bertha

Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? Spiritual people are daily seeking God's will and purpose. God reveals his plans to those who faithfully seek Him. Therefore, it's only wise to seek their counsel. Prov. 15:22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellers they are established. How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? A spiritual mentor can help keep you on the right track. He can offer spiritual guidance when we question our next move or when doubt creeps in. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? We will never learn to discern God's voice. We must take a leap of faith and learn from our mistakes as well, for we will once in a while err in recognizing God's voice, but with time comes maturity(spiritual). Just like a child learning to walk. He can hold on to mommy's hand forever because of fear he might fall, or take those few first steps and fall, but eventually learn to walk on his own. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence. Out growing a mentor is a common occurrence because it is a sign that one has finally learned to recognize God's voice and also is a sign of spiritual maturity.

Q4. (Mark 14:36; 1 Peter 3:7) Why is it necessary to recognize and then surrender our desires when we are seeking God’s will. What happens if we neglect to do this? We don't want to miss out on the opportunity of God speaking to us, therefore we must be willing to obey God's voice. We get knowledge of who God is and what He desires from us and for us through scripture. When that small voice comes , we can compare it to the Word of God, which will confirm that it is God speaking and not ourselves. When we humble ourselves and surrender our desires, we can be ready to accept God's will. How can holding on to sin distort what you think you are hearing from God? Sin is often the result of our own selfish desires. Sin will separate us from God and will hinder our prayers. Therefore, when there is unconfessed sin, we can be sure that what we hear is coming from our own deceitful hearts and not from God. Walking in humility and purity of heart causes us to hear God’s voice more clearly by being more sensitive to the Holy Spirit He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Give an example of what the voice of the flesh – our lusts and desires – might sound like. Give an example of what the voice of the world might sound like. Give an example of what the voice of the devil might sound like. Why is a knowledge of the Scripture necessary for discernment of these voices The voice of the flesh would have you believe that you deserve that promotion, or that bonus, or that car, etc.. Who cares whether your wife gets mad, you deserve to go out drinking once in a while. You're not hurting anyone. The voice of the world: You hear a song that reminds you of when you and your friends used to hang out at the clubs, drinking, and partying. Makes you want to pick up the phone and call your old friends. The voice of the devil: You are worthless. Nobody loves you. God won't forgive you this time. You might as well quit while you're ahead. You are a failure. The pain will go away if you kill yourself. Knowledge of the Word of God is necessary because it is through the word of God that you can discern whether the voices you are hearing come from God or not. You get to plug in to God, engage with him, so that you allow the word of God to renew your mind and your thoughts, thent it will become easier for you to hear His voice and know for certain it is Him.

Through experiences in life, we mature in the physical life and is the same with the spiritual life. We learn from our trials and errors. The results of those errors will better prepare us to recognize God's true voice. We can learn to be more attentive the next time; to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit; to pray and read the bible with discernment; to wait on the Lord and not to act in haste. Being a disciplined Christian is a lifetime process. God is our Creator. He knows us, inward and outward. For this reason we were given a Helper, a Counselor, because God knew that we would err in our walk with God. Alone we can do nothing. In this learning process, God is drawing us closer to Him until we are totally dependent in Him to the extent that we no longer will follow strange voices but His only.

Q1. ((Judges 6:36-38; Psalm 95:7-10) Does Gideon ask for a sign because of his unbelief? No. He wants to be certain it is God speaking to him. What is the difference between Gideon’s seeking confirmation, and “testing God” in a way that displeases God? Testing God is disbelieving. It's demanding God to prove himself; to manifest Himself if He really(sarcastically said) is God All Powerful like He says He is. On the other hand, testing God is seeking confirmation that what we have heard or seen is God speaking to us and not ourselves wanting it to be God. Does God mind if we ask for confirmation? No. God does not mind. So as long as we are sincere in our asking. God weighs the hearts and knows whether we are really just confused and are needing more instruction from Him, or whether we just don't like what He is asking us to do and just want to hear a different answer(probably wanting to do things our own way). I believe this latter action would upset God.

