A New Year's Eve

New year. New resolutions. New goals. New pursuits. New ideas. New jobs. New skills. Newness!

Many of us take this turning of the calendar as an opportunity to focus on and pursue new things.

Check this out:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.  Proverbs 16:9

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.  Psalm 65:11

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  1 Peter 1:3

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”  Lamentations 3: 22-24

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.  Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.  Psalm 96: 1-3

Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed.  For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.  Habakkuk 1:5

Precious one, as we head into 2015, I want to encourage you as I encourage myself (as has been the theme for the last couple of days) that God’s love for us is unchanging and that He desires relationship with us. But I also want you to know that He has great plans for us. As we walk into this new year, by His mercy, may our hearts and minds be aware that He has given us His Holy Spirit to empower us to do all that we were designed for – to live the John 10:10 life here on earth. John 10:10 (TLB) - The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life [vitality] in all its fullness.

May we focus on and pursue all the fullness of life that the Father has for us in 2015.

Condemnation

God does not desire to condemn us. In fact, His desire for His children is that we would live fully and freely in relationship with Him, within His grace, and with His empowerment.

Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

John 3:17 - For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Psalm 34:22 - The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

We live in a world where people are quick to pronounce judgment upon one another…to assume the worst…to be stimulated by and intrigued with stories of tragedy and misbehavior. But the only One who is truly able to righteously pronounce judgment upon man, because He is holy, is the Lord God. He is well aware of but not happy about our tragedies or misbehaviors. And what we read in scripture would support that it is not His focus or desire or the purpose for which Christ came to condemn the world. Rather, He came so that He might save the world. Mankind is so greatly loved by the Lord that He sent His Son to suffer the consequences for our sin in order that we may forever be in precious fellowship with Him. Romans 8:23 reads - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in [or through] Christ Jesus our Lord.

May you be blessed as you consider the wonderful loving kindness, grace, and mercy of our righteous Creator. The Creator who desires a dear relationship with each of us.

 

Made in God's Image

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26&27)

What does it mean to be created in the very image of God? In this passage, this word “image”  means a resemblance or a representative figure. The idea is that the world will experience the presence of God in relationship with us because our essence is created in the likeness of God.

Further, David Platt points out that we’ve been created to enjoy God’s grace in relationship with him and that we have a capacity to know God. There is no other created being that has the capacity to know God as we do because we were actually created in God’s image.

“The image of God refers to the immaterial part of man. It sets man apart from the animal world, fits him for the dominion God intended him to have over the earth (Genesis 1:28), and enables him to commune with his Maker. It is a likeness mentally, morally, and socially.” S. M. Houdmann

2 Peter 1:2-4 reads: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

In our created state, we are created like God – mentally, morally, and socially. However, through the original sin that happened, mankind became sinful. But by God’s mercy, when we place our faith in Christ, by His grace, we are able to participate in the divine nature of God – to resemble Him and to relate to Him like no other created being.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which occurs when we accept Christ as our Savior, spiritually returns us to our original state. Christ’s death on our behalf allows God to see us as righteous, allows the Father to fellowship with us as He did with Adam and Eve before the fall. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit allows us to live by and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control – to emulate the Father. We are returned to a state of being like-minded with the Father and to move according to His Spirit. And as Platt says, we are able to fellowship with the Father in His grace.

It is astounding to think that the holy, Creator loves us so deeply, desires an intimate relationship with us, and has actually fashioned us in His image.

My prayer today is that we will truly receive the fact that the God of the universe loves us immutably, that we are created in His very image, and that we can do all that we are called to do and can affect the world for His glory and all of our good.

Amazing!

Sience is the Secret - Part 2

Today we conclude Drew Dyck’s article:

A recent study conducted at the University of Virginia testifies to this sad truth. Researchers found that people preferred pain to being alone with their thoughts, even for a few minutes. Asked to sit in a room with no distractions for 15 minutes, participants were offered the option of giving themselves electric shocks. Around half of the people – all of whom had felt the painful jolt beforehand – chose to zap themselves just to break the monotony. (One participant opted for the shock 190 times.)

As Christians, we should find this aversion alarming, because being silent is essential for spiritual maturity. Quietness is to our souls what sleep is to our bodies: It helps us heal and gives us time to grow. Silence – that essential pause from the torrent of noise and busyness – enables us to hear our Creator and move closer to Christ. But finding this silence amid the cacophony of life can be difficult when a thousand things compete for our attention. Even when we get alone with God and try to quiet the buzz in our brains, the mental clutter of worries, fears, and unfinished tasks surges to the surface. It takes concerted effort to cultivate silence, especially in today’s world. But it’s a challenge we must accept. Our spiritual vitality is at stake.

