us through that dark valley.  As we come to the end of life, the Shepherd that has faithfully been near will not abandon us then. He will bring us through!

We shall not perish in eternity—dwelling in the Lord’s house forever.  How long is that?  To be in a place of breathtaking beauty, and supremely, to be in the manifest presence of our Shepherd, safely in His fold—that is something to joyfully anticipate!

DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT

 

In the LORD I put my trust;

How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?  (Psalm 11:1) 

Discourage—let’s break the word down.  Dis: a prefix meaning, “to take away.”  Courage is the state of mind that enables us to encounter difficulties and dangers with firm resolve.  So, to discourage is to take away that state of mind.  Discouragement is one of the chief weapons in Satan’s arsenal.  You may feel disheartened and downcast even now.  You are not alone.  All of us struggle at times.  None are immune from this withering feeling—not even a champion of faith like David could avoid seasons of gloom.  In the eleventh Psalm, David describes the discouraging conditions that arose from hearing disheartening communications.  Thankfully, we also learn from his example how to deal with discouragement. 

Either foes who meant harm, or friends who wanted to help give David bad advice—to flee (v.1-2).  It is the natural reaction to potential problems.  When we feel hemmed in, we look to fight or take flight.  David might have responded either way, but he chose neither—he chose faith.  He would run—not to the mountains, but the Master.  His refuge would not be in the darkness of a cave, but in the arms of the Creator! 

We are not certain of the circumstances of David’s difficulty, but it would fit the period of his life when the young hero was part of King Saul’s court.  David’s fame was growing, even as Saul’s was fading.  The envious monarch would try to kill David with a javelin several times.  For David to flee—as might seem best to do—would be tantamount to an admission of guilt.  Even worse, it would convey that God could not be trusted to care for him.  There would come a time when David would be directed to abandon his post and hide in the wilderness, but not now.  We must commit ourselves likewise to listen to the Word of God and trust in His direction, rather than heed the voices of men who counsel us with earthly wisdom. 

Now a second question is posed, “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?”  (v.3)  The foundations of a nation are the moral pillars that enable it to stand as a civil society.  When those are undermined, the nation falls.  King Saul had abandoned those principles and God had abandoned him.  The young nation was in peril from a leader gripped by madness and given to malice—a dark, demonic spirit abiding in him.  How much like our discouraging days!  What can the righteous do?  We can respond with flight—many advocate that—to withdraw into our church culture with isolation.  We can react and fight—others advise that—to war against the Christ-less culture with indignation.  To respond like David is to choose the way of faith.  Our task is to remain faithful—that means full of faith—standing on Christ the Solid Rock.  That foundation will never crumble! 

Faith chooses to focus on God (v.4a).  He resides in His holy temple and rests on His heavenly throne.  He is Sovereign over all.  His all-seeing eyes take note of all that happens (v.4b).  We need to seek His perspective.  Pure silver is separated from the dross by the refiner’s fire (v.5-6).  This is what God is doing when He permits fiery trials to come our way.  God loves righteousness and will watch over His own (v.7).  Trust in Him.  He cannot fail and we need not falter!

THE FUGITIVE

And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.  (1 Samuel 23:14)

Do you recall, “The Fugitive”?  It was a successful TV show, later made into a movie.  In the story, Dr. Richard Kimble is falsely convicted for the murder of his wife.  Kimble escapes, but is relentlessly pursued by Lt. Gerard.  The fugitive is an innocent man, never able to relax, and always on the run.  That was the real story of David.  Though guilty of no crime, he was chased continually by King Saul, who meant to kill him.

In chapter 21 of 1 Samuel, we find David desperate.  He constantly is looking over his shoulder, without a minute’s peace.  The fear of man had supplanted the fear of God—and, thus, David made poor decisions.  He told a lie in order to gain Goliath’s sword and gather provisions.  This would result in the death of the priests.  Beyond this, David actually goes into enemy territory—looking to the world for protection, rather than trusting in God to be his Refuge.  One is reminded of Peter who did much the same thing when he denied Jesus.  It is understandable from a human standpoint, but inexcusable from heaven’s perspective.  “The fear of man brings a snare….”  (Prov.29:25a)  The worst of it is that David then acted like a lunatic before the Philistines in order to save his skin, bringing reproach to himself, and to his God.

