Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies.
2 Corinthians 11:28 (emphasis added)

It isn’t a ministry to be anxious. It isn’t truly walking with the Lord either. Yes, the Lord is with you. Yes, He isn’t mad at you. But when you walk together with someone, your steps begin to sync up. Anxiety is fear, and God is love. There is no syncing those steps. Who would want to be discordant in their walk with the Lord? No matter how ‘important’ we think the reason is.

We live in a real world. It is right there where we can see it. It can take a lot of attention. But it isn’t that real. It is the shadow and type of reality. Even modern science — the study of observable phenomena — agrees. There is mounting evidence that we exist in a type of ‘projection’ or ‘hologram’. That we aren’t real, just a type of almost digital image existing within something else. The Word says the same thing. “His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels as the more excellent name he has inherited is better than theirs” (Hebrews 1:3-4). We are upheld by the power of the Word, which is Jesus the Anointed One (John 1:14). The Word (Jesus) is God – totally, completely, and truly God (John 1:1). Our world is real because our world is upheld by the Word, which is the determiner of all things.

God, however, is Spirit. We HAVE a spirit, but we also have physical flesh. God IS Spirit – except Jesus who has a perfected physical body. God is also the WORD and the WORD is God. Confused yet? We don’t need to know how it works. We only need to believe Him. Jesus SAID He came out of the Father and that He also came into the world (John 16:28). In Genesis 1:1 it says God created everything. In verse two, God is in heaven and the Spirit is over the waters where the earth will be. In verse three, the Word comes out of the Father and lights up the world. Three distinct personalities within the single entity of God – the Trinity right there creating all things. Nothing was made that the Father didn’t conceive. Nothing was made that the Word didn’t speak. Nothing was made that the Spirit didn’t manifest. God created.

If God created, then God has a say as to how things happen. God has a say as to what is right and what is wrong. God has a say as to how things are and what happens throughout His creation. He can say this is the standard. He can say this is right and this is wrong. He can say because of A, we are heading for B. God can say anything He wants because He is the ONLY ONE who can say what is – in fact – real. God makes no games up about this. God doesn’t try to confuse us. God tells us exactly what is what. He meets us where we are, and we can see it clearly in the Word. Going from Genesis to Revelation we see the efforts of God to meet us right where we are in spite of humanity moving away from Him. God shows us the way again and again and again and again. He spells it out. He talks it out. He walks it out. He works with us. He works for us, through us, and in us. He works for His good: “For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

In today’s verse, Paul talks about what is “pressing on him”. That is an external thing. Those are thoughts coming against him. That is the concerns of this world. That is things that are not coming from God. We know this because of the simple FACT that nothing bad comes from God (James 1:17). Anxiety is fear. Anxiety is caused by fear. It is the ONLY cause of anxiety. Stress, trauma, our life situation, physical and mental health problems are all rooted in the Curse and the Curse is fear. The Curse is simply everything that is not the way it should be. Faith is the atmosphere of the Kingdom of God. Fear is the atmosphere of fallen creation. Humans were not cursed. Humans feel the effects of the curse. When Jesus died, He paid the price of sin – the choice to go a way that isn’t God’s way. When He did that, Jesus enabled us to join us in His resurrection into LIFE. To feel the effects of FAITH. To return the effects of the curse to external things, not internal feelings. But if we don’t operate in that faith, we won’t gain the benefit of the faith. Because it is a CHOICE to abide in the resurrection or to abide outside of it.

The Resurrection Anointing that the Resurrection of Jesus created is simply FAITH IN ACTION. It is performing faith. It is thinking faith. It is walking faith. It is talking faith. It is declaring faith. It renews (Isaiah 40:31, Romans 8:2). It reveals (Colossians 1:15-20, Hebrews 1:1-3). It strengthens (John 17:17, Philippians 4:13, Ephesians 3:20-21). It empowers (Jude 24-25, 2 Corinthians 2:21-22). And it spreads (Matthew 28:19, Romans 1:16, Hebrews 4:12). When we abide in Jesus (John 15), we are abiding in Jesus’ Resurrection (Romans 6:5-11). He has victory over all things (1 Corinthians 15:57), so we have victory in Him. He IS peace (Ephesians 2:14), so we have peace in Him. We walk lockstep with Jesus, yoked to the same yoke (Matthew 11:28-30). We walk with the LIVING ONE (Revelation 1:17-18). God doesn’t lie (Hebrews 6:18), so the Word doesn’t lie. God is truth (John 14:6-7), so the Word is truth. When we truly realise this and let the Holy Spirit direct us as it directed Jesus (John 5:19; 12:49-50), we will be ABLE to say and do everything that Jesus did when He was here – and anything else the Father tells us. Because it will be God in us doing it, not us doing it for Him. It also means that we can ONLY do and say what He says, when He says, how He says, and where He says.

