YONGHO S.

LOUIS

FEAR GOD
Copyright © Publications
NKWEN, BAMENDA – CAMEROON

FIRST PUBLISHED: 2018

P.O BOX 5236, Nkwen, Bamenda - Cameroon

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic,mechanical, recording, faxing, photocopying or
otherwise without prior permission in writing from the
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ISBN:
 DEDICATION

This book is firstly dedicated to the Glory of the Lord

Jesus Christ, And to each and every one of my
Christians in Victory Outreach Ministries Cameroon
and students of the Word, whom the Lord Jesus
Christ is discipling through me, and whom I have also
come to love and cherish as He does,

To the body of Christ, this book is dedicated.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

Dedication.........................................................i

Table of Content.................................................ii

Introduction........................................................iii

Chapter One.........................................................1

Chapter Two.........................................................3

Chapter Three.......................................................8

Chapter Four........................................................10

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD
your God directed me to teach you to observe in the
land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so
that you, your children and their children after them
may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by
keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you,
and so that you may enjoy long life. Deut.6:1-2

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”- Prov.1:7

Everyone knows what it’s like to be afraid. We

all have things that we’re afraid of – I can remember as
a child being afraid of the dark – a fear I think we have
all had at one time or another. For my daughter it’s
definitely got to be insects!! For some of you it may be
storms, an extreme height, traveling in airplanes, or dogs,
etc.
Why is anxiety and fear on the top of the list of
human problems? Fear is growing worldwide. People
fear everything from snakes and scorpions to
earthquakes and famines. There is the fear of man, fear

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of shame, fear of pain or danger, and fear of great loss.
The list is endless. What we should fear is not ISIS or
the stock market, but the LORD. God is speaking loudly
in these days. He is warning us and shaking everything.
But the Kingdom of God cannot be shaken. Let us not
fail to realize that those who truly follow the Lord are
part of that unshakable Kingdom. When we learn to walk
in the fear of the Lord, our other fears will fade into the
background.

1.1 DEFINITION OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD

A. What does the phrase “the fear of the LORD” refer

to? When we think of fear, we associate the word with
terror. Webster’s Dictionary defines fear as “a feeling of
anxiety and agitation produced by the presence or
nearness of danger, evil, pain, etc.” For many, this would
describe the feeling you get when you see a snake, go to
the doctor or dentist, or when you find yourself in a
time of extreme danger. It is dread of the unknown.
Surely, this is not the sensation the writer of Proverbs is
referring to.

B. What, then, does it mean to fear the Lord? When

we truly fear the Lord, we will recognize that He is the
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Creator and we are the creatures. He is the Master and
we are the servants. He is the Father and we are the
children. This attitude will manifest itself in our having
a respect for God, His word and in our having a desire
to do what He tells us to in His Bible. We can relate this
kind of fear to that which a child has for his parents. If
the right kind of fear is present, the child knows that his
parents can hurt him if there is disobedience, but
overriding that fear is the knowledge that disobedience
hurts the parents and the child loves and respects his
parents and does not want to hurt them. To put it simply,
the fear of the Lord is a deep seated reverence for God
that causes men to want to please Him at all costs.

Genuine fear of the Lord is always seen in

obedience to the Word of God, (Pro. 8:13). People who
do not walk in line with God’s Word do not fear the
Lord, regardless of what they profess with their lips.
Therefore, when we fear the Lord, there is an element
of dread (tremble) at what His wrath (anger) can do, but
there is also such a respect for Him and for His will that
nothing else matters but doing that which pleases the
Lord.

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Oswald Chambers, “The remarkable thing about
fearing God is that, when you fear God, you fear
nothing else; whereas, if you do not fear God, you fear
everything else.”)

Would you describe your life as one lived in the

fear of God? Does the fear of His anger prompt you to
holiness? Does respect for Him and for His will propel
you toward obedience and godliness? We need to fear
of the Lord in our lives!

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 CHAPTER TWO
KINDS OF FEAR

There are three kinds of fears that we must be

aware of - harmful, healthy and holy fears.

