Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

The mission of the Mid-Missouri Church of God (MMCG) is to proclaim the gospel taught by Jesus Christ; the good news of the upcoming Kingdom of God! MMCG hopes to be a lighthouse and resource to the Eldon community. We have weekly services and bible studies and would love to have you.

We hope you find this site helpful and encouraging.   Please feel free to browse around, be sure to look at the events calendar and join our email list to keep posted on current activities and upcoming events.

If you’d like us to email you our monthly newsletter and contact you by email for special announcements and events, please fill out the form below:

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Here is a simple diagram of the timeline of our Messiah’s passion:

• “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying,  ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.’  But He answered and said to them,  ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was THREE DAYS and THREE NIGHTS in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’” (Matthew 12:38-40, NKJV throughout unless noted).

Since Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the Jews demanded a sign of Him to prove His claim. Jesus could give them no better proof that He was the Christ than the literal fulfillment of the well-known sign of Jonah. If this sign were not literally fulfilled, it would prove to them that He was not the Messiah. This was the ONLY sign Jesus ever gave to prove He was the MESSIAH!

The Gospel of Mark tells us:

• “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and AFTER THREE DAYS rise again.” (Mark 8:31)

Did Christ mean what He said? Did He really expect to be buried in the earth for three days and three nights? Jesus did not say, “After two nights and one day I will rise again.” He said, “After three days I will rise again.” He meant three days and three nights — a full seventy-two hours!   The Jews remembered this sign when He was crucified.

• “On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying,  “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said,  ‘After three days I will rise.’  Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people,  ‘He has risen from the dead.’  So the last deception will be worse than the first.” ” (Matthew 27:62-64).

They did all they could to prevent His resurrection. They got the watch, made the sepulcher sure, and sealed the stone. “After three days I will rise again” was necessary to fulfill the Jonah sign.   Modern interpreters of the Bible make Jesus Christ a liar. They say Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, buried about sundown the same day, and arose on the next Sunday about daybreak in contradiction to the Scriptures! Any schoolboy knows that this is only two nights and one day. If He were crucified on Good Friday and arose on Sunday morning as they say, then He did not literally fulfill the sign of Jonah. If He did not fulfill this sign as He promised the Jews, then He was an IMPOSTER and not the Messiah! In other words, Jesus Christ lied to the Jews about His burial and resurrection.   If the Good Friday theory is correct as some teach, then the Bible contains “highly figurative language” which requires a human interpreter to tell people what the verses really mean. By this same liberal method of interpreting the Scriptures you can destroy every basic doctrine in the Bible.

I am greatly concerned about not accusing the Messiah of lying!  Jesus Christ plainly said He would be in the grave “three days and three nights”. He emphatically declared He would rise again “after three days”. I believe He fulfilled the sign of Jonah and vindicated His claim of being the Messiah. In Matthew 28, we read this testimony of the angel at the tomb:

•  “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.” (Matthew 28:6)

He said He would be in the grave “three days and three nights” and “after three days” He would rise again. Jesus did fulfill the Jonah sign. But He was not crucified on Good Friday, nor did He rise on Sunday morning!

Is a PART of a day a WHOLE day?

Men, in order to get the Bible out of an embarrassing situation, allege that the Jews counted a part of a day as the whole day. Such passages as Genesis 42:17-18, 1Samuel 30:12 and Esther 4:15-16 are cited to prove this theory. However, NONE of these passages prove “three days and three nights” means TWO nights and ONE day! Only one of them even contains the expression “three days and three nights.”

• “So he put them all together in prison three days.  Then Joseph said to them THE THIRD DAY, ‘Do this and live, for I fear God:’ (Genesis 42:17-18)
• “And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins.  So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him;  for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.” (1Samuel 30:12)
• “Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:  ‘Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me;  neither eat nor drink for THREE DAYS, NIGHT OR DAY.  My maids and I will fast likewise.  And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!’ ” (Esther 4:15-16)

There is absolutely no reason to give “three days and three nights” in 1Samuel 30:12 any meaning except its literal meaning. Divine inspiration declares the young man “had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights.” What authority has any man to contradict these plain words by affirming the time was not so long?

The expression, “three days, night or day” in Esther 4:15, is not the same wording as “three days and three nights” in Matthew 12:40. There is no mention of any nights at all in the other passages; therefore, they give no evidence as to the meaning of “three days and three nights.” There is no reason to take any of the passages cited in any sense except their literal sense, unless one has a theory to prove.

• “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.” (Jonah 1:17)

The “three days and three nights” in Jonah 1:17 are to be taken in their literal sense.

