Fear No Fear

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

Tell those who have a fearful heart, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, God’s retribution. He will come to save you.
Isaiah 35:4 (emphasis added)

Nothing is more impressive than Jesus because He is God: “And among the lamp stands was one like the son of man (Daniel 7:13), clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest” (Revelation 1:13-16). That is nothing to sneeze at.

Ezekiel got a glimpse of Him. Not counting the stormy wind coming from a great cloud of brightness which had fire flashing forth continually out of it, and in the middle of the flashing fire something like gleaming amber. That was just the vehicle He rode on and there is a lot more to it (Ezekiel 1:4-26). But finally: “I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s glory” (Ezekiel 1:27-28).

Here is the Living God. The Anointed One. The Messiah. The Saviour of All. The Great I AM. The Alpha-Omega. Jesus. The Son of God who was born, lived, died, was raised from the dead, and lives today. “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6-7). Does this seem like someone who cannot accomplish anything? Does this seem like someone who is incapable? Timid? Powerless? Angry? Punishing? Cruel? Violent? No, No! A thousand times NO! Jesus is full of power, glory, strength, mercy, and abundant love. His foes tremble (James 2:19). He created the world and everything in the world (John 1:1-5). If He made it, if everything was made through Him; why would He be scared of it?

If you or any believer you know gets scared, anxious, has panic attacks, is fearful, or has a heart whose rate climbs, then this is for you. Introduce them — or yourself — to Jesus. Not the timid, pasty, preacher of so many paintings. But the living, vibrant, brilliant, strong, mighty, and powerful Jesus of the Bible. Remind yourself of who Jesus IS and take a deep breath. Choose to believe it. To believe HIM. You can be strong in that thought. That thought is enough.

You may not think so, but think of what gets you through right now: comfort food, favourite clothes, feel-good movies/books, the touch of a partner, the hug of a friend, and other such things. Those are all worldly things. Things with no authority or power or anything. If THOSE things can comfort you. If THOSE things help, then how much more will Jesus? How much more will a saviour who is able to both comfort and save you? The Word says the Lord will come with vengeance and will pay back the ungodly in kind for their deeds (Isaiah 59:18). How can fear survive with that kind of atmosphere around you? The enemies of God cannot BEAR His presence (Psalm 5:5). Stand before Jesus and praise Him — it’s easy when you’re looking at that kind of glory. Fear will disappear. It won’t matter if you have a headache or stage 4 cancer and two hours to live. Fear will FLEE. That is the power of praise. It enables us to program a climate of spiritual possibilities that alters negative situations for our favour — in and according to the will of the Lord, which is the Word.

In God’s Kingdom, kings reign by the dexterity and excellence of their SPEAKINGS — and according to Revelation 1:6 we are all kings and priests in Jesus. Holy Spirit’s presence in you empowers your spoken word. The realm of the Spirit was framed with words. In essence, the realm of the Spirit responds primarily to your words. A believer’s dominion (that is sovereign authority over the world that the Lord granted us in Genesis 1:26-28 & 9:1-2 and in Jesus in Matthew 28:18 as we abide in Him) , that dominion principally depends on our mastery of speaking God’s Words over our life — that’s not positive thinking words, words of happy-joy-joy-universe-manifest-for-me, or declaring what we want; it is speaking the Word of God over our life.

As a believer, it’s important to understand that words aren’t just words. They don’t just give information, tell jokes, or ask where we left our phone. They also carry a creative power. Look at Genesis chapter one. Creation in God’s Kingdom happens at the instance of spoken words. A believer is also a creator and sustains the capacity to create spiritual possibilities using words (Colossians 3:10). A man’s speakings will always be a reflection of his nature. The mouth speaks out of the fullness of what is conceived in the heart. The thoughts in a man’s heart control what proceeds from his mouth and the words from his mouth, by extension, have an effect on the body. The enemy can manipulate a believer by planting seeds of limitations that program a spiritual climate to manifest physically in a negative way. As a believer, we must walk in the consciousness of our assignment as a prophetic rainmaker over our destiny.

