Fear No Fear

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

Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:22-24 (emphasis added)

‘Have the faith of God; translators generally render this, “Have faith in God;” but if this had been the thought, it would have been easy to have expressed it in the Greek. Faith originates with God; and those who have real faith have His faith; the same perhaps as “the faith which is of the Son of God.”’ (Gal. 2:20. Worrell, A.S., Worrell New Testament, note on Mark 11:22). Jesus said Echete pistin theou (Have Faith From God) meaning whatever can in any respect be likened to God, or resembles him in any way. Jesus’ meaning is clearly more aligned with having the God-kind of faith or possess the faith of God. If it were merely have faith IN God, there are a lot easier ways to say it (such as in 1 Corinthians 6:13 where we are exhorted to stand in faith). It is Elohim’s faith we need to use in order to accomplish anything. Elohim is the originator of faith and gave us a measure of His – everyone receiving the SAME measure (Romans 12:3). We therefore have the SAME faith as John, Peter, Barnabas, Paul, Jesus, and Thomas. The question is what we are DOING with the measure we have.

I am reminded of the parable of the talents. ““For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10. For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (Matthew 15:14-30).

Two men did things with their measures. They worked them. They stretched them. In fact, they doubled them. One man did nothing with his. He let it atrophy. He didn’t even do the bare minimum. In the end, when they needed them, two men proved their use and were rewarded. One man proved his lack of use and lost out. The faith of Elohim is the same. He gives us a measure of it. It is enough to accomplish all that we need OR could want. Yet, if we are not using it consistently, it will atrophy and not be there in a functional way when we need it. We can also deepen it. Instead of keeping it supple and ready, we can bulk it up. The first requires us trusting daily. In small ways or big ways. It doesn’t matter. We need to trust Adonai for something every day. The second way is the Word.

Trust comes by hearing the Gospel of Jesus preached and recognising Jesus (the Word manifested) in that message (Romans 10:17). We don’t get more faith that way because we have THE measure of faith. We have all we are ever going to get. No more, no less, nothing else needed. But if we want to move from surface trust – the kind you have with an acquaintance – to deep trust – the kind you have with your partner, we need to deepen it. We need to develop it. To stand on it. To RELY on it. It works the EXACT SAME WAY trust works between people. We ask for a favour or rely on something for someone small. We continue to hang around with them. Maybe we share personal stories. We vent, chat, laugh, and cry together. Over time, we get to know that we can trust them implicitly. We get to the point that we know we can trust them with anything and that they always have our back. We know that if we had to, we could call them in the middle of the night and they would drive hundreds of miles to help bury a body no questions asked (please don’t do this). We know they are our true and trusted friend.

It works the same way with Adonai. We think it’s different because He is Elohim. The Almighty. The Word talks differently though. “Always rejoice, constantly pray, 18 in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17). Talk to Him about anything, all the time. He’s always available. It DOESN’T have to be asking for things. It can be CONVERSATION. Exchanging IDEAS. His are REALLY good. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). He won’t steer you wrong. He can be trusted. He has your best in mind. He’s not well-intentioned, He is GOOD. It WILL all work out with Him. “Trust in the Lord and do what is right. Settle in the land and maintain your integrity. Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers. Commit your future to the Lord. Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause” (Psalm 37:3-6). We can rely on Him. He WILL answer you. He WILL act on your behalf. He WILL do it. He is RELIABLE. “Your conduct must be free from the love of money, and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:8). He isn’t going anywhere. He isn’t leaving you. You will NEVER be alone. He is THERE WITH YOU. IN your tragedies and your triumphs. He is side by side with you. “For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help” (Hebrews 4:15-16). He’s a GOOD Father, a GOOD companion, and a GOOD guide. He is worth forming a relationship with.

We can’t do it outside of Jesus, though. We always need to be aware of the Righteousness of God because outside Jesus we are NOT going to cut it. Yes, we have been born again and we have His righteous spirit we are NO LONGER sinners and have NO sin nature. But we’re human and liable to fall. Liable to make mistakes. You know where ALL of our mistakes are? Outside Jesus. In Him we are equipped to always overcome and succeed in all we put our hands to because we always put our hands to things that are in the will of the Father. Outside Jesus we make nothing worth anything (John 15).

We need to use the faith of Elohim when we are asking for things. And since the faith of Elohim always works according to the will of Elohim, we should only be asking for things that are in accordance with His Will. We know His Will when we read His Word. It’s all there. The principles of good living. The principles of successful relationships. Work ethics. Political ethics. Social ethics. Personal ethics. How to raise children. How to treat the land. How to treat each other. How to think productive , constructive, and uplifting thoughts. How to encourage. How to be free from bondage. How to be truly joyful. How not to be anxious or fearful in any way. How to rejoice and praise in all times with all things. It’s all in there. It’s a manual of how to love and operate in love and from a place of love. When we do that truly and selflessly, we are doing the Will of the Father. When we are led by Him, we are doing the Will of the Father. When we are Blessing others and being a Blessing by our very personality and presence (in reflecting Jesus’ own), we are doing the Will of the Father.

When we do that, it is easy to believe we have already received – regardless if we see it yet. When we do that, it is easy to stand on that belief, refuse doubt, and rejoice to Him who provided it – regardless if we see it yet. When we do that, it is easy to have Kingdom thinking on the Blessing. Especially in regards to time. Want to know something? There is no time as we understand it in heaven, so heaven doesn’t run on our clock. Never mix your belief and trust with a timeline. It will always be wrong. We are concerned with results, not with schedules. The Father knows our needs and always supplies them (Philippians 4:19). Not according to our thinking, schedule, or natural laws. According to His. It is SO MUCH BETTER.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Isaiah 8:8

“It will spill into Judah, flooding and engulfing, as it reaches to the necks of its victims. He will spread his wings out over your entire land, O Immanuel.”” The Messiah would be called Emmanuel. That means ‘God with us’. Messiah would be God and He would be WITH US. His creation. There is no time stamp on it. It would just simply BE. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus said “I am with you“. Jesus said ‘I am Emmanuel’. At the beginning of Matthew an angel proclaims what WILL BE (Matthew 1:23). Here Jesus is proclaiming what WAS and what WOULD ALWAYS BE. It doesn’t change (Hebrews 13:8; Deuteronomy 31:8). 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