1 Samuel 3:7; Hosea 6:3; Philippians 3:10-14) Why is a desire for a relationship with God more important than seeking to hear his voice? Because a relationship begins with trust between 2 people. Not only do we learn to trust God, but God also learns to trust us with His knowledge and wisdom. "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenants"(psalm 25:14). How does hearing his voice contribute to the relationship? Once the relationship is established, we can train our ears to hear and listen to God as He speaks to us. We have a desire to want to hear God and please Him. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Why are we commanded to “press in” to know the Lord? we are commanded to press our way through in spite of the circumstances or current situations in our lives. In other words, we must continue on in this christian race with our eyes on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Chase after God's heart as a man chases after his true love to conquer her heart and make her his. We, too should run after God, conquer his heart and make Him yours. How does Paul’s passion for a relationship with God inspire you? I admire Paul's passion for God. As I remember Paul's words: "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ", I'm encouraged to want to seek God and to have that same passion as Paul's. Though I fall way short when I compare myself to Paul, I know that if I press on forward, I, too can have that special bond with my Father.

Q1. (1 Samuel 3:1-10) What was Eli’s counsel to Samuel, when he recognized that God was calling to the boy? "Speak, LORD, your servant is listening". Was it good counsel? Yes, definitely. What is the significance of Samuel recognizing that he is a servant? Identifying himself as a servant, shows Samuel's humility and willingness to hear and obey God. Also, as a servant, he is placing his trust in God, ready to follow His commands.

I believe sometimes it's God's way of saying, "Be still, it's not time yet. I'm still working on this". In the meantime, we should stay busy doing God's work, whether it's praying for someone, ministering, serving, or whatever God has us doing. We must not give up, thinking God isn't answering. Instead, we can use this time to seek God's heart and grow closer to Him; to trust Him at all times and whether He answers us or not, we should not lose hope, but instead remember that God is still God. Sovereign God. Promise Keeper. He knows best. Let us wait patiently on our Lord. He might just be building us up in character and spiritually.

We should be asking God to allow His Holy Spirit to speak through us. To let us know when to approach that person, and how to minister to them without being judgmental. Many times God has nudged me about making a call to someone. Not understanding why, I simply call to see how they are doing. One sister(probably 96 yrs old) in particular hadn't been attending church because of her frail health. Though I moved to a different church, I still had her number. One day the Lord placed it in my heart to call her. She was very happy to hear from me. She said that she was feeling very lonely. And though she had a lot of friends(church family) no one had bothered to call her lately or visit. She said God answered her prayer when she received a call from me. She continued to say she felt as if everyone had forgotten about her. I thanked God for nudging me to call her and for allowing me to be sensitive to His Spirit and obeying.

Q1. (Acts 8:26-40; 16:6-10) Are promptings from the Holy Spirit clear enough when we're seeking God for direction? I'd like to say "yes" if you are truly seeking God's direction. Yet, we might sometimes question whether it's God prompting you or is it just you wanting it to be a prompting from the Holy Spirit. Why is "no" just as important an answer as "yes"? God is Sovereign and knows what lies ahead. His "no" can be a matter of life or death on your part. He can be protecting you from harm. It could also mean it's just not the right time, he's still working in the hearts of people, to prepare them to receive the gospel. Have you ever felt God's promptings to take some action? If you followed through, what happened I've been praying for my son to attend church with me. I invited him on several occasions. He kept saying no. So I continued praying for him and left him in God's hands. I kept picking up my grandkids(his children) to take them with me to church, as I had been doing for a time. It just so happened that suddenly my grandson(5 yrs old) no longer wanted to go to church, followed by my granddaughter(4 yrs. old). They cried each time I stopped by to see if they wanted to go to church with me. I found it strange because they were always so eager to go to Sunday services. Then my teenage granddaughter was struggling with wanting to go to church, as well. I cried, I felt discouraged, and prayed like never before. Sometimes, I just wanted to give up and let them be. I didn't want to force them into going to church, but I didn't want to lose them to the world. So I waited on God. Then, it happened. God spoke to me(my spirit). It was time for me to make the invitation again. I was prompted by God to have a "talk" with my son about how He would hold him accountable for his children if they were to lose their souls because of his negligence. I was struggling on how to go about having that talk when God just took over. The Holy Spirit gave me the grace to speak to my son and to my surprise my son agreed to start going to church for their sake. I couldn't believe how easy that seemed to be, but I knew it was all God's doing! Though he only accompanies Sunday mornings, I thank God that I was able to listen to that nudge. It is a beautiful feeling when I see my son walking in with all 3 of my grandchildren to church. This is just the beginning of good things to come. I thank God for His Awesomeness! I am praying for my daughter in law, as well. I know God will bring her to Jesus' feet in due time. He will do it again! In His Perfect Timing!

