THE FEAR OF GOD (PART 2)

Introduction:

"LET  HIM  THAT THINKETH HE STANDETH  TAKE  HEED
LEST HE FALL."(1Cor.10:12).
    "For unto us the gospel is preached as  well
as  unto  them,  but the word preached  did  not
profit  them not being mixed with faith in  them
that heard it".  (Heb. 4:2).
    The  scripture says "Fear the  Lord  ye  his
saints,  for there is no want to them that  fear
him."  Read on, and be humble before Him.


               GOSPEL DISTRIBUTION
    

The Fear of God

"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye  should
be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under
the  cloud, and all passed through the sea;  And
were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in
the  sea;  And  did all eat the  same  spiritual
meat;  And  did  all  drink the  same  spiritual
drink:  for  they drank of that  spiritual  Rock
that  followed them: and that Rock  was  Christ.
But  with many of them God was not well pleased:
for they were overthrown in the wilderness".
( 1 Cor. 10: 1-12).
     It  is very important to take note  of this
message  of  Apostle  Paul which  should  always
serve  as  a  warning to us not to  sit  on  our
laurels:   Take heed to the gospel as  delivered
to  you.  Because unnoticed, things are secretly
sneaking  into the camp of the saints  from  the
world.  Things are sneaking into our lifestyles.
Paul  was  saying  "be careful  now!"   All  the
fathers left Egypt following Moses, going to the
promised  land  that was flowing with  milk  and
honey.
    Apostle  Paul  was  saying  "Remember,  they
didn't get to the land! They were overthrown  in
the  wilderness."  Those were examples  for  us.
Their  journey typified our own call out of  Sin
and  the world to come and wait for the  Son  of
God who will take us up in the rapture to glory:
our  promised land is the new Jerusalem to which
we are going.  The wilderness is the earth where
we are to wait and keep ourselves unspotted, and
yet  continue to grow spiritually to the fulness
of the stature of Christ, till He comes.   "They
all   drink   of  the  same  spiritual   drink".
Consider  ourselves who are following  the  end-
time   message:   we  have  also  been  drinking
spiritual drink in the form of messages  of  the
Lord.   Many of us drank from the ministries  of
great   evangelists  and  prophets.   Now   this
ministry also is building upon the foundation of
the apostles and prophets to produce translative
anointing, and spiritual stamina in order to  be
ready!
"BUT WITH MANY OF THEM GOD WAS NOT WELL PLEASED,
for  they  were  overthrown in the  wilderness".
This  is the warning we must consider seriously.
What  happened  to them in the wilderness?   How
did  it happen?  We all remember the story  when
within  forty days while Moses was gone away  to
the  top of the mount, the hebrews made a golden
calf for themselves to worship.  There must have
been  a deluge of demons unleashed against  them
in  order  for  about  2 million  people  to  be
deceived into making a golden calf, -- within 40
days that their leader was gone away!  (Ex.32:1-
6)   Even  Aaron went along with  it!    If  God
permitted  the devil to turn them away  en-mass,
we ought to fear and humble ourselves before the
Lord  and  confess to him that we are nothing  O
Lord! Even as Christ said: "For without me,  you
can   do  nothing!"  (Jn.15:5).  Remember   what
happened  to Adam and Eve.  God stood  back  and
allowed  it to happen!    Therefore we ought  to
fear  God,  "lest  a promise being  left  us  of
entering  into his rest, any of you should  seem
to  come short of it".  "For unto us the  gospel
is  preached as well as unto them, but the  word
preached  did  not profit them not  being  mixed
with faith in them that heard it".  (Heb. 4:2).

"HE  THAT THINKETH HE STANDETH LET HIM TAKE HEED
LEST  HE FALL." (1 Cor.10:12).  Because God will
allow the devil to try the saints.
    When people hear that the devil will attack,
they  always  think  of an attack  to  kill  the
physical body by disease or death.  They usually
forget  the attack on people's lifestyle in  the
form   of  SIN  which  is  designed  to  produce
spiritual  death  or  lukewarmness!    When  the
Hebrews went totally into idolatry, within forty
days  of Moses' depature, it was still an attack
from  the devil.  This is the point I am  trying
to  stress here, SO THAT EVERYONE MAY WATCH  HIS
WAYS  and "examine yourselves whether ye  be  in
the faith; prove your own selves ".
   "THESE THINGS WERE OUR EXAMPLES TO THE INTENT
THAT  WE  SHOULD NOT LUST AFTER EVIL  THINGS  AS
THEY  ALSO  LUSTED. NEITHER BE YE  IDOLATERS  AS
SOME  OF THEM, AS IT IS WRITTEN: THE PEOPLE  SAT
DOWN  TO  EAT  AND DRINK AND ROSE  UP  TO  PLAY.
NEITHER   LET US COMMIT FORNICATION AS  SOME  OF
THEM  COMMITTED AND FELL IN ONE DAY,  THREE  AND
TWENTY THOUSAND.  ....NEITHER MURMUR YE AS  SOME
OF  THEM  MURMURED  AND WERE  DESTROYED  OF  THE
DESTROYER."    We can individually  meditate  on
each of these errors and figure out what type of
things  we may also be doing or allowing in  our
life  which can be an offence of the type listed
against  these  hebrews.    Especially  when  it
comes  to  murmuring against God!    A  negative
attitude  towards an unanswered  prayer  may  be
classified as murmuring against God!
    Let's be careful and let's watch ourself and
avoid  any of such behavior or attitude or error
in   our  lifestyle  that  may  make  the   Lord
"DISQUALIFY"  anyone from the  rapture.   "THERE
HAS  NO  TEMPTATION TAKEN YOU  BUT  SUCH  AS  IS
COMMON  TO  MAN.  BUT GOD WILL NOT  LET  YOU  BE
TEMPTED  ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE, AND  WILL  WITH
THE TEMPTATION ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE THAT YE
MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT."

