Transcript: Overcoming Fear of God: The Eternal Consequences of Spiritual Blindness

Music Music Today, in this Word of God, we are going to address and see why no true fear of God before one's eyes is an eternal death sentence. We will begin in the book of Psalms, chapter 36, beginning in verse 1. Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They are no longer wise and good. They lie awake at night to hatch their evil plots instead of planning how to keep away from wrong. Your steadfast love, O Lord, is as great as all the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your justice is as solid as God's mountain. Your decisions are as full of wisdom and the oceans are with water. You are concerned for all men and animals alike. How precious is your constant love, O God! All humanity takes refuge in the shadow of your wings. You feed them with blessings from your own table and let them drink from your rivers of delight. Verse 9. For you are the fountain of life. Our light is from your light. Pour out your unfailing love on those who know you. Never stop giving your blessing to those who long to do your will. Don't let these proud men trample on me. Don't let their wicked hands push me around. Look how often they have fallen. They are thrown down and will not rise again. There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away. They have all together become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves. Their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Ruin and misery mark their ways. And the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes. What we see throughout reading these two scriptures loud and clear is the fact that in the people's natural state, there is absolutely no fear of God before their eyes. This speaks about their corrupt and evil character. and with this fact alone people for the most part people such as this stand with their backs to God and are known as godless ones or as atheists because they deny the existence of God they have no hope without the great creator who made all things including mankind these people do not fear the judgments of God even though he is fully aware of their evil doings The lack of fear of God before their eyes is not charged against the Jews and Gentiles alone in the days of the Old and New Testaments, but it is a charge against all people in every generation of time since. For the generations of time, the evils in which the vast majority of mankind thrive and delight in, reiterating Psalms 36 verses 1-4 again, the scripture says, Sin lurks deep in the hearts of the wicked, forever urging them on to evil deeds. They have no fear of God to hold them back. Instead, in their conceit, they think they can hide their evil deeds and not get caught. Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They are no longer wise and good. They lie awake at night to hatch their evil plots instead of planning how to keep away from wrong. Today in our day and year of 2021, we see that hundreds of millions of people worldwide have evidence, consequences of Satan's ferocious passions and lusts. Every nation in our day is in great turmoil due to sinful pleasures and horrible, unmentionable, disgusting evils against mankind. We have the highest and most wretched evil taking place in top government leaders in every nation around the world, including the United States of America. These people are dictating the grossest evils upon humankind that are perverse and abominable against our great creator God. Citizens of every nation are falling for these evils, hook, line and sinker. God is not pleased, dear listener not having a fear of God before their eyes speaks of not having a reverential love or affection for God instead of a fear of damnation or fearful distrust of his presence of his power, his providence and grace sin is revealed by the consciousness of the individual God put a conscience within the heart of every human being to know that he is God. There is a testimony of a woman who prided herself on fashion. She went to visit a church and as she entered and sat down, she heard a sermon on human depravity. During the week the preacher called upon her and when she told him that she did not believe in the doctrine of his sermon, he asked the lady to test the subject by reviewing her life alone before God. He asked her to see if all her acts and deeds had been done from right motives of her heart, and she promised to do what he had asked. The next day the preacher called on her again, and the lady confessed that she did not find one bright spot of conscious love to God in all of her past life. What an honest look within had convinced her of the truth of the doctrine that she had heard. Feeling now the disease of sin, she went before the great physician Jesus Christ and found the cure. What a testimony. What a wonderful testimony. And what a life-saving outcome for this lady who was honest enough to face the fact that she had no real or true fear of God in her life. The Holy Spirit certainly revealed the truth in her life and we must say that she was willing to be honest with herself about her sinful state. We all must be honest with ourselves and with God and sit down at times and examine our own heart motives, including our thought life and consider our conscious love to God and with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Is this love real or is this love hypocritical? I believe the life of Noah was remarkable in the sense that the way that he lived, he preached by his life. This man preached by his humility, patience and example of purity and holiness. The scripture in Genesis 6-9 tells us that Noah walked with God and that he was a just man and perfect in his generations. So, by this, we must assume that during his long life, while he was building the ark as a mandate from God, he was faithful in reproving or denouncing the wickedness of his time, and furthermore, he warned the world of the judgment that was coming to the earth. We see in Hebrews 11.7, the scripture declares, prompted by faith Moses forewarned by God concerning the events which as yet there was no visible sign took heed and diligently reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family and by his faith which relied on God he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith. You see, taking the fact alone that Noah walked with God tells us several important things that we focus on as one who does have a conscious awakening and healthy respect and love for God. And Noah walked like he knew he was under the eyes of God. He knew that God's eyes were upon him at all times. Noah had a deep respect and abiding reverence for God as his deity. Noah set himself in God's presence, knowing that his great judge was looking upon every action, motive, and example of his life. Just like David who declared in Psalms 16.8, I have set the Lord continually before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. This is truly the right kind of fear of the Lord, dear church. This is speaking about the familiarity and intimacy that a soul has with God. Friends walk together and give comfort and encourage themselves with one another. Godly people make their requests known to God, and he makes known his love to them because there is a sweet interaction and divine connection between them. Our communion is with our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1, verse 1 tells us, What we have seen and ourselves heard, we are also telling you so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us and this fellowship that we have which is a distinguishing mark of Christians is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ the Messiah you must see and know without a doubt that God is the creator and architect of the universe His greatness and power is demonstrated in this work and he commands respect. God the Father tells us the reason that he will commune with us is because we love his son. No one comes to the