Fear No Fear

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

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.”

Galatians 5:6

We have already been given all things. “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We are in Jesus, we have access to what Jesus has. “By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as that one is, so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). It is NOT a question of Adonai GIVING us things (healing, peace, needs met, etc). It is ALWAYS a question of us RECEIVING what He has ALREADY given. Many people who believe and follow Jesus have learned how to give and bless others, like through the tithe. But there are much fewer who have learned to RECEIVE what we have been given.

“So you also are experiencing sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you. And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (John 16:22-24). Once Jesus was resurrected to life, we could ask the Father in Jesus’ name and receive. Notice, though, that THAT is the criteria. Asking IN JESUS’ NAME is the criteria. So our first ‘stumbling block’ is whether or not we are asking for something Jesus’ name qualifies us for. Jesus did the Father’s will for the Father’s glory and NOTHING ELSE. ANYTHING we ask for MUST comply with that (John 5:19; James 4:3). If what we are asking for is His will (the Word shows us His will) and for His glory (not our pleasures or wants/desires), then there is ZERO reason we can’t receive it. So why don’t we? One reason is the second ‘stumbling block’. We mix OUR performance with JESUS’ performance.

We do NOT receive based on OUR merits. If we did, we would get less than nothing. IF we got what we deserved, we would be dead AND stuck going to hell, which was created for those who rebelled against Adonai’s will (Matthew 25:41). Instead, we are ALLOWED to receive based on JESUS’ merit. “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). When we abide in Jesus, we are as Jesus is in the eyes of Adonai (John 15:5). In HIM, we are given everything Jesus was given. We are ELIGIBLE for it. We KNOW He does NOT give bad things (James 1:17). So if we aren’t ready for something, we won’t be able to pick it up yet. If it won’t be a positive for us right now, we won’t get it. He’ll say wait AS He continues to build us and help us improve our thinking (Romans 12:2) until we’re at the point that we CAN handle it because we ARE ready for it – and so is everyone else who is part of the situation from HIS point of view.

We need to shift our thinking. We need to stop thinking in terms of what WE deserve. We need to start thinking in terms of what we get because HE is GOOD. That triggers whole different thinking. That triggers GRATITUDE thinking. Gratitude fuels LOVE. And LOVE is how everything works. In order to learn how to receive, we need to learn more about Jesus’ love for us. The more we know about His love for us, the more we understand who we are in Him. The more we understand who we are in Him, the more we are WILLING to submit to our position in Him, which makes us desire His things more than our things. It’s a natural consequence of Him being first. When we love Him we do what He wants (John 14:21). Which means if there are areas where we are NOT doing what He wants, we do not love Him in that area. In THAT area, we love ourselves more.

Ruach HaKodesh encourages us to trust Jesus. To love Him. He reminds us of the areas we have already let ourselves love Jesus. He points out the areas where we have chosen not to love Jesus. He shows us the strongholds we have built to keep Jesus out. He speaks to us about the harvest we can cooperate in growing if we will submit and love Him. This is HOW we ask in Jesus’ name. We let Him IN. We let ourselves love Him in that area and we trust Him that it is a good decision. We BELIEVE He is true in His character, as we ask. When we are ready, we WILL receive. Best part? Ruach HaKodesh is just as active in His desire to see us be ready as the Father is to see us receive and Jesus is to see us love and be loved FULLY in that area. All four of us (Father, Son, Ruach, Ourselves) cooperating together, hand in hand, to see the Father’s will manifest on Earth as it manifests in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). THAT is how we receive.

It isn’t automatic. It’s a choice we need to GROW into. And the sooner the better, because the gifts? The BLESSING? It’s already been sent. It’s waiting on delivery accepted by us. It’s waiting for us to learn to RECEIVE. Let Ruach HaKodesh help you love starting today. If you want prosperity, you’ll have to receive it. Don’t be afraid to be corrected. It might not be comfortable, but it isn’t BAD. It’s ALWAYS positive. Growth is good. Adonai is good. Ruach HaKodesh is good. Receiving is good. Let’s let Adonai teach us how and be thankful every day until we open the package that’s already on our porch.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: 1 Corinthians 3:9

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.” When my eldest was little, if I looked like I was going to fix ANYTHING whether it was changing the batteries in a remote control or tightening a screw or building a retaining wall, he would charge off to get his tool belt and tools. He was READY to help. He was PREPARED. He was willing to do everything, except be of real use. Because his tools were toys. Because he had no knowledge. Because he was too little. Well, Adonai asks us to help. He wants us to cooperate with Him. And yeah, sometimes we’re being a ‘big help’ by holding a ball of yarn. Other times we’re using a screwdriver, concentrating hard, while He smiles on us and repeatedly says ‘the other way, please’. Still other times we actually do something. Yes, He’s there to catch us. Yes, He’s ready with the save. But we ARE doing the thing we’ve been asked to. ALL of them are cooperating. He calls us to help in the way that we are able to. He gives us the tools appropriate to where we are in Him. We are BLESSED according to our knowledge of His love of us. But He is THERE all the time and we are COOPERATING with Him. Because that’s what He wants. The PARENTING we get from Him is off the charts. Some days we’ll feel like toddlers. Some days we’ll feel like teens. We will also get days we feel we nailed it. At the beginning of all of them, He’ll take us by the hand and ask us to go with Him. Because He’s ready for EVERY day and He’s looking for someone to cooperate with. 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