Media interviews include stark warnings of terrorists getting their hands on chemical, biological, or even nuclear weapons. Should we be afraid to fly; afraid to congregate in large gatherings?

Clearly, we have changed, and will never be the same. We are certainly AT WAR, even though the enemy does not live in any one clearly defined nation, and certainly is not merely "over there," confined to a specific race, or nation.

But should we react with fear? As I write, millions of Americans are apprehensive, suspicious, looking askance at any person with "Middle Eastern" characteristics. Many have sworn never to fly again. Airlines are virtually bankrupt, depending upon massive Federal aid.

Vacations, travel plans have been canceled. Consumer spending is sharply down. The stock markets, worldwide, experienced their worst week ever, then took a slight upturn. Another major terrorist attack could send the market plunging through the floor.

Here is what your Bible says about Christians being consumed with fear and terror: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). These are not mere "spiritual sounding words," but the actual TRUTH concerning that "agape": love which comes with the power of the Spirit of God. Jesus Christ had such love. He had the Spirit of God without measure.

Jesus Christ never knew a moment of FEAR! God Almighty knows no fear. Fear is an abhorrent, unthinkable emotion to God and His Son, Jesus Christ!

When one repents of sin (1 John 3:4; Acts 2:38), is baptized, and receives God’s Holy Spirit, a NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST is begotten within him or her. This "new creature in Christ" is SPIRITUAL, not physical, not subject to death! Paul said, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

John says those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior already HAVE eternal life as an inward possession! "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:11-13). Can any language be stronger, or plainer? There is no reason to FEAR what happens to this physical "tabernacle," or temporary body. Our temporary "tabernacles," or human, physical bodies, are merely transitory fleshly bodies in which the new creature in Christ, which is ETERNAL, lives!

Notice what Paul wrote to Timothy: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (1 Timothy 2:7). Jesus Christ came to His disciples and said "ALL POWER is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit:

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:18-20). Each converted child of God needs to recognize that he or she possesses great POWER to overcome feelings of fear or terror!

Paul wrote, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15).

Once we have the knowledge that ETERNAL LIFE is already ours; that we HAVE eternal life — that it is presently in the stage of development within our minds; then we must realize that NO HUMAN BEING CAN TAKE IT AWAY from us!

Jesus Christ said, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell [Greek: Gehenna]. The Greek word for "soul" is psuche, which you will recognize as a root of our English word "Psyche," and "Psychology," or the study of the human mind. It means the innermost SPIRITUAL life within us, begotten by God the Father, to create a "new creature in Christ."

Therefore, Jesus Christ is telling us that MAN CANNOT DESTROY us! They might be able to destroy our BODY, but they cannot destroy US! Notice the courage and conviction of Paul, who said, "...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:5, 6).

From time to time, especially in times of great threat and times of war, we are awed and humbled by the actions of heroic people who do what is needed, even in the face of death. Such was the heroism of policemen and firemen who were rushing TOWARD the horrifying fires and destruction of the twin Trade Towers while thousands of civilians were frantically rushing AWAY from the buildings.

Such is the courage of not just one or two men, but many, who, from World War II to Korea, and in Vietnam, have willingly thrown themselves on live grenades, shouting "grenade!" to warn their buddies, absorbing the full blast by their own bodies, willingly accepting death to save friends. Jesus Christ said "Greater love hath no man than this, but that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

Obviously, those courageous passengers and crew aboard the plane that went down in Pennsylvania decided to act, regardless of the consequences. We know that the hijackers were most likely intending to crash the plane into the White House. But one of the passengers, who had dialed 911 on his cell phone, sent a message to his wife and family, telling them he loved them, and then was heard to say, "Let’s roll!" His wife said he had always used that expression just before initiating some action or other.

I read, in a Norfolk newspaper, something I heard from no other source. It seemed famed golf pro Arnold Palmer was in Norfolk; was unable to fly his private jet out because of the FAA clampdown. A neighbor near Latrobe, PA., told him he had seen the airplane go down (it crashed only about 15 or 25 miles or so from Palmer’s home), and that, before crashing, it was "rolling, and was all over the sky." This proves that there was a struggle going on in the cockpit. We will never know the facts until Christ sets up His kingdom — but then, we will know! There is no doubt in my mind that these courageous people sacrificed their lives for their country; for those who would have died, had they just sat there like sheep, and let the vicious terrorists kill them!

