Fear, Tattoos, The Vets & The Kingdom

I missed blogging on our Porn Sunday which was two weeks ago as part of our 'Breakaway Series'. We had Will MacLaughlin speak on it, he did a great job tackling this elephant, so if you are part of VCD and didn't make that Sunday I'd advise you to pick up a CD of the talk. This past Sunday we looked at breaking away from fear.

We all have the ability to fear, in fact I believe when God made us he made a space in our souls to allow us to fear just as He gave us the ability of emotions to laugh and cry. It’s an alert mechanism in your soul. I want my three boys to have a healthy fear of the road, fire and girls (girls until they-re are 16). They need a fear of things in life for their safety and so we as children of God need to fear things that threaten our safety. Sometimes it's good to get the hell sacred out of you. It's interesting that 'fear not' is the most quoted command in Scripture. Why is it that God would make this the biggest issue or records it in scripture as a command so much more than any other command that he taught? Lloyd Ogivie notes there are 366 “fear not” verses in the bible, 1 for each day of the year including one for a leap year. The reason is that fear is the no 1 reason why people are tempted to avoid and shrink back from what God has called them to do.

The key to us embracing God’s “Do not be afraid,” is starting with an appropriate fear of God.

What's your picture of God?

One of the ways that the ancient scriptures portray God, is as a lion. C.S. Lewis, in his famous children's books, The Chronicles of Narnia, portrays Jesus as a lion named Aslan. One of the children, named Lucy, asked, “Is he a man?”

“Aslan, a man?” said Mr. Beaver, sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you He is the King of the wood and the Son of the great Emperor beyond the sea. Don't you know the King of beasts? Aslan is a lion; the lion, the great lion.

“Ohhhh,” said Susan. “I thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking they're either braver than most or else just stupid.”

“Then he isn't safe,” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver, “Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course, He isn't safe. But He is good. He's the King, I tell you.”

I wasn't planning to speak on fear, Sunday past but on my day off the Monday before I was walking into a shopping centre (mall) and saw someone in a wheelchair and all of a sudden fear gripped me, I felt paralyzed to believe the Kingdom has come and we can bring heaven to earth. I then walked into a shop with my wife and a girl working there was curious to know what my tattoos meant (right arm: Your Kingdom Come Your Will Be Done. left arm: On Earth As It Is In Heaven). So I explained you can bring heaven to earth, God's rule, God's stuff, healing, love. peace. She argued that hell has come to earth and this is impossible. I got the feeling I was being set up by the enemy and decided to allow the Fear of God to over ride the other fears.

Tuesday evening this week I had to collect my dog from the vets (£134 bill) and so a friend from Church took me to get her. It was busy and there was a lady there with her daughter, and her dog, as I go into a room to collect my dog, Brian (my friend) finds out her daughter is constantly not well and she was heading to a guy for a charm when she leaves the vets. A charm is a mystic cure (not a God thing) which happens alot in rural Ireland. Anyhow Brian tells here how God can heal, how we saw deaf ears open and other God stuff, he then tells her I would pray for her daughter. I come out of the surgery dog in arm, two kids and a £134 bill waiting for me and then find out I have to wait for the lady and her daughter to come out; she wants prayer. OK long story long, she comes out excited with her daughter, forgets about her hyper springer dog , and wants to get prayer. I pray for daughter there and then, the vet comes out, he's wondering what on earth is happening, the lady working behind the counter she comes out, and wants to know does she still need to go and see the guy with the mystical cure? I pray, they are very happy and go home.

Man did it feel good to respond to peoples needs, not fear, and to bring heaven to earth. Thanks Brian!