Recently, I witnessed a scene that caused me to consider how easy it is to digress from a powerful and vital relationship with God to simply putting together programs and pulling off events.  I usually refer to this as “check the box church,” which I am convinced has little to no kingdom expanding power.

Okay, back to the scene.  There was a group gathered together and everyone was busy.  It was obvious they had a mission and purpose. They were all willing to complete the task and were glad to be working for the Lord. What was made abundantly clear as I watched the scene unfold was the absence of the presence of God.  Though the task was for him, it really wasn’t about him. It wasn’t fueled by faith, passion, or love for him.  They work was fueled by other motives.  It was at that point that the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to this thought:  people are making ministry/ service their lives instead of using their lives to serve.  I know it sounds like a conundrum, but think about it for a moment.   We often get so focused on performance and accomplishing tasks (especially if we say they are for God) that we forget the most important thing is our relationship with the Father.  Ministry is a gift from God and does not replace the cultivation of an intimate relationship with the Lord or holy living.

God doesn’t simply look at the works, but the heart of man.  Works that are not motivated by God and surrounded by faith are pointless.  A sacrifice given from an unclean vessel is unacceptable.  This is a major contributor to a believer’s inability to live at the next level.  We must accept that God first calls us to him then to service.
Our lives are a gift from God.  We are strategically positioned to reveal his glory. Be careful that you are being who God wants you to be more than doing what you “think” will please him.  Be careful not to fall into the trap of offering God your works when what he really wants is you.  God doesn’t need another program, event, or offering placed before him while your heart remains far from him.  In the course of your busy life remember to dedicate and guard your time for personal prayer, renewal, and growth.  Honor the Lord by the way you live every day. Your service will be more powerful.  You’ll also experience more personal joy and fulfillment.

The word of the Lord is: “to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? I am full of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beast; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of the goats. What the Lord requires is:  to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep his commandments and his statutes.”

Don’t try to give God a sacrifice before you’ve first given him your obedience.

Blessings to you!
MC

In Part One, I gave you the basis for becoming fearless: You have God’s plans and dreams in your heart and the expansion of the kingdom waits for you.  In this part, I’ll share the action steps you can follow to practically apply the word to your life.

Five Steps to Becoming Fearless:

Get connected. One of the biggest tactics of the enemy is to keep you disconnected from God, others, and your true self.  When you are alone it is easy to pick you off.  If you feel that the weight of the world is on your shoulders it gives more room for fear to move.  Getting connected is a powerful action step. The benefits of proper connections can propel you into your destiny. It also brings you comfort and companionship. “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.” Ecclesiastes 4:9

Get confirmation.  You will never be the only one who sees the vision. God will confirm his word, his work, and his plan. Confirmation gives you the confidence to move ahead; even if you don’t know every single detail of the plan.  One caveat here: the word of God is the highest authority and provides the surest confirmation in every situation. Be sure that you maintain respect for the word of God. Be cautious of confirmation that comes out of familiarity.  God sent Gideon to the enemy’s camp to get confirmation seems ironic but it gives us an important point. Be sure what you accept as confirmation comes from a truly spiritual occurrence.  Here’s the caveat: Sometimes those closest to you confirm things because they’re close, not because the Holy Spirit is leading. You must learn to tell the difference and obey God’s truth.  Trust God to bring confirmation in ways that leave no doubt about His power and plan.  “So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

Get in action.  God gives you power to move.  Fear can be paralyzing.  It can stop you in your tracks, but you must remember God has given you power to do something.  Ask yourself this question, “What can I do in this situation?”  Don’t allow the word, “nothing,” to be an acceptable response. You always have a choice. (You can choose to do things differently or you can choose not to respond. You can choose to change your attitude or perspective about a situation.)  You always have a choice; making a choice is the execution of power. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Trust in God’s love.  God is love and we can trust His love for us.  When fear presents itself it is often because we are afraid of being unloved, disliked, or misunderstood.  These thoughts will keep you stuck. In the face of fear, remember that God loves you.  His love for you is so fierce that He gave his only begotten Son that you would have a right to a relationship with Him and become a powerful reflection of Him on earth.  What matters most is that God is pleased with you.  Remember, when a man’s ways please the Lord, he will cause his enemies to be a peace with him. You must move out trusting in the love of God. 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.  He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Exercise Self Discipline.  Although 2 Timothy 1:7 uses the word “sound mind,” self-discipline is perhaps a better word choice.  God has given you self-discipline: the ability to train and control yourself (more specifically your mind). When fear attacks your mind and you hear, “You can’t,” you must rely on self-discipline to speak God truth. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”  When fear says, “You are not good enough,” or “You don’t have enough,” you must remind yourself—“Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” Whatever emotions or anxious actions develop from the presence of fear can be destroyed by the exercise of self-discipline. Someone once said, “FEAR is false evidence appearing real.”  Self-discipline gives you the ability to assault the false, replace it with God’s truth, and stand. God has given you the power to prevail. You must exercise self discipline when fear arises. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Your Spiritual Development Plan
What goals has the Lord placed in your heart to achieve? Is there a radical idea or action that you’ve brushed off as unbelievable or impossible? Maybe you are simply delaying what needs to be done. Today, determine to follow the action plan above to achieve your goals. 

