The Fear of The Lord

THE FEAR OF THE LORD:

  There was a time, not that long ago in fact, when people had a natural feeling regarding God, His ministers and things related to God. There was a natural inbred fear where people knew there was a clear line between what was right, and what was wrong. People had a conscience and should they do anything wrong it bothered them; they became acutely aware that they had said or done something that, in the eyes of God, was wrong. It seems that this nation has lost that. The closer we get to the Rapture of the Church, and the Tribulation period that will follow, the more the world creates a “grey” area. It seems the line between right and wrong is becoming more and more foggy or unclear.

  In your Holy Bible we find a phrase that many have no real idea what it means. A phrase and a philosophy that many parents have not taught their children about and, it is something that needs to be addressed more in the pulpits of this nation, and around the world. The phrase for which I’m speaking is “The fear of the Lord.” Do you have any idea what those words really mean?

  What is the simple meaning of those words? I could bore you with a very long and in-depth study on this and quoted dozens of verses and many stories, but for the sake of time I won’t. The simple meaning of “the fear of the Lord” is this: having such a deep respect and love for God that one is afraid of saying or doing anything that might offend Him or bring a reproach to Him or His Kingdom. Now that’s about as simple as it can get.

  You and I are to have such a deep abiding love for God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, that we’re afraid of saying or doing anything that would offend Him, bring shame or a bad mark against Him in any way shape or form. We should have so much love and respect for our God that we walk each step of this life, speak each word we speak with the knowledge that we need to be careful not to bring Him any shame. We need to live each day as though He were our constant companion, walking every step we take with us: because in reality, He does.

  Not too many years ago we’d very rarely ever hear of a burglar targeting a church for his crime. A few years ago, and I’m talking fifty years at the most, even the majority of the criminal element in this country would not break into a church to steal anything because they were afraid that God would strike them dead if they did. In the year 2012, churches have become a target of burglars who want to break in and take sound equipment, musical instruments, computers, money and anything else of value they can find in a short amount of time.  They’ve lost that respect and fear for the things of God and, for God Himself.

  Just a few years ago, a pastor stood in the pulpit of his church delivering a power packed, Holy Ghost anointed message to his congregation. As he preached, a man walked into the church and began walking down the center of the church. When he reached a point, only a few feet from where the pastor was speaking, he pulled a gun, pointed it at the preacher and began to fire. He unloaded his weapon at point blank range in an attempt to silence this man of God. By the grace of God, not a single bullet touched this pastor and the man was subdued and arrested for this crime.

  As you’re watching many pastors and ministers teach these days, you’ll notice two or more men close by him facing the congregation as he ministers. These are not ushers or elders in the church: these are armed off duty law enforcement officers hired by the church to protect the ministers as they preach. Who would ever have thought that such drastic measures would ever be needed in the house of God? Who would’ve ever believed that anyone who have the guts to walk into a church with the intent of killing the minister, or anyone else for that matter? Who would’ve thought the day would ever come when church burglary and arson were so prevalent, that churches would feel the need to install alarm systems and hire security patrol services? When I was growing up, that thought never entered my mind.

  People have lost the fear of the Lord and seemingly don’t care about anything that has to do with God or the Church. It is becoming more and more the norm for there to be children in our society who have never been to a church service except for a funeral or wedding. Parents are not teaching their children about God, about the Bible or the importance of having a healthy respect for God and His ministers. We’ve all but lost an entire generation of young people because of abortion and because of them not being taught about God. This is so sad that it makes my heart ache inside of me. This is so horrible that it makes me want to weep for the millions of children and young adults who have no concept of who God is, or who Christ the Savior is either.

  As Born Again Christians, we’ve got to bring back the concept of the fear of the Lord into our churches, our work places and into our homes. We’ve got to be ever mindful that our lives are the only Bible that some people will ever read. We have got to develop such Godlike character that our private lives are a godly reflection of what people see when we’re in church or in public. We have got to live our lives in the fear of the Lord to the point, that we’re ever mindful of our actions, our words and how people will perceive them.

  Folks, you and I need to live like Christ is watching every single word we speak, every gesture we make, every action we take and every other aspect of our loves. We need to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. The world can see right through a smoke screen, they can tell if a person is really a God loving person or, if that person is just another hypocrite. They can tell, they can absolutely tell if you and I are the real deal, or just another phony.

