Jesus in the midst - John 20:19

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." John 20:19 NKJV

Unless you have visited China where it is illegal to gather as the church expect in government approved locations or in some muslin countries where you can be arrested for sharing the Gospel, it is hard to identify with, first, the fear of waiting for that knock on the door and then the joy and relief of having Jesus "in the midst."

You must understand that Mexico is established on the Napoleonic Law that you are guilty until proven innocent which means that you are arrested and you stay in jail until after your trial if you are found "not guilty". Sometimes bail if offered but it is not at all like in the USA.

In our short time here, we have had some run-ins with the authorities. Some more background for you. Law enforcement is arbitrary, i.e. you can never anticipate how or when a law will be enforced. When I see someone pulled over, getting a ticket, I always wonder, "What did they do to catch that policeman's attention?" Because less than 2 minutes ago, I watched 2 people run a red light or followed a guy for twenty minutes who never stopped for one stop sign. "La Mordida" is an custom we from "the other side" need to recognize. Literally translated it means "the bite". Culturally translated it is graft or bribes. But it must never be spoken of as such. For instance, as one traveler related it, he was stopped in Mexico for speeding or running an imaginary stop sign. To legally take take of the matter, they would have had to make the trip to the commandancia (police station), plead their case before the judge or magistrate and then pay a fine and court costs. However, they very deftly asked the officer if they could give him US$20 and he could take care of it for them because they needed to get across the border and head home.

Our encounters with the authorities resulted in a real fear that the police could show up at our door anytime and haul me off to jail - an unsavory thought at best. I spent the day cowering in our house, checking at the window with the sound of every car door and there were a lot of those because our neighbors are very popular for some reason. The only time I had any relief was when I was in prayer - which was happening a great deal.

After about 24 hours of this nonsense, I felt called to fast. In the afternoon of the second day, the Spirit of God brought the aforementioned situation with the disciples to my mind. They too were locked away, fearing for their lives, for three days. On the evening of the first day of the week(Sunday), Jesus came and stood in their midst. It happened to me just like that as well. I realized, by the revelation of the Spirit, that Jesus was here, that He was with me, not in some ethereal, mystical kind of way, but He was in the room with me. I experienced such relief with joy and faith replacing fear.

The next morning while in meditation and prayer, I began see, in my minds eye, angels appear on the corner post and wall all around our house. They, oddly enough, were not standing with sword drawn and shield high but were seated, some of them, talking to one another, unconcerned and unafraid. I realized that their posture was not because they were not fully alert nor unaware but because they recognized the ease with which they could defeat the enemy should he dare to show his face.

I became infused with faith, not an arrogance but a confidence that,

"He is my refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust."
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. Ps 91:2-3 NIV

Today, not matter what fear you face, recognize that Jesus is in the midst and He says,
"Peace be with you."