Trust And Obey

 Dr. Mike Murphy

November 17, 2024

As a little kid, I had one word I loved more than all the others.  One word that found its’ way into many of my early sentences.  That word?  Why!  I always wanted to know more. Why do I have to do that?  Why do we have to go?  Why do things work this way?  I am all but positive if you asked my parents, they would tell you I asked “why” in my sleep!  

Of all the people I asked why, I had a Sunday School teacher that knew how to answer my question best.  She would always tell me, “One day you will know why.”  This only lead to more questions from me.  “What day?”  “When will that day be?”  This always led to her telling me, “When you are older, you will understand.”

Of all my “why” questions, many of them came at church.  One of my biggest had to do with why we sang the same songs so often on Sunday mornings.  Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, Blessed Assurance, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, and Holy, Holy, Holy, seemed to always find their way into the bulletin.  And one other seemed to be there the most.  Trust And Obey.  If I had known what royalties meant, I would have sworn at that young age the choir director was receiving one each time the song was sang.

As I grew older, I began to understand the words of my early Sunday School teacher. I began to understand the words of each song, and to appreciate why each song was sang. I began to understand what was being said with each word, and why singing those words were more than just tradition.  And as I grew a little older, I even learned how the song I heard the most came to be. I was amazed at the story behind the words to Trust and Obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way,

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

In 1887, as D. L. Moody was holding a revival in Brockton, Massachusetts, a young man stood in the audience to testify about his recent found faith.  When he began to talk about his sins being forgiven by God, the young man said, “I am not quite sure,”.  Then this babe in Christ went on to say, “But I am going to trust, and I am going to obey.”  Even though he did not yet understand how, this young man announced to the audience that night he was trusting his salvation in God’s hands, and he would do all he could to obey the will of God.

The music that night was being lead by famous Christian music composer, Daniel Towner.  The words this young man spoke stuck in his head, and he quickly found himself writing down the words.  A short while later, he found himself writing to his friend, songwriter John Sammis, about the young man that night.  As he told him about the young man, he included the words that the young man had spoke.  Sammis soon found himself turning the words into the chorus of a hymn.  A hymn that he would soon add five stanzas to, and send back to his friend Daniel Towner.  A hymn that Towner would included it in a book of hymns that would become famous the world over.  A hymn we sing often on Sunday mornings today.

Trust and obey.  No two words should be able to better describe our faith. No two words sound sweeter when the Lord hears us sing them. No two words can bring us closer to His Word.  No two words connect us closer as to why Christ placed Himself on the Cross. And no two words can fill our spirit any stronger today.

The word “trust” is an amazing and in depth word.  Trust implies confidence and security, and leads us to action based on that security.  Many often confuse trust and faith, and although the words are connected, they are not the same.  The Bible tells us that faith is a gift God has given us(Ephesians 2:8-9). Trust is what we do because of our faith, the belief that comes from that faith. Trust is what causes us to believe and to accept each truth that God has shown us. Trust is what leads us to live by our faith, what guides us each day to make our faith an example to those around us.

With each word of God’s Word, we learn a little more about that trust, and we learn why we can place our full trust in God.  How many times has someone said to you, “Trust me”?  When you hear those words, you will instinctively do one of two things.  You will place your trust in that person, or you will ask “why”. Each word the Lord has given us, shows us and teaches us that we do not need to ask “why”.  With each word we learn that He is worthy of that trust.  Each day, He proves to us that trust.  And each minute, He shows us why we can only trust Him fully.  Each chance we give Him, He proves to us that trust, and shows us why our choice is so obvious.

The word “obey” is another word that carries just as much meaning. Obey means to be submissive and dutiful, to comply with the one in authority. When we obey, we fulfill our obligation and duty to God, and we willfully submit to the will of God.  When we are obedient, we acknowledge the authority of God, and we place the purpose of His authority above our own.  But we do not just obey God out of duty, we do so out of love.  We trust His love for each of us, and we serve Him so this world may see that love in us.  When we obey, we prove our love for God(1 John 5:2-3), and when we obey God, we reap the blessings of that love(John 13:15-17).

No greater example of obedience can be seen than by what Christ Himself did.  It was His obedience to the Father that led Christ to the Cross(Philippians 2:8).  When we take up our cross today, and follow Christ, we reflect that obedience(Matthew 16:24), and we show the world a love that can only be found in that obedience.  There is no greater way we can reflect Christ than to obey the will of God.

