Do You Fear God Or Man?
by Ernest Angley
There are two different types of fear—paralyzing fear that binds and
the reverent fear of God that liberates. The fear of man bringeth
a snare [a trap]: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD
shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25). Those you fear are the ones you will
listen to and seek to please. Those who fear man will do what man
wants them to, and those who fear God will seek to please Him in all
things.
Many boys and girls fall into traps at school because they fear their
peers, and they do things they should not do to please them. Many
adults fear certain family members, friends and coworkers; and they
compromise for them as well. If people would learn to fear the Lord,
stand in awe of His mighty power and seek to please Him, they would
be liberated from the fear of man. Those who seek to be more like
Jesus than anyone else will be fine.
Many people don’t want to be one of God’s despised few in this
world, and others are afraid to be one of them. Some may be a little
better at disguising that fear than others, but it is there just the same.
True children of God must be liberated from the fear of man and then
go on to help liberate others by teaching them to yield to the love of
God. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out
fear (I John 4:18). But that love will not work unless you use it.
What Is the Fear of God?
To fear God is to stand in awe of His supreme authority, the most
excellent authority that is or ever will be. If you will do that, things
will be well with you. That is what God wanted for the Israelites, but
they would not fear Him like they should. You can almost hear the
yearning in God’s voice when He said, O that there were such an
heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my
commandments always, that it might be well with them,
and with their children forever (Deuteronomy 5:29)! God
desires for things to go well for us, too.
I say again that the fear of God is a reverent fear that honors Him and
wants to do His perfect will. Behold, the eye of the LORD is
upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his
mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them
alive in famine(Psalm 33:18,19). The eye of the Lord is upon you
right now to help you. He knows all about you. He sees your
tomorrows, and He has everything planned for you.
When people hear the words “fear God,” many think of Him as a
powerful judge sitting on His throne just waiting for the opportunity
to judge or punish people. They only see God in a negative light and
not as a God of great love for all people and for all that is holy and
righteous. God loves righteousness; and when you are pure and holy,
He will do anything for you. But God hates sin and unrighteousness.
The Lord will correct you at times, but that is because He loves
you. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord,
nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the
Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth (Heb 12:5,6). When the Lord does correct you, you
must thank Him and honor Him for loving you enough to do that and
know that His discipline will yield the peaceable fruit of
righteousness. Now no chastening [correction or discipline] for
the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby (Heb
12:11).
Godly Fear Brings Good Things
The fear of God brings wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of wisdom: a good understanding [of God’s
will] have all they that do his commandments: his praise
endureth forever (Psalm 111:10). And unto man he said,
Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart
from evil is understanding (Job 28:28).
When the disciples learned to fear the Lord in the Early Church,
many signs and wonders were done. And great fear came upon
all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and
wonders wrought among the people (Acts 5:11,12). What a
miraculous time they had using the divine power and authority Jesus
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had brought to them through the Holy Ghost and seeing the results.
Heaven had come down.
Throughout the Word of God, we are told to fear God and to regard
Him with holy awe because of His great glory, His holiness, His
justice and His exceeding great love. Let all the earth fear the
LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of
him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it
stood fast (Psalm 33:8,9). The things God speaks come to pass
because He is Lord God Almighty. For I am the LORD: I will
speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to
pass (Ezekiel 12:25). When God speaks, it is done.
You will find divine promise after divine promise in both the Old and
New Testaments, oceans of them without any lack. You can depend
on the Lord and on His promises because He keeps them all, but you
can never doubt Him.
There are promises to cover everything you will ever need, so why
don’t you live by them? Some of you feel that only certain people can
get a prayer through and claim God’s promises, but that is not true.
Any true child of God can go before His throne at any time for
whatever they need. Paul knew that; and he said, Let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Living by promise takes you into the deepness of the Lord, but some
are not using those promises. Thus saith the Lord, you are loving
other things too much. Why do you want to miss out on claiming all
of God’s promises and on the wonderful relationship He offers you?
