Fear No Fear

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

For the man, on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed, was over forty years old.
Acts 4:22 (emphasis added)

This man was brought to the temple gates every day so that he could beg a living. For most of his life – forty years – he begged at the gate of the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus must have passed this man many times. The disciples too. He would have been a witness of sorts of Pentecost, since the news would have spread far and fast. Yet he remained a cripple for all of that time. The Word doesn’t say WHY, but it gives us the WHEN. When Peter and John came by, he was READY in a way he hadn’t been before. He received his healing.

Today’s verse is focused on the facts that (1) it was a miraculous healing and (2) the man was over forty years old. In order to receive his healing, he had to TRUST that it COULD occur. He had to BELIEVE it WOULD occur. He had to keep from DOUBTING it would occur. He managed all three at this opportunity in his life, and he DID receive his healing. That healing totally and completely changed his life. I’m not counting the fact the Pharisees weren’t happy with him. That came later. He HAD to know his life was going to change – and not necessarily for the better from all points of view.

Think about it. This man had been crippled for forty years – or at least probably. He is not mentioned as once being mobile and now a cripple. All the people saw this as an amazing spectacle, so the man must have been well-known as being a cripple. He isn’t mentioned as being prominent or rich in any way at any time, so he would have been well-known from being there a long time. We can suppose that for the majority of at least his adult life, he was a crippled begging for money. He couldn’t work, so this was the only way he could support himself. This was how he lived. Brought by friends, beg all day, use the money for food, drink, and rent. Maybe a little to give to the friends who helped you every day. Not a great life.

But if he had been crippled from birth, the only education he would have had was from his parents. If they weren’t educated well, he would hardly be either. He would have been unable to learn a trade. He couldn’t keep a house. He had NO skills that were marketable other than his brain and his speech. We are given no indication whether he was gifted with either. The minute he was healed, he would have no income. No way to get money without work. He’d have to use his body as a day labourer. He was too old for an apprenticeship. If he was good at his work, he might get hire on as a regular. Either way, he had a hard road in front of himself.

This was what faced him when Peter and John came by. But scripture tells us in Acts 3 that he gave them his attention. He expected to get something from them. When Peter commanded healing to manifest and held out his hand, this man had MOMENTS to decide what he was willing to accept. Peter knew the man had the trust to believe (Acts 3:4). Peter commanded healing by the name of Messiah Jesus (Acts 3:6). Peter took the man by the hand and pulled. The man could stay where he was, or he could try to rise. We’ve all been helped up one way or another. We know what it’s like. We know how easy it is to stay down. This man chose to rise. He was IMMEDIATELY healed, but ONLY when he got up. If it had failed, he would have struggled but it wouldn’t go anywhere. Maybe even a face plant. But he trusted, had no disbelief, believed what Peter said, and was ready to rise up out of his sickness. He walked.

There are times we are used to our sicknesses. We’ve had them so long we introduce ourselves with them. Hi, I’m Bob and I have cancer. I have MS. I suffer from depression. I have social anxiety. It goes on and on. We are so used to our illness that we can’t see ourselves well. We want it. We crave it. We dream of it. But when we’re awake and being prayed for there is nothing on the other side of the prayer. We can’t see it happening. We can’t see ourselves giving up our condition and the wrapping it comes in. We can’t imagine getting up and not putting in our hearing aid. We can’t see ourselves without our cane. We can’t imagine parking anywhere but he handicap spot. It’s not only part of who we are, but part of how we navigate life. It can be a lot to give up. It can be scary.

Adonai doesn’t do scary. It is ONLY scary to our flesh. Our flesh can’t trust. It has no capacity. It couldn’t trust its way out of a wet paper bag in a typhoon. All it can do is fear. That is what fallen flesh does. But we are not our flesh. We are not what goes ‘eeep’ in the night. We have NOT been given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Jesus came to give us ABUNDANT life (John 10:10). No part of abundant life includes sickness. It just doesn’t work. No part of abundant life includes disabilities of ANY kind. Spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical. That isn’t to say we can’t life a fulfilling life with them, but it is NEVER Adonai’s best. It just isn’t and the Word is clear on that. No condemnation for anyone who isn’t walking in your manifested victory yet. Just don’t buy into the lie that Adonai wants to use your condition as a help for others. He may do that in the meantime, but a completely and totally healed testimony beats any and every other kind of testimony. Adonai’s BEST is total, instantaneous healing. I praise Him that He is also the kind of God who can use ALL kinds of healing and ALL kinds of testimonies for His Glory (Romans 11:36). There IS no bad life in Jesus. But we can walk in the fulfillment of abundant life or the hope for it. I am ALWAYS striving for the fulfillment. I think you should be to.

Adonai is always concerned about the life to come. The world after this. Our eternal life and what comes after. Our spiritual health. That is the stuff that REALLY matters. But He ALSO cares about our existence in THIS life (Matthew 19:29). He wants us walking in victory HERE (Deuteronomy 20:4; 1 Corinthians 15:57; Luke 6:35-38). We need to be ready. We need to have our eyes on Jesus. We need to be willing to receive. And when the moment comes, we need to lean into it and rise up. We need to do that with complete trust and believing. No unbelief. That we need to kick off the path and look only on the Word. Building our foundations until we can’t do anything BUT receive Adonai’s best.

It might take some time. Building muscles takes time. Building spiritual muscles also takes time. But when we do it. When we are ready. We WILL receive. Adonai’s best is waiting. Do you want it? Believe it. Receive it. Expect it. Look to it. And never, EVER take your eyes off Jesus.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Psalm 68:18

“You ascend on high; you have taken many captives. You receive tribute from men, including even sinful rebels. Indeed, the Lord God lives there.” Messiah was to be a person in tune with Elohim. Since the heart of the Father is blessing, Messiah would be one to give gifts to humanity. Giving according to the SPIRITUAL before the PHYSICAL. “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.” Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:7-16). Jesus gives us ALL that the Father has for us. Jesus enables us to walk according to our gifts. 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