Even if some of the Jews counted a part of the day as a whole day, can it be proven that this is what JESUS meant? Can it be proven that the Jews counted a part of a day as a whole day and a whole night? Where is the proof in the inspired Word?   Yet, proponents of the Good Friday tradition want us to believe that a part of a day meant a whole day and a whole night. Men who believe the Bible to be literally true dare not accept such reasoning.

What is the Bible’s definition of a Day?

The word “day” in the Bible, in its primary sense, means the interval between dawn and darkness.

• “God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. . . . ” (Genesis 1:5, compare with Genesis 1:14-18; 8:22.)

This is the first occurrence of the word “day” in the Bible, and the Lord God himself gives its meaning. Jesus stated there were twelve hours in a day. He asked in John 11:

• ” . . . Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.” (John 11:9)   Jesus made a day and night consist of twenty-four hours. Can there be any higher authorities than the Lord God and Jesus Christ? Do not such authorities settle the matter for all true believers?   In the Bible a day is the interval of time comprising the period between two successive risings of the sun (Genesis 7:24; Job 3:16).

The Hebrews reckoned it from evening to evening:

• ” . . . at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” (Leviticus 23:32).

The twelve hour night began at sunset and ended at sunrise. It was counted before the twelve hour day.

• “. . . So the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:5).

Hence a new day began at 6 o’clock in the evening and lasted until the same time the next evening — a period of twenty-four hours — a twelve hour night followed by a twelve hour day!

What is the Good Friday Hoax?

The Bible nowhere says or implies that Jesus was crucified and died on Good Friday! Because the Jewish weekly Sabbath came on Saturday, scholars have assumed Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. This is poor reasoning because the Bible bears abundant testimony that the Jews kept OTHER Holy times besides the weekly Sabbath (which fell on Saturday). The Jews kept the annual Holy Days God had given Israel (Exodus 23:14-17, Leviticus 23, Numbers 28-29, etc.).

The Bible teaches that there were TWO Sabbaths, or days of rest, between the time when Jesus was put in a tomb and the moment he was resurrected from the dead! This is the KEY to understanding the correct sequence of events of what happened to Jesus our Savior!

Another reason why the traditional teaching that Jesus died on a Friday afternoon and was resurrected on Sunday morning CANNOT be correct is:

1. “Jesus’ statement that He would rise three days after He had died is acutely significant. According to Jewish law, to be declared legally dead, a person had to be dead for three FULL days or more. Therefore, if Jesus had risen from the dead before 3 PM on the afternoon of Nisan 17, a weekly Sabbath (Saturday), He would not have been considered legally dead. As a result, His return to life would not have been considered a true resurrection from the dead.
2. “If He had been crucified on a Friday and restored to life on Sunday morning at sunrise (what Christianity calls Easter morning), His death WOULD NOT have been “valid” since only two nights and one day would have passed between Friday sunset and Sunday morning. In order for His death to be publicly recognized and acknowledged, it was necessary for Jesus to remain in the grave for three nights and three days before He was raised from the dead.” (Holy Bible in Its Original Order, Appendix J)

The FIRST Sabbath after Jesus died

After sunset on a Tuesday (the day of Passover began at sunset and ended at sunset the next day) Jesus ate the Christian Passover with his disciples (Matthew 26:20, Mark 14:17, Luke 22:14-15). Jesus is crucified and finally dies at 3 p.m. the next day (Wednesday). Since work was allowed on the Passover day, people used it to prepare for (which is why the Bible calls it “preparation day”) the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (an annual High Sabbath where no work was allowed – Leviticus 23:6-7). In the year Jesus died, 30 A.D., the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread began at SUNSET on Wednesday. Since there was only three hours between the time Jesus died and the start of the Feast at sunset (6 p.m.), his body was quickly taken off the cross and placed in a tomb:

• “Now evening was coming, and since it was a preparation (that is, the day before a Sabbath), Joseph of Arimathea, an esteemed member of the council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, came; and he went in to Pilate with boldness and requested the body of Jesus. ” (Mark 15:42-43, Holy Bible in Its Original Order)
• “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a HIGH DAY), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away . . . Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus . . . Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.  So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby. ” (John 19:31, 38, 41-42, NKJV)
• “Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man . . . This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.  That day was THE PREPARATION, and the Sabbath drew near.” (Luke 23:50, 52-54, NKJV)

The SECOND Sabbath after Jesus died

The Bible states that after the annual Sabbath known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread had ended (on sunset Thursday), three women went to buy spices for Jesus’ body:

• “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. ” (Mark 16:1).