God Hates Sin
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of
the LORD all the day long (Proverbs 23:17). Never envy people
for the wrong things they are doing. It may look like they are having a
good time and that they have more money and material things than
you do; but when the Gospel trumpet sounds on Rapture Day, those
things won’t matter. They also may have lied or cheated to get the
money and possessions they have, and that is sin. God is pure in all
things, and His holy nature abhors sin and wickedness. God
judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked
every day (Psalm 7:11).
God’s holiness causes Him to separate Himself from sin, and it must
become your desire to separate yourself from sin, too; but that will
only happen when you fear God more than you fear man. Only then
will the devil be unable to get you to go over to his side; and you will
be saying with the Psalmist, Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I
will keep the commandments of my God (Psalm 119:115).
God knows those who are righteous. He knows the ones who are just
like the man and woman He made in Eden before they sinned, and
He loves them; but He is angry with the wicked. If you fear God the
right way, you will be just as angry at sin as God is; and you will hate
all evil. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: [false] pride, and
arrogancy, and the evil way (Proverbs 8:13).
Do you fellowship with sinners? Your fear of God should keep you
from doing that; but some of you think, “I will win them to Christ.”
Fellowshipping with sinners is not the way to win them because you
will have to act so much like them in order to please them, and that is
dangerous. The Bible says, Wherefore come out from among
them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you (II Corinthians 6:17). You
always have to live and act as if Jesus is coming today; but if you
choose to envy or socialize with sinners, you will be the loser.
I didn’t socialize much with anyone after I got saved. The Lord was
drawing me to Himself and making Himself so real to me, and I
wanted to be with Him as much as I could. I never imagined it would
be like that, but it can be like that for you, too. The Lord will just take
you into His arms of love and give you great peace and help, but you
have to spend time with Him and study to be quiet (I Thes 4:11).
When you are right with God, you will want to be with His people;
and you will watch out for those God is not fellowshipping with. For
thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked
in thy truth. I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I
go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of
evildoers; and will not sit with the wicked (Psalm 26:3-5). Paul
said, And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part
hath he that believeth with an infidel (II Corinthians 6:15)?
When you please God in the little things He asks you to do, then you
won’t have any trouble pleasing Him in the big things.
Live Holy
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of
the LORD men depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6). The true fear of
God will have a sanctifying effect on you. If a man therefore
purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour,
sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared
unto every good work (II Timothy 2:21).
When you fear God more than man, you will delight in the things
God delights in. Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that
feareth the LORD that delighteth greatly in his
commandments [love commandments Jesus brought] (Psa 112:1).
The Psalmist said, I am a companion of all them that fear thee
[God], and of them that keep thy precepts (Psa 119:63).
Children of God are to support one another, and they must keep
every word God has said. Hear me now therefore, O ye
children, and depart not from the words of my mouth (Prov
5:7).
You must become perfect in the sight of God by living in the Word
and in God’s holiness. Having therefore these [divine]
promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the
fear of God (II Corinthians 7:1). Many people and churches create
their own kind of holiness, but it is not God’s holiness; and it will not
get them into Heaven. Follow peace with all men, and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews
12:14).
God made Adam and Eve holy, and He loved them. He went down to
the Garden daily to fellowship with them in the cool of the day; but
when they sinned, God’s just and holy nature became angry at their
sin. He could not and would not fellowship with anything that
opposed His holiness. God didn’t desert them; they degraded
themselves and chose the devil instead of God, so He had no choice
but to leave them. Today, people are still going to the evil tree, and
many of them keep choosing evil until they blaspheme against the
Holy Ghost.
The Wicked Will Be Destroyed
When you have no fear of God, you will not hate the things God
hates. The transgression of the wicked saith within my
heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he
flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be
found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity
and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He
deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way
that is not good; he abhorreth not evil (Psalm 36:1-4). The
transgression of the wicked is described completely in that verse.
They do not despise evil; they embrace it.
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso
confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Happy is
the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart
shall fall into mischief [sin] (Proverbs 28:13,14). God will finally
give up on those who reject Him, and they will find themselves in hell
for eternity.
Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of
peace have they not known [And many don’t want to know it.]:
There is no fear of God before their eyes (Romans 3:16-18). So
many people are clothed with filthy sins of all kinds. The Lord still
loves their souls, and He wants them to be saved; but He hates their
sin.
Unfortunately, many of those who have rejected God today have also
blasphemed against the Holy Ghost; and thus saith the Lord, others
have just one more step before they will blaspheme. Those who have
blasphemed can never be saved, and God hates their souls. But
whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be
forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to
come (Matthew 12:32). Blasphemers are so close to hell, and they
have no feeling left to even care…but they will care when they are
burning in the lake of fire.
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The Power of God’s Word
God, not man, is the creator of all things and all people; and He
accomplished it all by His word. By the word of the LORD were
the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of
his mouth (Psalm 33:6). God not only created all, He also has
power over it all; so why would you not honor Him?
Whatever God says or does will last for eternity. I know that,
whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be
put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that
men should fear before him (Ecclesiastes 3:14).
Man has tried many times to change the things God has done, but he
has not been able to because the things of God can never be changed.
For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are
done in truth [only]. He loveth righteousness and judgment:
the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD (Psalm 33:4,5).
God’s goodness could fill the oceans of the whole world, and there
would still be plenty left over.
Before Pentecost, the disciples were spiritually weak; and they did
not know what manner of man Jesus really was or the power of His
words. One evening, Jesus and the disciples were on a ship in the
midst of a terrible storm. Jesus was asleep, but the disciples were
scared to death. If they had feared God the right way, they would
have known everything would be all right.
The disciples were so afraid that they finally woke up Jesus. And
he[Jesus] arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the
sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a
great calm. And he said unto them [the disciples], Why are ye
so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared
exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man
is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him (Mark 4:39-
41)? All Jesus did was speak, and peace came. You must want the
greatness of the Gospel to go forth through you like it did when Jesus
spoke it. He spoke it in perfection, and so must you.
You have to know who Jesus is and what He can do, and you must
hide His words in your heart. My son, if thou wilt receive my
words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou
incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to
understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and
liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as
silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt
thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the
knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:1-5).
When God tells you something, He will make your path plain so you
can do what He has said. Trust in the LORD with all thine
heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all
thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy
paths (Proverbs 3:5,6). You have to honor God and what He says.
God Claims His Own
And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day
when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man
spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return,
and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between
him that serveth God and him that serveth him not (Malachi
3:17,18). A separating time was coming, and that time is now.
During the great vision described in the book of Revelation, John the
Revelator said, And a voice came out of the throne, saying,
Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him,
both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a
great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and
give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come,
and his wife hath made herself ready (Revelation 19:5-7).
There are preachers who claim that the Bride of Christ doesn’t have
to be ready to meet her Lord while she is here on Earth. They say she
will prepare after she gets to Heaven, but that is not so. Revelation
19:7 says the Bride was ready. The Lord is coming for a perfect
Bride. That he might present it to himself a glorious church,
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27).
Many ministers who are not preaching the truth today actually know
the truth, but they don’t care. They give people false hope by trying to
show them a side door to Heaven, but there are no side doors. Jesus
said, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture (John 10:9).
He also said, No man can come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the
last day (John 6:44).
God is the one who will raise up people, so you must fear Him rather
than man. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not
able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to
destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). The devil
can destroy the body but not the soul; however, God can destroy both
body and soul, and He promised He would do that to those who
reject Him.
At the great White Throne Judgement, Lord God Almighty will judge
every person and reward them according to their works. People will
receive either eternal life or eternal hell. I saw the dead, small
and great, stand before God; and the books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works. And the sea
gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to their works. And whosoever
was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire(Revelation 20:12,13,15).
Once people are in hell, God will never remember them again. They
can pray, cry, scream or beg; but He will never hear them again. And
cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30).
Study the Word
To fear God, you first have to know who God is; and you learn that
through His Holy Word. But you can’t just read or hear the Word;
you have to accept it, believe it and act on it. For if any be a hearer
of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding
his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and
goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of
man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of
liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in
his deed (James 1:23-25). The Holy Ghost has come to help us learn
and keep the Word.
