Tag Archives: God

Fear is …

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Ray and I went to see After Earth this weekend.  It was not well reviewed by the critics but we’ve found many good to great movies by not paying attention to those who think it’s their job to tear everything down.   The story line is about a father and son relationship.  It’s about how to overcome fear and totally depend on someone who knows and loves you.  I was delighted and amazed to see so many Bible ‘threads’ in a 2 hour space.  Biblical themes like honor your father and mother,  covered and protected by the wings of an eagle, do exactly what the Father says and you will succeed, and FEAR NOT.

English: There is no fear, until we make it up.

English: There is no fear, until we make it up. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I want to look at this concept of fear not today.  Did you know these words are repeated 365 times in the Word.  That’s not a coincidence.  God knows this world is a fearful and fearsome place.  He knows that every day comes with it’s own circumstances and challenges and that these can produce fear in us.  In Psalm 23 David says, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil…”  How can he say that with such trust?  He knows the One who protects, defends and loves.  He knows God’s characteristics.  He knows the One and Only will not let him down.

Fear is an emotional reaction to an unknown result.  It can paralyze us.  It can cause us to want to hide.  It can keep us from realizing our Kingdom purpose.  It can make us bitter and mean.  IF WE LET IT!

When God says FEAR NOT!  He’s saying quit looking at what could be and look at what is.  He’s saying I’m right here, hold on, look up, you can count on Me.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  It does not say I can do this alone,  it says depend on ME!  From Genesis to Revelation there is constant proof that when we depend on God we have nothing to fear.  He has our back (our front, our side, all that we can and can’t see).  FEAR NOT!

Worship Him with music!    He Will Make A Way

Ah, Lord, God, I am counting on You.  Create in me a spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control.  Whenever I enter the valley of fear shine Your light on me.  Make it so, Lord!

Time Is…

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The Passage of Time

The Passage of Time (Photo credit: ToniVC)

As some of you know, one of my favorite scriptures is Galatians 4:4.  When the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son…   It speaks loudly to me because my life has been full of instances where everything had to be ready for the next step to happen.  The fullness concept is that, over the millennia, God has put every person, place, event, and so on, in place, to reach that particular moment on the time line.  He does the very same thing for us.  Every one of our life events is ordered so that as time marches on everything is in place for the next event.  (I’m in no way saying we don’t have choices, it’s that our choices have ripple effects.)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 complements Galatians 4:4 by being more specific about the order of time.  This Old Testament writing has great relevance to the effect of time.

Ecclesiastes

These beautiful words have much to say about the fact that time effects every part of our lives.  We have to remember that there is a natural order to life events and it’s God’s job to create the sequence.  How would we know what death is without  birth, what weeping is without laughter, what silence is without speaking, what war is without peace?

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time.’ reminding us that even though we may live in historical period and culture that says, ‘You can have it all and you can have it now!” that’s not God’s plan. The rest of this verse says, ‘Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from beginning to the end.’  Our desire to understand God’s sequence for our lives is not easily attainable, sometimes, we never do figure out the why’s of life’s events.  Even so,  as we grow and mature, more and more is made known to us.  For me, knowing that God is in control is enough.

hand footWorship Him with the beautiful images and music of In His Time.

Heavenly Father, teach us to wait on You.  Give us the Wisdom to know when the time is full for any of our endeavors.  Control me, Lord.  Give us strength and courage to model You and Your Word in every matter of our lives.  I lift this prayer in Jesus saving Name.  Make it so!

Melchizedek

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While having a delightful conversation with one of my God-daughters, who called to wish me a happy Mother’s Day, the question came up — Who is Melchizedek?  She was reading our current Spirit Sisters Book Study, (Knowing God By Name by Bruce Wilkerson) and had never heard of him.  Although little is known about him, he is important in understanding Jesus’ role as the Great High Priest.

Seal of Melchizedek mosaic from a Christian church at Khirbet near Jerusalem

Seal of Melchizedek mosaic from a Christian church at Khirbet near Jerusalem

Melchizedek is mentioned only a few times in The Word.  In each of these passages we can discover bits of who he was and why his life has meaning for us.  In Genesis 14:18-20 he is introduced as ‘priest of God Most High’ who blesses Abram through God as Creator and Deliverer.  What is impressive about this record is most people in this period of history worshiped many gods created by themselves, while  Melchizedek worshiped only God Most High, leading to the conclusion that there were other Believers at the time of Abram.  It also mentions in this passage that when Abram visited him he served bread and wine.  An Old Testament way of saying he communed with Abram.  When we come across these words in the New Testament it is with Jesus’ words on how to remember Him.  There’s another phrase in these verses that point to Abram’s recognition of Melchizedek as God’s Priest.  “…Abram gave him a tenth of everything”.  It would be a few (many) years before Moses gave God’s commandment on tithing yet that’s surely what’s going on.