Father but through his son. When Job was being tried, God asked Job the question, where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth. God's creation is both a sign of his love and a cause for him to love us because we are the handiwork and the masterpiece of his creation. This, dear ones, should give us the reason and cause to reverently stand in awe and fear of him. The work of his creation is evidence of his divine power and great might and should again cause us to fear him. In the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verses 13 and 14, the word declares, all has been heard. The end of the matter is, fear God, revere and worship him, knowing that he is, and keep his commandments. For this is the whole of man, the full original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of his character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun, and the whole duty for every man. Verse 14 tells us that God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether good or evil. Fearing God should lead to obedience, and the fact is, he will judge us in the end. Everything that we do, whether good or evil, will be brought before him. People may be able to hide their evil deeds from others, but they will definitely not hide them from God, who sees and knows all of our actions and even our thoughts. He judges accordingly. In Matthew chapter 10, verse 28, Jesus declares, do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. People who truly fear God walk above the earth life, so to speak. Walking with God is a visible poise or attitude and is recognizable by those who belong to the family of God. God's grace is conspicuous to those around us, even those who oppose God and who do not believe in Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. Godly people do not partake of the world's sinful pleasures. The word of God tells us and instructs to flee from these pleasures and the people who take pride in this worldly way of life. Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 3 beginning in verse 17 that many in the church walk in the devil's path. Brethren, together follow my example and observe those who live after the pattern we have set before you. There are many, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you with tears, who walk, live as enemies of the cross, the anointed one. They are doomed, and their fate is eternal misery, perdition, and their God is their stomach, their appetites and sensuality, and their glory is in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party. But we are citizens of the state, commonwealth, homeland, which is in heaven. And from it also we earnestly and patiently await the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, a Savior. Prophet Jeremiah gave the word of the Lord in Jeremiah chapter 6, beginning in verse 16, saying, Thus says the Lord, Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the eternal paths, where the good old way is, and then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it. Verse 17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hear, and obey the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not listen or obey. Verse 18 Therefore hear, O Gentile nations, and know, O congregation of believing ones, what great things I will do to them. Hear, O earth, behold, I am bringing evil upon this people, and the fruit of their thoughts, their schemes and devices, because they have not listened and obeyed my words, and for my law they have rejected it. Many of these people will declare their walk with the Lord and will tell how rare and close they are to Jesus but yet do not have one foot on the path of godly righteousness When Noah walked with the Lord in his day the earth was filled with violence. Is our earth filled with such great violence and evil today? I say yes to that. And also this evil and violence is much more than we can think or imagine. Noah was commanded to build the ark. In Genesis chapter 6 verse 9 we read, This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his evil generation. Noah walked in habitual fellowship with God, and Noah became the father of three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Verse 11. The earth was putrid in God's sight, and the land was filled with violence, desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power. And God looked upon the world and saw how the generous, debase, and vicious it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way upon the earth and lost their true direction. Verse 13. God said to Noah, I intend to make an end of all flesh. And through man the land is filled with violence. And behold, I will destroy them and the land. Make yourself an ark of gopher or cyper wood. And make in it rooms, stalls, pens, coop, nests, cages, and compartments. And cover it inside and out with pitch. Verse 15. And this is the way you are to make it. The length of the ark shall be 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits, that is 450 feet by 75 feet by 45 feet. Verse 16 And you shall make a roof or window a place for light for the ark and finish it to a cubit at least 18 inches above and the door of the ark you shall put in the side of it and you shall make it with lower second and third stories. Verse 17 For behold I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy and make putrid all flesh under the heavens in which are the breath and spirit of life. Everything that is on this land shall die. Verse 18, But I will establish my covenant, my promise and pledge with you, and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. Verse 19, And everything of all flesh found on land you shall bring every sort into the ark and keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female, of fowls and birds according to their kind, of beasts according to their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind. Two of every sort shall come with you that they may be kept alive. Verse 21. And take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and you shall collect and store it up, and it shall serve as food for you and for them. Verse 22. Noah did this. He did all that God commanded him. We see that the earth was filled with violence and the building of the ark was commanded by God and Noah was obedient to do as God had commanded. He did so because there was no fear of God before the people's eyes and a death sentence was waiting in the wings for them. We can see here in verse 22 that Noah did this. The scripture tells us that he did all that God had commanded him to do. And this gives us the entire definition of Noah's faith, dear ones. Hebrews 11 verse 17 says, prompted by faith, being forewarned by God concerning the events which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared the ark for the deliverance of his own family. And by this, his faith which relied on God, he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness, that relation of being right and to, which God puts the person who has faith. We see that Noah was warned by God of what he was going to do. We see that the ground of Noah's faith was based on things that were not seen. That is the very end of every living thing on the earth would perish in a flood. There was a realm of faith that Noah feared. The almighty creator of the universe was speaking to him. And Noah shows us the great awe and respect for his God. Noah, in his exercise of faith to God, prepared the ark, which took him nearly a hundred years to complete. The work of faith saved his household, and result of his faith in God Almighty condemned the world, and they perished in their contempt for mocking Noah in building the ark. the reward of his faith is that he became an heir of righteousness and will live forever in a blissful eternal kingdom with Jesus Christ forever we must see here dear church that the ark is a type of Christ remember that God gave the instruction to Noah he told him to make an ark out of gopher