When you fear God, you will study to become a skilled craftsman in
the Lord by spending hours with your instruction guide, the Word of
God. You will seek to learn it in great detail because you will know it
contains the excellent knowledge, wisdom and safety information you
need to do your job the right way. Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15).
A man wanting to become an electrician studies books, codes and
illustrations so he will learn not to wire something incorrectly and
cause a destructive fire. He shows himself to be an approved, skilled
electrician, and we must show ourselves to be approved workers for
the Lord.
You can’t just read the Word; you have to eat it and digest it. The
prophet Jeremiah said, Thy words were found, and I did eat
them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of
mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of
hosts (Jeremiah 15:16). Jesus said, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God (Matthew 4:4).
If you study God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to help you, you
will never be ashamed of following God; however, if you decide
through lack of preparation, laziness, negligence or selfishness that it
is not necessary to really study God’s Word, you will be sorry either
now or when your time on Earth is over. If you do not devote your
time and attention to God’s instruction Book, you will do things your
way and cause confusion and destruction to yourself and others.
Some people may consider themselves to be skilled in doing God’s
work without having spent time studying the Word to be approved of
God, so they are bringing shame upon themselves and His work.
Never look at people; look to the Word. Many people are striving, but
they are striving the wrong way. And if a man also strive for
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masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive
lawfully [keep the love commandments that Jesus brought] (II
Timothy 2:5).
The Word Is Your Safety
It is time to use the living Word to bomb the devil’s kingdom and tear
down the strongholds of the devil. For the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds (II Corinthians 10:4). The strong,
powerful Word is ours to use against the devil at any time. Our God is
on the throne, and no devil or man can dethrone Him. There is no
need to be afraid that God won’t do what He said He would do;
just launch out into the deep, and let down your nets (Luke
5:4). Cast the Gospel nets to the lost souls of the world and expect
results.
Beware that the devil will try to prevent you from remembering as
much of the Word as he possibly can because he knows that if you
have a good supply of the Word to use, he has very little chance at
deceiving you. That is why you must know that the Word is your
place of safety. The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the
righteous runneth into it, and is safe (Proverbs 18:10). Thou
art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word (Psalm
119:114).
Everything within the pages of the Word is safety and divinity—
divine wisdom, divine knowledge and divine instructions to do our
work in a manner that pleases God. I am amazed at how the Lord is
opening up the whole Bible to us now. He told me that none of it is to
be covered throughout the rest of our journey, so He will make the
Word plain to you if you will yearn for it and study it. Jesus
said, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness: for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).
The Psalmist hid the Word in his heart, and so must you. Thy word
have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against
thee(Psalm 119:11). You must hide yourself in the Word that
endureth forever. But the word of the Lord endureth forever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto
you (I Peter 1:25). The Word will never pass away. Heaven and
earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass
away (Matthew 24:35).
Only Godly Wisdom Counts
The devil destroys so many people through too much worldly
learning. They think they know a lot, but they know nothing as far as
God is concerned. All they have learned fills them with ego, and they
think they know it all; but none of their knowledge will take them to
Heaven. The Bible says, If any man think that he knoweth any
thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know (I
Corinthians 8:2).
Studying vain, worthless things of the flesh instead of divine truth
will cause you to be weak. Things such as philosophy, astrology,
witchcraft and humanism may promise to bring you much worldly
knowledge and power; but only the infallible Word of God can bring
reality and truth about men’s souls.
Students have to be careful about studying vain worldly things in
school because they will appeal to the flesh and lead you astray. You
may think you have to know certain things, but what good will they
do you if you fail God and are left behind when Jesus comes? What
good will they do you when you lift up your eyes in a devil’s hell and
know you educated yourself into being there?
The devil will make you feel like you are really accomplishing
something great because your flesh is being fed; but the Bible
says, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the
lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for
ever (I John 2:16,17).
