The Evil Of Not Fearing!

Now we pass over to the other side - the evil of not fearing. 

But this is another kind of fear, fear of the Lord, walking in the fear of the Lord, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord. 

"Great fear came upon the church" - with what result? 

It lost heart, it became afraid, it was paralyzed? No! - the Name of the Lord Jesus was glorified and the Church multiplied. 

Oh, this then, must be another kind of fear. 

It operates in exactly the opposite way from that of which we have been speaking.

What is this fear? 

Well, it is the fear of devotion to the Lord. 

It is that fear which, in the first place, has all questions of relationship with the Lord settled, has the whole matter of acceptance by the Lord settled, the sin question is got out of the way through the righteousness which is of faith. 

Then the fear of the Lord means recognition of His glory, recognition of His greatness, recognition of His holiness, His majesty, and a humble submission to Him in the fear that would not in any way work against Him and His honor. 

It is another kind of fear, the fear of devotion to the Lord, and the chief characteristic of this fear is meekness. 

And that is where the sin of not fearing is found in the Word of God.

If you go through the Word and you find those various instances where God came out in judgment because this fear was not there, you will find that it was that those instances represented something like this. 

In Numbers 16 you have Dathan and Abiram and their company. What are they doing? 

To Moses, the meekest of men, the anointed servant of the Lord, they say, "You take too much on yourself. You are not the only one through whom the Lord speaks. We are as much the children of God as you are!" 

That is how they speak, and they fear not to put their hand upon that which is anointed.

It is not that Moses is anything, but it is the anointing. 

It is something anointed of God and they were guilty of the sin of spiritual assumption; it was due to a lack of meekness. 

The Lord came out in terrible judgment, showing for all time that when the Lord anoints anyone or anything, that anointing is not something that constitutes that person a special office or officer. 

The anointing is the Lord, the Lord Himself. 

The Lord is on that, the Lord Himself is in that, the Lord is there, and when you touch that, you touch the Lord; you touch that in word, you touch the Lord, you touch that in deed, you touch the Lord. 

"He reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not Mine anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm" (Psa. 105:14-15).

If you and I ever have the slightest reason to conclude that the Lord is anywhere or with any person or with anything or with any people, we touch that to our peril if it is touching it other than in the fear of the Lord.

It is a tremendous check. We read that little bit from 1 Samuel. 

Yes, David was anointed, David was God's chosen one, but Saul had been anointed and Saul was not yet dead. 

Saul was not yet set aside finally, although potentially. 

David got an opportunity and cut off the skirt of Saul's garment and then it says, "David's heart smote him". 

David's heart smote him. 

We in New Testament times in whom the Spirit dwells would say, "The Lord rebuked me, smote me in my heart, in my spirit". 

Again and again this comes up - exactly what happens in the case of the bringing up of the ark. 

When Uzzah died before the Lord, what was the reason? 

It was a lack of the fear of the Lord of the right kind. 

It was an assumption. 

It was a putting forth of a hand to touch holy things. 

That is terrible. 

The evil of not fearing, you see. 

It comes from an insufficient apprehension of the sacredness of what is of God.

But this fear is a holy fear. 

Let no one think for a moment that this fear of the Lord is death, bondage, useless and crushing. Not at all. 

Wherever you find this fear of the Lord you find joy, love, peace and liberty. 

People are not afraid of the Lord. 

But they are careful not to grieve the Lord.

They do not take liberties with the Lord. 

They do not think of spiritual liberty as spiritual license. 

They do not cast off restraint, they do not ride rough-shod over all sacred things, calling it liberty. 

No, there is holy fear which restrains and in restraining keeps things pure and keeps things clear and makes a straight way for the Lord. 

The true fear of the Lord is not dread. 

It is a very blessed and precious thing.

Now you notice these passages in the New Testament show us that it was at such times when this kind of fear came in a special way that there was something to the glory of God. 

You know, if you get into the book of the Acts and you begin to see things happening, getting to the realm of "things doing" as we say, the expression and manifestation of divine power there is your peril. 

That was so in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. 

Things were happening. 

What a peril when the Lord is doing something, for the flesh to just step in and begin to sport itself in what God is doing, to take advantage, to exploit the situation for its improvement, and the Lord had to step in to save the situation. 

What did He do? 

Well, what He did in the issue was to recover a wholesome fear, a fear that would keep things pure and "fear fell upon all". 

That kept things pure. 

It did not arrest the Lord. 

It did not mean that things had got to come under bondage again. 

No, it just kept things pure, and so that was repeated from time to time. "Great fear came upon all... the Name of the Lord was glorified and the Church multiplied."

