To Fear God is to Love God

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“The fear of the Lord is not a trepidation of his presence. The fear of the Lord is a deep reverent respect for his majesty and power. The fear of God is to worship him in spirit with a true heart and in love because he's good. He's the king.”

Psalm 25:12
Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

In The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, two girls, Susan and Lucy, get ready to meet Aslan the Lion. Aslan represents Christ. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver prepare the children for the encounter. "Ooh," said Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."

"That you will, dearie," said Mrs. Beaver. "And make no mistake, if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then isn't he safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course, he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell you!"

I’m learning daily, the fear of God. The fear of God is not fight or flight. The fear of God is like the fear one might have of high voltage. High-voltage electricity has the power to snuff out life in a flash, yet we employ 220V daily to run our appliances in the home. I have deep respect for the power socket in my bedroom but I’m most grateful for the power it provides to bring me light in the dark.

Our God is high and exalted. He is our sovereign Majesty. His character is supreme, his power unlimited and his will, paramount. Our God is the supreme Creator of the universe. He has the power to snuff out life in a flash. Yet, God loved you and me so much that he gave his righteous Son as a propitiation for our sins. By his grace, we boldly approach his throne and obtain mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

To fear God is to love God. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love. To fear God is to not fear his judgement. If you know Christ as Saviour, having surrendered your life to him, then you live in love, not fear. Perfect love casts out fear. Yet we are told that he will teach us his ways if we fear him.

The fear of the Lord is not a trepidation of his presence. The fear of the Lord is a deep reverent respect for his majesty, power and grace. The fear of God is to lovingly worship him in spirit with a true heart. He's good. He's the king.

God-tracking is walking in the fear of the Lord.

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE. READ ALL ABOUT IT. (NKJV)
Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!
Hebrews 4:16
2 Timothy 1:7
1 John 4:17-19
John 4:23

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SO, DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

“You are good. You are the king, and I love you.”

“O holy and sovereign God, forgive me for my flippancy. I acknowledge your might and power. You are the Creator of the universe and the most highly exalted God. Yet, I thank you for making the way for a sinner like me to boldly approach your presence with love. I deeply respect you, O Father. I worship you in reverence and fear but I praise and thank you that you loved me so much that Jesus died to bring me life. I praise and thank you that you hear my every cry and meet all my needs by your power because you love me. You are good. You are my king, and I love you. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today email me now at  dudley@godtracker.co.uk

HELP keep GodTracker free

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What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail Christian motivational thought, written by Dudley Anderson, based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith. Most of what you’ll read is based upon the author’s personal experience of tracking the plans of God.

Listen to GodTracker podcasts by Dudley Anderson at, godtracker.co.uk/godtracker-podcasts

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

GOD-TRACKING IS RUNNING ON EMPTY BY GRACE

GodTracker 700The e-devotional helping to keep you on-track with God’s plans for your life
GodTracker is published by Sure Reality Media at surereality.net

“You may feel your motivation and passion are burned out. But keep your eyes on Jesus and rest in the grace of God. Grace is God’s doing! Grace is your fuel! Grace is your anointing, and the anointing breaks the yoke.”

2 Corinthians 12:10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong

In one of his letters to the church of Corinth, Paul talks about his thorn in the flesh. There has been much speculation as to what Paul’s thorn was. In a letter to the church at Corinth Paul says, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

The book of 2nd Corinthians is a deeply personal letter. The circumstances behind this letter reveal the difficult, often painful realities of ministry life. More than any of his other epistles, 2 Corinthians shows Paul’s pastor’s heart. In 1 Corinthians we learn that the church in Corinth was rebellious and struggling with division and spiritual immaturity. Paul's authority had been undermined and his teaching contradicted.

I would like to add a suggestion as to what Paul’s thorn was. Could it have been that the apostle was burned out and running on empty? A man of passion, Paul had given his all for the churches he’d planted. Some of them were thriving while others, like Corinth, turned out to be a thorn in the flesh. The Corinthian church had become, insubordinate, critical and judgemental. Paul was facing what we might term, church politics. He says, “For I fear that perhaps when I come, I may find you not as I wish. That perhaps there may be quarrelling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” Paul had poured so much into this group of believers, only to have them criticise him and rebel against his leadership. Nothing is more demoralising to a pastor than a critical spirit. Paul was emotionally threadbare.

Yet, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul writes that God’s grace is enough, and his power is made perfect in our weakness. Paul was facing a great challenge to his ministry. He was weak. However, Jesus tells him that he is strong in his weaknesses. Paul says to the Corinthians, “For Christ was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.”

Whatever opposition you are facing today; whatever may be your thorn in the flesh, never quit! You may feel your motivation and passion are burned out. But keep your eyes on Jesus and rest in the grace of God. Grace is God’s doing! Grace is your fuel! Grace is the anointing that breaks the yoke.
Paul persevered and continued to pastor, teach and lead, not by his own strength, but by the empowerment of God’s grace.

