The Fear of the Lord

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

When many people today hear the phrase, "The fear of the Lord" they think of the Old Testament Law, or legalism, or as something that doesn't apply to Christians now, since we are under grace.

But Paul, the apostle of grace, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote these New Testament words to the Corinthian Christians.

Jesus Himself said, 

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

The writer of Proverbs wrote:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

For the Christian—child of God—"the fear of the Lord" does not mean a cowering fear, afraid that God will strike you down at any minute, like you would a pesky insect. But rather, it means a reverential awe and respect for the Almighty God; the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is God; the Righteous Judge, who will judge the living and the dead (see 2 Timothy 4:1).

And it should strike a reverential fear, awe and respect in the heart of every Christian when we acknowledge the fact that we all will one day stand at the feet of Jesus, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Doesn't that make you tremble inside just a little bit? If it doesn't, you don't have a healthy fear of the Almighty.

It was prophesied that in the Last Days (i.e. now), that there will be a great Apostasy; a falling away and defection from the Truth of God's Word. And we are smack dab in the middle of that great falling away as we speak. If you can't see that, you're blind as a bat. 

It seems to be the norm today for many people who profess to be "christian" to be living in all kinds of various sin and disobedience. And people go to great lengths to write off or twist God's Word, in order to justify their sin as normal and acceptable in today's culture, and they dismiss God's Word to be archaic and outdated. This demonstrates a total lack of a reverential fear of the Lord. 

Do we not think there will be consequences for our disobedience and rebellion?

Read the next sentence of that passage from 2 Corinthians chapter 5:

"Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men..."

Doesn't the phrase, "The terror of the Lord" strongly express that God is very serious about this?

A lot of folks today seem to have the attitude that God is like some laid back surfer dude, who lets everything slide, and is just here to be your benevolent genie in a bottle, to give you your every wish, but doesn't require anything from you.

Read Revelation chapters two and three. Here Jesus is recognizing what good things the churches did well. But He also admonishes them in the areas they need to repent, as He does here to the church that was in Ephesus:

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place—unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5)

Consider the admonition and the command, "I have this against you", and "Unless you repent."

The are some very strong warnings and impending judgments upon the churches (Christians) who refuse to heed God's warnings here. 

There will indeed be consequences. The most daunting being this sobering warning from Jesus:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23)

For those who call themselves "Christian" but who choose to transgress God's commands and live according to the corrupt culture and your own twisted sense of right and wrong; unless you repent and turn your heart and lives back to God, obeying Him according to His Word, the ultimate consequence of a lifestyle of lawlessness will be eternal banishment from God's presence, to a place of eternal torment. Jesus will say to you, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

I don't know of anything that will instill a healthy fear of God in a person's heart, more than this dire warning from Jesus.

Ultimately, it's about love.

Jesus said, 

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.” (John 14:21)

The question is, do you love Jesus as much as you say you do?

...Then prove it.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

  

Unconditional

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to your wife.” 

(1 Peter 3:7)

It's the day before Valentines Day and I felt compelled to write about knowing my wife more deeply, and loving her unconditionally.

If any of you guys are struggling in your relationship with your wife, I pray this might offer you some helpful insights into this marvelous and paradoxical mystery—the heart of a woman.

Not that I am The Expert on marriage and women. Lord knows I've made more than my share of mistakes and blunders in the 29 years I've been married to my wonderful wife. But in those 29 years, I've learned a few things, as the Lord has taught me, when I stopped trying to change my wife's heart, and move out of the way and allow Him to be her Lord.

First, and most difficult—the word unconditional.

When was the last time you did something for your wife that was absolutely without condition? No strings attached? No hidden, selfish agenda? No quid pro quo (you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours). Something simply to bless her, not even to make you feel good for doing it? Think of the last time you offered to rub her back... You get the picture.