I’m asking each of you to do what I’ve been doing for the past several days: I’d like for you to stop and take inventory on your life. Do you live each day with such love and respect for your Father that you’re watching how you conduct yourself all the time? Do you love God so much, that you don’t ever want to be guilty of saying or doing something that will bring a reproach or bad mark against the name of your God? Do you love God so much that you’re doing all you can to ensure that you’re actually walking the walk, rather than just being another talking head? We should all take a careful inventory of our lives and make certain that we actually are living in fear of the Lord.

  Thank you for reading this blog and please, take time today to make sure that you and God are on good terms. Take the time to make sure that you’re living a life that reflects your love, respect and fear of the Lord. Pray more, study your Bible more and do your absolute best to show forth the love of Christ in your private and public life. Also keep in mind that ole saying: “Your life is the only Bible some people will ever read: what does yours say?”

God bless you and keep you.

Pastor Dave

What I Believe

  I was ingaged in a conversation with a friend tonight who had told another friend about me and my online ministry. The question came up about what I believe and why it wasn't posted on any of my Internet sites. In answer to this this question, I'd like to post this for everyone to read so they know my basic core beliefs. While this isn't all I believe, it is teh foundation to which I have anchored my spiritual house and the anchor to which I hold.

  For the record: I am a Born Again Christian. I believe in the great God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the God who delivered the children of Israel form Egypt; the God who sent His only Son to become the sacrificial Lamb that bought back man's dominion on this earth with His death on Calvary's Cross; the man named Jesus who rose from the dead on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of Jehovah in Heaven. I am a Believer, a Born Again Christian who is eagerly awaiting the Rapture of the Church and the moment when I will slip from this sinful world into the presense of my King. Until that day, I will be doing all I can to sing, preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and lead as many souls as I can to a saving knowledge of Christ.

  For those of you who may be wondering, for those you who have asked; here are my core beliefs.

What I Believe:

The Lord Jesus Christ

I believe in the deity of Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God. I believe in His substitutionary death for all men, His resurrection, and His eventual return to judge the world.

Salvation

I believe all men are born with a sinful nature and that the work of the Cross was to redeem man from the power of sin. I believe that this salvation is available to all who will receive it.

The Holy Spirit

I believe in the existence of the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity and in His interaction with man. I believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as manifested by the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit.

The Sacred Scripture

I believe in the scripture as the inspired Word of God and that it is the complete revelation of God's will for mankind. I believe in the absolute authority of the scripture to govern the affairs of men.

Stewardship and Tithing

I believe that every man is the steward of his life and resources which ultimately belong to God. I believe that tithing is a measure of obedience to the scriptural principles of stewardship.

The Church

I believe in the Church as the eternal and universal Body of Christ consisting of all those who have accepted the work of the atonement. I believe in the need for a local assembly of believers for the purpose of evangelism and edification.

Prayer and Praise

I believe in the worship of the Lord through singing, clapping, and the lifting of hands. I believe in the authority of the believer to ask freely of the Lord for his needs.

Body Ministry

I believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the Church body through the anointing of oil by the elders of the church.

Evangelism

I believe that evangelism is the obligation of every follower of Jesus Christ. The Lord commands us to go out and make disciples of all the earth. I believe that each person is first responsible to evangelism in their own family as the Holy Spirit leads them and gives them the ability.

Water Baptism

I believe in the ordinance of water baptism by immersion in obedience to the Word of God. All those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior should be baptized in water as a public profession of their faith in Christ and to experience what the Bible calls the "circumcision of the Spirit."

Our Commitment to Israel

I believe in the promise of Genesis 12:3 regarding the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. I believe that this is an eternal covenant between God and the seed of Abraham to which God is faithful. I support Israel with my prayers (Psalm 122:3), with my finances (Romans 15:27) and love my Jewish brothers and sisters.

The Priesthood of the Believer

I believe that every believer has a unique relationship to the Lord. As His children, every Christian has immediate access to the throne of Grace and the ability to manifest the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in ministry.

Because of His saving grace,

Dave

Date With Destiny

  I don't care who you are or how good you may be, we all have a date with destiny. It's a date that none of us can avoid, but it is one that we can prepare for. You see, according to the Bible (Hebrews 9:27) we all have an appointment with death, and after that: judgment. This isn't some fairytale or some story some old guy made up to scare people; this is an unavoidable fact. One second we're alive on this earth and the next, we're facing eternity.

