NUMBER THE STARS, ABRAM, SO SHALL BE THE NUMBER OF YOUR OFFSPRING

¶ The Lord spoke to Abram, and said,

“ABRAM! GET OUT FROM AMONG YOUR PEOPLE, GET OUT OF YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE, AND AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY. GET OUT OF UR, AND THE CHALDEANS, AND INTO A LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.”

 

“I WILL MAKE OF YOU A GREAT NATION. I WILL BLESS YOU AND MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT, AND YOU SHALL BECOME A BLESSING TO ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

 

“I WILL BLESS THEM THAT BLESS YOU, AND I WILL CURSE THOSE THAT CURSE YOU. IN YOU SHALL ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED.” (Genesis 12:1,2,3) wcv

¶ And so, in doing,

“Abram departed…taking with him, his wife Sarai, his brother’s son, Lot, all their livestock, herdsman, a small army of 318 men and abundant riches (for Abram was a wealthy man), and off they went, into the Land of Canaan. And into the Land of Canaan they came. And Abram was seventy-five years old.” (Genesis 12:4,5, ¹wcv & ²) 

As they entered the northern regions of Canaan, heading south…

It was there  that “…the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘Abram, it is to you and your children after you that I will give this Land”: and so it was there, on that very spot, that Abram built an “Alter of Thanksgiving” to the Lord, Who did so graciously appear to him.” (v. 7, ¹wcv & ²)

 

From there, “Abram moved into a mountainous region just East of Bethel….where he built another ‘Alter of Thanksgiving’ unto the Lord, and called upon His Name, and from there Abram ventured further to the South.” (v. 8,9, ¹wcv & ²)

¶ After a deadly encounter with a famine in the Land of Canaan, they fled to Egypt, where Abram had an even deadlier encounter with a Pharaoh,  who did abscond and then return His beautiful, stunning wife Sarai. Why? Because the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his entire house with great plagues for his theft of Abram’s wife. For the Scriptures do say that she was stunning.  (Gen 12:14-20, ¹wcv & ²)

¶ Then “Up and out of Egypt they went into the South of Canaan. Abram and Lot grew richer and richer in cattle, silver, and gold…as they journeyed back toward Bethel where he had pitched his tent in the beginning.

¶ It was there at Bethel that great contention, strife, and even bloodletting sprang up between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle, for both Abram and Lot had prospered greatly. Perhaps, among other things, pastureland and water were becoming an “issue”. So, godly, old Abram said to Lot, “Son we’re gonna have to go our separate ways, but always remember, we’re family.” (Genesis 13:7,8,9, ¹wcv & ²)

¶ Lot was well aware that it was not to him but to Abram that God had promised this Land in which they now sojourned, and so, Lot was mesmerized by godly, old Uncle Abram’s offer, when Abram said to his nephew. “Son, we’re gonna have to go our separate ways.” (Genesis 13:9, ¹wcv & ²) …which leads me to believe that all the contention, strife, and bloodletting that caused Abram to say such a thing was instigated by the “herdsmen” employed by Lot, and not those of Abram, for Abram would not have stood for such a thing. For Abram was, without a doubt, a just and Godly man. What other kind of man would have said to his insubordinate, greedy, little nephew, “Is not the whole Land of Canaan before you. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. If you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” (v 10)  That sounds to me like a man who puts everything in the Hands of God. That sounds to me like a man who trusts the Lord.

Thus, “Lot lifted up his eyes and took in all the plain of Jordan, that it was rich and fertile soil, well-watered everywhere, that is, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It was, indeed, like the Garden of Eden, as you travel towards the Land of Egypt into Zoar.” (v 10)

¶ What “gets to me” is that Lot was not only disrespectful, he was not even civil enuff to return the choice to his elder Uncle Abram, whose journey all of this was. Without one ounce of conviction, Lot appropriated for himself what he thought was the very best. It was indeed, for Lot, a moonlight requisition. How that valley, which was like the Garden of Eden itself, would make him more than he ever dreamed he could be. RICH! RICH! RICH!  Little did Lot ever suspect that it would ALL go up in smoke. I find it a bit strange that Lot never built an “Alter of Thanksgiving to the Lord”.