Early in our marriage, I did a lot of nice things for my wife. But almost always there was some hidden agenda attached for my doing so. If I do this for her, maybe she won't nag me when I want to go fishing next weekend... If I do that for her, maybe she'll let me buy that new rifle I've been wanting. If I rub her back maybe she'll... Guys, you know what I'm saying. It was all conditional. It was never really just to bless her. Sometimes it was just so I would feel like a great guy for doing it, and I could tell my friends just how great a husband I was. But it was never really unconditional.

True, unconditional love is absolutely unselfish and without condition. And trust me, she can always see through you and spot your hidden agendas...

So try blessing your wife simply because you love her, and because she deserves it; as she is your better half, your soul mate, and your best friend. And, if you are a true Christian—a follower of Jesus Christ—do it because you have been given the amazing privilege of loving and serving one of God's own daughters! Understanding that incredible truth forever changed how I look at my role as a husband.

Next, the Word says, Husbands, dwell with your wife with understanding.

If you are having issues communicating with and understanding your wife, start by getting on your knees and ask the Lord to help you know and understand your wife better as a woman, as a person, and as an individual. Ask Him to help you understand her heart—what she needs, and how you can nurture what He is doing in her heart. If you haven't yet figured this out, I'll let you in on a little secret—men and women are vastly different. I know, it sounds simplistically idiotic for me to say that. But you'd be surprised. Many guys are clueless as to how God made their wives emotionally—how He wired them, and how they think. I've been studying my wife for over thirty years, getting to know and understand her, and I'm just now really beginning to figure her out.

Part of dwelling with your wife with understanding, is to know her Love Language.

If you've never heard this term, here are the five Love Languages:

1. Words of affirmation
2. Acts of service
3. Receiving gifts
4. Quality time
5. Physical touch

My wife for instance absolutely loves it when I do acts of service for her. The other day I cleaned out the garage and assembled some baker racks and neatly put the plastic storage tubs of her Sunday School supplies on them. You would think I gave her ten dozen red roses! She thanked me with tears in her eyes. This is her number one Love Language. A dozen roses or bouquet of flowers doesn't really do much for her. But if I go out and weed the flower beds and then clean the kitchen, different story! 

Now my daughter says her love language is getting pretty flowers. Some ladies prefer spending quality time above all else. Others love daily words of affirmation the most. Every woman is different, and that is why you need to know your wife more deeply and seek to understand her better as a woman, as a person: as an individual.  You may be buying her flowers and chocolates, while what she really needs and desires from you is altogether different.

Every woman really wants and needs all five of the things on this list. But understanding your wife individually and personally, knowing the order of importance each item holds in her heart is the secret—and one that you will absolutely need God's help to unlock and truly understand.

A man's list would probably be totally different than his wife's. Most guys would undoubtedly place physical touch at the top of the list. Next would probably be quality time. Third might be receiving gifts. Next, words of affirmation. Acts of service would be at the bottom of my list, but it's at the top of my wife's. Men and women are different, and guys—aren't you glad that we are!

So this Valentine's Day (and every day after)... love your wife unconditionally, and bless her by knowing, understanding, and speaking her love language—not yours. 

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

The Beginning of All Things

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 

(The Revelation ch 21)

There is a fascination and huge focus today on the Apocalypse—The End of the World. The End Times. The End of Days.

And while there yet remains the end times or "Last Days" period known as the Tribulation, which is a seven year period that culminates the end of days, which shall be a time of great trouble and suffering such as the world has never experienced, nor will ever experience again, the end of the world will not be a time of doom and gloom for the true, faithful, believer and follower of Jesus Christ—only for the people who have rejected Him.

Many people today are looking for, or speculating on, who the Satanically empowered "Antichrist" figure is, or will be. Folks are nervous and even frightened about the imploding economy and culture all around us. Brother is ready to go to war against brother over gun owners rights, among others. America has never been more morally and ethically divided as it is today. One wonders, "How could it get any worse?"

Countless books have been written about the Rapture of the Church, the End Times, the Last Days, or the Apocalypse. Movies and even television series on the subject are morbidly popular today. For many people, the whole topic is just a big joke.

However, for the children of God—the true followers of Jesus Christ—the end of the world is actually the beginning of all things; not the end.

