Fellowship In Christ                              
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                         As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord ´

              “Igniting soul’s through the proclamation of Jesus Christ”.



Jesus told us not to fear other human opponents ‘Lk. 12:4-5’.  When we try to please others, when we fear what others may say or do to us, we place ourselves in a position of great vulnerability.  Our lives no longer remain our own.  We become captive to what others think, want, or threaten.  We are only to trust the Lord and reverence Him.  In God is our safety, both now, and forevermore.  However, the ‘fear of the Lord’ is a desperate need among Christians.  Sadly enough, many claim the Name of Christ yet lack fear and reverence of the Most Holy God, casually taking His name in vain, courting sin, and winking at evil.  

 

Focus Scripture: "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."  (Proverbs 8:13)

 

Today’s focus says, “To fear the Lord is to hate evil,” If we don’t Hate evil, we really have no true fear of the Lord.  When we first read this verse it’s easy to lay these offenses on others, looking at other’s lives and seeing their pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech.  But the Lord doesn’t want us to look at how others add up, He wants us to examine our own hearts.  Do you hate pride but allow yourself the luxury of thinking a little too highly of yourself?  Do you hate arrogance but allow yourself to think you’re just a little better than most others?  Do you hate evil behavior yet “bend the rules” every once in a while because “God understands”?  Do you hate perverse speech by let a word slip now and then?  You see, we are quick to say that we hate evil but we actually mean we hate evil in others.  Most of us have not learned to hate evil in ourselves.

 

Let us Pray: “Please keep us safe, O’ Lord, from those who oppose us and would do us harm.  Give us courage and wisdom to appropriately acknowledge Jesus as Lord before our friends, co-workers, and colleagues in a way that honors Christ and that is respectful of them.  Father, forgive us for our prideful and arrogant heart.  Father, thank You for being wondrous, Holy, and Mighty.  Thank You for also caring about us, our life, our decisions, and our struggles.  Lord, we forget that our attitude toward others is often proof that our struggle is no different.  Although we know that we ought not to think more highly of ourself than we should, it’s most difficult to keep it all in perspective when others appear to be blatantly arrogant.  O’ Father, help us to run to the mirror of Your Word so that the perverseness of our own heart will be exposed and dealt with.  Father, we plead the blood over our life, our heart, our attitudes, and our ways.  Father, let Jesus be seen in each of us as we learn to properly hate evil out of our fear and love for You.  Please guide us by Your Spirit so that we can understand Your Word and discern Your will for our life.  We want to have You fully direct our steps.  Make our life a holy praise to honor You.  In Jesus' Name we do pray.  Amen.”

 

For many, one of the hardest things to overlook in others is pride and arrogance!  Yet, my own attitude declares me guilty of the very thing I hate.  Evil behavior and perverse speech are very often easy to accept, we’re surrounded with examples of it day and night.  Yet, the prideful and arrogant seem to be a much greater sin in our eyes, our Own prideful and arrogant eyes.  “To fear the Lord is to hate evil” is an invitation to do self-examination.  Do you really fear the Lord?  Then hate the evil in your own heart, there’s enough to deal with hiding in the recesses of your heart to keep you busy for your entire lifetime.

 

“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.”  (Proverbs 16:6)

 

Love in the Lord
Paul/Hayman
To visit FIC click here:
http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/FellowshipInChrist
 "Igniting passion in the people of God through the proclamation of truth."


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