[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] FW: [CWWC] LOSE THE FEAR OF DYING

[Michael Moore]

From: committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io
[mailto:committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io] On Behalf Of Mr. Ed via
groups.io
Sent: Wednesday, December 8, 2021 10:07 AM
To: Mr. Ed
Subject: EXT: [CWWC] LOSE THE FEAR OF DYING

 


LOSE THE FEAR OF DYING


We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at
home with the Lord.
<https://link.biblegateway.com/click/25965371.3000/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmlibGVnY
XRld2F5LmNvbS9wYXNzYWdlLz9zZWFyY2g9MkNvci41Ljg/5ef562bd10222374f46b6174B7694
e40b> 2 Corinthians 5:8

Our Open Doors colleague, Ron Boyd-MacMillan, shares the following insight
from his teaching, "Why I Need to Encounter the Persecuted Church."

There is a famous book called The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker. It is
his contention that the whole of the western world is really a gigantic
playground to distract us from ever facing the fact that we will all die!
Thinking about death is all but forbidden. Preparing for it is seen as a
sign of morbidity. We arrange for the elderly to die out of sight in hostels
and hospitals. And huge multinational companies produce products that
promise to keep the effects of aging at bay.

Inevitably, when we are too scared to face death we end up being a slave to
it. Even Christians can show the same dread of it as others. But an
encounter with the persecuted can go a long way to diffusing this sense of
dread.

Over twenty years of reporting on the suffering church, I have interviewed
literally hundreds of Christians who thought they were going to die for
their faith. All of them-and I really do mean all of them-exhibited two
amazing characteristics: they experienced unspeakable peace and joy in the
midst of the pain as they began to feel death draw near; and they were as
surprised as anyone that they were not afraid of death at the time.

Take Pastor You Yong, kidnapped by Islamic extremists from his church
outside Madiun, central Java in December 2001. Furious that his church was
full of Muslim converts, the extremists showered him with questions, trying
to provoke him to attack them. They beat him and finally held a long machete
to his throat. He assumed he was about to die. But what was going on inside
Pastor You? Deeper than all the pain or fear? This is how he put it. "I was
amazed that throughout the ordeal I felt an incredible peace. I was also
amazed at the answers I was able to give them. That verse came true-'when
you are brought to trial, do not worry about what to say, for when the time
comes, you will be given what to say' (
<https://link.biblegateway.com/click/25965371.3000/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmlibGVnY
XRld2F5LmNvbS9wYXNzYWdlLz9zZWFyY2g9TWF0dC4xMC4xOQ/5ef562bd10222374f46b6174C1
bf68b32> Mt 10:19). The more they tried to provoke me, the more peace I
felt."

And so when death reaches out its icy hand even in more everyday ways-when
the plane hits an air pocket, or the results of the suspected cancer scan
are due-I remember the experiences of my persecuted friends and I am
strengthened to think, If they have been where I am about to go, and still
testify that Jesus gives unaccountable peace, well, it is no tragedy to
tread this well-worn path. Their experiences in the face of death help to
take the dread away.

Of course, I know all this from the Bible, where Paul says that to be with
Christ is "far better." And I have read that wonderful passage in Acts seven
when Stephen has the face of an angel when he is stoned to death. But the
truth comes with more power when a flesh-and-blood person who has faced
death puts their arms around you and says, "You will have peace, and Jesus
will be with you in the midst of it all." Death just cannot be that bad if
Jesus is that great!

RESPONSE: Today I will live in the peace of God that takes away the fear of
dying.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for the encouragement of the persecuted to trust
You in life and death.

Provided by Bible Gateway:

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