¶ Yes, Lot “Lifted up his eyes” and saw “The things of this World” and all that it beheld! Little did he realize how catastrophic his “choice” would be. (v 10)

¶ Abram “Lifted up his eyes”  and saw the Lord, and not only inherited it all but became the Father of Many Nations in whom ALL the nations of the earth would one day be blessed.

“Lot, now being long gone, the Lord then said to Abram, ‘Abram, Lift up your eyes, and from the very place your feet are standing right now, look to the North, the South, the East, and the West. For ALL the land, as far as you can see (and beyond), I will give to you and your seed forever’.” (v.14)

 

“Arise Abram, walk thru the Land, the length of it and the breadth of it; (It’s yours), I will give it ALL to you.

 

“And I will make your children like the dust of the earth, so that if the dust of the earth could be numbered, only then would it be possible to put a figure on the number of your “offspring”.”  (Ge 13:16, wcv)

 

And so, (BY FAITH) “Abram, moved his tent (from Bethel), (and after walking thru the Land), and came and fixed his abode in the Oaken Grove of Mamre, which is near Hebron, and (it is there that Abram) made another Alter (of Thanksgiving) to the Lord.”  Ge 13:18   …and dwelt for many years. (Genesis 13:14-18, ¹wcv & ²)

 

To make a long and complicated account short and clear, we’ll put it this way;  as Abram dwelt near Hebron, in the Oaken Grove of Mamre…

¶ “It came to pass in the days…of Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam (Persia), that Chedorlaomer and his allies swept down upon five cities in the Vale of Siddim. Among these five cities lay Sodom and Gomorrah, the new home of Lot and his family. They plundered Sodom and Gomorrah taking Lot, his wife, his children, their riches, and their massive amount of livestock along with the riches of all of Sodom and Gomorrah with them. When Abram heard that Lot had been taken captive, he armed his trained servants, three hundred and eighteen men, and pursued Chedorlaomer and his allies to a place called Dan. Abram divided his small army and attacked this much larger force in the dark of the night from two different directions (when they were more than likely drunk and overconfident). Abram overtook them and pursued those that escaped all the way to Hobah, near Damascus. Abram returned with Lot, the women, the people, and all the spoil that was pillaged from Sodom and Gomorrah. On Abram’s return from the slaughter of Chederlaomer, the king of Sodom, and the kings of the other five cities that were plundered came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh, the King’s Dale. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me all of my people back but keep all the spoil of Sodom for yourself.” Abram then said to the king of Sodom, “I take only from the Hand of the Lord, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth. From you I will not take so much as a thread or a shoelatchet. I will take nothing of yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’.” (Genesis, Chapter 14, ¹wcv)

¶ Then there appeared Melchizedek (who had no beginning nor end of days), King of Salem, Priest of the Most High God, bringing out to Abram, bread to break and wine to celebrate, saying, “Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be the Most High God who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” “And Abram gave to Melchizedek tithes of all the spoil.” (Genesis, chapter 14, ¹wcv & ²)  I do believe Abram had an incredible encounter with the Son of God that day.

 

After all these things, (right there in the Oaken Grove of Mamre), the Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Have no fear, Abram: I will keep you safe, and great will be your reward.” (Genesis 15:1, ¹wcv & ²)

 

But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” (v. 2)

 

And Abram went on to say, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, Lord; and a hired-hand born in my house will be my heir.” (v.3)

 

And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir.” (v.4)

 

And the Lord brought Abram outside and said, “Look up into the heavens and number the stars, if you are able to number them” Said the Lord , “then so shall your descendants be (beyond number²).” (v.5)

 

And Abram BELIEVED the LORD; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. (It is By Faith)  (v.6)

 

Then the Lord said to Abram, “I AM the Lord Who brought you out of UR of the Chaldeans, to give you this Land to possess.” (v.7) (vs. 2-7,¹wcv & ²)

