Fear No Fear

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

—since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened—so that you can know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength.
Ephesians 1:17-18 (emphasis added)

This is not NEW material that Paul is praying that we get. This is a revelation of what we have. This is us opening the package that was delivered and signed for. This is us unleashing our imagination to dwell on the promises Adonai Elohim has spoken to us and called us to with the eager anticipation which comes from our trust in Him and His ability to do what He says He can do. If we don’t start SEEING the physical arrival of our promises BEFORE we receive them, we’re going to be looking the wrong way when they DO.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. He did this when he revealed to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ—the things in heaven and the things on earth” (Ephesians 1:7-10). We are SAVED and as part of that we have the riches of His GRACE. We’ve been given Ruach HaKodesh (Acts 2:38). Ruach HaKodesh is here to teach us all the things of Adonai (John 14:26) and guides us into that knowledge (Psalm 119:105; 1 John 2:20). All we need to do is to engage what we ALREADY have been given (1 Corinthians 2:16). One of the ways that we do that is with our imagination. We’ve GOT to SEE IT. This is how we are supposed to be. Pay attention to what Adonai has said and imagine it as if it was. “Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). “because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). We are not picking fairy dust and manifestations out of the air. We’re not looking to an inanimate universe to grant us some boon. We are thinking on and putting ourselves into situations in our imagination based on what Adonai has SAID. It may not be visible, but His words are real. They’re more real than the physical reality they uphold (Colossians 1:17).

The world says to see it in order to believe it. But the Word says see it to be it. Conception ALWAYS comes before fulfilment in nature. It is the same with thought. We imagine something before we can actualise it. How could an inventor have the strength to go through a hundred or more failed versions before getting a working invention if they weren’t following a vivid idea? We don’t do ANYTHING without an idea of it. We don’t even mate without an idea in our minds of where we’re headed. That’s actually one of the dangers of dating. Dating isn’t about honesty, it’s about catching someone. We dress, style ourselves, act a certain way, speak a certain way, go certain places, and present ourselves in the light we believe will attract the person (or type of person) we’re looking for. Advertisers have this down pat. All the ads you see are designed to inspire within you a picture of you doing a certain thing or using a particular product. They are selling you the image of a better life, and if they can get you seeing yourself in it, they know they have you. You’ll be figuring out ways of affording it before the sun sets. We see it, and then we become it.

Nothing just happens. Not even sin. We conceive of sin before we can be tempted by sin. “But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death” (James 1:14-15). Seedtime and harvest. It’s a scriptural law and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon (Genesis 8:22). Works with sin. Works with righteousness. We need to see it, to imagine it, and then we do it. That’s the real danger with entertainment that embraces unrighteousness. When we watch killing, immorality, adultery, cheating, lying, and anything else Adonai says is negative, we erode our own selves. We plant little seeds about wrong things, reinforcing or opening the door to wrong thinking, and when opportunity comes knocking (Genesis 4:7) we are much more likely to let it in. You don’t walk down the street, slip on a banana peel, and end up naked in bed with someone not your spouse. You have to see adultery, imagine adultery – even if only as a fun ‘fantasy’ between characters on TV and not yourself as an individual. But I tell you, you’ll be completely blind to the opportunity to do it if you don’t know what it is. I’ve been talked to by people and only realised DAYS later that they were trying to snag me. It never DAWNED on me it was possible, so I never recognised it. This is why Paul pleads with us to be ignorant of wickedness (1 Corinthians 14:20).

If you are living with something you do not want – whether it is sickness or depression or anxiety or stress or fear or some other condition or a sin of some kind – the first step is imagining yourself without it. How do you do that? How can any of us as fallen creatures in a fallen creation picture ourselves in another way? Jesus. He came as an example. He was physically a male, but He was righteous in word, thought, and deed. He did it by relying on Ruach HaKodesh, praying to His Father, fasting, worship, and studying the Word. Jesus walked out the path we should be following. “Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1). “The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked” (1 John 2:6). Jesus gave us His Spirit and resides in our hearts so that we CAN be like Him. “By this we know that we reside in God and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13). We can BELIEVE anything we want, but how do we SEE IT – based on what the Word says? This is how we receive things from His hand. We need to see ourselves as He sees us. We need to see ourselves as victors, not victims. At peace, not anxious or depressed or stressed. Healed, and not sick. Fully functional in all ways, not struggling under a chronic condition. When we hear things that are contrary to how we are seeing ourselves according to the Word, we need to come against. I don’t care if it is the radio, the television, our phones, our friends, our children, our coworkers, our boss, the government, our parents, the church, or that one celebrity you look up to. Come against thinking that isn’t in harmony with what Adonai says – especially if it is YOUR thinking.

Adonai wants you to unlock what He has given to you. It’s why He GAVE it to you in the first place. For you to USE it. Not for selfish reasons, but to glorify Him. His Blessings are FLOWING your way (Psalm 46). If you are refusing to see it because of a broken image of who you are, you NEED to see yourself as Adonai sees you (2 Corinthians 5:17). You need to see yourself as deserving His Blessing because of HIM, not YOU. “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them” (Ephesians 2:8-10). When we see what He sees, we can imagine ourselves doing, having, and being how Adonai sees us. It is when we base our imagining on Him and His Word that we place our feet on the path He prepared. If you’re struggling to receive, grab your Word-based promise, submit to the conditions it carries (if any), and start imagining yourself living in it. See yourself well and doing the things you can’t now. See your doctor’s reaction when the tests come back clean. See yourself interacting socially (with success and joy) outside your bubble. See yourself enjoying the abundant life Jesus came to give you (John 10:10). See yourself in His Word and then, relying on Him, BE IT. It is where He wants you. Healed, healthy, and whole in body, soul, and spirit.

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 from Everlasting. That’s a powerful claim that ONLY Messiah could fulfil. Messiah would be the perfect offspring of the Father of Eternity, not subject to Time. He would be I Am – He who was, is, and would be. “Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!”” (John 8:58). “They replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.) So when Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they retreated and fell to the ground” (John 18:5-6). Jesus was and is I AM. He a spoke it as revelation and He spoke it with power. 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