The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction

Proverbs 1:7 says, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." This verse really spoke to me this morning and a flood of information from the Holy Spirit just came upon me so I thought I should write it down. 

Somedays I wonder if the church fears the Lord anymore. I know that there are plenty of great churches that honor the Lord and teach the congregation to fear the Lord. However, I also see so much sin in the lives of church people, so much compromise, so much justification for wrongdoing that I ask myself, have we lost the fear of the Lord? 

The Word is a mirror in which to examine ourselves first, and I know that I have been guilty of not fearing the Lord as I should. I have delayed obedience; I have certainly committed sins that I have to repent of, and I am sure there are things now that I need to confess for forgiveness. 

However, when the outside culture sneaks into a church and begins to change church doctrine then there is a serious problem. The church is supposed to bring about positive change to the surrounding culture. We are supposed to lovingly and truthfully share the gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere. We are supposed to bring the unsaved to the one who can cast out all demons, who can restore and bring a victorious life. Instead, what I have observed is that the church has sat idly by and allowed our ears to be tickled by smooth talking preachers that have slowly perverted the word. 

Second Timothy 4: 3-4 states, "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

Romans 1:28-32 says, "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents, they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God's righteous decrees that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

Now is the time to repent friends! We must follow what the Bible teaches and become holy. I don't know about you, but I certainly do not want to be the fool found in Proverbs chapter 1 verse mentioned at the beginning of the blog. The fool is unteachable and hates wisdom and instruction. If we are continually sinning, if we continually justify our lack of holiness then God will have nothing to do with us. If we continue to be permissive to the sin around us, then we are in sin as well. I know that He loves us and through Jesus we are saved. However, there is a standard that we must maintain, and that standard is holiness. 

For too long I think we have bought into the lie that we are to be happy. Happiness is not the standard. Holiness is God's standard and when we are in right standing with the Lord, we will be full of HIS JOY. In Galatians, Paul talks about our freedom in Christ, however, we are not to use this freedom to indulge in the flesh. He says our flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit. We are to walk in the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

If you are not working towards holiness, then I have to question whether you are listening and obeying the direction of the Holy Spirit in your life. The Spirit cannot and will not lead you to do fleshly works.  IF the Bible says it's a sin, then we cannot continue to live in that sin and call ourselves Christ followers. If you are unteachable and unwilling to change or remove sin from your life, then I ask.....are you a Christ follower? Once again, the standard is there in the Bible. If the Bible says we cannot, then we cannot. If the Bible says we can, then we can. It's that simple. 

It is time to repent, turn away from sin and to sin no more in that area. Allow the work of the Holy Spirit in your life to reveal the sins and humble yourself into obedience to His Word. Take time to read the Bible, don't just go to church on Sunday and be done with your godly duty for the week. No, my friends, daily walk with God, daily read his Word, even if it is just 5 minutes of Bible reading... that is a start. Pray for one another. Help one another when there is a need. Be the church again. Remove man's doctrines from church that are opposite of what the Bible teaches. 

Church, we must come into agreement with what the Bible teaches so we can be effective in our communities again. God desires that all come to know him. Those with ears to hear.... LISTEN and OBEY. The time is now. 

Psalms 91:11 "For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways..."

I love those God moments that occur in our life. It gives me a chance to praise God for who He is and to honor him by sharing our God story with others. Today, I want to share a God story with you. One in which God shows up- just because He is a good God who does what He says He will do. 

Our God Story

It was a Monday morning and everyone in our house was running a few minutes behind it seemed. Jeritt got into his truck to take our Beaumont, who was 3 years old at this time, to his day care in Arlington, Texas. I was home doing house chores because I was off this Monday. 

While doing chores, I stopped to say my routine morning prayer. This prayer consists of several scriptures, the Our Father plus a prayer for safety over the family and for God to send his guardian angels to minister to the needs of the family. 

On Jeritt's way to Arlington, he was just coming into the Benbrook, Fort Worth area of I-20 East when he realized he had a tire that was going flat. Quickly, Jeritt called me about the delay. He was pulling over to the side of the highway to take care of the tire situation. As Jeritt was letting me know where he was and what was happening, he told me to hold on for just a moment because a truck pulled in right behind him. Jeritt hung up the phone. 

I sent a quick text message to our spiritual parents, JD and Donna Smith, to ask them to pray for Jeritt and over this situation. Jeritt planned on stopping by their home this day for a visit and the flat tire would delay him. They got the text and said they would pray for him. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me that Jeritt's mom left for work late this morning and would potentially be driving by Jeritt on the highway any moment now. I called Candace, Jeritt's mom, to share with her what was going on. 

Honestly, I was anxiously waiting to hear something from Jeritt. This part of the interstate is very busy, and I was concerned for everyone's safety, so I prayed again for peace and safety. About 10-15 minutes later Jeritt calls me back. 

Jeritt says, "baby, you will not believe what happened. As soon as I pulled over and was calling you, a stranger in a truck just came out of nowhere it seemed and offered to help me." Jeritt explained that the gentleman told Jeritt to get the baby (Beaumont) in a safe place and he would go ahead and get the truck jacked up for them to remove the tire. 

The way Jeritt's truck is made, the car seat had to be removed from its spot in the back seat in order to get to the latch that would release the jack and spare tire. Right when Jeritt was trying to put Beaumont in a secure location, Jeritt's mom pulled up and said she would watch Beaumont while they changed the tire. Thus, Jeritt was able to get Beaumont moved safely, he was able to grab the spare tire, all while the stranger started the process of removing the flat tire. 

This gentleman, who I firmly believe was a guardian angel sent by God, changed Jeritt's tire and before Jeritt could even ask the guy for his name or say thank you, the man finished changing the tire and left. 

After we finished talking on the phone and Jeritt finished his God story, I began to thank God for his provision of a guardian angel to assist Jeritt in a time of need. I also thanked God for his delay of Candace so she would arrive at the exact moment needed in order to care for Beaumont.

Please know that God watches over his children. Even in the midst of a busy Monday morning, God can answer the simplest prayers for you. Psalms 91:11 says, "For He shall give HIs angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." (NKJV) and Hebrews 13: 2 says, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels." (NKJV)

I firmly believe that God sent a guardian angel to Jeritt and Beaumont that day so we would testify of His goodness. In these testimonies, of God's supernatural provision, we can see God's signs and wonders... even in an age where most people don't even believe in the supernatural. 

This is my "alter to God" for His goodness in our lives. He shows us his grace and mercy so often in our lives and He deserves to be praised. Not for what He can give me, but for being exactly who He is, the Almighty God the Father who knows what we need even before we ask him for it. 

I know that He delayed Jeritt's mom so she could watch Beaumont. I know that He sent this stranger to assist my husband in changing this tire. And I also know that through God's miracles, His signs and wonders, people come to know HIM. 

If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Please ask God to send His Holy Spirit to you so you can know Jesus. Knowing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit- the Trinity- has been the best thing to ever happen in my life. Hopefully, this blog..... these God stories, struggles I have faced that God has gotten me through and lessons I have learned will cause you to consider knowing God. Amen and amen.