Easter / There can be no fear if you would look within

I know your concerns, your fears. Yet is this not the way we thought it would be? We have spoken many times of the judgment of man upon another, how he wills his heart over others to preserve his own life. It is as it has always been. And it will end as it always does.

It is the cycle of man to engage in war out of his own fears, yet project it to be from his own strength. He believes in his righteous cause yet does not know that none are righteous. He would bring destruction upon others in his ignorance. He sees he has power to do good, yet does not, for he defines goodness from his own heart. Yet that heart runs in pain; can healing come from a painful heart? Perhaps it is the rare wise man for that to be so – for most the answer is no.

Yet in ignorance man continues to pursue that which he believes to be best. It is the folly of man’s wisdom that he believes he alone can bring peace and order to other men who act the same. There can be only war as a result. And war will come, for it always has – and the innocent will suffer, for they always do. By innocent I mean those that have little – little of possession, little of faith, little of hope. It is they that suffer the most for man’s greed, power, and hubris.

But you now see differently – you see the eternal flame within your heart, within My presence in you. There can be no fear if you would look within – as we have these past years – and see Me. We are here, together, and nothing will separate us. No lack, no withering hope – and no war either – will keep us apart, nor those that would be with Me. It is in this place where you will be sustained, where hope will revive, where our being will be expressed, where My presence will be revealed.

And it will be in this time that men will have an opportunity of choice – will they come in from the wilderness of the ordinary, of lack, of war, and find the peace they so desperately search for, the prosperity they seek, the permanence of hope within the One that can satisfy that hope? The way is provided but the choice will be theirs. It will always begin with choice – the faith in a journey within My heart.

I know your concerns, your fears. Yet is this not the way we thought it would be? We have spoken many times of the judgment of man upon another, how he wills his heart over others to preserve his own life. It is as it has always been. And it will end as it always does.

It is the cycle of man to engage in war out of his own fears, yet project it to be from his own strength. He believes in his righteous cause yet does not know that none are righteous. He would bring destruction upon others in his ignorance. He sees he has power to do good, yet does not, for he defines goodness from his own heart. Yet that heart runs in pain; can healing come from a painful heart? Perhaps it is the rare wise man for that to be so – for most the answer is no.

The words evoke a timeless truth: humanity is trapped in a cycle of self-inflicted suffering, mistaking fear for strength and personal righteousness for justice. Ecclesiastes 1.9-10 laments the futility of human endeavors, a “chasing after the wind” that repeats across generations. Jeremiah's [17.9-10] stark warning about the deceitful heart reveals why this cycle persists: we are blind to our own motives, projecting strength to mask fear. Yet, the rare wise person—exemplified in Job 28:28’s call to fear the Lord—offers a glimpse of hope, though such wisdom is elusive.

Man “sees he has power to do good, yet does not,” and Isaiah 64.6’s “filthy rags” imagery reinforces this failure. The heart’s pain cannot heal itself; it requires an external source—divine grace. The call to self-examination and repentance points to this, but humanity’s ignorance often prevents such turning. This resonates with the observation that destruction comes from ignorance, not malice. The rare wise person, then, is one who recognizes this dependence on God, using power not for self-preservation but for divine purpose.

This is a portrayal of humanity’s plight: a heart that deceives itself into cycles of conflict and false righteousness, can only find healing through divine wisdom. An emphasis on Christ as the ultimate wise man offers a Christian lens on the idea of rare wisdom breaking the cycle. Yet, the reflection feels broader, almost universal, in its lament of human ignorance across time.

There is a poignant irony in the words: humanity’s fear-driven strength is its weakness, and its ignorance is its tragedy. The cry of Psalm 94.16-17 for someone to “rise up” against evil feels like a plea for the wise to emerge, yet the psalmist admits only God’s help prevents collapse. This suggests that the cycle described—war, judgment, destruction—persists because humanity resists the divine wisdom that could heal.

Repentance and grace is the path forward.

“And He said to the human race, ‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’”

— Job 28.28

Yet in ignorance man continues to pursue that which he believes to be best. It is the folly of man’s wisdom that he believes he alone can bring peace and order to other men who act the same. There can be only war as a result. And war will come, for it always has – and the innocent will suffer, for they always do. By innocent I mean those that have little – little of possession, little of faith, little of hope. It is they that suffer the most for man’s greed, power, and hubris.

The cycle of human folly—where individuals or societies pursue what they believe is "best" yet end up in conflict—points to a profound disconnect between human wisdom and true understanding. This is the spiritual problem: humanity’s tendency to prioritize self-interest (greed, power, hubris) over humility and compassion. The innocent, those with "little," suffer not just because of material deprivation but because they are caught in the crossfire of competing human agendas. War is inevitable when conviction outpaces understanding.