wood gopher wood is thought to be associated with the cypress tree which is an emblem of mourning for the dead. God also instructed Noah to use pitch, which is a thick, dark, resinous substance which comes from certain trees, but also the Jews and others obtained large quantities from the Dead Sea. Nevertheless, pitch means dark, scorching heat, hell, or brimstone, and it was used to smear inside and out all over the ark. According to the Bible dictionary, the word gopher and the word pitch together speak of atonement. The ark had a window above, which is significant of looking above towards heaven and not on the earth and the judgment that will come to it one day. The ark had one door, and all of these prophetic emblems point to the one who could save mankind and offer eternal salvation, and that one and only is Jesus Christ, who is the door and the way to heaven. When the floodwaters covered the whole earth in the end, the only ones to be saved were found in the ark, because they were faithful and obedient to the commands of God Almighty. In Christ's death the judgment of God was passed and executed upon all flesh. And all the waves and darkness rolled over our innocent Lamb's head as he passed through death and judgment and went to hell for all of us who choose him and are faithful and obedient to his commands of righteousness to the end. Jesus has made himself our perfect ark and hiding place as we live and abide in him in our obedience and faithfulness just as Noah did when he lived upon this earth thousands of years ago in Christ we are lifted above the dark waters of trials and troubles by the Holy Spirit given to us and who was called our helper the world mocks the thought of anyone walking with God as though it was foolish and unthinkable they mock it by saying so you think you are holier than thou or you think you become wiser or smarter than others or they say there go the holy ones you see God's word clearly tells us in Proverbs chapter 19 verse 21 the outcome and what is prepared for those who have no fear of God. Proverbs 19, verse 29 declares, judgments are prepared for scoffers and stripes for the back of self-confident fools. In Proverbs chapter 3, beginning in verse 33, declares, the curse of the Lord is in and on the house of the wicked, but he declares blessed, joyful, and favored with blessing the home of the just and consistently righteous. Verse 34, though he scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, yet he gives undeserved favor to the low in rank, the humble and afflicted. Verse 35, and the wise shall inherit glory, all honor and good, but shame is the highest rank conferred on the self-confident fools. We must read also 2 Peter chapter 3 beginning in verse 3. To begin with, you must know and understand this, that scoffers, mockers will come in the last days with scoffing, people who walk after their own fleshly desires and say, where is the promise of his coming? For since the forefathers fell asleep, all things have continued exactly as they did from the beginning of creation. For they willfully overlook and forget this fact that the heavens came into existence long ago by the word of God, and the earth also which was formed out of the water and by means of water, through which the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. Verse 7, but by the same word the present heavens and earth have been stored up, reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction for the ungodly people. Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. And verse 9, the Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what he promises, according to some people's conception of slowness. But he is long-suffering, extraordinarily patient towards you, not desiring that anyone should perish, but that all should turn to repentance. we learn that many in the church who call themselves Christians instead of walking with God like Noah did in pure faith and obedience and righteousness of Christ they walk according to the flesh they have their fleshly opinions and walk according to the lusts of their flesh and have no real fear of God before their eyes but let me say it again God will not be mocked 2 Peter 2.4 declares, and making them an example what was going to happen to the ungodly. And if he rescued Lot, a righteous man who was distressed by the filthy lies of lawless men, for that righteous man living among them day after day was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard, if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment while continuing their punishment. Verse 10. And this is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desires of the sinful nature and despise authority. So because multitudes of millions all throughout the generations of time, people have not heeded the warning to love the Lord their God, who is creator of heaven and earth, is because they have no true fear, which is genuine and sincere love of God before their eyes. By a walk in the fear of the Lord means that one will stand in awe of their almighty creator by the virtue of what he has created, and also by the words that he has authorized and inspired men to write in his holy book of life, and also that they have grown to love the Lord their God with all of their hearts. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 7 declares by faith Noah when he was warned of things yet not seen in a holy fair built an ark to save his family by his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith so holy fear joined with faith happens when a soul looks at God's holiness and experiences his holy presence. When the soul looks at the promises and believes in them, this godly individual trembles at the almightiness of God and love for God begins to turn into cheerful expectation. And this is called divine fellowship with the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, dear church. The walls go up to shield and protect this beautiful life within the Holy of Holies, in the temple within the individual soul, which is like the ark. God promises that you shall walk in safety and in his protection, and he will keep your foot from slipping and being snared in a trap. Proverbs chapter 3 beginning in verse 21 declares, My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight, for they will be life to you and adornment to grace your neck then you will go on your way in safety and your foot will not stumble and when you lie down you will not be afraid and when you lie down your sleep will be sweet have no fear of sudden disaster or the ruin that overtakes the wicked for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared God tells us also in Psalms 91.11 that he will put his angels all around us to guard and keep us from danger. Verse 11 For he will give his angels special charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways of obedience and service. So as Noah was walking with God he had holy fear and love and awe before his eyes for his creator. And we have to know that Noah knew the mind of God as he was given secrets of knowledge of building the holy ark of God that was going to preserve those that God determined to save out of the whole earth. And I remind you, that was only a handful of people that were saved. In Matthew chapter 7 verses 13 and 14 Jesus commanded all who come to him to enter through the narrow gate For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only few find it. Jesus said that the narrow gate, only if few find it and enter into eternity. and this is saying that diligence is needed in order to enter into this wonderful divine relationship with them. Somebody listening to this message might ask what can I do to walk with God? There is no magical formula but there is one way for all to enter in and walk with the fear and awe of God before their eyes. The command of God is the same in the New and the Old Testament. The command is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, your soul