By Jack Kelley
There’s lots of fear mongering going on today. The word “monger” originally referred to a trader of commodities, but today it’s more often used to describe a person involved in something petty or contemptible.
You don’t have to look very far to find someone who’s only too willing to inform you about all the things you should fear, whether it’s financial collapse, food shortages, killer diseases, or the government secretly planning to lock you up in the FEMA camps they’ve been building so they can force you to take the mark of the beast.
We recently compared current events in the world with the “birth pangs” Jesus described as indicators that the end of the Age was drawing near. We saw evidence that these indicators are steadily becoming more frequent and more intense as the time for the Second Coming approaches in the same way that birth pangs become more frequent and more intense as the time for the delivery of a new life approaches.
The Bible warns us about letting the fears and uncertainties of this world infect our minds. In Matt. 6:25-34 Jesus repeatedly said, “Do not worry.” And in Matt. 13:22 He said the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of worldly wealth could stunt the growth of His word in our hearts and make us unfruitful. He said we should expect trouble in this world but to take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). And about the times we’re in, He said, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).
Notice that Jesus didn’t tell us to take heart because He would give us the strength to overcome the world ourselves. He said to take heart because He has overcome the world. And He also said seeing the signs of the approaching End Times should cause us to stand up and lift up our heads because our redemption is drawing near. One of the great promises of the Bible is that we don’t have to be overtaken by events in this world, but can remain above them.
The problem is that most of us don’t rely on the Bible to inform us. We rely on what other people tell us. Because of that we can never be certain that what we know is true, and our uncertainty is the open door to our mind that fear walks through when things start to get scary.
Don’t conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephes. 4:22-24).
Paul was speaking here of allowing the Holy Spirit to begin His regeneration process in our minds. Being transformed and being made new in the attitudes of our minds are not things we do, they’re things He does. Our participation in the process involves reading God’s word and letting the Holy Spirit confirm the truth of it in our minds. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth (John 16:13). God’s word is the only source of that truth.
Jesus said there will be trouble in this world but to take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). He said when the particular trouble the world is experiencing right now begins to take place we should stand up and lift up our heads because our redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28). He said because we’ve kept His command to endure patiently He will keep us from the hour of trial that’s coming upon the whole world to test those who live on the Earth (Rev. 3:10). He said He will come back and take us to be with Him so that where He is we will also be (John 14:2-3).
Paul said Jesus will rescue us from the coming wrath (1 Thes. 1:10). He said we who are alive and are left will be caught up (raptured) to meet Him in the clouds and we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thes. 4:17). He said to encourage each other with these words (1 Thes. 4:18). He said events leading up to the end of the age should not take us by surprise (1 Thes. 5:4), and that we are not appointed to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through Christ our Lord (1 Thes. 5:9).
But if you have read with your own eyes the verses from which these statements come, and know them well enough so you can easily find them in your Bible, if you have asked the Holy Spirit to confirm the truth of them and believe in your heart that they apply to the times ahead, then you have protected yourself from all the fear mongering that abounds today.
You know that these promises do not necessarily exempt you from any persecution or trial between now and the day He comes to take us, but you know you are a child of God (John 1:12-13) and because of that you can continue to endure patiently. Since He left to prepare a place for you, you know He will come back for you. When He does He will take you to His Father’s house, and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (John 14:2-3). You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.
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