What I want to say is this, that a right kind of fear, a fear of the Lord, is something which gives the Lord a very clear way to do what He wants.

"To this one will I look..." - and oh, what a lot is bound up with that phrase. 

It does not just mean that the Lord takes a look at us, looks in our direction. 

When the Lord looks to us, well, there is everything we want. 

All that we want is in the light of His countenance.

If the Lord looks upon us, it is like the sun looking out with all the beneficent rays of warmth and light and energy. 

"To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembles at My word" (Isa. 66:2). 

Do you want, do I want, spiritual increase in understanding, in knowledge, in revelation? 

Do we want spiritual increase in strength from the Lord? 

Do we want fullness? 

Let me say that this is going to come to the humble man, the weak, meek one in the eyes of the Lord, the one who trembles at His word, who does not assume.

Oh, let us ask the Lord that there may be found in us that true holy fear which is love, not the fear which is contrary to love, but the true holy fear which is love. 

The Lord will be able to go on and lead us into all His fullness if He has that quality in us, that in us which simply means that we honor Him, we recognize Him, we trust Him, we have perfect confidence in Him, and that we are very reserved either by word of criticism, or judgment, or by any other way, to put a hand upon what is sacred to the Lord, even a child of God. 

If it is a child of God, then the Lord is in that one and we must be very careful. 

That is what it means, and this matter of the blessing of the Lord which makes rich, this matter of the light of His countenance, is a very practical matter. 

It may all hang upon some matter of our attitude towards another child of God. 

The whole of the fullness of Christ may be held up and suspended for us because of some injurious way in which we talk about what is precious to God, if we criticize it, judge it, think that we can improve it. 

The Lord may stand back.

Let us ask the Lord to put into our hearts His fear while on the other hand He is seeking to root out of us that evil which is so much to His dishonor. 

I simply bring this to you and urge upon you further prayerful reflection. 

Ask the Lord about this. 

Do not forget the enemy's drive along the line of fear...

But do not forget that freedom from the enemy's kind of fear does not make us those fire-eaters who care for nothing and simply trample all sacred things down under foot because we are very bold. 

No, there is a right boldness and a wrong boldness, a right fear and a wrong fear. 

The Lord teach us the meaning of that! 

T. Austin Sparks

DON'T Make A Vow And NOT Keep It!

                                                                           
Ecc 5:5  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Mind The Checks!

1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

A soul, who made rapid progress in her understanding of the Lord, was once asked the secret of her easy advancement. She replied tersely, "Mind the checks."

And the reason that many of us do not know and better understand Him is, we do not give heed to His gentle checks, His delicate restraints and constraints. 

His is a still, small voice. A still voice can hardly be heard. It must be felt. 

A steady, gentle pressure upon the heart and mind like the touch of a morning zephyr to your face. 

A small voice, quietly, almost timidly spoken in your heart, but if heeded growing noiselessly clearer to your inner ear.

His voice is for the ear of love, and love is intent upon hearing even faintest whispers. 

There comes a time also when love ceases to speak if not responded to, or believed in. 

He is love, and if you would know Him and His voice, give constant ear to His gentle touches. 

In conversation, when about to utter some word, give heed to that gentle voice, mind the check and refrain from speech.

When about to pursue some course that seems all clear and right and there comes quietly to your spirit a suggestion that has in it the force almost of a conviction, give heed, even if changed plans seem highest folly from standpoint of human wisdom.

Learn also to wait on God for the unfolding of His will. 

Let God form your plans about everything in your mind and heart and then let Him execute them. 

Do not possess any wisdom of your own. 

For many times His execution will seem so contradictory to the plan He gave. 

He will seem to work against Himself. 

Simply listen, obey and trust God even when it seems highest folly so to do. 

He will in the end make "all things work together," but so many times in the first appearance of the outworking of His plans...

In His own world He is content To play a losing game.

So if you would know His voice, never consider results or possible effects. 

Obey even when He asks you to move in the dark. 

He Himself will be gloriously light in you. 

And there will spring up rapidly in your heart an acquaintanceship and a fellowship with God which will be overpowering in itself to hold you and Him together, even in severest testings and under most terrible pressures. 

~Way of Faith

The Secret Of Joy Is Not To Wait Until You Feel Happy...

 

The Secret of joy is not to wait until you Feel happy...

But to rise, by an act of Faith, out of the depression which is dragging you down...

And begin to praise God as an act of choice.

This is the meaning of such passages as these: "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice"!

I do rejoice; yes, and I will rejoice.

Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.

In all these cases there is an evident struggle with sadness and then the triumphs of faith and praise.
      
