The Prophetic Word | Grace and Truth

When Jesus sent out His disciples two by two He knew he was sending them out as sheep amongst wolves. He knew that they would be met with persecution and rejection along the way. He knew the hearts of the people had by and large grown callous in their religiosity.

Yet He still sent them out.

Jesus gave them one prescription to be able to withstand the ongoing rejection and persecution He knew they were to encounter :

“…do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

He taught them the fear of God.

This is God’s prescription for persecution. This is the only way ongoing rejection and persecution can be met with strength and courage and be withstood.

Jesus still sends out His disciples today. He has given all of us the Great Commission. He knows that we will be rejected and persecuted for the message we bring to the world, yet He still sends us. And the prescription that was good for the early disciples is still good for us today too.

You see as God’s mouthpiece in a fallen world, above all else we must fear God.

You cannot simultaneously fear both God and man.

We all fear either one or the other.

The one you fear will be the one who dictates your life. The one you fear will determine where you stand.

Why did Jesus command us to fear God? Because He knows that:

“The fear of man brings a snare.” Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man contaminates pure truth.
The fear of man leads to bondage.
The fear of man brings fear of rejection.
The fear of man shuts your mouth when you should speak.
The fear of man changes the truth of God’s Word into something more palatable.
The fear of man brings compromise.

And thus the fear of man cannot please God.

God’s prophets are those who will stand in the midst of rejection. These are ones whom will not stop speaking truth even in the face of resistance, hostility and open aggression. They will not bow to the pressure of man. God’s mouthpieces are those who understand the consequences of speaking on His behalf, and may even be afraid to, yet they will still speak it.

God’s ambassadors are those He sends forth in the fear of Him.

You cannot simultaneously please both God and man.

Choose which one you are going to fear, because that is the one you are going to serve. The one whom you try to please is the master to whom you bow.

If you want to get far in this world, to be accepted, promoted, have lots of Facebook friends, to be asked to speak at conferences, if that’s what ultimately motivates you, then you fear man.

But if you are willing to let it go: the popularity, friends, followers of your blog, even family, if you are willing to follow Christ whatever the cost, to please Him, to obey Him, to be faithful to Him. If what motivates you is to one day hear these words:

“Well done my good and faithful servant…”

then you fear God. And no matter what persecution comes your way, even unto death, you will have the courage and the strength to withstand.

Blessings, Belinda

Next post….

How to overcome the fear of man
How to get the fear of God

I have a Word from God. Judge it, accept or reject it. Whatever, but this is it:

What this generation needs more than ever is the Prophetic Voice.

A prophetic voice under the anointing of the Spirit to cut through the clouded numbness that has settled over the Church.

A prophetic voice to divide truth from confusion. But even more than that: the prophetic voice to speak forth the oracles of God.

Don’t you see? We are now so bogged down with questions and confusion. What to do about/with homosexuals, how to deal with transgenders, how to appeal to the youth, how to stop people leaving our churches.

To hell with all that! What we really need is prophetic voices raised up.

Don’t you see? We are now in a period the church has never seen before. A time of such manifest wickedness and gross darkness. The things we’ve been busy with in church over the last few decades ain’t cutting it anymore. How are we to answer these things? With endless discussions, conversations and conferences? There’s no time anymore to mess around. If you’ve been waiting for God to do something then I am here to tell you what it is:

He is telling you to lift up your voice now, and be not afraid.

Now more than ever we need those who are unafraid to stand in the midnight hour. We need men and women with the courage of their convictions to speak forth the Word of truth. Once again we need WATCHMEN TO STAND ON THE WALLS. To take up the Sword of the Spirit in the power of the Spirit. To cut through the crap! I’m sorry but that is the least offensive word I can use for what I see.

I see the Church bowed down under a weight of confusion. I see a Church struggling to cope and turning to the wisdom of the world. I see a Church in its sad desire to be pleasing to this world ultimately conforming to this world and losing its witness. I see a Church in the depths of horrendous spiritual adultery.

I see a Church turned in on itself. I hear more messages about Self than about Christ. I hear the psycho-babble of heathens infiltrating the pulpit. I hear calls to “find yourself” from ministers of the gospel. The Spirit is grieved and my heart breaks.

But there is a cry from His heart that is breaking forth amongst the remnant. That cry is for the Sword to be picked up again. To be wielded in the courage, power and strength of the Holy Spirit.

I have seen it I tell you. When the Word of God goes forth in power a cry rises up from the Church. She recognises her Master’s voice and she is desperate and hungry to hear it again. I’ll tell you something else: the world also recognises it. They may reject it, but when there’s an anointing they know it and they respect it.

That is the only way forward now O People of the Cross. The only thing that can cut through now is the Sword of the prophetic voice. There is no time left for anything else.

“Lift it up your voice with strength

Lift it up, be not afraid” Isaiah 40:8

Lift it up! Lift it up in your homes. Lift it up in your work place, lift it up in your church, lift it up on Facebook, lift it up on Twitter, lift it up in the streets. Lift it up be not afraid, lift it up!

Holy Spirit bless this word to go forth, in Jesus’ Name Amen