Rembrandt, Head of Christ

Have you ever had someone threaten to take your life? If you knew people were plotting to take your life would that alter your mentality and activities?

Here are a few of the many biblical characters who were plotted against and threatened with death.

ELIJAH

“I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”  1 Kings 19:10

DAVID

May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame. Ps 35:4

LAZARUS

So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,  John 12:10

PAUL

While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.  Acts 21:31

 

JESUS, THE “MOST WANTED” MAN

Jesus was hounded by death threats.Even as an infant His life was threatened. When you read the conversations between Jesus and the religious leaders you can hear the snarling, menacing tension.

They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.  Luke 4:29

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” Luke 13:”31

I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you. John 8:37

As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. John 8:40

So from that day on they plotted to take his life. John 11:53

But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Mt 12:14

The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.  Luke 22:2

 

“HE WHO INTIMIDATES WINS”

I recently saw a quote that caught me. “He who intimidates wins.” It sent me on a trail of thought. The goal of the terrorist is to control. The terrorist breaths intimidation to cow and constrain. Would you like to know how to defeat a terrorist? Refuse to be afraid! You frustrate terrorists by finding your courage in God and scoffing at fear.

Cultivating fear is an art form in America.

Advertisers use fear to get you to buy their anti-depressants.

News services use fearmongering to get your clicks.

Politician’s use fear to get your vote, and submission.

2020 has been a jackpot for fear-mongers. We’ve never seen people use fear so successfully. The masters of fear have nearly taken over the world. Their only problem is that you have been a hold-out.You haven’t bowed to fear as low as you should. This has irked the terrorists.

Satan of course is the ultimate terrorist. Fear is the primary tool in his tool box.Ultimately every fear is linked to the Great Granddaddy of fears, Death. Watch out for spiders, heights, laundry detergents, sunshine and tap water. They may kill you.

“Here’s one food you should never eat.”

Do you know how many are dying of cancer, plastic bags and airplane crashes!

Don’t drive your car, you might be killed.

Don’t go to the grocery, you might be shot

With Covid mania, economic woes, and government corruption “we could all die!”

One of ten who started out on the Oregon trail died before the end. What if every time we engaged in an activity a statistician stood at our side and told us the chance we had of dying?

The Fact is, in time, we will all die, unless Jesus comes to interrupt things.

 

JESUS OVERCAME OUR FEAR OF DEATH

“Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”  Heb 2:14

Jesus slaughters the fear of death! He freed us from death’s intimidation! When we overcome the fear of death other fears shrink to proper size. In fact, the direction of intimidation reverses.

HALLELUJAH!

Jesus navigated the death threats. You will also! You are in a place where we can taunt at death, and every fear.

“Where, O death, is your victory?Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Cor 15:55-57

 

WHAT CAN WE DO WHEN WE ARE FEARLESS?

When we have dominion over the fear of death we are unencumbered. We can, as Adam was charged, take dominion, and become the “Masters of the Universe.”

The possibilities are endless when we are free of fear. When we reverse the direction of intimidation everything shifts! When the people of God are free the powers of darkness are intimidated into confinement.

Many like to quote Rev 12:11. Don’t let your voice drop when you read the last line.

“And they overcame him

by the blood of the Lamb,

and by the word of their testimony;

and theyloved not their lives unto the death.”

 

With this conviction we can trample every foe; “Whether I live or die I am a winner!”

All kinds of saints have had to deal with death threats. You are not alone.

As always, I’d love to hear your testimonies of overcoming!

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Eph 6:19-20

Steven C Johnson

LandingStripEnterprises.Com

 

The following are some of the hardest hitting collections of words I have ever read in my long-legged life. I’m passing them on.

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