We Have Nothing To Fear, But . . . . Just Say No to Fear Porn!

 “Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:17)

  By Richard Allen – January 1, 2024

 “Happy New Year” to all my readers!  Let me start by saying, I wrestled with this first Blog of the New Year – partly because I don’t want to feed the “fear industry” that is thriving here in the Western world. Most of us know that the phrase: “There is Nothing to Fear, but Fear Itself,” was a line from former President Franklin D. Roosevelt in one of his “Fireside Chats” during World War II.  I’ve borrowed half of his phrase and actually corrected where Franklin got it wrong:  It’s not just Fear Itself, but ultimately God whom we should Fear and Revere!   I have also been guilty of sounding the alarm on many issues that may have added to people’s fearfulness. So, let me start by quoting my subtitle above, taken from the book of 1 Peter from the New English Translation:

    “Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17).

I’m starting with this verse because at the end of the day, it’s God in Heaven above of whom we should ultimately be fearful.  Jesus said as much in Matthew’s Gospel:

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

The worst that can happen to us: Disease, Famine, War, Disaster, Broken Relationships, Betrayal – all pale in comparison to God’s judgment if we are left to “answer for our own sins.” The “Good News” of Jesus Christ is – God has made a way to escape our well-deserved judgment by fleeing to Jesus in Saving Faith!  He alone can deliver us from God’s righteous judgment for our sins. This does not mean that we can or should be flippant regarding legitimate trials and threats that life confronts us with daily.  We need to be mindful that all these impending threats don’t steal our peace or make us take our eyes off Jesus, the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

This is the dilemma for the people of God: We need to be aware of the things going on around us, but not be completely focused or consumed by them. It’s my contention that the Fear or Threat of impending disasters is a powerful tool with which to control the masses by the “powers that be!”  For those of you who have enjoyed Alfred Hitchcock’s movies over the years, I think you’ll agree that his movies are by no means “gory,” nor to we see “ravenous monsters eating people alive.” But Hitchcock’s genius is in building suspense. Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much and Vertigo are three of my favorite Hitchcock suspense films, and yet none of them rise to the level of scaring someone to death. His movies develop characters using plots with fear and suspense that keep you on the edge of your seats! 

I believe that “Fear of the Unknown,” and “Suspense” over “Impending Disasters” (either real or perceived) is in full swing by those who control the reigns of all the major structures in modern society:  Government, Media, Education, Healthcare, Entertainment, our Judicial System and even Weather Reporting! We have gone far beyond the old newspaper adage that “Bad News Sells.” I believe that the “Fear-Mongering” we see from both sides of the Political Spectrum are in fact meant to be: “Self-Fulfilling Prophecies!”  We’ve seen – what many believe to be “False Flag Operations” over the past decades, whose sole purpose was to control the political will of American voters and make them subservient to the Elite Political Class.  If you keep the masses fearful, you keep them dependent on the government to save them. This enables the government to manipulate the people to comply with whatever political edicts the “powers that be” deem necessary (all for our own good).

I’m not the first to use this, but I do think that the term: “Fear Porn” captures the essence of what we are daily hearing stream to us on Cable News, Radio and over countless Websites. While trying not to be inappropriate, this constant diatribe of verbiage has been called Fear Porn, because like Pornography, Fear Porn presents images of desired objects that are false and two-dimensional.  While pornographic images are not real people, increasingly many men have chosen to have a shallow relationship with a phony electronic image rather than a real person – who is much more complicated and takes real effort. But that’s for another Blog. What’s important to see is that Fear Porn is used just like Pornographic images, to stimulate a response and ultimately control another person’s behavior. 

Just so you don’t misunderstand, I’m Not Saying That All or Some of the Bad Things Being Reported Aren’t Actually Happening, or Yet to Happen.  There are sinister forces at work in our world, all vying for Power, Control or some other Political End, who are actively working to bring about a World-Wide Crisis and Chaos. I’m reminded of a verse explaining the ultimate source of evil, Satan himself:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan doesn’t work to heal, bring life or save, he is the “prince of the power of the air” who brings chaos and disorder.  So, no matter how contrary things seem, be aware his ultimate goal is not for some earthly empire to win – no, he only wants to hurt and maim. Jesus alluded to Satan’s modus operandi in John 10:10 when he said:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

Just recently, Catherine Herridge, a CBS Reporter spoke of a “Black Swan Event” that will be happening in 2024. In fact, many Economists and Political pundits are predicting serious calamities during 2024 – all because it’s an election year.  Now four years after the fact, it’s pretty clear to see that the World-Wide Health Crisis in 2019 – 2022 did not happen by natural phenomena. And that Health Crisis was used as the pretext to make drastic political changes, including the “Great Reset” which many global leaders spoke of.  Now, heading into 2024, we are bombarded by news reports of possible nuclear war with Russia and China and their proxies, over Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and Iran.

And like 2019 – 2020, a massive pneumonia or monkey pox pandemic coming from the orient has been widely reported.  There’s also possible economic collapse because of our 33+ Trillion Dollars in National Debt or the Border Invasion to replace white Christian and Middle-Class voters (who obviously won’t vote the right way!). Also expected are Food and Gasoline Shortages, the Power Grid Going Down or even UAP’s, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (the new term for UFO - Unidentified Flying Objects) – if you aren’t scared half to death yet, you will be next year.  Again, I’m not saying that any or all of these threats are not real or won’t happen. But I am saying that the “Fear and Suspense” of these possible happenings are capable of driving people to despair and compliance! Just remember the War of the Worlds’ Radio broadcast by actor Orson Wells in 1938. People who tuned into the radio too late to hear the program announced, actually thought that we were being invaded by Martians. It created a nation-wide panic with some poor fearful souls actually committing suicide. Remember, the Fear of something Bad Happening is just as effective as having the Bad Thing Happen to those who wish to rule and reign over us. I certainly want my readers to be informed, and to prepare, Scripture tells us all to “be ready.” But being consumed with Fear will not give you peace or glorify God!

I want to conclude this Blog by encouraging everyone to trust in God – especially in uncertain times.  Mind you, I’m not telling anyone to be naive or pretend like bad things aren’t going on around us – our national bird is the Eagle, not the Ostrich!  But I am calling upon those who trust Jesus Christ to keep their eyes fixed on Him, and not on the wind and the waves that swirl about us. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink below the waves (see Matthew 14:22-33).  Being able to weather the tough times will take effort, faith and a mental resolve to trust God – even when things get crazy!  Let’s not panic over Radio or Internet broadcasts – even if they say they have proof that the Martians have landed.  And do not allow those who are well-meaning to stampede you into a panic using Fear Porn. God’s people have made it through tough times in the past.  Our God is a present helper in times of trials and troubles!  Let me remind all my readers what we saw in the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 11.  God’s people were able to endure “By Faith,” not by human wiles and intelligence.  And remember, even if None of these Bad Predictions come to pass, if the Political Elites can stampede us into Fear and Compliance using the daily drum-beat of Fear Porn, they’ve already won.  Rather, we can and will be conquerors through Him who gave Himself for us on Calvary’s Cross:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:28-39).

Let’s all make a New Year’s Resolution to “walk by faith, and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Soli Deo Gloria!