Friday, March 4, 2011

Why You Ought Not Fear

Luke 21:28, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Although we were in the middle of a series on the principles of judging, recent events coupled with recent correspondence have compelled me to write this short post and hopefully set some things aright. We will return to the series on judging shortly, since I believe it is a worthwhile and timely topic, but today I just wanted to tell you why I am not afraid of all that is happening in the world, and why you ought not fear either.

It seems that with every uptick in global conflict or uncertainty the volumes of e-mails I get grow exponentially. Although they differ in wording, most of the correspondence I’ve been receiving lately have one common thread running through them, a question that seems to be on everyone’s mind, namely where they ought to go, and what they ought to do seeing the dark days of which God foretold over two decades ago swiftly approaching.

Now there is one thing that I need to make perfectly clear, God doesn’t reveal some future event simply for the sake of revealing it, but once He has revealed it to His children He has already prepared their deliverance and provision in it and through it. It would be both cruel and unloving if all God did was tell us what was about to unfold, then leave us to muddle through like the rest of the world. All we would really have is foreknowledge of tragedy, of judgment, of destruction, which would inevitably sadden our hearts and not much else. The reason God chooses to reveal the future to His children, is that His children might draw closer to Him so that when those things of which He foretold come to pass they might find themselves under the shadow of His wing, having established an intimacy with Him wherein they would hear and know His voice guiding them.

God judges and punishes sin! God judges and punishes rebellion! God judges and punishes disobedience! God does not judge and punish those who have already judged themselves; He merely chastens them that they might not be condemned with the world. If we walk humbly with our Lord, in obedience of His will, in repentance and meekness, then we ought not to fear.

It is Jesus that encouraged us to look up and lift up our heads when we see these things begin to happen, secure and steadfast in the knowledge that our redemption likewise draws near.

Jesus did not tell us to grow fearful, He did not tell us to flee, nor did He tell us to run and hide when we saw these things begin to happen, He told us to look up and lift our heads knowing that the God who created the universe, the God who breathed life into a lump of clay, the God who demonstrated His love for us on Calvary has already prepared our redemption and it draws near.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.

2 comments:

Barbara said...

Fear is what leads people to seek a savior and call out to Christ. Once you are past that stage and living in faith, you can rest assured in his care of you. Even those with faith react when negativity looms over them, but then they remember their savior and call out to him and he will come to lead the way onward.

The world has always been bad and dangerous for the righteous. It is in these end times that the badness of the world will increase, yet Christ is able to protect and care for all who seek him and are called by him. It is probably more dangerous to stray now than ever, it might not even be survivable.

The tragedies of the world are like a hurricaine outside, but once you are safe in the dwelling of Christ, the lashings of the storm can't harm you. He is the ark of salvation as the world drowns in sin and turmoil.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for these timely words, for my hungry soul! You are wise beyond your years! We/I need to rest content with the knowledge of our saviors control in these out of control times.

p.g.