Fear No Fear

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

God saw all that he had made—and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.
Genesis 1:31 (emphasis added)

I don’t know why it is showing up again, but there are a myriad of clips/short format videos debating evil and the Nature of Elohim. ‘Why would a loving God create evil?’ or ‘How could God allow a world in which humans can do these horrible things to each other?’ or ‘Why earthquakes and disasters?’ I heard one man state that any God making a world where these natural disasters and evil behaviours occurred had to be selfish, evil, and totally psychotic and he refused to submit to a God like that, kneeling down all the time and thanking that God for those atrocities. Humans struggle with these ideas and concepts. They are used for evidence against Elohim being real or worth worshipping. The TRUTH is, that is not the world Elohim created. The world and everything in it was peaceful, beautiful, functional, didn’t die, and was perfect. Everything was VERY GOOD. It was humanity that opened the door to sin and death. It was humanity that refused to obey Righteous Elohim and instead gave the keys of authority over to a selfish, psychotic, and evil god.

Adam chose to disobey and go along with his wife who was deceived by the snake who was being manipulated by the devil (Genesis 3:1-15; 1 Timothy 2:14). Because Adam – who knew the Word on it – intentionally chose NOT to trust Adonai and to trust the words of the devil, he was in rebellion and disobedience. He fell and IMMEDIATELY his spirit – which WAS righteous – died. “So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned—for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed” (Romans 5:12-14). When Adam rebelled, sin entered the world. Before that moment it was perfect, peaceful, and NOTHING was bad. Because of a HUMAN BEING, sin entered. Sin brings death (Romans 6:23). Dominion HAD been Adam and Eve’s right (Genesis 1:26). They gave up that authority to the devil. He has been deforming or mutating the world into his image ever since. “among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). That is why creation is broken. That is why there are disasters. That is why we do horrible things to each other. Sin exists and is in the world. Creation itself is fallen. “For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly but because of God who subjected it—in hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now” (Romans 8:20-22). Everything bad is outside of Elohim’s will and plan. Everything that causes pain and suffering is outside Elohim’s design. He does not will those things on anyone.

Why did Jesus come? As we talked about yesterday, Jesus came to redeem ALL things and ALL people. “When I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last, and the one who lives! I was dead, but look, now I am alive—forever and ever—and I hold the keys of death and of Hades!” (Revelation 1:17-18). Jesus took back the authority and dominion that the devil robbed us of. In Jesus, we get it back. In Jesus, we can operate in them as long as we are in total and absolute agreement with the Word and the will of the Father. We can only use them to glorify Adonai Elohim. We must submit ourselves to Jesus in humble obedience. We can then operate as if none of it ever happened. We can live like Adam did in the Garden in all the important ways (this fallen flesh still ages and will, eventually when our work is done, be cast off by us). In Jesus, we are made whole.

What does whole mean? It means back to where we should be. None of the negatives included. No pain. No suffering. No sickness. No disease. No infirmity. That stuff is all bad. We don’t need it. It isn’t useful in ANY way. And NONE of it is our right. We were NOT given a spirit of fear, sickness, and infirmity. We WERE given a spirit of power, love, and self-control. We are empowered to operate in it, through Jesus and at the Father’s request. We are to be in this world what Jesus was to this world. We are miniature versions of Jesus. “Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ. For the one who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there are no exceptions” (Colossians 3:23-25). We can – in Jesus – be untouched by the negative things of life. They CAN be things we do NOT experience. We CAN experience EXACTLY what Jesus did in this life (John 14:12). We are to be the LIGHT of this world because we are reflecting HIS light. His light has no darkness in it – not even a shadow (John 1:17-18). Neither should we (Matthew 5:48).

