Fear

I am a fearful person. And you probably are, too. Everyone's fears are different, but we all have them. The most common fear among Americans is the fear of public speaking, and presenting in front of an audience. This particular fear has very little ground in my life; I love getting up and talking in front of people. But........ I do get scared of things creeping around in the dark, under my bed, waiting to jump out and scare me.

Darkness scares me. I'm not "afraid of the dark", per se, but I am scared of what it can do. Darkness can hide things under its blackness. Darkness can magnify insignificant things and make them seem huge. Olivia Rogers and I have had more than one conversation about how things seem so much more terrifying in the dark. If my little brother sneaks into my room in broad daylight and tries to scare me, I'll jump.....but if he does it at night, or when I'm on edge, my heart will leap to the other side of my chest, and I'll scream loud enough to wake up everyone on my street. 

Unless, of course, I'm in my bed. I love my bed, and its friendly cozyness. No matter how dark it gets, if I can just nestle further down under my comforter, I'm safe. I'm under that false perception that nothing can get me in my bed. 

Whether of not you're afraid of things jumping out at you when you get a drink of water at night is beside the point: all fears stem back to Darkness.

Fear is NOT from God.

The Bible says over 365 times: "Do not be afraid". Fear is a byproduct of darkness. It's one of Satan's instruments to keep us from acting.

Because just think about what it would be like if Christians stopped being afraid. We'd stop worrying about whether or not the Gospel would offend people, and share it with a passion. We would let go of our anxieties, and plunge headlong into dangerous situations when God calls us to action. We would embrace His plan for our future, instead of stopping to wonder about possible repercussions. We could start living completely for Him.

And Satan knows it. So he haunts each one of us with some sort of fear. Fear that God doesn't have our best interests in mind. Fear that our dreams and plans for our future may go askew somewhere along the way. Fear of death. Fear of reaching out. Fear of disapproval. Fear of discomfort. Fear of creepy crawlers and public speaking. Fear of Darkness.

When you're afraid of something, how often do you go out and fight it?  If you're scared of public speaking, is your first inclination to go out and debate in the final round of a nation championship?  If you're afraid of dying, are you going to go to Afghanistan to spread the Gospel?  If you worry about disapproval, would you really go up to somebody and do something they may not think is "cool"?  If you get scared of things jumping out from under your bed at night, are you actually going to get up while it's still dark?

No. We'll just stay in our beds, curl up under our comforters, and tell ourselves that it's okay, and nothing can get us there.

That's why fear is such a powerful weapon. It sterilizes action. It prevents radical abandonment to God's will, and puts a qualifier on obedience to His voice. It blinds us to the real danger.

Peter wanted to follow Jesus with his entire life. And when he saw Jesus walking on water on a stormy lake, he was inspired. He called his faith to arms, and jumped eagerly over the side of the boat. And then Satan got a hold of his heart. He became more acutely aware of the wind and the waves crashing around him, and was overcome by fear. At that moment, he began to sink.

When we read this story, I think we often perceive Peter to be a failure, since he doubted the power of God. But actually?  He was one of the braver ones. The rest of the disciples with him didn't even have the courage to leave the boat. They were afraid before they even set foot on the water. Overcome by the fear of the crashing waves, they decided to play it safe, and stay in their comfortable boat.

Fear is one of Satan's strongest weapons against Christians today. But here's the catch:

FEAR IS NOT REAL.

"Danger is very real.... but fear is a choice."

And the real danger happens when we choose not to step out onto the water. The danger isn't found in the waves; it's actually in the boat. The true, spiritual danger occurs when we choose to give in to fear, to play it safe, and to ignore the gentle voice of our Savior calling us out onto the waves. Most of us are probably under that false perception that if we stay in our beds and curl up under our blankets, everything is going to be okay. But that's not the way it works. Fear of the waves, and safety in the boat, is more dangerous than what the waves can do to you.

Fear is not from God. Fear is a weapon of darkness. Fear is the danger, not the creepy crawlers. And fear is not real.

It's a choice.

