Fear No Fear

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

And not being weak in faith, he considered his own body as good as dead, because he was approximately a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. And he did not waver in unbelief at the promise of God, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God and being fully convinced that what he had promised, he was also able to do.

Romans 4:19-21

Relation-Inferred Self-Efficacy is the belief that other people believe in you. It can be general, but it is frequently more task-specific. This isn’t other people coming to you telling you that you can do or be A or B. This is YOU floating the idea that YOU can do or be A or B and someone agreeing with you. This isn’t someone projecting their ideas onto you. This is someone agreeing with you about what you are not confident in or about what you are confident in. They can be a cheering section (you are confident) or they can be an encouragement (you are not confident). It all comes down to what YOU think you can/can’t do and other people responding to you positively because they see your potential to do those things you are considering doing.

Jesus-Concluded Adonai-Efficacy is what we are called to. It is a shift in thinking. Instead of people agreeing that we can do a thing we think we can do, Jesus BRINGS ABOUT in us what Adonai has released POWER TO PRODUCE. Our part is believing in it. It doesn’t SEEM that hard. Right up until we’re asked to do something that doesn’t make sense to our mind. I heard a great example from a man of God today. Laying on hands to heal someone. Our minds believe in medicine. Our minds believe in surgery. But putting a HAND on someone and having their issue LEAVE? That takes TRUST. But why don’t we believe it? Take the flight of a bumblebee. We say that it is impossible for them to fly, but they do. A study of flight shows you that according to fixed-wing formulas (like a Boeing 747) for flight, a bumblebee CANNOT fly. Yet a study of moving-wing aircraft formulas (like a helicopter) show that the Bumblebee has more than enough surface area on their wings to gain and maintain flight. It ISN’T impossible WHEN it is understood. Why do we think things like laying on of hands for healing works any differently?

The REAL difference is our NEED for understanding vs our DESIRE for understanding. When it comes to this world, there is great value in us understanding everything in it. We cannot be proper stewards of what we do not understand. This is the basis of science. Observing what we observe and explaining it. We’ve become so used to this type of faith that we balk when we start dealing with something we cannot fully observe. We can observe a hand touching another person. We can observe sickness, disease, and/or infirmity leave their bodies. We cannot observe the mechanism by which this is done. Most things of the Kingdom operate like this. All we have to go on is the Words Adonai speaks to us – through Ruach HaKodesh and His Word (they will always agree and never conflict).

Abraham was called BY Adonai a FRIEND of Adonai. This is BEFORE the giving of the LAW. BEFORE the miracles of Egypt. BEFORE the visions of the manifested glory of Adonai in Ezekiel and Daniel. This is BEFORE Jesus walking on this Earth as a man. This is BEFORE Ruach HaKodesh dwelt inside us, releasing power through believers for signs, miracles, and wonders. This is before ALL of that. What made Abraham so special? He believed. That’s it. It is simple. How do we truly know he believed? He rejoiced. He gave glory to Adonai about the FACT that Adonai COULD do what Adonai SAID He could do. That Adonai WOULD bring about what Adonai SAID He would bring about. I know this seems simple, but it IS simple. We believe EXACTLY like this EVERY DAY when it comes to our fellow humans. When it comes to Adonai, however, we almost IMMEDIATELY pause.

I do it too, and I don’t know why. With a human being, their past record of behaviour informs our ability to trust them in the present and the future. We let what they have done and currently do build our trust in them. With Adonai, we make it difficult. Why is that? We – all of us – have the witness of our salvation. We KNOW that we KNOW that we KNOW we were saved. We see a difference. We feel a difference. We have the witness of ourselves as different inside to outside. First in small ways, then in big ways. And it is a CONTINUING process. Every day makes us more and more like Him. If Adonai can do THAT. If Jesus can make THAT change inside of us. Why is it when something else comes up we pause? What is a need being met compared to salvation? What is a sickness, disease, or condition being healed compared to salvation? Abraham refused to look at his physical condition or his wife’s physical condition because he CHOSE to believe Adonai. Based on what Adonai had already brought to pass. Why was he a friend? He believed and then he trusted that his belief was NOT misplaced.

Abraham used praise to make sure that he didn’t back up. He didn’t look back to where he was from. He didn’t look back to what his body was capable of. He didn’t look back. He didn’t step backwards. He kept to where he was or he stepped forward. Every time. He did it because he continued to give Adonai glory for doing the thing He hadn’t done yet. He trusted Adonai. He believed Adonai. So he praised Adonai. This is the simple formula for EVERY aspect of the Blessing physically arriving in your life. When Adonai SPEAKS and DECLARES something, you choose to believe Him and trust that He can bring it to pass. Then you praise Him for it as if it is already a part of your life. You don’t take your eyes off of it. You don’t wonder how. You believe. Of course you also obey. There are often actions we are asked to do as part of Him doing it (John 9:7). Abraham had to change his name, conduct business with others using that name, and all of it without a child – Abram meant ‘protection’, but Abraham meant ‘Father of Many Nations’. People would have thought he was crazy, but he obeyed and kept glorifying Adonai.

Ruach HaKodesh is our guide. He points to what Adonai has said in the Word. He points to the promises of Jesus. He reminds us of everything that Jesus has said about us. He does it constantly. He NEVER stops because He does NOT want us to let go. He does not want us to stop glorifying Adonai. He does not want us to cease the thanksgiving and praise that we need to engage in to keep our focus where it belongs: our Source. The Father and Jesus went to effort to get to us their envelope. Ruach HaKodesh is VERY invested in us opening it. Praise – giving glory to Adonai where it properly resides – is what opens the envelope. Abraham knew it. The Word tells us that message again and again. Let’s be like Abraham and start BELIEVING and TRUSTING and PRAISING. It’s simple. We have no excuse. Everyone can do it.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Isaiah 43:21

“this people whom I formed for myself, so they might make known my praise.” The meaning of life is to make known the praises of Almighty Yahweh Elohim. How do we know it’s true? He said so. He’s the One who made us, so He is the ONLY one who knows what we were made for. Everything else is human thinking. Stick to what Adonai has SAID. Adonai inhabits our praises. Therefore, He made us to make known His praises so that He would live in us. The meaning of our lives is to enable Adonai to live with us. We dropped the ball in the Fall, so we can only accomplish this in and through Jesus. But the method we must use doesn’t change the meaning. We are meant to praise Adonai, so Adonai made a Way for us to praise Him. He refused to leave us in empty purpose. He refused to leave us in unfulfilled purpose. He insisted on making a Way for us to succeed in our purpose. 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