And there’s more. Silence is something even greater than a tool to deepen our spiritual life; it’s the natural reaction of mortals to the presence of a holy God. In Scripture, when people encountered Him, they fell silent or spoke in hushed tones, fearful their sinful lips would incur divine judgment.

Take Isaiah, for instance. When he saw the Lord “high and exalted,” the only words he could manage were ones of despair: “Woe to me!” he cried, “I am ruined!” (Isa. 6:5 NIV). Ezekiel, too, was overwhelmed by his vision of God. After seeing Him in His glory, the prophet said nothing; he could only fall face-first to the ground (Ezek. 1-3).

Another example is Daniel, who could stare down lions, but when the heavens opened before him, he “bowed with [his] face toward the ground and was speechless” (Dan. 10:15 NIV). Likewise, the revelations of heaven the apostle John received left him lying on the ground “as though dead” (Rev. 1:17 NIV). And though there is no shortage of dialogue in the book of Job, silence reigns when God shows up. “I am unworthy – how can I reply to you?” Job says. “I put my hand over my mouth” (Job 40:4 NIV).

But their reactions are radically different from ours. Drop in on an average church service, and you’ll hear loud celebratory music sung by cheerful, upbeat worship teams. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course. We need to be joyful. But there is little time spent standing in awe of God. Can we be shocked into silence by God’s unbridled majesty? Is it possible for us to stand in perfect stillness before His holiness? The answer to these questions is most definitely yes. Yes, we can.

But believe it or not, this isn’t a new issue. In the 17^th century, a man named Isaac Watts complained about lackadaisical worship. He objected to “the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly.” His father challenged him to create hymns that would inspire more fervent worship. Watts did just that – and ended up writing some of the best-known songs of the English language, including “Joy to the World.” But it is the final stanza of “Eternal Power” that perfectly describes the worship that can come only with silence: God is in heaven, and men below; Be short our tunes, our words be few; a solemn reverence checks our songs, And praise sits silent on our tongues.

Watts understood something we would be wise to embrace- that worship sometimes demands wordlessness and that the purest praise often arises from hushed lips. Silence is an acknowledgment that we stand in the presence of a holy and remarkable God. It signals that we’re ready to listen, to receive, and to simply stand in awe of our Creator. It is when we intentionally close our mouths that we can experience a fuller measure of God’s greatness and grandeur.

Silence is the Secret - part 1

Today and Sunday we will look at author Drew Dyck’s thoughts on the spiritual discipline of silence. He writes:

We all long to be closer to God. But that requires something simple and often overlooked – the willingness to be still.

I recently attended a large conference for church and business leaders, featuring big names like Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, Jack Welch, Tony Dungy, and Rick Warren. But one speaker listed on the program seemed out of place. She wasn’t a prominent politician, business tycoon, or megachurch pastor. Rather than a suit, she wore a simple white robe and headscarf. Known as “Mama Maggie,” she is a diminutive woman who works in the slums of Cairo, Egypt.

When she walked onstage, the crowd erupted. Visibly moved by the reception, she stopped midway to the podium, pressed her hands together and mouthed words that were lost amid the thunderous applause. Then she lowered her body to the floor and prayed for a moment before rising to speak.

She was worth the attention. Mama Maggie has dedicated her life to serving homeless, starving children in Manshiyat Naser (or “Garbage City” as it is known in Egypt). She founded an organization called Stephen’s Children to help the countless boys and girls who roam the trash heaps looking for scraps of food. Today, the organization has thousands of volunteers, scores of whom were helped by the charity as children.

Of the many things she shared with us that day, one has stuck with me. “Silence is the secret,” she said to the crowd. “Silence your heart to listen to your spirit. Silence your spirit to listen to His Spirit. In silence, you leave the many to be with the One.”

That evening, I had the opportunity to interview her, and I was struck by the palpable humility and incredible gentleness of the spirit she exuded. It was plain to see that everything about her grew out of a deep intimacy with God.

Quietness, both of mind and spirit, is essential for communing with the Almighty. “Be still,” the psalmist writes, “and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10 NIV). I think it’s important to note that the stillness precedes the knowing – not the other way around. Without first quieting our hearts (and minds and mouths), we’ll never realize the deep intimacy with God we so desperately crave.

Unfortunately, however, we are rarely silent. After a few seconds of quietness, we get fidgety. We start reaching for our gadgets or talking to avoid awkwardness and boredom. We can blame our technological devices or hectic work schedules or busy family lives, but the truth is, we avoid silence at all costs.