After buying what was needed for Jesus’ body the women spent the rest of Friday preparing the spices. When the Saturday Sabbath (the fourth of the Ten Commandments) started at sunset Friday the women rested:

• “Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. ” (Luke 23:56)

Mary Magdalene and another Mary go to observe Jesus’ tomb late on the weekly Sabbath:

• “Now late on the Sabbath, as the first day of the weeks was drawing near, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to observe the sepulcher.” (Matthew 28:1, Holy Bible in Its Original Order)

When was Jesus resurrected from the dead?  

Some Scriptures speak of Jesus’ resurrection “after three days” (Mark 8:31; Matthew 27:63). Other verses say “in three days” (Matthew 26:61, 27:40; Mark 14:58, 15:29; John 2:19-20). Still others speak of “the third day” (Mark 9:31, 10:34; Matthew 16:21, 17:23, 20:19, 27:64; Luke 9:22, 18:33, 24:7, 21, 46; Acts 10:40; 1Corinthians 15:4). Do the phrases contradict each other?

• “When we understand Jesus statements, we find that instead of being contradictory, they reveal the exact time that he was raised from the dead. Jesus made it clear that he would be raised AFTER He had been dead for three days. The other statements, “in three days” and “on the third day,” do not include the total time that he was dead but only the time that he was buried in the tomb. The Gospel accounts show that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus closed the tomb just before sunset, three hours after Jesus died on the cross. Although he was in the tomb for EXACTLY three days and three nights (seventy-two hours), He was dead for a longer period than that. Thus He rose from the dead “after three days.” The difference between this statement and the statements “in three days” and “on the third day” is that these two statement refer to His burial “in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” ” (Matthew 12:38-40, Holy Bible in Its Original Order) (Taken from: The Day Jesus the Christ Died, Chapter 6, emphasis added)

Jesus was resurrected from the dead at sunset Saturday which is three full days and nights (seventy-two hours) after he died and was put in the tomb. This fulfilled the sign of Jonah the prophet he gave in Matthew 12:38-40 and PROVED He was the TRUE Messiah to the Jews!

A closing thought explained

Some who wish to believe Jesus rose from the dead at SUNRISE on a Sunday morning point to a statement made in Luke 24. This statement is made on the first day of the week (Sunday) by two disciples who were discussing the death of Jesus as they walked toward a village called Emmaus. Sometime during their journey they meet a “stranger” who enters into their conversation — not knowing that the stranger was actually the resurrected Christ:

• “Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.  And they talked together of all these things which had happened.  So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.  But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
• “And He said to them,  ‘What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?’
• “Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him,  ‘Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?’  And He said to them, ‘What things?’
• “So they said to Him,  ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.  But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.  Indeed, BESIDES ALL THIS, TODAY IS THE THIRD DAY SINCE THESE THINGS HAPPENED. ” (Luke 24:13-21, NKJV)

Had Jesus been resurrected earlier in the day? NO, because:

• “Because this statement (Luke 24:21) was made on the first day of the week, many have incorrectly assumed that Jesus rose from the dead early Sunday morning. However, the Gospel accounts clearly show that Jesus had already risen from the dead before the women came to the tomb at sunrise (Luke 24:1). There is no question that Jesus was in the tomb for “three days and three nights” — beginning at sunset on Wednesday, Nisan 14, and ending at sunset on the weekly Sabbath, Nisan 17. Jesus rose at the end of three full days and three full nights, exactly as He had declared.
• “The problem with Luke 24:21, according to A. T. Robertson, is that the phrase “today is the third day” is an idiomatic expression — and is most difficult to translate into English (Word Pictures in the New Testament, s.v. Luke 24:21). Because the phrase is idiomatic, its actual meaning cannot be understood by a literal translation — which only serves to distort the true meaning. With this in mind, scholars and translators have studied how such idiomatic expressions were used by various writers of that era — such as the historian Josephus and others who used classical Greek. What they have discovered is that the idiom is an expression of completed time. In other words, “today is the third day” actually indicates “as of today, three days have already passed.” Berkley’s translation, for example, renders the phrase as “three days have already passed;” (The) Moffatt Bible Translation translates the phrase as “three days ago.” Both of these translations properly convey the idiom to show a period of time which has been completed.
• “Based on this information, a precise translation of Luke 24:21 would be: “But besides all these things, as of today, the third day has already passed since these things took place.”
• “Thus, Luke 24:21 in no way supports the teaching that Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week at sunrise.” (Taken from: The Day Jesus the Christ Died, Appendix B)

There is nothing in the Bible to favor a Friday crucifixion of Jesus Christ or a Sunday sunrise resurrection from the dead. The Biblical record harmonizes with a Wednesday crucifixion and a Saturday sunset resurrection. Jesus was dead and in the grave for three days and three nights (72 hours total) and not for parts of three days.

