04-22-13 Life in Light

Genesis 1:3-5 "And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day."

Life.  When I think of the origin of life, I think of Adam and Eve.  Like, that's where it all started, right? Well... not really.

If we go back to Genesis 1, we read the creation story.  The very first creation of God was light.  So, let's think about this for a few minutes.  What is light? Without going too deeply into the physics of light, of which I know only about what I've read; light is energy. When we think of energy, we think of life.  Take a child, for instance, who seems to have unending energy - and us older ones, not so much. We see life in that child. It may even make us smile - or drive us crazy because we can't get them to settle down. 

But that is illustration is nothing compared to the speed of light. To the naked eye, light is instantaneous; but it's not. Light travels at 186,282 miles per second or 299,792,458 meters per second.  Now that's some energy!  We can't see in nanoseconds, so for us, it's instantaneous.  

Darkness, on the other hand, and we can even say 'death', is simply the absence of light or life. When we say that someone has passed away or even near death, we sometimes say 'the light has gone from their eyes'. 

We can also see this when sin (darkness) has entered a person. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and staying close to the Lord, people who see us will sometimes tell us that they see us glowing. We have an energy flowing through us that spills out where others can see.  That is Life flowing through us and others see the Light of that Life. That Light and Life is Jesus! 

John 8:12 says it all, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”" 

There is no speed of darkness. Darkness is simply the absence of light. So if darkness is simply the absence of light on earth, then spiritual darkness is simply the absence of Jesus. 

So life actually began with God creating light.  Our lives actually began with The Light coming into our hearts. Let's let it burn bright so everyone in darkness can see.

04-20-13 God's Holiness Through Us

Proverbs 13:9 "The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out."

Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."

Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Luke 11:35-37 "See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”"

2 Corinthians 4:6 "For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ."

Now, if the point has not been made abundantly clear in the verses above, I will give it to you straight.  When we regard the Lord, our Father - making room for the Holy Spirit to clean out the darkness within us and give us the Light - what does He give us?  The light that shines, the glory that rises upon us and is displayed in the face of Christ (who happens to be Who we want to look like), it is the very Holiness of our Father Who is lavishing Himself upon us.  

Why? Because we need His Light to see in this ever-increasing darkened world.  A world that is turning against Him faster than it is turning towards Him.  If His Holiness and Glory does not shine through us, who will it shine through to reach a dying world who needs a Saviour - to free those who are captive - physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally.  To be constantly asking the Lord for discernment and words of knowledge - so that it's not just the Light of countenance that shines - but the Light that permeates every cell of our being.  

We were spared - some of us quite literally from death's door for such a time as this.  To be His Lights - beacons - that shine in the night so that others will see the Light and be drawn in.

I want to be like Peter - with whom the people would line the streets just so His shadow would move over them and heal them. They had that much faith and the Lord obviously endowed Peter with His Presence so strongly that those around Him could be touched.  Now, we are talking about Peter - with whom I identify with.  The same Peter who denied knowing Jesus three times before Jesus was taken to death.  But the same Peter who the Lord restored by asking a similar question three times, before telling him to take care of and feed His sheep (people).  

There have been times when I've felt the power of God - the glory of God coming before someone comes down a line to pray for me.  They could be three people away, but the Presence of God is so strong, it reaches out and surrounds them.  

I've felt the power of God come upon me so strongly that I thought I couldn't take anymore unless I gave it away while praying for people. But what is spectacular about all of this?  Jesus said that greater things than He did we will do.  THAT'S what we want and strive for.

In order for that to happen, though.  We desperately need to have a great respect and have great honor for the One Who gave us the breath of life - Our Father, through His Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit... the Three in One.

Continuing to give our lives over to the care of God, without self getting in the way.  I believe that it was possible in the Old Testament, in the New Testament and still today.  God does not change.  His Holiness and Greatness does not change.  His desire to bring us even closer to His Love and His Power does not change.  He was, is and ever will be the Most High God.

