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Introduction

Did you uncover any hidden unbelief during our ten days of prayer and fasting?

Three disguises of unbelief were revealed to me: timidity, restlessness, and playing defense. All three of these are unbelief hiding under a disguise.

Let’s hone in on timidity. I believe it is the number one type of unbelief keeping us from fulfilling the many prophetic words spoken over our church.

Our name in itself has been a prophetic word: NoLimits Church. But it’s time for that prophecy to become reality.

We are to become a storehouse with resources so vast we accomplish exploits for the kingdom of God. We send people wherever they need to go. We care for widows and orphans. We become the leading force in Owasso. We make Owasso a safe haven until Jesus comes. We become known for extravagant generosity.

It is timidity that keeps us from this. Timidity convinces you to go back to what is comfortable. Timidity convinces you to wait until everything is in place before you take the next step.

Timidity keeps you from praying for the sick and delivering the oppressed. Timidity keeps you from sharing the gospel with a stranger. Timidity keeps you from multiplying your income.

Religion has taught us that timidity is a display of humility. Just take a back seat and be quiet. Don’t ruffle any feathers. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Be timid, because that’s how you remain humble.

Hogwash. That’s all a bunch of bull. Timidity is not humility. It is unbelief.

When we are timid, we reveal we don’t really believe the same spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead lives in us. We don’t really believe God is for us, and in us, and working through us.

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT – For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline.

According to this, timidity is a spirit. And I’ve noticed it is a persistent spirit. It looks for any opportunity to turn you into a coward.

I am so thankful prayer and fasting uncovered this nuisance! Now that we know it is unbelief, we will immediately run it off whenever it comes around. No more tolerating timidity! 

I am so thankful the NLT brought out the meaning of the word “fear” in this verse. Other translations simply say, “God has not given us a spirit of fear.” The Greek word translated to “fear” is defined as:

Deilia (fear) – Timidity, fearfulness, cowardice

We are not just talking about being afraid, although that is part of it. But encompassed in this word is every time we feel timid or act like a coward.

Now that we’ve removed the religious covering of false humility and exposed the hidden unbelief called timidity, we can bulldoze it out of the way and replace it with power, love, and self-discipline.

Interestingly, the word power in this verse means “miracle-working power.” In other words, as soon as you eliminate timidity, miracle-working power can show up.

Isn’t that amazing? There’s even more to it than that. The word we translate to power – dunamis – takes many definitions to explain. Take a look at this.

Dunamis (power) – Power for working miracles, moral power and excellence, the power and influence that belong to wealth, power and resources arising from numbers, power resting upon armies.

When we get rid of timidity, all of this God-given power can finally show up in our lives. Look at someone next to you and say, “God didn’t give you timidity. He gave you POWER!”

This word power – dunamis – is such a rich word. Let’s dig into each of these definitions to make sure we really understand what God has given us.

Power for Working Miracles

Timidity says that you have no right to expect a miracle from God. You should just accept your sickness, or financial woe, or whatever it is that keeps you down.

God didn’t convince you of that. Timidity did. Because God gave you power for working miracles. He doesn’t just want YOU to have a miracle; He wants you to work miracles in the lives of others!

The life of Jesus was an open display of what God really wants. Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. When you see Jesus, you see the Father.

By your own assessment, was there any shortage of miracles in the life of Jesus? No. So what does that tell us?

God’s will is that there be no shortage of miracles in my life.

Want to know a good way to run off the spirit of timidity? Say that statement one hundred times a day.

Can we prove with scripture that God’s will is that there be no shortage of miracles, even today? Yes!

John 14:12 NLT – I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.

Tell timidity to take a hike because God has given you power for working miracles! The only limit to the magnitude of miracles you perform is the nonsense you allow between your two ears.

Say this: God has given me power to work miracles.

Moral Power and Excellence

Timidity says that you will always struggle with sin. That’s why you hear pastors say things like, “We all sin, so don’t worry about it. Just do your best and trust God with the rest.”

I’ll tell you right now: you cannot trust God with your weakness. If you truly put your weakness in God’s care, He won’t pamper it. He won’t try to keep it alive. He’ll destroy it with the breath of His mouth.

So many people think God is babysitting their sins and weakness. They think He is okay keeping it around like a pet. Oh no. That’s not God convincing you to do that. I’ll let you figure out who it really is.

God gave you moral power and excellence! He gave you freedom from sin! He destroyed sin’s power over your life!

I love how Peter explains it:

2 Peter 1:3 NLT – By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him.

You don’t have to try to live a godly life. You’ll always struggle with sin if you try to eliminate sin with your own effort.

God didn’t tell us to try not to sin. No, He gave us POWER! He gave us everything we need for living a godly life.

How do we receive this precious gift of moral power and excellence? By coming to know Him.

So, don’t try to live a godly life. Rather, spend time getting to know God. The more you know God, the more of His great and precious promises you receive.

