13“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means proceed those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Comfort one another with these words.” (1Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 

There are a multitude of believers today that want nothing to do with these prophetic words that the Apostle Paul spoke to his church.

 

It may just be possible that one cause of this phenomenon is based in misplaced fear.

 

Whether considering the New Testament days of believers or those of today, the ‘comfort’ Paul was speaking about could not have been realized without first understanding the stark contrast between the fear of man and the fear of God. This is paramount. How can any of us expect to feel comforted with the promise of God’s Rescue while the fears of man are gaining major strongholds by the day? The fear of man will override the perfect fear of the Lord, that He wants His children to walk in and this does not have to be the case.

 

For if we fear the Lord in the spiritually beneficial way the Bible depicts, the fear of man comes into clearer perspective and we realize that the fear of man is at the heart of the need for the comfort in which Paul is referring.

 

However, as we all know, it’s impossible to never fear, as none of us are immune to this natural human propensity. But, we do not have to let it get the better of us; the key is through keeping the fear of the Lord as our guide:

 

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His Commandments, for this is man’s all.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

 

This is even more evident when considering the times in which we are now living; the many reasons for fear are off the charts. This is definitively so because we are heading full speed toward the Great Tribulation. The good news is, we have no need to fear if we understand that YES bad times are coming, BUT God has our rescue perfectly planned and for the exact right moment!

 

Furthermore, the fear of the Lord carries many spiritual benefits that make every aspect of life easier and more fulfilling. And God Wonderfully reveals more and more Truth, as our trust in Him grows and we strive to place all of our fear on Him.

 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

 

The fear of man encompasses every fear, but disregards the value of the fear of God. And this includes everything that can go awry in this world: sickness, death, accidents, victimization, reputation (fitting in, avoiding humiliation), competition with others for praise, position and other such rewards….And countless other things.

 

The fear of man has always been in place, however, generally speaking; we have seen an unprecedented spark in fear (by design), which has been driving societal norms since early March 2020 and it’s all part of Satan’s plan to take down mankind. Common sense precautions are one thing, but the methods the powers-that-be have been instituting are rooted in their desire for an all-encompassing fear that they are successfully achieving, in order to control the masses. However, those who know the Truth are NOT at their mercy, at least not to the same degree.

 

The comfort we have is that God is coming to rescue us at the exact right moment. This knowledge can and will put believers at great ease, even if things begin to worsen for them/us. Inasmuch as the Rapture, our rescue, is about to happen, those in ‘the know’ can find tremendous comfort, for even though we suffer, we know, it will not last long. And also that any temporary suffering is more than worth the reward that is on its way, as God has promised through His Word.

 

But, for those rejecting the comfort God is trying to offer, there is great cause for discomfort, worry and fear. It’s not even crazy to say that for those who are unaware, fear is becoming a way of life. Hopefully they will examine where they place their fear and learn this valuable lesson; one that promises to help us all through this incredibly perilous time, in which, we will be rewarded for our endurance with the greatest moment that will ever happen on this earth!

 

Joshua 1:9, Proverbs 8:13, Psalm 23:4, 27:1, 34:4-8 & 46:1-3, Matthew 10:28, Job 28:28 & Ecclesiastes 12:13

 

1Corinthians 15:51-55—

 

 “51Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

 

NKJV