2.1 FEAR THAT IS HARMFUL

This is the “spirit of fear”. This fear paralyzes us,
keeps us from doing things we could or should do.
Harmful fears are those that hinder us. Paul said to
Timothy, “God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of
power, love, and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Timothy was struggling against those fears that
hindered his ministry and life such as the fear of failure,
rejection, inferiority, and inadequacy. Instead of being
God-conscious, harmful fears cause us to be self-
conscious.
These are not helpful fears!

Fear of failure: When we have high expectations. The

unprofitable servant was corrected for being wicked and
lazy after he made the excuse, “I was afraid, and went
and hid your talent in the ground” instead of using it
productively (Matthew 25:25).

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Fear of unknown: Psalm 23:4… Even though I walk
through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you
are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Fear of rejection:
Fear of man:
o David was not afraid of Goliath,
o The three Hebrew boys and Daniel feared God more
than they feared Nebuchadnezzar,
o Mordecai did not fear Haman

Psalm 27:1-3… 1 The Lord is my light and my

salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the
stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? 2
When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it
is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then I will be
confident.

Psalms 91: dwelling in the secret place of the most high

-no fear

 Fear of crowd (Job 31:34): Psalm 3:6… I will

not fear though tens of thousands assail me on
every side.

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  When a child is afraid of the dark…he is afraid
that something would come out and harm

 We are fearful of sickness; Fear of losing our jobs;

Fear of accidents; New drivers who are learning
to drive; Fear when we try to teach others how to
drive

Such fear does not have a positive end. Obviously

this fear is not what God is looking for. So what type of
fear does God want us to have?

2.2 HEALTHY FEAR - FEAR THAT IS GOOD

It keeps us from driving 200km/h, picking up a rattler

snake, jumping off the side of a building, or other foolish
things that you can think of.

 The Hebrew verb yare can mean “to fear, to

respect, to reverence”

 The Greek noun phobos can mean “reverential

fear” of God, “not a mere ‘fear’ of His power and
righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of
displeasing Him”.

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  This is the type of positive, productive fear Luke
describes in the early New Testament Church:

Acts 9:31… “Then the churches throughout all Judea,

Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And
walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the
Holy Spirit, they were multiplied”
Scripture is full of examples of how fearing God is a
positive rather than a negative thing. For example;

 In Genesis 42:18, Joseph wins his brothers’ trust

when he declares he is a God-fearing man.

 Regarding Job, the Lord acknowledges that Job

was God-fearing.

Job 1:1, 8; 2:3 … ..This man was blameless and upright;

he feared God and shunned evil. He maintains his
integrity. There is no one on earth like him

 It was because the midwives feared God that they

obeyed him instead of the authorities by sparing
the Hebrew babies (Exodus 1:17).

 Abraham Feared God – When you fear God,

you will not withhold anything from Him

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Genesis 22:12… “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he
said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you
fear God, because you have not withheld from me your
son, your only son.”
 In Ezra, fear of man did not stop them from
worshiping God

Ezra 3:3… Despite their fear of the peoples around them,

they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt
offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening
sacrifices.

 Pharaoh brought disaster on his nation because

he did not fear God (Exodus 9:29-31).

 Moses chose leaders to help him on the basis that

they feared God and wouldn’t take bribes (Exodus
18:21) and told the Hebrews that God met with
them in a terrifying display of his power so that
they wouldn’t sin (Exodus 20:20).

2.3 HOLY FEAR - THE FEAR OF THE LORD

IS PURE

Psalms 19: 9… The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
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 Fear of the Lord is clean, holy and pure – It is not
the same as all the fears we have in this world

Fear of the Lord is Pure – It is for our good and not

for our harm. Fearing the Lord is not like fears of this
world. When on one side the fears of this world drive us
away from the source, the Pure and holy fear of the Lord
actually pulls us towards Him. (eg..Fear of fire). Fear
him, love him and serve him only with all your heart
and soul.
Joseph was a not only a man of Integrity but
was also a God–fearing person.