 

And then, it finally came to pass, right there in that Oaken Grove of Sweet Water Wells and Shade, neath the Oak of Mamre, The Oak of Abraham, that Abram finally asked the question that the Lord had been waiting for;

“O Dear Lord my God, HOW AM I TO KNOW THAT I SHALL POSSESS IT?’  (Genesis 15:1-8, ¹wcv& ²)

 

The LORD said to Abram, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. V.9)

 

And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. (v. 10)

 

Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. (v. 11)

 

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. (v. 12)

 

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire and a flaming torch passed between these pieces (v. 17)

 

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram…

¶ For the Lord did so greatly desire to provide, not only for Abram but for ALL mankind as well, a COVENANT that could not be broken. For a COVENANT was, and is, a “Walk of Death”, it is a “Bond in Blood”.  To “Break a Covenant” was to be “Cut Asunder” like the heifer, the she-goat, and the ram, which were “divided”, “cut” in half and laid opposite each other. In the days of Abram when two men “CUT A COVENANT”, one with the other, they both walked between the “halves” and swore, “If I break this covenant, do to me as you have done to the heifer, the she-goat, and the ram.” – and let this bird never fly again. Anyone who broke a COVENANT was to be “Cut Asunder by the Avenging Sword of Justice” That’s about as serious as it gets. How many who call themselves by His Name are that serious about their COVENANT with God today?

¶ The Lord loves us so much that He wanted to provide for all mankind a COVENANT that COULD NOT BE BROKEN, which HE did. Still, He will not perform our part for us, however, He will empower us, by the POWER of His GRACE. to do our part.

¶ For an example, consider the difference between Abram and Lot.

¶ Lot “Lifted up his eyes” and saw  “The things of this World” and all that it beheld! Little did he realize how catastrophic his “choice” would be. (v 10)

¶ Abram “Lifted up his eyes” and saw the Lord! And by doing so, became the father of many nations in whom ALL the nations of the earth would one day be blessed.

♥In the ABRAHAMIC COVENANT (God’s COVENANT with Abram) Jesus was the “Smoking Fire” and the “Flaming Torch” that, did, without fail, walk thru the “pieces” for Abram (and us) – and some 2000 years later, Jesus Christ, our very own Kinsman Redeemer, was “cut asunder” Himself, separated from His Father, Cruxified and CUT ASUNDER from His Father, died, and was laid in the tomb – JUST FOR US. Jesus paid the price of a BROKEN ADAMIC COVENANT and a FAILED MOSIAC COVENANT for us. Understand, the NEW COVENANT, the BLOOD COVENANT of the LAMB SLAIN is not between God and man. Like the ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, The NEW COVENANT was made between the Father and the Son into which ALL previous COVENANTS have been GATHERED. And though the NEW COVENANT can only be entered into thru Jesus Christ, It CANNOT BE BROKEN. When Jesus Christ becomes the Lord of our lives, when we become BORN AGAIN of the SPIRIT, we become, like Abram, JOINT HEIRS with CHRIST JESUS of ALL that is the FATHER’S. Under the BLOOD COVENANT of the LAMB SLAIN, we have been given the GIFT of REPENTANCE for our weaknesses as we MATURE, and the GIFT of GRACE (which is greatly misunderstood and even more greatly abused by multitudes who SAY THEY ARE HIS, today). The GIFT of GRACE is a POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT that supernaturally instills in us RIGHT DESIRES – HOLINESS man, HOLINESS – GRACE is the POWER to HATE SIN! To use GRACE as a “COVERING” for sin, or as an EXCUSE to WALK IN THE WAYS OF THIS WORLD is nothing less than playing RUSSIAN ROULETTE with SATAN!

