Fear No Fear

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

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 (emphasis added)

We get a lot of things second or third hand. Especially if you come from a big family. Hand me downs. What a terrible set of words. Might as well call them Ain’t New. I’ve had a few. It’s true. I don’t fault my parents. With three boys, you’re bound to think ‘why not?’ because it is still a decent piece of clothes. Until I got it anyway. But I never enjoyed it. I never looked to have something or looked forward to it. I always wanted something fresh and new and MINE. Dangerous attitude to have, really, because that way can easily lead to selfishness.

There is a drive in humanity though to have new things. We’re always clawing our way to new experiences, new possessions, new horizons. We are driven and are rarely happy to stay in one place. It is because we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and we are just like He whom we resemble. When talking about his good ‘ol days of walking with God, Job said “My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand’” (Job 29:20). Ever new. “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Ever new. We can even aspire to it. “They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green, to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him” (Psalm 92:14–15). Ever new. Ever productive. Ever green.

We tend not to think like that. At 40 they say they are ‘over the hill’. When they are 50, they expect things to go wrong. When they are 60, retirement is almost upon them. When they’re 70 they start shopping for coffins and funeral plots. If they make it to 80, they’re in a home reminiscing about the good old days while waiting to die. It isn’t true for everyone, but it certainly is true for the majority of them. This is the brew the world drinks. Sadly, the church does too. But we have the loving attention of a GOOD Father on us. Why would we want lack and early perishing? We’ve been promised a minimum of 120 years (Genesis 6:3). Unless Jesus comes back, we can go about as long as we want because God has promised to satisfy us with long life (Psalm 91:16) — IF/WHEN we dwell in Him, set our love on Him, know His name, call on Him, declare He is our refuge and fortress, trust Him, and obedient (Psalm 91 & 27).

This is the Word of God promising us this stuff. Why don’t we take His word for things? He can’t lie (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2; Numbers 23:19). If He says it, then it IS. There are dozens upon dozens of translations of the Word. There are interpretations, paraphrases, modern language, and others geared toward specific people or groups. There are conservatives and liberals and spirit-filled and anti-spirit and tongue talkers and full immersion practitioners and some simple plain ol sinners saved by grace just waiting for one day, by and by, getting into that ‘ol glory in the sky. But in and around all that human religion and tradition and personal bias, there IS the HOLY SPIRIT. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you” (John 14:26). Jesus said the Holy Spirit will remind us of JESUS’ words. What HE said. Not what we said to each other. Not what we decided He meant. WHAT He said. Word for word. Honest truth. The Holy Spirit is real and alive and moves and WILL speak to us. In fact, He NEVER STOPS speaking. We only need to listen. His Spirit will speak to OUR spirit and we will KNOW when something is true. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

When we listen to the Holy Spirit, we’re able to seek the Lord properly. Seeking the Lord without the Holy Spirit is a lot of floundering in the dark. The Lord GUIDES us to Him (John 6:44). The Holy Spirit teaches, corrects, and instructs us (2 Timothy 3:16–17). If it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit and God’s mercy, we’d have been sunk a LONG time ago. “It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). We NEED the Lord to draw us. To correct us. To guide us. To lead us. Yoked to Jesus under the direction of the Father (Matthew 11:28–30). And when we seek Him earnestly with all our hearts? He seeks us right back. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). This also means we will be training our minds on the Lord. When we do THAT, we have a promise. “You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).

God gives peace to those He trusts. He trusts those who are obedient. “Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:11–12; Psalm 34:12–16). We renew our minds with the Word and we listen to good teaching, but we need to apply it. We need to be obedient to the truths the Holy Spirit speaks to us. We have the walk Jesus’ talk. “Do the things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). We MUST abide in Jesus (John 15). It is IN JESUS that we have access to all the things of the Father. It is through Jesus that our hearts are ruled by the Lord. By Grace through His Faith, we can be all that He wants us to be. Jesus is our point of contact with the Father. “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1–2).

We have boldness and can approach the Throne of Grace upon which the Father sits (Hebrews 4:16). When we do, we will find His hand open. Open because He is a GIVING God (James 1:5; Matthew 7:11). Open because He is a GENEROUS God (Psalm 21:2). Open because He is a GOOD Father (James 1:7). He is this way because of GRACE, not because we deserve or can earn it. “He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:25). One of the things we find there in His hand is His peace. Peace we are allowed to take because Jesus appointed it to us. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful” (John 14:27).

This is a GIFT to His obedient children. It doesn’t matter what we’re going through. It doesn’t matter where we are. It doesn’t matter who is rising against us. It doesn’t matter what the bank book says. It doesn’t matter whether we have a roof over our heads or not. NONE of it matters. He gives us PEACE directly from HIS hand, no hand me downs, to us directly because we are obedient children. Period. Don’t look at where you THINK you should be. Look at where HE told you to be, hold to it, don’t let go of the confession, and the Word of Faith will prove you true. True in your obedience. True in your humbleness. And trustworthy because you were obedient and faithful with the small, then the bigger, things you were given to do. While you are being humbly submissive in your obedience out of sheer love for the Lord, He will give you peace. Even as the weeds are torn up around you, you will have peace. As they are tied up, carted off, and burnt, YOU WILL HAVE PEACE. “Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”” (Matthew 13:30).

From His hand to you. Always in you. Always beside you. Never neglecting you. “The Lord be with you all.” Amen. It’s why He came (John 18:37). This IS eternal life (John 17:3) and it starts NOW. Seek Him and look to His open hand of BLESSING. Seek Him and be prepared for Him to get near and change your life — a life FULL of PEACE.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: 1 Thessalonians 5:5–10

Eternity is a funny thing. It is the quality or state of being eternal. It is a seemingly endless or immeasurable time. Which means that it has no beginning. It has no ending. It is NOW. It is always NOW. Once you step into eternity, you’ll never leave it. Jesus referred to it. “Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation; neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you”” (Luke 17:20–21). When Jesus died, it ‘started’ in that the things which were done before the foundation of the world manifested in His flesh and released to everyone who shares in God’s faith. “The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!”” (Revelation 11:15). We can start our eternal lives NOW. We can walk in all the things of heaven that our flesh can take NOW. Yes, there are limitations, but when the time comes for us to be redeemed in full — any day now — then we’ll put on glorified bodies as we are become the Kingdom in a moment and a flash. If we TRULY KNOW GOD then we are in eternity NOW. Once the Love of Jesus is fully exposed to your heart, mind, and soul. When you truly begin to grasp the height, depth, length, and width of Jesus’ love for us, we will mesh with the Kingdom and start our eternity NOW (Ephesians 1:17–19). ANY DAY NOW it’s coming. The revelation will stir up in your heart and you’ll SEE IT. Eternity will be NOW and will never stop being NOW as we rejoice in the glory of the Lord and give Him true worship from our toes to our spirit. Hard to get sick in those conditions. Hard to be anxious. Hard to be fearful. JOY JOY JOY I speak to you. Joy, peace, and life eternal knowing God and Jesus, the Anointed One. Amen.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.