Fear No Fear

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

Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.
Ephesians 5:15-21 (emphasis added)

We have an enormous influence on the atmosphere around other people. We choose our own atmosphere, but we also influence theirs. That is why we have such a clear warning from Paul in today’s verses: “Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise”. He entreats us to redeem the time. Now, Jesus redeemed US (Galatians 3:13). To redeem is to buy back. To free from what distresses or harms. To change for the better. Paul is exhorting us to not waste the time that we have with foolish things, but instead to pay attention to how we spend our time – alone AND with others.

The only way to do this is to be soaked in the Word. The Word IS God’s will. The Word is Jesus and Jesus is the Word. Jesus ONLY does and says what the Father tells Him. The Spirit points to the Word and brings up everything Jesus has said to us – which is all of the scripture we’ve put into ourselves on purpose. He might even bring up scripture that we got by accident. We need to weigh everything we do by what the Lord wants us to do. It’s just how it is. That is the life of FAITH. Faith is everything God loves. Faith is the force by which God does everything. Faith is the mechanism by which we connect with God. Faith is the air of the Kingdom of God. Faith is everything. Which is why He gives us His faith (Mark 11:22). The God-kind of faith, if you want to go back to the Greek (Exete pistin theou – a clear objective personal genitive making it ‘have the faith of God’). The faith that is in everything, of everything, on everything, and the motivation for everything. IF we are possessing it. Not as something in our pocket or hand. But something in our heart, our mind, and our mouth. Living faith.

“But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and therefore we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you” (2 Corinthians 4:13-14). It was written in Psalm 116:10 “I believed, therefore I said, “I was greatly afflicted.”” And he was. It’s true. But what if the Psalmist had said something else? There are those that do not think your words affect your atmosphere or your life. But how can that be true? Do you remember when Moses sent the twelve spies out in Numbers 13? Ten said that they couldn’t take the land. Two said they could. Ten said they were weak and small and would die desolate. Two said God was their strength, the land could be taken, and they urged them to walk into that victory. Both groups got what they said. Ten died in a desolate desert. Two took the land in victory. Their words were different. Their spirits were different (Numbers 14:24). One group was fearful. The other was faith-filled. Faith gets it every time. Words help activate it. You need to believe it. But you MUST say it.

Peter saw Jesus out for a stroll one night (Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, John 6:16-21). It was in a storm. And on the Sea of Galilee (Lake of Gennesaret). When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he was as fearful and the rest of the disciples, but he wanted to believe it was Jesus. So he called out and said if it WAS Jesus, Jesus should command him (Peter) to come out to Him (Jesus). Well, it was Jesus, so Jesus SAID “Come“. Peter literally walked on the Word. He went over the boat on the word of faith. He walked on the word of faith. But when his rational mind started to point out all the stuff going on, he LEFT the word of faith. He stepped into the natural — and sank. He did it so close to Jesus that Jesus didn’t have to perform a separate miracle. He didn’t have to leap or dive. He just reached out and grabbed Peter. Peter was SO CLOSE when he stopped walking on the Word. That’s often when we lose it. When we are so very close to seeing a manifestation or a breakthrough. When we are close enough to touch Him.

This is one reason why we are exhorted by Paul to pay attention to the atmosphere. To not lose time. To redeem it from the unprofitable to the profitable (1 Corinthians 10:23). There are many things that exist that are not bad. There are a lot of others which are. Why do we spend time meditating on evil things? When we turn on a screen – be it phone or tv or computing device – we focus our attention on those captivating colourful pictures, sounds, and words. When we focus our thoughts on something, we are meditating on that thing. What are YOU meditating on? Serial killers? Adultery? Humorous people living immoral lives? True – and at times grisly- crime? Sports? Cartoons? Shows that ‘push the envelope’? Shows that make sex just another thing people do – either for fun or because they’re in a relationship? Drama? Tension? Strife? Anger? Violence? Show tunes? Comedy? It could be anything, but is it the best way to spend your time?

That isn’t to say that all of it is bad. I will say not all of it is good. I won’t determine it for you. Let the WORD do it. Balance the content of anything you put in front of your eyeballs by the WORD. What are the morals that the LORD promotes in His WORD which is JESUS? What are the situations, the behaviours, the words, the emotions, the ideas, and the concepts that the WORD promotes? Does what you put in front of your eyes fly in the face of that, or does it line up with it – regardless of how sensible it may or may not be? For example, medical science tells us that American Football is a highly dangerous sport that the safety equipment does nothing to help in the area of brain-impact injuries. But thousands of people play it, hundreds of thousands are fans, and it doesn’t look like it is going to slow down anytime soon. But it is a sport. An entertainment. And you’ll be hard-pressed to find a verse that says don’t play a game you know will hurt you even when you enjoy it and try not to be hurt. I personally think God will warn us off those things, but that isn’t doctrine. It’s my opinion based on the fact God always wants the best for us in all things (Romans 8:28).