Of all the great passages we read in the Bible, there is one I find myself quoting the most.  Two verses that capture the essence of our faith, and the heart of that faith.  These two verses?  Proverbs 3:5-6.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”  In these words, Solomon captures the perfect meaning of both trust and obedience.  Our trust should be in One who is proven, not in our own finite and flawed thinking.  And when we place our trust in the only One who has truly earned that trust, we will obey Him without question, knowing that He will only lead us where we need to be.

As many of you may know, I am in the final stage of cancer.  Each day I can feel its’ effect, and each day I feel it taking a little more of this body.  Each day, this world would have me return to the question of my youth, questioning God as to “why” I have this.  Why me? Why do You not heal me?  Why do You not take the burden of this disease away from me? But as the world brings these questions into my mind, the words of Solomon speak to me louder.  They show me that “why” is not the right question.  They teach me that the only question that matters is “how”.  “How can You use me?”, is the only question I now wish to ask. Despite the limitation this disease has now placed on me, how can the Lord still use me today?

I do not know of a single person who goes into ministry that does not pray the Lord will use them to move mountains.  But the Lord has used the cancer to show me, He does not need me to move mountains, He can do amazing things with my life if I am just willing to move hills.  The cancer may not allow me to now do the things for Him that I so desire to do, but not one day has He let it prohibit me from doing everything He needs me to do.  Each day He shows me that the cancer does not control me, He does.  Cancer does not silence His call to me, and provides me with no excuse to still answer that call each day.  The call may not come to speak to thousands, it may be to only speak to one.  But He has shown me the power that comes in trusting and obeying that call.  The one I obediently speak to about Him today, may be the very one He will entrust to speak to thousands tomorrow.  He shows me each day that His will does not come in size and measure, but in trust and obedience. And if I faithfully follow that trust and obedience, He can still use my life in the most incredible of ways.

Each time I now hear the song Trust and Obey, I think about the young man at the revival that night, and a smile comes to my face.  History may not record his name, but God has recorded his deed.  With a few words that night, this young man moved a hill for the Lord.  And through his faithfulness that night, God spoke to others to put his words to song. A song that would be heard the world over.  A song that would lead men and women to move mountains!  This young man reminds me of what the Lord can do with every faithful word we speak, with every simple act of trust and obedience we show those around us.  

As my days become fewer, I can all but hear this young man’s voice.  And each time I hear it, my “whys’ become fewer, my trust becomes stronger, and my obedience becomes one of joy.  Each day, I can feel the Lord’s arms around me, holding me up, giving me a little added strength, so I can take another step down the path that Solomon talked about.  Each step of that path, He talks to me, and He explains to me how each of my “whys’ are not really questions.  He reminds me that He has already healed me, that cancer has no hold over me, and He has offered me an eternity to prove His words to me.  With each step He shows me the love He has for me, a love so deep it still finds purpose in me.  A love that each day still gives me the strength to hold a shovel, and blesses me to still be able each day to move a few more hills.

With each of my prayers, I pray you move a hill today.

House Of Chaff

Dr. Mike Murphy
November 10, 2024

He had never been so sore in all his young life.  Every muscle in his body ached.  For days now he had worked the wheat, finding himself day after day on the threshing floor.  Hour after hour each day he would swing the flail, breaking the chaff, or the husk that covered the grain.  For countless hours he would beat it with the flail, then to do nothing more than to winnow it, pitching the grain into the air and watching the chaff blow away. With each swing of the flail, and each pitch of the grain, his muscles reminded him how much he wished this job would end. But the fire in his muscles were not the worst of the burning.  Despite covering his face, each breath also brought with it pain.  The chaff so filled the air that it permeated his lungs, and with each cough irritated his throat.  He could feel the particles fill his throat and mouth even as he slept.  And each night as he finished, his eyes looked like they were filled with blood.  Hours after he finished, his sight would still be blurry, and the scratching would just not stop  The chaff so irritated his eyes he wondered if he would ever see things clearly again.

All he know is he wished he was done, that he was anywhere but here. He father had promised the aging, neighboring farmer that he would help him with his crop.  He wondered each day if this was a lesson he was being taught. Often times he had complained as he helped his father in the family business, laying rock from daylight until dusk.  But as he again swung the flail, he vowed to himself he would never be heard complaining again.  The heft and burden of the rock did not begin to compare to the weight the chaff was placing on him. 

Wheat and chaff.  What a difference we see when we look at both. Wheat is full of life, placed in the ground and nourished, it can produce for us a great harvest.  It can feed countless people, producing foods that can both satisfy our taste and our hunger.  A simple look at the Market, and you will see just how precious and valuable wheat can be.  How important and necessary it is in sustaining the lives of many around us.  Chaff, on the other hand, is a different story.  Chaff has no life to be found in it.  It can never grow, only capable of rotting.  It produces nothing, no food can be made from it.  It cannot sustain us, and it is not capable of satisfying us. It is of absolutely no value, and can only be thrown into the wind or burnt into dust.  