~Shalom~

Here are two links to a presentation put together by a dear friend, the late Brother Gary Amick about 6 years ago.  Brother David Schwendemann uses this presentation to preach from… he was so impressed with it.  If you have any trouble accessing the information, please feel free to email me at todd@mmcg.org.

PowerPoint Show Version - POWERPOINT SHOW LINK – (2.2MB download)
may require PowerPoint Viewer software

Flash Version –  FLASH SHOW LINK – (823K download)
requires Flash, please click to advance animations and slides

Today I heard of a person proclaiming a “new teaching” that when they go to a place where “negative energies” exist… just picture yourself surrounded by mirrors that will protect you and reflect the negative energy away.

Several problems here:

1. This is in no way a new teaching. This is called Circle of Mirrors in pagan teaching of self empowerment. New age is not new at all. This is another version of the original lie Satan told in the garden. Satan would have us serve him and believe in his lie that we should surely not die.
2. So as a reflector of negative energies… doesn’t that make you toxic? Reflecting off negative energies? That doesn’t sound at all like my God of creation.
3. The “negative energies”… Sounds like the people teaching this would know something about energy mechanics right? Wrong- one of the fundamental understandings of energy is that opposites attract. It is not that man can even answer why that is… but it is a fact.

This is a horrible, selfish, self-centered teaching… we are protected and given life by a mighty creator God who when we surrender to His will and become His child, He gives us life EVERLASTING. We do not need mirrors and trickery. We are not to be reflecting negative energy… we destroy sin with obedience. We slay the negative with our loving kindness… we forgive 70 times 7, we love and pray without ceasing. We magnify and are reflections of His grace and glory and there are no smoke and mirrors involved.  We are LIVING sacrifices… putting others before ourselves in every situation.  Unafraid of the enemy sin and all things… the only thing worthy of our fear, respect, loyalty and obedience is God.

Again, “new age” is nothing new… at times it may look inviting, just like the fruit of the forbidden tree was. Don’t fall for it. My biggest concern is that people understand the choices they make when deciding whom they serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and recognize that I am purchased and am owned by my Savior Yashua Ha Mashiach and look to only Him for my salvation. ~Amen

We’re excited and have an excellent day planned.

GOOGLE MAP

I must start right now to serve Him and do His will.  This is a season where man has made a holiday… but He has Holy days.  Days He has set aside as Holy.  To honor Him, I am going to recognize His days and His will and not the will of man.   How can there be honor to Him in my holidays while I ignore and write-off His Holy days?  I must trust Him and have absolute faith in Him and that His grace is sufficient.  Lord God, make me less proud of myself, less arrogant and more serving of You.  Help me to prioritize my life:

1. Serve God completely and in everything I do…
2. Serve everyone else in His love…

]]> http://mmcg.org/general/great-time-at-pccwg-meeting/feed/ 0 http://mmcg.org/general/no-fear-huh-know-fear/ http://mmcg.org/general/no-fear-huh-know-fear/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 03:29:30 +0000 Todd http://mmcg.org/?p=406 In summary, God is in the business of removing all fear. First, there is NO other thing that deserves fear but God. Once God perfects His love in you, you’ll have NO fear. I hope you’ll read on… I found this topic extremely interesting and hope you do too.Fear is a blessing… an attribute we inherited of our Creator… just as we would fear to take a saw to your arm, we should have the proper fear, concern, reverence for God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I find myself defining which God because people have so many different Gods I want to make certain we are all aware of the God I am talking about.

Jer 5:22 (NIV) “Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord. “Should you not tremble in my presence?”

In Hebrew, yirah (Jon 1:16, Ps 90:11), yare (above, Mal 3:16) and pachad (Job 3:25a, Ps 119:120) mean reverent fear, terror, or dread, normally translated simply fear. There are other words in Hebrew for mere respect, reverence, or honor, such as kabad (Ex 20:12). In Greek fear/terror is phobo (Mat 28:4,1 Pet 2:17c), where reverence or honor is timao (1 Pet 2:17a/d).

With this distinction in both Hebrew and Greek, some still assert that “fear merely means reverence.” As if God through His Spirit could not select the right word hundreds of times! Some would prefer to believe this than to understand that God really ought to be feared.

Why is it we will not accept the fear of God? Why do we try to “explain away” the fear of God in Scripture? What is it in our unconscious minds that creeps up when the Spirit leads us into the revelation of the fear of God?

