The Heresy of Fear
“Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18 NASB
Do not be afraid – “. . . the opposite of the believer was not the heretic but the coward.”[1] God commands us not to be afraid. It is an impossible command – if it is understood as an imperative concerning emotions. I can no more command someone not to fear than I can command someone not to let his knee jerk when the doctor hits the right nerve. Emotions are not subject to acts of the will. Control of emotions might fall under the topic of volition, but emotions themselves are much more like a reflex reaction.
Since God is obviously aware of this fact, this verse cannot be about God asking us not to feel. “Do not be afraid” means that He asks us to act according to His truth in spite of how we feel. “And yet God does not need those who praise Him when in a state of euphoria. He needs those who are in love with Him when in distress, both He and ourselves. This is the task: in the darkest night to be certain of the dawn, certain of the power to turn a curse into a blessing; agony into a song. To know the monster’s rage and, in spite of it, proclaim to its face (even a monster will be transfigured into an angel); to go through Hell and to continue to trust in the goodness of God – this the challenge and the way.”[2]
That’s why the opposite of a believer is a coward. A coward is someone who fears in spite to God’s promises. A coward is someone who will not believe, who chooses not to trust in the sovereignty of God. In fact, you might say that anyone who contends with life without trust in God is a coward no matter how heroically we think of them. To fight against the tsunami of evil circling the earth without fighting because of the goodness of God is cowardice. Will such a fight result in righteous acts? Perhaps. But the real hero is the one who refuses to dishonor God’s reputation even if the world is evil. That hero fights not only against the evil in the world but also against the more insidious idolatry that says God is impotent. That hero fights on two fronts, both critical to victory. That is the hero or heroine who can go through Hell and still believe.
“Do not be afraid,” says the living One. But without His promise, without His guarantee, fear is all that I can have. It might motivate me to surmount impossible odds, but my efforts will not change the direction of the world. To act in spite of my fear because I trust in the Lord – that changes the direction.
Topical Index: fear, emotions, trust, coward, hero, Revelation 1:17-18
Thanks Skip.
Awesome, awesome, awesome! Such trust in our Father makes the world a place for adventures – real-to-life adventures, quite different from the fairy tale versions born out of fantasy and flight from reality of the harsh and bitter kind. Though we WILL find ourselves thrust up against evil, face-to-face, it is in that place we find Yah and discover a shalom from which fear flees. Thanks be to Yah that He delivers what He promises. Yeshua reassures us – Fear not for I have overcome the world… May we keep pressing in, seizing every present opportunity to know and trust our Elohim, that we may not be found to be cowards in the day of our testing.
Yah’s continued blessings upon you and your house Skip!
OH I SO NEEDED TO HEAR THIS TRUTH THIS MORNING – HAVE BEEN IN THIS PREDICTIMENT MOST OF THE YEAR & THESE WORDS/THESE TRUTHS GIVE ME SO MUCH COMFORT & PEACE & STILLS MY FEARS – THANK YOU JESUS FOR THESE TIMELY WORDS THROUGH YOUR SERVANT SKIP…
SHABBAT SHALOM 4 SURE…
MS. JAN
BTW: AM IN SUNNYVALE, CA & CONFERENCE IS STARTING THIS MORNING – IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW THROUGH LIVE STREAMING VIDEO GO TO THE NOT FOR SALE SITE & I’M SURE THERE WILL BE A LINK…
Thanks Jan for being there and taking a stand against the oppression and repression of women around the world. May your voice be heard among all the movers and shakers, movie stars, politicians and experts. If not there, at least in the heavens where it really counts! I couldn’t find the link for the live steaming video, but hopefully there will be highlights on the website. My wife and I hope to make this issue a part of our ministry in Jamacia. If we could just get men to submit to their ‘ezer kenegdo as prescribed by YHWH in the Torah and elucidated in Skip’s book “Guardin Angel” there would be no more abuse of our sisters, daughters, mothers and wives, no sale, no slavery, no denigration, no discrimination, no rape, no violence, no misogyny and patriarchal dominance. But neither seems likely so march on and know that we stand with you and love you in Messiach.
Thank you, Michael, for these beautiful words, so comforting indeed. Women are so ‘oppressed’ by men who are so ignorant of what ‘help-meet’ means, what ABBA intended wives, and sisters to be for them.
