Pastor Beal's Weekly Window of Wisdom |
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Pastor Beal |
WHY FEAR A LOVING GOD?"The fear of the Lord is the beginning "FEAR GOD?" people say! I thought God was a God of love? How does fearing a loving God, make sense? Unfortunately, our definition of love is, "If you love me, you will do (BLANK)!! Girls, have you ever heard that definition of love, or more correctly, lust?? Parents, how many times have you let your children trap you with that same line, and you submitted to their manipulation? True love is not giving in to manipulation, to accomodate one's sinful desire. You see, God is not fooled by our clever lines, and deceptive practices. Prov. 1:7 tells us that "The FEAR of the Lord is the BEGINNING of KNOWLEDGE: but FOOLS despise wisdom and instruction." God is clear in where wisdom starts. Wisdom (101) is in realizing that God is holy, just, loving, and far too wise to fall for the, "If you love me" line! It might work with man to erode his confidence, but not with God. Over in Prov. 8:13, God gives us a clear definition of what it means to fear God. "The FEAR of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and froward mouth, do I hate." Did you realize that God hates things? Do you know why He hates the things in that verse? Because He LOVES you !! He cannot LOVE you and LOVE sin! Just like a boy asking a girl to become impure or to live in fornication in the "name of love", is wrong. To even tempt someone to do wrong is not God's way, as we see in James 1:13 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." Are we placing temptation before our family and friends? We can learn from God that a right attitude of fear will bring us to love, honor and obey Him. Thanks! Pastor Earl Beal |
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