Shine - Newsboys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=givCI1M9Rh0

04-19-13 What a Holy God 'Requires'

Romans 6:16-23 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Slaves in the Old Testament were not like the slavery that we've seen in the world in our past (or read about).  It was maybe people who were spared their lives when the Lord gave the Israelites their land - the land was given to the Israelites because of the pagan practices of the people who lived there.  Or it was poor people who would sell their services to another to have somewhere to live, something to eat and so forth.  Every seventh year, all slaves were to be let go - to be freed from their obligation.

 

If a slave decided he loved his master, his wife, and children; he could then ask to stay.  If it was agreed upon and the reasons were given before the judges then there was one more step that the slave had to walk as a sign that he really did WANT to stay (and wasn't being coerced, or was really indecisive).  He had an awl driven through his ear into the door or door post of the house Exodus 21:5-6.  Then he would be a slave to that house for his lifetime.  He did so willingly.

 

Romans is such a good book dealing with sin, but in the passage above, it also talks about holiness.  It tells us that once we WERE slaves to sin.  We willingly (most of the time) submitted to sin.  We OBEYED sin.  "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance."

If we've come to the Lord - and we allow Him to 'clean' us up, we are no longer slaves to sin, but willing slaves to the Lord.  Now, we don't have to have our ear pierced through to a church door or anything like that, but we to show our allegiance, we may allow Him to help us give up certain things that we do and certain beliefs about our lives and the lives of others.

But the benefit we receive is holiness and subsequently, eternal life!  We now have pledge our allegiance, not to sin or our sinful behaviors, but to a righteous and holy God.  He has always been our Father - though some choose to ignore Him or reject Him and turn towards another "father" - lucifer, satan, buddha, or someone or something else.  We've turn to Him and now the holiness and righteous of God, our Father - is our inheritance if we choose to stay humble and if we do sin, to repent and turn away from the sin.  That's all He asks of us.

All the Most High God - the Holy One really desires from us is our love and affection towards Him  He doesn't just want our lives so that He can boss us around.  No, He wants willing children whom He can love and cherish and pour out lavish gifts upon.  Sounds like a good deal to me... what about you?

Most of you know this song.... maybe you'll see it a little differently now...

Holiness - Sonicflood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uor3TPX0of8

04-18-13 The Most Holy Place

Psalm 28:1-2 "To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place."

 

Psalm 79:1 "O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble."

As I was perusing the Psalms speaking about holiness this morning, my eyes were drawn to the above verses.  They weren't really glowing like a neon sign or anything, but they caught my attention.

The reason?  Well, when some of us worship the Lord, we lift our hands in praise - sort of like an act of surrendering.  Our hands are open and are arms are in a receiving mode.  I thought, "Well, that's cool."  BUT the Lord whispered in my ear and said, "YOU are My Most Holy Place".  When you think about it... wow.  The Holy Spirit indwells us, so WE are His Most Holy Place!  He lives in US. 

So, when I read Psalm 79:1 and saw the nations defiling His Holy Temple.  I thought about how the world, the flesh (our own wants and appetites), and the devil are always trying to defile us - God's Holy Temple - His Most Holy Place. 

To understand the significance of this, we should know some things about the Most Holy Place.  It was the most sacred part of the temple.  A veil separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple. The veil was about 60 feet high 30 feet wide and 4 inches thick.  The veil shielded the Presence of a Holy God from the presence of sinful man.  Only the priest could enter and that at his own risk.  If he was not ceremonially unclean, he would die - and he could only enter once a year, on the Day of Atonement. 

When Jesus died on the Cross and the temple veil was torn in two... it was God saying 'let My people go' to the enemy. After all was said and done, and Jesus was resurrected from death, God was also saying 'let My people come'.  As we invited Jesus to be Lord and Saviour of our lives, then God sees the Blood of Jesus covering us - He has made Atonement for our sins.  We have been made Holy for Him to indwell!

