I thank you our heavenly father for the privilege of life and everything you have graciously granted us in this our earthly journey. I am particularly grateful to you for granting us acceptance through Christ Jesus and the empowerment by His Spirit, for a life of faith as we advance forward in our pursuit not only to know your Will for our lives but also to embrace your plan.

We have come again to continue in this awesome privilege to share your thoughts with the body of Christ. You promised that the Holy Spirit will lead us to know all truths and so we come to you again to ask for your help. We pray that you take complete control of our thought process as we pen this month’s revelation to enlighten and encourage all of us to break free from things that have held us down for so long in Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Everything God has given us is good and awesome. We may not understand it and so interpret it wrongly, but when we ask Him for insights we discover the riches of  God’s awesome wisdom and purpose. This visual imagery was revealed to me some years ago. As you can see, it depicts a mighty ocean. There is a man in a speed -boat who defied the storm of the waters as he sped away in some kind of adventure ride. There is also a young man observing in bewilderment both the raging sea and the boldness of the boat rider. In the original image as given in the dream, the observer was positioned far away from the shore. He will not dare step close to the waters.

In this next painting another young man was shown with his fishing gear advancing towards the water. From his appearance one can correctly deduce that he must be very poor; he looks very emaciated and dressed in worn-out and torn clothing. But he had the boldness to advance towards the stormy water to fish. His family desperately needs the abundant grace supplied by God in the ocean for their survival. This second image was given, I believe, to contrast with the emotions surging in the mind of the observer that kept him far from coming close to the shore.

I don’t know about you but I am deeply awed at the greatness of God. I often wonder what God will look like when I see Him face to face. Sometimes I find myself carried away in deep thoughts and amazement on how God could know everything. The Scripture teaches us that darkness is as light to Him. He knows our inward thoughts. In fact, we are all naked and bare before His eyes. Even the motives that drive our speech or actions are clearly known to Him. All creatures in this our great world  are known intimately by Him. What a wonder!

Though God cannot be figured out and it is futile to continue to attempt to do so, I am glad that He is my Lord and my God. I am deeply convinced that His thoughts and plans for me and His other children are pure and good. For that I am awfully thankful. We all have our weaknesses and our areas of strengths. The Holy Spirit knows our various traits even when we don’t have consciousness of our limiting thoughts or emotions. When we come to Christ for salvation, God graciously releases other promises into our life as we fellowship with Him in faith through Christ.  God prophesied life into Prophet Jeremiah’s overwhelming situations in the scripture. I claim and embraced those promises over my life that the Lord will deliver me from the power of the wicked one and redeem every aspect of my life from the grip of the terrible. Hallelujah!

Life of darkness

In the account of my former life under the ‘ About Us ‘ section of this forum, I wrote a summary of the consequences of life separated from the Life of God. Without Christ we all manifest various shades of the power of darkness in our lives. Undoubtedly, I must confess my un-regenerated life was in total darkness. The prince of darkness sought me out from early childhood and battled me fiercely to destroy everything that was good. My refreshing and restorative night hours were stolen from me, and the devils footprint was the fear of darkness and night hours. How I dreaded the night hours. It was with apprehension that I looked forward to the nights with fear knowing that the satanic night terrors were a certainty. I also had a couple of near drowning accidents. These scary moments created in me a terrible phobia for swimming pool and worst still the ocean.

The Fear of Man

“ The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” Proverbs 29: 25.

God in His abundant love and wisdom created man and woman and endowed them with an incredible level of intelligence, reasoning power, creativity, imagination, emotion and judgment that surpasses that of other creatures. Man is a rational being with the freedom of freewill to make choices independent of God. Our emotions are also subject to checks and balances as deduced to facts or reality determined by the higher centers of the brain from what we know to be true or influenced by past experiences. The fundamental truth is that God is light. In Him there is no darkness. Any life apart from God is sure to be devoid of light and hence shades of darkness. Truth and absolute reality is found only in God!

