Quite a few times I have been accused of using fear tactics by sharing the warnings of scripture.  I took a few minutes and studied the concept of fear in scripture.
Like it or not, Yehova, the Prophets, Yeshua Messiah, and the Apostles all speak about fear. All give harsh warnings in the scriptures, and the consequences are quite severe if we fail to heed these warnings.
[and there was weeping and gnashing of teeth]
I do not speak of these things to criticize or condemn others.
I do not speak of these things because I have no love for others.
I study and pray and research these things because I do have a great love for others.
Family, friends, and strangers alike.
People need to know the whole of scripture, not just the parts they like.

There are many promises and blessings throughout the scriptures, and they are wonderful!  We should love them, and most people do.
My blog here is not meant to diminish or undermine any of the promises in scripture.
The purpose of my blog, for the most part, is to warn others about the tragic consequences of failing to heed the warnings.
Many people will take the promises to the bank, without realizing they are conditional.

Yes, we are given if-then scenarios all throughout scripture.
The promises of our Creator require something of us.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28
²⁶ “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: ²⁷ the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; ²⁸ and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.

John 3:16, 19-21, 36
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

³⁶ He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

People are willing to bank on the promise of John 3:16 without realizing there is more written in this chapter.
The additional information, should we study it, confirms that the promise of John 3:16 is conditional.

I have spent the last couple years studying and praying about the warnings in scripture.
This blog is the result of that effort.
Many people, both in Christian circles and in Torah Community, do not like what I share here.
Is it because of me?
Or is it because they do not like the warnings given in scripture?

In any case, I was chastised this week for sharing some of Yeshua Messiah’s direct quotes, some of His warnings.
I was accused of using fear tactics to put stumbling blocks before other believers, or potential believers.
I am not trying to trip anyone up.
I am not trying to scare anyone away.
I am simply taking the warnings in scripture seriously, working out my salvation with fear and trembling [just as we are instructed to do], and I’m encouraging others to do the same.

Philippians 2:12
¹² Therefore, my loved ones, just as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence—work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

What does it mean, fear and trembling?
Why should salvation be scary?
For one, our eternity is at stake!!!
Let me say that again:
Eternity is at stake!!
There is no other concept in our lives that has more importance.
Our schooling, work, family, health, career, finances, retirement, grandchildren, and yes, even religion…
None of these things are important in comparison to our eternity.

Is there a place for fear in this walk?
Is there a reason for us to consider this idea?
Consider these words, a direct quote of Yeshua Messiah (Jesus):
Matthew 7:13-14
¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Luke 13:22-30
²² And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. ²³ Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
And He said to them, ²⁴ “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ ²⁶ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ ²⁸ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. ²⁹ They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”

If these words do not cause you to sit up and take notice, then your ‘fear and trembling’ may require some repair work. It may require some calibrating.
Do you believe these harsh words pertain to someone else and not you?
We see in the passage in Luke that Yeshua Messiah is speaking to people who thought they were saved, and yet, they were not.
They were locked out, workers of lawlessness.

I did a search in my bible app for ‘fear.
Fear is mentioned 377 times throughout the scriptures.
Fear of Yehova is mentioned countless times, and I have included a small sampling of these verses below. Fear has a very solid and prominent place in our ‘Christian walk’.

This is what is at issue with my blog posts:
I share the direct quotes of Yehova (God) and Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) in hopes of educating people that They have established expectations for us, and that there are tragic consequences if we do not heed Their warnings. In fact, promises made throughout scripture hinge upon us knowing these warnings and heeding them. [nobody likes hearing this, except those with a healthy fear of Yehova].

We must know these things, and we must take Their words seriously, as they impact our salvation and our eternity!!
Here is a statement made by the wisest man to ever live upon the earth.
He has told us the purpose of man, the duty of all mankind:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
¹³ A final word, when all has been heard:
    Fear God and keep His commandments!
For this applies to all mankind.
¹⁴ God will bring every deed into judgment,
including everything that is hidden,
    whether it is good or evil.

And here is a sampling [37 of 377 references, about 10%] regarding fear throughout the scriptures:

Exo 20:20
So Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that His fear may be in you, so that you do not sin.”

Deut 4:10
The day that you stood before Yehova your God in Horeb, Adonai said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me and I will make them hear My words, so that they learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and so that they teach their children.’

