Fear
Fear. I don’t know one person that hasn’t experienced fear at some point in their life. There’s fear that is generally deemed as small or silly like the fear of spiders or clowns. There’s fear that is generally understood by most of us like fear for our family or a loved one health or safety. There’s fear that is sometimes deemed irrational like the fear of being in large crowds or of flying. Then there’s the fear of not being liked, of being rejected, or failure. The list of areas we find fear is long and extensive, yet despite all the reasons we find to fear God tells us “do not fear” over 365 times. So, this led me to a question…How does reverent fear of God, where no fear can live in His perfect love, take away my fears? An article I once read, ‘Fearing God’ by William D. Eisenhower, does a beautiful job of explaining it. “Scripture is full of examples of how fearing God is a positive rather than a negative thing. For example, in Genesis 42:18, Joseph wins his brothers’ trust when he declares he is a God-fearing man. It was because the midwives feared God that they obeyed him instead of the authorities by sparing the Hebrew babies (Exodus 1:17). Pharaoh brought disaster on his nation because he did not fear God (Exodus 9:29-31). Moses chose leaders to help him on the basis that they feared God and wouldn’t take bribes (Exodus 18:21) and told the Hebrews that God met with them in a terrifying display of his power so that they wouldn’t sin (Exodus 20:20). The Mosaic Law cites fear of God as a reason to treat the disabled and elderly well (Leviticus 19:14, 32). And lest you think this is only an Old Testament idea, note that Jesus states this stronger than anyone when he says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). And Paul says to work toward complete holiness because we fear God (2 Corinthians 7:1). Unfortunately, many of us presume that the world is the ultimate threat and that God’s function is to offset it. How different this is from the biblical position that God is far scarier than the world …. When we assume that the world is the ultimate threat, we give it unwarranted power, for in truth, the world’s threats are temporary. (emphasis added). When we expect God to balance the stress of the world, we reduce him to the world’s equal …. As I walk with the Lord, I discover that God poses an ominous threat to my ego, but not to me. He rescues me from my delusions, so he may reveal the truth that sets me free. He casts me down, only to lift me up again. He sits in judgment of my sin, but forgives me nevertheless. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom but love from the Lord is its completion. And, of course, the ultimate example of fear and perfect love working together is Jesus Christ. He warned us at every turn to fear God, not men—and he confirmed that in everything about his life and death. He spoke lovingly but frankly to all and didn’t mince words when people needed to face their sin and repent. (emphasis added) But he also demonstrated love beyond human understanding when he lived out his words, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13). With love like that, what is left to fear but God?” In light of today’s world with so much fear, division and falsehood, I pray that last question is part of my daily prayer and praise… “What is left to fear but God?” Here’s what we need to be reminded of despite how loud the world shouts with fear. Any fear not intertwined with the greatness of God is a lie. Fear is a liar. Let’s also pay attention to who is the father of lies is. John 8:44 tells us without question, Satan. “…he was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” 1 John 4:18 says, “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear”, gives us wisdom about fear and should give us comfort knowing that this promise guards us from people, situations or things that appear with fear. I’m not saying fear isn’t real, but I am saying we shouldn’t let it stick. We shouldn’t let fear guide us or our decisions. I’ve struggled during different chapters of life with fear even knowing this truth. See being in relationship with the Lord, studying His word, and believing His life and death as truth is not a magical wand that prevents fear or the enemy’s lies from trying to invade our hearts, minds or lives. But being in relationship with Jesus is a beautiful gift that helps us apply His Word as a living resource: It helps us put on the armor of God and fight against the fear and lies from the conniving enemy of our souls. It’s also a reminder to fear nothing and no one more that Christ himself – reverent fear for my King, my Savior. Gods Word is truth. Period, no question mark. For true believers, this is a statement of fact. Don’t forget one of Satan’s greatest lies is to try and have us believe we are the only ones, that others won’t understand, will judge us or reject us. He wants to isolate us. Divide us. Look at the world today and remember where the whole world lies. 1 John 5:19 tells us very clearly “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies
The Seven Signs of Revelation Explained: Prophecy, Symbols, and Meaning
Revelation 12 and 13 unveil seven prophetic signs that reveal the cosmic battle between good and evil. From the woman clothed with the sun to the terrifying beasts of the end times, each sign carries profound meaning for understanding the Tribulation, the Antichrist, and God’s ultimate victory. Who are these figures, and what role do they play in biblical prophecy? Explore the meaning of these seven signs and their significance in the unfolding of God’s divine plan.
