Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:5
THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Yesterday we thought about the fear of the Lord (1:1), and we defined it as a reverent, humble and obedient attitude toward God. It is the beginning of knowledge, particularly the knowledge we need to live lives marked by victory over sin. We also considered vs. 29 and learned that some choose not to pursue this very healthy fear.

Today we come to Proverbs 2 and see the fear of the Lord in play again. How does it become a part of our lives? How can this fear of the Lord begin to change the way we think and how we make choices? Solomon tells us in vs.5 and the verses that precede it. Take time to read vss. 1-5. Watch the progression. My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you. . . .

Some choose not to pursue the fear of the Lord. We know that already. Solomon also lets us know what happens if we make the other choice-to discover the fear of the Lord and its benefit for our lives. If we receive God’s words and apply them to our lives we’re on the right track.

But there’s more. Notice vs. 4: If you seek her (wisdom) as silver, And search for her as hidden treasure. . . . Too many of us want something to happen to us, some experience that just comes out of the sun and makes us different. It doesn’t work that way. We’ll not discover the fear of the Lord and its power by sitting around waiting.

Proverbs 2:1-5 lets us know that we have to do at least three things. We have to listen to God’s Word in a positive way-hoarding it in our hearts and minds as valuable treasure. We also have to cry out for discernment (the ability to choose the best thing among multiple choices). Then we have to search for God’s wisdom with and energy and passion. We pursue it as though it were buried treasure.

Grasping the fear of the Lord comes by listening, crying out and searching. As God brings wisdom, discernment and understanding to our minds and hearts, we will experience the fear of the Lord. We’ll see reverence, humility and obedience develop in our lives. Steadily, we’ll see change occur that makes victory the norm and failure abnormal.

Don’t forget: Listen . . . cry out . . . search . . . and you’ll understand the fear of the Lord.

Today’s Freedom Fighter is a part of a 30-day series written by my good friend, Pastor John Strain, First Baptist of Toms River, New Jersey.

Introduction to Proverbs

I offered to do a month of Freedom Fighters from the book of Proverbs, and Bill Welte accepted the offer. He has faithfully done this email seven days a week for a long time, and I thought he might need a break.

Many years ago a pastor challenged me to read a chapter of Proverbs a day, getting through the book in a month. Then he challenged me to keep doing that every month of every year. I accepted his challenge, and I’ve been reading Proverbs for the better part of fifteen years.

The introduction to this book in my Bible (a New King James Version published by Broadman and Holman) explains why reading Proverbs is so important and so beneficial. Allow me to share it with you: The key word in Proverbs is wisdom, “the ability to live life skillfully.” A godly life in an ungodly world, however, is no simple assignment. Proverbs provides God’s detailed instructions for His people to deal successfully with the practical affairs of everyday life: how to relate to God, parents, children, neighbors and government. Solomon, the principal author, uses a combination of poetry, parables, pithy questions, short stories, and wise maxims to give in strikingly memorable form the common sense and divine perspective necessary to handle life’s issues.

I pray you’ll find this thirty-one-day journey through Proverbs helpful, challenging and instructive. One month isn’t enough, though. I hope you’ll “catch” Proverbs fever in a way that will bring you back to this insightful book every day for the rest of your life. After reading it monthly for almost fifteen years, I can promise you that you’ll never exhaust its wisdom!

My plan is simple: I’m reading the book in May, and I’m going to rely on God’s Spirit to make one thought stand out each day as I read the chapter for that day. I invite you to read a chapter a day with me in June, and I’ll share one thought with you from that day’s chapter. The purpose of Proverbs, as with all God’s Word, is not information. He’s looking for transformation that will make us more like Jesus. Spending time in Proverbs will help you experience that transformation from the inside out.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Think with me today about “the fear of the Lord.” The phrase occurs fourteen times in Proverbs, and Solomon says it “the beginning of knowledge.” (1:7) This concept put to work in our lives is the foundation upon which everything else rests. If we are to know true freedom in Christ, we must grasp the power behind “the fear of the Lord.”

I’ve discovered through the years that the idea isn’t so easy to define. God doesn’t want us to be afraid of Him. He does want us to give Him reverence and respect. He wants us to stand in awe of Him as we recognize His greatness and our lack of greatness. This fear of the Lord is a combination, I think, of three things: reverence, humility and a willing obedience to His instructions.

Freedom Fighters original intent was clear-to help men avoid and overcome habitual sin in our lives. Solomon says that freedom begins with “the fear of the Lord.” How often have you and I walked into some kind of sin without ever thinking about how our conduct or thinking would affect God? When “the fear of the Lord,” that reverent, humble, obedient attitude of which Solomon speaks is at work in our lives, we think before we act. Something-someone-has become more important than our own desires and passions.

