We are entering a new season; it’s a new phase which is going to affect every aspect of our lives. Many are not sensitive or used to phases and seasons because they do not serve God as though He is a living Being (Jeremiah 10:10).
There will be judgment in this new phase. A word of judgment can be averted or postponed like in the case of Nineveh when the people repented (Jonah 3:10), but what happens if the people return back to their wicked ways? The judgment will come back on them, like it came down on Nineveh about one hundred and fifty years later (Nahum 1-3).
We must be afraid when the Lord speaks (Proverbs 28:14). God is the one we should fear; He is the one who should make us tremble (Isaiah 8:13). Isaiah 66:2 says that God will look to the one who trembles at His word. Trembling doesn’t just mean shaking physically, rather, it means responding with your actions; that is, by your actions, you show that you heard the word. When your actions are influenced by His words, then it means you really heard the word (James 1:22-23, 25). Lack of knowledge will not be an excuse; people will perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). The fact that a person does not know that there is a pit on the road does not mean that he will not fall into that pit in his ignorance. It is your responsibility to pay attention and be diligent to search His words carefully (Hebrews 11:6). He had come as the Lamb to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). This time He is coming as the Lion and we have to recognize it.
Responding to warnings from God
We must not take the warnings of God lightly, or despise His instructions (Proverbs 10:17). Sometimes warnings come but people do not pay attention because it didn’t come specifically or directly to them; and there was possibly no accompanying physical manifestation to buttress the words. Well, God doesn’t go about warning people this way! He warns in church meetings,during Bible studies and in our hearts during those times of pondering alone. Many have gotten spiritually deformed because they haven’t taken God’s words seriously. All it takes is to be careless and not pay attention. Then the enemy comes in and plants evil. In the parable told by Jesus in Matthew 13:24-30, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat while the men slept (verse 25). We must be alert and sober, so we are not caught off guard. God has given us more access into His Word. And according to Luke 12:48, when someone has been given much, much will be required in return. Many people do not get to sense anything spiritually because they are spiritually caked in mud which represents the flesh. In this season, we must clean ourselves as we prepare to appear before God. We are being guided by God to judge ourselves so that we will not be judged (1 Cor. 11:31). Till you come out of the muddy coating, you won’t sense anything. God wants us to prepare ourselves!
The Call to Consecration
(Exodus 19:10-11) We are to consecrate ourselves. Consecration means to set apart and separate for a purpose. We are to wash our garments and be prepared to meet with God. Most people doubt there is anything they have to clean up. We must cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile us by getting rid of all the filth and evil in our lives, those things enumerated in Galatians 5 as works of the flesh, and also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5 and Ephesians 5 (see also Matthew 15:18-20). We are to stay away from unclean things, separate ourselves and purge our heart by seeking Jesus and filling ourselves with God’s truth. Everything has both a natural and supernatural dimension. Some things we do which seem natural at first can become demonically influenced and assisted. Coldness and disobedience opens the door to demonic attacks. God wants to heal our souls of demonic afflictions and oppression. God has promised that everything that can be shaken will be shaken (Hebrews 12:26-27). Shakings are coming on the earth. That is a clear prophetic word. Have a broken and contrite heart to avoid being judged. God does not despise a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). That was what Nineveh had during the time of Jonah and that was what preserved them. We are to work in holiness and consistency in things of the Spirit. We must not be inconsistent and lukewarm in the things of God. Those who stay righteous people will be righteous but those who hang around fools you’ll be destroyed (Proverbs 13:20). You become what you spend time with. We must be careful who we spend time with. We are to love God and store His words in your heart and we will have life (Proverbs 7:1).
Prepare for War.
Be a soldier. There is a war on us. We must prepare for war. At this time, it is wise to submit ourselves to the Lord, so that we will not be destroyed. Remember, the flood Noah’s Ark floated on was the same one that destroyed the rest of the world. We must remain under authority. The centurion in Matthew 8, who was a man under authority, still had those under him. He is a practical picture of a soldier’s rank and authority (Mathew 8:9). You can’t want to be a civilian Christian. Bullets do not recognize civilians and thus avoid hitting them; there is a consequence for living ordinarily in this time. You can’t want to remain normal when God is planning to come to your place. It’s far wiser to submit yourself for preparation. As we obey God, we must not be ashamed of letting people know the reason we are doing (or not doing) certain things. We must be bold to give, whenever we are asked, the exact reason why we do not take certain actions. We must not keep saying, “I just don’t feel like doing it…” That is a lie, because you actually feel like doing it, but are restraining yourself because God had asked you not to. We must be able to say; ‘I don’t…because God said….” The Bible asks us to be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks of the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). Stop denying God when you do things for Him. We must not be ashamed of God. We have to be ready to dance with the Lord and allow Him to ride on us like a donkey. To dance with God is to have a relationship with Him. Yield to God and allow Him to lead you. Even when it looks like there is going to be a drowning, He will enable you breath under the water. Practice dancing with Him, take risks with Jesus! He wants your life. Sadly, evil is so easy — and good so hard — to practice on the earth. People often have no caution, care, and shame, neither do they seem to feel any pain in doing wrong. They find it hard to give up opportunities, physical things and worldly privileges when God asks them to. To dance through life, you’ll have to yield to Jesus. Use your faith to overcome the fiery darts of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16) – faith in God (Mark 11:22). Faith without works is dead (James 2:26), and faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom 10:17).
We must know the word of God because this is how we fight. We attack the Spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3), what many call depression, by putting on the garment of praise. You must not dwell on what the enemy has attacked you with because you are feeding it by doing so. Learn the lesson and move on. It’s okay to be sober and feel sorrow but it should be the godly sorrow that leads to repentance. The worldly sorrow is that depression that comes and makes you feel like your life is worthless because you did something wrong (2 Corinthians 7:10). That kind of sorrow leads to death. We must not yield to it. We must speak God’s words instead.
Clean House
It is time to clean house. Some friendships and associations must be cut off or else they will destroy you because they keep distracting you from God. We must not harden our hearts. God’s judgments purifies those whose hearts are pure with Him (Psalm 18:24-26). We must guard our hearts because all the issues of life proceed from the heart (Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 12:35- 36, Mark 7:21-23). Act on God’s words. This is how to fight effectively.
This is a summary of a message preached on the 26th of November 2017.