Fear is on a spectrum
Not all fear is the same. We can have a concern about any number of things—and that is normal and fine, no matter what the reason, no matter what the context. And some things we are right to fear—overwhelming things, like the death of a spouse that has cancer or the a close swerve into oncoming traffic. There are many different words for this: stress, anxiety, fear, despair, panic, nervousness, concern, and more. But they all speak to some sort of fear.
God gave us fear to avoid unnecessary calamity
Concern is natural, and we can plan because we are concerned about certain situations. Fear is natural if we are in situations that are immediately dangerous. God provided us with an increase in heart rate and adrenaline so we have the energy to deal with immediate situations if they come up.
Concern and fear are not wrong
Scripture says that we are to fear God, and fear hell and fear disobedience, fear breaking God’s covenant (Matthew 10;28; Hebrews 10:26-31). If we rebel against God, we need to be afraid, and in our panic seek to be right with God. Scripture also says that there are some earthly situations that we need to be concerned about—death and war and hatred and separation and rejection and more. We need to be aware that these things will happen, and take the proper steps to prepare for them (Matthew 10:17; Mark 13:23). The Psalms are full of the writers speaking of their fear and concern—but ultimately it all turns on trust in God. For example, Psalm 22 speaks of betrayal and attack—but also of trusting in God who will make things right.
Fear needs to be balanced with trusting God
Fear and concern is fine, in the context of trusting God. But often we can lose focus on the power and love of God, and the object we fear becomes greater in our minds than God himself. We feel that God cannot help us or that God won’t help us or that God will allow us to be destroyed. We forget about God in our time of fear, and then it is suddenly just us and our fear—and nothing or no one can help us because we cannot cry out to God. But if we trust God, God can lead us through our fears and show us again and again that he is stronger than what we fear and we can rely on him.
We must not fear the wrong things
Although there are things we are to fear (see above), but there are many things that we are not to fear. Things that are not significant enough for us to fear, or things that to fear them would show a lack of trust in God. The possibility of other’s harming us if we are doing good (Matthew 10:28); any situation that God directed you to go to; not having enough to eat or drink when doing what God wants (Matthew 6:25-33); about what will happen in the future (Matthew 6:34) and many other things. If we are afraid in spite of God’s promise, then we are not showing faith in God.
We must not respond to our fear wrongly
Even if we are afraid of the wrong things, we can still set things right if we trust in God to care for us, and pray to him. And, of course, we could be afraid of the right things. But if we respond to our fear in a wrong way—even if we are fearing the right thing, we are still showing a lack of faith. If we allow the fear itself to overwhelm us, then we can respond in many different ways.
Wrong Ways to respond to fear:
Hostility
Hatred
Obsessive thinking about what we fear
Freezing up—Not doing what we need to do
Panic
Sinning against God or others
Turning to other authorities apart from God to help us (such as drugs, alcohol, evil counselors, etc)
How to respond to fear:
1. We need to reject unreasonable concerns that are opposed to trusting in God.
2. We need to surrender our fears to God (I Peter 5:7)
3. We need to pray for God’s help and deliverance. (Phil. 4:6-7)
4. We need to actively do what is right, as much as we know.
5. We need to stand against evil spirits trying to encourage us to fear. (James 4:7)
6. In most cases, we need to confront what we are afraid of.
7. We need to do what we can to put the anxiety out of our mind.
Fear leads to setting aside faith.
Trusting in God leads to setting aside all fear.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
World Peace or Whirled Peas?
Got World Peace?
Peace, according to the Bible is not just an absence of violence or a peaceful, easy feeling, but it is well-being in a community. When the Bible promises “peace on earth to those obtaining grace”, it is not speaking of a lack of war, but of a ruling principle and nation who would provide for all in need and offer justice and peace to everyone, without exclusion. This well-being and justice is called “shalom” in the Bible.
Stuck with Whirled Peas?