And the god of this world rejoiced.....

Sunday, November 3rd.  12:37am, local time. Ghaziabad, India. I lay in my bed, trying to drown out the sound of constant M-80 size fireworks outside. I'd never heard so much noise in my life. The whole nation of India was celebrating Diwali.

And I think the god of this world was celebrating, too.

"Diwali" is the Hindu festival of lights. Each November, Indians hang Christmas lights on their houses and light fireworks to celebrate Kali-Mah, the goddess of death and destruction, and her victory over a demon, as well as to praise Shiva, the god of light.

During my two trips to India thus far, I've been able to see both Kali-Mah and Shiva. I once heard an Indian pastor we support talk about the massive bronze statue of Shiva next to the Ganges River. A friend of his had walked by it, and had nightmares about it for weeks afterward. "When you look at the Hindu gods," he had said, "There's more than just a piece of clay that's been cleverly painted. They're powerful, and real."  C.S. Lewis alludes to this idea, too, in Book 7 of the Narnia series: The Last Battle.

               "In the shadow of the trees on the far side of the clearing something was moving. It was gliding very slowly Northward. At first glance you might have mistaken it for smoke...but the deathly smell was not the smell of smoke. ..... It was roughly the shape of a man but it had the head of a bird; some bird of prey with a cruel, curved beak. It had four arms which it held high above its head, stretching them out Northward as if it wanted to snatch all Narnia in its grip; and its fingers--all twenty of them--were curved like its beak and had long, pointed, bird-like claws... It floated on the grass instead of walking, and the grass seemed to wither beneath it. ........... 'I have seen it once before,' said Tirian. 'But that time it was carved in stone and overlaid with gold...[in] the great temple of Tash. .......... It seems, then, that there is a real Tash after all."

It all seemed a little far-fetched to me.... until I saw that very same bronze statue of Shiva near the Ganges, four years ago. The feeling hit me again just last month, as I found myself looking into the fierce eyes of a Kali statue in a Buddhist monastery. There's something terrifyingly real about them. People aren't just hallucinating when you hear things like that. And, as Christians, those statements make sense. After all, God has an Enemy. And he's not just interested in waiting around in hell for the final battle. He's roaming the earth (Job 1).  In fact, he is, in the apostle Paul's words, "the god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4). Satan has power in those idols. He has power in Muslims and extremists. He has power in atheists, and new age pantheists. And he has power in Christians.

Guys?  It's not supposed to be that way.

The Church is supposed to be the Light of the World. When people look at us, they're supposed to see the life and hope and LOVE of Jesus Christ.

Instead?

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

-Mahatma Gandhi (unsaved)

Recently, I found an article on the Huffington Post entitled "10 ways Christians fail at being Christians". The general consensus from the article and comments following was that Christians are quick to point fingers, are more focused on politics than faith, and, while attempting to follow the teachings of Jesus (although most thought this was failing, too), Christians are abandoning the person of Jesus, and don't even care about learning from who He was. One of the boldest comments was:

"Personally, I think that once the church became a political entity and 'weapon' it all pretty much went out the window. But that's just me. Hence my hatred for them."

-Internet User (probably unsaved)

Guys.... WHAT HAPPENED?!?!?! 

People are dying out there right now, rejecting Jesus, because the "light of the world" cares more about condemning, being politically correct, and pointing fingers than we do about reaching across the lines, and loving the broken like He did. Jesus gave His life so the world could see the Light. Instead, we're giving Satan full access to our lives. Sadly, most of us aren't even trying to fortify ourselves against him. So often, I make up my mind to fight for Jesus, and not let Satan have the upper hand in my life. But once my life routine sets in, I forget that I'm even trying to protect my heart. It's no easy struggle. After all, Satan doesn't want us to fight in God's strength because, when we truly allow that to happen in our lives, he loses. So he fights to make us let our guard down and let him in. And, 90% of the time, he wins.

Satan is deceiving people everywhere, through apathy, regret, guilt, blindness, etc. And his power is real..... you can see that, even without looking into the eyes of a Hindu god.

