Door Phobia

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

Keys to Open Doors

Doors are all around us. You have a door to get into your house, to go from one room to another, to get into your car, to get into the store, and even the bathroom. I am sure if we took a pole of how many doors we walk in and out of each day we would be surprised at the number.

2014 is the Year of the Open Door. This is the fifth sermon in my Doors Series God placed on my heart back in August of 2013. There will be many doors that will be placed before you this year and beyond. What will you do with that open door? Many will get discouraged because they either don’t see the door or they will walk away from it because it seems too hard to open. Don’t let this be you!

God is growing us numerically, spiritually, prophetically, and in all directions by His Holy Spirit.

God has been speaking to my heart about His anointing of His Holy Spirit that will draw people to Him. Often churches don’t talk much about the Holy Spirit. They are either afraid, uneducated, or have decided it was for the Book of Acts but not for today. I am here today to tell you that the Holy Spirit longs for a living breathing relationship with everyone of us. He has gifts to give that will fall right in line with our natural gifts and talents to unlock doors for you this year.

Listen, if you had the key to open a vast treasury wouldn’t you use it? That is the same with learning the keys to open the right doors in our life. To me, using the key, is the same as God opening the door. He has given us keys to unlock and open doors, our job is to learn what those keys are and to us them for God’s glory.

Keys To Open Doors

1. Manifestation (Gifts) of the Holy Spirit.

God has blessed us already with some natural gifts and talents. Maybe you like to serve, or work with people or children. Maybe you like to teach or be a leader. Maybe you like to help others or like to have people over to your house and love on them. There are so many natural strengths we have. Most of the time we are told to focus on our weaknesses and work on them. But to me that is wasted energy. The Holy Spirit is helping us with our weaknesses and brings change as we yield to Him. Truly God cannot be strong in our life if we don’t have weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:9 – 11). Let’s develop and focus on our strengths and allow God to launch us through any door He has set up for us.

Take a look at your strengths and see what you are good at in the natural, then you can look at the Spiritual gifts and even the Fruit and combine them to be a useful and effective person for God.

Let’s look at the Manifestation of the Spirit, or Spiritual Gifts, and the fruit of the Spirit.

1 Cor. 12:7 – 10 NKJV

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”

Gal. 5:22 – 23 NLT

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

I wrote down some of the natural abilities I and others see in me and then combined them with the manifestation of the Spirit I see God using me in. (I share these things not to boast, but to give an example to look at. All of this is for the glory of God and to edify the body of Christ.) Then, I added all the fruit of the Spirit, and you can see how they work together to edify the body of Christ, grow the Kingdom of God, and to open doors. We may not have all the gifts of the Spirit, but we do have all the fruit in us, they just need to grow.

Natural Gifts	Gifts of the Spirit	Fruit of the Spirit
Teacher	Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Discerning of Spirits, Interpretation of tongues	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Caring, Compassionate, Encourager	Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Healings	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Creative/Dreamer of Dreams(Music, Writing, Graphic Design)	Faith, working of miracles, Interpretation of tongues, wisdom, knowledge	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Leadership	Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Visionary	Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, Interpretation of tongues	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Tenacious, endurance, perseverance, Determined, Committed	Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Faithfulness, loyal, trustworthy, honest, integrity	Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Patient, Merciful	Healings (Spiritually, Emotionally), Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Self-Starter and Finisher	Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Prophecy	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
Out Spoken, Bold, Not afraid of Confrontation	Prophecy, Faith, Discerning of Spirits	Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

You see it is when we walk in obedience, and practice His gifts, we will edify the body of Christ and do mighty things for God. What natural gifts and talents has God given you? What gifts of His Spirit has God given you? It is time we use them in the body and to help each other grow in Christ.

It is amazing how God uses our natural God-given abilities, with His gifts of His Spirit, to create the very key to open doors.

The apostle Paul assures us that each of us within the Body of Christ have different gifts that are a response to God’s grace.

Romans 12:6

“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…”

And Peter reminded his readers that they were on earth to glorify God through the use of their gifts.

1 Peter 4:10 – 11

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Proverbs 18:16 promises us, “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.”

The manifestations of the Holy Spirit + our natural gifts + Fruit of the Spirit = Keys to open doors.

