This is the year of the Open Door. How exciting to know that we will come to open doors of opportunity in our life this year. God is moving and has a plan to use you in building His Kingdom on earth. He wants us to succeed. He wants us to advance. He wants a fire to burn in our bellies and a passion in our hearts to be closer to Him and to reach others for Christ.

Big opportunities will be placed before you. What will you do? We can look at these open doors and think, “This is too big for me to even think about doing.” or “I have never done this before, what do I think I am doing?” I understand because I have thought those thoughts many times even in these past few years.

Most of the time we don’t believe in ourselves in a Godly way. We are a threat to the kingdom of darkness. Start believing God can use you in a mighty way and all hell better beware once a Saint knows who they are in Christ and how mighty their God is!

The enemy wants you to think less about yourself. He wants you to be filled with fear so that you will not accomplish what is set before you by God. The devil knows we are threats to his kingdom and by filling our minds and hearts with fear, which is one of his biggest weapons of attack, we won’t fulfill the assignment given by God.

1 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

This is what we need to remind ourselves when fear wells up in our hearts. God is not the author of fear, no, quit opposite. He is the author of power and love and a sound mind. You know it is the enemy when you get all worked up over it. This verse in 1 Timothy shows that God has given us power to overcome any fear! We don’t have to put up with it, but we can resist it.

When facing a door of opportunity fear can grip our hearts and doubts can set in our minds. In this world there are many fears or phobias. I searched on the internet and found this list from Wikipedia Phobia list that is really a small list compared to others, but it sure sums up crazy fears.

Here are just the phobias that start with the letter “A”

A

• Ablutophobia – fear of bathing, washing, or cleaning

• Achluophobia – fear of darkness

• Acrophobia – fear of heights

• Agoraphobia, agoraphobia without history of panic disorder – fear of places or events where escape is impossible or when help is unavailable. Fear of open spaces or of being in public places. Fear of leaving a safe place

• Agraphobia – fear of sexual abuse

• Agrizoophobia – fear of wild animals

• Agyrophobia – fear of crossing the road

• Aichmophobia – fear of sharp or pointed objects (such as a needle or knife)

• Ailurophobia – fear of cats

• Algophobia – fear of pain

• Amychophobia – fear of being scratched

• Androphobia – fear of men

• Anthophobia – fear of flowers

• Anthropophobia – fear of people or the company of people, a form of social phobia

• Aquaphobia – fear of water. Distinct from hydrophobia, a scientific property that makes chemicals averse to interaction with water, as well as an archaic name for rabies

• Arachnophobia – fear of spiders

• Astraphobia – fear of thunder and lightning

• Atychiphobia – fear of failure

• Autophobia – fear of being alone or isolated or of one’s self

• Automatonophobia – fear of anything that falsely represents a sentient being

• Aviophobia, aviatophobia – fear of flying

These fears prevent people from riding in cars or planes, from having relationships, or even experiencing life to the fullest. All because of being afraid. Fears can be based on something real or they might be just blown up in our minds. Either way, it is vital to overcome them to walk through the open doors God will place before you.

Phobia:“a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.” (dictionary.com)

Do you have a Door phobia? Fear of the unknown? Fear of failure? Fear of people criticizing you? Fearful of the giants in the land? You are not alone. In Numbers chapter thirteen God told Moses to send out twelve spies to spy out the promise land. They went and in verse 23 they cut down a branch of just one cluster of grapes and had to carry it between two men on a pole. The land flowed with milk and honey. It was bountiful with blessing. They came back and reported to Moses what they found.

Numbers 13:25 – 27 NKJV

“And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.”

Then the the bad report came, and the “buts” came into their conversation… “But… there are giants in the land and the cities are fortified and very large; they started to tell of all the reasons why they couldn’t take the land. Then the “ites” were listed:  the descendants of Anak and the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites.

This is often how we deal with an open door opportunity. We say things like, “I can’t” or “But…” or “I know the Bible says, but….” Excuses never make you advance. Excuses are crutches that prevent your promotion. Excuses prevented the Israelites from obtaining the promise land right away. They leaned heavily on their “crutches” and played the “We are not able” card. They allowed their phobias to win and the door shut for them to walk in their promise land.

Joshua and Caleb had a different spirit. They quieted the people and shared why they should take the land.

“Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)

What a great report. It was a report full of faith!

They should have immediately went up to the battle and taken the land. What a pep talk! You and I are well able to take possession of the new open opportunity in front of us.

We are over-comers. We have God on our side, so who can be against us? No one!

Remember one of the keys to open doors is to be tenacious (Keys to Open Doors). Caleb was extremely tenacious. Caleb’s name means: “Forcible or to attack!” This was Caleb’s spirit. He knew who he was and who he represented. He knew the battle belonged to the Lord. He eagerly wanted to do his part and take the land that God was setting before them.