Consider The Wizard Of Oz

The needy pilgrims are encouraged to follow a “yellow brick road”, or is it a gold street (Rev 21:21)? In any case, it is a narrow path (Mt 7:14) with distractions aplenty, which finally leads to an Emerald City on a hill, complete with a gate keeper (popular Christian myth). All this to see the great and fearful Oz. Oz, of course, turns out to be a fake. The only real power is wielded by the witches, and once the endearing old Oz is dispatched in a balloon, the real battle begins between the good witches and bad witches. Hmmm…

Is The Wizard of Oz a harmless children’s story, or a satire of Christianity? (Job 1:1) Consider the mockery of the praise songs, even the “needs” of the pilgrims (Mr 12:30). Even if Christians have lacked discernment, the world hasn’t: Elton John sings, “Good-bye yellow brick road, where the dogs of society howl.”; America sings, “Oz never did give nothin’ to the Tin-man; that he didn’t, didn’t already have.”

Small wonder we try to “explain away” the fear of God when we have such lies rattling around in our heads! Something deep within us says, “It’s all an illusion.” “Surely, behind the curtain over there, there must be a cute little man pulling levers to make all the smoke and flames.” “If we really knew, we’d see that God is just a gentle con-man, who means well, but is really harmless.”

Do we know the revealed God of Scripture, or do we believe in a God who is kind of like Oz? We must realize how effective Satan is at lying, and repent, or our knowledge of God will remain flawed. Will we fear God? We must take these thoughts captive with the weapons given us.

Destroying False Notions & Encountering God… Really

2 Cor 10:4-5 (TEB) The weapons we use in our fight… destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments; we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ. [Isa 11:2-3]

2 Tim 3:16-17 (TEB) All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instructions for right living, so that the man who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good work.

2 Cor 5:11 (NIV) Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men…

Ps 34:11 (NEB) Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Ps 89:7 (NIV) In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared.

Satan, The Bogey Man

Ps 76:4,7 (NIV) You [O God] are resplendent with light… You alone are to be feared.

If we fear anything other than God, we are deceived. God is the only thing in the universe worthy of fear. Satan, of course, would disagree and has made an industry out generating bogus fear. His weapons are horror movies, anxieties, worries, nightmares, phobias, panic attacks, demons, etc. Satan wants the fear due God. To be sure, Satan is truly a terrifying master to those under his care, but those “in Christ” have been purchased from his mastery and need not fear him any longer. Whenever it is in our power, we should cut off any access Satan has to our minds or hearts to plant bogus fear.

Isa 8:12-13 (NIV) …Do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.

Mat 10:28 (NIV) [Jesus] “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Luke 12:4-5 (Jer) “To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear; fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”

Fear And Sovereignty

In Scripture and experience, the fear of God is closely linked to the revelation of His sovereignty.

Job 23:13-16 (NIV) “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases. He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store. That is why I am terrified before him; when I think of all this, I fear him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.”

Fear And Wisdom

Ps 111:10 (NEB) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and they who live by it grow in understanding…

Prov 9:10 (NEB) The first step to wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Fear And Sin

John 15:2 (TEB) “He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit.”

2 Cor 7:1 (Jer) With promises like these made to us, dear brothers, let us wash off all that can soil either body or spirit, to reach perfection of holiness in the fear of God.

Prov 8:13 (NIV) To fear the Lord is to hate evil.

Fear And Repentance

Prov 16:6 (NEB) …the fear of the Lord makes men turn from evil.

Job 28:28 (NEB) …”The fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to turn from evil is understanding.”

Fear And Blessings

Ps 25:12-14 (NEB) If there is any man who fears the Lord, he shall be shown the path that he should choose; he shall enjoy lasting prosperity, and his children after him shall inherit the land. The Lord confides his purposes to those who fear him, and his covenant is theirs to know.

Prov 14:26-27 (NIV) He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

Ps 34:9 (NEB) Fear the Lord, all you his holy people; for those who fear him lack nothing.

Prov 19:23 (NEB) The fear of the Lord is life; he who is full of it will rest untouched by evil.

Fear And Punishment

Rom 11:22 (Phi) You must try to appreciate both the kindness and the strict justice of God.

One of the ways we fear God is to fear punishment. This kind of godly fear will taper off as we are perfected in love. But for now, the fear of God will keep us from evil.

1 Jn 3:2 (NIV) Dear friends, now we are children of God…

Prov 22:15 (NIV) Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

Prov 3:11-12 (NEB) My son, do not spurn the Lord’s correction, or take offense at his reproof; for those who he loves the Lord reproves, and he punishes a favorite son.

Ps 23:4 (NIV) …your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Fear And Love

The fear of the Lord may be the beginning of wisdom, but the end is love. Love is our hope, our goal, our sure destiny as believers. If we are obedient, we will get close to it while still in this world. In the meantime, we fear now, because none of us is yet without sin or perfect in love.