2. Commitment

“Too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They’ll stay faithful as long as it’s safe and doesn’t involve risk, rejection, or criticism. Instead of standing alone in the face of challenge or temptation, they check to see which way their friends are going.”

Charles Stanley

There is a lack of commitment in the world, and in the church. Are you a great starter but not so good at finishing things? It is probably because you are not committed. Commitment will keep you when you want to give up.

The word Commit means: “to give trust or charge, to pledge or engage oneself, to bind or obligate, to entrust.” So commitment means: “the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself, a pledge or promise” (dictionary.com).

Psalm 37:5 – 6 NLT

“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.”

We see in this verse when we commit everything, all our ways, to the Lord and trust Him, He will help us. He will make us shine radiantly. Constantly committed to God. This brings success.

As the Israelites committed to obey the commands the Lord gave them, they were prosperous and succeeded. But when they broke their commitment and disobeyed, they were in bondage.

Where is your commitment level? It takes commitment after you walk through the open door God gives you to fulfill what that open door contains. It is easy to give up. Most people take the easy road when things get tough. When things don’t turn out how you expected do you decide to quit or find something else to do?

Laziness is an enemy of commitment. Letting your flesh win is not walking in the Spirit. Our flesh always takes the easy, lazy, most comfortable road. But that road never produces good results. When our flesh wins, we lose!

I saw an advertisement on the television the other day that shocked me. I actually thought it was a joke and was waiting for the punch line but it never came. This commercial was advertising a website about buying divorce insurance. This website states and I quote: “Over 50% of marriages will end in divorce. Insure that you are protected and lawyer bills are paid.” It also has a picture of a red paper heart with a woman ripping it in two. I couldn’t believe it. You are buying insurance saying, “I will get a divorce some day.” Where is the commitment in your marriage with that mindset? What is that?

Commitment! There is lack of commitment in marriages, church, jobs, friendships, family, beliefs and so much more. What happen to the days when people, even Christians, were faithful to their word? Where they showed up when they said they would? When they are committed even when it costs them something? This is integrity and it gives God a good name instead of a bad one.

When it comes to the work of God, your commitment will determine your promotion! God can not give you more when your commitment level where you are at is low. Don’t be deceived. When you are faithful with the little God has given you, He will then give you more. We don’t get a promotion when we are slackers. We get promoted because we show we are committed, faithful, good work ethics, responsible, and trustworthy. Is that you? If not, be determined to change and learn how to commit.

There was a time when my commitment level was low in many areas of my life. I would bolt when I didn’t like my circumstances. I would leave places when I felt I was treated unfairly. If I got tired of working at one place, I would look for another. When my friends didn’t agree with me I would stop being their friend. God showed me this and it grieved my heart. I saw my lack of commitment and also saw the consequences of it. Instead of believing everyone else was wrong, I had to look at truth and that I was wrong. Now, my commitment level has skyrocketed. Very seldom will you see me out sick or leave some place due to being upset. God showed me how to have a “bull-dog” grip on the things He wanted me to stick with. I am determined to stay committed and receive the promotion God has for me. I am determined to stay in agreement and reap the fruit of my long-suffering and endurance.

What about you? Where is your commitment level? If you leave or don’t finish what you started it is time you restart. Don’t decide to stop your participation all because it isn’t convenient or not fun any more. Decide you will finish what you started. Decide you are not a quitter. See where God takes you.

3.  Be Trustworthy.

Trustworthy means: “able to be relied on as honest or truthful.” Some synonyms are: reliable, dependable, honest, honorable, upright, truthful, ethical, virtuous, and unimpeachable.” An antonym is: “unreliable.”

Being trustworthy is so important. This effects your family, job, church, finances, reputation, and so much more. If you have in the past been a person who is not trustworthy it takes a while to build that trust in others again, especially if it was your behavior for many years.

Being trustworthy will keep and maintain you after you have walked through the open door. Don’t be a person that decides they are good after walking through the open door and then think you have arrived. No, that is just the beginning.

Remember my message of “What’s behind door #1, #2, or #103?” Many are called and few are chosen. Many are called to do great things but few will do great things, Why? Because few will take responsibility for the call. It doesn’t end with a call, that’s where the work starts. First comes the call, then comes the work, then comes the sacrifice, then comes the never giving up, and then comes the “going all the way through.” This requires commitment and being trustworthy.