Lets look at Hebrews 7:11  If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood–and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood–why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?  In order to understand this verse we need to move on to verses 15-17  And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.  For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (NIV)  Christ and Melchizedek are High Priests because of their appointment by God.  Neither were of the Levites (or Kohen-the name of the Priests before the Levites) who were appointed by God to permanent priesthood.

Abram Being Presented with Bread and Wine by M...

Abram Being Presented with Bread and Wine by Melchizedek (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m pretty sure some of you are saying that’s about as clear as mud.  It’s necessary to dig in a bit deeper into a rather scholarly issue.  Melchizedek is regarded as a theophany (manifestation of deity in physical form).  This word is applied because he is regarded as holy and righteous, as priest, in how he served Abram (with bread and wine), that he is given a tithe, and that there is no genealogical record of his life.  In other words because many of his life characteristics modeled that of Christ he is revered as a physical precursor of Jesus.

More interesting facts about him…Melchizedek means “King of Righteousness”.  He was also the King of Salem.  Salem, meaning peace, later became Jerusalem.

Melchizedek is not a mysterious, mythical character, although some have tried to make that argument.   This quote says it all: “Melchizedek was a real, historical king-priest who served as a type for the greater King-Priest who was to come, Jesus Christ.”  (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986.  pg. 695.)

(Some information in this post is from an article on about.com/Melchizedek.)

Jehovah Jirah

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tetragrammatonOf all God’s names and characteristics Jehovah Jirah speaks most loudly to me.  There are actually several interlacing characteristics to this Hebrew term.

First, He is the One who sees.  He sees every second of my life and knows what is needed.  He puts everything in place so that my life will play out His purpose.  Galations 4:4 gives us a great picture of what this means.  It says, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman…”  The fullness of time refers to the fact that everything was in place, everything had happened as it needed to, and God was providing what was needed.  Is that awesome or what? Every single gift, event, circumstance, trial and more is planned out by My Provider so when it reaches me it is the ‘perfect gift’. (James 1:17)

Another layer of Jehovah Jirah is that He is showing us.  He is revealing to us what He wants us to know as we seek His purpose for our lives.  He supplies everything that that we need for every part of our lives.  Paul tells us, “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory…” (Philippians 4:19)

The third part of the Name is He is my provider.  Even though it is often the first thought that is applied to the Hebrew word (Jehovah Jirah)  the actual meaning goes far beyond material needs.  As the Creator of ALL that is, was, and is to come, there is nothing that is not at His disposal for me (us).  It is His to give whether it be physical or spiritual.  And more than that He wants to!!!!

Worship Him in song!     JEHOVAH JIRAH

Jehovah Jirah, my Provider, how can I say thanks for what You have provided and will continue to provide.  Yet I must.  It is incredible that my little speck of life is of such importance to You that You have orchestrated all that must happen to show Your Glory!  Thank You for humbling me with Your greatness!  Use my life, Lord!  Make it so in Jesus Precious Name!

I AM

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gods-love

I often feel a rush of emotion when I read the words I AM.  That the great I AM is aware of me, cares about what happens to me, and loves me more than life itself is almost incomprehensible.  Yet it is a reality!

The Word gives us another look at the I AM concept in that there are “I ams” that apply to the Believer.  Take a look at these and the scriptures that go with them.  Hide His Word in your heart and make it part of who you are!

I am a child of God   The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Romans 8:16

I am forgiven   For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.   Colossians 1:13-14

I am saved by grace through faith  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  Ephesians 2:8

I am justified    Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ    Romans 5:1

I am a new creature  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here    2 Corinthians 5:17

I am led by the Spirit of God   For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  Romans 8:14

I am kept in safety wherever I go  For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways   Psalm 91:11

I am casting all my cares on Jesus   Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7

I am doing all things through Christ who strengthens Me.   Philippians 4:13

I am bringing every thought into captivity   We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  2 Corinthians 10:5

I am being transformed by a renewed mind  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

I am the righteousness of God  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21

I am an imitator of Jesus  Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children  Ephesians 5:1

I am filled with laughter and rejoicing  He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy.  Job 8:21

If you will mark these verses in your Bible, study, read and pray over them for the next 30 days I know the Spirit will do His work and they will become a known and usable part of who you are.

Father, You are my Protector, Perfecter, Creator, Redeemer, and One and Only God.  You have adopted me and forgiven me.  You lead me, love me and fill me with joy and delight.  I am because YOU ARE.  I lift these words of praise before the Throne in Jesus Precious Name.