If there is one thing the world lacks, it is peace, meaning shalom. If shalom is a world-wide community in which everyone experiences well-being, acceptance, mutual assistance, and equal justice for all, then we have never experienced it. In every nation, in every era, the poor have been oppressed. The outcast have been thrown out because of arbitrary cultural mores. The religious have judged and rejected all people who did not accept their narrow guidelines. The non-religious have judged and rejected the religious because of their devotion to God. And all people purpose to harm all people who stand in the way of their culture controlling and manipulating all others.
Life on earth is not shalom. It is anti-peace.
Everyone wants peace. Most of us in the world recognize that we are all in trouble, that we don’t have peace, and all of us want to obtain it. Or create it. Or force it on others. To create shalom where there is no shalom is what the Bible calls “salvation.” Frankly, it is a utopian ideal, just like democracy is, just like capitalism is, just like communism. The difference is that the Bible claims that salvation—the creation of shalom in the world—is something that only God can do. Peace and justice cannot come simply from human effort or from anarchy. It must be a work of God that humans join with. But it is initiated by God.
Getting Better All The Time
The first step of God’s shalom-making was creation. God saw the chaos, the pointlessness of the world and made it again. And, according to Scripture, after God’s peace-making, He established humanity to rule over His creation and to keep it in shalom. This plan failed when humanity chose rebellion and chaos instead of God’s shalom.
Another step in God’s shalom-making was choosing Abraham. Abraham was not a perfect man, but he was a person who sought God alone, being faithful to Him, and trusting in Him when all else seemed chaotic. God chose Abraham because of his trust in God and said that whoever would obtain shalom, in all the world, they must be like Abraham and choose his path of trust. This plan failed because people thought that following the ritual of Abraham or being born into the family of Abraham obtained this shalom.
Another step in God’s shalom-making was to create a community of shalom with very specific rules. He chose for His people a nation in slavery—the outcast—so they would know how to treat those who were outcast. And He taught them His ways of love and shalom for all his people. This experiment failed in different ways, over the years. First, the people didn’t believe that God could really give them shalom. Then, they sought out other spiritual powers to grant them shalom. Then, they oppressed the poor, forgetting that they were once poor themselves. And finally, they took God’s rules and make them so burdensome that it became impossible to live them out.
Without exception, everyone has done wrong before God and become offensive to Him. But we all have been given the opportunity to be right before God through the deliverance from the slavery to sin and death which can be found in the Messiah Jesus. When the Father raised Jesus from an official execution, he showed him to be the path to be forgiven of our sins and to have a relationship with God. God proved his justice—which was called into question by him overlooking sins in the past and because of his patience—by making acceptable the one who enters into the devotion of Jesus, and so He proved his actions just….Jesus was given to the authorities to be punished because of our wrongs before God and Jesus was raised from his execution so that we could be made acceptable before God. Therefore, since we have been made acceptable by committed devotion, we have the shalom of God through our King, Messiah Jesus. It is because of Him that we have the right to speak to God and receive the blessings of God, on which we depend on for our very well-being. We boast in our confidence in being a part of God’s glory. You see, we can boast in the sufferings we receive—even as Jesus did—because we know that our suffering gives us the opportunity to stick with God. And sticking with God in the midst of suffering—even as Jesus did— is the test of our true devotion to God. And if our devotion is tested, then we have confidence—because if Jesus was raised by His enduring devotion, so will we. And this confidence will never be dashed because God’s love fills us through the Holy Spirit, given by God, to help us endure in the midst of our struggles. (Romans 3:23-26; 4:25-5:5)
Love Reign O’er Me
Finally, after all of these temporary experiments, God began his final plan for shalom. He sent his Son to be emperor of the world, ruler of his people. First, Jesus displayed shalom by setting people free from spiritual judgment, offering them freedom from diseases and mental illnesses and offering them a new life in God. Then he told the people the life of shalom in God, living by the principles of shalom. Then, finally, he allowed the rulers of God’s people—the priests and elders—to kill him, treating him as an outcast of God’s people. But God vindicated his Son as the only way to God’s shalom, the great Truth-teller. And a new people was created under Jesus, living Jesus’ shalom-principles and testing the world with their message of destruction of the anti-shalom and the establishment of God’s shalom.