It is for this reason the Bible gives us examples of wheat and chaff.  The psalmist tells us, “The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.”(Psalm 1:4). Hosea warned, “Therefore they will be like the morning cloud and like dew which soon disappears, like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor, and like smoke from a chimney.”(Hosea 13:3).  Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar of a future day, “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”(Daniel 2:35).  Job pleaded with the Lord, “Will You cause a driven leaf to tremble?  Or will You pursue the dry chaff?”(Job 13:25). Isaiah told the His people, “But the multitude of your enemies will become like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like the chaff which blows away; and it will happen instantly, suddenly.”(Isaiah 29:5).  And John the Baptist foretold of Christ, “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”(Matthew 3:11-12). 

As we look around us today, we see the words of the prophets being repeated.  But often as the prophets experienced, the laughs are heard, the denials are seen, and the words are ignored.  As we walk through the doors of many of our churches today, we hear the echo in the voices of the prophets calling out to us, warning us.  As we enter our sanctuaries, we hear the flails hitting the threshing floor of so many of our churches, The striking of the flails ring loud as they seek to produce a harvest.  But as the flails stop and the air clears, we begin to get a close look at the harvest that should fill our floors.  Not a grain of wheat can be found, only chaff fills our structures.

As we look at the fields we call our churches, it is no wonder that our harvests have failed.  Those who have been appointed to tend our fields, often have no desire to be farmers. They plant our fields with everything but wheat. They fertilize the fields with foreign and poisonous products.  The stalks of wheat that should fill our fields go unfed and without water, drying up where they stand, never producing the essential grain that alone can sustain so many around us. Grain that is needed to plant future fields that will also nourish us.  But as the crop is gathered, those who tend our fields find no shame in the harvest.  Instead they try to convince us that what lies on the threshing floor before us is not chaff, but wheat.

How soon they forget the words that Paul gave us.  “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”(James 3:1). Those who are called by their own glory, not called to glorify the Lord.  The words they speak from our pulpits often tell us of a god, but do not teach us about God.  They are filled with words that do not contain one syllable of His Word.  They speak as if they are full of a newfound knowledge, but not an utterance is heard of His profound wisdom.  They choose to ignore the words that Jeremiah gave us, "The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw(chaff) have in common with grain?" declares the LORD.”(Jeremiah 23:28).  

They tell us that  His Word is changing, that what was spoken in the past does not carry the same meaning today.  They tell us that what we thought was His Word, is not His Word at all, but nothing more than the words of men.  They so often speak words that are not meant to encourage us, but meant to confuse us.  They then make themselves at home in the midst of that confusion, feeding off of it, and making themselves wealthy from it.  But as they waller in the mud of their confusion, they forget the words that was spoken to the church in Corinth. “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace”(1 Corinthians 14:33). No peace can be found in confusion, but can only be found in Truth.  In Truth we may not hear the words we wish to hear, the words so many who speak from our pulpits desire to say.  But in Truth we will always hear the words we need to hear, the words that will bring a true peace that He alone so desires for us. Words that are given to those He has truly called to speak.

So many who have regularly visited our fields, now find no reason to return to our fields. With each visit they found our fields more and more desolate, empty of the wheat they sought, the wheat that alone could nourish them.  They no longer heard the voice of a peaceful farmer as they arrived at our farms, but found themselves being approached by charlatans looking to sell them chaff they tried to disguise as wheat.  Our farms have quickly become known as houses of chaff, not houses of The Lord where wheat could be found. Wheat they so longed for, wheat they so desired.

As so many of these that falsely tend our fields today continue to loudly and boldly speak, those who have truly been called to be the farmers of our fields are being heard less and less. The peaceful voice of the farmers is being drowned out by these confusing voices.  And I fear that in the days that await us, their voice will be silenced more and more. We watch today as our threshing rooms become more and more empty, and as our fields stand barren without a sign of crops growing.  If we do not run these charlatans from our fields, and turn in the direction of these true farmers, I fear the threshing floors will soon be left empty.  The flails and winnowing tools will be locked away, no longer to be used. Our fields will no longer be seen, sold to the world around us.  And the doors of our threshing rooms will be locked, no longer able to produce the wheat that we so desperately need to feed this world today.  The world will gaze upon our fields and see nothing but dust in the wind, and they will look upon our threshing floors and see nothing more than the remnants left of the chaff.

Praying our fields will once again be found full of wheat.

