March 26, 2011 Fire on the Mountain

How often do we avoid the presence of God because of the glory?  I do too often.  We go to worship and He shows up as fire, His voice makes us tremble, and we're afraid for our lives.  So we back off instead of endure.

Moses was sharing the Commandments with the Israelites, and this is what he said to them. "The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire.  I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain." Deuteronomy 5: 4-5 NKJV

Isn't that what we want a lot of times, for someone else to hear from God for us?  We don't want friendship with God enough to endure the fire.

God didn't force the people to hang out with Him. Rather He expressed His desire that they truly would fear Him.  "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever! Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess.’ Deuteronomy 5: 29-31 NKJV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!  Yes, we should definitely have a reverent fear of the Lord - enough to obey Him.  But I want to press through for love of God to be with Him and hear His voice on the mountaintop.  I want friendship with Him, and that means taking Him the way He is.

If we hang out with Jesus long enough, we might end up seeing Him do the things He likes to do!  'Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” Luke 7: 11-35  Are we going to get offended with Him for demonstrating His power?  What if the people around us don't like it?

I have to ask myself:  which would I rather have, an intimate relationship with the Lord or being understood by the people around me?  And when I answer myself, I have to honestly say, "I choose the Lord!"

Even if it makes me squirm.

September 20, 2010 A Vision In The Fire

Instead of trying to figure all this out in my mind, I just let the words today swirl around me and soak into me.  Don't you just love the visions of the Lord here, how He stands out with such magnificent beauty and glory?  The visions of judgment can create an overwhelming fear in people sometimes, but in these passages we are given such a clear vision of the Lord and His indestructible kingdom, that if we keep our eyes on Him we will be able to stand and trust Him until it is all accomplished.  Seeing Him in this way reminds me of what the three Hebrew men saw in the firey furnace:  the Lord Himself present among them.  They came forth without even the smell of smoke on them.  When we are in the Lord, this is what our experience will be.  Whether we are being persecuted by the wicked, or the fires of judgment burn, we will be preserved and protected by our Savior when we are standing with Him.

Weighed in the balance:
HYPOCRISY
"Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites," Isaiah 33:14

We may be fooled by false righteousness, but it will not hold up against the fire.  If we have a fear of judgment, we may want to examine ourselves and see if we are walking in hypocrisy.  It can sneak up on us even when we are serious about walking with the Lord.  The sure way to stay secure is to
WALK IN THE SPIRIT.  Because God looks at the heart, there is no "formula" for living that is fireproof.  Good behavior can be hypocrisy when it covers up hidden lust in the heart (and lust is simply whatever is motivating the flesh at the time).  God is so good to bring things about in such a way as to reveal to us what we thought was the fruit of the Spirit but was only our own effort at being good. 

Only the fruit of the Spirit can hold up under pressure, and fire.  There is no reason to worry about this: walk with Him and trust Him to reveal what needs to be revealed.  A desire to walk in the Spirit, and humble prayer for the Lord to teach us how, will set us on the path.  His voice is always leading us, so all we must do is listen and obey.  The Word is our guide as well; if we neglect the Word, it's harder to hear Him speak to us in our heart.  The good news is, if you are born again, it is natural for you to walk in the Spirit!  The more mature you get, the more swiftly you will run.  You are free to BE in Him, you see!

Questions to ponder:
What fruits of the Spirit have you been able to see in your life lately?  How about in your spouse, child or friend?  Have you ever thought about mentioning it to them?  How would you feel if someone pointed out a fruit of the Spirit that they saw growing in your life?
What is it about hypocrisy that bothers you the most?  In yourself?  In another?  What is your response to it?  What did Jesus say about it?
What would hypocrisy look like on a national level?  What should our response be to hypocrisy in the government or in our leaders?