Issue 88: Our Walk with God a Joyful Life in the Fear of God to Serve: God’S Purpose for His Chosen the Lord Delivers His Servants Issue 88 Vol
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Issue 88: Our Walk with God A Joyful Life in the Fear of God To Serve: God’s Purpose for His Chosen The Lord Delivers His Servants Issue 88 Vol. 43 No. 1 Publication date: May 2019 Our Walk with God Vincent Yeung Our Walk Cambridge, UK with God “Woe is me, for I am undone! The “fear” that we should have is an attitude of reverence Because I am a man of unclean lips, towards God in our lifelong journey towards salvation, rather And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; than the irrational, emotional fear discussed in 1 John. This For my eyes have seen the King, is godly fear (Heb 12:28). When we serve God with fear, we The LORD of hosts.” (Isa 6:5) can rejoice with trembling (Ps 2:11). This is the progressive The expression mysterium tremendum describes the numinous relationship we should have with God, rooted not only in love, experience of awe and dread in the presence of the almighty but also fear of Him, leading to heavenly joy. and transcendent God. The question is, why had Isaiah not felt this fear and wonder in God’s temple before? The answer So, we see how fear plays a key role in our faith journey and in is that this theophany—or manifestation of God—and the our relationship with God. Many of us start from the position seraphim’s proclamation of God’s holiness (Isa 6:3) made Isaiah of indifference—ignorant and unaware of God’s presence. We aware of God’s holy presence in the temple. He realized his progress to the point of awareness but remain terrified in His utter sinfulness in the light of God’s presence, bringing fear of presence. Isaiah was afraid of the majesty and mystery of God judgment and condemnation. when God appeared because he did not truly know God. Since the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge (Prov 1:7), we Today, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the church is must move on in our faith journey to become God’s servant the church of the living God (1 Cor 6:19; 1 Tim 3:15). But have and trusted friend. As we draw closer to Him, we also continue we, in the same way, forgotten that He is the holy God? Is to honor and respect Him, with love and fear. Let us continue God’s presence in our lives merely an abstract concept, easily forgotten, as our worship becomes more sterile? The danger to serve Him in truth, with all our heart (1 Sam 12:24a). of God becoming irrelevant in our life, either consciously or subconsciously, is that we will depart and go our separate way. Isaiah’s experience prompts us to re-evaluate our relationship with God, and reflect on what He requires of us. In this issue of Manna, we are reminded to keep ourselves in the love of God. If we fall from His grace by not persisting in our faith, how can we find our way back? We need to honor God as the Lord of our life and submit to His sovereignty by fearing Him again. We may ask, if God calls us His friend, and perfect love casts our fear ( Jn 15:15; Jas 2:23; 1 Jn 4:18), why should we fear Him? Why do we need to work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil 2:12)? If there “is no fear in love” (1 Jn 4:18a), how can we love and fear God at the same time? EDITOR IN CHIEF: Anna Khoo MANAGING EDITOR: Marian Shek REVIEW BOARD: Andrew Chu (Australia), Ezra Chong, Joel Chong (Malaysia), Lemuel Leong (Sabah), EG Tay, Philip Shee (Singapore), Michael Chan, Vincent Yeung (UK), Richard Solgot, Stephen Ku, WC Yeh (USA) Manna (ISSN1528-8617) is published quarterly by the True Jesus Church, IA Department of Literary Ministry, 21217 Bloomfield Avenue, Lakewood, CA 90715 USA. Copyright © 2019 True Jesus Church. All rights reserved. U.S. Postmaster: send change-of-address forms to 21217 Bloomfield Avenue, Lakewood, CA 90715 USA. Back issues of Manna can be downloaded at: www.mannamagazine.com All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The goal of Manna is to inspire believers to live an active faith through mutual encouragement and the study of biblical truths. 