FEAR NOT! The word fear is synonymous to insecurity, and so it can be interchangeable. Some bible scholars confirmed that, the word “Fear not” appeared in 365 places in the Scriptures, which suggests to me that each stand for each days that sum up a year. That is to say: every blessed day God is telling his children: “Fear not!” Fear has just four alphabets, yet its sting and avouches is much more than the letters it carries. It is capable of controlling a mighty man and withdraws from him his staff of authority. It takes a man from kingdom into exile; it can prolong a man’s journey and turn a journey of forty days to forty years if the victim could not cry out for its arrest on time. Fear is the greatest enemy of glory and fulfillment in life. It is so strong that if you allow it to take root, it can cut a man’s life short and send him to eternal damnation. Several prevalent diseases we are hearing today, such as high per tension, stroke, heart attack, etc are some of its fragments. It has been a valiant instrument in the hand of the devil to trail and trap men of destiny and silence them before they are ripe to display what heaven deposited inside them. The Bible says: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John. 10:10. Now, ask me what Satan, the thief comes to steal? It is the authority and confidence you have in Christ. It is the victory that Jesus Christ won for us on the cross and the free gifts He gave to us through his resurrection. He knows that once fear and doubt set in, you are baseless and impotent. It is possible for him to carry out his wicked devices, because, without faith it is impossible to please God. No wonder the Bible says: “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward.” Hebrew.10:35. I will like us to examine the life of a prominent Prophet in the Scripture as our case study: Prophet Elijah-a man of fire. This will help us to see the extent at which fear can work and how it has no respect for anybody. Except the Lord open our eyes to the Scripture and see some hidden facts, we will continue to misapply certain terms in the scripture and not necessarily learn the lesson we need to. (2Timothy.3:16-17). Elijah was a prophet everyone respect so much in his days, even in subsequent time, such that they begin to mis-take him for Jesus, yet there are a lot of lessons we need to learn from his flaws and not sweep them under the carpet. Of course He was a man with great mandate and expectation from God, and how God would have used him for many mighty works, not only in his nation, but several other nations around the world; fear took over him and made him to resign on his divine mandate before time. “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” 1King.17:1. Here is a man carrying the overflowing anointing and presence of God. Whatever comes out of his mouth receives divine endorsement. He has been given the power of God immeasurably. The hand of God was so great and heavy upon him. Several mighty works have been wrought through him and many people have confirmed the call and the hand of God upon him. He has gain access to the presence of God so much that at his word a whole nation was troubled severely, including other holy prophets in the land as if he’s the only one in the land. He was a Prophet, but a prophet unto prophets. His anointing command every other anointing around him and whenever he decrees a thing nobody dare to alter it. Apart from the fact that he locked heaven for three and a half years, through him dead were risen; and at his decree there was abundant food stuff in the house of the widow of sarephat, where others were suffering up to committing suicide, but what happen? Fear overtook him at the point of glory; at a time when his heaven was widely open for him to begin to enjoy what he has suffered for all the while and for God to begin to ride upon him to nations where his foot has never thread. “And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria….. And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all brooks….. And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my Lord Elijah? ….. As the Lord thy God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord has not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they found thee not…. And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” 1King.18:1-17. Look at a mystery in this place to show how great the plan God has for him, his fame has gone abroad; everyone was eager to know who is the man that lock heaven; Ahab himself has become his advertiser unconsciously; heaven has used a whole king with all his glory to announce the strange thing that happened and the arrival of a man of glory all around the nations and kingdoms God would have his name proclaimed, but he resigned on this mandate before time through fear. I perceived that probably what God wanted to achieve through him was to put to a halt and total silence the worshipping of a strange gods, not only in Israel, but in other nations of the world so that people may know from the rising of the sun to the west and the east that there one and only true living God, but Elijah stepped down on this mandate. Let us hear what God started with him: “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, how long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” 1King.18:21. This is the cause of the trouble, this exactly is moved God to anger and locked heaven upon them for three and a half years; they provoke Him to jealousy with their idols. They give the glory, honour and reverence due to God to the work of their hands, and for God to prove himself to them as the only true living God, he prepared a man in Elijah so He can glorify himself in him, but unfortunately he failed God. (Read 1King.18:22-46). After God has proved to everyone through the fire that consumed the sacrifices upon the altar and dried up the water at the shame of Baal and its prophets, everyone believed and