The Underground Revolution
Through Jesus, God is continually creating communities of shalom—some big and some small. These communities are made up of those who were rejected by the world and who are baptized in Jesus—namely, those who have committed themselves to being citizens of Jesus’ new nation of shalom. These baptized are committed to Jesus’ principles of peace and justice. But these principles are not enough in and of themselves, because we all are too weak, as humans, to maintain shalom. So the Emperor has allowed us to receive the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our weakness to maintain shalom, even when we do not have the strength to live it out.
Would you like to be a part of this process of creating shalom, or peace and justice on earth? The first step is to commit yourself to Jesus by being baptized. And then you live out Jesus’ principles of peace. Begin now by praying this: “Jesus, I have messed my life up. Rule over my life and make me a new person. Teach me how to being peace and justice to the world and give me the Holy Spirit to remain in that peace myself.” If you want to be baptized and be a part of a community of peace, contact Anawim at the number below.
Peace, according to the Bible is not just an absence of violence or a peaceful, easy feeling, but it is well-being in a community. When the Bible promises “peace on earth to those obtaining grace”, it is not speaking of a lack of war, but of a ruling principle and nation who would provide for all in need and offer justice and peace to everyone, without exclusion. This well-being and justice is called “shalom” in the Bible.
Stuck with Whirled Peas?
If there is one thing the world lacks, it is peace, meaning shalom. If shalom is a world-wide community in which everyone experiences well-being, acceptance, mutual assistance, and equal justice for all, then we have never experienced it. In every nation, in every era, the poor have been oppressed. The outcast have been thrown out because of arbitrary cultural mores. The religious have judged and rejected all people who did not accept their narrow guidelines. The non-religious have judged and rejected the religious because of their devotion to God. And all people purpose to harm all people who stand in the way of their culture controlling and manipulating all others.
Life on earth is not shalom. It is anti-peace.
Everyone wants peace. Most of us in the world recognize that we are all in trouble, that we don’t have peace, and all of us want to obtain it. Or create it. Or force it on others. To create shalom where there is no shalom is what the Bible calls “salvation.” Frankly, it is a utopian ideal, just like democracy is, just like capitalism is, just like communism. The difference is that the Bible claims that salvation—the creation of shalom in the world—is something that only God can do. Peace and justice cannot come simply from human effort or from anarchy. It must be a work of God that humans join with. But it is initiated by God.
Getting Better All The Time
The first step of God’s shalom-making was creation. God saw the chaos, the pointlessness of the world and made it again. And, according to Scripture, after God’s peace-making, He established humanity to rule over His creation and to keep it in shalom. This plan failed when humanity chose rebellion and chaos instead of God’s shalom.
Another step in God’s shalom-making was choosing Abraham. Abraham was not a perfect man, but he was a person who sought God alone, being faithful to Him, and trusting in Him when all else seemed chaotic. God chose Abraham because of his trust in God and said that whoever would obtain shalom, in all the world, they must be like Abraham and choose his path of trust. This plan failed because people thought that following the ritual of Abraham or being born into the family of Abraham obtained this shalom.
Another step in God’s shalom-making was to create a community of shalom with very specific rules. He chose for His people a nation in slavery—the outcast—so they would know how to treat those who were outcast. And He taught them His ways of love and shalom for all his people. This experiment failed in different ways, over the years. First, the people didn’t believe that God could really give them shalom. Then, they sought out other spiritual powers to grant them shalom. Then, they oppressed the poor, forgetting that they were once poor themselves. And finally, they took God’s rules and make them so burdensome that it became impossible to live them out.