God-tracking is running on empty by grace

READ ALL ABOUT IT2 Corinthians 12
2 Corinthians 13:4
Hebrews 12:2-3
Isaiah 10:27

DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

Help me to be strong in your strength. Help me to face this criticism with integrity and grace

“O Lord I feel completely rundown. I have no energy, no passion and no motivation to do anything. I want to give up, but I won’t. Instead I choose to look up and surrender to you. I give over to your grace. Your grace is my power and my fuel. I feel so weak, but I know that my human strength can never be enough to fulfil your plans for my life. Therefore, I set my eyes on Jesus and look through this thorn in my flesh to see myself as an overcomer and a victor. Help me to be strong in your strength. Help me to face this criticism with integrity and grace. In you I will continue; I will persevere. You are my source and my resource. Amen.”

If you desire more prayer, please email me - dudley@godtracker.co.uk

SUBSCRIBE to the FREE weekly e-devotional GodTracker at…  http://eepurl.com/dxTLAf

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What is GodTracker? GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.
Listen to podcasts by Dudley Anderson at…
https://www.surereality.net/listen/

---------------------------------------------------------------GodTracker is proudly produced by Sure Reality Media.SRM produces Christian radio programmes that reach millions with the message of God’s love.Partner with us and help us reach many people with the reality of Christ.https://www.surereality.net/become-a-ministry-partner/---------------------------------------------------------------

GOD-TRACKING IS GUARDING OUR TONGUES AGAINST A QUICK CRITICAL BARB

Dudley Anderson

trACker 592
The e-Devotional helping to keep you on-track
Published through www.godtracker.co.uk

22 July 2016
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Dear God-tracker

GOD-TRACKING IS GUARDING OUR TONGUES AGAINST A QUICK CRITICAL BARB

Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works

American comedian, George Burns said, “Too bad the only people who know how to run this country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair.” We smile but it’s true! Criticism is a disease that has crept into every echelon of society. But it’s nothing new.

Paul the apostle was a man of integrity, called of God to preach the Good news to the Gentiles. He was a Jew – a “Hebrew of Hebrews” – and yet God gave Paul a message for the non-Jews of his time. This, however, raised many eyebrows within his own camp. As a result, Paul was criticised and condemned by his Christian brothers. I thank God for Paul’s resolve to not allow this criticism to affect his work. He continued to do what God had called him to do, believing that the Holy Spirit had called and equipped him to do it. God watched over his Word to Paul, who became one of the pillars of the Christian Faith. Eventually his critics had to admit that Paul was fulfilling God’s purposes with power and integrity.

In my few humble years of life as a Christian, active in my local church, it has never ceased to amaze me how loving, caring children of God can raise each other’s hopes and dreams to the ground through unmerited criticism. All too often jealous selfish ambition is disguised as well-meaning advice. (The Bible is clear about selfish ambition: where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.) But a heart intent on humbly and selflessly seeking God’s purposes in grace and meekness will bring words of peace, encouragement and gentle godly rebuke instead of criticisms. And such words can only emanate from prayer. As someone once said, “Don't put people down, unless it's on your prayer list.”

I used to be an extremely critical person. I’d criticise the performance of my co-workers, my pastor and, sadly, even my own family. One day my Christian boss called me into his office and came straight to the point, “Dudley, you need to stop being such a critical person!” I was stunned. I never realised I was critical. I asked God’s help to change my ways.

My encouragement to us today is, let’s seek to build each other up, stirring one another to love and good works. Let’s think twice before opening our mouths to offer criticism, especially of our leaders! Remember, a soft answer turns away wrath and soothes troubled waters.

God-tracking is guarding our tongues against a quick critical barb.

Blessings

Dudley

READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Philippians 3:4-11
Galatians 2:1-10
James 3:13-18
Proverbs 15:1-2

Don’t Give Up, Look Up!

Thank you for your grace and strength to help me only encourage folk in their Christian walk, from now on

Pray
“O Lord, I apologise for having a critical spirit. I am sorry for hurting people by my selfish comments. I pray that you will remove any offence that I have caused by my snide remarks. I pray for your help in overcoming this critical attitude I have. Help me to always weigh my words very carefully before I comment on someone’s performance. Help me to have a meek and humble heart, filled with love, before I offer any advice again. Thank you for your grace and strength to help me only encourage folk in their Christian walk, from now on. Amen.”

If you want prayer, please email me at dudley@godtracker.co.uk

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What is trACker?
GodTracker and trACker owe their origins to an international Christian radio programme produced by Dudley Anderson called, On Track. Although On Track went off-air in 2005, trACker has continued to help people to track God's plans and purposes for their lives since July 2003.

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