In the Presence…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Fear, Love, Peace

                                                     … of fear?

 
Fear is probably mankind’s worst fear!
So, what do we really know about this enemy?
What is the root of fear?

Well let’s go back to where it all began,
… in a beautiful, tranquil garden,
where one of mankind’s first emotions was recorded.

      Mankind did something … they decided to go their own way,
      which caused something … they were suddenly on their own,
      which meant that they … stepped out of a place of protection,
      and the result was …

      So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden,
      and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’
      Genesis 3:10

What happened?
      When mankind decided to partake of the negative, of evil,
      … which is the opposite of what God is,
      … and thus stepped out of the presence of God.
      It means that they stepped out of the presence of Love,
      … God, in Whom there is no fear!

Since then mankind has been trying to get out of fear,
… the only question is HOW?

      There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear,
      because fear involves torment.
      But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
      We love Him because He first loved us.
      1 John 4:18-19

It’s not about fighting fear, or getting rid of fear,
It’s about stepping into His presence, into LOVE!
 

There’s always a Cost

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Character, Potential, Value

                                                 … to everything!

 
There is always a cost
… to everything!

      We have many wants and desires,
      … and we’re very quick to ask,
      but most often without considering
      … that there is a cost to everything,
      regardless of who is doing the paying.

What are you asking of God?
And,
… have you counted the cost
… of what you are asking God for?
Remember as far as God is concerned,
… He has done it all and paid the price.
God is therefore not going to pay the cost
… for what you ask!

      That simply means that like God,
      … if you will pay the price of what you want,
      God will help you get what you want,
      … and He will help you with what it takes
      for you to pay for what you ask.

As Paul wrote to the Philippians,
… who were indeed ready to pay the price…

      And my God shall supply all your need
      according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
      Philippians 4:19
 

The Image of Love

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Character, Love, Value

                                                … is what we are!

 
      So God created man in His own image;
      in the image of God He created him;
      male and female He created them.
      Genesis 1:27

God created us in His OWN image,
… with His characteristics and in His likeness.
But what is that IMAGE that we have been created in?

      It’s not what God looks like,
      … ’cause then we would all look the same,
      but it is all about His character,
      … so that we can all ACT the same, just like Him!

So what is this image or characteristic we have been created in?
John, the disciple who had the closest relationship with Jesus,
… summed it up this way,

      And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love.
      1 John 4:16

We have been created in the Image of LOVE!
And even though we messed up He still loved us so much,
that He sent the Son of His Love
… to restore us to Him, to His Image of love,

      Now hope does not disappoint, because
      the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
      by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
      Romans 5:5

God restored us to His Image, the Image of Love,
… and I can live that Image of Love that I am, because

      Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness
      in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
      1 John 4:17
 

According to His will

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Expectations, Life, Relationship

                                            … His will be done!

 
Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. (Luke.11:2-4)
His instruction was … ‘pray that God’s will be done!’
… and although we have ‘God’s Will’ – the Bible,
we still don’t seem to know what God’s will for our lives for today is!

Afterwards Jesus continued, explaining how to ask of God…

      So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;
      knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives,
      and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
      Luke 11:9

They tried that, but it did not seem to work as expected.
So again, Jesus explained how it works…

      If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
      your children, how much more will your heavenly
      Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!’
      Luke 11:13

Seems that we have been asking and expecting the wrong ‘thing’.
Jesus said that whatever we ask of God, He will give us the Holy Spirit!
But why the Holy Spirit, why not what we have asked?
Because God does His will not ours,
… and that is what we don’t KNOW!

      Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.
      For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought…
      Romans 8:26

That is why Jesus said to us that God will give us the Holy Spirit,

      However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into
      all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever
      He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
      John 16:13

Because it is through the Holy Spirit
… that God will guide us into all truth,
… that God will show us things to come
and that God will reveal HIS WILL,
… His perfect will for our life!
So that when we pray, in the Holy Spirit,
… God’s WILL will be done.
 

Go to God

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Expectations, Faith, Potential

                                           … He can do it!

 
We often talk about our needs.
Yet consider this …
If in our lives we would have unlimited resources,
… then getting whatever we may need would not be a problem.
This not only applies to our natural lives but also our spiritual lives,
and the Bible says to us,

      And my God shall supply all your need
      according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
      Philippians 4:19

Why then do we still have needs?

      The problem is that when we have a need,
      … we also have a plan of how it can be met,
      then we go to God expecting Him to supply the answer!

      However, God did not say He’s there to supply the way we see it,
      … according to our needs in glory?
      No, God will supply according to His Glory!

What does that mean?

      When you have a problem or need,
      … don’t go to God with what you need,
      … asking Him to provide YOUR need,
      … according to how you see it done or answered.
      He does not do things our way, but His way!

Go to God for Who He is,
… He is the solution, He is the supply.
Let Him into your life, because He is the answer,
… and His supply will be there, where He is (in you)!