If you and I will know freedom in our lives, this is where it begins. You may be thinking Ok, how does this work? How do I begin to fear the Lord? Those are worthwhile questions. Solomon gives us answers in chapters 1 & 2. We’ll look at one part of the answer today. We’ll discover more of the answer tomorrow.

Much of life is about choices. We already know that. We may not know that living out “the fear of the Lord” is a choice, too. Look at vs. 29 in chapter 1: Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. God tells us that some will call on Him (vs. 28), but He will not answer. Their choosing not to choose “the fear of the Lord” prompts Him not to answer when they call.

What kind of choices have you made recently? Do they reflect reverence, humility and obedience toward God? Or, do they reveal a level of self-centeredness that pushes us to choose behaviors that can only lead us away from this great God who loves us?

Don’t forget: The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge!

Today’s Freedom Fighter was written by Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River. Good word for today.

“A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD” STORY

I just finished reading a book that will go on my list of the most influential books I have ever read. The book was written by Rick Johnson, president of BETTER DADS. The book — BETTER DADS, STRONGER SONS . . . How Fathers Can Guide Boys to Become Men of Character is a must read for fathers of any age. I am going to try and arrange for an interview with Rick on our KESWICK TODAY radio ministry.

Here’s the story that “whacked me on the side of the head” . . .

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his five-year-old son waiting for him at the door. “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”
“Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man.
“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?”
“That’s none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.
“I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make and hour?” pleaded the little boy.
“If you must know, I make twenty dollars an hour.”
“Oh,” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I borrow ten dollars, please?”
The father was furious. “If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is so you can borrow some to by a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you can march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you’re being so selfish. I work long, hard hours every day and don’t have time for such childish games.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy’s questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to make some money!

After an hour or son, the man had calmed down and started to think he might have been a little too hard on his son. Maybe he really needed to buy something with that ten dollars, and he really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.” “Are you asleep, son?” he asked.

“No, Daddy, I awake,” the boy replied.
“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It’s been a long day, and I took my aggravation out on you. Here’s the ten dollars you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, beaming, “Oh, thank you, Daddy!” he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled-up bills. The man, seeing the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.
“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father grumbled. “Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied. “Daddy, I have twenty dollars now. Can I buy an hour of YOUR time?”

I don’t think that I need to even make a comment. Rick makes this statement: “Your kids aren’t impressed with all your accomplishments. The only thing that really impresses them is your time and attention.”

A powerful reminder for Dads of ALL ages.

Why not bring your son or Dad to our Father Son Night this Thursday, June 1, 2006. A great evening has been planned for you. Former New York Giant, Keith Elias, is our speaker. Call today for reservations! Call 800-453-7942 today and make your reservation!!!

“Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body.” Proverbs 16:24

The Holy Spirit keeps hammering me on the power of my words. My words can be so destructive or they can build up. Think about some of the “destructive language” we use with ourselves and with others:

You never …
There’s no way …
You should …
I’m not good at …
What’s the point of …
The problem with …
You don’t understand …
That’s stupid …
Don’t go there …
It hurts to …
You don’t get it …
We’ll lose if …
I’m better than …
Listen to me …
Don’t start …
It’s depressing when …
When I was your age …
I’m afraid that …
This is the worst thing that …
I don’t care about …
You make me …

Now here are some ways we can be positive and constructive with our words:

One possibility is …
It would be good to …
I love you because …
Thank you for …
I appreciate the …
I like …
I understand why …
Your best quality …
The best part …
Have confidence …
Please …
We’ll succeed if we …
It’s okay to …
My reasoning is …
I’m best at …
The good news is …
Let’s make the best of …
That’s a good point …
How can I help you with …
I’m sorry …
It’s my responsibility …

(from WHAT HAPPY PEOPLE KNOW by Dan Baker and Cameron Stauth)

Good words for me to consider today. Join us for our Father Son Night at America’s KESWICK. Former New York Giant, Keith Elias, will be our speaker. 6:15 PM is a great dinner followed by the program. Afterwards, you can enjoy the pool, weight room and gym with your son or Dad. Make your reservation today — 800-453-7942.

MEMORIAL DAY

As we celebrate Memorial Day at America’s KESWICK, I dedicate the words of this powerful hymn to two patriots who gave their lives on a field in Shanksville, PA on September 11, 2001 — Don and Jean Peterson. Don served on the Board of America’s KESWICK and joined his fellow patriots on Flight 93.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee
And crow thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw.
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

Have a great Memorial Day!