  In  Heb.3:7 he echoes the same warning in  the
days  of David to watch for the mistakes of  the
old:  "wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, today,
if  ye  will  hear  his voice  harden  not  your
hearts,  as  in the provocation, in the  day  of
temptation in the wilderness, when your  fathers
tempted  me,  proved me and saw my  works  forty
years.  Wherefore  I  was  grieved   with   that
generation, and said They do alway err in  their
hearts, and they have not known my ways.   So  I
sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into  my
rest".   "Take heed brethren, lest there  be  in
any  of  you  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief   in
departing  from the living God.  But exhort  one
another daily as it is called today, lest any of
you  be  hardened  through the deceitfulness  of
sin."  (Heb.3:7-13).

    What  are we to take heed of?   God  gave  a
promise of rest!  The rest we are talking  about
is  the  rest  of going away in the  rapture  to
enjoy the great things God has provided for  the
overcomers.  That rest we are expected to  start
enjoying  from now.  It is a rest, when  we  are
free  from all the troubles, and diseases;  when
we  have all our needs met, that is a rest which
we can enter into, right from here on earth.  By
growing up in the faith of Christ and overcoming
all  the darts and arrows of the devil,  we  can
live  in victory daily through the name  of  the
Lord Jesus Christ.
    But  the devil which we are to overcome will
fight!  Our part is to be a faithful soldier and
not  surrender to the enemy.  The final rest  is
when  we  enter heaven.  What can  make  someone
fall  short of these rests?  Unbelief  can  make
someone fall short of it!
    Let's consider the hebrews;  They were going
to  the promised land.  Didn't they believe  it?
They  went out of Egypt and crossed the red  sea
by  supernatural means;  didn't they believe it?
But when circumstances of the wilderness journey
confronted them, they began to lose sight of the
hope  which they had and the victory which  they
had received earlier; they started to give-in to
the  present pressures, until at one point  they
desired  to  go back to Egypt.  The journey  was
becoming rough, and unbearable to the flesh.
   Didn't they understand that nothing comes for
nothing?  Gold is dugged out of the ground after
much  labor in pushing away a lot of dirt!   The
promises  given   in  the  book  of  Revelations
constantly say: "To him that overcometh."  There
must  be  something to overcome! (Rev.2:7,17,26;
3:5,12,21).
   The Lord Jesus specifically mentioned, in his
parable  of  the  sower, the  characteristic  of
those  that will overcome: "But he that received
seed into the good ground is he that heareth the
word,  and UNDERSTANDETH it; which also  beareth
fruit,  and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold,
some  sixty, some thirty."  (Mat.13:23).   Again
it  interpretes  thus: "But  that  on  the  good
ground  are  they, which in an honest  and  good
heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring
forth fruit with PATIENCE!." (Lk.8:15).
   They understand  that it's going to take real
struggle to get these nations out of the hand of
Satan.  They understand that it's going to  take
real  battle  to  keep  themselves  growing   up
spiritually.  And they are ready  for  war!   As
Christ  also said : Count the cost  of  being  a
disciple;  They have counted the cost  and  they
are ready for it.
   To go in the rapture, God will need to reveal
some  new  things,  some  more  mysteries,  some
revelations, some understanding.  But the  devil
is  not going to just sit back and let those new
things  be passed through to everybody, for  the
people  to  understand  and  embrace  "the   new
thing!".   There is going to be a confrontation.
The   devil  will  bring  opposition  to   those
revelations,  to  make  it  look  like  "false!"
The  devil  is,  perhaps, not too interested  in
attacking to kill the believer;  he is going  to
try to make them disbelieve the revelations;  to
disbelieve all the great things about the Lord's
coming.  In this generation the enemy's strategy
may be in the form of lukewarmness settling upon
the  believers.  Especially living in a land  of
plenty;  no one seems to be fasting;   why  will
they fast when there is plenty of food around?
    There  will  be opposition to everything  we
have  believed.  It could come in  the  form  of
someone  not believing it and preaching  against
it.   It  could  come in the form of  the  enemy
putting  up  physical circumstances  around  the
believers  so as to ask "where is now  your  God
and  His promises?"    It could come in the form
of  "peer pressures" from your schoolmates,  co-
workers,  or relatives wanting you to compromise
with  your faith in the Lord.  But the scripture
said "But he that shall endure unto the end, the
same  shall be saved." (Mat.24:13).  "Take  heed
brethren,  lest there be in any of you  an  evil
heart  of unbelief in departing from the  Living
God".   "Let  us therefore fear lest  a  promise
being left us of entering into his rest, any  of
you  should seem to come short of it.  For  unto
us the gospel was preached as well as unto them.
But  the word preached did not profit them,  not
being  mixed with faith in them that heard  it."
Some  people  may hear the word and be  excited,
and  jump  up and down like the seed  that  fell
upon  stony  places of which Christ said  "these
are  they when they heard the word, received  it
with  joy";   they  jump and  shout  halleluyah!
"But  it  has  no  root; when persecution  comes
concerning  the  word which they have  received,
they are offended".
    You  are  to  check yourself  and  be  fully
grounded,  lest  when  another  preacher  preach
against  it,  you begin to doubt what  you  once
believed.    That concerns all the word  of  the
Lord  that  has been revealed which  pertain  to
"life".

