HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
Proverbs 9:1 - Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars.
Wisdom has built her house.
Everyone wants to know about the seven pillars. Everyone wants to know how the house is built and what it is built from.
No one asks about the Foundation.
It is the foundation of the house that determines how well everything else will be built and how well what is built will stand and last.
A poor foundation means that no matter how good the other materials that you use are, the rest of the home will be of poor construction.
Psalm 11:3 - If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?
For months now the Lord has been dealing with my heart about the Fear of the Lord and the foundations of our nation and the foundation in our churches.
If the House is wisdom – then the foundation is – The Fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 9:10-11 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.
Before we can even talk about the building of the House we need to talk about the beginning of the House.
Holy Fear is the key to God’s sure foundation. It unlocks the treasures of Heaven. The treasures of Salvation, Wisdom, Knowledge, long life and Abundant life.
The Fear of the Lord is the begging of wisdom. If you don’t have this poured into your heart correctly then you aren’t going to get everything else in your life straight.
Many of us want to see this world have a better foundation but I have news for you. We can’t expect unbelieves to get things right until we as the people of God get our house in order.
1 Peter 4:17 - For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
In his book the fear of Lord John Bevere tells the story of coming to speak at a big meeting for pastors in another nation. When he arrived, music was playing and it was good. What he noticed was the absence of the presence of the Lord. He looked around and for the forty minutes of music, people were talking while some entered in. As prayer was happening after the music people were still just standing watching and talking.
No presence of God. While the offering was being taken people were still not interested. When John got up to speak the Holy Spirit told him to address what people were doing. He said nothing until people became quiet because there was someone at the mic and no one was saying anything. He began to tell them how he sensed no presence of God.
He said - Do you think the King of kings and Lord of lords is going to come into a place where He is not given the Honor and reverence that is due Him. Do you think that the Master of all creation is going to speak when His Word is not respected enough to be listened to attentively?
By the end of the message John gave a simple call for repentance. People came to the altar weeping, repenting and calling on God. As they did the power of God began to move, the sound of a wind filled the place and God did a powerful work.
I believe with all of my heart that we need a fresh understanding of the Fear of the Lord.
We need to stop treating that which is Holy as if it is a common thing.
We need to stop treating our relationship with God as if our God is just another person among many others.
We need to not treat the presence of God in our church like it is just another ordinary meeting.
We need to the Fear of God to start in our lives individually so that we stop treating this life that He has given us and the Salvation that HE has provided for us as a common and unimpressive thing.
The Fear of the Lord is to understand that our God is Holy and not ordinary.
Leviticus 10:3 - And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’”
Those who come near to the Lord must regard Him as Holy.
The Bible reminds us that the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and that knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
The Fear of the Lord brings understanding of who HE IS.
Today there is No Fear of God. Of who He is and what He can do.
Do YOU Know who He is and Do you know Him? Do you fear Him and if not, why not?
He is the Great I Am, He is the Eternally Existent One, He is the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the End, He is all knowing, He is the Almighty One, He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, He Has the Name that is above all Names, At the Name of Jesus every knee shall Bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. Our God is the creator and maker of everything.
A Holy fear is more than a reverence and respect for God, it is absolute awe for who He is, it is giving Him the honor and the Glory that is due because of who He is. It is understanding that He is Holy – totally set apart and there is no one in all of everything that is like HIM. – He is entirely pure, clean and that He is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. He is High and lifted up and He is glorious in every way. – No man can stand before a Holy God and no person can look on the face of God and live.
We do Him no favors by our worship – we worship Him simply because He is Worthy of our worship. When He speaks nations tremble and mountains are split in half. He has the Power to lift up and the power to put down and there is nothing too difficult for Him.
How is it that we have lost the Fear of the Lord?
Those who Fear the Lord regard Him as Holy and they realize that because He is Holy, they must be Holy – Uncommon and set apart only for Him.
1 Peter 1:15-16 - But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Psalm 46:10 - Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
The Foundation of all that we are building is Built on Him.
Hebrews 12:25-27 - See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
There is a battle today for the heart and soul of the church. Understand God will allow whatever can be shaken to be shaken in order that whatever remains will stand firm and unmoved and unfazed.
I believe that there is a great churchquake that is happening right now. You have heard of an earthquake get ready for the churchquake.
Whenever God revives the church, He shakes it first.
In the book of Acts chapter 5 we have the story of Annanias and Safira. We know the story of how they lied to the Holy Spirit.
Acts 5:11 (AMP) - And hearing these words, Ananias fell down suddenly and died; and great fear and awe gripped those who heard of it.
I know that we all love miracles. I wonder if what we need are a few people to fall down suddenly and die.
I want to end with this thought.
Proverbs 33:18 - Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,
Throughout the Bible and throughout history the people who get the attention of God are those who walk humbly and stay in awe of Him and Honor Him with a life of obedience.
I want to read a few important promises found in God’s Word.
Proverbs 15:33 - The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.
Proverbs 22:4 - By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.
Proverbs 14:27 (AMP) - The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that leads to obedience and worship] is a fountain of life, So that one may avoid the snares of death.
Psalm 25:14 - The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
Psalm 34:9 - Oh, fear the Lord, you, His saints! There is no want (No Lack) to those who fear Him.
If we want the blessings, favor, secrets and riches and honor and life of the Lord – then we need to walk in humility and the fear of God.
I am hopeful, expectant and looking forward to what God is going to do in us at HCC and in the world in 2024.
May all of us walk in the Fear of God as we watch what He is building be beautiful, solid and bring Him Glory!
You are dearly loved,
Pastor Marvin & Dawn