and mind and all that is within you. Just like Noah, our example today and just like all of his peers in the scriptures like that of David and Paul and all the others whom we have read of their examples of a life of obedience. They had a deep revelation of God's wonderful love by virtue of his creation and also in reading and hearing the words of God through the writings of those who God chose to pen the truth. Ask God to give you a holy fear and awe of his magnificent love and to teach you to hold fast to what he gives you in the revelation of his word. Be faithful and diligent to put God first every day in your life through prayer, reading the word and also ask precious Holy Spirit to give inspiration and revelation of the truth of the word. When he does, hold it dear and near to your heart and never let it go. He builds us up and he matures us in his way and his word by this faithful obedience to seek him and love him with all of our hearts, our minds, our soul, everything that is within us. And I will close with David's revelation in Psalms 36, beginning in verse 1, the very verses that we started out with in this message today. An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked. There is no fear of God before his eyes, for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful. He has ceased to be wise and do good. Even on his bed he plots evil. He commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong. The sinful individual chooses this course or path, which is the broad way to destruction, because there is no sense of any kind of love or awe of what God has created and blessed this earth with in his wonderful provision. Also, there is no sense or care or regard for God's presence and his beautiful creation. As well, there is no care or regard for God's authority and the love that he has shown by his providence. And again, there is no concern or thought or whether God is pleased or displeased with their thought life, their words, deeds and actions in their everyday life. there is no fear of God's displeasure or punishment. So you see by all that we have covered in this word today there is an eternal death sentence for all those who have no real fear or true fear of God before their eyes. Let us all examine our own hearts. But before you do ask precious Holy Spirit to be the examiner of your heart and not your own mind to tell you how good and pleasing you are to God and to others around you. Remember, the word of God tells us that our own hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked above all things and who could know it? God alone is the righteous and most merciful judge. An eternal death sentence is having no fear of God and therefore no fear of God before one's eyes is an eternal death sentence. God forbid that any fall into this place of eternity forever. The End 2.9 that no eye has seen nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. My spirit becomes excited. My spirit is enlivened and aroused by the Holy Spirit's prompting. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. This eternal truth holds a present and future tense connotation in it. But the rest of this truth found in verse 10 says, But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. What our eyes have not seen nor our ears have heard have not yet entered into our hearts. but God has prepared and made ready for those who love him. Dear ones, all who truly love the creator of the universe, who hold him in deep affection and reverence and promptly obey him and gratefully with holy gratitude recognize the benefits that he lavishly bestows and pours out upon us. You see, this is speaking of the hidden wisdom of God. This is not a wisdom that comes from the world. This wisdom teaches quite a different kind of knowledge than that which one acquires through their minds, assimilating facts and figures through experience and thoughts. Mental knowledge is good, and it's useful in itself for everyday living. but eternal truths which yours and my eyes and ears have never conceived can only be revealed by God's Holy Spirit these truths cannot be gained by human reason only God himself can and will share his thoughts his storehouse of treasures and wisdom and our scripture says with those who love him God's word says that mental knowledge, although by itself, can be good, but is capable only of producing pride. Apostle Paul's greatest desire and prayer was that the church would increase in the knowledge of God. Dear church, there are so many blessings awaiting you and me as to the hidden wisdoms and mystery of God. He has long kept these mysteries concealed from the world and the depth of them only He can reveal because only He fathoms and comprehends them. The mysteries of the ages have been hidden from ages to ages and generations and generations. You see, they have been hidden from the heathen world and from those who love not the Son of God. But today and since the time of Apostle Paul, they are continuously being revealed to those who love Jesus Christ. These secret things and mysteries are being shared and unwrapped for those who live in Christ. They are being revealed and made known by the Spirit of the Lord. these mysteries are gospel revelations of all types that are being unveiled and made plain this is the wisdom of god his prophecies and secret councils that are being opened up and are laid bare and are being published in your heart today the wisdom of god in a mystery are made known and manifest to the dear saints of God who lay before him, knocking at the door of his heart, saying, Lord, open up the treasures of the storehouse unto me. Lord, my eyes and my ears yearn to know what you have promised to those who love you. Reveal them to me, Holy Father, by your Spirit, whom you have given me, and then I shall truly know your truths. You see, even Daniel in his day desired to know some of the mysteries which he did not understand. He cried out to the Lord and said in Daniel 12, 8, saying, I heard, but I did not understand. And then I said, Oh, my Lord, What shall be the issue and the final end of these things? Verse 9 And then he said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be dried and smelted and refined, and the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand. but the teachers of those who are wise shall understand. For Daniel, the vision that he was shown was for a future time, for the end times, for the time in which you and I now live. Daniel was not privileged to know these things, dear church. It was not yet God's appointed time to reveal the things that were yet to come, but rather they were waiting for a future generation who was yet to come. Daniel had had a close relationship with his Creator, and God had entrusted much in the way of his wisdom and revelation to this prophet. Daniel was not to worry or concern himself with the things that he did not know, but rather he was instructed to go on his way and be satisfied with what he had. Go on your way, Daniel. It is not for you to know these things now, said his God. But you see, now is the time today when the rich words of the Lord that were spoken, no eye has seen, no ear has heard what God has prepared for those who love him and wait on him. this is the time and this is the season that these words are coming to pass dear church God is busy revealing the events and the times that lie straight ahead of us in these end days and to those who are on their face in prayer saying O Lord according to your word in Isaiah verse 9 which says the former things have come to pass and new things that are springing forth, please show me. Apprise me, Lord, of what is coming forth in these days. Do not leave me in the dark, I pray, O my God. Or you might say, Your word, O God, declares in Isaiah that you are doing a new thing, and now it shall spring forth. Shall I not know it? oh god my god leave me not in the dark as these days are becoming more evil daniel 2 22 declares he reveals the