Great Fear...OR A Great Revival? Guest Post by Marilyn Moseley

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
2 Timothy 1:7

Photo by Ben White

Fear has been getting a lot of publicity recently.  As the nations of the world grapple with a novel virus that has taken science by surprise, governments and science are scrambling to contain and suppress its deadly aggression.  With its highly contagious nature and death rate, fear is at an all time high, as nations are crippled with the logistics of hospitals being overwhelmed with very sick people, while struggling with the unknown face of a disease that spreads in ways not yet fully understood. 

It is in these times of crises that fear can grip the hearts and minds of humanity, and sometimes all sense of reasoning is overrun with panic.  We have seen this in recent days with stores having sold out of basic commodities, including toilet paper and disinfecting supplies.  Families are dealing with school age children now at home, as schools across the nation have been cancelled. Parents have fears about financial pressures that are mounting with worries over whether they will have money to pay their bills and feed their families.  Booming businesses now have ground to a standstill, and the façade of a nation is cracking moment by moment with fear splitting its seams wide open.  

In the midst of this fear, where do you find yourself? 

Has worry and fear overtook and dominated your life 

and stolen life and joy from your living?

There is a perspective that we can find balance in, just as the world around us tips the scales into mass panic.  Perhaps as Christians, we need to adjust our thinking just a little bit. 

Let’s take a walk back in time to a place where great fear had gripped the hearts of men and women.  The setting is in Acts 5 when Ananias and Saphira were struck down DEAD by the Lord Himself in response to a lie that had been told to the church leaders of that time.  

 "Great fear came upon the church, and all who heard these things."

Acts 5:11

If we stopped there, and just dwelt in the fear of this moment, perhaps the book of Acts would never have been written.  For the very title of the book of Acts declares it to be a book concerning action taking place.  We know that when fear grips the hearts of those in its bondage, it immobilizes, paralyzes, and binds up the one in its grasp.  

Yet, in this passage, as we continue on we read: 

 "And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.  Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.  And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.  Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed."

Acts 5:12

The apostles did not look at the fear as an opportunity to hunker down and wonder what they should do next.  Instead of being paralyzed and immobilized by fear, they turned that fear into something very powerful and supernatural.  From that moment on, the church had a turning point in revival.  Through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people.  And even greater – the people were all in one accord!  Because of this unity, and supernatural outpouring, multitudes of believers were increasingly added to the Lord!  The multitudes began to gather to be healed.  Incredulous things began to happen, right in the face of this desperate fear that had gripped the church earlier. 

As we read this passage, we can learn a great deal about how to conquer the fear that has overtaken our world today.  We can cower and hunker down and allow the fear to consume us.  Social media can drive us to listen to news casts, podcasts, articles, videos, memes and more until our mind is consumed with worry and fear and the viral pandemic has spread pandemonium into our own lives.  

Yet, we must stop and step back from the scene that social media portrays and realize that our God is bigger, greater, and much more powerful than a virus that has brought the nations of the world to a breaking point.  We are witnessing stores that are shuttered, airplanes sitting empty on tarmacs, grocery shelves are barren while hospital beds are full, and healthcare workers reaching a place of compete exhaustion.  Perhaps in the midst of this very difficult, and strange place we are in  - we wonder … how much more can we take? Where is the end of this madness? 

Indeed, we must step back from the place where this fear is growing and look up, out, and away from the darkness that this world is teetering in and realize that it is in the very moment of our greatest fears that our God is able to work the miraculous, in the midst of very impossible situations.  

Let us not let the fear crowd our minds with its red panic button, but instead, let us begin to believe that our God is able to work in mighty ways, far greater than anything we can see, imagine, or believe!  

And it just needs to start with each one of us! Today, we can all begin to lift the banner of faith higher than the banner of fear, and begin to look around to see where the glory of the Lord will be manifested.  Ask the Lord for His supernatural intervention. Believe that He is able, and act, believing that He is.  

This is not the hour for the church to crumble, even as almost every church door has been closed in the nation.  This is not the hour for the saints of the most High to sit in disbelief and worry. 

We have been called to such a time as this.  The time is NOW and ripe for the church to advance, to broaden its borders, and to see the miraculous come forth out of the graveyard of fear, and allow faith to triumph over the desperation in our world.  

Lift up your heads today, and worship the Lord, praise Him, and thank HIM for allowing you to be alive in this great time in history, when perhaps we can begin to see the greatest revival take place.  The church has always risen out of the pit of disaster, dusted itself off, and risen to the occasion with great revivals that have come forth out of times of persecution, tribulation, and trial. 

I want to encourage every heart reading this today that you do not have to believe the focus and the spin of social media about this situation.  Instead, look to the Word of GOD, dig deep into its depths and find your source of strength.  Pray until you breakthrough into a realm of the spirit that cuts out the bondage of fear in your heart and then begin to ask the Lord…. “What have YOU called me to do in such a time as this?” Everyone of you has a job to do in the kingdom, and today is the time to ask the Lord, “What would you have me to do? How can I be a part of the reviving of the church?”  

With a willing heart, and faith in the Lord, there is no obstacle that is of concern to Him.  As you ask Him for guidance, wisdom, direction and peace, know this for a  fact… HIS storehouse will provide.  HIS storehouse never lacks.  HIS provision never ends.  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills…there is a ram in the thicket… there is a coin in the fish’s mouth… there is manna in the desert… there is no lack of availability in God’s economy.  Whatever you are facing… He has the answer. 

Today is not the time to fall into fear’s trap, rather it is the time to LOOK UP, and rejoice that you are living in such a time as this, and to get busy doing the Father’s business!  We are here, in this time, in this day… and what God has brought us to, He is well able to bring us through.  

Don’t let fear reign in your life… instead wave the banner of faith, look for and believe, just like the apostles, that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think…. But we just need to take the first step. 

I pray for each one of you that the abundance of faith will resound in your heart today.  Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world! Let us be about our Father’s business today, looking up, rejoicing, and believing we will see His mighty power at work when we do.  

May God’s abundant blessings of mercy, grace, truth and wisdom abound mightily in your lives today! 

Marilyn Moseley 

Bio:
Marilyn from Mountaintop Spice is an avid hobby photographer living in North Idaho who shares her love for photography with inspirational writings on her blog and with the writing group she is a member of. Her love for the Lord and ambition as a writer began at an early age growing up in Prince Edward Island, Canada, the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery, whose writings were Marilyn’s childhood inspiration. Leaving the red soil of the Island, she married a Texan, and now lives in North Idaho in with her husband, two children, 20+ chickens, two dogs and the reigning king of the home, Mister Simba, the cat. Marilyn enjoys seeking out beauty with her camera lens in the Lord's creation around her to share with friends, family, and the blogging community. She blogs at Mountaintop Spice. Images from her photography can be found at Mountaintop Spice Photos.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am SO inspired by reading this wonderful post of encouragement!  Marilyn is 100% spot on in her anointed words, and how grateful I am that she and all the other contributors have shared their hearts with us during this time of crisis, upheaval, and yes, much, much fear.  Please take the time to stop by and visit Marilyn's blog where you will find a wealth of comfort and spiritual edification.


Revival ~ Blue Moon Rising

Oh, how we need the revival Marilyn spoke of and Chris West wrote and sings about in this song!  God is trying to get our attention.  It is high time for us to pay attention and fall on our faces in repentance.  Humbling ourselves before Him will bring about the revival we so desperately need and long to see!  Please keep praying and seeking the Lord.
May He bless each one of you.