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Fear
As this particular subject came to mind I was reminded of an old friend from World War II, Richard J. Tregaskis. Dick, as he liked to be called was a War Correspondent with International News Service. After covering the war in the South Pacific (especially Guadalcanal) and than Europe he was now assigned to cover the remaining hostilities between Japan and the United States. His book, Guadalcanal Diary was made into a magnificent movie. He received a serious head wound when a mortar went off over his fox hole while covering front line activity defeating the Germans and Italians. He was now assigned to fly with our crew as we bombed the mainland of Japan. He flew 15 missions with us and wrote "Road to Tokyo" which ran for a dozen or so weeks in the Saturday Evening Post.
Fear was not in this man’s vocabulary, something stronger motivated him to want to let the world know what this war was all about. He and I became good friends and spent many hours chatting on the long 12 to 14 hour flights from Guam to bombing Japan’s oil refineries. (You cannot fight a war such as we were in without oil, it takes oil to run ships, airplanes, and ground equipment) We talked about his combat experience and especially about what we were up against and what we would like to be doing when all this was over.
Dick was six foot eight, married, an avid swimmer, and planned to make his home in Hawaii where he would write novels. He said he once told his father-in-law, he was thinking of writing a book about heroic accounts of men he had seen in combat, and titling it "Stronger Than Fear." His father-in-law, who didn't hear too well, replied, "Stronger than Beer" sounds like something I would like to read. It was Dick’s custom, after the war to swim in the ocean every morning. One day he didn't return and they found him three days later, washed up on the shore. They think it was a heart attack. I don't think he ever got to write that book.
When I met Dick I was 22 years old and convinced that I was invincible, nothing could happen to me in this war! I did not know the meaning of the word "fear." At thirty thousand feet over Japan, with Anti-Air Craft shells going off all around us and Jap Zero fighters attacking during the bomb run, we were just too busy to be bothered about fear. Sometimes, after a particularly rough mission, thinking about what we had just gone through and what could have happened could cause some to have the "shakes." but never once did I see that happen. Fear never ever dominated the situation. As we returned from each mission the Chaplain was always there with comforting and encouraging words, but that poor guy had fear written all over him, fear that some would not come back and he was right, some didn't.
Fear can have a sudden violent traumatic impact when faced with a life threatening situation. Response is often times not rational when faced with, kill or be killed, hesitating could be very costly. Fears we face in this, so called "peace time" are generally not life threatening, but are none the less real and can cause intense difficulty, hardship, anxiety, and struggle. Our late president Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, in one of his famous radio fire side chats during WWII back in the early nineteen–forties, "We have nothing to fear—but fear itself." This was during the days when Hitler, himself said, "When we take over the United States I will eat my first dinner in Hausner’s restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland." One of the top restaurants in the US renowned for excellent German cuisine, too bad he missed it, their Sour Beef and Dumplings were outstanding. Now there was a man that instilled fear in everybody around him. His men feared him more than facing the enemy. And the Jews especially feared him, for he was determined to annihilate them from off the face of the earth.
What does God have to say about fear? The word "fear" appears 400 times in the Bible and "The fear of the Lord, 30 times, but Proverbs 9:10; "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom : and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." carries a formidable message for all today. That message is further emphasized by Matt 10:28-29, "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." Now there is something to really fear. God created all of us to live eternally in His presence, but unbelievers and sinners will be not be permitted in His company, they will be separated from Him forever and spend eternity in agonizing torment in Hell. It is not so much the fear of God, but the fear of what God will do with unbelievers, those that deny Him.
The time is growing shorter every day, It is time to take stock of ourselves, and determine where we stand with Our Lord and Savior. He would like ... "all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim 2:4) and enter into His Kingdom, but we are all only too well aware that there are many who will not be allowed. Is your passport in order?
Solomon’s Porch Verse of the Day
"Fear not little flock: for it is your Father's
good pleasure to give you the kingdom"
Luke 12:32
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