Hope in an Age of Terror

 

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32

The kingdom here is the Greek word basileia, and it speaks of the place of authority, rule and reign of God.  It is a place that is not of this world as Jesus noted, but in the unseen realm.   While it is received by faith while we are alive on earth, it has a present manifestation as well as a future one where Christ reigns on earth.  While it is a Kingdom we will live in one day, it rules in our hearts now through the Holy Spirit residing in us and the Lord ruling in our heart.

It is interesting that this verse is tucked between two verses.  One the one side, it is about not fearing or worrying but trusting that God will care for you.  Like the flowers in the field, God will care for your every need.   We are to have childlike faith in trusting the Lord’s provision for us.  He will provide all that we need in every season.

It is the adventurous heart of a child that can enter and operate out of this world.   It is not a place of logic, reasoning, earning, or working that helps us get into this realm.  It is only by our trusting in the sovereignty of  God like a child and knowing that it is His good pleasure to care for us. 

On the other side of this verse is about letting go of our ownership in this world.  We just live a short period of time and we are to not be concerned with possessions but make the Lord our treasure.   When we invest in the Kingdom of heaven, we store up treasures that no thief can steal or moth destroy.  We literally can store up things for heaven.

Not only is there a childlike trusting that we need to have to enter into the Kingdom of God, but a letting go of the things of this world.  We cannot hold onto this world and at the same time, enter into the kingdom realm, in His place of authority.  If we have hooks in this world, it will keep us from being taken up into the other realm.

This verse also starts with not fearing because God desires to give us this Kingdom. Why all the fear?  The verses  in  this chapter in Luke are really more about watchfulness, judgement, and te return of Christ.  We are not to fear, because, when this world is shaking and seeming to be blowing up,  we have a whole other realm that is being given to us. 

We have a realm in the side of a Rock that we can be taken up into and be cared for.   We are not only cared for in this realm but we are resourced.  We have authority here to rule and reign with Christ.  We can live in a whole other space that the fear of the world lives.

Reading this week about the tribulation, I am reminded of this verse from Revelation 8:13, “Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets.  It then goes on to speak of judgement after judgment for those who worship demons and idols.   They will seek death and will not find it as the enemy torments them with “torture.” 

The Holy Spirit said to me one recent morning, “You have fear of the end times.’   I didn’t know what to say about this.  He is obviously always right so there is no denying it.  Over and over again, I have studied the scriptures around end times as I have known in my heart a long time that this was coming.   Over and over again, the Lord has comforted me with his word and promises. 

But terror, anguish, torment and torture are all terrible words.   People spend their whole lives in therapy getting over these kinds of things if God does not do a “suddenly” work in them with inner healing.  And I think about our young people having such war, natural disaster, and plague experiences in their lives, along with regular school shootings.  Daily, teens are videoing school violence in bathrooms and locker rooms. The challenges of mental health issues in this generation are skyrocketing. 

Over and over, the Word of God says “terror” belongs to the world.  Outside of Jesus Christ, there is no comfort or hope.   There is no answer.  I am so grateful that I have hope in a world filled with greater measures of pain.  And my job, along with all Christians, is to help others know this incredible hope that comes in Jesus.

What can happen is that we can get caught up in fear along with those who do not know Jesus and miss the opportunity to share the hope we have in Him.. Anxiety drains us of energy to fulfill it while fear derails us from God’s opportunities.

I remember a time some years ago that I was particularly afraid.  God had given me a Scripture right before with His promise.  I repeated the scripture over and over again as I was terrified.  I knew God was going to see me through, yet I was still terrified.  When I was finally free, I can’t tell you the flood of emotions that overwhelmed me.  Self-protection was the biggest.    But self-protection didn’t help me.   It was not the answer.  God and His coming through on His promise was the answer.  He pulled me out of my situation in the most miraculous God way.  I was so grateful and relieved. 

On Mother’s Day, I am reminded of my mother and all her losses during the end of her life.  The more she lost worldly privileges and abilities, the more she gained.  It was painful for her to let go of all of it, but it changed her.  The glory pot that was inside of her grew as she became more like a surrendered and trusting child.

I’ll never forget her last days as she was singing hymns, proclaiming Psalm 23 and making sure all the nurses knew Jesus.  God even gave her visions into heaven.  What a gift!  I told the Holy Spirit that I would love to go out that way.  But the more that the world pushes and presses, the more invitations I have to be strained and stressed rather than released and surrendered.     

Just recently, I was provided the opportunity to step out of my position and take a lower-level leadership  opportunity while having greater direct impact in overseeing such a strategic area as training and development.  When I first received the opportunity, my heart leaped at it, having a passion to see people, especially staff in my organization, to flourish and grow.   But then, having spent over two decades on senior leadership teams, partnering with people to move organizations forward financially, this has been such a huge adjustment as well.  Letting go of my position is hard.

The day of the announcement, God broke through in such power.  He made it clear beyond a doubt that this was Him and He would sustain me in it.  It has always been a dream of mine.  I hoped to somehow do it full time when I retired.  I went back and looked at my Psalm for the year (God gives me a Psalm each year for my birthday) and it says, right in the midst of the storms that God will fulfill His purpose for me.  I was shocked. This is it, my birthday gift!   He is fulfilling His purpose for me.  He then gave me this verse to recite each day:

“The Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is His name.  His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.  He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;  He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.”

These days in His glory are so grand.  As we experience His overwhelming goodness, it washes away all our fears.  But, we can’t stay on the mountain top.  We have to come back down and bring the glory with us.  It is this glory that the world needs.  Our pain and pressing out from the world’s order is for other’s benefit.  He invites us to give up what is most privileged for what is most precious.

This, giving up privilege for what is most precious, is the very essence of fasting.  More than can do this, it is my life’s dream.   It is an answer to prayer.   At the end of the day, what is most satisfying to me can only become greater, as I become lesser.  And it is only as I am willing to die to myself and all my privileges, even ones I carried for decades, that I have more to give to the world around me.

The world needs us filled with His Spirit, pointing to the way of hope.  More than ever, our kids need to not just hear about God, but experience Him.  I remember Bill Johnson saying that once we experience a miracle of God, it changes our DNA.  It changes how we see the world.  What the world needs is only what He has.   And as times get darker and there are terrors on every side, the only safe place to land is in His arms.  

Over and over, the Word of God says “terror” belongs to the world.  Outside of Jesus Christ, there is no comfort or hope.   There is no answer.  I am so grateful that I have hope in a world filled with greater measures of pain.  And my job, along with all Christians, is to help others know this incredible hope that comes in Jesus.

Lord Jesus, You are the living hope!  Let us be witnesses of Your goodness in times of terror, tribulation and trial.   In all that is going on in the world, let us not get caught up in our own fears, but enter into Your bigger story of hope.