FEAR was driving the stock markets of the world in the aftermath of the attack! Fear, coupled with greed! Millions of people; huge corporations; said "let’s get ours, NOW!" Like the "Taliban" (which means "The Disciples") in Afghanistan, who were reportedly scurrying for the hills, so investors scurried for the door! "I will save as much of MINE as I can" was the order of the day! But what if every company, corporation, business, or individual had STOOD FAST, like a ROCK? Why, if they had, then there would have been NO PANIC!

Yes, panic! Panic is even beyond fear — it is mindless terror! Yet, the analysts said there was PANIC selling! Consequently, the stock market took the steepest plunge it had since 1929, when it crashed, sending us into the "Great Depression!"

Almighty God KNOWS NO FEAR! On the other hand, Satan and his demons FEAR! Notice, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). Fear is of the devil, and not of God!

James wrote, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). When we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit; when Christ is living His life within us, then Satan and his minions, who are in FEAR of God, will FLEE from us! It is you and I who should have the CONFIDENCE to know that, rather than US doing the "fleeing" as in fear, Satan himself will flee from us!

"When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

"Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.

"For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

"And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD."

If our peoples would turn wholeheartedly to God, REPENTING of our personal and collective national sins and begin to keep His Ten Commandments, God would fight our battles FOR us! There will be no armies; no guns, bombs, tanks, fighter-bombers, or AK47s in the Kingdom of God!

Rather, all nations will "beat their swords into plowshares," meaning melt down tanks, and produce tractors! (See Isaiah 2 and Micah 4 in this regard.)

Notice how God fought Judah’s battles for them when a courageous, righteous king TRUSTED God to do so: "It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

"Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.

"And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

"And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

"And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

"And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

"Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

"And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

"If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

"And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

"Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

"O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

"And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

"Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

"And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

"To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

"And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

"And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

"And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

"And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

"And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

"For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

"And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

"And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

"And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.

"Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

"And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.

Think of it! If we were a GODLY nation; if we were a commandment-keeping, repentant, trusting nation, God would FIGHT OUR BATTLES for us! As Judah gathered precious jewels and spoil, so the terrorist’s bank accounts would be delivered up to US! Instead of losing over FORTY BILLION DOLLARS in the trade tower attacks alone, and over ONE TRILLION DOLLARS in stock losses, we would have been INCREASED in wealth, and all the terrorists would be DEAD!

When the apostle Paul was enroute to Rome aboard ship, Luke wrote of how a tremendous hurricane drove the ship ashore on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean. The entire account is too lengthy to print here, but please read it in the last two chapters of Acts.

A highlight is when Paul told them, "......Sirs, you should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of GOOD CHEER: for there shall be no loss of life among any of you, but of the ship.

"For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all of them that sail with thee" (Acts 27:21-24).

Constantly, when God’s angels appeared to men, it was with the rejoinder, "Fear not!"

Daniel then said, "And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and I said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me" (Daniel 10:19). The word of God STRENGTHENS us! Read it every day! Study your Bibles! Ponder, think, drink in of the wonderful words of comfort, encouragement, peace, and love!

When Paul finally made his way toward Rome, after many miracles, Luke said "...and so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appi forum [the Appian way; it is still there, and I have seen it], and the three taverns: whom, when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage!" (Acts 28:13-15).

The great men and women of God who faced terrible trials, even death, are listed in Hebrews 11. God says of them, "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

"Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

"Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

"Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

"And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

"They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

"(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

"God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:32-40). This is a list of only a few of the great heroes of all time. It was their FAITH which gave them the courage, bravery and conviction to persevere, even in the face of suffering and death! They are asleep in their graves, awaiting the resurrection, when they WILL RECEIVE THE PROMISE of eternal life, at the same time as those of this age!

Men divided the Bible into chapter and verse. The thought continues, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

"For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

"Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin" (Hebrews 12:1-4). No, you and I have not yet "resisted unto blood" striving against sin, the way those heroic, courageous passengers and crew did aboard that doomed airliner! We have been safe in our homes, and we should THANK God every day for His protection!

The dictionary says of terror: "Great fear, fright, alarm, dread." Terrorism is defined as "A condition of fear and submission produced by frightening people. A method of opposing a government internally through the use of terror."