Fear as a Blessing

When God finished creating man and woman, He stepped back and evaluated His handiwork and was satisfied. Everything in these creatures was good including fear as an expression of emotion. As an intelligent, rational, emotional being granted the grace of freewill, God endowed mankind with the innate ability to evaluate situations and make judgments in regards to self-preservation and self -actualization.

In the Genesis account, God’s intent was that mankind, in partnership with Him as Lord, should have dominion and subdue other created things. Man was not to have dominion over fellow man or woman, nor was mankind to live in fear over the animal kingdom.

In fact, God in His infinite wisdom will not leave any room for speculations in the work close to His heart—Mankind. After the Flood, He reiterated the same fundamental idea as He blessed Noah and his sons. God clarified His plan for this new generation. “ And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth….Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.” Genesis 9.

In the Webster dictionary definition of fear, there are three aspects of fear that I will glean from in respect to the topic under discussion.

1. An unpleasant, often strong, emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.
2. A State or Condition marked by this emotion.
3. Reason for alarm; Object of fear.

Fear as a Trigger for Alarm.

No doubt, we all agree this is a divine wisdom and blessing for mankind. Without this endowment we all will always under-estimate potentially destructive situations and fall headlong into it. With this blessing we sense danger and our brains evaluates our preparedness to tackle the issue. This complex neural-hormonal system is called into action and the body is in alert mode. The higher centers of the brain eventually will judge whether we confront or avoid the scenario. There are a lot of variables that are called into play including our previous experiences, input from others experiences, upbringing, personalities, belief systems and others. In its purest form, fear prohibits us from taking unnecessary risk. It exposes our weakness or limitation so we avoid presumptive actions and take necessary precautions to maintain the integrity and sanctity of life.

Fear as a Curse

It can safely be deduced that any distortion of God’s original design is a curse for man. We have all inherited various forms of perversions and weaknesses. A life ruled or dominated by fear is unfulfilled and does not bring glory to God. This ungodly state leads to progressive degrees of anxiety, depression and insecurity.

This morbid kind of fear is definitely not from God but from the pit of hell. It robs us of our peace, undermines our faith in God, confidence in ourselves and deprives us of a life of joy and self-accomplishment.

It appears some people are more prone to morbid fear than others. However, traumatic experiences, restrictive upbringing, oppressive environments, erroneous theology and teachings that misrepresent God as a capricious and arbitrary monarch, and other negative influencers especially during ones formative age all have deleterious impact in ones ability to process information and separate truth from myths. A sense of inadequacy from lack of exposure or unfamiliar task could heighten fear of failure. Hence, any mistake done while handling the task only reinforces the inadequacy and the fear-inadequacy- avoidance cycle.

Lessons from the Past

Let us glean from historical Bible facts and my own personal experience with the Lord to gain some insights.

1. Historical Bible Experiences
2. My Personal Experiences

Biblical Account

• God in His awesome wisdom sent two groups of people to spy out the land of Canaan in preparation for eventual invasion. A larger group were those ruled by the carnal nature( fear of man), while the smaller group ,consisting of Joshua and Caleb, were ruled by the Spirit of God. Not only did the bad report of the larger group pervert the vision of God for His people but the fear was like incurable cancer that penetrated the whole camp and hindered them from marching forward to capture God’s vision and purpose for their lives. Numbers 13: 32-33
• After Israel’s conquest of Canaan their walk with God was like a roller coaster ride. Most of the time their story was marked with acts of rebellion against God. The surrounding nation was inspired by God to torment His people. Constant invasions drained Israel of all courage to resist their enemy. The people were dispirited and lived in perpetual fear until God’s grace of restoration visited His people again. Gideon was chosen to lead the people and regain their sovereignty as a nation. A selection process was then initiated to determine those fit for this holy war. Those who were fearful and faint-hearted voluntarily excluded themselves from the soldiers. But God was not done. At the waters, those who knelt to drink water God Himself excluded from the rest of the army. This group, for an unclear reason, was also excluded. Who knows if the state of their heart shows they may bow down under pressure to the fear of man.Judges 7: 3-7
• You must eventually face your Goliath in the Spirit of godly fear and faith in God to be able to please His Holiness. To fulfill her purpose in life the beautiful Queen Esther in godly fear had to despise her royalty and even her life to save the Jews. She trampled the fear of man being consumed by the Fear of God. The Lord honored her mightily and delivered the entire Jewish nation through her courage. David in preparation for his divine mandate had to confront his giant. Even prior to facing Goliath, David had to contend with various forms of courage killers that instill the fear of man. First was from his older brothers who ridiculed his godly fear and courage; and next was the issue of the awkward body armor. Finally, the humiliating taunting words from the giant. Esther 4; 1 Samuel 17.