A Little Fib
A little fib? Is there really such a thing? Like most folks I know I would say “I’m honest” and I do think that’s true. But I want, no I need, to be a truth speaker because of who I am in Christ.
Trumpet Judgments of Revelation
The Book of Revelation describes three waves of God’s judgment of earth’s inhabitants, each wave progressively worsening. The judgments begin with the seven seal judgments, continue to the trumpet judgments, and end with the bowl judgments. In a previous post, we discussed the first six judgments: First seal (Rev 6:1-2) white horse, antichrist comes to conquer Second Seal (Rev 6:3-4) red horse, open warfare breaks out Third Seal (Rev 6:5-6) black horse, world famine Fourth Seal (Rev 6:7-8) death to ¼ of earth Fifth Seal (Rev 6:9-11) martyrdom, believer call for vengeance Sixth Seal (Rev 6:12-17) physical disturbances, earthquake, sun blacked out, etc Here we will discuss the seven judgments of Revelation. These trumpets are sounded by seven angels and warn of the Lord’s judgment of earth during the second half of the Tribulation. The first four announce the divine destruction of the earth’s ecosystem, and the final three involve the demonic devastation of the earth’s inhabitants. Let’s take a look. When the Lamb breaks the seventh seal, Heaven is silent for about half an hour. This hushed expectancy is in striking contrast to the loud worship described in Revelation 5:9-14 and 7:9-12. We are not told why Heaven is silent, but with the breaking of the seventh seal, God’s plan for His judgment of the wicked is fully revealed for the first time, which invokes awe and anticipation of what God is about to do. After the seventh seal is broken, John sees that seven trumpets are given to the seven angels who stand before God. In ancient Israel, trumpets were used for many reasons, including to gather God’s people (Numbers 10:2), to announce war (Numbers 10:9), and as a warning of judgment (Ezekiel 33:3). Trumpets are also connected with the Great Day of the Lord, the Great Tribulation (Zephaniah 1:14-16 and Zechariah 9:14). Recall that at Jericho before the walls fell, “seven blasts on seven trumpets by seven priests after a sevenfold march on the seventh day, signaled judgment. Here, seven blasts on seven trumpets by seven angels during the seven-year tribulation signals judgment (MacArthur Sermon Divine Destruction of Earth’s Ecology). Next, John sees another angel standing at the altar, holding a golden censer. This angel was given incense to add to the prayers of all of the saints, including the prayers of the martyrs who cried out in Revelation 6:9-11, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” God was about to answer the martyrs’ prayers: they would have to wait no longer. The angel filled the censer with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth, causing thunder, lightning, and an earthquake on the earth. It was time for the trumpet judgments to begin. First Four Trumpet Judgments The first four trumpets announce the divine destruction of the earth’s ecosystem. Just as God used the pagan gods to judge Egypt during the time of Moses, God will use the earth, sun, moon, and stars, the created things that people have worshiped from the time of Babylon, to judge the unbelieving inhabitants of the earth. With the first trumpet come hail and fire, mixed with blood. As a result, one-third of the earth will be burnt, including one-third of the trees and one-third of the green grass (Revelation 8:7-8). This could describe a devastating volcanic eruption resulting from the earthquake that occurs when the angel throws fire to the earth. Hail and fire would mean losing crops and vegetation, which would cause the loss of food for both people and animals. Also, there will be a shortage of wood for construction. When the second trumpet sounded, “something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea.” One-third of the sea became blood, one-third of the creatures died, and a third of the ships were destroyed (Revelation 8:8-9). Most likely, this will be a meteor or an asteroid. Whatever the natural phenomenon, its plummet into the sea will affect coastal lands, and with the destruction of one-third of the ships, the flow of goods and commerce will be impacted. Also, with the death of one-third of the creatures in the sea, the food chain will be dramatically affected. When the third trumpet sounds, a great star named Wormwood falls from Heaven, burning like a torch and falling on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters (Revelation 8:10-11). This star may be a comet since it leaves a fiery trail behind it. The waters become wormwood which is a bitter, poisonous substance. In Jeremiah 9:15, speaking of the judgment of Israel, God says, “behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.” This is a preview of what will happen with the third trumpet blast during the Tribulation. With the second blast, the seas are affected, but this time the freshwater supply is impacted, leaving the water supply undrinkable and poisoned. People cannot survive long without fresh water. When the fourth trumpet sounds, there is some celestial event that leaves a third of the sun, moon, and stars darkened so that there would only be natural light one-third of the day and of the night. (Revelation 8:12). This would result in darkness and extreme cold. Fifth Trumpet Judgment – The First Woe If it seems like things couldn’t get much worse, the eagle quickly dispels that notion when he says, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the three angels who are about to sound.” (Revelation 8:13) With the following three trumpet judgments, which the eagles call “woes,” God was about to release “hell” on earth, literally. When the fifth angel sounds the trumpet, John sees a “star from Heaven which had fallen to earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit…” (Revelation 9:1-2). From the use of the pronouns “him” and
