Fearing God

When making plans for a new year, it is good to recall the many Bible verses that remind us to fear the Lord. Not because we want to avoid trouble but so we can walk in confidence.

The concept of fearing God is difficult. Some interpret fearing God as having great reverence for Him—a sense of awe and wonder when confronted by this God who is beyond comprehension. Certainly, that is truth, but not the whole truth.

There are keys that take the concept a bit further. When we look at Bible stories, we see that those who truly fear God are set free from normal fears. The fear of God thrusts them forward. David slew Goliath and Gideon routed the Midianites. (I Sam. 17 & Judges 7) And we read of Moses, By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the King’s anger. (Heb. 11:27a NIV)

In the book of Acts we read that the church was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord. (Acts 9:31)

We will not be flippant about our God if we fear Him. But we will be fearless in the face of oppositon. And we will be motivated.

Originally published December 30, 1982.

Celebrating Jesus

We need to remember that Christmas is a birthday celebration—and when we celebrate a birthday, we do not concentrate on the individual’s arrival as a baby. Rather, we commemorate their entire life. In a sense, we celebrate the person.

So Christmas is more than a celebration of Jesus’ birth. We want to focus on the enormity of His person, His life, and His work.

The Apostle John began his gospel by writing about the life of Jesus before His birth as a human. Then he says of Jesus, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory. . . . (Jn. 1:14a RSV) John presented a very big picture of the baby who slept in a manger.

How big is our vision of the Baby Jesus?

Originally published December 24, 1981.

He Came as a Baby

No one denies that Jesus lived. The Roman government recorded both His birth and His death. The historian Josephus wrote about him—and He became a significant figure in world history.

But if we fail to recognize Him as God-become-man, Jesus will never be important to us personally—and we’ll never appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. He came as a baby, but He was and is the Word which was with God and was God before the beginning of time. (Jn. 1:1,2) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. (Jn. 1:14 KJV)

This God we call Jesus did not pretend to be a person by temporarily taking on human form. Instead, He relinquished His powers as God when He became one of us. It was as though He came incognito. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and his own received Him not.(Jn. 1:10,11)

On the other hand, as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. (vs. 12) And that is the wonder of Christmas.

Originally published December 20, 1985.

He Sets Men Free

The concept of Christian freedom is difficult. But people in bondage to slavery or individuals serving time in prison have claimed that Jesus sets them free. One youth said, I am free to love instead of hate.

Jesus teaches inner freedom as something separate from and different than outward conditions. He said, If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. (Jn. 8:31,32 RSV)

This type of freedom occurs in the inner man, in the private life where we experience personal joy. It is freedom from the inclination to sin, and we need it at every stage of life regardless of our circumstances.

Our great joy is knowing Jesus as truth and allowing His truth to work in us. Jesus promises freedom.

Originally published January 8, 1982.

Picture: Karen's garden, Winona, 2009. Photo by Solveig.

The Staff of Life

Bread is sometimes referred to as the staff of life. As a food, it serves as a foundation for other foods.

Jesus referred to Himself the bread of life. He also said, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. (Jn. 6:35 and 53 NKJV)

The crowds who followed Him were troubled by this message. They didn’t understand that He was talking about spiritual food, that He was referring to Himself as a foundation. Many turned back—no longer followed Jesus because they thought the saying was hard. Jesus wasn’t telling them they should literally consume His flesh. His point was that they should spiritually discern the truth of His Word, His ministry. They should spiritually absorb or consume His Life, they should build their lives upon Him.

It isn’t easy to spiritually discern Jesus. We have similar problems today, we’d rather live by laws. But Jesus says, As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. (v. 57)

Originally published March 4, 1988.
Picture: Fountain in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 2008. Photo by Ken.