The wonderful thing about life after the Cross is that we don't have to be afraid to come to Father when we do screw up. Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  He is set/poised to forgive us, when we come to Him humbly accepting our guilt and asking for His forgiveness.  He will even give us strength to resist temptation in the future if we ask...

If you've never given you heart and life over to God, it's very simple really.  Assume a humble posture, if you want.  Ask the Lord to forgive you of all the sins you've ever committed (and He will) - name them as many as you can remember.  Tell Him that break agreement with those sins and want to live a life with His Presence living inside of you.  Ask Him to come into your heart, your life and to fill you with His Holy Spirit to give you the strength to walk out what you're doing.  And then wait for Him.... listen for Him... open your mouth and if a different language comes out - go with it.  That's called

He is still Holy God and Father, but now He is approachable... when we come with an attitude of holy reverence for His Name and His Presence.

Take Me Into the Holy of Holies --- ??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5B5N43RiaQ

04-17-13 Holy Yet Merciful God

Psalm 22:1-10 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;   you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God."

Many times we here this Psalm read around the day we commemorate the death of Jesus' and some of His final words.  This Psalm was written by David.  A King, a prophet and a poet/song-writer.  A man who the Lord says 'was after His own heart' as implied in 1 Samuel 13:14.

The fascinating aspect of this Psalm is that David is writing prophetically, but he's also writing about himself.  There are many similarities between David and Jesus, but David was 'just' a man, whereas Jesus was man and God.  David was born in Bethlehem... we know this because that is where Jesse, his dad lived.  Maybe the last couple lines of the portion of the Psalm above referred to his position as the youngest and therefore was given the menial jobs - kind of insignificant in the eyes of his family - especially his older brothers.  How many of us have felt insignificant in the eyes of family or our jobs or church or any authority figure in our lives?  Yet, He was chosen as King.  

 

He tended sheep (Jesus is the Great Shepherd - Hebrews 13:20), so he had a lot of time to be alone with God.  I wonder what his conversations were.  I mean his love of God and the God's love for him came from somewhere, right?  Maybe it came from all that time that he was considered somewhat of an outcast.  Then, Samuel came along and when all his brothers were somewhat not really who the Lord wanted as King and asked if there were any other brothers in the household.  Jesse was like - yeah, there's David - but he's the youngest - besides, his job is tending the sheep. They brought David in and the Lord told Samuel, 'This is the one.'  He anointed him as King and in 1 Samuel 16 it says that he was basically filled with the Spirit powerfully.  Hmmmm... he was filled with the Spirit of God before the Spirit was even given to man.  Sorry if I just messed up your theology, but it's kind of there in the Word.

 

He played music (the lyre - a kind of a harp) and he would play it for King Saul when his soul was troubled.  Then he became Saul's armor-bearer, a somewhat menial task - but important in it's own way. He killed a giant, that most everyone was afraid of and was  promoted quickly to commander of Saul's warriors.  Then after some time, he was finally given the Kingship.  While he was King, he (like all of us) was tempted and gave in to that temptation, then to cover up his mistake, he gave in to the sin of murder.  I don't know, but it's my opinion that this Psalm was written maybe during the time the David was convicted of his sins.  That conviction led to repentance and humility in the deepest places of his heart.

 

You're wondering what was the point of me writing all of that, right?  My point is this: David loved God.  David recognized the holiness of God by doing whatever the Lord called him to do.  Whether it was tend sheep or play a harp or be an armor-bearer or a soldier or King, he did whatever was set before him.  He was humble and really wasn't looking for a 'position'.  He knew His God and held Him in deep reverence and awe (the Fear of the Lord).  So when he screwed up and his sin was revealed to him, he humbled himself before the Lord.  All the while, still praising the Lord for His goodness - not wallowing in self-pity or self-condemnation. 

 

He knew he stood before a Holy God and repented before Him.  He was King, but he brought himself down as dust before King of Kings.  The One who sits on the Throne of Heaven itself - the Creator of all, but also the lover of all.  Holy, yet merciful.

 

Thank You, Father.

 

Holy God - Brian Doerksen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQjjX7Lgwyo

04-16-13 Who is Like God?

