Category: fear

FEAR!

Gary Pollard III

Have you ever been terrified? I have: I’ve been hit head-on at highway speed, been attacked by feral dogs on the Navajo reservations, and once had to eat kale.

Fear is a normal part of our life, and is sometimes an annoying reminder that we are vulnerable. Fear can save your life, or cause you to push yourself to overcome. Fear can also help you get to heaven.

The Bible talks about the fear of the Lord all throughout. The concept of fearing God is mentioned over 578 times in scripture! How do we fear the Lord? A very long time ago, a man named Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon called “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The premise of his sermon is that we are all walking a frayed tightrope over the fires of Hell with God just waiting for us to trip up and be eternally lost. His sermon is extremely well-known (even today), but is not an accurate portrayal of God’s disposition toward us (I John 1.7). Our fear of God – literal fear – comes from knowing that He is our judge and creator. It stems from a sense of awe at who He is and what He can do.

We’re all told to fear the Lord, but how do we do that in 2017? When you’re about to do something that the back of your mind tells you is probably not a good idea, think about the power of God. Think about standing in judgment before Him and how He would view your decisions. Think about the fact that your very existence is due to Him – do you think He’s not aware?

God is love by nature (I John 4.7, 8), but God is also our righteous Judge (Romans 2.2). Let’s keep that in mind this week while we’re making our decisions.

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We Could Use More Fear

Neal Pollard

Maybe you are like me and reach a threshold where you just don’t want to see any more alerts, the latest, in-depth reports about terrorism and senseless violence and murder, and warnings of looming threats. At some point, most of us reach a saturation point. Many wish to avoid the news altogether for its depressing gloom and despair. I don’t believe we need to manufacture or reinforce that kind of fear. There is plenty of that.

However, there is a significant sense, globally, nationally, locally, and personally, where needed fear is insufficient or absent.

  • Fear That Shows Itself In Service To God (Josh. 24:14).
  • Fear That Motivates Obedience (1 Sam. 11:7).
  • Fear That Opens Our Minds To His Blessings (1 Sam. 12:24).
  • Fear That Ushers Praise  To God (Ps. 22:23).
  • Fear That Brings Wisdom (Ps. 111:10).
  • Fear That Results In Trusting God (Ps. 115:11).
  • Fear That Gives Rise To Blessings (Ps. 115:13).
  • Fear That Causes Knowledge (Pr. 1:7).
  • Fear That Leads To Hating Evil (Pr. 8:13).
  • Fear That Produces Confidence (Pr. 14:26).
  • Fear That Yields Life (Pr. 14:27).
  • Fear That Prompts A Departure From Evil (Pr. 16:6).
  • Fear That Focuses Us On Our Purpose On Earth (Ec. 12:13).
  • Fear That Makes All Ultimately Well For The “Fearers” (Ec. 8:12).
  • Fear That Proves Us Followers Of The Mind Of Christ (Is. 11:2-3).
  • Fear That Precipitates Stability In Our Times (Is. 33:6).
  • Fear That Makes God Show Mercy (Jer. 26:19).
  • Fear That Helps The Church Grow (Acts 9:31).

(There are literally dozens of other passages that speak of the benefits of this godly fear)

A lack of godly, reverent fear of God generates more than deadly attacks on innocent, defenseless people all over the world; it leads to people’s callous, wanton ungodliness that causes mothers to slaughter their unborn children, that hardens people in lifestyles of sin, sexual immorality, rank atheism and moral bankruptcy. The kind of fear that the Bible urges in every genre of Bible literature (history, poetry, prophesy, gospels, and epistles) is the pathway not only to peace, security, and joy on this earth, but eternal peace, security, and joy!  History is rife with examples of what happens in the presence and absence of such fear in the lives of individuals and whole societies.

In practical terms, that starts with you and me demonstrating and declaring the urgent necessity of such fear. It may mean watching less TV or less scouring of internet reports on the latest security threats and investing in more devotional time building dependency upon God to help us through these perilous times. Refocus and retrain your heart regarding the object of your fear! It is truly the gateway to fighting the fears that appear to plague humanity’s souls at the current hour.

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