Read Revelation chapter 21 carefully. God promises a time when He will forever be with us personally, face-to-face, as our God and Father. This will be a time when the former earth and heavens, corrupted by sin and Satan, will be burned up, even the very elements will be melted with a fervent heat (See 2 Peter 3:10). And God will make a new, incorruptible, heavens and earth, for us to enjoy forever. And for all of eternity, we will never again experience a single moment of death, sorrow, sadness, or pain, Can you even imagine it!

To the Christian, Christ told us to watch for His coming—not for the appearance of the Antichrist. 

 So don't get bogged down in the bad news on TV every night. This is not our future. Heaven is! Invite others to come along, and be saved, and to know Jesus personally. There is no better life!

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:14-17)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Not Easily Broken

“Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

The above passage is about the strength of union.

And union is altogether different than unity.

Unity means agreeing together.  But union means joined together.

Taking the wisdom passage from Ecclesiastes 4:12 and applying the principle of union in marriage, let's start with two loose pieces of cord.

Both pieces of cord on their own have a certain degree of strength, but put to the test, if one gets cut or frayed, it can easily break. Two are indeed stronger than one. But how do you bind two strands of cord together?

Try as you might, you can twist two strands of cord together, but they are not bound, and soon, they will completely unravel. There is no union as they are not properly joined or braided.

Only three cords can be properly braided together, where they are in union. They are essentially joined together as One. Together, they are exponentially stronger, and are not easily broken.

Applying that same principle to husband and wife, specifically to my own marriage, in the beginning, my wife and I did not know God. We were just two loose yarns. And though we loved each other, because we were not properly joined together, we came unraveled more times than I can count. We would try to fix our problems, but without the Third Cord to properly braid us together, we were unraveling past the breaking point. Countless breakups. Multiple separations. Two divorce proceedings. Infidelity. Spite. Malice. Bitterness. Unforgiveness. Shame. Hopelessness.

The only reason we are still married, and happily I might add, after almost 29 years, is we met the Third Cord; the Lord Jesus Christ.

When you accept God's free offer of eternal salvation, and confess your sins and invite Jesus Christ into your heart to forgive you and be your Savior, you are spiritually Born Again.When my wife and I did this, we were no longer two loose yarns, hopelessly doomed to a future of perpetual unraveling.

Christ bound us together with Himself. We were now "One." We were, and still are the threefold cord that is not easily broken.

“So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:28-31)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Not Your Homeboy

"And who do you say that I am?"

—Jesus

A few years ago I used to see t-shirts or bumper stickers that said, "Jesus is my homeboy."

No, He isn't.

He is not your homeboy, your homie, your dawg, your co-pilot, your boyfriend, or your cool buddy. He is not your private genie in a bottle, who will give you your every wish. He is not your divine Santa Claus.

Jesus Christ is the Lord God Almighty!

He is the Lamb of God. He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He is the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, and the Savior of the world. He is the Righteous Judge. He spoke the entire creation into existence. He holds all things together by the Word of His power. He is seated on His Heavenly throne and is coming back to earth on the clouds of Heaven, in power and great glory, to judge a Christ-rejecting, sinful world, and to put down all evil, perversion, and corruption.

But today so many portray Him as some kind of laid-back, limp-wristed, surfer dude, who will excuse and wink at all their evil doings, giving them anything they want. I've heard people say he is "a cool guy to hang out with."

Not long ago I heard a Seattle pastor say of Jesus; "You have no idea who you're dealing with!"

What message did Jesus began His ministry with?

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

Jesus commanded His disciples to go make disciples. He didn't send His followers out to try and make Him "cool" to the world.

Study the entire New Testament—through the end of the Book of Revelation. Look at all the sayings of Jesus. What He taught. Who He said He was. What He did for us. And what He is coming back to earth to do at His Second Coming. Jesus is revealed from Genesis through Revelation. 

Get to know the authentic Jesus.

When you represent Jesus to the world, make sure you represent Him as He is, as His Word says He is. Not according to the whims, slogans, or feelings of this twisted, corrupt and perverse culture. 

