Fear No Fear

A man was there who had a withered hand. And they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” so that they could accuse him.
Matthew 12:10 (emphasis added)

You might not know this, but we are not more spiritual on Thursdays. Or Mondays. OR Sundays. The day of the week makes absolutely NO DIFFERENCE to your spiritual state. What matters EVERY day of the week is what your relationship is with Jesus. Whether you are ABIDING in Him or not. Healing is a thing, but Jesus IS healing. Read Jesus’ question like this: ‘Is it lawful to Jesus on the Sabbath?’. Seems ridiculous. OF COURSE you can Jesus on the SABBATH! It’s the HOLY DAY! Yet the Sabbath wasn’t made for God. It was made for US (Mark 2:27). Is it appropriate to be in Jesus? On the Sabbath? On another day? WHAT is your relationship with Jesus? THAT is the question – and the Pharisees didn’t even know it.

The Sabbath was meant to be a day of rest. Yahweh rested at the end of creating the universe (Genesis 2:2-3), sanctifying the day as Holy. We are meant to imitate Adonai, so we too should have a day to rest in holiness – HIS Holiness. In Exodus 20, sabbath is mentioned in two ways. First, we are meant to be thankful for our redemption – Jesus is our redeemer. Second, those who came before us were UNABLE to rest, being slaves in bondage. We rest as a celebration of the freedom we have to do what they could not. It is a day to remember our covenant with Yahweh – an excellent day to partake in Communion and remembering everything Jesus has done for us, continues to do for us, and will do for us. To remember the promises of Adonai and the completed work that He has accomplished and made available to us.

On a day all about Adonai, HOW could it be wrong to let Adonai do a work? Remember, it is not us who does the thing. It is the Lord who did the thing. We’re only receiving from His hand what He already did. We enter into Messiah as His Bride, and let Him call the shots. “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2). It is only religious thinking that keeps us from entering into His rest, His works, and His will. It is only religious thinking that keeps us wanting to ‘earn’ that which we want.

Nothing is sadder than a saved person suffering with sickness because they have never been taught that they can have rest. That they have never been taught that intimacy with Adonai is possible NOW in THIS life and NOT just in Heaven. Two people who are married begin to know each other intimately. They learn SO MUCH about each other. They start to do things the other person likes. Beginning the process of becoming like each other. THAT is what our relationship with Adonai should be like. To become more like HIM. To learn about HIS ways, HIS desires, and to emulate them because we WANT to get closer and closer and closer.

Sickness is NOT part of Yahweh. Ignorance is NOT part of Yahweh. Neither is disobedience. Neither is pride. Neither is being judgmental. Neither is lack. Neither is sin. These – and other things like them – are NOT part of the Lord God Almighty. We should be seeking to rid them from our lives, not keep them. We should be teaching others that in JESUS we HAVE overcome the world because JESUS overcame the world. We have an inheritance of riches we can access NOW because JESUS died and passed on the riches of Heaven to us (Ephesians 1:11-14).

Why would we want to stay sick? Why would we want to stay poor? Why would we want to stay anxious? Why would we want to stay limited? Don’t limit the Lord! Don’t refuse His things on Sunday because that’s a CHURCH day. Don’t refuse His things on a weekday because that’s a WORK day. Don’t refuse His things on a Saturday because that’s your ONLY day off to relax. Don’t refuse His things EVER. Let Him do good things. Seek to do good things yourself. Jesus did good things. We’re supposed to be like Him.

Jesus did what His Father asked Him to. Jesus never turned down a need. Jesus never turned away someone who sought Him out. Jesus ALWAYS gave of the things of the Father. We too should give. We too should seek. If we do, we will NEVER be disappointed. Is it right to do Jesus things anytime He asks us to? Yes. Yes it is. It is the RIGHTEOUS thing to do.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Exodus 15:2

“The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” How could the Lord – the Almighty in Heaven – become our salvation when it is clear in the Law that salvation is provided for through BLOOD? How could Messiah – predicted to be a victorious king – shed blood as a sacrifice? Jesus is the answer. Yeshua IS the exaltation predicted in this verse. It was confirmed by Stephen. “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look!” he said. “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”” (Acts 7:55-56). Jesus is our exaltation. Jesus is our strength and our song. Jesus IS our salvation. Jesus IS Messiah.

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b