Fear No Fear

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

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16

When you are following Jesus with everything you have and everything you do, persecution is inevitable. Jesus TOLD us that (Matthew 10:22). But we can CHOOSE our mindset during that persecution. We can be the persecuted ones or we can be the enduring ones. The mindset changes what we are experiencing. Persecution brings poverty. Enduring brings reward. They are the same physical experience, the same circumstances, but they are very different emotional experiences. Jesus endured agony during the crucifixion. Jesus endured betrayal and being treated as the lowest class of person. But at the same time, He was JOY-FILLED because of what His sacrifice was buying us (Hebrews 12:2). When WE focus on what our walk in Him brings the world, we also can endure while emotionally being in a very different place than the rest of us.

Persecution can come in many forms. It isn’t trouble. It isn’t not getting your way. It isn’t things working out the way you wanted them to. It is being intentionally targeted because of your discipleship. It is you following Jesus and people stabbing at you because of it. “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). When we do well, they get jealous. When His Way is working, they get jealous. When we experience abundant life, they get jealous. When we have LIGHT and FREEDOM in Jesus, they get jealous. I’m not talking about possessions or the trappings of wealth, either. Those things ARE possible when your heart is set of Jesus (because they have no sway on you), but it is the core relationship we enjoy with and through Jesus that causes the jealousy. The world is full of things the devil inspired in order to mimic and imitate Kingdom reality. They ALL come with a cost. They ALL have side effects. When they see us getting the real deal and it doesn’t cost us anything? They get jealous.

Persecution creates poverty because we have a tendency to think that when we have things or when things are going well, we’re a-okay with Adonai. When things come against us, it is the religious training in us that makes us think ‘I guess this wasn’t meant for me’ or ‘I don’t deserve this’. The reality though is that discipleship in Jesus means that we get what HE deserves, not what WE deserve (Isaiah 61:7). Adonai told us as much in Jeremiah 15:15-21. We are not treated in ANY way but the way Adonai sees us and He sees us like Jesus is (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are living in Jesus, so we are treated like Jesus. Jesus overcame the world. Jesus had victory upon victory upon victory. Jesus didn’t have to put up with lack and provided a fertile field in which people sowed their offerings. But Jesus wasn’t treated by the majority with sunshine and spice. We won’t be either.

“For everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, in order that his deeds may be revealed, that they are done in God” (John 3:20-21). When we are revealed as giving honour to Adonai and walking in the Way Jesus tells us to, they’re going to hate us too (John 15:18-25). Ruach HaKodesh reminds us of the mindset we SHOULD have: everything is a MOMENTARY suffering (2 Corinthians 4:17). Don’t mix time with ANY kind of suffering. It is a foolish choice. Things are what things are, but when they are because we are being obedient to Jesus? We endure. We stand on the Word and refuse to move. The devil will flee and we can endure, persevering through anything the world has brought against us right to the end. We endure for greater things. We endure for promises founded on TRUTH, not the opinions of whomever is in charge at the moment. What can humanity REALLY do to us? “Therefore do not be afraid of them, because nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear in your ear, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but instead be afraid of the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:26-28).

Persecutions are NOT fun. But when they are because of who we are in Jesus and what we have in Jesus? They are endurable. Because through Ruach HaKodesh we have a connection to Adonai that CANNOT be denied. We have peace in storms, we have joy in trouble, we have kindness in the face of anger and trouble. We can access and utilize HIS Fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). We don’t have to rely on US, but on HIM. If Adonai is our Source for ALL THINGS, we WILL have what we need to endure and THRIVE in that endurance. Jesus did it. Peter did it. Paul did it. John did it. WE can do it too. In HIM our weaknesses can be exchanged for HIS strengths (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: 1 Peter 4:14

“If you are reviled on account of the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” We don’t SEEK persecution. We don’t WANT to have to endure. But we are blessed when we DO have to endure, because of Jesus. Adonai sent His Ruach to live in us. And HE will get the glory as we overcome in spite of persecution. Think of Jesus. They EXULTED when He was killed because they assumed they had won. But He took back from them everything they had stolen BECAUSE of that death. It works the same way with us. They might THINK they are being successful, but every weapon formed against us will not be used in the manner it was designed to be (Isaiah 54:17). Every negative thing will become something that brings Adonai glory when we are obedient and working His purposes according to His will (Romans 8:28) and according to His power that we have working in us (which is determined by the level of our knowledge of the love Jesus has for us – Ephesians 3:20). He never leaves us standing out in the wind. He never leaves us alone. And IN JESUS He makes sure we are NEVER without power and authority to do as He wills to bring Him glory. We’re always equipped to do His will. 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