Fear No Fear

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

And do not be drunk with wine (in which is dissipation), but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and singing praise in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to the God and Father,

Ephesians 5:18-20

Avoid booze, embrace Ruach HaKodesh. It is interesting these two things are held up against each other. I’m not going on a tirade against drinking – that is NOT the focus here, although Paul rightly gives warning against it because it leads to drunkenness and that is wrong (Proverbs 20:1, 23:20; Isaiah 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:10). The focus here is a comparison of two conditions and how they affect us.

You don’t digest alcohol. It enters your bloodstream and travels through your body. It goes from your brain to your kidneys to your liver and then to your stomach, pancreas, lungs, cardiovascular system, immune system, etc. No amount of alcohol is safe. All alcohol increases risks for diseases and conditions – even one-off events of a negative nature. It affects the way you communicate with others. It affects how you process information. It can make you feel relaxed and confident while impairing your reasoning and memory. You experience mood swings and impaired judgment. You can have higher pain tolerance, making you more at risk for injury. The more you drink, the more your mental, physical and sensory functions are impacted. It will lead to blackouts and passing out. It will lead to coma. It will lead to death. It is addictive at all levels and in all amounts. It is virtually a poison for our bodies – yet hardly ANYONE feels like that and MOST of us justify drinking it in one amount or another.

We don’t ‘digest’ Ruach HaKodesh, either. But His influence is felt throughout our bodies. It can have a physical effect. “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). It has a spiritual effect. “He made the one who did not know sin to be sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). It has a mental effect. ““For who has known the mind of the Lord; who has advised him?” But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). It has a whole body, whole soul, and whole mind effect on us. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). “For the one at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure, is God” (Philippians 2:13). It is a transformation toward LIFE. It is transformative. It alters our thinking, our ideals, our emotions, and our character into Jesus’ very own. “And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is no wonder Paul is exhorting us to fill ourselves with the life-giving Ruach HaKodesh and not the death-dealing drunkeness.

The action that keeps the Ruach flowing is not the opening of a bottle or pouring, but the thankful praise of an honest heart. Our thanksgiving keeps the flow of Ruach HaKodesh spilling up and out of us like an artisan well. It is flowing, available water where there is no regular water. It is drought-resistant. It is famine resistant. It is an ever-flowing spring. When we STOP being thankful and when we STOP praising Adonai, we block up the spring. First with the hard-hearted rocks of religious thinking. And then with the gravel, sand, and soil of selfish rebellion. We dig into our own thinking instead of focusing on Adonai’s thinking, and that slowly kills us (Proverbs 14:12).

One of the reasons we’re to meet together in corporate worship is to keep our individual wells open and clear of debris. We can help each other, encourage each other, dance with each other, and praise each other into a better place in the Kingdom. A place where we are connected and vibrant. We are not responsible for each other’s walk with Jesus. We ARE responsible to encourage and support each other. Individual pieces who together are strong. Individual hearts joined in something MUCH bigger than we are. Collectively helping each other see things as the SITUATIONS they are, not the problems we CLAIM they are.

That’s the thing, right there. We are to do this all the time. No exceptions for days we feel less than 100%. No exceptions for dips in the economy. No exceptions for trade wars. No exceptions for real wars. No exceptions at ALL. In EVERY circumstance. In EVERY situation. Good, bad, or indifferent. Things we choose, things that came upon us, things we’re responsible for, and things we had nothing to do with. Man-made things or natural disasters. It makes NO DIFFERENCE. In ALL things we are to give thanks to Adonai. Not necessarily for the situation itself, but for His ability to do ALL we could ask and more. Because His power is working in us because we KNOW Him and walk with Him and praise Him with thanksgiving. It is a way to maintain our trust in Him while we believe for what HE said He can do or provide. It is the way we dig in and stand when everything else we’ve done has failed.

Give thanks from every place you find yourself. Turn every place into a playground of praise. Into a sacred position of thanksgiving. You serve a God of MORE THAN ENOUGH. We always want our lips to reflect that truth. To reflect the gratitude we have within us. To reflect the Kingdom Light of Life that radiates out from the Father to Jesus to Ruach HaKodesh to us to the world around us. The Light that attracts those who don’t know the truth and lets them see the LOVE, MERCY, and GRACE that Adonai feels toward each and every one of us.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: John 2:5

“His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it!”. Mary unconsciously echoed the Father right then. That is what we hear from the Father every day: Do what My Son says. We know Jesus would never tell us something contrary to the Word. We know Jesus will only tell us what the Father is telling Him. We know Ruach HaKodesh only tells us what He hears from Jesus. We can be told impossible stuff. We can be told things that fly in the face of human reason. We can be told things that we have trouble believing. But we will ALWAYS know they are possible and true IN HIM because we are NEVER given an instruction we cannot carry out. We can choose not to do them, but they are ALWAYS doable. He never sends us out after wild geese. He never lets us down. He never disappoints. He empowers when He instructs and then walks along beside us as we go. He is a wonderful help meet. 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