A Perspective on the (Fake) News

The (fake) news outlets thrive upon fearmongering.  No doubt about it.  And this has plagued many of the years of this new millennium.  In 2000, Y2K was predicted to destroy the entire technological sphere and thrust the whole world into the second Dark Ages.  In 2001, anthrax was supposed to infect the world.  In 2002, it was West Nile virus; in 2003, it was Sars; in 2005, it was the Bird flu; and in 2006, it was Ecoli that was going to wipe out major segments of world population.  In 2008, the financial collapse was predicted to bring the end of the world “as we knew it.”  Then, in 2009, the disease craze returned with swine flu.  This was followed in 2012 with worldwide concerns that the Mayan calendar (a pagan source, to say the least) predicted the end of the age.  In 2013, North Korea was certainly going to start World War III.  Then, in 2014 the pestilences returned with Ebola virus.  In 2015, military threat returned, and ISIS was sparking World War III to kill us all.  In 2016, Zika virus was prophesied to infect the civilized world (civilized?).  Then, 2020 came upon us with coronavirus (COVID-19).  Now that 2021 is here, we are being told that this pandemic (?) epidemic (?) is supposedly connected to nearly every recorded death in the world (and of course it is the conservatives’ fault). 

To be sure, the end of the world is coming.  That is not fearmongering.  That is truth-preaching!  However, the constant exposure to fear that believers are allowing into their lives is drenching their faith with gasoline so the devil (who owns the media) can set faith afire and do far more damage to the saints than any disease or dictator will ever do.  Perhaps we have not seen a more graphic proof that “the fear of man bringeth a snare” (Proverbs 29:25); indeed, “fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.  And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare:  for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake” (Isaiah 24:17, 18).  The question then comes, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3).  One might add, “What ought the righteous do?”  What can believers do?  What ought saints do?

The church corporately and each believer separately must determine to fear God and obey God.  Regardless of unconstitutional mandates and overreaching “monarchs,” the true children of God must remember that we live in a constitutional republic.  That said, we must also remember that state laws require passage in state houses of representatives and state senates.  These laws must then be signed by governors and enacted.  Federal law requires passage in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate with the signature of the President of the United States. 

“We ought to obey God rather than men,” said Peter (Acts 5:29).  This statement he made after Jewish leaders imposed sanctions upon preaching and congregating in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  These Jewish leaders did not have legal rights above the Roman law code; however, they used threats and fearmongering in their attempts to stop the apostles from obeying Acts 1:8 and a whole long list of other Scriptures (see also Acts 4:17).  Peter also asked these same religious leaders, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19, 20).  What first-century saints encountered in the Jewish religion of their region, twenty-first-century saints are encountering in the humanistic religion of our nation.  What paganism did in the Roman Empire, paganism is doing in the United States!  Incidentally, what paganism has done in third-world nations is about to turn the United States into a third-world nation!  Paganism ALWAYS turns peace to turmoil, safety to danger, life to death, health to disease, morality to debauchery, decency to vulgarity, progress to undevelopment, and quietude to fear.       

The great need of God’s people is revival.  God’s church must fear God, not those or that which can kill no more than the body!  In short, turn off the newsfeed, use reasonable caution, employ Scripture wisdom, and TRUST GOD!

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the bi-monthly sermon paper the Trumpet of Truth. Used by permission.