PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 07 June 2012

Hi all,

“Everything is wrong with a man without Jesus.” These words of A W Tozer are still fresh in my mind. I think he summed up the situation very well. Today we look at the transformation Jesus Christ makes possible. It’s because Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 07 June 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR
Fear is a terrible thing. Primarily it’s an emotion. But it occurs to me, that it’s much more than that. Oddly enough, it has qualities we need in order to live a proper balanced life. For instance, we know that if we touch the hot plate on the stove, we are liable to get burned. Such fears are or become instinctive. When we look over the edge of a precipice, we tend to recoil from it. If we see a child running across the motorway, we become fearful for the child’s safety. Our eyes are protected from dust or similar objects. We blink as a form of protection. Such fears are good and normal; instinctive in some instances. There is another fear which is utterly debilitating. Shell shock is an example of what happens to soldiers who are constantly under attack. Men and women under such conditions sometimes go into a “trance” of some sort. Some have “gone mad”. Some have turned and run away and accused of being cowards. Parents “fear” for what might happen to their children. If the child is a few moments late home, they are frantic with worry for the safety of the child. Cell phones have helped alleviate this but not completely. In South Africa, most of us are concerned with the possibility of rape and HIV Fear is not the opposite of faith. But the fact remains that they are closely related. I remember Lester Sumrall saying, “Faith is knowing God”. He used a valuable illustration. A little girl was standing on a stage. Her father came close to the stage and shouted, “come on darling, jump!” The little girl turned round, saw her daddy. She ran to the edge and threw herself into her father’s arms. Obviously she had faith in her father’s ability to catch her. A few minutes later the little girl was back on the stage. Lester held out his arms and shouted, “come on darling, jump!” She turned round, saw Lester. She shook her head. “Why not?” Lester tried to reason. “I’m just as able to catch her as her father.” Then he realised the problem. She didn’t know him! Put simply, if you know God you will trust Him. If you know Him, you have confidence in Him. If faith is confidence in God, there is a sense in which fear is confidence in Satan. John, in his first epistle wrote: 18 There is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love drives fear away. Fear has to do with being punished. The one who fears does not have perfect love. 1 John 4:18 NIrV Today’s meditation is an imaginary story about a fearful man trying to escape from God. He knows very well that he cannot do it. But, just like you and me, he tries anyway. Then, Jesus arrives on the scene. It could be the story of just about any of us. It’s not exactly my testimony. It easily could be. The man goes from incredulity to trust as Jesus ministers to him. In a way it is a journey from fear to faith. Faith in Jesus is the key. I can confirm from personal experience. At times, I’ve been terrified. Then Jesus has arrived on the scene. The outcome is transformation! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			18 Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins. Psalms 25:18 NLT 18 "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18 ESV 2 Some people brought him a paralyzed man on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Cheer up, friend! Your sins are forgiven." Matthew 9:2 GW 25 "But I, yes I, am the one who takes care of your sins--that's what I do. I don't keep a list of your sins. Isaiah 43:25 MSG 6 I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Then he spoke to the man who could not walk. "Get up," he said. "Take your mat and go home." Matthew 9:6 NIrV 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, Ephesians 1:7 ESV 5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Titus 3:5-6 NLT 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 ESV 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases. Psalms 103:2-3 ESV	He huddled in a corner. His mind was filled with fear. His every thought and action was, “Somehow I must keep clear. I mustn’t let Him near me. He’ll crush me like a bug; Or treat me like a piece of slime that trails behind a slug. I have to find a hiding place. I’m feeling so exposed. And every time I hear a noise my body’s stopped and froze. I know He is omnipotent; omniscient as well. I can’t remain in hiding. But nobody must tell Him all about my hiding place. I’ve got to get away. Won’t somebody please help me? I dare not even pray! He’ll get to me much quicker if I talk to Him first. And after all that I have done, I’m sure I will be cursed. How can I be forgiven? My sins are crimson red! I haven’t ever served Him and soon I will be dead! I know I used to know him when I was just a child. I tried to give my life to Him. I think He turned and smiled. And then a few weeks later, I turned around and quit. And now to start and serve Him, I don’t think that I fit! He trembled with his sobbing. I’ve seldom seen such pain. The very thought he could be lost was beating in my brain. There’s surely something I can do. Then suddenly a light, Drove away the darkness and Jesus was in sight. The man froze in his terror. He couldn’t speak or budge. I wanted to assure Him Jesus didn’t bear a grudge. No matter what the man had done, the Lord had been there too. There had to be a way to cleanse this frightened “witches brew”. The Lord stood there in silence; an expression so serene, Adorned His very being. He knew where he had been. He reached out very gently and gripped him by the hand. He helped him get back on his feet, to look up and to stand. The calmness of expression and love in Jesus’ eyes, Seemed to settle on the man and ease his wretched sighs. Come now; let us reason. Your sins are crimson red. Its sins like yours that took my life; precisely why I bled. But I am here to tell you, I’ll wash you white as snow. And I will always be with you no matter where you go. “Cheer up, you are forgiven: I want to set you free, To be the sort of man I know that you would like to be. So straighten up my soldier. Your now are white as wool. The life I have in front of you, please know it will be full. Filled with My Holy Spirit with righteousness and joy. The sort which you experienced when you were still a boy. I took that list of wickedness. Upon My cross it’s nailed. I’ve cancelled out the record. I say you haven’t failed. Just know that from this moment you’re pure as driven snow. So go into the future. My love, you’ll always know. Jim Strickland  Written 7th June 2012.