John Bevere - The Fear of the Lord: Discover the Key to Intimately Knowing God

BY PETRUS VERMAAK

Table of Contents

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to my wife, Lisa. I am a privileged man to be married to such a woman. It would take another book to tell of her virtues and godly character, but to sum up her life in one statement, it would be: She is a woman who fears the Lord.

She opens her mouth with wisdom,

And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

She watches over the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises her:

Many daughters have done well,

But you excel them all.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Proverbs 31:2630

I am grateful to You, Father, for Your daughter, Lisa Bevere.

Acknowledgments

My deepest appreciation to...

My wife, Lisa. Next to the Lord, you are my greatest love and treasure. Thank you for the hours of editing you contributed to this book. I love you, sweetheart!

Our four sons. All of you have brought great joy to my life. Thank you for sharing in the call of God and encouraging me to travel and to write.

My parents, John and Kay Bevere. Thank you for initially teaching me the fear of the Lord through the godly lifestyle you exemplified.

Those who have taken the time and given a portion of their lives to teach and show me the ways of the kingdom. I have seen different facets of Jesus in each of you.

The staff of Messenger International. Thank you for your unwavering support and faithfulness. Lisa and I love each of you dearly.

The entire Charisma House staff who have labored with us and been so supportive of our ministry. You are a joy to work with.

Most important, my sincere gratitude to my Lord. How can words adequately acknowledge all You have done for me and for Your people? I love You more than I will ever be able to express. I love You forever!

Holy fear is the key to Gods sure foundation, unlocking the treasuries of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.

Introduction

In the summer of 1994 I was invited to minister at a church in the southern part of the United States. It would end up being one of the most unpleasant ministry experiences I would ever have. Yet out of it, a passionate quest was birthed in my heart to know and understand the fear of the Lord.

Two years prior, this was a church that had experienced a powerful move of God. An evangelist came for a period of four weeks, and the Lord revived this church with His presence. They were experiencing an abundance of what many call holy laughter. It was so refreshing that the pastor and many of his people did what so often happens; they remained camped at the place of refreshment instead of continuing on to pursue God. They soon developed more interest in manifestations of refreshing than to know the Lord who refreshes.

The second night of our meetings, the Spirit of God led me to preach on the fear of the Lord. At the time my understanding of the fear of the Lord was still forming, but God led me to preach on what He had already shown me from the Scriptures.

The next night I came into the service totally unprepared for what was about to happen. Without any previous discussion, the pastor stood up after praise and worship and spent a considerable amount of time correcting what I had preached the night before. I sat in the front row, almost in shock. The basis of his correction was that New Testament believers do not have to fear God. He backed this up with 1 John 4:18: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. He had confused a spirit of fear with the fear of the Lord.

The following morning I found a deserted area outside my hotel where I spent a considerable amount of time praying. I came before the Lord with an open heart and submitted to any correction He desired to bring to me. I have learned that Gods correction is always for my good. He corrects us, that we might be partakers of His holiness (Heb. 12:711). Almost immediately I sensed Gods overwhelming love. I did not perceive His disappointment with what I had preached, but rather His pleasure. Tears ran down my face in His wonderful presence.

I continued in prayer and, after awhile , found myself crying out from deep within my spirit for the knowledge of the fear of the Lord. I raised my voice, drawing together all my strength from within, and cried, Father, I want to know and walk in the fear of the Lord!

When I finished praying I didnt care what I might face in the future. All I wanted was to know His heart. I sensed that my request to learn this facet of His holy nature had deeply pleased Him. Since that day God has been faithful to reveal to me the importance of the fear of the Lord. He has revealed His desire for all believers to know the importance of it as well.

Although I always had known that the fear of the Lord was important, I did not comprehend just how integral it was until God opened my eyes in response to that prayer. I had always seen the love of God as the foundation for relationship with the Lord. I quickly discovered that the fear of the Lord was just as foundational. Isaiah says:

The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Isaiah 33:56, niv

Holy fear is the key to Gods sure foundation, unlocking the treasuries of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Along with the love of God, it composes the very foundation of life! We will soon learn that we cannot truly love God until we fear Him, nor can we properly fear Him until we love Him.

As I wrote this book, our family was building a new home. I visited the job site many times, and God used these moments to teach me lessons from some of the basic principles of construction. Actual construction begins with the foundation and framing of the house. This will uphold all the finishing components such as the tile, carpet, windows, cabinetry, and paint. Once the house is completed, you no longer see any part of the foundation and framework, although they hold and protect all the beautiful furnishings and finishes inside. Without this framework, you would have little more than a pile of materials.

The same is true with the construction of this book. We will clearly delineate between the fear of God and His judgment, then progress on to an intimate knowledge of Him. We will outline the protection such fear provides from judgment and conclude with its role in our intimacy with God. Each chapter holds truths that are both informative and transforming. The first several chapters will provide the framework for the rest of the book. It will develop in our spirits the strength to hold what God will reveal.

Read as though this book is a house under construction. Dont jump from the framing to the laying down of carpet. Without a roof, the carpet will need to be replaced before construction is complete. Building is a progression.

Take the time to prayerfully read and understand each chapter before proceeding to the next. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Gods Word to you through this book, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:6).

The fear of the Lord is not grasped by the mind but etched in our hearts. It is revealed by the Holy Spirit as we read His Word. It is one of the manifestations of the Spirit of God (Isa. 11:12). God will impart it to the hearts of those who earnestly seek Him (Jer. 29:1114; 32:40).

Lets pray before we begin:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I have opened this book because I desire to know and understand the holy fear of the Lord. I realize this is impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit. I ask that You would anoint me with Your Spirit. Open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, and my heart that I might know and understand what You are saying to me.