fear the LORD

What About These Stones?

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.  And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.  And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, “When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What mean these stones?’ Then ye shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.  For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.’ ”
Joshua 4:19-24

The people of Israel have miraculously crossed the overflowing Jordan on the east side of Jericho. The city of Jericho is locked up tight with the people very frightened by Israel’s presence very near.

During the preparation of the crossing of Jordan God had commanded that twelve men, one from each tribe of Israel, pick up a stone from the midst of the river bed, and carry them to the spot they would camp. Then Joshua gives us the reason for these stones.

They are to be a reminder of the goodness, graciousness, loving kindness, holiness, righteousness, justness, and power of the Almighty God who had brought them to this place. These stones would be testimony of the greatness of God, for their children and grandchildren for years to come.

I am not much on monuments, but if God says set up these stones to remember Me; then I will do so. My monument that reminds me of the greatness, goodness, and grace of God is His word. His word also reminds me of God’s holiness, righteousness, and His justness, and we should never lose an opportunity to brag about how great God is.

How good and great is God? He is so great that even though He is holy, righteous, and just He is also loving, merciful, and full of grace. He loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who was perfect, without blemish, or sin, to die on a cross, and become sin for us, and take the wrath of His Father for our sins. Because He died for us, when we come to Him by faith we receive His righteousness. Will you call on Him today? Call on Him confessing you have sinned. Thank Him for dying for you on the cross, and for His burial, and resurrection. Turn from sin to Christ Jesus. Your sins are all forgiven. You are clean and right with the Creator of all that is.

Fear the LORD, and Serve Him

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.
1 Samuel 12:23-25

Trust In The LORD

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“…Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you.  But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.”
1 Samuel12:23-25

O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.  O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.  Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:9-11

Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: for their Redeemer is mighty; He shall plead their cause with thee.
Proverbs 23:10-11

The LORD Does What He Says He Will Do

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken.  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.  And Sarah said, “God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.”  And she said, “Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? For I have born him a son in his old age.”  And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
Genesis 21:1-8

Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.  For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Psalm 33:8-9

…He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life…
Proverbs 7:22-23

Fear the LORD; Opened Eyes

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”  Proverbs 3:7-8
“And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.”  Luke 24:31

Let us pray that we fear God and nothing or no one else, because that is relying on His wisdom and not our own. Let us also ask Him to always keep our eyes opened to the truth of the identity of Jesus Christ who died on the cross, was buried, and He bodily arose and came out of the grave.

May we also pray for the eyes of the many who are hopeless, helpless, hurting and lost might be opened to see who Jesus is as well; that they might be delivered from sin and hell.

Honor The LORD With What You Have

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of His correction: for whom the LORD loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”   Proverbs 3:8-12  (KJB)

Go From the Presence of the Foolish

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth Him.
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.”  Proverbs 14:2-7  (KJB)

Let Us Now Fear the LORD Our God

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Neither say they in their heart, ‘Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in His season: He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

For among My people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and My people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” Jeremiah 5:24-31 (KJB)

From  F. B. Meyer…

“Diogenes, the cynic, was discovered one day in Athens in broad daylight, lantern in hand, looking for something. When someone remonstrated with him, he said that he needed all the light possible to enable him to find an honest man. Something like that is in the prophet’s thought. God was prepared to spare Jerusalem on lower terms than even Sodom, and yet He was driven to destroy her. Both poor and rich had alike “broken the yoke and burst the bonds.” The description of the onset of the Chaldeans is very graphic. They settle down upon the land as a flock of locusts, but still the Chosen People refuse to connect their punishment with their sin. It never occurred to the Chosen People that the failure of the rain, the withering of their crops, and the assault of their foes, were all connected with their sin. There is nothing unusual in this obtuseness for as we read the history of our own times, men are equally inapt at connecting national disaster with national sin.

How good it would be if the national cry of today were that of Jer_5:24 : Let us now fear before the Lord our God! Notice the delightful metaphor of Jer_5:22. When God would stay the wild ocean wave a barrier of sand will suffice. The martyrs were as sand grains but wild persecutions were quenched by their heroic patience.” F. B. Meyer’s THROUGH THE BIBLE DAY BY DAY titled “Widespread Corruption”

And with these words I say Amen.  “Let us now fear the LORD our God”. Begins by humbling ourselves at the cross of Jesus Christ.

 

Fear of the LORD

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

It is evident as I look over the world, and look into each culture on the earth; and not that I have done a thorough examination of any or all; but just an short observation.  My observation leads me to reach the conclusion that we as a race of people; the human race; do not have a fear of GOD.

In every culture, and nation, we make god in our own image, and after our own likeness; thus we can approve of anything, and everything, that suits “Me”.

Many times this is true even in Christianity.  There are many professors who proclaim that “God is so good and loving.  He would not cast anyone into a fiery place called Hell”.  Or “God is so loving, accepting, and kind that he loves same sex couples. He does not expect them to change their minds or their lives”.  Guess what?  Doing that you deny the God of the Bible, the Scriptures, and you have made god in  your own image and likeness.