¶ And so, As Abram did back in the day,  we have a great need to cry out today,

“O Dear Lord God, HOW ARE WE TO KNOW THAT WE SHALL POSSESS IT, AND ALL OF ITS ASTOUNDING PROMISES AND BENEFITS. HOW AM I TO KNOW THAT I WON’T FAIL YOU AND BREAK THE COVENANT AND HAVE ALL THE CURSES OF THE COVENANT BEFALL ME TODAY.” (Genesis 15:8)  Yes, we can still “Break Covenant” with the Lord thru blatant disobedience. Whether that “BREAK” is temporary or eternal is entirely up to us. Like Lot, you can refuse to enter into the COVENANT, or like Judas, you can pretend that you are Walking in the COVENANT when you are not, or like the arrogant disciples in the Book of 1 John, you can leave the COVENANT, but the COVENANT REMAINS. The Lord did, indeed, gives us the precious gift of a free-will. Like Abram, the CHOICE is up to us.

Which takes us to Chapter III of the book by Bob Phillips, “COVENANT, ITS BLESSINGS – ITS CURSES”

CHAPTER III

Walking in the Fear of the Lord

“Who is the man who fears the Lord? He (the Lord) will instruct him (that man) in the WAY that he should choose. His (that man’s) soul will abide in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The SECRET of the Lord is (only) for those who (truly) FEAR HIM, and HE (the Lord) will make them KNOW HIS COVENANT.” (Psalm 25:12,13,14)

 

“Now then, let the FEAR OF THE LORD be upon you; be very careful what you DO, for the Lord our God will have NO PART in unrighteousness, or partiality, or the taking of a bribe….Then he charged them saying, “thus you shall DO in the FEAR OF THE LORD, faithfully and WHOLHEARTEDLY.”  (2Chronicles 19:7,9)

¶ One of the names that the Bible uses to describe this NEW COVENANT is a COVENANT of PEACE. One of the most essential aspects of walking in this COVENANT of PEACE is to MAINTAIN the FEAR OF THE LORD in our hearts. In this chapter, we shall examine the CONCEPT of the FEAR of THE LORD and how it PREPARES us to ENJOY God’s COVENANT OF PEACE. Without it, you will NOT be able to walk in COVENANT PEACE.

¶ In Psalm 25 God makes a TREMENDOUS PROMISE to ALL who walk in the FEAR of THE LORD: He DECLARES He will MAKE THEM TO KNOW His COVENANT. The word “KNOW” used here means “to become INTIMATE FRIENDS.” You will not merely know about the COVENANT, but you will ENJOY an INTIMATE AQUAINTANCE with the COVENANT as an everyday experience and blessing.

¶ When God says, “The SECRET of the Lord is for those who FEAR Him” (Psalm 25:14), He is talking about a walk of INTIMACY in communion (in concert) with Him. The word “SECRET” means “INTIMATE COUNSEL”. Accordingly, the Word of God says, “He who dwells in the SECRET PLACE of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my REFUGE and my FORTRESS. My God; in Him (alone) will I trust.” (Psalm 91:1,2)  This SECRET PLACE is the place of God’s INTIMATE COUNSEL, open only to those who walk in COVENANT  with Him. In fact, ALL the many blessings of Psalm 91 come (only) from this INTIMATE COMMUNION and SECRET COUNSEL through the COVENANT.

¶ Let’s look at a PROPHECY concerning this COVENANT that God GIVES TO THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. Jeremiah wrote of God’s COUNSEL like this: “And they shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them ONE HEART and ONE WAY, that they may FEAR ME ALWAYS, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them.” (Jeremiah32:38,39)  Isn’t that a strange way to talk about FEAR?  God says He will put the FEAR of Himself in this NEW HEART for our own good and the good of our children. He says you can only have ONE HEART and ONE WAY and the FEAR of the Lord must be INSIDE YOU.

¶ Recently (1986), U.S. News and World Report gave major attention to the subject of FEAR, claiming that PHOBIAS and FEARS had become a major epidemic in America. There is a certain FEAR that is in the world. The Bible calls it a TORMENTING FEAR. (1 John 4:18) The Fear of the Unknown is a TORMENTING FEAR. The Fear of being a Failure is a TORMENTING FEAR. The Fear of Being Rejected is a TORMENTING FEAR. The Fear of what might happen tomorrow is a TORMENTING FEAR. The Fear of Cancer and Death are TORMENTING FEARS. The sum of the world’s FEARS is almost endless. Yet none of those fears is what God is talking about. His kind of FEAR is different. It is NOT being afraid of God or afraid to approach God, or even to KNOW God.