Personal Experiences

1. Years of night terror starting from early childhood until mid-adult life wrecked havoc into my ability to process the darkness of the night. I dreaded dark places. Irrational thoughts overwhelmed my reasoning powers and I found myself looking for safety in the company of others. It was a humiliating experience for an adult to contend with.
2. In addition, the near drowning experiences reinforced this terrible phobia of darkness. I often imagined that a huge creature might suddenly creep up from under the water and swallow me up. I know this was unfounded but that was what it was then. Yes, the sense of impending doom and disaster that clouded my consciousness had no true basis. But that is exactly why it is ungodly and thus not a blessing from God.
3. As if the above situations were not enough, my nights were flooded with terrifying nightmares of snakes of all sorts and armies of people shooting arrows at me. These created phobia of snakes and a dread of what a snake is symbolic of Satan. I assumed the devil had unlimited powers since it appeared all my parents’ efforts to get some kind of help for me were unsuccessful. Maybe God may be distant and could not stop these devastating experiences.
4. Finally, God granted me salvation in Christ. He began to teach me how to engage in spiritual battles. First, I must learn to distinguish truth from lies. The darkness can never overthrow light. Children of light have no union with agents of darkness. The ocean may be intimidating but you can be trained to subdue it and enjoy the pleasure of swimming, and all sorts of water sports activity. The drawings in the beginning of this message were visions from the Holy Spirit given to me after I gained salvation. The truth is that the ocean not only has manifold treasures inside but also could be a great source of adventure; a sure blessing from God, the maker of all things. The absurdity of my fears was thus revealed. Jesus used this vision in His courtship appeal towards me for an endearing relationship. In Christ are great riches and a ride with Him a wonderful adventure!

The Conclusion of the Matter

• Fear as an expression of emotion towards an unpleasant situation is beneficial and a gift of God. However, Adam and Eve ate from the tree of good and evil and many blessings of God have been perverted by the enemy to weaken us and undermine our trust in God and confidence in what God is able to do in us and through us. The ultimate plan of the devil is to deny God His glory in creation.
• The fear of man is a snare. A man devoid of Fear of God is rich in the fear of man initiated and sustained by the devil. God who surpasses in wisdom is the greatest teacher of all time. He gave some insights on the horrible impact of this unholy fear not only in the life of a Christian but on those around him or her. Take some time to study the story of the spies sent to assess the land of Canaan before the invasion. This destructive fear becomes a stronghold that strangulates your faith walk and you stagnate in unbelief to who God is and what He is able to do in your life through Christ.
• We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses of men and women of faith; people who defied the fear of man in the pursuit of God’s will. Similarly we are surrounded by instigators of ungodly fear to keep us under their yoke of oppression and ungodly rule. Some ministers live in fear and insecurity and often misrepresent Christ, distort the Holy Scriptures, which are then used as instrument to keep the congregation trapped in the church building, and thus rendered insensitive to the call of the Holy Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit gave me further insights as I waited for Him on last minutes fundamental facts to share in this message. A courageous walk with Christ does not mean the absence of fear. The Bible teaches that whatever is exalted above the knowledge of the truth we should take captive in prayers. Meaning I surrender my fears to God and ask for Him to reveal the truth in situations that bring anxiety, and enable me to look up to Him for faith despite the adversity. 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5
• Further insight is the issue of meekness. This awesome character imparted into our lives as a gift of the Holy Spirit is not a sign of weakness. Surprisingly, it is a mark of spiritual maturity. I am delighted to confess I earnestly covet this quality. When people are acting ugly out of the demons in them, just like most of us, a spiritually matured person should look beyond ‘my right ‘ sentiments and be a peace maker. But the fear of man will push us to refuse to sacrifice our right because the thought at that moment of crisis is I must exercise my right else I loose it. God’s thought, though may seem foolish to us, transcends human reasoning. Hallelujah! Matthew 11: 28-29