Synonyms are "panic," "a fear of the unknown." God SAID our nations would descend into this mental phobia if we refused to obey His laws! He gave our forebears two choices: (1) Obey His wonderful laws and receive the fabulous benefits, or, (2), Disobey, and receive the terrible consequences. You need to read ALL of the shocking chapter of Leviticus 26, and ponder each condition which has become extant in our land, along with the threats we are hearing about what MIGHT happen in the near future. Among the curses God said would come upon us are: "But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;

"And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:

"I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

"And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you" (Leviticus 26:14-17). Equally chilling is God’s prophecy, "And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy" (Leviticus 26:25).

While it is repugnant, and simply inadmissible to think that these vengeful, suicidal, vicious killers were like "agents of God" to bring such suffering upon us, we need to realize that God HAS used human agents in the past to punish His sinning people, and that He says He will do so in the future! As I wrote previously, there is a great difference between saying GOD CAUSED these horrors, and that GOD ALLOWED THEM TO HAPPEN! But these terrible things are NOT TO COME NIGH GOD’S PEOPLE!

Notice, "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

"Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

"He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

"Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

"A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

"Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked" (Psalms 91:2-8). If one is CONVERTED; if one is begotten of God, and knows that he or she is a NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST, then one can be utterly contemptuous of terror! You should DISDAIN fear! You should REJECT cowardice, and instead be utterly FEARLESS!

Christ promises His people, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [trial! The Great Tribulation!], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Revelation 3:10). Christ told us, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36). He also said, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28). The whole point is that GOD MADE A DIFFERENCE between the Egyptians in Egypt, who suffered the plagues and the death of their firstborn, and the Israelites, who had the blood of the lamb painted on their doorposts!

In the same way, God will MAKE A DIFFERENCE between those who are CONVERTED; who have bitterly repented of their sins, and come to Him with broken hearts, calling out to Him for mercy and forgiveness, and who have begun to strive to KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS!

Christ said, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:20, 21). God promises He will CUT SHORT the tribulation lest all human life would be lost!

Just as Paul said he would NOT FEAR what man could do unto him, so all of those who are repentant converts to Christ can say, with Paul, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

"As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39). When Jesus Christ uttered the real "Lord’s Prayer," which was the prayer HE PRAYED just before He was arrested and led away, He said, "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

"Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

"For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

"I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine" (John 17:6-9). Frequently, people ask me to pray for them. Many of us ask others of us to pray for us — to remember each other in our prayers. But do you realize that Jesus Christ Himself turns to His Father and PRAYS FOR YOU?

His function as our High Priest is to intercede for us — to explain to His Father that HE KNOWS OUR EVERY WEAKNESS! How COMFORTING it is to know that Christ Himself prays for us!

A young mother sent a plea to our web site, saying she was frightened; that she had several young children, and asked that question. The answer is you should LIVE YOUR NORMAL LIFE! Live it with JOY! Live your life with expectancy; with hope; with happiness; with appreciation of God’s creation; with LOVE toward your family and your precious children and grandchildren!

Live your life in PRAYER, and in service to God and your fellow man! Live your life in dutiful WORK, and in help and service toward others! Live your life JUST AS IF IT WERE ANY OTHER DAY!

Certainly, those who have been deceived into thinking they are "going to Petra" as a "place of safety," hiding in caves, should have long since come to see what a RIDICULOUS idea this is! To think of anyone buying an airlines ticket to go to JORDAN, and then head out to Jordan’s number one tourist attraction, intent on hiding in a cave is so ludicrous, so absolutely foolish that it boggles the mind. The point is to BE READY, SPIRITUALLY, so that it simply DOES NOT MATTER where, or at what time, or in what manner, the end of these temporary physical lives comes! YES we want to extend them! YES we wish to preserve them! YES we want protection! SO DO I! And there is nothing whatsoever wrong with such motives — did not Jesus Christ say the REASON we are to watch and pray is so we can ESCAPE ALL THESE THINGS THAT SHALL COME TO PASS? But we must not give in to TERROR! We must not let FEAR dominate our lives!

Christ said, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

"But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

"Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing" (Matthew 24:42-46). Of course! Christ is describing those engaged in workaday chores around ones’ home!

He is describing such mundane activities as preparing meals, sweeping floors, washing dishes, shopping, mowing yards — caring for a home and family! In other words, He is describing BUSINESS AS USUAL!

But in His analogy, He implies that HE is the "Lord" who has called you and me to be at work in HIS household — the church, and the WORK which He is sending out!