THE VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE

“IN all these things we are more than conquerors though him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

“Our Lord in the seven letters to the churches of Revelation (read Revelation 2 -3) concludes with a promise to each for those who OVERCOME. The phrase, ‘he that overcomes” is repeated seven times; and with it some glorious promises are given. They were given to churches like Ephesus that had forsaken their first love, to Sardis, that had a reputation of being alive, but was dead, and to Laodicea with her lukewarmness and self-satisfaction — as proof that if they would only repent, they might win the crown of victory. The call comes to every Christian to strive for the crown.

How do we attain victory? The answer is simple. ALL IS IN CHRIST! It all depends on our right relationship to Christ, our complete surrender, perfect faith, and unbroken fellowship with Him. Just as we had no rest until we knew He had received our conversion, so now we feel the need of coming to Him to receive from Him the assurance that He has undertaken to keep us by the power of His resurrection life.

Christ, the Victor, is your Lord, who will undertake for you in every thing and will enable you to do all the Father expects of you. Be of good courage. Trust Him to do this great work for you, who has so freely given His life for you and forgiven you of your sins. Only be bold to surrender yourself to a life kept from sin by the power of God. Along with the deepest conviction that in you dwells no good thing, confess that you see in the Lord Jesus all the goodness you will ever need for the life of a child of God.

Thank God, a live of victory is CERTAIN for those who are aware of their inward ruin and are hopeless in themselves but who have place their confidence in Jesus. They, by faith in His power to make the act of surrender possible for them, have done it in HIS strength and now rely on Him, and Him alone every day and every hour.”

From the pen of Andrew Murray — LIVING A PRAYERFUL LIFE

THOUGHT: The deeper we are willing to enter into the death of self, the more shall we know of the mighty power of God, and the perfect blessedness of a perfect trust.
Andrew Murray

Today is the Lord’s day! Thank Him today that through CHRIST — you are MORE THAN a conqueror.

This week on Keswick Today, Bible teacher and conference speaker, David Rich, shares 7 SECRETS YOU WON’T HEAR IN CHURCH. Don’t miss the broadcast. You can listen right from the Keswick website: http://www.americaskeswick.org/

A LOOK INTO THE MIRROR LOOK IN THE MIRROR

“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!'” (Luke 18:13)

If you’ve ever wondered how far God would go to show His love, look in the mirror and wonder no more. We need not look any further than ourselves to find the most shocking and amazing displays of God’s grace. If we think otherwise, it is only because we have not seen ourselves as we truly are.
It has been said and sung many times: “There but for the grace of God go I.” At first this sounds grateful, but such sentiment masks a dangerous pride. It is actually not unlike the statement of a religious leader in Jesus’ day as he looked upon a sinner on his knees crying out for God’s mercy. “Lord I thank you that I am not like that sinner over there,” the Pharisee prayed. It is a view that focuses on someone else’s misfortune. Someone else is worse than I am. Much better to be thinking and praying, “Here, because of the grace of God, and for no other reason, am I.” I am the only person I truly know about when it comes to sin. I am the authority on the subject.
The Pharisee hasn’t a clue about the sinner-who he is or what he has done. Nor does he have any business making the assumption that the sinner is lot is any worse than his. The only prayer any of us can pray on the subject of sin is: “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This is the only prayer that sends heaven scurrying.
It is best to steer completely clear of the comparison game. Any attempt to better oneself at the mercy of someone else’s failure will always bring a twisted view of both ourselves and others.
The immensity of God’s mercy is not displayed in what He did for the world, or for someone else. Nor is it discovered through some theological understanding of the many nuances of His grace. The immensity of God’s mercy is revealed finally-and only-in the incredible realization that, lo and behold, it found out the worst of the lot. It looked from heaven and found out me!

John Fischer

Scripture Reading: Genesis 29-30; Matthew 9:1-17

This morning’s devotional is from the Keswick daily devotional, REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE, soon to be released in it’s second edition. Watch for details. To order a copy, call the KESWICK BOOKSTORE — 800-453-7942 ext. 31.

Join us today for our Community Open House right on the beautiful grounds of America’s KESWICK. 11-3!!! See you there. Please be sure to mention to me that you are a member of the Freedom Fighter family.

YOU TOOK SATAN’S BAIT

The following was given to me by one of my staff members. It was written by Mary Eldridge.

Sin will take you farther
than you want to go.
You will soon find out
that it becomes a foe.

The deeper you fall
into that old stuff,
Satan will laugh,
and call your bluff.

He’ll get you so busy,
listening to him,
he won’t be happy,
till you’re on a limb.

Once you get there,
he laughs with glee,
he says, now boy,
it’s just you and me,

He has stuff to offer,
he knows you’re blind,
while he has you,
he’ll play with your mind.

It’s movies, porn, booze,
and pretty prostitute girls,
there’s wining, and dining,
while your head swirls.