Diagnostics and Prescriptions

• The Bible instructs us to ‘ examine yourself ‘ to ascertain if you are still in faith walk. Many have become stagnant out of fear. Many are like me, who in the past, who was living in bondage of ungodly fear and thus could not please God.Only those who can ask themselves the difficult questions of what emotions drive their thoughts and actions and are honest and bold enough to admit areas of their lives that the devil has held captive from being developed or surrendered to faith in Christ can come to the Healer of all times, the Lord Jesus.
• And if your faith is not strong enough yet, ask others to pray with you over your fears, limiting thoughts and beliefs. You may seek the help of your doctor, Psychologist or Psychiatrist. Counseling and medications are part of God’s grace for mankind. It is not the will of God for us to live life encumbered by ungodly fear that wars against the Fear of God. When this fear of man is not defeated you operate far below expectation and are robbed of the purpose of God for your life. At the end of your life, it becomes what could have been. A wasted and regretful existence!
• What the devil meant for evil, Jesus turned around for a blessing in my life. Night terrors and nightmares have become abundance of dreams and visions for the body of Christ. My sorrows and pains have become riches for the world. Hallelujah! There is Hope for you in Christ if this message speaks to your heart. God knows what you have endured in silence for so long. The Lord Jesus Christ is inviting you to the glorious waters of life and empowerment. He is willing and ready to wash you and cleanse you of whatever ungodly fear that threatens to ruin your life. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit may inspire fears of what one may have to give up to live a holy life. But my experiences have shown, without any doubt, that a growing relationship with Christ is the best decision of a lifetime. There are unimaginable treasures not only for the life that now is but extends unto everlasting life. It has been quite an unprecedented adventure and this is just the beginning! Isaiah 55.

Prayer

Our heavenly father I come to you again to bless and hallow your awesome name. I thank you Lord that you have given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him or her who is weary and walks in darkness without your light. I praise you wonderful Jesus that you have come to destroy the works of Satan and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. It is your will that we be delivered from every grip of the enemy in order to worship you without fear in holiness and righteousness all our days. Thank you Jesus for revealing the love of God even as you personified the Fear of God when you walked through this earth.

I pray for myself and other believers in Christ Jesus. We confess that we have been living in complacency and unbelief driven by the fear of man that engendered insecurity and a distorted view of you and your expectations of us for the kingdom of God. We ask for clarity of understanding and for the spirit of conviction to be released into our souls. We do not want to be like the cowardly spies in the time of Caleb and Joshua nor the fearful and fainthearted soldiers in the time of Gideon. We reject the shameful perspective of the servant given a talent to do business until the Master returns. You have given us great and awesome promises through Christ and we open our mouths wide to receive them with gladness at this time. Help us to fully understand and embrace the fact that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free and we must strongly reject any suggestion or manipulations from the enemy, our carnal minds or people around us to subject us again to any yoke of bondage to fear. We pray to break free from this bondage of fear that drains our walk of faith and hinders our ability to submit totally to the Will of God. Finally, in our moments of weakness anoint our lips with the grace of praise to invite your Holy Spirit to dispel the spirit of heaviness and usher in the Spirit of courage, love and soundness of mind in Jesus mighty name we pray. Amen.