deep and secret things he knows what's in the darkness and the light dwells in him jesus says in matthew 13 10 when the disciples came to him and asked why do you speak to these others in parables he replied to them to you it has been given to know the secrets and the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given you see as a believer in jesus christ notice that i preface the word in in christ these mysteries will be made known to those who truly love their master and do not offer lip service to what he commands, but these whom the sovereign one reveals the secrets and mysteries are to those who are passionate about him and have made him their centerpiece. Jesus says in John 14, 21, A person who has my commands and keeps them is the one who really loves me. And whoever really loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and will show, I'll reveal and manifest myself to him. I'll let myself be clearly seen by him, and I'll make myself real to him. Jesus will truly make himself known to those who love him and his Father. And what needs to be clearly known, Jesus will make known. And that is everything that he has prepared for those who love and reverence him, for those who have faith and trust in him. As I said, much in the way of the former things have been concealed in the former ages because the unsearchable riches of Christ were hidden in God. They were hidden from the haughty and the proud and those who thought that they were wise. But Jesus says in Matthew 11, 25, when he was praying to his Father in heaven, he said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I acknowledge openly and joyfully to your honor that you have hidden these things from the wise and the clever, the learned, and you reveal them to babies, to the childish, the untaught, and the unskilled. Jesus thanked his Father in heaven for favoring those that were humble and simple in their faith He said only the truth of God comes by divine revelation The Jewish leaders in Jesus' day were proud of their learning and because of that they did not and could not recognize or accept the promised Messiah as he stood before them But you see in our day today the mysteries and the secrets are revealed by God Spirit to those who are humble in heart God has revealed these since the time of Paul so that the world should see the glory of the Son God himself knew what he had in store for believers, but nobody else knew besides himself. You see, dear believer, if we think we have our minds wrapped around the concept of the cross, we must think again. The mysteries and the secrets transcend far beyond what you or I might understand in this totally awesome work of Jesus Christ when he divested himself of his glory and stepped out of heaven and humbled himself and allowed himself to become as we are so that we might become as he is. This is too great. This surpasses all conception and expression of our human imaginations, our thoughts or words. But unlike Daniel, who was told to go on his way and be content with what he had and knew, we are instead told to expect and wait patiently for the new things to be revealed. Again, this is by God's Spirit. In Jeremiah 33.3, God spoke to the prophet who was held hostage in the court by the rulers in his day. And God said to Jeremiah, Call to me, Jeremiah. I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know. Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet not because he was abused and bruised by the rebels in his day but because God had opened his eyes to see the wickedness of his people God is essentially saying to Jeremiah My son, if you will get down on your face before me I will show you great and mighty things If you cry out to me, my son, I will answer you. I'll open up the heavens and begin to show the things that you do not know, but have been sensing as a part of my plan and counsel. You see, God was encouraging Jeremiah to pray. And when we pray, we are to look for the things to come to pass. and we can expect to see and know God's great counsel and his wisdom in future matters and concerns. And we can expect to see his mighty work and revealing might and power at work in our lives, in our families' lives and in the affairs of the world. And we can expect to see new things that are fresh to ourselves in our own lives and fresh in our experience with him and far surpassing what we have expected at the onset of it all. God loves to surprise us, dear ones, with the unexpected things according to the divine realm. He says, I will show you. I will show you. And we should expect to see great healings and miracles in our lives and our loved ones in the church. We should expect to see a greater level of God's grace being poured out to sinners and forgiveness of sins being experienced as they repent by the droves in this last day. Jeremiah's weeping, his weeping heart for the rebellious ones in his day caused him with a driving force from deep within to transcend or go beyond the mundane or the ordinary in his day and to answer the call of God to go to his people and be a voice declaring the terrible judgments which only his prophetic eye could see. His eyes perceived that God was about to bring judgment upon their land because they had been rebellious among a bunch of other things. Jeremiah desired to vividly describe and picture to his people these judgments that were coming upon in the moment he was speaking to them. He wept because they refused to hear him. Instead, they turned on him. Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet because he wept openly about the sins of his nation. He also wept at times because his message of judgment seemed to him to be futile because he saw no change in the people. His message was in the knowledge that he held that God was about to bring an end to the holy city and cast off his covenant people. The prophet even tried to hold back his prophetic proclamations as they bubbled up. but he found that the word of the Lord was like a burning fire shut up in his bones. He had no choice but to proclaim the harsh message of God's judgment. The great and mighty things of God bubbled up and went forth regardless of the outcome, regardless of what the people thought of the great and mighty things that God was unraveling that pertained to their doom if they would not repent. Jeremiah did not weep and lament because of any weakness he had nor did he proclaim evil because of the subject matter that the Lord had laid upon his heart to be spoken. He cried out loud because of his love for his people and his love for his God. This is characteristic of the prophet and is actually a tribute to his sensitivity and deep concern for his nation. And this makes me think at times in Scripture where we read of our weeping Savior. In Matthew 23, verse 37, as Jesus was looking over the city, he cried, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murdering the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you, how often I would have gathered your children together as a mother hand gathers her brood under her wings and you refused behold your house is forsaken and desolate it's abandoned and left destitute of God's help oh the beautiful treasures in heaven that Jesus had in store for those who would have turned to him He wept because the people who had for generations of time denied that he was the Messiah and chose to kill him instead of receiving him as Savior. They read about him, they sang about him, and they looked for him to come. And here he was standing before them, telling them that he was the one spoken and prophesied about by the scriptures and the prophets. Jesus is the one who was called the word and was the one who spoke to Jeremiah and said call upon me and I will answer and I will show you great and mighty things we too dear church must call upon our Savior and he will answer us if you expect to hear from God you must call upon him in prayer. You must not give up when you do pray. You must