Without exception, everyone has done wrong before God and become offensive to Him. But we all have been given the opportunity to be right before God through the deliverance from the slavery to sin and death which can be found in the Messiah Jesus. When the Father raised Jesus from an official execution, he showed him to be the path to be forgiven of our sins and to have a relationship with God. God proved his justice—which was called into question by him overlooking sins in the past and because of his patience—by making acceptable the one who enters into the devotion of Jesus, and so He proved his actions just….Jesus was given to the authorities to be punished because of our wrongs before God and Jesus was raised from his execution so that we could be made acceptable before God. Therefore, since we have been made acceptable by committed devotion, we have the shalom of God through our King, Messiah Jesus. It is because of Him that we have the right to speak to God and receive the blessings of God, on which we depend on for our very well-being. We boast in our confidence in being a part of God’s glory. You see, we can boast in the sufferings we receive—even as Jesus did—because we know that our suffering gives us the opportunity to stick with God. And sticking with God in the midst of suffering—even as Jesus did— is the test of our true devotion to God. And if our devotion is tested, then we have confidence—because if Jesus was raised by His enduring devotion, so will we. And this confidence will never be dashed because God’s love fills us through the Holy Spirit, given by God, to help us endure in the midst of our struggles. (Romans 3:23-26; 4:25-5:5)
Love Reign O’er Me
Finally, after all of these temporary experiments, God began his final plan for shalom. He sent his Son to be emperor of the world, ruler of his people. First, Jesus displayed shalom by setting people free from spiritual judgment, offering them freedom from diseases and mental illnesses and offering them a new life in God. Then he told the people the life of shalom in God, living by the principles of shalom. Then, finally, he allowed the rulers of God’s people—the priests and elders—to kill him, treating him as an outcast of God’s people. But God vindicated his Son as the only way to God’s shalom, the great Truth-teller. And a new people was created under Jesus, living Jesus’ shalom-principles and testing the world with their message of destruction of the anti-shalom and the establishment of God’s shalom.
The Underground Revolution
Through Jesus, God is continually creating communities of shalom—some big and some small. These communities are made up of those who were rejected by the world and who are baptized in Jesus—namely, those who have committed themselves to being citizens of Jesus’ new nation of shalom. These baptized are committed to Jesus’ principles of peace and justice. But these principles are not enough in and of themselves, because we all are too weak, as humans, to maintain shalom. So the Emperor has allowed us to receive the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our weakness to maintain shalom, even when we do not have the strength to live it out.
Would you like to be a part of this process of creating shalom, or peace and justice on earth? The first step is to commit yourself to Jesus by being baptized. And then you live out Jesus’ principles of peace. Begin now by praying this: “Jesus, I have messed my life up. Rule over my life and make me a new person. Teach me how to being peace and justice to the world and give me the Holy Spirit to remain in that peace myself.” If you want to be baptized and be a part of a community of peace, contact Anawim at the number below.
GO TO HELL (Top Ten Ways to)
Perhaps you are tired of the idea of going to heaven. Sounds boring? Well, try hell instead! It’s sure to be interesting. After all, every selfish person who has ever lived will be there, and there won’t be anyone with good intentions to limit the evil done. Not only will you be able to do whatever evil you want, but so will everyone else! It will be a free-for-all of oppression and destruction and theft and hatred, without anyone to stop anyone. Everyone doing even more evil to you than you do to them. That ought to be interesting. In fact, it is mentioned as a place where crying and agony will never cease. If you want to try it out, here are some ways that people have found to be really successful in getting there:
1. Curse God
“Curse God and die.” Job 2:9
If you want to be cursed by God and gain his hatred, all you have to do is express hatred to God. Tell God just how much you despise him and how you wish he would be extinct. Disrespect him in every way you can think of. Although he would still want you to repent (because he loves you) he will send you to hell.
