Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”
Deuteronomy 1:17 (emphasis added)

People don’t like being told they’re wrong. Doing something wrong, saying something wrong, or acting in a way that is considered wrong. Doesn’t matter if it is a small thing or a lifestyle thing or a major thing. People don’t like feeling blamed, wrong, corrected, or convicted (John 3:19-20). Just check out social media. As soon as someone states an opinion they’re jumped on and beaten up. Again and again. And again. And again. Until they retract their opinion or give up and delete their account. The sad thing is that the anonymity and semi-anonymity of the Internet can breed the wrong kinds of interactions. It isn’t in your face or in ‘real life’ so people feel free to be bigots, sexists, racists, or any other thing. Often not because they disagree with how someone is living their life, but because they have chosen to hate on aspects of existence they don’t themselves embrace (Isaiah 29:15). It’s a jungle of strife.

But God tells us to proclaim the Word. To stand on and for Truth. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them (Ephesians 5:11). That doesn’t mesh well with the world and its views. In fact, there are those who believe their hate-filled vitriol is exactly what God wants them to promote. The problem is, I don’t remember Jesus acting that way (Matthew 9:10-14). I also don’t remember Jesus ignoring sin (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

It has to be said: sometimes the problem is the delivery. We get up on soapboxes and bark, condemn, and demand that everyone conform to what WE think is correct. The question becomes: ARE we correct and should we be SAYING anything? “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

That’s a huge issue for us. On the one hand we’re not to judge. On the other we’re to deal with our issues so that we can help with the issues of our fellow believers. When do we act? How do we act? What should be our playbook? Let’s leave it where it belongs: on the Holy Spirit. How did Jesus handle things? He tells us in John 5:19 “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever he does, these the Son also does likewise.” As believers and disciples of Jesus, we’re given the Holy Spirit as a companion. And a teacher. Which means the Holy Spirit can correct us because it is the Father who is correcting us through the Spirit which speaks to us. Holy Spirit can lead us to share and lead us to keep our mouths shut — and in both circumstances lead us to not judge those we’re dealing with because can any human being who isn’t also God be blameless?

So pray before you open your mouth. And then LISTEN. Don’t be afraid people will think you’re nuts. Even the world says to count to ten before you respond, so they’ll assume you’re being mindful. They won’t realise you’re communing with the Spirit. Watch what you say and how you say it. Psalm 34:13 says “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies.” and Psalm 39:1 says “I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”“. Wait on the Lord for His words. ALWAYS.

This is not a minor issue. This is a MAJOR thing. Proverbs 18:20-21 tells us “A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied. Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.” That which is in us comes out of us. That which is feeding us, will produce results. What results we experience depends on what we’re feeding ourselves. Look at it in the natural. Eat nothing but junk, get a body riddled with disease. The same principal is true spiritually.

Feed your spirit nothing but junk, dwell on nothing but junk or stress or fear; and get a spiritual body riddled with disease. The problem is that we are not mortal people. We are spiritual beings inside a mortal body. What is true in the spirit becomes true in the natural. Spiritual people who dwell in the Word, abiding in Jesus will become happy, peaceful people. Proverbs 3:8 tells us “It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.” That is a Spiritual truth, but spiritual truths have a habit of affecting the natural too. I’m not saying you’ll be sick if you’re not abiding in Jesus. But if you abide in Jesus, sickness has a habit of staying away. Disease hates the presence of the Lord.
The whole section of Proverbs 3 is from verse 5 to 12:

“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil. It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones. Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction; for whom Yahweh loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.“

There is more to our words and thoughts than we often realise. They affect our whole life. Likewise, they affect the lives of those we speak to. Those we’re around every day and the strangers we bump into for a moment only once. If we have an opinion and we spout off loudly and with a lot of YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK sass, it won’t be received well. On the other hand, if the Spirit tells us what and how to deliver something, it will be the way that is right. Always. He NEVER has a poor delivery. The Lord has been gentle with us. The Lord has been firm with us. He always knows how we need to hear things – which has nothing to do with how we WANT to hear things. He will lead us to deliver our message to those who need to hear it and when and how to hear it for maximum effect. We need to trust Him. And Obey.

There is a time for judging — but not by us. There is a time to be hands on and a time to kick things up the ladder to Jesus. But when we read verses like today’s it must always be remembered that an Old Testament judge was completely different than where we walk as Spirit-filled believers. We have a different mandate, a different calling, and a different way to carry it out. All three of those are Spirit-led and should be Spirit administered. The Holy Spirit CAME UPON a prophet or a judge or a king (Judges 6:34). The Holy Spirit DWELLS INSIDE us (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Being led by the Spirit who dwells in us means spending time EVERY day seeking His will through reading the Word, praising the Father, and listening in prayer. It means we are NOT set as judges over our fellow believers. This is different than when we are in a position of authority — and there are set procedures on how to deal with that so it doesn’t get into judging and stays as leading and guiding. We need to trust Him in all things and let Him lead us. This seeking His face is in humble submission. This is in humble obedience. Acknowledging God’s rightfully so superior position and kneeling before Him in loving, adoring service.

None of this needs to be a chaotic process. Never knowing what comes next or where you should step at any given time. We shouldn’t be standing in a store waiting on a word from God to see if we should buy athletic or crew socks. Isaiah 33:5-6 tells us “Yahweh is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear (reverence) of Yahweh is your treasure.“

We live in the Kingdom of God. It is in the hearts of all believers. It is, in essence, as Zion is. Where Yahweh dwells (2 Corinthians 6:16). Where the Lord dwells there is justice, righteousness, wisdom, and knowledge. These are all things and tools that help us share the Gospel and seed the Word (Mark 4:14-20). The harvest is salvation of the lost into the Kingdom – of which we are told there will be abundance (Matthew 9:37-38). The whole package has been planned and is overseen by the planner.

When we are about the business of the Lord, He will cover us and protect us. We should speak up about the Kingdom of the Lord. We should defend the gospel message. And when asked we should tell the truth about the moral laws God has set down – not as our OPINIONS, but as the LORD’S because we are not SAYING it we are only REPORTING what HE said. We should only speak when He says and how He says. When Jesus was on earth, He did only what His father told him and spoke only what His father told him to speak (John 12:49-50). As we are called to be like Jesus (1 Peter 2:21), let us not be intimidated by man but do what the Father has for us to do and speak what the Father has for us to speak. NO exceptions.

John 8:28-29 “Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things.”” THIS is our model. THIS is our example. This is our goal. All day, EVERY day. The Lord WILL help us, if we focus on Him and ACCEPT the help. It will change us and help to change the world around us too. Win-win.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

God wants to encourage us. He wants to comfort us. He wants to inspire us. The best tool He and we have are words. Simple WORDS. Words have meaning. Words have power. Words are SEEDS. From the thoughts and meditation in our hearts our minds are informed. Our minds take that input and decide, under the leading of our spirit (which is led by God’s, since we have Christ’s Spirit – Romans 8:9), what to think, do, and say. Each word is a seed. Each seed grows a HARVEST. In Jesus’ wonderful grace, He is there at all times and in all ways to give us the words to say — if we’ll listen. Words of beauty and wonder that speak of the things of God. He loves us and wants to share Himself and His kingdom with us. He even gives us the words to celebrate those things and enter into them at the same time. The Lord’s harvest is unparalleled.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.