Joseph (from the Book of Genesis) was a not

only a man of Integrity but was also a god–fearing
person. Success nor circumstances neither could corrupt
Joseph or change his knowledge and awareness about
his God: He was a quick learner, he had to learn the new
culture, new language, new trades, …etc, but he knew
that no matter what changed, his God was unchanging
and that his righteous standards do not change with
circumstances. It was easier to sleep with Potiphar’s wife,
good for his career, yet he knew that when we sin, we
sin against God. He had to flee the house of Potiphar no
matter what the consequence would be. Joseph wasn’t
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just worried about Potiphar finding out. He was
worried about having to live with himself, knowing
that God would know what he had done. Joseph was
able to hold on to his integrity and character because he
feared God. God gave him success wherever he went

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 CHAPTER THREE

HOW TO WALK IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD

3.0 WALKING WITH GOD DAILY

As we evaluate our life, most of us have to admit that

we are just beginning to learn about the fear of the
Lord. “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride
and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech”
(Proverbs 8:13).

 Be aware of God’s presence during the day -

Learn to practice God’s presence. Speak to God all
throughout the day with little phrases. “Jesus, I love
you.” “I stand in awe of your greatness.” “Thank You
for being so good.”

”Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

who walk in the light of your presence, Lord” (Psalm
89:15).
 Learn to trust the Lord daily - When you are
fearful, confess it as sin and ask God to help you walk
in His peace. He is your refuge.

”Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and

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for their children it will be a refuge” (Proverbs
14:26).

 Highly value and respect the Bible -Know that

the Bible is under attack and make a personal
commitment to stand on God’s Truth. Take time for Bible
reading and study (Proverbs 2:1-5). Commit to applying
what you read and pray it back to God, slowly
internalizing the verses. You will learn more about the
nature of God, His ways, and how to obey.

”All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for

teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the servant of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy
3:16-17).

 Worship God during the day - Study the

attributes of God in His Word and worship Him through
His Word. Sing and proclaim His attributes. When people
in the Bible encountered God, they responded in deep
reverence and submission. Let worship permeate your
life.”Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel

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before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6).

 Welcome and embrace God’s discipline -

Don’t run from God’s refining fire. He is a loving
Father and deals with us as sons. We are not to despise
His chastening because He delights in us. Though it
may be painful, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit
of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).

”My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do

not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines
those he loves, as a father the son he delights in”
(Proverbs 3:11-12).

 Avoid circumstances that are not of God -

Proactively look at what circumstances lead you into
sinful thinking and actions. i.e. internet, movies, bad
relationships, etc. Go the way of righteousness.

”Better a little with righteousness than much gain

with injustice (Proverbs 16:9).

 Repent of any personal sin that God reveals

to you -Live a repentant life style daily. See David’s
example in Psalm 51:4-10.
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”Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my
iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew
a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:9-10).

3.1 WHY SHOULD I FEAR GOD?

1. We are in a covenantal relationship with a sovereign

and jealous God – he deserves our exclusive
wholehearted surrender.
2. He has bought me, I belong to him. He owns me. I
have been fearfully and wonderfully made.
3. He has the power to forgive my sins and give me
eternal life
4. He has the power to forgive: Forgiveness and the fear
of the Lord
Psalm 130:3-4… 3 If you, Lord, kept a record of
sins, Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is
forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

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 Matthew 10:28… Do not be afraid of those who
kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid
of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

God’s offer of forgiveness to those who repent

gives us a reason to fear—a reason to change. It also
gives us a reason to be eternally grateful and to grow in
love to be more like our loving God!

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 CHAPTER FOUR

BENEFITS OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD

According to Proverbs (wisdom Literature), the

fear of the Lord will produce certain benefits in your
life and mine. When we fear the Lord, we will find
certain things to be true.)

1. Prov.1:7; 9:10; 15:33 - It Is the Beginning of

Wisdom

Prov 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of

knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and
instruction.”
Prov 9:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is
understanding.”
Prov 15:33, “The fear of the LORD is the instruction
of wisdom; and before honour is humility.”
The best place to begin the search for true wisdom
is in the fear of the Lord. True fear of the Lord is born
out of knowledge of how infinitely powerful, majestic
and full of goodness God is. Before one can grow in the
Lord, he must first learn to fear Him.
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2. Prov.3:7; 16:6 - It Motivates People to Holiness

Prov 3:7, “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the
LORD, and depart from evil.”
Prov 16:6, “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged:
and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.”
These verse tell us that the fear of the Lord
promotes holy living. The person who truly reverences
and respects the Lord as he should will not do anything
that brings disgrace, dishonor or pain to the heart of the
Lord. People who genuinely fear the Lord will flee from
evil. The prospect of causing the Lord pain will be too
great to bear!

