Fearing God

"Always Be Zealous For The Fear Of The LORD" Proverbs 23:17 NIV

We have living back in Oregon 4 years now. A recent mission trip for me to Mexico worked a renewal of something. Zeal. Jesus had zeal. Today he is eager to find lost sheep. He serves his brothers and sisters by "washing feet". How can he do this if he is in heaven? Through us! Am I fervent to do this?

From 2002 to 2008 the occupation of "missionary" meant for me 6 months of service in Mexico and 6 months of tent making (work) . It took a lot of intensity to "make it happen". Some people who have known me for the last 4 yrs have said that I have enthusiasm and passion for seeing souls saved, and for all kinds of other good things. God knows my heart and I know what struggles there have been for me. Feeling lukewarm in my own personal walk, and a coldness of heart is what has been on the inside. The need for renewal in me has been to overcome apathy. Yes, there has been some good fruit come of some efforts to serve in the kingdom, but on the inside there has been rebellion to obey what Holy Spirit has been wanting to lead me in. Things like sanctification. Intercession. Fervent prayer. There is a prophesy of Jesus in Psalm 69 "zeal for your house consumes me," NIV When he made a whip of cords and drove out the animals and he turned over the tables of the merchants in the temple. Jesus put to action what was in his heart. He cleansed the temple of fraud and scandal, saying, "Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a market!" John 2:16 NIV

So, for Jesus to be telling me to be zealous is no problem. Zealous for what though? I have been zealous for things like football, hunting, romance, even serving other Christians. The "Fear of the LORD" is more than a term. It is an experience. Fearing God can be an emotion, a way of thinking, and a good perspective to have. Fear has to be in my relationship with Almighty God. What is this "fear of the LORD" that I am to be so passionate about? The scriptures explain that when we fear God we are going to learn wisdom. Passages speak of how we can be choosing to have a healthy respect for his discipline, even his wrath and punishment. I have been asking God for knowledge and wisdom. Isaiah 33 says that a reverence for God is like having an arsenal or a treasure room that I can draw from in life's circumstances.

There is a saying "no fear" and " fear no evil". I am not sure what it means to different young people. Fearing God is to turn away from evil. To hate evil and pride. I hate saying bad things. Gossip, swearing, all of it. I do it and don't want to any more.

Father, show me what it means to " number my days" Your promises for me if I fear you are a long life. I want to fear you more. I want to live a fulfilled life. Make me like you Jesus. Its your joy to obey Father. Please give me that kind of joy.

May we all be choosing to fear Jesus more than ever. May we be learning what it means to always fear God, to continually live in fear of him. Sounds unhealthy doesn't it? Listen, there was a king in Judah who told the Judges of the land: "Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the LORD. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case. Fear the LORD and judge with integrity, for the LORD our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes."" - 2 Chronicles 19:6-7 NLT

I have prayed many times " Jesus, I want to fear you more than men. To seek your approval way above the favor and honor that I receive from other people." May the justice of our land come from leaders who are not partial but want to please God. Jesus promises to be with his disciples to the very end.Proverbs 28:14 says we have his blessing over our lives because we fear him. G.W.

 

A Wise Heart Proverbs 23.15

A Wise Heart Proverbs 23.15

My Friend had a note to himself on the door to his shop, " Work harder" At the time he was managing a business that, at the time, had a potential of growing to annual income of 6 digits. How could he be saying to himself to work harder? I am not sure of all of the implications to the motto. I think that most of it was to be an example to his sons. To be faithful to his family. Even though the shop was grossing more than just a few hundred some days, and most of the time by noon, some thing of the work ethic was in moral fiber of my friend.

Mean while I had had returned to the U.S.A. From the slow lane, in a foreign country, like living back in time, spending most of the week in a small village of a few hundred people. Getting out a few days a week and doing 40 mph out on the four lane highway seemed just fine to me. Now I was trying to make a go of it, make ends meet, and earn an honest living. For me, $20 an hour, in the construction sites seemed like plenty, but we were having trouble making ends meet, and we were not even paying rent! Marianne started working part time, and that was humbling. We had always done well with my wages from the woods. I had very little understanding of the seismic shift that was coming to our economy. I found myself working Saturdays. I even stayed home from church a couple Sunday's to be able to get a few things done around our home, which at that time was only 2 travel trailers.

The Lord had spoken to me years in advance a word that I needed and still need as I just turned 50 this year.

" Work smarter, not harder." For those who know me, hard work has never been a stranger to me. But wisdom in business management has always been something that I could use more of.

