Fear No Fear

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

For the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace,

Romans 8:6

The Temple could have been kept going. Sure, they wouldn’t have needed to sacrifice anymore. There was no need for the ark anymore. But they weren’t BAD symbols. Adonai could have worked out a way for the Temple system to go on without the sacrificing. In fact, you could argue the Early Church WAS the Temple system without sacrifices. But He could have kept the building going. So why DIDN’T He? He didn’t want to LIMIT us. Abundance doesn’t have limits. Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). He could not have limits and accomplish His goal. So Adonai changed locations.

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Jesus said He came to bring us abundant life. The Spirit is the path through which the Father releases life into us. “And if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also make alive your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). If we are full of life and if we are Temples, then we need to ACT like we are Temples and bring our minds into alignment with that. How? Follow Adonai’s instructions about the Temple. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise. Give thanks to him; bless his name” (Psalm 100:4). David appointed singers for just this purpose. People going from one court to another recited Psalms. Singing and praising and giving glory to Adonai was a vital, necessary, and expected part of Temple life. We need it as a vital, necessary, and expected part of our lives as well.

This isn’t about blowing the shofar or wearing priestly robes. This is about a mindset of praise. Fourteen Psalms were sung as people travelled to Jerusalem for the annual Feasts. That’s just COMING to the city. Not even what happened IN the city or IN the Temple. That’s simply APPROACHING the place where the worship would take place. How many of us have that attitude? We all SHOULD and we all should have it ALL THE TIME. That doesn’t mean we are with word and song praising Adonai 24/7. It DOES mean that our ATTITUDE is one of praise 24/7. “Therefore, whether you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). EVERYTHING. It doesn’t matter if it is worship, a chore, a job, or sex. What is your MINDSET? Are you doing what is proper and good from Adonai’s point of view? Because you love HIM and want to honour HIM with a life lived HIS way? That’s a mindset. And that’s the battlefield.

If we live godly lives, we have life and we have peace. No matter the circumstances, no matter what appears to be happening, no matter our status or situation. When we have put our attention on Adonai for the purpose of living His way, we have peace and we have abundant life – and it gets more abundant in every way the more we trust in Him. Don’t dollar and cent this. Don’t five bedroom and two-car garage this. Don’t premium vehicle and clothes this. This is about HOW we live life, not WHAT we live life with. Focusing on possessions is focusing on what your physical self wants. That leads to coveting. Coveting is idolatry. Your physical self is about FEELINGS NOT VICTORY. I guarantee every soldier who is actively fighting a war doesn’t FEEL like it, but they still do their job and defend us. Focusing on US leads to death. Focusing on HIM leads to life and peace.

Do you know those little micro-non-ads that show up when you are scrolling social media? Those reminders that you’ve been scrolling a LOT and should take a break? That’s the kind of ministry Ruach HaKodesh has. He took up residence with us so that He could TALK to us instead of having to SIGN and WONDER us. So He could check in, not call out. So He could correct, not judge. So He could love us right there LITERALLY where we are, as we learn love Him better. He is a HUGGER and a COMMUNICATOR and a TEACHER. His love language is JESUS SAID YOU COULD. He is helping us to terraform our minds into the Garden. He is helping us transform to who we were told we were to who Adonai says we are. He does it up close and person. In the trenches of our mind. While the shells are dropping all around us. With peace. And life. And love. WE are His location, and He brings the glory of Adonai with Him. If THAT isn’t something to shout praise about, I don’t know what is.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: 1 Corinthians 3:16

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Ruach HaKodesh dwells in our minds. Right there on the main battlefield we have as believers (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). The strongholds of our minds are what we fight against. OUR strongholds are in our hearts. Our minds contain the strongholds of broken thinking. But Adonai sent Ruach HaKodesh to make His home there. To build up more of Adonai’s thinking so that WE could tear down the broken thinking we put up in the first place. It’s like a renovation project on a very personal scale. And He gives us all the tools to do it. And the labour training. And stays there to supervise and advise. Better than a personal assistant. More reliable than the bestest friend. More loving than the bestest employer. He is RIGHT THERE with us every day, all day long. Through every siege. Every setback. Every victory. Ever triumph that we have in and through Jesus (John 15:5). He is THERE. 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