Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

And he said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were afraid and were astonished, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him?”

Luke 8:25

Community is a group of people – whether local or global – who share common values, way of doing things, beliefs, and identity. It isn’t consensus on every aspect of every issue all the time. It is mutual respect based on shared values that make up the core of who we are. It is the understanding of those shared values that creates the foundation trust can be built on. A development representative is someone who sheds light on those shared values so that the community can understand them. A development representative brings different people together so that their different skills, intelligences, and ideas together where they can mix into a beneficial whole. They are a key leader ensuring that the full potential of the community is reached. You will find them in every major industry, every major company, and the skills they bring to the table are invaluable in ANY team or community setting.

Who IS Jesus? What kind of consistency does He have? What can He do for us? What is He offering? What ideas does He have for us and for our community? These are not always easy questions to ask. Take the storm. Jesus stilled it with words based on the authority He had from being tasked to get to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He did it trusting in His Father to back up the mandate the Father had given Him to go to the other side. Yet when WE see a powerful storm what do we do? We flee. We scream. We hide. We batted down the hatches and beg to survive. Granted, we do not always have a mandate like Jesus did, but I would not be surprised if when we DO we react much the same. Because we don’t really KNOW who Jesus is. Those that do, do NOT flee in the face of a storm – even if they are not having an enjoyable experience within it. Because they KNOW their mandate. They KNOW who Jesus is. They KNOW what He can do. They KNOW it and from that comes their BELIEF that He will enable them and from that comes their TRUST that Jesus will come through because they KNOW who He is. It is circular, but strengthening when you see the big picture.

Peter said it this way: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, because his divine power has bestowed on us all things that are necessary for life and godliness, through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence of character, through which things he has bestowed on us his precious and very great promises, so that through these you may become sharers of the divine nature after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire, and for this same reason, and by applying all diligence, supply with your faith excellence of character, and with excellence of character, knowledge, and with knowledge, self-control, and with self-control, patient endurance, and with patient endurance, godliness, and with godliness, brotherly love, and with brotherly love, love” (2 Peter 1:2-7). Each step comes out of the one before. And ALL of them are based on: “the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord“. Paul said the same thing in Ephesians, praying that the saints (you and me) would gain “the breadth, and length, and height, and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, in order that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18b-19). But who is going to arrange the sit-down? Who is going to make the introduction? Who is going to introduce and bring us together so that it can happen?

First, the Father calls us to Himself through Jesus, who is the Way to Him (John 6:44; 15:16; 14:6). Second, Ruach HaKodesh represents Jesus who represented the Father and develops our relationship through teaching, guidance, comforting us in our distresses and victories, correcting us, and reminding us again and again and again that we CAN trust Jesus in and through ALL things and ALL circumstances. Ruach HaKodesh is our development representative. He is THE coordinator. Not only of our education in Jesus, but also in our defense of Jesus and The Way (1 John 2:27; John 16:8; Matthew 10:19). It is through Ruach HaKodesh that we begin to see the REVELATION (His commentary) on the Word, which we are using to renew our minds to Adonai’s point of view (Romans 12:2). “The unfolding of your words gives light,
giving understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130). It is good to get the Word into our minds and hearts, but Ruach HaKodesh gives us the LIGHT OF UNDERSTANDING that is SO crucial to making it come alive. It’s like our hearts are a greenhouse. We plant and water the seeds, but they don’t truly grow and develop until LIGHT gets on them.

Don’t spurn those thoughts He sends our way. Don’t assume you know what’s what. He will ALWAYS challenge us to think (1 John 4:1), but HE knows best, not US. We need to submit to what He reveals to us in the Word. Humbly submit to what He shows us, and then obey. Because we LOVE Him. Because He is SO GOOD to us. Because He is developing US and ALL believers into the BEST us we can be: in and through Jesus, JUST like Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). Amen and may we ALL submit to the process NOW instead of waiting and wasting the time we have here to help bring His will to Earth (Matthew 6:10). May we ALL be developed into effective disciples by The Teacher, The Ruach of Truth.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: 1 Corinthians 2:9

“But just as it is written,

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him.” It’s a quote from Isaiah 64:4 which reads “And since ancient times they have not heard, have not listened, no eye has seen a God except you; he acts for the one who waits for him.” Adonai doesn’t change (Hebrews 13:8). Adonai ACTS for the one who WAITS for Him. Who is that one? Jesus was THE One, but in and through Jesus ALL who love Him are the one. These things were not prepared for others. They were prepared for US. What was? ALL THE BLESSINGS OF ADONAI (Ephesians 1:3-14). Ruach HaKodesh is the DOWNPAYMENT of all that we will receive. We get to start RIGHT NOW operating in and through our love for Adonai, which we have because He LOVED US FIRST (1 John 4:19). In loving us, He enabled us. He prepared for us that for which He enabled us. He provides to us all we need to walk in it once we engage it in our lives. And He guides us through the whole process with His correcting, teaching, and leading Ruach. He is ALL about making us the BEST that we can be – which is accomplished in and through Jesus, our Lord, our Saviour, and our Elohim. What a GOOD God!

Your Daily Confession of Elohim’s Goodness:

I taste and see that Yahweh is good; I am blessed because I take refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8