Blessings on your ministry in this aspect, not just where you are, but all around the earth.
“But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars – their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death.” (Revelation 21.8)
Hey,- don’t shoot me!- I’m only the messenger boy!- Whether or not you (or I) “believe” in a place known as hell,- G-d’s Book of Basis Instructions Before Leaving Earth does mention a lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death.. I’ll ask the question with you- does Hell exist? and while we’re here..- does Heaven? It’s all or none, either “both or “neither.” We report- you decide..- but choose well..
Notice in this verse “who” is first on this list of “things that do not please G-d. We too- throw things away that do not please us- in the garbage receptacle where garbage belongs..
And please know too.. -before I go and start pointing my bony ‘finger of accusation’- I am altogether acutely aware, -“And these things had been in each one of you but you are washed, you are sanctified and you are made righteous in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and by The Breath of our G-d. (1 Corinthians 6.11) “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love. (1 John 4.18) “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship and by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8.15)
“ It might motivate me to surmount impossible odds, but my efforts will not CHANGE the direction of the world. To act in spite of my fear because I trust in the Lord – that CHANGES the direction. (emphasis added)
Indeed we are not called to “change” ourselves, much less the world. We are called to SHEMA. Hear and obey. And it is only in Messiach that He can work in us to do anything…including everything. It is Him that YHWH works in us-not only to do the good works which
He ordained for us to do, but to do them without fear. If Yeshua could do nothing but what He saw His Father in heaven do (and then act fearlessly)- how much more we. We can only act out that which is (put) in us-“out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (and acts). If there is no fear in our heart- having been cast out by perfect love- then boldness will come out and WE can do mighty exploits, just as the earlier Apostles and believers. But even if our works are small in comparison-if they are from Him in us- then even the smallest act of righteousness can “change” the world as the rabbis taught-“Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world” or as our Rabbi taught that if you give a cup of water to one of the least you shall not lose your reward!
Fittingly this day is Simcha Torah
(or was recently depending on what calendar to which you subscribe), a day which the scroll is rolled back to the beginning and we start our Torah readings anew in the Book where it all starts. Not a change, but a completing and a renewing. Just as Messiach said in Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to make void the law or the prophets; I am not come to make void, but to fulfill. (and soon we will start anew in the garden and in the millennium?)
So as Yeshua spoke in John 7:37 “Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, (of Tabernacles-in other words today!) Yeshua stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.”
Let OUR living waters flow and no longer be damed up- lest we be damned!!
Chag Sameach
“And yet God does not need those who praise Him when in a state of euphoria. He needs those who are in love with Him when in distress, both He and ourselves.”
That is a very interesting point to me, because I tend to have two very different experiences of God
Most of my time with God is spent out doors as I walk with my dog Max or alone on a break from work
I notice that on clear beautiful days I tend to feel good and experience God in a state of euphoria
But on gloomy days when I feel very distressed I feel even worse because it is harder to connect with him
We walk by faith (not by sight..). We walk (live) according to the instructions of YHWH. Our Elohim has said in His word (a mere three hundred sixty six times!)- “fear not..”
If I lived according to my feelings (my emotions), my perceptions of the truth (not the truth itself) would deceive me, for all that glitters is not gold. Emotions live at the surface level of my soul and are according to my ‘happenstance..’. If my happenstance is good (what’s happening man?) – I am happy. If my happenstance/situation/circumstance/etc.. is not good-then I “feel” happy, sad, mad, etc.
Now let us insert the word “feelings” into this.. – We walk by feelings not by sight.. No, this just doesn’t fit- that pepperoni pizza I had for breakfast is causing my feelings to scramble- I am an unstable, emotional bag of “blowin’ with the wind”- up today- down tomorrow- woe is me- happy am I-which way is up- today I’ll lean to the left..- Our emotions and perceptions (perceived truth is not reality) will lead us astray- every time. “Go with your gut”- depends upon what I had for dinner last night…- and right now- I’m hungry, tired, wet and cold so how can I possibly “rejoice in the LORD?” when my circumstances dictate otherwise?
