The Smell of Fear in 2020

I just finished reading the book 'The Danger of Shallow Christianity' by AW Tozer​ (can never lose by reading Tozer) where he in one chapter spoke on the dangers of living out of prosperity and adversity. One is self sufficient, one is hopeless. BOTH are wrong thinking. 

Prosperity by the world's standards (money, status, lifestyle) have never been a 'problem' in my humble life. But prosperity can lead to the wrong thinking of self-sufficiency, and an air of superiority.

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Adversity can be found on the other end of the spectrum of prosperity. Adversity can challenge us on to persevere through the challenges of life, or instead fuel anxiety, doubts, and even a sense of dread.  

Now while prosperity has never been a 'problem' for me.. or even on the radar for me.. but adversity I can relate to.  Don't get me wrong, life is good, but I have no illusions of being self-sufficient as my bank account can attest to.  Also, I do relate to issues of doubt and insecurity. 

​Anxiety and depression are emotional first cousins that have come to visit me more frequently than I would like to admit.  ​

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Then let's add the realization I am not getting any younger. I am 63, wear bi-focals, a 'couple or 20' pounds over my ideal weight, and arthritis now speaks to me which I hear fine without the aide of my hearing aides.

Then, outside my control are societal ills including IMO oppression by Covid-19 related government mandates with more than a dash of 'Big Brother', political unrest, voter fraud, and a truly Godless media gaslighting lies while suppressing truth all to promote their own biased narratives.

We also have Social Media (ie Twitter & Facebook) actively suppressing conservative and traditional Christian free speech by allowing certain views to be spoken and others are 'fact checked into oblivion'.

​It's not fact checking at all but is manipulating the public conversation by banning (ie fact checking)  conservative and/or traditional Christian voices.  THIS fans the flames of FEAR.

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At the core of this suppression is not actually the politicians, but the 'we the people' who voted these partisans into office. 

While I agree we all have the right to vote our conscience, but the problem is too many and too many in the church itself do not vote with a Christian world view. 

We want to be 'progressive', and want the world to like us so we act like the world. 

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:19

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Too many in the church support

• 'love is love' aka gay lifestyle even though the Bible clearly condemns it.  
• Too many even watch a little porn as we justify it as we are not hurting anyone even though viewing porn supports indirectly sex trafficking, and damages our own spirit.  
• We are entertained by the movies the world watches,
  
• use profanity almost as freely as the world does, 
  
• we have the RIGHT TO DRINK like the world does. and
  
• Many even 'madly' justify abortion to show empathy for the mom by ending the unborn life violently. ...
  
  these are views IN THE CHURCH!
  

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So the people in our country and in our churches (including me).. worry me. 

​This is The Smell of Fear in 2020

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I share all this  because I don't think I am alone.  Many if  not  most of  us  face  challenges that we did not sign up for. Our individual situations and/or  challenges may be our own doing, or out of  our control. It could be a diagnosis that compromises your life. It could  be a lost job that was or  was  not  your fault.  Maybe problems in your  marriage or with your children or grandchildren that break your heart.  Maybe the  issue is  a vice/addiction. So  we become afraid... and we can smell the fear.

The issue front and center for me today in November 2020 where Covid-19 is king, and FEAR is our God.  It is dividing our nation, our families, it is suffocating our churches as we live muted lives zooming our faith instead of in person as God wants us to be. I know Covid-19 is a risk for the elderly and those with compromised health issues, BUT shutting down our economy and our freedoms have a cost too.  

Through all this  I know  God  to be  the answer in my life. I  believe He is loving, and NOT  indifferent to  any of our situations.

​From Job to  the Prodigal Son God was faithful and  caring.  Look through the Gospels and  read Jesus teachings,  and look at his examples where He listened, wept, He healed, and  He was truth in love,  and even on the  cross  he promised  paradise to  the thief on the cross next to him.

What  a blessing it is to serve our loving  God.  The creator  of the Universe is  intimately interested  in each us  and our fears.

I pray God's blessings and providence for  his  church today, and  for  a lost  world that needs  to know our  loving Savior. As the slogan goes No Jesus, Know Fear. Know Jesus, No Fear.

Jeff 

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