You have the ability to command certain possibilities in your life. Everything that the Word entails, every promise of the Word, and it is because of this simple fact: every word you speak. Every. Word. Is a seed. It’s a seed.
Words have the ability to transport realities from the spiritual realm to the physical realm (Proverbs 18:21 & 1 Peter 3:10). A wrong information communicated in the believer’s heart can produce destructive effects that manifest physically — which is why we speak and study what is in the Word. We live by the Word (Matthew 4:4). It is the manual that programs our heart and creates a system that translates thoughts from your heart, through your mouth, to program your life and climate. The influence of Holy Spirit enables you to speak to yourself in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs (Ephesians 5:17-19). This is so important.

Dominion in God’s Kingdom is hinged on maintaining the right atmosphere. If you don’t know a positive Word-based thing to say to something, remain quiet. Program a spiritual atmosphere of positivity. It is up to us as believers to change our perception by and through the influence of Holy Spirit. When a negative word is spoken over you — in seriousness, jest, or ignorance — counter it with what is written in Scripture. This is what makes you prophetic over your own destiny. The right spiritual atmosphere gives Holy Spirit room to rest upon you, in partnership with the Word of God planted within you and released in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual songs (James 3:1-12).

“He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God. He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. No one was seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:8-13). We have His Spirit. We don’t have to do as the world does. By His Spirit, by Grace through Faith, we can change our thoughts by using the Word (Romans 12:2). It isn’t easy, but it IS simple. We can speak over ourselves what the Word says about ourselves. Choosing God’s Word and God’s promises over what we see, feel, and think. We do NOT deny what we experience. We say that God’s experience for us trumps ours. We say that God has a better way. A better thought. A better promise. We take the love He loved on us and use it to love Him back and those around us as well. By that, we can be perfected in His love. And perfect love does what? It casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Anxiety, depression, and all such mental conditions are children of fear and they will be unable to stand in the presence and the power of Jesus (Philippians 2:9-11) and His perfect love that we’re perfected in. Remember: This is a promise and a gift. We do nothing but what He says. We do the praising and the speaking of His Word. He does the heavy lifting.

After fear is gone, it’s easy to see what to do. To hear what to do. To continue to deepen our God-hug with more praise. To ask the Father our requests. After fear leaves, you’re flooded with perfect love and perfect peace. I’m not talking about a feeling (though it can be a feeling). I’m talking about an experience to walk in. A knowledge from the inside out that we have love and we have peace. It baffles the mind (Philippians 4:7). Listen for that still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13). Talk things out with Jesus. Ask from your Father. It will all be okay. It will be more than okay. It will be glorious. Because your God — Jesus, the Living One — is right there in that atmosphere you are intentionally calling down and strengthening. He WILL come and save you. He promised (Romans 10:13).

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Revelation 5

Jesus really did it all for us. He was slaughtered like a lamb and His blood ransomed you. Every bruise. Every punch. Every piercing. Every drop. Each of the seven times He shed blood. All the agony. All the pain and corruption and disease and horror from sin that He became without cause. Mine. Yours. It was all the price of sin. The cost of redemption. For you. Yeah, you. You were brought into the family of God and the covenant of Abraham. Every single covenant promise in the entire Bible belongs to you. That’s huge. There are promises all over the place – about 8,000 of them. You have a part in them. Each one. Why? Because God loves you and loves giving to His family. Best part? He cannot lie. There is NO lie of ANY colour or ANY size in God. Nowhere. Every promise is a ‘yes’ and an ‘Amen’ (which means ‘so be it’) — 2 Corinthians 1:20-22. Test Him. You won’t be disappointed. He loves you SO much. Submit to God, be obedient to what you find in the Word. Abide in Him and let Him take the reins. If you, then He. Look it up and see. He will. He can be trusted.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.