2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) ~ For God hath not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
There are those within our country who desire to exert as much control as possible over the American citizens. Their primary means for establishing control are by promoting fear, secrecy, and polarization and distracting people from their spiritual duty to seek first the Kingdom of God. When these factions gain greater power and control, our freedoms and liberties are sometimes lost without realizing it. We find ourselves in bondage to elements enslaving us and into spiritual bondage that will destroy us.
Fear is used as a powerful tool of control by these factions of the powerful elite. "The terrorists want to kill us all. Your job, home, and retirement are no longer secure. The lack of health care threatens your life. You are either for us or against us. We might be attacked at any time." All these messages push us towards fear. And by encouraging us to focus blame on others such as terrorists and "evil" leaders, or even the "rich," the power brokers push us away from feeling in control of our lives and towards the role of powerless victims so that we look to them for protection. The more we slip into fear and become victims, the easier it is for us to be manipulated. As Christians, we should not be afraid but have peace. But often, we fan the flames of fear by allowing ourselves to become "prisoners of hope" without the faith needed to change our lives. We are waiting on the mountain top of our expectations for the Lord to take us out of this mess. I am saying it is time to stop being a "prisoner of hope" and become a "messenger of hope."
I understand we are placed in a position of fear when we are unaware of the truth. Secrecy leads to control by preventing the exposure of hidden agendas and breeding distrust, suspicion, and paranoia in the world. In the name of "national security," we have been told daily that we should not know what is happening behind closed doors in government. Yet we are asked to keep a vigilant watch over our neighbors, over those who question the government, and over those who look or act different from us, as they could secretly be a terrorist's sleeper cell. Rampant suspicion and secrecy cause us to lose touch with the common humanity we share with all around us. How can you have compassion and mercy on those you fear? How can you make a difference when you are blaming others for your problems?
Some have divided this country to the point of immovable polarization. We have a national mindset of "them against us." If we focus on blaming and attacking one another, we will not solve our problems. Those controlling our attention on issues that have polarized us are taking our freedoms and right away from us as we fight one another. The basis for our destruction is believing the lie of those who wish to have absolute control over us. Our country has been served a steady diet of greed, violence, empty sex, and broken relationships to the point that we condone them as normal. Our attention has been subtly diverted from our spiritual life to the more superficial attractions of sex, consumerism, sports, and money.
When we succumb to fear, secrecy, and polarization and lose touch with our sense of spiritual purpose in life, the manipulators can exert more control over our lives and the world. Jesus warned us what would be coming in the end times and how to prepare for those coming days. He also, told us not to be afraid but to trust Him.
We have become so afraid of dying that we fail to realize that is the result of all of us. Death is a factor of human life. In 2020 in America, 3.4 million people (about the population of Oklahoma) died. The most substantial number of deaths were from heart disease and cancer. We do not seem to have a great fear about these two causes of death. Americans continue to smoke, drink alcohol, do drugs, and eat unhealthy food. We know that these contribute to early death. So why where we so quick to accept the narrative that has divided our families, nation, church, businesses, and government? It is because we have been fed a daily diet of fear. If we were so concerned about people’s health and welfare, we would have stopped abortions years ago. Abortion has a 99.99 percent of death that can be avoided. We would have put an end to alcohol and tobacco. Over 50,000 dies from alcohol-related deaths each year on the highway. Over 41,000 deaths are related to second-hand smoke, and we see no need to address these issues with mandates.
We have a drug epidemic in our country. The American Medical Association on their website says, the emergence of COVID-19 in early 2020 raised fears that already-rising drug overdose deaths could surge further amid social isolation, economic stress, and disrupted access to treatment facilities and providers. The nation's COVID pandemic made the nation's drug overdose epidemic worse. This issue brief highlights media and other reports showing increases in drug overdose mortality and other concerns relating to access to evidence-based care for substance use disorders, patients with pain, and harm reduction services. A total of 93,331 died from an overdose in 2020. The American government has not shut down the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the drugs. The fact is many of these pharmaceutical companies would be struggling to stay in business if they were not manufacturing a mandated shot and pill.