continue until you hear from him. If you want to see great and mighty things, you must persist in prayer. It is in this place that your beloved Savior will give you a clear and full look of the hidden things which, though in part, are discovered already, but yet you know them not because you haven't been given the revelation by His Spirit. This is what your waiting soul really longs for. And this is the great expectancy that those who have been knocking upon the door of the Master's hearts are waiting for. This is what they are longing for. Jeremiah was told to ask, and then God said, After you ask, I will hear you. And now this is the place where you learn to wait upon your beloved. You see, too many Christians have never learned to be patient, especially today, because everything in our society is designed to have everything now. We want it now. Children grow up making their demands, and they are satisfied and accommodated with their selfish desires because everybody else has them, whatever it is, and they want that in the moment. We have two generations of these young adults who are parents themselves now and have children of their own who cannot concentrate on anything else but the latest technology, the gadgets, and the sources of entertainment. Many and most of these young adults and their children have no interest in their Savior, let alone developing a close relationship with them because the latest technology has become their God. God's word calls these things idols. It's just like that. That's what they are. The very first commandment is, you shall not worship any other God. you see anything that occupies first place in your life in the way of stealing your time your attention and focus away from the development and building of an intimate relationship with your creator is called idolatry because you put these things first and you neglect the number one commandment that says, you shall have no other God before me. You see, when you bow to other things, that is people, places, or things, only a dead preoccupation is being worked out in your heart. These people, places, and things are only temporary, and they satisfy your time, your senses and feelings and appetite in the moment. They are temporary. And you are devoting time to the worship of physical objects because they are taking precedence over your time rather than devoting this time to the development of building a relationship with your Creator who is the eternal, everlasting Father. and what he has to offer you and me is eternal. It will last forever. Dear one, what he has to offer is not cheap or quick to have in terms of money or demands. The great and mighty God who created all things, whether they be in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, is not a cheap commodity or something to be had by a flippant or disrespectful demand by a mere creature of clay whom he has made and crafted with his own hands. These unrevealed great and mighty things are promised to those who put nothing else first in the way of the preoccupations just as we have mentioned. Most have not had the awesome privilege and experience that John the Beloved had when he leaned his head upon the bosom of his master Jesus Christ. Nor have most had the experience and privilege like that of Paul, who was caught up into the third heaven and was showing great and mighty things, some of which he shared and some of which he was not allowed to share. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12 too, I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up into the third heaven. whether it was in the body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows. And I know this man, whether in the body or apart from the body, but I do not know, but God knows, was caught up into paradise. And he heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. These are degrees and heights and personal experience and experiential knowledge of the great and mighty things of God, which are promised only to those who are in earnest of truly knowing him intimately, like David or Daniel or Deborah or Paul and the others throughout all the ages of time, who were not satisfied with knowing their creator from a distance, but were hungry to have their spirit and souls filled with his love, his joy, and his peace. Out of this place in God came the desire and the hunger to know his great and mighty things promised to those who have entered into this place of rest. no stargazer no intellectual one in philosophy or astronomy or an occult dabbler no new age believer or any false religion will ever know or see the great and wonderful things that God holds in store for those who love him only God alone through the power of his Holy Spirit can take us into the realm of his eternal treasures in heaven. And dear one, you might be hungry for the things of God, but he has an order and a requirement before he, as a supreme being, will show us anything in his divine kingdom. Jesus gave the command in Matthew 6.19, Do not gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust and worm consume and destroy, where thieves break through and steal. But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal. Verse 21. For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light. But if your eye is unsound, your body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you, your conscience, is darkened, how dense is that darkness. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot survive. God and mammon, that is deceitful, riches, money, possessions, or whatever is being trusted in. Gather and store up for yourself treasures in heaven. This was Jesus' command. It wasn't an offer to be held out and an offer to be tried. But you see, this was a command. And this is the only treasure storehouse that has eternal insurance on it. Earthly treasures and things and stuff are insecure and corruptible, while the eternal treasures in heaven are secure and incorruptible. Jesus tells us that the love for these things and money, which are all related and tied to greed can infect and poison a person's entire life. And we are given the choice to choose either God or money because both cannot be served at the same time. God is a jealous God, and He will not share His great and mighty eternal things with a half-hearted, lukewarm Christian who wants to use Him for their own means or make him an insurance policy as a means to save them from the eternal flames of hellfire. The best and safest place to start in seeking the great and the mighty things of God is to start in his word. Jesus said we should seek the treasures of heaven. And Apostle Paul said in Colossians 2.3 that all of these treasures are found and hidden in Christ himself. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Let's look at this. We will begin in verse 1, Colossians chapter 2. Colossians 2 verse 1. For I want you to know how great is my solicitude for you, how severe an inward struggle I am engaged in for you, and for those believers at Laodicea and for all who are like yourselves, have never seen my face and know me personally. Verse 2. For my deep concern is that their hearts be braced and comforted and cheered and encouraged as they are knit in love that they may come to have all the abounding wealth and the blessings of assured conviction of understanding and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that the mysteries, the secrets of God which is found in Jesus Christ. In Him all treasures of divine wisdom, comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God and all the riches of spiritual knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden. I say this in order that no one may mislead and delude you by plausible, persuasive, and attractive arguments and beguiling speech. When Paul spoke these heartfelt and agonizing words at this time, I am sure he knew full well that he was speaking to generations of people after that time. these are words that came with suffering