Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

“Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies; do not be afraid…for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:3-4) Before they entered the promised land Israel was told they would do battle with their flesh and blood enemies, but not to fear for the LORD would “save ” them…and He did. Today we are told that the struggle of mankind is with another kind of enemy… “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) Again, however, mankind is not to fear the "forces of darkness" for the LORD has promised to save...and He will. “In the world you have tribulation, fear not for I have overcome the world… put on the full armor of God…take up the shield of faith…take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit...

”He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.” (Isaiah 33:6) I found the phrase “fear of the Lord” 22 times in the New International Version of the Bible. It seems in each context that mankind is encouraged to fear the Lord as a conscious CHOICE. That choice to fear the Lord is the key to the treasure of finding a "sure foundation" in our Lord and Savior. God does not GIVE us a "spirit of fear" . “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7). Nevertheless, our choice to fear the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom. It starts us on our journey to find that God need not be feared, for His only begotten Son has atoned for our sin on the cross - a demonstration of God's love and faithfulness. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...there is no fear in love, but perfect love dri...

"Fear is not in the habit of speaking truth.” Tacitus It appears to me that fearing God is not bad...it has its place in the quest for the truth about God. In fact it is the beginning of this wisdom... "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10) However, when fear enslaves us, we never move on to seek the truth and find the liberty that comes when we find the truth. Thomas Paine once said... "The slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.” Rights of Man, 1791 When men think and reason about God....and discover the truth...their fear of God 's wrath becomes love for God's Grace....but few seem to find it...that is sad to me. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:18) "..the truth will make y...

Think about why you have done charitable things for someone in the past. For me it has always been due to one of the four following reasons, two good and not so much: 1. An overwhelming sense of love and responsibility for the recipient, OR 2. An overwhelming compassion for the recipient. These two mirror God…He loves and accepts responsibility for His creation and has an overwhelming compassion for his creation. “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD'S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 21-23) Two other reasons are these: 3. An overwhelming fear of guilt if you do not do so, OR 4. An overwhelming fear of the consequences if you do not do so. These are what various religious institutions promote to get one to contribute to their religion. They are NOT of God in my view…and it applies to Christian churches who preach a guilt and fear ...

“You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” (Acts 10:36) “For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” (Romans 14:9) The term Lord means “owner”. Christ will not lose even one that is his…and that is ALL!

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world...So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us…so that we may have confidence for the Day of Judgment…There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 John 4:14-18) Let that sink in for a moment. John was most likely toward the end of his life when he wrote this. By that time he was familiar with the revelation of the salvation of all which Paul had received from the risen Jesus. And John was now certain that Jesus was the “Savior of the world” ...not just Israel. And not just a possibility of being saved if certain choices were made…Jesus IS the Savior…of the whole WORLD. And John says it is because God is LOVE. And there is no fear in the judgment that is to come when one actually understands and believes that God loves the world. When we come to realize and believ...

"In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 56:11). "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6) Faith does not save anyone from the wages of sin. The Grace of God took care of that at the cross of Christ Jesus. However, Faith that God loves and saves sinners does deliver us from the fear of death and enables us to have peace and joy in the midst of difficult circumstances. And of course, that kind of faith pleases God.  Faith in what men say about God generally leads to doubt, guilt, and depression. If you get that from those you hang out with on Sunday, find some new friends. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

"Sue Ann, if you were a Christian you would pour me another glass of tea," I said as I shook my empty glass of ice as usual. Without batting an eye she said, “I'm not a Christian.  Are your legs broken?"  And after I stopped laughing, she poured me another glass of tea.  As usual. I just love my wife.  She puts me in my place, states her mind, and then proceeds to actually live her life in a way that mirrors Christ. She would not agree with that last part.  She thinks of herself as “unspiritual” because she does not get all glazy-eyed over the latest inspirational book or the next women's retreat. Her favorite verse is... “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) And for some unknown reason, she loves me.  Go figure.  And not only that, she agrees with my views on the Scripture and encourages me to post them. "Robert," say...