Living in Days of Fear! -

Living in Days of Fear! - Gary Stearman -

www.prophecywatchers.com

 

We now find ourselves living in days of fear that began with a stealthy disease, which progressed into an economic threat. Examining the effects of the COVID-19 virus, it was decided that "social distancing" was needed to prevent a deadly epidemic. That, of course, meant closing workplaces. In the face of the resulting financial shutdown, government aid began to be planned. Now, there is great perplexity on these two fronts, after years of prosperity and health. But, to complete the picture, the period was also darkened by political intrigue and international deception from the Far East to Europe and South America.

 

Now, the "experts" are not so expert. What shall we do?! It's been a very long time since such a confluence of ills encompassed so many unknowns, and our leaders are scrambling. It is even more interesting to note the effects of quarantining millions of people throughout the world. Business has ground to a halt, at the same time as health experts work day and night to avoid another 1918-style flu epidemic, with its rampant global death toll. Estimates range from 50 to 100 million fatalities! Today's conditions are the recipe for anxiety.

 

Christians who had been alarmed by the global convulsions of the last few months, have suddenly found themselves thinking that the present conditions could possibly be the precursors of a coming period with a very familiar theme. Of course, it comes from Jesus' own words, as He was seated upon the Mount of Olives and answered the disciples' questions. He had just described a coming period of difficulties. Little did His listeners know that He was describing the coming two thousand years of international apostasy, strife, disease, starvation, and martyrdom for believers. His words are among the most-quoted in the entire Bible:

 

"7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Mt. 24:6-8).

 

In this list of horrors, we find the word "pestilence," that means "communicable disease." His disciples must have been perplexed. They no doubt believed that He was about to establish the Kingdom. But as we all know, His plan reached far into the future, and would be global in nature:

 

"12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Mt. 24:12-14).

 

These words bring us back to the present. The Gospel has been preached to all the world ... many times over! At this moment, there are scattered reports of revivals in such unlikely places as China and Iran, where Bible teaching can be fatal. The fear associated with preaching the Gospel is something that we hardly think about here in the United states. But now, anxiety has come ashore in our beautiful land. Once again, fear abounds! The answer is simple. We must remember these words:

 

"16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us" (1 Jn. 4:16-19).

 

Fear or faith? The decision is ours to make!