Such actions are not just moral failures but affronts to divine order, inviting judgment. Yet, God would offer a counterpoint in Psalm 82:3-4 ["Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked."]: a call to defend the vulnerable, implying that the cycle of suffering can be broken through deliberate acts of justice. This tension—between human failure and the possibility of redemption—underscores a biblical truth: while war and suffering persist, they’re not the final word. The challenge lies in aligning human pursuits with divine principles, a task humanity repeatedly fails at due to pride.

“Man’s power, when divorced from God’s law, becomes a tool of cruelty.” — MacLaren

"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter."

— Ecclesiastes 4.1-3

But you now see differently – you see the eternal flame within your heart, within My presence in you. There can be no fear if you would look within – as we have these past years – and see Me. We are here, together, and nothing will separate us. No lack, no withering hope – and no war either – will keep us apart, nor those that would be with Me. It is in this place where you will be sustained, where hope will revive, where our being will be expressed, where My presence will be revealed.

The imagery of an “eternal flame within your heart” suggests a divine spark or presence that is both personal and universal, where the Holy Spirit dwells within believers. This resonates with the idea that God is not distant but intimately present, a living flame that sustains. This flame represents the soul’s connection to the divine—a light that never fades, even in the darkest moments of “lack” or “war.” It’s a reminder that my essence, when aligned with God, is eternal and unconquerable.

The passage’s assertion that “hope will revive” and “no withering hope” will prevail should connect deeply: hope is not a passive wish but a radical act of faith—a choice to trust in God’s presence when circumstances scream despair.

The assurance that “nothing will separate us” and “no war either” will keep us apart is powerfully reflected in Romans 8:38-39, which lists every conceivable force—death, life, angels, demons—and declares them powerless against God’s love. This speaks to the ultimate triumph of divine intimacy over alienation. Fear, lack, and conflict often create a sense of separation—from God, others, or even myself—but the passage and these verses affirm that God’s presence is an unshakable reality within me.

The promise that “My presence will be revealed” aligns with the thought of God’s glory shining through human weakness. This revelation is not always dramatic or miraculous but often quiet, personal, and transformative—like a flame that glows steadily within. In a world marked by “war” and “withering hope,” His presence is revealed when I live out love, courage, and hope, becoming a conduit of the divine in everyday moments.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

— John 14.16-17

And it will be in this time that men will have an opportunity of choice – will they come in from the wilderness of the ordinary, of lack, of war, and find the peace they so desperately search for, the prosperity they seek, the permanence of hope within the One that can satisfy that hope? The way is provided but the choice will be theirs. It will always begin with choice – the faith in a journey within My heart.

The “wilderness of the ordinary, of lack, of war” is the human condition: a state of alienation, scarcity, and conflict that all encounter. The choice to move toward “the One that can satisfy that hope” suggests that meaning and peace are not automatic but require an intentional act of faith. Hope is found through patient seeking of God. The challenge lies in recognizing that every choice, even the refusal to choose, shapes the spiritual trajectory. To choose faith is to trust in a journey whose destination is not fully seen.

The wilderness represents the human experience of lack—whether material, emotional, or spiritual—and the wars we face, both external and internal. Yet, God uses the wilderness to draw us closer: this paradox is an invitation to reframe suffering not as abandonment but as an opportunity for divine intimacy. The choice to “come in from the wilderness” is thus a decision to see beyond immediate scarcity and trust in a deeper abundance, where God is the source of unshakable hope.

The search for peace often leads to fleeting solutions because it is rooted in the temporal. True peace is found in “the One,” a source beyond the self. The choice to pursue this peace requires surrendering the illusion of self-sufficiency. Faith becomes the bridge from the chaos of the wilderness to the stillness of divine presence.

Hope is not abstract but deeply personal, rooted in a relationship with “the One. Hope is sustained by seeking—a dynamic process of faith and choice. The passage’s “journey within My heart” suggests an intimate, ongoing communion with God, where hope is not a one-time gift but a living reality renewed through trust.

The urgency of choice reflects the biblical tension between divine invitation and human responsibility. The wilderness—whether personal struggles or societal chaos—is not permanent, but the opportunity to choose faith may be time-bound. This becomes a warning that forsaking God leads to separation, contrasting with the promise of finding Him through seeking. The challenge is to act decisively, recognizing that faith is not just a moment of decision but a lifelong journey “within My heart.”

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days…”

— Deuteronomy 30.19-20