 

Stay tuned, we will feature the balance of this writing on Sunday.

Celebrate!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Today we celebrate the birth of the One for whom we wait.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6&7)

AMEN!

A Covenant of LOVE

Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.  1 Kings 8:23

Wonderful LOVE

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].  1 Corinthians 13:7

Everlasting LOVE

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

Advent Week 4 - LOVE

I LOVE LOVE!!!!!! Yes, I am a serious romantic. But even better than that, I love the love of our God.  I have been a recipient of a great measure of His restorative, tender, wise, strengthening, redeeming, and extravagant love. I have had some of the most amazing one-on-one times with the Lord—times when He has gently and directly spoken to me to impart His wisdom, to inspire, to comfort, and even to correct me. I have also been blessed with people in my life who have done the same!  I get so excited about how the Lord can use us to be His ambassadors on this earth—to let a hurried, hostile, hurting, and hungry world know that there is a God who loves them to a depth that far exceeds our ability to describe. God is Love and He loves us!!!!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

May Your JOY Be Full

This is our last scripture on joy. My prayer is that you have felt the ministry of the Holy Spirit this week and allowed yourself to experience the joy of the Lord.


Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24

Loud Songs of JOY!

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! - Psalm 47:1

Shout & Sing!!!

Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel     Isaiah 12:6

Leap for Joy

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.    Luke 6:22-23

For the Joy Set Before Him...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.   Hebrews 12:1-3

Advent Week 3 - JOY

JOY!!!!!! The joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) Otherwise translated: The joy that the Lord gives you will make you strong. Matthew Henry says: The joy of the Lord is your strength. Let it not be a carnal sensual joy, but holy and spiritual, the joy of the Lord, joy in the goodness of God, under the direction and government of the grace of God, joy arising from our interest in the love and favour of our God and the tokens of His favour. This joy will be your strength, therefore encourage it…Holy joy will be oil to the wheels of our obedience.”

I looked up the origin of the word happy. Check this out:

happy (adj.) late 14c., "lucky, favored by fortune, prosperous;" of events, "turning out well," from hap (n.) "chance, fortune" + -y (2). Sense of "very glad". first recorded late 14c. Ousted Old English eadig (from ead "wealth, riches") and gesælig, which has become silly. Meaning "greatly pleased and content" is from 1520s.

Our happiness is based on good fortune, prosperous events, and being greatly pleased and content regarding circumstances. JOY, on the other hand, comes from being in relationship with the Lord and the in-dwelling Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22&23)

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11

Week 3 of Advent recognizes that in the midst of our waiting, in the midst of sober reflection and repentance, we still have joy because our Savior for Whom we wait, already came over 2000 years ago, in a manger. And we may rejoice today not only in His birth but also in anticipation of His glorious return!

The Fruit of Righteousness

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. Isaiah 32:17

Living in Peace

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. - Romans 12:18

Let Peace Rule

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Let Peace Rule

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

The Source of PEACE

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. John 14:1

More PEACE

Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. Psalm 119:165

Advent Week 2 - PEACE

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

How sweet are these words from our Savior! Sometimes I am just moved by His tenderness and knowledge of us.  It makes sense because He created us…but I still marvel at times. He knows we are prone to fret over the matters of this life so He sent The Advocate (His Holy Spirit) to reside within us as our source of peace. And He spoke these precious words for us to treasure in our heart.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. One of the names of God is Yahweh Shalom – The Lord is Peace. We are in very good hands when He who is the very embodiment of peace assures us that we need not let our hearts be troubled and that He will give us His peace.

More HOPE

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

HOPE

“When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, ‘Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.’ So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks. Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.’” Joshua 10:24&25

“Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 24:14

Advent Week 1 - HOPE

This week we focus on HOPE. Our hope is in Christ and our future is secured in Him. But the word of God tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick. (Proverbs 13:12)  “Hope deferred makes the heart sick and languishing, fretful and peevish; but hope quite dashed kills the heart, and the more high the expectation was raised the more cutting is the frustration of it. It is therefore our wisdom not to promise ourselves any great matters from the creature, not to feed ourselves with any vain hopes from this world, lest we lay up matter for our own vexation…” (Matthew Henry)  In Christ we have the security and hope of future eternal life but we also can have hope within our “today circumstances”. As Henry points out, our hope should not be in any of our actions or abilities (or those of others), lest the delay in realization makes our hearts sick, or in denial, crushed.  

