Please read for yourself these verses before proceeding.  It is a privilege and an honor to be able to read the Bible.

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WE CANNOT BECOME WISE UNTIL WE FEAR GOD        

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This is the beginning of knowledge.  If we don’t fear God it is truly useless to try and understand the Bible.

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God is almighty and all powerful.  He made the rules, He controls everything.  He holds everything together.  We can’t mess with God.  He is who He says He is.  He loves us, He listens to us, but we don’t control God, ever!  We don’t outsmart God, either.  He sees us, all of us.  He knows what makes each of us tick and He knows all the wrong things we think and do.  And more, so much more, HE LOVES EACH OF US, just the way we are.  He loves because He wants to.

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​FOR ME, READING THE OLD TESTAMENT TAUGHT ME TO FEAR GOD   

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Read through the prophetic books (those are the books in the last half of the Old Testament)  and see over and over how God hates sin.

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From the days of Moses through the times of the minor prophets God warns his people of the consequences of not believing in Him, listening to Him, and obeying Him.  The story of Moses is in several books of the Old Testament.

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God was slow to anger and gave generation after generation chances to repent.  When they didn’t, He kept his promises of severe judgment.  We must learn to fear God.

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The consequences are so very very harsh to all who turn away from God.  Reading through Lamentations (the book that Jeremiah wrote as he viewed God’s destruction of the city) we see the pain that these people experienced because of their rebellion towards God.

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GOD WAITS FOR EACH OF US TO COME TO HIM, TO FEAR HIM, TO BELIEVE IN HIM   

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In the book of Romans (in the middle of the New Testament) we are told that God’s kindness leads us to repentance. If you don’t trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, be assured–it is God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to repentance.  You haven’t outsmarted God, nor is God not watching.  He is waiting for you to turn to Him because He loves you and doesn’t want to punish you.  God has no desire to punish wicked (those who don’t believe in Him), but to bless them and give them eternal life.

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God is kind and gracious to his believing, truly believing, people.  He blesses his kids.

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​The fear of believers is one of reverence.  We realize that He is Almighty and can and will do whatever He pleases.

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God’s wrath is reserved for those who don’t believe–God is gracious, generous, and merciful to those that believe.  Those that trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.