Proverbs 11:13 ESV

“Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.”

Colossians 3:9-10 ESV

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

Slandering someone is not being trustworthy. Lying about anything is not being trustworthy.

Did you know that saying you will be somewhere and then not show up is a lie? You may not even give it a second thought but it is sin. This is a hard one because we can justify our actions away thinking it is no big deal if we don’t do what we said we would do. But in really it is a lie and we are expecting others to be okay with it. It shows your lack of integrity and character.

Colossians tells us to not lie to one another. This is the old self before you knew Christ. We have put on the new because we are new creations after the image of our Creator. Is God trustworthy? Yes! Does He lie? No! Then that is what we should be doing as well. Be people of integrity and do what you say you will do and be where you say you will be.

Get ready for an exciting new year in 2014. There is no limit to what God will do in and through you. Be open! Be ready! Be trustworthy and committed!

4. Be Faithful.

Being faithful is being loyal, constant, and steadfast. Commitment, Trustworthy, and being faithful all go hand in hand. Do you see a theme here? This is what it takes to staying constant in your life and to keep on keeping on with what God has opened before you.

Faithfulness is doing the right thing when you are the only one doing the right thing! It doesn’t matter if someone else is unfaithful. Our job is to remain faithful in what God has given to us. Be faithful in your relationship with God. Don’t be an off and on again Christian. What a slap in the face of God to have a relationship with you when things are going well, but when things are tough, you close your heart and do your own thing.

If you see that you are an unfaithful person thank God for the people who have put up with you. It will take some time to build trust back in them once you decide you will stay faithful. It is okay. Be determined to remain faithful when you are trying to show others you are faithful.

During testing and trying times be determined to be faithful. Don’t give up on things. Don’t quit!

You may say, “Pastor Kris it is just too hard.” “I don’t understand why I have to go through this?” You need these hard years so you will grow. They are specifically designed for you because God is developing character. You only develop character when you refuse to run! We develop good character in the trials and uncomfortable places. Be determined to get your blessing out of what God is trying to teach you. You are in the Holy Ghost cooker! Get ready for the beautiful aroma of God’s character to shine in you as you yield to God’s Holy Spirit’s promptings to change.

You may say, “I just don’t have any joy so I think I will go somewhere else.” You cant run away from something and still not have any joy. You won’t have joy where you decide you want to bolt too. In other words, you are the common denominator in both places. Allow God to change you from the inside out. Give God your worries. Obey His word! A lot of our turmoil in our life is all because we don’t want to obey God’s word. Obedience brings blessing. There is joy in obedience. You will find peace when you obey God.

We all go through silent years of growth before God brings us to the open door of promotion. After Jesus’ birth, we don’t hear anything about Him until He was twelve years old. Then we don’t hear anything until he was thirty. Scriptures just tells us, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52) during those years.

Be faithful now and don’t give up!

Gal 6:9 NKJV

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

Keep on keeping on! Tell yourself, “I will never give up!” Press through those testing and trying times! Everyone on the face of the earth has to learn this lesson.

Heb 6:11 NKJV

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end.”

5. Be humble.

Being humble means to not be proud, not thinking of yourself as better than other people. Once we walk through our open door, and we start advancing, pride can come to our heart. We start thinking we have gotten to where we are by ourself. We start having a twisted view of ourself.

Pride goes before a fall, and usually some character building times too. There are reasons why God doesn’t share everything that will happen in our life. He wants us to rely on Him when we make mistakes, and see our humanity compared to His deity. We are nothing without Him.

Why do you do what you do? What are your motives? We need to get our motives right. Do you do what you do to be seen by people? We have to have the mindset that if God isn’t in it, then we shouldn’t do it.You will flow with ease and with a smile, and you will have success if you will change your mindset.

You have no idea what God will do when your heart is purified of pride. Did you know that believing your success is all your doing is really “works of the flesh?” Thinking it was your bright idea instead of God’s. We can reason things out and think, “If I do this, this will happen.” Then we do exactly what we thought, succeed, and start to think we are better then someone who is struggling just to pay their bills each month.

I wonder how much we give up and miss all because we try to get some attention to ourselves? We miss out on what God would love to do for us if we would only trust Him and stay humble.

We have to remind ourselves daily that we are nothing without God! This helps us to not get full of ourselves. If we do, it is over. We will fall from that prideful throne.

