As I was praying recently the Lord spoke to me and said that more shaking was about to come, that it was a good time to possess the spirit of the fear of the Lord! Before I go further, I would first like to build on the topic of fear that I touched on in a recent article, as fear can be both a good and a bad thing, depending on who or what you are fearing. In my last article I said in essence:
“We never have to fear the enemy or anything when we are living inside of the will of God; nevertheless, if we are living outside of the will of God, we should fear! God created fear to keep people from things that would harm and hurt them. Fear can sometimes be a good thing, especially when it draws us to God and causes us to become obedient. Hebrew 10:30-31 says that God will judge His people, and that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! God will sometimes use fearful situations to awaken and mobilize Christians, to move them out from a place of complacency or danger.”
God designed humanity with a hormone called adrenaline for times of crisis; it increases blood flow and prepares the body to act in an emergency. This is good fear! Another good fear to have is the fear of the Lord that the Scriptures say is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord keeps us safe in a position of awe before an awesome and holy God. The fear of the Lord provides protection and prevents us from straying into harmful situations that lead to sin. To maintain a healthy fear of the Lord is to remain safely tucked away in Him. When we live and move and have our being in Him, He is magnified before us in His might and His power above all, and we will therefore not fear anything but Him. The enemy holds no power whatsoever to intimidate and cause fear, as he has no power unless given to him through sin and disobedience. His power to steal, kill and to destroy is founded upon disobedience to God!
We have entered a season of war and are moving through times of trial and testing on the earth. The enemy is fighting to win and is making great inroads. As I said previously, most Christians are not fighting at all, except with each other. This must stop for us as a corporate people so we may recognize the dangers and the pitfalls ahead. We do not fight in the flesh, for God has given us weapons to fight that are not carnal but they are mighty in God to pull down strongholds (see 2 Cor. 10:4).
There is a dichotomy to Christ depicting the two differing sides of mercy and judgment—the double-edged sword. Many leaders, ministries and individuals present from these perspectives, some leaning heavily on one of these two characteristics. The opposing views of mercy and judgment have created some discord in the body of Christ, as many have aggressively taken their stand on one side or the other. However, God would have us understand that the double-edged sword comes forth from one source, from one mouth.
In Scripture, Jesus is presented to us as the Lamb that was slain and as the lion of the tribe of Judah—He is both. All facets of Christ come from one heart and one mind. The key truth important to note is that all that God is and does is founded on His love. His mercy pours forth from His heart of love, and His judgment is embedded with His wisdom and His love.
When I first got saved, after the initial honeymoon season of God’s love being poured out on me, I was quickly assigned to boot camp for intense training, refining of character and understanding of the spiritual warfare that began to target me. At the time, it felt as if I were running the gauntlet, with attacks and fiery arrows coming at me from all sides. For over two decades, I lived through God’s refining fire; yet through it all, I have always known the intensity of the Father’s love for me.
The Scriptures teach that the Father disciplines His children. In a typical family the father is usually the disciplinarian and the mother, the comforter, showering the child with love. Both are needed in the child’s growth and development. A father will relate to his grown son in a far different way than He would with his 4-year-old or adolescent child. It is the same with our heavenly Father, He expects a high level of maturity to be revealed in His sons and daughters from all He has sown into our lives over many years. The Father is looking for a return on His investment—He is looking for the revelation of the sons of God!
During the boot camp years and through an extremely painful and difficult trial, I sensed the Lord’s surpassing love and concern for me; however, He did not offer pity as I was prone to self-pity. He did not even offer me comfort, as at that time, I was in the midst of learning one of the most valuable lessons of my life. Instead, I heard the still small voice of God, the voice Elijah heard in the cave, after his spat with self-pity; the Lord said to me, “You have fallen under the weight of this trial—when it comes around again, rise above it.” At that moment, I didn’t need pity or loving arms, I needed to understand that I possessed the ability in Christ to rise in the authority of the lion of Judah to overcome in this trial, and send my enemies fleeing. I was being trained to stand in conflict. That became one of the most important lessons I have learned to date. I was determined from that day, in the strength of the Lord, never to allow circumstances to overwhelm me and destroy me again, when I possessed the supernatural power in Christ to change it!
Understanding how God is moving in any given situation, at any given time has a multifaceted dynamic to it. Our knowledge, in a carnal sense, is limited to one perspective of a process that is in motion. We stand at a fixed position in time, in any given situation, viewing a moment in God’s transcendent and fluid process of transformation—our knowledge and understanding are limited, and can therefore only be “in part.” There are so many layers of consciousness hidden from our view, in the tapestry of God’s handiwork, whether globally, in a nation or in an individual’s life. For more on this important Spirit-filled topic, continue reading here.
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Faith Marie Baczko is the founder and president of Headstone International Ministries and Headstone Academy Online Schools. Faith is a prophetic teacher, bringing significant revelation and fresh prophetic insight, to mobilize, equip and strengthen the body of Christ for this momentous hour of history. By supporting our work, you help this ministry to keep bringing you these timely messages. Give a gift here. Visit our website here. Connect with us at [email protected]
Joyce Meyer 
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