This fall another word came to me from Proverbs 23:15

My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; NIV

At first I took this to be some guidance in praying for my sons, for them to have wisdom, and for me to blessed with joy in seeing them succeed and enjoy the abundant life they have been promised in Christ. Today, after meditating on this and digesting the context, I can hear our Lord saying to me, " work smarter today, not harder, and my heart with rejoice over you, with singing!"

This summer I was in a real struggle to keep it together, mentally and emotionally. I was determined to work hard at paying down our debt. We are doing great in a few areas, and have never had struggles with a few of our accounts. By Gods grace we have never been late or behind on any payments. We have paid down certain loans, but one credit card keeps running up there. In July, we took on a few new cleaning contracts with our cleaning business. I had promised Marianne that I would quit working in the day, and only concentrate on the cleaning hours , so she would not have to work so much. Well, it did not happen. I worked my self to a frazzle, and debt did not go down. $30 an hour work kept coming in and I chose, not to say "no" except to a few really good big projects.

I have called it, " burning the candle at both ends." Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that he and his team worked night and day to not be a burden to the body there.¹ This is a great example of " spending and being spent"² for the sake of others being served in love and for the increase of faith in the hearts of Christs disciples, true?

May we each be led, as we know we are capable of doing, to serve one another with a pure heart. A mind that is protected by the peace that passes all understanding can be had for each of us, "today"; if we will give everything over to Our Father in Prayer. Look to see what he hands back to you on the to do list for today, and do not worry about the rest, ok? The following thoughts are describing more of what I have learned in the last couple months. May they be food for your soul. :) If there be anything note worthy of what Christ has wrought in me, all glory to him! G.W.

A Tender Heart An entry to my Face book wall, November 26^th 2011

Well, lately I have had a troubled heart. For a week, I was so stressed I did not feel safe driving. Yea, Greg, me having fears of being hit, or not able to concentrate enough so much that I was concerned that I might hit some one. I did hit a power pole and take my mirror off. AND locked the keys in my van 2X. Oh, well, its past and I am walking more humble than ever. Did you see the movie "Brave Heart"? Cool. What about all the broken hearts out there, anyone ever see one? I see them almost every day. Had one myself a time or two. The following is an excerpt from lesson 24 in the BLBible Institute course. I am learning from about 15 other teachers, some maturity and stability that I need in my own walk. A Tender Heart is what Jesus had³, and still has. I pass this on in hopes that it might encourage a few of my face book friends, and perhaps a family member or two also:

...maybe you have been betrayed by someone who you thought was a friend or a loved one. That hurts so deeply. Perhaps someone has undermined you, lied about you, or stabbed you in the back, who you thought was a strong supporter. Now, I am sure it has happened to most of us to one degree or another. If it has not, it will. It is just one of those guaranteed things.

But the question is: how do I react? How do I respond when I have been hurt, betrayed, or attacked? That is when it is the hardest to love. Do I harden my heart? I have been hurt so I want to harden my heart. Or do I become calloused and negative? If so, then God’s love is choked out. Do I become bitter, close my heart, or hold on to ill feelings? It is easy to do that, isn’t it? It is very natural, but it is not supernatural.

Jesus said, “As I have loved you, even so, love one another” (John 13:34). It is not a natural love. It is a supernatural love. If we become bitter, if we harden ourselves, if we get callused or cynical, even as pastors, then God’s love is choked out. It cannot flow. So the Lord wants me to run to Him. Only with His love can my heart be strong and yet tender at the same time. How do you keep a tender heart in this world? It is really easy to see how people get hardened in this world and how people get cynical or closed off. But with Christ, we cannot afford to do that because He has called us to love. We can keep a tender heart and yet be strong through the power of His love as He heals us.

Servant Leadership – Lesson 24 The Supremacy of Love by Wayne Taylor

1For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. - 1 Thessalonians 2:9 KJV

2And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. - 2 Corinthians 12:15 KJV

3 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

Freedom Or Terror On Every Side - Jeremiah 20:3

Freedom Or Terror On Every Side - Jeremiah 20:3

In Jeremiah 19 we have a record of God bringing judgment down upon Israel. A nation given to Idolatry. Jehovah led Jeremiah to use a clay vessel and break it in front of the people as a sign of what was to come to pass for that people group. ¹ This has happened to half of the marriages in America. This could happen to America as a nation. Think of how drastic the change came to Cuba. About 12 yrs ago Alexander Noble² sat with some of my "very young" adult children at a VOM dinner in Arizona and described a lush green nation of peace that changed overnight into Castro's rulership of oppression and Christian persecution to this day.

