Fear No Fear

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

You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you.
Isaiah 26:3 (emphasis added)

The phrase ‘maintain their faith’ is also translated ‘the steadfast mind’ or ‘a firm inclination’. It comes from the Hebrew word yetser (yay’-tser) which means Inclination, imagination, mind, purpose, framework, a form, or conception – as in an idea. Strong’s says it ‘can denote the moral and spiritual inclinations that drive human behavior’. It’s our imagination. Are we imagining the things of Yahweh or the things of the world or the things of the devil? Whose moral framework is informing our decisions and actions? What is fuelling our mindset? What is the landscape of our heart? Those who keep the things of Adonai Elohim as their rumination and daydreams will find it a LOT easier to answer any and EVERY circumstance from that frame of mind. As believers, the sinful and selfish inclination is dead. It’s no longer a living thing, but a pattern of behaviour or mental muscle memory. If we are actively spending our mental time thinking about Adonai and what the Word has said about things, it’s much harder to switch tracks to sin. If we keep our imaginations on Adonai – returning to Him whenever possible if life takes us aside – then how wonderful life becomes. How vibrant and meaningful. How easy it is to stand in Him. That is supposed to be our natural position: resting in Him. Sabbath.

“For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). Have you ever had sickness try to come into your household? Children coughing every five minutes. Piles of used tissue in every basket. Everyone saying they believe and standing on a scripture, but nothing seems to be improving? Well, resting will produce results IF our imaginations are involved. We start off by seeing ourselves well. We can choose to imagine the process of that wellness occurring: seeing the germs and bugs getting zapped by the presence and power of Ruach HaKodesh who dwells within us (Romans 8:11). Maybe we put ourselves into an account of Jesus healing the sick. Picturing His hands on our shoulder and feeling the anointing wash over us. Of course we’ll need to look up what the Word says. Read out the verses that match our current experience so our ears can hear it – which builds our trust (Romans 10:17). We can speak to the symptoms and tell them because of what is written they can vamoose (Mark 11:23). That we choose to believe the Word and not what we see (Romans 4:17). Doubting all reports that our minds and senses bring us – taking the thoughts, sensations, and feelings to the cross to evaluate them with Ruach HaKodesh. Listening to what Adonai says about them and our situation. Giving us our plan of action. And then… well.. then nothing. We’ve done it all. Now we stand on it.

How do we stand? On one foot? In line at the doctor’s office? While watching our favourite programs, perhaps? No. We stand while thinking of Yahweh. We think about Jesus and what He did. We think about what Adonai did in the Old Covenant. The miracles. The interventions. The many, MANY blessings. The heroes of the faith and how they trusted in Adonai against all logic, reason, advice, and hope. Seeing where others went wrong, dropping the ball of trust and going their own way. We have the Word itself, children’s stories, musicals, novels, cartoons, movies, streamed sermons, messages, conferences, and services. There are so many ways for us to hear the Word, quality teaching commentary on the Word, and Word-based entertainment exploring the stories in the Word (although you have to be careful because some messages that are against what the Word teaches are out there mixed with clear messages). We have a myriad of ways to keep the things of Adonai in front of our eyes and in our ears. To occupy our minds with Him. It gives us a constant stream of ‘He can and did’ instead of a constant stream of ‘if only He did’.

It doesn’t always seem easy to stand. But when we’ve done everything and it doesn’t appear to have physically arrived, we don’t stop. We don’t change. We don’t give up. We don’t start talking negatively. We don’t change. We stand on our belief and trust in Jesus, we don’t try and turn that stand into an opinion. It might not seem to US that anything is happening, but when we’ve done everything and keep standing on the Word, the Father is proud of what we’re doing – even if we’re not where WE want to be. We see failure or lack of results. He sees baby steps. The disciples were the same way, but look how they learned to walk! From ‘he’s upset we didn’t bring bread’ (Matthew 16:5-12) to ‘get up and walk in Jesus’ name’ (Acts 3:6-7). They did it relying on Jesus and walking in the power from Ruach HaKodesh (Luke 24:49). We’ll get there too if we do the same. Abide in Him. Enjoy the Sabbath of Messiah Jesus. He’s proud of you, so don’t stop now. The order He has given us for standing is to keep our minds on Him. Let it inspire your imaginings and be the foundation of your thoughts. Keep standing. Stay with Him.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Malachi 3:1

““I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Messiah would be a Messenger of the New Covenant going before Him. A messenger to proclaim the Good News that the war on sin was about to be over. That peace toward humanity was possible through Messiah’s suffering servanthood sacrifice. “But Jesus said to them, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, for that is what I was sent to do.”” (Luke 4:43). Jesus proclaimed the Good News. He demonstrated it with signs and wonders (Matthew 8:16-17; John 6:1-15; Luke 18:38-43). Jesus proclaimed the New Covenant (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:24-30). 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