September 14, 2018 - - Psalm 72:18-19 - - Be very afraid

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

Luke 12:5 NIV

It was mid-August when I saw the first Halloween displays. Yes, you read that right, mid-August. It seems people love to be scared. The problem is scary movies become predictable. Evil has a limited repertoire.

Jesus shows His followers Whom to fear: the Living God. We fear the Living God because:

~He rules all things from quarks to galaxies, all animals and all the peoples of the earth

~His glorious holiness is beyond our comprehension and no person can stand in His presence

~He will judge all people; every single man and woman who ever lived will give an account before Him and will either be thrown into the lake of fire or because of Christ's intervention be brought into heaven

~hell is real and the torments there are unending--puny humans that we are we tremble before a hurricane or fear things like forest fires that sweep up many kilometers of forest yet these things are temporary, great and unending are the terrors of hell

Christians fear the Living God for a different reason:

~In His great love He has given us Jesus Christ, Who has taken away the punishment for our sins and has made us fit to be called sons and daughters of God; we tremble knowing we are unworthy, we have not earned this abounding love;

~We fear the Living God because we love Him, therefore we do not want to offend Him by our words or actions, nor sully His reputation

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,

Who only does wondrous things!

And blessed be His glorious Name forever!

And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.

Amen and Amen.

(Psalm 72:18-19 NKJV)