Thursday December 8, 2011

Read Matthew 10:26-31

 

How can we overcome fear? How can we move forward and be a light to the world? How can we reverse the trend we may have seen in our life of hiding, cowering and refusing to stand up and speak up? Part of the answer lies in keeping an eternal perspective.

 

There are so many things here in this mortal, non eternal life that we fear losing - our status, our reputation, our creaturely comforts, our job and our friends and so on. These things chain us in fear. But as we take on an eternal perspective we begin to put all these things into their proper place. To get that eternal outlook we need to spend time with God. We need to meditate on the joys and riches of heaven. We need to cast our eyes upwards to the Lord and off the things of this world. We need to talk of heaven’s joys with each other and praises to the One who has signed our heavenly citizenship papers with the blood of His Son.

 

Jesus encourages us not to fear those who can only kill the body. These people that persecute Christians can do nothing against our eternity. Rather than fear these people and regimes we are to fear the One who  has the power over people’s eternity. We are to fear the One who can kill the body and send the soul into eternal destruction and torture.  We are to fear the One who knows and holds every sparrow in the palm of His hands. We are to fear the One who knows every hair on our head. God, our God, is in control of eternity. We have no reason to fear people or regimes in this life.

 

I read the story of a small statured man whom the Lord called to go to a particular cafe. At this cafe he was sitting next to a mean looking, overly tattooed fellow that had obviously lived a violent and wild life. Yet the Lord called this small statured man to witness to the other fellow about Jesus. Meekly and somewhat mildly he leant over and spoke of Christ to this other fellow. Most of us would have run in fear and given in. But this small statured man did not! He spoke of Jesus. A short time later this violent and wild young man gave his heart to the Lord. He is now evangelising many more people from drug filled, violence ridden lives. Praise the Lord. You have nothing to fear!

 

I read of an African pastor being chased by a Muslim mob intent on

killing him for his faith in Jesus. This man stopped, turned to the mob and declared that he does not fear them. The mob, miraculously, went  away. He lived to tell about it. His church began to grow and thrive because many saw Jesus in this man. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!  You have nothing to fear.

 

Prayer:

¨ Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani never practiced the Muslim faith and converted to Christianity at age 19, becoming a pastor later.

¨ For God to stay the hand and change the hearts of the Iranian judiciary, that they would reconsider the death sentence handed down.

¨ That the international community would swiftly take decisive and effective action on behalf of Pastor Nadarkhani.