When we declare the Word, speak the Word, pray the Word, and meditate on the Word, we are speaking GOD’S thoughts, GOD’S words, GOD’S intent, and GOD’S will. It MUST be done in accordance with the Word. Knowing what verses mean and the context in which that meaning exists enables us to know what to speak in a given situation. Jesus defeated Satan by speaking God’s Word – we can too. Humbly submitted to the Lord God, obedient to Him, and eager and willing to be corrected where necessary puts us directly on the path to where He is leading us. That is the walk of FAITH. THAT is walking in the Resurrection Anointing. Nothing will be beyond us when we have faith that nothing is beyond God in every circumstance that can exist in this physical world of ours. If we walk and talk and think and meditate in the Spirit on the Word, we will be living the life He has prepared for us (Ephesians 1:4). If we submit to Him and stand on the Word, we’ll be able to kick temptation away and not let in the fear of this world. To live the Resurrection Anointing, we need to be led in the Anointing by the Holy Spirit, founded on the Word, abiding in Jesus, and both worshipping and obedient to the Father.

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place. For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God in those who are saved and in those who perish: to the one a stench from death to death, to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:14-17). Paul let the fear of the world bear down on him, creating in him anxiety for the churches in his care. He was not led by Christ. He felt the full effects of anxiety. But he did not stay that way. He persevered. He pushed anxiety out. He learned a valuable lesson we all need to take in: “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). Peter – after three years with Jesus and the events of the Book of Acts – learned the same lesson: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you. Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings” (1 Peter 5:6-9).

Jesus told us there would be persecutions (Matthew 5:11-12). Paul told us our sufferings should be viewed in light of the Kingdom. They are but for a moment. Temporary. Brief. They feel huge and long and dreary, but they are a brief drop in time (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Looked through a lens of FAITH, they are nothing at all. Peter agreed with that too: “But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11).

Walk in the fullness of the anointing that the Lord God Almighty has for you (Colossians 2:9-10). Don’t settle for less. Get into the Word and don’t talk to your feelings. Talk to your faith. You can’t feel faith, but you can faith feelings. We can BE what the Word SAYS we can be. We can BE what Jesus IS because Jesus is NOW and IN US and ALWAYS. Walk in victory. Walk in Him. Take up your cross and live the Resurrection Anointing starting today.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Matthew 16:24

Jesus said that I am come so that WE could be I AM’s too (John 10:10). This is what taking up our cross is. Us taking up a spiritual manifestation of our resurrection anointing to operate like Jesus did when He was here. We take up our cross daily LIKE HE DID and walk the path He did. But the anointing goes farther than a calling to walk like Jesus. It is also the empowerment to realise we have the SAME SPIRIT JESUS DID. And if we have the self-same Spirit overseeing the spiritual channels in our life as He did in Jesus’ life, then we have the ability to be directed in the same things. Raise the dead? Yes. Multiply food? Yes. Cast of demons and evil spirits? Yes. Heal the sick? Yes. Anything Jesus did we have the ability to also partake of when the Spirit is directing us. He’ll lead you to the reading of the Word – Jesus knew scripture and had to learn it as a man. He’ll lead you to praying – Jesus frequently spent time alone with the Lord. He’ll lead you to fasting – Jesus was a fasting man, putting the flesh in its place and learning discipline of spirit. He’ll lead you into a deeper relationship with the Father – Jesus had a great relationship with the Father. So great that He never made a move – in word or deed – that the Father didn’t show Him to do first. Are you willing to let the Spirit direct you? He’s in charge of all spiritual channels. You might as well let Him guide you along them. Are you willing to be corrected? Are you willing to do what the Father wants, not out of domination but because you WANT to? Are you willing to be restricted if need be in order to walk in more authority? Are you willing to put the Word foremost in your mind and mouth – with study, enjoyment, and intent? The resurrection anointing is where the church was meant to walk. Where all believers were meant to walk. To be little carbon copy I AMs navigating this word-run world, bringing the Light as He was the Light. Being the Jesus they can see. If you’re willing and you’re ready, believe it. Receive it. And let Him direct your steps, your thoughts, your words, and your deeds. The Word will renew you into the mind of Christ and every day more completion of the work He has started in you.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.