1 Jn 4:17-18 (Jer) Love will come to its perfection in us when we can face the day of Judgment without fear; because even in this world we become as he is. In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.

1 Pet 1:17 (RSV) And if you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.

Ps 118:4 (NIV) Let those who fear the LORD say: “His love endures forever.”

The Wrong Kind Of Fear: Shrinking Back

“Too good to be true,” we say. This saying illuminates a deep human wound, for we have been burned by every one of our false gods and false loves and false hopes, or soon will be. Since everything else but God really is a sham, our instincts have been trained into suspicion. We hold back, we hedge, we plot our retreat, we lower our expectations. So when we encounter God–who alone is worthy of our trust–we shrink back in the one moment, with the one person, in the one hope that we should abandon ourselves to. Indeed, our wound is serious. Who will heal us?

The Terrifying Love Of God

Phil 2:12-13 (NIV) …continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

We should not fear that God will let us down, or that He is not faithful, or just, or forgiving. In fact, His intense determination to make us holy (so that we can be with Him forever) is cause for the right kind of godly fear: that He will NOT quit sanctifying us when, in our opinion, we are good enough. God is the ultimate perfectionist, and He will get what He wants. And if that is us, it is fearful to realize just how far He will go. He is the potter, and He intends vessels of holiness. No, we need not fear that God will fail us or give up on us, but rather that He is indeed faithful to finish what He has started.

Heb 10:31 (KJV) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

To Encounter The Living God, Then And Now

Heb 12:18-24 (Phi) You have not had to approach things which your senses could experience as they did in the old days–flaming fire, black darkness, rushing wind and out of it a trumpet-blast, a voice speaking human words. So terrible was that voice that those who heard it begged and prayed that it might say no more. For what it had already commanded was more than they could bear… So fearful was the spectacle that Moses cried out, “I am terrified and tremble!” No… You have drawn near to God, the judge of all, to the souls of good men made perfect, and to Jesus, mediator of a new agreement, to that cleansing blood which tells a better story than the blood of Abel.

Heb 12:25-29 (Phi) So be sure you do not refuse to hear the voice that speaks. For if they who refused to hear those who spoke to them on earth did not escape, how little chance of escape is there for us if we refuse to hear the One who speaks from Heaven. Then his voice shook the earth, but now he promises: “Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven.” This means that in this final “shaking” all that is impermanent will be removed, that is, everything that is merely “made”, and only the unshakable things will remain. Since then, we have been given a kingdom that is “unshakable”, let us serve God with thankfulness in the ways which please him, but always with reverence and holy fear. For it is perfectly true that our God is a burning fire.

Ps 19:9 (NIV) The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.

Mike Yaconelli: “We have defanged the tiger of truth. We have tamed the lion… The tragedy of modern faith is that we no longer are capable of being terrified.”

Acts 5:13 (NIV) No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.

Mike Yaconelli: “I would like to suggest that the Church become a place of terror again; a place where God continually has to tell us, “Fear not”; a place where our relationship with God is not a simple belief or a doctrine or theology, it is God’s burning presence in our lives. I am suggesting that the tame God of relevance be replaced by the God whose very presence shatters our egos into dust, burns our sin into ashes, and strips us naked to reveal the real person within. The Church needs to become a gloriously dangerous place where nothing is safe in God’s presence except us. Nothing–including our plans, our agendas, our priorities, our politics, our money, our security, our comfort, our possessions, our needs.”

“Our world is… longing to see people whose God is big and holy and frightening and gentle and tender… and ours; a God whose love frightens us into His strong and powerful arms where He longs to whisper those terrifying words, ‘I love you.’”

Thank you Dean VanDruff and Mike Yaconelli

We can be so mean to one another when we are left to our own devices. Sometimes we are the meanest to those closest to us. We are born out of the womb selfish and self-centered. We have to be in order to survive by design. When we need something, we cry until we get it and it doesn’t matter what Mom may have to do to get it. Then as we develop and mature, we develop mature abilities of kindness and selflessness that can only be learned through experience, what we are taught by example, role-models and if we surrender to the Holy Spirit.Seeing the news lately of a boy who committed suicide, then seeing all of the finger pointing and all the blame game… makes me sad for all those involved, and all those who may feel bad over this situation. I am sad because I feel this boy had been misguided, confused and ended up relying on systems and beliefs that are ultimately self-destructive, unsatisfying, unrewarding and unsupportive. How did this boy come to rely on such systems and beliefs? Who is responsible for taking care of the young? Who takes responsibility for teaching values, being examples of how to live peaceably, having a successful, rewarding and fulfilling life?