both within and without as he deeply desired all believers would come to know Jesus Christ personally Paul said my deep concern for you is that you will come to full maturity in Christ and be knit together with him by the strong ties or cords of love and this you too, dear believer, by abiding in Christ through daily fellowship and communion, just as Paul said, is found in Christ who embodies all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It's all found in Christ. This personal relationship with Christ is not held in lip service or by methods and rituals of just going to church once a week and maybe singing in the choir or having some responsibility in your congregation, and then the rest of the week you bow down to your idols, and now and then you throw Jesus a little kiss on the way out the door and give him a little hand clap here and there. What treason. I don't know who coined the phrase in church where people are told by a pastor or a leader, let's all give Jesus a little clap offering, or let's all throw Jesus a little kiss. I cringe at the disrespect and the lack of true reverence and admiration when these carnal tokens of honoring and esteeming the one who suffered a horrible death in giving his life on the cross for the sake of our sins is treated in such a fleshly and unholy and profane way. Dear church, Jesus went to hell and he spent three days winning back the keys to death and Hades. My God. And John the Beloved was apprehended and taken by the Spirit and was showing great and mighty things and was told to write them down. and he reports in revelation 117 when i saw him i fell at his feet as if dead but he laid his right hand on me and he said do not be afraid i am the first and the last i am the everlasting one the ever living one and i am living in the eternity of eternities i died i am alive forevermore and i possess the keys of death and hades the realm of the dead john had a glimpse of christ's glory in being shown great and mighty things john heard a trumpet call and saw jesus amid the golden lampstands holding seven stars in his hands and his face shining like the sun. The effect of this experience left John as though he were paralyzed as he fell at Jesus' feet. And I remind you on the earth, John had walked in close fellowship with Jesus for three years. And he had witnessed the miracles and he heard his sermons. And he watched his beloved Savior die on the cross. and he rejoiced in his resurrection and was privileged to see his ascension. But all of this had happened about 60 years before John had the experience of this great and mighty revelation that he was told to write down and share with the generations to come. And now he was overwhelmed as he saw his beloved Redeemer in all of his glory and blinding holy brightness. And Jesus assured John, I am the living one who died. Dear church, the real symbol of Christianity is not the cross, but it is the empty tomb. You must have a revelation of your risen Savior and what he has really done for you. You must understand the great love that motivated he and his father to set up what they did, to arrange what they did, to plan for eternity what they did. This requires more than a little hand clap or throwing him a kiss on your way out the door or when you are in church. Jesus really did more for his church when he went to hell and took back the keys of death and Hades these keys included of course the assurance of every true Christian the right to eternal life and not to eternal death through Christ death, burial and resurrection but also included in these keys are the keys of the kingdom the keys of knowledge The key of the throne of David found in Revelation 3.7 and the keys to the bottomless pit. And these keys are handed down to all true Christians and they're given as provision as mentioned in Titus 1.2 and that is all the promises are yes and amen in Christ. you and I are promised as we obey Christ's commands to have the opportunity and the privilege to grow in and see and hear the great and mighty things that are found embodied in Jesus Christ just as John the Beloved was privileged to see his high priest dressed in all of his glory on that day and he was told write it down you and I can see him through and by his Holy Spirit who promises eye has not seen nor ear heard what he has in store for them who love him Jesus Christ is the pearl of great price and you should begin with Christ and learn to develop a love for his word and this is the beginning for everything else that will grow out of all and any divine and supernatural experience that you will ever have. There are heights in the knowledge and the experiences with the Lord. And we saw that John the Beloved's great experience of being taken in the Spirit happened almost 60 years after he walked and talked with Jesus. Have you ever had the experience as you read God's Word of seeing that His Word vibrates with life and with this He thrills your spirit and soul and you can't help at first but shout or weep or leap up and whirl around? And with any of these reactions you know that this experience has ushered in the manifested presence of God and He's all over you. You see, this is the work of His Spirit. This is a great and mighty thing that occurs and happens as you devote time to the One who is drawing you with cords of loving kindness. He arouses your faculties by exciting your spiritual senses, and then He witnesses the truth of the revelation to your spirit. What a privilege. What an honor. what love the creator to his created being the truth will set you free dear one you could be satisfied in this place but you must not you must not stay in the feasting and remembrance of yesterday's experience but you must know that his promises and blessings continually draw you forward to know that he has fresh manna for you every day and the great and the mighty things that he has to thrill and delight you with are limitless and un- and never-ending. It is there for the asking. When you diligently search for it, these great and mighty experiences in God through his word are uniting you with eternity. Do not take it lightly. Do not neglect your time with your beloved Jesus. thank him for what he does in showing you his truth be appreciative and be grateful if you are not you will not receive more he is worthy of all honor and glory dear church he is the pearl of great price he is the all worthy one other ways that the Lord will reveal his great and mighty things when we ask is For many, God reveals these by dreams and visions. And yes, contrary to many people, depending on denominational doctrines of cessation, which says that these things, the dreams and visions, along with healing and speaking in different tongues and etc., stopped after the book of Acts was finished being written. These things were for that time, but not for our time today. But fortunately, many in the body of Christ have not fallen for that error and have not limited God's Holy Spirit from doing what he has been sent to do. Through dreams and visions, God throughout the ages of time since the book of Acts has shown his people many and great and mighty things by which he gives direction, gives inspiration, even shows many of the evil plans of Satan and his schemes and endeavorings to thwart God's eternal plan for the advancement of his kingdom. Yes, indeed. God, through these ways, shows his faithful intercessors these conspiracies so they can be used to carry out the eternal designs of God to bring his sovereign will into being. Does God have to use human beings in this way? Is he not great and powerful enough to do this work by himself since he is God? Indeed he could and would. But this is part of the wonder-working and awe-inspiring attribute of the Almighty that when he gave us his Son Jesus Christ, He endowed us with His Spirit, and by His Spirit, we're given the privilege and the honor to pray into existence those things as though they were, even though they're