Exodus 15:11 "Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?"

 

Truthfully, I wanted to copy the whole chapter.  Go back and read it. It's the song of Moses and Miriam and the Israelites after the Exodus.  Exodus means a mass departure... and it was!

 

The chapter is full of praises for the Lord's miraculous deeds in providing the way for the captive Israelites to be set free. 

 

Let's think about this for a minute or throughout your lifetime :)  Who among any god made of wood or stone or precious gems or darkened power is like the Lord?  gods made of wood or stone or precious gems are just wood and stone and precious gems... they can't do anything.  They can only sit there - their bodies are in graves... and I hesitate to think of where their spirits are at.  So-called 'gods' - satan or lucifer, if you prefer, and his demonic horde can only do what the Lord allows or what we allow through sin or what their worshippers allow (but only up to a certain point). 

 

The Lord has already won the war, friends!!  Jesus took the keys of death and hell.  HE IS IN CONTROL!  At times, sure doesn't seem like it, but He is always in control.  He knows what is happening at all times.  Sure, we have crosses with and without Jesus on them - but they are not what we pray to - they are only reminders of who we are - Children of the Most High LIVING GOD.  He is the ONLY God. 

 

I learned something from a friend years ago.  If we have a pet, we usually name it.  If there is only one dog, what would we call it?  Dog.  If there was only on tree, we would call it Tree.  Well, there's only One God, so we call Him God.  Yes, He has many facets, but He's still God.  Others worships other gods - they have names, but they are nowhere near God - and can do nothing near what God can do.

 

God is MAJESTIC in HOLINESS.  God is AWESOME in GLORY.

According to Miriam-Webster's on-line dictionary the word 'majestic' comes from majesty - meaning:

1: sovereign power, authority, or dignity

2: used in addressing or referring to reigning sovereigns and their consorts

3a : royal bearing or aspect : grandeur

  b : greatness or splendor of quality or character

 

Sounds like God to me. 

According to the same dictionary the word 'awesome' comes from awe - meaning:

1: an emotion variously combining dread, veneration (respect or awe), and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime (elevated or exalted in dignity and honor).

 

When I wrote about the Fear of the Lord, I wrote about what awesome means, in reality.  Personally, I try not to use the word 'Awesome' associated with anything other than God.  Because for me, He is the only One worthy of that adjective.

 

Holiness comes from holy, meaning:

1: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and

    righteousness

2: divine 

3: devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity

4a   : having a divine quality 

  b   : venerated as or as if sacred <holy scripture> <a holy relic>

 

God - meaning God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit (many faceted God, remember) is regal and sovereign and powerful in His Holiness.

 

Truly, who is like Him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq7SucMiN5g

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

04-15-13 The Holiness of God

Exodus 3:5 " “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” "

 

In Genesis 1 we see that God made the seventh day holy, because He rested.  The very first time we see God telling someone else of His Holiness was with Moses after he had killed the Egyptian and fled to the desert. 

 

God spoke from a burning bush and told Moses to 'take off your sandals'.  This was done out of respect for the holiness of the burning bush... no, no, no.  It was out of respect for God's holiness. Let's face it, if a burning bush was talking to you, you would probably do what it said, right? 

 

It was a sign of submission and humility on Moses' part.  People take their shoes off when they go into someone's home if they're not looking pretty clean out of respect for that person.  How much more should we do that for God - our Father, Jesus - our Saviour and Lord, Holy Spirit - the One who cleanses the 'dirt of the world' off of us and empowers us to be holy and to do the work that the Lord has for us to do.

 

"the place where you are standing is holy ground" refers to the fact that He was in the Presence of the Living God and in the Lord's Presence, he was on holy ground. 

 

It like going somewhere majestic - like the first time I went to Niagara Falls - it almost took my breath away.  I like water anyway, for the most part; but looking at the Falls, it was a moment of awe standing and watching God's creation that looked so massive to me. 