Here are some scriptures on being humble:

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

“If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn form their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Did you notice the “If – Then” statement? If we humble ourselves, then God will move. God will not move on our behalf if we are full of pride, full our ourselves. But if we humble our selves, God will always move. A broken and contrite heart God will never despise. He will never turn away from brokenness. Thank God for that!

So what does humility have to do with opening and walking through an open door? Humility will help you maintain your place in that new open door. Humility will sustain you and help you to handle success in the right way. Amen!

6. Be Bold.

What? You just told us to be humble, now you are telling us to be bold? Yes I am. We can maintain humility and still be bold at the same time. The key is to be bold in Jesus and who you are in Christ! Realizing you are nothing without Him, but you are everything with Him.

We can have a zeal for God and meekness or humility for self. Jesus was humble but when it came to God and the things of God, He was bold like a lion.

Being bold in the face of fears is what we need. We need to be bold and strong knowing God is always with us. Don’t allow your fear of the open door prevent you from walking through it and keeping it. We are children of the King! We are King’s kids. We take the land that is before us for God’s glory and for His Kingdom!

Walk in the boldness of the Spirit. Walk in the gifts God has given you. As they unlock the door, you boldly do what God has called you to do. If we are timid instead of being bold at this point, we will give the land back to the enemy. We will not be victorious. We will give up.

Ask God to help see yourself through His eyes and not your own. He sees a mighty warrior! He sees the battle won. He sees a successful son or daughter following His Word and His example.

2 Corinthians 3:12 ESV

“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,”

Having hope gives you boldness. We have the best hope ever as a Christian. Stand strong in your belief. Now is the time to tell others of Jesus’ saving power. Today is the day of salvation, Amen!

God’s Holy Spirit gives us boldness!

Acts 4:31 ESV

“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

We are a Spirit-Filled church! Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you to overflowing to empower you to walk in boldness. The Holy Spirit takes our timidity away and infuses us with His presence and power. Let’s walk in this boldness everyday! Don’t be intimidated by the enemy. Sometimes we have to get out of our own way and allow God’s presence to abide in us. Once we do, we will see things from a different perspective. We will see things from God’s view. We will want to advance His Kingdom and speak forth His Word with boldness.

Allow His presence to infill you and walk in God’s boldness to open the doors and walk in the new God has for you. You were designed to communicate the Word of God to your world! Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Speak life with the boldness God wants you to walk in.

7. Be Tenacious

Tenacious: “tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely.” (Webster Dictionary) Another word to describe tenacious is relentless. 

We have to be tenacious with our faith and believing for good things. If God has told you of a promise and it hasn’t come to pass yet, be tenacious and keep believing. Don’t get robbed of a blessing by letting go of your dreams God gave you.

There are several examples in the Bible of tenacious people and the reward of their tenacity.

Elisha was determined to receive a double portion from Elijah. He was promised if he sees him being taken up he will be given a double portion of Elijah’s spirit to be upon him. Many times Elijah told Elisha to stay while he would go further, but Elisha would not. He was tenacious to receive the double portion anointing and he did (2 Kings 2:1 – 15).

In Matthew 15:21-28, we read of a mother who begged Jesus for help. Initially, He refuses her, yet she continues pleading for her daughter.

Matthew 15:21 – 28 NIV

“Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

Her tenacious faith turned Christ’s heart toward her and her child, granting what the woman requested.

The parable of the persistent widow’s story as accounted in Luke 18:1-5 illustrates how we are to be tenacious.

Luke 18:1 – 5 NLT

“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

Even as the authority (the judge) stood against her, she never let go of her hope. Be tenacious.

Samuel’s mother Hannah probably couldn’t have guessed that she’d bear a child, let alone one of the more influential prophets of the day. The despair she felt because of her physical barrenness could have crippled her faith. But, she continued to weep and pray for her miracle.

I Samuel 1:11-17 NIV

“And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.” “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 

This is the year of the Open Door. Be determined to unlock and walk through any door God brings before you by using your natural gifts with the manifestations and the fruit of the Spirit. Be committed, trustworthy, and faithful all the days of your life. Stay humble as you experience success in this open door and be bold in your faith and tenacious to never give up. You will fulfill your destiny as you lean and trust in the Lord every step of the way.

