Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
Hope, Love, and Fear
The apostle Paul was one of God's most faithful servants. I believe three important motivations behind Paul's faithfulness were hope, love, and fear.
Paul's blessed hope of eternal life motivated him to faithfulness. He also had a great love for Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:14, he says, "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if one died for all, then all died."
The love of Christ compelled him to remain faithful to God, but Paul's faithfulness also was motivated by something else: the reverential fear of the hour when he would stand before the judge of the world on judgment day.
Today, the vast majority of Christians possess only the first two motivations. Virtually every believer claims to have the hope of eternal life, and many say with all sincerity, "I love Jesus with all my heart."
Yet the truth of a coming day of judgment is the very thing that produces serious, godly believers. Those who put it out of their minds are usually cold, careless and indulgent. However, the fact remains that sometime very soon, every person who has ever lived will be gathered to the place of judgment to be judged by Jesus Christ. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10, NKJV). "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12).
At this very moment, legions of angels stand ready for Jesus's command to gather from the corners of the earth both the wicked and the righteous: "The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 13:41).
All the rich, famous and powerful of all ages will be brought to stand before him: "And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of his wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" (Revelation 6:15-17).
Like Paul, let's walk out hope, love, and fear before the judge of all the world!
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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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