resolved to serve the God of Elijah, the king himself called his wife to relay all what happened; how Elijah by his mockery killed the prophets of Baal with their own sword, and for them to have a rethink on what they think they initially believed and as a family to settle for the God of Israel. Now, at a time when God would establish Elijah as a Prophet unto nations and His mouth piece and made Israel as a nation an example to other nations and kingdoms, something happened: devil stirred up an ordinary woman in Jezebel when he has found a weakness in Elijah, and cause a man of anointing and power to resign on his mandate when his time of glory has just come. Let us hear what happened: “And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, so let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of the prophets by tomorrow about this time.” 1King.19:1-2. This actually is the woman that was troubling Israel, She is the one that stirred the king on many occasions to make some decisions and decree that are contrary to the will of God; and how she would have been the next scapegoat and wonder God would use Elijah to perform and give Israel rest all round about, but a man of fire; a man of anointing; a man with God’s hand so heavy; a man heaven has just started with ran away at the word of a woman and not at the word of God. Prophet Elijah looked down on God that has been performing wonders in his hands and ran for an ordinary woman who has been a target for God to deal with all the while. The threat of an ordinary woman made a man of God left his office and his place in the sight of God, including his servants who are looking up to him and following God in his steps. What a disappointment! What a disgrace! What a shame! That is what fear can do. It renders a powerful man useless; it removes him from his place, position and calling in life. It makes him rest his sword and quit on his mandate when he has not done anything. Everyone around him becomes suspicious, including those that could be of help; it simply makes him not believe anyone and renders him insecure. Hear what happened: “And when Elijah saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.” 1King.19:3. He forgot that, he who loves his life shall loose it and he who loses his life for the sake of Christ shall gain it back. To even make it worse, his servants were not moved at this due to the confidence they have in God of Elijah, that if He can defeated Baal and its prophets, who is Jezebel, it was Elijah ran. He cherished so much his life that he could not take his servants along with him to Beersheba where he fled. Excuse me; what did he want to be the fate of those servants? He never gives it a thought that he is accountable for their lives. A man that is not up to task, a man that is not qualified, a man in soft raiment. He forgot that no one dwelling in the secret place of God’s will ever be terrified by anything. The security of legions of holy angels is always there. He did not know that no one goes to war at his own expense; He that sent him will always make provision for the journey. He did not know that his power and authority are only effective as he maintain his office and position before the almighty God. Fear drove him out of his place. It took him out of Samariah where heaven is widely open unto him for many mighty works, and placed him at Beersheba where the mouth of God never decree for him to move. Fear turned him to a prey and target in the hand of the devil. Beloved, this is a big lesson for us all, honestly I’m weeping as I’m writing to you, what is driving you all around? What exactly is the enemy posing to you as to renounce your faith in God? What is that thing that wants to move you out of the secret place and turn you to a captive in the hand of the enemy? Psalmist said: “I have set the Lord always before me for He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” Psalm.16:8. This exactly is the answer at such situations. None of them are capable to remove us out of the secret place. If God be for us who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulations, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or sword or peril? We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creatures, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans.8:35-39). This is the answer of the apostles and holy men that have gone ahead of us. Let us be careful and not give Satan Chance to succeed over us. “And in nothing be terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God.” Phillipians.1:28. Nothing good ever comes out of fear; it will only scare the presence of God away from you and send you back to square one. It makes a man to remain in the wilderness and never allows him to enter the promise land. It takes authority out of your hand and leaves your position vacant for another person to occupy. Let us see the outcome of Elijah’s decision: “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, it is enough; now, o Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 1King.19:4. Hear the prayer of a man of destiny; all he was doing all this while was just in preparation for the appointed time of glory, God has not started what he was preparing him for; and now he want to quit. Excuse me, what brought about such a prayer? What has really happened to make him suing for resignation? The woman has not even appeared to him, it was just a letter, and the man of God; the representative of God in the land; a man that carry God on the inside wanted to die. No other thing responsible for that prayer aside from fear. Fear will make you to pray amiss; it makes you look down on yourself and doubt your God given vision. Fear will make you lose intimacy with God. Oh Lord, may I not quit at the time of glory! Fear aborts all Elijah’s effort and his self denials to meet the target of heaven. Going by his prayer, “I am not better than my fathers,” It dawn on me that, what God want to use him