I would like to go a step further and make a distinction between hoping in the actions (doing) of Christ versus hoping in the person (being) of Christ. As Christians, we read the Word with zeal regarding the promises of God – He will supply…He has great plans…He will deliver…and so on. God’s word is true so we can expect that He will be faithful to His word. And we should speak the word to ourselves and to others. However, we cannot make assumptions upon God regarding how and when He will do all that He promises. As He has said, neither His thoughts nor actions are the same as ours; they are beyond our understanding. Because of this, our hope is secure when it is in the person of Christ not in our presumed timing for the actions that we want Him to perform.

God is love and all that He allows…regardless of what it looks like in the natural… is for our good. We can enjoy a secure hope in Him and that hope brings life!

“the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love”  Psalm 147:11

Advent!

The season of Advent is upon us. And I, for one, am VERY excited. November 30^th was the first day of Advent and the season will last through December 24. You may be wondering, “What is Advent?” Glad you asked…

Advent is a season in the Christian calendar that lasts approximately 4 weeks and is a season of preparation for and anticipation of the celebration of Christ’s birth. It has a parallel meaning in that Advent (in Latin – “coming’ or “visit”) mirrors the time of the Jews anticipating and looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. So this time of Advent is a time of anticipation and excitement regarding the first coming of Christ and a keen awareness that we wait again, for His second coming. It is a time for prayer, meditation, repentance, and allowing the word of God to speak to us. For me, this is a very sobering and wonderful time of year. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the typical Christmas activities, it is a centering place. As I reflect on my Savior’s birth and look toward the future in anticipation of His return, I am able to find a place of joy and peace. Which brings me to the themes we observe during Advent.

The four weeks of Advent each focus on a theme. There is some variety regarding the four themes of Advent but for this blog, we will focus on the common themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. You may have also heard of or seen an Advent wreath. The wreaths have as much variety as one can imagine but the consistency is found in the candles: 3 purple and 1 rose colored candle. Some also add one white candle in the middle. The purple is a symbol of “seriousness, repentance, and royalty”. The rose color symbolizes joy in the midst of the season. Mark Roberts put it this way, “The pink [rose], joyful color reminds us that, even as Advent helps us get in touch with our sober yearning for God to come to us, we know that he did in fact come in the person of Jesus.” Regarding the lighting of the candles: on week one, two, and four, the purple candles are lit. The rose colored candle is lit on week three. The white candle, symbolizing Christ, can be lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas day.

So for the rest of this season, we will focus on the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. My hope is that even if you have not traditionally observed Advent, that you would investigate it this year and that your spiritual life may be enriched as you study.  In an effort to be brief, I have not written nearly enough to help uncover the beauty or the history of this season but I have provided resources below that can start you on your Advent journey.  Blessings to you!

 

A light-hearted overview of Advent may be found here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/series/introduction-to-advent/

Additional Advent readings may be found here: https://www.biblegateway.com/newsletters/

There's Something About That Name

This song was on my heart today and I thought I’d share with you…

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

There’s just something about that name.

Master, Savior, Jesus.

Like the fragrance after the rain.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

Let all heaven and earth proclaim

Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away

But there’s something about that name.

Jesus Declares That He is the Messiah

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him. (Mark 14:61a-65)

Jesus is on His way to the cross…to His death. He had been betrayed and lied upon and in the moment recorded here, He is asked by the Sanhedrin to respond to “accusations” but He remains silent. However, Jesus does respond to this direct question from the Sanhedrin. Matthew Henry shares interesting insight regarding this amazing moment:

He asked, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? that is the Son of God? for, as Dr. Hammond observes, the Jews, when they named God, generally added, blessed for ever; and thence the Blessed is the title of God, a peculiar title, and applied to Christ, Rom. 9:5 . And for the proof of his being the Son of God, he binds them over to his second coming; "Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power; that Son of man that now appears so mean and despicable, whom ye see and trample upon (Isa. 53:2, Isa. 53:3), you shall shortly see and tremble before.’’ Now, one would think that such a word as this which our Lord Jesus seems to have spoken with a grandeur and majesty not agreeable to his present appearance (for through the thickest cloud of his humiliation some rays of glory were still darted forth), should have startled the court, and at least, in the opinion of some of them, should have amounted to a demurrer, or arrest of judgment, and that they should have stayed process till they had considered further of it; when Paul at the bar reasoned of the judgment to come, the judge trembled, and adjourned the trial, Acts 24:25. But these chief priests were so miserably blinded with malice and rage, that, like the horse rushing into the battle, they mocked at fear, and were not affrighted, neither believed they that it was the sound of the trumpet, Job 39:22, Job 39:24.

Scriptures referenced by Henry:

Romans 9:5 - Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

Isaiah 53:2&3 - He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Acts 24:25 - As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”

Job 39:22&24 - It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword. In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.