Things get worse, as the evil Doeg (chapter 22) reports to Saul that Ahimelech and the other priests have aided David.  The paranoid king has them executed by the vicious dog of a man, Doeg.  Eighty five innocent servants of God are slaughtered.  The failure of our faith—and particularly that of a leader may have far-reaching implications—consequences we do not anticipate when we yield to fear.  The good news is that David would learn.  He would be driven back to lean on the Lord.  These lessons would be written indelibly by experience on his soul.  The fugitive would eventually be vindicated.  The fire David went through would refine his character and God would hammer him on the anvil of trouble into a king.

David was a man after God’s own heart—yet, still a MAN—with all the frailties of the flesh that comes with that.  There never comes a time when we can trust our own strength.  We are also reminded that failure need not be final—we can grow through it, rise above it, as we are humbled by it.  That very brokenness brings us to God and into grace.  “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”  (James 4:6)

THE BRINK OF BLESSING

If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’  (Numbers 14:8)

Are we standing on the brink of blessing?  Ancient Israel did. God brought them out of bondage in order to bring them into blessing.  Standing on the banks of the Jordan, they stood on the brink of blessing.

There was a problem, however--in fact, a big one!  There were large, fortified cities and giant, fierce enemies there.  This presented DIFFICULTY.  "So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night."  (Num.14:1)  This was the reaction to the report of the reconnaissance team of twelve that had been sent into Canaan.  Ten of the twelve--Caleb and Joshua being the notable exceptions--brought back an evil report.  The people responded in fear rather than faith.  They focused on problems and not possibilities.  Where Caleb and Joshua saw the huge fruit, the ten saw the heavy fortifications.  Ten saw the giants, while two looked to God.  What difficulty is too great for Deity?  Any church that purposes to be all God wants them to be in their community--glorifying God, reaching sinners, growing saints, and impacting the culture will face difficulty.  Satan will see to it.  God permits it as a test.  Will we respond to the challenges with faith or fear?

There comes the moment of DECISION.  "So they said to one another, 'Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.' ” (Num.14:4)  God brings us to the point of decision.  You can't straddle the fence.  We can choose to wander by going backward in fear.  You can't stand still spiritually.  If you aren't moving forward, you are slipping backward.  We speak of churches on a plateau--what that means is they are out of gas, and coasting on the momentum they had, but there is no power, and soon they will head downhill, faster and faster, until they crash.  Has God brought us to the brink of blessing?  We can choose the wonder by going forward in faith.  We will never see the miracle until we must have one.  We can never attain the blessing until we step out in faith.

Sadly, Israel choose to reject the promises and rebel against God.  This brought DISCIPLINE.  "I the LORD have spoken this.  I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me.  In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.” (Num.14:35)  We witness God's patience.  This was not the first time they had rebelled.  It became a pattern.  God displayed His patience over and over.  Yet, there comes a point of no return--a moment when God draws a line in the sand that we dare not cross.  Israel presumed upon God's long-suffering once too often.  Then follows the punishment.  The door of opportunity slams shut.  The offer of blessing is withdrawn.  Churches die in the wilderness!  They could have known blessing, but refused to trust and obey God!  Then God writes, "Ichabod," over the door--the glory is departed!  What could have been a movement, became a monument, and eventually a mausoleum.

Backward in fear; forward in faith--what is your choice today?

FREEDOM FROM FEAR

I sought the LORD, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.  (Psalm 34:4)

Fear and faith are forever foes; they cannot coexist.  God’s children are to live by faith, directed by God.  Many, however, are living in fear, driven by dread.  David was at one of the most critical junctures of his young life.  King Saul was hot on his heels.  David panicked and behaved in a manner unworthy of a child of God.  Rather than trusting the Lord, he sought refuge in the world.  He went to a pagan king for help.  When the Philistines recognized it was their old nemesis David, they began to threaten David.  The Bible tells us David acted like a lunatic, drooling and scratching at the door like a dog—so they drove him away with scorn.  The young soldier learned a hard lesson.  His deliverance was not found in adopting worldly wisdom, but in hearing and heeding God.