2 5 10 12 THEME A Joyful Life in the Fear To Serve: God’s Purpose for Knowledge of the Son of Keep Yourself in the Love of God His Chosen God of God Steven Shek FF Chong Barnabas Chong Simon Chin True joy comes together Serving God is integral to Knowing Jesus and the How can we persist in our with godly fear and every part of a Christian’s power of His resurrection faith till the very end? obedience. life. leads to eternal life. 16 19 24 26 BIBLE STUDY EXHORTATION TESTIMONY In Fear and Trembling Parables of the Heavenly Set Your Mind on Things The Lord Delivers His Servants Jachin Kingdom (Part 3) Above KC Tsai Jachin Lemuel Leong and Helen Choi Why, and how, we should The parable of the mustard What does it mean to be Testimonies of God’s fear God in our lives. seed and the decline of the heavenly-minded? healing upon His workers. apostolic church. 30 35 39 41 COLUMN COLUMN COLUMN MINISTRY EVANGELISM FAMILY The Power of Zealous Holy Work Series: Inspired by Jesus: My What God Has Joined, Let Prayers in the African Delivering Sermons Evangelistic Wedding No Man Separate (Part 2) Ministry (Part 2) Aun Quek Chin Mellisa Ho Aun Quek Chin AMC Volunteers God’s grace and guidance of The ideal spirit and How planning a dream Upholding the biblical the African pioneering work. practical advice for serving wedding became an principles of marriage. as a sermon speaker. opportunity to preach. 44 46 COLUMN REFLECTION PENIEL I Have Loved You with an A Joyful Return Everlasting Love aaliyah KC Tsai God’s love transcends Psalm 126 and how God all things, even when we brings the captivity back to cannot feel it in our lives. Zion. 48 Call for Articles 49 Articles of Faith 1 THEME SECTION Steven Shek A Joyful Life Edinburgh, UK in the Fear of God THE OVERLOOKED AND WEAK IN repent, He would have mercy: who acknowledge God’s discipline will FAITH turn to God in fear of Him. And He will “Behold, I will bring it health and e rarely hear of joy and the heal. God will do many things for His healing; I will heal them and reveal to fear of God spoken in the returned people, such that they will them the abundance of peace and truth. same breath. Most want joyfully magnify His holy name! W … Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a to receive joy from God, without praise, and an honor before all nations of cultivating the fear of Him. But if we do When one has the fear of God at the the earth, who shall hear all the good that not seek after godly fear, then the joy center of his life, he will have a foretaste I do to them; they shall fear and tremble we experience will be short-lived. Any for all the goodness and all the prosperity of heavenly joy. The relationship individual concerned with his salvation that I provide for it.” (Jer 33:6–9) between godly fear and joy is evident must have the motivation to fear God. throughout the Bible. Let us look at how A progressive relationship with God is This prophesy speaks truth to those God’s word is fulfilled from generation rooted not only in God’s love, but also who, when they realize the error of their to generation, and how we, too, can live in godly fear. ways, repent and return to God. Those a joyful life. A lack of godly fear can lead to sin and, as a result, punishment from God. Through God’s word, Jeremiah foresaw If we do not seek after godly fear, then the devastation that God’s children the joy we experience will be short-lived. … A would bring upon themselves through sin ( Jer 33:1–26). But God also revealed progressive relationship with God is rooted not that, once His people fear Him and only in God’s love, but also in godly fear. 2 THEME FEAST OF THE PASSOVER Each time the children of God observed the When the Israelites observed the Passover in Egypt, they knew what God Passover, they did so out of the fear of God. This was going to do—He would destroy all is especially true when, after periods of spiritual the Egyptian firstborn and lead His people out of Egypt (Ex 12:1–14, 29–42). darkness, they rediscovered God’s word. And each Indeed, they witnessed God’s salvation time, their spiritual lives were revived with joy and almighty power through this event. After they received the Law of Moses, from God. the Israelites continued to keep the Passover out of the fear of God (Deut Decades later, after returning from brought them out of Egypt. This was 16:1–8). And by observing this feast, they captivity, the Jews again kept the a time of rejoicing, not only in looking rejoiced in God’s deliverance. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened back, but also in looking forward to how Bread (Ezra 6:19–22).