My hope and prayers are that the parents, friends and others involved in this boy’s life will take some responsibility over his demise. It would be a blessing to them if they would. And it would go a long way in teaching others how to avoid such mistakes. People struggle with issues everyday… disabilities and inabilities. Yet, they know they have the love their family and friends at the very least… and that should be enough reason not to take your own life. Apparently, this boy did not think enough of his family and friends to continue on living for them and selfishly took his life. Again, not thinking of those who may love him and how they would struggle after he committed this selfish act.

Bullying… Bullies however mean and nasty did not kill this boy. The boy’s reaction to his emotions killed the boy. If you take a position, prepare to defend the position. This applies to both children and adults… So if you’re bullied what do you do?

• Keep cool. Don’t give in to rage. The Bible wisely advises: “Let anger alone and leave rage.” (Psalm 37:8) When your temper is out of control, you give the bully power over you, and you are likely to do things you will only regret.—Proverbs 25:28.
• Try to put thoughts of revenge out of your mind. Vengeance often backfires. At any rate, revenge is not really satisfying. One girl, who was beaten up by five youths when she was 16 years old, recalls: “I decided in my heart, ‘I will get even with them.’ So I got some help from my friends and took revenge on two of my attackers.” The result? “I was left with an empty feeling,” she says. And her own conduct worsened afterward. Remember the Bible’s wise words: “Return evil for evil to no one.”—Romans 12:17.
• When things appear to be getting heated, get away quickly. The Bible says: “Before the quarrel has burst forth, take your leave.” (Proverbs 17:14) In general, try to steer clear of those who tend to bully. Says Proverbs 22:3: “Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself, but the inexperienced have passed along and must suffer the penalty.”
• If bullying persists, you may need to speak up for yourself. Choose a moment when you are calm, look the bully in the eye, and speak in a firm, level voice. Tell him that you don’t like what he is doing—that it is not funny and that it hurts. Do not resort to insults or challenges.—Proverbs 15:1.
• Talk to a responsible, caring adult about the bullying. Be specific about the problem, and ask for help in handling it. Do the same in your prayers to God, and this can be a wonderful source of help and comfort.—1 Thessalonians 5:17.
• Remember that you have value as a person. The bully might want you to think that you don’t matter, that you deserve to be treated badly. But he is not your judge. God is, and he looks for the good in each of us. It is the bully who becomes less worthwhile by resorting to such conduct.

Parents need to prepare and protect their children too. I believe, in this situation, the parents are responsible for this incident. In my mind, it’s horrible that this boy felt that he had to claim his sexual preference at 14 years of age. What good could come from that? At 14 years old, you may think you know everything about yourself one day, but the next day you’re completely wrong. How in the world would a 14-year old be able to pin down their identity in such a finite way especially having anything to do with sex? Relationships, attractions and lust are amplified in our teens but they are not what matters most. In my mind, it’s like making a VERY important decision when knowing only a small fraction of the facts.

When I was in school, I did not hang with the popular crowds or clicks and was often challenged, poked and prodded about being different. I got into a lot of fights and struggled with lots of things ended up hanging out with bad crowds… I could go on and on. Lots of kids have struggled with a sense of being different for ages and ages. There are people who struggle with similar and way more serious issues every day. With an attitude of developing maturity in love and obedience, selflessness and caring for others, they will persevere. After all, we are the overcomers… in order to be overcomers, we need to overcome right?

Are we bullies?

We are adults… can we be bullies? The scriptures teach our tongues are mighty. Think about it, our mighty Creator, Master of all we know and that exists created everything by His voice. We are created in His image and inherited His traits, conscience and in many ways, we are gods ourselves. Our tongue is a mighty weapon.

I want to give you some practical steps that will help you tame your tongue. The stakes are high. Your words can either bring life, or they can bring death to your spouse, your kids, your parents, your siblings, your relatives, your friends, your co-workers, and your neighbors. Our tongues can build others up, or they can tear them down.

We’re quick to avoid murder, stealing, and drunkenness, but we often assassinate fellow believers and leave destruction in our wake by the way we use our tongues. Husbands have stabbed their wives with words that are as sharp as daggers and wives have lashed out with tongues that cut and pierce. Parents have devastated their kids by repeated blasts of venom. Children have exploded at their parents with volleys that have leveled the family like a bomb. And churches have been wiped out by wagging tongues that have sliced, diced, and chopped people to shreds.

