Fear No Fear

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

But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head
Ephesians 4:15 (emphasis added)

Rashi (a famous and learned Jewish Rabbi) taught that Elohim told a white lie and thereby taught us white lies are acceptable to preserve marital harmony. With all respect to this great thinker, this standpoint is directly against the nature of Elohim. NO lie is anything but WRONG – entirely, totally, and absolutely. Instead, the scriptures teach that speaking the absolute truth is a MUST and that it needs to be spoken in love – which can completely change the phrasing, not the information. For example, no dress makes a woman look fat. But a dress might not complement her figure. A dress might not suit her personal style. A dress may clash with complexion or features. A dress may need to be tailored to show off her best. Whether you are fat or not isn’t the fault of the dress. So this question – often touted as the ultimate loaded question a man should never answer – is easily answered in a number of ways, all tailored in love to the person asking the question because it is about the dress and not the person wearing it. Speaking the truth, but with love, is the ONLY way we should communicate whether we are talking to our children, our mates, our bosses, or congress.

“One of them said, “I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; Sarah had long since passed menopause.) So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, especially when my husband is old too?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child when I am old?’ Is anything impossible for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son” (Genesis 18:10-14). No matter how you slice it, there is an obvious discrepancy between the words Sarah said and the words Adonai reported to Abraham that they said. Rashi sees this as a white lie to preserve the dignity and honour of Abraham’s manhood. If the nature of Elohim is factored in, that is simply NOT a possibility. Adonai does NOT lie, and ANYTHING less than the absolute truth is unacceptable. “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen?” (Numbers 23:19). Adonai was not hiding anything. He wasn’t trying to keep feathers soothed. He was also not looking to humiliate Abraham or make his honour less than it was. Adonai was getting to the HEART of the matter. “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”” (1 Samuel 16:7). In her heart, Sarah was scorning the idea that in their old age she was able to conceive. She was mocking even the idea that they’d even manage the ACT itself. She was not trusting. Not yet. However, as she became resorted to her youthful functions she DID trust (Hebrews 11:1). Adonai struck to the heart of the matter and it was the catalyst that allowed her to begin to trust. His positive assurance in the truth set her free.

“Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Lies keep us in bondage. It keeps us chained to dishonesty, giving us the opportunity to bend what we don’t like into something that feels better to us. That’s an open door to reshaping our world into our image – the opposite to what we should be investing in. No one likes truth when it reveals our faults and misdemeanours. No one enjoys being exposed. But the truth is the truth is the truth is the truth. It is ALWAYS true from Adonai’s point of view. He is completely lacking in all those things that impel us to lie. Elohim NEVER lies (Titus 1:2). He is TRUTH. Jesus was the perfect replica or image of His father. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15). This is vital as Jesus proclaims that “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). If Jesus is TRUTH and He is the perfected image of the Father, then the Father is also TRUTH. “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen?” (Numbers 23:19). This is one of the foundational things we HAVE to be able to depend on. If Adonai can alter what He says willy-nilly then we could also interpret what He says in any way. Such as when Adonai calls a particular behaviour or act by a human being wrong, we could choose to see it a different way. That would open the door to doing that behaviour or act, which would be committing sin since it would be rebellion against what Adonai says is righteous and good. Human beings are already prone to that – we don’t need to start thinking that Adonai is an accomplice! If Adonai is not consistent (Hebrews 13:8), there would be nothing for us to depend on. The fact is that Adonai is objective and presents truth as truth. Period. It is up to US to agree with Him, not Him to change things so that we find them more acceptable. If that was the case, we would have NO REASON to retrain our minds to His way of thinking (Romans 12:2). If Adonai says something and WE don’t like it, we have missed something. It is a great opportunity to consider our thinking on a subject and test the Word against itself in other places. It is NEVER an opportunity to change the Word to our liking (by altering or removing a verse).