Faith, With A Little

Dr. Mike Murphy

November 3, 2024

     A young boy was invited to spend some time with Albert Einstein.  Although very intelligent, the young boy was more than a little arrogant.  After spending time with Dr. Einstein, they walked out onto his porch to continue their talk.  As they sat on the porch, the young boy smiled, thinking of a way he could possibly trip up Dr. Einstein.  As they began to sit, the young boy pointed to a tree, and asked, “How do we even know that tree is there?”  Calmly Albert Einstein looked over at the young boy and replied, “Only by faith.”

What is faith?  The dictionary defines faith as “strong belief or trust in someone or something, belief in the existence of God, strong religious feelings or beliefs, a system of religious beliefs”.  Although belief and trust are a big part of our faith, to accept this definition would mean that if we believe there is a God or have feelings for God, then we have faith in God.  This is one time Webster and the scholastic world simply got it wrong!  Faith cannot be found through positive thinking.  Faith cannot be defined by intuition or premonition.  Faith is not wishing for the best, and hoping all will turn out okay.  Although many would try to define faith in such terms, it can never be seen or identified in this way.    

The Bible defines faith in an altogether different way.  Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  When we read this verse, we must ask ourselves, what is the assurance and the conviction that defines our faith?

The word for assurance means “that has foundation and actual existence, a firm substance of real being.”   The word comes from another Greek word that actually means “to stand under”.  Assurance is certainty, the reality of trust we have in things around us.  When we walk up the stairs in our home, we do so with certainty, without second thought.  We have walked up those stairs so many times that we know they will support us, and get us to where we need to be.  Assurance is based in trust, knowing we can rely on something with complete confidence.

Conviction means “that by which a thing is proved or tested”.  This is why we refer to the term when someone has been found guilty of a crime.  The conviction of our faith is the same.  We have been shown the evidence, and have seen all the things that support that evidence.  We have conducted our own personal trial, and been shown all the facts.  We have intelligently looked at this evidence, and have made our ruling.  Jesus Christ is who He claims to be!  He is the Son of the living God, who came to this earth to offer each of us a true and lasting hope!

When we take a close look at these two words, we begin to see the power that Paul placed in this verse.  And when we go back and look at the verse in its’ original language, we see even more power.  The Greek literally translates, “Now faith is the reality of things being hoped for, the proof of things not seen.”  Our faith is both reality and proof, it is based on both our mindful acknowledgement and our certainty.  We cannot know and understand faith without both.  Through our mindful acknowledgement, we have the proof our faith is based on.  Through our certainty, we experience the reality of knowing our faith is true.  

The best way this can be explained, is by doing so the way Jesus would have.  Through a example or parable. When we see a boat, our mind quickly identifies the object and recognizes it as a boat, not as a car or a plane.  Through our experiences, we have come to know the purpose of a boat.  The boat is designed to keep up afloat on water, and to help us get to the other side.  Our faith is likened to the trust that allows us to step into that boat, knowing what it is designed for and the purpose it is meant to serve.  This is why Paul goes on to tell us that without faith, it is impossible for us to please God(Hebrews 11:6).  For the Lord knows that without faith, we will never find ourselves in that boat!

To truly understand faith, we need to understand where our faith comes from.  Faith is not something we can just learn.  It is not something we can obtain on our own.  And it is not something that we are born with.  Faith is a gift.  It is not a gift we deserve, or a gift we have earned.  Along with His grace and mercy, it is a gift that leads to His glory, a gift to fulfill His plan and purpose for each of us.  A gift that will never be any better than the One we place that faith in.

Faith is vital to the life of every Christian.  We are saved through faith(Ephesians 2:8), we are justified by faith(Romans 5:1),  our hearts are cleansed by faith(Acts 15:9), and through our faith we look forward to the return of Christ(2 Peter 3).  It it because of our faith that we please God, that we show the Lord our trust and dependency on Him, and that we seek to rely on His mercy and His grace.  

Our faith is rational(Hebrews 11:3), showing us that God is the Creator of all.  Our faith is revolutionary(Hebrews 11:4-8), making the invisible visible, and the impossible possible.  Our faith is inspiring(Hebrews 11:4-40), leading us to places we would have never gone, and accomplishing things we would have never imagined.  And our faith is discerning(Hebrews 11:26), teaching us the rewards of Heaven over the riches of man. 

Our faith is trusting, our faith is rational, and our faith calls us to action.  As we closely see how the Lord defines faith, let us take a closer look at each of these.