How do you get to know God? Through His Word. By coming to church and hearing anointed teaching and preaching like you are today. By remembering what He has already done for you. By spending time talking with Him through prayer. By praying in the Spirit.

Tell sin to take a hike because God has given you moral power and excellence! This power is made manifest not by trying but by keeping God at the center of your thoughts. REMEMBER the power God has given you because of Jesus!

Say this: God has given me power to live pure.

Power and Influence from Wealth

Timidity says that the influence that comes from wealth is a bad thing. So, you need to stay poor or close to it.

This sure is convenient for the kingdom of darkness. Because now, most of the wealthy people are evil people. And guess what comes with wealth? Power and influence.

Do you think God would rather this power and influence be in the hands of the righteous or the wicked?

We can’t change the fact that power and influence result from wealth. That’s just how it works. But we can change who has this power and influence. It should be us, the children of God.

If God hates wealth, He must have been really displeased with Abraham. Oh wait. God called Abraham the father of our faith. And I don’t recall Abraham ever getting in trouble for his wealth.

And don’t even get me started on King Solomon, the wealthiest man ever to live. Surely, God was displeased with his wealth. Oh wait. All of his wealth came from the wisdom God gave him.

Clearly, God is not against you having wealth. But the enemy is because he knows the power and influence that come with wealth.

In case you are having a hard time wrapping your head around this, here is scripture to help you out:

Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV – And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers.

Interesting. Once again, we are commanded to REMEMBER. What are we supposed to remember? That God gives us power to get wealth. Why? To confirm the covenant He made with us.

Say this: God has given me power to get wealth.

If you want to agitate a religious spirit, say that one hundred times a day.

Power and Resources from Numbers

Timidity says to keep things small. Stay true to your small business. Don’t let it grow too big. Don’t desire the church to grow. You can get more done when it’s small.

Excuse me while I search the scripture to find out where God commands us to keep things small and embrace small thinking. Oh wait, it’s not in there.

From the very beginning, God commanded us to be fruitful and multiply! Multiplication is commanded. 

Jesus confirms in the parable of the talents. Those who multiplied were counted as faithful servants. But the one who played it safe and kept things small was considered wicked and lazy.

God wants our church to multiply. We are to go from 150 to 300, from 300 to 600. And on it goes. That’s why we must get out of here and into a bigger space. We must multiply!

It has been prophesied that NoLimits Church is to be the leading force in Owasso, where no other organization will have the influence that we do.

For this to happen, our numbers must multiply. It will take more than the 150 people we have right now to accomplish this.

Did you know that power and resources are the result when many people come together? Just think of the resources that show up when the fair comes to town.

If it works for a carnal purpose, how much more will it work for God’s purpose?

We must eliminate small thinking. Those thoughts about keeping the church small that many of us have – eliminate them. Cast them down. They are ungodly. God wants us to multiply.

How do we know this is true? By what happened to the early church in the Book of Acts. All it took was one Spirit-led sermon from Peter to do this:

Acts 2:41 NLT – Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

Say this: God has given us power to reach thousands.

Power Resting on Armies

Timidity convinces you that you are a victim. Keep your defenses up because you never know when someone might hurt you. And get used to weathering the enemy’s attacks.

But God says, “You are more than a conqueror. You are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You reign as kings and priests in this life.”

Yet, the church tends to sink back into this pitiful place of enduring the attacks of the enemy. We are always on the defense, just trying to hold on until Jesus returns.

Matthew 16:18 NKJV – …I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Gates are a protective mechanism. We use them for defense. Who’s gates are we talking about here? The gates of hell.

Gates are not on the offense. They don’t run after you. Gates can only fulfill a defensive role. So, Jesus is not saying that when hell comes after the church, it won’t prevail.

Jesus is saying that the defense of hell can’t hold up against the church. Hell has built a defense to keep the church out. But Jesus has given the church power to blow through the gates.

What are we going to do once we are in there? The next scripture has our answer.

Matthew 16:19 NKJV – And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

The church is to go right into the enemy’s camp and bind up the works of darkness. We are to put them in chains and lock them up!

At the same time, we are to go into hell’s prisons and loose the captives. We are to break the chains of all those bound by sin and sickness.

We have the best defense. We’ve been given the armor of God. The angels are protecting us. God himself is protecting us.

The defensive role does not belong to the church. Our job is offense, offense, offense. Trust God to be your defense while you destroy the works of the enemy.

Say this: God has given us power to destroy darkness.

The next time you find yourself playing defense against the devil, knock it off. REMEMBER that God is your defense, and get your rear end back with the army we call the church and destroy darkness.

Conclusion

This is all so amazing, isn’t it? And it’s the truth! Just think of all the religious strongholds we broke today! To agitate them even more, let’s these things together one more time.

God has given me POWER to work miracles!

God has given me POWER to live pure!

God has given me POWER to get wealth!

God has given us POWER to reach thousands!

God has given us POWER to destroy darkness.