Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the NET, netbible.org, all rights reserved)

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26 (emphasis added)

When Adonai created us, He created us in order. First in His image and second in His likeness. We were given identity before we were given functionality. Our identity connects us to Him (John 15:5) and it connects us to each other (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). After we know WHO we are, we find out WHAT we are. We are those who do as He does, the way that He does (John 14:12, 31). We don’t look at where we came from as say we’re not worthy or capable. We get set free from our past when He births us into our identity in Jesus. But we are also called to FUNCTION like Him. How many of us make that jump? We don’t understand our identity, so we fail to understand our role. It’s hard to inhabit a role when we don’t know our identity. But Elohim is actively looking for people to act through. He is actively looking for partners. We can do things like Him because we ARE like Him. We do how He does it because we are made–by Him–to do it. He looks for Man, so we do too. He uses words, so we do too. He stands on the Word, so we do too. We function as He functions. In every situation we find ourselves in, in every environment we inhabit.

It is NOT automatic. We have free will. We can say no to Adonai. We can bind Him from working the way He wants to (Matthew 18:18-20). But we aren’t STOPPING Adonai. We’re simply refusing to cooperate. It isn’t PERMISSION He is looking for, it’s PARTICIPATION. Elohim doesn’t need MAN (male and female), but chooses to use them. If they refuse, He will use something else because He is LOOKING for participation (Matthew 3:9). This is the system Elohim chose to set up. It is the ONLY system that exists. It is the system He works through and the system EVERYTHING and EVERYONE also needs to work through. This is why portrayals of the devil and demons as these great and terrible forces of power are so STUPID. It wouldn’t matter WHAT abilities they have. Without MAN (male or female), there is nothing he can do on this Earth. The devil needs us to participate for anything to happen. If we all refuse him, that will be it. No more of his program on Earth. He has no power to raise an alternative. He needs Man (male or female). Period.

So what is our role? “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Co-workers in Greek is sunergos (soon-er-gos’). It means one who labours for another (like Isaac for Laban – Genesis 27-30). It means one Elohim uses as an assistant. Acting together with the truth as the operating power. The first question in the bible is a call to responsibility. The responsibility to be an active participant in His plan. An active participant in His work. Are we doing what we should? Praying for whom we should be? Thanking Him for the right things? Are we praying when we should be praising? Thanking when we should be seeding? Acting when we should be resting? Listening when we should be studying? Where are YOU? What is your role in this instance, situation, or blessing? What is it and are you being obedient to it? Are we still people who are able to be trusted and depended on? Where are you? Here am I. That is the duality we should walk in. That is the co-worker relationship. Working together to do the thing that He wants doing.

We have to ask ourselves what our role is in our healing or in our miracle. Do we simply pray, believing we’ve received, and walk in that with thanksgiving? Or is there something more? When we have done all else we are to stand (Ephesians 6:13-14). But what is the ‘done all else’ part? Jesus had some people go and show themselves to the priests (Mark 1:44). One man had to stand and pick up his mat (Matthew 9:6-13). Another had to cross the city and wash mud from his eyes (John 9:7). One had to speak what they saw after He spit on them (Mark 8:22-26). Others only had to believe in full trust of Jesus’ words (Matthew 8:5-13; Mark 5:25-34). And others did nothing at all other than agree (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39). What is your ROLE in your healing, and are you doing it?

This is why we’re given identity first. It is a normal thing for a policeman to police. For an electrician to deal with electricity. Elohim teaches us our identity to make sure we understand the engaged Grace we walk in. His Grace will not make an impact on an ignorant mind, regardless of whether it is resting on them or not. We need to KNOW to operate. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6). He wants us to KNOW so we can accept our ROLE and the RESPONSIBILITY that comes with it. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). First we know, then we do, but both while seeking Him. Because we don’t operate in spite of Him or to be counted worthy of Him, but we operate IN Him as He operates THROUGH us. Partnership.

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”” (Matthew 19:26). When we partner with our fellow humans in our own human thinking, we have all the limitations of humanity. All the rough edges. All the confusion and misunderstanding. Our absolute best is only the best that a human being can manage. But then we partner with Adonai or partner with fellow believers IN Jesus, we have the same limitations as Adonai–none at all. When WE aren’t the source, our limitations aren’t part of the equation. The limitations of the SOURCE are the only ones that matter. Because the source is leading, teaching, correcting, planning, and providing the power. We need to answer His call to partnership as co-workers, not those seeking to displace the boss.

We need to inhabit our role in every situation we encounter, wherever we find ourselves. No matter the arena. No matter the position. There is ALWAYS something for us to do. No matter the word we’ve received. No matter the need. There is ALWAYS something for us to do. Sometimes it is merely standing and thanking with an expectant heart. Sometimes it is an active role in some way. He is the only one who knows, and He is NOT seeking to hide it from us. Ask and He will tell us (James 1:5-8). Know your role, submit to your role in humble obedience, and use the Grace for that role which He has given you. He created us to be this way. It’s what we’re here to do. So do.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Isaiah 53:10

“Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.” It would be the will of Elohim that Messiah-the Suffering Servant-would die for humanity. In the beginning Elohim warned Adam that the cost of rebellion (sin) was DEATH death (Genesis 2:15-17). It was prophesied after they rebelled that the seed which would bring life (Messiah) would be bruised (Genesis 3:15), but not defeated. It would be the will of Elohim that Messiah die, but that Messiah would be victorious because of His willingness to die for humanity (male and female). “But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”” (John 18:11). “We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God” (Romans 6:9-10). Jesus was willing to go through the ordeal of the cross and pay the just penalty for sin. He did it so that we would not have to. He did it to make a way for us to return, in Him, to the Father. Jesus IS Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b