Recently, I heard the Lord say that greater shaking was ahead and that this is a crucial time to possess the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. I came across an article I had written and sensed that it was time to republish it:
Fear can be either good or destructive, depending on who—or what—is being feared. We never need to fear the enemy or any circumstance when we are walking within the will of God. However, if we step outside His will, fear becomes a warning signal.
God created fear as a protective mechanism to keep humanity from harm. In this sense, fear can serve a redemptive purpose by drawing us back to God and producing obedience. Hebrews 10:30–31 reminds us that the Lord will judge His people and that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. At times, God allows sobering or fearful circumstances to awaken believers, shaking them out of complacency and redirecting them away from danger.
God designed the human body with adrenaline for moments of crisis. It increases blood flow and prepares us to respond in emergencies. This is an example of healthy fear—a God-given response that mobilizes action rather than paralysis.
Yet there is a higher and holier dimension of fear: the fear of the Lord. Scripture declares that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This fear is not terror but reverent awe before a holy and sovereign God. It positions us in humility, dependence, and alignment with Him. The fear of the Lord becomes a place of protection, keeping us from paths that would wound or destroy us.
To live in the fear of the Lord is to remain hidden in Him. As we live, move, and have our being in God, He is magnified before us in His majesty and power. When He fills our vision, all other fears lose their grip. The enemy has no authority to intimidate those who are walking in obedience, for his influence gains access only through sin and disobedience. His agenda to steal, kill, and destroy operates where God’s covering is resisted—but where the fear of the Lord reigns, safety, wisdom, and divine protection remain.
Understanding Judgment & Mercy
We are in 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. Too many Christians are not fighting at all, except with each other! This must stop, as it distracts us from recognizing the dangers and the pitfalls ahead.
There is a dichotomy in Christ, depicting the two sides of mercy and Judgment—the double-edged sword. Many leaders, ministries, and individuals present from one or the other of these perspectives, some leaning heavily on one or the other. The opposing views of mercy and judgment have created some discord in the Body of Christ, as many 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 Voice.
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, character refinement, and understanding of the spiritual warfare that began to target me with increasing ferocity. 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 (Heb. 12). A father will relate to his grown son in a far different way than He would with his four-year-old or adolescent child. It is the same with our Heavenly Father; He is now looking for 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 His authority, 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, is multifaceted. 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. If we understood this, we would see that to choose one facet of God to depict Him, as in mercy over judgment, or love over discipline, would be to miss the surpassing, multifaceted treasure of a triune, omniscient being, presented to humanity as the one and only true God.
Many church leaders keep their people locked in an adolescent stage, dependent on them, never allowing them to grow into the mature, courageous, warrior leaders God intends and needs for this hour. Some leaders heap on unsanctified mercy and grace, giving people permission to remain immature. They stagnate in the growth in righteousness that leads to strength of character and a life deeply rooted and anchored in God—this is the life that cannot be shaken! Many Christians in my time of trial, with good intentions, would have comforted me with Christian platitudes like God will make a way, when what I needed was tough love to shake me out of my stupor, caused by unbelief and self-pity, and a reminder of who I was in Christ.
When you have truly known and experienced the love of God, most would be willing to give all for Him; some may even be willing to lay down their lives for Him. Peter thought that he would be willing, until his love was tested in the Fire; when he heard the rooster crow three times, he ran. When things do not go our way, we can become offended in God, giving the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of our disappointment or disillusionment. Enduring love is love that has been tested by Fire in crisis, tempered by discipline—as steel is tempered in fire to increase its strength. Elijah said to the people at Mt. Carmel, “…the god who answers by fire—he is God” (1 Kings 18:24). Be assured, our love will be tested.
Many in this generation have been pampered or neglected by parents, given few boundaries, indulged by society, and provided with everything, with nothing required in return. We are now all suffering the consequences of this, as they act out in society. The frightening thing is that many of them now occupy important leadership positions in government. Unfortunately, this may also be true for many in this generation of Christians, raised with too much grace and too little discipline, many of whom abandon the church when they become offended.
When the shaking begins and the fire heats up, the question remains: Will faith be there to uphold us? In the fire, many are shaken and become offended by God. Even John the Baptist, who spent years in the wilderness, had his doubts about Jesus when he was put in jail; he sent to ask if Jesus was truly the One. Jesus answered him, “…blessed is the one who is not offended in Me.”
I am putting an emphasis on discipline, the fire that refines, and the fear of the Lord, because during a recent time of prayer, the Lord brought these things to my attention. He said that more shakings were about to come, and the fire would be heating up; that shakings would be coming like travail upon a woman, increasing in intensity, that will bring forth a birthing, an awakening that is His Great Reset—a reset back to the knowledge of God and to the fear of the Lord!
This Reset will be the love of God coming in a great wave of discipline on the earth. The Father is about to give His children and the Earth a spanking. Those who fear God will bow. Those who do not will be offended and fall away. The earth will be given the choice either to rebel or to seek out the face of God. Much of the world has been turned upside down, but God is about to set it right again—but it may come with some discomfort.
God is saying to all, choose today whom you will serve. Will you stay on God’s side and not be offended? Will you fear man, or will you fear God?
Faith Marie Baczko
