Faith Project: Fearful times: If you're a Christian, should you be afraid?

Psalms 98:2-3, 7, 9 KJV

The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. ... for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

The world is in an uproar as the enemy rolls across countries demanding conversion at the threat of losing ones life.

Just my humble opinion - and...it's easy for me to say because I am not, at this moment, facing the enemy ready to cut my head off - we must focus on the Salvation of our God in the face of this fearful demonstration of hatred towards all things Christian.

I cannot predict what I might do if my faith in Jesus Christ is challenged to the point of death. However, I believe it must be true that one can train for such a day. The human mind can be trained how to respond in such a crisis.

Maybe that's why the psalmist ask us to "Be still and know that I am God." I love Psalm 46. The words of this psalm are the words I write on my heart in training for this or any other fearful challenge that I may face.

Psalm 46 King James Version (KJV)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.King James Version (KJV)

Does this mental crisis training - building trust in Almighty God - really work? Let me direct you to a story of three young men that faced the directive, "convert or die." The story is in the Bible, book of Daniel, chapter three.

Then an herald cried aloud, "To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace..." (convert or die).

Well somebody got really ticked that the Jewish boys didn't bow when they heard the music and told Nebuchadnezzar!

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?"

One more chance boys...

"Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

These boys didn't even have to think about their answer

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

King Nebuchadnezzar was shocked to see that not only did these three boys survive the fire, but they walked around it in with a fourth person - the Son of God!

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort."

You got that right, O King Nebuchadnezzar - There is no other God that can deliver after this sort!

With the stories of our Christian brothers and sisters that have died for their faith I am sad for the paid they may have endured by "yielding their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God" but I applaud and rejoice that each one is now in the presence of THE KING of kings.

Let me submit to you dear reader, it is by faith that any of us can make this stand, whether we live or die at such a challenge. Walking by faith is that training that comes by hearing the Word, and hearing, and hearing and hearing the Word.

The author of the book of Hebrew (chapter 11) tells us that the heroes of the faith both lived and died - by faith.

And what shall I say further? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

Who by [the help of] faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions,

Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts.

[Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life.

Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment.

They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated—

[Men] of whom the world was not worthy—roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth.

And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised...

There are those that say this evil is coming to a neighborhood near us. This is what I will train for - this is what I will live by...

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 KJV)

Live or die I will echo the words of those three Hebrew boys in Daniel chapter 3: