God cries and the devil laughs about the many Christians, who have more reverence for people and their god(s) kaysa para sa Makapangyarihang Diyos; the Creator of the heavens and the earth. How did it come to this, that Christians are blinded by the lies of darkness and are blinded for the Truth and bow to the devil and tolerate and accept his works? It is sad to see that pagan nations have more reverence for their god(s) or idols and show their respect and reverence openly and are not ashamed of it, than Christians have for the living God. Sa katunayan, many Christians show more respect and reverence for people and for other religions and philosophies and their god(s), than for their God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why is that? What needs to be done, so that the fear of the Lord returns in the Church and Christians have more reverence for the Almighty God than for people and other religions and philosophies?
Pagan nations believe in their god(s)
Pagan nations have a holy respect and reverence for what they believe in, because it’s their life.
They truly believe in their god(s) and have a fear for their god(s) and show this through their actions. If you enter their territory then you ought to show respect for their god(s) by submitting to their god(s), whom they believe in and serve.
The commandments, rituals, and ceremonies that they keep are holy to them and everyone, who doesn’t show any respect and is not willing to submit is not welcome.
Unlike many Christians, who consider obedience to the will and the commandments of God legalistic and judgmental. They have no knowledge of God’s Word and have no knowledge of good and evil and don’t know what the will of God is, but approve everything and walk in a dead faith.
Because where do they believe in, if they don’t know what is written in the Bible and/or they reject the words and commandments of Jesus Christ and the Father and refuse to walk in His will?
If they truly believe in Jesus Christ, why do they reject His commandments and why do they change His words? Why don’t they submit to the Father, Jesucristo, and the Holy Spirit and why don’t they walk according to His will?
And why call ye Me, Panginoon, Panginoon, at huwag mong gawin ang mga bagay na sinasabi ko? (Lucas 6:46)
People can say they believe in God and call Jesus their Lord, but just like Jesus said, many call Him Lord, ngunit hindi nila ginagawa ang sinasabi Niya. Hindi, many Christians say they belong to Him, while in reality they don’t, but they are worldlike and have more reverence for people and their god(s) than for the living Almighty God and Jesus Christ, who has given His life to them.
And so many Christians make the cross a mockery and the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a power of God, to a laughable carnal entertaining gospel that is spiritually dead and powerless and keeps the people in bondage of the devil.
The devil has created a deceptive image of Christians
The devil has deceived many sleeping Christians, who are blinded in their minds, by twisting the Scriptures and using the word love again and again. He has used his servants to create an image of a Christian that doesn’t correspond with the Bible; ang Salita ng Diyos.
According to the world, a Christian should be humanistic, friendly, tolerant, and approve of everything, including strange religions, mga pilosopiya, and sinful lifestyles, or in other words, sins and iniquities.
A Christian is supposed to not judge and is not allowed to call people to repentance, but must leave everyone alone and stay away from their lives and accept the works of the flesh.
And because many Christians think they are born again, pero sa totoo lang, they are not, and are still carnal and don’t discern the spirits, they listen to the world and accept and tolerate everything, all because of their ignorance of God’s Word and their blindness to the (espirituwal na) dangers.
Many Christians bow and serve other god(s)
Even when Christians visit pagan countries, where the inhabitants commit idolatry, they do as they are told and they submit to their culture, mga utos, rituals, and ceremonies and bow and serve the god(s) of the inhabitants. Because if you don’t submit, you are not welcome and that’s not what they want.
Maraming mga Kristiyano, who have visited pagan countries and have allowed themselves in pagan rituals and customs and sometimes even adopted certain things.
There have been missionaries, who went to pagan nations to preach and bring the gospel of Jesus Christ and calling the people to repentance and making disciples of Jesus Christ, but instead of converting the inhabitants, the inhabitants converted the missionaries because of the strong conviction of their faith and their way of life.
There are Christians, who go on vacation to countries with a pagan culture and get involved with the culture, religion, philosophy, and customs, because they don’t see any harm in it and don’t consider it evil.
Christians, who allow others to place a flower garland around their neck at arrival or a red dot on the forehead in order to appease the god(s) and/or ancestors or participate in traditional customs, rituals, ceremonies, and ancestor worship.
Instead of following the Word and doing what is written in the Bible and they keep themselves from idolatry and pagan religions and philosophies and pagan worship and stay faithful to Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God and preach Him, they keep their mouth shut and stay silent and participate in traditional customs and rituals and don’t consider them evil.
