Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the NET, netbible.org, all rights reserved)

Immediately the man was healed, and he picked up his mat and started walking. (Now that day was a Sabbath.)
John 5:9 (emphasis added)

The man acted IMMEDIATELY after IMMEDIATELY being healed. This shows us an important principle of the Kingdom: no hesitation. Adonai gives the word and we act. Period. That is what we are supposed to do. That is how Jesus ran His life (John 14:31). That’s how we are supposed to run our lives (Philippians 2:5). Without delay. “I keep your commands eagerly and without delay” (Psalm 119:60). This man who agreed that he was willing to be healed (John 5:6), immediately got up immediately after he was healed. There was no doubt. There was no delay. He acted IMMEDIATELY on what was in his heart. So should we.

We don’t know if the healing manifested before or after he got up. We know it was immediate, but healing comes in two parts. The spiritual part – which we have had access to since Jesus went through the cross – and the physical part – which comes when we submit to Jesus and accept that we have been healed. We all tend to think that we’re ready for the second part, but we ignore the first. How many times have you heard people asking for healing like they don’t have it? Going up for prayer TO BE healed. But we are ALL healed ALREADY. We don’t believe it, or we doubt it, or we sit around whining about how we don’t have it yet. We have it. It’s here. Jesus DID it. Jesus FINISHED it. We don’t seem to act on that, though.

Our minds are hard to get around. Because they are made from the same materials as the world around us, the world around us has a particular ‘realness’ to us. Yet almost universally, the human species yearns for things that are beyond our senses and beyond this realness. Even as we experience it, we still operate inside of the realness of the material world. Mentally, we can interact with the spiritual realm. We still feel ‘grounded’ in this realm of solid creation. It inhibits us because we fell from our true position (Genesis 3). We have thousands of years of training against us. The real we see is no more real than the real we cannot see, but we have trouble with that. “By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible” (Hebrews 11:3). Clearly, the unseen realm of the spirit is real. Just as clearly, we fight against that knowledge.

Say you have a bill that needs to be paid. You pray and ask the Father in Jesus’ name to provide that need. You believe He can. You’re willing to do what He says (extra work or sowing a seed or whatever). You trust that He will. You thank and praise Him for His goodness as your Father. You go to bed. What is your mental state when you wake up? Are you still thanking Him? Is it a done deal in your head. You KNOW you have it, even though nothing has yet changed? As things get closer and closer to deadline, do you put down worry? Do you refuse to dwell on what you SEE and stick with what you TRUST? When the money comes in (either by a gift or a bonus or an opportunity out of the blue to earn extra), are you relieved? Or does it not phase you because you KNEW you had it already? Human nature is relieved. But we build up our trust, our faith, our belief (Romans 10:17), so that our spiritual nature doesn’t even blink.

It is not easy. I’ve had it a few times where I have prayed with someone for something and when they report that it occurred as prayed for, I have to stop myself from saying ‘of course’ or ‘what were you expecting’. I usually feel it would come off as rude. Yet that is the attitude that we should have. No problem fighting off doubts. No twitches when our Blessing shows up. No relief at all, because we weren’t worried in the first place. We need to build our trust until we are trusting with our WHOLE heart.

The man was healed by the word of Jesus. He could have sat there until he felt it in his legs. He could have sat there until he saw his legs strengthen (or whatever was making him invalid – the Word doesn’t specify). He didn’t. He stood, picked up his mat, and walked. Wouldn’t it be great to take Jesus (the Word made flesh) AT His word? To trust He is right and everyone else in the world mistaken (Romans 3:4)? To stand and be SURPRISED if we fall over? Every time? To just keep getting up and walking as if we have our legs working regardless of what happens in the natural? To IGNORE the physical reality/symptoms because our trust is so strong? THAT is where we are all heading with out trust and we NEED the Word to get there.

It is ONLY by hearing the Word read, taught, discussed, and investigated that we build our trust in it and in Adonai. Only those who are trying to disprove what they read will be untouched by the Word. The Word is a living, breathing thing that changes us as we are exposed to it. If we are not reading it with ulterior motives, it WILL change us. It will renew us to Adonai’s way of doing things. It will renew us to recognise and accept Adonai’s point of view. Don’t be condemned if you’re not there yet. Be encouraged that your destination of total trust is coming. Stay in the Word. Keep stretching your trust. Any day now, you’ll have it. It will be in your heart and you will KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW that Adonai is trustworthy and every Word He speaks truth. ANY DAY now, you’ll obey IMMEDIATELY because there will be NO REASON not to. Not a doubt. Not a worry. Nothing but love and trust and so why not? Any day now, you’ll pick up your mat and walk.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Psalm 31:5

“Into your hand I entrust my life; you will rescue me, O Lord, the faithful God.” Messiah would fully trust Yahweh. He would see the Father as the totally trustworthy, totally faithful Almighty God. He would not waiver. He would totally give over His entire life to the Father because He would have total trust in the knowledge that no matter how it looked, Yahweh would rescue Messiah. “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And after he said this he breathed his last” (Luke 23:46). Jesus committed His spirit completely into His Father’s hands. Jesus ran His life at the behest of the Father (John 14:31). Jesus TRUSTED His Father. Jesus IS the Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

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

Matthew 16:16b