"To Choose A Standard Greeting...Press 1"

As some of you know, for the past few weeks I have been experiencing "unusual" things in my body as a result of an increase in the Holy Spirit's presence. Due to that manifest presence, I have begun to encounter things like the feeling of "fire" on my skin, "electricity" shooting through my muscles and what the apostle Paul might describe as "groans that word's can not express" when I encounter a lying spirit, or the Spirit of Truth.

They have been a great encouragement to me and have increased my faith to pray for healing and deliverance.

For the most part these encounters/manifestations have occurred in the privacy of my home and among friends, but on a few occasion they have surprised me in very unexpected locations, and this past Monday was one of those days!

I won't go into the details of how or why it happened, suffice to say that it was a very obvious and extended manifestation that occurred in the presence of my extended family, whom I might add is very conservative by nature, and that it took us all by surprise.

The following morning my dad was sitting at the table trying to make sense of what had happened the night before and expressed his concern to me that this manifestation could have seriously frightened my young nephews! "What if they had been in the room? How would you have explained it to them?", he asked. They were great questions and led us into a conversation about who God is, how He operates and what happens when an All-Powerful God, resident inside of us, decides to expresses Himself through our mortal bodies!

We spent a long time discussing these things, and yet, after our lengthy conversation I was still left with his question "Why would a Gentle and Kind God express Himself so violently?

As I drove home I pondered my dad's question, and there, in the midst of all the Christmas hoopla, found what I believe to be a most seasonably suitable answer!

So what is this timely answer? It was the common greeting encountered by those involved in the miraculous events surrounding the birth of Jesus. For there, in the midst of "Emmanuel, God with us", we find a study on this divine collision, and the perfect context for us to understand what happens when earth encounters heaven!

As God prepares to enter humanity we find two simple, yet profoundly revelatory words..."Fear Not!"

"Fear Not!", said the Angel Gabriel to Mary (Luke 1:30)
"Fear Not!", said the Angel to Joseph (Matt 1:20)
"Fear Not!", said the Angel Gabriel to Zacharias (Luke 1:12-13)
"Fear Not!", said the heavenly chorus to the Shepherds. (Luke 2:9-10)

These two simple words are heaven's "standard greeting", and are found throughout Scripture when mere mortals like you and I encounter the heavenly reality.

Gideon (Judges 6:23), Abram (Gen 15:1), Daniel (10:12), Ezekiel (2:6), Paul (Acts 27:24), John (Rev 1:17), and Mary (Matt 28:5) all experienced the exact same heavenly greeting!

Have you ever wondered why so many angelic encounters start out with those two words?

Is it because it's Angelic lingo for "Hello", What's Up?" or "How's it going?". Or is it primarily due to the fact that the person this angel has just revealed themselves to is freaking out, and God, in His infinite wisdom, has faithfully instructed His angelic messengers to start their earthly encounter by getting us to calm down!?

I haven't actually checked the Amplified Bible's translation of "fear not", but I wouldn't be surprised if it read... "Beloved. Don't freak out! Once you understand that this encounter is from your Abba Father, whom I might remind you is Love, and Who only gives perfect gifts, and is always Good, you will be able to stop shaking long enough to get up on your feet, and eventually come to appreciate this encounter, possibly even considering yourself to be among the most blessed of all creation!"

Let's face it, the bible is a giant historical account of what happens when heaven touches earth! It demonstrates the great collision which takes place between the Holy and the common, often resulting in truly awesome and terrifying things taking place (one of which is that we humans get scared out of our whits!)

Ever since Adam & Eve got themselves kicked out of the Garden of Eden we have trembled with fear under the weight of our fallen nature when encountering the presence of our Holy God. So much so, that when God descended upon Mount Sinai in order to speak with His people, the people begged Moses to speak with God on their behalf, forfeiting their direct line of communication with God and surrendering that honor to but a mere few...

Exodus 20:18-20

"When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” 

The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was"  (NIV)

I am struck by that phrase, "The people remained at a distance".

In my humble observation, it would appear that this same fear continues to rob many in the Church today of experiencing God in greater fullness. Many have chosen to "prudently" guard themselves from encountering the Holy Spirit's power (and unpredictability), yet continue to boldly declare to weary sinners that there is "no fear in love for perfect love drives out all fear." (1 John 4:18), and that "God has not given to us a Spirit of Fear, but one of power, love and soundness of mind." (2 Tim 1:7).

If God is Love, and there is no fear in Love, yet we live in fear of what Love will do to us if we say "yes" to experiencing the fullness of His Spirit, then might I suggest that we have a gaping hole in the bottom of our vessel of faith!

We need not feel bad that fear strikes our hearts while in His presence! God wants to use that "fear of the Lord" to keep us from sinning (Ex 20:19). But if we have fear about entering His presence then we desperately need a fresh revelation of His true nature.

Beloved, as you wrestle through the validity of my testimony and these manifestations of the Holy Spirit, let me encourage you to walk by faith, not by sight, and to search the Scriptures  free from unbelief, remembering always the words of Jesus...

I tell you the truth: It is better that I go away. Unless I go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you....when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. (John 16)

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)

Let The Kingdom Come!

Jon

Loving Righteousness (Pleasure Based Obedience)

This morning I was struck by a sobering thought - God is looking for lovers of righteousness, not simply those who do righteously.

What do I mean by that?

The idea that we can live in "unhappy" holiness and still enter into God's eternal presence seems completely non-biblical.

Can I be holy apart from loving the One who is holy? Can I accept Christ's righteousness, made available through the cross, the ultimate demonstration of love, and still do His commands with a stubborn heart? Is that love? Is that acceptable worship?

We know that love does not obey because it has to - it obeys because it wants to, because it brings pleasure to the heart of the one offering up their obedience!

So why do we speak so poorly of radical holy living? Is it because we have lost sight of the God who rewards those who diligently seek Him? (Heb 11:6)

The truth of the word is this, there is a great reward for those who live a life of loving obedience!

Jesus said, "if anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him and We will come and make Our home with him." John 13:23

But let us be clear about what Jesus is saying, or rather NOT saying!

He does not say "if you obey My word I will count your good works as love." (that would be salvation through works, which we know is a deception), but rather, that the overflow of our affection for Jesus will result in a desire to keep His word, and that the reward of this affection based obedience is this; that God will come to us at the end of the age and make His home with us. (Rev 21:3)

John 3:16 demonstrates that God has always been motivated by love, and He insists that His children reflect His unmistakable and non-replicable nature - one's motivated by love!

To help paint a more complete picture of this pleasure based obedience I think it's good to look at 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

Paul is describing the great falling away at the end of the age and states that "those who perish" (from the breath of Jesus mouth and the brightness of His coming) will be the ones who "did not receive the love of the truth...and who...had pleasure in unrighteousness".

Implying the converse reality, that "If you love the truth and take pleasure in righteousness you will be saved."

Paul not only defines those who are being saved as lovers of righteousness, but also as ones who take pleasure in it. Why? Because God is not after the righteous, He is after those who love Him, and HE is righteous!

"You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." Psalm 45:18 / Heb 1:9

To enter into this kind of pleasurable obedience we must embrace God's definition of love, and that is this - to love Him first and imitate Him second. For we can not love that which we do not know, nor imitate that which we have not encountered.

It sobers me to think about how little I have truly enjoyed righteousness over the past 20 years. I suppose that is a reflection of how little I had encountered the person of God and His transforming heart of mercy, gentleness, affection and pleasure. But thanks be to God that He is still in the business of redeeming willing hearts!

May you be blessed today by an encounter with the Living God.

Thanks for reading!

Jon