Doubt your doubts

  "Therefore  we ought to give the more  earnest
heed to the things which we have heard, lest  at
any  time  we should let them slip."  (Heb.2:1).
"Let  us  labour to enter into that  rest,  lest
anyman   fall   after  the   same   example   of
unbelief... "    We need to look at how  we  are
standing,  and  how  we are believing.   Are  we
stagnant  or growing in the faith and  knowledge
of our Lord?  There is a laboring that has to go
with  it!  It may be fasting, it may be praying.
Whatever we need to do to get into  that rest.
    We  cannot hide anything from the all-seeing
eye  of the master.  Be honest before him.  "For
the  word  of  God  is quick and  powerful,  and
sharper than any two edged sword, piercing  even
to  the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and
of  joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts  and intents of the heart;  neither  is
there  any creature that is not manifest in  his
sight;  but all things are naked and  open  unto
the  eyes  of  him  with whom we  have  to  do".
(Heb.4:12-13).
We  are dealing with Jesus!  Every secret  doubt
and  unbelief, He sees it all.  But  if  we  are
humble  and say "Lord, I thought I was  trusting
you  until  this  test came, which  has  already
shaken my faith; help me Lord!"  The Lord  loves
a  contrite spirit.  "The Lord is nigh unto them
that are of a broken heart; and saved such as be
of a contrite spirit." (Psa.34:18).
    Because you have prayed for something and it
did  not happen, don't begin to lose your faith!
Don't  ever  doubt the validity of the  word  of
God.   Cry  out  to the Lord like  the  man  who
brought  his  lunatic son to the  disciples  and
they  couldn't  cast out the devil  until  Jesus
came;  he  told  the  Lord  "IF  THOU  CANST  DO
ANYTHING,  HAVE COMPASSION ON US AND  HELP  US";
Christ  said "If thou canst believe  all  things
are  possible to him that believeth!"   The  man
cried   out  in  tears  as  he  said  "LORD,   I
BELIEVETH, HELP THOU MY UNBELIEF!" (Mk.9:17-27).
The  Lord understands what we are going  through
when  we  are  tried with evil circumstances  to
shake  our faith, but our attitude is important:
if  we  will  confess to him that "my  faith  is
shaking  Lord, help my unbelief", he will  carry
us in his hands.
    All things are naked before the eyes of  him
with  whom  we  have  to do.   Whereas  he  that
changes  his mind and doubts a biblical doctrine
due  to circumstances around him, not asking the
Lord for help, has failed.  It takes exposure to
opposition to reveal how we are believing.  "LET
HIM THAT THINKETH HE STANDETH  TAKE HEED LEST HE
FALL!"  (1Cor.10:12).
For  instance, someone that is attacked  with  a
disease and he prayed and prayed and the disease
is  not gone yet; when such person listens to  a
denominational preacher that said "the  days  of
miracles  are past", he may begin to agree  with
the  preacher  because of his own  circumstance.
The  Lord sees the unbelief and doubt.   If  you
will  fall  down before the Lord and say  "Lord,
this  circumstance has caused my heart to doubt,
but  your  word is forever true; help  my  faith
Lord!"   That  is  an attitude  which  the  Lord
loves.
   "Let  us therefore fear lest a promise  being
left  us  of entering into his rest any  of  you
should seem to come short of it". (Heb.4:1).