  The question all of us have to answer is this: where are you planning and preparing to spend eternity? have you made up your mind where you're going? This is such an important decision that God wont even make it for you. This is a decision that you have to make for yourself and you also have to plan for it. No one is going to make it for you, no one can and, if you decide not to make the choice now... you're going to wish you had.

  There are only two choice any of us can make and here they are. We can choose to do nothing and live life our own way. You may get away with this for a while, but it will catch up to you when you die. Live life on your own terms, your own way and that's the same as slapping God in the face. This will land your soul in a place you don't want to go and, it's a place you were never intended to go to: HELL. Yes, despite what any guru ever told you, Hell is a literal place and its everything the Bible said it is.

  Hell was created for the devil and those angels that decided to follow him in making war against God. It didn't work so good for them and they all got kicked out of Heaven. God had to create a place worthy of a being, a created being that thought he could defeat the Creator so, God created Hell. Hell is the home of the Lake of Fire, the souls that rejected God's love gift and all the demons, devils, witches and souls that decided not to get saved. This is a place where you find nothing but weeping, wailing, sorrow and souls crying out in anguish day and night with no end. Hell is in the center of the earth and there's nothing cool or good about it.

  For those people who don't accept Jesus as Lord and Savior... this will be their eternal home. The worst part about Hell isn't the darkness, it isn't the heat and it isn't living for eternity with the devil. The worst part about Hell is the separation from being able to feel God's presence. Yes, those souls in Hell can't feel God.

  Jesus came to this earth for one reason and one reason only; to become the sacrificial Lamb that would buy back what Adam lost in the Garden of Eden. When Adam sinned, he gave up his authority, his dominion and his relationship with God. He have up the most precious thing God could ever give man and, he allowed sin to enter what was a perfect place. This brought on God's curse and now, all people are born with a sin nature instead of a God nature.

  From the time of Adam, until Christ was crucified, an animal sacrifice would cover man's sin from one year to the next. It couldn't grant total forgiveness, but it would buy man time. When Christ came and died on the Cross, He paid the debt He didn't owe and the debt that you and I could never pay. He became a human so that He could die, go to Hell and defeat the devil once and for all. This made it possible for us to be able to go to God directly and ask Him to forgive us. There's a verse in the Bible that says "while we were yet sinners, Christ died so we might live."

  It doesn't matter how morale you are, how good you are or how much money you give to charity; the only thing that matters is whether or not you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died to pay for your sin and that He rose on the third day. That you've humbled yourself and asked God to save your soul and that you've turned your back on sin, Satan and all the things that will cause you to lose your relationship with God. Folks, I'm not here to talk about religion or joining some church, I'm here to talk about a one on one relationship with God and Jesus.

  Look, we all have a date with destiny and it isn't something we can put off or wait until the last second to get ready for. We don't know when we're going to die. You could be driving home from work tomorrow, walking through your neighborhood market or be sitting in your living room watching TV and suddenly die. The moment, the very second your body ceases to work, your soul leaves your body and goes to the place you've chosen for all eternity. There isn't a day off, there is no escape and there is no parole. Which ever place your soul goes to, its there forever. You're the one who make a choice, and it needs to be the right one.



  I'm asking, I'm begging you; don't put this off. Don't think for one minute that you can do this at the last minute because, you may not have a chance when your time comes. You may not be able to ask forgiveness when your date with destiny comes around. You could be killed in an accident, die of a heart attack or be the victim of a terrorist: we just don't know when or where we're going to die or be killed. Are you really willing to risk everything on a maybe? Are you going to gamble your eternal destination on a hunch or what some dude thinks when the facts are real? I know for a fact that if any of the souls in Hell could come back and talk to you, they'd all say the same thing; "man you do not want to ever see what's in Hell and yes, it is VERY real."

  Jesus paid your debt with His life. He gave His all for you and all He wants, is for you to love Him back. Just believe that He is the Son of God, that He died for you and that on the third day He came out of that tomb alive and well. Then, just ask Him to forgive you and to set your soul free. He's waiting to hear your prayer, please don't disappoint Him.

  Once you've prayed that prayer, find a local church and ask the pastor to help you get started as a new Christian. He'll help you take your first steps and help you become a strong Christian, a cool Christian and someone who will be able to help others find Christ before, their date with destiny.

God bless you,

Dave