As I was reading the bible this week, I noticed within the stories a message: “Fear God and not Man”.

1- Peter’s denial of Christ.  Peter feared man in this situation- He didn’t want to deny Christ; his spirit was willing and he spoke words of strength, but when evil came to sift and shake him, he temporarily fell under pressure. He felt awful, repented, and as the Lord had prophesied, Peter went out of that situation strengthened and stronger in order to encourage his brothers (and probably with a more humble and understanding heart) 2- Saul, Israel’s first King. He lost the throne because of two wrongs he did. The first wrong: Saul didn’t do as Samuel told him In 1 Sam 13-14, Saul decided to act in the way he thought was best- but he didn’t obey (he made excuses to Samuel for his doings) and it cost him the throne. The second test he failed is when Saul was told to attack Amalek in 1 Samuel 15. He was to destroy everything- but he didn’t. First he blamed the people (notice he didnt’ repent first) he only repented when he felt the pain of losing the kingdom. Notice Saul’s words to Samuel: “ I have sinned, I have feared the people and their voice“. 3-Judas– took the side of man over the Lord. I know it may seem like he liked money, but I think he liked being “popular” with the “in crowd” also . Notice how he couldn’t wait to run and tell the pharisees about what he was about to do. He treasured the approval of man over the approval of the Lord. I can just see him proudly meeting in the Temple and enjoying the new-found status in his betrayal of Christ. He had the opportunity to repent and time to think about it, but he had let it sink so deep into his heart it consumed him. The devil throws wrong thoughts, ways and ideas into our thoughts like an arrow. We can choose to obey them or disregard them.

    Sometimes we need to consider our ways,at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16, Haggai 1:5,7 We could debate more on this- Pontius pilate, the pharisees, Abraham (when he lied about his wife being his sister), and many more.  There may be times when we may fear man, but the Lord has given us the ability, the power, and the wisdom to overcome this. If we have been guilty of this, consider our ways…did we repent? make excuses? blame others? tell ourselves we were right? hmmmmm. Has fear stopped us in our tracks? My Lesson In my own life I have understood that to Fear the Lord is to trust Him. It means that I do not have to shake in fear when I hear a bad report – if it looks like my world is about to fall apart, if I get bad news from those around me – I will not be afraid. I stand unshakable.  I cried out to the Lord in my distress when it seemed as if my world was coming down and out of the darkness of the sky came this verse to me: ¹² I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; Isaiah 51:12     It didn’t immediately comfort me (I wanted a different answer) however, as the days went on I finally understood what the Lord was telling me- that I am not to fear the bad reports around me. Although it may seem like the world is falling apart around me based on words of other, this is not true! Why should I fear the words of man? Who is man that I should fear Him? O, My soul, why are you so discouraged, put your hope in God. In God alone I trust and this is the fear of the Lord.  Expect rejection and persecution when you do the Lords work: Remember that they are not rejecting you, but they are rejecting the Lord our God :   And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.1 Samuel 8:6-8  What is the Fear of the Lord and is it evident in your life? Have you found yourself fearing man more than God? He listens to us!   Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. Mal 3:16 BE BOLD and courageous   So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. heb 13:16 He Watches Us and Delivers us Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Tremble in His presence! Listen!  Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 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. Jeremiah 5:21-24

 The Fear of the Lord is

1. To obey His voice
2. The beginning of  knowledge
3. Wisdom and knowing to depart from evil
4. Where you find the Knowledge of God
5. To hate evil, pride, arrogance, evil ways and filthy mouths
6. The way to prolong our days
7. A place of confidence in the Lord
8. A fountain of life
9. keeps us from the snares of death
10. is needed before instruction and wisdom
11. Is the instruction of wisdom
12. Keeps us from evil
13. Brings riches, honor and life when combined with humility
14. Where our heart should be all day- not envying sinners
15. One of the seven fold spirits of the Lord
16. gives quick godly understanding
17. Our treasure= through which we receive wisdom and understanding which results in stability and strength of salvation
18. A Precious Key for our churches
19. The way to increase our church family and walk in harmony together
20. a way for our churches to walk in order to have comfort, rest and unity with the Holy Ghost
21. what the Lord notices in your life
22. Prepares you for the Lord’s teaching
23. To delight in His commands
24. rewarded with blessings
25. Keeps you safe prov 29:25
26. To fear God is to trust Him
27. Our duty in Life – To fear God and keep His commands
28. reminds us not to Trust in mans words or to be swayed by the countenance of others
29. keeps us from fearing man
30. the spirit of the Lord that the Lord is searching for within us
31. To trust in His Ways, not our own ways
32. To hope in His Mercy
33. in that which the Lord delights to see in His people
34. blesses us with the Mercy of the Lord and righteousness unto our children’s children
35. The Lord taketh pleasure in those who fear Him
36. There is no want to those who fear Him
37. The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him! A key of our protection and deliverance in troubles because the angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them

 To Fear Man

1. is to lack knowledge and wisdom
2. is to be wise in your own eyes (Saul’s downfall)
3. is a snare and a trap in your life
4. the sign of a fool
5. is to despise wisdom and instruction
6. is to love evil
7. will shorten your days
8. is trouble
9. envy sinners
10. is to not honor God’s laws or commands
11. is to despise God’s ways
12. despise the Lord
13. trust your own ways

 Hear the Word of the Lord: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.  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. Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.  The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.Prov 1:7,9:10. 8:13,2:5,10:27,14:26, 15:16, 15:33, 16:16 , 22:4. 23,17,Ps 111:10, Job28:28   And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.  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.  Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;Is33:6, Acts 9:31, 2Kings 17:34,Job 1:8, Job 2:3 “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?  Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.  The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.   So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Ps 25:12, 112:1, Prov 29:25, Eccl 12:13, Heb 13:6 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?  Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Prov 3:7, Is 50:10, Mal 1:6, 3:16

 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.  But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Ps147:11,115:13,103:17,34:9,34:7,2:11,1

   Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

Think about:   There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.  In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. Ps 53:5 and 56:4 My Theory: Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. According to scripture and what the Lord has done in my life, I believe there is an order with the 7 fold spirit. I believe we receive the Fear of the Lord first because “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom and true knowledge”. After the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord, we receive the spirit Knowledge, then might, then counsel. Next gift received after this is spirit of understanding,(Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart) then the spirit of wisdom is given (a gift) – and we are always growing and growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church.

May the Lord Strengthen and encourage you today. May He make you a bold witness for Christ. Teach us your ways, O Lord, that we may walk in your truth. Unite our hearts to fear your Great name. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!

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