God said, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise [the world’s
wisdom], and will bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent (I Corinthians 1:19). That is God’s verdict on higher
education when you get more of it than you can sanctify. We live in
the most deceitful age that has ever been, and even highly educated
people are so deceived.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of
God(I Corinthians 1:18). Those who are wise in the eyes of the world
may mock you and jeer at you, but it doesn't matter when you have
the Cross, the power of God.
Beware of the Wrong People
The Israelites went after worldly things rather than God, and it got
them into so much trouble. And they [Israel] rejected
his [God’s] statutes, and his covenant that he made with
their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against
them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went
after the heathen that were round about them, concerning
whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do
like them (II Kings 17:15). They were told not to have anything to do
with the heathen, but they didn’t listen.
You can’t associate with just anyone and expect to keep God in your
life. Your enemies may be your own family members if they reject
God; but Jesus said, Think not that I am come to send peace
on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am
come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law
against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of
his own household(Matthew 10:34-36). There is no need for you
to go to hell just because some of your friends or family members are
choosing to go there; however, if you continue to socialize with those
who reject your God, you are subject to be left behind when Jesus
comes. Will it be worth it?
The Bible says, And turn ye not aside [from God]: for then
should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor
deliver; for they are vain (I Samuel 12:21). Seeking worthless and
ungodly things will bring nothing but disaster, and giving your time
and attention to people who are not walking in the truth of God will
have the same result.
Paul said, For what if some did not believe? shall their
unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid:
yea, let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:3,4). God
will always be true to you, but those who don’t follow Him will fail
you if you stay around them; and they can put you on the path to
destruction.
The Dangers of Indifference
Failing to fear God like you should causes indifference, and an
indifferent person is not really concerned about doing the will of God.
He does not see the need to study the Word; and he is content to
remain neutral and be uncaring, lukewarm and uninvolved with
regard to the things of God.
The New Testament is God’s Will to His children, the great Jesus
Will. He willed all the greatness contained in it to you and me, even
eternal life; and He wants us to be in Heaven with Him forever.
However, if you are so indifferent that you never pick up that Will
and study it, you will regret it when you find yourself in hell.
The Bible says, I [God] know thy works, that thou art neither
cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because
thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
thee out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15,16). You cannot serve God
with only half of your heart.
Some people are actually contented doing wrong before God, and yet
they think they are so special. The Bible warns, Woe to them that
are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of
Samaria [false gods]…That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch
themselves upon their couches [false pride] (Amos 6:1,4). Rise
up, ye…that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless…give ear
unto my speech (Isaiah 32:9).
Those who are at ease in Zion live by their feelings and self pride.
They see no need to apply themselves to studying God’s Word or
fulfilling His desires. They are self-centered, and they want to do as
they please. They would rather lie in their beds of ease and scorn
God’s true workmen than make any changes to themselves.
Many people today are blaspheming against the Holy Ghost, and they
are so deceived that they still think they will go to Heaven; but that
will not happen. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin
and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven
unto men (Matthew 12:31).
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Our soul [referring to the souls of children of God] is exceedingly
filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with
the contempt of the proud (Psalm 123:4). People may pour out
scorn upon you, but you can’t let it affect you. They have such
contempt for true children of God, and they hate you for living the
truth. They know you are different and that you are better in the Lord
than they are, and they want to knock you down; but don’t let them
do it. God is there to lift you up, but it is up to you to stay up.
God Must Come First
The Holy Ghost gave Isaiah the prophet this to say: Therefore hear
now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest
carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else
beside me [No one is as great as I am.]…For thou hast trusted
in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy
wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted
thee…Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not
know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon
thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation
shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not
know (Isaiah 47:8,10,11). The people in Isaiah’s day had allowed
worldly wisdom and knowledge to pervert them, and God was
warning them of what was to come. That same warning goes for
people today.
If you have neglected studying God’s Word and are more interested
in worldly things than godly things, then your heart is in danger of
becoming carnal and even ignorant just like the hearts of the
Israelites were. For the heart of this people is waxed gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they
closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with
their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be
converted, and I should heal them (Acts 28:27). The Lord is
saying here, “These people don’t want me, and they don’t want to see
my miracles. They do whatever they can think of to keep the Word
from getting into their hearts.”
