(8) I gladly bend the knee (8) BUT worship (8) Him alone.... (8)

Was going to do an update on my book before going back to some lunch, then studying, but it seems God has decided I should revise my original planning. The fact that God has allowed a lot of unholy spamming of comments on my blog recently has reminded me of a very important Truth I need to share with you here on His God cast...

The other day, sadly, even one of my classmates brought up the question: "How do you know it is not from Satan?" My DEAR brothers and sisters, I am in no way downplaying the importance to discern whether things are from God or not; but feel I need to also point out the implications of a HEALTHY FEAR of God. It is from a fear of God, that truly gives us strength (Isaiah 40, Philippians 4) and COURAGE that we DO NOT and WILL NOT need to fear anything or anybody else. Recently God has touched my heart with knowing Him more and like one of my profs put it, this knowing is the kind that results in transformation. Let me share what God has been showing me recently in his word:

11 The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said:

12 "Do not call conspiracy
everything that these people call conspiracy [f] ;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it.

13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread,

14 and he will be a sanctuary;
but for both houses of Israel he will be
a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare. [Isaiah 8:11-14]

In verse 12, there is a very stern warning we should not fear as the pagans do, something the Israels were guilty of at the time. For example, when the Israelites feared the Amalaketes (Numbers 14) and other enemies would annihilate them. This is exactly what Israel's enemies should be fearing, but not the right fear for the Israelites, because "God is WITH them". Do you see a problem here?

'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.' [Haggai 2:5]

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." [Romans 8:15]

God lead me to another interesting Parable that helps me prove my point:

Little Leroy came into the kitchen where his mother was making dinner. His birthday was coming up and he thought this was a good time to tell his mother what he wanted.
"Mom, I want a bike for my birthday."

Little Leroy was a bit of a troublemaker.
Leroy's mother asked him if he thought he deserved to get a bike for his birthday. Little Leroy, of course, thought he did. Leroy's mother, being a Christian woman, wanted him to reflect on his behavior over the last year and write a letter to God and tell him why he deserved a bike for his birthday. Little Leroy stomped up the steps to his room and sat down to write God a letter.
LETTER 1:
"Dear God,I have been a very good boy this year and I would like a bike for my birthday. I want a red one." Your friend, Leroy
Leroy knew this wasn't true. He had not been a very good boy this year, so he tore up the letter and started over.
LETTER 2:
"Dear God, This is your friend Leroy. I have been a pretty good boy this year, and I would like a red bike for my birthday. Thank you, Leroy"
Leroy knew this wasn't true either. He tore up the letter and started again.
LETTER 3:
"Dear God,I have been an OK boy this year and I would really like a red bike for my birthday. Leroy"
Leroy knew he could not send this letter to God either, so he wrote another letter.
LETTER 4:
"Dear God, I know I haven't been a good boy this year. I am very sorry. I will be a good boy if you just send me a red bike for my birthday."
Thank you, Leroy
Leroy knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going to get him a bike. By now, Leroy was very upset. He went downstairs and told his mother he wanted to go to church. Leroy's mother knew her plan worked because Leroy looked very sad.
"Just be home in time for dinner," his mother said.

Leroy walked down the street to the church and up to the altar. He looked around to see if anyone was there. He picked up a statue of the Virgin Mary and slipped it under his shirt and ran out of the church, down the street, into his house, and up to his room. He shut the door to his room and sat down with a piece of paper and a pen. Leroy began to write his letter to God.
LETTER 5:
"I GOT YOUR MAMA. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, SEND THE RED BIKE." Signed, YOU KNOW WHO

We notice what happens here by the time the boy writes Letter 5. He begins to want to be God, furthermore he is threatening God here in letter 5, 'Leroy' no longer fears God. This is very dangerous and is one of the primary sources of all sin...

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." [Genesis 3:1-5]

Ok, so I believe you get the point not fearing God is BAD... I would go so far to infer that God is saying here in Genesis 3 that once you stop fearing the Lord you are in fact committing suicide with your spiritual life. But why do I say that asking questions such as "How do you know it is not from Satan?" is a bad idea? The bottom line is if you ask that, that means you are afraid of Satan... instead you ought to "fear the Lord" [The Book of Eli]... if you are afraid of Satan, you are in real danger of WORSHIPING Satan instead of God. One of my professors does not even lock the door to his car, not going to specify which one.

While I do not downplay the importance of spiritual discernment or that Satan can at times try to deceive us, I feel when I took a most enlightening spiritual walk around *the campus* today that God also by His spirit brought up the word in James 1 to me: "He who doubts should not expect to receive anything from the Lord"... there are two meanings here worth reflecting on, not only is it saying that God would possibly withhold blessings, but to think that when we pray revelation from God, in whatever format He chooses, even dreams like Dr. *S* suggested and God won't be able to give that to us can at times be that kind of spiritual "nonsense". Because after all, if we are to doubt that God can indeed speak to us in circumstances such as dreams and/or visions, then here in the book of James it is also like God is saying: "Why are you even praying to Me then? Why not go pray to your trash can to bless your dreams or protect them from the evil one?"

[written "because of Her..." -Soren Kierkegaard]

["If it makes any difference...." -ID_]