How Tired Are You?

 The Interrogative

Sin still romancing your soul

Love losing the battle of your flesh?

Not sick and tired of being sick and tired?

Seduction still sweet like candy

How tired are you restless spirit

How long will you fight endless love?

The Almighty will not wrestle for you forever 

You’re one of hell’s most wanted

Your burdens too heavy for you to bear

Marrow on the bones grow thin

                                I see vitality escaping your eyes

Evil has you on life support

How tired are you child of the earth

Your “joy” is a wicked placebo

Turn to the Lord the streets are killing you

Forsake your pride and humble your heart

The Fear of God

 

There are several words for fear in the Bible. One of the words for fear in the Old Testament is Yare. It means to be afraid, to fear, to be in awe of. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, the emphasis on Yare is a reverential fear - a person that is in an exalted position so the one revered is given proper respect. One of the Greek words for fear is phobeo. It is where we get the English word phobia. The world does not fear their Creator at all. As a matter of fact, they hate Him. A healthy fear of God means we acknowledge that He is the Almighty. We revere and worship Him. We realize He is the Creator of all things good. We honor His name instead of blaspheming Him. We do not mock or curse Him or His children. Remember, Jesus said that God is His Father. Anyone that attacks the Father’s children attacks the Father Himself - it's personal, very personal.                                                                   

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Point being, no one can get to “first base” in life if they do not fear the Lord. The optics of many people’s lives provide an illusion. Let me explain what I mean. When a person is materially prosperous and successful many conclude that person is blessed by God. That is true. God causes His rain to fall on the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45). But, if that person is ungrateful and unholy. How long do you think their prosperity will last? Not long. For Jesus said, “What will profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul” (Matthew 16:26)?

You see, the man or woman who does not fear God is a fool. So no one can have true lasting knowledge and wisdom if they refuse to worship the God who made them in the first place. The person who does not fear God does not even know Him. God does not know them either.

A healthy fear of God also acknowledges one’s own sin. This is what happened when Jesus was dying on the cross between two criminals: Then one of the criminals who was hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other rebuked him saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into your kingdom.”

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:39-43).

      

The repentant criminal is the way that all sinners should respond when they encounter Jesus; fear and reverence. They must recognize their sinfulness and plead for the Lord’s mercy to save their wretched souls. The contrite criminal was saved because He feared God. The other man was not.

Jesus said to not fear those that kill the body, and after that there is nothing more they can do, but rather fear Him that can cast body and soul in hell (Luke 12:4-5). Our fear should be reserved for the one for whom we all must give an account; the one that has the power of life and death.  Hebrews 10:31 says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

So, if one desires to be wise, then they must start at the beginning; they must fear God. That is they must praise Him for who He is. Give honor and glory to His name. Bless Him for His marvelous works. Because if you don’t, remember fools die for lack of wisdom (Proverbs 10:21).

The spirit of Antichrist

 

When Jesus arrived in the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets,” they replied. “But what about you?” He asked them. “Who do you say I am?”

“You are the Messiah (or Christ), the Son of the Living God,” Simon Peter replied.

       - Matthew 16:13-16

When Jesus came on the public scene there was speculation about who He was. Of course, the best way to know something about someone is to simply ask them. There was always confusion and controversy regarding Jesus’ true identity. Jesus did not come into the world through noble birth. He was born to a young peasant girl named Mary – in Bethlehem. Even worse, He was born in a stable with smelly animals. The religious leaders were telling lies regarding Jesus’ birth saying He was born illegitimately – of course not knowing Mary’s conception was by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; John 8:41).

For Jesus to say that God was His Father was to put Himself equal with God. This infuriated the religious leaders. For a man to make himself equal with God is blasphemy and worthy of death. However, with Jesus it was / is the truth. Jesus was not going to deny who He was because people did not like it.

Publicly and privately the Father referred to Jesus as is Son saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” This happened at Jesus’ baptism and His transfiguration (Matthew 3:17; 17:5).

The religious leaders argued with Jesus asking Him, “How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus replied, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in my Father’s name, these bear witness of me. But you believe not because you are not my sheep” (John 10:24-26).

So, there is a divine connection between those who are Christ’s sheep against those who are not His sheep. Those who belong to Jesus truly believe that He is who He claimed to be, God’s only Son. Those that are not His sheep will always mis-identify Him. They will determine for themselves who they believe Him to be, a prophet, a great teacher, a healer and miracle worker but certainly not The Son of God and God in the flesh.

Let’s think about it. Jesus opens the eyes the blind, cleansed lepers, cast out demons, healed the lame, fed multitudes, calm the stormy seas, predicted His own death three times, and raised Himself from the dead (John 10:18). Do you read of anyone else in history exhibiting power like that?! 

Are you an Antichrist?

In 1 John 4:2-3 we read, “Hereby we know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus has come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirt of antichrist, where you heard that shall come, and is already in the world.”

The point I want to drive home is that we must use the Bible as our final authority on determining Christ’s identity. He told the religious leaders and all those during His day who He was. We clearly read who He is. To believe anything else means you have an antichrist spirit.

For the record, the prefix anti means against. So, when put together the spirit of antichrist is someone who hates and is against Jesus. Antichrist also means instead of Christ. So, the actual future antichrist is one who wants to replace Christ. He is also called the Man of Sin in 2 Thessalonians 2 and the Beast in Revelation 13.