Always remember that the devil makes idiots, so don’t ever let him
make an idiot out of you. He made idiots out of many of the angels in
Heaven whom the Lord had created in perfection, so he will do it to
you, too, if he can. Think about how it must have hurt the heart of
God when He had to cast Lucifer and the angels who had listened to
him out of Heaven. God spared not the angels that sinned, but
cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of
darkness, to be reserved unto judgment (II Peter 2:4).
You can’t allow the devil to cause you to be indifferent for even one
minute, or you will let the things of God slip away. Paul
said, 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 (Hebrews 2:1). You have to give earnest heed to the
Word of God and live it.
Like Paul, you must know in whom you have believed and know that
He will take care of everything you turn over to Him. For I know
whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to
keep that which I have committed unto him against that
day (II Timothy 1:12).
You must know you have a clean record before God like Job did. He
said, Behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on
high (Job 16:19). You must serve the Lord in the beauty of
holiness. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name:
bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD
in the beauty of holiness(I Chronicles 16:29).
Have a True Foundation
Divine love, grace and humility are in the faith of the Gospel; and
that Gospel carries everything we need. There are many other so-
called gospels in the world that are very deceiving, but the truth of
God can only be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul knew that Gospel was the real truth; and he said, Whom we
preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all
wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ
Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his
working, which worketh in me mightily (Colossians 1:28,29).
The Gospel worked mightily in Paul; and when you study God’s Word
and follow His instructions, it can work mightily in you, too.
The love and faith of God can never be destroyed, but your human
vessel of clay can be if you don’t believe and use the Word.
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my
words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also
shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the
glory of his Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38).
If you don’t fear God and if you don’t study to show yourself
approved unto Him and work according to His instructions, you will
be destroyed. And every one that heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish
man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of
it (Matthew 7:26,27). You cannot do things your way.
If you fear God and not man, you will be able to stand against any
storm. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which
built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that
house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a
rock (Matthew 7:24,25). Neither man nor devil can destroy the true
work of God or His miracles because those miracles are from Heaven.
Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my
salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation (Psalm 62:1,2).
We must build our foundation upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, and not
upon the sand. Only true salvation makes you steadfast and
unmovable in the Lord. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye
stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain
in the Lord (I Corinthians 15:58).
Have a Holy Conversation
You must take on the anointings of God. They are mighty, and they
will break all the yokes for you. And it shall come to pass in that
day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy
shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall
be destroyed because of the anointing (Isaiah 10:27). That is
why Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it
be afraid (John 14:27).
Jesus also said, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the
true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in
truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him (John
4:23). It is wonderful to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth and
to make melody in your heart to Him. The Bible says, Speaking to
yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord (Ephesians 5:19). God will delight Himself in you when you
sing for the glory of the Lord, but you must never want to sing
anything that won’t glorify Him.
When you fear God, your hands, your eyes and your feet will be His
to use. Your mouth will be His, and you will have the kind of
conversation the Bible speaks of. Only let your conversation be
as it becometh the gospel of Christ…that ye stand fast in
one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of
the gospel (Philippians 1:27). What kind of conversation do you
have? Are you ashamed of any part of it, and do you try to hide it
from others?
Gossip, deceit and idle talk are contagious, foul and destructive
diseases; and you must take no part in such things. Paul told Timothy
to shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase
unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a
canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus (II Tim 2:16,17).
Everyone will have to give account before God for every word they
speak. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men
shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by
thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matthew 12:36,37).
If you are not living right and talking right, you will be like the
Israelites when they asked Moses to tell God never to speak to them
again. And all the people saw the thunderings, and the
lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain
smoking [manifestations of God]: and when the people saw it,
they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto
Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not
God speak with us, lest we die (Exodus 20:18,19).
5
God wants to speak to His people, and it is awful never to want God
to talk to you again. When you fear God, you will want Him to talk to
you. He said, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the
LORD(Isaiah 1:18). You reason with God by studying the Word.