Deut 5:26
If only there were such a heart in them to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might go well with them and with their children forever!

Deut 6:13
You must fear Yehova your God and serve Him, and swear by His Name.

Deut 6:24
Yehova commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Yehova our God—for our good always, to keep us alive, as is the case this day.

Deut 10:20
Yehova your God you will fear—Him will you serve. To Him will you cling, and by His Name will you swear.

Deut 17:19
It will remain with him, and he will read in it all the days of his life, in order to learn to fear Yehova his God and keep all the words of this Torah and these statutes.

Deut 28:58-61
58 “If you do not take care to do all the words of this Torah, the things written in this scroll, to fear this glorious and awesome Name, Yehova your God, 59 then Yehova will make your plagues and the plagues of your descendants extraordinary—terrible and prolonged plagues, severe and prolonged illnesses. 60 He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt that you were afraid of, and they will cling to you. 61 Also every illness and plague that is not written in the scroll of this Torah, Adonai will bring on you, until you are destroyed.”

Joshua 4:23-24
23 For Yehova your God dried up the waters of Jordan before you until you crossed—just as Yehova your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which He dried up before us until we crossed over— 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know Yehova’s hand is mighty, and so that you may fear Yehova your God forever.”

Joshua 24:14
“Now therefore, fear Yehova and worship Him in sincerity and in truth.”

1Samuel 12:14
If you fear Yehova and worship Him, and listen to His voice and do not rebel against the command of Yehova, then both you as well as the king who reigns over you will be following Yehova your God.

1Samuel 12:24
Only fear Yehova and worship Him in truth with all your heart, considering how magnificently He has dealt with you.

2Kings 17:25
When they first began dwelling there, they did not fear Yehova—so Yehova sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

Isaiah 2:10
Enter into the rock and hide in the dust, for fear of Yehova, and the glory of His majesty.

Isaiah 8:13
Yehova-Tzva’ot, Him will you sanctify, and let Him be your fear, trembling at Him.

Jeremiah 2:19
Your own wickedness will rebuke you and your backslidings will chide you. Know then and see how bad and bitter it is for you to forsake Yehova your God. Nor is fear of Me in you.” It is a declaration of the Lord Yehova-Tzva’ot.

Jeremiah 5:22
Do you not fear Me?’ says Yehova. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence?’ For I made the sand a boundary of the sea, an everlasting decree that cannot be broken. Though the waves roll, they cannot prevail. Though they roar, they cannot cross it.

Jonah 1:9
He said to them, “I am a Hebrew and I fear Yehova God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Micah 6:9
The voice of Yehova calls to the city— it is wisdom to fear Your Name— “Pay attention to the rod and to the One who appointed it.”

Psalm 2:11
Serve Yehova with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psalm 25:14
The secret of Yehova is for those who fear Him. He makes His covenant known to them.

Psalm 31:20
How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have given to those who take refuge in You, before the children of men.

Psalm 34:8
The angel of Yehova encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

Psalm 67:8
God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of Yehova is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 1:28-29
Then they will cry out to me, but I will not answer!
They will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of Yehova,

Proverbs 2:1-6
My son, if you accept my words
and treasure my commandments within you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom,
inclining your heart to discernment,
3 yes, if you call out for insight,
lifting up your voice for discernment,
4 if you seek her as silver
and search for her as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will know the fear of Yehova
and discover the knowledge of God.
6 For Yehova gives wisdom.
Out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

Job 28:28
And He said to mankind, ‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.”’

Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

Luke 1:50
And His mercy is from generation to generation to the ones who fear Him.

Luke 12:5
But I will show you whom you should fear. Fear the One who, after the killing, has authority to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear this One!

John 9:31
We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners; but if anyone fears Him and does His will, He hears this one.

Acts 13:16
So Paul, standing up and motioning with his hand, said, “Men of Israel and God-fearers, listen.

Romans 11:20-22
True enough. They were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear— 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. 22 Notice then the kindness and severity of God

Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my loved ones, just as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence—work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

1Peter 1:17
If you call on Him as Father—the One who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds—then live out the time of sojourning in reverent fear.

Revelation 14:7
He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made heaven and earth and sea and springs of water.”