not. And the power of prayer is awesome, dear church. This is yours and my number one and primary responsibility. And this is where you will experience the great and the mighty things of God happening in your life because you are faithful to this command as a Christian. And look what Revelation 8.3 has to say about the importance and outcome of your sincere and reverent prayers. Again, Revelation 8.3 Another angel who had a golden censer came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints and on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense together with the prayers of the saints went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar and hurled it on the earth and there came peals of thunder, rumbling flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Your prayers are collected and mingled with incense in the censer which an angel holds, and as the smoke of the incense reaches the throne room, it causes the Father to react to the sweet aroma of your prayers. And your prayers, being accepted in heaven, produce great changes on the earth regarding lives and circumstances and situations your prayers rock heaven and produce a firework far greater than what you or I have ever seen in a fireworks display Remember, God promises to answer our prayers. He told Jeremiah to call out to me and I will answer you and I will show you great and mighty things. Will you not believe God? will show you great and mighty things as you bow your knee to Him and humbly request and petition Him for your needs and the needs of those around you and for the needs of mankind in the light of His salvation. You too can cause the earth to quake in the Spirit. God gives power to your prayers, dear one, through His Holy Spirit. Your heavenly Father takes vengeance on his enemies and protects you as his beloved from all the plans of Satan and his evil ones. The holy angels are discharged to their duties where you and I are concerned. But this requires faithful and earnest prayer on yours and my part. We have read in the scripture and are aware of the divine intervention of God supplying a raven to prophet Elijah, who was waiting on God to supply his need for food. God's provision is sent in a manner that is unexpected and intervening and miraculous, almost seemingly impossible to the human imagination. but this is one of the great and mighty things that the eternal creator loves to confound us with. And this is where our God delights himself bypassing our vain imaginations and our doubts and our fears and limitations that we put upon him and builds up our faith and trust in himself by his miraculous and unexpected interventions. These scriptures declare, My God will supply all of your needs. And it's a statement in scripture made by the holy man of God and was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Was God-breathed utterance and meant to encourage and enlighten and exhort every generation of believers that their God was able to meet every need and abundantly so. Lee and I have seen such wonderful interventions in our own walk with God and we have seen great and mighty things in the miraculous hand of God move and bring His abundance in the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus many times and one that I always delight to share is the time when we were moving we were in a place in our walk where we had very little because we had given most everything away in preparation of the mission field and answering the call of God upon our lives back many years. Our finances had dwindled down to the point of where we had to trust and rely on God for all provision almost on a daily basis. And we elected to walk this way, knowing that God required this of us in order that we learn to trust in Him completely. We knew what we were doing, and we were following the lead of the Holy Spirit. It is not a walk for everyone. You must know that you are hearing from God and have truly heard from Him when you go this way. What possessions we did have. We were moving by a small U-Haul truck to another location. When we finished making our haul and in the process of returning the truck, we were required by contract with the U-Haul agency to fill the gas tank of the truck up to half full before returning it. We had only a little cash and enough money in our debit card, less than $10 to put a half a tank of gas in the truck. It was late in the evening when we were in this process. We stopped at one service station and found they had no ATM machine, and then we drove to another station. Lee proceeded to get out of the truck and go to the window to speak to the attendant and pay in advance for the fuel while I remained seated in the vehicle. We were praying that the money we had would pay the amount of fuel we needed to accommodate the contract with the rental agency. As I sat watching the needle of the gas tank, thinking that Lee was filling it, I observed the needle climbing up to the half-full line on the gauge. Once it went past the half-full line, I began to shout, Lee, do not put any more in. It is past half full right now. Stop, I shouted. Stop. Don't put any more in. Thinking that putting more money in the tank would be like throwing away what little we had. And Lee looked in the window at me, bewildered by my shouting, my big scene. And he said, I haven't put a drop of fuel in the tank. What are you talking about? I said look Lee look at the gas gauge Lee looked and it read over one half full how we looked at each other I hate to tell you and admit that our look was a completely dumbfounded look several moments went by in that dumbfounded look as we were looking at each other until the realization of what had happened really hit our hearts. We wept and rejoiced like little children giving thanks to God for his faithfulness. And we went away feeling like the Israelites must have felt as they were going through their Red Sea. They must have been full of awe at the greatness of God and his abundant supply. our God supplied all of our needs in that moment completely and unexpectedly by his miraculous intervention our God of more than enough absolutely astounded us it was also at that time that he was almost saying to us and encouraging us through this absolute divine and miraculous intervention with this great and mighty deed you are on the right path And all that you have allowed yourselves to go through for my sake will be proven because you have trusted me along the way. This precious one was like a big kiss from God in the moment. And I cannot tell you the joy and stirring within our whole being. An absolute astounding miracle. A sign and a wonder. another great and mighty thing that God our Father had provided for us in His sovereign care. We wept. We rejoiced at the Lord's faithful providence in our lives. His divine care and activity in our lives was showing His love, His guidance, His government in that moment. and he was showing his divine power through this awesome miracle and guiding our path or way for his purposes and plans. Those whom he guides, he provides. We don't reason these things of God. We should set ourselves to expect them, and when they do come, rejoice with all that is within you. besides and in addition to God's word and prayer as being the main forces in this word coming to pass in what Jeremiah was being shown in the great and mighty things was his faith in what God had spoken must be alive and active in believing that God would do just as he has promised Jeremiah 33, I remind you again, call to me and I will answer you and I'll show you great and mighty things. So many experiences that we personally have experienced with God's great and mighty things as we have called out to Him. He has never failed us. He's never let us down, not once. And if you desire to reach to something higher, than the ordinary and are not content to stay in a groveling base, common, or nominal Christianity, which goes nowhere and is risky to say the least, then you mus