Many Christians believe that God understands their behavior, but the truth is that God shall never understand your commitment and your participation in idolatry.
God has revealed His will regarding idolatry and has warned every person through His Word, but if you refuse to obey His will and don’t do what He says, then you are responsible for the choice you make. And because you are responsible for the choice you make, you shall also bear the consequences of your decision. Because you have decided to reject the words of God and do your own will instead of doing the will of God.
And so many Christians have opened themselves to demonic powers and reap the result in their lives.
There is no grey area
Many Christians are blinded and have become lukewarm and have compromised and think that living in a grey area is not that bad. A little bit of God, to ease their conscience and because they don’t want to go to hell and this way they think they are saved, and a little bit, or rather a lot of the world, where their heart truly longs for.
But it doesn’t work that way. It is either black or white. It is Light or darkness. It is good or evil. Either you live in darkness and belong to the world with all its knowledge, karunungan, mga relihiyon, and philosophies or you live in the Light and belong to God and His Kingdom and you submit to His will and do what He says and live righteous.
How can the fear of the Lord return again?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Mga Kasabihan 1:7)
The fear of the Lord can return again, if Christians truly love Jesus Christ and really become born again and lay down their own lives and receive the Holy Spirit and renew their mind with the Word and do the Word in their lives.
Many people, who say they are Christians, are Christians by traditions and want to keep the family traditions. Pero sa totoo lang, they don’t know, who God is and they don’t know Jesus Christ personally and have never had a personal encounter with Him, therefore they don’t trust Him and don’t do what He says. Even the Holy Spirit is not a personal reality to them, but is considered as some kind of energy instead of a Person. Some even believe that the Holy Spirit is a life energy or breath of life, as is preached in pagan religions and eastern philosophies.
That’s all because they don’t really love God with all their heart, isip isip, kaluluwa, and strength and God is not their life, but just an addition to their own life.
If they are in trouble and need God or if they have a few spare minutes for God, then God may show up, and is expected to obey, answer and serve immediately, but for the remainder of their time, God must stay silent and not interfere with their lives.
And because of the modern gospel and free preaching that doesn’t lead to true freedom but bondage, many have created a new age God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, who think, act as they think, and act and don’t judge, correct, chasten, but approve and tolerate everything (Basahin mo rin: ‘Bagong panahon sa simbahan?‘).
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death (Mga Kasabihan 14:27)
As long as believers don’t spend time in the Bible, their view and their attitude won’t change and they will never get to know the true Word and true will of God. And this is so important because how can you love someone, if you don’t know the person? How can you get to know someone’s will, if you don’t spend time with the person and/or don’t listen to the person? How can you live according to someone’s will, if you don’t know the will?
Spending time in the Word is essential. Jesus wants to get to know you personally and Jesus wants you to get to know Him instead of getting to know Him via other people. Because if you get to know Jesus solemnly via others, then you will never get to know Jesus personally and Jesus shall not know you personally.
By reading and studying the Bible and through knowledge and understanding of the Word, by the Holy Spirit, you shall see the greatness and power of the Almighty God and you shall get reverence for God, because that’s what the fear of the Lord is.
The fear of the Lord has nothing to do with anxiety or fear, but with a great reverence for God, which manifests through the love you have for God and the obedience to His words, Ang Kanyang mga utos, at ang Kanyang kalooban.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it (Mga Kasabihan 9:10-12)
Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire (Hebreo 12:28-29)
If ye love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15)
Sumagot si Jesus at sinabi sa kaniya, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me (John 14:23-24)
Ito ay nakasulat, that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and the beginning of wisdom, because when you fear the Lord you will submit to God and listen to His words and keep His words and do His commandments and you shall do what pleases Him and live according to His will.
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (Mga Kasabihan 29:25)
Without the fear of the Lord, you shall walk on self-chosen paths and consider the wisdom and the science of the world as the truth and you will show respect and have a reverence for people and their religions and philosophies and be open to their doctrines and are willing to compromise.
You shall not consider the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation and eternal life, if you already believe that a man needs redemption, but you shall believe that there are more ways for a person to be redeemed and to be saved and to inherit eternal life.
But these are lies of the devil, because there is only one way to salvation and eternal life and that’s through Jesus Christ and by His blood.
Kaya nga, return to Jesus Christ and submit to the Word and let the fear of the Lord return in your life, so that you shall walk in the fear of the Lord in obedience to His will.
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