for; He might have been presenting it before his fathers, and now, what stop his ancestors stop him. He became like one of them; he allows ancestral curse to overtake him and that at the helm of glory. Elijah never considered that whatever he says in prayers the Lord will answer. Little did he know that his mouth has become a sacred and a sanctified one. He prayed for death. Beloved, what are we saying in time of trouble and threat? What comes out of your mouth immediately situation works contrary? Don’t forget that: “Whatever ye say in my ears I will do.” Immediately Elijah took that fearful step, the presence of God left him. The word of God cease from coming to him, it was the angel of God that is now relaying God’s message to him. He left from the land of glory to exile. He has not what it takes to received instruction directly from God. We have never heard anything like angel, until when he gave up on God and his office. He betrayed the trust and confidence God had in him. Looking at the subsequent verses, by the time He would hear God again, it was a different thing entirely: “What doest thou here Elijah?” He surprised God; God was so embarrassed with his actions. God could not find him where he placed him. He made God repent on his initial big plans for him. There wouldn’t have been John the Baptist, if not for what he did on that day. Nobody knows whether Jesus would have come long before the time he appeared to the world, but look at what his weakness caused to human race. Nobody hear anything about Elijah’s wife and children, except for the sons of prophet who happened to be his disciples or students. He left no children of his own loins on earth before he died. Now tell me: Is that the plan of God? When the word of God says:”And God created blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Genesis.1:28. It is owing to his fearful prayers. Ahab that heaven appointed him to be a prophet unto and instruct him betimes, as you know that everyone has his own prophet, could not succeed on the throne, because his prophet has missed it. Heaven changed them all and replace them with someone else. Fear will not only wreck avouch on us alone, but also on people around us. Please let us be careful! There are more to learn from the weakness of Elijah that responsible for his flaw-Fear: “And, behold, the Lord pass-bye…. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, what doest thou here, Elijah? It suggests to me that the word pass-bye means passing him bye to look for another person to who will carry on the assignment. It was then his eyes opened to see what he has done. The great wind, the earth quake and other threatened situation that befell him were not a symbol of God’s instruction. Beloved, which condition are you at the moment? What kinds of strong wind, earth quake, and other tragedies are coming your way to suggest a new decision to you? Once they are void of God’s clear voice and instructions, they are not capable to move us out of our place. Whatever God has not said; he has not said it, come what may. Ensure that only what moves you around is the word of God, otherwise it can prolong your journey and change the plan of God for your life. It is dangerous to walk out of God’s plan, especially for those who have already yielded their neck into it. “And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.” 1King.19:15-16. It is the plan of God that his chosen vessels should pass through the wilderness. No one becomes something meaningful in the hand of God without the wilderness experience, because that is where the Lord prepares, tries, and empowers them for whatever he wants to do with them. Yet his plan is not to remain in the wilderness or tarry longer than necessary. It is just for a set time. No one having a good report in the Scriptures escaped this wilderness trip. The children of Israel went through it; Jesus himself went through it, but just in 40 days. I myself writing to you went through it; but my prayer is that we will not return to the wilderness. Anyone that returns to the wilderness repeats his testing class; they are undone, that is, such is not a finished instrument for the master’s use. And this should not be after you have been exposed to Israel. It always comes before the time of public show. Now, why is Elijah going to the wilderness the second time, having received recognition and acceptance from the whole nation and beyond? He was unfinished; he was undone, his weakness has not yet been strengthened. Any spot or weak points left un-dealt with will always disqualify a man for glory and renders him un-useable. What a disaster! All the Lord has to tell him after the incidence was to appoint another person in his room, why? He was no more useable for the mandate. Beloved, Faith or confidence which is the opposite of fear is the ingredient to fulfill in the purpose of God. For sure, Satan will come with so many things to discourage and distract our attention, but we need to keep trusting in the Lord and cast not away our confidence. What God is passing across to us from the life of Elijah as lesson is that, in any circumstances, we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthen us.