“Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear becomes certain.” - Paraphrased from Ralph Waldo Emerson
What does it mean to be “fearful”? What does it mean to be courageous? Let’s start with ‘fearful’ The dictionary defines it as: feeling afraid, showing fear or anxiety, apprehension, suggesting a state of mind, implying a premonition of evil or danger.
The dictionary defines courageous as: not deterred by danger or pain; being brave; facing negative situations resolutely, despite fear.
Beyond any doubts, we are living in a time when fear—being filled with anxiety and apprehension—is threatening to envelop our lives—if we let it do so. We anxiously search our emails, we listen to talk radio, we slavish our time on the social media “gods”, to find any evidence of good or positive or encouraging “news” or “gossip” or “proof” that events in our society are not as discouraging or as frightening as they seem. Our Marxist government is increasingly spying on all Americans and seems determined to totally squelch our free speech over the internet and all “social” media, and to foist the totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL “Central Bank Digital Currency” on all Americans—a scheme that would soon result in the end of personal freedom. Almost in vain we pore over reports or articles that seem to suggest that a good man or woman has come among us to “save” us, to “courageously lead us” out of what appears to be a collectivist morass of impending doom. When we believe we have found one such, we lavish praise and admiration and our pledges of loyalty upon him or her in certainty that our “hero” will lead us out of the morass of problems that seem to be engulfing us. Far too often, our “heroes” are discovered to have “feet of clay” just like the rest of us.
So often we, particularly Christians or people of faith, ignore the best “tool” of all to overcome these somewhat natural fears and ingest some “courage” pills found in God’s Word. So let’s examine what our Creator has to say about these subjects of “fear” and “courage”:
- FEAR DOESN’T COME FROM GOD! (“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.” ) 2nd Timothy, 1:7).
It might “feel” normal at times, but God doesn’t fill you with fear. Satan does, if we let him do so. God has given His children a mind that is strong and able to deal with whatever challenges we face.
- GOD IS IN CONTROL! (Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”) Philippians 4:8).
Many modern people suffer from anxiety, sad to say. But Christians can overcome this mental challenge by always reminding ourselves that God is now and forever in control. That which we suffer anxiety over may not be changeable, so we should direct our prayers to God and put the matter in His hands.
- DON’T BORROW TROUBLES FROM TOMORROW! (Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.) Matthew 6:34.
Only God can “see” the future clearly. We as human beings can only imagine what the future will be, based on whatever information we have. So take care of today’s problems and challenges today! Tomorrow, today will be ‘yesterday’, and those same or different challenges will demand attention, and prayer.
- GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US AS BELIEVERS. REFUSE TO FEAR! (Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”) Joshua 1:9.
God’s Word is full of “Fear Nots”—His admonishments for his children to not be afraid of what this devilish world throws at us. Our Savior promised that He would be with us “always”, and so he is. If He were to stand right beside you, would you fear anything? No. But He told us He IS with us always, so in reality there is no need to fear. It may be difficult to do, but banish fear from your mind.
- PUT ALL OF YOUR ANXIETIES ON JESUS, OUR SAVIOR! (“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”) 1st Peter 5:7.
Admittedly it’s not always simple to “cast away” your anxieties or fears and let our LORD Jesus resolve them. But if you give Him your burdens, He’ll laugh at how light they really are. Try it.
- FEAR LEAVES US WHEN LOVE COMES UPON US! (“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”) 1st John 4:18.
Being fearful is useless and ungodly. There are plenty of “objects” for us to focus our genuine love upon: Our Triune God/Our Savior, family, friends, fellow people of God, fellow Constitutionalists/Americanists. We as people of faith need to concentrate more on filling our minds and souls with God’s Love, which if we let it, will push out all—or at least many—of the world’s problems.
- JESUS PROMISED THAT WE WOULD HAVE PEACE EVEN WHEN SURROUNDED BY TROUBLE! (“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”) John 16:33.
