Fear God (5)

Jesus want everyone who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, Rev 3:19 (NIV) Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

Rev 3:18-19 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

Rev 3:20-21 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

After the previous post Fear God (4), I realized I almost miss the core message for these last hours from Revelation chapter 3, that is “to buy from me gold … and white clothes … and salve. This is the only way to be saved at the end time, to buy directly from the Lord. And the way to buy from Him is to hear His voice and open the door. It has to be His voice, not voice from men. Many sheep do not know how to hear Him, they are blind and deceived, due to the lack of eye salve.

God’s people have to wake up, Jesus is not inside the churches, as He said, “I stand at the door and knock“. Why, because too many sin in the churches, “So be earnest, and repent“. We have excessive self-confidence and too little fear of God. We failed to ask the question, why our Savior only stand at the door? It’s because the congregation rejected his lordship. It is written; Titus 1:10 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. Those people have no intention to do the will of God. Always remember to pray the psalms so that we may hear his voice and open the door, for example;

Ps 25:12 Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
Ps 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
Ps 86:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
Ps 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children,
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.

Love the Lord your God
Listen to his voice

We are commanded to love God and listen to his voice, as it is written in Deut 30:15-20 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. ……

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

We have sinned, we spend too much time on stupid things, and too little on the word of God. Most professing Christians do not hear His voice, the majority rarely read their Bible, they certainly don’t have any real relationship with the Lord. They are deceived by false assurance, and ignorant of God’s will.

It is written; Matt 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” It is quite clear, those who do not hear the voice of the Lord has no way to know every word that comes from the mouth of God, they are spiritually blind or dead. The “word” is Greek “rhema”, (not written word “logos”). It means the real time spoken word from God. This word can be received by the heart and mind during the time of prayer or meditation or waiting on the lord. It can be in the form of thoughts, impression or verses from the Bible or specific instruction for where to go and what to do. Without hearing this rhema — real time spoken word of God, we can’t do His will properly.

Every child of God can hear, as Jesus said, “my sheep hears my voice“. There is no doubt about this even in the O.T. times, as it is written; Ps 95:6-8 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, The problem is, as this verse pointed out, many did hardened their hearts. Today, the majority still don’t hear the Lord’s voice. For they are deceived by many false teachers.

Set your hearts on things above
Set your minds on things above

Although we all suppose to hear the Lord’s voice in our heats and minds, it’s not easy to differentiate His voice from others, that can be the enemy’s voice or our own flesh. God’s word gave us instruction on how to pick up our cross and deny ourselves, so that we can hear Him clearly; Rom 8:5-6 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; Col 3:1-7 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. Phil 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. When we do “think about such things” we can hear his voice. However, not many are prepared to “put it into practice“. Because there is a cost to pay. Jesus said, Luke 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. We are rebellious children if we don’t repent and take up the cross daily. Only those who have paid the price to be his disciples will want to hear his voice, in order to imitate him and to do God’s will. Those who set their minds on earthly things will not be saved, as it is written, Phil 3:18-19 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. If anyone set his mind on earthly things, he lives like enemies of God. The word of God gave us instructions on how to pray when we don’t hear Him speaking; Ps 28:1-2 To you I call, O Lord my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. The consequence is dead serious, not an exaggeration here. We have to hear the Lord’s voice in order to do God’s will in His way, not our own ways.

Suffer for doing good
Suffer for Christ

I woke up in the morning with this scripture in my mind, 1Pet 2:20-21 …… But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

Let’s put these key words together, suffer for doing good, … To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, … you should follow in his steps. But somehow I am afraid, I am still self-centered and ungrateful, I admire those brave brothers like Paul Washer who “do not want to go to heaven without scars”.

Peter explained further in chapter 4, 1Pet 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. Pay attention to “as a result”, This passage is saying; after we have the same attitude of Christ — suffer for doing good, then we can get a result of living the rest of our life for the will of God, not human desire any more.

I could not see this before. This means if anyone does not arm himself with Christ’s attitude of suffering, he will not want to do God’s will. I am still blind, unless the Holy Spirit open my eyes. I still have to learn a lot of things. Now let’s meditate the following scriptures about our Savior for a while;

Isa 53:3-6 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isa 53:10-12 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Heb 5:7-10 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

We have sinned, we think too much about our life and stuff, too little of His love, suffering, sacrifice and our Father’s planing for each one of us. To pick up our cross is not easy, but He has done so much for us, Let us meditate apostle Paul’s prayer, and imitate him, especially his prayer life.

Eph 1:16-21 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Eph 3:14-19 For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

1Thess 3:12-13 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

If someone would simply pray a few keywords of the Paul’s prayers everyday; “O Lord, strengthen me with power so that Christ may dwell in my heart, established in love, to grasp the love of Christ. And please make my love increase, strengthen my heart so that I will be blameless and holy.” He will not be easily led astray, and more likely to become blameless and holy in the end than those who don’t pray in the Spirit.

I have to confess I am lazy and lack self-discipline, because I know these prayers are very important long time ago.
May the LORD have mercy on me.
let’s pray psalm 86 and 34 (NKJV)

BOW down Your ear, O LORD, hear me; For I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; Save Your servant who trusts in You!
Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long.
Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And attend to the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me.
Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works.
All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name.
For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.
Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
O God, the proud have risen against me, And a mob of violent men have sought my life, And have not set You before them.
But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your maidservant.
Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

I WILL bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.