We do this BY WHAT WE SPEAK.  We are to speak words of PRAISE  (v.1-3; 11-13).  Words are powerful—to help or to hurt.  It seems a strange time to be praising God.  If David allowed his mood and circumstances to dictate his speech, his mouth would be filled with negativism.  He had just made a fool of himself; peril hunted him like hounds tracking their prey.  Despite this, he chose by an act of the will, to bless the Lord.  In so doing, he would build the faith of those around him.  His men needed confidence—underpinned or undermined by what he said.  Everyday, by what we say we are fortifying faith or fueling fear.  The old need to teach the young the power of the tongue to help bring unleash the vitality of faith or the venom of fear by what we say.

Freedom from fear comes BY WHAT WE SEEK.  We are to seek the proper PRIORITY (v.4-10; 14).  Are we worried about our family?  Are we concerned about the economy?  Are we fearful of all the evil things that haunt our future?  Jesus addressed that.  He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”  (Matt.6:33)  David made seeking God his priority.  If we fear God, we need fear nothing else.  David’s face was transformed from a shameful expression of irrational fear to a radiant one reflecting the glory of God.  It radiates from the countenance of one who has spent time with the Lord.  If we will but get a taste of whom God truly is, our senses will be overwhelmed so that we would never return back to eating the hog slop of the world.  We need to loathe that which God despises and love that which God delights in.

Then, we are delivered from fear BY WHAT WE SECURE.  We will secure PRESERVATION (v.15-22).   There is the God who remembers us (v.15-16).  Quite a contrast isn’t it—those that God’s face is set against and His holy fire burns to nothing, and those God remembers—His eyes and ears open to them?  There is also the God who rescues us (v.17-18).  Maybe, like David, we have failed God—but you can have a broken heart of repentance and experience His rescue.  There is the God who redeems us (v.19-22). We are not exempt from trouble, but can endure the trouble.  Verse 20 promises preservation and resurrection.  This quote is messianic (see John 19:33-36).  If the last enemy—old Death—has been overcome (and he has in Christ’s work on that bloody cross and empty tomb), then what have I to dread, what have I to fear—I’m leaning on the everlasting arms!

THE FEARLESS WALK OF A FAITHFUL WITNESS

 

Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”  (Acts 21:13)

Do you like to read bumper stickers?  Perhaps you have seen this one: “Ask me about my grandchildren!”  The fact is, grandparents don’t need an excuse to whip out a wad of pictures and give glowing reports about the exploits of their little darlings.  I know that full well, since I are now anticipating the arrival of number twelve to someday call me, “Papa.”  It is easy to talk to total strangers about those we love.  So, why is it that we develop verbal paralysis when we have the opportunity to speak about Jesus?  If we love Him as we say we do, wouldn’t we desire to tell others about Him?  Let us be inspired to speak boldly of Christ by looking at the fearless walk of a faithful witness.  Hs name was Paul the Apostle.

It wasn’t that Paul was oblivious to the danger he was facing.  The same crowd in Jerusalem that had crucified Christ would not be any happier with him if he came into town and proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Yet, this was the very mission he had in mind.  It was enough to strike fear into the heart of the most courageous.

We must overcome the FEAR OF WHAT MIGHT BE.  “And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.”  (Acts 21:4)  It was a vague warning with few specifics given—just a general alarm as the Holy Spirit spoke through His people, alerting Paul to the possible dangers that were lurking in the shadowy future.  Our minds may be haunted at times by the specter of what might be—where we just have this general foreboding and our brains are eager to fill in the blank with a myriad of possibilities.  We think, “I would share the Gospel, but if I do, then…” and any number of bad outcomes slams our mouth shut.  We want to know the outcome and have a positive one when we tell people about Jesus.  We have no assurance, however, that when we share the Gospel it will be well-received.  You never know how people will react.  That fear cannot be allowed to silence us. 

We also must defeat the FEAR OF WHAT MUST BE.  “Then Paul answered, ‘What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart?  For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’  So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, ‘The will of the Lord be done.’”  (Acts 21:13-14)  Some of our fears have a basis in fact.  Paul had submitted to the will of God—and that was he would suffer for the sake of the Gospel.  From the outset of his ministry he had been willing to pay the price.  Scripture is clear—Jesus said, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”  (John 15:20)  Rejection by many is guaranteed.  Love for Christ and for others must override our fear.  God helped Paul.  He will stand by us if we stand for Him.

