What does it mean to Live above fear? Do we deny it? Do we say there is no reason for fear? Do we become the proverbial frog in the pot? Or do we ignore the fear? It’s there but we refuse to acknowledge it? Do we stick our head in the sand. By the way, do ostriches really do that? I’ve seen little kids cover their faces as if to say, "if I can't see you, then you didn't just see me run naked into the room full of guests."

Or do we somehow defeat the fear? Beat it into submission, like every Will Smith movie…Independance Day, Men in Black, Men in Black II, I am legend...saying, “I do not fear what is terrifying to everyone else…”

The book of Revelation, the final entry in our Bible, reveals a great Cosmic battle of the end times. Evil has reached it’s full ugly blossom. An epic final battle of Good and Evil is pictured for us in this grand vision of the last days, full of symbolic languages and images, allegory and reality. The fulfillment of promise. The completion of battle and the final victory. One reality coming to a most dreadful end while another springs forth in majestic grandeur. There are plenty of fearful things: events, destruction, battles.

The interesting thing is, in all of Revelation the word 'fear' only appears three times. The first time, well that one says fear God and glorify him. But the second...well that one also says fear God and glorify him. But the third…well, it also says fear God and praise him. That's it. The three times the word 'fear' appears are all directed to our need to be in right relationship with God.

There is a difference between fearful, dreadful, terrifying situations, even doom and gloom, and living under a Spirit of Fear. Revelation describes a great and dreadful cosmic battle. But Revelation instructs us that when the battle starts blazing, we better know we are aligned with God.

I'm going to wrestle with what that means to us tomorrow morning at Wellspring. Specifically, the question of the day will be: How do we live in faith, love and hope when fear is all around? If you miss the services, you can catch the audio at http://www.wellspring.net/