So, what do we do? Stop the fearmongering. The national fear, the secrecy, the polarization of our country, and the loss of our spiritual life have allowed those who would control us the power to subvert our government and take away our rights and freedom. When we cast out the fear from our hearts and make a genuine commitment to renew our spiritual life and encourage others to do the same—we are changing the direction away from destruction.
Where do we start? First, I must begin with myself. As individuals, we need to develop a spiritual purpose in life. To live life with abundant joy-- it is essential to have meaning and direction. By choosing to live with a spiritual sense and approach and focusing my energy on "seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven," then my life will no longer be controlled and manipulated by the evil of those who seek to destroy me. This new direction will weaken the seduction of media hype that distracts me from my spiritual purpose and direction.
Perfect love will cast out fear. The prayer of Jesus was that we have joy and have it more abundantly. We can also transform our fears by learning to know and understand the evil surrounding us and its potential to destroy us. We are children of the day, not of the night. The daylight exposes evil while the night hides it. We are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. We must be attentive to all around us, knowing the danger and where it comes from.
So, what do we do? Stop allowing ourselves to be the victim and instead become the soldier of the Cross as we have been called to be. Stop blaming others for your problems and take responsibility for allowing evil to use you to accomplish your destruction. Start to demand openness and transparency of people. It is time we started to focus on" good vs. evil" rather than "us vs. them. We are in this spiritual warfare, fighting the forces of evil that seek the destruction of all good, holy, and righteous things. So, stop sitting around and fight the good fight of faith! How do we start?
You can start by turning off the MSM. If you are getting your news from what is being reported on the national networks, you are fed a diet of lies and fear. You have allowed yourself to be manipulated by an evil agenda that is out to destroy all that is good. How many times have lawsuits been brought against the media for their libel and slander? Yet, they continue to propagate their lies.
You can start by not acting the part of a victim. Our trust and faith are in the LORD. Why should I be consumed with a false fear that destroys my faith in the LORD? We have lost our faith when we fail to trust the LORD.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Psalms 9:10
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11
The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore, my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Psalms 28:7
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Job 13:15
You can start by focusing on your spiritual condition. Satan wins when we try to fight battles that are not ours to win. What is happening today is being permitted by the LORD to get us to turn to Him. Satan would have us focused on issues and not on our spiritual condition.
I cannot change what the LORD has set in motion. I can change how I focus on my spiritual condition. Early Quakers used a series of questions to examine their life called Quires. We would do ourselves a service to incorporate these questions into our daily life.
Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless, indeed, you fail the test! I Cor. 13:5
Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him.
Let me ask, how can you know the Spirit of Christ is in you if you do not even know the mind of Christ?
You can start by surrendering your family. This is difficult. Yet God so patiently whispers to us, “Will you surrender them?” In that moment you began to release the family to him. I know that unless I completely surrender them to my Savior, I will not be completely dependent upon him. I feel the heavy weight of Jesus’s words in Luke 14 (ESV), “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” I realized that this verse not only affects me but also my family as well. It is easy to hang on to your family wanting to provide safety and protection for them, but the LORD can do much better if you surrender to His will.
You can start by changing how you act towards your fellow Christians. You can become so focused on what others do that you are blinded to your shortcomings. The people who upset you the most have diverted your focus on Christ. You are focused on individuals and not on Christ. If you are consumed with the action of others, you cannot be focused on the LORD. I learned a long time ago that I could not change people to my standards. That is for the LORD to do. I can pray that the LORD shows them the error of their ways and they change. But if I allow others to obstruct my focus from the LORD, I have a spiritual need that will destroy my relationship with the LORD and others.
If you genuinely believe we are in the last days, that the LORD is coming back soon, then you need to make sure that your spiritual life is up to the standard of holiness required to make it to heaven.
You can start by carrying a burden for the lost. When was the last time you spent time sowing the seed of salvation, watering that seed, helping that seed to grow, and caring? That is the primary purpose of the Church to be a witness of the plan of salvation by sharing the Gospel. We cannot share the Gospel because we are filled with fear, lacking faith, and focusing on issues and people, and not Christ.
You want to change the world, then focus on Christ.
Closing Hymn- Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. 621
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