Work
Who do you work for? Typically, when we hear this question we answer with the name of our company. However, the real answer should be what’s buried in our hearts. Let me share a real story with you that will help explain. I’ve worked at the same company for almost ten years. I’ve had three different bosses, titles, and various responsibilities. I’ve also had three VP’s, all of who have wanted to make changes and leave their mark. I’ve worked hard and smart. I tried to become a great people leader, to build a team that is unified, that works together, having team-first attitudes, and simultaneously building quality programs we could all be proud of.. While doing this I’ve had a prize I was aiming for, a title I’ve strived for. And every so often it would seem just within grasp and then “Poof! Gone again.” A few years ago, the “poof” moment came again but hit a little harder. The VP made changes. Our department was reorg’d. My role changed. Significantly. It was presented as an opportunity for me, even being told: “I should be excited.” To say the least, that viewpoint vastly differed than mine. Let me be real with you and share: I cried the entire day. I came home and cried at the unfairness of it, shouted at how hard I had worked, telling my husband I felt I had been stripped of every piece of hard work over the last several years. Throughout the entire evening, I battled between feeling wronged and the ridiculousness of my reaction. The absurdity that I would let something at work wreck me so much when there are real issues in life. At one point in the midnight hours, I was drafting my resignation letter in my head, while saying, “God if it’s not your best I don’t want it” and yet recognizing my words and actions didn’t match my words. At some point I resolved with a more heartfelt prayer to the effect of “Lord, tomorrow is a new day, please give me a word that shines light on this situation. Help me be focused on You above all else.” The next morning when I sat in my prayer chair this is a summary of the devotional I read. “The Enemy’s Plan Against You” For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. 1 John 2:16 There was a 3-pronged attack Satan tried against Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11. Physical gratification – (make us crave something to the point we are preoccupied. Sex, food, drugs, alcohol) Matthew 4:3-4 Materialism – (make us want to acquire things to the point we lust for more and more stuff) Matthew 4:8-10 Boastfulness- (make us boast about what we have or do. Keeping us distracted by status and significance) Matthew 4:5-7 Ouch. Is this what I’ve been doing? Have I been so concerned with elevating myself to something the world calls worthy? Have I been working for the approval of others? Was having the title more important than what it should be? Back to the original question, “Who do I work for?” My answer should have been Jesus. I say “should have” been because the truth is, I wasn’t. I was working for a lot of other reasons…for myself/pride, for others/approval of others, for the glory of title/self-worth. I felt deeply frustrated, hurt, and unsure. Which doing good work and feeling those emotions in and of itself isn’t bad but allowing those desires and emotions to be more important than Christ, and allowing my emotions to rule my words and actions is. My focus veered off of God, and became “why me?” Ever done that? Instead of pausing, praying, and asking “God what can I learn here and use for Your glory?”, I let my emotions run wild at least for a time. But God… comfort came in the intimate word He gave to me, clearly showing up with His living word and truth. So, while I processed my hurt and questions, I ultimately clung to what He shared finally understanding… It’s a matter of surrender. It’s a matter of trusting the Lord with it all. To surrender everything, to trust Him with all things, including my work. Psalm 90:17 And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish the work of our hands for us, yes establish the work of our hands. Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men. Lord, thank you for showing up so clearly in the Word. Thank you for caring and being in the details. Help me remember it’s not the world I want approval from but You alone. Help me stay focused in my everyday life, including my job, to serve an audience of One. Lord, help me answer the question “Who do I work for?” as Jesus, no matter the job or task. May my work be pleasing to You and focused on being the salt and light wherever you place me. In Jesus Name. Amen. This week’s playlist: All About You Tauren Wells Letting Go Ryan Proudfoot Rejoice Andrew Ripp Written April 2, 2019
Who & What
Who do you believe yourself to be? What truth do you need to believe about yourself? Your belief or God’s? Your truth or God’s? Which is it?