Some of the atmosphere in this world is obviously bad. Some of it is demonstrably good. Some of it is a personal journey based on what revelation the Spirit speaks into your heart as you get into the Word and meditate on the things of God. That will change as you get closer to Him. Things that don’t bug you now, will (there are things I really enjoyed in the past I cannot stand to have before me now). Some things that bug you now, might not later (I’ve had things I viewed as just silly I now know are actually not). It is a changing journey because we always have to re-evaluate based on where we are with the Lord. How much of Him we’re living. How much FAITH we’re walking in. How much JESUS is shining out of us. But our atmosphere affects others. We mix the molecules of our faith and strengthen one another the more we Word together.

That’s where Paul leads us in today’s verses: “but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.” We’re to sing together – it doesn’t say well. We’re to sing psalms (a great way to learn praise phrases to the Father). We’re to sing hymns (a great way to learn reverence for the Lord). We’re to sing spiritual songs (a great way to pinpoint moves of the Spirit and enter into particular phases of worship with the Holy Spirit). We’re to sing and make melodies in our hearts. That’s personal songs. Those little tunes of childhood. Little tunings that show up out of the blue for a week and disappear. A great way to keep our praise antenna up and pointing toward the Throne. Remembering all day long how the Lord is part of our lives. I’ve sung to the dishes, to the laundry, at an appliance, and stood on the Word, refused defeat, put a smile on a frown, and made it through the temptation to tirade with silly, ridiculous, not always in tune but frequently rhyming ditties – to the great amusement of my children. The point is not whether I do it well. The point is that I am focusing on the Lord in song. In worship. Being like Jesus. Oh yeah. Jesus sings. “Yahweh, your God is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

Why together? Because there is power in God’s people. The more people, the more power is in the room. The Spirit living in me speaks to the Spirit living in you. Where two or more are gathered, there is Jesus standing with them (Matthew 18:20). Two or more people who can pick each other up and encourage each other (Ecclesiastes 4:10-12). Where there are more than one of us, we can watch each other in order to help each other not go off the rails into weirdness (Philippians 2:4, Proverbs 24:11, 1 Peter 4:8). We’re to bless each other and help build up the faith of everyone around you (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Galatians 6:2, Hebrews 13:16). We’re to love each other. Truly love with God’s love (Ephesians 4:32, Romans 12:10, John 13:34-35). We may be able to function alone. The Holy Spirit is our ultimate teacher and giver of wisdom, doctrine, and revelation alongside His correction (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27). But we were not DESIGNED to go it alone (Genesis 2:18). In our relationships our helper is the male-female dichotomy. The marriage relationship that mirrors our relationship with God. But in the CHURCH in the BODY OF CHRIST, our helper is our fellow believers – both males and females.

“For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body. If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now they are many members, but one body. The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant modesty, while our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:12-26).

We are a single entity in Jesus (Galatians 3:23-29). We are many parts of that same entity (Romans 12:4-8). We are the collective Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-23). As that bride we are married to one husband – Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:1-4). We – the Church – are the bride, the wife of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9-11). This is a really important place that we inhabit. And we inhabit it together. Much as our physical bodies have systems to defend against parasites, invasions, and mutations, so does our spiritual body. We work together, humble and yoked to Jesus, so that we call all be an encouraged, faith-filled, enthusiastically worshipping group of Spirit-filled believers. Ones who believe in the Word and rely on the Word and the Holy Spirit to keep our faith stretched, vibrant, and growing. Ones who abide in Jesus and look to Him for all things, together in Him our All in All (Ephesians 1:22-23). Ones who reject fear by embracing LOVE and PEACE. Together, we can help each other redeem the time we are here on this earth, working to bring the Kingdom of God to earth through obedience to what the Lord God Almighty wants to do in us, through us, to us, and for us.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Revelation 19:7

Do you know what the bride or wife-to-be of someone gets to do after she makes herself ready? She walks down the aisle. Now, in Hebrew culture you were considered as already married during the betrothal period (which is where that whole Joseph putting Mary away thing came up – Matthew 1:18-25). We are betrothed to Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:2). That means we are considered already married to Him. We are in the phase of making ourselves ready. Preparing to live with Him. To truly abide in Him in all ways like we do now spiritually. Preparing to wear the deeds of righteousness that the Father prepared for us to walk in before creation was created (Ephesians 2:10). We are to be obedient to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25) so that we can walk in those acts. So that we can do the acts that we are to walk in. Walk the work as we walk on the Word (Psalm 119:1-4). The Lord God Almighty speaks and we are empowered to walk on those Words. It IS the path that we walk. It can alter the material world. It can alter the spiritual world. Peter leapt out of the boat and onto the Word. It got him within arms’ reach of Jesus before he stopped walking on it. We are indwelt with the Holy Spirit so that we have a constant flow of that Word running through our bodies (Romans 8:11). The more we get into our ears and before our eyes, the more we can believe as the Lord renews our minds. The more we can believe, the more of His Blessing we can have. Transforming us spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, and every other way that you can think of. We serve and INTENSE God who speaks INTENSE words that leave NOTHING unchanged as we move ever onward, ever closer, ever clearer, into His LIGHT (1 John 1:5), LOVE (1 John 4:7-21), and LIFE (1 John 5:11-12).

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.