Our Savior told us that in this world we would have both trouble and peace. This world of ours is full of trouble, we know. Satan, the “God of this world”, is causing as much trouble as possible in his eternal battle with our Creator God, and will until our LORD returns to claim His own. Pray more and worry less, and remember Who it is that wins in the end.
- THE PEACE OF GOD WILL POINT THE WAY TO GO! (“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”) Colossians 3:15.
There are many things in this world that we can’t control, and one of them is ‘what people think about us’. If we really have ‘God’s Peace” in us then the problems of the world, as troubling and as real as they may be, will recede in our minds (but won’t necessarily disappear), and the gossip and untruths that others may feel about us won’t matter one bit. Christians and patriots who are slaves to “social media”, where they often find themselves belittled and attacked, need to remember God’s advice, and ignore the “slings and arrows” of the “woke” imbeciles.
With the above admonitions in mind let’s look at some of the “UNFEARFUL” men and women that we figuratively are descended from, and who changed our present, and their future. I could list hundreds or thousands in world history, I suppose, but I’ll limit my thoughts to just four who “made a difference” (or are still making a difference) during their lifetimes. You might be surprised over my “choices”. I trust that you’ll agree with me that, as Edward R. Murrow reminded us long ago, it’s time for Americans who value their freedoms to remember that “we are not descended from fearful men”. Indeed, we are not! Here are some men and women who determined to “make a difference”, and did!
1--PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP (born 1946).
As a still living former POTUS I’ll skip over most of his history and accomplishments, since much of it is available on-line and in our memories. But among living Americans, President Trump is at the apex of notoriety, of support, of attacks against him, of courage, and of love for what our Founding Generation gave to us. He was one of the “rare” U.S. Presidents who actually tried to fulfill his campaign promises, although he fell far short of “draining the Swamp”, as he always reminded us he was trying to do. It appears that “the Swamp” was much deeper, much nastier, much more filled with dangerous collectivist vipers and freedom-hating slime than he realized. Time will tell if he gets an HONEST election in 2024, should he be nominated to run for POTUS a second time. Be advised that “the Swamp” will use the full force of its treachery and its treason and its hatred for the Americanism that President Trump represents, to prevent him from either running for a second term as POTUS, or will hamstring him (just as these disgusting anti-Americans did during his first term) from accomplishing a partial “resurrection” of our constitutional freedoms should he actually be re-elected! If these Satanic “swamp dwellers” can pull it off, they will attempt to put President Trump in prison BEFORE the 2024 election.
2--ROBERT WELCH (1899-1985), FOUNDER OF THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY
As a long time member of the John Birch Society, I’ve admired the late Robert Welch for most of my life. I actually met and shook hands with Mr. Welch once, back in the early 1960’s when he was speaking to a group of concerned citizens in Ohio, where I lived at the time. Why have I chosen him as a person who “made a difference” in his life?. Well, let me tell you a little bit of his life story, copied directly from his biography at JBS.org.
“Robert Welch was a true genius, in every sense of the word. He began reading at age two, tackled algebra at age six, read all nine volumes of John Ridpath’s formidable “History of the World” at age seven, and entered the University of North Carolina at age 12, graduating at age 16 (in 1916). (Wow!) He was a true “Renaissance Man”, a world-traveler, conversant in several languages, and an avid lifelong student of history, language, philosophy, economics, mathematics, geography, chess, poetry, classical literature, politics, and other subjects.”
During his later life, Mr. Welch worked for his brother, who owned the Welch Candy Co., near Boston, from 1935 to 1956. Earlier he had formed his own candy company and was successful. But as he approached an age where most people would consider retirement, Mr. Welch decided on a different course.
“Welch saw a greater need than enjoying leisure time: combating the evil forces that threaten our country, freedom, and lives. And he did just that! By forming an organization that seeks men and women of good character, humane conscience, and religious ideals, America would be much different today without the influence of Robert Welch…. He devoted the rest of his life from age 58 on to help secure to future generations the freedoms he had enjoyed, and to give them the educational tools they would need to use to hold onto those freedoms.
