"Terrorism, mail tainted with anthrax, economic downturn, tightened security at airports, ball games, schools, the Olympics, — these are all results of last September 11. Our free world has changed in ways we once thought impossible. The effects are neither appealing nor desirable.

"There are other results of 9/11. Our lives and minds have been invaded by apprehension and a feeling that, ‘I’m not as safe as I thought I was.’ There is a sense of fear, an unseen menacing threat that intimidates us. We previously thought that threat was only in other parts of the planet. The end product of fear is hopelessness. Hopelessness is an absence of positive expectation, a false belief that there will never be peace or rest again.

"Some are no doubt gripped by fear and hopelessness not from 9/11, but from other challenges you’re facing: unemployment, illness, the heartbreak of broken family relationships, the despair of watching a loved one’s life energies consumed by an addiction. The inner grief is overwhelming and devastating to your spirit.

"Apprehension, fear, hopelessness—these forces have been part of our fallen world since the beginning. They were certainly present 2000 years ago when Rome ruled the world. It was a fearful and hopeless time. As the movie "Gladiator" revealed, Rome ruled with an iron hand; human life was cheap and expendable.

"Joseph, and his fiancée Mary, lived their lives under that black oppressive cloud. Into that murky darkness and despair came the divine message of hope—‘Fear not!’ To Mary the angel Gabriel said, ‘Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favour with God…you will give birth to a son—the Son of God. You are to name him Jesus…God will give him the throne of David…his kingdom will never end.’ (Luke 1:30-33) To Joseph an angel declared, ‘Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; what is conceived in her is from the holy spirit. She will give birth to a son; you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.’ (Matthew 1:20, 21) To a band of shepherds an angelic messenger declared, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’ (Luke 2:10-12)

"In each of these incidents the message of the angels was, ‘Do not be afraid!’ That message is still valid today! In our post 9/11 distress God would say, "Don’t be afraid...consider the big picture…I have provided hope and a Saviour for you who has defeated death and gives life and freedom." Jesus shines like a light and offers life that never ends.

"After the initial angel spoke to the shepherds a great company of angels appeared and praised God saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.’ (Luke 2:14) When we allow hope in Christ to replace fear, the result is peace. The peace God gives today is not for the outside world, but in our spirits. It is a peace which is beyond all understanding; it guards our hearts and minds from the invasion of fear and hopelessness. It’s but a taste of the peace yet to come, for the entire world."

The above is such a message of hope that Pastor Bolhous gleans from the scriptures. In each of the next several months, Timberland Bible Church will insert into the Tribune an article such as this. Each will be designed to point us toward that hope and peace that God truly offers all people. We’ll address the inspiration and authority of the scriptures, the importance of truth, who exactly God and Jesus are, the problem with man, where we go from here, exactly what the good news is that God offers his people, what it means to be a Christian, and more.

We invite you to study the scriptures, and together we’ll discover the good news and hope God has in store for his creation. There may be some surprises, perhaps things you’ve never seen or heard before. It may challenge you to think outside the box. We welcome your responses and questions.