(Phil. 4:13). Let the weak says: I am strong; and let the poor says: I am rich. I still have many things to say about the weakness of Elijah just for our admonition and edification: see the reason why God could not manage Elijah with his weakness at that period, but to send him back to the wilderness, even though what made him to repeat his wilderness class he latter came to fulfill, yet his weakness as not totally been eradicated: “And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him saying, Thus saith the Lord, in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine….. And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, the dog shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’’ 1King.21:17-23. This is all what God expected from him at first- to wait for a word from the mouth of God and utter it and every fear will vanish away, but he ran. But, has that brought to a halt the weakness of this man? Heaven open another chance for him to correct his first mistake and to prove to Israel, irrespective of what Elijah did, that there is none beside Him. All God expect from us in any dilemma and unpleasant situation we may find ourselves is to exercise the authority we have in Jesus and command either the wind or storm to calm, and it shall be so. The same Jesus exercised when the devil came to him; he said: get behind me, and he obeyed. However, let us find out from subsequent assignment if Elijah has totally been recovered from is weakness or not: “ Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab and Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that bye go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shall surely die. And Elijah departed.” 11king.1:1-4. Notice something here, initially when God want to speak Elijah, it was a direct voice from Him, but now he has lost that and it is the angel of the Lord that conveys the instruction from God to him. His fear has scared God away from him; the boldness God had toward him for a definite work has been dented, and so need be that He should relate with him from afar. The fact that he left his place and position in Samaria the other time has made people to look out on other gods for solution. Any spot or weakness in the life of a man of anointing will always stand to forfeit his work and make him abuse his privilege. It makes him to do more arms than good. Let us see what happened: “And he said unto them, what manner of man was he which came to up to meet you, and told you these words? And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins and he said, it is Elijah the Tishbite. Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty and he went up to him: and behold, he sat on the top of a hill. And he spake unto him, thou man of God, the king hath said, come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of the fifty, if I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consume him and his fifty…. Behold there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.” 11King.1:7-15. This exactly was the fear in the heart of God concerning Elijah and anyone who carries the anointing and power of God with spot or weakness un-removed, they abuse their divine endowment. They aren’t a good prospect for God’s use. Brethren, it is important we identify our spot or weakness as we go about our God-giving assignment. Even though the subject for discussion is “fear” in the life of a prominent man of God, yet there are several other weaknesses that can still call our assignment to a halt before time, and terminate our appointment before the almighty God. For Judas Iscariot, it was covetousness and that alone removed his name from the book of life, and is position from among the twelve pillars that hold the kingdom of God. Moses’ was anger and that hindered him from entering the promise land. Time does not permit to speak of them one by one. None of them plan to fail; they never pray to miss out on their divine mandate, but their spots let them down. Resuming to the spot of Elijah-our case study following the Scripture above, it dawn on me that what the king was asking Elijah for wasn’t evil or arm, but to probably to explain to him what prompted his erring actions, and for Elijah to plead with the Lord for forgiveness on his behalf, but fear made a man of God to be violent and destructive rather than built up. He forgot that he is in a position to intercede for God’s people. Here the bible says: He began to destroy them with fire. We may be asking ourselves why God even answer such a request. The truth is that God always respect the prayer of his anointed and honour his word in their mouth. Nobody would have thought he did evil on that day if not for what the angel said, and more importantly what Jesus latter came to correct about the incidence. The angel of the Lord said: “Elijah, go down with him: be not afraid of him.” Fear was the cause of all the prayers and wonders he was performing on that day. The lives of men are no more precious to him. He forgot that love covereth multitude of sin. Let us hear Jesus’ verdict about the occurrence: “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” Luke.9:54-56. Thank God for the word of Jesus that gave us light into what Elijah did and from the spirit he did that, it was actually from the spirit of “fear” and insecurity. And if insecurity in a man is not conquered, the abuse of power is inevitable. For us to get this in vivid clarity, apart from the first wonder of un-locking the heaven for rain when he has the presence of God so fresh and was in his place or office, other miracles, especially the calling down of fire was not recon with, in the latter part of the account of James, let us hear: “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” James.5:17-18. Beloved, what has fear turned you to be? What precious mandate has your weakness withdrawn from you and left you valueless? You can cry to God today, and he will surely restore you. And to as many as are still on probation concerning their calling before God, let us be careful and learn our lessons from the mistakes of our elders that have gone ahead of us. I pray we shall fulfill in our calling or mandate and make it home at last in Jesus name. Thank you. Hymn: It pays to serve Jesus I speak from my heart, He’ll always be with us if we do our part; there’s naught in this wide world can pleasure afford, there is peace and contentment in serving the Lord. Chr: I love him far better than in days of yore, I’ll serve him more truly than ever before, I’ll do as He bids me whatever the cost, I’ll be a true soldier I die at my post.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 09:27:27 +0000
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