Faith Is Trusting  

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”, Proverbs 3:5..  A verse many of us have grown up knowing, being taught to us from our earliest years.  Many will often try to separate the words trust and faith, but you actually cannot.  Although they are two different words, you cannot define one of these words without the other.  It is through trust that we can believe in all the promises God has given us.  And it is through faith that we trust those promises will be fulfilled.  Without trust, our faith would rely on hope.  Trust gives us the assurance of those things, and what separates the truth of God’s Word from all the other religions of this would.  We have seen the fulfillment of God’s Word, therefore we can trust His Word.  No other religion can make that claim!  They just hope the false words their ‘god’ has given them will come true.

Two hundred and forty-five times we see the word faith used in the King James Version of the New Testament.  What may surprise you, it is only used twice in the Old Testament.  But both times the word carries incredible meaning.  In Habakkuk 2:4 we read, “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”   The Hebrew word for faith means “firm, secure, trustworthiness”.  It is actually derived from another word that means “craftsman”.  A craftsman was seen as a one who was an expert in his field, whose actions could be trusted.  Someone whose actions had purpose and meaning, and what they made you could be secure in.  It is by no mistake that the words is used here!  It is by faith that we can have security and trust in God’s Word and His work.  This word shows us that there is far more to faith that just knowing God.  It shows us that faith is trusting God, and believing that we should follow His will.  

Trust is a call to our faith.  Trust is why we should follow God with all our heart, committing every part of our life to the Lord with complete confidence.  Showing us that our faith does not rest in the logic of men, but in the proven wisdom of God.  Jesus said in Luke 4:4, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”  Trust shows us why our faith in Christ is all we will ever need!

Faith is Rational

Our faith is not a philosophical theory or even a psychological fact.  Our faith is nothing short of a spiritual force!  Our faith is living, created from a Living Word, that has produced a living proof!  Although our faith is not solely based on evidence, it is supported by every ounce of evidence this world has ever seen.

Despite what many would try to tell us, our faith is not blind.  The very heart of the Christian worldview is based on actual evidence, not on blind faith.  It is only after one is presented with overwhelming evidence that he or she is invited to place their faith in the facts of the Gospel.  Our faith is not about turning off our brains and only following our heart.  It is also not driven by the emotions of the day.  Our faith is about seeking Christ with every character and feature of our body, every cell that makes up our existence being used to follow God.  Our mind shows us the reality of all we hear, and our eyes shows us each day that our faith is not blind.

  Throughout the Scriptures we are shown that reason, understanding, and wisdom are traits that are rewarded.  Proverbs 3:13 tells us, “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding.”  This verse tells us we are blessed when we seek wisdom from, and understanding in God.  We must remember, that God created us with the ability to reason and to think.  And He gave us those abilities for a very specific purpose, so that we might seek and find the truth.  God knows that if we truly seek that truth, we will find Him.  Psalm 14:1 tells us, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’.”  The word for fool used here does not refer to a lack of intelligence, but refers to a person without morals.  This verse shows us that when we deny the existence of God, we put ourselves on a path in search of evil.  Reason and understanding that does not focus on God, soon becomes the logic that leads us to the evil of this world.  Faith is not only rational, faith is a sign of intelligence in God’s eyes!

Faith Is Action

An impala is an amazing creature.  This antelope found in the savanna of Africa, has athleticism and grace that few animals can match.  In a single jump it can reach heights of over ten feet, and can leap distances of over thirty feet.  But with all of its’ abilities, you can enclose an impala behind a three foot wall and it will never escape.  An impala will never jump if it cannot first see where its’ feet will land.  Fear, and this world, would have us be like the impala.  Entrapped in fences without knowing what lies beyond.  But our faith allows us to overcome the fear of these fences that Satan would place in front of us.  Our faith draws us into action, causing us to step over those fences.

We must begin to understand, faith is not just believing in the evidence God would have us see, it is putting that wisdom into action.  Faith is not just cheap talk, faith also requires our hard work.  Faith takes us beyond talk, it puts us into action.  Faith is more that just believing in God, faith leads us to behave by the Word of God.

Faith is an action.  Look at the Bible as an example.  Noah built an ark.  Abraham departed his home when he received the call of God.  Moses commanded Pharaoh to let the Israelis go.  Joshua fought for the Lord.  Samuel anointed David.  Each of these were acts of faith.  Faith requires action, without action there cannot be faith.  In Hebrew there is not even a noun form of the word for faith, it can only be found in verb form.  Each of the above patriarchs stand in the presence of the Lord today, because they chose(a verb) to follow the call of God.

