Fear

‘But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!’ Acts 19:26

Please read Acts 19. Demetrius, a silversmith had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. When he saw that since Paul came into town everyone was now following this Jesus he became afraid because that meant he will loose a lot of business. So he gathered his fellow craftsmen together and they decided to stir up commotion out of fear of loosing business. The truth is that in most places where Christians are being persecuted today it is because of fear. Fear that their children may soon abandon their traditions and follow Jesus. Fear that if people follow Jesus those who benefit from the workings of other religions will loose their profit. It is this fear that causes them to attack Christians. I often say that people should not worry about a state being Christian or not. Leave the state as secular and let everyone live a normal life and before you know it the whole nation will become a Christian nation. The Kingdom of God is like yeast that is put into dough and over time everything becomes leavened. Yet because of the fear of the power of the gospel of Christ persecutions arise. If Christians fully understand the power that God has given to us in the Word and in our prayers, we will also understand the fear of our attackers.

The difference between envy and fear is that envy is based on what is while fear is based on what could be. It was the fear of how great Israel could become that made King Herod start killing all the male children born of the Israelites. Fear that this nation could become so great even while in Egypt and subdue the Egyptians. It was this fear that caused the Egyptians to persecute the Israelites. Even in the time of Jesus, when king Herod heard that the king had been born in Bethlehem he sent his soldiers to go and kill innocent babies out of fear [Matt.2]. For some of us, the intense battles that we are facing today are because of what we can become but Jesus will break the back of those warring against you today.

Prayer: Father, even as the enemies’ attacks could not deter Jesus from victory, so shall it be in my life. All their attacks will come to nothing, in Jesus Name.