Q4. (Acts 10:19-20) Why was it important for Simon to get a very clear command from the Spirit to go with his visitors? Peter was a devout Jew, they had a tradition that they would not enter the home of a non-Jew, for to enter would somehow contaminate them or make them unclean. What would he have done if the word weren’t so clear? Peter would have refused to accompany them. What does he do when criticized for taking this action (Acts 11:2, 12)? Relates the Holy Spirit's message to him, along with the experience he had when he went into a trance and saw the mantle descend from heaven with the unclean animals and was commanded to eat. He simply obeyed the Holy Spirit and after witnessing Cornelius' household get save and be baptized by the Holy Spirit, he added: "If God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way". What kind of faith does it take to obey the Spirit and take an action you know you’ll be criticized for later? An unrelenting, totally persuaded type of faith. Do you disobey when you know you might face criticism for obedience? No. At least I don't think I disobey just because people would be critical of me. I know that the one I live to please is God. I pray that like Peter, I will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, to be able to hear His voice more clearly, and to obey and be led by Him.

Q3. (Acts 19:21; 20:22-24; 21:12-14) What would have happened if Paul hadn’t been sure of his instructions from the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem? He would have been persuaded by his fellowmen to avoid going to Jerusalem. Would you have tried to dissuade him? I probably wouldn't because if he was determined and convinced that it was the Holy Spirit giving him directions, then who am I to put a stop to God's calling. I would definitely be very concerned for his safety, pray for him, and let God's will be done. It’s comforting to receive encouraging words. What level of maturity does it take to receive a direction that might lead us into hardship and danger? You would have to be very mature spiritually, in sinc with God, aligned with His Spirit to be able to listen and distinguish God's voice from your own and be willing to to obey HIs commands at all costs. What happens when we choose the easy way, when God leads us on a difficult path? We could be losing out on a spiritual blessing from God. God might be wanting to move us to another level spiritually(growth).

Q2. (2 Corinthians 12:9a; Acts 18:9-10; 23:11; 27:24) How do you think it feels to Paul for God to personally encourage him when he is afraid and hurting? What do we learn about God that he speaks to Paul in this way? I believe this brought great comfort and reassurance to his spirit. Paul regains courage, feels empowered, and is eager to continue the mission God had assigned him. We learn that God loves and cares for each of us personally. He is faithful in his promises. Reminds us that He is in total control of all things, and though we may experience hardships in our lives, God is always there, guiding us through His Spirit, comforting us when we hurt, lifting us up to continue the course set before us.