I have given some thought to the freedom and peace that we enjoy in this country. If we loose these great blessings it will be for simular reasons that God judged Israel. Jeremiah 19:15 says "because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words." We have disobeyed the LORD in aborting millions of babies. Their blood is crying out to heaven.³ This government has instituted lotteries and mandated Casinos to operate on Indian lands for unjust revenues. Human traficing is now the worlds second largest criminal enterprise, after drugs. 80% are women and girls and up to 50% are minors. Child porn is one of the fastest growing crimes in the USA right now.

I state these things in soberness and with healthy fear, not critizism. I refuse to be overwhelmed by the evils surrounding the body of Christ in this nation, but I also will not deny them or fall asleep to what is encroaching us and the next generation. Our National debt, and for many of us, our personal debts, are only but a sign of wasteful selfish living.⁴ Are we economicly stable, or are we teatering on colapse?

Pashur, pronounced Pash - hoar was a political and religious leader in the days of Jeremiah. He was a decendent of "royality". As a priests son, he was managing not only the ministry but had authority over the judicial actions. He slapped Jeremiah in the face and had him put in stocks when the word of judgment was delivered with the sign of the broken vessel. The next day Jeremiah was brought out and he told Pashur that his name would be changed from " freedom" to "terror on every side" and that specific judgments like terror, captivity, and a bloody death would come upon him and his friends.⁵

Will America, or one of its leaders get a name change and become Magore Missaveeve? "Terror on Every Side"? Our president and other leaders need our prayers and not one more word of accusation.⁶ God told Isreal through Ezekiel that she was worse than Sodom and he stated the reasons why. Pride, fullness of bread, the abundance of idleness, and neglect of the needy.⁷ For this God saw it proper to send them into captivity. Hurricane Irene and the recent earthquake on the east coast could be Gods response to few recent decisions in our nation. Are we turning our backs on Isreal as far as military defense? Or could it be due to the fact that New York State and a few others have been defiant to his law by legalizing homosexual marriage?⁸

How then shall we live? I could go on and on with details of how Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda, North Korea, and other countries have undergone great human suffering in our day. What can we do to prevent this in America? Why should I try to prevent it? If there is mercy to be shown to us, due to prayers of repentance, so be it. See 2 Chronicles 7:14 But if judgment has already begun, I want to be a realist and accept it and go on.

In the 1990's I met a brother named Boris, who wrote a book titled "A Call to the Churches In America" in which he describes radical change in his own life and for his family. After escaping communist rule in Russia they immigrated to Canada. I am not endorsing all his doctrine, but I will respect his testimony. We need to be seperated as the scripture declares. We need to cry out in interecession. We have an open line to heaven with an 800 number for wisdom and revelation of how to live in these last days.

Dear loved ones, the twin towers were a sign to us 10 years ago. America is falling before our very eyes. We are called to stand in righteousness and holiness, and be lights and salt to those around us.

The LORD says, 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' - Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV He also promises health and healing in that same passage if you read on. He promises an "abundance of peace and truth." if we will but cry out to him. He also makes promises of prosperity, of joy and of renown to us, his people.⁹

There are many other passages like this one that we can hold on to. Even in this chapter there are many more promises and conditions than I have time to list. But to close this, there is one more prophecy that is in verse 11. Its a conditional promise related to us calling upon the LORD.

HE WILL CAUSE THE CAPTIVES TO RETURN.

Do you know a loved one that has gone astray? Some one captive to immorality, or addictions, or just plain un belief? This promise is for you, to keep calling out.¹⁰ Then the place that is desolate will become like a shepard with a flock that has returned and has laid down¹¹, full and satisfied with salvation, and the green pastures of Gods spirit and his word. G.W.

1And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. - Jeremiah 19:11 KJV

2Brief description of Alexanders life http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,950073,00.html

3Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. "So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. - Genesis 4:9-11 NKJV

4"And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. - Luke 15:13 NASB

5And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. - Jeremiah 20:3-4 KJV

6Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. - 1 Timothy 2:1-2 NKJV

Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" - Jude 1:8-9 NKJV

7"You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you became more corrupt than they in all your ways. "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. - Ezekiel 16:47-49 NKJV

8If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. - Leviticus 20:13 KJV

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; - Romans 1:24-28 NKJV

9"Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.' - Jeremiah 33:3, 9 NKJV

10Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. "Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' "And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 'yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' " Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" - Luke 18:1-8 NKJV

11'the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His mercy endures forever"--and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,' says the LORD. "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall again be a dwelling place of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. - Jeremiah 33:11-12 NKJV