“He recognized and was fond of saying that “All we need to succeed is sufficient understanding.” Based on this, the John Birch Society was founded as a member-based educational organization designed to reach out to others, to educate them on the original intent of the Founding Fathers, getting back to the Constitution, and why the U.S. was established as a Republic and not a democracy.
“He guided the JBS through its first three decades, until his passing in 1985….To those who knew him and worked with him, Robert Welch was truly a fascinating and loving man who wanted nothing more than to preserve freedom and future prosperity for later generations.” And it’s because of our admiration of Mr. Welch that members of the patriotic, educational society he founded are willing to work hard to educate both ourselves and our fellow Americans regarding the dangers to our freedoms and our lives that face all of us, sometimes suffering the ridicule and attacks of our countrymen who are uninformed (for the moment).
3--SENATOR JOSEPH McCARTHY (1908-1957), PATRIOT AND DEFENDER OF THE U.S. CONSITUTION
Senator Joe McCarthy was probably one of the most maligned patriots of his day, the early 1950’s, because of his famous hearings with the House Committee on Un-American Activities, as he did his best to ferret out the surreptitious Marxists that were infesting Hollywood and other parts of American society. But because of his dedicated investigations, he became the object of derision and hatred, because the political left in those days (as now) didn’t want their nefarious activities exposed to the light of day. As always, it became easier and more acceptable to the left wing media of that time to attack the messenger rather than give credence to his message, a reality that afflicts all of us today more than ever!
Back on May 22, 2017, the New American magazine ran a long article titled: “McCarthyism”—A Term That Libels a Dead Patriot, by Steve Byas. It went on to say, “While the term, “McCarthyism” gets slung about as a damning label meaning, essentially, unjust persecution, Joseph McCarthy was correct in his claims and just in his actions.
“The continued use of the term, McCarthyism” as a way to tar one’s political opponents 60 years after the death of Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy…has descended into even deeper levels of absurdity. Defined by Webster’s Dictionary as ’the use of indiscriminate, often unfounded, accusations, sensationalism, inquisitional investigative methods, etc. as in the suppression of political opponents portrayed as subversive;’ the term is now used as a weapon not only by the political left, but also by far too many on the political right. Whoever uses it, and however it is used, it is at best done out of ignorance, and at worst, by someone who is knowingly perpetrating a falsehood.’
In a radio broadcast back on March 9, 1954, Edward R. Murrow, one of Senator McCarthy’s fiercest critics, broadcasted the following:
“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that WE ARE NOT DESCENDED FROM FEARFUL MEN—not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were, for the most part, unpopular.”
I’ve always admired those words, in and of themselves, for they are correct. To a certain extent I’ve always somewhat admired Ed Murrow, one of the most famous radio and newsprint correspondents from the mid-20th century. Although he was undoubtedly a liberal politically, he was a brave man who generally wasn’t afraid to go into some scary places during WW11 and report what he saw and experienced. Although he said these words as a refutation of Senator McCarthy’s efforts to expose the disloyalty and subversion of our embedded native communists and fellow travelers, his words, in and of themselves, are accurate.
Sad to say, the term “McCarthyism” has been with us so long, and has been used with virtually no opposition by mostly unthinking and/or unknowing people on the left side of the political spectrum as they purposely maligned the reputation of a real patriot like Senator McCarthy, that we shouldn’t be overly surprised when those on the right side of the political spectrum also use that scurrilous term. (Disappointed, yes—surprised, no).
The totally false propaganda regarding Senator Joe McCarthy in our cultural record and in inaccurate “histories” of his life is that he totally “terrorized” the American nation from 1950 to 1954, and had all Americans “quaking in fear” that they, or someone they knew or loved, would be falsely accused of being a “communist” and sent to prison. That is patently ridiculous, because while communists might have “quaked in fear” of their exposure by Senator McCarthy (I hope they did), the rest of the population went about their daily lives without fear. (I know that for a fact, because I lived all through those days.) As Steve Byas, in his New American magazine article quoted above, said:
“McCarthy’s goals were always much narrower that has generally been stated. His efforts were concentrated on getting communists out of sensitive positions inside the U.S. government. Unless one takes the position that a person somehow has a right to a government job while simultaneously spying for a hostile foreign power, this actually seems highly commendable.”