Faith is a doctrine that is expressed through our choice, through our action.  Faith leads us from belief toward trust and obedience, and that trust and obedience requires us to act.  We must never forget, faith is our trust, our reasoning, and our understanding in action .  In order to follow God, we must first get up, and put all that God shows us into movement.  Our faith is evident in everything we do.  It is only when we put our faith into action, that the world around us can see Christ reflected in each of us!

Faith!  A word far more powerful that most of us ever imagined.  A word that Christ tells us with the smallest of amounts we could move mountains.  Our faith brought us to the Cross, put us on our knees in front of that Cross, and calls us to show the world the beauty of that Cross. Faith is not just our holding on to God.  It is knowing that God is holding on to us, and that He will never let us go!  It is us knowing that before He even thought to let go, He would move mountains.  That He would and will move this very earth  because of our faith. 

Praying each of you will move mountains!

FEAR!

Dr. Mike Murphy

October 27, 2024

He could hear his heart beating louder than the voices and the footsteps. As he crouched in hiding behind the cabinet, he was sure they could hear every beat.  But with each beat, the soldiers continued to move, and soon he could hear their voices no more. He quickly rose, and found his way quietly to the door, stepping as lightly as he could as he made his way out of the village and into the protection of the land surrounding it..

Touma did not plan on still being in the village as the soldiers arrived, but the Lord’s needs had keep him there.  Two hours earlier, a voice in the dark had awakened him. Calling out to him, warning him of the soldiers that would soon raid his village.  He did not recognize the voice, but his heart knew the One who spoke.  As the village leader, Touma had the care of the village in his hands.  Five months earlier, a missionary had introduced Touma to Christ, and Touma soon accepted Christ into his heart.  With Christ in his heart, Touma soon found the Lord in his voice. Teaching all in the village the love of Christ, and baptizing each as they proclaimed His name.  In a village of forty-two, Christ name was soon declared by all.  And as each proclaimed Christ, Touma knew that the village was no longer in the care of his hands, but had been placed in the care of the Lord’s hands.

The voice that spoke told Touma to warn the village, to get all to safety as quickly as he could.  Touma quickly sprung into action, going hut to hut, awaken all that night and sending them on their way to safety.  As time ran short, Touma got the last family out of the village, and into the security of the night.  Forty-one of the forty-two were now safe, only Touma was left as he heard the vehicles of the soldiers approaching.  In his rush to get all safe, Touma had forgotten the most valuable item the village had.  A Bible given to him by the missionary that had led him to Christ.  A Bible that was read for all to hear each day. Each word cherished, each word bringing the village to want to hear more.  A Bible the village not only cherished, but did not know how they could ever replace.

Touma hurried to his hut to grab the cherished Bible, but as he gathered it into his hands, he could hear the voices of the soldiers swarming the village.  As they crashed they way into each hut, Touma hid behind the only place he could think of, a small cabinet in his home.  As he hid, Touma prayed.  Not for his own safety, but for the safety of the Bible.  He could not imagine the village without all hearing and taking comfort in the Word.  As the soldiers entered his hut, he could hear them questioning where everyone was.  And as Touma curled in hiding behind the cabinet, he could hear the disgust of the soldiers.  Muslim soldiers, who had heard of the village’s recent conversion to Christ.  A decision that had secured their eternity, but one  the soldiers could not allow to stand on this earth.  A decision that would cost each in the village their life if the soldiers had found them.  And as village leader, would have cost Touma even more, a persecution that many would consider worse than death.

But as Touma prayed, he could hear the soldiers leaving.  Frightened beyond belief, but without fear.  Terrified, but without terror.  Touma had found his strength, and it was written in each word of the Book he held and cherished.

If someone asked you, “What is the most common command in the Bible?”, what would your response be?  Would your answer be one of trust? Would you say it was a command to obey?  Or would you answer it was a command of love?  The answer is one most would never think of, that few could even guess.  “Fear Not” or “Do Not Be Afraid”, is the most common command God gives us.  By most accounts, three hundred, sixty-five times, the Bible tells us to not be afraid.  Once to remind us each day of the year.

Fear.  One of the most basic emotions that fill each of our days.  Fear can overwhelm us. Fear can silence us.  Fear can influence us.  And fear can drive us.  From the beginning of recorded history, fear has made its’ presence known. When we read the events that occurred in the Garden of Eden, we see fear there. Although pride was a driving force behind man’s first sin, it was the emotion of fear that is first recorded.  After Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree, the Bible tells us that God was in the Garden looking for them. “Then the Lord God called to man and said to him,’“Where are you?’  He answered, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.’”(Genesis 3:9-10).  Although their rebellion had brought tragedy on them, it was their fear that hid them from the only One who could save them.

