Scary God: Introducing the Fear of the Lord to the Postmodern Church

by Mattie Montgomery

Discover the great wonder and wild freedom the fear of the Lord can bring.

What does the Bible mean when it says we are to fear God? Is it difficult for you to reconcile the two sides of God’s nature—His wrath and His love? Mattie Montgomery teaches that a right pursuit of the fear, fire, and fullness of God can lead you into the knowledge of a side of God you may never have imagined before.

 He notes that the fear of God does not mean that we should be afraid of God; but rather, that we should be afraid to be against Him. And, if we abide in Christ, we can live in the continual awareness of the mighty Warrior King who calls us beloved. That realization is the glorious convergence of respect, awe, reverence, adoration, instruction, honor, worship, discipline, confidence, thanksgiving, love, and yes . . . fear. The result—a joyful experience of God’s grandeur and a grateful realization that only through Him do we receive His provisions and protection and are able to echo the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 8:31, “If God is for me, who can be against me?”

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2018

Reviews

[Taylor Livengood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mattie is such a powerful example of living your life constantly acknowledging the power and majesty of the Almighty God.
This book beautifully communicates his passion for an accurate view of all aspects of God's nature, and convicts without the slightest apology or hesitation.

[Josiah Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book that introduced me to the holiness of God (read in 2018). An enjoyable read

[DT · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This book gives several examples and explanations of what it means to fear God. Montgomery has opened my eyes to see the stories of Joseph, Isaiah, Job, and Eve in a new light.

He may be a bit too charismatic for some readers, and the book does take a few chapters to get “interesting,” but it is definitely one I recommend and can see myself coming back to in the future. The second half is much better than the first.

[OnceUponABlonde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very thought provoking book, it had me looking at my relationship with God and asking a big question "do I fear God as I should?" And I found that I do. I fear God as a child does their parents. This doesn't mean I am terrified of God, while I do fear His authority and want to do His will in my life, I'm not petrified of my heavenly Father. We talk about him being like a parent, well if I was terrified of God I would do everything out of a place of terror-stricken fear and not a want to please Him (and a little fear, because I know his authority over my life). There is a healthy amount of fear we should have—as one would a parent— it shouldn't be"I'm scared for my life" it should be similar to the kind of fear you have for your parents. You respect them and their authority over you, but you don't live in constant fear of them. Can they punish you? Yes. Will they if necessary? Yes. You don't ride to school or to activities thinking "oh my gosh, please don't hurt me." (or at least you shouldn't.)
In conclusion: There is a healthy fear of God that should be present in your relationship, but you shouldn't be petrified and horror-struck of your Father in heaven. Know He has great power and know He has authority over you and the entire universe? Yes. Be utterly terrified and paralyzed with fear of Him? No.

All in all this was a good book and I'm very happy to have read it. It helped me grow and learn things, it had me thinking about my relationship with God. Well done, Mr. Montgomery. 👏🏻

[Stephen Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evangelist and former hardcore vocalist Mattie Montgomery chose a slightly provocative title for a book on a very unpopular and misunderstood topic: the fear of the Lord. Most people claim the fear of the Lord either doesn’t apply to New Covenant believers or that it just means “respect” or “awe”. Montgomery would choose to disagree. He believes that “fear” simply means fear.

In Scary God, Mattie goes against the current of “casual Christianity” and the notion that God exists for the sole purpose of blessing us. The God of the Bible is far from the god of American Christianity. He is powerful, fierce, and sometimes even scary. I highly recommend this book and the author.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiffany Tubville · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Today has been my favorite metal band because of the passionate Spirit-filled speeches from Mattie Montgomery. I’m so thankful that he has used his talents and opportunities to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. His book “Scary God” is a fantastic blend of his personal history, testimonies, Scripture and prayer to encourage us to embrace the fear of the Lord, make ourselves available and listen for God’s direction, and share the victory we have in Christ with others.

[Larry Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book had no filter and honestly has encouraged my faith. Mattie Montgomery speaks boldly about churches in today’s society and has some eye opening chapters. You’d think he comes off as zealous, but this man is a God fearing, loving man. God bless you ! I’m exciting to hear more about what he has to say. I believe this book is for anyone. Baby Chrisian or Veteran..! Encourage anyone and everyone to read this book.