But the power of Jesus Christ is stronger.

And God will have the final say.

As the fireworks of Diwali exploded overhead, thousands of Americans on the other side of the world settled down to their lunch meetings, ignoring the light, while, at that very moment, hundreds of Indians faced death having never seen that light. And the god of this world rejoiced.

Where's the Intercessor?

Ellerslie Mission Society Short Film:

Intercession



Failure and Fulfillment

We've all failed. Whether at sports, or cooking, or music, or friendships, or projects, or speech and debate.  I, for one, have failed multiple times at all of these things. Failed spectacularly and embarrassingly. I slip easily into the bog of self-pity, frustration, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.

When I fail, I push God away, and then wonder why he isn't there for me. Some days, it seems like a never ending struggle to trust God and let him help me. I pray this prayer,

"God, please take these thoughts away from me. Help me to turn my thoughts away from me and towards others. Help me to let you be enough for me today."

This came from a verse I found,

Psalm 73:26

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Whenever I slip into self pity and depression, I want to feel fulfilled in myself.

I wanted to know that I was perfect, that I was enough. I wasn't.

Then I found this verse,

Psalm 57:2

"I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me."

I was looking up "fulfillment"  in the concordance that day. I found that "fulfillment" in the Bible has nothing to do with our finite happiness.

It is the fulfillment of a promise,  purpose, or law:

Psalm 148:8

"The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; Your love, O LORD, endures forever - do not abandon the work of your hands."

God will not abandon you, the work of His hands, His daughter, His beloved, His Church.

Psalm 16

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

P.S. I still don't have it all together. I still fail. But now I can remember that God is my portion. He fulfills his purpose through my weakness. Think of Paul in the Bible. God used his weaknesses to help millions of people a thousand years after his death. God can use anyone and anything to fulfill His purpose for the world.

Written by Alyse Laporte

What's A Servant?

Last year I did a study on the words servant and serve. As I was flipping back through my journal, I happened upon my study and realized how important these words are for us. What is a servant?

1 Samuel 3:10

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Once Samuel realized who was speaking to him, he immediately answered that he was listening.

However, he did not stop there. He listened, but then he acted according to the Lord's commands.

A servant listens and obeys.

Philippians 2:7

... but made himself (Jesus) nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

A servant makes himself nothing.

Matthew 20:26-28

... whoever wants to become great must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus is the greatest servant of all. His entire life was dedicated to serving. In fact, he gave his life for us.

A servant gives his life for others.

Deuteronomy 13:4

It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

God is testing his people. When faced with idols of other cultures, the Israelites must follow God alone, and hold fast to him. What about us? What idols lead us away from God? What things in our lives cause us to no longer revere God?

A servant follows, reveres, and holds fast to God.

2 Chronicles 19:9

... You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord.

Here the king of Judah is appointing judges. Although they are placed in authority, they are to use their post to serve others, in the fear of the Lord.

A servant serves faithfully and wholeheartedly.

Psalms 2:11

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

This verse also admonishes those in authority. Kings are told that to be wise is to serve the Lord.

A servant fears the Lord and rejoices in him.

Galatians 5:13

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

God has given us freedom! Not freedom to sin, but freedom to love and serve. Freedom to dedicate our lives to his service. What could be better than that?

A servant is free to serve out of love.

Ephesians 6:7

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.

When we only think of men, our service changes when others are not around. How many of us are guilty of cutting corners when there is no one to compliment us on our work? I know I am. But when our mindset is of service to the Lord, our service takes on a new aspect.

A servant serves wholeheartedly, no matter the circumstances.

1 Peter 4:10

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

God gives each of us special gifts. It is up to us how we use them. Do we use them to serve others? To faithfully administer God's grace?

A servant uses his gifts to serve others.

Drawing from all of this, I can add:

- a servant is humble

- a servant is loving

- a servant is joyful

- a servant loves God

So, what is a servant? It's not an easy answer, but I hope you have gained a better idea through this post.

Written by Magali Laporte.