But… the rest of the spies, the naysayers, the excuse makers, the Door phobics said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we… the land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature… we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:31 – 33)

Too often we think things to death and reason why we shouldn’t step out. We hide behind reason and facts instead of believing God is God and trusting Him at every step of walking into the open door. If it looks too hard or too tough we cringe or cower back in fear and throw excuses out to those who ask us why we are not doing what we said we felt God wanted us to do. Don’t let this be you! Have a different spirit like Joshua and Caleb.

Forty years later, after the phobic generation had passed away, Joshua and Caleb took what was rightfully theirs. It was out of their hand to go on their own. Maybe that is you. Maybe it was out of your hands to be able to walk through the open doors in your past, but now, things are different, things have changed, you are not the same person you use to be. You have allowed God to change you and rearrange your thinking. You see things through the eyes of faith and now believe God will give you the wings to go and fly through the open door of freedom, Amen!

Believe you can do what God has called you to do! He wouldn’t have called you, better yet, He wouldn’t have created you for the task if He knew you couldn’t succeed. That is not how God operates. He uses people to fulfill His purposes on earth. He used Esther to save the Jewish nation from being killed. He used Joseph to become second in command to bring food in a time of drought and starvation. God uses the Deborahs and the Joshuas, and the Elijahs, and the Marys (Jesus’ Mother) to bring salvation and hope into the world. Can God count on you too? Come on, step up to your open door, shed off any fears, and obtain the land!

Gideon is another example of someone who was very fearful but overcame his fears to do great and mighty things for God.

Judges 6:12 NKJV

“And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

The Angel of the LORD had an assignment to come and tell Gideon that he was a mighty man of valor and that God was with him. How awesome is that. What a powerful word! You would think Gideon’s response would be positive, but instead he said, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

Gideon was looking at himself and what had happened in stead of God. I love the reply of the Angel, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (Judges 6:14 NKJV)

God can do amazing things through you if you just say, “Here I am!” Some of you are so bored with your life. Start thinking amazing things. Dream dreams again. Resurrect the dreams God gave you. Don’t let them die. If God can do anything He can do it for you.

Gideon’s reply after the Angel said, “Go in this might of yours and you shall save Israel of the hand of the Midianites” was, “But…”

Judges 6:15 NKJV

“So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

He only saw himself through his own eyes and not what God saw him as. The messenger from God never harped on what Gideon thought he was, the messenger only proclaimed who he really was, A mighty man of valor!

We have to get our mind off of ourselves and what we think, and onto God and what He knows and tells us. We are mighty men and women of God created and positioned to do amazing things.

David, he found out what the uncircumcised philistines were saying and taunting the people of Israel. He was eager and able to take the giant. He quickly ran to the battle line and killed the Giant. He took back the land from the enemy and Israel prevailed!

Some of you have been promised big things, then you thought it to death. Fear and doubt set in your heart and you gave up or didn’t believe. We need to start agreeing with God and what He says we are. God would never put an open door in front of you knowing you couldn’t seize the opportunity. No, God places opportunity and open doors in front of us for us to walk through and take the land. He places us in places we never thought we would look at. Don’t allow your fears to prevent you from being what God created you to be.

1 Peter 5:9 Amplified Bible

“Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset — rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined]…”

When you start to feel fear, resist it immediately. Don’t dwell on it or reason with it. If you make the mistake of dwelling on your fears and start thinking about all the reasons why you can’t do what God is telling you to do, then it won’t be long before you develop a negative mindset that will keep you stuck where you are.

David knew he was to fight Goliath, a giant, and quickly moved to the battle. He didn’t take the time to think about it. He didn’t allow fear to grip his heart and talk himself out of it. He just did what he knew God wanted him to do. David said,

“What time I am afraid, I will…trust…in You” (Psalm 56:3)

We need to do as David said. When we start to feel concerned or phobic about something, roll it over to God and declare, “I will trust You Lord!”

So many people today are just sitting on the sidelines of life. They have tremendous potential on the inside, but they keep letting the enemy talk them out of doing what God wants them to do. Every time they get a vision and stand at the threshold of the open door, the enemy brings fear and they reason themselves out of pressing forward. Don’t let this be you. Instead, obey quickly. Resist fear and boldly embrace every blessing the Lord has in store for you!

We certainly don’t want to move in the flesh or out of God’s timing, but when God is moving, you can’t be afraid to move with Him. When God is moving, our job is to move with Him. Ever forward! Amen!

I am determined to take the land God brings me to. I have allowed my fears to hinder me long enough. Enough is enough! No place for mediocrity. No room for complacency. Only tenacious, bold, and committed in Jesus name!

Your tenacious sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com