Unless it is a question of the Law – a system of judgment – Adonai never makes an outright demand. He always makes a command and explains it in the context of His thinking – which does not always mean explaining the command. He might say ‘Do this’. There is the command. The explanation of His thinking might be that He wants good things for us. It might be to remember that He is who He Is and deserves our humble submission in obedience. It might be a bird’s eye view of the situation. It might be a reminder that not everything is about us, and this might be opening the door for someone else. It might be a reminder we love him (John 14:15). He is Adonai Elohim and does not need to justify Himself. Whether we get a peek behind the curtain or simply the stark command, He always presents it in love. We are to do the same. Presenting our words in love, in perfect truth, period and always. It is VITALLY important for us, because we are flawed humans communicating with other flawed humans. We so easily get offended. We so easily take OUR baggage and throw it on the words and actions directed toward us and then claim motivations that don’t exist. And then choose to feel hurt over it. It’s ridiculous and VERY human. It takes the words of Ruach HaKodesh, presented in the exact way He would, for us to make it through a conversation without offending anyone. Now people can still CHOOSE to be offended, but it won’t be because of what we said. It will be because of how the receiver chooses to feel and experience our words. HIS love needs to be the love we speak with in ALL circumstances.

The whole goal is to get our communication out of our own head and into Jesus’ head. We have access to the Mind of Messiah (1 Corinthians 2:16). We are the body of which Jesus is the head (Colossians 1:18-20). It is so easy for us to get our instructions from what is below our neck. Our nerves and senses. Those things that are rooted in the flesh, in this material world, in the politics and workplaces and friendships and peer pressure and the tides of public opinion and localised morality. It is so much easier than listening to a voice that does not always say what we would like it to. That tells us to be more than we think we can be. To walk in ways that seem too hard, too good, too much HIS. It is easy to blame it all on ourselves or our weakness. Too easy to forget we have been given all the tools to succeed as well as all the teaching we need to successfully use the tools we have been given – as well as an example for how to behave while using the tools. If we can manage to put just a teensy little bit of falsehood into Adonai’s dealing with us, then we can change everything to our benefit and ease. But it would be false. A lie. An untruth. Adonai does NOT lie. Adonai NEVER lies. He speaks in love. He tells us what we can handle. He meets us where we are. But He doesn’t keep from us. He tells us about the dress that does not fit in clear and unmistakable language. He doesn’t waste time telling us things to soothe our ideas about ourselves. He calls a spade a spade – and tells us that He knows we’re trying to hide it in our sleeves. He is not hurtful. He is not spiteful. He is not bitter. He is not mean or cruel. He is not snide. He is loving and gentle and kind. He is merciful and graceful. He loves us too much to lie – even whitely.

We will always have problems receiving from a God we do not trust. We will always have problems receiving if we are wondering whether we can truly trust in what He says. We HAVE to establish FIRMLY in our minds the absolute and utter truthfulness of Adonai. One of the best ways to do that is to reflect Him and start to speak truth. Relying on HIM for the love, kindness, and gentleness that saturates Ruach HaKodesh. His wording, said in the way He instructs, to His other children – we are ALL fellow children of Elohim after all (1 John 3:2). We need to remember another command He gave us: “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). It is our words of LOVE – which are TRUE – that will make this world look our way to discover what is so different about us. This is the LIGHT that shines. Truth in a world of falsehood. Uncompromised, honest, and true. That is who Jesus is. That is who we are. That is one way we harmonise with the Father. That is one way we help His Blessing flow through us. That is one way we help our minds receive what our spirit already enjoys: total wholeness, fully healed, and utterly His.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Micah 5:2

“As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah—from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past” Messiah would be Elohim’s servant. He would not be motivated by His own wants and needs. He would trust Elohim for His needs and choose to want what Elohim wanted. He would be a servant to bring about the will of the Almighty. “If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love” (John 15:10). Jesus obeyed His Father. Jesus did only what He was shown to do (John 5:19). Jesus only said what He was told to say (John 12:49-50). And Jesus only sought His Father’s will (Luke 22:42-44). Jesus was a perfect servant of Adonai Elohim. Jesus IS the Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

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

Matthew 16:16b