Fear No Fear

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

God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body were brought to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
Acts 19:11-12(emphasis added)

A woman touched Jesus’ robe and was healed (Mark 5:21-34; Matthew 9:20-22; Luke 8:43-48). CROWDS touched His robe and were healed (Matthew 14:34-36; Mark 6:55-56). Peter walked down the street and his SHADOW falling on the sick released the healing power Jesus released through the cross and they were healed according to their faith in it (Acts 5:15-16). These things happened. Yet we also know of stories of relics and ‘holy items’ being bandied about the Holy Land and Europe that were NOT holy and NOT objects of healing but great money makers for the formal church of those days. It makes the modern mind skeptical. It should make anyone careful because we so easily venerate objects we can see instead of the unseen Ruach HaKodesh that is behind them releasing the power in response to trust in Adonai.

Why did it work for Jesus, Peter and the other disciples, and later, Paul? I think the Word is clear. No one was praising the shadow. No one was putting faith in the garment. No one was uplifting the handkerchiefs. They were not adoring the aprons. The trust of those who wished to receive healing was firmly and absolutely resting on Adonai Elohim Most High. Period. People got healed and they praised Elohim. People were amazed and gave glory to Elohim. In response to the restoration they received, Adonai got the adoration. And the men through whom Adonai worked? Again and again and again they stood firm saying it was not ME it was the Father. Paul even got stoned over his DEMAND that they acknowledge he (Paul) was NOT a god and that he (Paul) had NOT done anything and that it was Yahweh who had done it all through Jesus by Ruach HaKodesh (Acts 14:8-20). These men were willing to face brutal punishments in order to maintain their proclamation that JESUS of Nazareth was the one through whom the miracles were wrought.

In the modern church – at least the formalised and organised religious church – you don’t see this kind of thing. They stay away from it. Wouldn’t touch it with a twenty foot pole. I think that is a right attitude because I do not see them proclaiming Jesus in that way. If you don’t proclaim Jesus as Healer, you won’t hear about Jesus as Healer, so you won’t have any real trust that Jesus heals, and so you won’t look to Him for healing. When that is the mindset, it would be easy to look to a cloth or a robe or a pew cushion an evangelist once sat on and say, ‘that healed me, it might heal you too’. Don’t deny it. You KNOW that’s how humans think. Gideon tried something and it became a snare to his family and community (Judges 8:24-31). It hasn’t changed since antiquity.

According to the Business Insider, a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1’s, game-worn by Michael Jordan in 1985 and signed by the player, sold for $560,000 in a Sotheby’s auction. They also report that a General Lee 1969 Charger from ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ owned by actor John Schneider, sold for a whopping $9,900,500 on eBay in 2007. According to MSN, a false nail that fell off the singer’s finger during a concert in Dublin was sold to a fan for $12,000. They also report that in 2020, the semi-acoustic Martin D-18 that Kurt Cobain recorded the acoustic album ‘Unplugged’ in 1993 was sold for a tidy sum of $6 million. A lock of Justin Beiber’s hair sold at a charity auction in 2011 for $40,668. Humanity will do a LOT for a ‘special item’ from those they look up to. Add to that a religious element? There were so many pieces of the ‘true cross’ floating around in Europe John Calvin (1509-1567) once said that if you gathered them together you could make a fair-sized boat. If the glory isn’t going to the Father, no believer should be taking part.

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). This should also be the way we choose to THINK and SPEAK. “The person who speaks on his own authority desires to receive honor for himself; the one who desires the honor of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, and there is no unrighteousness in him” (John 7:18). “And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11). No ONE and no OBJECT should get the praise that is due our Father in Heaven. The ONLY way we can accomplish this is to follow the path that Adonai follows. Ruach HaKodesh points to Jesus in all things (1 John 5:5-12; John 16:13-15), Jesus points to the Father in all things (John 14:6-7; Matthew 11:27), the Father is worthy to receive all honour and praise and glory (Revelation 4:11; Philippians 4:20). If the Father isn’t the POINT of it all, we should NOT be participating.
But you know what? If Jesus is proclaimed as the source of the healing. If the Father is being given the glory. If the person praying or laying hands on the item is pointing to Adonai as the source and reason they’re doing it. And if neither any human nor the item in question is ever worshipped, well… then there is no reason why it wouldn’t work today. Jesus doesn’t change. EVER. What worked once CAN work again. HOWEVER, we MUST do as Jesus did. We must do ONLY what the FATHER shows us to do. Do it EXACTLY how the Father says we should. And say ONLY what He tells us to say. Period.

I think that instead of looking for opportunity to do this because we think it is neat, or going the other way and avoiding it like the plague, we should be looking at the Word and preparing our hearts. Adonai doesn’t have to move how WE move. He doesn’t even need to do things in ways that we APPROVE of. He looks to work how HE wants to work WHEN He wants to work and WHERE He wants to work. We need to let Him use the Word to train our minds to HIS thinking and HIS possibilities. We need to listen to Him and be open to WHATEVER He wants. We need to make sure that ANYTHING we hear is in accordance with the Word – He NEVER EVER contradicts Himself. And then we need to humbly submit and do the thing – whatever the thing is.

Nothing has ceased. Nothing has passed away. Everything is a possibility for us if HE says it is. He is a God of WONDER. Let’s open our minds to Him and LET Him be. Don’t fight the things of Adonai (Acts 5:39). Give Him the Glory and walk in His ways. He’ll show them to you if you’re willing to be obedient.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Isaiah 9:6

“For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called Wonderful Adviser, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The Messiah would be a great Counsellor (Yow’etz). He would advertise, take advise, advise well, consult, give, take counsel, determine, and devise. This was an active roll. A roll of mediation. The answer to Job’s cry for a go-between between Adonai and humanity (Job 9:33-35). A better Covenant situation than one of judgement (Hebrews 8:6-9) because we would see and touch and talk face to face with Messiah. “Then he came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” (Matthew 13:54). Jesus gave great advice and also consulted with the learned men of His day from a young age (Luke 2:41-50). He astounded them. He shocked them. He was a GREAT counsellor. He consistently got to the root of the truth of the scriptures without relying on anyone’s words, teachings, or thoughts – except His Father’s (Matthew 7:29; John 12:49-50). 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