Excerpt: Loose That Man & Let Him Go (1)

Here is an excerpt from one of the last chapters of T.D. Jake's book, Loose That Man & Let Him Go.


3. Live Beyond Intimidation

"Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom had been raised from the dead.
But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus."
John 12:9-11

Nothing threatens a dead man. People only fear what they have not faced, and those like Lazarus have already faced the ultimate challenges of life. They are seldom intimidated.

Men of less experience would have stayed in hiding. Powerful enemies were not glad he had survived, but Lazarus wasn't moved. He didn't budge. Fear no longer worked with him because he had looked death and failure in the face and walked away into new life. He knew the cold terror of lying with other rotting corpses in the tombs. He was familiar with the stench and decay of the decomposed and the sneering grimace of skeletal remains.

Now what were these men threatening him with? Death? What planet did they come from? Lazarus had discovered a Savior Who could call him back from the grace in a split second! Threats were a waste of breath. Lazarus had been through too many challenges to take his marbles and go home just because someone didn't like him!

You are a loosed man! You have already passed your survival course, and you have been through boot camp. You are a combat-hardened career man complete with battle scars, memorials, and trophies of your personal survival. When you face opposition from the enemy, you don't panic anymore. You don't even think about breaking rank or running away. Things have changed this side of the grave. This time, your enemy can feel his scaly knees knocking together. There is something very familiar about the glint in your eye and the cool, underlying strength he can perceive in your heart. It is ironic that the most frightening enemy you had to face was the enemy within. Now it has become the trophy you hang high in your heart!

Once you develop the tenacity to survive, you are ready to do great things for God. You become unstoppable when you learn how to buffet your body and deny your desires. Resurrection changes the way you react to fear and death. It doesn't mean that you will never fear again; it means that you will forever react to fear differently. Survival breeds confidence.

Once the blaring scream of fear has pierced your consciousness, you will know things that others do not know. When you taste the salty tears of bitter frustration and everything within you says, "I give up; I can't go on!" you will know things that others do not. When your heart has pounded its way through numbness and continued to pump blood although it seemed to be broken by the aching pain, you will know things that others do not know.

You have survived the terror of feeling unseen weights on your chest and have fought the night armies of inner torment and wars within. I know you understand. You have stumbled and staggered from bad news to worse news without breaking pace. You are a voice from the grave of failure sent back to speak to your generation! You have been freed from the grave clothes and given as a living gift from God to this generation.

You and I are "proof positive" of answered prayer simply because we are alive!

No one can threaten me with death. I have already been dead. I was pulled like a cold corpse from a rushing river and resuscitated on the banks until I loved again by the breath of the one who rescued me. I will not run and hide simply because my critics are embarrassed by my progress or upset by those who surround me! Like an ex-convict, I declare that I have served my time! Release me quickly and let me go - I am loosed!