Now, this is what is meant in part, at least by the sacrifice of praise.

A sacrifice is that which costs us something.

And when a man or woman has some cherished grudge or wrong...

And is Harboring it, Nursing it, Dwelling on it, rolling it as a sweet morsel under the tongue...

And quite determined to enjoy a miserable time in selfish morbidness and grumbling...

It costs us no little sacrifice to throw off the morbid spell...

To refuse the suggestions of injury, neglect and the remembrance of unkindness...

To rise out of the mood of Self-Pity in wholesome and holy determination, and say...

I will rejoice in the Lord and I will count it all joy.

~A. B Simpson

There Is A Limit To Affliction!

There is a limit to affliction. 

God sends it, and God removes it. 

Do you sigh and say, "When will the end be?" 

Remember that our griefs will surely and finally end when this poor earthly life is over...

Let us quietly wait and patiently endure the will of the LORD till He cometh. 

Meanwhile, our Father in heaven takes away the rod when His design in using it is fully served. 

When He has whipped away our folly, there will be no more strokes. 

Or, if the affliction is sent for testing us, that our graces may glorify God, it will end when the LORD has made us bear witness to His praise. 

We would not wish the affliction to depart till God has gotten out of us all the honor which we can possibly yield Him. 

There may today be "a great calm." 

Who knows how soon those raging billows will give place to a sea of glass, and the sea birds sit on the gentle waves?

After long tribulation the Rail is hung up, and the wheat rests in the garner. 

We may, before many hours are past, be just as happy as now we are sorrowful. 

It is not hard for the LORD to turn night into day. 

He that sends the clouds can as easily clear the skies. 

Let us be of good cheer. 

It is better on before. 

Let us sing hallelujah by anticipation. 

~Charles Spurgeon

He Will Be Silent In His Love

Mat 15:23  But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

Zep 3:17  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

It may be a child of God is reading these words who has had some great crushing sorrow, some bitter disappointment, some heart-breaking blow from a totally unexpected quarter. 

You are longing for your Master's voice bidding you "Be of good cheer," but only silence and a sense of mystery and misery meet you -"He answered her not a word."

God's tender heart must often ache listening to all the sad, complaining cries which arise from our weak, impatient hearts...

Because we do not see that for our own sakes He answers not at all or otherwise than seems best to our tear-blinded, short-sighted eyes. 

The silences of Jesus are as eloquent as His speech and may be a sign, not of His disapproval, but of His approval and of a deep purpose of blessing for you.

Why art thou cast down, O… soul?

Thou shalt yet praise Him, yes, even for His silence. 

Listen to an old and beautiful story of how one Christian dreamed that she saw three others at prayer. 

As they knelt the Master drew near to them.

As He approached the first of the three, He bent over her in tenderness and grace, with smiles full of radiant love and spoke to her in accents of purest, sweetest music. 

Leaving her, He came to the next, but only placed His hand upon her bowed bead, and gave her one look of loving approval. 

The third woman He passed almost abruptly without stopping for a word or glance.

The woman in her dream said to herself, "How greatly He must love the first one, to the second He gave His approval, but none of the special demonstrations of love He gave the first...

And the third must have grieved Him deeply, for He gave her no word at all and not even a passing look.

I wonder what she has done, and why He made so much difference between them?

As she tried to account for the action of her Lord, He Himself stood by her and said: "O woman! how wrongly hast thou interpreted Me. 

The first kneeling woman needs all the weight of My tenderness and care to keep her feet in My narrow way. 

She needs My love, thought and help every moment of the day. 

Without it she would fail and fall.

The second has stronger faith and deeper love, and I can trust her to trust Me however things may go and whatever people do. 

The third, whom I seemed not to notice, and even to neglect, has faith and love of the finest quality...

And her I am training by quick and drastic processes for the highest and holiest service.

She knows Me so intimately, and trusts Me so utterly, that she is independent of words or looks or any outward intimation of My approval. 

She is not dismayed nor discouraged by any circumstances through which I arrange that she shall pass; 

She trusts Me when sense and reason and every finer instinct of the natural heart would rebel...

Because she knows that I am working in her for eternity, and that what I do, though she knows not the explanation now, she will understand hereafter.

I am silent in My love because I love beyond the power of words to express, or of human hearts to understand...

And also for your sakes that you may learn to love and trust Me in Spirit-taught, spontaneous response to My love, without the spur of anything outward to call it forth.

He "will do marvels" if you will learn the mystery of His silence, and praise Him, for every time He withdraws His gifts that you may better know and love the Giver. 

~Selected