In a 1987 article in the New American magazine, James Drummey got right to the truth of the matter, saying: “McCarthyism was a serious attempt to remove from positions of influence the advocates of communism….Communist conspirators and their friends do not fear those who denounce communism in general terms; they do greatly fear those who would expose their conspiratorial activities. That is why they hated and fought Joe McCarthy more than any other public figure in this century.”
Without any doubt, the biggest LIE told about this great patriot is that he “terrorized the American people”. Balderdash! If you want the truth about this greatly maligned patriot, Senator Joseph McCarthy, then I urge you to log onto the New American magazine website, <thenewamerican.com>, and search for the title to the article from which I’ve quoted. If you prefer to continue living in the darkness of lies, then don’t.
Once there was a true patriot—Joseph McCarthy. God grant us more like him!
4—SACAGAWEA, (ca.1788--ca.1812), PROUD MEMBER OF THE SHOSHONE NATION AND VALUED MEMBER OF THE LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION, 1804-1806.
As a young Shoshone woman living near the headwaters of the Missouri River, when she was about twelve, in 1800, a raiding party from the Hidatsa Nation captured her, making Sacagawea their slave. She was taken to their village near the Knife River, in North Dakota, where she was later purchased, around 1804, by a French Canadian fur trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau, and thus she became one of his several wives. They lived in Metaharta, one of the Hidatsa villages.
It was at this time that the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark arrived near the Mendan-Hidatsa villages and built Fort Mandan to over-winter in 1804-1805. They hired Charbonneau as an interpreter who was to accompany the expedition to the Pacific Ocean. However, because Charbonneau could not speak Sacagawea’s language, and realizing that the expedition would have to communicate with the Shoshone Nation to buy horses to cross the Rocky Mountains, Lewis & Clark agreed that the pregnant Sacagawea could accompany them. She gave birth to a son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, in February, 1805.
The L & C expedition departed from Fort Mandan on April 7, 1805. After journeying for several weeks, they came upon and named a tributary of Montana’s Mussellshell River as “Bird Woman’s River”, after Sacagawea (which is what her name—‘Bird Woman’-- meant in the Shoshone language). She quickly earned her pay in many ways, pointing out edible plants, making moccasins and clothes for the expedition, and even helping to calm the suspicions of groups of Native People they encountered, because to them the presence of an Indian woman with a child accompanying a group of men seemed to assure peaceful intentions. Thus she prevented violence that could have ended the expedition.
In mid-August of 1805, the expedition came upon a band of Shoshone people who, providentially, were led by Sacagawea’s brother, Cameahwait. This reunion of brother and sister seemed to have a positive effect on the expedition’s being able to purchase horses and hire a guide that would take them across the Rocky Mountains. When they all eventually arrived at the Pacific coast, Sacagawea continued to be a positive influence by giving her opinions about where the expedition should spend the winter. And she was finally able to realize her often expressed wish to visit the great Pacific Ocean where she saw a whale that had beached itself.
This amazing young woman that we know as Sacagawea was not the “official” guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, as some have inaccurately suggested. However, she did recognize various landmarks in southwestern Montana and told Clark that the Bozeman Pass was the best route to take between the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers on their return journey. The Charbonneau family, including Sacagawea, left the expedition after its return to the Mandan-Hidatsa villages. She helped to establish “friendly” relations between the white world and the world of the Native People. Although she passed away at a relatively young age (some historians dispute that and claim that she lived on into old age), her willingness to interact with a group of “strangers” who were exploring the future United States of America contributed to the success of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, and opened up our “American West” to untold numbers of Americans who have her courage and fortitude (remember: she had a young son to care for during all this time) to thank for being a significant part of the drama of our “Manifest Destiny”.