Friends- Paul and Silas were in a Roman prison and it was midnight. They had both been falsely accused, then beaten, then locked in a most uncomfortable position. And according to these “happy” conditions.. No- according to the Sovereignty of G-d and the Ruach HaKodesh now abiding and residing within them- they remembered the words of their ADONAI and sang praises- right there, right then..- in a dark, dank, stinky Roman prison. I wonder what the weather was that night? Partly gloomy with a chance of sulking? Pity party anyone? Let this fester long enough and maybe we could grow a crop of bitterness..
“What do the scriptures say?” (Get your “self” a tat!) Shema O Israel!- ‘Faith comes by hearing (shema anyone?) and hearing (what and who are we listening to?) by the word(s) of G-d.” Yeshua said (are we listening?) to the Pharisees.. (the religious ones..)- “you do err- not knowing the scriptures nor the power of G-d.” (Matthew 22.29)
We (all) need to learn to live “by the Book.” Walking, (living) according to the instructions of the Teacher. “Whatever He says unto you- do it” (Matthew 2.5)
“We walk by faith (not by sight..). ”
Hi Carl,
I am probably the weaker for having little “faith,” in the sense that I worry about my children and Max
If I had complete faith, maybe I wouldn’t worry about anything 🙂
But for me “seeing is believing” in the sense that what God wants is pretty clear to me
But Jesus lived by the book and was nailed to a cross, which must have made him feel pretty miserable
So I don’t think how we feel is always a reflection of our faith
We “attempt” anyway to “read and follow label directions”- (lather, rinse, repeat). We pay attention to (heed) what G-d says in His book because He never lies, nor is capable of a lie. He only (ever) speaks truth (and is the Truth). If G-d says something- anything- we can take it to the bank and cash the check because the money is going to be there -if G-d says it is so.
Three hundred sixty six times (shall we review each one? G-d has said, “fear not.” Any particular reason you can think of for this? (I can think of three hundred sixty six at least!)- including my wife, my children, my job, my future.. my,my,my! – (not to worry- there’s more where that came from!)
G-d always (always) gives each of us what we need and when we need it. (Some refer to this as Providence).
YHWH is the Faithful ONE. (always!) -“I was young and now I am old and I have never seen the righteous (the rightly-related ones) forsaken nor his seed begging bread.” (Psalm 37.25) The LORD is our Shepherd- we shall not want! “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things? (Psalm 8.32)
How do we interpret the following:
Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me
Psalm 22:1 For the director of music. To [the tune of] “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
Please search the Today’s Word archives for a discussion of this verse and its context in the Psalms and in Matthew. I am sure you will be able to answer your own question after that.
Again, it seems as if G_d is telling us to see the world in terms of true and false (as He determined in the Garden) versus our way of good and evil (the result of eating that fruit). We are constantly judging what is good and bad and projecting that on G_d (hence, G_d is bad for not saving us from our bad experiences, or that He does not exist because the world is not one continuous joy ride). Our desire to judge good and evil allows us to ignore the Truth of G_d’s command to trust Him anyway, as He is Sovereign. Our insistence on doing it our way (good and evil) allows us to continue to make up our own world view, and our own rules. This is the cause of our grief…not G_d.
““Do not be afraid” means that He asks us to act according to His truth in spite of how we feel. ”
Amein!
I turn more to YHWH in times of stress and problems, to sing praises to Him, as that drowns out all negative thoughts and emotions, restoring the shalom I so needed, to face the circumstances.
” But the real hero is the one who refuses to dishonor God’s reputation even if the world is evil. That hero fights not only against the evil in the world but also against the more insidious idolatry that says God is impotent.” Amein!
Shalom, Skip, thank you for words of wisdom.
“but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your G-d, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
(in short) -sin separates. The wages (results, consequences) of sin is death (separation). Separation between men and separation of sinful men and YHWH, Who (alone) is holy.
The Father turned His face away from the Son because right then, and right there, upon the execution stake, “He became sin who knew no sin so that “in Him” (Yeshua HaMashiach- our LORD and Savior, we (sinners) might become the righteousness of G-d. (2 Corinthians 5.21)
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying Breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
No one ever pointed out that this is not a full quote of Revelation 1:17-18 in the NASB? He skipped the beginning, and middle of the passage. Really look hard at the middle part he skipped.
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
For some reason, I didn’t see the middle until I had refreshed the page. The beginning was still skipped, and the middle part that wasn’t addressed is really important.