Thoughts on Worship: Perfect Love, The Absence of Fear

I just finished listening (again) to a teaching by Gary Carpenter entitled "Free From Worry and Fear" available via this link: http://www.iktusnetmedia.com/c/Audio_-_Gary_Carpenter.html
I HIGHLY recommend it. While listening to it, the Holy Spirit confirmed so much of what He has been sharing with me over the past few months. Many of us are familiar with the passage of scripture in 1 John 4:18:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Perfect Love casts out Fear. The Father has placed His Love in us. The Truth is, Jesus Himself has stepped in on the inside of us. We have the Life of God -- the Spirit of Christ -- resident on the inside of us. The Holy Spirit has been sent to ABIDE with us, and He's not going anywhere. His Ministry is to help us enforce that authority that we have received as sons and daughters so that we can operate in our dominion in this earth realm. The Father's Love in us is what we return to Him in our worship. His Love in us is perfected (matured) in us as we abide in His Word, doing His sayings:

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. [1 John 2:5]

As this love is perfected, that perfect Love that we give to Him in adoration then communes with Him Who is Perfect Love, producing Divine Intimacy. Intimacy between Godhead and us, His creation. In that Divine Love is total absence of fear. Fear cannot inhabit that Love. Circumstances and everything that accompany them are totally absent in that secret place of Divine Love. This is the Holy of Holies. the place of Miracles. The place of "Rest" from fruitless "Works". These works are a by-product of fear (Gary mentioned in his teaching that "works" is the opposite of Faith - more confirmation - I love it when the Holy Spirit shares the same thing with so many across the Body!) The Book of Hebrews deals a lot with the "rest" that we have entered into as believers, especially in chapter 4. Our faith is based solely on the "finished work" of Jesus on the cross. The Faith of God operates in His rest. Labor to enter into that rest. Oh, by the way - worship can produce the Faith to get your prayers answered - I truly believe that.

A teaching series I'd like to recommend is by Pastor Dave Roberson entitled Private Worship (CD 612) it's available at his website for FREE streaming or download: http://www.daveroberson.org/series.aspx . A lot of what I'm sharing here is covered there in much more depth.

We were created to worship God. Worship should be our lifestyle. Daily koinonia (one definition of this Greek word is "communion by intimate participation") is what the Father desires from us. I often think about someone like Smith Wigglesworth "The Apostle of Faith". He operated in so many miracles: raising the dead, limbs growing out, etc. His credo was "only believe". He KNEW His Father, and he spent much of his life in Divine fellowship. He spent enough time in the Holy of Holies to receive the faith for miracles, healings and everything that is produced by the Father's Love.

Your earthly tabernacle was created to worship the creator who made it. Worship Him out of your spirit - the eternal part of you that will survive this present earthly realm. Your spirit is the true you. In your human, born-again spirit is Life, Light, Love, Joy, Peace, Prosperity, Faith - everything that is eternal. Throughout all of eternity we will worship Him in Heaven - you might as well start now. The Father lends His ear to all that worship Him in spirit and in truth and he hears their petitions. SPIRIT: Your born-again spirit in communion with the Godhead. TRUTH: His Word is Truth. His Word, spoken to Him in adoration - in Faith - is what He responds to (see Isaiah 55:11). If He has heard those petitions, consider them answered!

Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. [John 9:31]

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitons that we desired of Him. [1 John 5:14-15]

May we all operate in the Grace that is necessary to walk in that place of daily fellowship with Him so that His Will may be accomplished in our lives.