 

A HEART TO FEAR GOD

¶ Godly FEAR is placed in the HEART of every new BORN AGAIN Christian when he receives his NEW HEART. Do you remember when your HEART was so tender towards God? How deeply you LOVED HIM in the beginning. How the thought of displeasing Him or sinning against Him created a trembling in your innermost being  – yet it was a trembling mixed with the Joy of the Lord. Whatever else you did, you did not want to displease Him. That was the Fear of the Lord fixed within you – God put it in your NEW HEART for a purpose.

¶ If you merely joined a church or made a half-hearted profession – you did not get that FEAR. The requirement for entering into COVENANT with God is the FULL SURRENDER of your life to Him, to LOVE HIM with ALL OF YOUR HEART. FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ is far more than (an emotional) response to a fiery sermon or a casual search for the BLESSINGS of the Bible. (A TRUE CONVERSION²) will result in a radical transformation of your life wherein you get a NEW HEART that turns your desires from SELF to the One True and Living God. Anything less than this IS NOT SALVATION no matter what kind of “religious experience” you may have had.

¶ If you genuinely gave your heart to Jesus, something was deposited inside of you that did not want to displease God. You wanted to love Him and you wanted to know Him. You lost ALL DESIRE to be conformed to this present, evil world. Instead, you wanted to be conformed to the likeness and character of Jesus your Lord with a longing so deep and all-encompassing that nothing but God could satisfy it. You were (starving²) and thirsting for the Living God. This is what entering into COVENANT with Jesus Christ, the Creator of the heavens and the earth does to a Christian. (Anything less is a counterfeit²). When your heart becomes a heart of love, with a holy desire, a holy fear (reverence), and a holy joy, then you are, indeed, in the Fear of the Lord!

“By the Fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.” (Proverbs 16:6)

 

“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10)

 

“In the Fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and his children will have refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)

 

“The Fear of the Lord is Fountain of Life, that one may avoid the snares of death.” (Proverbs 14:27)

 

“The Fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.” (Proverbs 10:27)

 

“The Fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” (Proverbs 19:23)

 

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the Fear of the Lord always.” (Proverbs 23:17)

 

¶ The Prophet Jeremiah said, “And I will make an EVERLASTING COVENANT with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the FEAR OF ME in their HEARTS so that they will not turn away from me.” (Jeremiah 32:40)

¶ It is absolutely critical that we have the Fear of the Lord in our Hearts². Without IT, it is IMPOSSIBLE to walk in COVENANT  with God!  God puts this FEAR in our hearts so we won’t turn away from Him.  “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of PEACE and not of evil, to give you the end that you expect. Then shall you call upon Me, and you will go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And you shall seek Me, and you will FIND Me when you SEARCH for Me with ALL OF YOUR HEART.” (Jeremiah 29:11,12,13)  When you walk IN COVENANT with God with a WHOLE HEART, He can FULFILL ALL the blessings of the COVENANT toward you. God HAS PROMISED to ALWAYS BE THERE, NEVER TO FORSAKE YOU, TO CARE FOR YOUR PHYSICAL, FINANCIAL, and SPIRITUAL NEEDS, and TO BE A GUARD OVER YOUR HOUSEHOLD if you walk with Him with ALL OF YOUR HEART.

¶ In 2 Peter 1:2 the Word tells us “Grace and PEACE be multiplied to you in the KNOWLEDGE of God and of Jesus our Lord.”   The deeper you walk IN COVENANT with the HEART that God gave you to KNOW Him, the more GRACE and PEACE are multiplied (not added, multiplied) to you. The WORD continues, “Seeing that His Divine Power has granted to us EVERYTHING PERTAINING TO LIFE AND GODLINESS, through the TRUE KNOWLEDGE of Him Who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3)   Can you think of ANYTHING He did not cover in that statement?