Years later, the nation of Israel would also find themselves consumed by the same fear. They found themselves in exile, prisoners at the hands of the Babylonians.  Afraid as they were forced from their homes, abandoning their land to be marched into cities they had never seen, captive to a people they did not know.  With each step of that march, their fears consumed them. Questions driven by those fears came to their minds.  Why had this happened?  Had God abandoned them?  But their fears blinded them from the fact, God had not abandoned them, they had abandoned God.

So exactly what does the Bible tells us fear is?  Is all fear bad?  And how should we handle our fears?

The Bible describes fear in two ways.  The first, is a way that motivates us and encourages us.  The second, is a way that hinders us and restricts us.  We often refer to the first as the “Fear of the Lord”, but it is a term that is often misunderstood.  Proverbs 8:13 describes this fear as a hate of all evil. Teaching us that to fear God is not to be afraid of God, but to see in ourselves what God stands for.  It teaches us to have a respect for God, and to find ourselves in awe of what God does in our lives each day.  In this term, we see the blessings and the benefits of serving God, the wisdom and understanding that only God can bring to us(Psalm 111:10), and the life that only He can offer us(Proverbs 14:27).

But as much of a gift as the first is, the second way the Bible describes fear could not be more opposite.  The Bible describes this as a “spirit of fear”.  A fear that is not from God, but a fear that keeps us from God.  Dictionaries describe this fear with words like, afraid, panic, and threatening.  I find it much easier to describe in a different way, it is a lack of trust in God.  When we trust in the complete power of God, our fears vanish. our fears have no power over us.  It is for this reason that Paul tells us, “For God did not gives us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”(2 Timothy 1:7).

Fear, as we know it in the world today, is not from God, but is a powerful tool in Satan’s hands.  It builds a wall around us, convincing us that we are helpless.  Restricting us from doing the things that God has called us to do.  Fear is a word that only knows excuses.  Always looking to tomorrow, never allowing us to do all the things God needs us to do today.

We must remember, fear cannot be present where love is(1 John 4:18).  God’s love cannot know fear, and Satan will do everything he can to keep fear present so we cannot see and feel the love of God surrounding us.  He will use fear to bring us doubts, keeping from us the freedom that God’s perfect love brings us.  Our faith and our fears cannot exist together. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”. Even when we cannot see it, we know the Lord is in control, working in and through each of our lives everyday.  Fear blinds us to that assurance, putting questions in our mind to those convictions.  Satan uses fear to grab hold of our emotions, seeking to gain an upper hand on our thoughts.  Satan knows that faith is not something we can ever produce ourselves, but is a gift from God.  Fear is Satan’s way of setting up a roadblock, looking to keep the Holy Spirit from delivering that precious gift to us.  It is for this reason, from Genesis to Revelation, God gives us the encouragement to plow through that roadblock, always reminding us to “Fear not”.

As we look at this world today, no greater two words should we hear each day than “fear not”.  With each step, this world will place roadblocks in your way. Roadblocks that play on our fears, that look to make us take pause instead of moving in the direction the Lord would lead us. Roadblocks that look to slow us down, filled with sounds that look to drown out our voice. Roadblocks that carry names of danger and enmity, posting signs at each stop that read with words like bigot, hate, outdated, and ignorant.  Words that leave us with only fears of what the world will think of us, instead of driving us to places the Lord needs us. Words that seek to make us forget how His grace has taken us this far, and how His grace will lead us the rest of the way home.

As you hear the words “fear not” this day, do not let your fears drive you. Do not let fear stop you from saying a single word the Lord would have you say. Do not let fear stop you from making a single step the Lord would have you make.  Do not let fear give you pause, causing you to not reach out to the hand that the Lord desperately needs you to touch.  And do not let fear convince you to hid your face from the opportunity the Lord has placed in your hands this day. Today, remember those two words, and repeat them often. And today, give Satan a glimpse of what he should fear.

Be freed by faith, not restricted by fear.

The Persecuted!

Dr. Mike Murphy
October 20, 2024

Logan Brookes had the opportunity of a lifetime, an opportunity that he could not have dreamed of.  As a young journalist at a major newspaper, these opportunities did not fall into your lap often.  Logan felt his career was going nowhere fast.  He had shown such promise at his past assignment, but now he found himself at what he thought was a dead end position.  He was given the position of religious reporter, one he did not know what to make of, and one he knew little about.  But today, he felt fate had smiled on him.  Today was the day he could make a name for himself.

As Logan watched the television coverage of the recent events, he knew that religion would be coming front and center.  The sudden disappearance of many Christians brought with it many questions.  These were questions the world would soon ponder, questions that would allow Logan to bring his name to the forefront.