 

The Presence of God is 100 to infinity percent stronger, more powerful, more beautiful, more majestic, more holy than any of the wonders of the world - or anything that we could ever see that is so overwhelming in any of those adjectives. 

 

So, this week - we are going to be 'talking' about God's holiness.  If we're to have the 'fear of the Lord', we should have at least some understanding of why. Don't you think?

 

Holiness - Sonicflood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uor3TPX0of8

 

04-13-13 The Fear of the Lord is Good

Psalm 34:8-11 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord."

This passage of scripture encourages us to come to the Lord and see the good that He has to offer us and that He is our refuge. If there's a tornado warning out and we would know it was close to us, we would be taking cover in the safest place possible wherever we were at. We would be kind of forced to trust that it really is the safest place possible.  

Same with Father, He is our refuge from the onslaught of evil in the world or in our own hearts.  We trust His goodness and the fact that He is strong enough - well, stronger than just 'strong enough' to keep us safe, if we turn to Him and hide in the Him with Jesus - Colossians 3:3.

He calls us, His 'holy people' because He sees Christ fulfilled in us, even though we may not feel like it. He sees the Blood of Jesus that covers us.  For that reason alone, we should hold Him in Awesome reverence and awe.  When we do that, it becomes easier to obey Him - we actually WANT to obey Him; to do His will - to walk with Him and not fulfill the lust of our own flesh - Galatians 5:16. 

When we do this, we lack for 'no good thing'.  Does that mean we never have hard times? No. I think it means that if we trust Him and honor Him and seek Him that He will always meet our needs... not necessarily our wants, but our needs.  Sometimes, we get those mixed up ;)  To seek Him means to have a hunger for His righteousness, His holiness, His Life made manifest within us.

And you what? We can learn how to fear the Lord. How? Practice. Sometimes, well, most of the time during worship I will get down at least on one knee (not so it's easier to get up) - sometimes both - sometimes flat on my face.  I do that for the most part because that is my way of showing the Lord that I am not on the throne of my life - that He holds that position.  It's MY way of showing honor to my Lord and Who He is in my life - my Supreme Commander, My Warrior King.  I still screw up - and get my place and His place mixed up - but my heart is to serve the One Who served me by giving His Life Blood for me.

Maybe you have others ways that you honor the Lord... maybe you haven't even thought about it... maybe the thought is now in your mind.  I pray it travels to your heart.  

Every Good Thing - The Afters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvKoWUqz43A

04-12-13 Driving Out Fear - Becoming Perfect

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Yep, looks like I'm going to stick with this verse, because... well, I can ;)  And because there's more that I leave the Lord wants tell us (yeah, me included).

We talked about 'no fear in love'.  We talked about 'fear has to do with punishment'.  Today, let's talk about 'perfect love driving out fear and the 'one who fears not being made perfect in love'.

When we picture 'driving out' something, we probably picture something being forcefully pushed out of the way, out of the picture, out of our lives.  I picture, cattle being driven out by the cowboys in those 'old' pictures.  Out their pens into the open field where they can feed.

Hmmmm.... might be a correlation there.  God's perfect love - meaning all those things in 1 Corinthians 13, that include the fact that He will never, ever leave us or forsake us or cause harm to us.  THAT kind of love, if allowed into our hearts will calm us down when we're anxious; it will give us courage when we're afraid; it will make us bold in the face of adversity; it will give us strength when we are weak and give us rest when we are tired.  THAT kind of love DRIVES out fear.  Fear of man, fear of fear, fear of pain, fear of just about anything.
I was on a side of a mountain once and the path was about a foot (no lie, maybe even not that) across winding around this mountain.  It was out a Mt. St. Helens the mountain at the observatory.  Some how, I just can't stay away from mountains - there's something special about them to me.  Majestic, quiet, but something to be conquered.  On the other side was a beautiful lake (from what I was told).  It did have a sign that said 'experienced hikers only'.  I considered myself ok with that.  The path was ok at first.  
Well, got about 1/4 mile in and got to this small path.  No guardrail, just about a 1/2 mile drop, pretty sheer drop on the right.  I was hugging this mountain, like I'd known it all my life... and not looking down.  Got about half-way to the lake and yep, you guessed it - I looked down.  Fear crept in, I tried to trudge on, the pounding in my chest got worse.  I became paralyzed with panic.  I am so glad no one else was there coming the opposite direction.  See, I don't have a fear of heights, I have a fear of falling ;)  I turned around, because if I did get to the lake, I knew I would have to come back!