Q1. (1 Kings 17-19) Why do you think the author contrasts the “still small voice” to the wind, earthquake, and fire? How does God’s voice comfort and renew Elijah? Why is it easy to miss God when his voice is gentle and quiet? I believe it's because we all assume that since God is Omnipotent(all powerful) we expect a loud thundering noise when he speaks, or a trumpet sounding voice, etc. Therefore, we miss out on God's tender, still voice, gentle whisper, that is trying to get our attention. God comforts Elijah in that He personally visits Elijah, as He whispers gently into his ear, makes Elijah feel loved, protected, and that God actually cares for his well being. He reminds Elijah that God has not forgotten about him. Reminds Him that his God given mission is not finished yet. Lets Elijah know that he is not alone in his walk with God, there's other brothers in Christ that have also remained faithful, and so he must not lose heart. We can easily miss God speaking to us because we are constantly surrounded by all types of noises; from a busy work schedule, demanding children, loud radios, social media, etc. We might think that attending a bigger church, with larger crowds, louder music, louder speakers, will somehow bring us closer to God, and so we fail to realize that what God wants is time alone with us. " Be still and know that I am God. Forget about all your worries, anxieties, troubles, hectic life, and come to me. Let me worry about all that. Right now, I want to have supper with you. Just you and Me". GOD.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 2:9-16) How does the Holy Spirit make “the mind of Christ” available to us? How does this make you dependent upon the Holy Spirit? How does this relate to listening for God’s voice? When we put our "self" aside and walk in the spirit, we can harmonize with God's Spirit. Knowing God, fellowshipping with Him daily, reading His Word, meditating on it, and acting upon it, we are making the Holy Spirit available to speak to us. Jesus was dependent on the Holy Spirit and allowed himself to be guided by Him. This had a big impact on his ministry here on earth. We, too, must allow ourselves to depend on Him(Holy Spirit) if we want to prosper in our ministry, our marriage, our relationships with others, and all areas in our lives. We must be still and let the Holy Spirit have his way in us. Many times as we pray, we go on, and on, and on, without pausing to allow God to speak to us. God can speak to us in different ways; through His Word, a sermon, a worship song, an advice from a Christian brother/sister, friends, etc. That's why we must always have our spiritual ears open. We don't want to miss God's voice.

Q3. (John 14-16) What promises concerning the Paraclete – Comforter – Counselor – Helper – Holy Spirit does Jesus give in John chapters 14-16? How do these relate to guidance? To “hearing” God? If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment. By reading the word of God and taking heed to it(obeying), the Holy Spirit will enable us to live a holy and righteous life. As we surrender our will to God and obey his commands, we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts by convincing us of any sin in our lives, He gives us a spirit of discernment to be able to make correct choices. Prevents us from falling for false doctrines or teachings, thereby maintaining us in the Truth of the Word of God. When our spirit is in harmony or in sync with the Holy Spirit, we can hear God's voice as He speaks to us and guides us into His perfect will.

(John 5:19, 30) Why do you think Jesus said, “By myself I can do nothing”? (vs. 30). Jesus said He, the Father and the Holy Spirit are one. They work in unity and with the same mission and purpose. Therefore, by himself, he cannot accomplish that for what he was sent to do. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me. 39And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. How do you justify this statement with Jesus’ divine nature as the Son of God? Jesus was God in human form. Though human, with human tendencies, yet without sin, Jesus chose to do the Father's will and inclined his heart to follow God's will and not his own. Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! In what ways can we use Jesus’ example as a pattern for our own life and ministry? We see the results of Jesus' ministry as triumphant. Jesus accomplished his mission successfully because he spent most of his time in fellowship/communicating with His Father, listening and obeying His commands. Our lives and our ministry can be as successful by following Jesus' example: starting our days in fellowship with God and aligning our will with His; being sensitive to the Holy Spirit by allowing Him to guide us and direct our lives; staying connected to the vine(JESUS) in everything we do. How do you think Jesus would “see” and “hear” the Father? I believe when we get aligned with the Father, undistracted(in spirit, through prayer, fasting, and meditation on His word), we enter another dimension(spiritual) that allows us to see the heart of God and hear his voice. Jesus was always in fellowship with the Father, so that they were one in Spirit. The Holy Spirit sees the Father and in turn reveals to Jesus what God's will is. Therefore, Jesus also sees what the Father is doing. He is sensitive to that inner voice that God has placed in each of us who desires to hear His voice. He learned to listen to God's voice and act upon it.