Can’t you just see,
what sin does to you,
If you weren’t so blind,
you’d know what to do,

You took Satan’s bait,
You’ve fallen so low,
You’re drowning in sin,
grief sorrow and woe.

There’s hope for you,
you don’t understand,
I know of someone
who’ll take your hand.

He loves you no matter
what you have done,
And because of this,
God gave us His Son.

He surely can help you,
and set your soul free
The reason I know this
Cause He did it for me.

If you mean business,
and I sure hope you do,
Give everything to Jesus,
He gave His all for you.

Good words for you to consider today. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend. Coming in June, Pastor John Strain, Senior Pastor from First Baptist of Toms River, will be sharing with us some thoughts from the book of Proverbs.

If Freedom Fighter has been a blessing to you, share it with a friend. They can sign up right from our website: http://www.americaskeswick.org.

HELP FOR DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION

From the pen of Fenelon in his timely book, THE SEEKING HEART:

“You get discouraged because your mind wanders too much? What do you expect? Theresa of Avila says, ‘The imagination is the fool of the house.’ It concocts wild scenarios and takes you away from being aware of God in the present moment.

Go forward. Stop listening to all the horror stories your imagination whispers to you. Go forward. You feel sad because you look for God and do not FEEL His presence as much as you want. You tire of trusting God by faith. You tire of hanging in the air. You want to see progress! You make one mistake and fall into a depression. What pride! What self-obsession!

Love God and stay still before Him. You would rather punish yourself, and stir up a commotion, than forget yourself and look to God. Mourning your weakness will not make you better. It will only contribute to a good case of self-pity. The slightest glance toward God will calm you far more.

As far as a natural depression that comes from physical reasons, simply endure it in peace. Set your eyes on God. Do what He shows you to do. If He has need of you, fine. If He does not, then live and wait for Him in peace.

As far as being disappointed in others, you must learn not to expect so much from people. It is the only way to avoid disappointment. You must take the fruit that a tree bares — but remember that some trees only put out leaves and caterpillars! God has an infinite amount of patience with YOU, as He does with all people. He is not even put off with your resistance to Him. Try to imitate HIS patience and mercy. Only imperfection is bothered by the imperfect. The more mature you grow as a Christian, the more patient you will be toward the faults of others.

When depression weighs you down, there are two things that might help you. First, relieve your sadness with the means that God gives you. Don’t overload yourself with difficult things. Guard your strength of mind as well as your strength of body. Don’t take more upon yourself than your courage can bear. Set aside time for being with God, for reading, and for good conversation. Take time for the harmless entertainment which will relax the mind with the body.

Secondly, bear in peace all the feelings of sadness which still remain with you after you have done all this things to help yourself. Don’t fight with them and they will go away in due time.” Pretty powerful words written over 400 years ago!

THOUGHT: “Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit you way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” Psalm 37:3-7

Have you made plans to come to America’s KESWICK for our Community Open House on Saturday? Visit our website for information: http://www.americaskeswick.org

HUMILITY

“Everyone who has deeply walked with God knows that humility is the foundation that you build your spiritual life on. True humility comes from seeking the interests of God before your own. Humility comes in no longer living for yourself but in letting Jesus Christ live His life in/through you.

You are always trying to ‘be something’ or to be noticed for your spirituality. There are a lot of people who have an OUTWARD spirituality, but inwardly they still think too much of themselves. People who think they are lowering themselves have a lot of conceit. They think they are doing others a favor in ‘getting down to their level.’

True humility is not like this. I know it sounds incredible but a truly humble person is content in ALL situations. He doesn’t notice if he is being praised or blamed, and isn’t always weighing if what is being said to him, or about him, is to his advantage. A simple person allows himself to be led by the Lord Jesus.

So let go of yourself with courage. Whether God lifts you up or lets you remain unknown, the glory is still all HIS!” from FENELON — THE SEEKING HEART.

“Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and HE will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].” James 4:10 The Amplified Bible

THOUGHT: “Peace of heart lies in perfect resignation to the will of God. What you need is true simplicity, a certain calmness of spirit which comes from entire surrender to all that God wills, patience and toleration for your neighbor’s faults, and a certain candor and childlike docility in acknowledging your own faults. The trouble you feel about so many things comes from your not accepting everything which may happen to you, with sufficient resignation to God. Put all things, then, in His hands, and offer them beforehand to Him in your heart, as a sacrifice. From the moment when you cease to want things to be according to your own judgment, and accept unconditionally whatever He sends, you will be free from all your uneasy retrospect’s and anxieties about your own concerns.” Francois Fenelon

Join us at America’s KESWICK for our Memorial Day Weekend conference with Drs. Jamie Mitchell and Les Ayars. For information about the weekend conference, visit our website: http://www.americaskeswick.org.