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.KrisBelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.KrisBelfils.wordpress.com

2014 – Year Of The Open Door

We have just entered the threshold of 2014. A new year. A new beginning. But this new year is different from other years that have just begun. This new year will be full of open doors of opportunity for the church and for your individual life.

I have spoken on Doors of Distraction first because that is usually what happens. Too many distractions can prevent us from walking through the right doors and fulfilling our purpose. It is interesting how many people miss what God wants to do in and through them all because they get distracted with unnecessary things in their life.

I sense a fire in my spirit about this. We have to be committed and focused this year, more then any other year or we will miss opportunities that will bring out our full potential. Often people don’t think they have very much potential and never look beyond their abilities. In order for us to obtain the new, we have to look beyond where we are and have the courage and commitment to step out into the new door of opportunity available to us.

1 Corinthians 16:9 ESV

“For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

I have used this verse for every message in this “Doors” series. I want you to get it in your spirit. The open door is wide with possibilities. The sky is the limit!

Do you have a door of opportunity available to you? Yes you do! But you say, how? I don’t see it? That is the first and biggest issue you need to overcome. Many times the open door comes with adversaries.

I think we think opportunities will be so good and so amazing there won’t be any strife or hardship. Wrong! We will have to conquer the giants in the land. We will have to face our fears. We will have to let go of our past all in order to walk through the threshold of the new open door that awaits us.

There may be even people who oppose what you believe you are suppose to do for God.

God’s Word translation for 1 Cor. 16:9 states: “I have a great opportunity to do effective work here, although there are many people who oppose me.”

You will experience opposition when God opens a door of opportunity to you. It is a given. Many adversaries.

Adversaries means: “antikeimai (an-tik’-i-mahee) From G473 and G2749; to lie opposite, that is, be adverse to: – adversary, be contrary, oppose.”

There will be people who will be in contrary with you. They will say the exact opposite of what you are believing. They won’t be encouragers. People will question if you heard God or not. They will question your motives. They might speak lies about you and you have to deal with other people believing those lies. They may even think you are arrogant, but keep your focus on the open door and that God has called you to this threshold.

Do you have some people in your life who always oppose you? Maybe you have even walked through the threshold of your open door of opportunity and they are right there being a naysayer.  Remember that naysayers come when you least expect it and from the least likely source.

I have experienced many naysayers in my life. People who were once for me and for what God was doing in and through me and then something changed in them. Be it a small mindset of how they viewed me or what God wanted to do, or even jealously, still they changed and started to oppose the move of God in my life.

Rejection! It hurts, especially when it comes from someone who was a close friend or relative. What will you do with rejection? There has to come a time in your life where you separate how you feel from what you are called to do. What I mean is if we allow our emotions to rule us during times of opposition we will forfeit victory.

Our emotions will lead us down a rabbit trail. Emotions are fickle. They are real and can overpower your ability to act or take action. Many times I have to push down my hurt or anger so I can accomplish what God required of me. If we don’t conquer our emotions, especially when it comes to opposition, we won’t walk through the door of opportunity, let alone fulfill and accomplish what the open door contained.

Let’s look at that verse in the Modern King James Version.

1 Cor. 16:9 MKJV

“For a great and effective door opened to me, and many are opposing.”

“For a great and effective door opened…” It wasn’t just a simple door or a small door, or a door that won’t have an effect. It was a great and effective door presented to Paul. When presented with such a huge opportunity to preach the gospel, Paul was eager to stay, but he also saw there were many people opposing it, especially coming from the religious leaders of his day.

Interesting the opposition opposed something godly. They opposed anything that had to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We shouldn’t find it strange when people oppose our reaching out to others for Christ, especially when that opposition can come from people within the church.

The enemy will bring division. He will use Christian against Christian. Be aware of this. Don’t fall into this trap. Realize your fellow Christian is on your team and don’t oppose them, but work with them to build the Kingdom of God. Too many times Christians get off track and decide their fellow Christian is the enemy. This is a lie! I don’t know how many times people have come against me, their Pastor, because they think I am ignorant of their matters or that they know better. This is rebellion. If you oppose someone who is your authority, you are in rebellion.