      So are My ways higher than your ways,
      And My thoughts than your thoughts
      Isaiah 55:9
 

In His Presence

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Expectations, Promises, Trust

                                                     … there is rest!

 
We are always looking to God to do things in our lives,
… to bless us, heal us, strengthen us
However it is not about what God can do,
… but what we have not done!

      God saw everything that He had made,
      and indeed it was very good.
      Genesis 1:31
      God ended His work which He had done,
      and He rested…
      Genesis 2:2

What more is there for God to do?
Can sin, sickness, infirmities, weakness or even fear
… stand or prosper in God’s presence?
No!
So what does God need to do?
Nothing!

This tells us that in God, in His presence, in His rest,
… there is nothing for God to do!
For us therefore to truly benefit
… from God’s promises, and through His will,
WE need to do something … realizing that in God it is all done!

What do we need to do?
Enter His presence, His gates with thanksgiving and praise…
Psalm 100:4

      For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased
      from his works as God did from His.
      Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest…
      Hebrews 4:10-11

So, do what Jesus suggested …

      But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
      and all these things shall be added to you.
      Matthew 6:33
 

Responsible for

Posted on jan1 CommentPosted in Character, Commitment, Promises

                                                     … what yor choose!

 
Having a choice is a wonderful privilege and potential.
However your choice involves more than just potential,
… it involves responsiblity.

We always face choices in life and about life,
… choices that not only affect our tomorrow,
but very specifically what we will be responsible for tomorrow.
What do YOU want YOUR tomorrow to be like?

The first choice was the one God gave us in the Garden of Eden …

      ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of
      the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
      for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’
      Genesis 2:16-17

That choice was not primarily about obedience,
… or about knowing evil, for man knew about good and evil.
BUT it is about what we allow INTO our lives!

      What we (eat) partake of affects our physical body,
      so does everything else that we partake of,
      … that we allow into our lives.

      It is not about the temptation, but about the choice.
      Because whatever I choose or I decide to do,
      the result of that decision – is MY responsibility!

Whatever I decide or get involved with,
I AM responsible for that choice, and for the result of that choice!
And God even tells us what we should choose,

      I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you,
      that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;
      therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
      Deuteronomy 30:19
 

Love is who He is

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Life, Love, Relationship

                                           … and what He does!

 
God is LOVE
… and Love expresses Himself in what He does.
We messed up
… and Love set out to put it right.

      How was He going to do that?
      By manifesting who He is… Love.
      By sending His Word …the Son of His Love,
      By expressing what He is… Love.
      … for us, to us and in us!

      For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
      that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
      John 3:16

We needed to be saved, healed and restored.

      How did God do that?
      … through Love.
      God sent His Word and healed us.
      And through Love,
      … removed the barrier that separated us from Love.

The result was…

      Love has been perfected among us in this:
      that we may have boldness in the day of judgment;
      because as He is, so are we in this world.
      There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear
      involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
      We love Him because He first loved us.
      1 John 4:17-19
 

Without doubting

Posted on jan2 CommentsPosted in Expectations, Faith, Promises

                                           … in faith in Him!

 
So Jesus answered and said to them,
      “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you,
      whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea’,
      and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things
      he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
      Mark 11:22-23

Jesus told us that if we have faith in God,
and say to the mountain (the problem or adversity we are facing)
… ‘be removed and be cast into the sea’
… we will have what we say!
However Jesus also said there is a condition,
… ‘not doubting in your heart,
… but believing those things we say will be done’.

Why did Jesus tell us
… ‘to not doubt in our heart, but believe those things we say’?

      Jesus was telling us to do what God does when He acts in faith.
      What is it that God does?
      God sees what He says as manifesting!
      God pictures what He speaks in faith, as DONE!
      … That is what happened to that fig tree!
      In other words, it is not just believing God’s Word,
      … but it is seeing what you believe as manifest!
      God’s Word does not make the picture, your faith does,
      … and it is that picture, in faith in Him, that He manifests!

That is what Jesus also said to His disciples,
      “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose
      and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
      Matt 8:26

They pictured themselves as drowning … Jesus saw peace!
What picture from God’s Word are you putting your faith in?
 

Faith in …

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Covenant, Faith, Trust

                                                         His faithfulness!

 
Faith is not about what I can do or believe,
… faith is about what God can do!

      I have faith that God will do what He said He will do,
      … because that is Who He is, Love!
      I have faith in the One who is,
      … and Who is a rewarder of those who seek Him,
      … who seek Love Himself!
      I have faith in His faithfulness!

I have faith in the Father who answered Moses,
when asked, ‘Tell me who you are?’

      “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said,
      “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel,
      ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”
      Exodus 3:14

I AM all that you need, and what you need, I AM!
Therefore all it takes is
… believing that God can do what He said,
… and that God will do what He said.
In other words,

      Have faith in God.
      For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
      ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt
      in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done,
      he will have whatever he says.
      Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray,
      believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
      Mark 11:22-24

And how will those things be done?
… by God who is the great I AM!
Great is His faithfulness!