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). The word ‘people’ isn’t in the Greek. Translators add it, but it does not perfectly match the concepts of the context – even though it is a true statement. When Jesus was lifted up (crucified on a tree/cross), He would draw ALL to Himself. All what? All judgment upon sin. All wrath at sin. Jesus took it all onto Himself even though He had never sinned, so that He would bear our judgment. In this way we are saved from ever being judged for Sin and able to join Jesus in His resurrection to life (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus paid the price of Sin and broke the altars of evil that were established because of sin. No more toil and sweat for sustenance. No more self-slander or poor self-esteem. No more shame. No more sickness or disease. No more lack. No more being unproductive. No more brokenhearted-ness. No more death or dead spirits. First for the Jew, then for the Gentile, and then for all of creation. This eliminates ALL arguments of the atheist or the god-hater. Adonai did NOT create a world or human beings with evil or sorrows or suffering. Adonai is renewing us and the world to the perfection we started with. “And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10). “And the one seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new!” Then he said to me, “Write it down, because these words are reliable and true.”” (Revelation 21:5).

Jesus has ALREADY defeated evil. Things are ALREADY accomplished. It’s done. Nothing can stop it. All we are doing is biding our time until we do everything we’re supposed to do (Matthew 24:14). But the things themselves are already done in the same way that Jesus was slain from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Things happen in the SPIRITUAL first, and THEN in the natural (1 Corinthians 15:46). Seedtime and harvest. Well, Jesus had something to say about spiritual accomplishments to John. “He also said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water free of charge from the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:6). So did Peter. “The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). One reason repentance is so vital is because without accepting Jesus as Saviour and Lord, we have NO WAY to enjoy the Blessings of the Kingdom. But in Jesus? Through Jesus? “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love” (Ephesians 1:3-4). Spiritual first, natural world second. Every spiritual blessing will make its way to our natural selves (body and soul) from our spiritual self (spirit) through Jesus who is THE Way (John 14:6; 15:5). In HIM is abundant life: life without sin. Sin is the cause of death, sickness, lack, shame, toil, unproductiveness, self doubt, lack of self worth, and everything else associated with the Curse (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Because Jesus provided salvation and renewal in Him for ALL, then anyone who is part of that ALL can receive that provision. If you receive part of it (salvation of your soul), then you can receive the REST of it in the EXACT same way. Trust in the Word and belief in Jesus. Grace PROVIDES salvation and Trust ENGAGES salvation. By these truths we KNOW that Elohim wants us well. That Jesus provided our healing. That it was released FULLY ACCOMPLISHED thousands of years ago. That it is our RIGHT as Children of Elohim (1 John 3:2) to receive it. And that we CAN receive it because we love Him and that love means we are seeking to humbly submit to Him and His point of view on EVERYTHING. As we get more and more light on those things in our life we’re trying to hide, we will get more and more freedom in Him. But we don’t HAVE to DO anything to receive from Him except accept it. It’s just we won’t SEE it if we’re not seeking Him (Romans 12:2). Once we get revelation on these things, we can receive them. It’s all in the Word and getting the Word into us BELIEVING. Mixing our trust in Jesus with what He says. We often think He CAN, but don’t know if He WILL. Thinking on these things (this week, but really the whole year), we can CLEARLY see it is provided for us, it is our will, it is given by Grace and not our efforts, if we will only BELIEVE trusting in Him. That’s it. He wants that for you and He wants that for me and He wants that for EVERYONE.

How sad that not everyone will choose to seek. How sad that not everyone will choose to let the Word renew their minds. How sad that not everyone will choose to receive from Him what is freely offered in, through, and by Messiah Jesus. How WONDERFUL that some will. I hope and pray that YOU are one of them. Believe it. Renew your mind to it. See it. Trust Jesus. And receive it. He wants you to. It IS His will. He LOVES you.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Zechariah 9:9

“Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you: He is legitimate and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey—on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.” Messiah would humble. He would not promote Himself. He would not place Himself in the highest place or seek to get accolades and attention. “Take my yoke on you and learn from me because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Jesus didn’t try to get fame (Matthew 8:4). Jesus didn’t try and get serviced by others (John 13:1-17). Jesus was truthful and humble. 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