What pattern do you see emerging in Jesus’ prayer life? He was steadfast in prayer, day and night. Why do you think he spends Quiet Time with the Father before the day begins? Jesus' desire was to do the will of His Father and therefore he sought His guidance and direction. How does this prepare him for his ministry? His will and purpose are aligned with the Father's, therefore he knew he was being led by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the mission he was called to do. How did the disciple desires for Jesus differ from what Jesus felt impelled to do? (Mark 1:37-38) I believe the disciples were looking at things with their physical eyes, therefore seeing the physical needs(lame, sick, lepers, blind, etc.) around them vs. Jesus, seeing with spiritual eyes. Jesus was focused on the condition of the heart(sinful) and was inclined to meet those needs first. To cleanse us from all sin that we may be reconciled to the Father. Everything else would follow. Do you have a Quiet Time? Yes, I do have quiet times with my Father, though I can definitely make more time to spend with Him.

Q4. (Malachi 3:16-18) In what ways does it encourage us that God keeps a list of those who love him? That he considers us his own private and treasured possession? Do we deserve this? What effect should that knowledge have on us? What does it teach us about grace? We are encouraged in that as we see the wicked prosper, we rest assure that we will have our eternal reward in heaven. God is keeping track of all that goes on under the sun, and will reward justly. We are His treasured possession, though we don't deserve it, yet it is by grace(God's unmerited favor) that we are saved through faith in the precious blood of Christ our Savior who's blood was shed for the remission of our sins. We have been redeemed and belong to Him. Praise and thanks be to God!

Q3. (Malachi 3:8-11) In our passage, why does God call people who neglect to tithe “robbers”? Why does he withhold blessing from those who don’t fully tithe? Does the Old Testament law of the tithe obligate Christian believers to tithe? What principles of stewardship can we learn from this passage? People who neglect to tithe are considered "robbers" because they are taking what is rightfully God's. God was asking for a tenth of their goods so that there would always be food/provisions in the temple to meet the needs of the Levites; those chosen to serve in the temple. In not obeying the Mosaic law, and therefore refusing to tithe, they were missing out on the blessings God had promised to shower upon them and brought curses instead. It seems that they were not trusting God at His Word and instead were trusting on their own means and strength. This also meant they were selfish because they only looked after themselves and turned a blind eye on the needs of those around them. I believe Christians can learn from the Mosaic Law regarding tithing. God is the same today as He was then. He is the giver of all things. He owns everything. We are but stewards of God's resources, and if there was a need in the temple in the old days, what makes us think there's none today. Like Jesus said "we will always have the poor amongst us". We also have full time pastors, we have expenses for sunday school lessons, discipleship materials needed, and so forth. Not to mention electricity, facilities for church attendees, and outside ministries that are supported by the church. All this takes money. All this we do to expand the kingdom of God. Because we love God, we will tithe. Because we are grateful, we will tithe. Because we want to obey God, we will tithe. We tithe because that is the right thing to do. We give back to God a small portion of all He gives to us, because He is God and this is what He asks from us. Then comes the Blessings!

Q2. (Malachi 3:6) Why should we rejoice that God doesn’t change? We know that God’s character doesn’t change But if he is immutable, unchangeable, how can he answer our prayers? Does prayer have any effect? God's purpose is inmovable, His Word is sure, His promises are yea and amen. He can be trusted. On the other hand, we, ourselves are constantly changing depending on our circumstances, depending on our moods, emotions, trends, and so forth. We cannot be trusted. Yet, God remains the same faithful and merciful God. He keeps his promises and His covenants for His namesake not because we deserve any goodness from Him. If God would change like we do, we would had already been consumed. We rejoice because we have a loving Father; merciful, forgiving, and he showers us with blessings though we don't deserve it. We rejoice because He has promised us eternal life and we can look forward to being in His presence forever, one day. The word of God says God hears our prayers, he is moved by our prayers, he responds to prayers, he changes his mind when people pray. (1 Chronicles 7:14) Immutability or unchangeableness does not mean inactivity, immobility, or idleness on the part of God. God is immutable in His essence, in His counsel and in his will. We pray in obedience to his command, that if we should ask according to His will, it will be done. If we seek His face He will deal mercifully with us.