¶ There is another precious benefit in this COVENANT OF PEACE.  “For by these (God’s glory and excellence) He has granted us precious and magnificent promises (just as He did for Abraham), in order that by them we might BECOME PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having ESCAPED the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2 Peter 1:4)  By THIS PROMISE contained in the COVENANT we receive the DIVINE NATURE of God to live inside of us through the INDWELLING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. It is ONLY through a COVENANT WALK that we are able to escape the corrupting influences of the world.

¶ Just as there was with Abraham, there is also with us, a RESPONSIBILITY that goes with having these PROMISES: “Therefore, having THESE PROMISES, beloved, LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES  from ALL defilement of FLESH and SPIRIT (SPIRITUAL HARLOTRY) (My, my, I wonder would that could be?), perfecting HOLINESS in the FEAR OF GOD.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

¶ ²Let me paraphrase: God says, “I’ve made a COVENANT with you (through Christ only²). In that COVENANT I have given you EVERYTHING YOU NEED pertaining to life and Godliness. I, GOD HAVE DONE IT!  I walked through the “pieces” on your behalf. I’ve covered every physical need, every spiritual need, and every material need; whatever you need is contained in My COVENANT.  It is through WALKING IN MY COVENANT that you will escape the corruption that is in the world. However, the ONLY WAY you will see these PROMISES come to pass in your life² is to cleanse yourself from ALL defilement of the FLESH and the SPIRIT – you must WALK IN HOLINESS before Me. And without the FEAR OF ME IN YOUR HEART, that is IMPOSSIBLE!!!²

As God said to Abram:

“ABRAM! GET OUT FROM AMONG YOUR PEOPLE, GET OUT OF YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE, AND AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY. GET OUT OF UR, AND THE CHALDEANS, AND INTO A LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.”

 

“I WILL MAKE OF YOU A GREAT NATION. I WILL BLESS YOU AND MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT, AND YOU SHALL BECOME A BLESSING TO ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

 

“I WILL BLESS THEM THAT BLESS YOU, AND I WILL CURSE THOSE THAT CURSE YOU. IN YOU SHALL ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED.” (Genesis 12:1,2,3) wcv

 

So is the Lord saying to us today,

“IF YOU ARE, IN DEED, THE SEED OF ABRAHAM, GET OUT OF BABYLON (THE HARLOT CHURCH). GET OUT FROM UNDER AND AWAY FROM ANY AND EVERYTHING THAT WOULD HINDER, DISTURB, OR KEEP YOU FROM WALKING IN COVENANT WITH YOUR LORD.”  “He who has ears to hear…examine yourself.” (Matthew 4:9, 2 Corinthians 13:5)

 

AND, AS WAS ABRAM (ABRAHAM), DON’T THINK THAT THIS THING IS CAKEWALK!  DON’T THINK THAT, JUST LIKE ABRAHAM, YOU WON’T BE TRIED, TESTED, AND TEMPTED to what you feel is beyond measure.  (Hebrews, 10:32,12:1-8) 

 

OF THOSE WHO REFUSE THE REFINING FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE LORD SAYS, “YOU HAVE EYES, WHY CAN’T YOU SEE? YOU HAVE EARS BUT YOU ONLY HEAR WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR.  WHY? BECAUSE YOU ARE A REBELLIOUS HOUSE.” (Ezekiel 12:2, ¹wcv & ²)

It’s not an option! To WALK IN COVENANT with God, we must WALK IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD. We must get shed of ALL the hindrances of the flesh and ALL spiritual (religious) nonsense!

You can spend your whole life building more barns for wood, hay, and stubble and, like Lot, lose the whole farm!

DUST by Will Callery ©William & Cynthia Pub. Co. ©2008 BMI

 

 

Letters From Over Yonder, The Deep Fetch, and The Covenant are published by William & Cynthia Pub. Co.©2023

{All Rights Reserved}

¹wcv / My emphasis / My Version

² / My Insert