Have a Fearless 2024!

There is plenty of bad news to trouble us as we begin a new year. 2024 opened with earthquakes and a horrific plane crash in Japan. War continues to rage in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza threatens to expand and engulf the Middle East. Closer to home we anticipate, or more likely dread, a highly contentious presidential election season, while the media continues to foment fear about the economy.

Over the last few months I have shared in this blog the teaching of my late, dear friend Brother Andrew, aka God’s Smuggler. He fearlessly traveled to some of the most dangerous places on earth and boldly confronted leaders of Hamas and other extremist groups with the truth of the Gospel.

There was one question I often heard Brother Andrew ask: Do we have a message for the world today? Many times we sat in his office in the Netherlands, opened our Bibles and worked to discern what God would have us speak to the world.

This was one of our favorite passages. Jesus speaking: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me” (John 14:1).

That’s a powerful invitation. Many of us are tempted to trust in our finances (if we are well off) or in power or in the latest popular preacher or teaching. On the political side, we are tempted to place our faith in a particular party or a certain leader who promises to solve all of our problems. But none of those things ultimately provide what we need. There must be a better way.

Jesus answers that need: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” If Brother Andrew and I were sitting together today, looking ahead to the next 12 months, we would spend time reflecting on and praying over that verse.

Here’s another exhortation from my friend: “Al, spend more time in Father’s book.”

This is a challenge: Amidst all the information available, what is my source of truth? Is it a particular news service? Am I filling my mind with numerous feeds from social media? Brother Andrew would urge me to spend more time drinking from the living water of God’s word. He would remind me to keep my attention focused on Jesus. That is the only way to gain the right perspective on what is happening in our world.

Brother Andrew was a man of The Book. He read through the entire Bible every year, and sometimes twice in a year. The stories the Old Testament heroes showed him how to approach life and ministry today. (See our book Fearless by Faith for his powerful teaching on David, Elijah, Jonah, Moses and Gideon.)

Andrew drew on the Psalms to inspire his prayers. He listened to the prophets and discerned from them messages God had for the Church today. He gazed on Jesus and often reminded me that Jesus is being formed in us—“The only Jesus some people may ever meet is the Jesus they see in you or me.”

If we want to live fearlessly in 2024, my friend’s example encourages us to spend more time reading the Bible and less time the watching the news. Maybe this is the year you read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Let’s allow Scripture mold our thinking. Then we can be part of God’s solution for a broken world.

P.S. On my website I have posted sermons I preached this past year based on our book Fearless by Faith. Perhaps they can encourage you to live fearlessly this year. There is also a free downloadable study guide available here.