Take Earnest Heed: The Watch Letter

Often, when it comes to Jesus's coming to earth, we hear so much about his mother Mary. But I believe the Lord brought to my attention why there is a certain level of detail that he gave about Joseph in the book of Matthew and elsewhere.

Often, the value of a Godly father is overlooked by society, so we naturally shine the light on Mary. There is evidence all around us of what happens when a Godly father is missing from our lives. The Jesus who saved us needed the Heavenly Father and the rearing of a Godly father like Joseph to accomplish the plan of salvation. I am grateful for Chief Apostle H.C. Gunn, who adopted me as his daughter about 20 years ago. My life changed the moment I met him, and his Godly fatherhood led me to know and serve my Father in heaven.

God was not only purposeful about choosing Mary to bring Jesus onto earth as a man, but he was also purposeful about Joseph being Jesus's father. Why? God could trust him with his plan of salvation because Joseph took earnest heed to the things which he heard from God and his messengers. Joseph never violated Mary or ignored God's wishes. He had pure respect for God and his plan. He even abstained from being intimate with Mary until Jesus was born to ensure God's plan was not interrupted in anyway.

Our Pastor, Chief Apostle Gunn, has been reminding us to study Hebrews 2,3 and 4. The Lord instructed him to tell us to study it. And I am so grateful that he did because it is washing me. And I am grateful that Chief Apostle Gunn does not neglect to tell us a single word of what God gives him. So many pastors these days water down the word of God just for book sales, claps or likes on social media. What if Joseph only did or said some of what God told him to do when it came to protecting and raising up Jesus?

When I read the very first verse of Hebrews 2 it struck me: "Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." It really helped me to see the urgency of the warnings Chief Apostle Gunn has been giving us. He told us to do the word not just hear it. He keeps emphasizing this.

What would have happened if Joseph only heard and not did the instructions and warning of God when Mary was pregnant, and Jesus was born? What if Joseph's failure to take earnest head to the word of God caused Jesus to be killed before his time like the devil planned as he worked through Herod?

What if our failure to take earnest heed to the word is killing the Jesus in us? I can say that I see where I was smothering Jesus in me because there are some places in my life where the word has been left sitting in the canals of my ears instead of seriously and sincerely received in my heart, in my thoughts, in my being. The word received is supposed to show up in us, in our actions, in our thoughts, in our decisions, and in the whole of our lives every day.

Earnest heed. It is important that we understand what this means. Earnest means serious, sober, intense, fervent, urgent, steady, thoughtful, wholehearted. Heed means to give serious attention to, regard with care, take notice of, attend to, to observe, showing or characterized by sincerity of intention. These words have similar meanings but were used strategically by God to get our attention. We know that in the Bible, when God says the same thing twice it's a strong emphasis and a sounded alarm.

The word of good is serious. Every jot and every tittle. The word of God created the earth we live on, the air we breathe, the food, blood and oxygen that gives us vitality every day.

What if the sun, the moon, the sky, the waters, the vegetation, etc. did not obey God? What would happen to us? All of God's earthly creation works as it should, takes him seriously, and heeds every one of his words and commands, except for us.

Joseph was something special. Just like Mary was pure as a virgin, Joseph was pure in his intention to obey God. The Lord told Chief Apostle Gunn that he is calling for us to be pure and become purer. For salvation to come in the world, God used Mary's physical purity and Joseph's purity of heart and mind. Thinking on this urges us to ensure we are clean not only in all physical aspects of our life but in our intent, which comes from our hearts and thoughts. The Bible says we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). This to me is the same thing as taking earnest heed to the word. When something causes you to fear and tremble it’s a serious matter and it has all your attention in that moment. Lord forgive me where I have not been attentive.

Salvation is not just an acceptance of a gift from God. We must unbox the gift and use it every day. It is not once saved always saved (I am so grateful Chief Apostle Gunn taught me this, because I grew up thinking going to church, knowing the Bible, singing in the choir was enough). We must maintain salvation. Just like a body builder. If they don't work out every day or consistently, they will lose their muscle build up. If we don't take earnest head to the word and apply it, obey it, and use it day in and day out, then we will find ourselves unsaved.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says "There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

The Lord always provides us a way to escape from sin and the snare of the enemy and that comes from his instruction, his word, his warning, his teaching. That is why Joseph was able to escape from the attacks of the enemy on Jesus’s life. But how can we escape the traps of sin and distractions from salvation set for us, if we don't take earnest heed?

Let's look at examples of how Joseph's obedience and serious responsiveness to the word set the course for us to be saved.

Matthew 1:

8 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

Matthew 2:

13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

7 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Below are just some highlights from Hebrews 2,3 and 4 that speak to the urgency of taking earnest heed to the word - the preached word, the written word, the word of God.

Hebrews 2:

1. Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Hebrews 3:

7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:

4 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

These are just some highlights, so please read all three chapters in full in Hebrews. One thing that hit home for me in the verses above are the words unbelief and neglect. So often, we say we believe in God, but I wonder if it’s just us believing in what he can do for us because if we truly believed in God, we would take earnest heed to everything he says not just what we think serves us. So, to me unbelief is not just about a lack of faith it's about not taking God's word seriously. That is why so many did not make it out of the wilderness, even though God gave them Moses to lead them to salvation, they did not take earnest heed to the word that God put in the prophet's mouth, and they did not take earnest heed to who God was and what he commanded. It is unbelief in the wholeness of God’s word that causes us to neglect God, neglect his commands, neglect our pastor, neglect his messengers, and neglect the teaching and warnings. Those urges God sends to me to pray, study, wait, wash, fast, stop something I am doing or start something, etc., when they are ignored (by sleep, phone, laziness, overworking, researching, entertainment, etc.) that means there is something in me that does not believe in the seriousness of what God is trying to do or say in that moment. Lord forgive me.

In closing, here is an example I happened to run across today. A man who killed 6 people one by one was about to be sentenced and when the judge asked him to speak, he talked about how much he believed in Jesus and that Jesus was his Lord and Savior… and that he always believed that. I am not saying he hasn't repented and that he is isn't saved, because I cannot determine that. But some people asked this about him: If Jesus is his Lord, why didn't he listen to his Lord? Somehow his Lord would have warned him, told him to stop or intervened.

This leaves me with this thought: Just saying we believe in God or are saved means nothing if we cannot take earnest heed to him and his word to keep us from sin and to be pure before him.

Listen to today's FORREAL RADIO BROADCAST with Chief Apostle Gunn " Behold" here: https://www.thebodyofchristinc.com/listen-in?wix-music-track-id=4016104085971560&wix-music-comp-id=comp-kjfzbgmx.