"The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them." Psalm 34:7
"You have been given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth." Psalm 100:4
We are called to be "salt and light" to this dark and dying world. We are called to preach the Good News that there is One who loves us so much that He died on the cross, bearing all the weight of your sin and my sin, sin that carries the death penalty, sin that separates us from our Creator, sin that destroys, sin that binds us and breaks us, sin that takes away our hope, takes away our futures, sin that torments and taunts, sin that permanently separates us from the love of God and sends us to an eternity in Hell.....
Jesus took all of that.
He laid down His life in our place and died, for you and me so that we could know Him and walk in freedom from sin.
God calls us to walk in freedom. This is HUGE sweet friends. His grace and power he bestows on those who choose to accept Him, is what empowers us, not to live in sin freely.... but instead to BE FREE from sin and walk in righteousness! No one is perfect and of course there is always areas in our lives that we need to be laying down in surrender to His will. But what an amazing gift He has given us! What freedom we have as we move through this life here on Earth...
So what happened? When is the last time you heard someone speak of their bondage of sin? When is the last time you heard someone testify of the freedom they have found in Jesus? When is the last time you heard a preacher tell you that God hates our sin?
"In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life. To turn one away from the snares of death." Proverbs 14:26-27
In the Bible, people feared the Children of God. Did you know that? They were afraid to go up against them because they feared the God they served. They witnessed God's power revealed through His Children enough that they understood He was mighty, He was powerful, He was real, and He could crush them in an instant. Nothing was impossible for their God.... What happened? People don't "fear" Christians today, in fact we have become a target for persecution, we are the brunt of a joke, the world has no problem rising up against us do they? Why don't they fear us anymore?
It's simple.....
WE stopped fearing God a long time ago. WE no longer believe that God becomes angry with us when we embrace sin in our lives, we just know that He loves us so that's all that matters. Because of this serious heart condition, we no longer think anyone's sin is a problem, we just focus on God's love and hope somehow that is enough to provide a good witness to the world and we've done our duty to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel." We've become so polite that we no longer feel the need to take a stand for what we know breaks God's heart and spits in His face because, well, it might make an ungodly person..... mad at us.
We've turned our churches into hospitals for the sick instead of universities for the Believer. We have made our churches so focused on this lost world, that that is now WHO is attending... and leading... and teaching.... and ministering... not spirit filled strong Children of God who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind... but the lost are leading God's Church???
People see "Christians" today and they don't see a peculiar people, they see themselves, and if they simply choose to talk about Jesus a lot too, then they can be just like us.
We have become a joke to the world. Because we have become nothing but mouth pieces to God. We stand for nothing. We are too intimidated by the loud ungodly people of the world who are both outside and inside our churches, who make us cower and bow down to their way of doing things, and when we cower long enough.... we begin to find it easier to just join in and go along with their way of "worship". We build up and worship the idols of this world right along side the people we are trying to "reach". We bow down to demonic forces and pray for God's blessings.
And we wonder why the people we read about in our devotions had such power and authority, nations of people would tremble before a Child of God, prophets would call down fire from Heaven, young boys would slaughter giants... how did these men and women and children of God have their enemies trembling in fear?
Because they KNEW Him.
Because they LOVED Him.
Because they TOOK HIM AT HIS WORD that....
"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:26-31
"If you love Me, you will keep My Commandments." John 14:15
"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run or labored in vain." Philippians 2:12-16
"Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:7
"'The Lord will judge His people' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31b
We are "His people".... it's time we start acting like it. This message is not for everyone sweet friends, there are MANY Children of God who walk with fire and power because they love the Lord with everything they have! There IS a remnant of God's People right now carrying the presence of God with them wherever they go. But there are way too many "Christians" that are in name only and it's time to decide whether you REALLY follow Jesus or you don't. This world will get worse, sin will abound, and the hate for God's people will continue to grow and rear it's ugly head. God tells us so. BUT.... the choice is ours sweet friends, will we BE the Children of God that causes the world to tremble because we carry with us the presence of the All Powerful, All Mighty God, the Creator of All Things... or will we choose to bow down and embrace the lies of the Enemy who's ONLY GOAL is to drag people to Hell? We can't love Jesus only half way.... it's all or nothing. God says if we are found luke warm... He will spew us out of His mouth... that's not Heaven folks. We must CHOOSE TODAY Whom we will serve. The God of the Bible is STILL the God of the Bible. It's time the World got reintroduced to Him... don't you think? Maybe it's time His Children... got reintroduced as well.
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