2. Rebel against God
“If you refuse to listen and rebel against the Lord, you will be devoured by the sword.” Isaiah 1:20
God has the right to ask everyone on earth to listen to him and obey him because they are all his creation. However, if you want to be punished by God, you can always refuse to listen to anything God says. Whatever God says, just do the opposite. Whatever God wants, thumb your nose at him and do whatever you want. This way to get to hell isn’t unique, but it’s really effective.
3. Blaspheme the Holy Spirit
Blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Matthew 12:31
This way to get to hell is more rare, and it has some flair to it. Blasphemy of the Spirit is to see God’s work—a miracle that does someone some great good, for instance—and claim that it is done by the power of some evil god, like Satan. No believer in God can do this one, so one has to really work at it!
4. Don’t believe in Jesus
“Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins." John 8:24
This way is very popular with the majority of people of the world who are not Christians. It is very acceptable to those who wish to be tolerant as well. After all, in the world today it is popular to be tolerant to everyone except to those who say that Jesus has an exclusive claim to life.
5. Believe in Jesus but don’t act like it
He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36
This is the most popular method for Christians who wish to go to hell. Christians are participating in this in droves! Whole churches are praising Jesus and ignoring his commands, and so you can join a community of Christian hell-visitors.
6. Don’t Help the People of Jesus when they are in need
“Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat.” Matthew 25:41-42
If you feel that anyone who needs food or shelter is that way because of their own laziness, this way could be for you. If you see a follower of Jesus in need, just ignore them. It’s easy and effective! To make sure it does the trick, you can add an insult like “get a job” on top of it.
7. Oppress the Needy
If you afflict the needy at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword. Exodus 22:23-24
You could go all the way and actually take from the needy! This is the quickest way to get to hell, and popular among the wealthy and powerful. Rub elbows with the upper crust and see that the needy don’t get a fair shake!
8. Don’t repent of your habitual sin
Even if a good man changes and then does evil, every good thing one has done will not be remembered, but only the sin and treachery he committed, and for them, he will die. Ezekiel 18:23-24
God has repeatedly said that anyone who repents from their evil deeds will live. But if you keep doing what evil you’re already doing, you will die and go to hell! There’s nothing to it, just keep doing the evil you are already doing. Of course if you think you aren’t doing any evil, then just keep that up, too! Hypocrites get to hell just as easily as any other sinner.
9. Reject the one who repents of their sin
If you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven. Matthew 6:15
This is a lesser known path to hell. Whoever has ever done you wrong, just keep it in mind and refuse to have anything to do with them because of it—that will send you to hell! Getting to hell is so easy, sometimes you can get there by not even trying!
10. Train others to go to hell
You travel to make one student; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Matthew 23:15
There are so many ways to do this! You could help someone lose their faith in God, teach them to rebel against God, or tempt them to sin. This is the group method of getting to hell. And, as a special bonus, the one who does this gets to see the worst parts of hell!
You see how easy it is to get to hell? Jesus himself said, “Broad is the path that leads to destruction.” Of course, the problem about visiting hell is that you can’t ever leave. It’s kinda the Hotel California of the Spirit world. That can be a bummer, especially if you are tired of it. But anyone who visits hell, has it for their home. Forever. Frankly, that really sucks.
Now, God isn’t in the business of sending people to hell, even if some teachers make it sound that way. God says, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, therefore, repent and live.” Ezekiel 18: Everyone has the possibility of escaping hell—God gives everyone the chance to not visit it at all. If you are interested in not visiting hell, then do the following:
Believe in Jesus
Do what Jesus says
Ask for the Holy Spirit
Keep living according to what God gives you.
This isn’t necessarily easy, nor is it popular. But it’s a much better life both on earth and eternally than living in hell on earth and then suffering with real hell for eternity.
Visiting hell is popular, but Jesus’ way is really radical.
1. Curse God
“Curse God and die.” Job 2:9
If you want to be cursed by God and gain his hatred, all you have to do is express hatred to God. Tell God just how much you despise him and how you wish he would be extinct. Disrespect him in every way you can think of. Although he would still want you to repent (because he loves you) he will send you to hell.