Job is a great example of what the fear of the Lord

will produce in your life, Job 1:8)

3. Prov.10:27 - It Prolongs Life -

Prov 10:27, “The fear of the LORD prolongeth days:

but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.”
This is not a blanket promise because any number
of things can happen along the road of life that can take
us out of here in an instant. However, generally speaking,
those who live in the fear of the Lord are more likely to

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live to a good old age than those who live for the flesh
and the world.

Approximately 60% of human illnesses can be

traced directly or indirectly to fear, sorrow, envy,
resentment, guilt, hatred, or to any number of emotional
stresses. Add to that the awful pain caused by alcohol
(cirrhosis of the liver), tobacco, (emphysema, cancer,
heart disease), and immorality, (venereal diseases and
AIDS), we can see that a life lived in the fear of the
Lord with obedience to His Word will result in a much
healthier existence.

4. Prov.14:26 - It Produces a Sense of Security -

Prov 14:26, “In the fear of the LORD is strong
confidence: and his children shall have a place of
refuge.” Psalm 34 says, “The angels of the Lord
encamp around them that fear him.”
When we are walking in the fear of the Lord, we
can have confidence that God is on our side. Notice
Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?” The person
who is walking in the fear of the Lord and is living by
the Book will have fewer feelings of insecurity,
abandonment and fear. There will be far fewer times
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when salvation is doubted. The fear of the Lord produces
a strong sense of security and close fellowship with the
Father. This is a blessed benefit!

5. Prov.14:27 - It Produces Life -

Prov 14:27, “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of

life, to depart from the snares of death.”
When we walk in the fear of the Lord, we are
stronger spiritually than we could be otherwise. The fear
of the Lord is like a fountain that continually springs up
with spiritual vitality and strength. This enables the
Christian to walk cleaner and closer thus avoiding the
temptations and traps of the devil.

6. Prov.15:16 - It Makes All Of Life Better -

Prov. 15:16, “Better is little with the fear of the LORD

than great treasure and trouble therewith.”
This verse teaches us that it is better to have
limited resources and be in the will of God than it is to
have plenty and the trouble that comes along with it.
The bottom line here is this, when you are in the Lord’s
will, and when you are walking in His fear, then your
care is His responsibility, Matt. 6:25-33; Phil. 4:19. The
life filled with “things” and riches is a trouble filled life.
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The life lived in faith and in the fear of God is literally
carefree.

7. Prov.19:23 - It Produces Satisfaction And Safety -

Prov.19:23, “The fear of the LORD tendeth to life:

and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not
be visited with evil.”
The person who lives in the fear of God will be a
satisfied person. They will have one goal in live, pleasing
the Lord, and it will have been met. Therefore, they will
have all their needs met and they will be happy. When
we must have other stuff to make us happy, we never
will be! When we learn to be satisfied with the Lord and
with the privilege of walking in His fear, we will be
permanently satisfied. Nothing will matter but the smile
of God and it will be upon our lives. Notice, this verse
says that this kind of person will not be visited with
evil. The person who walks in the genuine fear of the
Lord need never fear going to Hell, he need never fear
many of the things that beset the world around him. By
his walk in the fear of the Lord, he brings the smile and
the hedge of God into his life, Job 1:10.

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8. Prov.22:4 - It Brings Great Blessings -

Prov. 22:4, “By humility and the fear of the LORD

are riches, and honour, and life.”
The person who chooses to walk in the fear of
the Lord can rest assured that this decision will bring
great blessings into his life. There will be spiritual riches
beyond belief, (peace, joy, hope, security, the promises
of God, the presence of God, etc.), there will be honor
from the Lord, and there will be abundant life, John
10:10. The fear of the Lord, produces the greatest
possible life that any person can ever live. There is no
better life upon this earth than a life lived in the will of
the Lord!