Hear the Proverbs of Solomon…

“In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” Proverbs 14:26-27 (KJV)

We must understand that when we fear the LORD it is not that we go around trembling every time we mess up, or fear messing up (sinning).  To live in the “Fear of the LORD” is to live with confidence.  Confidence that when we do sin He is gracious, merciful and will forgive us.  When we live in the fear of God it is actually living in the love of God which is greater than all our sin.

John the apostle wrote in his first epistle,

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10

When we fear the LORD we also will be like a “fountain of life” (Proverbs 13:14; 14:27).  The Word of God is like a fountain of running, flowing, fresh, refreshing, cleansing water that flows giving eternal life to all who will freely drink it.  Jesus said…

“If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38

That is a flowing, cleansing, refreshing stream of water flowing from Christian lives that shows what it really means to walk in the love of God.

To walk in the fear of the LORD is to believe what He says, then make Him all of our life, and live as He has given us privilege to do so.  Because of the gift of Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection we now have the right to be called the sons and daughters of GOD (John 1:12); but you must believe and receive what He has said, and what He has done.

Reverence, Rest and Results

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.” Acts 9:31 (KJV)

Chapter nine begins by telling us of Saul.  He is known as Saul of Tarsus a Pharisee, passionate about the Hebrew religion, and the death of any who spoke of the Christ as the Lord Jesus.

In his endeavors of religious lust he set out to kill, and destroy the Christian faith, and was very aggressive in doing so.  This chapter deals mostly with his glorious conversion to faith in Christ Jesus, believing in His death, burial and resurrection.

The early Church was fearful of Saul.  They fled from Jerusalem because of him; not knowing it was the will of God to scatter the Gospel of Christ into the world.  It is amazing and wonderful and marvelous how the Spirit of the Lord moves and works in our lives.

I have, for many years, found verse 31 of chapter 9 fascinating, and enlightening.  After Saul’s conversion the churches of Judea and Galilee and Samaria experienced “Rest” – the persecution had lightened up.

I want you to notice what happened, and this is a lesson for the Church of all ages;

  1.  They were walking (the Church was walking) in the fear of the Lord;
  2.   They were experiencing the comfort of the Holy Spirit;
  3.   The Church was multiplying in number – people were coming to faith in Jesus.

What does that mean for the Christian Church today?  We must walk in the Spirit of God; that means with reverence, fear of God, His Spirit and His Word; believing His Word, loving His Word, and applying it to our lives, in daily living.

If we are to experience the “Comfort of the Holy Spirit” that comes also loving God, and His Word.  How can a child of God through Jesus Christ grow in faith in Him without a daily diet of God’s Word?  We cannot.  Neither will their be any comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, the Christian Church today can only rightly increase in number as people come to Christ, not necessarily “To Church”, but to Christ Jesus through His death, burial and resurrection.

When the Church; which is the Body of Christ – has Reverence and Rest, then there will be Results.

Christmas Day Forty Nine

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

What do I want for Christmas today?

I want to be faithful in carrying out my responsibility as a citizen of this world, and a citizen of my Nation [U. S. of A.] in going to the voting booth on Tuesday November 8, 2016, and casting my ballot, for the candidate and candidates who best represent the Biblical/Christian worldview; and to be faithful to my God and His Word no matter who is chosen by the people of said Nation; that God may show Himself awesome, and that His Word is stedfast and sure.

“Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:8-9 (KJV)

Prophets Speak – Christmas Day 140

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying, ‘Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.’ ‘Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? Did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented Him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.'” Jeremiah 26:17-19 (KJV)

Jeremiah was facing the religious leaders, and they were trying to determine if the prophet should be put to death or not.  He had spoken against the temple, said it was going to be destroyed, and doing so made him worthy of death.

What do I want for Christmas today?

To always be bold in the Spirit of God and His word, to be faithful to His Word, and never diminish a word of what God has said; to always lift up Jesus Christ and His cross – His death, burial and resurrection, and that He is the eternal Son of God, God the Son, and that He is the exclusive way to God and eternity with Him

Happy Walking

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in His ways.” Psalm 128:1 (KJV)

I have written previously of “Happiness”.  If you desire to read more you may follow to happiness.

The word “Blessed” is happiness. Note, however, that this type of happiness is eternally linked to the fear of the LORD, and walking in His ways.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, and are believing that you can live your life free of responsibility from your sins, then, you better take another look.  Your sin will not just hurt you.  It will hurt your family, your friends, your work associates, etc.

The redeemed of the LORD, are those who are free from sins bondage, free from its condemnation, but we are not free to sin at will without suffering for it.

To fear God means we do not want to displease Him; but to please Him.  Christian choose today to walk in His ways; His word, His will, and glorify Him.

That is Happy Walking.

Through the Bible in a Year – evening 082513

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Fear the LORD
Proverbs 1 – 12

1.  THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE (Proverbs 1:7-9).

2.  KEEPS THE INSTRUCTION GIVEN AND TRUST THE LORD (3:1-6; 7:1-5).

3.  IS AWARE OF THE THINGS WHICH THE LORD HATES (6:12-10).

4.  LOVES KNOWLEDGE AND INSTRUCTION (12:1-4).

-Tim A. Blankenship