Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!
Some of you might remember this line from a movie. For many people, it is a way of life. There are those who are afraid of one thing and many who are afraid of many things. In our world we live in, we all can say that we are not as safe as we would like to be. This causes some to stay away from crowded places. This causes concern for parents every time their child goes out the door. We fear bad weather, bad animals, bad government, and bad people. Most of the time there really is nothing to fear, but people take precautions anyway which is usually very smart to do.
The Bible teaches us that there is one important thing to fear, of which most people have taught themselves to not fear. "Fear God and keep His commandments" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Many people have forgotten that there is a God. Many more live like there is no God. Also, there are many who may claim to believe in God, yet do not keep His commandments. That is why they should be afraid. Ecclesiastes 12:14 tells us that every act will be brought to judgment. In fact there are several passages throughout the scriptures that remind us that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of the things we have done in this life.
It is only if one fears the judgment that they seek to learn how to avoid a horrible judgment. Those who respect God and do what He says will have a good judgment. The truth is that not many people have this kind of fear, and as a result will be condemned in hell for all eternity just as God has told us.
Some people fear God and judgment day because they know that they are not going to be judged righteous. However they just cannot seem to give up the sin in their lives which could bring about their salvation.
Some people are ignorant that what they are doing will bring God's condemnation. Unless people spend more time studying God's word, they will remain ignorant until such time as they stand before God, and God will tell them that ignorance is no excuse. God gave us His holy book and we (mankind) are accountable to God for what is written in that book.
Most people just do not care about any of this. They do not care that there is a God. They do not care about any teachings from His book. They do not care about their own soul's destiny. They do not care about anybody's soul; not even their loved one's souls. These people are on the pathway which leads to destruction as we read in Matthew 7:13-14.
One of the many problems facing the church is that most members do not fear the judgment day that is coming. They relax and consider that their attendance is good enough for God. They do not take anything seriously anymore. More and more church members are failing to learn God's word. Certainly the words of Hosea 4:6 jump out at us when he writes: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge". It is probably very true that very few members have a handle of God's word so as to be able to teach others. There are many people who have gone to church for much of their life, but still cannot explain God's plan of salvation. Some probably believe that Joan of Arc was the wife of Noah. Don't laugh, because the Pew Research foundation asked church members this very thing with a good percentage believing this. For your soul's sake, learn to Fear God because your judgment day is coming.
By Carey Scott

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