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 CHAPTER FIVE

20 BLESSINGS THAT HAPPEN TO A PERSON

WHO FEARS GOD

1. God gives them families of their own.

And because the midwives feared God, he gave them

families of their own. –Exodus 1:21

2. God instructs them in the ways.

Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct
them in the ways they should choose. —Psalm 25:12

3. God makes his covenant known to them.

The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his

covenant known to them. —Psalm 25:14

4. God prepares abundant and good things for them.

How abundant are the good things that you have stored
up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight
of all, on those who take refuge in you. —Psalm 31:19

5. The angel of the Lord comes to protect them.

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The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear
him, and he delivers them. —Psalm 34:7

6. They lack nothing.

Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear
him lack nothing. —Psalm 34:9

7. God raises a banner to be unfurled against the

bow for them.

But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to
be unfurled against the bow. —Psalm 60:4

8. God gives His heritage to them.

For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me

the heritage of those who fear your name. —Psalm 61:5

9. God’s salvation be near them.

Surely his salvation is near those who fear him that his
glory may dwell in our land. —Psalm 85:9

10. God’s great love be with them.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great

is his love for those who fear him; —Psalm 103:11

11. The Lord has compassion on them.

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As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord
has compassion on those who fear him; —Psalm 103:13

12. God fulfills the desires of them.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears

their cry and saves them. —Psalm 145:19

13. They will get the wisdom from God.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and

knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. —
Proverbs 9:10

14. The Lord adds length to their lives

The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of
the wicked are cut short. —Proverbs 10:27

15. They will have a secure fortress for their children.

Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for

their children it will be a refuge. —Proverbs 14:26

16. God keeps them from the snares of death.

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person

from the snares of death. —Proverbs 14:27

17. They will avoid evil.

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Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through
the fear of the Lord evil is avoided. —Proverbs 16:6

18. Their lives will be untouched by trouble.

The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content,
untouched by trouble. —Proverbs 29:23

19. They will get riches and honor and life from God.

Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and
honor and life. —Proverbs 22:4

20. They will be praised.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman

who fears the Lord is to be praised. —Proverbs 31:30

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 CHAPTER SIX

ABSENCE OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD

In contrast, not fearing the Lord, Proverb 10:27

says, “The fear of the Lord prolongeth days; but the years
of the wicked shall be shortened.”

Please, note very well that nothing happens by

chance; everything is programmed in the spirit. There
is nothing like a stray bullet or somebody using cutlass
on you accidentally. It has been programmed in the spirit.
What will make these seeming accidents not to happen
are the kinds of things we are talking about in this
message.

The fear of God is rapidly jumping out of the

house of God now. People are not afraid of God any
more. They dress anyhow, talk anyhow, and insult the
men of God without knowing that they are inviting
curses upon themselves. When you insult a man of God,
his anointing will fight you, the blood of Jesus will fight
you, the angels will fight you, anything can fight against
you. The fear that people had when they got born again
in those days is fading out. We need to bring that fear
back into the house of God. You need to fear the Lord

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from the bottom of your heart and know that there are
certain things you cannot do. It may be convenient and
comfortable for others but you cannot do them. There
are certain things that a Christian does not touch at all
because of the fear of the Lord. It is these days that people
come to the house of the Lord with chewing gum in
their mouth. Sometimes it seems as if the Lord was not
quick in punishing us. But we must not take that for
granted because the devil would be doing a deeper harm.

Do you fear the Lord? If you do, then your days

will be long, but if you don’t, your days will be short.
Some people talk to the Lord anyhow. For example, they
would say, “I am sorry Lord, that I committed that sin,
this is not the first time. Any way you wrote that even if
my sin is as red as scarlet it will become as white as
snow, so forgive me for I am a human being.” They
command God to forgive them without fear. In those
days, people used to cry at the altar showing godly
sorrow for their sins. There is no fear of God again,
believers fall into fornication and all kinds of sins and
still smile, saying that there is a limit to human
endurance. These are the causes of short lives. When
arrows are fired in the spirit world it goes around looking
for loopholes. If they see that there is no fear of God in
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your life, although you are coming to the house of God,
they would enter into your life.

CONCLUSION

Ecclesiastes 12:13… Now all has been heard; here is

the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his
commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

Proverbs 15:16… Better a little with the fear of the

Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

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