DISPELLING THE DARKNESS OF DREAD

 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  (2 Timothy 1:7)

There is a darkness that can creep into the mind—a dread that lengthens as the evening shadows.  Deeper and darker it grows, until our soul is shrouded by it—what has been called, “the dark night of the soul.”  Hope seems to eclipsed.  Such feelings can overwhelm, and incapacitate us—if we yield to them.

We dare not!  We may be sure that if a spirit of fear has gripped us with its malevolent, icy fingers, that this is a spirit from Satan and not from God.  We may refuse it, resist it, and rebuke it by God’s grace—for what He has for us is power to sustain us in our difficulties, love to reassure us in our doubts, and a sound mind to focus us onward and upward against the distractions that dread places in our path.

There are going to be dark times to deal with—as sure as there is day, there will be night.  This world we live in is a dark and dreadful place.  Yet, consider the promise of God, “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”  (Psalm 112:4) 

There is this caveat, however—we must be gracious, compassionate, and righteous if we would walk in the light with Him who is the Light of the World.  Christ is all of that in perfection, and to walk with Him is to manifest this in progression.  The upright are those who stand erect—no hanging the head in despair, or sagging the shoulders in self-pity.  His spine is straight, and he steels himself against compromise of convictions.  He or she refuses to sit down and sulk—having a pity party—but stands up tall and walks ahead with fortitude.  The upright are not uptight.  The one who is upright will do right!

Such an upright man has three characteristics that mark him as one who reflects these qualities that stream from the Lord of Light.  He is gracious—brimful of God’s grace and being a channel dispensing the same to other weary souls.  He is compassionate—a deep and abiding care for others redirecting his thoughts from the problems he faces and focusing instead on the needs of others.  He will be righteous—a man of integrity, who doe the right thing.  With such, God is pleased to shine His light on to warm them, to cheer them, and to guide them.  He dispels the darkness of dread.

            Dear God,

You know the fear that arises in my mind, at times—the dread that can grip my heart in its darkness.  Drive it away!  Instead give me a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline—soundness of mind in a world gone mad.  Remind me that the darkest hour is just before the dawn.  Make me a man of grace, compassion, and righteousness so that Your light may bring the dawn of hope.  I bless You for Your grace abundant, compassion unfailing, and that You always do right!

I pray this in the Name of Christ, the Light of Life,

Amen!

FEAR OR FAITH?

 

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.  (Isaiah 41:10)

Fear is the antithesis to faith.  One excludes the other.  If we filter our circumstances through the lens of our inadequacy, then fear arises.  If we view our circumstances through the perspective of God’s ability, then faith emerges.  Fear and faith are not primarily feelings we have, but choices we make—or we would not be commanded to exclude fear and exercise faith. 

To face the problems of life in reliance on God means infinite resources are available—and the best thing is that God does not give these apart from Himself, but this is what He is in Himself—the God who is ever-present with us.  So, He says, “Fear not, for I am with you.”  I am never alone, but the great I AM is with me!

He may not keep me from the waters, but as He did with Noah, He will put me in the ark, and shut me inside, safe and dry.  God may send me to the brink of the flooding river of Jordan, but He will open it up and take me through to the other side as He did with Joshua and the Jews.  If He allows me to go into the fire—as He did with the three Hebrew lads—He will go into the flames with me, and rather than harm me, it will be the opportunity for a miraculous testimony of His faithfulness that brings Him glory!  Here is the promise:

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,

And He who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;

You are Mine. 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.  (Isaiah 43:1-2)

Life will have its difficulties—floods and fires—and we cannot deny reality.  We can choose not to respond with dismay.  “Be not dismayed, for I am your God.”  Instead of throwing up our hands in despair, we may raise our hands in prayer—childlike in reaching up to our Heavenly Father.  If in His infinite wisdom and absolute love, He chooses to allow the burden, then He will impart strength to bear it—“I will strengthen you”; should He permit obstacles, He will afford help to overcome them—“Yes, I will help you.”  We may even wobble, but He will support us.  “I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”  Trust Him, for He is trustworthy!