By: R.S. Helms … 11.9.2021

A question to ask.

Some years ago, I heard a sermon with an illustration that has stayed with me for the past four decades, and the Holy Spirit often asks: Minister are you afraid? 

The illustration was about a little island village in the South Pacific.  A third of the whole village had been led to the Lord by Missionaries before the battle raged for the Island, it was favored by both the Japanese and the Americans as a critical strategic positioning.

A Japanese commander and a detachment were left to regain the loyalty of the villagers to Japan, He lined up all the Christians on one side of the church, gave them a choice to either be loyal to Japan and the Emperor or be loyal to Jesus and be shot.  Fear gripped the people as they watched the commander take down a picture of Jesus in the aisle and demanded that each, on committing to loyalty, spit on the picture as they passed by and gathered on the other side of the church. 

One by one the frightened people passed by the picture and spit on the face of Jesus, and when it came to the last in the line, a little girl.  The little girl came to the picture and kneeled down and with her long black hair, wiped the spital from the face of Jesus.  

Immediately she was grabbed up by a soldier who took her out of the church and returned her to a family member at the end of the dirt street, as the people gathered in fear, the little girl prayed.  Suddenly, from the church came the horrific thunder of machinegun fire, then as silence fell over the village, a young Japanese officer asked the commander: “ Why did he give the order to execute the Christians?”  He answered, “ If they would deny their Jesus, their faith, they would do the same to the Emperor and Japan.”

The little girl had to be afraid for her life, her family, as she prayed and trusted Jesus to comfort and encourage her and the rest of the people, she prayed for their salvation, and their faith in Jesus.  The little girl had faith stronger than any fear of the Japanese Commander, or the world.

Christians know fear,  as a matter of truth, we all experience fear, and rightfully so, it keeps us away from harm’s way, so, fear is a normal emotion, fear can be a word from the Holy Spirit, and like fear of getting hit by an oncoming train will keep you from standing on the tracks.  But fear of the evil world can consume you and move you away from trust in God.

So, if your fear is greater than your faith in Jesus, you have a problem called F-E-A-R, the wrong kind of fear, a fear that is born of evil; “God has not given us a spirit of fear, [2 Tim. 1:7], but, of power and love and of a sound mind.” NKJV.  In Psalms 23, verse four, “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.” 

Regardless of the dark valley of the shadow of death, regardless of the frightening bullying, threats to our wellbeing or freedoms and rights, even horrific deaths that cause our humanity to want to run and hide, and liberal Christians want to seek out their ‘Holy Huddle’ and go along to get along out of fear – evil fear. Unlike the little island girl who was in the very valley of death, her fear was overcome by the spirit of her faith, she feared not because God was with her, she knew and felt His presence in such a way that God’s rod and staff gave her strength, God comforted her, calmed her fears, gave her boldness in her testimony of love for her savior.

Do not let evil fear, be used by the enemy to make us hide in a wasted wilderness like King David hid from Saul, and from the verses in 1Sam. 23.  Saul was out to kill David, it is little wonder that David felt like just disappearing, he feared for his life even though God was telling him he was his refuge.

Today on our darkest days, and at this point, we are in the midst of the Valley of Death, the enemy surrounds us on all sides and at every turn, and yes, it is scary, very scary.  Fear is a weapon of the world and of Satan, and highly effective against even the bravest warriors.  Fear is our worst enemy, it produces chaos and mistrust in the very ones we are supposed to love.  Fear of the world is everything that faith in Jesus is not.

The Bible has more than 103 times that “fear not” – “ be not afraid” and other metaphors for fear. My God is a personal God, He is also the God of the entire world, and when He tells me to fear not for, He is with me to the end of time, He told me that He did not give me a spirit of fear, but power, and love and of a sound mind.  Fear not that the world may hate me, but it hated Him first and hung Him on a Cross, that same world may kill my body, but cannot kill my soul and spirit, fear not the world but fear the One who can kill my soul – spirit – and body.

At this point in time, it seems that the world has put fear in the hearts of the people, and as long as the masses huddle in a corner and going along to get along, it is a fool’s game, a game that the ‘woke’ crowd plays extremely well and keeps the pressure on the people through ridicule and propaganda.  It is something that has been evolving since the sixties, demons, yes, demons using the fallacy of there is no God promoted by the Atheists, and if there is no God then, homosexuality is normal and should be accepted as a lifestyle.  Abortion is not wrong because a baby is not a live human until it is born and functioning outside the womb.  That racism is and always has been systematic in America and the Black people have a right to be angry at the white people.  All the cabal that has been growing under the protection of the world socialists will be incredibly surprised when America becomes socialists and then to control the people, they will not enjoy the luxury of the same protection.

Fear not, God is still on His throne and is still telling us, do not fear the world but draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Stop being intimidated by the world bullies and put your trust in Jesus; as He said: Mt.11: 28 – 30. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy burdened, and I will give ye rest. 29). Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls.  30). For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” KJV.

What we need, as a nation, is a loving relationship with Jesus, we as a nation need not to fear the world but, trust in God.  It starts with you and me, can you say with me, “my trust is in my Lord Jesus.”

R.S. Helms