Fear and Be Encouraged

(Ac9:31)

God is awesome and compassionate (Ps47:2; Ex34:6).

He punishes according to His word (Ex32:34), and

He encourages those who fear Him (Ac9:31).

Faith is fearing Him, and

The life of this faith is being encouraged by the Holy Spirit.

While to "fear refers to being reverent, which is what one feels towards his king or his father,

Today's humanistic education has obliterated discipline in the schools and the homes,

Producing fearless, irreverent people.

Regardless of the times, however, the Bible demands men to fear God for

Those who fear Him will go to heaven while those do not will go to hell.

Because the ancestor of mankind, Adam, became

Fearless by the devil's word and ate the forbidden fruit (Ge3:4),

His spirit consequently died (Ge2:17, 3:6; 1Co15:22).

Noah, on the other hand, when warned about things not yet seen,

In holy fear built an ark and saved his family (He11:7); and

Abraham showed his fear for God by

Giving his only son whom he received at 100 as a burnt offering and was

Encouraged with an offspring (Ge22:12, 18).

All signs and wonders of the Old Testament and

All the commandments were for Israel to fear God (Ex20:20).

Even the sanctuary where the name of Jehovah was

Reminded them this.

But the prophet warned that

Though they feared Him on the surface they had lost their hearts (Is29:13; Mt15:8-9), and that

There was One coming on whom

The Spirit of the fear of the Lord will rest and that

He will delight in the fear of the Lord (Is11:1-2; Mt3:16).

As such, Yeshua came and said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days (Jn2:19),

Because through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,

He would show His fear for not the name of Jehovah delivered by angels (Ex3:2-4) but

The name of Yeshua, the name of the Father delivered by the Son (Jn17:11), and

Fulfill the Law and the Prophet (Mt5:17).

As He died, He said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) In His reverent submission to the Father's command, glorified Him who
alone is awesome to be feared for (Jn10:17-18; Php2:6-9; He5:7);
2) Condemned the father of lies, the irreverent devil (Ge3:4; Jn8:44); and
3) With His blood redeemed all men so that they would fear the name of God.

Therefore, the Father raised Him back to life and

Seated Him on the throne in heaven.

The Holy Spirit came in the name Yeshua and

Lets those who believed His name to

Fear the name Yeshua and fear His Word (Jn14:26).

Therefore, in the name Yeshua

The believer is baptized, gathers, praises, prays and works.

He reveres the body of Christ the church, its leaders and one another.

Therefore, God adds on to the number of the saved and

Encourages with answers to his prayers.

O Lord,

Though we were irreverent and rebellious people in the past,

As time passes, the more we know the Word,

The more answers we receive to our prayers (Lk5:8),

We fear You all the more.

Let us tremble and fall before You and

Be encouraged by the Holy Spirit! Amen.