Just who do you think you're dealing with?
"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Co.13:12)
"No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." (2 Co. 2:9)
"We live by faith, not by sight." (2 Co. 5:7)
The Father has revealed Himself to us in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. His Word has been handed down to us in the Church who has safeguarded His revelation. He also communicates Himself to us through the Sacraments and the intimacy of prayer. But do we really know who we're dealing with? We're talking GOD here, as in Creator of the entire universe, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Ruler of all, beyond our imagination; He infinite, we finite. Beyond the veil, beyond the words, beyond the beyonds. We have glimces; we have poor reflections; we have knowledge through darkened intellects. There is so much more that we don't know about Him than we do know-infinitely more: loving, personal, powerful, merciful, creative,intimate, OTHER! So what does that mean for us?
One thing it means is Reverence, or Fear of the Lord. In a day when Jesus' name is profaned, when His Real Presence is denied, when His children are mercessly killed in the womb, when His mercy is presumed and sin is committed in the name of conscience, when dissent is taken for granted as my right and glory, and when vanity and professionalism replaces humility and holiness, we better say Whoa! Somthing's missing here. And that something is Fear of the Lord.
Reverence for the Lord and the things of the Lord is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a response to Him directly. It is how we are to love Him, how we are to relate to Him. He relates to us as a friend, but He is not our "buddy". He is not someone who is just a nice guy, someone whom I can treat however I feel like treating, someone whom I try to control and should be happy with whatever I choose to give Him and take whatever I decide to do. No, it is I who bow down to Him, not He to me, my will to His Will, not His Will to mine. He is the Lord, and He is not a tame Lion.
"Now all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Eccl. 12:13)
"If you love me you will obey what I command. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me." (Jn. 14: 15,21)
Reverence and obedience go together. Awe and wonder at the Glory of the Lord also manifests itself in loving His Word and obeying what He asks of us. It is reverence for His teaching in the Church. It is yes and not no. It is He and not me.
Ezekiel 3:17 says it another way: "But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate."
They go together. Not listening to the Church's teaching is not listening to the Lord. Not listening to the Lord is not loving and reverencing Him. And He is not a tame Lion. We choose whom we worship and we reap what we sow.
Rev.4:9-11 shows us what Fear of the Lord really means: "Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay down their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being'."
Let us intercede for revival, for the revelation of His Glory and our humility in His Presence and loving obedience to His Word and Church. Let us pray for a spirit of repentance, for a humble and contrite heart, for a heart that seeks Him alone and is willing to lay down our crowns before Him.
There is more.
"No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." (2 Co. 2:9)
"We live by faith, not by sight." (2 Co. 5:7)
The Father has revealed Himself to us in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. His Word has been handed down to us in the Church who has safeguarded His revelation. He also communicates Himself to us through the Sacraments and the intimacy of prayer. But do we really know who we're dealing with? We're talking GOD here, as in Creator of the entire universe, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Ruler of all, beyond our imagination; He infinite, we finite. Beyond the veil, beyond the words, beyond the beyonds. We have glimces; we have poor reflections; we have knowledge through darkened intellects. There is so much more that we don't know about Him than we do know-infinitely more: loving, personal, powerful, merciful, creative,intimate, OTHER! So what does that mean for us?
One thing it means is Reverence, or Fear of the Lord. In a day when Jesus' name is profaned, when His Real Presence is denied, when His children are mercessly killed in the womb, when His mercy is presumed and sin is committed in the name of conscience, when dissent is taken for granted as my right and glory, and when vanity and professionalism replaces humility and holiness, we better say Whoa! Somthing's missing here. And that something is Fear of the Lord.
Reverence for the Lord and the things of the Lord is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a response to Him directly. It is how we are to love Him, how we are to relate to Him. He relates to us as a friend, but He is not our "buddy". He is not someone who is just a nice guy, someone whom I can treat however I feel like treating, someone whom I try to control and should be happy with whatever I choose to give Him and take whatever I decide to do. No, it is I who bow down to Him, not He to me, my will to His Will, not His Will to mine. He is the Lord, and He is not a tame Lion.
"Now all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Eccl. 12:13)
"If you love me you will obey what I command. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me." (Jn. 14: 15,21)
Reverence and obedience go together. Awe and wonder at the Glory of the Lord also manifests itself in loving His Word and obeying what He asks of us. It is reverence for His teaching in the Church. It is yes and not no. It is He and not me.
Ezekiel 3:17 says it another way: "But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate."
They go together. Not listening to the Church's teaching is not listening to the Lord. Not listening to the Lord is not loving and reverencing Him. And He is not a tame Lion. We choose whom we worship and we reap what we sow.
Rev.4:9-11 shows us what Fear of the Lord really means: "Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay down their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being'."
Let us intercede for revival, for the revelation of His Glory and our humility in His Presence and loving obedience to His Word and Church. Let us pray for a spirit of repentance, for a humble and contrite heart, for a heart that seeks Him alone and is willing to lay down our crowns before Him.
There is more.
posted by gene | 4:59 PM
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