2. Rebel against God
“If you refuse to listen and rebel against the Lord, you will be devoured by the sword.” Isaiah 1:20
God has the right to ask everyone on earth to listen to him and obey him because they are all his creation. However, if you want to be punished by God, you can always refuse to listen to anything God says. Whatever God says, just do the opposite. Whatever God wants, thumb your nose at him and do whatever you want. This way to get to hell isn’t unique, but it’s really effective.
3. Blaspheme the Holy Spirit
Blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Matthew 12:31
This way to get to hell is more rare, and it has some flair to it. Blasphemy of the Spirit is to see God’s work—a miracle that does someone some great good, for instance—and claim that it is done by the power of some evil god, like Satan. No believer in God can do this one, so one has to really work at it!
4. Don’t believe in Jesus
“Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins." John 8:24
This way is very popular with the majority of people of the world who are not Christians. It is very acceptable to those who wish to be tolerant as well. After all, in the world today it is popular to be tolerant to everyone except to those who say that Jesus has an exclusive claim to life.
5. Believe in Jesus but don’t act like it
He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36
This is the most popular method for Christians who wish to go to hell. Christians are participating in this in droves! Whole churches are praising Jesus and ignoring his commands, and so you can join a community of Christian hell-visitors.
6. Don’t Help the People of Jesus when they are in need
“Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat.” Matthew 25:41-42
If you feel that anyone who needs food or shelter is that way because of their own laziness, this way could be for you. If you see a follower of Jesus in need, just ignore them. It’s easy and effective! To make sure it does the trick, you can add an insult like “get a job” on top of it.
7. Oppress the Needy
If you afflict the needy at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword. Exodus 22:23-24
You could go all the way and actually take from the needy! This is the quickest way to get to hell, and popular among the wealthy and powerful. Rub elbows with the upper crust and see that the needy don’t get a fair shake!
8. Don’t repent of your habitual sin
Even if a good man changes and then does evil, every good thing one has done will not be remembered, but only the sin and treachery he committed, and for them, he will die. Ezekiel 18:23-24
God has repeatedly said that anyone who repents from their evil deeds will live. But if you keep doing what evil you’re already doing, you will die and go to hell! There’s nothing to it, just keep doing the evil you are already doing. Of course if you think you aren’t doing any evil, then just keep that up, too! Hypocrites get to hell just as easily as any other sinner.
9. Reject the one who repents of their sin
If you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven. Matthew 6:15
This is a lesser known path to hell. Whoever has ever done you wrong, just keep it in mind and refuse to have anything to do with them because of it—that will send you to hell! Getting to hell is so easy, sometimes you can get there by not even trying!
10. Train others to go to hell
You travel to make one student; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Matthew 23:15
There are so many ways to do this! You could help someone lose their faith in God, teach them to rebel against God, or tempt them to sin. This is the group method of getting to hell. And, as a special bonus, the one who does this gets to see the worst parts of hell!
You see how easy it is to get to hell? Jesus himself said, “Broad is the path that leads to destruction.” Of course, the problem about visiting hell is that you can’t ever leave. It’s kinda the Hotel California of the Spirit world. That can be a bummer, especially if you are tired of it. But anyone who visits hell, has it for their home. Forever. Frankly, that really sucks.
Now, God isn’t in the business of sending people to hell, even if some teachers make it sound that way. God says, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, therefore, repent and live.” Ezekiel 18: Everyone has the possibility of escaping hell—God gives everyone the chance to not visit it at all. If you are interested in not visiting hell, then do the following:
Believe in Jesus
Do what Jesus says
Ask for the Holy Spirit
Keep living according to what God gives you.
This isn’t necessarily easy, nor is it popular. But it’s a much better life both on earth and eternally than living in hell on earth and then suffering with real hell for eternity.
Visiting hell is popular, but Jesus’ way is really radical.
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