Listen to what is written in James 1:19, 26: “…Take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry…if anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”

Action Steps to Tame Our Tongues

• Read Proverbs and James. The Book of Proverbs has 31 chapters, one for each day of the month. Why not make a decision to read a chapter each day, along with a chapter from the Book of James? After a month, you will have read through the entire book of Proverbs once and James 6 times! Almost every chapter in Proverbs has something about the tongue.
• Think First. I know of a young mother who asks her kids a question on a regular basis: “Are your words flames or flowers?” This helps her children realize that they have a choice to make they can plant beautiful flowers with their words or they can unleash a raging fire.Using the acronym THINK, try to ask these 5 questions before you speak:- Is it True? Remember this rule about gossip: “The more interesting it is, the more likely it is to be false.”

  - Is it Helpful? Will your words help bring about a solution to a problem?

  - Is it Inspiring? Will your words build up someone?

  - Is it Necessary? Do we have to say anything at all?

  - Is it Kind? Are your words based on a desire to help?

• Talk Less. Your chances of blowing it with your words are directly proportional to the amount of time you spend with your mouth open. Abe Lincoln said, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”Calvin Coolidge said, “I have never been hurt by anything I did not say.” Proverbs 10:19 puts it this way: “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”I read this week about a woman who had a very serious throat condition. The doctor told her that her vocal cords needed total rest she was forbidden to talk for 6 months! With a husband and 6 kids, this seemed impossible, but she did what she was told. When she needed the kids she blew a whistle. Whenever she needed to communicate she wrote things on pads of paper.

  After six months, her voice came back. When asked what it was like to communicate only in writing, she said this: “You’d be surprised how many notes I crumpled up and threw into the trash before I gave them to anyone. Seeing my words before anyone heard them had an effect that I don’t think I can ever forget.”

  King David, after seeing how his words got him in trouble wrote this in Psalm 39:1, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth.” While we might not be able to stop talking for six months, we can learn to talk less by putting a muzzle on the muscle in our mouths.

• Build up others. The Bible continuously reminds us to encourage one another with our words. Someone has said that we shouldn’t complain about our spouse’s faults because if it weren’t for those faults they could have married someone so much better! Are we speaking words of death or words of life? Words of life energize people. Proverbs 12:25 says, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”Let me challenge you to give one encouraging word to everyone you talk to every day. You’ll probably have to be deliberate. Tell your son or daughter something that will build them up. Teenagers, give a life-word to your parents. Siblings, say something kind to each other. Couples, affirm and encourage each other at least once a day.
  Have Heart Surgery. Why is it so hard to say kind things with our tongues? It’s because the Bible says that in our strength we will never tame our tongues. Where does all the garbage come from that comes out of our mouths? Jesus gives us some insight in Matthew 12:34 and 15:19: “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks…for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, lies and slander.”

God doesn’t want you try to tame your tongue totally in your own strength. It will take more than just willpower and determination. In its natural state, the tongue is a “restless evil”. It’s like a ferocious beast that will not be subdued and like a serpent that’s full of deadly poison.

If you want to stop using death words, and begin speaking words of life, you need a different heart. The good news is that Jesus specializes in heart surgery. Friend, if you’ve never allowed Jesus to change you from the inside out, then it’s time for some heart surgery. If you keep your old heart, you’ll continue to launch verbal grenades and live like you’ve always lived. But, if you ask Jesus for a new one by turning your life over to Him, you can have a fresh start, a new beginning.

Only God can give us the power we need to build others up instead of tearing them down. If you want to be a dispenser of life words instead of death words, you need to be rightly related to God. And, we become rightly related to God through our words. Romans 10:9-10: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

Look at what all we can accomplish on our own will. We’ve proven how great and terrible we can be as a people haven’t we?!?! But this true God wants/commands obedience. Obedience and loyalty are not the enemy of living a fun and fulfilling life. In fact, His commands are a joy and bring happiness and delight! 1 John 5:3 “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.” Psalms 112:1. Young children seek out boundaries because they delight once they know what is expected of them. As a child, didn’t it feel delightful to do something right; the way it was expected of you?

Hopefully we’re not going to belittle the sacrifice that God the Father and His Son Yahshua Ha Mashiach (Jesus the Messiah) gave in order for full recompense of our sins. We have a Savior, God’s only Son, the ONLY way to life and God expects a little something from us… obedience. Another “new age” or so-called modern teaching is that there are many ways to God. There are indeed many ways to many Gods… I put my faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the one true God, creator of all known throughout the universe. His ways are not fairy tale, His ways are true. He will have justice…

Brings me to my final point for tonight, justice. Another “new age” teaching is that God is good, God is found in all things, and good can be found in all things and there is no evil. I disagree. There is evil and there is sin. I count on the promises of God and He promises justice. Death for sin and rewards for the good. Without those two opposing components, there would be no need for justice. I want to be counted by the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as good.

~peace