What happened?  I took my eyes off of the path and looked at my circumstances - then all these thoughts of what could happen floated through my mind.  
Isn't it that what we do with the Lord and our lives?  I could have stopped at any time, closed my eyes and allowed God's love to calm my fears.  He had me - He's invested a lot of time (according to our time) in my life.  It came down to trust.  I chose to give in to fear... and not the love of God.
I will go back and I will conquer that path someday.... hopefully before I get too 'old' to do it ;)

We are made 'perfect in God's love' when we look to Him to DRIVE out the fear of whatever.  We are all those things that He says we are when we trust in His Love - THAT is what it means to be made 'perfect' in His Love.  His Perfection comes out in us.  Who He is comes out in us.... and THROUGH us to others - to a dying world that desperately needs to know His Love and peace; His mercy and grace.  When we allow that, He looks at us like a Master Painter or Potter, steps back and does that little kissing His fingers and throwing His Hand to the air and says 'My Masterpiece'!!!  

Let's begin to let Him clothe us in that Love of His that makes us perfect in Him.

You Never Let Go - Matt Redman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Ya7ryNob4

04-11-13 No Fear In Love

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Ok, so there is a lot of good grain to glean from just this one verse.

"THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE."  Let's think about that for a moment.  Good ahead, look at it again. Sound it out slowly.  

I think it means there is no fear in love.  What is love?  A couple months ago we talked about love - well, I talked about love - didn't really get any comments back in the comments section... but I know I'm not talking to myself ;)  Love is patient, kind, doesn't envy, boast, or is proud.  Doesn't dishonor others or is self-seeking (not out to please man), not easily angered, doesn't keep record of wrongs (ouch), rejoices with truth. It protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres.  And it's greater than faith and hope.

So, given that definition brought to us by 1 Corinthians 13 (located in any New Testament in local bookstore), then if I endeavor to be love - especially in the highlighted areas, then where is room for fear?

It's fear of man vs. fear of God.  Here's the difference, the first time I stood up and taught in front of a large crowd - I was afraid.  I felt like my knees were buckling and my voice was wavering along with my stomach quivering.  After the initial butterflies, I got on a roll, my eyes were on the Lord and my ears were listening for His Voice and I was fine.  I felt all that, nobody saw or heard it.  I was like, wow - I thought I sounded terrible, but the people heard what the Lord wanted them to hear (and I wasn't as bad as I thought). 
Now, let's take the same scenario, but I could feel (discern) a judgmental spirit in the room.  I felt afraid and 
took my eyes and ears off of the Lord and opened the door for the fear of man to step right in.  I lost my train of thought a few times and just barely got through the teaching.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist (no offense to any rocket-scientists out there) to figure out what the difference was.  I looked at and let fear of judgment (punishment, ridicule, man) overtake me because my eyes were on myself, instead of trusting and hoping and honoring others. Instead of looking at the people  through the eyes and ears of THE LORD, I used MY OWN eyes and ears.

Jesus when He was hanging on the Cross, could still look at others and see them through the eyes of God "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing" - Luke 23:34.

How can we not have fear - even when confronted with death?  We take our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and put them on Jesus.  I'm not even going to say focus, because at first, our eyes may not be focused at all... but the longer we look at Jesus, the more our eyes come into focus.

I think I've said before, my life verse is Romans 14:7,8 "For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.  If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord.  So whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord."  I want to live into that - because THAT is where the Lord wants me to live.

No Fear in Love - Iona
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5OwLHGv4yA