Q1. (Malachi 3:1-5) For what purpose is the Messenger sent to prepare the way? What will the Messenger of the Covenant do? Why do God’s people need refining and deep cleaning? How do you sense God wants to refine and cleanse you? John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy. He was sent to prepare the hearts of the people; that they would repent of their sinful ways and get right with God. The Messenger of the Covenant is Jesus. He also would preach repentance of sin and the ways to righteousness. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He will come in judgement as well: His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. We need refining and deep cleansing to rid ourselves of all impurities in our lives and any hidden sins. God is Holy and without holiness we cannot see God. We want to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable, pleasing before God. We are refined when our faith is tested through diverse trials and tribulations: "And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you". 1 peter 5:10 The cleansing comes from the Word of God. This is the work of the Holy Spirit who brings conviction to our hearts. Jesus already washed our sins away, yet we live in a society that tends toward defilement and so we need daily cleansing. This is accomplished when we read the word, heed the word of God and live it. " Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word". psalm 119:9

Q4. (Malachi 2:13-16). What does Malachi teach us about marriage in this passage? Which two or three of these truths do you think would most help improve Christian marriages if applied today? We are taught that God is the one who designs and orders the relationship. A marriage is a covenant between two persons(man and woman) and God as witness; it is a long term commitment that shouldn't be broken. It is the joining of 2 people both physically and spiritually, and that God's interest in a marriage is that we may produce godly children. Christian marriages could improve today if we truly feared and honored God. Believing the fact that He designed and ordered relationships, and if we are His creation, then He is the one who has authority over our marriage and not us. To understand the God's interest in a marriage is not only that we may become one flesh physically and spiritually, but that we may bring forth godly children, for His glory. A godly marriage glorifies God and fulfills His purpose, in that His name will continue to be exalted from generation to generation. Amen.

Q3. (Malachi 2:1-9) In what ways do church pastors and teachers fall heir to the role of “teaching priests”? Which of the roles of teaching priests do you see as most vital in your situation? Church pastors and teachers have the same responsibilities and requirements as teaching priests in the Old Testament; Offering true instruction, Walking with God in peace and uprightness, Turning many from sin, Serving as messengers of Yahweh, Preserving and guarding knowledge. In my situation, though all of the roles are considered vital, I believe that the role turning many from sin is most vital. People need to know that SIN separates us from the love of God, and only through faith in Christ Jesus, who died on the cross to redeem us from the death sentence that we deserved because of our sin, can our sins be forgiven and we can have peace with God. That we receive God's Spirit once we open our hearts to Jesus and He will lead us in all truth and righteousness and will help us in our daily walk with Jesus. This role sums up pretty much everything that I believe is very important and would like to hear in every sermon in our church. We can never stress enough how important it is to turn from our sins and follow Jesus. I am tired of hearing sermons of prosperity. How we as children of God can claim the promises of God and live abundantly here on earth. If we have a small house, we should not settle but ask God for a bigger house. If you have an old car, ask God for a newer one. Tired of people abusing the scripture vs; The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. This verse has been misinterpreted and is allowing the spirit of covetousness to enter our lives. We need the Spirit of Truth in our churches, as well.

Q2. (Malachi 2:5; 1 John 4:18) What does it mean to “fear God” in Old Testament days? Should we “fear God” now, as Christian believers? How does fear of God interface with our love for God? How does our love change the fear? To fear God was to reverence Him. Acknowledge that He only is the True God. To worship other gods would bring condemnation on you and your family, even the whole nation. To fear God was to obey His statues, commandments, laws, decrees. Our fear of the Lord should be the same now as it was then. He continues to be Yahweh, Jehovah, God Almighty, our Creator, Holy, deserving of all honor and respect. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The punishment for sin is still death, yet for all who turn to Jesus and in His redemptive work on the cross, shall be saved. Knowing this, and accepting this gift should create in us a grateful heart. So, to fear God is to love God and revere Him. To fear God is to graciously obey His commands and do His will. As we grow into an intimate relationship with our Father, we experience His amazing grace and love for us. We grow to love God, and understand His ways, his thoughts, His heart. This love drives away all fear. Understanding that because He loves us He disciplines us. Though we experience heartbreaks, sufferings, infirmities, we learn to trust that God is in control and will see us through.