Paul said, See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if
they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth,
much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him
that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the
earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I
shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word,
Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that
are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things
which cannot be shaken may remain (Hebrews 12:25-27).
When God shakes the heavens and the Earth, they will never be the
same; but the Gospel and the things of God can never be shaken
because they are eternal.
Be Willing to Give All
When you fear God, you will be willing to give all for Him. At times,
the Israelites were willing to give all for God; and when they did, God
moved for them. Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of
Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves (Judges
5:2). Unfortunately, they didn’t stick to it.
Isaiah the prophet wrote, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall
eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19). Paul knew the importance
of being willing to do God’s work; and he said, For if I do this
thing willingly, I have a reward (I Corinthians 9:17). Like Paul,
you must give all to be obedient to God until the end. You can’t allow
anything to turn you back.
You must know without a doubt that nothing matters but doing the
divine will of God. Jesus spoke only what the Father gave Him to
speak. I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught
me, I speak these things (John 8:28). And Jesus did only the
things His Father wanted Him to do. Jesus saith unto them, My
meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his
work (John 4:34).
We too must do the will of the Father and finish His work. We have
to bring in the final harvest, and we don’t have long to do it. Jesus
told us the many signs to look for just before He returned, and you
can now see them all around. They are there to give us strength and
to give us power to rise up above our feelings so we can take on the
Spirit of the living God in a greater way than ever before.
Like Paul, you cannot count your life dear to yourself like most
people do. But none of these things move me, neither count I
my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course
with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the
Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God (Acts
20:24).
You will never have real joy if you do things for the Lord
begrudgingly. Some people try to please themselves and the Lord,
too, but it doesn’t work. You may say, “Lord, I will do anything for
you as long as I don’t have to sacrifice any of my evenings or
weekends.” That is not being willing because you are still counting
your life dear to yourself. You will never be able to finish your course
with joy by only making yourself available to God on your terms.
Jesus said, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and
whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew
16:25). Your life belongs to God; and if you won’t give it to Him, you
are robbing Him because the Bible says you were bought with a
price. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God
in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (I
Corinthians 6:20).
Jesus paid the ultimate price for you to be a part of Him. For we are
members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones (Eph
5:30). I have no life of my own; I have given it all to the Lord. I tell
the Lord again and again, “If there is even one tiny thing in my life
that you are not pleased with, let me know what it is; and I will get
rid of it at once.”
Follow Jesus
If we will follow Jesus in the fear of the Lord, we will be winners now
and for eternity. Jesus said, And every one that hath forsaken
houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or
wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall
receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting
life (Matthew 19:29). This is our message today, too.
Jesus spoke only truth, and that truth will deliver you from
anything. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free(John 8:32). Jesus made the Holy Ghost available to
all who would obey Him. And we are his [Jesus’] witnesses of
these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath
given to them that obey him (Acts 5:32). If you will receive Him,
He will always be there to help you abide in truth all the time and to
do what God has called you to do.
When God calls, you must learn that it is best to answer Him
immediately no matter what you are doing. And straightway
they [the disciples] forsook their nets, and followed
him [Jesus] (Mark 1:18). Jesus called the disciples, and they
answered. He said, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of
men (Matthew 4:19). They obeyed, and they did become soul
winners.
We have to take up our cross and follow Jesus who said, If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23). When you do that, you
will be free of all burdens and oppression. Then shall thy light
break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring
forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee;
the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward (Isaiah 58:8).
God will always answer the cry of the righteous. The righteous cry,
and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their
troubles (Psalm 34:17). Then shalt thou call, and the LORD
shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I
am (Isaiah 58:9).
If you are not walking as close to the Lord as you once did, you can
move closer this day and be determined to give all. There is no
person or thing that can satisfy your soul like Jesus can, and there is
no one you can trust like you can trust Jesus. When someone gives
their life for you, that is the one to love, trust and give back to.
