Fear No Fear

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

But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
John 5:11 (emphasis added)

There is sometimes a disconnect between our healing and what others think about our healing. These guys were caught up in religious thinking. Today, we see the same thing. Both in the church (unfortunate) and in the world (expected). They justify things. Claim that it was healing, it ‘went away’. Or that a doctor probably fixed it. Or it wasn’t what you thought. That it didn’t REALLY happen. But when we are faced with the doubts of others, we should state the simple truth that Jesus healed us. That we simply did what He told us to.

Alistair Begg (Senior pastor of Cleveland’s Parkside Church) has a great sermon about the crucifixion called ‘The Power and Message of the Cross’. In it, he focuses at one point on one of the robbers who, after dying, approached heaven’s gates. There is some confusion because this thief knows nothing about God or the things the church often doubles down on as so important. In the end the man shrugs and says, ‘The man on the middle cross said I could come.’ It is Jesus and HIS words that make or break us. Jesus’ words give us freedom to walk where we never could on our own. They are to be the light that shows us where to walk, and we should never walk where they are not shining. May we live a life where we ALWAYS can say Jesus said to.

This man was healed because he was willing to be healed. He actively showed his belief in Jesus when he followed Jesus’ instructions. He got up and walked, carrying his mat. This was against the rules of the Sabbath on which no WORK should be done. Since carrying a weight is work, it is against the Law. This man cared less for that than for the freedom he had to move – for the first time in at least 38 years (John 5:5). This man did what Jesus said and did not analyse it. Did not hesitate to do it. Did not overthink it. Did not say no because it was the Sabbath. This man simply did what he was told to do and relished in it – because it was a supernatural miracle.

It does not matter if anyone else witnesses it or not. It does not matter if anyone believes or not. You have a headache? You can be healed from it. Right now. It doesn’t matter if it would have gone away with proper food and rest. Proper rest and food didn’t happen in an INSTANT and healing CAN. It doesn’t matter if it is a simple paper cut or a broken limb. Time doesn’t exist in Heaven (Isaiah 9:6). The Father can – through the Holy Spirit – speed up time and make that ‘natural’ healing take a MOMENT instead of MONTHS. Whether an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year, or decades would have taken care of it. Jesus can shorten the time by having it happen all at once and heal that wound. People might not believe it. There is a SURPRISING amount of resistance to healing – I have no idea why. But whether or not people believe it or you, Jesus said it so it is so.

Jesus once healed a man of blindness (Mark 8:22-26). The man was brought to Jesus for healing, but Jesus took him OUTSIDE the town (Bethsaida) before He started. This is the town about which Jesus said “Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you!” (Matthew 11:21b-22). This was not a town of belief. They were AGAINST miracles, signs, and wonders. They were doubters. It was so strong that Jesus told the man (after he had sight) not to return to the town (Mark 8:26). I believe Jesus did that so that the man’s healing wouldn’t be stolen from him by people who didn’t believe. We need to hold onto the things Jesus does for us. Sometimes, we need to remove ourselves from situations of doubt (or people from our circumstances) so that we can do that. This isn’t kicking them out of your life or being unkind or anything. This is holding onto your belief and nurturing it until you’re so solid on it you CANNOT be shaken and then it won’t matter what they say because you’ll be strong enough to politely counter it with the Word and STAND on what Jesus said.

Doubt has NO PLACE in our lives. It CERTAINLY has no right to be anywhere near our healing. The Kingdom of Yahweh operates through FAITH. “Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). If we won’t trust in Yahweh, we won’t get very far. We need to protect our trust as we work to strengthen it through the Word (Romans 10:17). Adonai plants it in us. The Word waters and feeds it. We need to protect it until it is so rooted in us that nothing can pull it out. We protect it by keeping the Word before our eyes. We protect it by obedience.

Operating in love helps us to keep centred with Adonai because He IS love. ““If you love me, you will obey my commandments. Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept because it does not see him or know him. But you know him because he resides with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit helps us to stand on and hold onto the Word. The Word transforms us so that we can see the things of Adonai AS the things of Adonai. The Holy Spirit can REMIND us of the TRUTH. Whether it is explainable or not. Whether anyone else agrees with us or not. If we will stand on the Word and go with what Jesus says, we’ll not only KEEP what He offers us when we reach for it, but we will see more of His hands around us.

We can be like the world – who are blind. We can be like the average believer who got born again and stopped there – seeing men that look like trees. Or we can let the Word renew us and align us and transform us so that we can see clearly everything Adonai has for us and the world around us. And when those who do not have our vision stand against us, we can smile with the Love of Yahweh and simply say, ‘The man who made me well said for me to do it.’

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Psalm 31:13

“For I hear what so many are saying, the terrifying news that comes from every direction. When they plot together against me, they figure out how they can take my life.” Messiah was prophesied to have enemies. Individuals who would band together and take counsel on how to kill Him. To put Him to death. To – from their point of view – remove the problem this trusting servant of Yahweh was causing. “When it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him” (Matthew 27:1). “So from that day they planned together to kill him” (John 11:53). Jesus caused waves. Jesus went against what the religious people of His day felt was correct. They hated what He said and what He did and they plotted against Him. Jesus had arraigned against Him people who took counsel against Him. 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