What would it look like with NO FEAR

Just lately God has been waking me and speaking to me a lot in the night. On one of these occasions I heard the words “What would it look like with NO FEAR?”

Later that day a friend who was preparing a talk told me she had written that very question and the same day my husband who was reading a book read out the very same statement…so I knew God was speaking loud and clear!

Fear is the opposite of faith and faith is what pleases God. When God created Adam and Eve he made them equal, male and female, and they walked with him without fear. There was innocence and intimacy in their relationship. It was when Satan deceived them into doubting God’s goodness that an unholy fear entered into the heart of man.

Interestingly there are 365 times in the Bible where Jesus tells us not to be afraid.  He knows it is the enemy’s number one strategy to undermine and lie to us about who God says we really are. He knows that if there was NO FEAR we would be the most free to love others, the most secure, the most bold and courageous people as God’s representatives here on earth.

Something I read recently…

The advance of the Kingdom is taken by forceful men and women and though the process may seem overwhelming at times as both the carnal attitudes of our hearts get displaced and as the works of the devil are destroyed around us yet this is the safest place, the front line of the battle, because its where we passionately pursue God and his purpose. The scheme of the enemy is to pull us back into a defensive position…

So lately as I’ve been pursuing more of the ‘Normal’ Christian Life, going after the supernatural and seeing his kingdom released I’ve been encountering some opposition, as have a few other friends of mine.

Recently I woke and a cloud of depression and despair seemed just to settle on me all morning, I kept crying and felt like giving up. I cried out to God for his presence and for his voice to speak to me because only just months earlier he had shown me that this was the most important, more important than anything else I might want or ask him for. I knew it would be ok if I knew him drawing near. As I began weakly to thank him for who he is in my life and what he has done, the cloud lifted and he drew near. Thanksgiving disarms the enemy.

So there is opposition from the enemy like that because of ground being taken but there is also training. The more we move away from our own mission and even what we sometime see as ‘God agendas’ and get serious about the Father’s mission which we can read of in Isaiah 61, he begins to train our hands for battle and exposes stuff in our hearts that hold us back from being all he has called us to be.

The other night I was woken up in the early hours with three phrases running through my mind. ‘Mount up’, ‘ride’ and ‘overcome’

As God calls us to go higher, to ride with him, to see from his perspective all he is doing, he is inviting us to partner with him. As we respond he challenges us in areas of our lives, areas we had previously been content to live with.

For me at the moment Fear is what God is exposing and in particular fear of man and fear of making mistakes. It’s not the first time but he keeps bringing me back to it.

I have heard some remarkable stories lately of friends of mine who because at the start of their day they asked God to show them what he was doing and where he was working they were led into supernatural encounters, given clear words of knowledge and opportunities to share the gospel.

What stands out to me is not so much their courage and availability both of which are awesome but their reliance on the voice of the Holy Spirit who guided them all the way through the encounters they were led into.

I believe this is how we are meant to live and walk every day, in closer fellowship with the Holy Spirit. God is distributing seed all the time and he will use those who are available and obedient. I know that too often I am afraid to let go of what seems safe. God drew my attention and reminded me of three occasions just lately where he gave me that opportunity to follow him but I shrunk back.

I’m a slow learner but I think often the first thing God shows me is what he wants me to do or say and to be quick to respond and obey but often I rationalize it away either because of the setting or circumstance I am in or because of my own fear.

The more I hear stories, the more I meet with friends who are living a kingdom lifestyle and hungry for God to break out wherever they are whether that’s in a shop, a coffee house, a bus stop or their work place the hungrier I am becoming for God to change me.

Another inspiring quote…

The great commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength must precede the great commission. We must be lovers of God first gazing on Jesus with the eyes of our heart enlightened to know him and to love him and the more we see of him the more we will see who we are becoming and burn for God and to make him known. His presence gives us EVERYTHING we need. As we jealously guard his presence, stay hungry and tend the fire of our heart we will be fruitful. Fruitfulness comes as we keep abiding in his presence and staying close for the sound of his voice.

Imagine if the church really lived like this!