"THE WORD OF GOD ABIDETH FOR EVER!"

    Let  this thought sink deep into our hearts:
though we fail to receive the promise, or though
we  fail  to  enjoy a benefit, the word  of  God
remains the same: "FOR EVER O,LORD, THY WORD  IS
SETTLED IN HEAVEN" (Psa. 119:89)
Human  tendency is to water-down a  doctrine  or
become  soft in professing a doctrine previously
held,  if  one runs into circumstances that  are
contrary.
The  enemy's  strategy is  to  put  up  opposing
circumstances  against the faithful,  so  as  to
challenge their faith.
    Remember  the  counsel given to  Absalom  by
Hushai  the Archite (2 Sam.17:6-10)  ".. AND  IT
WILL   COME  TO  PASS  WHEN  SOME  OF  THEM   BE
OVERTHROWN AT THE FIRST, THEN WHOSOEVER  HEARETH
IT  WILL  SAY  THERE  IS A SLAUGHTER  AMONG  THE
PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW ABSALOM; AND HE ALSO THAT  IS
VALIANT,  WHOSE HEART IS AS THE HEART  OF  LION,
SHALL UTTERLY MELT:"
     Job  was  tried but he held firm  and  said
"THOUGH HE SLAY ME YET WILL I TRUST HIM".
Sometime the Lord waits till the last minute  to
intervene in our situations. However,  only  the
faith that understands the ways of God will wait
that  long  in  many circumstances.    Shedrach,
Meshach and Abednigo were delivered in the fire!
NOT  BEFORE THE FIRE! (Dan.3).  Why did God wait
that long?  Only those who are not afraid of the
consequences of trusting God will wait that long
to  enter the fire.  They knew the ways  of  the
Lord;  unlike  the hebrews in the wilderness  as
written   (in Heb.3:10) "WHEREFORE I WAS GRIEVED
WITH  THAT GENERATION, AND SAID, THEY DO  ALWAYS
ERR IN THEIR HEART, AND  THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN  MY
WAYS;  SO  I SWARE IN MY WRATH, THEY  SHALL  NOT
ENTER INTO MY REST".
     Our circumstances do not change the word of
God.   For  example, if a sickness  attacks  and
your  faith could not knock it off easily,  that
doesn't mean that the scripture has failed which
says:  "by his stripes ye were healed."  If  men
are  dying of pestilence on the left and on  the
right,  and prayers couldn't prevent them,  that
doesn't  mean Christ has not abolished death  as
written in 2Timothy 1:10.
    The truth of the word of God does not depend
on  whether you or me have that faith or whether
we  receive that benefit or not.   But the  word
of  God  is forever settled in heaven.   Let  us
remember   these  things  and  humble  ourselves
before  the Lord.  Let us confess that His  word
abideth  for ever, no matter the situation  upon
the earth.  Let us remember that "the just shall
live  by faith!"  A positive faith and the right
attitude  will  confess  the  almightiness   and
faithfulness of God, like the hebrew men  before
Nebuchadnezzar.  They said: "if it  be  so,  our
God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the
burning  fiery furnace, and he will  deliver  us
out  of thine hand, O king.  But if not,  be  it
known  unto thee, O king, that we will not serve
thy  gods,  nor worship the golden  image  which
thou hast set up."  (Dan.3:17-18).
    Similarly,  we  should be  bold  to  confess
before  the  devil that "the Lord  Jesus  Christ
abolished  death  on  the cross!  (2  Tim.1:10).
Whether our prayer could stop the physical death
of  a  believer or not, the word of God is true:
"CHRIST HAS DESTROYED HIM THAT HAS THE POWER  OF
DEATH".     (Heb.2:14).     Confession    brings
possession!
    Lo,  the  promise is TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH!
For, saith the Lord,  "I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning  and  the end.  I will give  unto  him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water  of
life  freely.  He that overcometh shall  inherit
all  things; and I will be his God and he  shall
be  my  son.   But the fearful, and unbelieving,
and  murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and  idolaters, and all liars, shall have  their
part  in  the lake which burneth with  fire  and
brimstone, which is the second death." (Rev.21:6-
8).

   I  pray that many more believers will receive
these literature. If these messages do not  mean
much  to you, perhaps you are NOT tuned  to  the
same  frequency in the spiritual things  of  God
for  "DEEP  CALLETH UNTO DEEP" (Psa.42:7).   But
you  can seek the Lord and search the scriptures
to  see  if  these  things  were  so.   He  that
seeketh, findeth!   Amen!


    Bro.Julius Adewumi, Gospel Distribution
.