[Josh Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a huge fan of For Today since the beginning and it devastated me when I found out they were splitting up. But I’ve been wanting to read Mattie’s book for a long time and it was fantastic. I love his passion and how he explained what it means to fear the Lord. God is fighting for us not against us and it should give us a reverence towards him. “The fear of the Lord frees us from any and all other fears”...love that!

[Acacia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. While I’m not very familiar with For Today, I certainly plan to be soon. What a timely word. Mattie uses his own experiences, scripture, and history to explore the Fear that we should have, the Fear that seems to be lacking. This is such an important book, one that I will come back to over and over.

[Victoria Montoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mattie has a great way of keeping the reader invested and interested in his book. I believe wholeheartedly that we need to remember that God is not just loving and forgiving but he is also jealous, wrathful and yes, he should be feared. The church should focus on that too. I enjoyed this book and I'll enjoy reading it again in the future. Remember, Jesus sees you, and he loves you.

[Hunter Liles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and life changing. Must read!

[Zené · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book! Loved every chapter!

[Luke Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. It opened my eyes to a new perspective of God. It's truly wonderful to get to hear all the stories that relate to the topics mentioned as well.

[Joshua D Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not found a great many modern books that handles this topic very well. For the most part it seems to be a taboo subject for many. Mattie does a really good job, though I'm sure some will have a hard time reconciling his scream-style rock performances (despite his purported Gospel engagement with his fans) with some of his statements on not conforming to the culture. My brothers and I read the book and found it helpful, but after viewing some of his vimeo videos, we kinda wish we hadn't. It just seems confusing. That said, I took many notes on the book and plan to relisten to it again very soon.

[Jeannie Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

That "something" that's missing.

Montgomery speaks from a heart steeped in the fear of the Lord.
If you're seeking fluffy feelings, this is not your answer, but if you are truthfully searching for the reason your faith is stale and your mission of ministry is idling in neutral, listen as Mattie Montgomery faithfully reintroduces you to YAHWEH SABAOTH,
The Lord of Heavens Armies.
-Larry

[Warephreak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was expecting a straight reading but the chapters end with a prayer so used more like a devotional. Could make a good small group discussion as well although one would need to add their own questions to help spur that along. Was a good reminder that while we are supposed to draw near to God, He is never one of our buds.

[Tina Clucas]

I don't remember anything about this book. But it is in my read history so I'm logging it.

[Phillip Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hearing people say that you need to fear God is pretty common, but there are also people that say fear has no place in following God. God can be scary, but not in the way horror movies portray fear. God is to be feared out of knowledge of what He can do, has done, and will do.

In Scary God, Mattie Montgomery relates through his experiences what he has learned about truly fearing God. This is not a fear that causes you to cower and be afraid to move, but a fear that drives you into action. Christians should be out sharing the gospel and ministering in a way that will help others understand the consequences of rejecting Jesus.

This fear also applies in our approach to God. Many Christians quote the verses about being bold and courageous when coming into God's presence, but we need to remember that He is holy, and talking to Him is not to be taken lightly.

Scary God is well written and easy to read, but it may not be as easy to take for everyone. We like to build a protective safe are in our lives so that we don't get hurt or hurt others. This book calls you out of that zone so that you can follow wherever God leads you. There are several things that I have gotten used to being the way they are, and now I will have to reconsider them because of what I read in the book.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Ruby The Romance Enthusiast · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read and left a review on that deals with religion. The title is somewhat misleading, because if you believe then you should know that God can be scary but not like media and TV portray him. Just in ways of knowing what he can do and has done, examples are in the Bible.

The man is telling a story about his own experiences and how they shaped and formed his life revolving around God and what not to do while reaping the consequences of not believing.

It’s engaging and well written while not shoving religion down your throat. It’s a good example of living a life of sin and outside of Gods laws.

I want to thank Netgalley, publisher and author for the ARC copy I received.

[Read-n-Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book!! Let’s you know exactly who God is! You have to read to understand what he’s talking about when he says “Scary God” , but mostly it’s meaning he’s all powerful, and ALMIGHTY, and many other ways you haven’t thought of God being. But open up your spirit and soul and find out. Astonishing book!! ..I would recommend to all.....Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers of #ScaryGod for opportunity to read and review in my honest opinion.