I am especially appealing to all young followers of Christ today: Preach the real Jesus, and the entire message that Jesus and His disciples preached. Not the watered-down, false message of this fallen world. Jesus does not need you to try and make Him "cool" to the world. He needs you to make Him known.

Amen.

“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen!” (Revelation 1:7)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Stay Loose In The Saddle

   Photo ©Mark Faulkner 2009

Amazing... how suddenly the seasons of life can change.

I am slowly, painfully, learning to be careful of the expectations I have of people, situations, and outcomes.

In fact, the one constant is that things are constantly changing. And it is when I think I have things figured out, and I think I know what people are going to do, and how things will turn out, that the unexpected happens.

For years I have been hearing the phrase "stay loose in the saddle."  And I continue to learn why that is so important.  Things are continuously changing.  The unexpected happens.  Things don't always go according to my plan. 

The things of this life are all just seasons.  And seasons change. 

It's all about being content with how things are right now. Being thankful for the people in your life today, for the job you have, and for all the good things in your life.  Enjoy the relationships you have right now, and make the most of the time you have today.  Because you never know when things are going to change.  People move away, take new jobs, go in different directions.  I am learning to simply expect this to happen.

It is what it is.

But knowing all this, that unexpected things happen, why do I get so up-ended when things don't go how I think they will?   Maybe it's because I am more of a control freak than I thought I was? 

We have to let people be who they are.  The most uncomfortable situation we can put someone in is to try to force them into the mold of our expectations.  People have to choose their own path, and they may not want to take the advice we offer them.  We may think we know what is best for someone, and give them what we believe is sound advice from our point of view.  But don't be surprised when people do the opposite. Even when we think they are making the worst possible choice, ultimately, it is their choice to make.

You can't live another person's life for them.

When you truly love someone, it's okay to let them know you don't agree with the choices they make. But let them know that even though you disagree with them, you're still going to be there for them.

I'm learning that following my heart is not always a good thing, because my heart can deceive me.  I need to let my mind lead my heart.  The heart wants what the heart wants, but, in my experience, that is definitely not always a good thing.  Not all the desires of my heart are pure, nor are they God's will for me.  I have to be very discerning, and ask God for His wisdom.

"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you." (Proverbs 2:1-11)

Ultimately, God works it all out—He works all things together for good for those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose.  Even when we choose the wrong path, God will graciously show us where we erred, and point us back to the path He has for us.  But we have to have our ears open to hear His voice, and the soil of our heart must be soft and broken up so that His seeds of wisdom may land there and take root, and bear much fruit to Him. 

Stay loose in the saddle. 

When you choose a path that God shows you was the wrong choice, turn from your error and get back on track with where He placed you.  And when someone you love does the opposite of what you recommended they do, keep loving and encouraging them.  It is when we make a poor choice and God shows us our error, that we need true friends to come alongside us and love us through the season of healing that we will need to walk through. 

It's wonderful that we don't have to walk that path alone.

"There is a friend sticks closer than a brother."

(This is a post I originally published in 2010, but seemed good to publish here again today...)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Word For The Day

Word For The Day

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” 

—Jesus

(Luke 21:34-36)

Jesus always focused on our hearts. He taught that adultery and murder both begin in the heart. And here He says we need to be careful and take heed to ourselves... "lest our hearts be weighed down."

The cares of this life can make a heart and life weighed down and unfruitful. Self-idolatry, political fanaticism, materialism, hedonism; all these keep one's eyes off the Lord and on the self...a sure-fire recipe for depression, delusion, and disaster.

https://www.facebook.com/Word-For-The-Day-956827594375302/timeline/ 

The only way to be counted worthy to stand before the Son of man is to place your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Then He counts you as righteous. You have none of your own. 

Only by repenting of your sin and believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, can you be saved from your sin, which has separated you from God.

Jesus said,

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed." (John 3:16-20)

Turn your heart to Jesus.

There is only a certain amount of time left...

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.