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
.