THE FEAR OF THE LORD 3
(week 03/01)
Olubi Johnson
In our last article we saw God’s judgments in the early Church and how God hates hypocrisy. This week we will see how God will use his judgments in this 3rd. day or day of the Lord to purify the Church.
GOD’S JUDGEMENT IN THIS 3RD. DAY
The current lack of the fear of the Lordin the Church is about to change suddenly and drastically: in this 3rd. day or day of the Lord the Lord will raise up a perfect company of saints within the Church that will now be a standard with which He can judge swiftly and drastically the rest of the Church causing the fear of God to return to the Church.
In this new day God’s judgments will be swift and sharp, so there will be no mistaking it for a Satanic attack, and we will quickly learn righteousness in every particular situation and so develop the fear of the Lord in the Church.
Malachi 3:1 KJV: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 3:5 KJV: And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
HOW TO DEVELOP THE FEAR OF THE LORD
We develop the fear of the Lord by making a decision of our will daily to:
1. Reverence the written Word:
2 Peter 1:19-21 KJV: We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: (20) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (21) For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Psalms 19:7-9 KJV: The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (8) The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. (9) The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
2.Reverence those in spiritual authority:
1 Peter 5:5 KJV: Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Luke 10:16 KJV: He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
3. Obey the instruction of wisdom:
Proverbs 15:33 KJV: The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Instruction is the hidden wisdom of the Word of God given to us by spiritual Fathers:
1 Corinthians 2:7 KJV: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Proverbs 4:1 KJV: Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Proverbs 4:13 KJV: Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
For example, the instruction to pray continuously in the spirit, without interruption with prayer in the understanding, for at least one hour everyday is a hidden instruction of wisdom in the Word of God given to us by spiritual Fathers like Kenneth .E. Hagin.
This instruction is hidden because it is not explicitly stated in scripture though it is supported implicitly or hidden in Scripture:
Ephesians 6:18 KJV: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Matthew 26:40 KJV: And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
REWARDS OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD
When you develop and cultivate the fear of the Lord in your life it will:
1. Make you depart from evil:
Proverbs 16:6 KJV: By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
2. Produce a fountain of life:
Proverbs 14:27 KJV: The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
3. Give you riches and honor:
Proverbs 22:4 KJV: By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
PURIFYING THE CHURCH BY JUDGEMENT
Since the Church has now entered the day of the Lord: the 3rd.day: this 21st. century the Lord will visit his Church with great judgments to purify and perfect it.
Zechariah 13:7-9 KJV: Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. (8) And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. (9) And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Malachi 3:2-3 KJV: But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
So let us develop the fear of the Lord so His coming will heal and purify us and not burn and destroy us.
Malachi 4:1-2 KJV: For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. (2) But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
