Stepping out of natural into supernatural – Part 3

• The Boat Of Human Fears And Unbelief
This is the fear of becoming unpopular, fear of being termed a heretic. It is the fear of what men will say if you step out and leave them. Fear of the unknown. Fear of stepping out only to meet with failure. Fear of men mocking you. The fear of meeting opposition, closed doors and rejection. The prophet Jeremiah courted such fears.

“Then said I, Ah Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” Jeremiah 1:6-7.

When Jeremiah further protested, God spoke to him with the following hard words:

“Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I cmand thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. AND THEY SHALL FIGHT AGAINST THEE; BUT THEY SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THEE; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee” Jeremiah 1:17-19.

7. The boat of political manoeuvring
There are those who know how to rise to positions of recognition and authority by lobbying, campaigning, pressurising, using persuasive arguments and words. There are also those who only succeed in holding onto their posts and offices by using threats and other such fleshly means. It is significant to note that those men who chose to remain in the natural realm were not able to combat the storm, in spite of all their knowhow and human strength put together. The Bible says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” Zechariah 4:6.

The hymn writer, George Duffield wrote: “The arm of flesh will fail you, you dare not trust your own”. Instead of combatting the storm and the situation at hand, they were fearful of being overwhelmed by it.

Human weakness and physical tiredness, coupled with lack of knowledge and wisdom, all added to their failure. Defeat and shame became the portion of these men.

Beloved, I declare to you that many shall step out of the natural into the supernatural and shall carry the anointing and power of God to their generation. Those who refuse to step out or choose to remain in the safe confines of the boat shall soon become obsolete and be written off. I challenge you and exhort you to make an attempt to enter into the realms of the supernatural. ‘Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain”. Deuteronomy 1:6.
Lastly – Peter, Christs Disciple Stepped Out

Only one man had the audacity to step out from the natural into the supernatural. Peter hungered and thirsted for it. He desired it until he began to ask for it. “And Peter answered him and said, Lord if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” Matthew 14:28.

Without wasting time, the Lord bid him come. If you are hungry enough, you too will hear the Lord bid you come. Before Peter could step out of the natural and begin operating in the supernatural, there are several things we can pick up.
1. He had to leave the comfort zone, leave the security of the boat and the companionship of his colleagues. There are many things we too will have to leave, if we are to operate in the realms of the supernatural.

2. He stepped into increased turbulence. The real storms do not occur inside the boat but outside it. The real attacks are preserved for those who launch out into the deep end of the supernatural.

3. In stepping out into the supernatural, his goal and aim was to draw closer to Christ. The closer he got to Christ, the further he was from the boat, the disciples, and every other thing that had to do with the natural realm. Drawing nearer to Christ requires a life of holiness, prayer, fasting, studying and living in the word. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS.

Only one man stepped out. Only Peter amongst all the twelve. Today, you can be the man or woman to step out of your own boat. When you read your Bible very well, you’ll discover that it was only Peter amongst all the twelve whose very shadow healed the sick. (Acts 5). It is only Peter out of them all who raised a cripple. John only accompanied him to the Beautiful Gate, but it was Peter who raised the cripple (Acts 3). Moreover, it is only Peter we read of amongst them all who raised the dead (Acts 9).

Rev. Theodore Effiong, Assemblies of God Church, Calabar Or Prayer To All Nations (PTAN), Prayer City, Calabar. CRS
Email: theoeffiong@yahoo.com
Phone – +234 9030012007, +234 7031921770