Repent and stay under the authority God has placed in your life. They are your covering that God has placed you under for your protection. Don’t fight it!!! Don’t give your authority figure a hard time with your rebellion. They have a heavy enough load to carry and don’t need you to dump more heaviness onto them by your rebellious attitude.

Galatians 6:10 KJV

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Do good to your fellow Christian. Do good to your pastor and leaders. It will go well for you if you do. People are not your enemy. Fellow Christians are not your enemy. Learn to discern why you oppose another Christian. If the answer is fleshly, be real with yourself and stop the opposition. If someone opposes you who is in the faith, don’t start a fight with them, just trust God that He will complete what He started in both of you.

When you experience opposition don’t be intimidated. Be determined to walk through the “great effective door” in all the authority God has given you.

The word Door in this verse is an abundant opportunity for usefulness. The word “door” is used to show an occasion or an opportunity for doing something, anything of great effect. Again a door is the means by which we have entrance or access; and because the door is open, it means access is available right now! The opportunity is now!

Never ask God to open a door and then remain where you are. When God opens up an opportunity before you, and you know it is God as it lines up with His Word, take steps to walk through it and don’t hesitate. To hesitate is to take steps backward. To hesitate is to say, “I don’t know if I should do this.” Don’t allow the open door opportunity to pass you by all because you were scared or intimidated. Turn all that around and use it for your leverage to press in and to walk through the great open door before you.

Eph. 5:15 – 16 NIV

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

So be careful how you live. Be wise in how you live. Make the most of your life by making the most of every opportunity placed before you. God didn’t just create you to live and then to die. The in-between part is where we will be held accountable. I don’t know about you but I want God to say to me when my time is done on this earth; “Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into my rest!”

God has throughout history opened doors of opportunity to His people. I did not become the Pastor of Hope Fellowship because I was smart, or because of the degrees behind my name, or because someone voted me in. I became the Pastor of Hope Fellowship because God graciously opened the door and appointed me. He ordained me to become the Pastor. That is what Jeremiah 3:15 states: “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” If that’s not good enough for you, it was God opening the door to salvation by sending His only begotten Son to take away the sins of the world. We were not good enough, smart enough, rich enough, nor righteous enough. Yes my brothers and sisters, great things happen when God opens a door for you!

A door of opportunity is a chance to do something greater then yourself. How awesome is that? God has mandated this opportunity for you.

God is into opening doors for His people. He did it for the Apostle Paul, and He will do it for you. Remember that the number four means Door? Four is the value of the Hebrew letter Dalet:  ד.Dalet means door. The letter Dalet is the fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. 2014 is a year of  the open door. What will you do with the opportunities God brings your way?

Paul asked that God would open the door.

Colossians 4:3

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”

Again, never ask God to open a door and then remain where you are. Walk through the opportunity and watch what God does!

Did you know that God promises to open doors!

Matthew 7:7 – 8

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Are you knockin’? He will open the doors of provision. Doors of reconciliation. Doors of the second chance. Doors of salvation of souls. Doors of prosperity. Open doors for deliverance and breakthroughs! Open doors for revival.

In Acts 16 Paul and Silas being locked away deep in prison with chains after healing the demon possessed woman. We may say, “Why do I have to suffer? What did I do wrong?” Listen the enemy just wants to hate on the Children of God. You will come out in victory! Amen!

Acts 16:26 KJV

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”

Earthquake opened the doors. Sometimes the open door comes from a shaking in our life! Are you ready? Praise God for the shaking!

We will have challenges. We will have adversaries. We will have people oppose us. Just get your praise on like Paul and Silas did!

Rev. 3:8 KJV

“I know they works: behold, I set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:”

We are going to go through these doors.  

Pray this prayer with me:

“Come Holy Spirit! I receive your anointing for this new year. I thank you for every open door you have placed before me! I will walk through the door. I will obtain what you have for me. You are bringing deliverance, healing, provision, reconciliation, and anything that I am lacking; you will provide. Adversaries will be defeated. You are making me be the head, and not the tail! Above only, and not beneath! Thank you for Your blessings Lord! Thank you for good health! Thank you for healing my body, my mind, and my spirit in Jesus name!”

Get ready! Get ready! Get Ready! Great open doors God will bring to you this year and be determined to walk through and fulfill what God has brought to you in Jesus Name!

Your sister,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.KrisBelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.KrisBelfils.wordpress.com