Logan listened to the commentators, looking for an angle that would separate him from all the others covering this story.  He heard them discuss the who.  He heard them talk about the what.  He heard the reports that stated the where, and addressed the when.  But as he listened to every channel, not once did he hear the why.  Why had many people throughout this world suddenly vanished?  This would be Logan’s approach, he would seek to answer the why.

As Logan began to investigate the story, he soon discovered the why would not be an easy question to answer.  For the past several years, Christians had grown to be despised.  A religion that relied on what the world had come to see as failed past events, a religion the world saw based more on fairy tales and myths than on science.  A religion that restricted the progress the world seeks, and taught standards the world would never accept.  Obstructionist that stood in the way of the evolution of man.  As the years had past, those who practiced this belief had dwindled greatly in number.  Many had left the faith, realizing that Christianity did not hold the answers the world sought.  Many had been forced out, as the world could no longer tolerate their views.  And many had been eliminated, obstacles disposed of as other beliefs had come to the forefront.  But even with all their faults, the question still lingered.  Why had Christians suddenly been taken out of this world?  This was a question Logan was determined to find the answer to.

For days Logan sought the advice of the experts.  Experts who could tell him what Christians believed, but could not tell him why they were gone. Professors and scholars who could tell him the principles behind their thoughts, but did not have a clue why they had vanished. Questions that as he asked, he not only did not get answers to, but soon discovered these were answers that no one sought.  The reality of the matter soon became aware to Logan. He had the story of a lifetime, a story that sought an answer.  But it was a story that no one cared to read.  It was an answer in search of a question.  Logan soon perceived that no one really cared, no one gave a second thought as to what had happened to all the Christians.  Most were just glad to see them gone.

As we read this story, the fiction of the situation soon becomes apparent. But as I look at the world around us today, I soon begin to wonder just how much is fiction, and how much is reality waiting to develop?

If you were asked, “Who are the most persecuted people in the world today?”, what would your answer be?  Most would guess many times before they came up with the right answer.  Christians!  Christians are the most persecuted people of this world today.  Over one hundred million Christians suffer persecution for their faith.  Whether imprisonment, abuse, hostilities, or death, more and more Christian lives are impacted because of their belief in Christ.

Over one hundred thousand Christians are martyred each year.  That equates to eleven men and women of faith who give their life in the name Christ each hour.  Eleven every hour! That number is not just growing each year, it is exploding.  In over seventy-five percent of all the nations of this world today, Christians face some form of discrimination.  And across the world today, eighty percent of all persecution and acts of religious discrimination are directed toward Christians.  Those numbers are not just staggering, they are overwhelming!

At the same time we see these startling facts, we must also face the fact that the influence the Church has in this country and throughout the world is diminishing.  Every recent poll shows that more and more people are not turning to God for their answers.  They do not trust the accuracy of the Bible, and do not see it as inerrant.  They do not understand the principles of Christianity, and most no longer seek to understand those principles.  More and more tell the polls that they do not believe that Christ was God, nothing more than a simple man.  And fewer and fewer feel the Church has any influence in their life.

We are watching as the world no longer wants to hear what the Church has to say.  At the same time they are speaking loudly back, telling us to be quiet or face the consequences. And as we are watching this happen, we see the Church in the western world unaware of the anger the world is spouting at us.  As much of the Christian world cries in anguish, the western Church ignores their pleas.  We sit in our pews ignorant of the predators that roam around us, predators that will soon be gathering at our very doors.  Predators that will soon seek new prey.

Our enemies feed on our silence.  Our silence as we watch the predators of this world gathering to devour us.  The words of Martin Luther King speak with volumes to the Church today.  “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”  A prophetic warning that may well apply more to the Church today, than it did to the generation in which these words were spoken.  Words that echo the warning that Christ had for this generation.  “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”(John 15:18-19).  The words of Christ foretold us, the hatred of this world wants nothing more than to have us out of this world!

As we near that glorious day, a day that will call each of us to spend an eternity with the Lord.  A day in which we will be changed in the blink of an eye, a day that will change this world forever.  A day the Church often discusses, and a day we often reflect upon.  We wonder what that day will hold for those left behind, those that will face a time of tribulation unlike any this world has ever seen.  How will this world face that day?  How will they explain the one event that will change their lives forever?  What theories will the world create to illustrate it? What explanations will be devised to explain why those who follow Christ have instantly vanished from this world?  Or will they even look or care to explain it at all?  Maybe they will just be happy to see us gone.

Praying each of you will not be here to find out the answer to my question.