God Gave All for You
God has given His all, and it thrills His heart when people give their
all. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God told me that
when He gave Jesus, it was the first time He had ever used all of His
love; but that is what He had to do to make a Calvary for mankind.
What God went through that day was awful. The scene was so terrible
that He had to turn His back on His Son to keep from coming down
to save Him as Jesus cried, My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me (Matthew 27:46)? His Father had not really forsaken
Him; He just could not watch His Son die on that Cross.
God and His Son went through all of that so you could be saved and
have eternal life. That is why the Bible says, If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). However, the
Lord cannot save your soul unless you accept His salvation. How
shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at
the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
unto us by them that heard him (Hebrews 2:3). God will keep
every promise He has made, both bad and good; but if you neglect
the salvation offered to you, you will have nothing good.
Sinner, Backslider, fear God instead of man and give your heart to
God today. Pray this prayer with me: Oh, God, save my soul. I believe
the Word. I believe Jesus died for my sins; and I believe that if I
confess my sins, the Lord will forgive me and cleanse me from all
unrighteousness. I do confess every sin! I confess that Jesus is Lord,
and I believe the divine blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins.
Come into my heart, Jesus! Come on in! If you meant that prayer,
Jesus has come; and He is yours. You have obeyed the Word, and you
don’t have to worry.
Now, you must go on to receive the baptism of the good Holy Ghost
because you will never make the Rapture without it. Jesus is not
coming all the way to Earth in His second appearance; He is going to
meet us in the air. For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise
first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (I Thessalonians
4:16,17). God has definitely told me three different times, “Those who
are alive when Jesus comes will have to have the Holy Ghost to make
the Rapture.”
Even Jesus, the very Son of God, received the Holy Ghost when He
was on Earth; and He is our example. Before He ascended back to
Heaven, He commanded the disciples to receive the
Spirit. And, [Jesus] being assembled together with them [the
disciples], commanded them that they should not depart
from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father,
which, saith he, ye have heard of me(Acts 1:4).
The Holy Ghost means so much to me, and He must mean much to
you, too. He will guide you, direct you and comfort you. Learn to
enjoy the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; and always take them with
you. They can bring life and health to you.
Honor God for a Miracle
The all-powerful Word of God not only brings life to your soul but
healing to your flesh. My son, attend to my words…For they
are life unto those that find them, and health to all their
flesh (Proverbs 4:20,22).
Now, it is time for you to receive your miracle or healing. I am God’s
believer, and the gifts in my life are supernatural gifts from Him that
are operated through the power of the Holy Spirit Himself.
Multitudes worldwide have been set free, and you can be healed, too.
That little, deformed child can be healed, and so can the one who was
born with just part of a brain. Children who were not able to learn are
going to school today, and many of them have already graduated all
because God healed them. God can heal any disease or affliction. The
Bible says, For with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke
1:37).
Lord, I bring the people to you today in the name of Jesus. I bring
them with the Word, through the Word and in the Word. Lord, I
bring them boldly before your throne of grace just as you said to;
and now, here they are. I am your believer; and in the name of
Jesus, I command hearts to come to normal. I command those with
cancer, AIDS, heart trouble, diabetes or any other affliction to be
healed right now. I command little, crippled bodies to come to
normal and for afflicted children to start walking. I command that
one who desperately needs an operation to be made whole. Lord,
perform the surgery right now. In the name of Jesus, heal! In the
holy, holy name of the Lord, heal! Heal! I pray.
The healing power is now flowing into the bodies of mothers, fathers,
boys and girls. Take whatever you need. Feel His holy presence, and
watch yourself and your little ones get well. Fear God, live for the
Lord and serve Him; and one day, all Heaven will be yours—the
Word declares it.
Deliverance comes through the miracle-working, all-powerful Word
of the living God; and the Word does wonders. It electrifies, edifies
and lifts you up to the throne of God; and it will keep you fearing God
instead of man for the rest of your days.
The Lord is calling each and every one of us to total obedience, and
that means obedience in everything. When you love the Lord and fear
Him, it is no longer a matter of what you want to do but what God
wants you to do. You have to give yourself completely to God and to
His work.