* The fear of the Lord

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

Psalm 111:10   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do HIS commandments: HIS praise endureth for ever.

It is very good to have a fear of the Lord ... for if we "fear" what can happen to us if we go against God, then we will obey what God says.

When we fear God, we will do that which God says.  Even if the other way seems to benefit us in this present life, our fear of God keeps us, for we know that God knows what is best for us and we are afraid to go a way opposite to God's instruction.

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Pharaoh commanded the mid-wives of the Hebrews to kill the male children but because they feared God,  they disobeyed Pharaoh and kept the male children alive.  Exodus 1

The rulers of the synagogue told Peter and John not to speak any more in the name of Jesus but Peter said:  Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.  Acts 4:19-20

Acts 4:29    And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak THY word,

The rulers of the synagogue put Peter and John in prison ...

Acts 5:19-29   But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,  Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.  And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. 

(But those words might offend someone!  Yet because of our fear of God and respect for the Word of God, we risk offending others.)

But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.  But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.

Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

(They had commanded them not to teach in the name of Jesus and that was exactly what Peter and John were doing. They were telling the people that which they had heard from God.)

26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

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The fear of the Lord causes us to obey God and to exhalt HIM.

The fear of the Lord also causes us to correctly handle scripture.

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Matthew 4:8-10   Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and HIM only shalt thou serve.

We cannot have the peace of God by disobeying God.  We choose in all things to be faithful to that which God has said to us.

Hebrews 11:24-27    By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing HIM who is invisible.

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We cause ourselves to be steeped in the many examples of the Bible where men chose the way of God.  We focus on these scriptures and allow them to grow inside of us.  And we, like them, choose God rather than man, living in the peace and assurance of God as we endure and make decisions on this earth.

Just start reading at Genesis and go forward, thinking on these many examples!

The Holy Spirit rises in us to cause us to choose the way of God in the temptations of this present life.

Psalm 111:10   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do HIS commandments: HIS praise endureth for ever.

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