Remember that ultimately, they are God’s goals for you. They have Kingdom importance.  You can accomplish all He ordained for you, just become fearless!

“And it came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him, Arise get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.  But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:” Judges 7:9-10

It’s quite possible no one has ever told you this, but God does know you will encounter fear. You must conquer it.
 
Why am I talking about fear at the beginning of a new year? Well, I believe God has placed goals, visions, and dreams in your heart to accomplish and fear stands in direct opposition to your success. It is important to realize that God placing desires in your heart makes you different from many people who start the year making and breaking resolutions. The accomplishment of your God given goals has Kingdom importance. The Kingdom is waiting on you to fulfill them. You must diligently pursue them. You cannot let fear derail you.
 

God has already counted you successful, now you must overcome fear. He knows the things he has placed in your heart seem incredible. He wants you to rely on Him for the fulfillment of your success.

Whether He has spoken miraculous healing, financial recovery, restored relationships, improved physical fitness, or establishing a new career as goals for your life this year, God knows that you might be afraid to step out on faith and pursue the vision. It can all seem so overwhelming.

His aim is to build your faith and trust in Him.  He has a plan. Before I tell you the plan, let me tell you what it’s not.

God’s plan for conquering fear is not trying to psych yourself out of it with hypnotic repetitions of 1 Timothy 1:7 (“God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, of love, and of a sound mind”).  His plan involves understanding the life giving principle found in the truth of those words plus your obedient action.

Gideon is a great example of the plan in action. God took Gideon through a process that caused him to become fearless. Let’s take a quick look at it.

Gideon had an encounter with God and was told of his extraordinary destiny. Essentially he received a Kingdom assignment.  Gideon’s assignment came at a time when resources were low and conditions were not optimal. In fact, God continually diminished his resources. Sound familiar?

You have a vision or goal but looking at the available resources makes you fearful? It makes you wonder if you can get it done. It makes you question the vision.  You must determine that nothing will hold you back from doing what the Lord desires.  Sometimes you even have to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you out of “the box.”  God has commissioned you for spiritual work, therefore its accomplishment must be Spirit led.

God is never concerned about the quantity of your resources. He is the supplier of all your need. He wants you to trust Him more than you trust in things. Your power is not found in the things around you, but in the word the Lord has spoken.  Trust God and pursue the vision.

This year, commit to becoming fearless. It’s the key to your extraordinary destiny.

In part two, I ‘ll share the action steps that lead you to becoming fearless.

“And it came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him, Arise get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.  But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:” Judges 7:9-10

Happy New Year!

As you go about making resolutions and setting goals for the New Year it is important to remember the divine prioritization principle of a believer’s life:   “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…” (Matt 6:33).

When you honor the divine priority of your life, you will find unprecedented protection and victory. You will be able to freely execute the plans he has placed in your heart. You will move definitively because you have the assurance of his presence.  Seeking the kingdom first gives you true peace. You will have greater confidence in the fact that your steps have been ordered by the Lord. You will continually rejoice knowing that your needs will be met through the power of the Lord. 

This year, 2010, promises to be an incredible experience in the lives of those who are faithful.  I am fully persuaded that the church (the called out ones) will rise and demonstrate the dominion and authority of God in unparalleled ways.  I am just as persuaded that an important component of that demonstration begins with proper prioritization.  So in all you are planning for the year, remember to seek the kingdom of God first.

Blessings to you!
MC